A helicopter crash in the French Alps, leaves five people dead and another injured. The helicopter was carrying an air rescue crew on a training mission.
National Football League Franchise located in Nashville, Tennessee
Victoria tightens their restrictions as three new cases are reported, bringing the total number of cases in the state to six. Under the new restrictions, in-home gatherings will be limited to 15 people, masks must be worn indoors, and people are advised to stay out of the Melbourne city centre on New Year's Eve.
Autonomous Region of Portugal in the archipelago of Madeira
2020 United States presidential election
The President of Burundi, Évariste Ndayishimiye, pardons four journalists jailed since 2019 for offences related to "undermining state security" following a petition by human rights groups and the journalists themselves.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announces a second nationwide "red zone" lockdown from December 24–27, December 31–January 3, and January 5–6. On those days, people will only be allowed to travel for work, health or emergency reasons. An "orange zone", where shops are allowed to open, will be in effect from December 28–30 and on January 4. However, all bars and restaurants will remain closed during the holiday season.
legislative branch of the North Dakota government
local government area in Western Australia
immunisation programme against COVID-19 in India
Prime Minister Boris Johnson formally signs the agreement into law.
Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
Due to the outbreak in a seafood market, Samut Sakhon Province enters a lockdown with a curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time which will remain in effect until January 3.
Prime Minister Igor Matovič announces that non-essential shops and schools will be closed for at least three weeks beginning December 21.
Oregon reports 24 new deaths in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya calls for the European Union to support protesters in her country as she is awarded the Sakharov Prize.
Florida confirms its first new case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom. The individual is a Martin County man with no history of travel.
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Greece
Three police officers are killed and a fourth wounded after they responded to a domestic violence incident in Saint-Just, Puy-de-Dôme, France. The gunman, who set his house on fire, is later found dead. The gunman's partner was rescued.
Sudan says it will deploy troops to South Darfur "in large numbers" following recent tribal violence between the Masalit and Fula.
Japan reports 47 new deaths in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the beginning of the pandemic.
A fire inside an intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Obour, Egypt, kills seven people and injures five others.
outbreak of a mutated variant of the SARS-CoV-2
capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia
The Russian-flagged fishing trawler Onega capsizes near the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Barents Sea.
At least 20 African migrants die when their boat sinks off the coast of Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Italian island of Lampedusa. The coast guard confirmed they had rescued people and were searching for others who were on the boat, which was carrying a total of 45 people.
Argentina begins a vaccination campaign using the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.
The California Department of Public Health issues a stay-at-home order for the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California as part of an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The order will take effect tomorrow at 11:59 p.m.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan tests positive for COVID-19, a day after vice-governor Ahmad Riza Patria tests positive.
In a later attack in the Ghor Province, a deputy provincial council head was killed while another council member and their driver were wounded when a sticky bomb attached to their vehicle detonated.
India arrests 75 Kashmiri political leaders and activists for "preventive custody" due to recent violence following local elections.
European Union ambassadors unanimously approve the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the United Kingdom.
Switzerland begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran.
A proposed match between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham F.C.
Pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai is charged under the new national security law.
In addition, household mixing will now only be allowed on Christmas Day.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
catalogue published annually by the Swedish home furnishing retailer IKEA
First Minister Mark Drakeford announces that after urgent talks with ministers over the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the planned lockdown will now begin at midnight instead of on December 28.
Indonesia issues a ban on travellers from the United Kingdom and restricts entry to people from mainland Europe and Australia to prevent the spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
People are advised to leave their homes only for essential reasons, and the education of senior students will be conducted remotely.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry will ban non-resident foreign nationals from entering Japan from December 28 until the end of January after several cases of a more infectious variant of SARS-CoV-2 were reported in the country. Japanese citizens and foreign residents will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days when they enter the country.
international quasi-judicial body established to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration
third planet from the Sun in the Solar System
Australian professional golfer (born 1955)
The Northern Ireland Executive agrees to impose a new lockdown beginning on Boxing Day, which means that non-essential shops will be closed from the end of trading on Christmas Eve. During the first week of lockdown, essential shops will have to close each day at 8:00 p.m. GMT.
The Ministry of Public Health approves the authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in Qatar.
Maia Sandu is sworn in as the first female President of Moldova.
New South Wales reports the first locally-transmitted case in two weeks, after a 45-year-old Sydney man who drives international flight crews to and from the Sydney Airport tested positive for COVID-19.
The European Union announces that it is close to reaching an investment deal with China. The deal would immensely impact the global economy, especially with the U.S.-China trade war.
bureau of the United States responsible for the census and related statistics
Arab ethnic group who mostly adhere to Islam
Moscow begins to vaccinate high-risk workers with the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine at 70 newly opened clinics across the city, marking Russia’s first mass COVID-19 vaccination.
Tokyo reports a record 949 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 55,851.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that public gatherings will be limited to no more than 100 people for indoor events and 250 people for outdoor events, and that the nationwide curfew will be extended from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. throughout the holiday season. He also said that alcohol will only be sold from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, Monday to Thursday.
first occasion on which an aircraft or spacecraft leaves the ground under its own power
Madrid reports the nation's first four cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Iowa reports 960 hospitalized cases, making it the first time the state reported fewer than 1,000 hospitalized cases since November 18.
Cuomo has promised to address concerns that this law could violate freedom of speech.
Saudi Arabia approves Tozinameran as a safe vaccine.
Mexican politician and lawyer (1974-2020)
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Mexico
South Korea imposes the highest level of social distancing measures at prison facilities nationwide.
Israeli citizens arriving from those countries will be required to quarantine at state-run quarantine hotels for up to 14 days.
United States National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien interrupts a trip to Europe, returning to Washington, D.C. to address a cyberattack that is said to have targeted several federal government agencies. The U.S. National Security Council announces the formation of a "Cyber Unified Coordination Group," based on Presidential Policy Directive 41.
Maharashtra will impose a curfew in Mumbai and other major cities from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. IST beginning tomorrow until January 5 in order to prevent the spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was discovered in the United Kingdom. The state government also imposes a 14-day quarantine for anyone travelling from Europe and the Middle East.
Mexico begins vaccinations with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. An intensive care unit nurse in Mexico City becomes the first person in the country to receive the vaccine.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry will ban non-resident foreign nationals from entering Japan from December 28 until the end of January after several cases of a more infectious variant of SARS-CoV-2 were reported in the country.
Eight rockets are fired at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, prompting the activation of C-RAM air defences.
A Chinese law enacted on 2300 HKT, June 30, 2020, only in Hong Kong, for Safeguarding National Security
President Donald Trump speaks for the first time about the breach, saying it is "well in control".
The Solar Orbiter spacecraft makes its closest approach to Venus.
Moderna says that they are expected to have 100–125 million doses of their vaccine shipped globally during the first quarter of 2021.
These restrictions will remain in effect until January 13.
TV personality Ellen DeGeneres announces that she has contracted COVID-19. Her contraction of the virus prompts production of her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, to be halted until January 2021.
Tennessee reports 11,410 cases, a new single-day record.
The European Council agrees to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, compared to levels in 1990, by at least 55% before 2030.
component approved for installation on a type-certified aircraft
Senior Advisor to the U.S. President Jared Kushner and Israel's National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat are among the high-level officials on board the flight.
Colorado reports the United States' first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom. The patient is a man in his 20s who is in isolation in Elbert County and has no travel history.
Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States
second-largest city in Armenia and capital of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country
Portugal reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom in Madeira.
The attackers kill a hostage with a gunshot to the head, while a security guard and a policeman are injured.
event by which a person is forced away from home
Head of state and chief executive of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
group of two double pipelines (i.e. 4 total) including Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2
Toronto reports 761 cases, a new single-day record in the city.
15-1 Inaba, Momoyama-chō, Fushimi, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
North Macedonia–United Kingdom relations
A wildfire breaks out in Orange County, California, U.S., and spreads to over 2,000 acres, prompting evacuations.
Belarus begins vaccinations with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.
It is expected to reach Fiji on Thursday as a category 4 storm.
However, all bars and restaurants will remain closed during the holiday season.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan issues a gubernatorial instruction and decree that requires anyone leaving and entering the city from tomorrow until January 8 to have a negative rapid antigen test result. The order also limits the capacity of offices to 50% and requires cafés, restaurants and tourist attractions to close at 7:00 p.m. local time from December 24 to 27 and December 31 to January 2.
This comes as Tokyo reports a record of 822 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Boko Haram kill 28 people and burn down hundreds of homes in Toumour, Diffa, Niger.
It is the first time that the state has reported a COVID-19 case in more than 40 days.
Health Minister Salvador Illa announces that the nationwide vaccination campaign will begin on December 27.
Authorities vow to crack down on workers who went on a violent rampage at a Wistron iPhone factory near Bangalore, India over allegations of unpaid wages and exploitation. Over 100 people have been arrested. Videos of the violence show glass panels smashed with rods and cars flipped on their side.
diplomatic relations between the United States of America and the European Union
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announces the discovery of a severe variant of SARS-CoV-2, named 501.V2, which contributed to the second wave of COVID-19 in the country.
Malaysia signs a deal to receive 6.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Michigan surpasses 11,000 deaths from COVID-19, eight days after surpassing 10,000.
President Nicolás Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela has reportedly won almost 68% in Venezuela's latest parliamentary election. The vote was overshadowed by a boycott of the political opposition led by Juan Guaidó and a low voter turnout of only 31%.
250 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours.
The government announces that the Czech Republic will be moving to the highest level of PES measures beginning on December 27. This means that all non-essential shops will be closed and a curfew between 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time on Sunday will be enforced. There will also be no exceptions on New Year's Eve.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
In American football, the Cleveland Browns defeat the Tennessee Titans 41-35 to secure their first winning season since 2007.
Carl J. Nichols, a federal judge for the District Court for the District of Columbia, blocks the Commerce Department from imposing restrictions on China-based app TikTok.
Jean-Luc Brunel, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is arrested in France on charges of rape and sex trafficking.
Indonesian politician and former governor of Jakarta
The explosion also results in AT&T service outages across the U.S. due to infrastructure damage to a service facility located near the blast site. Cellular, wireline telephone, Internet, and U-verse television service, as well as multiple local 9-1-1 and non-emergency phone networks, are among the services affected.
Seven civilians and three soldiers are killed after a suicide bomber detonates his device outside a stadium in Galkayo, Mudug.
Singapore officially begins its vaccination campaign against COVID-19, with healthcare workers being among the first to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran.
The number of confirmed cases in South Korea increases by 689, the highest single-day increase reported in the country since late February, bringing the nationwide total to 40,786 cases.
The patient is a 23-year-old woman who travelled from the United Kingdom to Shanghai on December 14 and later tested positive for COVID-19.
Israeli Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn signs an extradition order to Australia for accused child sex abuser Malka Leifer, after she was convicted of faking mental illness to avoid extradition earlier this year.
Guatemala announces a mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone who has recently visited the United Kingdom or South Africa in an effort to prevent the spread of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The restrictions will last for two months.
The planets Jupiter and Saturn appear at their closest in the sky since 1623, in an event known as a great conjunction. The closest approach will occur at 18:22 UTC, when the two planets will be one-tenth of a degree apart; they will appear to be a binary object to the naked eye.
legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas
Migración Colombia confirms the expulsion of two Russian diplomats accused of espionage.
Bolivia signs a deal with Russia's Russian Direct Investment Fund to secure 2.6 million Sputnik V vaccines.
head of the United States Department of Justice
The United States begins shipping Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
President-elect Joe Biden announces that Dr. Vivek Murthy and Jeffrey Zients will lead his administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also asked Dr. Anthony Fauci to remain in the White House Coronavirus Task Force and become its chief medical advisor.
The U.S. surpasses 19 million cases of COVID-19, having averaged 185,000 daily cases over the past week.
The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a nine-month high of 629 cases in the last 24 hours, the majority being from the Seoul Capital Area. The country now has 36,332 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
South Korea imposes the highest level of social distancing measures at prison facilities nationwide. These restrictions will remain in effect until January 13.
United States Department of State task force to mitigate COVID-19
After the state surpasses 400,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Governor Gretchen Whitmer extends the statewide partial shutdown on businesses, indoor dining in restaurants, and in-person instruction at high schools and colleges through December 20.
Rospotrebnadzor orders a 14-day quarantine for anyone who travels from the United Kingdom, with the exception of aircraft crew members, beginning tomorrow due to the spread of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Portugal reports a record 95 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,373.
large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores
Rena Lalgie is sworn in as Governor of Bermuda, making it the first time that the British territory has a black woman as governor.
Queen of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022
He stands accused by Belgian authorities of being in possession of illegal drugs and violating COVID-19 restrictions.
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Somalia-based cell of the militant Islamist group al-Qaeda
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first person in Israel to receive the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech and getting the shot on live television.
Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini dies at the age of 52 after weeks of hospitalization due to COVID-19.
Indonesia bans any activities held by the Islamic Defenders Front, a hardline Islamic group led by the controversial cleric Muhammad Rizieq Shihab.
head of state and government of Argentina
Police believe the explosion was an "intentional act".
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorizes the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.
A source claims that the United States Department of Justice will unseal new charges in connection with the 1988 bombing of the Pan Am Flight 103.
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven announces new measures to reduce the second wave of the pandemic. All non-essential public services will close until January 24, alcohol sales will be banned after 8:00 p.m. local time, and the number of people at restaurants will be limited to four per table. It also recommended to use face masks on public transport at certain times.
federally recognized polity in the Federal Republic of Nigeria
The state has not reported a COVID-19 case in 37 days.
head of state and of government of the U.S. commonwealth of Massachusetts
The United Arab Emirates reports the first case of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 originated from the United Kingdom.
Indonesian social affairs minister Juliari Batubara turns himself in to the national anti-corruption agency for COVID-19 pandemic aid graft.
near-Earth asteroid that fell over Russia in 2013
republic of Russia, federal subject of Russia
FJT), two hours ahead of its forecasted schedule.
The Finnish sauna culture is inscribed on the UNESCO list. As authorized by the state, the Finnish Heritage Agency commits, together with Finnish sauna communities and promoters of the sauna culture, to safeguard the vitality of the sauna tradition and to highlight its importance as part of customs and wellbeing.
Christian saint; husband of Mary and father of Jesus
capital and largest city of the province of Ontario, Canada
Two health care workers at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau have a severe allergic reaction after being administered Tozinameran, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19. Both healthcare workers are expected to recover.
institution of the European Union defining the EU's general political direction and priorities and consisting of heads of state or government of the EU's member states
After nearly 30 members and staffers of the Michigan House of Representatives test positive for COVID-19, scheduled voting sessions for December 9 and 10 were cancelled. ,
health advisor to the government of Ireland
Health officials report that at least 26 residents of a retirement home in Mol have died from complications related to COVID-19 since a volunteer dressed as Sinterklaas, who later tested positive for the virus, visited the home on December 5. Officials, however, have not confirmed that the volunteer was the source of the outbreak at the home, where 85 others have also tested positive.
Ontario reports 2,432 cases, a new-single day record.
In Pakistan, the Sindh High Court orders the release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, initially sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002.
California reports a record 53,711 new cases and 293 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 1,671,081 cases and death toll to 21,481.
The number of cases in Kyrgyzstan exceeds 73,000.
Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act
2017 U.S. law sanctioning Iran, North Korea and Russia
Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt tests positive for COVID-19, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo enters quarantine after a possible exposure to the virus.
Prime Minister Igor Matovič announces that non-essential shops and schools will be closed for at least three weeks beginning December 21. He also said that the outdoor terraces of restaurants, cafés and similar facilities will be closed beginning December 11 and only takeaway services will be allowed.
A 37-year-old man is charged with murder and hate crimes in Los Angeles, California, U.S., after killing a 82-year-old man in a hospital room for praying.
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
South Korea reports a record 22 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 634.
American regulators from the Food and Drug Administration confirm that Pfizer's vaccine candidate is 95% effective.
Ireland officially begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19 using Pfizer-BioNTech's tozinameran vaccine, with a 79-year-old woman from Dublin becoming the first person to receive the vaccine.
The government announces the suspension of all flights between Bulgaria and the United Kingdom from tomorrow until January 31. Anyone who already arrived from the UK is required to quarantine for 10 days.
Russia surpasses three million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fourth country to do so after the United States, India, and Brazil.
highest court in the system of ordinary jurisdiction in Germany
Former Miss Belarus winner Volha Khizhynkova is released from prison after 42 days for protesting against President Alexander Lukashenko.
international airport serving Sydney, Australia
Preventive inspections at the plant are ongoing.
The election will elect representatives to local councils and is supported by the government, whereas separatists have vowed to disrupt the election, arresting anyone participating in it.
2020 United States federal government data breach
United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Mexico, others
Japan reports a record 2,973 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to official figures released by the government.
present phase of the Somali Civil War, concentrated in southern Somalia
Dozens of Artsakh Defence Army troops are reportedly captured during an Azerbaijani "anti-terror" raid on several villages in Nagorno-Karabakh.
North Dakota records 96 hospitalizations in the past 24 hours, making it the first time since September 24 that there have been less than 100 hospitalizations in the state.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
El Al operates the first direct commercial flight between Israel and Morocco following the normalization agreement between the two countries on December 10.
The number of new confirmed cases in Russia increases by a record 28,145 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,375,546.
President Joko Widodo announces that the COVID-19 vaccine would be free of charge for all Indonesians, amending the government's earlier decision to limit the free vaccination programme only for healthcare frontline workers and the poor.
California reports 35,468 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began.
Texas reports 15,182 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began.
The Swiss government announces that restaurants, bars and sports and leisure centres, as well as libraries, museums and other cultural institutions will close on December 22 to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 as the total numbers of cases and deaths surpass 400,000 and 6,000 respectively.
Gunmen on a motorbike shoot dead a women’s rights activist and her brother near their home in Kohistan, Afghanistan.
The government of Samoa suspends travel from the United Kingdom and South Africa in response to a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in those countries.
Quebec reports 6,783 cases and 110 deaths between 24 and 26 December, bringing the total number of cases to 192,655 and deaths to 8,023.
Norway reports its first cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, after two people who travelled from the United Kingdom earlier in December test positive for COVID-19.
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Mauritania
Malaysia reports a record 2,335 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 103,900.
The shipment was provided as a gift from the United Arab Emirates, which recently announced that the vaccine had an 86% efficacy based on Phase III testing results.
Widespread lack of interest in politics and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have raised fears of a low voter turnout.
Turkey reports a record 235 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 16,881.
Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group
Singapore reports the first case of a mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom when 17-year-old girl who had studied in the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19.
The cipher says "I hope you are having lots of fun trying to catch me", and "I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradice [sic] all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me".
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan announces that the government will impose a 48-hour ban on flights to and from the United Kingdom from tomorrow following emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, while ferries will be limited to freight travel.
India surpasses ten million total cases of COVID-19, becoming the second country after the United States to reach that number.
Russia reports a new single-day record of 29,039 cases, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.46 million.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador congratulates President-elect Joe Biden for the first time.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine releases a report, concluding that "directed" microwave radiation was the likely cause of illnesses among American diplomats in Cuba and China.
person appointed on a non-permanent basis to a judicial office
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches a cargo ship into orbit to re-supply the International Space Station.
Mississippi Valley State (CDP), Mississippi
China says it will suspend all direct flights to and from the United Kingdom indefinitely due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
South Korea reports a record 1,097 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 49,665 cases.
legislative, executive and judiciary powers of Iran
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces a travel ban to the rest of the United Kingdom and imposes the toughest level of restrictions across Scotland for three weeks beginning on Boxing Day.
A coalition of rebel groups briefly seize the city of Bambari from the Central African Republic government and United Nations before being driven off in a UN counter-offensive.
Malaysia surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19.
Sandra Lindsay, a nurse at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, becomes the first person in the country to receive the vaccine outside of a clinical trial.
It is also the first time that a Canadian province has reported more than 2,000 cases in a single day.
artificial satellite designed for telecommunications
Mexico approves the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Australia
short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area
most populous city in the United States of America
Former President and Co-Prince of Andorra Valéry Giscard d'Estaing dies from complications of COVID-19.
Quebec Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault announces that the province will tighten their capacity restrictions in shopping malls and stores to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Authority bans all flights to and from the United Kingdom beginning on December 23 to prevent a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 from spreading to the country.
head of state of the Republic of Burundi
conflict between NATO Western forces and the Taliban
The number of recovered patients in Indonesia increases by a record 5,981 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recovered patients to 558,703.
Amazon announces that they will close the Robbinsville Township facility, also known as the PNE5, after several workers tested positive for COVID-19.
Germany reports the first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom after a woman who flew from London to Frankfurt this weekend tested positive for COVID-19.
Germany reports a record 33,777 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,439,938.
Two people are confirmed dead and 15 others are feared dead after a landslide at an informal alluvial mining camp in Goilala District, Central Province, Papua New Guinea.
2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia
regular United States Senate election in Georgia
Novavax announces it will begin phase 3 trials of its vaccine candidate in the United States and Mexico.
Switzerland reports its first two case of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa after two people tested positive for COVID-19 despite having no clear traveling history to South Africa.
The White House announces that Vice President Mike Pence, his wife Karen, and Surgeon General Jerome Adams will receive the vaccine on Friday. President-elect Joe Biden also announces that he will receive the vaccine next week.
The Louisville Metro Police Department announces that they will fire Joshua Jaynes and Myles Cosgrove, two of the officers involved in the botched raid of Breonna Taylor's home.
Boko Haram jihadists storm a village near Gamboru, Borno State, Nigeria, killing three people and kidnapping more than 40 others. It is the second mass abduction by the Islamist group this month.
27th and current prime minister of Denmark
Cleveland Indians name and logo controversy
The authorities extends the compulsory quarantine in designed hotels to 21 days for visitors from outside China, Macau, and Taiwan beginning tomorrow and also ban all people who stayed in South Africa over the past 21 days from entering Hong Kong in order to prevent the spread of new variants of SARS-CoV-2.
The Arecibo Observatory's telescope receiver collapses into the reflector dish, according to the National Science Foundation. The radio telescope was due to be decommissioned and dismantled after support cables broke on August 10, 2020.
Governor Gavin Newsom appoints Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill in the California U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. As a result, Padilla is the state's first Hispanic Senator from California.
extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth
Moderna says that it will test their potential vaccine on children ages 12 to 17.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces that the United States has removed Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Sudan had recently paid a $335 million settlement to the US government for US victims of terrorist attacks.
Shinji Aoba, who is accused of killing 36 people by setting them on fire in last year's attack, is to be indicted on charges of murder after being found mentally competent to stand trial following a mental health evaluation.
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Toronto, Canada
American politician and lawyer, Louisiana
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocks an attempt by Senate Democrats to increase the direct payments from $600 to $2,000.
Microsoft confirms it has discovered malicious software in its operating systems related to a mass data breach targeting the federal government of the United States.
Two men are found guilty at London's Old Bailey of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese people whom they were smuggling into the UK. The 39 people suffocated in a lorry during the journey across the North Sea, from Zeebrugge to Purfleet, in October 2019.
Earth-crossing asteroid that has an orbital semi-major axis greater than that of the Earth (> 1 AU) but perihelion distance less than the Earth's aphelion distance (q < 1.017 AU)
Hungary reports a record 182 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,324.
Bali requires anyone entering and leaving the province to have a negative PCR swab test for air travel, and a negative rapid antigen test for land and sea travel. However, children aged 12 years and under are exempted from these requirements.
A man arrested in the Philippines in July 2019 is indicted by federal prosecutors in New York for plotting to carry out a 9/11-style attack in the U.S.
Arkansas reports 3,204 new cases on Christmas Eve, a new single-day record.
Pornographic website Pornhub, one of the internet's most visited websites, bans users from downloading videos and restricts uploads to certain "partner accounts", following allegations in The New York Times that the website hosted child abuse content.
Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
The United States Senate approves the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA) by 84 votes to 13, which would be sufficient to override a possible presidential veto.
A man arrested in the Philippines in July 2019 is indicted by federal prosecutors in New York for plotting to carry out a 9/11-style attack in the U.S. The suspect was allegedly directed by the terrorist organization al-Shabaab to attend a flight school in the Philippines and research how to hijack a commercial airliner.
A court in Saudi Arabia sentences women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to five years and eight months in prison on grounds of "various activities prohibited by the anti-terrorism law". The verdict comes despite pressure from international organizations to release her.
Austria begins administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran to its citizens. An 84-year-old woman becomes the first Austrian to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Medical University of Vienna.
study of analyzing information systems in order to discover their hidden aspects
court in London and one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court
Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan confirms that the Republic has detected the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom as the country reports more than 1,000 for the first time in two months.
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Malta
The United Kingdom's National Health Service begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the BNT162b2 vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signs a decree that bans inter-regional travel between December 21 and January 6 except for work, health, or emergency reasons.
military tactics to attack the enemy by surprise
Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Bill
The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a nine-month high of 686 cases in the last 24 hours.
SpaceX space launch site in Boca Chica Village, Texas, United States
More than 100 people are killed and at least 30 others wounded in a massacre in Metekel, Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia.
The International Olympic Committee, after an unanimous vote, decides to make competitive breakdancing a sport, and would appear in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
capital and largest city of the United Kingdom
Illinois reports a record 238 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 12,639.
In addition, the country surpasses 50,000 cases of COVID-19.
Upper house of the Minnesota legislature
The country now has 39,432 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
rocket used to carry payload into outer space
President Rodrigo Duterte approves the suspension of flights from the Philippines to the United Kingdom from tomorrow at 12:01 a.m. local time until December 31 due to concerns about the new strain of SARS-CoV-2.
Transport Minister Yuichiro Hata, who died yesterday, tested positive for COVID-19. He is the first Japanese lawmaker to die from the virus.
Mayor Hennadiy Kernes of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, dies in Germany due to complications caused by COVID-19 after contracting the virus in September.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Twelve climbers die during avalanches and blizzards on mountains north of Tehran, Iran. Fourteen others went missing but are rescued alive.
The Mayor of Liverpool, England, Joe Anderson is arrested along with four others for conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation. He is subsequently suspended from the Labour Party.
Spain and the United Kingdom reach an agreement to keep Gibraltar in the European Union's Schengen Area as freedom of movement between the EU and UK is due to end.
Twitter says that it will ban false and misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines on its platform.
COVID-19 pandemic by country and territory
details regarding the COVID-19 pandemic by country and territory
The Cleveland Browns announce that they will close their facility and delay their flight to New Jersey for an upcoming matchup with the New York Jets after a player on the team tested positive for COVID-19.
South Korea says it has scrambled fighter jets after four Chinese and fifteen Russian military aircraft entered its air defense identification zone. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says that it was notified in advance by China of a joint military exercise between China and Russia.
most senior politician within the Labour Party in the United Kingdom
Italy surpasses two million cases of COVID-19.
Italy reports a record 993 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 58,038 and surpassing the previous record of 919 new deaths recorded on March 27.
city in and county seat of Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
The Philippines extends its travel ban to 19 "flagged" countries and territories from midnight until January 15 in order to prevent new variants of SARS-CoV-2 from entering the country.
Former vice-governor of Jakarta and former vice-presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno tests positive for COVID-19.
specialised agency of the United Nations for education, sciences, and culture
Amid controversy over alleged illegal content, Pornhub removes all non-verified user-uploaded videos, which make up the majority of the videos on the platform. Pornhub says that its new measures are now "more strict than any social media platform".
Toronto reports a record of 1,069 cases in the past 24 hours.
Hundreds of Syrian refugees flee a makeshift camp in North Governorate, Lebanon, after local youths storm the camp and torch tents, wounding three people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The government decides to raise social distancing level to level 2.5 in the Seoul Capital Area for the next three weeks.
mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 from BioNTech in cooperation with Pfizer
Participants in Operation Enduring Freedom
countries that partook in the 2001 United States-led invasion of Afghanistan
The government sets June 5 as the date for the 2021 parliamentary elections.
Incumbent Prime Minister Ludovic Orban resigns after the poor results of his candidacy in the legislative election. He is succeeded ad interim by Minister of National Defence Nicolae Ciucă.
Hungary begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. The first vaccinations are being delivered at two hospitals in Budapest.
Turkey reports a record 193 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 14,129. In addition, a record 31,923 new cases, including both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases, are also reported.
head of state and of government of the U.S. state of Michigan
bilateral relations between United States and Turkey
head of state and of government of the U.S. state of New York
The Krško Nuclear Power Plant in neighboring Slovenia, which produces around 20 percent of the country's electricity, is shut down as a precaution. Preventive inspections at the plant are ongoing.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces that the United States has removed Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Political impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya confirms Zambia's first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa and also confirms that a second wave of the pandemic has emerged.
Fiji announces it will close its borders from Thursday until next Monday to review border quarantine processes after a new variant of the virus was found in the United Kingdom.
violent public disturbance against authority, property or people
Malian opposition leader Soumaila Cissé dies from COVID-19 in France two months after he was released by jihadist militants in a prisoner swap.
Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
overview of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. economy
type of administrative division in Denmark
Ontario reports a new single-day record of 1,859 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 125,385.
Serbia officially begins its vaccination programme against COVID-19, with Prime Minister Ana Brnabić becoming the first person to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The Netherlands reports a record 11,214 new cases in the past 24 hours.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues guidelines stating that people with underlying health conditions can receive the vaccine.
A ~8 metres (26 ft) asteroid falls over Nangqên, in western China on the Qinghai-Tibet border. This was the largest asteroid to hit Earth since the Kamchatka meteor in 2018, and the largest to fall over land since the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013.
Indonesia bans any activities held by the Islamic Defenders Front, a hardline Islamic group led by the controversial cleric Muhammad Rizieq Shihab. The Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Minister Mahfud MD says the ban is necessary because the group no longer has any legal standing as a mass organisation.
Canadian politician and 18th Premier of Alberta
A bombing in Kabul kills the deputy governor and his secretary, and wounds their bodyguards. In a later attack in the Ghor Province, a deputy provincial council head was killed while another council member and their driver were wounded when a sticky bomb attached to their vehicle detonated.
The Trump administration announces that they will purchase an additional 100 million doses of Moderna's vaccine.
form of assassination carried by governments against their perceived enemies
retired Indonesian Army lieutenant general
2019 coronavirus pandemic in mainland China
The Algerian Civil Defence says that 20 people were killed and 11 others injured when a vehicle carrying illegal migrants overturned in Tamanrasset. Tamanrasset is a crossing point for illegal migrants from neighboring countries, specifically Mali and Niger.
The statue was erected two weeks ago in Oakland, California.
Alberta reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who travelled from the United Kingdom.
The U.S. surpasses 17 million cases of COVID-19.
Hungarian MEP, EPP Chief Whip and Vice-President, and one of the founders of the anti-LGBT Fidesz party, József Szájer, resigns after being detained by police at a homosexual orgy in Brussels alongside several other diplomats.
American politician and lawyer (born 1942)
The suspect was allegedly directed by the terrorist organization al-Shabaab to attend a flight school in the Philippines and research how to hijack a commercial airliner.
head of the executive branch of New York City's government
China is expected to begin administering vaccines to healthcare, transport, and border control workers.
Authorities officially identify the perpetrator of Friday's suicide bombing in Nashville, Tennessee, as 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner and conclude that he had been acting alone.
TV personality Ellen DeGeneres announces that she has contracted COVID-19.
Bobi Wine, challenger to the incumbent President Yoweri Museveni who has been in office since 1986, is arrested along with his entire campaign team in the town of Kalangala. No information about the arrest has been made available.
Singapore receives the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, becoming the first country in Asia to do so.
Turkey announces that CoronaVac is 91.25% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on data in interim studies.
President Trump says that he will invoke the Defense Production Act of 1950 to provide vaccine doses if necessary.
Oman will close all land, air, and sea borders beginning tomorrow at 1:00 a.m.
ongoing coronavirus pandemic in England, United Kingdom
The European Central Bank expands its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme by €500 billion to €1.85 trillion and extends the scheme to March 2022, saying it expects "a more pronounced near-term impact of the pandemic on the Eurozone economy and a more protracted weakness in inflation than previously envisaged".
Nepal and China agree that the height of Earth's highest mountain, Mount Everest, is 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 ft).
spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Poland in during the 2020 pandemic
member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1987 to 1999 (1939-2020)
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives a COVID-19 vaccine.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocks an attempt by Senate Democrats to increase the direct payments from $600 to $2,000. However, McConnell also said that the Senate will consider a process to provide $2,000 in stimulus checks to Americans, a measure that is supported by both Democrats and President Donald Trump.
military aviation activity conducted to transport cargo and personnel
South Korea reports its first cases of a more infectious variant of SARS-CoV-2, after three South Korean nationals who arrived from the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19, including an elderly man who has since died.
Tokyo reports a record 1,337 new cases in the past 24 hours. It is the first prefecture to surpass 1,000 daily cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
American politician from Massachusetts (born 1967)
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves issues a mask mandate for 13 additional counties in the state in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The New York City Department of Investigation accuses the police department of mishandling their response to Black Lives Matter protests in the city, which broke out following the killing of George Floyd.
sovereign state in Southern Europe situated on an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea
Russia surpasses 50,000 total deaths from COVID-19.
The World Health Organization lists the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use.
A court in China sentences a citizen journalist to four years in prison for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" while reporting during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year in Wuhan.
The United Kingdom approves a vaccine made by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca for use in the country. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says that the rollout of this vaccine will begin on January 4.
Meanwhile, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and incoming Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff announce that they will receive their vaccines next week.
fifth planet from the Sun and largest planet in the Solar System
United States Department of the Treasury
United States federal executive department
In Belle, West Virginia, United States, an explosion at the Chemours Chemical Plant prompts a now-cancelled shelter-in-place to be issued for Belle and in surrounding areas; the explosion leaves one person dead, and three others injured. Along with the shelter-in-place, schools in Kanawha County, the county Belle resides in, were closed for Wednesday.
Aristóteles Sandoval, former Governor of Jalisco, Mexico, is killed in an attack in Puerto Vallarta.
Indonesia also reports a record 7,356 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 611,097.
mask made of common textiles worn over the mouth and nose
Hancock also announces that more locations in England will be placed in Tier 4 restrictions beginning on Boxing Day, including Oxfordshire, West Sussex, and the remainder of East Sussex.
High-speed railway service connecting London with France, Belgium & The Netherlands
Victoria eases restrictions, allowing larger private and public gatherings, relaxing patron quotas for businesses (including allowing nightclubs to reopen for the first time since the pandemic began), and relaxing mask-wearing rules. The state has not reported a COVID-19 case in 37 days.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announces that he has extended the mask mandate to 78 counties in the state.
Bahrain grants emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech, becoming the second country after the United Kingdom to approve the vaccine.
Russia reports a record 589 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 41,053.
Scientists at the Russian Academy of Sciences announce the discovery of a "well-preserved" woolly rhinoceros carcass in Abyysky District, Sakha, Russia, which was revealed by melting permafrost in August. The Russian Academy of Sciences says that the woolly rhinoceros was likely 3 or 4 years old when it died by drowning in the river, and could be anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 years old.
The United Kingdom and the European Union agree to extend trade talks beyond today's deadline.
Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, tests positive for COVID-19 and is admitted to a hospital in Washington, D.C.
largest Christian church, led by the pope
Bavaria formally declares a “disaster situation” in the state and announces to tighten its lockdown restrictions starting from December 9, banning people from leaving their homes with some exception and a nightly curfew from 9:00 p.m.
The European Union begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19.
Los Angeles County surpasses 10,000 deaths from COVID-19 and is averaging 150 daily deaths.
Modern display of the Confederate battle flag
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Romania
A carbon monoxide leak kills at least 18 miners at a coal mine in Yongchuan District, Chongqing, China. A search and rescue effort is underway to find six other missing miners.
The first cases of COVID-19 in Antarctica are reported.
A car bombing in Kabul targeting Khan Mohammad Wardak, a lawmaker, kills nine people and wounds more than 20 others.
Yukon officials announce a mask mandate and urge people to stay at home amid an increase in cases.
Party leaders of the United States Senate
Syrian state media reports that an ambush on a bus near Palmyra killed at least 37 people. A senior military defector in the region says that the bus was transporting Syrian Army troops and pro-government militia from Deir ez-Zor to the Tiyas Military Airbase.
Gove and Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič announce "an agreement in principle" on all issues of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, including the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, border checks, food and medicine supplies and "clarification" on state subsidy rules.
legal declaration or de facto acts by a government allowing assumption of extraordinary powers
California reports its first case of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom in a patient from Southern California.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi announces that the country will ban all international travellers for two weeks starting January 1, citing concerns over new variants of SARS-CoV-2. Government officials are exempt from this ban.
Uncrewed spaceflights to the International Space Station
Date: July 1, 2016 – present (6 years, 6 months and 26 days)
Ontario reports 2,447 cases on Christmas Eve, a new single-day record.
Turkey reports a record 243 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 17,364.
Authorities in Mali charge six people, including former prime minister Boubou Cissé, with an "attempted coup".
The United States Department of Justice announces it will not charge the two Cleveland police officers who killed Tamir Rice.
The Japanese Agricultural Ministry reports new cases of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (H5N8) at poultry farms in Saiki, Oita and Kinokawa, Wakayama. Authorities have started culling 56,000 chickens at the farm in Saiki as well as about 67,000 chickens at the farm in Kinokawa.
first-level administrative division of Russia
The Singapore government said that a suspected COVID-19 case aboard a "cruise-to-nowhere" was a false alarm after a passenger aboard Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas cruise ship who tested positive for COVID-19 has been found not to have contracted the virus.
California surpasses two million cases of COVID-19, becoming the first U.S. state to do so.
Finance Minister Eduard Heger tests positive for COVID-19.
Voters in Romania head out to elect the members of their country's Chamber of Deputies and Senate. Widespread lack of interest in politics and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have raised fears of a low voter turnout.
Department of the Canadian Government that oversees public health
The parliament of Montenegro approves a new coalition government of centre-right, pro-Serb minority and green parties, formally ending three decades of Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) rule in the country.
Germany's Federal Court of Justice sentences the perpetrator of the 2019 synagogue shooting to life imprisonment with subsequent preventive detention.
The Lagos State Government orders all public and private schools in the state to close until further notice.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is among the foreign attendees.
The Northern Beaches Council local government area of Sydney goes into a partial lockdown until Wednesday.
Syrian Arab Air Force base in Homs Governorate, Syria
Restaurants, cafés, non-essential shops, and other venues that serve food, reopen in Northern Ireland after two weeks of lockdown. However, pubs that do not serve food will remain closed.
South Korea reports a new case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 in wild birds in Buan, North Jeolla Province according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
An off-duty police officer kills two unarmed neighbors in Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippines after opening fire against them following a dispute. The filmed incident circulates on social media hours later and sparks nationwide protests against police brutality and impunity.
The National Football League announces an investigation into the Washington Football Team for allegations of workplace sexual harassment.
Bahrain's National Health Regulatory Authority approves the registration of the BBIBP-CorV vaccine developed by Sinopharm after Phase III clinical trials results showed an 86% efficacy rate.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announces that the Go To Travel campaign will be suspended nationwide from December 28 to January 11.
They protest the news that President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion at the same time that prosecutors in Rome indicted four top security officials of the Sisi regime over the 2016 abduction and torture to death of Giulio Regeni, an Italian doctoral student, in Cairo.
Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
use of face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
checkpoint erected to monitor and control the movement of people and materials
A boat overturns and sinks due to strong winds on the Ugandan side of Lake Albert, killing 26 people.
Prime Minister of Romania from 2019 to 2020
local time in communities that have more than 200 infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days.
Germany reports a record 962 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide death toll to 27,968.
The government orders a ban on passenger flights from the United Kingdom from 6:00 a.m. today until at least January 1 due to the spread of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK, with a case of the variant already having being reported in the Netherlands.
last day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 31 December
Quebec Premier François Legault announces that all non-essential businesses in the province will be closed from December 25 until January 11 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The Palestinian Authority impose a two-week lockdown in the entire West Bank that orders schools, universities, restaurants, barbershops, gyms and leisure venues to close.
Six law enforcement officers are wounded when a man they were trying to arrest blew himself up in the village of Uchkeken, Karachay-Cherkessia. The Federal Security Service says no civilians were hurt and authorities were trying to establish his identity.
The International Criminal Court says that they have found evidence that crimes against humanity were committed during Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war.
Los Angeles issues a safer-at-home order as an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.
2013–present economic crisis in Venezuela
Quebec reports 2,349 cases over the past 24 hours, a new single-day record.
American politician, Governor of Wyoming
President Vladimir Putin orders the country to start a large-scale vaccination by late next week. Teachers and doctors are expected to be the first to receive the Sputnik V vaccine.
He is subsequently suspended from the Labour Party.
Artsakh's Defence Ministry says that it "lost contact" with a number of military posts overnight, with as many as 60 to 160 personnel missing.
national space agency of the People's Republic of China
Canada begins administering the vaccine to healthcare workers and elderly nursing home residents.
large scale air mass that rotates around a strong center of low pressure
single market of the European Union and participating non-EU countries
Delta Air Lines announces that it would require passengers travelling from New York to the United Kingdom to get a COVID-19 test prior to departure.
Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
Alberta reports a record 30 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the provincial death toll to 790.
Alberta reports 1,854 new cases, a single-day record.
About 32,000 birds will be slaughtered and buried in Sukumo in Kochi Prefecture after a highly pathogenic avian influenza was discovered at an poultry farm.
Both healthcare workers are expected to recover.
Anyone who already arrived from the UK is required to quarantine for 10 days.
Transport Minister Yuichiro Hata, who died yesterday, tested positive for COVID-19.
Egypt reports 664 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day total in a months, bringing the nationwide total to 125,555 cases.
An IED explodes near a police station in Rawalpindi, Punjab, injuring 25 people.
Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourão tests positive for COVID-19.
Two magnitude 4.0 earthquakes occur in Northern California at around 6:55–7:00 a.m.
Schools, museums, gyms and all non-essential shops, will be closed from midnight until January 19.
An expert committee of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine releases a report, concluding that "directed" microwave radiation was the likely cause of illnesses among American diplomats in Cuba and China.
The ruling mandates that Acting President Vjosa Osmani must call a new election to be held no longer than 40 days from the announcement.
Cyclones Yasa and Zazu threaten several Pacific countries, especially Fiji.
major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that began in February 2003
COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in one day in the United States surpasses 100,000, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
California reports 52,281 new cases and 379 deaths in the past 24 hours, both a new single-day record for the state and nationwide since the beginning of the pandemic.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that American passengers traveling from the United Kingdom will be required to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The order is expected to take effect on December 28.
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces that the country will impose a third nationwide lockdown beginning on December 26. However, people who take part in mass testing programmes between January 15 and 17 and test negative will be allowed to enter shops and restaurants beginning on January 18.
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Singapore
South Korea surpasses 40,000 total cases of COVID-19.
diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the European Union
Germany reports a record 1,129 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, marking the first time that the country has surpassed 1,000 daily deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
Five people are killed and 18 others injured in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, when a man drives an SUV into a pedestrian zone.
digital medium of exchange using cryptography on a ledger to secure transactions and to verify transfer of ownership
Head of the Government of the Czech Republic
After 51 years, a team of volunteer codebreakers solved a cipher by the infamous Zodiac Killer, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The cipher says "I hope you are having lots of fun trying to catch me", and "I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradice [sic] all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me".
Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine today.
cabinet-level department of the United States government
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, in Paris, France
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists
Republicans in the House block an attempt by Democrats, empowered by a veto threat from President Donald Trump if not amended, to pass a $2,000 relief bill for Americans.
Murder of an Italian graduate student in Egypt
unincorporated community in Howard County, Indiana
Face shields were previously compulsory in enclosed areas, such as shopping malls.
Russian-led consortium Nord Stream AG says it has completed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline in Germany's exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea. The U.S. had previously threatened to impose wider sanctions on the project if work continued.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan issues a gubernatorial instruction and decree that requires anyone leaving and entering the city from tomorrow until January 8 to have a negative rapid antigen test result.
British Columbia reports their first case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from a man in Island Health who returned from the United Kingdom on December 15 and tested positive on December 19.
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts announces that the state will lift their restrictions on indoor gatherings after hospitalizations in the state dropped to 20%.
Turkey reports a record 196 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 14,705 as a weekend lockdown takes effect.
rise in price level in an economy over time
a car bomb detonated in downtown Nashville, Tennessee
President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that the country will move from level 1 to level 3 from midnight until January 15.
The Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Minister Mahfud MD says the ban is necessary because the group no longer has any legal standing as a mass organisation.
Malta reports its first three cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom. Two of the cases are reported in people who travelled from the UK, while the third is still being investigated.
The Kīlauea volcano on Hawaii erupts, prompting the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency to urge residents to stay indoors. The eruption followed a series of small earthquakes. A previous eruption in May 2018 destroyed hundreds of homes.
Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai is denied bail and remains in custody over alleged fraud related to the lease of a building that houses his Apple Daily, an anti-government newspaper.
The annual operation, which delivers food and other humanitarian aid to Pacific islanders, has been cancelled by Micronesian President David W. Panuelo, who cited the threat of COVID-19.
United Kingdom Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove announces that the UK government will withdraw all controversial clauses from the Internal Market Bill. Gove and Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič announce "an agreement in principle" on all issues of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, including the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, border checks, food and medicine supplies and "clarification" on state subsidy rules.
2020–21 Central African general election
ongoing civil war in the country of Yemen
Belgium bans entry for incoming rail and air passengers from the United Kingdom for at least 24 hours, beginning at midnight. Virologist Marc Van Ranst said yesterday that a variant of SARS-COV-2 from the United Kingdom had been found in four cases from a sample of 2,000 analyses in his laboratory.
However, pubs that do not serve food will remain closed.
Australia stops a clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate made by CSL Limited and the University of Queensland after trial participants returned false positive HIV results.
Date: 16 April 2009 – 19 December 2017 (8 years, 8 months and 3 days)
The Czech Republic reports a record 16,939 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 718,661 as the positivity rate reaches 52%.
borough of New York City, New York, United States
Date: May-June 2020 July 2020-present, as part of the larger Black Lives Matter movement
Kuwaitis turn out to vote for the 50 electable National Assembly members in the general election.
The Tokyo District Court sentences serial killer Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", to death, for murdering nine people at his apartment in 2017 and dismembering their bodies. Shiraishi, who was found mentally competent, pled guilty and told the court his crimes had a sexual motive.
A court in China sentences a citizen journalist to four years in prison for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" while reporting during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year in Wuhan. The journalist's lawyer says that they will probably appeal the verdict. ,
First Minister Mark Drakeford announces that all non-essential retail, leisure and fitness centres, as well as all hospitality premises will be closed as of December 25. The country will also move to the highest "Level 4" restrictions beginning December 28, which means that people will be ordered to limit their Christmas gatherings to only two households.
overarching divisions of authority in Australia
The gunman, who set his house on fire, is later found dead.
The Ethiopian National Defense Force clashes with armed bandits involved in yesterday's massacre, killing 42 of them and seizing weapons.
Former President of Burundi Pierre Buyoya dies from COVID-19 at a hospital in Paris, France.
Switzerland freezes Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's assets in the country.
Politics of the Central African Republic
countermeasure that involves defending oneself from harm
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announces that the country will maintain its COVID-19 restrictions until January 11.
The Supreme Court of the United States, in an unsigned 6–3 decision, dismisses Trump v. New York, ruling that the challenge to the Trump administration's memo requiring the Census Bureau to report the results of the 2020 United States census with the exclusion of undocumented immigrants for apportionment is premature, and that no judicial review can be taken until after the data has been collected. The Bureau faces a December 31 deadline to report the results, which they have previously indicated that they may miss.
major security breach resulting from cyberattacks which exploited vulnerabilities in software from SolarWinds and other vendors
Another blast was later reported at the presidential palace, where the cabinet was meeting.
Several other cities in the country are also affected.
Outgoing President Donald Trump continues to dispute the results of the election, claiming widespread electoral fraud, despite numerous failed lawsuits.
American politician, businessman, and former U.S. senator from Georgia
Amnesty International condemns a sharp rise in the use of the death penalty in Egypt, accusing authorities of executing 57 people in October and November alone, nearly double the number recorded in the whole of 2019.
Separately, Egyptian military raids on Sheikh Zuweid kill four Islamist militants.
A senior military defector in the region says that the bus was transporting Syrian Army troops and pro-government militia from Deir ez-Zor to the Tiyas Military Airbase.
United Liberation Movement for West Papua
The United Kingdom discovers a new variant of COVID-19 which is growing faster in some parts of England.
directly elected mayor of the City of Liverpool, established in 2012
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives
President Trump announces that William Barr will resign as United States Attorney General on December 23.
municipality of the state of Pará, Brazil
American attorney and politician (born 1944)
President of Russia (1999–2008, 2012–present)
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces a change, effective January 1, to the wording of the country's national anthem, in which the word "young" in the second line "For we are young and free" is changed to "one", in an effort to reflect the country's long indigenous history.
The United Kingdom surpasses 60,000 total deaths from COVID-19.
Date: May 26, 2020 – August 4, 2022 (2 years, 2 months, 1 week and 3 days)
Poland surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, and the death toll reaches 18,208.
The National Hockey League announces its truncated 2020–21 season will begin on January 13 and run for 56 games per team, ending on May 8.
The United Kingdom and Vietnam sign a free trade agreement, which will take effect on December 31, following a meeting between UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh at the State Guest House in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The verdict comes despite pressure from international organizations to release her.
A fire partially destroys the Middle Collegiate Church in New York City, United States.
upper house in the bicameral Parliament of Romania
Russia describes the Netherlander accusations as "unfounded", and says that the expulsion of its citizens was "provocative".
India reports 26,567 new cases, the lowest in the country since July 10.
village in Malokarachayevsky District, Russia
Denmark will exhume four millions of minks to prevention pollution contamination.
Six men are indicted by a federal grand jury in the failed plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
overview about the coronavirus outbreak in Austria in 2020
taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will
point in time by which an objective or task must be accomplished
Manitoba extends its COVID-19 restrictions into January.
Rep. Joe Wilson tests positive for COVID-19 and is expected to self-isolate throughout the holidays.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
The total number of cases in Africa exceeds 2.5 million.
India reports six cases of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 in individuals who travelled from the United Kingdom and are now in isolation.
southern portion of U.S. state of California
Morocco is expected to acquire 65 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca and Sinopharm.
viral pandemic in Karnataka, India in 2020
type of natural disasters involving ground movements, often caused by slope instability triggered by specific event
event in which aircraft are used to attack targets on land or at sea
The United Kingdom and the European Union agree on a post-Brexit trade deal.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism
An explosion kills 15 children and injures another 20 people in Ghazni, Afghanistan, after a piece of unexploded ordnance blows up when the children try to sell it to a vendor.
nationwide protests in the aftermath of the 2020 United States election
The China National Space Administration probe Chang'e 5 lifts off from the surface of the moon as it begins a journey back to Earth after collecting samples of lunar soil. The ascender will rendezvous with the orbiter, transferring over the samples, and the orbiter will then land at a location in Inner Mongolia, China.
The United States House of Representatives passes the CASH Act, a bill that increases direct payments from $600 to $2,000, with a vote of 275–134.
The filmed incident circulates on social media hours later and sparks nationwide protests against police brutality and impunity.
head of government of the United Kingdom
monarchy in Central Europe between 1804 and 1867
Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases
Pakistan reports its first cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom. The patients are three people who travelled from the UK to Sindh and later tested positive for COVID-19.
On Christmas and New Year's Day there will be total lockdown for all genders.
COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
capital and largest municipality of Spain
President Donald Trump signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which contains a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, before Monday's deadline, in order to avert a government shutdown. This comes after Trump called the bill a "disgrace" last week.
Vaccine tampering incident in Grafton, Wisconsin
The bill will need to be approved by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in order to become law.
refugees and displaced persons from the ongoing conflict
any attempt to expose, alter, disable, destroy, steal or gain unauthorized access to or make unauthorized use of a computer system
Pope Francis issues the apostolic letter Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”) for the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as patron of the universal Church. The Pope declares a special Year of St. Joseph (December 8, 2020 — December 8, 2021).
Greg Norman, Australian former world number one champion of the 1986 and 1993 Open Championships, tests positive for COVID-19 and is hospitalized in the United States due to having symptoms.
township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Current Irish transport and environment minister, leader of the Green Party
Second ladies and gentlemen of the United States
spouse of the Vice President of the United States
Allied Democratic Forces militants kill at least 25 people in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Local officials say most of the victims were farmers working in the fields, and that some victims were decapitated.
communist state in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991
municipality in the province of Antwerp, Belgium
conjunction of planets Jupiter and Saturn
One out of every 1,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to a comparison of census and death toll estimates.
national government of the United States
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the country will not reopen their borders with the United States until COVID-19 is significantly under control.
overview about the coronavirus outbreak in Belgium in 2020
The United States House of Representatives passes a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill with a vote of 359-53.
Ontario reports a record 2,553 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, along with 1,939 new cases yesterday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 175,908.
Nationally, the number of new daily deaths surpasses the death toll of the September 11 attacks for the first time, topping at 3,100.
The number of new confirmed cases in Russia increases by a record 28,782 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,431,731.
Zam was found guilty of "corruption on earth" on charges of spying for France and Israel and trying to destabilise Iran by inciting unrest in 2017 on social media.
2020–2021 edition of the National Hockey League season
Ontario reports 1,924 cases, a new single-day record.
He is succeeded ad interim by Minister of National Defence Nicolae Ciucă.
head of the United States Department of State
Prime Minister Jean Castex announces that the country will delay the reopening of cultural venues and introduce a night-time curfew from 7:00 p.m.
A 37-year-old man is charged with murder and hate crimes in Los Angeles, California, U.S., after killing a 82-year-old man in a hospital room for praying. Both men were in the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.
The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search completes testing of all Mersenne numbers with exponents less than 100,000,000.
British Conservative party politician (born 1967)
India reports 19,556 cases of COVID-19, the lowest in the country since July 3.
Police in Hong Kong arrest eight pro-democracy activists including Leung Kwok-hung (better known as Long Hair), Eddie Chu, Figo Chan and Wu Chi-wai.
The Indian government announces that the country will speed up their reviews of vaccines developed by Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
Prime Minister António Costa says that an overnight curfew beginning at 11:00 p.m. will be in effect in the country on New Year's Eve. He also added that people would not be allowed to leave their homes between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. from January 1 to 3.
United States National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien interrupts a trip to Europe, returning to Washington, D.C.
ongoing viral pandemic in New York state, United States
An Azerbaijani soldier is killed and another injured in a shooting in Nagorno-Karabakh.
island country in the southwest Pacific Ocean
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that American passengers traveling from the United Kingdom will be required to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Indonesia reports a record 175 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 18,511.
Greece introduces a seven-day quarantine for people arriving from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow at 6:00 a.m.
overview of the observance of human rights in Australia
Manitoba extends its COVID-19 restrictions into January. However, drive-in church services will be exempted, thrift stores will be allowed to reopen, and sales of Christmas and holiday items will be permitted.
Date: 5 February 2011 – present (11 years, 9 months, 3 weeks and 3 days)
President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that the country will move from level 1 to level 3 from midnight until January 15. This means that all alcohol sales are banned, wearing of masks in public places is compulsory, most gatherings other than funerals are banned, and the nationwide curfew will be extended from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time.
The European Union and the ASEAN form a strategic partnership.
Officials from The Pentagon say that they will receive 44,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech's Tozinameran vaccine.
12th Indonesian Legislative Election and 4th Indonesian Presidential Election
The Robert Koch Institute reports a revised total of more than 30,000 cases in the past 24 hours, a new record, because around 3,500 cases in Baden-Württemberg were not initially reported.
explicit portrayal of sexual acts and intercourse in media
The United States refuses to recognize the results, describing the election as a "charade". The European Union also rejects the legitimacy of the election.
country in north-west Europe, part of the United Kingdom
trend towards democratic norms in a society
Officials from The Pentagon say that they will receive 44,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech's Tozinameran vaccine. However, it will not be mandatory for soldiers to receive the vaccine.
Tokyo reports a new single-day record of 678 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 48,668.
Russia reports a record 29,935 new cases and 635 deaths in the past 24 hours, thus bringing the nationwide totals to 2,963,688 confirmed cases and 53,096 deaths.
It also recommended to use face masks on public transport at certain times.
Switzerland legalizes same-sex marriage and for people to change their gender on official documents, pending an expected referendum challenging the law.
Pfizer announces that it has submitted their vaccine for approval in India.
town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England
Saudi Arabia extends the suspension of all international commercial flights, as well as all entry through land and sea ports for another week due to concerns about the new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
This work will begin in May 2021, when the risk of coronavirus contamination from the dead animals has been eliminated.
Iran surpasses 50,000 total deaths from COVID-19.
association football club in London, England
state-sponsored act constituting a serious violation of the laws of war
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)
Saudi Arabia reports less than 200 new cases for the first time since April 4.
Ukraine signs an agreement to buy up to 1.8 million doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says the first shipment of vaccines could arrive in February.
Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini dies at the age of 52 after weeks of hospitalization due to COVID-19. He is the first sitting national head of government to die as a result of the virus.
The National Assembly passes a number of changes to the Constitution of Hungary which bar same-sex couples from adopting children. The amendments also lowers the legal threshold for the government to declare a state of emergency, and further reduces the oversights the government is required to take with regard to the spending of public funds, which critics say will allow the government to use state money to benefit loyalists.
Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline announce that their COVID-19 vaccine candidate will not be ready until the end of 2021.
2003–2011 war after an American-led invasion
The Supreme Court of Brazil orders Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello to fix the starting date for a nationwide vaccination program.
Belgium officially begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, with a 96-year-old Flemish man from Antwerp becoming the first person to receive Pfizer-BioNTech's tozinameran vaccine.
The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search completes testing of all Mersenne numbers with exponents less than 100,000,000. Following the milestone, the server experienced an increase in traffic, prompting maintenance and the temporary removal of the top section of the "Milestones" page which normally shows the live real time progress report toward upcoming milestones.
Thousands of trucks remain outside of Dover.
Senior Advisor to the President of the United States
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces that the country will impose a five-day full lockdown from December 31 at 9:00 p.m. local time until January 4, as a record 229 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours.
The Knesset fails to pass legislation to avert a dispersal of the current legislative session, triggering new elections in March.
As a result, Padilla is the state's first Hispanic Senator from California.
armored vehicle classification designed for troop transport
Denmark will exhume four millions of minks to prevention pollution contamination. This work will begin in May 2021, when the risk of coronavirus contamination from the dead animals has been eliminated.
The Netherlands expels two Russian diplomats based in The Hague, who it accuses of being part of a Foreign Intelligence Service-led "espionage network" targeting the high-tech sector. Russia describes the Netherlander accusations as "unfounded", and says that the expulsion of its citizens was "provocative".
Citizens in Niger head to the polls to elect their President in their first democratic power transfer since the country's independence from France. The election comes amidst a growing Islamist insurgency as Mohamed Bazoum is the favourite to succeed incumbent Mahamadou Issoufou, who is stepping down after serving two five-year terms.
Turkey surpasses two million cases of COVID-19.
A review of some recent medical studies shows that memory T cells may play a role in a phenomenon known as cross-reactivity, which researchers found may perhaps give certain people, in some cases, some level of immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 even without them having been exposed to or infected with the virus, or having received a vaccine. There are certain structural and clinical similarities between the virus that causes COVID-19 and the other coronaviruses that are related to it, which cause SARS and MERS.
Switzerland orders restaurants, bars and shops in most parts of the country to close at 7pm, as the country faces a persistently high level of new cases and deaths.
Abu Dhabi is expected to lift restrictions in the city beginning December 24.
United States government public health agency
46th and current presidential administration of the USA, inaugurated in 2021
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says that Singapore has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country expects to receive shipments of the vaccine by the end of the year and to vaccinate 5.7 million people for free by the third quarter of 2021.
New Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić vows to dismantle a state apparatus built by the DPS, and root-out corruption and organised crime.
Taiwan reports their first locally transmitted case since April 12 after an unidentified patient tested positive for COVID-19.
The United Kingdom surpasses two million cases of COVID-19.
The United States House of Representatives votes 322–87 to override President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
Quebec Premier François Legault cancels a plan to allow Christmas gatherings of up to 10 people in the province amid an increase of cases.
The United States records 227,885 new cases of COVID-19, breaking a record set the previous day.
As authorized by the state, the Finnish Heritage Agency commits, together with Finnish sauna communities and promoters of the sauna culture, to safeguard the vitality of the sauna tradition and to highlight its importance as part of customs and wellbeing.
South Korea says it has scrambled fighter jets after four Chinese and fifteen Russian military aircraft entered its air defense identification zone.
verdict that results when a court of law finds a defendant guilty of a crime
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees
city in and county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States
The United Kingdom announces that 300 troops will be deployed to Mali as part of the MINUSMA peacekeeping mission.
Denmark extends its hard lockdown until January 17 due to substantial increases in numbers of cases and hospitalizations in the country.
mountainside developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports
Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that British Airways will require passengers to test negative for COVID-19 before arriving at the John F. Kennedy International Airport due to the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom.
An explosion at a religious gathering during a Quran recitation ceremony in Ghazni, Afghanistan, has killed at least 15 civilians and wounded 20 others.
The government announces a ban on travel into Sweden from the United Kingdom and Denmark for one month due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
New York reports a record 12,697 new cases in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record set in April.
political-religious armed movement in Yemen
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is acquitted of breaching ethics clauses in the Constitution, allowing him to remain in power.
local time for one week due to concerns over the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The patient is a 23-year-old woman who travelled from the United Kingdom to Shanghai on December 14 and later tested positive for COVID-19.
The European Council agrees on a compromise deal to unlock €1.8 trillion for the budget of the European Union and for the Next Generation EU recovery plan.
The United States says that Morocco will normalize diplomatic relations with Israel, becoming the fourth Arab country to do so in recent months, in an agreement mediated by the United States.
space mission to retrieve tangible samples from an extraterrestrial location and return with them to Earth for analysis
Spain receives its first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran in Guadalajara, a day before the country begins its vaccination programme.
The Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong orders pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to return to prison on national security law grounds, after a ruling by a lower court released him on bail. Chinese state media had labeled Lai's release as "unbelievable".
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signs a decree that bans inter-regional travel between December 21 and January 6 except for work, health, or emergency reasons. In addition, people will not be allowed to leave their towns on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day.
Supporters of President-elect Maia Sandu gather in Moldova to call for the resignation of the Russia-backed government and a new parliamentary election.
In Cameroon, a bus travelling from Douala, to the capital Yaoundé collides with a truck and plunges into a ravine, killing at least 37 people and injuring 19 others.
Moderna announces that they will begin testing their vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, on adolescents aged 12–17 years.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Department
law enforcement agency for Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee
federal law enforcement agency in Russia
Former President Flavio Cotti dies from COVID-19 at the age of 81.
Semeru, the highest mountain on the Indonesian island of Java, erupts.
Four people are arrested for a helicopter crash in Puebla, Mexico, that killed Governor Martha Érika Alonso, her husband, and former Governor Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas.
Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union
The Department of Energy confirms that it has been breached along with other federal government agencies, but says that the country's nuclear weapons arsenal has not been compromised. The mass data breach is now considered the worst ever cyberattack on the U.S. government.
unilaterally declared airspace in which a country tries to identify and control civil aircraft
France reports their first case of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a man who travelled from South Africa to the Haut-Rhin region and later tested positive for COVID-19.
The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launches communications satellite CMS-01 into a geostationary orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) votes to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug after removing it from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, where it was listed alongside opioids such as heroin. This change is expected to bolster medical research and legalization efforts around the world.
The Somali Minister of Information Osman Abubakar Dubbe announces that the Government of Somalia is recalling its diplomatic staff from Kenya and is giving Kenyan diplomats seven days to leave Somalia.
The number of new confirmed cases in Vermont increases by a record 178 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 4,642.
chronological history of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
local time due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-COV-2 in the country.
Turkey reports a record 240 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 17,121.
reaction between an adaptive immune response against an antigen that differs from the immunogen
Amid controversy over alleged illegal content, Pornhub removes all non-verified user-uploaded videos, which make up the majority of the videos on the platform.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announces that the city will rollback to phase 2 and tighten their restrictions as an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.
List of federal agencies in the United States
Incumbent Prime Minister Ludovic Orban resigns after the poor results of his candidacy in the legislative election.
Pupils are kidnapped from a boys' boarding secondary school by an armed gang in Kankara, Katsina State, Nigeria.
port city and temporary capital of Yemen
Facebook announces that it will remove misinformation related to COVID-19 vaccines as countries prepare to distribute them.
legal process whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Japan
city and port in the Mexican state Jalisco, Mexico
Date: 31 January 2009 – present (13 years, 11 months, 3 weeks and 6 days)
South Korea orders schools in the Seoul Capital Area to close from tomorrow until the end of the month due to an increase in new COVID-19 cases, which has broken records not seen since the pandemic began.
person who collects, writes and distributes news and other information
Governor Jim Justice becomes one of the first elected officials to receive the vaccine.
Over 8,000 ducks are expected to be culled after a third case of H5N8 avian influenza was confirmed at a farm in Norfolk, UK.
It is the second mass abduction by the Islamist group this month.
Canada exceeds 400,000 cases of COVID-19.
sovereign state made up of six islands in the Pacific Ocean
A Wisconsin pharmacist is arrested after destroying 500 doses of Moderna's vaccine.
Finnish-Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard is arrested by Canadian police after being indicted by U.S.
The government orders a ban on passenger flights from the United Kingdom from 6:00 a.m.
Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that after meeting with leaders of the 16 states, a hard lockdown will occur from December 16 to January 10. Non-essential shops and schools will be closed. New Year's Eve events, including the sale of fireworks and public consumption of alcohol will be banned.
facility directly owned and operated by or for the military
Three police officers are killed and a fourth wounded after they responded to a domestic violence incident in Saint-Just, Puy-de-Dôme, France.
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders announces that he will filibuster a Senate vote to override President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 if the Senate doesn't vote on providing $2,000 direct payments to Americans.
The United Kingdom reports a record 35,928 new cases in the past 24 hours. The government data also shows that 90% of local authorities in England have reported an increase in cases during the past week.
state capitol building of the U.S. state of Oregon
The United States announces plans to impose additional tariffs on certain products from France and Germany, particularly aircraft parts, in retaliation to tariffs imposed by the European Union on similar U.S. products this year.
The United States Supreme Court denies Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to invalidate President-elect Joe Biden's victories in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Azerbaijan says that 2,783 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
global international and intergovernmental organization
President Donald Trump objects to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that currently provides legal immunity to social media companies, and also to a provision in the NDAA that will prohibit military bases to be named for Confederate generals.
Indonesian bureaucrat, lawyer, and 14th Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs
Elections in the Central African Republic are underway, after a campaign marred by violence between government and rebel forces.
A search and rescue effort is underway to find six other missing miners.
Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 U.S. presidential election
legal challenges to result of 2020 United States presidential election
Germany reports 568 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the most since the start of the pandemic and bringing the nationwide death toll to 20,002.
China National Space Administration probe Chang'e 5 successfully lands at Mons Rümker on the Moon for the first lunar sample-return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24.
conflict initiated by Rodrigo Duterte against drug lords and drug pushers
Israel's National Security Adviser and Chief of Staff for National Security
American attorney and real estate developer
sovereign state in North Africa and Asia
conflict, starting 23 February 2011, ignited by Islamist militants in the Sinai Peninsula
Russian politician, lawyer and anti-corruption activist
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces a travel ban to the rest of the United Kingdom and imposes the toughest level of restrictions across Scotland for three weeks beginning on Boxing Day. In addition, household mixing will now only be allowed on Christmas Day.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announces that Congress has reached a deal on a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package that includes a new round of direct payments and help for families, businesses and unemployed Americans.
Date: 1 August 2014 – 9 November 2022 (8 years, 5 months, 3 weeks and 5 days)
low-intensity asymmetric war between the Mexican Government and various drug trafficking syndicates
The Czech Republic reports a record 16,329 new cases in the past 24 hours as the positivity rate reaches a new record of 48.5%.
southern part of the Central Valley in California, United States
A report surfaces that a Federal Security Service agent allegedly involved in the plot to poison the Russian opposition leader was "duped" by Navalny into admitting that the poison was planted in Navalny's underpants.
Austria's Constitutional Court overturns a government ban on school children wearing specific religious head coverings, ruling it discriminatory, and saying that the ban could lead to the "marginalisation of Muslim girls".
Journalist Malalai Maiwand, an activist for women's and children's rights, and her driver are shot dead on their way to work in Jalalabad, Nangarhar.
Mayor Muriel Bowser announces restrictions on high-contact sports amid a rise of cases in the area.
lower house of the Parliament of Romania
Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed is taken to safety along with the Saudi ambassador and all remaining government members.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock says that the rollout of this vaccine will begin on January 4.
The United Nations Security Council votes to end the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur on December 31, beginning a complete withdrawal of peacekeeping forces by June 30, 2021.
socioeconomic and political crisis in Venezuela in the 21st century
Unusually high rain fall causes flooding and landslides in Haines, Alaska, United States. Numerous homes are destroyed, and six people are missing.
24th edition of Winter Olympics, in Beijing, China
Brazil detects their first two cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom.
association football club based in Paris, France
county seat of Santa Clara County, California, United States
Non-essential shops and schools will be closed.
The British Antarctic Survey confirms that Iceberg A-68, one of the largest ever recorded icebergs with a surface area of 5,800 square kilometres, has broken in two in the South Atlantic as it approaches South Georgia island.
The final phase of Egypt's latest parliamentary election begins. The voting process will continue until the end of the next day.
municipality in the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland
Japan reports a record 45 new deaths in the past 24 hours as the number of severe cases also hitting a record 505 patients.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention announces the registration of Sinopharm's inactivated virus vaccine BBICP-CorV, after an interim analysis of the Phase III trials showed BBIBP-CorV to have an 86% efficacy against COVID-19 infection.
Reactions to the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests
Yasa intensifies into a category 2 storm, remaining in the waters between Fiji and Vanuatu.
PST and are felt from San Jose to as far north as San Francisco.
President-elect Joe Biden says that he will issue an executive order that would require face masks in federal buildings on the first day of his presidency.
Thailand imposes a ban on large gatherings and events in controlled zones across the country in order to reduce the number of cases. 250 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours.
local time until December 31 due to concerns about the new strain of SARS-CoV-2.
Norway's Storting votes to lower the country's financial assistance package to the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian territories by $3.4 million over concerns of anti-Semitic content and incitement to violence in Palestinian school curricula.
The U.S. surpasses 16 million cases of COVID-19.
American educator, wife of Joe Biden and First Lady of the United States
Belarusian politician, educator, and pro-democracy activist
Belarus reports a new single-day record of 1,939 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 154,392.
United Kingdom's national Antarctic operation
Diplomatic relations between Canada and the United States
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, purchases a 50% stake in Israeli Premier League club Beitar Jerusalem F.C., following the establishment of relations between the two countries this year.
Parliament is dissolved as the deadline to approve the 2020 state budget expires without an agreement, requiring elections within 90 days, for the fourth time in less than two years.
Mack was arrested on November 29 for breaching quarantine rules.
Indonesia issues a ban on travellers from the United Kingdom and restricts entry to people from mainland Europe and Australia to prevent the spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 Task Force Chief Doni Monardo says that these measures will remain in place until January 8.
Turkey reports a record 190 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 13,936.
Colorado authorities announce the possible discovery of a second case of the SARS-CoV-2 variant from the United Kingdom in the state.
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven announces new measures to reduce the second wave of the pandemic.
Switzerland begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. A ninety-year-old woman in Lucerne is the first Swiss citizen to receive the vaccine.
effort to cut off supplies from a particular area by force
The United States Senate passes the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill with a 92–6 vote. The bill will head to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Authorities announce that they suspect the incident was a suicide bombing, following the discovery of human remains at the blast site.
U.S. Senator David Perdue and his wife test negative for COVID-19, but will quarantine ahead of his upcoming runoff matchup against Jon Ossoff after coming into contact with a person in his campaign who later tested positive for the virus.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces that the United States has imposed sanctions on Turkey over its acquisition of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia. This move is the first time that the CAATSA has been used to penalize a U.S. ally.
Ukraine reports a record 285 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 14,755.
Mauritania's government reimposes a nighttime curfew in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases.
China lowers the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old for "abominable" crimes such as murder or causing injury that leads to death or severe disabilities by extremely cruel means.
South Korea reports a record 40 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 859.
series of shootings in Nova Scotia, Canada
Israel bans entry of travelers from Denmark, South Africa, and the United Kingdom due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the latter country. Israeli citizens arriving from those countries will be required to quarantine at state-run quarantine hotels for up to 14 days.
The eruption followed a series of small earthquakes.
2014 police killing of a black boy in Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Indonesia reports a record 221 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 19,880.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces a return of "Level 5" lockdown in the country with specific adjustments from Christmas Eve until at least January 12.
Lower house of Chile's National Congress
Sokolov, a former history professor at St. Petersburg State University, pled guilty to the murder.
Brazil surpasses seven million total cases of COVID-19, becoming the third country to do so after India and the United States.
Quebec reports 2,183 cases, a new-single day record.
The United States refuses to recognize the results, describing the election as a "charade".
Mastercard and Visa cut financial ties with Pornhub following an investigation by The New York Times into child sexual abuse content and rape pornography on the website. Pornhub says that the moves are "exceptionally disappointing" as well as crushing news for the "hundreds of thousands of models who rely on our platform for their livelihoods".
Federal investigators identify a person of interest in yesterday's bombing in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, and join local police in raiding his home.
Health Minister Tomaž Gantar announces that Slovenia plans to launch mass COVID-19 testing before the end of the year as current restrictions have failed to reduce the infection rate. Testing should start after December 11 or 12, when the first 100,000 test kits are expected to be delivered to the country.
Two roadside bombings near Sheikh Zuweid in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, kill three Egyptian Army troops and wound 10 others. Separately, Egyptian military raids on Sheikh Zuweid kill four Islamist militants.
Belarus is expected to begin production of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine during the first quarter of 2021 after it became the first foreign country to register the vaccine.
mass shooting at Rockford, Illinois bowling alley
Prime Minister of Hungary (1998–2002; 2010–present)
rallies against restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in the United States
ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Nunavut reports its first two deaths from COVID-19 complications.
city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
A spokesman for the Supreme Court of Iran says it upheld a death sentence against dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam "more than one month ago". Zam was found guilty of "corruption on earth" on charges of spying for France and Israel and trying to destabilise Iran by inciting unrest in 2017 on social media. In court, Zam denied most of the allegations against him and said he was only engaged in "media work".
Ontario reports a new single-day record of 1,983 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 134,783.
shooting during a drug raid in Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas
American military intervention in Somalia (2007–present)
United States military intervention against extremist groups in Somalia
human settlement in Queens, New York, United States of America
Gunmen attack a security checkpoint in Puli Khumri, Baghlan Province, killing 13 police officers.
capital city of the Central African Republic
Italian journalist, writer and television presenter
surpasses 15 million cases of COVID-19, with about one out of every 22 Americans having tested positive since the pandemic began.
states of emergency and regimes of exception decreed by COVID-19
local time due to the emergence of a new strain of SARS-CoV-2.
sovereign state in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
As a result of this case, Taiwan will ban all non-resident foreigners from entering the country beginning on January 1. Legal residents, as well as people given special permission, and the spouses and children of Taiwanese nationals will be excluded from this ban.
CISA, a federal agency of the United States, was breached by suspected Russian hackers, but Russia denies the allegation.
This comes after the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence on Tuesday.
set of ideologies holding that Islam should guide social and political as well as personal life
Germany reports a new single-day record of 23,679 cases, according to the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,242,203.
President Donald Trump says that he might not sign the $900 billion relief bill, which was passed by both the House and Senate.
Iran surpasses one million total cases of COVID-19.
measures taken to regulate the movement of goods and people across borders
Tokyo reports a record 888 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 54,018.
South Africa reports a record 14,796 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 983,359 cases.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announces that the country will impose a full nationwide lockdown from December 25 to January 3 that will close malls, shops, and other non-essential activities during the holiday season. This comes after a record of nearly 3,700 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours.
Canada surpasses 500,000 cases of COVID-19.
The United States surpasses 14 million cases of COVID-19, less than a week after surpassing 13 million cases.
impossibility, de jure or de facto, of punishing perpetrators of violations
A statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee presented by Virginia is removed from the National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. It is slated to be replaced by a statue of civil rights activist Barbara Rose Johns.
2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage
There will also be no exceptions on New Year's Eve.
This means that all alcohol sales are banned, wearing of masks in public places is compulsory, most gatherings other than funerals are banned, and the nationwide curfew will be extended from 9:00 p.m.
country in southwestern Europe with territories in Africa
Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge says that vaccinations using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will begin on January 8 if the European Medicines Agency approves it for use next week.
sovereign state in West Africa and North Africa
The United States Congress formally reinstates Sudan's sovereign immunity. Sudan had paid the U.S. a $335 million settlement to victims of al-Qaeda attacks. The U.S. will partially pay off Sudanese bilateral debt, and its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while making another US$700 million available until September 2022 for assistance to the country.
American multinational technology company
Current president Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party is expected to have a tight race with his most promising challenger, John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress.
international airport in New York, United States
military conflict in Lebanon from 2014–2017 during the Syrian Civil War
Jihadist group Boko Haram claim responsibility for Friday's mass kidnapping in Kankara, Katsina, Nigeria.
local time for at least two weeks in order to curb the resurgence of COVID-19.
Hoda Amid and Najmeh Vahedi, who were arrested in 2018, were accused of "collaborating with the United States government against the Islamic Republic on the issue of women and the family".
Metekel Zone, Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia
Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic
Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine today. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who recovered from COVID-19 in October, say that they will receive their vaccines "at the appropriate time".
Indonesian Ministry dealing with international relations
COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
the surrender of an alleged criminal usually under the provisions of a treaty or statute by one authority (such as a state) to another having jurisdiction to try the charge
Six law enforcement officers are wounded when a man they were trying to arrest blew himself up in the village of Uchkeken, Karachay-Cherkessia.
The United Arab Emirates announces that they will roll out the Sinopharm vaccine to all adult UAE citizens.
Belgium announces that all troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2021, bringing an end to Belgian involvement in the war. Belgium currently has around 70 military personnel deployed in Afghanistan, as part of a train, advise and assist role for pro-government forces.
territories under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom
Yousuf Rasheed, CEO of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan, is killed by unknown gunmen in Kabul. His driver is also shot and later died of his wounds. It is the latest targeted killing of a prominent Afghan figure.
Premier Doug Ford announces a province-wide lockdown across Ontario from December 26 until January 9 in Northern Ontario and January 23 in Southern Ontario in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the province.
crime of willfully and maliciously setting fire to property
Indonesia receives their second shipment of 1.8 million doses of CoronaVac from Sinovac.
The German state of Saxony-Anhalt begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, which also began nationwide. A 101-year-old woman in a nursing home become one of first people in the country to get vaccinated.
As part of the lockdown, the curfew has also been extended for two weeks.
Chile begins its vaccination campaign against COVID-19 after the arrival of 10,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to the country.
Anti-government protesters block streets in the Armenian capital Yerevan, continuing calls for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign over the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan.
A proposed match between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham F.C. at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that would have taken place in the evening is postponed due to a significant rise of COVID-19 cases in the clubs across the league.
Nauru High Commissioner Michael Aroi thanked Joseph Cella, the U.S.
Ethiopian National Defense Force troops open fire on United Nations staffers who were trying to reach areas where "they were not supposed to go" near Sheraro in the Tigray Region, according to senior Ethiopian government official Redwan Hussein. There are no reported casualties. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric says the reports are "alarming".
The shootings are carried out two days before the general election in the country.
for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
The United States House of Representatives passes the CASH Act, a bill that increases direct payments from $600 to $2,000, with a vote of 275–134. The bill is expected to head to the United States Senate for a vote.
A civilian passerby also died in the attack.
capital and most populous city of France
An intensive care unit nurse in Mexico City becomes the first person in the country to receive the vaccine.
Katsina's governor Aminu Bello Masari says 344 pupils kidnapped from a boarding school in Kankara by Boko Haram on December 11 have been freed in Zamfara.
President-elect Joe Biden announces that three more officials will join his COVID-19 Advisory Board.
Italy surpasses 70,000 deaths from COVID-19.
President of the Federated States of Micronesia
Health Minister Magnus Heunicke announces the expansion of the country's partial lockdown measures to 31 other municipalities, beginning tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. local time. This comes after the country reports a record 3,132 new cases in the past 24 hours.
bicameral legislature of the United States
Nationwide, a record 4,520 new cases are reported in Japan in the past 24 hours. It is the first time that the country has reported more than 4,000 daily cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
A court in Tehran, Iran, sentences two women's rights activists to a combined total of 15 years in prison.
federal government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, established by the Constitution of Pakistan
City in Central Java Province, Indonesia
first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 1 January
In Singapore, a charge of murder carries the mandatory death penalty.
Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips resigns following his trip to Saint Barthélemy while the province was in a lockdown.
Ontario reports 1,925 cases, a new single-day record.
100 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Ontario reports its first two cases of a new SARS-COV-2 variant in a couple from Durham Region with no known travel history, exposure, or high-risk contacts. Ontario is the first province in Canada to identify a case of this new variant.
The Spanish government announce the suspension of all flights from Spain to the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow, with the exception of flights for Spanish citizens residents of Spain.
Boko Haram jihadists storm Pemi, a Christian village in Borno State, Nigeria, shooting people and burning down a church and a hospital, killing at least 11 civilians. A priest is kidnapped.
The Food and Drug Administration announces that they have formally approved Tozinameran, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulates President-elect Joe Biden for the first time.
Current Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez said that Sandoval was the victim of a "direct attack".
A group of gunmen attack a bank and block roads in Cametá, Brazil, taking several hostages and stealing money. The attackers kill a hostage with a gunshot to the head, while a security guard and a policeman are injured. Several shots and explosions were also reported. It appears that the target of the attack was a branch of Banco do Brasil, the same bank robbed in Criciúma the previous night.
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
The United Kingdom reports a record 41,385 new cases in the past 24 hours. It is the first time that the country has reported more than 40,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announces a COVID-19 vaccine task force to distribute vaccines that are expected to be received by early January.
This comes after a record of nearly 3,700 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours.
Indonesia surpasses 20,000 deaths from COVID-19.
Central African Republic general election
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces that the country has ordered 168,000 doses of Moderna's vaccine.
The United Kingdom's National Health Service begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the BNT162b2 vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer. Seniors over the age of 80 and certain healthcare workers will be among the first to receive the vaccine.
person granted an honorary title by a monarch or other political leader
land service branch of the United States Armed Forces
Executive branch of government made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Russia
Kyrgyzstan surpasses 80,000 cases of COVID-19.
Mexico City and the State of Mexico move back to the "red traffic light".
The bill is expected to head to the United States Senate for a vote.
formal accusation of wrongdoing in common law
At least 25 people are killed and more than 110 others wounded in an attack at the Aden International Airport, shortly after a plane carrying the newly formed government arrived from Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed is taken to safety along with the Saudi ambassador and all remaining government members. The Houthis are blamed for the attack, but the group has denied responsibility. Another blast was later reported at the presidential palace, where the cabinet was meeting.
Iran extends a nighttime traffic curfew that runs from 9:00 p.m.
A landslide in the village of Gjerdrum, Viken, Norway, leaves at least ten people injured and buries several houses.
The Constitutional Court of Kosovo nullifies the parliamentary vote that elected Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti in June, after discovering that one of the members who voted was ineligible due to a prison sentence. The ruling mandates that Acting President Vjosa Osmani must call a new election to be held no longer than 40 days from the announcement.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announces that the country will ban gatherings of more than five people and order all ski resorts and tourist attractions to close from December 24 until January 3 in order to contain the third wave of COVID-19.
legalization of marijuana in the United States
head of state and head of government of Kenya
An ombudsman report finds that the Victorian state government's decision to briefly impose a "hard lockdown" on public housing towers in July in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, not allowing anyone in or out, was a violation of human rights.
Holy See Press Director Matteo Bruni announces that Pope Francis will make his first international apostolic visit in 15 months after accepting the invitation of the Republic of Iraq and the local Catholic Church to visit the Middle Eastern country of Iraq from 5–8 March 2021.
first minister of the government of Ontario
legal status wherein an individual or entity can not be held liable for a violation of the law
Thailand reports 548 new cases, the biggest one-day increase in cases since the beginning of the pandemic, primarily due to an outbreak linked to the country's largest seafood market in Samut Sakhon Province as well as increased testing of migrant workers.
Regional Municipality east of Toronto in the Province of Ontario, Canada
A record 53,135 new cases are reported in the United Kingdom in the past 24 hours.
The Somali Minister of Information Osman Abubakar Dubbe announces that the Government of Somalia is recalling its diplomatic staff from Kenya and is giving Kenyan diplomats seven days to leave Somalia. This comes after Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi's visit to Nairobi where he was received by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Anthony Fauci receives the Moderna vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
chief executive of the Mexican state of Puebla
The Supreme Committee decides to reopen Oman's land, sea, and air borders on December 29 after closing them on December 21 due to fears of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. All travellers must show a negative PCR test within 72 hours before entering the country and must have valid health insurance. In addition, all travellers must quarantine for seven days and take another test after completing their quarantine.
province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
JAXA space probe Hayabusa2 delivers the first ever subsurface asteroid samples to Earth.
medical practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering
Brazilian politician and 38th President of Brazil
public health emergency of international concern
A ninety-year-old woman in Lucerne is the first Swiss citizen to receive the vaccine.
Interior Minister Davor Božinović announces that Croatia will impose a ban on travel outside one's county between December 23 and January 8.
President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolve the incumbent House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament.
local government area of New South Wales, Australia
Lufthansa ships 80 tonnes of fresh food to the United Kingdom to prevent shortages amid fears that the lifting of the French blockade of the France–UK border will not prevent shortages in some supermarkets. The airline says "additional special cargo flights" are planned to meet demand. Thousands of trucks remain outside of Dover.
Egypt receives its first shipment of 50,000 of Sinopharm's vaccine, making it the first African country to receive COVID-19 vaccines. The shipment was provided as a gift from the United Arab Emirates, which recently announced that the vaccine had an 86% efficacy based on Phase III testing results.
The United Kingdom reports a record 55,892 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,488,780.
Saudi Arabia announces that they will lift their flight ban on non-Saudis leaving the country.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua declares a provisional "government-in-waiting" and nominates Benny Wenda as interim president.
head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia, in the United States
The police have been investigating the cleric for violations of health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic after large gatherings occurred to celebrate his return to the country from self-exile in Saudi Arabia.
executive body of the German Government (part of the Federal Government of Germany)
commercial air transport of items other than passengers
generally refers to an army or other fighting force that is composed of non-professional fighters
The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea surpasses 1,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, bringing the nationwide total to 42,766.
Vice-President of the European Commission
Pfizer and BioNTech announce that they will ask the European Medicines Agency to approve their potential vaccine candidate.
country in Central and Southeastern Europe
Illinois reports 4,699 cases in the last 24 hours, the first time that the state has reported less than 6,000 cases and the lowest daily total since October 27.
American far-right and crypto-fascist male-only organization
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
scientific national academy for the United States
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts announces that the state will lift their restrictions on indoor gatherings after hospitalizations in the state dropped to 20%. However, he also urges people to stay vigilant to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Federated States of Micronesia declines to host the annual Operation Christmas Drop with the U.S. Air Force. The annual operation, which delivers food and other humanitarian aid to Pacific islanders, has been cancelled by Micronesian President David W. Panuelo, who cited the threat of COVID-19.
2001 Islamist terrorist attacks in the U.S.
bilateral relations between Morocco and Israel
The ascender will rendezvous with the orbiter, transferring over the samples, and the orbiter will then land at a location in Inner Mongolia, China.
56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021
This move is the first time that the CAATSA has been used to penalize a U.S.
European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
President Emmanuel Macron tests positive for COVID-19.
form of directional radio antenna used in radio astronomy
An ombudsman report finds that the Victorian state government's decision to briefly impose a "hard lockdown" on public housing towers in July in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, not allowing anyone in or out, was a violation of human rights. The state government refuses to apologise to the tower residents despite the report's recommendations.
The United States begins administering their first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
principal executive body of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Sweden reports a record 7,935 new cases in the past 24 hours.
The government will temporarily suspend all flights from India to the United Kingdom due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Italy reaches 64,036 total deaths from COVID-19, surpassing the United Kingdom to have the highest death toll in Europe.
Second Lady of the United States (2017—2021)
president of the United States from 2017 to 2021
The Islamic State – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack.
search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger
Pakistan Senator Kalsoom Perveen dies from COVID-19.
act of quickly getting military aircraft airborne to react to an immediate threat
Florida surpasses one million cases, becoming the third state to do so after California and Texas.
Egypt receives its first shipment of 50,000 of Sinopharm's vaccine, making it the first African country to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff receive the Moderna vaccine.
US government public–private partnership to facilitate development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics
Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021
The Supreme Committee decides to reopen Oman's land, sea, and air borders on December 29 after closing them on December 21 due to fears of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
city and commune in Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France
research and development center and NASA field center in California, United States
Under the new restrictions, in-home gatherings will be limited to 15 people, masks must be worn indoors, and people are advised to stay out of the Melbourne city centre on New Year's Eve.
The Finnish sauna culture is inscribed on the UNESCO list.
A landslide in the village of Gjerdrum, Viken, Norway, leaves at least ten people injured and buries several houses. Ten people are missing.
British Columbia reports a record 28 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the provincial death toll to 587.
Singapore bans all long-term passport holders and short-term visitors who had travel history to the United Kingdom within the last 14 days to enter the country beginning tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. local time due to the emergence of a new strain of SARS-CoV-2.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes Petrinja, Croatia, destroying half of the town. Several other cities in the country are also affected. At least seven people are killed, five of whom were in Glina, one in Petrinja, and one in Žažina. Several others are also injured.
Belarus reports 1,967 cases, a new single-day record.
At least one person has been arrested for obstructing a highway, according to the police.
individual who has killed three or more people over a period of more than a month
United Kingdom government ministerial department
Seven civilians and three soldiers are killed after a suicide bomber detonates his device outside a stadium in Galkayo, Mudug. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble was due to address a gathering at the stadium.
general term for a motor vehicle or trailer which provides living accommodations
chief executive of the Mexican state of Jalisco
Karnataka imposes a night curfew from 10:00 p.m.
Russia announces the suspension of all flights to and from the United Kingdom for one week beginning at midnight due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Canada surpasses 15,000 deaths from COVID-19.
emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan (NANP)
President Donald Trump says that he might not sign the $900 billion relief bill, which was passed by both the House and Senate. He also calls for Congress to amend the bill and increase stimulus checks to Americans earning under $75,000 per year from $600 to $2,000. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agrees to work with Congress to increase the payout amount.
Taiwan reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 after a teenager who returned from the United Kingdom on Sunday tested positive for COVID-19 the following day.
land warfare branch of France's military
The United Kingdom approves a vaccine made by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca for use in the country.
Peru surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fifth Latin American country to surpass the milestone after Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico.
A fire inside an intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at a private hospital in Gaziantep, Turkey, kills nine people.
Pennsylvania reports 12,884 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began.
diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the European Union
The House of Representatives votes 228–164 to pass a bill, known as the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, that would decriminalize recreational cannabis at a federal level.
Qatar begins administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran to its citizens at designated health centers in the country. Those aged over 70, adults with chronic health conditions and healthcare personnel are to be prioritised for the vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 1 million Americans have received the vaccines.
South Korea reports a record 1,241 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 54,770 cases.
Morocco surpasses 400,000 total COVID-19 cases.
El Salvador bans travelers who have been in the United Kingdom or South Africa in the last 30 days or whose flights included a layover in those countries.
part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Arizona
Western neologism to describe armed Islamic movements
COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia (U.S. state)
aircraft class designed or used for military duties
A court in Saudi Arabia sentences women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to five years and eight months in prison on grounds of "various activities prohibited by the anti-terrorism law".
Due to the outbreak in a seafood market, Samut Sakhon Province enters a lockdown with a curfew from 10:00 p.m.
Italian civil servant and prefect, Minister of the Interior in the Draghi government
Outgoing U.S. Senator Doug Jones of Alabama announces he will quarantine at his home after his wife tests positive for COVID-19.
variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with a different genetic sequence
Tokyo reports a new single-day record of 584 cases, according to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the city to 43,377.
attempt by the United States Congress to regulate pornographic material on the Internet
Hungary reports a record 193 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,706.
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces that the country will impose a third nationwide lockdown beginning on December 26.
regional administrative division of Croatia
court with the final adjudication power on the laws of Hong Kong
Households in those areas are to be banned from mixing over the festive season, while in the rest of the country, mixing of households will only be allowed on Christmas Day.
Japan reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa in a 30-year old woman who arrived in Japan on December 19 and later tested positive for COVID-19.
highest judicial institution of the province of Sindh
executive of the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly
Four people are killed and another injured by an explosion at a wastewater treatment works in Avonmouth, Bristol, England, United Kingdom.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will move into the highest level "Tier 3" restrictions on December 16 at 00:01 a.m. GMT.
Agriculture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Several Google services go down without warning around 11:50 UTC, including YouTube, Google Search, and the Google Play Store.
Three United Nations peacekeepers from Burundi are killed and two others injured in the Central African Republic during two attacks by unknown gunmen. The shootings are carried out two days before the general election in the country.
An explosion occurs in a recreational vehicle in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., causing structural damage and injuring three people. Police believe the explosion was an "intentional act".
More than 150,000 people have registered to receive the vaccine.
Victoria tightens their restrictions as three new cases are reported, bringing the total number of cases in the state to six.
Quebec reports a new single-day record of 2,031 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 149,908. It is also the first time that a Canadian province has reported more than 2,000 cases in a single day.
The United Kingdom reports a record 41,385 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Michigan surpasses 10,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19. In response, Governor Gretchen Whitmer orders flags to fly at half staff for the next 10 days.
If no agreement is reached by then, the United Kingdom will leave the European Single Market and European Union Customs Union without a deal on 1 January 2021.
Games of the XXXII Olympiad, in Tokyo, Japan, held in 2021
unincorporated territory of the United States of America
American online social media and social networking service
housing facility intended for senior citizens
National Football League franchise in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
It appears that the target of the attack was a branch of Banco do Brasil, the same bank robbed in Criciúma the previous night.
Hamas claims the strikes damaged a children's hospital, a centre for disabled people, and damaged the windows of several residential buildings.
Six suspected supporters of controversial Indonesian Islamic cleric Muhammad Rizieq Shihab are killed in a clash with police on a highway near Jakarta.
Governor Andy Beshear announces that the state will extend its mask mandate for another 30 days after reporting 2,990 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
The authorities arrested dozens of protesters in Minneapolis as they demanded answers into the fatal police shooting of 23-year-old Dolal Bayle Idd on December 30. The protests came after the body camera footage from a deadly traffic stop was released. At least 15 people were detained for allegedly rioting and 21 people were cited and released.
head of state and of government of Turkey
ocean between Asia, Australia and the Americas
Uruguay reported a record of 11 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 158.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who recovered from COVID-19 in October, say that they will receive their vaccines "at the appropriate time".
Cyclone Yasa makes landfall in Bua Province, Fiji, at around 6:00 a.m. UTC (6:00 p.m. FJT), two hours ahead of its forecasted schedule.
Ministry of Health (United Arab Emirates)
overview of the use of capital punishment in Iran
will partially pay off Sudanese bilateral debt, and its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while making another US$700 million available until September 2022 for assistance to the country.
Iran suspends flights to and from the United Kingdom for two weeks due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was discovered in the UK.
COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Fiji
The Kenosha County Circuit Court orders Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old teen accused of shooting three people, two fatally, during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to stand trial for first degree homicide and reckless endangerment. His lawyers are claiming he did so in self defense.
The Investigative Committee of Russia accuses opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny of fraud for allegedly using public funds from his organization for personal needs. The accusation comes after the federal prison service demanded that Navalny report to its office today or face jail time.
head of the state and government of California
Greece introduces a seven-day quarantine for people arriving from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. local time due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-COV-2 in the country.
The numbers also represent an approximate 15 percent increase compared to the previous year, which is the largest single-year percentage increase since 1918.
Boko Haram jihadists storm Pemi, a Christian village in Borno State, Nigeria, shooting people and burning down a church and a hospital, killing at least 11 civilians.
algorithm for encrypting and decrypting information
respiratory syndrome and infectious disease in humans, caused by SARS coronavirus 2
central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
The United States Forces Japan announces that American troops in the country will begin vaccinations and prioritize front-line medical workers.
historic sovereign kingdom on the British Isles from the 9th century and up to 1707
A spokesman for the Supreme Court of Iran says it upheld a death sentence against dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam "more than one month ago".
Ontario reports 2,275 cases, a new single-day record.
Islamist organization in Afghanistan (founded 1994)
Voters in Liberia head to the polls for mid-term senatorial elections.
U.S. President Donald Trump orders the withdrawal of almost all U.S. troops and assets from Somalia by January 15, according to the Department of Defense.
Tokyo reports a new single-day record of 621 cases, according to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, bringing the cumulative number of cases in the prefecture to 46,745.
The leaders of three of the main armed groups of the Central African Republic announce a coalition for next week's general election, a move that could further increase tensions ahead of the election, where the opposition fears massive voter fraud. The armed groups named themselves the Coalition of Patriots for Change and invited other armed groups to join, while urging them to protect the integrity of civilians.
List of Ministers of Finance of Slovakia
In a final report, Bensouda says her office "found a reasonable basis to believe" that British troops committed war crimes in 2003, murdering at least seven Iraqi detainees, however she accepted the UK has taken "genuine action" to investigate itself.
The eldest son of President Joko Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is elected as Mayor of Surakarta with a landslide victory based on some quick count results.
2020 shooting in Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippines
During the first week of lockdown, essential shops will have to close each day at 8:00 p.m.
Testing should start after December 11 or 12, when the first 100,000 test kits are expected to be delivered to the country.
movement of armed forces and their logistical support infrastructure around the world
Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials
Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Nancy Shukri announces that the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has listed pantun and wangkang on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo orders hospitals in the state to begin testing for the new SARS-CoV-2 variant from the United Kingdom.
The first commercial Boeing 737 MAX flight in the United States since worldwide groundings began in March 2019 occurs. The flight, between New York City's LaGuardia Airport and Miami International Airport, was operated by American Airlines.
Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Minister
Electronics and semiconductor manufacturing industry in India
Queensland reopens its borders to travellers from New Zealand after 28 days without any community transmission cases.
IDF says it targeted a rocket manufacturing site, underground infrastructure and a military post.
Turkey reports a new single-day record of 217 deaths, bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,531.
viral vector vaccine for prevention of COVID-19
Belarus exceeds 150,000 cases of COVID-19.
Those aged over 70, adults with chronic health conditions and healthcare personnel are to be prioritised for the vaccine.
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Vanuatu
The United Nations-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon sentences a Hezbollah operative to five concurrent life terms in absentia for his role in the 2005 assassination of Rafic Hariri.
5th First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party
sovereign state situated on an island in the Caribbean Sea
air service branch of the United States Armed Forces
loose soil or sediment that is eroded and redeposited in a non-marine setting
However, he also urges people to stay vigilant to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirms that the country will close all non-essential retail under full level 5 restrictions that will remain in place for at least one month and will also delay the reopening of schools until January 11. Authorities also agree to extend travel bans to South Africa and the United Kingdom until January 6.
Finland reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom, after a person who travelled from Western Europe tested positive for COVID-19.
The Netherlands reports a new single-day record of 12,844 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 652,525.
The number of new confirmed cases in Indonesia increases by a record 8,369 new cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 557,877. Papua reports the most cases of any province with 1,755 new cases.
Date: 16 January 2012 – present (11 years, 4 weeks and 1 day)
Indonesia reports a record 6,389 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 576,693.
Land (federal state) in southwestern Germany
Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu announces that he will resign ahead of President-elect Maia Sandu's inauguration.
type of ship travelling over short to medium distances between two places transporting people, cars or trains and acting like a replacement for a bridge
The Arizona State Legislature announces that the House and Senate will close for a week starting tomorrow due to COVID-19 concerns. The move comes shortly after Rudy Giuliani, who met with several Republican lawmakers to discuss supposed election fraud in the 2020 presidential election, tested positive for COVID-19.
crime, motivated by prejudice and usually violent
The Arecibo Observatory's telescope receiver collapses into the reflector dish, according to the National Science Foundation.
After 51 years, a team of volunteer codebreakers solved a cipher by the infamous Zodiac Killer, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Saudi Arabia suspends all international passenger flights for one week as well as all entry through land and sea ports in response to a new variant of the SARS-COV-2 that was discovered in the United Kingdom.
continent on the Earth's northern and southern hemispheres
The Parliament passes a law that bans mink breeding until 2022.
The vote was overshadowed by a boycott of the political opposition led by Juan Guaidó and a low voter turnout of only 31%.
American comedian, actress, writer, and producer (born 1958)
The death toll from COVID-19 in the United States exceeds 300,000.
Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
bilateral relations between Kenya and Somalia
Health Canada approves the Moderna vaccine and expects that up to 168,000 doses will arrive in Canada by the end of the year.
Head of state and of government of Somaliland
Colombia announces that it will receive 1.7 million doses of the Tozinameran vaccine.
Prime Minister António Costa says that an overnight curfew beginning at 11:00 p.m.
Overview of the foreign relations of Bhutan
Videos uploaded to social media appear to show captured soldiers.
Turkey reports a new single-day record of 211 new deaths, bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,304.
A large military parade is held in Baku to celebrate Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh.
ceremonial county in England (use Q21694646 for administrative non-metropolitan county)
The booster of Surveyor 2's Atlas-Centaur rocket, launched by NASA in 1966, is suspected by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
criminal proceeding in which the person who is subject to it is not physically present
Boko Haram jihadists storm a village near Gamboru, Borno State, Nigeria, killing three people and kidnapping more than 40 others.
Tokyo reports a record 1,337 new cases in the past 24 hours.
The government announces the suspension of all flights between Bulgaria and the United Kingdom from tomorrow until January 31.
The villages had previously been returned to Azerbaijan as part of the 2020 ceasefire agreement.
China lowers the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old for "abominable" crimes such as murder or causing injury that leads to death or severe disabilities by extremely cruel means. The measure was passed by the National People's Congress Standing Committee.
Four prison doctors are killed after a magnetic bomb attached to their vehicle exploded in Kabul. A civilian passerby also died in the attack. The bombing follows a series of recent assassination attempts and targeted killings of prominent Afghan figures.
Pornhub says that the moves are "exceptionally disappointing" as well as crushing news for the "hundreds of thousands of models who rely on our platform for their livelihoods".
President Vladimir Putin orders the country to start a large-scale vaccination by late next week.
Rwanda deploys what it calls a "protection force" to the Central African Republic after its peacekeepers were attacked by advancing rebel forces on the capital Bangui.
bilateral relations between Japan and United States
continent on Earth, mainly on the Earth's northeastern quadrant
Spain surpasses 50,000 deaths from COVID-19.
Queensland reopens its land border with Greater Sydney and Victoria. Travellers from both areas will now be allowed into the state without needing to quarantine.
head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Vienna, Tyrol and Vorarlberg begin a nationwide mass testing of their populations in an effort to limit infections when families meet during Christmas.
President Alberto Fernández has indicated that he will sign the bill into law.
The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a nine-month high of 629 cases in the last 24 hours, the majority being from the Seoul Capital Area.
International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announces that an inquiry into British war crimes in Iraq has been formally abandoned.
Pope Francis issues the apostolic letter Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”) for the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as patron of the universal Church.
William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021
List of George Floyd protests outside the United States
worldwide protests against racism and police brutality based on or inspired by seeking justice for George Floyd
Shihab was arrested last weekend for violations of health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic after large gatherings occurred to celebrate his return to the country from self-exile in Saudi Arabia.
However, drive-in church services will be exempted, thrift stores will be allowed to reopen, and sales of Christmas and holiday items will be permitted.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
South Korea reports a record 24 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 698. In addition, the country surpasses 50,000 cases of COVID-19.
Nationwide, a record 3,743 new cases are reported in Japan in the past 24 hours.
Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that after meeting with leaders of the 16 states, a hard lockdown will occur from December 16 to January 10.
state capitol building of the U.S. state of Michigan
Papua reports the most cases of any province with 1,755 new cases.
tourist industry in the Republic of Korea
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announces that the state will tighten restrictions and move back to phase 3 of the reopening plan.
The Senate begins to debate the legalization of abortion up until the 14th week of pregnancy. If passed, Argentina will become the third Latin American country to allow abortion to be performed on demand, after Cuba and Uruguay. The Catholic Church opposes the move. The bill has already been approved by the lower house.
The judicial commissioner of Singapore sentences a Bangladeshi national to death after he was found guilty of murdering his Indonesian girlfriend two years ago. In Singapore, a charge of murder carries the mandatory death penalty.
The United States Department of the Treasury formally labels Switzerland and Vietnam as currency manipulators, accusing them of intervening to limit the rise of their currencies against the U.S. dollar. Switzerland rejects the label.
President of the European Commission since 2019
The Central Bank of Libya agrees to a devalued exchange rate of 4.48 Libyan dinars to 1 U.S. dollar beginning January 3, in its first board meeting since 2014.
city in and administrative center of Tomsk Oblast, Russia
The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a nine-month high of 631 cases in the last 24 hours, the majority being from the Seoul Capital Area. The country now has 37,546 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
An International Rescue Committee staff member and three Danish Refugee Council aid workers are shot dead in Ethiopia's Tigray Region.
Victoria reports a new case in a person currently quarantining in a hotel.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signs into law a bill banning the display and sale of Confederate battle flags, Nazi swastikas and other 'symbols of hate' on state-owned property. Cuomo has promised to address concerns that this law could violate freedom of speech.
A knifeman kills two elderly people after storming their home and then tries to attack police officers on a highway in Brisbane, Australia. The attacker, who is shot dead by police, has been identified as a 22-year-old man inspired by the Islamic State. He was arrested in early 2019 when he tried to join the group in Somalia.
award honouring individuals and groups of people who have dedicated their lives to the defense of human rights and freedom of thought
anti-semitic terrorist attack in Germany
Rahmatullah Nikzad, head of the journalists’ union in Ghazni, dies after being shot three times in the chest by unknown assailants. Nikazd is the fifth journalist to have been killed in Afghanistan in the last two months, and the seventh this year.
The judicial commissioner of Singapore sentences a Bangladeshi national to death after he was found guilty of murdering his Indonesian girlfriend two years ago.
capital city of New South Wales, Australia
type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse without consent
abduction and torture to death of Giulio Regeni
928 of the new cases are locally transmitted and more than 70% of these are from the Seoul Capital Area.
Ukraine surpasses one million cases of COVID-19.
Cedric Richmond, advisor to President-elect Joe Biden, tests positive for COVID-19.
Bali requires anyone entering and leaving the province to have a negative PCR swab test for air travel, and a negative rapid antigen test for land and sea travel.
Sudan had recently paid a $335 million settlement to the US government for US victims of terrorist attacks.
Jenna Ellis, lawyer to President Trump, tests positive for COVID-19. This comes just two days after Rudy Giuliani, another of Trump's lawyers, also tested positive.
Wikimedia list of persons by position held
South Korea issues a 48-hour standstill order on all poultry farms across the country following a series of highly pathogenic bird flu (H5N8) cases.
Both men were in the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.
Hungarian MEP, EPP Chief Whip and Vice-President, and one of the founders of the anti-LGBT Fidesz party, József Szájer, resigns after being detained by police at a homosexual orgy in Brussels alongside several other diplomats. He stands accused by Belgian authorities of being in possession of illegal drugs and violating COVID-19 restrictions.
Florida surpasses 20,000 deaths from COVID-19.
The individual is a Martin County man with no history of travel.
Karnataka imposes a night curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. IST until January 2 due to fears of a mutant version of SARS-CoV-2 that was found in the United Kingdom. It becomes the second Indian state to do so after Maharashtra.
development history of the SpaceX Starship spacecraft
He is the first Japanese lawmaker to die from the virus.
2020 pandemic in Michigan, United States
organization established by treaty between governments
A court in Russia sentences prominent historian Oleg Sokolov to 12 and a half years in prison for the murder and dismemberment of his student lover. Sokolov, a former history professor at St. Petersburg State University, pled guilty to the murder.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that the country has declared a climate change emergency and promises that it will become carbon neutral by 2025.
Teachers and doctors are expected to be the first to receive the Sputnik V vaccine.
As a result of this case, Taiwan will ban all non-resident foreigners from entering the country beginning on January 1.
The elections were delayed to 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the delay being a cause of the ongoing Tigray conflict.
Law enforcement agency for Cleveland, Ohio
Starting from December 21, Panama will reimpose nationwide restrictions by require men and women to carry out holiday shopping on different days. On Christmas and New Year's Day there will be total lockdown for all genders.
President Joko Widodo announces a year-end reshuffle of the Onward Indonesia Cabinet with the replacement of six ministers who had been in the cabinet since October 2019, including two ministers who were arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission due to separate bribery cases.
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Belarus
New Mexico surpasses 100,000 total confirmed cases of COVID-19. In addition, a record 40 new deaths are reported, bringing the statewide death toll to 1,629.
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
President-elect Joe Biden and incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden receive their first shot of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on live television to reassure Americans of the safety of vaccines.
Prime Minister Bob Loughman declares Vanuatu free of COVID-19 again after the first case recovered.
Alberta imposes tough new restrictions in a bid to curb soaring COVID-19 infections including the closure of all casinos and gyms, banning dine-in service at restaurants and bars, imposing a mandatory provincewide mask requirement, banning all outdoor and indoor social gatherings, and imposing mandatory work-from-home measures.
Turkey reports a record 203 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,103.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Health Ministry announce that a third nationwide lockdown will begin from December 27 at 5:00 p.m. local time for at least two weeks in order to curb the resurgence of COVID-19.
South Korea suspends flights to and from the United Kingdom until December 31 over concerns about the new strain of SARS-CoV-2.
Due to an increasing number of new cases and deaths, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of 16 states are expected to discuss new restrictions at a meeting on December 13.
Five people are killed and 18 others injured in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, when a man drives an SUV into a pedestrian zone. The driver, a 51-year-old male German national, was arrested and was reportedly drunk at the time of the crash.
An expert panel advising the FDA recommends granting Tozinameran emergency approval for usage in the United States.
All "non-essential" shops and businesses will be closed, while "essential" shops must close each day by 20:00 GMT during the first week of the lockdown.
minor planet of the inner Solar System; not a comet
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Bulgaria
A statue of Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed by police during a raid at her home in March 2020, has been smashed and destroyed during a racist assault.
South Africa surpasses 900,000 total cases of COVID-19.
age below which a child is deemed incapable of having committed a criminal offence
Tokyo reports a record 602 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 45,529.
Supporters of the controversial Indonesian Islamic cleric Muhammad Rizieq Shihab clash with police during a demonstration in Jakarta, demanding immediate release of Shihab from police detention. Shihab was arrested last weekend for violations of health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic after large gatherings occurred to celebrate his return to the country from self-exile in Saudi Arabia.
A large military parade is held in Baku to celebrate Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is among the foreign attendees. The parade includes thousands of soldiers, flyovers from helicopters and fighter jets, and a Turkish special forces brigade.
person who serves as President when an incumbent is unavailable
France agrees to reopen its border with the United Kingdom after it was closed for 48 hours due to the spread of a new variant of the virus in England.
Voters in Ghana head to the polls to elect their president as well as the members of parliament. Current president Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party is expected to have a tight race with his most promising challenger, John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress.
Tamanrasset is a crossing point for illegal migrants from neighboring countries, specifically Mali and Niger.
head of government of the Italian Republic
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announces a tightening of a partial lockdown in 38 municipalities across Denmark, including Copenhagen, from December 9 to January 3.
The Chilean Chamber of Deputies approves a bill to allow euthanasia.
Boeing 737 MAX groundings due to safety concerns, after two new airplanes crashed within five months
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, Secretary-General of the OECD José Ángel Gurría and President of the European Council Charles Michel self-isolate after having contact with Macron earlier this week.
Four prison doctors are killed after a magnetic bomb attached to their vehicle exploded in Kabul.
It is slated to be replaced by a statue of civil rights activist Barbara Rose Johns.
A statue of Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed by police during a raid at her home in March 2020, has been smashed and destroyed during a racist assault. The statue was erected two weeks ago in Oakland, California.
Switzerland freezes Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's assets in the country. Lukashenko, his son Viktor, and 13 other officials will be banned from entering Switzerland following violent protests that occurred following the election.
circular orbit above the Earth's equator and following the direction of the Earth's rotation
international organisation of Southeast Asian countries
SpaceX super heavy-lift reusable launch vehicle
Swissmedic approves the authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use in Switzerland.
codename under which all of the United Kingdom's military operations in Iraq were conducted
conflict between the government of the Central African Republic and rebels
Indonesia reports a record 6,983 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 583,676.
The United States Congress formally reinstates Sudan's sovereign immunity.
act of giving up or quitting an office or position
media under financial and/or editorial control of a government
Non-governmental sports organisation (founded 1894)
election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen
Four men are seriously injured in a mass shooting in Kreuzberg, Berlin.
Malawi closes its borders for 14 days and restricts public gatherings to no more than 100 people due to an increase in COVID-19 cases.
ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Wales, United Kingdom
Turkey announces that CoronaVac is 91.25% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on data in interim studies. These initial results follow Phase III trials that involved 7,371 volunteers.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko suggests that the country would hold a referendum on constitutional reforms.
Russian-led consortium Nord Stream AG says it has completed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline in Germany's exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea.
COVID-19 vaccination programme in the United Kingdom
Chile reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a resident of Panguipulli who traveled from Madrid on December 23.
24th national census of the United States, taken on April 1, 2020
The Government imposes a curfew between 00:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. from 18 December.
head of state and of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee
Over 300,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine arrive in Argentina.
paleontology-related events during the year of 2020
Lukashenko, his son Viktor, and 13 other officials will be banned from entering Switzerland following violent protests that occurred following the election.
The majority of those infected are children and young people.
Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy
situtation and status of women in Iranian timeline
municipality and capital city of Belgium
Japanese citizens and foreign residents will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days when they enter the country.
A Royal Caribbean ship, Quantum of the Seas, that had 1,680 guests and 1,448 crew on board, returned to Singapore on the third day of a four-day "cruise to nowhere" after a passenger tested positive for COVID-19.
ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019
4th President of Republic of Kenya (2013–2022)
President Donald Trump signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which contains a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, before Monday's deadline, in order to avert a government shutdown.
outbreak of Avian influenza in poultry farms and wild birds
The Czech Republic begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran, with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and World War II veteran Emilie Řepíková among the first people to get vaccinated.
The Cleveland Indians announce that they will change their name after the 2021 season.
The Constitutional Court of Kosovo nullifies the parliamentary vote that elected Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti in June, after discovering that one of the members who voted was ineligible due to a prison sentence.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says that the state is expected to receive up to 172,000 vaccine doses this month.
The capsule, containing a small amount of material from Apollo asteroid 162173 Ryugu, landed in the Australian outback.
granted by the Food and Drug Administration in the US
Indian national administrative subdivisions
Iraq signs a preliminary deal to receive 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Tozinameran. Ministry of Health spokesman Seif al-Badr says troops and the elderly will be prioritized for vaccinations.
The European Union announces that it is close to reaching an investment deal with China.
North Dakota lawmakers issue a mask mandate for their upcoming legislative season at the state capitol.
The United Kingdom reports a record 39,237 new cases in the past 24 hours. In addition, the country also reports 744 deaths, the highest single-day total since April 29.
Massachusetts reports a record 4,613 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 234,232.
police who are organized, deployed, trained or equipped to confront crowds, protests or riots
Bhutan and Israel agree to establish full diplomatic relations for the first time.
earthquake near Petrinja, Croatia, on 29 December 2020 at 12:20 PM CET
Hong Kong's journalism, entertainment and other media
operating company for natural gas piplines
Turkey receives their first shipment of three million doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac.
vast, remote, arid low population areas of Australia
second-highest constitutional office in the United States
Trade negotiation between the UK and the EU
The Palestinian Authority impose a two-week lockdown in the entire West Bank that orders schools, universities, restaurants, barbershops, gyms and leisure venues to close. As part of the lockdown, the curfew has also been extended for two weeks.
The travel bubble will allow citizens to travel between both countries without having to quarantine in early 2021.
A ~8 metres (26 ft) asteroid falls over Nangqên, in western China on the Qinghai-Tibet border.
National Security Advisor (United States)
Sweden reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 after a traveller from the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19.
Yousuf Rasheed, CEO of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan, is killed by unknown gunmen in Kabul.
Germany reports a record 952 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 23,427, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute.
power to unilaterally stop an official action
Japan reports their first cases of the new variant of SARS-COV-2 in five people who arrived from the United Kingdom.
An initial shipment of 600,000 doses will be received before the end of the year.
Three people have been arrested for illegally providing ammunition to the gunman who killed 22 people across Nova Scotia, Canada in April.
consolidated city and county in California, United States
Iran extends a nighttime traffic curfew that runs from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. local time to 330 lower-risk "yellow" cities in an effort to sustain a recent decrease in the numbers of new cases and deaths.
Niger says seven troops and 11 Islamist militants have been killed in clashes in Tillabéri, ahead of Sunday's general election.
The number of new confirmed cases in Indonesia increases by a record 8,369 new cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 557,877.
Jordan suspends all flights to and from the United Kingdom until January 3 due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
A power outage lasting several hours affects over 10 million people in Mexico, including in the capital Mexico City.
Bangladesh surpasses 7,000 total deaths from COVID-19.
laws concerning ending a pregnancy in Argentina
Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of 16 states agree to extend the partial lockdown until January 10.
In addition, a record 31,923 new cases, including both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases, are also reported.
Switizerland vs other countries relationship
diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and South Korea
Planes, boats, and Eurostar trains will resume services tomorrow but only British, French, and EU citizens or residents who show a negative COVID-19 test result from the previous 72 hours will be allowed to travel until January 6.
details regarding the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak in Norway
one of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia
Finnish-Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard is arrested by Canadian police after being indicted by U.S. authorities on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. The U.S. is seeking his extradition from Canada. Nygard denies the allegations.
The 2020 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is cancelled for the first time in the race's 76-year history after the Tasmanian Government imposed a 14-day quarantine requirement on all travellers from Greater Sydney due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Northern Beaches.
It is the first prefecture to surpass 1,000 daily cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Italian intellectuals Corrado Augias and Giovanna Melandri hand back their medals of the Legion of Honour, France's highest order of merit, to France. They protest the news that President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion at the same time that prosecutors in Rome indicted four top security officials of the Sisi regime over the 2016 abduction and torture to death of Giulio Regeni, an Italian doctoral student, in Cairo.
Acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jung-hyup announces that stores, theatres and other facilities must close at 9:00 p.m.
Officer Adam Coy, who fatally shot Andre Hill was fired. Coy had failed to follow the required protocol by not turning on his body camera and failed to aid the dying man. Hill's killing was the second police-involved shooting in Columbus, Ohio in weeks, setting off renewed protests against the authorities for excessive use of force.
publicly funded healthcare systems within the United Kingdom
licensing and inspection authority for remedies in Switzerland with headquarters in Bern
The US Department of the Treasury imposes sanctions on all 14 Vice Chairpersons of the National People's Congress of China, for "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly."
measures to reduce causes of new infectious diseases and prevent outbreaks and epidemics from becoming pandemics
Three French Army troops are killed when their armoured personnel carrier hits a roadside bomb in Hombori, Mali.
2020 United States presidential election in Michigan
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces the introduction of "Tier 4" restrictions in London and South East England beginning at midnight. Households in those areas are to be banned from mixing over the festive season, while in the rest of the country, mixing of households will only be allowed on Christmas Day.
Mastercard and Visa cut financial ties with Pornhub following an investigation by The New York Times into child sexual abuse content and rape pornography on the website.
Scales of the intensity of tropical cyclones
He was arrested in early 2019 when he tried to join the group in Somalia.
restrictions by countries intended to stop spread of disease
Greece officially begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19, with ICU nurse Efstathia Kambissiouli, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis among the first people to get vaccinated.
Argentina legalizes abortion by a Senate vote of 38 to 29, with one abstention. President Alberto Fernández has indicated that he will sign the bill into law.
United Kingdom Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove announces that the UK government will withdraw all controversial clauses from the Internal Market Bill.
The BW Group says the crew of one of their ships saw an oil tanker suffer an explosion after being hit by "an external source" off the coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. They also say that oil may have leaked from the site of the blast.
Portugal surpasses 6,000 total deaths of COVID-19.
Four lions at the Barcelona Zoo tests positive for COVID-19.
state of having net zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, that is, emitting no more CO2 than is extracted from the air e.g. via plant growth, where CO2 is emitted by industry, transport, energy, etc.
Namibia reports a new single-day record of 324 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic to 16,097.
23rd Governor of Washington, United States
Flag-carrier and largest airline of Germany
About 300 demonstrators attempt to storm the Oregon State Capitol during a special legislative session closed to the public, but they are warded off by the Oregon State Police. The group, which called for reopening Oregon in the wake of COVID-19 mitigation measures, included members of groups such as Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer.
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Lithuania
Rwanda deploys what it calls a "protection force" to the Central African Republic after its peacekeepers were attacked by advancing rebel forces on the capital Bangui. The Rwandan and Central African Republic governments accuse former President François Bozizé of backing the rebels and plotting a coup, which he denies. Russia also sends troops and heavy weaponry to support the government.
head of the state and government of Florida
Saudi Arabia begins its vaccination campaign a day after it received two shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
institution exercising executive power in the Czech Republic
material created to influence or persuade
A separate, second variant from South Africa is also reported in Finland, after two people tested positive for COVID-19.
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Ukraine
Russian developed surface-to-air missile system
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in relation to Antarctica
Kuwait's Ministry of Health approves an Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine.
armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents
right of individuals to travel from place to place, that imply freedom of no movement, that is freedom to choose residence. The movement also include going across a frontier.
The Spanish Congress of Deputies approves the decriminalisation of euthanasia, becoming the sixth country to do so.
video-focused social media and social networking service owned by ByteDance
Period of tropical cyclone activity in the South Pacific Ocean.
Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese tests positive for COVID-19.
It has been deemed to be more infectious.
Russia also sends troops and heavy weaponry to support the government.
The closest approach will occur at 18:22 UTC, when the two planets will be one-tenth of a degree apart; they will appear to be a binary object to the naked eye.
The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a nine-month high of 686 cases in the last 24 hours. The country now has 39,432 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
bilateral relations between Russia and Colombia
Date: 26 July 2009 – present (13 years, 6 months and 1 day)
If passed, Argentina will become the third Latin American country to allow abortion to be performed on demand, after Cuba and Uruguay.
general elections to elect the President and National Assembly
Malaysia surpasses 80,000 total cases of COVID-19.
elections for the Romanian Parliament, that took place on December 6, 2020
Sandiaga Uno, businessman and former candidate of the 2019 presidential election, is appointed as the new Tourism and Creative Economy Minister. It is the first time in Indonesian history that all candidates who previously ran in a presidential election serve together in the same cabinet.
The Philippines reports 2,122 new cases, the highest daily total in more than a month, bringing the nationwide total to 456,562 cases.
government claims that put forward Russia as a suspect.
France reports their first case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a French citizen who travelled from London to Tours, France on December 19.
Colombia reports a record 13,990 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 1,496,062.
UEFA suspends the group stage match between Paris Saint-Germain and İstanbul Başakşehir inside the opening 15 minutes, after players from both teams abruptly left the pitch in protest of an alleged racist incident by a match official towards İstanbul Başakşehir assistant manager Pierre Webó.
The explosion also results in AT&T service outages across the U.S.
Shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic
Sinovac delivers one million doses of CoronaVac to Butantan Institute in São Paulo.
tanker designed for the transport of oil
Lebanon reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a passenger on a Middle East Airlines flight from London on December 21.
The patient is a man in his 20s who is in isolation in Elbert County and has no travel history.
In addition, a record 40 new deaths are reported, bringing the statewide death toll to 1,629.
Hungary reports a record 189 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,513.
Mexico City and the State of Mexico move back to the "red traffic light". All non-essential activity will be suspended until January 10 due to an "alarming" increase in both infections and hospital occupancies.
The order divides the state into five regions.
COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
The Trump administration imposes additional sanctions against Belarusian officials and four offices for human rights abuses that occurred during protests against President Alexander Lukashenko.
Armenia announces that it will drop some martial law restrictions imposed during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azeri forces.
The United Kingdom's House of Commons approves the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the European Union by 521 votes to 73.
Tropical Storm Krovanh (Vicky) makes landfall in the Philippines, resulting in the deaths of at least eight people and forcing the evacuation of nearly 10,000 others.
authorities on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
seven-member executive council which constitutes the federal government of Switzerland and serves as the collective Swiss head of state
John E. Jones III, a federal judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announces that he has rejected a bid to temporarily block Governor Tom Wolf's statewide mask mandate and contact tracking system.
Germany reports a record 487 new deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide death toll to 17,123.
Sri Lanka reopens the island for tourism after closing it for nine months.
municipality of the Philippines in the province of Tarlac
2020-21 protests after the police shooting of Breonna Taylor
viral respiratory infection in humans and camels
geopolitical region encompassing Egypt and most of Western Asia, including Iran
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announces that the state has extended their mask mandate and limits on gatherings until January 18.
COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid
geographic region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia
Unknown astronomical object 2020 SO makes its closest approach to Earth at a perigee distance of approximately 0.13 lunar distances (50,000 km; 31,000 mi). Researchers, who discovered 2020 SO on September 17, 2020, are still unsure whether the object is a small near-Earth asteroid or an artificial object. The booster of Surveyor 2's Atlas-Centaur rocket, launched by NASA in 1966, is suspected by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution
Pfizer and BioNTech announce that they have started shipping their vaccine from a Michigan facility to all 50 states.
Japan bans the entry of non-Japanese citizens from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow, following the emergence of a more infectious strain of SARS-CoV-2.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases mandates the wearing of a "full" face shield in addition to wearing a face mask when going outside. Face shields were previously compulsory in enclosed areas, such as shopping malls.
District Court for the District of Columbia
Peru temporarily suspends Phase III trials of Sinopharm's vaccine after detecting neurological problems in one of its volunteers.
municipal police force in the United States
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen agree to set a deadline for a trade agreement between the UK and EU by 13 December.
Jordan reports their first two cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a couple who travelled from the United Kingdom.
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Canada
capital city of the United Arab Emirates
neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Voters in Liberia head to the polls for mid-term senatorial elections. A constitutional referendum is also held, with questions about dual citizenship and a limitation of term limits for politicians being decided by the electorate.
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Croatia
A group of gunmen attack a bank and block roads in Cametá, Brazil, taking several hostages and stealing money.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government raises its healthcare alert level to the top level for the first time as the number of infections continues to increase. This comes as Tokyo reports a record of 822 new cases in the past 24 hours.
meeting place of the United States Congress
former radio telescope in the municipality of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Belgium currently has around 70 military personnel deployed in Afghanistan, as part of a train, advise and assist role for pro-government forces.
Hong Kong Other cities worldwide in solidarity
Minnesota Senator Jerry Relph dies from COVID-19 complications.
Texas reports a new single-day record of 16,864 cases, bringing the totals to 1,371,223 confirmed cases and 167,966 probable cases.
Germany reports a record 29,875 new cases and 598 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1.27 million and the death toll to 20,970.
105 million people in Indonesia go to the polls to choose governors in nine of 34 provinces as well as 37 mayors and 224 district leaders in regencies and cities in 270 regions across the country. The elections were originally scheduled in September but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAXA space probe Hayabusa2 delivers the first ever subsurface asteroid samples to Earth. The capsule, containing a small amount of material from Apollo asteroid 162173 Ryugu, landed in the Australian outback.
The order also limits the capacity of offices to 50% and requires cafés, restaurants and tourist attractions to close at 7:00 p.m.
The cause was revealed to be an “authentication system outage” by the Google Cloud Twitter account.
virus outbreak in British Columbia, Canada
French administrative district of the European Collectivity of Alsace
reports 3,309 deaths from COVID-19, a new one-day record.
Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar tests positive for COVID-19.
violent act where the offender pulls up a knife
Iraq signs a preliminary deal to receive 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Tozinameran.
for this year are projected to surpass three million mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus making 2020 the deadliest year in U.S.
transport system providing air transport for hire
international governing body for association football in Europe
The first person vaccinated is a 26-year-old doctor from Bucharest.
council of ministers appointed by the president of Indonesia
capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia
Three people have been arrested for illegally providing ammunition to the gunman who killed 22 people across Nova Scotia, Canada in April. One of the three arrested is the gunman's common-law spouse.
The flight, between New York City's LaGuardia Airport and Miami International Airport, was operated by American Airlines.
area of 27 European states without mutual border controls
legislative, executive and judiciary authority of India
Northern Ireland enters a six-week lockdown in an effort to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections. All "non-essential" shops and businesses will be closed, while "essential" shops must close each day by 20:00 GMT during the first week of the lockdown. No gatherings will be allowed between 20:00 and 6:00 each day, and anyone travelling to Northern Ireland must self-isolate for at least 10 days.
Malta reports its first three cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom.
Halle and Landsberg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Jonathan Pollard, a convicted spy who spent 30 years in prison in the United States for spying, returns to Israel.
official residence and workplace of the President of the United States
Canada approves Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine and expects to receive 249,000 doses by the end of the year.
Thailand imposes a ban on large gatherings and events in controlled zones across the country in order to reduce the number of cases.
Three United Nations peacekeepers from Burundi are killed and two others injured in the Central African Republic during two attacks by unknown gunmen.
African American man who was a victim of police violence in the United States, killed by Derek Chauvin
President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and other federal government officials are expected to be among the first people to receive the vaccine.
school where some or all students live on campus
It also reports a record number of hospitalized patients: 2,013, and record number of 2,669 intensive care patients.
events in a specific year or time period
Prime Minister Mark Rutte imposes a tough five-week nationwide lockdown. Schools, museums, gyms and all non-essential shops, will be closed from midnight until January 19.
Numerous homes are destroyed, and six people are missing.
lake in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
smallest, shallowest, coldest and northernmost of the world's major oceans
female monarch who rules a country in her own right
President-elect Joe Biden announces that Dr.
A bushfire on Fraser Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site off the coast of Queensland, has burned across half the island and may irreversibly damage its unique ecosystem. Extinguishment has been ruled unlikely.
United Airlines and Delta Air Lines will require passengers from the United Kingdom to test negative for COVID-19 due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong orders pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai to return to prison on national security law grounds, after a ruling by a lower court released him on bail.
country in the Caucasus in Eastern Europe
The government bans direct flights to and from the United Kingdom due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Her contraction of the virus prompts production of her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, to be halted until January 2021.
lower house of the United States Congress
city and county seat of Alameda County, California, United States
television, newspapers, radio, and magazines in China
President Donald Trump speaks for the first time about the breach, saying it is "well in control". He also suggests China is to blame, contradicting earlier U.S. government claims that put forward Russia as a suspect.
Attacks also occur in Logar, Nangarhar, Helmand, and Badakhshan, with an unknown number of civilians and security forces killed.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and local governments in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon announce that they will ban gatherings of more than four people in the Seoul Capital Area from December 23 to January 3 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
CISA, a federal agency of the United States, was breached by suspected Russian hackers, but Russia denies the allegation. The perpetrator(s) are still unknown, along with the cause and what was breached.
The Japanese Agricultural Ministry reports new cases of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (H5N8) at poultry farms in Saiki, Oita and Kinokawa, Wakayama.
Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer self-isolates after one of his staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
The Russian-flagged fishing trawler Onega capsizes near the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Barents Sea. 17 fishermen are missing and presumed dead, while two have been rescued. Search and rescue operations in the area have been suspended due to strong winds and low temperatures.
Indonesia reports a record 258 deaths and 6,324 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide totals to 20,847 deaths and 570,304 recoveries.
The bombing follows a series of recent assassination attempts and targeted killings of prominent Afghan figures.
Scotland reports a record 2,045 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Saskatchewan reports 11 deaths, a new single-day record since the start of the pandemic.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces that the country will impose a five-day full lockdown from December 31 at 9:00 p.m.
The United States Senate approves the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA) by 84 votes to 13, which would be sufficient to override a possible presidential veto. President Donald Trump objects to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that currently provides legal immunity to social media companies, and also to a provision in the NDAA that will prohibit military bases to be named for Confederate generals.
The appeals court of the Cayman Islands reduces the prison sentence of Georgia teenager Skylar Mack from 4 months to 2 months. Mack was arrested on November 29 for breaching quarantine rules.
false information about the pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019
software that is intentionally hostile, intrusive, or damaging to a computer or network
North Dakota lawmakers issue a mask mandate for their upcoming legislative season at the state capitol. The measure will take effect on January 5.
ethnic group originally from northern Vietnam
The government announces that the Czech Republic will be moving to the highest level of PES measures beginning on December 27.
Cyclones Yasa and Zazu threaten several Pacific countries, especially Fiji. Yasa intensifies into a category 2 storm, remaining in the waters between Fiji and Vanuatu. It is expected to reach Fiji on Thursday as a category 4 storm. Zazu also brings heavy rains to Tonga.
New Zealand creates its first "travel bubble" with the Cook Islands, citing low COVID-19 infection rates and their "special ties". The travel bubble will allow citizens to travel between both countries without having to quarantine in early 2021.
South Korea reports a record 24 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 698.
volcanic event on the island of Hawaiʻi, on Kīlauea volcano's East Rift Zone
Date: 11 April 2002 – present (20 years, 9 months)
safety provided by the building one is in
Cameroon holds its first regional elections amidst criticism of President Paul Biya and a growing separatist insurgency in the English-speaking areas of the country.
de facto federal republic in North America from 1861 to 1865
chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands
Indonesian hardline Islamist organization
explanation of unemployment in the United States, presently and historically
landlocked territory near the Mediterranean coast of Western Asia
He is the first sitting national head of government to die as a result of the virus.
The country is the last Gulf Cooperation Council member state to begin vaccinations.
The United States and Nauru sign a trade deal which is expected to provide access to the full range of investment support offered by the United States to the Pacific Island nation. Nauru High Commissioner Michael Aroi thanked Joseph Cella, the U.S. Ambassador to several Pacific Island nations, for continuing American support to boost relations between both countries.
Shiraishi, who was found mentally competent, pled guilty and told the court his crimes had a sexual motive.
regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of many Arab states of the Persian Gulf
Two knife-wielding assailants kill a police officer and wound another in Grozny, Chechnya. The attackers are shot dead while trying to seize weapons. It is the second attack against police in the city in recent months; in October, two officers were killed by militants.
Indonesia reports a record 171 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 18,171.
Loughman stressed that the virus-free status is not important but that the capacity to contain a positive case was what actually mattered.
Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
United Kingdom government cabinet minister heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The European Medicines Agency announces that it has been cyberattacked and that an investigation is ongoing.
At least 25 people are killed and more than 110 others wounded in an attack at the Aden International Airport, shortly after a plane carrying the newly formed government arrived from Saudi Arabia.
The Michigan State Capitol is closed to the public for the day and its legislative sessions are cancelled due to "credible threats of violence" in response to the election.
Islamist insurgency in the DR Congo and Uganda
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will move into the highest level "Tier 3" restrictions on December 16 at 00:01 a.m.
head of the government of the Republic of Singapore
industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals
Indian metropolis and union territory that includes New Delhi
president of the United States since 2021
Iranian activist and journalist (1978-2020)
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon issues a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces, tighter restrictions on gathering sizes, and a reduction in hours for certain businesses. The mask mandate will go into effect on December 9 and will last until January 8.
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Serbia
International reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests
Ontario reports a record 2,923 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 178,831.
Flags of the Confederate States of America
protest in Armenia following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement
The parliament of Montenegro approves a new coalition government of centre-right, pro-Serb minority and green parties, formally ending three decades of Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) rule in the country. New Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić vows to dismantle a state apparatus built by the DPS, and root-out corruption and organised crime.
Stonehenge closes to the public after protesters gathered at the site to protest the British government's plan to build a road tunnel near the monument.
waves or particles propagating through space or through a medium, carrying energy
The accusation comes after the federal prison service demanded that Navalny report to its office today or face jail time.
agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services
It is the second attack against police in the city in recent months; in October, two officers were killed by militants.
Bavaria formally declares a “disaster situation” in the state and announces to tighten its lockdown restrictions starting from December 9, banning people from leaving their homes with some exception and a nightly curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time in communities that have more than 200 infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days.
Chinese inactivated virus candidate vaccine against COVID-19
6th President of the Central African Republic
A further 20 million people in England are placed into Tier 4, the level with the strictest COVID-19 restrictions. All secondary schools in England are to remain closed for an additional two weeks.
Pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai is charged under the new national security law. Lai faces a lengthy prison sentence for allegedly "conspiring with foreign forces" to endanger national security.
The state government refuses to apologise to the tower residents despite the report's recommendations.
local time from December 24 to 27 and December 31 to January 2.
The Kenosha County Circuit Court orders Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old teen accused of shooting three people, two fatally, during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to stand trial for first degree homicide and reckless endangerment.
The number of confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a record 1,078 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 45,442 cases.
600 East Boulevard Avenue Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.
The government extends the nationwide lockdown by one week until December 14 to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The Investigative Committee of Russia accuses opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny of fraud for allegedly using public funds from his organization for personal needs.
The attacks caused power outages in the eastern part of the strip.
local time, where stay-at-home order will be lifted as planned on December 15 as it struggles to curb the spread of COVID-19.
American football team in the National Football League
Japan reports a record 2,812 new cases in the past 24 hours.
separatist conflict in northwestern and southwestern Cameroon since 2017
sovereign state in northern South America
Federated States of Micronesia–United States relations
The United States begins administering their first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Sandra Lindsay, a nurse at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, becomes the first person in the country to receive the vaccine outside of a clinical trial.
leap year starting on Wednesday and ending on Thursday
Jakarta reports a record of 1,899 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours.
Sandiaga Uno, businessman and former candidate of the 2019 presidential election, is appointed as the new Tourism and Creative Economy Minister.
steps for human subject medical research
Despite international pressure to back down, Bangladesh begins transferring thousands of Rohingya refugees to the remote island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh says all the refugees being moved have given consent and that the relocation was voluntary.
unicameral national legislature of Israel
crime of killing of a human being by another human being, less serious than murder
North Dakota reports zero deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, making it the first time since September 20 that this has occurred.
Argentine President Alberto Fernández announces the purchase of 10 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, and says that he will be the first person to receive the vaccine in order to prove that it is safe.
The European Medicines Agency conditionally approves the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech for use in European Union countries.
Governor Gavin Newsom appoints Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill in the California U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Salafi jihadist militant Sunni Islamist group
Morocco says that its Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine will be free for all citizens and will be rolled out in the following weeks.
Syrian state media reports that an ambush on a bus near Palmyra killed at least 37 people.
Northern Ireland reports a record 1,566 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 68,762.
United States Forces Korea begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19 using the Moderna vaccine. Healthcare providers and first responders are among those who will initially receive the vaccine.
The Rwandan and Central African Republic governments accuse former President François Bozizé of backing the rebels and plotting a coup, which he denies.
New Mexico surpasses 100,000 total confirmed cases of COVID-19.
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Saudi Arabia
Head of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
details of ongoing viral pandemic in the Czech Republic
city and capital of Tamanrasset Province, Algeria
No group claims responsibility for these attacks.
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Saskatchewan, Canada
primary governing city of a top-level (country) or first-level and second-level subdivision (country, state, province, regency, etc) political entity
Morocco's government announces that they will impose a nationwide curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time and will require all cafes, shops, supermarkets, and restaurants to close at 8:00 p.m. beginning December 23. In Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, and Tangier, all restaurants will be closed for three weeks.
bilateral relations between Russia and South korea
Seniors over the age of 80 and certain healthcare workers will be among the first to receive the vaccine.
head of state and head of government of Brazil
Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
Spillover of the Syrian Civil War in Lebanon
The elections were originally scheduled in September but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of Oregon
American multinational technology corporation
U.S. President Donald Trump also says that he recognizes "Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory".
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong is sentenced to 13 and a half months in prison for inciting an "illegal assembly" while two other activists, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam, receive 10 months and 7 months in prison, respectively, for similar charges.
List of Trump administration dismissals and resignations
Police believe the suspect, in custody, identified as a soldier from Florida, randomly selected his victims.
targeted killings by insurgents in December 2020
The Israeli military (IDF) carries out several airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, in response to overnight rocket attacks in Israel.
About 300 demonstrators attempt to storm the Oregon State Capitol during a special legislative session closed to the public, but they are warded off by the Oregon State Police.
California reports a record 442 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 24,987.
The International Olympic Committee announces that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his son Viktor will be banned from all Olympic Games, including the upcoming Tokyo Games.
Scientists at the Russian Academy of Sciences announce the discovery of a "well-preserved" woolly rhinoceros carcass in Abyysky District, Sakha, Russia, which was revealed by melting permafrost in August.
2020 attack on Russian opposition politician
Indonesia receives its first shipment of 1.2 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine.
software program or group of programs designed for end-users
largest city in California, United States of America
executive cabinet of the Republic of Austria
political and economic union of 27 European states
The Electoral College meets in the state capitals to officially elect the next President. Joe Biden, the presumptive president-elect, is officially elected president after securing California's 55 electoral votes and will be inaugurated on January 20. Outgoing President Donald Trump continues to dispute the results of the election, claiming widespread electoral fraud, despite numerous failed lawsuits.
A car bombing in Kabul targeting Khan Mohammad Wardak, a lawmaker, kills nine people and wounds more than 20 others. Wardak is among the injured. Attacks also occur in Logar, Nangarhar, Helmand, and Badakhshan, with an unknown number of civilians and security forces killed. No group claims responsibility for these attacks.
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Slovenia
transcontinental country straddling Western Asia and Southeastern Europe
principal security agency of Russia (FSB)
Ugandan musician, activist, actor and politician
Two knife-wielding assailants kill a police officer and wound another in Grozny, Chechnya.
Voters in Ghana head to the polls to elect their president as well as the members of parliament.
county seat of Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States
The country now has 37,546 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon issues a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces, tighter restrictions on gathering sizes, and a reduction in hours for certain businesses.
Two roadside bombings near Sheikh Zuweid in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, kill three Egyptian Army troops and wound 10 others.
Unknown astronomical object 2020 SO makes its closest approach to Earth at a perigee distance of approximately 0.13 lunar distances (50,000 km; 31,000 mi).
Four men are seriously injured in a mass shooting in Kreuzberg, Berlin. The city's attorney said that rival gangs may have been responsible for the shooting.
The government opposes his release on the basis of public safety; both the government and Pearl's family will appeal the decision.
The northwestern Nigerian state of Kaduna announces the closure of schools from tomorrow due to an increase of COVID-19 cases.
Date: 15 September 2001–present (21 years, 2 months, 2 weeks and 5 days)
second most important position in Saudi Arabia, second to the King
individual act constituting a serious violation of the laws of war
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announces that the Go To Travel campaign will be suspended nationwide from December 28 to January 11. He also says that Tokyo and Nagoya will be removed as eligible destinations for the campaign.
sovereign state situated on an island in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
collegiate research university in Oxford, England
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Argentina
Incidents involving multiple victims of firearms, not including robbery or familicide
tiny near-Earth asteroid or artificial object
The mass data breach is now considered the worst ever cyberattack on the U.S. government.
vice president of Brazil between 2019 and 2022
port, suburb and former electoral ward in Bristol, England
White House Coronavirus Task Force director Deborah Birx says that she will retire after President-elect Joe Biden's transition is completed.
Tropical Cyclone Yasa intensifies into a category 5 storm. It is expected to head towards Fiji later today.
The Netherlands expels two Russian diplomats based in The Hague, who it accuses of being part of a Foreign Intelligence Service-led "espionage network" targeting the high-tech sector.
The capsule will be airlifted to Beijing for formal opening and the samples will be made available to scientists in other countries, according to the CNSA.
The first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrive in Canada.
Constitutional monarchy which governs Japan
The number of people infected by a mysterious illness in the city of Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India, increases to more than 400. The majority of those infected are children and young people.
legislative branch of the state government of Arizona
This comes just two days after Rudy Giuliani, another of Trump's lawyers, also tested positive.
Pornhub says that its new measures are now "more strict than any social media platform".
The UK's post-Brexit relationship with the EU
However, people who take part in mass testing programmes between January 15 and 17 and test negative will be allowed to enter shops and restaurants beginning on January 18.
President Nicolás Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela has reportedly won almost 68% in Venezuela's latest parliamentary election.
complete separation of the head from the body
Government shutdowns in the United States
cessation of "non-essential" government services in the United States due to a funding lapse
crime involving conduct that is wrongful and reckless, and likely to produce death or grievous bodily harm to another person
Delhi surpasses 10,000 total deaths from COVID-19.
Azerbaijan blames the attack on "an Armenian armed group"; all the six attackers are shot dead.
ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Alberta reports 1,879 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces a ban on travel from South Africa due to the discovery of a mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa.
today until at least January 1 due to the spread of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK, with a case of the variant already having being reported in the Netherlands.
Date: 20 February 1988 – present (34 years, 11 months and 6 days)
On those days, people will only be allowed to travel for work, health or emergency reasons.
Ireland reports a record 1,546 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 88,439.
bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day
Cudell Recreation Center, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States
marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia
3rd and current Prime Minister of Singapore
armed conflict in Metekel Zone in west Ethiopia since 2019
Base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme
Chilean research station in Antarctica and the capital of Antártica Commune
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
United Kingdom government cabinet minister
Coy had failed to follow the required protocol by not turning on his body camera and failed to aid the dying man.
county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, United States
in vitro method for producing large amounts of specific DNA or RNA fragments from small amounts of short oligonucleotide primers
Date: 30 December 2020 Around 13:24 AST (10:24 UTC)
These initial results follow Phase III trials that involved 7,371 volunteers.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agrees to work with Congress to increase the payout amount.
land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces
American military intervention in Somalia
Prime Minister Igor Matovič tests positive for COVID-19.
Two men jailed for protesting against President Alexander Lukashenko say they tested positive for COVID-19, after developing symptoms in jail and not receiving treatment.
Hungary reports a record 165 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,142.
166 Second Avenue North Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
List of regencies and cities of Indonesia
various governmental agencies and private businesses's imposed bans on the video sharing service TikTok.
Government officials are exempt from this ban.
The group, which called for reopening Oregon in the wake of COVID-19 mitigation measures, included members of groups such as Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen agree to set a deadline for a trade agreement between the UK and EU by 13 December. If no agreement is reached by then, the United Kingdom will leave the European Single Market and European Union Customs Union without a deal on 1 January 2021.
Branch of the Islamic State operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan
ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Texas, United States
Uruguay reports a new single-day record of 528 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 9,708.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis announces that the state will extend its statewide mask mandate for 30 more days amid a rise of cases in the state.
Italian jurist and politician (born 1964)
President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that public gatherings will be limited to no more than 100 people for indoor events and 250 people for outdoor events, and that the nationwide curfew will be extended from 11:00 p.m.
He also added that people would not be allowed to leave their homes between 1:00 p.m.
Date: In whole of the United States: May 26, 2020 – May 26, 2021 (1 year)
sovereign state in southern Europe, enclaved within Italy
overview about racism in association soccer
person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament
This change is expected to bolster medical research and legalization efforts around the world.
Prime Minister Jean Castex announces that the country will delay the reopening of cultural venues and introduce a night-time curfew from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time, where stay-at-home order will be lifted as planned on December 15 as it struggles to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The New South Wales Northern Beaches outbreak reaches 17 cases, leading to fears of a second wave in the state. Western Australia and Queensland have reimposed border restrictions on people travelling from New South Wales.
Ukraine signs an agreement to buy up to 1.8 million doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac.
The country expects to receive shipments of the vaccine by the end of the year and to vaccinate 5.7 million people for free by the third quarter of 2021.
However, it will not be mandatory for soldiers to receive the vaccine.
The Electoral College meets in the state capitals to officially elect the next President.
ceremonial county in England (use Q21272241 for administrative non-metropolitan county)
augmented reality mobile game based on the Pokémon franchise
modular space station in low Earth orbit
However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces that the House will still hold a vote on the bill on Monday.
Political elections for public offices in Liberia
The White House announces that Vice President Mike Pence, his wife Karen, and Surgeon General Jerome Adams will receive the vaccine on Friday.
Food and Drug Administration (Philippines)
diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Russia
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf tests positive for COVID-19 and begins quarantining at his home.
Anti-government protesters block streets in the Armenian capital Yerevan, continuing calls for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign over the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan. Riot police detain more than 40 protesters.
The first commercial Boeing 737 MAX flight in the United States since worldwide groundings began in March 2019 occurs.
Japan records a new single-day record of 3,041 cases. The Japan Self-Defense Forces are deployed to Asahikawa, Hokkaido, where hospitals are facing shortages of medical staff to treat COVID-19 patients.
The House of Councillors passes a law that will give free COVID-19 vaccines to all residents.
discovery of, and investigation into, 39 dead bodies found in the container of a chiller lorry in Grays, Essex, England
59th United States presidential election in Michigan
The driver, a 51-year-old male German national, was arrested and was reportedly drunk at the time of the crash.
device used to protect the wearer's face from hazards
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in India
U.S. federal executive department overseeing commerce
The BW Group says the crew of one of their ships saw an oil tanker suffer an explosion after being hit by "an external source" off the coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Health Secretary Sophia Chan announces that Hong Kong will ban all flights to and from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
held in Uganda to elect the President and the Parliament
President of the Federated States of Micronesia (2019-present)
Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs
In Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, and Tangier, all restaurants will be closed for three weeks.
separatist conflict in the region of West Papua
Queensland reports Australia's first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa in a woman who arrived in the state on December 22 and later tested positive for COVID-19.
Quebec reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who had been in contact with a family member who travelled from the United Kingdom on December 11 and tested positive for COVID-19 on December 13.
men's association football top division of Israel
driving a vehicle while the driver is under the influence of a drug that damages the driver's driving skill like alcohol
bilateral relations between United States and Switzerland
President Donald Trump hosts an Operation Warp Speed vaccine summit.
The U.S. reports 3,309 deaths from COVID-19, a new one-day record.
Health Minister Tomaž Gantar announces that Slovenia plans to launch mass COVID-19 testing before the end of the year as current restrictions have failed to reduce the infection rate.
Lai faces a lengthy prison sentence for allegedly "conspiring with foreign forces" to endanger national security.
36 people test positive for the virus after spending a week at the Base General Bernardo O'Higgins, in the Chilean Antarctic Territory.
public bill which intends to update the laws governing the UK internal market
Oman officially begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country is the last Gulf Cooperation Council member state to begin vaccinations. Health Minister Ahmed Al-Saidi is one of the first citizens to receive a dose of the vaccine.
Seven people are killed and seven others injured in a mass stabbing in Kaiyuan, Liaoning, China. The attacker has been arrested.
The parade includes thousands of soldiers, flyovers from helicopters and fighter jets, and a Turkish special forces brigade.
The U.S. surpasses 18 million cases of COVID-19.
United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur
Algerian politician, current President of Algeria
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says that Singapore has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
77th & 85th United States Attorney General
Cellular, wireline telephone, Internet, and U-verse television service, as well as multiple local 9-1-1 and non-emergency phone networks, are among the services affected.
South Korea reports a new record of 950 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 41,736 cases.
France's Ministry of Agriculture confirms an outbreak of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8 (bird flu) at a duck farm in Bénesse-Maremne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
international military campaign that started after 11 September 2001
Oman officially begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Authorities vow to crack down on workers who went on a violent rampage at a Wistron iPhone factory near Bangalore, India over allegations of unpaid wages and exploitation.
second-highest ranking government official in the executive branch of the Government of Brazil
Despite international pressure to back down, Bangladesh begins transferring thousands of Rohingya refugees to the remote island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal.
President Sebastián Piñera extends the state of catastrophe for another three months until March 13, 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic.
An Azerbaijani soldier is killed and another injured in a shooting in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan blames the attack on "an Armenian armed group"; all the six attackers are shot dead.
The United Kingdom approves the BNT162b2 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech for widespread use, becoming the first country in the world to approve the vaccine. The government states that the vaccine will be rolled out early next week.
The first cases of COVID-19 in Antarctica are reported. 36 people test positive for the virus after spending a week at the Base General Bernardo O'Higgins, in the Chilean Antarctic Territory.
Glen Oaks, New York City, New York, United States
President Emmanuel Macron tests positive for COVID-19. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, Secretary-General of the OECD José Ángel Gurría and President of the European Council Charles Michel self-isolate after having contact with Macron earlier this week.
The government states that the vaccine will be rolled out early next week.
war crimes perpetrated by the United Kingdom and its armed forces
South Africa surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the first African country to reach this milestone.
Sweden imposes new restrictions on large gatherings and issues alcohol sale curfews and school closures amid a rise of cases.
The restrictions will last for two months.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro congratulates President-elect Joe Biden for the first time.
Date: 3 November 2020 – 3 November 2022 (2 years)
Governor Jay Inslee imposes a 14-day quarantine for travelers from South Africa and the United Kingdom in an effort to prevent the spread of a mutant variant of SARS-CoV-2 in those countries.
Cameroon holds its first regional elections amidst criticism of President Paul Biya and a growing separatist insurgency in the English-speaking areas of the country. The election will elect representatives to local councils and is supported by the government, whereas separatists have vowed to disrupt the election, arresting anyone participating in it. Gunfire is also reported in some areas.
Political elections for public offices in Egypt
El Salvador approves a vaccine made by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca for use in the country.
The perpetrator(s) are still unknown, along with the cause and what was breached.
payments or benefits related to corruption
Legal recognition of same-sex relationships in Switzerland
Mayor Muriel Bowser announces restrictions on high-contact sports amid a rise of cases in the area. However, the restrictions will not apply to professional or university sports.
China National Space Administration (CNSA) spacecraft Chang'e 5 returns to Earth carrying samples of lunar rocks and soil from the surface of the Moon.
The final phase of Egypt's latest parliamentary election begins.
bilateral relations between United States and Sudan
pseudonym of a serial killer in California
Health Minister Adam Niedzielski announces a nationwide lockdown that will close hotels and ski slopes from December 28 to January 17.
Voters in Romania head out to elect the members of their country's Chamber of Deputies and Senate.
small meteor that exploded near the Kamchatka Peninsula on December 2018
A bombing in Kabul kills the deputy governor and his secretary, and wounds their bodyguards.
Gambian lawyer and judge, Chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (2012–2021)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces that the United States has imposed sanctions on Turkey over its acquisition of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia.
Swedish furniture giant IKEA says it will stop printing its famed annual catalogue, ending a seven-decade tradition as customers move to digital alternatives.
Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Bill (Argentina)
details of ongoing viral pandemic in New Jersey
Argentine President Alberto Fernández announces the purchase of 10 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, and says that he will be the first person to receive the vaccine in order to prove that it is safe. An initial shipment of 600,000 doses will be received before the end of the year.
New South Wales detects two cases of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in travellers returning from the United Kingdom.
He also said that the outdoor terraces of restaurants, cafés and similar facilities will be closed beginning December 11 and only takeaway services will be allowed.
He also says that a curfew will be imposed on New Year's Eve from 7:00 p.m.
The British Antarctic Survey confirms that Iceberg A-68, one of the largest ever recorded icebergs with a surface area of 5,800 square kilometres, has broken in two in the South Atlantic as it approaches South Georgia island. The new smaller iceberg has been named A68D.
head of state and of government of Texas
Fourteen others went missing but are rescued alive.
Argentina legalizes abortion by a Senate vote of 38 to 29, with one abstention.
A court in Tehran, Iran, sentences two women's rights activists to a combined total of 15 years in prison. Hoda Amid and Najmeh Vahedi, who were arrested in 2018, were accused of "collaborating with the United States government against the Islamic Republic on the issue of women and the family".
Researchers, who discovered 2020 SO on September 17, 2020, are still unsure whether the object is a small near-Earth asteroid or an artificial object.
Iranian authorities execute once-exiled dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam over his online work that helped inspire the 2017–2018 Iranian protests.
Austria begins administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran to its citizens.
The number of people infected by a mysterious illness in the city of Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India, increases to more than 400.
Guatemala announces a mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone who has recently visited the United Kingdom or South Africa in an effort to prevent the spread of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
India extends their suspensions of flights from the United Kingdom until January 7 in order to prevent the spread of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Israel bans entry of travelers from Denmark, South Africa, and the United Kingdom due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the latter country.
due to infrastructure damage to a service facility located near the blast site.
Gunmen attack a security checkpoint in Puli Khumri, Baghlan Province, killing 13 police officers. An armoured personnel carrier and several police vehicles are also destroyed during the attack, which Afghan officials blame on the Taliban. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
This comes after Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi's visit to Nairobi where he was received by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The Mayor of Liverpool, England, Joe Anderson is arrested along with four others for conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.
use of banned performance-enhancing drugs by athletes in Russia
administration of a vaccine to protect against disease
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Oregon, United States
2020 United States anti-lockdown protests
bilateral relationship between Russia and the United States
Two of the cases are reported in people who travelled from the UK, while the third is still being investigated.
No information about the arrest has been made available.
Oman will close all land, air, and sea borders beginning tomorrow at 1:00 a.m. local time for one week due to concerns over the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom.
United States Forces Korea begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19 using the Moderna vaccine.
Republicans in the House block an attempt by Democrats, empowered by a veto threat from President Donald Trump if not amended, to pass a $2,000 relief bill for Americans. However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces that the House will still hold a vote on the bill on Monday.
international agreement between the United States and the Pacific Island nations of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau
Legislative, executive and judiciary powers of Greece
clandestine acquisition of confidential information
After a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling, Russia is banned from international sports for two years, including the 2020 Summer Olympics, the 2022 Winter Olympics, and other World Championships due to doping.
Victoria reports a new case in a person currently quarantining in a hotel. It is the first time that the state has reported a COVID-19 case in more than 40 days.
Tropical Cyclone Yasa intensifies into a category 5 storm.
His driver is also shot and later died of his wounds.
self-governing Palestinian territory next to Egypt and Israel
IST until January 2 due to fears of a mutant version of SARS-CoV-2 that was found in the United Kingdom.
A bushfire on Fraser Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site off the coast of Queensland, has burned across half the island and may irreversibly damage its unique ecosystem.
The restrictions do not apply to cargo flights or stops where passengers do not disembark.
Lake Michigan off the coast of Kenosha, Wisconsin
A further 20 million people in England are placed into Tier 4, the level with the strictest COVID-19 restrictions.
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK economy
current rise in Earth's average temperature and related large-scale shifts in weather patterns
lost or discarded explosive devices or material
national crime information for the People's Republic of China
capital of North Dakota, United States and seat of Burleigh County
Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act
California Governor Gavin Newsom introduces a regional stay-at-home order that requires the closure of bars, wineries, hair salons, and barbershops for three weeks in regions where ICU capacity falls below 15% and also restricts non-essential travel in those regions. The order divides the state into five regions.
Participation of athletes from Belarus in the Olympic Games
East Slavic ethnic group, regardless of country of citizenship
medical material and other goods shortages occurring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
53rd United States Secretary of the Interior
There are certain structural and clinical similarities between the virus that causes COVID-19 and the other coronaviruses that are related to it, which cause SARS and MERS.
non-governmental organization based in the United Kingdom
defense and maintenance of a state through use of all powers at the state's disposal
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces the introduction of "Tier 4" restrictions in London and South East England beginning at midnight.
groups of citizens empowered by United States federal or state law to conduct legal proceedings
people defecting from North Korea, often to South Korea
Argentina approves a vaccine made by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca for use in the country, becoming the second country after the UK to approve this vaccine.
A knifeman kills two elderly people after storming their home and then tries to attack police officers on a highway in Brisbane, Australia.
Pro-Donald Trump protests over the 2020 United States presidential election results are held in Washington, D.C.
Canada reports over 7,002 cases, a new-single day record.
Malaysia reports a new single-day record of 2,234 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide number of confirmed cases to 78,499.
Several shots and explosions were also reported.
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by topic
U.S. President Donald Trump pardons former presidential campaign manager Paul Manafort, former adviser Roger Stone, and real estate developer Charles Kushner. Manafort was convicted of tax fraud and obstructing an investigation; Stone of lying to Congress; Kushner of tax evasion, campaign finance offences and witness tampering.
The United Kingdom reports a record 36,804 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Health Minister Adam Niedzielski announces a nationwide lockdown that will close hotels and ski slopes from December 28 to January 17. He also says that a curfew will be imposed on New Year's Eve from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time.
El Al operates the first direct commercial flight between Israel and Morocco following the normalization agreement between the two countries on December 10. Senior Advisor to the U.S. President Jared Kushner and Israel's National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat are among the high-level officials on board the flight.
Italian intellectuals Corrado Augias and Giovanna Melandri hand back their medals of the Legion of Honour, France's highest order of merit, to France.
Palestinian Sunni-Islamist organization that governs the Gaza strip, with an associated military wing. The group is recognized as a terrorist organization.
Date: November 4, 2020 – April 11, 2021 (5 months and 1 week)
The incident occurred when a police car was attacked while following a car believed to be carrying supporters of the cleric, resulting in a shootout.
The first vaccinations are being delivered at two hospitals in Budapest.
upper house of the United States Congress
In addition, people will not be allowed to leave their towns on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day.
Racing Point's Sergio Pérez wins the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit, claiming his first Formula One win, and becoming the first Mexican Formula One driver to win a race since Pedro Rodríguez won the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix.
The Northern Ireland Executive agrees to impose a new lockdown beginning on Boxing Day, which means that non-essential shops will be closed from the end of trading on Christmas Eve.
The government announces that malls and food and beverage establishments will be closed from December 11 at 06:00 p.m. local time until the end of the year. Restaurants will only be allowed to offer takeaway service.
British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company
use of excessive force by a police officer
In Belle, West Virginia, United States, an explosion at the Chemours Chemical Plant prompts a now-cancelled shelter-in-place to be issued for Belle and in surrounding areas; the explosion leaves one person dead, and three others injured.
The U.S. surpasses 15 million cases of COVID-19, with about one out of every 22 Americans having tested positive since the pandemic began.
Prime Minister Ion Chicu tests positive for COVID-19.
ethnic group in western Sudan and eastern Chad
Two magnitude 4.0 earthquakes occur in Northern California at around 6:55–7:00 a.m. PST and are felt from San Jose to as far north as San Francisco. There are no reported injuries or deaths.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Malaysia surpasses 90,000.
British overseas territory in the Caribbean
All secondary schools in England are to remain closed for an additional two weeks.
federal state, capital and largest city of Germany
series of demonstrations in Iran beginning on 28 December 2017
unlawful killing of a human with malice aforethought
The journalist's lawyer says that they will probably appeal the verdict.
The maiden flight of the Long March 8 orbital launch vehicle is launched from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site at 04:37 UTC, carrying five satellites.
59th United States presidential inauguration
California extends a regional stay-at-home order in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley due to rise of hospitalizations in the state.
French official and statesman (1926–2020)
cruise line brand founded in Norway and based in Miami, Florida
a former President of the Republic of Ghana
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Kuwait
epidemic of infectious disease that has spread across a large region with global health impact
Burundian politician, former president of Burundi
Three people are killed, and three others are injured, during a mass shooting at a bowling alley in Rockford, Illinois. Police believe the suspect, in custody, identified as a soldier from Florida, randomly selected his victims.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune returns to Algeria following treatment in Germany for COVID-19 since November.
civil conflict that began in November 2020 in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia
digital cash system and associated currency
Chief director of Executive ministries in South Korea under order of the President
ongoing multi-sided civil war in Syria since 2011
The United States says that Morocco will normalize diplomatic relations with Israel, becoming the fourth Arab country to do so in recent months, in an agreement mediated by the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump also says that he recognizes "Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory". Morocco says that the United States "will open a consulate in Western Sahara as part of Morocco’s deal with Israel".
iceberg in Antarctica which broke off the Larsen C Ice Shelf in July 2017
city in Ingham County, Eaton County and Clinton County, Michigan, USA and Michigan federated state capital city
Parliamentary elections are underway in Venezuela amidst multiple ongoing crises. The election is boycotted by the political opposition to President Nicolás Maduro and has been called unfair by international observers.
This marks the first time that Malaysia has gained UNESCO recognition along with other countries, as the pantun was jointly nominated with Indonesia and the wangkang ceremony was jointly nominated with China.
A constitutional referendum is also held, with questions about dual citizenship and a limitation of term limits for politicians being decided by the electorate.
Spanish government department responsible for health care, social security and consumers
The coast guard confirmed they had rescued people and were searching for others who were on the boat, which was carrying a total of 45 people.
gas in an atmosphere of a planet (usually Earth) that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range and causes the greenhouse effect
This comes after the country reports a record 3,132 new cases in the past 24 hours.
The 39 people suffocated in a lorry during the journey across the North Sea, from Zeebrugge to Purfleet, in October 2019.
Russia reports a record 613 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 48,593.
At least 20 African migrants die when their boat sinks off the coast of Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announces that the country will impose a full nationwide lockdown from December 25 to January 3 that will close malls, shops, and other non-essential activities during the holiday season.
winning candidate of the U.S. presidential election in the time before inauguration
Dozens of Artsakh Defence Army troops are reportedly captured during an Azerbaijani "anti-terror" raid on several villages in Nagorno-Karabakh. The villages had previously been returned to Azerbaijan as part of the 2020 ceasefire agreement. Artsakh's Defence Ministry says that it "lost contact" with a number of military posts overnight, with as many as 60 to 160 personnel missing. Videos uploaded to social media appear to show captured soldiers.
After nearly 30 members and staffers of the Michigan House of Representatives test positive for COVID-19, scheduled voting sessions for December 9 and 10 were cancelled.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes Petrinja, Croatia, destroying half of the town.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirms that the country will close all non-essential retail under full level 5 restrictions that will remain in place for at least one month and will also delay the reopening of schools until January 11.
constituent country of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
The United Kingdom exceeds 70,000 deaths from COVID-19.
observatory located in the municipality of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
form of team game played with an oval ball on a field marked out as a gridiron
Two men are found guilty at London's Old Bailey of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese people whom they were smuggling into the UK.
interim government in Western Asia, governing West Bank Areas A and B since 1994 and, until 2006, the Gaza Strip
American immunologist and head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
process of getting coal out of the ground
Belgium bans entry for incoming rail and air passengers from the United Kingdom for at least 24 hours, beginning at midnight.
The ban also outlaws the use of loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts.
Solukhumbu District, Province No. 1, Nepal; Tingri County, Xigazê, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
Sudan will ban all travellers from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and South Africa beginning December 23 due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The amendments also lowers the legal threshold for the government to declare a state of emergency, and further reduces the oversights the government is required to take with regard to the spending of public funds, which critics say will allow the government to use state money to benefit loyalists.
migration of people across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country
The order will take effect tomorrow at 11:59 p.m.
Portugal reports a record 7,627 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 413,678.
The cryptocurrency bitcoin hits an all-time high of US$20,440 after jumping more than 4.5% amid high demand from large investors.
cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland
capital and most populous city of Russia
Hungary begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran.
federal subject of Russia, republic of Russia
The government data also shows that 90% of local authorities in England have reported an increase in cases during the past week.
Second Gentleman of the United States since 2021
The Senate begins to debate the legalization of abortion up until the 14th week of pregnancy.
45th presidential administration and cabinet of the USA (2017-2021)
inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled
ministry in charge of the diplomatic relations of Japan with other countries
Italy surpasses 60,000 deaths from COVID-19.
United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs
central drug policy-making body of the UN System
Stranded lorry drivers clash with police in Kent, England, amid frustrations over ongoing delays at the border with France. At least one person has been arrested for obstructing a highway, according to the police.
The measure will take effect on January 5.
diplomatic relations between Federated States of Micronesia and the United States of America
Saudi Arabia begins its vaccination campaign a day after it received two shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. More than 150,000 people have registered to receive the vaccine.
However, McConnell also said that the Senate will consider a process to provide $2,000 in stimulus checks to Americans, a measure that is supported by both Democrats and President Donald Trump.
Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Nancy Shukri announces that the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has listed pantun and wangkang on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. This marks the first time that Malaysia has gained UNESCO recognition along with other countries, as the pantun was jointly nominated with Indonesia and the wangkang ceremony was jointly nominated with China.
capital city and smallest province of Indonesia
In addition, the country also reports 744 deaths, the highest single-day total since April 29.
Belgian politician, former Prime Minister of Belgium, President of the European Council
Peru's trials for the vaccine were due to conclude this week, after testing around 12,000 people.
The German state of Saxony-Anhalt begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, which also began nationwide.
any flight between two points by an airline with no change in flight numbers, which may include one or more stops at an intermediate point(s)
local time and will require all cafes, shops, supermarkets, and restaurants to close at 8:00 p.m.
Jenna Ellis, lawyer to President Trump, tests positive for COVID-19.
influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds
A 13-year-old Palestinian is killed by Israeli troops during clashes in the West Bank.
action where a vessel turns on to its side or is upside down
The Tokyo District Court sentences serial killer Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", to death, for murdering nine people at his apartment in 2017 and dismembering their bodies.
Date: 9 September 2017 – present (5 years, 4 months, 2 weeks and 4 days)
effects of climate change in Aotearoa New Zealand
Colorado reports the United States' first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom.
Joe Wilson tests positive for COVID-19 and is expected to self-isolate throughout the holidays.
109th mayor of New York City from 2014 to 2022
ongoing viral outbreak in Massachusetts, United States
Local officials say most of the victims were farmers working in the fields, and that some victims were decapitated.
constituent political entity of the United States of America
citizens or residents of the United States of America
Poetic form of one or more quatrains with rhyme scheme a-b-a-b originating from Sumatra island
President-elect Joe Biden and incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden receive their first shot of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on live television to reassure Americans of the safety of vaccines. Meanwhile, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and incoming Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff announce that they will receive their vaccines next week.
Queensland reopens its land border with Greater Sydney and Victoria.
New Zealand creates its first "travel bubble" with the Cook Islands, citing low COVID-19 infection rates and their "special ties".
Ethiopian National Defense Force troops open fire on United Nations staffers who were trying to reach areas where "they were not supposed to go" near Sheraro in the Tigray Region, according to senior Ethiopian government official Redwan Hussein.
flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom
sovereign state in Oceania, situated on an archipelago
The new smaller iceberg has been named A68D.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announces a second nationwide "red zone" lockdown from December 24–27, December 31–January 3, and January 5–6.
2010s migrant crisis in the European Union
He also suggests China is to blame, contradicting earlier U.S.
termination of employment decided unilaterally by employer
branch of governmental service or employees of a government agency
President Donald Trump hosts an Operation Warp Speed vaccine summit. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards attend the event.
part of the Indian Ocean between South and South East Asia
U.S. President Donald Trump pardons former presidential campaign manager Paul Manafort, former adviser Roger Stone, and real estate developer Charles Kushner.
medical research organization in the United States
Six suspected supporters of controversial Indonesian Islamic cleric Muhammad Rizieq Shihab are killed in a clash with police on a highway near Jakarta. The incident occurred when a police car was attacked while following a car believed to be carrying supporters of the cleric, resulting in a shootout. The police have been investigating the cleric for violations of health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic after large gatherings occurred to celebrate his return to the country from self-exile in Saudi Arabia.
combined military forces of the Syrian Arab Republic
South Korea extends its current social distancing measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 until January 3, as record numbers of new cases are being reported.
state in the western and central peninsular region of India
The Lithuanian government announces that it will tighten and extend the nationwide lockdown until the end of the year. People are advised to leave their homes only for essential reasons, and the education of senior students will be conducted remotely.
Japan records a new single-day record of 3,041 cases.
The new law also says that the government will cover all vaccine costs.
The Bureau faces a December 31 deadline to report the results, which they have previously indicated that they may miss.
American politician and businessman (born 1963)
The bill will head to President Donald Trump for his signature.
American politician; 52nd Mayor of Baltimore
German government agency responsible for disease control and prevention
highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia
Nationwide, a record 4,520 new cases are reported in Japan in the past 24 hours.
A court in Russia sentences prominent historian Oleg Sokolov to 12 and a half years in prison for the murder and dismemberment of his student lover.
The voting process will continue until the end of the next day.
Jewish (or rarely Samaritan) house of prayer
A set of medical symptoms of unknown origin affecting U.S. and Canada government personnel.
reduction of human social interaction in an effort to prevent the spread of infectious disease
overview about face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic
crewed vehicle or uncrewed machine designed to fly in outer space
small town and rural commune in the Cercle of Douentza in the Mopti Region of Mali
Prime Minister Bob Loughman declares Vanuatu free of COVID-19 again after the first case recovered. Loughman stressed that the virus-free status is not important but that the capacity to contain a positive case was what actually mattered.
ceremonial county of England (use Q21694746 for administrative unitary authority)
Date: 24 May 2020 – 25 March 2021 (10 months and 1 day)
The planets Jupiter and Saturn appear at their closest in the sky since 1623, in an event known as a great conjunction.
surpasses 19 million cases of COVID-19, having averaged 185,000 daily cases over the past week.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi announces that the country will ban all international travellers for two weeks starting January 1, citing concerns over new variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Romanian government ministry for military and national defence matters
All non-essential public services will close until January 24, alcohol sales will be banned after 8:00 p.m.
Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election
Vice Chairpersons of the National People's Congress
Supporters of the controversial Indonesian Islamic cleric Muhammad Rizieq Shihab clash with police during a demonstration in Jakarta, demanding immediate release of Shihab from police detention.
Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Colorado, United States
At least one person has died and 227 have been hospitalised by an unidentified illness in Eluru, India. The patients had a wide range of symptoms from nausea to fits and falling unconscious, and all had tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.
The Federated States of Micronesia declines to host the annual Operation Christmas Drop with the U.S. Air Force.
capital and the largest city of Afghanistan
President Rodrigo Duterte approves the suspension of flights from the Philippines to the United Kingdom from tomorrow at 12:01 a.m.
Victoria eases restrictions, allowing larger private and public gatherings, relaxing patron quotas for businesses (including allowing nightclubs to reopen for the first time since the pandemic began), and relaxing mask-wearing rules.
The deal would immensely impact the global economy, especially with the U.S.-China trade war.
The government will temporarily suspend all flights from India to the United Kingdom due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The suspension will begin tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. IST and will last until December 31.
Belgium announces that all troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2021, bringing an end to Belgian involvement in the war.
The House of Councillors passes a law that will give free COVID-19 vaccines to all residents. The new law also says that the government will cover all vaccine costs.
A statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee presented by Virginia is removed from the National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol.
The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement enters into force at 23:00 GMT, formally ending the Brexit transition period.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Health Ministry announce that a third nationwide lockdown will begin from December 27 at 5:00 p.m.
IST beginning tomorrow until January 5 in order to prevent the spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was discovered in the United Kingdom.
All non-essential activity will be suspended until January 10 due to an "alarming" increase in both infections and hospital occupancies.
Acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jung-hyup announces that stores, theatres and other facilities must close at 9:00 p.m. local time for two weeks beginning tomorrow. This announcement comes after the city reported a record 295 new cases.
overview of Norway's international relations
National People's Congress Standing Committee
This comes a day after a similar suspension was announced by Portugal.
part of the Alps mountain range in France
successful 2016 US presidential campaign
institution that officially elects the President and Vice President of the United States
at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that would have taken place in the evening is postponed due to a significant rise of COVID-19 cases in the clubs across the league.
South Korea bans the launching of propaganda leaflets into North Korea. The balloon propaganda campaigns have been used by North Korean defectors and Korean reunification activists for decades to spread anti-government propaganda, news from the outside world that is restricted in the North, money, food, and USBs containing South Korean media. The ban also outlaws the use of loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts. Violators of the ban will face up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($27,400) in fines.
Violators of the ban will face up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($27,400) in fines.
pornography with descriptions or depictions of rape
Nigerian jihadist terrorist organization
The radio telescope was due to be decommissioned and dismantled after support cables broke on August 10, 2020.
Rahmatullah Nikzad, head of the journalists’ union in Ghazni, dies after being shot three times in the chest by unknown assailants.
The Israeli military (IDF) carries out several airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, in response to overnight rocket attacks in Israel. IDF says it targeted a rocket manufacturing site, underground infrastructure and a military post. Two minor injuries are reported. The attacks caused power outages in the eastern part of the strip. Hamas claims the strikes damaged a children's hospital, a centre for disabled people, and damaged the windows of several residential buildings. IDF claims that the damage was due to detonations of ground munitions.
city in and county seat of Kenosha County, Wisconsin and part of the Chicago metropolitan area, known as Chicagoland
Legal residents, as well as people given special permission, and the spouses and children of Taiwanese nationals will be excluded from this ban.
overview of ongoing viral outbreak onboard cruise ships
local time which will remain in effect until January 3.
head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France
Belarus reports 1,975 cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record.
South Africa's head of state and head of government
withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union
Germany from 1933 to 1945 while under control of the Nazi Party
He also says that Tokyo and Nagoya will be removed as eligible destinations for the campaign.
person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization
New York City Department of Investigation
U.S. federal executive department in charge of law enforcement
pandemic in Washington, D.C., United States
armed conflicts that started from January 2012
South Korea reports a record 13 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 600.
The state government also imposes a 14-day quarantine for anyone travelling from Europe and the Middle East.
Journalist Malalai Maiwand, an activist for women's and children's rights, and her driver are shot dead on their way to work in Jalalabad, Nangarhar. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack.
The National Assembly passes a number of changes to the Constitution of Hungary which bar same-sex couples from adopting children.
line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc.
public office; head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government
United Kingdom police force responsible for policing the county of Kent
Prime Minister Mark Rutte imposes a tough five-week nationwide lockdown.
pattern of behavior which involves the abuse of one family member by another
They also say that oil may have leaked from the site of the blast.
US government’s list of countries alleged to repeatedly support international terrorism
details of ongoing viral outbreak in the Republic of Ireland
The Supreme Court of the United States, in an unsigned 6–3 decision, dismisses Trump v. New York, ruling that the challenge to the Trump administration's memo requiring the Census Bureau to report the results of the 2020 United States census with the exclusion of undocumented immigrants for apportionment is premature, and that no judicial review can be taken until after the data has been collected.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases mandates the wearing of a "full" face shield in addition to wearing a face mask when going outside.
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Hungary
The patients are three people who travelled from the UK to Sindh and later tested positive for COVID-19.
Two health care workers at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau have a severe allergic reaction after being administered Tozinameran, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19.
France agrees to reopen its border with the United Kingdom after it was closed for 48 hours due to the spread of a new variant of the virus in England. Planes, boats, and Eurostar trains will resume services tomorrow but only British, French, and EU citizens or residents who show a negative COVID-19 test result from the previous 72 hours will be allowed to travel until January 6.
Date: 17 June 2011 – 28 August 2017 (6 years, 2 months, 1 week and 4 days)
Outgoing United States Attorney General William Barr announces charges against a bomb maker for his role in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 near Lockerbie, Scotland.
President-elect Joe Biden also announces that he will receive the vaccine next week.
The order is expected to take effect on December 28.
1954–1968 U.S. social movement against institutional racism
Chinese state media had labeled Lai's release as "unbelievable".
The mask mandate will go into effect on December 9 and will last until January 8.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says the first shipment of vaccines could arrive in February.
a $335 million settlement to victims of al-Qaeda attacks.
specialist, service provider, developer and authority in material cultural heritage
ban on entering public areas such as streets or squares at certain times
administrative centre of Gjerdrum municipality, Norway
fund established by the Russian government in June 2011
illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates, or both
region of the Americas where Romance languages are primarily spoken
The government sets June 5 as the date for the 2021 parliamentary elections. The elections were delayed to 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the delay being a cause of the ongoing Tigray conflict.
part of the United Kingdom situated on the island of Ireland
Date: 30 January 2020 – ongoing (2 years, 11 months and 4 weeks)
head of the Department of the Interior in the United States government
systems to destroy incoming rockets, artillery, and mortar rounds
city on Lake Lucerne, in central Switzerland
vehicle ramming incident in 2020 in Germany
head of state and of government of the U.S. state of North Dakota
Alberta reports 22 deaths from COVID-19, a new single-day record.
The city's attorney said that rival gangs may have been responsible for the shooting.
American politician and member of the Democratic Party currently serving as the eighth Mayor of the District of Columbia
China approves BBIBP-CorV made by Sinopharm for general use, after the vaccine was considered to be 79.34% effective.
murder of a prominent person, often a political leader or ruler
The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) votes to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug after removing it from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, where it was listed alongside opioids such as heroin.
Bobi Wine, challenger to the incumbent President Yoweri Museveni who has been in office since 1986, is arrested along with his entire campaign team in the town of Kalangala.
The election comes amidst a growing Islamist insurgency as Mohamed Bazoum is the favourite to succeed incumbent Mahamadou Issoufou, who is stepping down after serving two five-year terms.
American businessman and politician, Governor of West Virginia
Date: 26 February 2003 – present (19 years, 11 months, 2 weeks and 3 days)
continent, mainly on the Earth's southwestern quadrant
2020 civil unrest after the death of George Floyd
Saudi crown prince and Minister of Defense (born 1985)
distance from center of Earth to center of Moon
Participants included members of the far-right group Proud Boys.
imposition of direct military control of a government
Date: 7 October 2001 – 30 August 2021 (19 years, 10 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
city in South West England, United Kingdom
California surpasses two million cases of COVID-19, becoming the first U.S.
COVID-19 pandemic in United Arab Emirates
head of state and head of government of the Philippines
Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar tests positive for COVID-19. A spokesman for the group says he is "following the advice of health authorities and taking precautionary measures".
romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender
Several Google services go down without warning around 11:50 UTC, including YouTube, Google Search, and the Google Play Store. The chatting app Discord and mobile video game Pokémon Go also go down. The cause was revealed to be an “authentication system outage” by the Google Cloud Twitter account.
Date: Full-scale war: 20 March 2003 – 9 December 2017 (14 years, 8 months, 2 weeks and 5 days) Low-intensity conflict: 9 December 2017 – present (5 years, 1 month and 5 days)
the primary airport serving the South Florida, United States area
International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announces that an inquiry into British war crimes in Iraq has been formally abandoned. In a final report, Bensouda says her office "found a reasonable basis to believe" that British troops committed war crimes in 2003, murdering at least seven Iraqi detainees, however she accepted the UK has taken "genuine action" to investigate itself.
American sex offender and financier (1953–2019)
local time until January 4, as a record 229 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours.
United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
United States federal district court in Pennsylvania
Period of formation of tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific Ocean in 2020
partially recognized country in southeastern Europe
It is expected to head towards Fiji later today.
Holiday originating in Christianity, usually December 25
epidemiological intervention of restriction on the movement of people and goods, which is intended to prevent the spread of infectious disease or pests
The Algerian Civil Defence says that 20 people were killed and 11 others injured when a vehicle carrying illegal migrants overturned in Tamanrasset.
Date: 13 November 1996 – present (26 years)
British person, from 2019 director of the Holy See press office
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Ethiopia
illicit act of giving or promising money or gifts that alters the behavior of a person in power; illicit act of a person in power deciding based on money or gift received or promised
NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci receives the Moderna vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
Three people are killed, and three others are injured, during a mass shooting at a bowling alley in Rockford, Illinois.
Volunteer project using software to search for Mersenne prime numbers
The United Kingdom reports a record 36,804 new cases in the past 24 hours. In addition, the country also reports 691 new deaths, the highest daily total in nearly a month.
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in the Cayman Islands
The Arizona State Legislature announces that the House and Senate will close for a week starting tomorrow due to COVID-19 concerns.
Bangladesh says all the refugees being moved have given consent and that the relocation was voluntary.
National Football League franchise in Cleveland, Ohio
Qatar begins administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran to its citizens at designated health centers in the country.
On his first full day in office, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announces that the city will close all indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in California, United States
unrecognised de-facto state in South Caucasus
Romania begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. The first person vaccinated is a 26-year-old doctor from Bucharest.
President-elect Joe Biden says that he will issue an executive order that would require face masks in federal buildings on the first day of his presidency. The order will last for the first 100 days that he holds office.
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Turkey
The Federal Security Service says no civilians were hurt and authorities were trying to establish his identity.
During the demonstrations, four people are stabbed, one is shot, and 33 others are arrested, six for assaulting police officers.
California Governor Gavin Newsom introduces a regional stay-at-home order that requires the closure of bars, wineries, hair salons, and barbershops for three weeks in regions where ICU capacity falls below 15% and also restricts non-essential travel in those regions.
The United States Senate passes the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill with a 92–6 vote.
The federal government restricts travel to and from the United Kingdom for 72 hours from tomorrow due to emergence to a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The restrictions do not apply to cargo flights or stops where passengers do not disembark.
Parliamentary elections are underway in Venezuela amidst multiple ongoing crises.
type of marriage with no formal ceremony
North Macedonia and the United Kingdom sign a Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement to continue preferential trade terms after the end of the UK's Brexit transition period on December 31. The agreement also strengthens political, economic, security, and cultural ties between both nations.
Pro-Donald Trump protests over the 2020 United States presidential election results are held in Washington, D.C. Participants included members of the far-right group Proud Boys. During the demonstrations, four people are stabbed, one is shot, and 33 others are arrested, six for assaulting police officers.
bilateral relations between the two countries
The bill has already been approved by the lower house.
In Pakistan, the Sindh High Court orders the release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, initially sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002. The government opposes his release on the basis of public safety; both the government and Pearl's family will appeal the decision.
Russian military historian, reenactor and convicted murderer
baseball team and Major League Baseball franchise in Cleveland, Ohio
A 101-year-old woman in a nursing home become one of first people in the country to get vaccinated.
American daytime television variety comedy talk show
Malaysia discovers a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 named A701B in Sabah.
Russia–United States relations Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulates President-elect Joe Biden for the first time. (CNBC) Mexico–United States relations Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador congratulates President-elect Joe Biden for the first time. (The Washington Post) Brazil–United States relations Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro congratulates President-elect Joe Biden for the first time. (WXXI)
Louisville, Kentucky law enforcement agency
to address a cyberattack that is said to have targeted several federal government agencies.
The Krško Nuclear Power Plant in neighboring Slovenia, which produces around 20 percent of the country's electricity, is shut down as a precaution.
local time to 330 lower-risk "yellow" cities in an effort to sustain a recent decrease in the numbers of new cases and deaths.
The Lithuanian government announces that it will tighten and extend the nationwide lockdown until the end of the year.
Malaysia discovers a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 named A701B in Sabah. It has been deemed to be more infectious.
The patients had a wide range of symptoms from nausea to fits and falling unconscious, and all had tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.
At least 15 people were detained for allegedly rioting and 21 people were cited and released.
central government of England, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
details of ongoing viral outbreak in the United Arab Emirates
The United Kingdom approves the BNT162b2 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech for widespread use, becoming the first country in the world to approve the vaccine.
Turkey temporarily suspend flights from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, and South Africa due to concerns over a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Prime Minister of Lebanon 1992–98 and 2000–04
Ethiopia offers a reward of 10 million birr (about US$250,000) for information leading to the capture of Tigray People's Liberation Front officials, including leader Debretsion Gebremichael, who are currently in hiding following the fall of Mekelle.
vice president of the United States since 2021
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
US research institute for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases
Protests against the re-election of Belarusian president Aliaksandr Lukashenka
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020
UK Statutory Instrument 2020 No. 1374 governing the 2nd tier system in England due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England
Aristóteles Sandoval, former Governor of Jalisco, Mexico, is killed in an attack in Puerto Vallarta. Current Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez said that Sandoval was the victim of a "direct attack".
Officer Adam Coy, who fatally shot Andre Hill was fired.
Republican United States House Representative from South Carolina
The United Kingdom reports a record 39,237 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Authorities have started culling 56,000 chickens at the farm in Saiki as well as about 67,000 chickens at the farm in Kinokawa.
Russian viral vector vaccine based on human adenovirus
United States (sporadic protests in other countries)
Governor Kay Ivey announces that the statewide mask mandate and stay-at-home order will be extended until January 22.
activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace
This announcement comes after the city reported a record 295 new cases.
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
details of ongoing pandemic in New York City
August 2020 shooting of 3 people in Kenosha, Wisconsin
Michigan surpasses 10,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19.
first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta
Restaurants will only be allowed to offer takeaway service.
President Rodrigo Duterte issues an executive order granting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an emergency use authorization for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines.
Romania begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran.
Prime Minister of Japan from 2020 to 2021
U.S. President-elect Biden's COVID-19 advisory board
The United States announces plans to impose additional tariffs on certain products from France and Germany, particularly aircraft parts, in retaliation to tariffs imposed by the European Union on similar U.S.
ongoing wave of civil unrest against systemic racism in the United States, 2020–2023
California reports 35,468 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. It also reports a record number of hospitalized patients: 2,013, and record number of 2,669 intensive care patients.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signs into law a bill banning the display and sale of Confederate battle flags, Nazi swastikas and other 'symbols of hate' on state-owned property.
Healthcare providers and first responders are among those who will initially receive the vaccine.
West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, a part of the State of Israel Capital, in the status of belligerent occupation, supported by international public law and the High Court of Justice of Israel
representative of the voters to a parliament
He also calls for Congress to amend the bill and increase stimulus checks to Americans earning under $75,000 per year from $600 to $2,000.
form of dishonesty or criminal offense undertaken by a person or organization entrusted with a position of authority, to acquire illicit benefit or abuse power for one's private gain
105 million people in Indonesia go to the polls to choose governors in nine of 34 provinces as well as 37 mayors and 224 district leaders in regencies and cities in 270 regions across the country.
formal accusation that a person has committed a crime
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the country will receive 240,000 doses of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine candidate by the end of the year.
specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Cyprus
The United Kingdom reports a record 35,928 new cases in the past 24 hours.
American multinational financial services corporation
Cyclone Yasa makes landfall in Bua Province, Fiji, at around 6:00 a.m.
66th season of the UEFA club football tournament
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says that it was notified in advance by China of a joint military exercise between China and Russia.
Florida confirms its first new case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom.
Hong Kong political and human rights activist
display of flags used by the Confederate States of America since 1865
supersonic combustion of an explosive material
Riot police detain more than 40 protesters.
Health Minister Ahmed Al-Saidi is one of the first citizens to receive a dose of the vaccine.
spacecraft without people on board, used for robotic spaceflight
National Security Council announces the formation of a "Cyber Unified Coordination Group," based on Presidential Policy Directive 41.
SpaceX Starship (prototype SN8) performs the first-time-ever Belly Flop maneuver landing attempt at the Boca Chica launch site in Texas, following a high-altitude test flight with the mostly expected destruction of the vehicle
capital and largest city of Massachusetts, United States
tariffs imposed during the presidency of Donald Trump
pro-democracy demonstrations and other civil disobedience in Thailand
The move comes shortly after Rudy Giuliani, who met with several Republican lawmakers to discuss supposed election fraud in the 2020 presidential election, tested positive for COVID-19.
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Iran
attempting to improperly influence, alter, or prevent the testimony of witnesses
First Lady of the United States (2017–2021), model, and businesswoman
Following the milestone, the server experienced an increase in traffic, prompting maintenance and the temporary removal of the top section of the "Milestones" page which normally shows the live real time progress report toward upcoming milestones.
COVID-19 Task Force Chief Doni Monardo says that these measures will remain in place until January 8.
An off-duty police officer kills two unarmed neighbors in Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippines after opening fire against them following a dispute.
commercial fishing vessel designed to operate fishing trawls
Nikazd is the fifth journalist to have been killed in Afghanistan in the last two months, and the seventh this year.
The Department of Energy confirms that it has been breached along with other federal government agencies, but says that the country's nuclear weapons arsenal has not been compromised.
municipality in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha, Spain
head of state and head of government of the United States of America
ocean between Europe, Africa and the Americas
had previously threatened to impose wider sanctions on the project if work continued.
An armoured personnel carrier and several police vehicles are also destroyed during the attack, which Afghan officials blame on the Taliban.
The California Department of Public Health issues a stay-at-home order for the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California as part of an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The attackers are shot dead while trying to seize weapons.
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Bolivia
Bhutan's parliament passes a bill decriminalizing homosexuality. The bill will need to be approved by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in order to become law.
China National Space Administration (CNSA) spacecraft Chang'e 5 returns to Earth carrying samples of lunar rocks and soil from the surface of the Moon. The capsule will be airlifted to Beijing for formal opening and the samples will be made available to scientists in other countries, according to the CNSA.
intentional or unintentional release of secure information to an untrusted environment
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Sweden
The chatting app Discord and mobile video game Pokémon Go also go down.
simultaneous citizenship of multiple countries by the same person
It is the first time that the country has reported more than 4,000 daily cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
wife of the President of the United States
Travellers from both areas will now be allowed into the state without needing to quarantine.
negotiation between the United Kingdom and the European Union on their future trade relations
At least one person has died and 227 have been hospitalised by an unidentified illness in Eluru, India.
military formation size, generally subordinate to a squadron in cavalry
bilateral relations between United States and Belarus
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Maharashtra, India
One of the three arrested is the gunman's common-law spouse.
Russian federal state-owned higher education institution
presiding member of the seven-member Swiss Federal Council
The China National Space Administration probe Chang'e 5 lifts off from the surface of the moon as it begins a journey back to Earth after collecting samples of lunar soil.
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (South Korea)
The Houthis are blamed for the attack, but the group has denied responsibility.
Hill's killing was the second police-involved shooting in Columbus, Ohio in weeks, setting off renewed protests against the authorities for excessive use of force.
ethnic group in the Sahel from Senegal, east to Cameroon
consolidated city-county in Davidson County, Tennessee, United States, and the state capital of Tennessee
A review of some recent medical studies shows that memory T cells may play a role in a phenomenon known as cross-reactivity, which researchers found may perhaps give certain people, in some cases, some level of immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 even without them having been exposed to or infected with the virus, or having received a vaccine.
head of state and of government of the U.S. state of Colorado
bilateral relations between the neighboring countries in North America
head of state and government of the Republic of Indonesia
chemical compound; opioid most commonly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects
No gatherings will be allowed between 20:00 and 6:00 each day, and anyone travelling to Northern Ireland must self-isolate for at least 10 days.
Muslim jurist and theologian, generally Sunni
In response, Governor Gretchen Whitmer orders flags to fly at half staff for the next 10 days.
city in Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh, India
Overall deaths in the U.S. for this year are projected to surpass three million mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus making 2020 the deadliest year in U.S. history. The numbers also represent an approximate 15 percent increase compared to the previous year, which is the largest single-year percentage increase since 1918.
AT&T brand of triple-play telecommunications services
Ground warfare branch of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces
Peru temporarily suspends Phase III trials of Sinopharm's vaccine after detecting neurological problems in one of its volunteers. Peru's trials for the vaccine were due to conclude this week, after testing around 12,000 people.
Mexico begins vaccinations with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Northern Ireland enters a six-week lockdown in an effort to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections.
scenario in which the UK leaves the EU without an agreement
evening or entire day before Christmas Day
A previous eruption in May 2018 destroyed hundreds of homes.
American investor, real-estate developer, newspaper publisher, and senior advisor to President Donald Trump
Along with the shelter-in-place, schools in Kanawha County, the county Belle resides in, were closed for Wednesday.
Thailand, including some overseas protests
Swedish politician, Prime Minister of Sweden between 2014–2021
lower house in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Search and rescue operations in the area have been suspended due to strong winds and low temperatures.
overview about the LGBT rights in Switzerland
combat operations and doctrine designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action
lower house of the Spanish legislative branch
Swedish retail chain selling furniture, appliances, and home furnishings
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Algeria
The election is boycotted by the political opposition to President Nicolás Maduro and has been called unfair by international observers.
Unusually high rain fall causes flooding and landslides in Haines, Alaska, United States.
Ontario reports its first two cases of a new SARS-COV-2 variant in a couple from Durham Region with no known travel history, exposure, or high-risk contacts.
In addition, the country also reports 691 new deaths, the highest daily total in nearly a month.
American political consultant and lobbyist (born 1952)
The Article 293 of Laws of the People's Republic of China
Date: 10 December 2012 – present (10 years, 1 month, 2 weeks and 3 days)
71st running of the Formula One World Championship
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
island located along the southern coast of Queensland, Australia
national space program of the People's Republic of China
The United States Department of the Treasury formally labels Switzerland and Vietnam as currency manipulators, accusing them of intervening to limit the rise of their currencies against the U.S. dollar.
Morocco says that the United States "will open a consulate in Western Sahara as part of Morocco’s deal with Israel".
Quebec reports a new single-day record of 2,031 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 149,908.
There are no reported injuries or deaths.
Authorities also agree to extend travel bans to South Africa and the United Kingdom until January 6.
country in Northwestern Europe with territories in the Caribbean
The order will last for the first 100 days that he holds office.
employment of military resources in training for military operations
Vivek Murthy and Jeffrey Zients will lead his administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
state capitol building of the U.S. state of North Dakota
Mayor Bill de Blasio orders people traveling from the United Kingdom to quarantine or face fines due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
most populous metropolitan area in the United States
unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble was due to address a gathering at the stadium.
U.S. civilian intelligence analyst turned Israeli spy
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement
armistice agreement ending the Nagorno-Karabakh war
The Kīlauea volcano on Hawaii erupts, prompting the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency to urge residents to stay indoors.
Russia's primary external intelligence agency
2020 agreement between Israel and Morocco
United States Compact of Free Association: Palau Marshall Islands Micronesia
Brexit controversy affecting the UK-Ireland border
private Danish humanitarian organisation
proposed EU-UK agreement for implementing Brexit
900 Court Street NE, Salem, Oregon, U.S.
The government announces that malls and food and beverage establishments will be closed from December 11 at 06:00 p.m.
The protests came after the body camera footage from a deadly traffic stop was released.
vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021
overseas collectivity of France, island of the Little Antillas
Date: May 26, 2020 – 2023 (2 years, 8 months, 2 weeks and 4 days)
Twelve climbers die during avalanches and blizzards on mountains north of Tehran, Iran.
The Japan Self-Defense Forces are deployed to Asahikawa, Hokkaido, where hospitals are facing shortages of medical staff to treat COVID-19 patients.
The Lagos State Government orders all public and private schools in the state to close until further notice. The government also recommends that all public servants from Grade Level 14 and below, except emergency workers and first responders, work from home for 14 days beginning December 21.
overview of life imprisonment in Germany
the capital city in the northern Tigray Region of Ethiopia
aircraft class designed to engage other aircraft in air-to-air combat
partially reusable orbital launch vehicle by SpaceX
geographic and cultural region; collective term for the Arabic-speaking countries of Asia and Africa, or of Asia only
First Minister Mark Drakeford announces that all non-essential retail, leisure and fitness centres, as well as all hospitality premises will be closed as of December 25.
The European Union also rejects the legitimacy of the election.
sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter
multifaceted business encompassing activities related to buildings and land
result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves
Turkey signs a deal with BioNTech to receive up to 30 million doses of their vaccine.
New York City, New York, United States New York Metropolitan Area (depending on criteria of study)
actions to limit climate change in order to reduce the risks of global warming
101st season of the National Football League (NFL)
polar continent in the Southern Hemisphere
Food and Drug Administration authorizes the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.
The government also recommends that all public servants from Grade Level 14 and below, except emergency workers and first responders, work from home for 14 days beginning December 21.
Ongoing coronavirus pandemic in New Zealand
North American professional ice hockey league
diplomatic relations between Cayman Islands and the United States of America
town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK
Morocco's government announces that they will impose a nationwide curfew from 9:00 p.m.
geopolitical area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China, excluding Special Administrative Regions
The agreement also strengthens political, economic, security, and cultural ties between both nations.
details of ongoing viral outbreak in Iraq
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric says the reports are "alarming".
In court, Zam denied most of the allegations against him and said he was only engaged in "media work".
General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States
The Russian Academy of Sciences says that the woolly rhinoceros was likely 3 or 4 years old when it died by drowning in the river, and could be anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 years old.
National public health agency of South Korea
Responses to the ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in the European Union
hypothetical reunification of North Korea and South Korea into a single state
Restaurants, cafés, non-essential shops, and other venues that serve food, reopen in Northern Ireland after two weeks of lockdown.
body coordinating national security policy
American military forces to defend South Korea
Indian space launch site in Andhra Pradesh
Japan's national aero-space agency as JAXA
A spokesman for the group says he is "following the advice of health authorities and taking precautionary measures".
IDF claims that the damage was due to detonations of ground munitions.
All travellers must show a negative PCR test within 72 hours before entering the country and must have valid health insurance.
capital city of Kharkiv Oblast in eastern Ukraine
2020 police murder of a black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
international tribunal for the Rafic Hariri assassination
Starting from December 21, Panama will reimpose nationwide restrictions by require men and women to carry out holiday shopping on different days.
converting wastewater into an effluent for return to the water cycle
It is the first time in Indonesian history that all candidates who previously ran in a presidential election serve together in the same cabinet.
Ambassador to several Pacific Island nations, for continuing American support to boost relations between both countries.
However, the restrictions will not apply to professional or university sports.
However, children aged 12 years and under are exempted from these requirements.
Iranian authorities execute once-exiled dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam over his online work that helped inspire the 2017–2018 Iranian protests. This comes after the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence on Tuesday.
diagnostic testing for the respiratory illness COVID-19 and the underlying pathogen SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus
Allied Democratic Forces militants kill at least 25 people in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
international treaty on recreational drugs
head of municipal government in Boston, USA
explosive device that gets its destructive force from nuclear reactions
details of ongoing viral outbreak in South Africa
pornographic video sharing website owned by MindGeek
Seven people are killed and seven others injured in a mass stabbing in Kaiyuan, Liaoning, China.
17 fishermen are missing and presumed dead, while two have been rescued.
Officials, however, have not confirmed that the volunteer was the source of the outbreak at the home, where 85 others have also tested positive.
The United States and Nauru sign a trade deal which is expected to provide access to the full range of investment support offered by the United States to the Pacific Island nation.
It is the first time that the country has reported more than 40,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Date: November 17, 2019 – present (3 years and 2 months)
Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017–2023)
The Government imposes a curfew between 00:30 p.m.
December 2020 Afghanistan targeted killings
collective action by people in favor of a cause
the monitoring and observation of peace processes in post-conflict areas
American multinational pharmaceutical corporation
Solar System object whose orbit brings it into proximity with Earth
Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing
event of a storm moving over land after being over water
prefecture-level city in Tibet Autonomous Region, China
Indonesian politician, businessman, and 13th Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
standing body of PRC's National People's Congress
life imprisonment with subsequent preventive detention
incident where some group is killed by another
list of the official reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and the surrounding 2020 Belarusian protests
local time for two weeks beginning tomorrow.
The federal government restricts travel to and from the United Kingdom for 72 hours from tomorrow due to emergence to a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
hospital ward that provides intensive care medicine
Health officials report that at least 26 residents of a retirement home in Mol have died from complications related to COVID-19 since a volunteer dressed as Sinterklaas, who later tested positive for the virus, visited the home on December 5.
rights claimed for women and girls worldwide
This means that all non-essential shops will be closed and a curfew between 9:00 p.m.
The appeals court of the Cayman Islands reduces the prison sentence of Georgia teenager Skylar Mack from 4 months to 2 months.
1858–1947 British colonial rule on the Indian subcontinent
human mortality as a result of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
offices held over time by the head of government of Germany
pandemic in West Virginia, United States
will be in effect in the country on New Year's Eve.
South Korea reports a new record of 950 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 41,736 cases. 928 of the new cases are locally transmitted and more than 70% of these are from the Seoul Capital Area.
It becomes the second Indian state to do so after Maharashtra.
Lufthansa ships 80 tonnes of fresh food to the United Kingdom to prevent shortages amid fears that the lifting of the French blockade of the France–UK border will not prevent shortages in some supermarkets.
Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Portugal
military takeover in the West African country of Mali in August 2020
municipality in the Netherlands, seat of the Dutch government
A helicopter crash in the French Alps, leaves five people dead and another injured.
overview of the use of capital punishment in Pakistan
At least seven people are killed, five of whom were in Glina, one in Petrinja, and one in Žažina.
individual who provides medical treatments and health advice
Anthony Fauci to remain in the White House Coronavirus Task Force and become its chief medical advisor.
Ex President of the National Assembly of Venezuela.
giving up of allegiance to one state for allegiance to another in a manner considered illegitimate by the first state
Bhutan's parliament passes a bill decriminalizing homosexuality.
State legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan
Maharashtra will impose a curfew in Mumbai and other major cities from 11:00 p.m.
The leaders of three of the main armed groups of the Central African Republic announce a coalition for next week's general election, a move that could further increase tensions ahead of the election, where the opposition fears massive voter fraud.
maritime security organization of a particular country
head of state and head of government of Venezuela
attack in which the attacker knows they will die
very tight valley, which is often the product of streamcutting erosion
details of ongoing viral pandemic in Moldova
vaccines that uses the killed version of the germ that causes a disease
2020–2021 transition of the U.S. presidency from Donald Trump to Joe Biden
geometrical figure and ancient religious icon in the cultures of Eurasia (卐 with • on each box) represents peace and harmony.
Western Australia and Queensland have reimposed border restrictions on people travelling from New South Wales.
His lawyers are claiming he did so in self defense.
Singapore bans all long-term passport holders and short-term visitors who had travel history to the United Kingdom within the last 14 days to enter the country beginning tomorrow at 11:59 p.m.
Prime Minister of Australia from 2018 to 2022
Category 5 South Pacific cyclone in 2020
ongoing controversy in the United States
head of state and head of government of Ghana
Manafort was convicted of tax fraud and obstructing an investigation; Stone of lying to Congress; Kushner of tax evasion, campaign finance offences and witness tampering.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government raises its healthcare alert level to the top level for the first time as the number of infections continues to increase.
It is the latest targeted killing of a prominent Afghan figure.
Ministry of Health spokesman Seif al-Badr says troops and the elderly will be prioritized for vaccinations.
In addition, all travellers must quarantine for seven days and take another test after completing their quarantine.
The Spanish government announce the suspension of all flights from Spain to the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow, with the exception of flights for Spanish citizens residents of Spain. This comes a day after a similar suspension was announced by Portugal.
natural, surface vent or fissure usually in a mountainous form
Decriminalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States
Turkey reports a record 193 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 14,129.
ground force component of the Iraqi Armed Forces
administrative division of the Federal Republic of Germany
conflict over the Kashmir region between India, Pakistan and China
An "orange zone", where shops are allowed to open, will be in effect from December 28–30 and on January 4.
United States civil space and aeronautics agency
adoption of children by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons
local time, and the number of people at restaurants will be limited to four per table.
The suspension will begin tomorrow at 11:59 p.m.
Virologist Marc Van Ranst said yesterday that a variant of SARS-COV-2 from the United Kingdom had been found in four cases from a sample of 2,000 analyses in his laboratory.
The New South Wales Northern Beaches outbreak reaches 17 cases, leading to fears of a second wave in the state.
The helicopter was carrying an air rescue crew on a training mission.
December 2020 attack on members of the newly formed Yemeni government at Aden International Airport
company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight
primary national police force in Afghanistan
59th quadrennial U.S. presidential election
preventative and therapeutic medications for COVID-19 infection
The authorities arrested dozens of protesters in Minneapolis as they demanded answers into the fatal police shooting of 23-year-old Dolal Bayle Idd on December 30.
The measure was passed by the National People's Congress Standing Committee.
American politician and activist (born 1941)
An explosion occurs in a recreational vehicle in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., causing structural damage and injuring three people.
Joe Biden, the presumptive president-elect, is officially elected president after securing California's 55 electoral votes and will be inaugurated on January 20.
Pakistan reports its first cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom.
Date: December 28, 2017 – January 7, 2018 (clashes also occurred later in 2018)
Ontario is the first province in Canada to identify a case of this new variant.
President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022
sovereign state in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia
List of members of the twenty-third Knesset
Date: April 15, 2020 – December 25, 2021 (2 years, 9 months, 3 weeks and 6 days)
South Korea bans the launching of propaganda leaflets into North Korea.
overview about the legality of euthanasia
Stranded lorry drivers clash with police in Kent, England, amid frustrations over ongoing delays at the border with France.
American military command stationed in Japan
substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute
pro-democracy demonstrations and other civil disobedience sparked by a proposed extradition bill in Hong Kong
emergency protocol that prevents people or information from leaving an area, usually only initiated by someone in a position of authority
2020–2022 protests following the police murder of George Floyd
The airline says "additional special cargo flights" are planned to meet demand.
viral ongoing pandemic in Washington state, United States
Executive branch of the Armenian government
ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Scotland, United Kingdom
He also said that alcohol will only be sold from 10:00 a.m.
human settlement in United States of America
Date: 27 January 2020 – ongoing (3 years, 2 weeks and 3 days)
one of the six principal organs of the UN, charged with the maintenance of international peace and security
Health Minister Magnus Heunicke announces the expansion of the country's partial lockdown measures to 31 other municipalities, beginning tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.
head of government or prime minister of Ireland
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards attend the event.
psychoactive herb from the Cannabis plant used for medical or recreational purposes
Videos of the violence show glass panels smashed with rods and cars flipped on their side.
The attacker, who is shot dead by police, has been identified as a 22-year-old man inspired by the Islamic State.
area of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use
A carbon monoxide leak kills at least 18 miners at a coal mine in Yongchuan District, Chongqing, China.
An 84-year-old woman becomes the first Austrian to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Medical University of Vienna.
Citizens in Niger head to the polls to elect their President in their first democratic power transfer since the country's independence from France.
bilateral relations between Brazil and United States
Hong Kong political faction in favour of universal suffrage
The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a nine-month high of 631 cases in the last 24 hours, the majority being from the Seoul Capital Area.
head of state of the RSFSR (office established in 1991) and Russia
This comes after Trump called the bill a "disgrace" last week.
county in Florida, United States of America
The armed groups named themselves the Coalition of Patriots for Change and invited other armed groups to join, while urging them to protect the integrity of civilians.
protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland
The country will also move to the highest "Level 4" restrictions beginning December 28, which means that people will be ordered to limit their Christmas gatherings to only two households.
large-scale strategic offensive military operation, usually by forces that had successfully halted the enemy's offensive, while occupying defensive positions
Joseph (December 8, 2020 — December 8, 2021).
List of people granted executive clemency by Donald Trump
The country now has 36,332 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
The balloon propaganda campaigns have been used by North Korean defectors and Korean reunification activists for decades to spread anti-government propaganda, news from the outside world that is restricted in the North, money, food, and USBs containing South Korean media.
Date: 16 September 2014 – present (8 years, 4 months, 1 week and 4 days)
arson attack in Kyoto, Japan on 18 July 2019
time zone, observed in India and Sri Lanka; UTC+05:30
North Macedonia and the United Kingdom sign a Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement to continue preferential trade terms after the end of the UK's Brexit transition period on December 31.
head of state and of government of the U.S. commonwealth of Kentucky
2020 European Medicines Agency cyberattack
This was the largest asteroid to hit Earth since the Kamchatka meteor in 2018, and the largest to fall over land since the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013.
New Year's Eve events, including the sale of fireworks and public consumption of alcohol will be banned.