Friday,  Oct.  9th, 2020

In an expletive-laden interview on The Rush Limbaugh Show, U.S. President Donald Trump warns Iran, “not to fuck around” with the United States, and “if you do something bad to us, we are gonna do things to you that have never been done before”. (The Hill)

The number of confirmed cases worldwide increased over 350,000, sets a new record since the beginning of the outbreak in China, according to World Health Organization. (Voice of America)

The national government imposes a 15-day state of emergency in Madrid and nine surrounding cities in an attempt to bring down COVID-19 infection rates in the capital, after a court yesterday overturned a partial lockdown imposed last week. (BBC)

The reported number of new infections in France jumped by 20,339, a new record since the beginning of the pandemic, making the cumulative total at 691,977, according to data from the health ministry website. (France 24)

Chancellor Angela Merkel and mayors of 11 large cities agrees on stricter controls for urban areas exceeding the government COVID-19 threshold. She said for cities with more than 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over a seven-day period, which Berlin and Frankfurt already exceed that number, tighter restrictions should be implemented immediately. (DW)

Italy registers 5,372 new cases in the past 24 hours, which it is the first time that the country reports more than 5,000 cases since late-March, prompting fears of second wave of COVID-19 that happens in other countries in Europe. (RTÉ)

Russia reports 12,126 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 1.27 million, according to data from health authorities. This sets a new record for daily infections surpassing the previous record on May 11, when 11,656 new cases were reported. (Anadolu Agency)

The number of new cases in Switzerland and Liechtenstein increases by 1,487 in a single day, a record since the beginning of the outbreak, according to data from Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health. (Reuters)

In Helmand Province, the Taliban kills at least three security forces and injures another three.[citation needed]

It is announced that the Broadway theaters will remain closed through May 2021. (CNBC)

McConnell, contrasting Trump, says stimulus bill ‘unlikely in the next 3 weeks’ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters Friday that a deal on another coronavirus stimulus bill is still “unlikely in the next three weeks.” Earlier this week, Trump pulled the plug on COVID-19 stimulus talks, saying he would tell Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to halt negotiations with Democrats “until after the election.” Trump has since pivoted, tweeting that “Covid relief negotiations are moving along. Go big!” The White House reportedly offered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) a $1.8 trillion deal. Democrats want $2.2 trillion in funding, and it’s unclear what Republicans are offering in their deal. Regardless, they’re unlikely to get far without McConnell’s cooperation. “We do need another rescue package,” McConnell acknowledged Friday, but “differences of opinion about what is needed at this particular juncture are pretty bad.” Source:  CNN

The Taliban kills four Afghan soldiers and four police officers in Aliabad District, Kunduz Province. Five soldiers and two police are also injured in the attack. In Helmand Province, the Taliban kills at least three security forces and injures another three. (TOLOnews)

Armenia and Azerbaijan agree to a ceasefire in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh effective 03:00 am local time, following Russian-brokered peace talks in Moscow. However, fighting continues and both sides accuse each other of violating the agreement. (BBC)

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Thursday, Oct. 8th, 2020

The FBI announces that 13 men from militia group Wolverine Watchmen are charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at her vacation home. (ABC News)

A scroll containing a handwritten poem by deceased Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong, claimed to be worth around US$300 million, is recovered in Hong Kong after having been stolen on September 10. It was found cut in half, likely because its 2.8 m (9.2 ft)-length made it difficult to display. (BBC)

Three British MPs launch an investigation into the disappearances of Saudi princes Mohammed bin Nayef and Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, alongside other political dissidents in the kingdom. (Al-Araby)

Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that the city will close an additional 61 schools to combat COVID-19 hotspots. (Patch.com)

The number of confirmed cases in the Netherlands jumps by a record of more than 5,800 in the past 24 hours, according to data released by health authorities, putting pressure on the government to impose new restrictions in the country. (U.S. News and World Report)

The government extends an emergency provision that bars public gatherings, including widespread protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for an additional week. (Al Jazeera)

The World Health Organization reports a record one-day increase in global cases, with a total of 338,779 cases reported in the last 24 hours led by a surge of infections in Europe, where cases rise by 96,996. (Reuters)

Madrid regional court overturns a government order to impose a partial lockdown on the city and nine satellite towns, calling the restrictions “interference by public authorities in citizens’ fundamental rights without the legal mandate to support it.” (France 24)

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Wednesday,  Oct. 7th, 2020

Ex-police officer Derek Chauvin, who was charged in George Floyd’s death, is released on bail. (WCCO-TV)

A Greek court rules that far-right political party Golden Dawn operated as a criminal organization in connection with the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas in 2013 and other crimes. (CBS News)

A report from the United Nations recommends that war crimes committed by Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement be referred to the International Criminal Court. (The Washington Post)

The regional government in Brussels declares that bars and cafes in the city will be forced to close for a month effective tomorrow, even if they only sell tea or coffee, after the Belgian capital overtook Paris in terms of infections per inhabitant. (Swiss Info)

Berlin’s nightlife is facing a closing time for the first time since 1950, effective October 10, as bars, restaurants, and off-licences will have to close between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am local time. Under new rules that have been announced, public gatherings of more than five people from more than two households, as well as private gatherings of more than ten people, will also be banned. (The Guardian)

Italy imposes a compulsory nationwide outdoor mask mandate, with fines ranging from 400 to 1,000 euros (AS$659 to AS$1,650; US$463 to US$1,163) for violators in a bid to curb the second wave of COVID-19. This decree passes at the same time the country reports 3,678 cases in the last 24 hours, the highest figure since the peak of the outbreak in April. Exceptions include outdoor sporting activities, children under six years of age, and people with health conditions that preclude wearing masks. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Governor Tony Evers announces that the state will open a field hospital at the state fairgrounds near Milwaukee. (The Hill)

Brazil surpasses five million COVID-19 cases, becoming the third country to reach that milestone after the United States and India. (Bloomberg)

Pence and Harris to face off in vice presidential debate

Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the Democratic nominee for the vice presidency, are set to debate on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, Utah. The face-off will be the first and only debate between the two candidates, and it is expected to be more closely-watched than previous vice presidential debates. President Trump’s campaign has lost steam in recent weeks, and the president was hospitalized with COVID-19, putting new pressures on Pence, meanwhile Harris will be scrutinized as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s more progressive counterpart. Harris is a former prosecutor who is expected to deliver a strong performance against Pence. The two camps agreed to coronavirus protections like plexiglass between the two candidates. The debate begins at 9 p.m. ET. Source: CNN

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