Multiple fires devastated Greece’s largest refugee camp, Moria, forcing thousands of asylum seekers to flee. The cause is unclear. The Greek government placed the island of Lesbos, where the camp is located, under a state of emergency, an unnamed official said (Kathimerini).
 
The camp has long drawn criticism for overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, issues refugees on other Greek islands have also faced (NYT). Nonetheless, European Union countries have rejected (BBC) migrant-resettlement proposals in recent years. Authorities must now decide where to house Moria’s more than twelve thousand displaced residents. The EU will finance (Kathimerini) the transfer of unaccompanied children and teenagers to Greece’s mainland.

The Chinese government alleged that four Chinese state media journalists had their homes raided (Reuters) and their electronics confiscated by Australian authorities in June. Chinese academics were reportedly also targeted (FT). The allegations come after Beijing detained an Australian journalist and two others fled China.

China: More than 92 percent (SCMP) of U.S. firms polled by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai said they do not plan to depart China, despite concerns over deteriorating U.S.-China relations. President Donald J. Trump has urged U.S. companies to leave the country.

Afghan First Vice President Amrullah Saleh survived a blast (TOLO) targeting his convoy in Kabul. Ten people were killed and sixteen others injured, according to the Interior Ministry. The Afghan government is preparing for peace talks with the Taliban, which denied responsibility for the attack.
 
Sri Lanka: The country’s navy announced that it extinguished (Reuters) a new blaze on an oil tanker that caught fire off Sri Lanka’s east coast last week. It will tow the ship, which is carrying two million barrels of crude oil, to deeper waters. Officials are looking into environmental damage, including an apparent fuel leak.
 
This CFR timeline looks at ecological disasters involving multinational corporations.

The United States sanctioned two former Lebanese ministers (National), accusing them of corruption and aiding the militant group Hezbollah. U.S. officials urged the exclusion of the two men from the new government Lebanon seeks to form amid its political and economic turmoil.
 
Cairo: The Arab League will meet virtually today (Al Jazeera) to discuss how Palestinians will be affected by the United Arab Emirates’ recent deal to normalize ties with Israel. The two countries will sign the agreement (Jerusalem Post) in Washington, DC, next week.

South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrank an annualized 51 percent in the second quarter, its biggest decline in decades (Business Insider). Africa’s most-developed economy was hit hard by a stringent coronavirus-related lockdown.
 
This CFR Backgrounder looks at how countries are responding to the economic crisis of the pandemic.
 
Zimbabwe: The government announced an immediate ban on mining (Herald) in national parks and most rivers as part of a push to make the extractive industries more environmentally friendly.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has paused phase-three clinical trials (STAT) for a potential vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, after a British participant had a suspected adverse reaction. The vaccine, developed with University of Oxford, has been viewed as a leader (BBC) among other candidates being developed worldwide.
 
This CFR Backgrounder explains what the world is doing to create a COVID-19 vaccine.

The EU said it will send experts to observe and assess (EU) Bolivia’s October general election. It will also provide more than $3 million to support the country’s electoral authority and civil society organizations.
 
CFR’s Paul J. Angelo discusses the alleged fraud in Bolivia’s last presidential election.
 
Venezuela: The five opposition parties that make up Venezuela’s Democratic Alliance announced they will participate (teleSUR) in the country’s December parliamentary election. Opposition leader Juan Guaido has called for a boycott of the election.

The Justice Department filed to defend (Bloomberg) President Trump in a defamation case. It argued that Trump acted within his presidential duties when he accused columnist E. Jean Carroll of lying about him allegedly raping her in the mid-1990s, which prompted her to sue. If the move is approved, taxpayers could be liable for damages in the case.