Portal:Current events/2020 November 14

November 14, 2020 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Tigray conflict
- Asmara rocket attacks
  - Explosions are reported in the Eritrean capital Asmara amid reports of a missile attack from Tigray, Ethiopia. The Eritrean government confirms missiles were launched at the capital but said that they missed and instead landed in the countryside. The attack comes just hours after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) threatened to target Eritrea. (Eritrea Hub)
- The TPLF launched missiles at Gondar Airport and Bahir Dar Airport in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. A spokesman for the TPLF says, "As long as the attacks on the people of Tigray do not stop, the attacks will intensify". (CNN)
- Hundreds of people cross the Tekezé River on small boats into Sudan, fleeing the escalating fighting in Tigray. There are now around 8,000 refugees stranded on the Ethiopia–Sudan border. (Reuters)
2020 Western Saharan clashes
- The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic declares war on Morocco, formally ending a 29-year truce. (Axios)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Pacific typhoon season
- Around 468,000 people are to be evacuated in Vietnam ahead of the landfall of Typhoon Vamco, which has already killed 53 people in the Philippines. Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc warns people of the seriousness of the storm. (Reuters)
2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Tropical Storm Iota strengthens in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to intensify in the coming hours, threatening many parts of Central America, including Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. The storm is expected to grow into a hurricane. (CNN)
Piatra Neamț hospital fire
- A fire breaks out in a hospital in Piatra Neamț, Romania, killing at least 10 people. (Digi24)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
      - Alberta reports 1,026 new cases, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (CBC)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba
      - Manitoba reports a record 15 new fatalities, including 11 deaths that are linked to Maples Long Term Care Home in Winnipeg, bringing the death toll to 152. (CKY-DT)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
      - Ontario reports a new single-day record of 1,581 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 92,761. (Global News)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
      - Quebec reports a new single-day record of 1,448 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 122,634. (Montreal Gazette)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan
      - Saskatchewan reports a new single-day record of 308 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 1,691. (CKCK-DT)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota
      - Minnesota reports 8,703 new cases, a new single-day record as seven-day positivity rate reaches 15 percent. (Minnesota Public Radio)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey
      - New Jersey reports a new single-day record of 4,395 new cases, surpassing the previous record set in April during the first wave of the pandemic. (NJ.com)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota
      - North Dakota reports 2,278 new cases, a new single day record. (KVLY-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Washington
      - Washington state reports 2,323 new cases in the past 24 hours, a single-day record since the start of the pandemic. (KOMO-TV)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    - Mexico surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
    - Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces a two-week national lockdown effective November 17. All schools, non-essential services and shops will be closed, and people will be told not to meet anyone from outside their household as the number of cases continues to rise. (BBC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    - Education Minister Niki Kerameus announces the closure of kindergartens, primary schools, and childcare centers across the country for two weeks beginning November 16 as part of tightened lockdown measures aimed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Ekathimerini)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    - Poland surpasses 10,000 deaths from COVID-19 after a record 548 new deaths are reported in the last 24 hours. (RMF 24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Russia reports a record 22,702 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total since the start of the pandemic to 1.9 million cases. (The Moscow Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
    - Ukraine reports a record 12,524 new confirmed cases, bringing the nationwide total since the start of the pandemic to 525,176 cases. (Kyiv Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
    - The government announces that Iran will impose stricter restrictions beginning November 21. In Tehran and about 100 other towns and cities which are classified as "red zone" or "Level 3", non-essential businesses will close and cars will not be allowed to enter or leave the city. (IRNA) (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Japan reports 1,731 new confirmed cases, a new record for the third consecutive day, as many prefectures such as Osaka and Chiba report record numbers of daily cases. (Kyodo News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    - South Korea reports 205 new confirmed cases, exceeding 200 for the first time since September, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. (Yonhap News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  - Western Australia reopens its hard border for the first time in seven months after it was closed due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. (ABC Australia)

International relations

Foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
- Guyana withdraws its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) following the military clashes in Guerguerat. Guyana's Foreign Minister Hugh Todd says his country will "support the efforts of the United Nations to achieve a peaceful and mutually acceptable solution". (Morocco World News)

Politics and elections

2020 United States election protests
- Thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump protest the results of the 2020 United States presidential election in Washington, D.C. (BBC News)