The UK suffered more than any major European economy during the coronavirus lockdowns, as official figures showed that gross domestic product shrank by a record 20.4 percent in the second quarter of 2020.

Christopher Robin Milne, the son of famed writer A.A. Milne and immortalised in his books Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, was born 100 years ago on August 21, 1920.

U.S. renters and landlords face a dark winter with more than 11 million households – representing some 25 million people – at risk of eviction over the next four months, according to advisory firm Stout Risius Ross.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has named Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate -- the first black woman and Asian American in the role. Once a rival for the top job, Harris became the front-runner for the number two slot.

Turkey has vowed to press ahead with searching for oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, saying it plans to issue new exploration licenses for the area despite an escalating dispute with Greece over drilling rights.

An explosion in the bow section of the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk on August 12, 2000, resulted in the loss of the vessel and 118 crew. An international team led by Mammoet-SMIT recovered the wreck in October 2001.

A Japanese ship that ran aground off Mauritius is leaking tonnes of oil into the ocean – threatening coral reefs and the island’s tourism economy which contributes some 23.8% of gross domstic product.

Hong Kong business tycoon Jimmy Lai has been arrested and his newspaper offices raided by police over allegations of collusion with foreign forces. His case is the most high-profile arrest so far under the new security law imposed by China.

Coronavirus infections among U.S. children grew 40 percent in the last half of July to 338,982 cases, according to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.

Since coming to power in 2017, President Donald Trump has waged a fractious political and economic offensive against China, despite Trump initially calling China’s President Xi Jinping “a very, very good friend of mine.”

Countries and international organisations have lined up to help Lebanon after a massive warehouse explosion obliterated the port area of Beirut, killing at least 154 people and injuring nearly 5,000.

The number of Americans seeking jobless benefits fell by 249,000 last week, but a staggering 31.3 million people were receiving unemployment benefits in July, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

South African researchers plan a trial to see whether convalescent plasma treatment -- plasma from donors who’ve had the coronavirus and developed antibodies -- can be used to treat those who are severely ill with Covid-19.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for a long-awaited Hindu temple at the site of a demolished 16th century mosque in the northern city of Ayodhya.

As Lebanese have expressed anger at the government over what they say was negligence that led to the blast that devastated swaths of Beirut, experts have questioned why explosive material was stored close to the heart of the city.

After a chaotic year of changing release dates, Disney has made the unusual decision to forgo cinemas and release its live-action remake of Mulan on its new streaming service, Disney+, but for an additional fee.

A UN-backed court trying four suspects from the Shi’ite Hezbollah terror group, over the 2005 bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, has postponed its verdict until August 18, following the Beirut’s disaster.

U.S. President Donald Trump is looking to ban TikTok, a social media app known for its quirky short video clips, as distrust for Chinese technology firms continues to grow.

President Donald Trump trails presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in all six of the critical battleground states, according to the latest Real Clear Politics poll of polls.

The number of fires in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest jumped 28 percent in July from a year ago, according to the country’s National Institute for Space Research,threatening a repeat of last year’s destruction of the rainforest.

President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, promise sweeping progress over the next four years. Trump predicts that the U.S. economy will rebound in October and take off like a “rocket ship” in 2021.

The city of Melbourne on Australia’s south coast has brought in drastic lockdown measures to combat a dramatic rise in new coronavirus cases. Around one million workers will have to stay at home.

The U.S. economy shrank at a record 32.9 per cent annual pace in the second quarter. Gross domestic product (GDP) has never shrunk by more than 10 per cent in any quarter since the recession of 1958.

More than half of America’s adult population say they -- or another adult in their home -- have lost employment income, while 35 per cent say they’re expecting their households to earn less over the next month.

The third and final mission to the Red Planet of the month lifted off on July 30. Of the 50 attempts to reach the fourth rock from the sun, more than half of those missions failed. Only NASA has successfully landed and operated probes and rovers on Mars.

NASA successfully launched its fifth Mars rover. The largest and most capable rover NASA has ever sent to Mars will embark on a journey to mine for signs of ancient life, capture high-quality video, and collect rock and soil samples for an eventual return trip to Earth.

The Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England, 400 years ago, carrying a group of settlers, who would later come to be known as the Pilgrim Fathers, to a different life in the New World.

A spate of exceptional heat has spread across the Arctic Circle, triggering record-high temperature readings and putting the region on track to post the lowest-ever sea ice coverage in 2020.

75th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) marks the day Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, which in effect ended the Second World War. Fighting in the Asia-Pacific region took place from Hawaii to North East India.

Britain and the Commonwealth’s principle fighting force, the Fourteenth Army, was one of the most diverse in history -- more than 40 languages were spoken, and all the world’s major religions represented.

The coronavirus pandemic is growing faster than ever worldwide, with almost twice as many countries reporting a spike in new cases over the past two weeks as those reporting significant declines.

The U.S. has more confirmed cases of COVID-19 than any other country according to daily updates from the Johns Hopkins University, at around a quarter of the global total, with fatalities expected to reach between 100,000- 240,000.

Less than one in four people in Japan are in favour of holding next summer’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as scheduled. Concerns are rising as a new wave of infections takes hold, with Tokyo registering record numbers of new cases in recent days.

It takes 270 Electoral College votes to win the U.S. presidency -- a majority of the 538 votes across 50 states and Washington DC. About 45% of the U.S. population lives in 15 leaning and so-called toss-up states.

Heathrow Airport in the UK is deploying virus-killing ultraviolet light cleaning robots in a bid to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission. Cleaning robots are starting to appear in hospitals, hotels, offices, gymnasiums and airports around the world.

EU and non-EU workers will be equally assessed under Britain’s post-Brexit points-based immigration system. An applicant must score at least 70 points to qualify for entry.

Trekkies are in for a treat as U.S. broadcaster CBS rapidly expands the Star Trek science-fiction franchise with seven new shows heading to its network and All Access streaming platform.

Facing economic turmoil wrought by a once-in-a-century pandemic, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is searching for a running mate who will be a full partner in governing from day one.

Guyana, one of South America’s poorest countries could become one of the world’s richest since ExxonMobil discovered oil reserves potentially worth more than $100 billion.

The World Health Organisation has acknowledged “evidence emerging” of the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus, after more than 200 scientists urged the body to update its guidance.

A Japanese supercomputer, voted the world’s fastest, is to use its enormous power to try and identify treatments for Covid-19. The Fugaku supercomputer is already being deployed in the fight against coronavirus.

Anger following George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in the United States has prompted a new look at the slave trade between Africa and the European colonies in the Americas.

Statues of slave traders, imperialists, conquerors and explorers are tumbling across the world in a wave of anger against racism following George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in the United States.

A statue of Robert Milligan, an 18th-century slave trader, has been removed from its plinth in London’s glitzy business district of Canary Wharf -- the latest move against Britain’s historical links to slavery.

Gaming giant Sega is celebrating its 60th anniversary by reviving the 30-year-old Game Gear console, but in microscale – it measures only 8cm wide and features a miniscule 2.92cm screen.

The second quarter-final features German outfit Red Bull Leipzig, appearing in only their ninth European knock-out tie, against three-time finalists Atletico Madrid. The final takes place at the Estadio da Luz on August 23.

The 2020 Stanley Cup features a shortened format due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The top four teams in each conference, plus four qualifying teams, will contest a best-of-seven play-off series, the last of which is the Stanley Cup Finals, contested by the two conference champions.

The remaining eight teams compete in a straight “Final Eight” knock-out tournament to decide the 2020 champions, with Italy’s Atalanta facing Paris St-Germain in the first match in Lisbon.

Starting in the south of France, itself an unusual event, the defining characteristic of the 2020 Tour de France is the inclusion of all five of the country’s mountain ranges, three of which are tackled in the first eight days!

The 2020 PGA Championship is scheduled to go ahead at San Francisco’s TPC Harding Park golf course without spectators after being postponed earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Formula E resumes racing with six races in nine days at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin to decide the winner of the 2019-20 ABB FIA Formula E Championship in three double-headers on August 5-6, 8-9 and 12-13.

Less than one in four people in Japan are in favour of holding next summer’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as scheduled as concerns rise with a new wave of infections taking hold.

The first Tuscan GP takes place at the Ferrari-owned Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello in Italy, marking Ferrari’s 1,000th race since the birth of the World Championship in 1950.

The 75th edition of the Vuelta a España, cycling’s final Grand Tour of the year, will feature more than three weeks of racing and 18 stages, covering a distance of almost 3,000km.

Team Ineos are the team to beat once again, with a lineup including three former winners in Egan Bernal, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas. A total of 22 teams including 19 UCI World Tour teams will take to the start line.

Ten teams line up on the grid for the 2020 Formula One World Championship, commencing with the Austrian Grand Prix and concluding in Italy in September after coronavirus cut-short the season.

The Champions League will resume to decide the last four quarter-finalists before turning to a “final eight” mini-tournament in Portugal from Aug 12-23, concluding with the Final at Benfica’s Stadio de Luz in Lisbon.

Formula E resumes racing with six races in nine days at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin to decide the Championship winner. The historic German airfield will host three double-headers in quick succession, each with a different track configuration.

The ATP Tour resumes for the first time since March at the Citi Open in Washington -- the first of six tennis tournaments that include two Grand Slams and two Masters 1000 events in New York and Rome.

Formula One celebrates its 70th anniversary as the 2020 World Championship gets underway. The starting lights will go up on a delayed season that begins with eight races in Europe. The FIA aims to confirm up to nine further races as the sport recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

Following multiple race postponements due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 MotoGP season now comprises 13 Grands Prix, commencing with the Spain GP in Jerez in July and concluding in Valencia, Spain in November.

The Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme founded the Road Racing World Championship in 1949, staging just six Grands Prix in Europe. Now a global brand with multiple races each year, MotoGP is firmly established as the premier class of motorcycle racing.

The first professional game of rugby union since March kicks off in New Zealand. The new Super Rugby Aotearoa tournament features five home teams and is expected to attract capacity crowds.

World governing body FIFA is proposing to allow up to five substitutions per match when play eventually resumes to protect players from injury and fatigue amid the fixture congestion generated by the coronavirus pandemic.

The draw for the second Nations League tournament pits inaugural champions Portugal against France, Sweden and Croatia, while 2019 runners-up Netherlands face Italy, Bosnia and Poland in their quest to go one better this time.

Eleven teams will be lining up on the grid for the opening MotoGP of the season - currently hoped to be the Catalunya GP in Barcelona - with smaller teams, a skeleton crew and races held behind closed doors

The rescheduled 2020 Tour de France starts in the south and takes in all five of the country’s mountain ranges, three of which, the Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenees, are tackled in the first eight days.