Portal:Current events/2020 November 26

November 26, 2020 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Tigray conflict
- Mekelle offensive
  - The Ethiopian National Defense Force says it will begin a "final phase" of an offensive on the Tigray People's Liberation Front-held city of Mekelle in the Tigray Region, following the expiration of a 72-hour ultimatum for Tigrayan forces to surrender. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed calls on the people of Mekelle to "disarm, stay at home and stay away from military targets" during the military operation. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on The Walt Disney Company
- The Walt Disney Company announces that it plans to lay off 32,000 employees by the end of March 2021, as the pandemic continues to impact its theme parks and resorts. (CNN)
Indian general strike of 2020
- In India, the largest-ever general strike occurs, consisting of an estimated 250,000,000 people. (Business Insider)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    - The government extends the suspension of most scheduled international flights until December 31. However, the restrictions do not apply to International all-cargo flights, Vande Bharat Mission flights, some international flights for which India has travel bubble agreements with other countries, and other flights specifically approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. (The Times of India)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
    - The number of new cases in Iran rises by a record 13,961 over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 908,346 cases. (Mehr News Agency)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - Malaysia imposes mandatory COVID-19 screening for 1.7 million foreign workers due to a high number of cases among these workers. In addition, authorities impose a fine of RM50,000 per worker if employers house their foreign staff in crowded spaces. (The Straits Times)
    - Malaysia reports a single-day record of 2,555 recoveries, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 49,056. (New Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
    - Singapore reports its first community case in more than two weeks. (CNA)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    - The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches an eight-month high of 583 cases, the first time the country has reported more than 500 cases since March 6. The country now has 32,318 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. (Yonhap News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
    - Cluster 5
      - The authorities states that millions of dead mink thrown into mass graves after it was culled have risen from their graves in Denmark, fanning contamination fears. (South China Morning Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia
    - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announces that Croatia will suspend weddings, close cafés and restaurants, and restrict outdoor and public gatherings to 25 people and private gatherings to 10 people between November 28 and December 21 as the country reports a record 4,009 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Croatia Week)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    - Greece surpasses 2,000 total deaths from COVID-19. (The National Herald)
    - Greece extends the nationwide lockdown until December 7 as COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise. (Greek Reporter)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania
    - Lithuania discovers their first case of coronavirus in minks at a farm in Jonava. A worker at the farm also tests positive for COVID-19. (Euronews)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
    - The Netherlands surpasses 500,000 total confirmed cases of COVID-19. (Dutch News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Russia reports a record 25,487 new cases and 524 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 2,187,990 and the total number of deaths to 38,062. (Novaya Gazeta)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
    - Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia test positive for COVID-19. (Expressen)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - Turkey reports a record 174 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 13,014. The country also reports 29,132 cases, including 6,876 symptomatic cases, also a new record since the pandemic began when asymptomatic figures are included. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
    - Ukraine reports a new single-day record of 15,331 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 677,189. (Kyiv Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
    - Quebec reports a new single-day record of 1,448 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 136,894. (CBC)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot says that the company will likely run new trials of their potential vaccine. (Reuters)
Shark finning
- Colombian president Iván Duque Márquez announces a ban on commercial and subsistence fishing of all shark species within Colombian territorial waters. (La FM)

International relations

Australia–Iran relations
- Australian-British academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert is freed by Iran in an apparent prisoner exchange with Australia for three Iranians. Moore-Gilbert had been arrested for espionage. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison calls her release a "miracle". (CNN)

Law and crime

2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt
- A court in Turkey sentences 337 people to life imprisonment, 60 people to other jail terms and acquits 75 people. The defendants were pilots and civilians linked to the Akıncı Air Base near Ankara. (AFP via SCMP)
Christchurch mosque shootings
- A royal commission of inquiry formally presents its report on the March 2019 mass shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, to the government. The report has yet to be made public, a course of action that must be decided by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

2020 Burkinabé general election
- Incumbent president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré is declared victorious in Burkina Faso's latest general election. The voting process was overshadowed by a deteriorating security situation in the northern parts of the country primarily due to islamistic terrorism, resulting in at least one fifth of the country having been unable to participate in the election. (DW)
2020 United States presidential election
- President Donald Trump acknowledges that he will leave the White House on January 20 if the electoral college confirms Joe Biden's victory. (AP)