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Taal Volcano erupting

Taal Volcano in the Philippines erupts (pictured), leading to the suspension of all flights at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
In Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen is re-elected.
In Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said is named the country's new ruler after his cousin, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, dies at the age of 79.
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 is shot down by Iranian armed forces shortly after takeoff from Tehran Airport, killing all 176 people on board.

January 14, 2020 (Tuesday)

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January 13, 2020 (Monday)

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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)

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)

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 pulled the trigger. (CBC)

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
- A recent analysis of a meteorite that was found in Australia in 1969 reveals stardust formed 5-7 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. CNN

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 their investigation into the team's illegal use of technology to engage in stealing signs during the team's championship 2017 season. They are also fired by the organization. (ESPN)

January 12, 2020 (Sunday)

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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

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)
- United States President Donald Trump tweeted in Farsi, warned Iranian leaders and showed his support to the protesters. (CNN)
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)
2019 Malta political crisis
- Robert Abela wins the Partit Laburista leadership election, succeeding Joseph Muscat as Prime Minister after Muscat's resignation. (BBC) (CNN)

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, who manufactured the fleet via the SZ DJI Technology Company, is using it for espionage. (Reuters)

January 11, 2020 (Saturday)

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Armed conflict 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. (France24)
War in Afghanistan
- Two United States troops are killed and another two troops wounded 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. (NY Times)

Disasters and accidents

A large winter storm system in the midwestern and southern United States kills 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)
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)

Law and crime

More than a dozen Saudi servicemen are 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)
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 10, 2020 (Friday)

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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)
2020 Quetta bombing
- A bombing claimed by the Islamic State at a mosque in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, kills at least 15 people and wounds 18 others, three days after a motorcycle bombing in the city killed two. (The New York Times)

Arts and culture

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)

International relations

Iraq–United States relations, Iran–Iraq relations, 2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis
- 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.com.au)
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)

January 9, 2020 (Thursday)

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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, 2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis
- 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 8, 2020 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis, 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 (IRGC) 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". (AP)
- 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 wounds 12 others at an army checkpoint near Somalia's parliament in Mogadishu. (Bloomberg)
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". (UPI)

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. (Channel News Asia)
One person is shot dead and three seriously wounded in a shooting near Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Police believe the shooting was targeted. (Reuters)