Portal:Current events
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Topics in the news
- The World Health Organization declares the coronavirus outbreak to be a pandemic, while the Italian government implements a national quarantine.
- Global stock markets suffer their largest single-day decline since the Great Recession.
- In cricket, the Women's T20 World Cup concludes with Australia defeating India in the final (player of the match Alyssa Healy pictured).
- Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara win the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
March 12, 2020 (Thursday)
Arts and culture
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Australia
- Actor Tom Hanks reports that he and his wife Rita Wilson have been diagnosed with coronavirus after visiting Australia. (The New York Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in California
- Disneyland announces that it will close for the rest of the month, which is only the fourth time that it has closed even for a single day. (CNN)
Business and economy
- Black Thursday; Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- All three major United States trading indexes fall 7% during early trading, leading to a 15-minute trading halt. (Business Insider)
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 10%, the largest one-day percentage drop since Black Monday in 1987. (CNBC)
- Spanish IBEX 35 falls 14% in its worst drop in history in a single day. (El Comercio)
- OMV, the giant Austrian oil and gas concern, is selling $2.3 billion in assets to buy a majority interest in Borealis AG, which will make it a major player in the production of polymers. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in India
- India’s first coronavirus death is confirmed in Karnataka. (Hindustan Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Poland
- Poland suspends all schools and universities, closes all theatres, operas, cinemas and museums for two weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Mass events are also banned, and the Polish Football Association announces that the two friendly matches scheduled later this month with Finland and Ukraine will be played behind closed doors. (PAP) (Daily Mail)
- Poland reports the country's first death from COVID-19 in the city of Poznań. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Greece
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Cuba
- Cuba has confirmed its first three cases of the coronavirus. (Miami Herald)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain
- Spain's Ministry of Health reports 828 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 36 more deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country to 84. (News18)
- Irene Montero, Minister of Equality and Deputy, tested positive for coronavirus. Her domestic partner, Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain Pablo Iglesias, self-isolates and all the government undergo tests. The King and Queen of Spain undergo a test after Queen consort Letizia was in contact with Irene Montero on 6 March. (El Mundo)
- The Catalan government orders the confinement of the city of Igualada and the towns of Vilanova del Camí, Òdena and Santa Margarida de Montbui after Igualada Hospital became a contagion focus. This first measure in Spain will affect 70.000 people during 14 days. (El País)
- Spanish Minister of Territorial Policy and Civil Service Carolina Darias and Santiago Abascal, Deputy and leader of the third political force Vox had tested positive in the disease. (ABC.es)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Lithuania
- The Vilnius City Municipality announces that from March 13 until the end of the Easter holidays all educational facilities in the city will remain closed to contain the spread of the virus. (LRT)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Ireland
- Ireland suspends all schools, colleges and childcare facilities until March 29 in response to the coronavirus, while indoor gatherings of more than 100 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people should be cancelled until further notice, according to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. (The Irish Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Austria
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Slovakia
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the Philippines
- President Rodrigo Duterte announces the lockdown of the Philippine capital Manila, halting all travel to and from the city. (National Post)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Canada
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire self-isolate after she shows flu-like symptoms. They are both tested for the COVID-19. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Andorra
- Andorran authorities confirms the second case in the country. (El Periòdic)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- Washington governor Jay Inslee closes all schools in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties until April 24. (The News Tribune)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in India
Sports
- Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- The NCAA, which had previously ordered that all of its winter championship events, most notably the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, would be played with no spectators, cancels all championship events until the 2020–21 academic year. This affects more than 70 of the NCAA's 90 championship events in all three of its competitive divisions. (NCAA)
- The YMCA Short Course Nationals swim meet is canceled in the United States for the first time since 1947. (Swim Swam)
- 2020 Summer Olympics torch relay
- The Olympic torch relay begins in Olympia, Greece, without public attendance. (CTV News)
- Formula 1's 2020 Australian Grand Prix is reportedly set to be cancelled after McLaren announces its withdrawal when a team member tests positive for coronavirus. (RACER)
- NASCAR announces that its next two rounds, at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, will be run behind closed doors. (Motorsport.com)
- The 12 Hours of Sebring is postponed until November 11–14. This follows an announcement that the companion event 1000 Miles of Sebring would be cancelled. (Road & Track) (RACER)
- 2019–20 NHL season
- One day after the National Basketball Association announced that it was suspending its season, the National Hockey League also suspends its season. (NHL)
- 2020 Major League Soccer season
- Major League Soccer announces it will suspend its season for thirty days. (ESPN)
March 11, 2020 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan, Afghan peace process
- The Taliban rejects the government's conditional prisoner release order announced by President Ashraf Ghani. The Taliban demand 5,000 Taliban prisoners held by the government be released before intra-Afghan dialogue can be initiated. (Al Jazeera)
- 2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis, 2020 Camp Taji attack
Business and economy
- Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic; aftermath of Black Monday
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunges 1,400 points and enters a bear market. (Fox News)
- The bond market falls, in the first time since the financial crisis of 2007–08 that the stock and bond markets moved in the same direction, indicating a massive sell-off of portfolios as investors seek cash. (NY Times)
- The world's largest annual video game industry event E3 2020 is offically cancelled due to concerns over the coronavirus. The highly anticipated event was scheduled to take place on June 9, ahead of major console launches for Microsoft and Sony. (BBC)
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- The World Health Organization officially declares the outbreak as a pandemic. (CBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy
- The patient zero in Italy has been identified as a man from Germany who arrived in the country at the end of January. (Tgcom24)
- The death toll in Italy rises to 827, as nearly two-hundred more people were confirmed dead today, the largest daily increase in deaths since the outbreak began, while the number of confirmed cases rises to 12,462, according to Protezione Civile. (National Post)
- Juventus footballer Daniele Rugani has tested positive to coronavirus. (La Repubblica)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom
- British MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Health Ministry Nadine Dorries becomes the first UK MP to test positive for COVID-19. (BBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Belgium
- Belgium reports its first death resulting from the coronavirus; a government statement said the patient was 90 years old. (The Straits Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Moldova
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Indonesia
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Ukraine
- Ukraine bans mass gatherings and closes all schools for three weeks in response to the global coronavirus outbreak. The government says some sporting events might still go ahead but without any spectators. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in South America
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Argentina
- President Alberto Fernández issues an order saying that all people coming from hard-hit countries will have to self-quarantine for 14 days; failure to do so will be considered a crime. In addition, he analyses the possibility of banning all mass gatherings. (Infobae in Spanish)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Argentina
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Hungary
- Hungary declares a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak, closing all university campuses and banning large gatherings, while anyone from Italy, China, South Korea and Iran will be refused entry into the country. Senior minister Gergely Gulyás says "These measures are unprecedented in the three decades since the fall of communism". (Bloomberg)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Iran
- Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education reports 958 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 63 more deaths, the highest number of deaths in a single 24-hour period in the country to date. All Iranians are now warned to stay indoors. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cancels his annual speech marking the Iranian new year on March 20. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain
- Second Vice President of the Congress of Deputies, former Speaker and former Minister Ana Pastor had tested positive of the coronavirus and becomes the highest-ranking official infected. (La Vanguardia)
- Spanish Ministry of Culture orders in Madrid the closing of all ministry dependent centers, including the museums of El Prado, Reina Sofía, Royal Palace, National Library and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. (El País)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Sweden
- Sweden reports its first death from the coronavirus, a person in their 70s. (SVT Nyheter in Swedish)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Ireland
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Qatar
- Qatar announces 238 new cases of confirmed coronavirus in a single day. (Al Jazeera)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- President Donald Trump gives a prime-time statement about the coronavirus during which he announces a 30-day ban on travel from European countries with the exception of the United Kingdom. (ABC News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Honduras
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Guyana
Law and crime
- Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases
- American film producer Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison for two felony sex crimes. (The Hollywood Reporter) (The New York Times)
Science and technology
- 2020 in archosaur paleontology
- Oculudentavis khaungraae, the world's smallest dinosaur, is discovered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. (Newsweek)
- Discoveries of exoplanets
- Scientists discover WASP-76b, an exotic planet that has a 100% chance of having hot liquid iron. (NBC News)
Sports
- Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- Spain's top association football division La Liga and France's Ligue 1 announce that all matches will be played behind closed doors until April 15 in response to the coronavirus. (BBC)
- 2019–20 Scottish Premiership
- St Mirren F.C. asks fans who are suffering symptoms from influenza-like symptoms or the coronavirus to not attend their upcoming game against Heart of Midlothian F.C.. (BBC)
- 2020 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament
- The NCAA announces that all postseason tournaments in its winter season—not only the college basketball tournaments, but also its bowling, fencing, gymnastics, ice hockey, rifle, skiing, swimming & diving, track & field, and wrestling championships—will be held without fans in attendance. (The Washington Post)
- 2019–20 NBA season
- The NBA has announced that its 2019–20 season is on hiatus "until further notice" after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested a presumptive positive.(ESPN)
March 10, 2020 (Tuesday)
Arts and culture
- The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, is postponed for the first time ever. The festival has been moved from April 2020 to October 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Los Angeles Times) (The New York Times)
Business and economy
- Black Monday
- Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announces an European 25 bilion euro fund to face the coronavirus crisis. (Euronews)
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy, 2020 Italy coronavirus lockdown
- Italy enters the first day of the nationwide lockdown as the number of infected reaches 10,149. (BBC)
- Roberto Stella, the president of the medical guild in Varese, Lombardy, has died at the age of 67 after contracting the virus. (Ansa)
- Riots continue for the third day in Italian prisons after family visitations were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Four more inmates died in the incidents, bringing the death toll to 12. The 22 inmates that escaped in Foggia, Apulia, are still wanted. (Il Fatto Quotidiano)
- President of the European Parliament David Sassoli self-isolates after visiting Italy. (Politico)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Japan
- The Cabinet of Japan passes a bill that allows Prime Minister Shinzō Abe to declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus if necessary. (NHK)
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic in mainland China
- Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping visits Wuhan, the epicentre and origin of the pandemic, after an unprecedented lockdown of the central city of 11 million people. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Moldova
- Moldova bans all foreigners from entering the country via plane who have been to any country with confirmed cases of coronavirus. (The Straits Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain
- Member of the Congress of Deputies and Madrid's city councilor Javier Ortega Smith becomes the first of Spain's high profile infected by the coronavirus. He participated in a political event on Sunday with 9000 people. The Board of the Congress suspends this week's plenary activity after the 52 lawmakers of Vox are called to stay at home. (La Vanguardia) (El Periódico)
- Community of La Rioja suspends all classes for two weeks. (el diario.es)
- The Ministry of Transports announces the cancellation of all flights between Spain and Italy. (El Mundo)
- Argentine saxophonist Marcelo Peralta has died in Madrid after contracting coronavirus. (Radio Mitre)
- UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage of humanity of Les Falles of Valencia are postponed for the fifth time in its history. (El Periódico)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Iran
- Iran reports 881 new confirmed cases and 54 more coronavirus deaths, the highest number of deaths in a single 24-hour period in the country to date, bringing the total to 8042 cases and 291 deaths. (TRT World)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the Czech Republic
- The Czech Republic suspends all schools and bans all events hosting more than 100 people indefinitely in order to contain the virus, according to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. (U.S. News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Morocco
- The first death in Morocco is reported, an 89-year-old woman with pre-existing health conditions. (Hespress)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Greece
- Greek Minister of Health Vasilis Kikilias announces that the country's schools and universities will remain closed for two weeks. (The New York Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Denmark
- Denmark reports a sharp increase in coronavirus patients, with 174 new cases in the past 24 hours, totaling 264 cases in the whole country. (BNO News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Austria
- Head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and former MEP Archduke Karl von Habsburg tests positive for virus becoming the first member of a royal family to test positive. (Salzburg24)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Turkey
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Poland
- Poland's Ministry of National Defence tweets that General Commander Jarosław Mika has tested positive for coronavirus after returning from Germany, and becomes NATO's highest-ranking member of armed forces infected. (Reuters)
- Paraguay suspends all school activities and large-scale public events for 15 days as a measure of control due to the coronavirus pandemic. (The New York Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy, 2020 Italy coronavirus lockdown
Law and crime
- The Canadian government presents a bill that would impose a nationwide ban on conversion therapy that would include minors. (BBC)
- InfoWars founder and radio host Alex Jones is arrested for driving under the influence. (CNN)
Politics and elections
- 2020 amendments to the Constitution of Russia
- Vladimir Putin backs a constitutional amendment that would allow him to remain in power after 2024 and make a lifetime presidency possible. (NBC News)
- 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- Voters in six U.S. states cast their ballots in the primary elections. Former Vice President Joe Biden wins the Mississippi, Missouri, Michigan, and Idaho primaries, while U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders wins North Dakota and is ahead in Washington (which has not finished tallying votes). (The New York Times) (CNN)
- Venezuelan protests (2014–present)
- Riot police repels Venezuela's opposition march downtown Caracas that aimed to regain control of the national legislature. (NBC News)
March 9, 2020 (Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok survives an assassination attempt in Khartoum. No one has claimed responsibility. (Haaretz) (The Guardian)
- War in Afghanistan, Politics of Afghanistan
- Ashraf Ghani is sworn in as the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan amidst a rocket attack claimed by ISIL. Abdullah Abdullah proclaims himself as President as well. (AFP via Geo News)
- Libyan Civil War, Turkish military intervention in the Second Libyan Civil War, 2019–20 Western Libya offensive
- Nearly 40 Syrian mercenaries recruited by the Turkish Army have fled to Italy, raising the number of Syrian fighters who fled from Libya to Europe to nearly 200. (SOHR)
- International military intervention against ISIL
- Two United States troops are killed in a raid against ISIL in Iraq. (ABC)
Business and economy
- Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- Black Monday, 2020 Russia–Saudi Arabia oil price war
- Oil prices plummet after Saudi Arabia cut its official selling prices over the weekend. (CNN)
- Before markets open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures posted a 1,300-point drop due to the coronavirus and a fall in the price of oil. The drop would be the most points the Dow has dropped in a single day. (NBC News) (NBC News)
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummets 1,800 points on opening, 500 points lower than pre-market futures trading. (MSNBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic 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. (BBC) (Daily Mirror)
- The 2020 BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) is canceled due to coronavirus fears. This is one of the first major sporting events in the United States to be canceled over the coronavirus. (Bleacher Report) (News AU)
- Black Monday, 2020 Russia–Saudi Arabia oil price war
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy, 2020 Italy coronavirus lockdown
- The number of confirmed cases in Italy rose to 9,172, while the death toll rose to 463. (Corriere della Sera)
- Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte extends the lockdown from Northern Italy to the whole country. (CNN)
- Riots continue at several prisons in Italy after family visitations were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Inmates took two prison guards hostage in Modena during an attempted escape, while inmates at San Vittore Prison in Milan overpowered guards and occupied the roof. Prisons in Pavia and Rebibbia are set on fire, allowing some prisoners to escape. (Business Insider)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Germany
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia suspends all schools, universities and other educational institutions until further notice in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Al Arabiya)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and U.S. Representative Paul Gosar self-quarantine themselves after having made contact at CPAC with a man confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus. (USA Today)
- The Grand Princess cruise ship, with at least 21 people aboard who've tested positive for COVID-19, has docked at the Port of Oakland, California, to continue to the next step in the quarantining measures process. The ship was carrying more than 2,000 passengers, as well as 1,100 crew members. The Grand Princess had been idling about 10 miles (16 km) offshore since Thursday (March 5). Disembarking American passengers are being put under mandatory 14-day quarantine at military bases in California, Texas or Georgia. Foreign passengers are being sent to their home countries for the completion of the quarantine. (Fox News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Cyprus
- The Minister of Health of Cyprus confirms the first two cases in the island; one a health professional who visited United Kingdom and the other a 25-year-old man who had travelled from Italy. (Cyprus Mail)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in South Korea
- The infection rate is reduced, but Moon Jae-in said it was "too early to be optimistic". (The Independent)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Israel
- In order to combat the spread of coronavirus, Israel orders all arrivals from abroad, regardless of country, to self-quarantine. (Times of Israel)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in France
- The French Minister of Culture Franck Riester announces he is infected by coronavirus, as five members of the National Assembly join the 1,412 cases in the Republic. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain
- The President of the Community of Madrid Isabel Díaz Ayuso orders the suspension of classes "at all educational levels" between 11 March until 30 March, as the region reports more than 500 cases. (La Vanguardia)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Ireland
- Ireland cancels all the Saint Patrick's Day parades. (BBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy, 2020 Italy coronavirus lockdown
International relations
- North Korea–South Korea relations
- North Korea fires three projectiles from the coast of Sondok into the sea, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit confirms a 2016 ruling that Led Zeppelin's 1971 song "Stairway to Heaven" was not unlawfully copied from Spirit's instrumental "Taurus", overturning the so-called inverse ratio rule test. (UPI)
March 8, 2020 (Sunday)
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Canada
- The first virus-related death is confirmed in Canada. (CBC News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Albania
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Moldova
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy, 2020 Italy coronavirus lockdown
- 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, Foggia, Naples, Frosinone and Alessandria due to fears the coronavirus lockdowns will end visits from relatives. At least eight inmates, six in Modena, have died of overdose after assaulting the prison's pharmacy, while about 20 escaped in Foggia. (Open)
- Chief of Staff of the Italian Army Salvatore Farina tested positive for coronavirus and self-isolates, as well as President of Piedmont Alberto Cirio. (BBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic 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)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Russia
- 3 new cases registered in Russia (one is in Kaliningrad Region, one is in Belgorod Region, one is in Moscow Region). All of them visited Italy within the past 14 days. (Sputnik)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Iran
- Twenty-seven people have died from methanol poisoning in Iran after rumours that drinking alcohol can help cure the coronavirus infection, state news agency IRNA reported on Monday. (BOL News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Canada
Politics and elections
- 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- California U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate Kamala Harris endorses former Vice President Joe Biden in his campaign for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. (The New York Times)
- Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson endorses Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in his campaign for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. (The New York Times)
Law and crime
- Following the death of 25-year-old Ingrid Escamilla, who was killed by her own boyfriend in February, women are marching against violence against women in Mexico's capital on International Women's Day, ahead of the 24-hour female strike scheduled for Monday. (Sputnik)
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)
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
- 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 pandemic
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Europe
- Malta reports its first case of coronavirus. (Reuters)
- Bulgaria reports its first two cases. (Darik News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy
- Nicola Zingaretti, the President of Lazio since 2013 and Secretary of the Democratic Party since 2019, confirmed he has contracted the virus. (La Repubblica)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Asia
- The Maldives report its first two confirmed cases of the new coronavirus. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Iran
- Newly elected member of parliament Fatemeh Rahbar dies after contracting COVID-19. (Straits Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic 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 pandemic in South America
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic 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)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Argentina
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Europe
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)
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 pandemic in Asia
- Bhutan confirms its first coronavirus case. (Hindustan Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Europe
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Serbia
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic 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)
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Ongoing events
Disasters
- 2018–20 Kivu Ebola epidemic
- 2018–20 Southern Africa drought
- 2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- 2019–20 United Kingdom floods
- 2019–20 European windstorm season
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- Yemeni famine
Politics
- Afghan peace process
- Algerian protests
- Catalan protests
- Chilean protests
- European migrant crisis (timeline)
- Hong Kong protests
- Indian Citizenship Amendment Act protests (Shaheen Bagh)
- Iranian protests
- Iraqi protests
- Kashmir lockdown
- Lebanese protests
- Libyan peace process
- Maltese protests
- North East Delhi riots
- Persian Gulf crisis
- Post-Brexit diplomatic talks
- Qatar diplomatic crisis
- Rohingya persecution in Myanmar
- Turkish purges (disputed)
- Venezuelan presidential crisis (protests)
- Xinjiang concentration camps
- Yellow vests movement
Religion
Sports
More details – ongoing conflicts
Recent
Upcoming
- March
- 19: Vanuatu, Parliament
- 22: Abkhazia, President
Recently concluded
- Pakistan: Pervez Musharraf
- Philippines: Andal Ampatuan Jr.
- Spain: Quim Torra
- United States: Michael Avenatti, Harvey Weinstein
- International: The Gambia v. Myanmar
Ongoing
- Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
- Cambodia: Kem Sokha
- 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, Marcos vs. Robredo electoral protest
- South Africa: Jacob Zuma
- Spain: Bárcenas affair, Catalan police leadership
- 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
- Philippines: "Bikoy" videos sedition case
- United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, R. Kelly, Golden State Killer, Nikolas Cruz
- Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo
- Association football
- Women's association football
- American football
- Basketball
- Golf
- Ice hockey
- Rugby sevens
- Rugby union
- Other sports seasons
More details – current sports events
March 2020
- 8: Max von Sydow
- 7: Fatemeh Rahbar
- 6: Bélgica Castro
- 6: Henri Richard
- 6: McCoy Tyner
- 5: Jeanette Fitzsimons
- 5: Hossein Sheikholeslam
- 4: Amo Houghton
- 4: Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
- 4: Rosalind P. Walter
- 3: Bobbie Battista
- 3: Stanisław Kania
- 2: Henry N. Cobb
- 2: James Lipton
- 1: Ernesto Cardenal
- 1: Jack Welch
February 2020
- 28: Joe Coulombe
- 28: Freeman Dyson
- 27: David Smith
- 26: Michael Medwin
- 25: Lee Phillip Bell
- 25: Hosni Mubarak
- 24: Diana Serra Cary
- 24: Clive Cussler
- 24: John Franzese
- 24: Katherine Johnson
- 22: Kiki Dimoula
- 22: B. Smith
- 22: Simon Warr
- 21: Nick Cuti
- 21: Tao Porchon-Lynch
- 20: José Bonaparte
- 19: Heather Couper
- 19: José Mojica Marins
- 18: Ja'Net DuBois
- 17: Owen Bieber
- 17: Henry Gray
- 17: Charles Portis
- 17: Andrew Weatherall
- 16: Zoe Caldwell
- 16: Larry Tesler
- 15: Caroline Flack
- 15: A. E. Hotchner
- 14: Clayton Williams
- 13: Rajendra K. Pachauri
- 12: Frederick R. Koch
- 11: Marcelino dos Santos
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