Portal:Current events/January 2020

January 2020 was the first month of that leap year. The month, which began on a Wednesday, ended on a Friday after 31 days. It was the first month of the 2020s decade, and it was also the first month of the COVID-19 outbreak, which was declared a public health emergency by World Health Organization on January 30, 2020.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from January 2020.

January 1, 2020 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Attack on the United States embassy in Baghdad
- Supporters of Iraqi paramilitaries withdraw from the American embassy in Baghdad after being ordered to by the Popular Mobilization Forces, stating the "message has been heard". (Reuters)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present), Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- The Houthis release six Saudi prisoners as part of a United Nations-mediated deal struck last month. All six arrive in Riyadh later the same day. (Reuters)
- The secessionist Southern Transitional Council pulls out of committees working to implement a November agreement that would have placed them in the national cabinet and put their forces under government control. The council claims it was in response to an outbreak of violence in the Shabwah Governorate allegedly caused by their rival, the Al-Islah party. (Reuters)
The Taliban kills 23 security force members in three separate attacks in three different Afghani provinces. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- An additional three deaths have been confirmed on the New South Wales South Coast while another man has been killed in Victoria's East Gippsland region. (News)
2020 Jakarta floods
- At least 21 people are killed and over 19,000 displaced as flash floods hit the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. (BBC News)
The United States Coast Guard searches for five missing crew members after a fishing vessel sinks near Kodiak, Alaska. Two other crew members are rescued. (NBC News)
A fire at Krefeld Zoo, NRW, Germany, kills over 30 animals. (BBC News)

Health and environment

Palau becomes the first country in the world to ban sun cream that is harmful to corals and sea life. The ban comes into effect immediately after an announcement by President Thomas Remengesau Jr. (BBC News)

International relations

North Korea–United States relations, North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says his nation will be "developing a new strategic weapon" in the near future, after the United States misses a year-end deadline for a restart of denuclearization talks. (Reuters)
China–Indonesia relations, Spratly Islands dispute
- The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejects an earlier statement by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang that China had territorial claims to the Spratly Islands as part of the Nine-Dash Line, stating it "[has] no legal basis and have never been recognized by the UNCLOS 1982". Indonesia had recalled its ambassador to China two days earlier after a Chinese coastguard vessel trespassed in its waters. (Reuters)

Law and crime

At least 16 inmates are killed and five others injured in a riot that breaks out at a prison in Zacatecas, Mexico. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2019 Guinea-Bissau presidential election
- Former Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló is declared the winner of the country's presidential elections. However, his direct rival Domingos Simões Pereira says he will challenge the results in court. (Reuters)
Investigations involving Benjamin Netanyahu
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces he will seek immunity from his corruption cases. As the Knesset is currently deadlocked, they will likely not come to a decision until after the next election. (Reuters)
Politics of Switzerland
- Simonetta Sommaruga is sworn in as President of the Swiss Confederation for second time. (Xinhua News Agency)
Politics of Austria
- Austria's left-wing Green Party agrees to form a coalition with the ruling right-wing People's Party. This will be the first time the Green Party is part of a ruling government in the country. (BBC News)

January 2, 2020 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Second Libyan Civil War
- The Turkish Grand National Assembly votes 325–184 to send troops to help the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord in Libya. (Al Jazeera)
American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021), Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present), Aftermath of the Attack on the United States embassy in Baghdad
- A missile strike hits a convoy near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq, killing Iranian Major general Qasem Soleimani and Popular Mobilization Forces leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. (TRT World)

Disasters and accidents

The Swedish Royal Court confirms that Princess Estelle of Sweden, second-in-line to the Swedish throne, is injured in a skiing accident in the Alps where the Crown Princess Family is on vacation. (Royal Central)
2020 New Taipei helicopter crash
- A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying 13 people crashes in New Taipei, Taiwan. Eight people are killed, including the Chief of the General Staff Shen Yi-ming, the head of the Republic of China Armed Forces. (The Guardian)
2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian declares a state of emergency for seven days starting on January 3. (News)
- An elderly woman dies of suffocation while leaving a Brisbane, Queensland-originated Qantas plane at Canberra Airport. Canberra's air quality had been reported as the worst in the world because of heavy smoke from the bushfires in New South Wales. (News)
- A second person is confirmed dead in the East Gippsland region of Victoria as thousands of people are evacuated from Mallacoota by sea. State premier Daniel Andrews has declared a state of disaster in six government areas. 17 people remain missing. (News)
A military plane crashes shortly after takeoff from an airport in Sudan's West Darfur, killing the 18 people on board. (BBC News)

International relations

China–United Kingdom relations
- China temporarily suspends plans to cross-link companies on the London and Shanghai Stock Exchange due to increased political tensions between the two nations, particularly Britain's stance on the Hong Kong protests. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Lebanese justice minister says he has received an arrest warrant from Interpol against former Chairman of Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, who escaped house arrest in Japan and fled to Lebanon days ago. (The Washington Post)

Politics and elections

2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro drops out of the presidential race. (NPR)
Italy's ruling Five Star Movement expels Senator Gianluigi Paragone from its ranks over disciplinary issues, shrinking the coalition's majority in the Senate to five. (Reuters)

January 3, 2020 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present), American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021), Aftermath of the Attack on the United States embassy in Baghdad, Assassination of Qasem Soleimani
- Popular Mobilization Forces spokesman Ahmed Al Asadi confirms the death of Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani in an airstrike, blaming Israel and the United States. (The Economic Times)
- United States officials say "strikes have been carried out against two targets linked to Iran in Baghdad". (Reuters)
- In response to the death of Qasem Soleimani, U.S. President Donald Trump tweets an image of an American flag. He later defends the airstrike, claiming Soleimani "was both hated and feared" in Iran and "should have been taken out many years ago." (The Hill) (NBC News)
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says Soleimani and Muhandis were "martyred" in an attack by U.S. helicopters. Anonymous security sources cited by AFP say the attack killed at least eight people. The Iraqi military says three rockets hit the airport and two cars exploded. (New Straits Times)
- The secretary of the Iranian Expediency Discernment Council, former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohsen Rezaee, tweets that "vigorous revenge against America" will be pursued following the assassination of Soleimani. Iranian state television cuts all broadcasts, replacing them with prayers for Soleimani. (Reuters) (The Raw Story)
- Brigadier-General Esmail Ghaani is appointed as the new commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, replacing Qassem Soleimani. (Newsweek)
- The Supreme Leader of Iran Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declares three days of national mourning in Iran. (Tehran Times)
- The United States sends over 3,000 more US soldiers to the Middle East as tensions with Iran heighten. (NBC News)
- Homeland security warns of potential attacks from Iranian backed militias or any other potential threat. Police been put on high alert due to such threats. (CNN)
2020 Taji road airstrike
- An airstrike hits a Popular Mobilization Forces convoy near camp Taji, destroying two vehicles, killing six militia members and critically injuring three others, according to an Iraqi Army source. (Reuters)
Boko Haram insurgency
- The death toll of an attack that occurred on 22 December 2019 rises from 14 to 50 after more bodies are found in Lake Chad. (BBC News)
Communal conflicts in Nigeria
- Gunmen kill 19 in Kogi State of Nigeria. A church, a school and other buildings are torched. (Al Jazeera)
A man stabs three people in Villejuif, Île-de-France, killing one person and wounding two others. The attacker is shot dead by police. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Jakarta floods
- The death toll of the floods in Jakarta, Indonesia, that started two days ago rises to 43. (BBC News)
A Harbin Y-12 light transport aircraft crashes near Haputale, Sri Lanka. All four people on board, members of the Sri Lanka Air Force, are killed. (Ada Derana)

Law and crime

2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis, Trial of Catalonia independence leaders
- The Spanish Central Electoral Bureau ceases in the position of deputy to Quim Torra, and therefore, also that of President of the Generalitat of Catalonia in compliance with the non-definitive conviction of the Catalan High Court of Justice. At the same time, withdraws immunity as MEP to jailed Oriol Junqueras that recognized the European Court of Justice on 19 December 2019. (South China Morning Post)
- This decision prompts protests in Barcelona. Torra, in a special press conference after the meeting of Catalan cabinet, calls the decision "a coup d'état against Catalan institutions" while an extraordinary session of the Catalan Parliament is summoned for 4 January. (Yahoo! News)

January 4, 2020 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present), American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021), Aftermath of the Attack on the United States embassy in Baghdad, 2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike
- Militants fire rockets at Iraqi bases supporting U.S. personnel, nearly hitting the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. (Financial Times)
- U.S. president Donald Trump vows to target 52 sites significant to Iranians and Iranian culture if Iran "strikes any Americans or American assets." (Politico) (Al Jazeera)
- Anti-war protests organized by Act Now to Stop War and End Racism and Code Pink break out in cities across the United States following the killing of Qasem Soleimani. Demonstrations are also held in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada. (Axios) (The New York Times)
Insurgency in the Maghreb
- A roadside bomb strikes a bus in Toeni Department of Burkina Faso, killing fourteen people, including students on their way to school. (BBC News)
Second Libyan Civil War
- An airstrike at a military academy in Tripoli, Libya, kills at least 28 cadets and injures dozens more, according to the Government of National Accord. The BBC cites reports saying the attack could be attributed to the Libyan National Army. (BBC News)

Arts and culture

Tens of thousands of mourners, among them Iraqi prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, attend a funeral procession in Baghdad, Iraq, for those killed in a United States airstrike—among them Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Quds Force and at least five others. The bodies are then brought to Karbala and Najaf, where Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and the other Iraqis killed are to be buried. (CNN International) (Reuters)

Business and economy

The Nicolás Maduro government announces that Venezuela will sell some of its oil and gold to fund its petro cryptocurrency. (Yahoo! Finance)

Disasters and accidents

2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- Two people are confirmed dead from bushfires on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. (News)
- New records for the highest recorded temperature are set in Greater Sydney (48.9 °C (120.0 °F) at Penrith) and Canberra (44 °C (111 °F)). (The Guardian)
Four people are killed when a Mooney M20 plane crashes shortly after takeoff near the island of Lifou, New Caledonia. (Radio New Zealand)
A plane crashes near Santa Clarita, California, killing the pilot. (CNN)

January 5, 2020 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Camp Simba attack
- An attack by Al-Shabaab militants on an airfield used by Kenyan and U.S. troops in Lamu County, Kenya, is repelled, leaving four militants dead and five arrested. (Fox News)
- Three Americans are confirmed to have been killed in the attack, a serviceman and two contractors. (CNN) (BBC News)
In Metz, Grand Est, France, an assailant shouting "Allahu Akbar" attempts to stab police officers with a knife before being shot and injured. (Reuters)
American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021)
- United States Central Command releases a CJTF-OIR statement announcing that it "has paused" operations against ISIL in order to concentrate on protecting their troops at bases in Iraq. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- A bushfire leads to the residents of Eden, New South Wales, to evacuate. (ABC News and Current Affairs)
In the early hours of the morning, a car crashes into a group of German tourists in Luttach, Italy, killing six people and injuring 11 others. The driver was reportedly drunk and is charged with murder. (Bangkok Post)
Thirty-six people are killed and others injured after a building under construction collapses in Kep, Cambodia. (Reuters)
A vehicle pile-up involving multiple semi-trucks and a tour bus on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, U.S. leaves five dead and 60 injured. (Fox News)

Law and crime

Japan says it will tighten immigration measures after the escape of former Chairman of Nissan Carlos Ghosn from the country. The Japanese government condemns Ghosn's escape as "unjustifiable". (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
2019–20 Hong Kong protests
- Thousands of protesters march in the Sheung Shui neighborhood; dozens are arrested. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election
- Elected deputies in Venezuela vote for a President of the National Assembly, who may be able to claim the nation's Presidency. (Miami Herald)
- Despite trying to enter and vote, self-declared interim president Juan Guaidó is denied entry to the Assembly. Dissident opposition politician Luis Parra is sworn in as National Assembly president after an impromptu vote. Opposition supporters call it a "parliamentary coup"; the United States denounce a "farce". State broadcasters label Parra as the new speaker of parliament. (BBC News) (Reuters)
In a session boycotted by most Sunni Arab and Kurdish representatives, the Council of Representatives of Iraq accepts a resolution to expel U.S. troops from Iraq. (Reuters)
U.S. President Donald Trump threatens Iraq—if the U.S. would be required to leave the country—with a bill for a "very extraordinarily expensive" air base and also with sanctions that would "make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame". (Reuters)
After the United States kills Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in the 2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike, Iran's parliament votes to exit the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with world powers. This comes after the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018. (MSN)
2019–20 Croatian presidential election
- The runoff election for the Croatian Presidency is held today, with incumbent Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović facing former Prime Minister Zoran Milanović. (Euronews)
- Milanović is elected. Grabar-Kitarović pledges a "civilised transfer" of power. (The Guardian)
2019–20 Uzbek parliamentary election
- A repeat vote is held in 25 electoral districts in the second round of the latest parliamentary election in Uzbekistan. (TASS)
Politics of Israel
- Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu announces appointments at several ministries he had to drop following his indictment for corruption. David Bitan, who is under suspicion of accepting bribes, is appointed as Minister of Agriculture. (Ynet)
People in Pakistan protest in Karachi over the U.S. killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general Qasem Soleimani. (Reuters)

January 6, 2020 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Second Libyan Civil War
- The Libyan National Army says it has captured Sirte and the Al-Qardabiya airbase. (The Guardian)
2020 Gamboru bombing
- At least 30 people are killed in Gamboru, Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria after an improvised explosive device detonates at a market on a bridge. No group immediately took responsibility. (Reuters)
Mali War
- Five soldiers are killed after their vehicle hit a roadside bomb while traveling in the Alatona region. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

Funerals of Qasem Soleimani
- A funeral service for Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian Quds Force commander who was slain in a targeted killing in Baghdad last week, is attended by hundreds of thousands of people in Tehran, Iran. (NPR) (Axios)

Business and economy

American retailer Pier 1 Imports announces it will close 450 stores and some distribution centers, and may soon file for bankruptcy. (CNN Business)

Disasters and accidents

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Puerto Rico, causing small landslides, power outages, and severely cracking some homes. (Associated Press)
A German tourist critically injured in the crash yesterday in Luttach, Italy, dies from her injuries, bringing the death toll to seven. (The Garden Island)

Law and crime

A court in the United Kingdom sentences 36-year-old Indonesian national Reynhard Sinaga to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting at least 48 young men in Manchester. Sinaga was convicted of a total of 159 sex offences, and is said to be Britain's most prolific serial rapist. (BBC News) (Reuters)
Police shoot dead a Turkish man who tried to attack officers with a knife in the city of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Police say a search of the man's flat later did not suggest a terrorist motive and that he was mentally ill. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

Politics of the Marshall Islands
- David Kabua is elected President of the Marshall Islands by the national legislature. He succeeds Hilda Heine, who was seeking a second term, but lost in the first session vote. (Radio New Zealand)

January 7, 2020 (Tuesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Terrorism in Kenya
- Four children are killed in an al-Shabaab attack at a primary school in Garissa County, Kenya. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

Funeral of Qasem Soleimani
- A stampede occurs during the funeral of Qasem Soleimani in his hometown of Kerman. Iranian state-affiliated media say at least 56 people are killed and 213 more are injured. (CBC News)
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes Puerto Rico, killing one and injuring nine others (NBC News)
An avalanche at a ski resort in Kellogg, Idaho, United States, kills two people and injures five others. (NPR)

Arts and culture

Neil Peart dies from glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, in his home in Santa Monica, California. He had been diagnosed three years earlier but had kept details secret until his family officially announced his death on January 10, 2020. (Rolling Stone)

International relations

Iran–United States relations
- Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly formally designates the United States Department of Defense as a "terrorist organization" in response to the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani in a targeted killing in Baghdad, Iraq. Under the newly adopted bill, all United States Armed Forces personnel and Pentagon employees are "considered terrorists." (Xinhua News Agency) (CNA)
- Germany announces a partial withdrawal of the Bundeswehr troops positioned in Iraq, citing security concerns. (Deutsche Welle)
- Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance announces that some of its military personnel in Iraq will be moved to neighboring Kuwait over safety reasons. (Reuters)
- Kosovo Police arrest Ikballe Berisha Huduti, the founder of a now defunct Islamic organization called Kur'ani, in Pristina following an order from the prosecution after she was accused of inciting terrorist acts for social media comments against the United States over the death of Qasem Soleimani. (Reuters) (The New York Times)
North Korea–South Korea relations
- South Korean President Moon Jae-in says there is a "desperate need" for practical ways to improve ties with North Korea and says he is ready to meet repeatedly with Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang if necessary. (Reuters)
Foreign relations of Argentina, 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
- The government of Argentina says it will not recognize Juan Guaidó as President of Venezuela, and instead as the leader of the opposition in the country, and revokes the credentials of Guaidó's representative in Argentina. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Japan issues an arrest warrant for former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn's wife Carole for allegedly lying during testimony. (Reuters)
January 2019 Lincoln Memorial confrontation
- CNN settles a defamation lawsuit for an undisclosed amount. (Yahoo! News)

Politics and elections

November 2019 Spanish general election
- After a year of political deadlock, incumbent Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez is sworn in thanks to the support of left-wing parties and regional nationalists. He will form the first coalition government in the democratic era, with Podemos and its leader Pablo Iglesias Turrión as Second Deputy Prime Minister. (BBC News)

January 8, 2020 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2020 Iranian attack on U.S. forces in Iraq
- Iran begins Operation Martyr Soleimani, launching ballistic missiles at several United States Armed Forces facilities in Iraq, including Al Asad Airbase. (ABC News)
- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issues a statement warning regional countries not to allow the United States military to launch attacks on Iran from their territory or they "will be targeted". (Associated Press)
- In response to Iranian missile attacks on U.S. forces, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bans all U.S. commercial flights from operating in airspace over Iraq, Iran, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. (The Jerusalem Post)
- Due to heightened tensions, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe cancels his scheduled trips to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and convenes a National Security Council meeting, likely to discuss Iran's attack on U.S. forces based in Iraq. (The New York Times)
- U.S. President Donald Trump announces new sanctions against Iran in response to the attack. (USA Today)
Somali Civil War
- An Al-Shabaab car bombing kills six people and injures 12 others at an army checkpoint near Somalia's parliament in Mogadishu. (Bloomberg News)
Syrian Civil War
- A car bomb kills four Turkish soldiers when a vehicle explodes at a checkpoint during a road check in northeastern Syria. (Arab News)

Arts and culture

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announce their plan to "step back as 'senior' members" of the British royal family. Buckingham Palace says discussions on the intended new role are "at an early stage". (United Press International)

Business and economy

Tesla, Inc. reports a stock market capitalization of US$88 billion in response to strong performances in the third- and fourth-quarter, surpassing General Motors and Ford Motor Company to become the most valuable automobile company in North America. (Reuters) (Business Insider)
The heads of state of Turkey, Russia, Serbia and Bulgaria formally inaugurate the TurkStream gas pipelines. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752
- A Boeing 737-800 crashes while taking off from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, killing all 176 people on board. The incident, which took place amid the 2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis, is under investigation. (NPR)

International relations

Norway agrees to take in 600 refugees from Rwanda who were previously evacuated from Libyan detention camps. Rwanda last September signed an agreement with the United Nations to take in asylum seekers from Libya while their status was being processed, to cut down on human trafficking in the Mediterranean. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Aftermath of the Sagamihara stabbings
- The trial of Satoshi Uematsu, a young Japanese man who admitted to stabbing 19 disabled people to death at a care center in 2016, begins. The rampage ranks among the country's worst mass killings. His lawyer is expected to enter a plea of not guilty on grounds of diminished capacity. Uematsu will be handed a sentence on March 16 and could receive the death penalty. (CNA)
One person is shot dead and three seriously wounded in a shooting near Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Police believe the shooting was targeted. (Reuters)

Science and technology

Kuwaitian state news agency KUNA says its official Twitter account was hacked after it spread a fake news report that the United States Army would withdraw from Camp Arifjan within three days. (Haaretz)
List of fast radio bursts
- Scientists announce through the journal Nature the discovery of a repeating fast radio burst known as FRB 180916 coming from a nearby spiral galaxy around 500 million light years from Earth. It is the second repeating FRB to have been localized. (The Independent)

January 9, 2020 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Battle of Chinagodrar
- Islamist militants kill over 25 Nigerien soldiers in an attack on an army base in Tillabéri Region, Niger. 63 militants are also killed in the ensuing shootout. (The Punch) (Reuters)
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752
- U.S., Canadian, British and Iraqi officials say they believe the plane crash near Tehran in which 176 were killed yesterday was likely caused accidentally by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile, while Iran says it was due to "mechanical failure". (Newsweek) (NPR) (Reuters)
- The New York Times releases a verified video obtained from an Iranian citizen showing the plane being struck by what appears to be a surface-to-air missile. (The New York Times)
- In a news conference, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it's "too early to draw definitive conclusions" that the downing of the plane was an "act of war". Trudeau also condemns Iran's attack on U.S. bases in Iraq. (National Post)

Disasters and accidents

A bus crashes in Iran's Mazandaran Province, killing at least 20 passengers and injuring 24 others. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Judge Ghassan Ouiedat, a Lebanese prosecutor, imposes a travel ban on former Chairman of Nissan Carlos Ghosn after he was summoned over an Interpol warrant issued by Japan seeking his arrest on financial misconduct charges. (Reuters)
Trial of Catalonia independence leaders
- The Spanish Supreme Court revokes the immunity of jailed Oriol Junqueras declared by the European Court of Justice in a sentence on 19 December. This happens after the board of European Parliament recognized the former Vice President of Catalonia as a MEP since 3 July and was elected president of the Greens–European Free Alliance parliamentary group. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Brexit
- The United Kingdom House of Commons votes 330–231 to pass the Withdrawal Agreement Bill authorizing the country’s departure from the European Union at the end of the month. (Associated Press)

January 10, 2020 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752
- After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggests the plane was downed by an Iranian missile, Iranian authorities reject this theory. Iranian civil aviation chief says he is "certain" the plane was not hit by a missile, still asserting the cause was "mechanical failure". (BBC News)
January 2020 Quetta bombing
- A bombing claimed by the Islamic State at a mosque in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, kills at least 15 people and injures 18 others, three days after a motorcycle bombing in the city killed two. (The New York Times)

International relations

Iraq–United States relations, Iran–Iraq relations
- Iraqi cleric and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemns both the United States and Iran over the escalation of conflict in Iraq, saying it shows blatant disregard for Iraqi sovereignty and the suffering of the Iraqi people. (Reuters)

Law and crime

An 11-year-old student opens fire at his school in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, killing a teacher and wounding six others before committing suicide. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- Thousands of people protest in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, calling for the resignation or ouster of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, accusing him of negligence over the Australian bushfires. (News)
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- Author and self-help guru Marianne Williamson drops out of the U.S. presidential race. (The New York Times)
The Tunisian Parliament votes 134 to 72 to reject a cabinet proposed by Prime Minister-designate Habib Jemli. President Kais Saied has 10 days to select someone else to build a new government. (Reuters)
Death of Qaboos bin Said al Said
- Omani state television announces the death of the Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said al Said aged 79. At the time of his death he was the longest serving head of state in the Middle East and Arab world. (Reuters)
- The high military council of Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces calls on the Omani royal family to convene to name a successor to the late sultan within three days. A three-day period of national mourning is declared. (The Guardian)

January 11, 2020 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, 2019–20 Iranian protests
- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps admits it mistakenly shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane as it took off from Tehran, killing all 176 aboard. (ABC News)
- Vigils in Iran that were held for the victims subsequently turn into protests. According to Twitter videos, hundreds of protesters in Tehran call for the resignation of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
- The British ambassador to Iran, Robert Macaire, is arrested during anti-government protests, after attending a vigil and then, according to BBC, getting his hair cut. According to Tasnim News Agency he was arrested "on suspicion of organising, provoking and directing radical actions". U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab states the arrest is in "flagrant violation" of international law. More than an hour later, Macaire is released from custody. (The Guardian)
Libyan peace process
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel announces she will hold peace talks in Berlin to help end the Second Libyan Civil War. Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Government of National Accord leader Fayez al-Sarraj express support for the peace initiative. (Reuters)
- Forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar say they accept a ceasefire starting on 12 January, conditional on their rivals' acceptance. (Reuters)
Iraqi protests (2019–present)
- Hundreds walk the street in mourning after popular journalist Ahmad Abdessamad and his cameraman were killed by unidentified gunmen the night before. (France 24)
War in Afghanistan
- Two United States troops are killed and another two troops injured by a roadside bomb. The Taliban later claim responsibility. (Reuters) (CBS News)
Battle of Chinagodrar
- The death toll from the attack on Niger's armed forces on Thursday rises to over 89 Niger soldiers. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

Winter Storm Isaiah brings widespread heavy snowfall and freezing rain to the midwestern and southern United States, killing at least 12 people. (Associated Press)

International relations

North Korea–United States relations
- After U.S. President Donald Trump sends birthday wishes to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea state media says that "although Chairman Kim Jong-un has good personal feelings about President Trump, they are, in the true sense of the word, 'personal'", and that it is not enough to resume denuclearization talks. It further stated that the country would not be led on the basis of Kim's feelings. (Reuters) (BBC News)
United Kingdom–United States relations, Death of Harry Dunn
- The U.S. State Department rejects an extradition request from the Home Office for the unlawful killing of Harry Dunn, describing it as "highly inappropriate" and "establish[ing] an extraordinarily troubling precedent". (BBC News)
Saudi Arabia–United States relations
- More than a dozen Saudi military cadets are to be expelled from the United States, following a review by the Department of Defense in the aftermath of a shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola last month by a Royal Saudi Air Force member. (CNN)

Politics and elections

2020 Taiwanese presidential election, 2020 Taiwanese legislative election
- Taiwanese voters head to the polls to elect a president and a new session to the Legislative Yuan. Incumbent pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen defeats anti-independence challenger Han Kuo-yu in a landslide victory by more than 20%. (South China Morning Post)
- The governing Democratic Progressive Party retains its majority in the Yuan, albeit with fewer seats. Most of the seats lost are taken by third parties instead of the KMT. (Taiwan News)
Oman names Haitham bin Tariq al-Said as its new head of state after the death of Sultan Qaboos. (CNN International)
Politics of Northern Ireland, Executive of the 6th Northern Ireland Assembly
- Following a deal brokered by the British and Irish governments, the Northern Ireland Executive is restored with Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster as First Minister and Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O'Neill as deputy First Minister, ending three years of political deadlock. The previous government had collapsed in 2017 as the result of a renewable energy scandal involving Foster. (Euronews)
Thousands of protestors march in Warsaw against a controversial law proposed by the Sejm that would allow the Polish government to discipline judges that question their reform policies. Critics say the law would undermine the independence of the judiciary, and risks Poland's membership in the European Union. (Reuters)

January 12, 2020 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Four Iraqi soldiers are wounded when mortar shells strike Balad Air Base, 40 miles (64 km) north of Baghdad, which houses U.S. military personnel. The mortars struck the runway inside the base. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Taal Volcano eruption
- The Taal Volcano in southern Luzon, Philippines, spews an ash plume that measures approximately 10 to 15 kilometres (6.2 to 9.3 mi). The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology designates a "level 4" alert level, indicating "an imminent hazardous eruption". (The Guardian)
The government of the Canadian province of Ontario apologizes for issuing a false alert about an incident at a nuclear plant near Toronto and blames a training exercise mistake. Angry local mayors demand an inquiry, saying the emergency message about the ageing Pickering Nuclear Generating Station has caused unnecessary distress. (Reuters)

International relations

Japan–Saudi Arabia relations
- Japanese PM Shinzō Abe arrives in Saudi Arabia in his first visit to the Middle East, where he expects to mediate between the United States and Iran amid heightening tensions. (The Japan Times)

Politics and elections

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, 2019–20 Iranian protests
- Protests continue for a second day despite a large deployment of security forces. (BBC News)
The Gambia warns ousted leader Yahya Jammeh not to return to the country, saying his safety cannot be guaranteed if he returns without permission, a government spokesman says. A spokesman for Jammeh's party says he could arrive back at any time from exile in Equatorial Guinea. (BBC News)
2019 Malta political crisis
- Robert Abela wins the Partit Laburista leadership election, succeeding Joseph Muscat as Prime Minister after Muscat's resignation. (BBC News) (CNN International)

Science and technology

Chinese espionage in the United States
- The U.S. Department of the Interior halts its civilian drone program indefinitely out of concerns that China manufactured the fleet via the SZ DJI Technology Company for espionage. (Reuters)

January 13, 2020 (Monday)

Arts and culture

92nd Academy Awards
- The nominees for this year’s Academy Awards are announced. Joker receives 11 nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Director, the most out of those nominated. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Business and economy

The Competition Commission of India launches an antitrust probe into Flipkart and the Indian subsidy of Amazon, alleging that they were promoting certain sellers at the expense of smaller merchants. (Reuters)
Raphael Bostic, President of the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, says in a speech that he, as a member of the Federal Reserve Board is inclined to keep interest rates at their present, very low, levels. Any evidence of overborrowing or volatility will have to be "systemic" for him to change his mind. (Reuters)
China–United States trade war
- The U.S. Department of the Treasury de-lists China as a currency manipulator. (Reuters)
Visa Inc. purchases financial technology firm Plaid for US$5.3 billion, after it and Mastercard each invested US$250 million into the company last year. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A sinkhole swallows a bus and several pedestrians on a busy street in Xining, China, killing six people and leaving 16 others injured. According to state media, the sinkhole stretches nearly 10m (32 feet) in diameter. (BBC News)

International relations

Libyan peace process
- Representatives of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) and General Khalifa Haftar's rival Libyan National Army (LNA) reach a ceasefire agreement after talks in Moscow between warring factions in Libya, also attended by Russian and Turkish officials. The preliminary agreement was signed by GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj, while Haftar plans to sign it the next day. (RT)
Saudi Arabia–United States relations, aftermath of the Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting
- The United States expels 21 Royal Saudi Air Force cadets. Amid an investigation into the Saudi Arabian military following the attack on Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, the cadets were found to have jihadist material and child pornography on their phones. However, none of the cadets are believed to have assisted the gunman in the attack. (BBC News)

Law and crime

The Lahore High Court, in Punjab, Pakistan, says the death sentence verdict against former ruler Pervez Musharraf last month is unconstitutional, casting into doubt the legitimacy of the verdict. (Reuters)
Murder of Ján Kuciak
- A suspect accepts guilt for having killed the investigative journalist and his fiancée. (CBC News)
Crime in China
- After a standoff, police in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia shoot and kill a hostage taker who had taken three hostages with a homemade gun. The case comes less than a year after five were killed in a shooting in Inner Mongolia, and the case is under investigation. (South China Morning Post)

Politics and elections

2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- New Jersey Senator Cory Booker drops out of the U.S. presidential race. (NBC News)

Science and technology

Presolar grains
- Analysis of a meteorite found in Australia in 1969 reveals stardust formed 5 to 7 billion years ago, older than Earth's 4.6 billion year-old sun, making the meteor and its stardust the oldest solid material ever discovered on Earth. (MSN)
Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting
- Apple says it is helping authorities in the Pensacola shooting investigation but refuses to unlock their phones. (BuzzFeed News)

Sports

Houston Astros sign stealing scandal
- Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A. J. Hinch are suspended by Major League Baseball for the entire 2020 season after the league concludes its investigation into the team's illegal use of technology to steal signs during the team's championship 2017 season. They are also fired by the organization. (ESPN)
2020 College Football Playoff National Championship
- In American football, LSU defeats Clemson to win the national championship. (NBC News)

January 14, 2020 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Security forces block roads leading to intelligence buildings in Sudan as gunfire is heard in the capital Khartoum. (Reuters)
Battle of Chinagodrar
- ISIL claims responsibility for the attack in Chinagodrar, Tillabéri Region, Niger, that killed at least 89 Nigerien soldiers. (Reuters)

Business and economy

The United Kingdom bans the use of credit cards to make bets both for online and offline gambling, including the purchase of lottery tickets. The only exception to the ban is the purchase of lottery tickets in face-to-face transactions. The Gambling Commission says the ban will come into effect on April 14. (Reuters)
In India, economic slowdown has adversely impacted employment generation in the country, as nearly 1,600,000 fewer jobs are projected to be created in FY20 compared to 8,970,000 fresh jobs in FY19. (The Economic Times)

Disasters and accidents

At least 57 people are killed and others are missing after avalanches in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir over the last 24 hours, senior government officials say. In Indian-administered Kashmir, at least 10 are killed. (Reuters)
Chemical Industries of Ethylene Oxide explosion
- An explosion at a chemical plant in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, kills two members of staff and another man 3 km away. Seven other people are injured. (BBC News)
Delta Air Lines Flight 89
- At least 44 people, including twenty elementary school children, are injured after Delta Flight 89, bound for Shanghai, dumped jet fuel over Los Angeles before making an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport. None of the reported injuries required hospitalization. (Time) (USA Today)

International relations

Foreign relations of Tonga
- Tonga pays an outstanding fee in order not to lose its voting rights at the United Nations General Assembly. Tonga was among seven countries suspended last week for not paying their assessed contributions. (Radio New Zealand)
Libyan peace process
- General Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), refuses to sign a ceasefire agreement after talks in Moscow brokered by Russia and Turkey yesterday with Government of National Accord leader Fayez al-Sarraj. He says that the deal "ignores many of the Libyan army's demands". (Al Jazeera)
Indonesia–Thailand relations
- Thai Army Chief Apirat Kongsompong and his Indonesian counterpart Andika Perkasa sign an intelligence-sharing agreement aimed at combating the insurgency in Thailand’s southern provinces. (CNA)

Law and crime

After the conviction of serial rapist Reynhard Sinaga, Mohammad Idris, the mayor of Depok, West Java, Indonesia, says he plans to raid the local LGBT community and is condemned by human rights activists. (Reuters)
American rapper Jay-Z and his philanthropic organization Team Roc file a federal lawsuit against Mississippi Department of Corrections commissioner Pelicia E. Hall and Mississippi State Penitentiary superintendent Marshal Turner over the abusive and neglectful treatment of their prisoners, which they claim has led to the deaths of at least three people. (NBC News) (BBC News)

Politics and Elections

Politics of Guatemala
- Alejandro Giammattei takes the oath of office as President of Guatemala for the next four years. Also 160 new members of Congress are installed for a new parliamentary period of four years. (Reuters)
Politics of South Korea
- The National Assembly of South Korea elects and sworns in Chung Sye-kyun as Prime Minister, succeeding Lee Nak-yeon. (Yonhap News Agency)

Science and technology

Microsoft officially ends support for the Windows 7 operating system. Microsoft says its Windows 7 users can still use their computers, but warns they will be at "greater risk for viruses and malware". (CNN Business)

January 15, 2020 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Aftermath of the Sudanese Revolution
- The Sudanese Armed Forces says it has quelled a mutiny by soldiers loyal to ousted President Omar al-Bashir in the capital Khartoum. Former Director of the National Intelligence and Security Service Salah Gosh is accused of orchestrating the mutiny, which left two troops dead. His current whereabouts are unknown. (BBC News)

Arts and culture

The Vatican appoints Francesca Di Giovanni undersecretary for multilateral affairs in the Secretariat of State, the first woman to hold a management position in this office. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

Winter Storm Jacob makes landfall over the Pacific Northwest, bringing high winds and up to 22 inches (56 cm) of snow to the Olympic Peninsula and forcing widespread road closures and transport cancellations. (The Weather Channel)

International relations

Egypt–Turkey relations
- Turkey summons its chargé d'affaires to Egypt after accusing the Egyptian security forces of raiding the Cairo offices of the state-run Anadolu News Agency and arresting four of its employees. (Reuters)
Japan–North Korea relations
- North Korean state media condemn Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe for his attempts to reform the pacifist Japanese constitution. The state media say that "in the event of a constitutional revision, which gives [Japan's] self-defense forces legitimacy, the Japanese reactionaries will have all the preconditions necessary to realize military aggression overseas". (United Press International)
China–United States trade war
- In a meeting at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He sign "Phase 1" of a new trade deal in which the U.S. will relax some of the tariffs imposed on Chinese imports while China agreed to buy more American products. Both sides also agree to not impose new tariffs. (NPR)

Politics and elections

The Russian government of Dmitry Medvedev's Second Cabinet resigns after President Vladimir Putin delivers the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly, in which he proposed several amendments to the constitution. Putin accepts the resignation. Medvedev says the constitutional changes would "significantly change Russia's balance of power". (The Independent) (BBC News)
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis nominates Council of State president Aikaterini Sakellaropoulou to be President of Greece. If approved, she will be the first female president in Greek history. (Reuters)
The Virginia House of Delegates votes to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment decades after its deadline passed. As the amendment nonetheless now has enough states for it to be fully adopted, legal scholars are divided on whether this means the Constitution of the United States has been amended. (NPR)

January 16, 2020 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

The American-led coalition issues a statement saying that 11 U.S. service members were injured by the January 8, 2020 attack by Iran on U.S. forces in Iraq. The U.S. Department of Defense had initially assessed that there had been no injuries. (CNN)

Arts and culture

LGBT rights in South Korea
- In a landmark case, the South Korean military is set to decide on the first transgender soldier's possible discharge. The soldier underwent surgery overseas and is stationed in Gyeonggi Province. The case sparks a national debate on LGBT issues in the military, which punishes sex between two males with up to two years imprisonment. (Reuters)

Business and economy

The U.S. Senate votes 89–10 to pass the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement. Once ratified by Canada, it will supersede the North America Free Trade Agreement. (Reuters)
Alphabet Inc., parent company of Google, becomes the fourth American company to hit a stock market capitalization of US$1 trillion. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Winter Storm Jacob continues to move eastwards across the northern United States, bringing up to 26 inches (66 cm) of snowfall from Montana to Idaho and Utah and down into the Sierra Nevada of California. (The Weather Channel)

International relations

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei cuts ties with the government of disputed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and closes Guatemala's embassy in Caracas. (Reuters)

Law and crime

After his escape from Japan, Carlos Ghosn's Japanese lawyer Junichiro Hironaka and seven other members of his defense resign. Hironaka says Ghosn's escape was a "complete surprise". (CNN Business)
The bodies of seven people are found in a mass grave in the indigenous Ngäbe-Buglé region of Panama. Authorities believe a religious sect performed an exorcism on the victims. Police rescued 15 people who had suffered bodily injuries. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

Mikhail Mishustin is appointed as new Prime Minister of Russia. (The New York Times)

January 17, 2020 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2019–2021 Iraqi protests
- At least two people are killed and dozens injured after Iraqi security forces fire upon protesters at Sinak bridge in central Baghdad. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

Icelandic fishing company Samherji announces it will cease operations in Namibia. The company was embroiled in a bribery scandal there that resulted in the resignation of Namibian Fisheries Minister Bernhardt Esau and Justice Minister Sacky Shanghala, as well as the arrest of two employees of South African banking corporation Investec. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Winter Storm Jacob
- An avalanche at the Squaw Valley Ski Resort in northern California, host site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, kills one person and seriously injures another. (The Weather Channel)
- Widespread snowfall and freezing rain across the Midwest leads to travel disruption. At Kansas City International Airport, a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 passenger jet slides off the taxiway in icy conditions, while rare snowfall was recorded on the Texas Panhandle. (WABC-TV)

Law and crime

Politics of Lesotho
- Prime Minister Tom Thabane announces his forthcoming resignation after an arrest warrant is issued for his current wife, first lady Maesiah Thabane, who is wanted in connection for the 2017 murder of Thabane's estranged wife, Lipolelo Thabane. (The Sowetan)
Crime in China
- A man is sentenced to death for murdering a doctor in Beijing on New Year's Eve. The murder was the latest in a string of attacks on medical staff in China by angry relatives blaming them for the lack of medical resources and services. (AsiaOne)
Killing of the Haynie family
- A 16-year-old boy, identified as Colin Haynie, shoots his parents and three younger siblings in their home in Grantsville, Utah, killing all but his father, who then apprehended him at the scene. The familicide was the deadliest mass shooting in Utah in 13 years. (USA Today)

Politics and elections

Brazilian federal government secretary of culture, Roberto Alvim, is dismissed after the broadcast of a video where he announces a new national prize on culture. In the video, Alvim seems to paraphrase a speech by Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Germany's Reichsminister of Propaganda. (The Guardian)
Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk submits his resignation after an audio clip of him allegedly criticizing President Volodymyr Zelensky’s economic policies was leaked earlier this week. Zelensky subsequently announces that Honcharuk is allowed to keep his position. (Reuters)
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 protests
- At a Friday sermon by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, his first in eight years, he defends the Revolutionary Guards’ accidental killing of passengers onboard Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 and praises Operation Martyr Soleimani for giving a “slap on the face” to the United States. His sermon comes as public anger mounts against the government for their handling of Flight 752. (Al Jazeera)
Protesters squat an oil terminal in the eastern Libyan town of Zuwetina at the request of tribal leaders, who claim that the Government of National Accord is using oil revenue to pay for foreign fighters, a reference to Turkey's sending of troops and arms in support of the GNA. The protesters are swiftly condemned by the state-owned National Oil Corporation. (Reuters)

January 18, 2020 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi says that the government rejects the proposed "reduction in violence" by the Taliban as an "ambiguous term with no legal or military parameters". On Friday, the Taliban proposed a ten-day truce and to hold follow-up discussions with Afghan government officials. (Al Jazeera)
Yemen Civil War (2015–present)
- 2020 Ma'rib attack
  - Eighty military personnel are killed by ballistic missiles and drone strikes in an attack reportedly carried out by the Houthis against a military camp in the Yemeni city of Ma'rib, according to Saudi state TV. The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attack. (BBC News)
Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- 2020 Afgooye bombing
  - An al-Shabaab car bombing kills four people and injures at least 20 others near Afgooye, Lower Shabelle, Somalia. (Al Arabiya)

Arts and culture

Megxit
- Officials within Buckingham Palace announced that effective around Q2 2020, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex will retain, but will no longer publicly use, the style His/Her Royal Highness, and will no longer receive public funds for royal duties. (BBC News)
- The couple will also repay £2.4 million of public money spent on renovating Frogmore Cottage. (RTÉ News and Current Affairs)
- The couple will keep their titles as Duke and Duchess of Sussex. While Prince Harry will lose all his military appointments, he will remain a prince. (Sky News)

Disasters and accidents

Winter Storm Jacob
- A historic blizzard strikes Atlantic Canada, with St. John's in Newfoundland worst affected – over 30 inches (76 cm) of snow fell during the day, breaking the city's all-time daily snowfall record. 21,000 homes are without power and one person is missing. (The Weather Channel)
- High winds and heavy snowfall impact the Midwest and mid-Atlantic states of the United States, with the heaviest snowfall recorded in Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit. (The Weather Channel)

International relations

Seoul-based NK News reports that North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho has been replaced. His successor is expected to be publicly announced next Thursday. (Reuters)

January 19, 2020 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

The Philippines military announce that they have launched search and rescue operations for five Indonesian fishermen kidnapped by militants belonging to the ISIL-linked Abu Sayyaf group in Malaysian waters last week in Sabah. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Storm Gloria
- The tenth named storm of the 2019–20 European windstorm season makes landfall in northern Spain, killing at least 13 people. Heavy rainfall leads to widespread flooding, while high winds and coastal storm surges cause further damage. (BBC News)
- Several people have died from hypothermia after heavy snowfall and high winds combined to bring historic blizzards over higher ground of mainland Spain. Local meteorologists have described Gloria as the worst storm to impact the region in 38 years. (BBC News)

International relations

India–Malaysia relations
- Indian trade minister Piyush Goyal states when he attends the World Economic Forum next week, he will not meet with his Malaysian counterpart Darell Leiking to discuss India's tightening of palm oil imports from his country. India tightened imports from Malaysia last week in response to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's criticisms of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and the Citizenship Amendment Act. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Crime in Hawaii
- A man facing eviction shoots three police officers, killing two, then sets a house on fire, which spreads to four nearby houses, in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. He is presumed dead in the fire. (Hawaii News Now)
Crime in Kansas City, Missouri
- Two people (including the perpetrator) were killed and fifteen others were injured during a shooting at a nightclub in Kansas City, Missouri. (WDAF-TV)

Politics and elections

2020 Comorian legislative election
- Citizens of Comoros cast their votes in the country's latest legislative election which is boycotted by opposition parties. (Al Jazeera)

January 20, 2020 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency
- A Boko Haram female suicide bomber kills at least nine civilians in Kaiga-Kindjiria, western Chad. Two other civilians are injured. (TRT World)
Yemen Civil War (2015–present)
- 2020 Ma'rib attack
  - The death toll from the drone and missile attack on a mosque in a military training camp in Ma'rib, Yemen, has risen to 116. (BBC News)
2019–2021 Iraqi protests
- Four protesters and two police officers are killed during clashes in Baghdad. (Reuters)
A former special police officer and two militants are killed during a gun battle with Indian troops in the region of Jammu and Kashmir. (Reuters)

Health and environment

Phase-out of plastic bags
- China's National Development and Reform Commission announces that single-use plastic bags will be banned in major cities by the end of the year, and then nationwide by 2022. (BBC News)
COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China
  - Chinese premier Li Keqiang has urged decisive and effective efforts to prevent and control the epidemic. (China Daily)
  - The National Health Commission of China reports a third death from coronavirus, the number of infected having increased by 136 during the weekend. The report comes as authorities confirmed that the virus spread from Wuhan to major cities, including Shenzhen, Beijing, and Hong Kong. (South China Morning Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
  - A case of Chinese coronavirus is also confirmed in South Korea. (Yonhap News Agency)
The fifth-ever case of Brazilian hemorrhagic fever, caused by the Sabiá virus, is reported in São Paulo, Brazil. The patient visited at least three hospitals in three different cities before the diagnosis was established; contact tracing is underway. (Outbreak News Today)
Malaysia ships back 3,737 metric tonnes of illegally-imported plastic waste to 13 countries as Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin declares that the country "[will] not become the garbage dump of the world". (BBC News)

International relations

International recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
- Bolivia withdraws its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as an independent nation, and cuts ties with the ruling Polisario Front. (The North Africa Post)

Law and crime

Trial of Catalan police leaders
- The trial against the Mossos d'Esquadra leadership begins in the National Audience for the role of the regional police in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and the 2017–18 constitutional crisis. Then-Major of the Mossos Josep Lluís Trapero, Pere Soler and Cèsar Puig face 11 years of imprisonment for rebellion, while Teresa Laplana is accused of sedition, facing four years of imprisonment. (The New York Times) (The Oklahoman)
2020 VCDL Lobby Day
- Thousands of protesters gather in Richmond to protest tighter gun laws in the U.S. state of Virginia. (BBC News)
Crime in Florida
- A man is arrested for a series of 40 rapes in the Miami, Florida, United States area in the 1980s. (Miami Herald)

Politics and elections

The draft law on making amendments to 14 articles of the Constitution of Russia was presented by the working group in only five days. The same day Russian President Vladimir Putin formally submitted a bill on amendments to the lower house of parliament. (Meduza) (Yahoo! News) (TASS)

January 21, 2020 (Tuesday)

Arts and culture

The United Kingdom and United States governments announce they have agreed to protect the wreckage of the RMS Titanic. The agreement, signed by the British government in 2003, has come into effect after being ratified by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. An official also says the UK will work with Canada and France to bring "even more protection" to the wreckage. (BBC News)
Rock musician Ozzy Osbourne announces that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. (ABC News)

Business and economy

Gold Fields Ltd, a South African mining company, has hired an investment bank, RBC Capital Markets, to help it sell 30% of its gold project in northern Chile. (Reuters)
Boeing 737 MAX groundings
- After having announced it the previous month, Boeing temporarily stops production of the new 737 MAX planes. Already produced ones will remain grounded an additional month until June or July. (CNN) (NPR)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state)
  - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces the first U.S. case of novel coronavirus in Snohomish County, Washington. (The Washington Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
  - The Centers for Disease Control for Taiwan announces that the first case of novel coronavirus was identified at Taoyuan International Airport. (The Wall Street Journal)
- North Korea reportedly bans foreign tourists and closes the China–North Korea border to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

Ukraine–United Kingdom relations
- Ukraine demands the United Kingdom's National Counter Terrorism Policing Network remove the country's Tryzub coat of arms from a guide on hate symbols associated with white supremacy and Neo-Nazism. Counter Terrorism Policing says the coat of arms was included due to its use by National Action, a proscribed far-right terror group. (BBC News)

Law and crime

Two judicial sources announce that the trial of seven Cameroonian soldiers has begun for the killing of two women and two children in July 2018, in a case that sparked international outcry. Six of the soldiers admit to the charges, but say they were given the order to open fire. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Labour Party leadership election
- Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips drops out of the UK Labour Party leadership race. (BBC News)
2019–20 Lebanese protests
- Lebanon forms a new government with former American University of Beirut professor Hassan Diab as its Prime Minister, ending a three-month deadlock. Protestors subsequently march on Parliament to protest the new government. (Al Jazeera)
The 2020 United States census begins, with Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham visiting Toksook Bay, Alaska, to meet with indigenous leaders and distribute census materials to residents. (BBC News)

January 22, 2020 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Second Libyan Civil War
- Mitiga International Airport, the only functioning airport in Libya's capital Tripoli, closes and a flight from Tunisia is diverted after forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar fire rockets toward the airport. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Elliott Management, a prominent hedge fund, has sold all its shares in the Hyundai Motor Group of South Korea. It had long quarreled with Hyundai's management, demanding more generous dividend pay-outs. Their departure from the shareholder ranks is likely welcomed by Hyundai executives. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Police in the Solomon Islands launch search operations to find nine people from a capsized boat near Isabel Province. Five men, two women and two children were on board. (RNZ)
A small plane crashes shortly after takeoff from Corona Municipal Airport in California, killing all four on board. (CNN)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China
  - Chinese authorities quarantine the entire city of Wuhan to prevent the further spread of the novel coronavirus as the death toll rises to 17. Nobody in the city will be able to leave starting from 10 a.m. local time on January 23, and all public transport in the city is suspended. (The Guardian)

International relations

UN special rapporteurs Agnès Callamard and David Kaye demand an investigation into claims made by The Guardian yesterday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered the 2018 hacking of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos's phone. The hack was allegedly done months before the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, who was employed at Bezos's newspaper The Washington Post and was a fierce critic of the Saudi government. The Saudi Foreign Ministry dismisses the allegations as "absurd". (Reuters)
Libyan peace process
- Algeria announces it will host a meeting with foreign ministers from six North and sub-Saharan African nations, all of whom share a border with Libya, following the Berlin peace summit to help strengthen support for a tentative peace deal to end the Second Libyan Civil War. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

List of mass shootings in the United States in 2020
- Eight people are shot, one fatally, following a dispute outside a McDonald's in downtown Seattle, Washington. (The Seattle Times)
LGBT rights in South Korea
- A South Korean transgender soldier says she will sue the armed forces after it discharged her. The soldier, Byun Hui-su, says she will take her claim "until the end, to the Supreme Court". (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Impeachment trial of Donald Trump
- The United States Senate hears opening statements in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. (The Washington Post) (The Washington Post via dpaste) (The Washington Post via archive.ph)
Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez is confirmed to have dengue fever amid a nationwide pandemic. (Reuters)
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio resigns as leader of the ruling Five Star Movement, as polls show the party losing support ahead of a regional election in Emilia-Romagna next Sunday. (BBC News)
Brexit
- The European Union Withdrawal Agreement Bill passes the House of Lords and is now awaiting royal assent to become law, finalizing the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020. (BBC News)

Science and technology

The Seattle metropolitan area becomes the first place in the United States to allow vote by smartphone, which they authorized for a board of supervisors election in King County, Washington on February 11. (NPR)

Sports

The NFL's Oakland Raiders officially relocate to Las Vegas, and are now known as the Las Vegas Raiders. (Business Insider) (USA Today)

January 23, 2020 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War and Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
- The Russian Ministry of Defence says that hundreds of rebels stormed Syrian Army positions in Idlib Governorate, the ensuing fighting left 50 rebels dead and 90 wounded while government forces reported 40 dead and 80 wounded. A military source cited by Syrian state news agency SANA says the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists used various weapons such as car bombs, under an "intensive fire cover". (Reuters via Al Arabiya) (SANA) (BBC News)

Arts and culture

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advances the Doomsday Clock to 100 seconds before midnight, citing the threats to human survival posed by nuclear proliferation, climate change and "cyber-based disinformation." This is the closest to midnight that the clock has been since the project began in 1947. (BBC News)

Business and economy

Malaysian agriculture giant FGV Holdings Berhad announces it will increase its sugar imports from India from 88,000 tonnes to 133,000 in an attempt to resolve the palm oil trade dispute between the two nations. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- A C-130 water bomber crashes in southern New South Wales, Australia, while helping control a bushfire. Three American firefighters are killed. (ABC News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- The death toll from the new coronavirus rises to 25 and 830 confirmed cases in China as four more Chinese cities, Huanggang, Ezhou, Chibi and Zhijiang are to be placed under quarantine. The total number of people under quarantine is now over 20 million people. (BBC News) (Business Insider)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
  - Singapore confirms its first case of new coronavirus, a 66-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan who was travelling with his family. (Channel NewsAsia)

International relations

Heads of state and dignitaries from around the world attend the fifth World Holocaust Forum at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp and to address the resurgence of antisemitism worldwide. (The Washington Post)

Law and crime

The International Court of Justice orders Myanmar to protect the Rohingya population from atrocities. The Gambia had brought a lawsuit before the court over charges of genocide. (Reuters)
A judicial source close to former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn says that Lebanon and Japan will have 40 days to decide whether he will be extradited back to Japan or stand trial in Lebanon. (Reuters via Al Arabiya)

Politics and elections

Brexit
- The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 is given royal assent in the United Kingdom, formally making the bill law. (Vox)

January 24, 2020 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2019–2021 Iraqi protests, American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021)
- Hundreds of thousands march in Baghdad to protest the presence of the United States in Iraq. (CNN)

Business and economy

Indonesia agrees to increase its imports of buffalo meat, automobiles, and sugar from India in exchange for an increase in imports of Indonesian-produced palm oil, amid a growing trade dispute between India and Malaysia. (Times of India) (Yahoo! Finance)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Houston explosion
- Two people are killed and 18 injured in a warehouse explosion in Houston, Texas, United States. (Associated Press)
2020 Elazığ earthquake
- 41 people were killed and more than 1,600 were injured in an earthquake centered near Elazığ in Eastern Anatolia. (BBC News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on The Walt Disney Company
  - Shanghai Disney Resort temporarily closes ahead of the Lunar New Year "in response to the prevention and control of the disease outbreak." (AFP via GMA News Online)
The Cook Islands Ministry of Health issues an edict mandating that all expatriate workers receive MMR vaccines, or risk losing their permits. (Cook Islands News)

International relations

Iran–Saudi Arabia relations
- Responding to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's comments that Iran is "open to dialogue with its neighbors", Saudi Arabia's Adel al-Jubeir blames Iran for recent tensions in the Middle East and for attacks on ships and oil facilities; which Iran denies. (CNBC)
Censorship in Singapore, Malaysia–Singapore relations
- Malaysian human rights advocacy group Lawyers for Liberty sues Singaporean Home Minister K. Shanmugam in Malaysian High Court after his office invoked the country's anti-fake news law to censor the group's criticisms of the death penalty there. The plaintiff argues that the move represents "an attempt by Singapore to encroach upon, stifle or crack down on freedom of speech in Malaysia". (South China Morning Post)
Morocco–Spain relations
- The foreign ministries of Spain and Morocco announce they will hold talks to resolve a dispute over territorial water rights in the North Atlantic, caused by the Moroccan parliament passing two laws that extended its claims to the coast of Western Sahara earlier this week. Spain expressed concerns that these laws would encroach on its claims near the Canary Islands. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2020 Rot am See shooting
- Six people are killed and two others wounded when a man opens fire on his family members in Rot am See, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The mass shooter's parents are among the dead. (ABC News)
LGBT rights in Mauritania
- Police detain a gay couple in Nouakchott after a video purportedly of them marrying in a secret location emerges, in what is considered to be the first major prosecution of its kind in recent years. The attendees in the video were also detained. (North African Post)

January 25, 2020 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Two women, one of them pregnant, are killed and seven others are injured when artillery hits a Rohingya village in Rakhine State. The locals blame Myanmar's armed forces. The armed forces deny responsibility and blame the Arakan Army, and say the artillery hit the village amid ethnic clashes. (Reuters)
2019–2021 Iraqi protests
- Iraqi security forces raid a protest site in Baghdad and try to remove protesters in southern cities, firing tear gas and live bullets, killing four and wounding dozens more. The raid comes after Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to withdraw. (Reuters)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping holds a special Party Politburo meeting where he says that the country faces a "grave situation" as he warns the virus is "accelerating its speed". (People's Daily)
- The United States orders the evacuation of the Consulate General of the United States, Wuhan employees and U.S. citizens in the city. (The New York Times)

Science and technology

The Boeing 777X completes its first test flight near Seattle, Washington, United States, after two delayed attempts. (CNN)

January 26, 2020 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- Afghan forces launch ground and air operations against the Taliban, killing 51 of them in nine provinces of the country. Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense say that the military conducted thirteen ground offensives and twelve airstrikes. In the northern province of Balkh, local officials say that three women and four children were killed. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
- Syrian government forces retake several cities in the Idlib Province area, amid a push from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to recapture the last rebel strongholds. (Reuters)
Mali War
- Nineteen Malian soldiers are killed in an attack on an army camp. No group has claimed responsibility. (France24)
2019–2021 Iraqi protests
- Amid further heavy clashes in Baghdad rockets hit the United States embassy injuring at least one. (Al Jazeera) (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

62nd Annual Grammy Awards
- Billie Eilish sweeps the major categories winning Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. (Los Angeles Times)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Brazilian floods and mudslides
- At least 39 people are dead in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo after heavy rains hit the country's southeast region. (VEJA)
2020 Calabasas helicopter crash
- Retired NBA player Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant, baseball coach John Altobelli, and six other people are killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, U.S. (ABC News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China
  - A leading group on the prevention and control of the outbreak is established, led by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. The leading group decides to extend the Spring Festival holiday to contain the outbreak. (Xinhua News)

Politics and elections

2020 Peruvian parliamentary election
- People in Peru head to the polls to elect the members of the country's congress after its dissolution in September 2019. (BBC News)
Trump–Ukraine scandal
- An unpublished manuscript of former National Security Advisor John Bolton's book The Room Where It Happened reveals that President Donald Trump told him that unfreezing military aid to Ukraine was conditional on their performing investigations into Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. (The New York Times)

January 27, 2020 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
- The Syrian Army besieges the strategic rebel-held city of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man in the Idlib Governorate and cuts the M5 Highway between Ma'arrat al-Nu'man and Saraqib to the north. (Middle East Eye) (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Albert II of Belgium acknowledges being Delphine Boël's biological father. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

The World Bank delays its decision on granting a US$500 million loan to Tanzania, in response to pressure from activist groups over the country’s policy of banning pregnant students from attending state schools. (CNN)
Brazil's antitrust authority ruled in favor of a pending acquisition of the commercial aviation division of Embraer S.A. by Boeing, without restrictions. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2020 United States Air Force E-11A crash
- A United States Air Force E-11A aircraft crashes and catches fire in Ghazni Province, eastern Afghanistan. All five people on board are killed. (BBC News) (Voice of America)
2020 Brazilian floods and mudslides
- Widespread flooding and landslides in Brazil cause 50 deaths and force thousands to evacuate their homes. (Fox News)
Caspian Airlines Flight 6936
- A Caspian Airlines passenger airliner crash lands on a runway and skids onto a major highway in Mahshahr, Iran, leaving 2 injured. (Sky News)
A fire destroys at least 35 houseboats moored along the Tennessee River in Scottsboro, Alabama, United States, killing eight people. (Sky News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China
  - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits Wuhan, the epicenter of the pandemic, to direct epidemic prevention. (Reuters)
  - Six travelers from China are denied entry and turned away from Samoa following the island country's introduction of a ban on all travelers from China. They later arrive in Fiji, where they are quarantined with no symptoms. These strict regulations come after a measles outbreak ravaged Samoa last month. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
  - Germany confirms its first case of novel coronavirus in the state of Bavaria. The infected man has been placed in an isolation ward and the risk of further infection is currently considered to be "low", according to the Bavarian Health Ministry. (Deutsche Welle)

Law and crime

A court in Cairo, Egypt, sentences 37 people to prison terms, including eight to life imprisonment for supporting or joining Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant affiliate in the Sinai Province. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Politics of Slovenia
- Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec submits his resignation after losing the parliamentary support of The Left party in November and calls for snap elections. (Reuters)
2019–20 Lebanese protests
- The Lebanese government votes 49–13, with eight abstentions and the rest boycotting, to pass the government budget in the midst of escalating protests. The budget projects a deficit of six percent, with no new taxes and most of the cuts going to the state utility company Électricité du Liban. Economists criticize the bill for failing to address the issues that caused the protests. (Al Jazeera)

January 28, 2020 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
- The Syrian Army, backed by Russian Air Force support, enters the largely deserted city of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man in the northern Idlib Governorate. Only light resistance is reported as most rebel groups, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, withdrew their fighters. The city had been under rebel control since October 2012. (Middle East Eye)

Business and economy

The Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, the first commercial nuclear plant in the Arab world, is declared ready for operation after years of delays. It is expected to go online sometime during this quarter. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Caribbean earthquake
- A magnitude 7.7 earthquake is recorded off the coast of Jamaica. (KRON 4 News)
Three people, including former Mayor Frank Edwards and his wife Cinda, are killed in a plane crash near Springfield, Illinois, United States. (ABC News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- Palau's President Thomas Remengesau Jr. bans chartered flights from China and suspends charter flights from Macau and Hong Kong until further notice. Remengesau is set to issue an executive order to that effect after a meeting with the National Emergency Committee. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China
  - The Health Commission in the central Chinese province of Hubei say there are 1,291 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and 24 more deaths, bringing the total death toll to 106 people. (AFP via New Straits Times)
  - China's paramount leader Xi Jinping tells the World Health Organization he is confident about defeating the "devil virus". (Reuters)

Law and crime

Prosecutor General of Tajikistan, Yusuf Rakhmon, announces the arrest of 113 alleged members of the Muslim Brotherhood. (Reuters)
Investigations involving Benjamin Netanyahu
- Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu withdraws a request for immunity to the Knesset. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit formally indicts Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three cases of suspected corruption. (Vox)

Politics and elections

2020 New Zealand general election
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that the next general election is to be held on September 19. (The Guardian)

Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Trump peace plan
- U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveil a peace plan developed by the Trump administration for three years. The plan recognizes Israeli sovereignty over major settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank, as well as the annexation of the Jordan Valley, in exchange for a freeze on new Israeli settlements in certain areas for four years. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismisses the plan as "nonsense", while Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz casts his support for the plan. (Associated Press)
Politics of Qatar
- Sheik Khalid bin Khalifa, aide of the Emir, is appointed Prime Minister, succeeding Abdullah bin Nasser. (Reuters)

January 29, 2020 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
- The Syrian Army say that the armed forces are now in full control of the city of Maaret al-Numan, after they entered it yesterday with little resistance. (France24)
Mali War
- Mali's Prime Minister Boubou Cissé announces that his country will increase the size of its armed forces by 50% in recruitment to uproot jihadist groups. (Reuters)

Business and economy

The British government announces that rail firm Northern will be nationalized following public outcry over Arriva UK Trains handling of the firm. Arriva says it "understood the government's decision", but blames problems on "external factors" such as rail infrastructure. (BBC News)
Facebook agrees to pay US$550 million to settle a class action lawsuit launched in 2015 over its mass harvesting of biometric data in the state of Illinois. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

In the Indian state of Maharashtra, two vehicles collide and plunge into a well, killing 26 people and injuring 32 others. (Reuters)
Thirteen people are injured in a fire at a high rise apartment building in Los Angeles, California, United States. (KTLA)

Health and environment

French Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume announces that the culling of unwanted male chicks will be outlawed by the end of 2021, becoming one of the first countries to initiate such a ban. (BBC News)

International relations

Algeria–Bangladesh relations
- Algeria reopens its embassy in Dhaka, after closing it in 1990. (New Age)
Brexit
- The European Parliament votes 621–49 to pass the 2020 Brexit agreement, making today the last day Britain will be represented in the EU Parliament. MEP and Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage applauds its passage by saying "we'd be better off out", while UK Labour MEP Judith Kirton-Darling tearfully states it "attacks the very foundation of our identity". (Reuters)

January 30, 2020 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
- Warplanes backed by the Syrian Government strike Ariha, Idlib Governorate, killing at least ten people. (ABC News)
Armed men kill at least six Mayangna Indians and kidnap another ten in the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve, Nicaragua. (BBC News)

Business and economy

Arvind Krishna is appointed chief executive officer of IBM, taking over from Ginni Rometty. (Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

Massive floods in Madagascar kill 31 people and displace 16,000 others. (The Weather Channel)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- The World Health Organization declares a "global emergency", a rare designation that helps the international agency mobilize financial and political support to contain the pandemic. (CNBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
  - More than 6,000 passengers are barred from disembarking a cruise ship docked at Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy, after authorities expressed concern that two Chinese passengers have the coronavirus. (The Guardian)
  - Two cases of novel coronavirus are confirmed in Italy after two Chinese tourists are recovered in Rome. (Il Messaggero)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Tibet
    - Tibet reports its first case. (India Today)

Law and crime

The Virginia, Nevada, and Illinois state attorneys general file a lawsuit to get the Equal Rights Amendment added to the Constitution of the United States. (CNN)
Japanese prosecutors issue arrest warrants against a former United States special operations forces soldier and two others for allegedly helping Carlos Ghosn to escape from Japan. Another arrest warrant was issued against Ghosn himself. (Reuters)
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports that in August it discovered a 1,313 m (4,308 ft) smuggling tunnel running from Tijuana to San Diego, making it the longest tunnel of its type along the Mexico–United States border. It was possibly used by the Sinaloa Cartel. (BBC News)
Catholic Cardinal Philippe Barbarin is acquitted by an appellate court of having covered up allegations of child sexual abuse by a former priest. (Reuters)

January 31, 2020 (Friday)

Business and economy

Fossil fuel divestment
- The Guardian becomes the first major news outlet to stop accepting ads from the fossil fuel industry. (The Guardian) (The Hill)

Disasters and accidents

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force stop searching for nine people who disappeared at sea on January 15 when their boat capsized. Five men, two women and two children are now presumed dead. (RNZ)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- President Donald Trump announces a close of travel from China of non U.S. citizens or residents in response to the growing Coronavirus cases in Wuhan. (Trump White House Archives)
- Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announce that they have suspended all flights to and from China amid the pandemic. (ABC News)
- An airplane with 195 Americans coming back from China is quarantined. (CBS)
- The Department of Health and Human Services declares the coronavirus a public health emergency in the United States. (CNBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
  - The Ministry of Health of Spain confirms the first case of coronavirus in the country in La Gomera, Canary Islands, from a German tourist. (El Mundo)

International relations

Brexit
- The United Kingdom formally withdraws from the European Union at 23:00 GMT. (BBC News)
- Subsequently, the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union cabinet position are abolished with immediate effect upon leaving the EU. (inews)
Tanzania–United States relations
- The U.S. bans Tanzanian official Paul Makonda from entering the U.S. for his announcement about a crackdown on Tanzanian homosexuals in Dar es Salaam in 2018, among other accusations. (Reuters)

Law and crime

In Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, a man is shot and killed by police after taking more than 20 children as hostages for more than 10 hours. Angry locals later beat the hostage-taker's widow to death. It is unknown whether she was involved in her husband's plan. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- Former U.S. Representative John Delaney drops out of the U.S. presidential race. (Los Angeles Times)

Ongoing events

Disasters

Religion

Moscow–Constantinople schism

Sports

NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal

More details – ongoing conflicts

Elections and referendums

Recent

January
- 19: Comoros, Assembly of the Union (1st)
- 26: Peru, Congress of the Republic

Upcoming

February
- 8: Ireland, Dáil Éireann
- 9: Azerbaijan, National Assembly
- 9: Cameroon, National Assembly
- 9: Switzerland, Referendums

Trials

Sport

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

January 2020

December 2019

30: Marion Chesney
30: Syd Mead

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
- Maghreb insurgency
Cameroon
- Anglophone Crisis
Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
- Boko Haram insurgency
Central African Republic
- Civil War
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Libya
- Second Civil War
- American intervention in Libya
Mali
- Mali War
Mozambique
- Islamist insurgency in Mozambique
Nigeria
- Communal conflicts in Nigeria
Somalia
- Civil war
South Sudan
- Ethnic violence (South Sudanese Civil War)
Sudan

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Afghanistan
- Afghanistan War
China
- Xinjiang conflict
India
- Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
- Insurgency in Northeast India
India and Pakistan
- Kashmir conflict
  - Border skirmishes
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
- Moro conflict
  - Cross border attacks in Sabah
Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
- Papua conflict
Myanmar
- Internal conflict in Myanmar
Pakistan
- War in North-West Pakistan
- Balochistan conflict
Philippines
- Communist rebellion in the Philippines
- Philippine Drug War
Thailand
- South Thailand insurgency

Europe

Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Georgia
- Abkhaz–Georgian conflict
- Georgian–Ossetian conflict
Russia
- Chechen–Russian conflict
- North Caucasus insurgency
Ukraine
- War in Donbass
  - Russian military intervention in Ukraine

Middle East

Egypt
- Sinai insurgency
Iran and the Persian Gulf
Iraq
- American-led intervention in Iraq
- Iranian intervention in Iraq
Iraq and Syria (map)
- Military intervention against ISIL
Israel and Gaza
Syria
- American-led intervention in Syria
- Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
Turkey
- Kurdish–Turkish conflict
Yemen and Saudi Arabia

2020 events and developments by topic

Arts

Animation (Anime) · Architecture · Comics · Film (Horror, Science fiction) · Literature (Poetry) · Music (Classical, Country, Hip hop, Jazz, Latin, Metal, Rock, UK, US, Korea) · Radio · Television (Australia, Canada, Ireland, UK, Scotland, US) · Video games

Politics and government

Elections · International leaders · Sovereign states · Sovereign state leaders · Territorial governors

Science and technology

Archaeology · Biotechnology · Computing · Palaeontology · Quantum computing and communication · Senescence research · Space/Astronomy · Spaceflight · Sustainable energy research

Environment and environmental sciences

Climate change · Weather (Heat waves · Tornadoes · Wildfires)

Transportation

Aviation · Rail transport · Transportation technology

By place

Afghanistan · Albania · Algeria · Andorra · Angola · Antarctica · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · The Bahamas · Bahrain · Barbados · Belarus · Belgium · Belize · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · China · Colombia · Costa Rica · Comoros · Congo · D.R. Congo · Croatia · Cuba · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · East Timor · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Eritrea · Estonia · Ethiopia · Eswatini · Equatorial Guinea · Fiji · Finland · France · Gabon · The Gambia · Georgia · Germany · Ghana · Greece · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hong Kong · Hungary · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Ivory Coast · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kiribati · Kosovo · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Latvia · Lebanon · Lesotho · Liberia · Liechtenstein · Libya · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Macau · Madagascar · Marshall Islands · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Malta · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Micronesia · Moldova · Monaco · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Nauru · Namibia · Nepal · Netherlands · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · North Korea · North Macedonia · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Palau · Palestine · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Poland · Portugal · Qatar · Romania · Russia · Rwanda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · San Marino · São Tomé and Príncipe · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Serbia · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Slovakia · Slovenia · Somalia · South Africa · Solomon Islands · South Korea · South Sudan · Spain · Sri Lanka · Sudan · Suriname · Sweden · Switzerland · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Thailand · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Turkey · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Uganda · Ukraine · United Arab Emirates · United Kingdom · United States · Uruguay · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Vatican City · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe

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