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Qaboos bin Said Al Said

In Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said is named the country's new ruler after his cousin, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said (pictured), dies at the age of 79.
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 is shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran, Iran, killing all 176 people on board.
After a U.S. airstrike kills Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, at least 56 people die in a stampede during his burial procession in Kerman, and Iranian forces attack two military bases in Iraq.

January 12, 2020 (Sunday)

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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 video, 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 the anti-government protests, according to Tasnim News Agency "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. Taliban later claim responsibility. (Reuters) (CBS News)
The death toll from the attack on Niger's armed forces last Thursday rises to over 89 Niger soldiers. (NY Times)

Disasters and accidents

A large winter storm system in the southern United States kills 11 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 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

2020 Tillabéri attack
- 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)

Science and technology

2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis
- 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. (Reuters via 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 7, 2020 (Tuesday)

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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

Funerals 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)
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes Puerto Rico, killing one and injuring nine others (NBC)
An avalanche at a ski resort in Kellogg, Idaho, United States kills two people and injures five others. (NPR)

International relations

2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis, 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." (Xinhuanet) (Channel News Asia)
- Germany announces a partial withdrawal of the Bundeswehr troops positioned in Iraq, citing security concerns. (DW)
- 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. (Reuters via 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)

January 6, 2020 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- 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)

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 wounded in the crash yesterday in Luttach, Italy, dies from her injuries, bringing the death toll to seven. (Il Gazzettino)

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)