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Shelley McNamara

In cricket, the Women's T20 World Cup concludes with Australia defeating India in the final.
Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara (pictured) win the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
In the United States, a tornado outbreak hits four counties around Nashville, Tennessee, killing twenty-five people.
Muhyiddin Yassin becomes the prime minister of Malaysia following a political crisis which led to the resignation of his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad.

March 9, 2020 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok survives an assassination attempt in the capital Khartoum, according to state media. Hamdok has been moved to safe location. (Haaretz)

Business and economy

Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak, 2020 coronavirus outbreak in the United Kingdom
- The United Kingdom's largest retailer Tesco say they will be restricting the sale of essential food and household items in response to fears of mass panic buying. It is the first time rationing has been introduced in Britain since the second world war. (BBC) (Daily Mirror)

Health and environment

2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Saudi Arabia
  - Saudi Arabia suspends all schools, universities and other educational institutions until further notice in response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. (Al Arabiya)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in the United States
  - U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Paul Gosar self-quarantine themselves after having made contact at CPAC with a man confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus. (USA Today)

March 8, 2020 (Sunday)

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Health and environment

2019-20 global coronavirus outbreak
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Europe
  - Albania reports its first case.
  - Moldova reports its first case. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Italy, 2020 Northern Italy coronavirus lockdowns
  - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte extends the quarantine lockdown, to cover all the region of Lombardy and 14 other northern provinces, affecting over a quarter of the national population. (BBC)
  - The number of virus-related deaths in Italy rise to 366, while the confirmed cases are 7,375. (Sky Tg24)
  - Inmates at several prisons in Italy revolt with reports of riots at prisons in Modena, Naples, Frosinone and Alessandria due to fears the coronavirus lockdowns will end visits from relatives. At least one inmate has died. (Metro)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Portugal
  - President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa self-isolates after a coronavirus case is confirmed in a school he visited a few days ago. (US News)

Sports

2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final
- Australia wins the tournament, beating India by 85 runs, to win their fifth title. (BBC Sport)

March 7, 2020 (Saturday)

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Business and economy

Lebanon says it will default on a eurobond repayment and pursue restructuring its debt. The country has never before defaulted. Lebanon's government debt is about 170% of its yearly gross domestic product. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Collapse of Xinjia Express Hotel
- A hotel being used for quarantining those with coronavirus collapses in Quanzhou, China. Ten people were killed and twenty-three are trapped. Thirty-eight have been rescued alive. (CNN)
Twenty-two people are killed and more than 70 are injured when a tank truck, two buses and another vehicle collide in the road between Damascus and Homs, in Syria. (Reuters)

Health and environment

2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Europe
  - Malta reports its first case of coronavirus. (Reuters)
  - Bulgaria reports its first two cases. (Darik News)
  - 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Italy
    - Nicola Zingaretti, the President of Lazio since 2013 and Secretary of the Democratic Party since 2019, confirmed that he has contracted the virus. (La Repubblica)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Asia
  - The Maldives report its first two confirmed cases of the new coronavirus. (Reuters)
  - 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Iran
    - Newly elected member of parliament Fatemeh Rahbar dies after contracting COVID-19. (Straits Times)
  - 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Japan
    - A 50-year-old man is arrested for breaching quarantine and travelling to two crowded bars in Gamagōri after testing positive for the coronavirus the day prior. He reportedly told family members he intended to spread it and bragged to bar employees that he had tested positive. (Tokyo Reporter)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in South America
  - 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Argentina
    - The Ministry of Health of Argentina confirmed the country's first death due to coronavirus, a 64-year-old man who had travelled to Paris who also had other health conditions. This marks the first death due to coronavirus in Latin America. (Infobae in Spanish)
  - Paraguay reports its first case of coronavirus. (Infobae in Spanish)

Politics and elections

2019 Afghan presidential election
- A spokesman for politician Abdullah Abdullah announces he will hold a parallel presidential inauguration ceremony next week after he declares himself the winner of the election. Incumbent President Ashraf Ghani was declared the winner. (Reuters)

March 6, 2020 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2020 Kabul shooting
- At least 32 people are killed and 81 are injured when gunmen attack a ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghan politician Abdullah Abdullah was present and escapes unharmed. ISIL claims responsibility for the attack. (Reuters)
Two suicide bombers on a motorcycle detonate their explosives near the United States embassy in Tunis, Tunisia, killing a policeman and wounding five others. (Middle East Eye)

Disasters and accidents

United States tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2020
- U.S. President Donald Trump approves a disaster declaration for all areas affected by the tornadoes. (WSMV Nashville)
- The National Weather Service concludes the EF3 tornado that went through Davidson, Wilson, and Smith counties was confirmed on the ground for 60.13 miles (96.77 km), becoming the second longest path a tornado has taken in Tennessee. (NWS)

Health and environment

2020 coronavirus outbreak in Asia
- Bhutan confirms its first coronavirus case. (Hindustan Times)
2020 coronavirus outbreak in Europe
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Serbia
  - Serbia reports its first case. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Vatican City
  - The Vatican City reports its first case. (Reuters)

Law and crime

The Committee on the Rights of the Child of the United Nations condemns the government of the Cook Islands for criminalizing homosexual sex. (RNZ)

Politics and elections

2020 Guyanese general election
- Police in Georgetown, Guyana, surround the nation's election commission after there are accusations that the elections results were altered to help incumbent President David A. Granger win the election. (Reuters)

Science and technology

SpaceX CRS-20
- SpaceX successfully launches a Dragon spacecraft in orbit to resupply the International Space Station. This marks the last launch of a Dragon spacecraft, soon to be replaced by Dragon 2, and the 50th successful recovery of a Falcon 9 first stage booster. (Space.com)

March 5, 2020 (Thursday)

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Arts and culture

Egypt reopens the Pyramid of Djoser after a 14-year restoration. The pyramid is deemed the oldest stone structure of its size in the world. (ABC News)

Business and economy

Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- British airline Flybe collapses into administration with the loss of 2,000 jobs after failing to secure financial support. The airline says the impact of the coronavirus outbreak is partly to blame for its collapse. Flybe provided more than half of UK domestic flights outside London. (BBC)
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops again almost 1,000 points over coronavirus fears. (Fox Business)

Disasters and accidents

United States tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2020
- The National Weather Service confirms 13 tornadoes occurred. (USA Today)
- The tornado in Putnam County, Tennessee, is upgraded to an EF4, becoming the strongest tornado of the outbreak. (NBC News)
- The EF3 tornado that went through Davidson, Wilson, and Smith counties was confirmed on the ground for 53.4 miles (85.9 km), becoming the second longest path a tornado has taken in Tennessee. (Washington Post)
- Every person is accounted for at the end of the day, after three people were missing previously. Official death toll from the outbreak is 25. (USA Today)
At least nine people, of whom four are children, are killed and 60 are injured when a fire at a bakery spreads to a crowded market in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. (Reuters)

Health and environment

2020 coronavirus outbreak in Europe
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  - Officials in Republika Srpska reports the first case of coronavirus in the country. (N1 BA)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Italy
  - The Italian government postpones the constitutional referendum, originally scheduled for 29 March. (Reuters), (ANSA)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in the United Kingdom
  - The first death from the coronavirus is confirmed in England, after a woman in her 70s with underlying health conditions dies at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Berkshire, as the number of confirmed cases of the virus rises to over 100. (BBC)
2020 coronavirus outbreak in Asia
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Iran
  - Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly member and former Ambassador to Syria, Hossein Sheikholeslam, dies after becoming infected with COVID-19. Iran suspends its parliament indefinitely. (Business Insider)

Law and crime

War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- The International Criminal Court overturns on appeal a previous decision to block an investigation into war crimes allegedly committed by U.S. troops, the Taliban and the Afghan government. (BBC)
A court in Russian-controlled Crimea sentences a Jehovah's Witness to six-years imprisonment for activities of a banned extremist organization, part of a crackdown that activists say violates religious freedom. (Reuters)
The Republican-controlled Arizona House of Representatives passes a bill banning transgender females from women's sports. (Fox News)

Politics and elections

2020 Dominican Republic municipal elections, Timeline of 2020 Dominican Republic municipal elections protests
- The pots-and-pans protest continue in front of Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra where the meeting of the Economic and Social Council with the political parties was to take place. (Dominican Today)
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- After failing to win any states on Super Tuesday, Massachusetts U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren suspends her presidential campaign, leaving Hawaii U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard as the only woman left in the race. (The New York Times) (Reuters)

March 4, 2020 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present), Afghan peace process
- The United States Armed Forces says it has carried out its first airstrike against the Taliban since a peace deal was signed in Doha, Qatar. (Al Jazeera)
Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Air Defense Force engages "hostile objects" over the central Homs Governorate and southern Quneitra Governorate. Syrian state media says Israel is behind the attacks. (Israel National News) (RT)

Disasters and accidents

United States tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2020
- The National Weather Service reports 11 tornadoes touched down resulting in 25 confirmed deaths. Eighteen people remain unaccounted for. (CNN)
- 140 buildings were destroyed with thousands damaged. 44,000 people are without electric power. (WAFF)
Mount Merapi in Java, Indonesia erupts, forcing the airport in Surakarta to close. (BBC)

Health and environment

2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- Wallis and Futuna turns away a German cruise ship due to fears of coronavirus, and says that it is studying the possibility of denying another ship entry. (RNZ)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Europe
  - Italy says all schools and universities will close from March 5 through March 15 to stop the spread of the virus, as the country confirms a total of 3,090 cases and 107 virus-related deaths. (CNBC) (The Guardian)
  - Spain reports its second death in Basque Country, an 82-year-old man, as infected toll rises to more than 210. (El Mundo)
  - Hungary confirms first two coronavirus cases. (Reuters)
  - Slovenia confirms its first case of COVID-19. The patient had recently travelled home from Morocco, passing through Italy on the way, and is now in isolation at the Ljubljana University Medical Centre. (Reuters)
The first in-person use of the Crispr-Cas9 DNA editing tool is conducted, intended to reverse a genetic mutation causing Leber congenital amaurosis, a form of inherited blindness.(The Guardian)

International relations

Canada–Iran relations, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752
- Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne urges Iran to allow access to the flight recorders of the Ukrainian passenger plane that was shot down in January. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Egypt executes top Ansar al-Sharia militant Hisham al-Ashmawy, a former special forces officer who was convicted over several high-profile attacks, the country's military spokesman said. (Reuters)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bans the use of electroshock devices for aversive conditioning on patients with mental disorders. The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Massachusetts, the last U.S. institution that still uses electroshock devices to punish patients, say they will challenge the federal ban in court. (AP)

Politics and elections

2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- After a poor performance on Super Tuesday, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg suspends his presidential campaign and endorses former Vice President Joe Biden. (Fox News) (Reuters)
Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro
- Avoiding questions about lower-than-expected GDP growth in his first year as President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro invites an impersonator to the restricted press section around the Planalto Palace to answer the questions in his stead. The comedian also distributed bananas (in reference to the name given in Brazil to the bras d'honneur) to the attending journalists. (Estado de S. Paulo)
Government of Ukraine
- Oleksiy Honcharuk and his government are voted out by the Verkhovna Rada after less than six months in office. President Volodymyr Zelensky proposes Denys Shmygal as Prime Minister. (The Guardian)

March 3, 2020 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–present), Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- A Syrian Air Force L-39 jet aircraft is shot down by a Turkish Air Force F-16 near the Syria–Turkey border. (SOHR), (RT)
- Turkey says it will deploy its domestically-produced surface-to-air missile HISAR to Syria's Idlib Governorate next week. (Star)
- Syrian government sources say a Turkish drone was shot down by the Syrian Air Defense Force near Idlib; subsequent footage shared by the source shows drone to be a Bayraktar TB1. (Muraselon)
- Four Turkish soldiers are killed and seven are wounded in Tranbeh, west of Saraqeb by Syrian Army shelling; some are transfered to Turkish hospitals in Reyhanlı by helicopter. (SOHR)(SOHR)
- Twenty-six Syrian Army troops are killed by Turkish ground and drone strikes, raising the number of pro-Syrian government forces killed by Turkey in the past five days to 139. (SOHR), (SOHR)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- The GNA government says all flights from Mitiga International Airport, the only functioning airport in the capital Tripoli, will be shifted to Misrata Airport after Libyan National Army forces struck the airport with rockets. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Australian news agency Australian Associated Press (AAP) announces it will be closing down at the end of June, after 85 years of operation. (AP)
Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- In an emergency move, its first since 2008, the U.S. Federal Reserve cuts the federal funds rate by 0.5%, to a range between 1 and 1.25%. (Yahoo Finance)
- U.S. stocks extend their drop in response to the cuts. (The Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

United States tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2020
- Three tornadoes, two at least EF 3 in strength, rip through downtown Nashville and surrounding towns, killing 25 people. (WKRN) (USA Today)
- The state of Tennessee declares a state of emergency over the tornado outbreak. (WBIR)
- John C. Tune Airport sustained major damage from the tornado outbreak. (Fox News)
- President Trump announces he will visit Tennessee on Friday. (Washington Post)

Health and environment

2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Asia
  - 2020 coronavirus outbreak in South Korea
    - South Korea declares "war" on the coronavirus. (NBC)
  - Myanmar turns a Silversea Cruises cruise ship away due to fears of coronavirus, a government spokesman says. (Reuters)
  - 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Japan
    - Japan announces it will cancel ceremonies marking the anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Europe
  - Ukraine reports its first case. (Reuters)
  - Spanish authorities announce that the first death from coronavirus in the country occurred in Valencia on February 13. (El Mundo) (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Iran
  - Iran says it will release 54,000 prisoners in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in overcrowded jails. Only inmates who test negative for the virus will be allowed to leave prison and those sentenced to longer than five years will not be freed. (BBC)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in the United States, 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Washington (state)
  - Two people who died in the Seattle area on February 26 are found to have died from coronavirus, bringing the total death toll in the state of Washington to nine. (NPR)
- A Twitter human resources official advises that Twitter employees work at home to prevent exposure to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. He adds that telecommuting will be mandatory for employees based in the Twitter offices in Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. (Sputnik)
- Argentina reports its first case. (Reuters)
- Chile confirms its first case of coronavirus in the Maule region. (BioBio in Spanish)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Turkish interior minister says over 130,000 refugees have crossed into Greece in the past four days. (TRT Haber)

Law and crime

A court in Kazakhstan orders the early release of Mukhtar Dzhakishev, the former CEO of state nuclear firm Kazatomprom, who had been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption in 2010. Upon his release he will have served more than 11 years in prison. (Reuters)

Politics and elections