2020 Tajik presidential election Long-term President Emomali Rakhmon is declared the victor of Tajikistan's latest presidential election with over 90% of the votes.
2020 Philippine House of Representatives leadership crisis A majority of members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines elect Lord Allan Jay Velasco as Speaker of the House of Representatives, unseating incumbent Alan Peter Cayetano amidst the political dispute over the Speakership outside the Session Hall of the Batasang Pambansa Complex. Cayetano declares Velasco's election as "illegal" and maintains that he is the Speaker.
2020 Lithuanian parliamentary election Early data shows the oppositional Homeland Union victorious in the first round of the latest parliamentary election in Lithuania. The second round will be held on October 25.
2020 Belarusian protests The Interior Ministry of Belarus grants the police the authority to use lethal weapons against anti-Lukashenko protesters if needed.
U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic The Michigan Supreme Court announces that it has struck down emergency orders from Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court nomination 21 protesters are arrested in Washington, D.C. during the first day of confirmation hearings for Associate Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
Capital punishment in Bangladesh Bangladesh plans to introduce the death penalty for rape, following days of protests about the country's high level of sexual violence against women.
Mask mandate Circuit Court Judge R. Michael Waterman refuses to block the mask mandate order by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.
COVID-19 pandemic Johnson & Johnson has paused the Phase III trials of its COVID-19 vaccine because of an unexplained illness in one of the volunteers.
Indonesia aims to start administering COVID-19 vaccines early next month, according to the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs. Sinopharm and G42 Healthcare will supply five million doses starting next month, CanSino Biologics will supply 100,000 doses that same time, and Sinovac will supply three million doses of CoronaVac by December. All three vaccines are currently in Phase III trials in various countries.
Four members of the Vatican Swiss Guard test positive for COVID-19, becoming the first positive cases since June.
Russia says that it has started vaccine trials for their Gam-COVID-Vac Sputnik V vaccine in the United Arab Emirates. The announcement comes after President Vladimir Putin had a phone call with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
To prevent the fast spread of COVID-19, which is among the highest in Europe, Health Minister Roman Prymula announces on Twitter that the Czech government has ordered bars, restaurants, and clubs closed between October 14 and November 3, and most schools must shift to distance learning. In addition, public gatherings will also be restricted to six people, alcohol consumption in public spaces is banned, and masks are required at public transport stops.
Minister of Finances Èric Jover tests positive for COVID-19 and becomes the first Andorran high-profile politician to get infected.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveils a new three-tier restrictions system aimed to simplify the range of different restrictions already in place across various parts of England. The Local COVID Alert Levels ("medium", "high", and "very high") will be implemented in different areas depending on local infection rates.
Authorities in Qingdao say that they will test the entire population of more than nine million people for COVID-19 in the next five days, after new cases appeared linked to Qingdao Chest Hospital, which was treating people confirmed with the disease after returning from overseas.
For the second day in a row, Iran reports a single day record high of 272 new COVID-19 fatalities as, at the same time, the country registers 4,206 new cases in the last 24 hours, the highest number since start of the pandemic.
It is announced that all of Sabah will put under Conditional Movement Control Order between tomorrow at 12:01 a.m. local time and October 26. Under these restrictions, only two people per household will be allowed to go out to buy necessities. In addition, schools, public parks, recreational centers, tahfiz centers, and others will be closed.
Following a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia, the federal government announces that Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya will be put under a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). The tightened restrictions will be enforced between October 14 and October 27.
Dr. Sean Conley reports that U.S. President Donald Trump has tested negative for COVID-19 on consecutive days. Conley also said the President was no longer a risk of spreading the virus to others.
Power failure A massive power failure in Mumbai, India, believed to be caused by an issue with the main power grid receiving electricity, leaves millions of people without power and brings the city's rail lines to a standstill. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray orders an investigation into the cause.
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel goes to Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson “for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats.”
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation British Airways CEO Álex Cruz is fired as the airline struggles with both reduced passengers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and heavy criticisms from labour unions and MPs for massive firings and large pay cuts. Sean Doyle, CEO of Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus, immediately assumes his position.
War in Afghanistan A highway is closed and power is shut off in parts of Helmand Province amidst brutal fighting in which 71 Taliban fighters have been killed and the deputy shadow governor of Helmand, Mawlawi Ghafoor, has been arrested. The governor's office says that Ghafoor was recently released as part of peace negotiations.