Portal:Current events/2020 August 4

August 4, 2020 (Tuesday)

Business and economy

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on airlines
- UK-based airline Virgin Atlantic declares itself bankrupt and files for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in New York amid a decline in international flights during the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Beirut explosions
- Several explosions in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, kill more than 70 people, injure more than 4,000 others and send shock waves that damage homes as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) away. Prime Minister Hassan Diab, whose wife and daughter are among the injured, declares Wednesday a national day of mourning. The shockwave was felt in a few nearby countries. (BBC News)
- Finnish diplomats confirm that Finland's Embassy in Beirut, located 2km from the port, has been "destroyed". No Finnish casualties are known at this time, according to Deputy Ambassador Aki Kauppinen. Prime Minister Sanna Marin confirmed the embassy premises have been "badly damaged". (Newsnow Finland)
Heavy rains cause floods and landslides in Gapyeong, South Korea, killing at least 14 people and forcing the evacuation of more than 1,000. The rains have also battered China, Thailand, India and Myanmar. Neighboring North Korea warns of possible floods, while the New Zealand government reports the deaths of three of its citizens in the South Korean floods. (Reuters)
Searchers have located the United States Marine Corps Assault Amphibious Vehicle that sank near San Clemente Island, off the coast of Southern California, on 30 July 2020. Eight Marines and one sailor of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, San Diego County died in the "ship-to-shore" training exercise. Recovery efforts will begin by the end of the week. (NBC San Diego)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
  - The Philippines posts a single-day Southeast Asian record, with 6,352 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, as well as 11 deaths. More than 66,000 people have recovered. (The Straits Times) (Manila Bulletin)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
  - Poland reports a single-day record of 680 new cases in the last 24 hours, as well as six deaths. More than a third are in the southern Silesia region, largely amongst coal miners. (Voice of America)

Law and crime

The Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia, in a unanimous decision, orders former President Álvaro Uribe to be placed under house arrest, claiming he may obstruct justice for his fraud and witness tampering case. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Thai protests
- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asks people "not to create chaos at this time" as protests grow amid demands to rewrite the constitution, dissolve parliament, hold new elections and reform the monarchy. (Reuters)
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa calls his opponents "terrorists" and vows to continue a crackdown on them. In recent days, several opposition members and activists have been arrested and human rights groups allege that security forces are conducting illegal abductions. Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf posted a tweet in favor of the opposition. (Al Jazeera)
The Congress of the Republic of Peru votes 54–37 no confidence against Prime Minister Pedro Cateriano, forcing all 19 government ministers to resign. President Martín Vizcarra has 48 hours to form a new cabinet. (Reuters)