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Qasem Soleimani

After a U.S. airstrike killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, at least 56 people die in a stampede during his funeral procession at Kerman, Iran.
In Indonesia, flash floods in and around the capital of Jakarta kill at least 66 people.
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.

January 7, 2020 (Tuesday)

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Disasters and accidents

Funeral of Qasem Soleimani
- During the funeral of Qasem Soleimani in his hometown of Kerman, at least 40 people are killed and 213 more are injured during a stampede. (Reuters)

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)
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)

Law and crime

Japan issues an arrest warrant for former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn's wife Carole for allegedly lying in testimony. (Reuters)

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 democracy times 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

Funeral 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)

Politics and elections

Politics of the Marshall Islands
- David Kabua is elected President of the Marshall Islands by the national legislature. He succeeds Hilda Heine, who was seeking a second term, but lost in the first session vote. (Radio New Zealand International)

January 5, 2020 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- An attack by Al-Shabaab militants on an airfield used by Kenyan and U.S. troops in Lamu County, Kenya, is repelled, leaving four militants dead and five arrested. (AP via Fox News)
- Three Americans are confirmed to have been killed in the attack, including a serviceman and two contractors. (CNN) (BBC)
In Metz, Grand Est, France, an assailant shouting "Allahu Akbar" attempts to stab police officers with a knife before being shot and injured. (Reuters)
American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
- United States Central Command releases a CJTF-OIR statement announcing that it "has paused" operations against ISIL in order to concentrate on protecting their troops at bases in Iraq. (The Guardian) (US CentCom)

Disasters and accidents

2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- A bushfire leads to the residents of Eden, New South Wales, to evacuate. (ABC)
In the early hours of the morning, a car crashes into a group of German tourists in Luttach, Italy, killing six people and injuring 11 others. The driver was reportedly drunk and is charged with murder. (AFP via Bangkok Post)
Thirty six people are killed and others injured after a building under construction collapses in Kep, Cambodia. (Reuters)
A vehicle pile-up involving multiple semi-trucks and a tour bus on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, U.S. leaves five dead and 60 injured. (Fox News)

Law and crime

Japan says it will tighten immigration measures after the escape of former Chairman of Nissan Carlos Ghosn from the country. The Japanese government condemns Ghosn's escape as "unjustifiable". (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
2019–2020 Hong Kong protests
- Thousands of protesters march in the Sheung Shui neighborhood; dozens are arrested. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election
- Elected deputies in Venezuela vote for a President of the National Assembly, who may be able to claim the nation's Presidency. (Miami Herald)
- In the early hours of the morning, explosive devices are found in a hotel where opposition deputies are staying while in Caracas to vote. (El Nacional)
- Despite trying to enter and vote, self-declared interim president Juan Guaidó is denied entry to the Assembly. Dissident opposition politician Luis Parra is sworn in as National Assembly president after an impromptu vote. Opposition supporters call it a "parliamentary coup"; the United States denounce a "farce". State broadcasters label Parra as the new speaker of parliament. (BBC) (Reuters)
2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis
- In a session boycotted by most Sunni Arab and Kurdish representatives, the Council of Representatives of Iraq accepts a resolution to expel U.S. troops from Iraq. (Reuters)
  - U.S. President Donald Trump threatens Iraq—if the U.S. would be required to leave the country—with a bill for a “very extraordinarily expensive” air base and also with sanctions that would "make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame". (Reuters)
- After the United States kills Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in the 2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike, Iran's parliament votes to exit the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with world powers. This comes after the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018. (MSN)
2019–20 Croatian presidential election
- The runoff election for the Croatian Presidency is held today, with incumbent Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović facing former Prime Minister Zoran Milanović. (Euronews)
- Milanović is elected. Grabar-Kitarović pledges a "civilised transfer" of power. (The Guardian)
2019–20 Uzbek parliamentary election
- A repeat vote is held in 25 electoral districts in the second round of the latest parliamentary election in Uzbekistan. (The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
Politics of Israel
- Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu announces appointments at several ministries he had to drop following his indictment for corruption. David Bitan, who is under suspicion of accepting bribes, is appointed as Minister of Agriculture. (YNet)
People in Pakistan protest in Karachi over the U.S. killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general Qasem Soleimani. (Reuters)

January 4, 2020 (Saturday)

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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
- Militants fire rockets at Iraqi bases supporting U.S. personnel, nearly hitting the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. (FT)
- U.S. president Donald Trump vows to target 52 sites significant to Iranians and Iranian culture if Iran "strikes any Americans or American assets." (Politico) (Al Jazeera)
Insurgency in the Maghreb
- A roadside bomb strikes a bus in Toeni Department of Burkina Faso, killing fourteen people, including students on their way to school. (BBC)
Second Libyan Civil War
- An airstrike at a military academy in Tripoli, Libya, kills at least 28 cadets and wounds dozens more, according to the Government of National Accord. The BBC cites reports saying the attack could be attributed to the Libyan National Army. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Tens of thousands of mourners, among them Iraqi prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, attend a funeral procession in Baghdad, Iraq, for those killed in a United States airstrike—among them Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Quds Force and at least five others. The bodies are then brought to Karbala and Najaf, where Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and the other Iraqis killed are to be buried. (CNN) (Reuters)

Business and economy

The Nicolás Maduro government announces that Venezuela will sell some of its oil and gold to fund its petro cryptocurrency. (Yahoo Finance)

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 (120.0 °F) at Penrith) and Canberra (44 °C (111 °F)). (The Guardian)
Four people are killed when a Mooney M20 plane crashes shortly after takeoff near the island of Lifou, New Caledonia. (RNZ)
A plane crashes near Santa Clarita, California, killing the pilot. (CNN)

January 3, 2020 (Friday)

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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, U.S. President Donald Trump tweets an image of an American flag. He later defends the airstrike, claiming 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 3,000 more US soldiers to the Middle East as tensions with Iran heighten. (NBC News)
- Homeland security warns of potential attacks from Iranian backed militias or any other potential threat. Police been put on high alert due to such threats. (CNN)
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)
Communal conflicts in Nigeria
- 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
- The death toll of the floods in Jakarta, Indonesia, that started two days ago rises to 43. (BBC)
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)

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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)

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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