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Topics in the news

Donald Trump

The United States Senate votes to acquit President Donald Trump (pictured) of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The Malawian Constitutional Court annuls the results of the 2019 general election which re-elected President Peter Mutharika, ordering a fresh election.
At the British Academy Film Awards, 1917 wins Best Film, along with six other awards.
In American football, the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers to win the Super Bowl.

February 6, 2020 (Thursday)

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February 5, 2020 (Wednesday)

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Disasters and accidents

2020 Van avalanches
- Avalanches in Van Province, eastern Turkey, kill at least 38 people, leaving more trapped. (BBC)
Pegasus Airlines Flight 2193
- A plane crashes after overrunning the runway at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Istanbul, Turkey, killing 3 people and injuring 155 others. (BBC)

Health and environment

2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak
- Around 3,700 people aboard a cruise ship named Diamond Princess are quarantined after ten passengers test positive for the illness at the Yokohama, Japan port. (Reuters)
- A baby is diagnosed with the virus 30 hours after birth, in the first recorded case of the virus in a newborn. (New Straits Times)

Law and crime

The United Kingdom's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport begins a public consultation on decriminalizing the failure to pay the television licence fee. Currently, failure to pay the fee while using a television can result in fines and imprisonment. (BBC)
First Lady Maesiah Thabane of Lesotho is charged with murdering her husband's ex-wife.(CNN)
Bayard Rustin is posthumously pardoned by California Governor Gavin Newsom for “anti-gay charges”. (NBC News)
Denmark jails three men for potentially spying for Saudi Arabia. (ABC News)
LGBT rights in Nigeria
- A court in Nigeria grants 47 men another delay in their trial over homosexuality and public displays of affection with members of the same sex. Judge Rilwan Aikawa says it is the last accepted delay at the Lagos court. The men face up to 10-year imprisonment if convicted in a closely watched trial. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Impeachment trial of Donald Trump
- The United States Senate votes on whether to acquit U.S. President Donald Trump. By a vote of 52–48 almost entirely along party lines, the Republican-majority Senate acquits Trump on the first article of impeachment, and acquits him on the the second charge in a separate 53–47 vote. Utah Senator Mitt Romney (Republican) casts the sole vote, guilty, against party lines on the first article. (The New York Times)

The Romanian minority government led by Ludovic Orban is toppled by a vote of no confidence. The event could lead to an early election. (DW)

February 4, 2020 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (November 2019–present), Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says Turkey will not allow Syria's military to gain more ground in the rebel-held Idlib Governorate, as the Syrian Army captures several more villages near the city of Saraqib. Turkish officials say intermittent clashes between Turkish and Syrian troops have continued since Monday. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake hits 20 kilometers south of Guánica, Puerto Rico. (CNN) (National Earthquake Center)

Health and environment

2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying reports the death toll has surpassed 400 with over 20,000 people infected, and requests the United States "not to overreact". (Reuters)
- The Diamond Princess cruise ship is quarantined and tested for coronavirus cases as it is docked in Yokohama, Japan. Passengers and crew are now required to stay on board until at least Tuesday night. Between 3,500 and 3,700 passengers are tested. (CNN International)
- The second coronavirus death outside mainland China is reported in Hong Kong. The victim was a 34-year-old Hongkonger who had recently travelled to Wuhan, the center of the outbreak. The Hospital Authority said the victim suffered from "preexisting health conditions", but did not give details. (Los Angeles Times)

Law and crime

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune pardons more than 3,000 prisoners serving sentences of less than six months imprisonment as he seeks to win support after months of political turmoil. (Reuters)
First Lady of Lesotho, Maesiah Thabane, is arrested and charged in connection to the 2017 murder of Lipolelo Thabane, ex-wife of current Prime Minister Tom Thabane. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
- Donald Trump receives overwhelming support in the Iowa Republican caucuses while the results of the Iowa Democratic caucuses are delayed because of problems with the use of a mobile app for reporting. (CNN)
2020 State of the Union Address
- U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his third State of the Union Address to the 116th United States Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives. (CNN)

February 3, 2020 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (November 2019–present), Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- Syrian Army shelling kills Turkish military personnel in Idlib Governorate, prompting retaliation by Turkish forces. A pro-opposition war monitor says the Turkish retaliation killed 13 Syrian soldiers, which Syria denies. The Russian Ministry of Defence says Turkey moved troops "inside the de-escalation zone [...] without notifying the Russian side". Turkish President Erdoğan says the Syrian shelling killed five Turkish soldiers and three civilian personnel, with nine others injured, and that the Russians "need to stand aside". (AP News) (SANA) (NPR)
A gendarme is stabbed and wounded in Metz, Grand Est, France, by a soldier who shouted Islamic extremist slogans and declared that he is an Islamic State member. He was shot and wounded. (Le Figaro)
Gunmen open fire in an amusement arcade in Uruapan, Mexico, killing at least nine people, including three children. Police say the gunmen were searching for specific targets but then opened fire indiscriminately on customers. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak
- The global Cruise Lines International Association bans trips to mainland China and says that it "will deny boarding to any individual, whether guest or crew, who has travelled from or through mainland China within the previous 14 days". (Al Arabiya English)
- Thailand announces the possible discovery of a "cure" for the coronavirus after a confirmed coronavirus patient tested negative for the virus 48 hours after being given an "anti-HIV" drug. (Filipino Times) (Daily Sabah) (IB Times)
- Huoshenshan Hospital, opening after ten days of construction, admits the first patients of the coronavirus outbreak. (SCMP), (AP)
HIV/AIDS research
- The United States National Institutes of Health stops its trial of an experimental HIV vaccine (HVTN 702) amidst poor results. The trial involved more than 5,000 people in South Africa. (BBC)

International relations

Post-Brexit, United Kingdom–European Union relations
- European Union negotiator Michel Barnier says a future trade deal is possible only if the United Kingdom "abides by EU standards". British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the UK would not be bound by EU rules in any post-Brexit agreement. (NBC News)
Israel–Uganda relations
- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni says he is "studying" the possibility of opening an embassy in Jerusalem as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promises to open an embassy in Uganda if such a move takes place. (Reuters)
European migrant crisis
- Greek police on the island of Lesbos fire tear gas to disperse migrants and refugees protesting about conditions in the camps and the slow pace of processing asylum requests. (Reuters)

Law and crime

List of mass shootings in the United States in 2020
- A mass shooting on a Greyhound bus headed from Los Angeles to San Francisco leaves one dead and five wounded; the motive remains unknown. (CBS News) (NBC News)
- A shooting at a dormitory at Texas A&M University–Commerce, leaves two dead and one wounded. (Politico) (NBC News)

Politics and elections

Aftermath of the 2019 Malawian general election
- The Constitutional Court of Malawi annuls the result of the country's last general election due to various irregularities. New elections are being scheduled to be held within 150 days. (Aljazeera)
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
- The first nominating contest in the Democratic Party and Republican Party primaries takes place in the U.S. state of Iowa. Eleven Democratic Party candidates will challenge for 49 delegates, while incumbent President Donald Trump will face two Republican challengers for 40 delegates, regarding the 2020 United States presidential election (BBC)
- Significant irregularities in the Democratic Party process are reported with an app being blamed for widespread confusion and delayed results. (Vox) (The Washington Examiner)
Impeachment trial of Donald Trump
- Closing statements are delivered before the United States Senate. (The New York Times)
- Democratic Senator Joe Manchin asks his colleagues to consider censuring Trump, as an alternative to impeachment, for his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate domestic political rivals. Senator Manchin is considered friendly with the White House. (The Washington Post)

February 2, 2020 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2020 Streatham stabbing
- Three people are injured after a man attacked people with a machete in Streatham High Road, London, United Kingdom. The attacker is shot dead by police. The incident is declared as terrorism-related. (BBC)
Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (November 2019–present), Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- More than 200 Turkish Armed Forces vehicles cross the Syria–Turkey border into rebel-held Idlib Governorate in an effort to halt the Syrian Army advance on the city of Saraqib. (The Washington Post) (Al Masdar News)
Sinai insurgency
- Islamist militants bomb a gas pipeline between Egypt and Israel in the northern Sinai Peninsula. (Ynet news)

Arts and culture

Groundhog Day
- Punxsutawney Phil doesn't cast a shadow and predicts an early spring. (Fox News)

Health and environment

2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak
- The first coronavirus death outside China is reported in the Philippines. The victim was a Chinese tourist, also infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza B, who recently arrived in the country. (CNN Philippines)
- New Zealand closes its borders to all foreign visitors from China and bolsters screenings at its airports in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The travel ban will be in place for at least fourteen days. (The Guardian)

International relations

Iran–Saudi Arabia relations
- According to Iranian Foreign Ministry, Saudi Arabia has blocked Iran from an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Jeddah after Saudi authorities refuse to issue visas to Iranian officials. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2020 Ghent stabbing
- A female attacker stabs four people in Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium in different locations. The victims were injured, two of whom in critical conditions. The suspect is shot and wounded by Belgian police. (The Brussels Time)

Politics and elections

2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis
- Japan sends a destroyer to the Gulf of Oman amid heightening tensions in the region. The government says it is prepared to authorize the use of force to protect Japanese interests if needed. (Reuters)

Sports

2019 NFL season
- In American football, the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers 31–20 to win Super Bowl LIV, the team's first Super Bowl win since 1970. (ESPN)

February 1, 2020 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Suspected Islamist militants kill at least 62 civilians in a series of massacres in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as killings of civilians intensify. The country's armed forces launch counter-offensives against insurgents of the Allied Democratic Forces. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

400–500 people are left stranded at the Sasquatch Mountain Resort in British Columbia, Canada, after the road to the resort was damaged from landslides caused by heavy rain. Train service between Vancouver and Seattle was also suspended until Monday due to mudslides. (CTV News) (CTV News)

Health and environment

2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak
- Kiribati becomes the latest country in the Pacific to block Chinese travelers by placing all visa applications from China on hold and ordering all those coming from countries with confirmed cases of the virus to self-quarantine. (Radio NZ International)
- Apple Inc. announces it will close all of its stores and offices in China until February 9 due to the outbreak. (Gizmodo)

International relations

Trump peace plan
- The Palestinian National Authority cuts all ties with the United States and Israel, including those relating to security, after rejecting a peace plan presented by U.S. President Donald Trump. (Reuters)
Foreign relations of the Maldives
- The Maldives returns to the Commonwealth of Nations as a Commonwealth republic. (The Commonwealth)

Law and crime

A court in Egypt sentences a former special forces officer and 36 others to the death penalty after being convicted on charges of terrorism, court officials say. (Reuters)
Police in South Africa launch a manhunt for the killers of nine illegal miners who were stoned to death in western Johannesburg. All nine killed were from Lesotho. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Iraqi protests (2019–present)
- Former Communications Minister Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi is appointed Prime Minister of Iraq by President Barham Salih. Protestors reject his appointment, seeing him as part of the establishment. (Al Jazeera)

January 31, 2020 (Friday)

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Business and economy

Fossil fuel divestment
- The Guardian becomes the first major news outlet to stop accepting ads from the fossil fuel industry. (The Guardian) (The Hill)

Disasters and accidents

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force stop searching for nine people who disappeared at sea on January 15 when their boat capsized. Five men, two women and two children are now presumed dead. (RNZ)

Health and environment

2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak
- Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announce that they have suspended all flights to and from China amid the coronavirus outbreak. (ABC News)
- An airplane with 195 Americans coming back from China is quarantined. (CBS)
- The Department of Health and Human Services declares the coronavirus a public health emergency in the United States. (CNBC)
- The Ministry of Health of Spain confirms the first case of coronavirus in the country in La Gomera, Canary Islands, from a German tourist. (El Mundo)

International relations

Brexit
- The United Kingdom formally withdraws from the European Union at 23:00 GMT. (BBC)
- Subsequently, the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union cabinet position are abolished with immediate effect upon leaving the EU. (Inews)
Tanzania–United States relations
- The U.S. bans Tanzanian official Paul Makonda from entering the U.S. for his announcement about a crackdown on Tanzanian homosexuals in Dar es Salaam in 2018, among other accusations. (Reuters)

Law and crime

In Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, a man is shot and killed by police after taking more than 20 children as hostages for more than 10 hours. Angry locals later beat the hostage-taker's widow to death. It is unknown whether she was involved in her husband's plan. (BBC)

Politics and elections