Portal:Current events/2020 October 25

October 25, 2020 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sinai insurgency
- Fourteen people are killed after bombs planted by Islamic State militants explode near civilian homes in Bir al-Abd, Egypt. The bombs were placed when militants attacked several villages in the town in July, forcing people to flee their homes, who then returned a month later when soldiers secured the area. (Associated Press)
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Azerbaijani troops continue to advance inside Nagorno-Karabakh, capturing the town of Qubadlı, the administrative capital of Qubadli District. (Anadolu Angency)
European migrant crisis
- British Special Boat Service (SBS) special forces storm the Liberian-registered Nave Andromeda after the tanker was hijacked by a group of Nigerian stowaways off the Isle of Wight. The 22 crew members were found safe, and the seven hijackers have been detained by British authorities. (BBC) (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

Cardinals created by Francis
- Pope Francis announces the creation of 13 new cardinals, including the elevation of Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Washington who will become the first African-American cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. The elevation is scheduled to occur on November 28. (The Washington Post)

Business and economy

The Metro of Lahore, Pakistan, opens to the public. (Daily Pakistan)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
    - Prime Minister Boyko Borisov tests positive for COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - France registers a record 52,010 new confirmed infections over the past 24 hours, according to a statement from the health ministry, taking the nationwide total to 1,138,507 and becoming the world's fifth highest number of cases after the United States, India, Brazil and Russia. (NBC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - In an agreement with regional authorities, Italy's Giuseppe Conte government orders cinemas, swimming pools, and gyms to close tomorrow in a further attempt to curb the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases. Bars and restaurants will have to close by 6:00 pm local time. The new rules will last until November 24. (CBS News)
    - The number of confirmed cases in Italy reaches a new record of 21,273 cases in the last 24 hours. It is the first time that daily new cases have surpassed 20,000 since the pandemic began. (The Washington Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
    - Hungary registers a record of 3,149 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide total of cases since the pandemic began to 59,247. (Hungary Today)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
    - The number of new infections in the Netherlands jumped by 10,203 cases in the past 24 hours, hitting a new record not seen since the beginning of the pandemic, according to data released by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declares a second nationwide "state of alarm" (known as state of emergency) to allow regional authorities to set different hours for the curfews as long as they are stricter, close regional borders to travel, and limit gatherings to six people not in the same household. The nationwide curfew begins between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am local time, except in the Canary Islands. The emergency decree can be extended from an initial 15 days to six months depending on parliamentary approval. (Euronews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - Reserve Bank of India's Governor Shaktikanta Das tested positive for COVID-19. (The Hindu)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - Yang di-Pertuan Agong King Al-Sultan Abdullah rejects a proposal by embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to declare a state of emergency to fight a surge of COVID-19 cases. (Kompas) (ABC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
    - Sri Lankan authorities increase the COVID-19-related curfew zones to 56 police divisions to control the spread of the virus through community-level transmission. (The New Indian Express)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announces the easing of restrictions on gyms, religious gatherings, indoor swimming pools, and other facilities in Regional Victoria effective October 27 at 11:59 pm AEDT. He delays an announcement about easing restrictions in Melbourne pending the outcome of tests connected to an outbreak in the northern suburbs. (ABC Australia)
  - It is announced that Tasmania will reopen to much of Mainland Australia, which was deemed as "low-risk" states, and New Zealand tomorrow. The state was the first Australian jurisdiction to close its borders in March and has not recorded a case in more than 70 days. (The Canberra Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
    - Ontario reports 1,042 new cases, a new record since the start of the outbreak, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 70,373. (Global News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
    - Quebec surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19, becoming the first province in Canada to hit the milestone since the pandemic began in March. (The Star)

Law and crime

Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- Dozens of far-right protesters in Rome clash with riot police during a demonstration against COVID-19 restrictions when 200 masked militants belonging to Forza Nuova hurl flares and firecrackers at police. Police arrest seven protesters and reported two officers injured. (TRT World)
- More than 2,000 people protest in Naples in the evening against the announced measures. (Il Messaggero)

Politics and elections

Elections in Canada
- 2020 British Columbia general election
  - Premier of British Columbia John Horgan is projected to win a majority of seats for the New Democratic Party; he is the first BC NDP leader to be reelected in the province's history. (CBC) (Vancouver Sun) (CTV)
2020 Seychellois general election
- In an upset election, Wavel Ramkalawan is declared the winner after defeating incumbent Danny Faure of the ruling United Seychelles party, which has been in power since the 1970s. The liberal candidate received 54% of votes cast to win the election. (AP)
2020 Lithuanian parliamentary election
- Lithuania holds the second round of parliamentary elections amidst an economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first round was held on October 11. (The Standard)
2020 Chilean national plebiscite
- A referendum to start the process to draft a new constitution is held in Chile. The referendum was one of the announcements made after the 2019–20 Chilean protests. Over 78% vote in favour of abandoning the 1980 Constitution. (France 24)
2019–20 Iraqi protests
- Thousands of Iraqis take to the streets in Baghdad and major southern cities, including Basra and Najaf, to both mark the anniversary of the protests and renew calls to end corruption. Security forces in central Baghdad threw tear gas to prevent marchers from crossing strategic bridges, injuring at least six, and around 43 officers were injured after protesters threw Molotov cocktails at them. (AP)
Crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution
- Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López arrives to Madrid, Spain, after spending the last year in the Spanish embassy to avoid house arrest. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- In football, former Barcelona and Brazil player Ronaldinho tests positive for COVID-19 and is in self-quarantine. (Goal.com)
- The Tennessee Titans are fined $350,000 for violating the NFL's COVID-19 protocols. (Associated Press via WJRT-TV)