Portal:Current events
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Topics in the news
- In Baghdad, Iraq, an American airstrike kills General Qasem Soleimani (pictured), commander of the Iranian Quds Force.
- In darts, Peter Wright defeats Michael van Gerwen to win the PDC World Darts Championship.
- More than 85 people are killed in a suicide truck bombing at a police checkpoint in Mogadishu, Somalia.
- Bek Air Flight 2100 crashes near Almaty, Kazakhstan, killing at least 12 people and injuring 54 others.
January 4, 2020 (Saturday)
Arts and culture
- Thousands of mourners, among which Iraqi prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, attend the funeral of Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Quds Force who was killed two days earlier along with at least five others in a United States airstrike. (CNN)
Disasters and accidents
- 2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- Two people are confirmed dead from bushfires on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. (News.com.au)
- New records for the highest recorded temperature are set in Greater Sydney (48.9°C at Penrith) and Canberra (44°C). (The Guardian)
January 3, 2020 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present), 2019–2020 Persian Gulf crisis, American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present), Aftermath of the Attack on the United States embassy in Baghdad, 2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike
- 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, President of the United States Donald Trump tweets an image of an American flag. He later defends the airstrike, saying 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. (Press TV) (AFP via 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) (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 3000 more US soldiers to the Middle East as tensions with Iran heighten. (NBC News)
- 2020 Taji road airstrike
- An airstrike hits a Popular Mobilization Forces convoy near camp Taji, destroying two vehicles, killing six militia members and critically wounding three others, according to an Iraqi Army source. (Reuters)
- Villejuif stabbing
- 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)
- 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)
- Gunmen kill 19 in Kogi State of Nigeria. A church, a school and other buildings are torched. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- 2020 Jakarta floods
- 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. (El Mundo) (El Periódico) (La Vanguardia)
- 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. (El Periódico) (La Vanguardia)
January 2, 2020 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- 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–present), 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
- 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.com.au)
- 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.com.au)
- 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.com.au)
- A military plane crashes shortly after takeoff from an airport in Sudan's West Darfur, killing the 18 people on board. (BBC)
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. (AP via 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 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 Limited)
- 2020 Jakarta floods
- At least 21 people are killed and over 19,000 displaced as flash floods hit the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. (BBC)
- 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)
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)
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)
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. (Blick)
- 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)
December 31, 2019 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
- Angry supporters storm the United States embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, in response to the U.S. airstrike on Sunday against Kata'ib Hezbollah militants. Iraqi officials say the U.S. ambassador and staff have been evacuated, but the U.S. Army denies this. The U.S. ambassador is reportedly on holiday. U.S. President Donald Trump blames Iran for the attack. (The Independent) (The Guardian)
- According to an Iraqi official, demonstrators have prepared a sit-in protest in front of the embassy. (Xinhua)
- Protesters in Tahrir Square distance themselves from the events around the U.S. embassy. (Al Jazeera)
Business and economy
- Tencent, along with Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC Private Limited and the Qatar Investment Authority, purchase a 10% stake in the Universal Music Group. The former purchased it to build up its own music streaming service. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- An 8 meters (26 ft) high fire ignites accidentally next to Adelaide Oval after the 9pm New Year's Eve fireworks in Adelaide, South Australia. This comes following major controversy over the New Year's firework displays across Australia in response to ongoing bushfires. (News.com.au)
- 2018–19 Southern Africa drought
- Severe drought conditions continue in Zimbabwe where close to 7 million people are facing food shortages, according to a Catholic aid agency. Because of repeated droughts over the past five years, many of Zimbabwe’s small farmers are unable to feed their families. Catholic Relief Services is working with farmers teaching soil and water conservation methods. The agency offers drought-resistant crops to farmers and is cooperating on a notification system warning farmers about threats to their harvest. (Catholic News Agency) (Bloomberg News)
Law and crime
- A court in Abidjan sentences Charles Blé Goudé to 20 years in prison in absentia for his role in the Second Ivorian Civil War that followed the 2010 presidential election, his lawyers say. (Reuters)
- Former Bosnian Serb Army general Milomir Savčić is indicted for his role in planning the Srebrenica massacre. (Reuters)
- Aftermath of the 2019 Fresno shooting
- Police arrest six people in connection with a mass shooting last month in Fresno, California, that left four people dead and another six injured. (USA Today)
December 30, 2019 (Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- December 2019 Mogadishu bombing
- Al-Shabaab, an ally of Al-Qaeda, claims responsibility for the suicide bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia, that killed nearly 90 people. (Reuters)
- Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- ADF militants kill 22 people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. They were all hacked with machetes and many also went missing in the attack. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- 2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- Thousands of people are reported stranded on a local beach awaiting evacuation near Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia, as bushfires enter the coastal town. Four people are reported missing. Elsewhere, a volunteer Fire and Rescue NSW firefighter died battling a bushfire near the town of Jingellic. (The Guardian)
International relations
- Bolivia–Spain relations, Bolivia–Mexico relations
- In a tit-for-tat move, Spain expels three Bolivian diplomatic staff from Madrid after interim Bolivian President Jeanine Áñez forced two Spanish diplomats and the Mexican ambassador to leave. Their expulsions are related to the Mexican embassy in La Paz's decision to shelter at least nine officials connected to the government of deposed President Evo Morales. (Al Jazeera)
Law and crime
- Lulu and Nana controversy
- Chinese state news agency Xinhua reports that He Jiankui, who last year announced the birth of babies with modified DNA, was sentenced to three years imprisonment and a fine of 3 million yuan, for "illegal medical practice". Two other defendants are given lesser sentences. (CNN)
- The court in Shenzhen confirms his claim that a second woman was impregnated, and reveals that three gene-edited babies were born instead of the previously believed two. (New Scientist)
- A Sudanese court sentences 29 people to be hanged for the killing of a teacher in detention in February during protests that led to the overthrow of former president Omar al-Bashir. (BBC)
- A Yemeni man, suspected to be an Al-Qaeda militant, is sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for a November 11 terror attack against a group of Spanish theatre actors in Riyadh, wounding three of them. An accomplice is sentenced to 12 years of jail. (BBC)
- Former CEO of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance Carlos Ghosn escapes house arrest in Tokyo and flees to Lebanon. He was under arrest for money laundering and underreporting his income, though he denies the charges. (Reuters)
December 29, 2019 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Security Belt forces say a missile fired by the Houthis hit a military parade in the southern separatist-held town of al-Dhalea, killing at least five people and injuring others. There are no claims of responsibility for the attack. (Reuters)
- War in Donbass
- The Ukrainian government and separatist rebels exchange prisoners according to the "all identified for all identified" formula agreed upon during peace talks in Paris earlier this month. (NBC)
- War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- Local officials say Taliban have killed 17 local militiamen in an attack on their base in Khwaja Bahauddin District, Takhar Province. A Taliban spokesman says they killed 21 gunmen. The Taliban propose a 7 to 10-day nationwide ceasefire, after which a peace deal with the United States would be signed. (Al Jazeera)
- 2019 United States bombing of Kata'ib Hizbollah
- The United States Air Force carries out strikes using F-15E Strike Eagle jets and drones in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the death of an American civil contractor in a rocket attack on K-1 Air Base in Kirkuk Governorate. The strikes were targeted at the Iranian-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militia group. A spokesman for Kata'ib Hezbollah, says 19 of its fighters were killed and 35 injured in the American strikes, while vowing to respond. (Reuters) (FRANCE 24) (The Washington Post)
- Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi condemns the unilateral American bombings inside Iraq, saying the U.S. strikes are a "violation of Iraqi sovereignty", and a "dangerous escalation that threatens the security of Iraq and the region." (USA Today)
- Iran warns of consequences after the airstrikes. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi stated it was "illegal" and "the United States must accept responsibility of the attack." (CNN)
- Terrorism in Russia
- Following a tip-off from the United States, Russia arrests two men planning a New Year's Eve attack in the city of Saint Petersburg. (Sky News)
- Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- The death toll of the attack in Mogadishu the previous day rises to 84 with over 25 others remaining missing. (Xinhua)
- The United States target Al-Shabaab in a series of airstrikes that killed four. The strikes were in coordination with the government of Somalia. (DW News)
Arts and culture
- The world's oldest rhinoceros, Fausta, dies in Tanzania at the age of 57. (BBC)
Business and economics
- Citizenship Amendment Act protests
- The Indian tourism industry reports that, as a result of protests, December visits to the Taj Mahal and the state of Assam declined by 60% and 90% respectively compared to the same period last year. These declines are also occurring in the midst of general economic slowdown in the country. (Reuters)
- Over 19 flights are cancelled as a three-day strike at Lisbon Airport comes to an end. The strike was instigated when airport owner Vinci refused to unfreeze wages for the employees. (Reuters)
- Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo announces his country will adopt the eco as its new currency, but insists to fellow members of the currency union that it should not be pegged to the euro. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- An official at Bangladesh's health directorate says at least 50 people have died of cold-related illnesses in December. A cold wave sweeps through the country, with a lowest recorded temperature of 4.5 °C (40.1 °F). (Thomson Reuters via CBC)
Health and environment
- 2019 Samoa measles outbreak
- The Samoan government lifts its six-week state of emergency after a mass immunization campaign against measles reduced the death and infection rates. (Al Jazeera)
Law and crime
- West Freeway Church of Christ shooting
- A man kills two people and injures another at a church in White Settlement, Texas, United States before being killed by a security guard and a civilian. (ABC News) (BBC)
Politics and elections
- 2019 Guinea-Bissau presidential election
- Citizens of Guinea-Bissau head to the polls in the second round of the country's latest presidential election. (Reuters)
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Ongoing events
Disasters
- 2018–19 Kivu Ebola epidemic
- 2018–19 Southern Africa drought
- 2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- 2019–20 European windstorm season
- Yemeni famine
Politics
- Afghan peace process
- Algerian protests
- Bolivian protests
- Brexit
- Catalan protests
- Chilean protests
- European migrant crisis (timeline)
- Hong Kong protests
- Iranian protests
- Iraqi protests
- Impeachment of Donald Trump (Trump-Ukraine scandal)
- Kashmir lockdown
- Lebanese protests
- Maltese protests
- Persian Gulf crisis
- Qatar diplomatic crisis
- Rohingya persecution in Myanmar
- Turkish purges
- Venezuelan presidential crisis (protests)
- Yellow vests movement
- Xinjiang re-education camps
Religion
Sports
More details – ongoing conflicts
Elections and referendums
Recently concluded
- Pakistan: Pervez Musharraf
- Philippines: Andal Ampatuan Jr.
- Spain: Trial of Catalonia independence leaders, Quim Torra
- United Kingdom: David Duckenfield
- United States: Roger Stone
Ongoing
- Guatemala: Otto Pérez Molina, Roxana Baldetti, Juan Carlos Monzón and others
- Greece: Nikolaos Michaloliakos
- Israel: Faina Kirschenbaum, Benjamin Netanyahu
- Malaysia: Najib Razak
- Malta: Murder of Daphne Caruana
- Philippines: Leila de Lima, Maria Ressa, Leni Robredo
- South Africa: Jacob Zuma
- Spain: Bárcenas affair
- United States: Fat Leonard scandal, Varsity Blues scandal, Raid on the North Korean embassy in Madrid, 6ix9ine
Upcoming
- Guatemala: Álvaro Colom, Manuel Baldizón, Juan Alberto Fuentes
- Japan: Carlos Ghosn
- United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, Duncan D. Hunter, R. Kelly, Harvey Weinstein, Michael Avenatti, Golden State Killer
- Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo
- International:
- Association football
- Women's association football
- American football
- Basketball
- Golf
- Ice hockey
- Rugby sevens
- Rugby union
- Other sports seasons
More details – current sports events
January 2020
- 3: Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis
- 3: Qasem Soleimani
- 2: Marian Finucane
- 2: Sam Wyche
- 2: Shen Yi-ming
- 1: Don Larsen
- 1: Ng Jui Ping
- 1: David Stern
December 2019
- 30: Marion Chesney
- 30: Syd Mead
- 29: Neil Innes
- 28: Thanos Mikroutsikos
- 27: Don Imus
- 26: Jerry Herman
- 26: Sleepy LaBeef
- 26: Kushal Punjabi
- 25: Lee Mendelson
- 24: Allee Willis
- 23: Ahmed Gaid Salah
- 22: Tony Britton
- 22: Ram Dass
- 21: Martin Peters
- 21: Emanuel Ungaro
- 20: Junior Johnson
- 18: Claudine Auger
- 18: Kenny Lynch
- 16: Basil Butcher
- 15: Nicky Henson
- 14: Anna Karina
- 12: Danny Aiello
- 10: Gershon Kingsley
- 10: Yury Luzhkov
- 9: Marie Fredriksson
- 8: René Auberjonois
- 8: Juice Wrld
- 8: Caroll Spinney
- 8: Paul Volcker
- 7: Berkley Bedell
- 7: Ron Saunders
- 6: Ron Leibman
- 6: Donald B. Marron
- 5: Robert Walker
- 4: Leonard Goldberg
- 4: Bob Willis
Africa
- Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
- Cameroon
- Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
- Central African Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Libya
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
Americas
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Peru
Asia-Pacific
- Afghanistan
- China
- India
- India and Pakistan
- Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
- Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
- Myanmar
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Thailand
Europe
- Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Georgia
- Russia
- Ukraine
Middle East
- Egypt
- Iran and the Persian Gulf
- Iraq
- Iraq and Syria (map)
- Israel and Gaza
- Syria
- Turkey
- Yemen and Saudi Arabia