Thursday, Sept. 24th, 2020

German vehicle company BMW is fined $18 million by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to resolve allegations that it inflated sales figures between 2015 and 2019.(AP)

French health authorities report a new record of 16,096 daily cases in the last 24 hours, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. The new record comes a day after the government announced new restrictions on bars and restaurants in major cities, including Marseille and Paris, provoking an outcry from local politicians and business owners. (France 24)

The government announces a plan to elevate Donegal to Level 3 out of a five-alert level alongside Dublin effective midnight tommorow, which means that authorities will tighten restrictions due to an increase in cases; restrictions include a ban on indoor restaurant dining and an advisory for people not to travel outside the county. The measure will remain in place for three weeks until October 16. (The Irish Times)

The United Kingdom sees new cases rise by 6,634 in the last 24 hours, the highest figure ever reported by the Department for Health and Social Care since the beginning of the outbreak. The new record tally brings the total number of cases reported in the country to 416,363. (The Independent)

The Thai Ministry of Digital Economy and Society files legal complaints against Facebook and Twitter for ignoring requests to take down content, such as those that criticize the royal family. (Reuters)

Hong Kong police arrest veteran activist of the League of Social Democrats Koo Sze-yiu [zh] and Joshua Wong of the defunct Demosisto for violating the anti-mask policy in place under last year’s protests. Other pro-democracy activists condemn the arrests. (The New York Times)

Indonesia reports a record jump of 4,634 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide total at 262,022, while the death toll from the virus surpasses 10,000. The number of daily cases is the highest since the beginning of the pandemic and a new record for two consecutive days. (detikHealth)

Hong Kong police arrest veteran activist of the League of Social Democrats Koo Sze-yiu [zh] and Joshua Wong of the defunct Demosisto for violating the anti-mask policy in place under last year’s protests. Other pro-democracy activists condemn the arrests. (The New York Times)

2 officers wounded amid protests sparked by lack of Breonna Taylor killing charges Protests broke out in Louisville, Kentucky, and around the country Wednesday after a grand jury indicted one of the three Louisville police officers involved in the March 13 shooting of Breonna Taylor, but not directly for her death. Two Louisville police officers were shot while responding to a report of gunfire downtown, and officials said they are in stable condition and expected to survive. A suspect is in custody, but law enforcement did not say if this person was involved in the protests. Police shot Taylor while executing a no-knock warrant in search of her ex-boyfriend, who was not in the apartment, but the only officer to face charges was indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for shooting into the apartment next door; if convicted, the officer faces one to five years in jail. Source: Louisville Courier-Journal

Biden ahead or competitive in Iowa, Georgia, and Texas, poll finds Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is leading President Trump by more than 7 percentage points in national polling averages, but as Trump showed in 2016, winning the Electoral College is what gets you elected. “Trump is on the defensive in three red states he carried in 2016,” The New York Times reported Thursday morning, unveiling polling of likely voters in Iowa, Georgia, and Texas. Thanks to “a wall of opposition from women,” the Times reports, Trump trails Biden by 3 points in Iowa, is tied with him in Georgia, and is ahead by 3 points in Texas, and the Democrats are competitive in those states’ Senate races as well. An overwhelming majority of voters say they have definitely made up their mind about their vote, meaning late swings in support are unlikely. Source: The New York Times

The End