Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports 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.
President of Nepal President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolve the incumbent House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament.
2020 Tarlac shooting 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.
2020 H5N8 outbreak 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.
COVID-19 pandemic 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.
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.
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 been reported in the Netherlands.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
South Korea reports a record 1,097 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 49,665 cases.
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.
The Ministry of Public Health approves the authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in Qatar.
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.
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.
Indonesia reports a record 221 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 19,880.
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.
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.
Amazon announces that they will close the Robbinsville Township facility, also known as the PNE5, after several workers tested positive for COVID-19.
2020 Pacific typhoon season 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.
Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States 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.
Iraqi conflict Eight rockets are fired at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, prompting the activation of C-RAM air defences.
December 2020 Afghanistan targeted killings 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.