Events pertaining to world affairs in
2020, national politics, public policy, government, world economics, and international business, that took place in various nations, regions, organizations, around the world in 2020.
All works published in 1924, except for some sound recordings, are now in the
public domain in the United States.[1]
Crowds of protesters breach the US embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq, and then withdrew after US Marines fired tear gas. The unrest occurred in response to US airstrikes on pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.[2][3]
State laws on
bail, the gig economy, minimum wages, data privacy, and
red flag gun control take effect in several U.S. states, that includes California, New York, Colorado, Nevada, and Hawaii.[5]
Several new federal regulations take effect in the US as of this date, including new regulations on retirement funds, minimum wage rules, and overtime rules.[6]
The government of
New South Wales, Australia, declares a
State of emergency to take effect January 3 as
bushfires rage, threatening human lives and property as well as wiping out as many as 500 million animals.[7]
750 US troops prepare to be deployed to Iraq to defend US Embassy in Baghdad.[8]
Turkey reports a new refugee influx and possible crisis, as 250,000 Syrians flee
Syria for Turkey, due to Syrian government attacks on rebel groups around
Idlib.[9]
Two U.S. military bases in Iraq are hit with a dozen missiles fired by Iran; no casualties or serious damage reported.[20] U.S. President
Donald Trump says Iran "appears to be standing down" after the killing of Qasem Soleimani but announces new sanctions against Iran.[21]
As many as 25 Crore (250 million) people join a general strike in
India in response to Bharat Bandh labor reforms.[22][23]
On January 11, 2020, Russia announced that a ceasefire had been agreed to in the area of Idlib and Northwest Syria, between Russia, Syria, Syrian rebels and Turkey. This was due to requests by Turkey for a ceasefire, in order to stop the flood of Syrian refugees into Turkey.[25][26][27] However, some regional news outlets reported that Syria launched further attacks near Idlib, in Maarat al-Numan district and the villages of Maar Shoreen, Talmenes, and Maar Shamshah, even after the ceasefire had officially begun.[28]
Iran takes responsibility for "unintentionally" shooting down
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 that killed 176 people on January 8. Canadian Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau demands "transparency and justice for the families and loved ones of the victims."[31]
British police say it was an "error of judgment" to label '
Extinction Rebellion' a terrorist group.[32]
January 12
13,000 participate in a "Run Against Dictatorship" in
Bangkok, demanding that Thai prime minister
Prayut Chan-o-cha step down.[33]
Japanese Deputy Prime Minister
Taro Aso is under fire for describing Japan as a single race and single language country, ignoring 200,000 indigenous
Ainu people and 760,000 ethnic Koreans.[37]
New
Guatemalan President
Alejandro Giammattei takes office after a five-hour delay due to protests. Outgoing president Morales is pelted with eggs.[38]
January 15
The
Prime Minister of Russia,
Dmitry Medvedev announces that the entire Russian government will resign. This occurred due to a proposal from Putin for new laws and reforms that would vastly increase his power.[39]
Turkey lifts its ban on Wikipedia, due to a ruling by the Turkish High Constitutional Court.[42]
January 16
Pope Francis names Italian lawyer Francesca Di Giovanni as the under-secretary in the Section for Relations with States, the arm of the Catholic church that handles the
foreign relations of the Holy See. She is the first woman appointed to a post at that level.[43]
Violence escalates in
Beirut, Lebanon, with 377 protesters and 142 members of security forces injured during nine hours of clashes; 43 people were arrested and later released.[51]
January 23 – U.S. Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin, 58, says
Greta Thunberg, 17, should study economics if she wants to talk about climate change. Mnunchin has a bachelor's degree in economics.[54]
The
US Senate voted on whether or not to convict the president on the charges and evidence as they were presented and debated upon.[63] The senators voted 52 to 48 to find President Trump not guilty on the charge of abuse of power (all 45 Democrats, independent senators
Bernie Sanders and
Angus King, and Republican senator Romney voted guilty). They voted 53 to 47, in a party line vote, to find him not guilty on the charge of obstruction of Congress[64]
Palestinians withdraw their request for the UN Security Council to discuss the proposed peace plan offered by the
Trump Administration of the
United States.[67]
President Trump submits a new federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year. It would increase defense spending and cut social programs.[68]
German President
Frank-Walter Steinmeier criticizes the United States for rejecting "even the idea of an international community." He also criticized Russia and China.[70]
The U.S. issues a travel ban against
Sri Lanka general Shavendra Silva for human rights violations.[71]
Benjamin Griveaux, 42, French President Macron's preferred candidate for
mayor of Paris, withdraws his candidacy after a sex video is leaked.[72]
Thousands protest in eastern Germany against the role Christian Democrats and the Free Democratic Party in supporting a far-right political party in
Thuringia.[73]
U.S. Defense Secretary
Mark Esper says that a "reduction in violence" deal reached with the
Taliban in Afghanistan "looks very promising." The agreement is expected to be formally announced on February 16 and to go into effect on February 17.[74]
Venezuela carries out military exercises and drills amidst growing tensions with the United States. Opposition leader
Juan Guaidó returns after a three-week tour that included a visit with the U.S. president.[75]
Ivanka Trump praises Saudi Arabia and other Mideast countries for the advances they have made on women's rights.[81]
French Health Minister
Agnès Buzyn announces her candidacy for mayor of Paris, after Benjamin Griveaux drops out.[82]
Strikes among seasonal ski resort workers break out against unemployment reforms at 50 locations in France, from the
Alps to the
Pyrenees.[83]
February 17 – 3,000 interns in the public service sector of
Spain protest against the lack of a permanent contract. 21.6% of Spanish government employees are considered "temporary."[84]
February 23 – Police in Haiti violently protest against money being spent on a carnaval celebrations instead of their salaries.[92]
February 24 – Seven people, including a police officer, are killed in protests against new immigration laws in
New Delhi, India before a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump.[93]
March 1 – The Prime-Minister-designate of Iraq, Mohammed Allawi withdrew from his run for the post, accusing political parties of obstructing him, creating a domestic crisis and also a possible power vacuum. This decision occurred hours after the Iraqi parliament declined for the second time in a week to approve his cabinet.[98]
March 2
The U.N. envoy to
Libya, Ghassan Salame, 69, steps down because of health concerns.[99] Peace efforts seem further off than ever.[100]
Chile – Between 190,000 and 300,000 people march in
Santiago, Chile and 800,000 across the country.[109]
Other countries – Three masked men attack demonstrators in
Kyrgyzstan. Hundreds protest in the
Philippines. Marches in several countries are canceled or have lower attendance than in 2019 due to COVID-19.[110]
March 11 – Lawmakers in Russia approve legal changes that will allow President Vladimir Putin to remain in office until 2036. The changes still have to be approved the Constitutional Court and in a
nation-wide referendum scheduled for April.[114]
March 15
Voters in France participate in local elections despite concerns about the
coronavirus pandemic. A second round will be held on March 22.[115]
Pro-government protesters march across
Brazil, ignoring social distancing recommendations.[117]
Saudi authorities detain 298 government employees, including members of the military, accusing them of abuse of power, bribery, money laundering, and corruption. 379 million riyals ($101 million) are involved.[118]
Anti-immigrant protests turn violent in
Chios and
Lesbos, Greece.[119]
King
Felipe VI of Spain renounces the inheritance from his father, King Emerit
Juan Carlos I, who is accused of receiving €88 million ($100 million) in Saudi Arabian kickbacks. King Felipe will also take away Juan Carlos's pension.[120]
March 16 – Governments across Latin America impose strict measures to control the coronavirus.[121]
Peru puts military personnel on the streets, blocking major roads and suspending freedom of assembly.
Colombia closes its maritime, river, and land borders but shares information with
Venezuela, where there are 33 cases of coronavirus.
In
Chile, at least six passengers from the cruise ship
Silver Explorer are treated in hospitals in Patagonia after they tested positive for coronavirus.
Paraguay restricts crowds and enforces an 8 p.m. curfew.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tells his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in a phone call to request Chinese officials to stop using official media channels to blame the United States for the coronavirus while Yang tells Pompeo to request American officials to stop slandering China and its anti-epidemic efforts. The call comes on the day that the World Health Organization says more coronavirus cases and deaths have been reported in the rest of the world than in China.[122]
The United States continues its high-pressure sanctions against Iran despite the
COVID-19 pandemic in Iran; the sanctions do not prohibit humanitarian aid.[128]
March 24 – A diplomatic dispute between China and Brazil ends when the former offers to help Brazil cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil reports 1,891 cases and 34 deaths;
São Paulo is on lockdown.[130]
March 25 – The
Group of Seven cannot agree on a joint statement about the coronavirus pandemic because the
United States Secretary of State insists on referring to it as the “Wuhan virus”.[131] At a meeting of the
United Nations Security Council, France proposes "general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all countries," including a 30-day pause in conflicts, to allow coronavirus-related supplies to flow. The United States insists that the resolution include a reference to the Wuhan, China, origin of the coronavirus. Russia insists that ambassadors vote in person.[132]
March 27
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19, and will self-isolate in
10 Downing Street.[133]
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted two ballistic missiles in an attack that Yemen's Houthi launched towards
Riyadh and areas near the Yemeni border. The attacks came days after Yemen's warring parties welcomed a U.N. call for a truce to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.[136]
Monuments across the world turn off their lights at 8:30 p.m. in honor of
Earth Hour.[137]
Queen
Elizabeth II makes a
rare broadcast to the UK and the wider Commonwealth, something she has done on only four previous occasions. In the address she thanks people for following the government's social distancing rules and pays tribute to key workers, and says the UK "will succeed" in its fight against coronavirus but may have "more still to endure".[141][142]
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is admitted to hospital for tests after testing positive for coronavirus ten days earlier.[143]
April 18 –
Denmark and
Poland announce they will not give stimulus money to businesses registered in
tax havens.[153]
April 19 – Vietnam protests China's establishment of administrative units in the South China Sea.[154] Malaysia also contests China's more aggressive moves.[155]
April 20
Benjamin Netanyahu (
Likud) and Benny Gantz (
Blue and White) agree to the formation of a national emergency government in Israel.[156]
For the second time in four days, a Russian
Sukhoi Su-35 intercepts a U.S. Navy aircraft in the eastern Mediterranean. A similar incident happened on June 8.[157]
April 22
United Nations secretary-general
António Guterres says the impact of COVID-19 is "immediate and dreadful" but there is "another, even deeper emergency: the planet's unfolding environmental crisis."[158]
After U.S. President Trump threatened to shoot Iranian patrol boats that get close to U.S. ships in the
Persian Gulf,[159] Tehran says it will destroy "any American terrorist force" if its security is threatened.[160]
COVID-19 pandemic: France and Holland pledge almost $10 billion to bail out their national airlines (€7 billion for
Air France between €2 and €4 billion for
KLM).[162]
China closes its border with Myanmar after fighting in
Jiegao,
Yunnan. Artillery fire and bullets destroy a gas station in China, but there are no reports of injuries in either country.[163]
April 27 – Boris Johnson returns to work after three weeks of illness. In his first speech outside 10 Downing Street since recovering from coronavirus, he urges the public not to lose patience with the lockdown, warning that the UK is at the moment of "maximum risk".[168]
April 28
A bombing believed to have been carried out by Kurdish fighters in Turkish-controlled
Afrin, Syria kills at least 20 civilians.[169]
Libyan General
Khalifa Haftar is accused of carrying out a
coup d'état as he puts the eastern part of the country under direct military rule.[170]
North Korean Supreme Leader
Kim Jong-un inaugurates a fertilizer factory, dispelling rumors of his death after twenty days when he was not seen in public.[172]
Fifty-seven people are arrested in a
May Day demonstration in
Santiago de Chile. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, gatherings of more than fifty people are prohibited. Police say one arrested man was supposed to be in quarantine until May 9.[173]
May 6 – Congressman
Ken Buck (R-CO) is caught on tape allegedly pressuring a district GOP party chair to sign a false affidavit certifying the results of that district assembly's vote on the nomination of candidates for a Republican primary to replace its term-limited state senator.[175][176]
May 10 –
2020 Polish presidential election. The president is expected to win in a landslide as the opposition calls for postponement.[177] It was announced on May 6 that the election will be postponed indefinitely.[178]
May 12 – A bomb explosion attributed to the
Islamic State of Afghanistan kills 24 at a funeral in
Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan.[179] Unknown attackers killed 24 and injured 16 others, including new-born babies, mothers, and nurses at a maternity hospital in Kabul.[180]
Satellite pictures show 200 buildings burning in a village in Let Kar,
Myanmar. Villagers say the fires were set by government soldiers, but the government says guerrillas from the
Arakan Army are responsible.[183]
May 24 – China clamps down on dissidents in
Hong Kong;[188] authorities warn that U.S. backing of dissidents could set off a new
Cold War.[189]
May 26 –
The U.S. (AFRICOM) says Russia has sent fighter jets to
Tripoli to support the mercenaries trying to topple the government of
Libya. Russia says this is ″disinformation.″[190]
Opposition leader
Mikola Statkevich is arrested in a protest in
Minsk, Belarus. 50 opposition activists have been arrested in the last few days, including blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, who was arrested in
Grodno.[191]
People in cities around the world including London, Berlin, and Rio march against police brutality and the
murder of George Floyd.[192]
May – COVID-19 pandemic: Online criticism of Italy's handling of the pandemic is censored by
World Health Organization (WHO) officials. Similar criticism of other large donars, including China and the United Kingdom, is similarly muted.[193]
June
June 1
Mexican President
Andrés Manuel López Obrador announces a "new normal" of partial reopening with a road trip to
Cancun and the inauguration of the
Mayan Train. Mexico has nearly 100,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nearly 10,000 deaths.[194]
June 1 to 5 –
Protests against the murder of George Floyd and other instances of police brutality extend to hundreds of cities across at least 40 countries.[197][198][199][200][201]
June 11 – President Donald Trump authorizes economic and travel restrictions on
International Criminal Court (ICCt) employees who investigate
war crimes committed by Americans in the
War in Afghanistan.[203] Prime Minister
Imad Khamis was dismissed by President Bashar al-Assad, amid anti-government protests over deteriorating economic conditions.[204]
June 15
Twenty-two Indian soldiers die in a border clash with Chinese troops in the Ladakh region.[205]
June 28 –
2020 Polish presidential election: Populist conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda will face off against the liberal mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski in a second round.[208][55][209]
Agnès Callamard, an independent U.N. human rights expert, issues a report insisting an American drone strike that killed Iranian Gen.
Qassem Soleimani in January was a “watershed” event in the use of drones and amounted to a violation of international law.[214]
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signs a decree handing over
Hagia Sophia to Turkey's Religious Affairs Presidency, changing its status from a museum to a mosque.[215]
Thousands protest against corruption by the Bulgarian Prime Minister
Boyko Borisov.[219]
COVID-19 pandemic
Thousands protest
Israel's economic response to the pandemic.[220]
Thousands of protesters, many masked, march for the fifth night in a row to demand the resignation of Serbian President
Aleksandar Vučić. The protests are mostly against the president's handling of the national response to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, where 18,073 cases and 382 deaths have been confirmed.[221]
July 12
500,000 voters participate in primary elections for pro-democracy candidates in Hong Kong, in what organizers say is a vote against the
national security law.[222]
Second round of Polish presidential election.[208]
Egyptian Foreign Minister
Sameh Shoukry says that his country and Greece have signed an agreement designating an exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean between the two countries, effectively nullifying an accord between Turkey and the internationally recognized government of Libya.[226]
Protesers in Beirut, Lebanon, ask visiting French President
Emmanuel Macron to intervene to help eradicate the corruption that led to the
August 4 explosion that killed 157 and injured at least 5,000.[228]
August 7
Russia warns that any incoming ballistic missile will be treated as if it were nuclear and would spark a nuclear response.[229]
Police in Beirut, Lebanon, reportedly react to protesters with tear gas and live ammunition after the August 4 explosion, sending 55 people to local hospitals as 117 others are treated at the scene.[232]
15,000 protesters march against corruption in downtown Jerusalem, Israel, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu.[233]
2020 Belarusian protests: Despite week-long protests against vote fraud in Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko rejects calls for new elections.[241]
Lebanese President
Michel Aoun says it would be "Impossible" for him to resign following the explosion that killed 170 and left hundreds of thousands homeless.[242]
August 18 – Russian media report that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko says he will allow new elections after the country adopts a new constitution. He had previously said that he would have to be killed before there could be new elections.[243]
August 20 – Polish Foreign Minister
Jacek Czaputowicz resigns in the midst of the crisis in Belarus. This is the second cabinet resignation in a week, as
Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski left amid increased COVID-19 infection rates.[244]
August 21
2020 Khabarovsk Krai protests: 1,500 people in
Khabarovsk,
Khabarovsk Krai, Russia conduct their seventh march against the Moscow government. They are protesting against the arrest of Governor
Sergei Furgal and in support of
Alexei Navalny and dissidents in Belarus.[245] Navalny, a critic of the Kremlin, was taken to a German hospital after a suspected poisoning on August 19.[246]
September 4 –
Serbia and
Kosovo normalize economic relations. Kosovo also establishes diplomatic relations with Israel, and both countries open embassies in Jerusalem.[249]
September 6
Hong Kong protests: Police arrest 290 people in protests.[250]
Belarusian protests: A record 100,000 march on the Palace of Independence; 72 are arrested and students strike.[251]
September 7 – Two deserters from the
Myanmar Army testify on video that they were ordered to commit rape, murder, and other atrocities against
Rohingya people, mostly Muslims.[252]
September 9
Several thousand protest against proposed electrical power price increases in North Macedonia.[253]
A fire at a refugee camp in Greece leaves 13,000 homeless.[254]
October 25 –
2020 Chilean national plebiscite: The "Approve" side won with 78% agreeing to draft a new constitution. 79% opted for a "Constitutional Convention" as the best way to rewrite the text.[268]
Manuel Merino resigns the presidency of Peru after only four days in office.[282]
900 are arrested in protests against the reelection of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.[283]
Armenians burn their own homes as they leave
Kalbajar, Azerbaijan.[284]
Ethiopia's
Tigray conflict takes on an international character as rockets are fired at the
Asmara, Eritrea, airport,[285] and 25,000 refugees flee from Tigray, to Sudan.[286]
2020 Brazilian municipal elections (Round 1): Of the nearly 60 candidates whom President Bolsonaro backed, only nine advanced.[288] Transgender candidates make two historic wins.[289]
November 16
Hungary and Poland threaten to veto the 2021 EU budget and recovery plan.[290]
November 17 – Acting Secretary of Defense
Christopher C. Miller announces that the United States will withdraw 2,500 troops from Afghanistan and Iraq by January 15, 2021.[293]
The United States announces it will withdraw almost all its troops from Somalia by January 15.[308]
December 6
Violence breaks out in Paris as thousands protest against security laws. Peaceful rallies are held in
Marseille,
Lyon,
Lille and other French cities.[309]
Three hundred protesters are arrested in the 18th week of protests in
Minsk, Belarus.[310]
2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election: Turnout is 31% as Maduro's government is reelected with 67.6%, the traditional opposition won 17.95%, and dissidents on the left won 3% of the vote.[311] Eighteen countries in America (including the United States and Canada but excluding Argentina, Bolivia, and Mexico) call the election fraudulent and illegal.[312]
Lebanon's Prime Minister designate
Saad al-Hariri presents a proposed cabinet to President
Michel Aoun. A viable government is key to receiving French aid.[319]
At least 15 civilians are killed and 20 are wounded, including children, in an explosion in
Ghazni province, Afghanistan.[331]
December 20
COVID-19 pandemic: Several European Union countries and Canada temporarily stop flights from the UK in response to a new, fast-spreading strain of the virus.[332] Other countries follow suit, with
Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, and
Oman closing their borders completely.[333]
Taiwan deploys ships and planes as a
Chinese carrier group sails through the
Taiwan Strait. The United States sent a warship through the strait on December 19.[334]
President
Bidya Devi Bhandari of Nepal dissolves parliament and calls for spring elections.[335]
December 23 – Outgoing U.S. President Trump's pardon of four
Blackwater mercenaries convicted of
murdering 17 civilians in Baghdad in 2007 is widely criticized.[338][339]
December 24 – The EU and UK reach a
Brexit deal.[340]
Donald Trump reluctantly signs a $2 trillion bill that averts a U.S. government shutdown and provides $900 billion in COVID-19 relief.[344]
December 28
Thousands in
Montenegro protest against the government's pro-Serbia stance in approving a new property law that favors the
Serbian Orthodox Church.[345]
Women's rights activist
Loujain al-Hathloul, 31, is sentenced to almost six years of prison in Saudi Arabia.[346]
Argentina legalizes
abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy, becoming the fourth Latin American country to do so.[348]
December 30
Twenty-two are killed and 50 wounded when a bomb explodes at the
Aden International Airport in Yemen. Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani blamed the attack on Houthi rebels, who denied responsibility.[349]
Scheduled events
December 31 – If implemented, the
Brexit transition period will expire.
History by world issue
Note: This section is provided for issue-based overviews in narrative format, if desired.
Climate change
In December 2019, the
World Meteorological Organization released its annual climate report revealing that climate impacts are worsening.[350] They found the global sea temperatures are rising as well as land temperatures worldwide. 2019 is the last year in a decade that is the warmest on record.[351]
Global carbon emissions hit a record high in 2019, even though the rate of increase slowed somewhat, according to a report from
Global Carbon Project.[352] The economic slowdown and the closure of factories related to the coronavirus pandemic brought a 6% decrease in emissions in February and March 2020.[353]
BlackRock global money management firm Chief Executive
Larry Fink said in January 2020 that climate change "has become a defining factor in companies' long-term prospects... and I believe we are on the edge of a fundamental reshaping of finance."[354]
Legislatures close, cities, regions, and entire countries are locked down, and borders close across the world in response to the pandemic. Elections are postponed. Governments rush to find funding to combat the virus, provide medical supplies and services, and to mitigate the economic slowdown. The virus, which began in
Wuhan, China, in December 2019 was declared a
pandemic by the
World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11. The epicenter of the pandemic shifted from East Asia at the beginning of the year to Europe in March and April, then to the United States and Latin America in May and June. As of June 7, there have been over 7,000,000 confirmed cases and 400,000 deaths worldwide, with about 30% of the cases in the United States.[355]
After accusing the WHO of bias towards China, U.S. President
Donald Trump threatened to permanently cut off funding for the organization. Many blame Trump himself for the high number of cases in the United States.[356]
^"Kim Jong-un reaparece después de 20 días de ausencia" [Kim Jong-un reappears after 20-day absence]. El Informador :: Noticias de Jalisco, México, Deportes & Entretenimiento (in European Spanish). May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
Events pertaining to world affairs in
2020, national politics, public policy, government, world economics, and international business, that took place in various nations, regions, organizations, around the world in 2020.
All works published in 1924, except for some sound recordings, are now in the
public domain in the United States.[1]
Crowds of protesters breach the US embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq, and then withdrew after US Marines fired tear gas. The unrest occurred in response to US airstrikes on pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.[2][3]
State laws on
bail, the gig economy, minimum wages, data privacy, and
red flag gun control take effect in several U.S. states, that includes California, New York, Colorado, Nevada, and Hawaii.[5]
Several new federal regulations take effect in the US as of this date, including new regulations on retirement funds, minimum wage rules, and overtime rules.[6]
The government of
New South Wales, Australia, declares a
State of emergency to take effect January 3 as
bushfires rage, threatening human lives and property as well as wiping out as many as 500 million animals.[7]
750 US troops prepare to be deployed to Iraq to defend US Embassy in Baghdad.[8]
Turkey reports a new refugee influx and possible crisis, as 250,000 Syrians flee
Syria for Turkey, due to Syrian government attacks on rebel groups around
Idlib.[9]
Two U.S. military bases in Iraq are hit with a dozen missiles fired by Iran; no casualties or serious damage reported.[20] U.S. President
Donald Trump says Iran "appears to be standing down" after the killing of Qasem Soleimani but announces new sanctions against Iran.[21]
As many as 25 Crore (250 million) people join a general strike in
India in response to Bharat Bandh labor reforms.[22][23]
On January 11, 2020, Russia announced that a ceasefire had been agreed to in the area of Idlib and Northwest Syria, between Russia, Syria, Syrian rebels and Turkey. This was due to requests by Turkey for a ceasefire, in order to stop the flood of Syrian refugees into Turkey.[25][26][27] However, some regional news outlets reported that Syria launched further attacks near Idlib, in Maarat al-Numan district and the villages of Maar Shoreen, Talmenes, and Maar Shamshah, even after the ceasefire had officially begun.[28]
Iran takes responsibility for "unintentionally" shooting down
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 that killed 176 people on January 8. Canadian Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau demands "transparency and justice for the families and loved ones of the victims."[31]
British police say it was an "error of judgment" to label '
Extinction Rebellion' a terrorist group.[32]
January 12
13,000 participate in a "Run Against Dictatorship" in
Bangkok, demanding that Thai prime minister
Prayut Chan-o-cha step down.[33]
Japanese Deputy Prime Minister
Taro Aso is under fire for describing Japan as a single race and single language country, ignoring 200,000 indigenous
Ainu people and 760,000 ethnic Koreans.[37]
New
Guatemalan President
Alejandro Giammattei takes office after a five-hour delay due to protests. Outgoing president Morales is pelted with eggs.[38]
January 15
The
Prime Minister of Russia,
Dmitry Medvedev announces that the entire Russian government will resign. This occurred due to a proposal from Putin for new laws and reforms that would vastly increase his power.[39]
Turkey lifts its ban on Wikipedia, due to a ruling by the Turkish High Constitutional Court.[42]
January 16
Pope Francis names Italian lawyer Francesca Di Giovanni as the under-secretary in the Section for Relations with States, the arm of the Catholic church that handles the
foreign relations of the Holy See. She is the first woman appointed to a post at that level.[43]
Violence escalates in
Beirut, Lebanon, with 377 protesters and 142 members of security forces injured during nine hours of clashes; 43 people were arrested and later released.[51]
January 23 – U.S. Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin, 58, says
Greta Thunberg, 17, should study economics if she wants to talk about climate change. Mnunchin has a bachelor's degree in economics.[54]
The
US Senate voted on whether or not to convict the president on the charges and evidence as they were presented and debated upon.[63] The senators voted 52 to 48 to find President Trump not guilty on the charge of abuse of power (all 45 Democrats, independent senators
Bernie Sanders and
Angus King, and Republican senator Romney voted guilty). They voted 53 to 47, in a party line vote, to find him not guilty on the charge of obstruction of Congress[64]
Palestinians withdraw their request for the UN Security Council to discuss the proposed peace plan offered by the
Trump Administration of the
United States.[67]
President Trump submits a new federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year. It would increase defense spending and cut social programs.[68]
German President
Frank-Walter Steinmeier criticizes the United States for rejecting "even the idea of an international community." He also criticized Russia and China.[70]
The U.S. issues a travel ban against
Sri Lanka general Shavendra Silva for human rights violations.[71]
Benjamin Griveaux, 42, French President Macron's preferred candidate for
mayor of Paris, withdraws his candidacy after a sex video is leaked.[72]
Thousands protest in eastern Germany against the role Christian Democrats and the Free Democratic Party in supporting a far-right political party in
Thuringia.[73]
U.S. Defense Secretary
Mark Esper says that a "reduction in violence" deal reached with the
Taliban in Afghanistan "looks very promising." The agreement is expected to be formally announced on February 16 and to go into effect on February 17.[74]
Venezuela carries out military exercises and drills amidst growing tensions with the United States. Opposition leader
Juan Guaidó returns after a three-week tour that included a visit with the U.S. president.[75]
Ivanka Trump praises Saudi Arabia and other Mideast countries for the advances they have made on women's rights.[81]
French Health Minister
Agnès Buzyn announces her candidacy for mayor of Paris, after Benjamin Griveaux drops out.[82]
Strikes among seasonal ski resort workers break out against unemployment reforms at 50 locations in France, from the
Alps to the
Pyrenees.[83]
February 17 – 3,000 interns in the public service sector of
Spain protest against the lack of a permanent contract. 21.6% of Spanish government employees are considered "temporary."[84]
February 23 – Police in Haiti violently protest against money being spent on a carnaval celebrations instead of their salaries.[92]
February 24 – Seven people, including a police officer, are killed in protests against new immigration laws in
New Delhi, India before a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump.[93]
March 1 – The Prime-Minister-designate of Iraq, Mohammed Allawi withdrew from his run for the post, accusing political parties of obstructing him, creating a domestic crisis and also a possible power vacuum. This decision occurred hours after the Iraqi parliament declined for the second time in a week to approve his cabinet.[98]
March 2
The U.N. envoy to
Libya, Ghassan Salame, 69, steps down because of health concerns.[99] Peace efforts seem further off than ever.[100]
Chile – Between 190,000 and 300,000 people march in
Santiago, Chile and 800,000 across the country.[109]
Other countries – Three masked men attack demonstrators in
Kyrgyzstan. Hundreds protest in the
Philippines. Marches in several countries are canceled or have lower attendance than in 2019 due to COVID-19.[110]
March 11 – Lawmakers in Russia approve legal changes that will allow President Vladimir Putin to remain in office until 2036. The changes still have to be approved the Constitutional Court and in a
nation-wide referendum scheduled for April.[114]
March 15
Voters in France participate in local elections despite concerns about the
coronavirus pandemic. A second round will be held on March 22.[115]
Pro-government protesters march across
Brazil, ignoring social distancing recommendations.[117]
Saudi authorities detain 298 government employees, including members of the military, accusing them of abuse of power, bribery, money laundering, and corruption. 379 million riyals ($101 million) are involved.[118]
Anti-immigrant protests turn violent in
Chios and
Lesbos, Greece.[119]
King
Felipe VI of Spain renounces the inheritance from his father, King Emerit
Juan Carlos I, who is accused of receiving €88 million ($100 million) in Saudi Arabian kickbacks. King Felipe will also take away Juan Carlos's pension.[120]
March 16 – Governments across Latin America impose strict measures to control the coronavirus.[121]
Peru puts military personnel on the streets, blocking major roads and suspending freedom of assembly.
Colombia closes its maritime, river, and land borders but shares information with
Venezuela, where there are 33 cases of coronavirus.
In
Chile, at least six passengers from the cruise ship
Silver Explorer are treated in hospitals in Patagonia after they tested positive for coronavirus.
Paraguay restricts crowds and enforces an 8 p.m. curfew.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tells his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in a phone call to request Chinese officials to stop using official media channels to blame the United States for the coronavirus while Yang tells Pompeo to request American officials to stop slandering China and its anti-epidemic efforts. The call comes on the day that the World Health Organization says more coronavirus cases and deaths have been reported in the rest of the world than in China.[122]
The United States continues its high-pressure sanctions against Iran despite the
COVID-19 pandemic in Iran; the sanctions do not prohibit humanitarian aid.[128]
March 24 – A diplomatic dispute between China and Brazil ends when the former offers to help Brazil cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil reports 1,891 cases and 34 deaths;
São Paulo is on lockdown.[130]
March 25 – The
Group of Seven cannot agree on a joint statement about the coronavirus pandemic because the
United States Secretary of State insists on referring to it as the “Wuhan virus”.[131] At a meeting of the
United Nations Security Council, France proposes "general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all countries," including a 30-day pause in conflicts, to allow coronavirus-related supplies to flow. The United States insists that the resolution include a reference to the Wuhan, China, origin of the coronavirus. Russia insists that ambassadors vote in person.[132]
March 27
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19, and will self-isolate in
10 Downing Street.[133]
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted two ballistic missiles in an attack that Yemen's Houthi launched towards
Riyadh and areas near the Yemeni border. The attacks came days after Yemen's warring parties welcomed a U.N. call for a truce to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.[136]
Monuments across the world turn off their lights at 8:30 p.m. in honor of
Earth Hour.[137]
Queen
Elizabeth II makes a
rare broadcast to the UK and the wider Commonwealth, something she has done on only four previous occasions. In the address she thanks people for following the government's social distancing rules and pays tribute to key workers, and says the UK "will succeed" in its fight against coronavirus but may have "more still to endure".[141][142]
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is admitted to hospital for tests after testing positive for coronavirus ten days earlier.[143]
April 18 –
Denmark and
Poland announce they will not give stimulus money to businesses registered in
tax havens.[153]
April 19 – Vietnam protests China's establishment of administrative units in the South China Sea.[154] Malaysia also contests China's more aggressive moves.[155]
April 20
Benjamin Netanyahu (
Likud) and Benny Gantz (
Blue and White) agree to the formation of a national emergency government in Israel.[156]
For the second time in four days, a Russian
Sukhoi Su-35 intercepts a U.S. Navy aircraft in the eastern Mediterranean. A similar incident happened on June 8.[157]
April 22
United Nations secretary-general
António Guterres says the impact of COVID-19 is "immediate and dreadful" but there is "another, even deeper emergency: the planet's unfolding environmental crisis."[158]
After U.S. President Trump threatened to shoot Iranian patrol boats that get close to U.S. ships in the
Persian Gulf,[159] Tehran says it will destroy "any American terrorist force" if its security is threatened.[160]
COVID-19 pandemic: France and Holland pledge almost $10 billion to bail out their national airlines (€7 billion for
Air France between €2 and €4 billion for
KLM).[162]
China closes its border with Myanmar after fighting in
Jiegao,
Yunnan. Artillery fire and bullets destroy a gas station in China, but there are no reports of injuries in either country.[163]
April 27 – Boris Johnson returns to work after three weeks of illness. In his first speech outside 10 Downing Street since recovering from coronavirus, he urges the public not to lose patience with the lockdown, warning that the UK is at the moment of "maximum risk".[168]
April 28
A bombing believed to have been carried out by Kurdish fighters in Turkish-controlled
Afrin, Syria kills at least 20 civilians.[169]
Libyan General
Khalifa Haftar is accused of carrying out a
coup d'état as he puts the eastern part of the country under direct military rule.[170]
North Korean Supreme Leader
Kim Jong-un inaugurates a fertilizer factory, dispelling rumors of his death after twenty days when he was not seen in public.[172]
Fifty-seven people are arrested in a
May Day demonstration in
Santiago de Chile. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, gatherings of more than fifty people are prohibited. Police say one arrested man was supposed to be in quarantine until May 9.[173]
May 6 – Congressman
Ken Buck (R-CO) is caught on tape allegedly pressuring a district GOP party chair to sign a false affidavit certifying the results of that district assembly's vote on the nomination of candidates for a Republican primary to replace its term-limited state senator.[175][176]
May 10 –
2020 Polish presidential election. The president is expected to win in a landslide as the opposition calls for postponement.[177] It was announced on May 6 that the election will be postponed indefinitely.[178]
May 12 – A bomb explosion attributed to the
Islamic State of Afghanistan kills 24 at a funeral in
Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan.[179] Unknown attackers killed 24 and injured 16 others, including new-born babies, mothers, and nurses at a maternity hospital in Kabul.[180]
Satellite pictures show 200 buildings burning in a village in Let Kar,
Myanmar. Villagers say the fires were set by government soldiers, but the government says guerrillas from the
Arakan Army are responsible.[183]
May 24 – China clamps down on dissidents in
Hong Kong;[188] authorities warn that U.S. backing of dissidents could set off a new
Cold War.[189]
May 26 –
The U.S. (AFRICOM) says Russia has sent fighter jets to
Tripoli to support the mercenaries trying to topple the government of
Libya. Russia says this is ″disinformation.″[190]
Opposition leader
Mikola Statkevich is arrested in a protest in
Minsk, Belarus. 50 opposition activists have been arrested in the last few days, including blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, who was arrested in
Grodno.[191]
People in cities around the world including London, Berlin, and Rio march against police brutality and the
murder of George Floyd.[192]
May – COVID-19 pandemic: Online criticism of Italy's handling of the pandemic is censored by
World Health Organization (WHO) officials. Similar criticism of other large donars, including China and the United Kingdom, is similarly muted.[193]
June
June 1
Mexican President
Andrés Manuel López Obrador announces a "new normal" of partial reopening with a road trip to
Cancun and the inauguration of the
Mayan Train. Mexico has nearly 100,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nearly 10,000 deaths.[194]
June 1 to 5 –
Protests against the murder of George Floyd and other instances of police brutality extend to hundreds of cities across at least 40 countries.[197][198][199][200][201]
June 11 – President Donald Trump authorizes economic and travel restrictions on
International Criminal Court (ICCt) employees who investigate
war crimes committed by Americans in the
War in Afghanistan.[203] Prime Minister
Imad Khamis was dismissed by President Bashar al-Assad, amid anti-government protests over deteriorating economic conditions.[204]
June 15
Twenty-two Indian soldiers die in a border clash with Chinese troops in the Ladakh region.[205]
June 28 –
2020 Polish presidential election: Populist conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda will face off against the liberal mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski in a second round.[208][55][209]
Agnès Callamard, an independent U.N. human rights expert, issues a report insisting an American drone strike that killed Iranian Gen.
Qassem Soleimani in January was a “watershed” event in the use of drones and amounted to a violation of international law.[214]
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signs a decree handing over
Hagia Sophia to Turkey's Religious Affairs Presidency, changing its status from a museum to a mosque.[215]
Thousands protest against corruption by the Bulgarian Prime Minister
Boyko Borisov.[219]
COVID-19 pandemic
Thousands protest
Israel's economic response to the pandemic.[220]
Thousands of protesters, many masked, march for the fifth night in a row to demand the resignation of Serbian President
Aleksandar Vučić. The protests are mostly against the president's handling of the national response to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, where 18,073 cases and 382 deaths have been confirmed.[221]
July 12
500,000 voters participate in primary elections for pro-democracy candidates in Hong Kong, in what organizers say is a vote against the
national security law.[222]
Second round of Polish presidential election.[208]
Egyptian Foreign Minister
Sameh Shoukry says that his country and Greece have signed an agreement designating an exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean between the two countries, effectively nullifying an accord between Turkey and the internationally recognized government of Libya.[226]
Protesers in Beirut, Lebanon, ask visiting French President
Emmanuel Macron to intervene to help eradicate the corruption that led to the
August 4 explosion that killed 157 and injured at least 5,000.[228]
August 7
Russia warns that any incoming ballistic missile will be treated as if it were nuclear and would spark a nuclear response.[229]
Police in Beirut, Lebanon, reportedly react to protesters with tear gas and live ammunition after the August 4 explosion, sending 55 people to local hospitals as 117 others are treated at the scene.[232]
15,000 protesters march against corruption in downtown Jerusalem, Israel, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu.[233]
2020 Belarusian protests: Despite week-long protests against vote fraud in Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko rejects calls for new elections.[241]
Lebanese President
Michel Aoun says it would be "Impossible" for him to resign following the explosion that killed 170 and left hundreds of thousands homeless.[242]
August 18 – Russian media report that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko says he will allow new elections after the country adopts a new constitution. He had previously said that he would have to be killed before there could be new elections.[243]
August 20 – Polish Foreign Minister
Jacek Czaputowicz resigns in the midst of the crisis in Belarus. This is the second cabinet resignation in a week, as
Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski left amid increased COVID-19 infection rates.[244]
August 21
2020 Khabarovsk Krai protests: 1,500 people in
Khabarovsk,
Khabarovsk Krai, Russia conduct their seventh march against the Moscow government. They are protesting against the arrest of Governor
Sergei Furgal and in support of
Alexei Navalny and dissidents in Belarus.[245] Navalny, a critic of the Kremlin, was taken to a German hospital after a suspected poisoning on August 19.[246]
September 4 –
Serbia and
Kosovo normalize economic relations. Kosovo also establishes diplomatic relations with Israel, and both countries open embassies in Jerusalem.[249]
September 6
Hong Kong protests: Police arrest 290 people in protests.[250]
Belarusian protests: A record 100,000 march on the Palace of Independence; 72 are arrested and students strike.[251]
September 7 – Two deserters from the
Myanmar Army testify on video that they were ordered to commit rape, murder, and other atrocities against
Rohingya people, mostly Muslims.[252]
September 9
Several thousand protest against proposed electrical power price increases in North Macedonia.[253]
A fire at a refugee camp in Greece leaves 13,000 homeless.[254]
October 25 –
2020 Chilean national plebiscite: The "Approve" side won with 78% agreeing to draft a new constitution. 79% opted for a "Constitutional Convention" as the best way to rewrite the text.[268]
Manuel Merino resigns the presidency of Peru after only four days in office.[282]
900 are arrested in protests against the reelection of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.[283]
Armenians burn their own homes as they leave
Kalbajar, Azerbaijan.[284]
Ethiopia's
Tigray conflict takes on an international character as rockets are fired at the
Asmara, Eritrea, airport,[285] and 25,000 refugees flee from Tigray, to Sudan.[286]
2020 Brazilian municipal elections (Round 1): Of the nearly 60 candidates whom President Bolsonaro backed, only nine advanced.[288] Transgender candidates make two historic wins.[289]
November 16
Hungary and Poland threaten to veto the 2021 EU budget and recovery plan.[290]
November 17 – Acting Secretary of Defense
Christopher C. Miller announces that the United States will withdraw 2,500 troops from Afghanistan and Iraq by January 15, 2021.[293]
The United States announces it will withdraw almost all its troops from Somalia by January 15.[308]
December 6
Violence breaks out in Paris as thousands protest against security laws. Peaceful rallies are held in
Marseille,
Lyon,
Lille and other French cities.[309]
Three hundred protesters are arrested in the 18th week of protests in
Minsk, Belarus.[310]
2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election: Turnout is 31% as Maduro's government is reelected with 67.6%, the traditional opposition won 17.95%, and dissidents on the left won 3% of the vote.[311] Eighteen countries in America (including the United States and Canada but excluding Argentina, Bolivia, and Mexico) call the election fraudulent and illegal.[312]
Lebanon's Prime Minister designate
Saad al-Hariri presents a proposed cabinet to President
Michel Aoun. A viable government is key to receiving French aid.[319]
At least 15 civilians are killed and 20 are wounded, including children, in an explosion in
Ghazni province, Afghanistan.[331]
December 20
COVID-19 pandemic: Several European Union countries and Canada temporarily stop flights from the UK in response to a new, fast-spreading strain of the virus.[332] Other countries follow suit, with
Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, and
Oman closing their borders completely.[333]
Taiwan deploys ships and planes as a
Chinese carrier group sails through the
Taiwan Strait. The United States sent a warship through the strait on December 19.[334]
President
Bidya Devi Bhandari of Nepal dissolves parliament and calls for spring elections.[335]
December 23 – Outgoing U.S. President Trump's pardon of four
Blackwater mercenaries convicted of
murdering 17 civilians in Baghdad in 2007 is widely criticized.[338][339]
December 24 – The EU and UK reach a
Brexit deal.[340]
Donald Trump reluctantly signs a $2 trillion bill that averts a U.S. government shutdown and provides $900 billion in COVID-19 relief.[344]
December 28
Thousands in
Montenegro protest against the government's pro-Serbia stance in approving a new property law that favors the
Serbian Orthodox Church.[345]
Women's rights activist
Loujain al-Hathloul, 31, is sentenced to almost six years of prison in Saudi Arabia.[346]
Argentina legalizes
abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy, becoming the fourth Latin American country to do so.[348]
December 30
Twenty-two are killed and 50 wounded when a bomb explodes at the
Aden International Airport in Yemen. Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani blamed the attack on Houthi rebels, who denied responsibility.[349]
Scheduled events
December 31 – If implemented, the
Brexit transition period will expire.
History by world issue
Note: This section is provided for issue-based overviews in narrative format, if desired.
Climate change
In December 2019, the
World Meteorological Organization released its annual climate report revealing that climate impacts are worsening.[350] They found the global sea temperatures are rising as well as land temperatures worldwide. 2019 is the last year in a decade that is the warmest on record.[351]
Global carbon emissions hit a record high in 2019, even though the rate of increase slowed somewhat, according to a report from
Global Carbon Project.[352] The economic slowdown and the closure of factories related to the coronavirus pandemic brought a 6% decrease in emissions in February and March 2020.[353]
BlackRock global money management firm Chief Executive
Larry Fink said in January 2020 that climate change "has become a defining factor in companies' long-term prospects... and I believe we are on the edge of a fundamental reshaping of finance."[354]
Legislatures close, cities, regions, and entire countries are locked down, and borders close across the world in response to the pandemic. Elections are postponed. Governments rush to find funding to combat the virus, provide medical supplies and services, and to mitigate the economic slowdown. The virus, which began in
Wuhan, China, in December 2019 was declared a
pandemic by the
World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11. The epicenter of the pandemic shifted from East Asia at the beginning of the year to Europe in March and April, then to the United States and Latin America in May and June. As of June 7, there have been over 7,000,000 confirmed cases and 400,000 deaths worldwide, with about 30% of the cases in the United States.[355]
After accusing the WHO of bias towards China, U.S. President
Donald Trump threatened to permanently cut off funding for the organization. Many blame Trump himself for the high number of cases in the United States.[356]
^"Kim Jong-un reaparece después de 20 días de ausencia" [Kim Jong-un reappears after 20-day absence]. El Informador :: Noticias de Jalisco, México, Deportes & Entretenimiento (in European Spanish). May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.