Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam used her emergency powers (SCMP) to push the city’s September 6 legislative elections back by a year, dealing a further blow to pro-democracy forces in the city. She cited the challenges of safely conducting a poll amid the coronavirus, which has recently surged (CNBC) in Hong Kong. Beijing supported the postponement, Lam said, and will decide how to handle the legal and constitutional questions it has created.
 
Hong Kong’s opposition hoped to capture additional seats (AP) in the elections, the first since Beijing imposed a much-criticized national security law that has sharply curtailed autonomy. Yesterday, twelve opposition candidates who opposed the law were barred from running in the election, sparking international outrage. In a statement, lawmakers from several advanced democracies said (IPAC) the disqualification of candidates and expected election postponement “raise further concerns about the erosion of rights and freedoms in the city.”

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg unveiled a plan (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) that could force Facebook, Google, and other digital platforms to pay Australian media for their content. Australia is the first country to draft such a law, which comes as traditional news outlets lose revenue to big tech companies, whose profits continue to soar amid the pandemic.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ordered the release (TOLO) of five hundred Taliban prisoners and is considering the release of an additional four hundred prisoners. Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesperson announced that it completed the release of one thousand prisoners, fulfilling an obligation under a February deal with the United States. A three-day cease-fire between the government and the Taliban began today (Al Jazeera).
 
This CFR Backgrounder explains the peace process in Afghanistan.
 
Pakistan: The U.S. State Department demanded justice (RFE/RL) for a U.S. citizen killed in a Peshawar courtroom while on trial for claiming to be an Islamic prophet. It called on Pakistan to reform its controversial blasphemy laws.

Iraq’s government said it will compensate the families (Al-Monitor) of 560 protesters and security force members killed amid anti-government protests that began in October. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s administration also announced the arrests of three security force members found to have shot into a crowd of protesters on Sunday.
 
Yemen: After months of international pressure, Yemen’s Houthi rebels released six members (National) of the Baha’i faith. Human rights activists say Baha’is in Yemen are often unlawfully incarcerated for their beliefs.

Authorities mobilized hundreds of security forces today in anticipation of expected anticorruption protests (Guardian). President Emmerson Mnangagwa has accused protesters of working with international backers to overthrow the government, echoing charges common under ousted Prime Minister Robert Mugabe.
 
Ivory Coast: Defense Minister Hamed Bakayoko has been named prime minister (Reuters), the presidency said. He succeeds former Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who unexpectedly died earlier this month. Candidates for the country’s October presidential election remain uncertain, as Coulibaly was expected to run on behalf of the ruling party.

The eurozone’s gross domestic product (GDP) plummeted (FT) a record-setting 12.1 percent in the second quarter of 2020 due to the pandemic. The decline was greatest in Spain, where GDP tumbled 18.5 percent, according to preliminary estimates, obliterating seven years of growth.
 
This CFR Backgrounder looks at how countries are responding to the economic crisis.
 
EU: The bloc unleashed a raft of sanctions (Politico), including freezing assets and blocking travel, against China-, Russia-, and North Korea–linked hackers believed to have carried out cyberattacks on European Union countries. Brussels has never before imposed sanctions for cyberattacks.

Appearing before a House of Commons committee, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denied (CBC) having a conflict of interest when he participated in discussions about choosing a charity with ties to his family to administrate a student grant program. He said he slowed the approval process for the $900 million program so the public service would have more time to review it.
 
Chile: More than three million people sought to withdraw (Reuters) part of their pensions after a coronavirus-relief law took effect. The emergency measure, opposed by President Sebastian Pinera’s government, has already improved economic projections as analysts anticipate an upswing in consumer spending.

President Donald J. Trump proposed delaying (NYT) the November 3 election over concerns that universal mail-in voting could cause election fraud, triggering widespread pushback, even among Republicans. Trump’s suggestion comes as the country struggles under the weight of a surging coronavirus caseload, mass anti-racism protests, and a record-setting economic slump that could worsen with Congress locked over stimulus measures.