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COVID-19 pandemic: Disease; Virus; By location; Impact; Portal

Yoshihide Suga

Yoshihide Suga (pictured) becomes Prime Minister of Japan, replacing Shinzo Abe.
Astronomers report the detection of phosphine, a possible signature of organic life, in the atmosphere of Venus.
In tennis, Naomi Osaka wins the Women's Singles and Dominic Thiem wins the Men's Singles at the US Open.

September 17, 2020 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency
- 2020 Iraq attacks
  - A convoy hit by a bomb kills 4 members of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Kirkuk. (National Iraqi News Agency)
War in Afghanistan
- September 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - The Taliban kills 20 security forces and injures another 15 in Nangarhar. About 29 Taliban are killed and another 25 wounded. (TOLOnews)
  - A Taliban car bombing kills 6 Afghan security forces in Herat. 53 militants are also killed in the attack. (TOLOnews)
  - Taliban insurgents kills 3 security forces and injures 8 in Qadis, Badghis. Also killed are 2 civilians and 2 Taliban. Three Taliban are injured. (TOLOnews)
  - Taliban kills at least 3 security forces and injures 2 others in Gizab, Uruzgan. (TOLOnews)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
  - The economy of New Zealand enters recession for the first time since 1987 after the country's GDP declined by 12.2% between April and June, amid a nationwide lockdown and travel bans due to COVID-19. (BBC)
- Shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  - An additional 150 million children live in multidimensional poverty since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year. The analysis by UNICEF and Save the Children is based on shortcomings in education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, and water. (PTI via The Week)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Teddy strengthens into a Category 2 hurricane over the Atlantic Ocean and heads to Bermuda, which is recovering from Hurricane Paulette. (Washington Post) (The Weather Channel)

September 16, 2020 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- September 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - A bomb kills two people and injures 12 others in Kalafgan District, Takhar Province. (TOLOnews)
  - A member of the Afghan National Directorate of Security is shot dead and his driver injured in Kabul. (TOLOnews)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Two men are injured during a rocket attack in Ashdod, Israel. In response, the Israel Defense Forces strike Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip. (BBC)

Arts and culture

List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests
- In Popayán, Colombia, members of the Misak indigenous community topple and decapitate a monument dedicated to Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar. (BBC)
The United Kingdom returns three antique bronze sculptures to India more than 40 years after they were stolen from a Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu. They were found in London after one was offered for sale in 2019. A total of four bronzes from the Vijayanagara period, which lasted from the 14th to the 17th century, were stolen in 1978 from a temple dedicated to the god Vishnu in Nagapattinam.(Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Sally
  - Hurricane Sally strengthens into a Category 2 hurricane. The storm has forced evacuations and left more than 150,000 people without electricity. It is now expected to make landfall near southeastern Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle. (CNN)
  - Hurricane Sally makes landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama, at 5:45 am ET as a Category 2 hurricane. (USA Today)
  - Part of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Pensacola, Florida, collapses due to 30 inches of rain. (USA Today)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid
      - Madrid announces plans to introduce targeted lockdowns and other restrictions on movement on September 18, in areas with high cases, local authorities said as the region accounts for around one-third of active cases in Spain. (El Pais in English)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
    - Slovenia reports 123 new cases, an all-time high. (RTVSLO)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
    - Czech Republic reports 1,677 new cases, its highest daily count since the beginning of the pandemic, as the government plans to ban indoor events in an attempt to stabilize the situation. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia
    - Georgia reports 196 new cases, its highest single-day increase. (Xinhua)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India's cases top five million to become the second country in the world after the United States to record that many cases. (Al Jazeera)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Indonesia reports 3,963 new cases in the past 24 hours, which takes the nationwide total at 228,993, a new all-time high since the pandemic began in the country. (detikNews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - The Trump administration and federal officials from Operation Warp Speed unveil plans for distributing doses of a COVID-19 vaccine once the FDA approves their use. (CBS News)

International relations

Venezuelan protests, Crisis in Venezuela
- A United Nations Human Rights Council fact-finding mission formally accuses the Venezuelan government of crimes against humanity, including cases of killings, torture, violence against political opposition and disappearances since 2014. President Nicolás Maduro and other senior Venezuelan officials are among those implicated in the charges. (BBC)
International reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests
- The head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergey Naryshkin, accuses the United States of "working behind the scenes" in Belarus towards another "colour revolution", funding bloggers and training activists through NGO's against the interests of Belarusian citizens. Minister of Defence Sergey Shoygu flies to Minsk after disputed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for weapons during a meeting in Moscow on Monday. Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov says Russia will, before the end of the year, disburse the first $1-billion tranche of a loan that was agreed also on Monday, to help Belarus' financial stability. (Reuters)
Cross-Strait relations, Taiwan–United States relations
- Sources around President Donald Trump say that the United States plans to sell as many as seven major weapons systems, including mines, cruise missiles and drones to Taiwan. (Reuters)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announces plans to repeal the Dublin Regulation and reform the migration policy of the European Union, which von der Leyen says will be presented on September 23. (AFP via France 24)

Law and crime

Rwandan humanitarian and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Paul Rusesabagina, the subject of the film Hotel Rwanda, faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the crimes with which he is charged, according to the prosecution. Rusesabagina had called for armed resistance against the government of Paul Kagame on YouTube. Rusesabagina, however, declined to respond to the charges. (Reuters)
Hundreds of inmates escape from a jail in Moroto District, Uganda, after killing a soldier and looting weapons. A Uganda People's Defence Force spokesperson says two inmates have been captured and two others killed by security forces. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Decolonization of the Americas
- Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley announces that the Caribbean island will become a republic next year before its 55th anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom in November 2021, replacing Elizabeth II as head of state with a Barbadian. Governor-General Sandra Mason says "the time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind." (Sky News)
Yoshihide Suga is elected Prime Minister of Japan, following the resignation of his predecessor Shinzo Abe over health concerns. (BBC)
Prime Minister of Libya Fayez al-Sarraj announces his wish to step down at the end of October amidst the ongoing civil war and protests over corruption. (DW)

Science and technology

Boeing 737 MAX groundings
- A United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure report blames a "horrific culmination of a series of faulty technical assumptions by Boeing's engineers, a lack of transparency on the part of Boeing's management, and grossly insufficient oversight" by the Federal Aviation Administration for two deadly Boeing 737 MAX crashes, resulting in the airliner being grounded worldwide. (Reuters)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- 2020–21 NCAA Division I FBS football season
  - The Big Ten Conference announces its 2020 football season will begin on October 24 with an eight-game schedule, reversing its previous decision to cancel the season. (AP via WJRT-TV)

September 15, 2020 (Tuesday)

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Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
  - The government announces the re-opening of retail stores, cultural and public events, production, and entertainment centers tomorrow, as well as schools, universities, and kindergartens on September 21. However, the country's borders will remain closed. (News.mn)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - The death toll reaches 200,000. (Worldometers)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - Brazil reports 1,113 deaths, the country's highest in two weeks, thus bringing the death toll to 133,119. (Reuters)

International relations

Canada–United States relations
- Canada–United States trade relations, Trump tariffs
  - The United States announces the suspension of the 10 percent tariff imposed on Canadian aluminum imports since August with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative citing a "sharp" decline in imports for the decision. (AFP via RFI)
European migrant crisis, Germany–Greece relations
- Germany agrees to take 1,500 migrants from Greece following a devastating fire at the Moria Refugee Camp on the island of Lesbos. (Euronews)

Law and crime

Immigration detention in the United States
- A whistleblower working at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Georgia details a high rate of hysterectomies and other alleged medical neglect in a complaint to the Department of Homeland Security. Rep. Bennie Thompson, the House Homeland Security Committee chairman, says the allegations are "incredibly disturbing". (CNN) (BBC)
Poisoning of Alexei Navalny
- Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny issues his first public statement since his poisoning via Instagram, having been taken off the ventilator the previous day. (AFP via RTL Today)
Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
- A woman is killed in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, by soldiers accusing her of being an Islamic State-linked group militant. A soldier beat her with a stick several times before the rest of the group was ordered to "kill her on the side of the road" and shoot her. The murder is condemned by human rights groups, while authorities promise an investigation. (BBC)
Shooting of Breonna Taylor
- The city of Louisville, Kentucky, settles a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in a raid on her apartment by police in March. Her family will receive $12 million and several police reforms will also be enacted in the city as part of the agreement. (CNN)

September 14, 2020 (Monday)

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Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Sally rapidly intensifies into a strong Category 1 hurricane, and is expected to make landfall near the Louisiana-Mississippi border as a strong Category 2 hurricane. (National Hurricane Center)
- Governor of Louisiana John Bel Edwards declares a state of emergency for New Orleans and other parts of the state as it is expected that Hurricane Sally will make landfall as a strong hurricane on Tuesday. (CNN)
- Hurricane Paulette makes landfall on Bermuda as a high-end Category 1 hurricane. (Fox News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - The United Arab Emirates approves Sinopharm's vaccine for frontline workers following successful Phase III clinical trials in Abu Dhabi. The WHO-recognized trial began on July 16 and involved 31,000 volunteers. (The National).

International relations

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics, COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
- President of Palau Tommy Remengesau Jr. announces he will be hosting an in-person meeting with the leaders of Kiribati, Nauru, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. Nauru's President Lionel Aingimea says the leaders agreed to attend Palau's Independence Day on October 1 as the five Pacific countries remain free of COVID-19. (RNZ)
China–United States relations
- The Embassy of the United States, Beijing says Terry Branstad is expected to leave his post as U.S. Ambassador to China in early October. No reason is given for the move and no replacement has been announced. China says it was not notified. (SCMP)

Law and crime

Connecticut v. ExxonMobil Corp.
- Connecticut Attorney General William Tong files a lawsuit against ExxonMobil for their products contributing to the emissions that cause global warming and climate change. (CTMirror)
Aftermath of the Duma arson attack
- Amiram Ben-Uliel, an Israeli terrorist who killed a Palestinian couple and their 18-month-old son during a racially-motivated arson attack in Duma, Nablus, West Bank in 2015, is sentenced to life imprisonment by an Israeli court. (Reuters)
A man is in a coma after he was hit by a police car and kicked in the head by an officer during an arrest in Melbourne, Australia. Prior to the incident, the victim was being treated at a hospital for mental health issues. (BBC)
A court in Rwanda charges Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda, with 12 counts, including "terrorism, complicity in murder and forming or joining an armed group", among other charges. Rusesabagina, a strong critic of President Paul Kagame, did not respond to an offer of a plea. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2020 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election
- Yoshihide Suga wins a ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, paving the way for him to become Prime Minister in a parliamentary vote this week. (Reuters)
Second Libyan Civil War
- The Tobruk-based House of Representatives resigns amid violent protests in eastern Libya over deteriorating living conditions and corruption. A spokesman for Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who is the de facto leader of eastern Libya, says the administration supports peaceful protests but would not allow "terrorists and the Muslim Brotherhood" to hijack them. (BBC)

Science and technology

Climate change in the Arctic
- Satellite imagery shows that a big chunk of ice shattered into many small pieces from the last remaining ice shelf in Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden, Greenland. (BBC)
- The first discovery of the perfectly preserved remains of a cave bear, believed to be 22,000 to 39,500 years old (Late Pleistocene), is made in Lyakhovsky Islands, Siberia in the thawing permafrost.(AP)
Life on Venus
- The Jane Greaves-led international scientific team announce that they have detected a gas called phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus that indicates microorganisms may inhabit Earth’s inhospitable neighbor. If confirmed, it would be the first known extraterrestrial life. (Reuters)

September 13, 2020 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency
- A Boko Haram suicide bomber detonated herself at a village in Zeleved, Far North, Cameroon, killing five civilians. Another female suicide bomber made a failed attempt, resulting only in injuries to herself. (RFI)
Second Libyan Civil War
- Protesters, some armed with guns, set ablaze a House of Representatives building in Benghazi, Libya. Protests against deteriorating living conditions and corruption continue in eastern Libya for a third consecutive day. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Nvidia announce that they are acquiring Arm Holdings, the market-dominant designer of smartphone processors, for US$40 billion in the semi-conductor industry's largest-ever deal. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Hurricane Sally
- Hurricane warnings are issued to multiple locations in Louisiana and Mississippi as Hurricane Sally approaches from the Gulf of Mexico with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 km/h). Flood watches are still in effect in Florida's west coast, including Tampa. (CNN)
2020 Nepal floods
- Torrential rains cause landslides in Bahrabise and Baglung, in Nepal, killing a total of 12 people and leaving 21 others missing. (Reuters)
September 2020 Western United States wildfires
- The death toll from the wildfires reaches 33 in California, Oregon, and Washington after nearly a dozen people reported missing in southern Oregon are accounted for, authorities say. (The Columbian)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, 2020 Indonesia large-scale social restrictions
    - Jakarta releases a new set of rules in the second round of stricter social restrictions, which will take effect on September 14. Different from the first round of restrictions, aside from 11 essential services that can continue to be operated, markets, shopping malls and worship with only local residents are allowed to be attended and continue to operate with 50% capacity. Non-essential government and private office operations must have 25% capacity and isolation must occur in government-appointed facilities if anyone tested positive without symptoms or mild symptoms. (Jakarta Globe)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    - South Korea eases its tough social distancing measures for the next two weeks until September 28 in the Seoul Capital Area. The government lifts a ban on on-site dining after 9 pm local time, though it still requires restaurants and cafes to restrict seating and record patrons' names and contact details. Effective tomorrow, franchise coffee shops will resume normal operations, after restricting service to takeouts. (CNA)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
    - Ninety United Nations peacekeeping forces of UNIFIL test positive for COVID-19. A spokesman for UNIFIL says the personnel were transferred to a special facility with equipment to treat the disease. (AFP via Al Arabiya)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns
    - It is announced that Israel will enter a three-week nationwide lockdown starting on September 18 to contain the spread of COVID-19 after a second-wave surge of new cases. During the lockdown, Israelis will have to stay within 500 metres of their houses, but can travel to workplaces that will be allowed to operate on a limited basis. Schools and shopping malls will be closed but supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open. (Reuters)
  - Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
    - It is announced that Saudi Arabia will lift all travel restrictions for citizens on January 1, the state news agency SPA said. The kingdom will also partially lift its suspension of international flights on September 15 to allow "exceptional categories" of citizens and residents to travel. (Arab News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
  - After twice in a single week reporting the biggest daily increases in new cases since the national lockdown was lifted in May, with 646 on Wednesday and then 687 on Friday, Portugal reports another high increase of 673 new cases and seven deaths, bringing the cumulative totals to 63,983 confirmed cases and 1,867 deaths since the first infections were detected in the country on March 2. The 2020/2021 school year is set to start in-person classes between September 14 and September 17 nationwide. (DGS) (DGEstE)

International relations

Internal conflict in Myanmar
- A joint statement made by eight of the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council urges Myanmar and the separatist Arakan Army to halt hostilities in northern Rakhine State and southern Chin State due to the "heavy toll" the fighting is having on the civilian population. (The Star Malaysia)

Law and crime

Killing of Jennifer Laude
- After being pardoned by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Joseph Scott Pemberton is deported to the United States. The former US Marine apologizes to the victim's family and thanks Duterte for the pardon. (CNN Philippines)
2020 United States racial unrest
- Two Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies are shot while parked at a metro station in Compton. A small crowd, including demonstrators, gathers near the hospital in Lynwood where the deputies were transported. Witnesses say members in the group were chanting anti-law enforcement slogans and at one point tried to get inside the hospital. (KABC-TV)
- Protests erupt in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania after police shot and killed a man following a domestic disturbance who charged police with a knife. Police use "chemical agents" against protesters outside the police station after members of the crowd allegedly damaged police vehicles and bricks were thrown at the police station and the post office window. (Lancaster Online)
2020 republication of Muhammad caricatures
- Around 200 people in Istanbul, Turkey demonstrate against French magazine Charlie Hebdo's decision to republish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (France24)

Politics and elections

2020 Belarusian protests
- Belarusian security forces close off Independence Square and October Square in Minsk, as 100,000 people gather in the capital calling for President Alexander Lukashenko to resign. At least 250 protesters are detained by police. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
- Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman resigns in protest of holiday lockdown, he also accuses the government of failing to act earlier and deliberately picking Rosh Hashanah as the start date of closure. (Times of Israel)

September 12, 2020 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency
- 2020 Iraq attacks
  - Two bombs are detonated, killing a civilian, in Mosul. (National Iraqi News Agency)
Second Libyan Civil War
- The United States embassy in Libya reports that the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, has committed itself to end months-long blockade of oil facilities, saying that "the LNA had conveyed personal commitment from General Haftar to allow the full reopening of the energy sector no later than September 12". (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A fire kills at least four people and injures another eight in Karachi, Pakistan. (Dawn)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
  - French health authorities report 10,561 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, a new daily record for France as the number tops 10,000 for the first time. (France 24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
  - India's total COVID-19 cases surged to 4,65 million after the country reports world's record daily jump of 97,570 new cases and 1,201 deaths in the last 24 hours. (Hindustan Times)

International relations

Afghan peace process
- The first peace talks between the government and the Taliban start in Doha, Qatar. The Taliban had confirmed it would attend after the final release of six of their prisoners. Abdullah Abdullah, representing the government, says they are seeking a "dignified peace" while U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls the meeting "historic". (BBC)
Aegean dispute, France–Greece relations
- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces an arms deal with France for the purchase of Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft and FREMM multipurpose frigates, as well as the recruitment of 15,000 additional troops, amid ongoing tension in the eastern Mediterranean. (AFP via The Straits Times)

Law and crime

2019–2020 Colombian protests
- Protests againsts police brutality in Colombia rage for third day in Bogotá. The death toll from the protests rise to 13 people killed. (Al Jazeera)
Capital punishment in Iran
- Iran executes Navid Afkari, a wrestler who was convicted of killing a security guard during anti-government protests in 2018. According to media, which quoted the judiciary in Fars, the execution was carried out after insistence from the victim's family. Activists and Afkari's family claim he made a forced confession to the crime. (DW) (CNN)

Politics and elections

Aftermath of the 2020 Malian coup d'état
- Weeks after ousting President of Mali Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, the military announced the formation of a transitional government with the goal to enable elections in 18 months. The move is criticised by civilian protest groups. (DW)

September 11, 2020 (Friday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War
- Six people are killed and twenty others injured after an al-Shabaab suicide bomber blew himself up outside a mosque in Kismayo, Somalia. The target of the attack is suspected to be a local politician. (Al Jazeera)
War in Afghanistan
- September 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - Two civilians and two soldiers are killed and 13 other people are injured during a bombing attack at a wedding in Khost, Afghanistan. (TOLONews)
Iraqi insurgency (2017–present)
- Security forces kill at least four leaders from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Samarra District, Iraq. (National Iraqi News Agency)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
    - President Rodrigo Duterte signs into law the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, a ₱165.5 billion (US$3.4 billion) stimulus package to extend the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. (Reuters via U.S. News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    - The interior ministry announces plans to convert Border Patrol Police camps into quarantine facilities in order to accommodate additional migrant workers as part of an effort to address the country's labour shortage caused by the pandemic. (Xinhua)
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
    - It is announced that bars in South Florida counties such as Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County will remain closed. However, bars in the rest of the state will be allowed to reopen at a 50% capacity. (The Sun-Sentinel) (New York Daily News)

Disasters and accidents

A cave-in at a gold mine near Kamituga in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, kills at least 50 miners. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in California
      - It is announced that schools in Los Angeles County will remain closed until the winter. (Patch.com)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado
      - Governor Jared Polis says that the state might extend its mask mandate in indoor public spaces for another 30 days. (The Denver Post)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
      - Michigan records 1,313 new cases, its highest single-day total since April 24. (MLive.com)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
    - For the second time in the same week, Portugal reports the biggest daily increase in new cases since the national lockdown was lifted in May, with 687 new cases and three deaths, bringing the cumulative totals to 62,813 confirmed cases and 1,855 deaths in 193 days since the first infections were detected in the country. (DGS)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
    - Slovenia reports 108 new cases, an all-time high. (RTVSLO)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - The United Kingdom reports 3,539 cases of COVID-19, up from 2,919 a day earlier. Six deaths are also reported. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Vatican City
    - Vatican-based Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, tests positive for COVID-19. (Reuters via WTVB)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
  - The number of recoveries in Kyrgyzstan reaches past 40,000. (Xinhua)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia
  - The Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek, the country's main international airport, reopens to international flights after a six-month closure. (Xinhua)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccine
  - The Brazilian state of Bahia is expected to conduct phase III trails of Russia's Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine and buy 50 million doses. (Reuters)

International relations

Japan–United Kingdom relations, Impact of Brexit
- Japan and the United Kingdom reach a tentative free trade agreement, which British trade secretary Liz Truss hails as the UK's "first major post-Brexit trade deal". (CNBC)
Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement
- Israel and Bahrain agree to establish relations. (Jerusalem Post)
China–United States relations
- The Chinese foreign ministry announces it would reciprocate the sanctions that the U.S. State Department imposed earlier this month onto its senior diplomats visiting the U.S., by also imposing similar countermeasures to U.S. diplomats in China. (AFP via CNA)

Law and crime

1989 murders of Jesuits in El Salvador
- A court in Madrid sentences former Salvadoran deputy minister for public security Inocente Orlando Montano Morales to 133 years in prison for the murders of six Jesuits and two others in San Salvador during the country's civil war in 1989. (AFP via Vanguard)
A court in Turkey sentences opposition parliamentarian Remziye Tosun of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) to ten years in prison for "membership in a terrorist organization" and "treating wounded Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members" during clashes in 2016. Her lawyer rejects the verdict. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Iranian legislative election
- Run-off parliamentary elections are being held in Iran. The first round of the election was held in February and provoked criticism as more than 7000 applicants got barred from participating. (Foreign Brief)
Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa Fiame Naomi Mata'afa resigns over three proposed constitutional amendments, which would alter the power of the land and titles court. She also leaves the Human Rights Protection Party. Other MPs have already left the party over the issue and formed a new opposition party. (RNZ)

More September 2020 events...

Time: 14:29 UTC|Day: 17 September