Portal:Current events/January 2021

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January 2021 was the first month of that common year. The month, which began on a Friday, ended on a Sunday after 31 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from January 2021.

January 1, 2021 (2021-01-01) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Sinai insurgency
  • A roadside bomb kills two members of the Egyptian Armed Forces and injures five others near Bir al-Abd in the North Sinai Governorate. (AP)
• Kivu conflict
  • Six militia members are killed during clashes between the Nduma Defense of Congo-Renovated and Mai-Mai Kabido in Bukumbirwa. (Radio Okapi)

Arts and culture

• On New Year's Day, Pope Francis livestreams his message from the library of the Apostolic Palace. He states "the Virgin Mary’s motherly care encourages us to use our God-given time for building up the world and peace, not destroying it." In the Catholic Church, January 1 is the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. (Catholic News Agency)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Tribistovo poisoning
  • Eight people aged 19 die from carbon monoxide poisoning in a cottage in Tribistovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during a New Year's celebration, after carbon monoxide leaks from a generator used to power a heater. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • COVID-19 pandemic in London
          • The United Kingdom Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson announces that all primary schools in London will remain closed for at least two weeks at the start of the new term on January 4. It was previously announced that only schools in 23 of the 32 boroughs would be closed. (BBC News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in the Isle of Man, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • The Isle of Man reports two cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Turkey reports its first 15 cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in people who traveled from the United Kingdom and later tested positive for COVID-19. (Daily Sabah)
      • Turkey bans all travelers from the United Kingdom due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France announces it will tighten curfews in 15 departments beginning tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. local time in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • Norway will lift its ban on flights from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. GMT. (The Independent)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India approves the emergency use of the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, becoming the third country in the world to do so after the United Kingdom and Argentina. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Israel becomes the first country to vaccinate at least 10% of its population against COVID-19, with around 950,000 doses already administered. (The Jerusalem Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia extends the recovery phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO) nationwide except for Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Sabah as well as other locations under a conditional and enhanced MCO until March 31 due to a substantial increase in the number of new cases. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines includes the United States in its travel ban of countries and territories reported to have new variants of SARS-CoV-2, which comes into effect on January 3. The move comes after the United States reported its first case of a new variant from the United Kingdom on December 30. (Xinhua)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, 501.V2 Variant
      • The Singaporean Ministry of Health announces that long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who had travel history to South Africa over the past 14 days will be not allowed to enter Singapore starting January 4, due to reports of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the country. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Bangkok will close all schools, daycare centers for both children and seniors, preschools and tutoring centers from January 4 to 17. Other public facilities will be closed beginning January 2. This comes as the authorities tighten measures to reduce the spread of a new wave of COVID-19. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California reports a record 585 new deaths in the past 24 hours. (KABC-TV)
    • The United States surpasses 20 million cases of COVID-19. (CBS News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chad
    • Chadian President Idriss Déby signs a decree that imposes a lockdown in the country's capital N'Djamena for the first time since the pandemic began and also declares a dusk-to-dawn curfew due to a rise in the number of cases. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay
    • Uruguay reports a record of 12 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 193. (El País)

International relations

• Cross-Strait relations
  • Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen says that she is ready to have talks with China and urges the country to have dialogues with Taiwan. (Bloomberg)
• Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Nuclear program of Iran
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has notified it of its intention to enrich uranium to 20% purity, in accordance with a law recently passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Iran did not specify when this enrichment would begin. The December 2020 bill, adopted after the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, instructs the government to increase uranium enrichment if sanctions against Iran are not eased within two months. (France 24) (BBC News)
• The African Continental Free Trade Area, the largest free-trade area since the formation of the World Trade Organization in 1995, commences. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Cannabis in the United States
  • Initiative 190 comes into effect in Montana, making it the 13th state to legalize recreational cannabis. (Great Falls Tribune) (KRTV)
• George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon, 2020–2021 United States racial unrest
  • On December 31 and into the early hours of January 1, protesters and police clashed in a New Year's Eve protest which police declared a riot shortly before midnight, alleging the demonstrators' use of violence. Within 30 minutes, police advanced on the demonstration, protesters used fireworks while officers shot pepper balls, rubber bullets, and other "less-lethal munitions". In the wake of the protests, the Portland Police Bureau order all people in the area to leave immediately. Authorities have not stated the number of protesters arrested. (The Hill)

Politics and elections

• The United States Senate votes 81–13 to override President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. This is the first successful veto override of the Trump presidency. (Business Insider)

January 2, 2021 (2021-01-02) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • 2021 Tillabéri attacks
    • At least 79 civilians are killed and 20 others are injured when Islamist militants attack two villages simultaneously in Tillabéri, Niger, near the border with Mali. (Reuters)
  • Two Algerian People's National Army personnel and four militants are killed during a gunfight in Messelmoun, Algeria. (Xinhua)
• Insurgency in Balochistan
  • Machh attack
    • Eleven Hazara coal miners are kidnapped near their mine and then killed nearby by Khorasan Daesh militants in Machh, Pakistan. (BBC News)
• Mali War, Operation Barkhane
  • Two French Army personnel are killed when their armoured personnel carrier hit a roadside bomb in Ménaka, Mali. It is the second attack in the past few days that targeted French military personnel, the first being the December 28 JNIM-claimed bombing that killed three French military personnel. (Al Jazeera)
• Somali Civil War
  • Five people are killed, including two Turkish nationals, after an al-Shabaab suicide bomber blew himself up near the Mogadishu-Afgooye road construction work. Fourteen people are injured, including four other Turkish citizens. (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

• Pope Francis accepts the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Richard Brendan Higgins, the episcopal vicar for veterans affairs of the Archdiocese for the Military Services. During his career, Bishop Higgins’ is vicar for veterans affairs and responsible for more than 200 chaplains serving at over 150 veterans' affairs hospitals in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam. His retirement at age 75 is announced in Washington, D.C. by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States. (Catholic News Service)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020 Gjerdrum landslide
  • Rescue workers find the bodies of four people who went missing during a landslide in Gjerdrum, Viken, Norway, on December 30. Six people are still missing. (Al Jazeera)
• Three people are killed when a small plane crashes into a house in Lyon Township, Michigan, United States. (WDIV-TV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 57,725 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the highest daily total since the beginning of the pandemic. Another 445 deaths are also reported, bringing the country's death toll to 74,570. (Sky News)
      • The United Kingdom reactivates emergency critical-care COVID-19 hospitals amid a surge in both cases and hospitalizations. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Over 800,000 people in Russia have received the Sputnik V vaccine. (The Hill)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Gibraltar
      • Gibraltar imposes a second lockdown for the next 14 days beginning at 10:00 p.m. local time (21:00 GMT) today, in order to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • The Government of Greece announces a one-week closure of all shops that were allowed to reopen during the holiday season, as well as all places of worship beginning tomorrow in order to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases ahead of the reopening of schools on January 11. A curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time will also be imposed. (Ekathimerini)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 7,582 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 625,518. (Kompas)
      • East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa tests positive for COVID-19. (Kompas)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 3,321 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 94,492. (The Edge Markets MY)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, 501.V2 variant
      • South Korea reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 when a person who traveled from South Africa on December 26 later tested positive for COVID-19. (Dong-A Ilbo)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Vietnam reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 when a 44-year-old woman who traveled from the United Kingdom later tested positive for COVID-19 while in quarantine on December 24. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Victoria closes its land border with New South Wales due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, after several months of open borders. Meanwhile, New South Wales makes wearing masks in public mandatory, while also easing restrictions for southern suburbs of the Northern Beaches as the number of cases in those areas decrease. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Palau, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Palau receives 2,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine in a special contribution from the United States. The government announced that it will vaccinate healthcare workers first and then vaccinate seniors and people with medical conditions. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      • New York surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fourth state to do so after Texas, California and Florida. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in Kazakhstan
  • Kazakhstan formally abolishes the death penalty, making a two-decade freeze on executions permanent, according to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. (VOA)
• Killing of Dolal Idd
  • The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office releases footage of deputies executing a search warrant on the last known address of Dolal Idd, as well as a raid on his family's house. (WCCO-TV)
• Authorities in Pakistan arrest Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, alleged leader of the Lashker-e-Taiba group, which is blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. (ABC)
• The homes of United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are vandalized after the government failed to pass the CASH Act, a bill that would increase direct payments from $600 to $2,000. (ABC) (Business Insider)
• Saïd Bouteflika, the brother and special advisor of former Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, is cleared of conspiracy charges following a retrial. Saïd Bouteflika had been sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2019 for "undermining the authority of the armed forces" and "conspiring against the authority of the state" following his brother's resignation in the context of the 2019–20 Algerian protests. (Arab News)

Politics and elections

• 2020–21 Nigerien general election
  • The electoral commission of Niger declares that a second round of the presidential election will take place on February 21 after no candidate received a majority of the vote. The two candidates will be former minister Mohamed Bazoum, the leader of the ruling Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, who won the first round with 39.33% of the votes; and former president Mahamane Ousmane, who won 16.99% of votes. (Al-Ahram)

January 3, 2021 (2021-01-03) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Central African Republic Civil War
  • Rebel forces seize the city of Bangassou in southeastern Central African Republic after storming the city in a pre-dawn raid, according to MINUSCA officials. (BBC News)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • 2021 Tillabéri attacks
    • Twenty-one more people are found dead and others die of their injuries a day after the attacks in Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye, in Tillabéri, Niger, bringing the death toll to 100. More than 75 others are wounded. (DW)
• Mali War
  • Mali wedding airstrike
    • A group of Islamist insurgents take hostages in Mopti. While separating the victims by gender, an airstrike killed at least 20 people. (Global News)
• Syrian civil war
  • Islamic State insurgents kill nine people and wound 16 others in an ambush targeting buses traveling down a highway in central Syria. (Associated Press)
• A relief worker is killed and three others wounded after Islamic State-linked militants opens fire on their vehicle in Maguindanao, Philippines. (INQUIRER.net)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020 Gjerdrum landslide
  • Rescue workers find the bodies of three people who went missing during a landslide in Gjerdrum, Viken, Norway, on December 30, bringing the death toll to seven. Three people are still missing. (BBC News)
• At least 18 people are killed during a funeral in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, when the roof they were sheltering under during heavy rainfall collapses. Police dispatch rescue workers and sniffer dogs, and they say that the rescue operation has been completed. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Cyprus reports its first cases of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in 12 people who traveled from the United Kingdom and later tested positive for COVID-19. (Cyprus-Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece reports its first cases of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in four people who traveled from the United Kingdom. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19 after a record 4,962 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (The Irish Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • Prime Minister Erna Solberg announces a series of new nationwide restrictions including a ban on alcohol being served in restaurants and bars and an advisory against having any guests in private residences in order to reduce the spread of a third wave of cases. (The Hill)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 vaccination programme in the United Kingdom
        • The United Kingdom begins distribution of the AstraZeneca and University of Oxford vaccine. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India officially approves the emergency use of AstraZeneca and University of Oxford's AZD1222 vaccine, which is to be manufactured locally by the Serum Institute of India, as well as Bharat Biotech's BBV152 vaccine. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait; Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Kuwait announces the suspension of direct commercial passenger flights to and from the United Kingdom beginning January 6 at 4:00 a.m. in order to reduce the spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Kuwait Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Saudi Arabia reopens its air, sea, and land borders, and resumes international passenger flights as well, after borders were closed in December to prevent the spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the UK. People arriving from South Africa, the United Kingdom, and other countries where the new variant is spreading are required to spend 14 days in another country and present a negative test result prior to entering Saudi Arabia. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Thailand reports its first case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a British national who traveled from the United Kingdom and later tested positive for COVID-19. (Khaosod English)
      • Thailand announces it will get two million doses of CoronaVac starting in February. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Egypt approves the use of Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine, with the vaccination campaign expected to start later this month. Egypt plans to buy 40 million doses of this vaccine. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
      • President Uhuru Kenyatta signs an executive order that bans all gatherings except funerals and weddings of up to 150 people. He also extends the nationwide night curfew until March 12. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Variant of Concern 202012/01
    • New Zealand reports six cases of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 in five people who traveled from the United Kingdom and another who traveled from South Africa, all between December 13 and 25, and who later tested positive for COVID-19. (Stuff.co.nz)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccine
    • The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency announces that the country will receive 2 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • Canada surpasses 600,000 cases of COVID-19. (CP24)

International relations

• Assassination of Qasem Soleimani, American intervention in Iraq
  • Thousands of Iraqis demand American forces withdraw from the country during protests in Liberation Square, Baghdad, a year after an American drone strike killed Iran's general Qasem Soleimani and Iraq's militia commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The anniversary of their deaths in Baghdad was also marked in Iran as well as by supporters in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and other Middle East countries. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election
  • The 117th United States Congress begins. Nancy Pelosi is re-elected as Speaker of the House with a narrow seven-vote majority (216–209). (The Guardian) (Reuters)
• Trump–Raffensperger phone call
  • The Washington Post releases the recording of a telephone conversation where United States President Donald Trump calls Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to pressure him to "find 11,780 votes" in his favor. (The Washington Post)

January 4, 2021 (2021-01-04) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Kivu conflict
  • Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
    • Twenty-two people are killed during an Allied Democratic Forces mass stabbing at a village in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports three new cases of the new Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom. (Global News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
        • Michigan surpasses 500,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. (WEYI-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi, COVID-19 vaccine
        • Officials in Mississippi announce a plan to distribute vaccines for people over 65 years of age. (San Francisco Chronicle)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico, COVID-19 vaccine
        • According to the New Mexico Department of Health, over 230,000 people in the state have signed up to receive vaccinations. (AP)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • New York reports its first case of the new SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant in a man in his 60s from Saratoga County who tested positive for COVID-19 despite having no travel history. (WNBC-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria abandons a plan to allow anyone with a negative test result to exit the lockdown a week early, instead extending strict measures and keeping restaurants and non-essential shops closed until January 24. (RND)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Contrary to the strategy adopted by the United Kingdom, Spain is expected to maintain its plan to administer two doses per person of the COVID-19 vaccine tozinameran, which is the recommendation of the manufacturer Pfizer-BioNTech. Germany is also considering the single-dose strategy. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a third nationwide lockdown in England beginning at midnight. All schools and universities will be closed until mid-February and people will only be allowed to leave their homes for essential reasons like shopping and exercise. (BBC News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces that a lockdown in level four areas such as mainland Scotland will begin at midnight, and that there will be a legal requirement to stay at home for the remainder of the month. Schools will also remain closed. (The Guardian)
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 58,784 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,713,563. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
      • The Lebanese Government announces a 25-day nationwide lockdown in the country beginning January 7 in order to reduce the increase in COVID-19 cases that occurred during the holiday season. A curfew from 6:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. local time will also be in effect until February 1. (ABC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia surpasses 500 deaths from COVID-19. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record 745 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4,639. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Vietnam agrees to buy 30 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine. (7 News)

International relations

• Iran–South Korea relations
  • Iran's Revolutionary Guard seizes a South Korean-flagged ship in the Persian Gulf over alleged oil pollution and environmental hazards. The ship was travelling from Saudi Arabia to the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. (Arab News)
• United States and the International Criminal Court
  • United States District Judge Katherine Polk Failla blocks the Trump administration from imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Trump–Raffensperger phone call
  • United States Representatives Ted Lieu and Kathleen Rice urge Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher A. Wray to open a criminal investigation into President Donald Trump's phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for violating state and federal laws. Additionally, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announces that her office is ready to investigate Trump after his call with Raffensperger. (CBS) (The Hill)
• COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  • British Member of Parliament Margaret Ferrier is arrested after breaching COVID-19 restrictions. (The Times)
• 2020 United States election protests
  • Proud Boys chairperson Enrique Tarrio is arrested for destroying a Black Lives Matter sign at the Asbury United Methodist Church during a protest in Washington, D.C., last month. (NBC)
• Crime in Malaysia
  • A Malaysian coroner concludes that 15-year-old French-Irish tourist Nora Quoirin, who disappeared in August 2019 while vacationing at a resort in Seremban and whose body was found in a nearby jungle ten days later, had died by misadventure. Quoirin's family questions the verdict, saying that evidence suggests that her death was caused by abduction, homicide, or sexual assault. (France 24)
• A judge in the United Kingdom blocks the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, citing that it would be "oppressive" to his mental health and also cites the likelihood of Assange committing suicide if he is sent to the United States. If convicted in the United States, Assange could face up to 175 years in prison. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says that his country is willing to provide political asylum to Assange. (DW) (Anadolu Agency)
• Crime in Nigeria
  • Kidnapped Auxiliary Bishop Moses Chikwe, of the Owerri Archdiocese in Nigeria, is freed by his captors. Kidnapped last Sunday, police allege that no ransom is paid. International condemnation includes Pope Francis, during his new year message calling for Bishop Chikwe's release. While in Imo state, a Catholic women's organization, stage a peaceful protest at the Imo state government house, calling on Governor Hope Uzodinma, to quicken action for the release of the Auxiliary Bishop. (Vanguard, Lagos)

January 5, 2021 (2021-01-05) (Tuesday)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announces the increase of the COVID-19 risk level from level 4 to 5, indicating "widespread infection in society", as well as "a risk that treatment capacity at hospitals will be exceeded". In addition, public and private gatherings will be limited to five people. The rules will be in effect until January 17. (The Local Denmark)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of 16 states agree to extend the country's lockdown until January 31. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy's Council of Ministers approves a decree that prohibits travel between the country's regions except for health or work reasons, with people in "red zone" areas only allowed to move once per day. They also extend most lockdown restrictions until January 15. The country will be in a "yellow zone" on January 7 and 8, with eased restrictions and allowing restaurants, bars, shops and malls to open, while on January 9 and 10 the country will be in an "orange zone", with malls closed and restaurants and bars open for takeaway and delivery only. (ANSA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
      • Maltese president George Vella receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Times of Malta)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
        • The Northern Ireland Executive issues a stay-at-home order in Northern Ireland, which is currently in the second week of a six-week lockdown, legally enforceable from January 8, in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (BBC News)
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 60,916 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,774,479. (The Independent)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin announces that a nationwide mass vaccination program against COVID-19 will begin on January 13. President Joko Widodo will become the first person in the country to receive a vaccine. (Kontan)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Iran reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in an Iranian who travelled from the United Kingdom and later tested positive for COVID-19. (The Jerusalem Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • The Israeli Cabinet agrees to tighten the nationwide lockdown by closing schools and non-essential shops for 14 days. The measures will come into force at midnight between Thursday and Friday. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record 4,915 new cases in the past 24 hours. In addition, a record 76 deaths are also reported in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Oman reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a resident who travelled from the United Kingdom and tested positive while in quarantine. (Khaleej Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea surpasses 1,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Korea Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
      • Rwanda bans public and private transport in and out of Kigali and between districts and extends a curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. local time for another 15 days amid a deadly second wave of COVID-19. (Daily Monitor)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwe reports 1,365 new confirmed cases and 34 deaths in the past 24 hours, its largest daily increase for both cases and deaths since the pandemic began as the country begins a month-long lockdown to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Georgia reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in an 18-year-old male with no travel history, and who is currently in isolation at home. (WXIA-TV)
    • The U.S. surpasses 21 million cases of COVID-19, just four days after surpassing 20 million cases. (CNN)

International relations

• Qatar diplomatic crisis
  • Saudi Arabia reopens its border with Qatar, ending the three-year diplomatic crisis. The resolution was brokered by Kuwait and the United States. (NBC News)
• Kosovo–United States relations
  • Kosovo's parliament unanimously approves deploying the Kosovo Security Force on international peacekeeping missions, following a formal request by the United States Central Command. (Times Union)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest
  • Shooting of Jacob Blake, Kenosha unrest
    • Kenosha unrest shooting
      • Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old boy accused of shooting three people (including two killed) during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, will plead not guilty. (Newsweek)
    • Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announces that no charges will be made against Rusten Sheskey, the Kenosha police officer accused of shooting Jacob Blake. (USA Today)
• 2020 United States election protests
  • Washington, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser activates the District of Columbia National Guard due to an organized protest of pro-Trump supporters. (AP)
  • A federal judge bans Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio from entering Washington, D.C. (Forbes)
• Iran–United States relations
  • Iran requests that Interpol issue a red notice for the arrest of U.S. President Donald Trump and 47 other U.S. officials for their role in the assassination of Qasem Soleimani in January 2020. A similar request was previously rejected by Interpol. (Al Jazeera)
• Censorship in Vietnam
  • A court in Vietnam sentences three freelance journalists to between 11 and 15 years in prison for anti-state propaganda, criticising the government and "infringing the interests of the Communist Party", among other convictions. (Reuters)
• Trump–Raffensperger phone call
  • Cleta Mitchell resigns from her law firm after participating in President Trump's phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. (The Hill)

Politics and elections

• 2020 United States Senate elections
  • 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia
    • Voters in Georgia head to the polls to cast their votes to determine who will control the United States Senate. Republican Senator David Perdue will face Democrat Jon Ossoff, and incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler will face Democrat Raphael Warnock. (BBC News)

Sports

• Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith wins the Heisman Trophy, making him the first receiver to do so since Desmond Howard in 1991. (CBS News)
• Team USA defeats Team Canada 2–0 in the gold medal game to win the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, while Team Finland defeats Team Russia 4–1 in the bronze medal game. Team USA's Trevor Zegras is named MVP of the tournament. (CBC News)

January 6, 2021 (2021-01-06) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2020–21 United States election protests
  • January 6 United States Capitol attack
    • Thousands of pro-Donald Trump protesters storm the United States Capitol, causing it to be evacuated. Washington, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser proclaimed a citywide nighttime curfew. Shots were fired, and at least six people were injured. A woman died from gunshot wounds by Police, according to police. Multiple members of Congress called this an attempted coup d'état. The FBI, police, and National Guard from Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. itself were deployed to stop the riot. Smoke bombs and pepper spray were also used. Multiple suspected pipe bombs were reported, including at the Republican Party headquarters. (Yahoo! News) (The Washington Post) (CNN) (WREX-TV)
    • The United States Senate chamber and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office are also breached by pro-Trump protesters. (ABC News) (WIVB-TV)
    • President-elect Joe Biden says "It's not a protest, it's an insurrection", and calls on President Donald Trump to "demand an end to this siege" by his followers. In response, President Trump released a video saying, "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!" (BBC News) [1]
    • At least seven Democratic members of Congress, including Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Seth Moulton, and Republican Vermont Governor Phil Scott, call for Trump's immediate resignation or impeachment and removal by Congress, when it can reconvene, for insurrection against the United States. (The Independent) (WGBH-TV) (The Atlantic) (The Wrap)
    • The United States Capitol Police says that the Capitol was secured by 6 p.m.. The Electoral College certificates were also secured. (USA Today) (WHNS-TV)
    • Three more people die during the United States Capitol riots during "separate medical emergencies", bringing the total death toll to four. (CNN)
    • Stephanie Grisham resigns as the Chief of Staff to the First Lady as a result of the riots. Matt Pottinger resigns as deputy national security adviser; Mick Mulvaney, former chief of staff, resigns from his remaining duties as special envoy to Northern Ireland and Anna Cristina Niceta resigns as White House social secretary. (CNN) (CNN²)
• Syrian civil war
  • Israel's role in the Syrian Civil War
    • Israel launches airstrikes against IRGC and Hezbollah bases near Damascus, Syria. (Al Arabiya) (Ya Libnan)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in China
      • Members of the World Health Organization investigating the origins of the pandemic are denied entry into China. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 8,854 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 788,402. (detikHealth)
      • Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto announces two-week restrictions in parts of the islands of Java and Bali beginning January 11. These restrictions include limiting operating hours for malls, an advisory for 75% of workers to work from home, and capacity restrictions for restaurants and places of worship. (Okezone.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo claims a record 1,591 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 66,343. (The Japan Times)
      • Nationwide, a record of more than 6,000 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (NHK World)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 2,593 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 125,438. (Malay Mail)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech Republic reports a record of 17,278 new cases in the past 24 hours, 7,965 of which are from Prague, bringing the nationwide total of cases to 776,967. (Prague Morning)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Denmark bans travel to non-residents from South Africa over concerns of the 501.V2 variant. (The Local)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports a record 7,836 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 121,154. (Independent.ie)
      • The government also agrees to tighten the lockdown measures including keeping schools closed but allowing Leaving Cert students to attend three days per week and also suspending non-essential construction projects. These measures will remain in place until the end of January. (The Irish Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
      • Malta reports a record of 224 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours. (Times of Malta)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19 with a nurse becoming the first person to be vaccinated with Pfizer's Tozinameran vaccine. (RTL Nieuws) (Swiss Info)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record of 10,027 new daily cases, bringing the nationwide cumulative total of confirmed cases to 446,606. (DGS)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in San Marino
      • San Marino announces that bars and restaurants will close at 5 p.m. until January 15, and that a curfew will begin at 10 p.m. local time. (San Marino TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
      • Slovenia reports a record of 3,354 cases in the past 24 hours. The country also surpasses 130,000 total cases. (RTVSLO)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 62,322 new cases of COVID-19 and a further 1,041 deaths. This is the first time since April that the daily death toll has exceeded 1,000. Major outbreaks are declared at hospitals in Surrey and Sussex. (BBC News)
    • The European Medicines Agency approves the emergency use of Moderna's vaccine. (CNBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Morocco approves AstraZeneca's vaccine. (The Washington Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal
      • President Macky Sall declares a state of emergency and imposes a curfew at 9:00 p.m. local time in Dakar and Thiès in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (RFI)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
      • Premier Francois Legault announces a curfew from 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. EST for whole province except the Nord-du-Quebec administrative region from January 9 until February 8. Pharmacies and gas stations will be permitted to remain open during curfew hours. (CFCF-DT)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Health officials in Australia announce that the country will bring forward their vaccination rollout plans by two weeks to early March. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay
    • Uruguay reports a record 946 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 23,048. (gob.uy)

International relations

• Israel–Sudan normalization agreement
  • Sudan formally signs the Abraham Accords as part of an agreement to normalize relations with Israel. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Hong Kong national security law
  • Hong Kong Police arrest 53 pro-democracy activists and politicians for criminal charges under the national security law. Those arrested include James To and Lam Cheuk-ting of the Democratic Party, activist Lester Shum, and Leung Kwok-hung and Jimmy Sham of the League of Social Democrats. (Reuters) (RTHK) (BBC News) Kickstart Wan Chai announces to disband, effective immediately. (SCMP)
• 2020 Mississippi flag referendum
  • The Mississippi State Senate passes a bill to make the state flag chosen in the November referendum official. The Mississippi House of Representatives passed the bill on Tuesday. (AP)
• Shooting of Breonna Taylor
  • The Louisville Metro Police Department announces the firing of Myles Cosgrove and Joshua Jaynes, the two officers involved in the botched raid of Breonna Taylor's home. (CBS News)
• A judge in the United Kingdom denies bail to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange days after his extradition to the United States was blocked. The judge cited the risk of Assange escaping the extradition process or refusing to surrender to court if asked to do so. Assange's lawyers will appeal the decision whereas the U.S. Department of Justice continues to seek his extradition. Assange's partner urges the US to pardon him. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2020 United States elections
  • 2020 United States Senate elections
    • 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia
      • News networks project that Democrat Raphael Warnock will defeat Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler, making him the state's first African-American Senator. Warnock claims victory, while Loeffler refuses to concede the race and vows to "fight on". (CNBC) (BuzzFeed News)
      • The Democrats will take control of the Senate after Jon Ossoff defeated Republican David Perdue, leaving incoming Vice President Kamala Harris with the tiebreaking vote. (CNN)
  • 2021 United States Electoral College vote count
    • A joint session of the United States Congress attempts to certify the Electoral College vote results and affirm the election of Joe Biden before being interrupted by the storming of the US Capitol. (CNN)
    • Senator Ted Cruz and Rep. Paul Gosar object to the state of Arizona, making it the first time a vote is forced to accept or reject the objection since 2004, when Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Senator Barbara Boxer objected to George W. Bush's victory in Ohio against John Kerry. The objection failed 6-93 in the Senate and 121-303 in the House. (National Review) (KTVZ-TV) (Gwinnett Daily Post)
    • Lawmakers say that they will continue certification of Biden's victory tonight. (The Hill)
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
  • The European Union withdraws their recognition of Juan Guaidó as the interim President of Venezuela, instead resolving to delegate to individual member states to make their own decisions on who to recognize. (Europapress)

Science and technology

• Donald Trump on social media, Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Twitter locks the personal account of President Donald Trump for the first time, citing the president's "incitement to violence", and "false claims about the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election". The social media site warns that further attempts to violate the company's rules could result in a permanent suspension of Trump's account. (CNBC)
  • Facebook locks President Trump's account for 24 hours in response to the violence in Washington, D.C.. In a blog post, the social media site says today's events are an "emergency" for the platform and will be rolling out new rules in response. (TechCrunch)

January 7, 2021 (2021-01-07) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2020–21 United States election protests
  • 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
    • A United States Capitol Police officer injured in yesterday's riot in Washington, D.C., is revealed to be on life support as a result of the events. After being erroneously reported as having died earlier, he was finally reported as deceased by the Capitol Police, who name him as Brian D. Sicknick. (CNN) (ABC News)
    • Michael C. Stenger and Paul D. Irving, the respective Sergeants at Arms of the Senate and House of Representatives, resign upon the requests of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. (The Hill) (Roll Call)
    • United States Capitol Police chief Steven Sund announces that he will resign following the storming of the United States Capitol by pro-Trump supporters. (HuffPost)

Business and economy

• Boeing 737 MAX groundings
  • Boeing agrees to pay US$2.5 billion to settle criminal charges claiming that it covered-up design flaws in its Boeing 737 MAX passenger planes from safety officials. The U.S. Department of Justice says that the firm chose "profit over candour". (BBC News)
• Elon Musk overtakes Jeff Bezos by just over US$4 billion to become the richest person in the world. (CNN)
• The cryptocurrencies market capitalization reaches US$1 trillion for the first time. (Marketwatch)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports a record of 3,519 new cases and 89 deaths in the past 24 hours. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico reports a record 13,734 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of cases to 1,493,569. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Connecticut, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Connecticut reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in two people, aged 15 and 25, who live in New Haven County. One had traveled to Ireland and the other to New York. (WVIT-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York
        • New York reports a record 17,636 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo. It also reports 197 new deaths, which is the highest single-day total since the second week of May. (WNBC-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Pennsylvania reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a resident of Dauphin County who traveled internationally. (WCAU-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Texas, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Texas health officials report the state's first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a resident of Harris County with no travel history. (KTVT-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
        • Illinois surpasses 1 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fifth state to do so after California, Texas, Florida, and New York. (Chicago Sun-Times)
      • The United States reports a world record of more than 4,000 deaths for the first time. (CNN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in China
      • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
        • China reports 52 locally transmitted cases in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day total since July, as Hebei, which enters "wartime mode", reports 51 of the cases. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a new record for the second consecutive day of 9,321 new cases, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 797,723. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declares a state of emergency for the Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the capital Tokyo and neighbouring prefectures such as Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama, from tomorrow until February 7. The government asks restaurants in those areas to close at 8 p.m. daily and also urges residents to limit non-essential travel. (CNA)
      • Nationwide, Japan reports a record 7,568 new cases in the past 24 hours. Tokyo reports a record 2,447 new cases, bringing the total number of cases in the prefecture to 68,790. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a new record for the second consecutive day of 3,027 new cases. It is the first time that the country has reported more than 3,000 cases and brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 128,465. (The Edge Markets MY)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech Republic reports a record of 17,668 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of cases to 794,740. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia surpasses 60,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (Cadena SER)
      • Catalonia reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from a British resident who travelled to that region. (RTVE)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 1,162 new deaths in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total since April 21, bringing the nationwide death toll to 78,508. (The Independent)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Palau, COVID-19 vaccine
    • Palau begins its vaccination program, with outgoing President Thomas Remengesau Jr. and incoming President Surangel Whipps Jr. receiving the first two doses. The country plans to vaccinate more than 18,000 people with the Moderna vaccine provided by the United States. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazil surpasses 200,000 deaths of COVID-19, becoming the second country to do so after the United States, as a record 87,843 cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (France 24) (Bloomberg)
• The World Organisation for Animal Health confirms that Senegal has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu at a poultry farm in Thiès. (Reuters)

International relations

• Iraq–United States relations, Assassination of Qasem Soleimani
  • Iraq issues an arrest warrant for U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of "premediated murder" due to his role in the killings of Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. (U.S. News)
• Australia's financial watchdog is reviewing calculations for transfers worth US$1.8 billion sent to the country from the Vatican since 2014, after the Vatican and the Australian Church call for clarification. The transfers ranged from yearly totals of A$71.6 million (US$55.2 million) in 2014 to A$581.3 million in 2017, with about 47,000 separate transfers. "That amount of money and that number of transfers did not leave the Vatican City", a senior Vatican official with knowledge of the city-state's finances told Reuters last week. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2020 United States elections
  • 2020 United States Senate elections
    • 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia
      • Incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler concedes to her Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock. Former Republican Senator David Perdue has yet to concede to Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff, even as Ossoff expands his lead beyond the margin necessary to demand a state-funded recount. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
  • 2020 United States presidential election
    • 2021 United States Electoral College vote count
      • U.S. Rep. Scott Perry and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri object to Pennsylvania's electoral college votes, forcing a second vote to accept or reject the objection. This comes after the House and the Senate defeated a similar objection to Arizona's electoral college votes from Rep. Paul Gosar and Senator Ted Cruz. The Senate and the House both vote to reject the objection, allowing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to receive the state’s electoral votes. (The Guardian)
      • The United States Congress certifies the election of Joe Biden as President of the United States and Kamala Harris as Vice President. Biden and Harris received 306 electoral votes while Donald Trump and Mike Pence received 232. The winners will be inaugurated on January 20. (NPR)
      • Rep. Jake LaTurner (KS-2) is notified of his positive COVID-19 diagnosis after the vote on Arizona and goes into isolation, missing the Pennsylvania vote. (Kansas City Star)
    • Presidential transition of Joe Biden
      • Donald Trump, still disagreeing with the election results that resulted in a victory for President-elect Joe Biden, said through spokesperson Dan Scavino, "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th." (Reuters)
      • White House Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Liddell orders the Trump administration staff to submit resignation letters by January 20 as a step to clear the way for Biden to fill the government with his own staff. (Politico)
      • President Trump condemns the attack on the United States Capitol and concedes the race for the first time. He also says that his focus is to ensure a smooth transition of power to the Biden administration. (Newsweek) (The Denver Post) (Forbes)
    • Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
      • Elaine Chao and Betsy DeVos submit their resignations as Secretaries of Transportation and Education, respectively, in response to the storming of the United States Capitol by pro-Trump protesters. (CNN) (The Hill)
      • U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) calls for Trump to be removed via the 25th amendment following the Capitol riot, making him the first Republican to do so. (Newsweek)
• 2020 Ghanaian general election
  • Nana Akufo-Addo is sworn in as President of Ghana for a second term. (BBC News)

Science and technology

• Donald Trump on social media
  • Facebook announces that it has extended the lock of Donald Trump's official account for at least the remainder of his term due to the heightened risk of political violence. Snapchat also bans Trump from posting on the app until further notice. (Bloomberg)
• Twitter suspensions
  • Twitter announces that it has permanently suspended American attorney and conspiracy theorist L. Lin Wood for violating their rules. (The Hill)

January 8, 2021 (2021-01-08) (Friday)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, 501.V2 variant
        • Alberta reports the first case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa. (CBC)
      • Canada reports a record of 9,197 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Global News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York
        • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
          • New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea tests positive for COVID-19. (Patch.com)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California, COVID-19 vaccine
        • California Governor Gavin Newsom sets a goal of vaccinating 1 million people by January 17. (The Los Angeles Times)
      • President-elect Joe Biden says he will plan to speed up the release of vaccine doses. (USA Today)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou announces a second nationwide lockdown for the country that will last three weeks beginning January 10 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record 1,188 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide death toll to 38,795. (Taggeschau)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece extends their nationwide lockdown until January 18 but will allow kindergartens, elementary schools and nurseries to reopen on January 11. (Ekathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports a record 8,248 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 135,884. (Irish Examiner)
      • Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan announces that three cases of the South African variant of SARS-CoV-2 named 501.V2 variant have been detected in Ireland. All of the people had travelled to South Africa. (The Irish Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a new daily record of 10,176 cases, bringing the nationwide cumulative total of confirmed cases to 466,709. (DGS)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • The Riksdag passes a new law that gives the government power to impose COVID-19-related lockdowns, such as ordering certain businesses to close or prohibiting public gatherings of certain sizes. The law will take effect on January 10. (The Washington Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England, COVID-19 pandemic in London
        • London mayor Sadiq Khan declares a "major incident" in the capital due to a rise in the number of cases that threatens to overwhelm hospitals. (Sky News)
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 68,053 new confirmed cases and 1,325 deaths in the past 24 hours. (BBC News)
      • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approves a vaccine made by Moderna for use in the UK. This comes after clinical trials found the vaccine had an efficacy of 94.1% and 100% for severe cases. (Evening Standard)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan
      • Bhutan reports its first death from COVID-19 after a 34-year-old man with chronic liver disease and renal failure, who tested positive for COVID-19, died in a hospital in Thimphu. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 10,617 new cases. It is the first time that the country has reported more than 10,000 cases and brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 808,340. (Kompas)
      • The Indonesian Ulema Council gives a religious approval for use of Sinovac Biotech's vaccine, deeming it halal, or permissible under Islam. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei calls for a ban on the American Pfizer and British AstraZeneca vaccines. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record 7,841 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours. (NHK World)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 16 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 537. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, COVID-19 vaccine
      • King Salman receives the first dose of Pfizer's vaccine in Neom. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong receives a COVID-19 vaccine as the country begins a nationwide vaccination campaign in public health institutions. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazil surpasses 8 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the third country to do so after the United States and India. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Peru reports the first case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom in a citizen who resides in Lima and had attended a family reunion days before Christmas. (Andina)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
    • Brisbane is placed into lockdown for three days in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 after a cleaner at a hotel quarantine site was diagnosed with a known variant of concern. The Northern Territory and Tasmania ban all travellers from Brisbane. (ABC Australia) (The Canberra Times) (News.com.au)
    • Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces that anyone coming into Australia must present a negative COVID-19 test prior to their departure and that masks will be mandatory on all domestic and international passenger flights. The caps on international arrivals will also be reduced for the next month. (9 News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa reports a record 21,980 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,192,570. (Timeslive)
  • Tozinameran, Variants of SARS-CoV-2
    • Vaccine developer Pfizer announces that lab studies have concluded that the joint Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine remains effective against mutation variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including Variant of Concern 202012/01 and the 501.V2 variant. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Criminal charges brought in the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
    • The man photographed sitting at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk during the storming of the United States Capitol is arrested in Little Rock, Arkansas. (Newsweek)
    • The Department of Justice indicts 15 people involved in the assault on the Capitol. The department says that more charges are expected. (AFP via The Straits Times)
    • The United States Attorney for the District of Columbia announces that West Virginia delegate Derrick Evans is expected to face charges for illegally entering the Capitol. (CBS News)
• Trial of Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Amid another quarantine lockdown, the next hearing in the trial of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is postponed. Netanyahu stands accused, in three separate ongoing cases, of a litany of corruption accusations, including bribery, breach of trust, and fraud. (AP)
• 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings
  • The U.S. Department of Justice charges three Sri Lankan nationals with "providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization" in the Islamic State-claimed bombings. (AFP via The Guardian)
• A court in Pakistan sentences Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi to five years in prison on terrorism financing charges. Lakhvi, a senior member of the group Lashkar-e-Taiba, is accused of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, though he was convicted of unrelated charges. India and the United States welcome the verdict but ask that he be tried for the attacks. (Reuters)
• A court in Pakistan sentences three people to death and a college teacher to 10 years in prison for blasphemy. Those convicted can now appeal to higher courts and ask for clemency from the President. Human rights groups say that the law persecutes religious minorities including Shias and the Ahmadiyya. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2020 United States elections
  • Presidential transition of Joe Biden
    • United States President Donald Trump announces that he will not attend the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Joe Biden. Trump will be the first president to choose not to attend their elected successor's inauguration since Andrew Johnson in 1869. (CNN)
    • Outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with incoming Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the first time in an effort to ensure an orderly transition of power. (CNBC)
  • 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia
    • Former Republican Senator David Perdue concedes to Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff. His concession formally guarantees the Democrats a majority in the United States Senate. (CNN)
• Pope Francis appoints Vincenzo Buonomo as Head of the Disciplinary Commission of the Roman Curia, becoming the first layperson to hold the position. (Catholic News Agency)

Science and technology

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Twitter suspensions
    • Donald Trump on social media
      • Twitter permanently suspends Donald Trump's account. According to Twitter, he was suspended to end "the risk of further incitement of violence." (NBC News)
    • Twitter also suspends the accounts of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, American attorney Sidney Powell, and former 8kun administrator Ron Watkins for spreading content related to the QAnon conspiracy theory. (The Hill)
  • Google announces that it will suspend Parler from their Play Store due to concerns of incitement of violence. Apple also threatens to follow suit after 24 hours following the storming of the Capitol. (The Guardian) (Reuters)

January 9, 2021 (2021-01-09) (Saturday)

Arts and culture

• The National Society of Film Critics names contemporary western film Nomadland as the recipient of 2020's National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film. (The Wrap)
• Thousands of Roman Catholic devotees attend Saturday masses organized in lieu of the cancelled annual procession of the Black Nazarene at the Quiapo Church in Manila. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Sriwijaya Air Flight 182
  • Indonesian authorities lose contact with Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 shortly after take-off with 62 people onboard. The passenger plane, a Boeing 737, was en route to Pontianak, taking off from the capital Jakarta. (The Age)
• 2020–21 European windstorm season
  • Storm Filomena causes the death of two people from heavy rains in the province of Málaga and another two from hypothermia after a blizzard hits central Spain. The Mayor of Madrid requests the assistance of the Army as he considers the situation in the capital to be of "extreme gravity". (BBC News) (Europa Press)
• Ten newborn babies die in a hospital fire in western Maharashtra, India. The fire was supposedly caused by an electrical short circuit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that the news was "heart-wrenching". (DW)
• A nationwide blackout occurs in Pakistan, leaving more than 200 million people without power. Senator Faisal Javed Khan says that the blackout was apparently caused by a "sudden frequency drop in the power transmission system". Power is gradually being restored in some parts of the country. (BNO News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • California reports a record 695 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the cumulative death toll in the state to 29,233. (KTLA-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Minnesota reports its first five cases of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated from the United Kingdom. The patients are aged 15 to 37. (KARE-TV)
      • The United States surpasses 22 million cases of COVID-19. (NBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • A nighttime curfew takes effect in Quebec in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico reports a record 16,105 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,524,036. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 vaccination programme in the United Kingdom
        • Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (The Daily Telegraph)
      • The United Kingdom surpasses 80,000 deaths and 3 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fifth country to do so after the United States, Brazil, India, and Russia. (BBC News) (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vatican City
      • Pope Francis confirms in an interview with Italian broadcaster Canale 5 that the vaccination campaign in Vatican City will begin next week and that he will receive the vaccine. (CNN) (Euronews)
      • Fabrizio Soccorsi, Pope Francis' personal physician, dies as a result of "complications due to COVID-19", according to Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. (Fox News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • France extends its curfew to eight departments, including Bouches-du-Rhône, which includes Marseille, where a 6:00 p.m. curfew has been imposed after 21 people tested positive for the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom. (France 24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • Chinese authorities tell 16 million residents in Shijiazhuang and Xingtai to stay home for the next seven days as Shijiazhuang suspends all public transport in order to combat the new outbreak of COVID-19. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • The government announces that India will begin its COVID-19 vaccination campaign on January 16 with priority given to an estimated 30 million healthcare and frontline workers. (The Hindu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu becomes the first Israeli to get a second dose of Pfizer's tozinameran vaccine as the country begins administering second doses of the vaccine to the public. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan surpasses 4,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand surpasses 10,000 cases of COVID-19. (Bangkok Post)

International relations

• Taiwan–United States relations
  • Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces that the United States will be lifting all restrictions on contacts between American and Taiwanese officials, saying the "self-imposed" restrictions were introduced decades ago to appease the Chinese Communist Party government in mainland China. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Criminal charges brought in the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
    • The United States Attorney for the District of Columbia announces that Jacob Chansley (also known as Jake Angeli or "QAnon shaman"), who was photographed wearing horns during the Capitol riot, has been arrested. Additionally, Adam Christian Johnson is also expected to face charges for carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's lectern. (The Guardian) (TMZ)
    • West Virginia delegate Derrick Evans resigns a day after being arrested for illegally entering the United States Capitol. (West Virginia MetroNews)
  • Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announces that detachments of the Virginia National Guard and Virginia State Police will remain stationed at the United States Capitol through the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20. (WWBT-TV)
• Mass shootings in the United States
  • Three people are killed and four others injured in a shooting spree through several neighborhoods in the South Side area of Chicago, Illinois, as well as Evanston. The shooter, a 32-year-old man, was shot during a shootout with responding Evanston police officers and later died in a hospital. (WMAQ-TV)

Science and technology

• The Parler app is suspended indefinitely from the App Store by Apple Inc. Additionally, Amazon also announces that they will discontinue providing cloud services for Parler due to incitement of violence, which will go into effect on Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. (CNN) (CNBC)

Sports

• 2020 NFL season, 2020–21 NFL playoffs
  • In American football, the Buffalo Bills win a playoff game for the first time since the 1995 season with a 27–24 win against the Indianapolis Colts. (The Guardian) (ESPN)

January 10, 2021 (2021-01-10) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Kivu conflict
  • At least six park rangers in the Virunga National Park in Rutshuru, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, are killed in an ambush. A Mai-Mai militia is suspected to have committed the attack. (AFP via Barron's)
• Tigray War
  • The Ethiopian National Defense Force says that it has killed 15 members of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, including the region's former deputy police commissioner, and captured eight others, including the region's former president Abay Weldu. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • PGA of America announces it will terminate an agreement to play the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster because conducting the golf tournament there would have been "detrimental" to the PGA brand. (ESPN)
  • Payment processor Stripe will no longer process payments for the campaign website of President Donald Trump because of the company's policies against encouraging violence. (Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

• Sriwijaya Air Flight 182
  • Indonesian authorities locate the black boxes of the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 PK-CLC that crashed into the sea soon after taking-off from Jakarta, as human body parts and debris from the plane are found. Loss of everyone onboard is considered almost certain. (France 24) (The Jakarta Post)
• Gold mine explosion in Shandong, China.
  • Twenty-two workers are trapped in a gold mine in Qixia, east China's Shandong province after an explosion tore through the mine at 2:00 p.m. (Xinhua News) (South China Morning Post)
• Power is restored in Pakistan following a nationwide blackout. (The Financial Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports a record 3,945 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Spokesperson for President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Jesús Ramírez Cuevas, tests positive for COVID-19. (The Independent)
      • Mexico reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom. (Business Standard)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan's Health Ministry detects a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 partially similar to those from South Africa and the United Kingdom in four people that travelled from Amazonas in Brazil. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines signs an agreement with the Serum Institute of India to receive 30 million doses of Novavax's vaccine. (Inquirer.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam limits inbound flights until the Lunar New Year holiday due to the spread of new variants of SARS-Cov-2 in many countries. (VnExpress International)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
      • Belgium surpasses 20,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Brussels Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany surpasses 40,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Local Germany)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Russia reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • President of Armenia Armen Sarksyan is admitted to a hospital in London in a serious condition due to the worsening of his COVID-19 diagnosis. (CNN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • Africa surpasses 3 million cases of COVID-19. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, 501.V2 variant
    • New Zealand reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa. (Newshub)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay
    • Uruguay reports a record 1,215 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 26,186. (gob.uy)
  • The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide surpasses 90 million. (TVNZ)

Law and crime

• Crime in Australia
  • A mother and her three daughters are found dead in a house fire in Glen Waverley, Victoria. Police are investigating it as a possible mass murder. (News.com.au)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Two men who were photographed carrying plastic hand restraints in the Senate chamber during the storming of the United States Capitol are arrested in Tennessee and Texas. (The Washington Post)
• The Reserve Bank of New Zealand reveals that one of its file hosting services storing "sensitive information" was "maliciously" breached. The bank says the breach was contained and that they are investigating the "nature and extent" of "potentially accessed" information. (Radio New Zealand) (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
• Six inmates escape from a jail in California. Their whereabouts are unknown and being sought by California police. The six men are considered to be armed and dangerous. (WGNTV)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Kazakh legislative election
  • Legislative elections are held in Kazakhstan. The election is criticized for a lack of opposition to the leading party Nur Otan and is therefore expected to be considered neither free nor fair by international observers. (Radio Free Europe)
• 2021 Kyrgyz presidential election, 2021 Kyrgyz referendum
  • Presidential elections are held in Kyrgyzstan following last year's political unrest and the resignation of President Sooronbay Jeenbekov. Interim Prime Minister Sadyr Japarov is widely expected to win the election. The question of keeping the current parliamentary system or reintroducing a presidential system is also presented to the electorate in the form of a referendum. (Reuters) (Radio Free Europe)
• 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • North Korean state media says that Kim Jong-un has been formally elected as the General Secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, inheriting the title from his late father Kim Jong-il, who died in 2011. (Reuters)
• 2020-21 Belarusian protests
  • Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says that the country will draft a new constitution by the end of the year. It remains unclear whether the new constitution will result in Lukashenko leaving office. (The Straits Times)

January 11, 2021 (2021-01-11) (Monday)

Business and economy

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • The Parler social networking service goes offline after Amazon discontinued providing cloud computing services. The company's chief executive said that the service will be down "longer than expected" as "most people with enough servers to host us have shut their doors to us." (CNBC)
• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  • Ford Motor Company announces that it will cease production at its plants in Camaçari and Taubaté in the coming months due to losses aggravated by the pandemic. Ford also plans to close its Troller plant in Belo Horizonte in the fourth quarter of 2021. (AFP via Deccan Herald)

Disasters and accidents

• Sriwijaya Air Flight 182
  • Indonesian authorities identify the first victim of the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 that crashed into the Java Sea, a 29-year-old male flight attendant. (DW)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China announces that a World Health Organization team investigating the origins of COVID-19 will arrive in the country on Thursday. (France 24)
      • Mainland China reports 103 new cases in the past 24 hours, mainly in Hebei province, which is the highest single-day total since July 30 and brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 87,536. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia
        • The government signs a deal with Pfizer and BioNTech to buy an additional 12.2 million doses of the tozinameran vaccine. (The Star)
      • Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announces a lockdown in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya as well as in five states and also bans interstate travel for two weeks beginning January 13 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
        • The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency approves Sinovac's vaccine for emergency use in the country. This comes after a clinical trial showed the vaccine had a 65.3% efficacy in Indonesia compared to an efficacy of 91% in Turkey and 78% in Brazil. (Jakarta Globe)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 vaccination program in the Philippines
        • The Philippines orders 25 million doses of Sinovac's vaccine. 50,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in the country by February. (Inquirer)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
      • Lebanon declares a state of emergency and imposes a 24-hour curfew for 11 days beginning January 14 as part of a lockdown that began on January 7. All private and public companies as well as house of worships will be closed with few exceptions and travel restrictions will also be introduced. (The Daily Star)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Albania
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Albania
        • Albania begins its vaccination programme against COVID-19 with doses received from an undisclosed European Union country. Prime Minister Edi Rama is among the first to receive the vaccine. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • The Netherlands detects at least 30 cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in an outbreak linked to a primary school in Bergschenhoek. (Dutch News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record 122 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 7,925. (The Washington Post)
      • President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa tests positive for COVID-19. He is self-isolating in Belém Palace asymptomatic. (PÚBLICO)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Seychelles
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Seychelles
        • Seychelles becomes the first African country to begin vaccination campaign against COVID-19. One of the first to receive the vaccine is the president Wavel Ramkalawan. (Africa News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia reports a record 3,074 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide case total to 162,350. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • The government orders that victims of COVID-19 must be buried where they die, forbidding viewings and the transfer of corpses as the country experiences a significant increase in the number of cases. (Xinhua)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Delaware
        • President-elect Joe Biden receives a second dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine on camera. (CNN)
      • The CDC says it has administered 8 million vaccine doses in the United States and distributed an additional 25.5 million doses. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • Two gorillas in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park test positive for COVID-19, making this the first case of transmission to non-human primates or great apes. (The Los Angeles Times)
      • The state surpasses 30,000 deaths from COVID-19, just a month after surpassing 20,000 deaths. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Indiana reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom. (Indystar)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Lockdowns in Brisbane and the Northern Beaches of Sydney are lifted as the number of cases in those areas drop. (ABC Australia) (9 News)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • BioNTech says it plans to produce two billion vaccine doses this year. (The Hill)

International relations

• Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
    • Uzbekistan extends their travel restrictions to the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Australia, the Netherlands, and South Africa until February 1. (Xinhuanet)
• United States–Yemen relations
  • The leader of the Houthi movement, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, condemns a move by the United States to designate the group as "terrorists" saying that the group "reserves its right to respond to any designation" by the Trump administration. Iran and the Norwegian Refugee Council also condemn the designation, saying that it will create more devastation in the impoverished nation. (Al Jazeera)
• Cuba–United States relations
  • The United States declares Cuba a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Cuba was removed from the list by the Obama administration in 2015 during the Cuban thaw. (NBC News)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • 2021 efforts to remove Donald Trump from office
    • Democrats in the House of Representatives introduce an article of impeachment against Trump for "incitement of insurrection". (ABC News)
  • The New York State Bar Association announces that it has launched an inquiry into removing President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani from its membership over his role in the "violent uprising" at the Capitol building. (Bloomberg)
  • Yogananda Pittman is named as acting United States Capitol Police chief, making her the first woman and first African-American to lead the agency. (NPR)
• Three police officers are killed, two by gunfire and one in a hit-and-run, after a carjacking in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. A fourth police officer is also injured. This is the first time in Puerto Rico's recent history in which multiple police officers were killed in one incident. The suspect remains at large. (AP)

Politics and elections

• 2020–21 United States election protests
  • An internal bulletin by the FBI warns of nationwide armed protests being planned from January 16 to 20, the day of Joe Biden's inauguration. The bulletin also warned of an armed group threatening to start a "huge uprising" if there is an attempt to remove Donald Trump from office via the 25th Amendment. (ABC News) (AP)
  • Airbnb says it will ban bookings for hate groups and rioters in Washington, D.C. ahead of Biden's inauguration. (CNET) (Washingtonian)
  • Michigan announces it will ban open-carry guns at the state capitol. (HuffPost)
  • President Trump approves an emergency declaration request from District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser ahead of Biden's inauguration. (Politico) (Fox News)
  • Chad Wolf resigns as Acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security, citing "recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary". He is replaced by FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor. (The Guardian)
• Pope Francis publishes an apostolic letter in which, modifying the canon law, opens officially ministries of lector and acolyte to women. (Catholic News Agency)

Science and technology

• Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election
  • Facebook bans "Stop the Steal" content ahead of Biden's inauguration. (NBC News)
  • Twitter says that they have suspended over 70,000 accounts linked to the QAnon conspiracy since the Capitol storming. (CNBC)

Sports

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots, declines the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump, citing the storming of the United States Capitol. He had been scheduled to receive it on Thursday. (CNN)
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2020–21 NBA season
  • The NBA announces that they have postponed Monday night’s matchup between Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, and Tuesday match between Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls due to COVID-19 health protocols. (The New York Times)
• 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship
  • In American football, Alabama defeats Ohio State to win the national championship. (NBC News)

January 12, 2021 (2021-01-12) (Tuesday)

Disasters and accidents

• Eight people die in an apartment building fire in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Investigators say that the preliminary cause of death is carbon monoxide poisoning. (Znak)
• A barge travelling from Kisangani to the town of Basoko in Tshopo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, sinks in the Congo River. Local authorities report that at least six people were killed and 19 others are missing. (AFP via Business Recorder)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Premier Doug Ford announces a second state of emergency and stay-at-home order for Ontario as the number of cases continues to increase. (Global News)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
        • Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces that the country will double its order of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from 20 million to 40 million doses. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Maryland reports their first two cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a married couple from Anne Arundel County, one of whom had travelled to the United Kingdom. (WJZ-TV)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • The outgoing Trump administration announces that they will make changes to their vaccine distributions in an effort to speed up the rollout. (NPR)
      • The CDC announces that they will expand their order to require travelers from the United Kingdom to test negative for COVID-19. (U.S. News & World Report)
      • The United States reports a record 4,197 new deaths in the past 24 hours. (CNN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in China
      • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
        • Chinese authorities place 4.9 million people in Langfang under lockdown for the next seven days and also subject them to mass testing in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Swiss Info)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
        • The government receives 15 million doses of the half-finished vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech for final production and distribution by Bio Farma. (Jakarta Globe)
      • Indonesia reports a record 302 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 24,645. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysian Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah of Pahang declares a state of emergency in the country until August 1 amid an increase in COVID-19 cases, suspending parliament for the first time since 1969 for the remainder of the pandemic. (Bloomberg)
      • Malaysia reports a record 3,309 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours ahead of the return of movement control orders in parts of the country, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 141,553. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan plans to extend the ongoing state of emergency to locations outside of the Greater Tokyo Area. (Insidethegames)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
      • Kyrgyzstan receives documents for Pfizer's vaccine. (Trend)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Bavarian Ministers-President Markus Söder announces that starting from next Monday, people will be required to wear FFP2 masks while travelling on public transport and when in retail shops in order to improve safety on these areas. (The Local Germany)
      • Baden-Württemberg reports Germany's first case of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a family that travelled from South Africa. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands extends its nationwide lockdown until February 9 despite the number of new cases falling. (Government of the Netherlands)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record 155 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,080. (DGS)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain receives their first shipment of the Moderna vaccine. (ANI)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
      • Swissmedic grants authorization for use of the Moderna vaccine in Switzerland, making it the second COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in the country. (Swissmedic)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Bolivia
    • Former President Evo Morales tests positive for COVID-19. (G1)

International relations

• Egypt–Qatar relations, Qatar diplomatic crisis
  • Egypt reopens its airspace to Qatari aircraft, and will allow the resumption of direct flights between the countries, which have been suspended since 2017. (Reuters)
• Moldova–Ukraine relations
  • Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrives in Ukraine for her first foreign visit as president. Both countries said that they are willing to join the Three Seas Initiative and European Union. (UAWire.org) (Ukrinform) (Republic TV)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • 2021 efforts to remove Donald Trump from office
    • President Donald Trump warns that successfully impeaching him from office for his conduct regarding the riot at the United States Capitol Building would represent a "tremendous danger" to the nation. Trump refused to clarify his statement any further, instead stating that his comments vis-à-vis inciting the incident were "totally appropriate". (CNBC)
    • Vice President Mike Pence tells House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he won't invoke the 25th amendment. (Chicago Tribune)
• 2021 Ugandan general election
  • Ahead of Thursday's election, Ugandan opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine says that soldiers raided his home and arrested his security guards without providing any explanation. Wine has previously been accused by incumbent Yoweri Museveni of being "an agent of foreign interests". (DW)
  • In retaliation against Facebook for blocking pro-government accounts, the government of Uganda blocks all social media, including Facebook and WhatsApp until further notice. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny
  • Authorities in Russia ask a judge to jail opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny for allegedly breaking a suspended sentence dating back to 2014 and for evading the supervision of Russia's criminal inspection authority. Navalny had previously been asked to return to Russia to report himself to the federal authorities but continues to remain in Germany. He has vowed to return to Russia ahead of the next parliamentary election. (Reuters)
• The Jordanian State Security Court sentences a man to death for perpetrating a stabbing attack on eight people in Jerash in November 2019. The court alleges that the man "had been in contact with one of the members of the Islamic State", although the organization never claimed responsibility formally. (AFP via RFI)
• The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka sentences former member of parliament Ranjan Ramanayake, who is affiliated with the opposition United National Party, to a four-year "rigorous imprisonment" over his remarks claiming that most judges in the country were "corrupt". (AFP via The Times of India)

Politics and elections

• Presidential transition of Joe Biden
  • Vice President Mike Pence acknowledges that the Trump presidency is coming to an end, and said that the administration is working with President-elect Joe Biden's transition team. (The Hill)
  • The Joint Chiefs of Staff condemn the storming of the United States Capitol, and acknowledge Biden's victory. (CNBC)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2021 Formula One World Championship
  • Formula One postpones the Australian and Chinese Grand Prix due to COVID-19-related restrictions. The Australian Grand Prix will take place in November instead of March, while the discussion over a new date for the Chinese Grand Prix is ongoing. (BBC News)

January 13, 2021 (2021-01-13) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
    • Syria missile strikes (January 2021)
      • Israel carries out a wave of airstrikes on Syria's eastern Deir ez-Zor Governorate, near its border with Iraq. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that 57 people have been killed and 28 others injured in at least 18 Israeli airstrikes, saying that several Iranian arms depots were hit. A senior U.S. intelligence official says that the air raids were carried out with "intelligence provided by the U.S." (Daily Sabah)
• Central African Republic Civil War
  • Pro-François Bozizé forces attack the Central African Republic capital of Bangui, with fighting reported on multiple fronts, according to Prime Minister Firmin Ngrébada. A Reuters witness reports explosions and helicopters circling over the city. The attack is successfully repelled by the Central African Armed Forces. (Reuters)
  • A Rwanda Defence Force peacekeeper is killed in a rebel attack, according to MINUSCA officials. (Xinhuanet)
• Mali War
  • Three Ivorian UN peacekeepers are killed and six others wounded in a jihadist ambush on their vehicle in central Mali. (France 24)

Business and economy

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that New York City will end all contracts with the Trump Organization claiming that President Donald Trump's incitement of "an insurrection against the U.S. government clearly constitutes criminal activity." (The New York Times)
• George Floyd protests in Australia, List of name changes due to the George Floyd protests
  • Dairy company Saputo announces that Coon cheese, its brand of cheddar cheese in Australia, will be rebranded as "Cheer" cheese, in response to a 20-year campaign by indigenous rights activist Stephen Hagan to remove the usage of the word "Coon", in reference to a racial slur. The new branding will be released in July. (AFP via Manila Standard)
• Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica announces that it will sell its cell sites in Europe and Latin America, which are owned by its subsidiary Telxius, to American company American Tower for an estimated €7.7 billion (US$9.4 billion). (Buenos Aires Times)

Disasters and accidents

• A Sudanese Air Force helicopter crashes shortly after taking off in Sudan's Al Qadarif state, near the border with Ethiopia, with the three-person crew surviving the crash, according to officials. (TRT World)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
        • President Joko Widodo receives the first dose of the vaccine candidate developed by Sinovac Biotech. (CNA)
      • Indonesia reports a record 11,278 new cases and 306 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 858,043 confirmed cases and 24,951 deaths. (CNN Indonesia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
      • Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi imposes travel and entry bans on 20 countries reported to have new variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Xinhua)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The government expands the state of emergency to seven prefectures, including Aichi, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Kyoto, as the country surpasses 300,000 cases of COVID-19. (ABC News)
      • Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announces the suspension of business travel agreements with 11 countries and regions and also restricts entry for all non-resident foreign nationals beginning tomorrow in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Nikkei Asia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan
      • Jordan begins a vaccination campaign, with priority given to healthcare workers, people with chronic illnesses, and those over the age of 60. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China reports 115 new cases in the past 24 hours, the largest single-day total in more than five months, bringing the nationwide number of confirmed cases to 87,706. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • The Philippines reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom in a person who travelled from the United Arab Emirates to Quezon City on January 7 and later tested positive. (ABS-CBN News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, 501.V2 variant
      • Taiwan reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa in a Swazi man in his 30s who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on January 1. (Taiwan News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • The United Arab Emirates reports a record 3,362 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 239,587. (The National)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Norway
        • King Harald V, Queen consort Sonja and Princess Astrid receives the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (People)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Turkey
        • Turkey approves the emergency use of the vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, 501.V2 variant
      • Belgium reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa in a person from West Flanders with no travel history. (VRT)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports records for both daily counts of new cases and deaths, with 10,556 new cases and 156 deaths, bringing the nationwide cumulative totals to 507,108 confirmed cases and 8,236 deaths. (DGS)
      • Prime Minister António Costa announces that stricter lockdown measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 will begin on January 15. There will be more exceptions to the new restrictions than there were during the first national lockdown in March and April 2020. (Expresso)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain reports a record 38,869 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,176,089. (El Mundo)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 1,564 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 84,767. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vatican City
      • Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI receive their firsts doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on the first day of the vaccination campaign in the Vatican City. (Fox News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi
        • Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves receives his first dose of the vaccine live on Facebook. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • New Mexico reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a man in his 60s who traveled to the United Kingdom in December and later tested positive for COVID-19. (KUTV-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Wisconsin reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom. (WDJT-TV)
    • The U.S. surpasses 23 million cases of COVID-19, just four days after surpassing 22 million cases. (CNN)

International relations

• North Korea–South Korea relations
  • Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, criticizes South Korea over their tracking of a military parade that will be held in Pyongyang during the weekend, defining South Korean officials as a "weird group, hard to understand" and the "idiot and top of the world's list in misbehaviour". South Korean President Moon Jae-in says his position to establish talks with North Korea remains unchanged. (NDTV)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Criminal charges brought in the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
    • American Olympic gold-medal swimmer Klete Keller is charged with participating in the storming of the United States Capitol. (CBS News)
    • Robert Keith Packer, a Virginian known for wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" sweatshirt, is arrested for storming the Capitol. Additionally, former Rocky Mount, Virginia police officers Thomas Robertson and Jacob Fracker are also arrested. (The Washington Post)
    • Proud Boys supporter Eduard Florea is arrested in New York for threatening to lead an armed caravan to Washington, D.C. Additionally, Florea also threatened the life of Senator-elect Raphael Warnock. (WNBC-TV) (Fox News) (The New York Daily News)
• Capital punishment in the United States
  • Shortly after midnight, the federal government executes Lisa Marie Montgomery by lethal injection for the 2004 murder of Bobbie Jo Stinnett, after the Supreme Court vacated the last stay on her execution. Montgomery is the first woman to be executed by the federal government since 1953. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny
  • Opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny announces that he will return to Russia on Sunday, despite risks of being incarcerated upon his return. Navalny says that the charges against him are "fabricated". (Reuters)
• Flint water crisis
  • Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is charged with two counts of willful neglect of duty in connection with the Flint water crisis, which left residents with contaminated water and a Legionnaires outbreak. (AP) (Business Insider)
• Rioting erupts overnight in the Belgian capital Brussels following the death of a 23-year-old black man in police custody, who was reportedly arrested for violating local COVID-19 restrictions. A police station was set on fire in north of the city, and King Philippe's vehicle was attacked while travelling through the area. (BBC News) (Euronews)

Politics and elections

• Second impeachment of Donald Trump
  • The U.S. House of Representatives impeaches President Donald Trump for "incitement of insurrection". (BBC News)
  • After being impeached, Trump releases a video statement from the White House condemning the rioters who stormed the United States Capitol. (Bloomberg)
• Corruption in Estonia
  • Prime Minister Jüri Ratas announces his resignation after the Prosecutor General suspected his Estonian Centre Party of "criminal involvement" in an influence peddling scandal involving businessman Hillar Teder. (Daily Sabah)

Science and technology

• Donald Trump on social media, Censorship by Google
  • Google-owned YouTube says that it has suspended U.S. President Donald Trump's account from uploading new videos or live streaming content for the next seven days, and may extend the suspension, saying that the channel had violated its rules over incitement to violence. (BBC News)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, Variant of Concern 202012/01
  • English cricketer and all-rounder Moeen Ali, who tested positive for COVID-19 ten days ago, confirmed that he was infected with a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, which makes this the first case of the UK variant in Sri Lanka. (The Times of India)

January 14, 2021 (2021-01-14) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • A roadside bomb kills five civilians and injures three others in Tebessa Province, Algeria. It is the deadliest attack on civilians in Algeria in recent years. In a separate incident, a militant is shot dead by the military in neighbouring Khenchela Province. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Vatican Museums Director Barbara Jatta, tells Vatican Radio it is necessary to extend the current closure of the Museums after having previously set 16 January as a possible date for re-opening. The current Covid-19 situation in Italy does not allow for certainties. Currently there is a seven-kilometre itinerary mapped out through the Vatican Museums for small numbers of visitors, in compliance with anti-Covid precautions. (Vatican News)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  • President-elect Joe Biden unveils a $1.9 trillion relief package to bolster the United States economy. If passed in Congress, the relief package will increase the direct payments from $600 to $2,000, an increase of $1,400. The plan to increase the direct payments to $2,000 was endorsed by Biden himself, outgoing President Donald Trump, and Democrats. (Reuters) (BBC News)
• Automotive manufacturer Toyota announces that it will pay a civil penalty of US$180 million minimum for violating United States vehicle emission standards by not reporting emissions defects to authorities. (AFP via News24)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland
          • Governor Larry Hogan announces that the state will distribute the vaccine next week to teachers, people 75 or older, child care providers, residents of assisted living facilities, people in group homes, and high-risk inmates. (The Baltimore Sun)
        • COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia
          • Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announces that the state will distribute the vaccine to seniors, including people aged 65 or older. (The Washington Post)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
        • The number of daily deaths in New York reaches 200 for the first time since May 12. (WNBC-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
        • Texas surpasses two million cases of COVID-19, becoming the second state to do so after California. (AP)
        • Texas reaches past 1 million vaccinations, becoming the first state to do so. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
        • British Columbia reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa. (Daily Hive)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • Prime Minister Jean Castex announces that the French government will impose a nationwide 6:00 p.m. curfew for at least 15 days beginning January 16 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record 1,244 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide death toll to 43,881. (Tagesschau)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a new record for the second consecutive day, of 10,698 new daily cases, bringing the nationwide cumulative total of confirmed cases to 517,806. (DGS)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • Sweden reports a record 351 deaths in the past 24 hours and surpasses 10,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Expressen)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan receives the first dose of the CoronaVac vaccine in a hospital in Ankara as Turkey begins its nationwide vaccination campaign. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in China
      • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
        • China reports 138 new cases in the past 24 hours, the biggest single-day increase in more than 10 months, bringing the total number of cases since the beginning of the outbreak to 87,844. In addition, the country also reports its first death from COVID-19 since April, bringing the nationwide death toll to 4,635. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 11,557 new cases, bringing the nationwide total to 869,600 confirmed cases. (Kompas)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 3,337 new cases, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 147,855. (The Edge Markets MY)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 vaccine
      • The Food and Drug Administration approves the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in the country. (Rappler)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Gambia
      • The Gambia reports their first two cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a 34-year-old man who travelled to the United Kingdom and an 82-year-old woman who also tested positive. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
      • The Federal Ministry of Education announces that schools in Nigeria will reopen on January 18. Parents have appealed to the ministry to rescind the decision following a recent spike in COVID-19 cases. (Xinhua)

International relations

• Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Lineage B.1.1.248
    • British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announces a ban on all travellers from South American countries, as well as Portugal, Panama and Cape Verde due to a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was identified in Brazil. The ban will come into effect tomorrow at 4:00 a.m. GMT. (BBC News)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that Iran has informed them that it has begun installing equipment for the production of uranium metal, another violation in kind in response to Western violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The IAEA says that Iran now has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon, but still possesses less than it had before the deal was signed. (The Independent)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia announces the arrest of Kevin Seefried, a Delaware man who was seen carrying the Confederate flag during the storming of the United States Capitol. His son, Hunter Seefried, is also arrested. (CBS News)
  • The Department of Justice announces that Robert Sanford, a retired firefighter from Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, has been arrested for allegedly throwing a fire extinguisher at Capitol Police officers during the storming of the Capitol. (USA Today)
• Crime in Australia
  • Domestic violence in Australia
    • A mother and three children are found dead in a suspected murder–suicide in Tullamarine, Victoria, in the second case of suspected familicide in Victoria in the past week. (News.com.au)
• Corruption in South Korea
  • The Supreme Court upholds former President Park Geun-hye's 22-year prison sentence for corruption. (AP)
• Flint water crisis
  • Eight more Michigan officials are charged along with former Governor Rick Snyder for their roles in the Flint water crisis. Former health director Nick Lyon and former state medical executive Eden Wells are also charged with involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of nine people who contracted Legionnaires' disease during the crisis. (NBC News) (AP)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Ugandan general election
  • Voters head to the polls to elect their next president and parliament. The two main presidential candidates are incumbent President Yoweri Museveni and opposition activist and musician Bobi Wine. The election has been widely criticized as being unfair, with both the United States and European Union cancelling their observations of the election. (BBC News)

January 15, 2021 (2021-01-15) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency, 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • At least nine security personnel are killed in Kunduz, near the border with Tajikistan, when Taliban insurgents simultaneously attack two checkpoints. (Al Arabiya English)
• Mali War
  • An Egyptian UN peacekeeper is killed and another injured after a bomb planted by jihadists detonates under a truck that was part of a UN logistics convoy. (UN News)
• Central African Republic Civil War
  • A Burundian UN peacekeeper is killed in a rebel ambush near Grimari in Ouaka, Central African Republic, acccording to MINUSCA. Two Bangladeshi peacekeepers are also wounded in the attack. (France 24)

Business and economy

• Canadian convenience store chain Alimentation Couche-Tard withdraws its bid to take over the French retailer Carrefour, after the French government expressed its intent to veto the €16 billion (US$19.5 billion) deal. (AFP via Bangkok Post)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Sulawesi earthquake
  • A magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes the Majene Regency in West Sulawesi, Indonesia, killing at least 42 people and wounding more than 820 others. It was preceded by a foreshock measuring 5.7 a few hours before. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • The number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide surpasses two million. (Al Jazeera)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • COVID-19 pandemic in Maine
          • Governor Janet Mills receives her first dose of the vaccine. (Bangor Daily News)
        • President-elect Joe Biden is expected to deploy the United States National Guard and FEMA resources to distribute vaccines across the United States when he takes office. He also says that he will invoke the Defense Production Act to produce vaccines. (The West Australian) (The Independent)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Illinois reports their first case of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who traveled to the United Kingdom and the Middle East and was later diagnosed with COVID-19. (Chicago Tribune)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Oregon reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated from the United Kingdom in a man from Multnomah County with no travel history. (KGW-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Utah, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Utah reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated from the United Kingdom in a man from Salt Lake County with no travel history who tested positive last month. (The Standard-Examiner)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin
        • Governor Tony Evers announces that the state will extend its mask mandate for 60 days. (WSAW-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico reports a record 21,366 new confirmed cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 1.61 million. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in China
      • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
        • China reports 144 new cases, the majority in Hebei and Heilongjiang provinces. This is the highest number of daily cases in the past 10 months and brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 87,988. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Uttarakhand, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Uttarakhand reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a 44-year old man who was in close contact with people who travelled to the United Kingdom. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 12,818 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, including 3,095 in West Java, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 882,418. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia extends their movement control order to Kelantan beginning at midnight as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. (Free Malaysia Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines extends until January 31 its travel ban on more than 30 countries and territories where cases of SARS-CoV-2 variants have been reported. (Arab News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record 159 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,543. (PÚBLICO)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain reports a record 40,197 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,252,164. (El Mundo)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Sweden
        • King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Kungahuset)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces the closure of all travel corridors beginning January 18 at 4:00 a.m. GMT. He also announces that all travellers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the previous 72 hours and quarantine for 10 days upon arrival, unless they test negative after five days. (ITV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
      • The Chilean government reports 4,471 new cases, the highest daily total since June. A potential new lockdown in the Santiago Metropolitan Region is under evaluation according to the Ministry of Health. (ADN Radio)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Paraguay approves the emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, becoming the fourth South American country to approve the use of the vaccine against COVID-19, after Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela. Supply of the vaccine will be facilitated by the Russian Direct Investment Fund. (PR Newswire)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
    • Tunisia reports a record 4,170 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours as the country enters a four-day lockdown and also closes all schools until January 24 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Reuters)
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
  • Authorities in Namibia suspend the importation and transit of poultry from European countries where an outbreak of the Avian influenza subtype H5N8 has been reported. (Xinhua)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations
  • Russia says that it will withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, following the U.S. withdrawal from the treaty last year. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that the U.S. withdrawal has "significantly upended the balance of interests of signatory states". (AP)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the January 6 United States Capitol attack
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation announces that far-right activist Tim Gionet, commonly known as "Baked Alaska", has been arrested in Houston for participating in the attack on the United States Capitol. (New York Times)
• Pan Am Flight 103
  • The family of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, loses a posthumous appeal at a top Scottish court against his conviction. Al-Megrahi was the only person convicted for the terrorist attack, whereas his family say that he was the victim of a "miscarriage of justice". (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Ugandan general election
  • Opposition activist Bobi Wine claims victory in the presidential election, despite early results giving incumbent President Yoweri Museveni a wide lead, and calls the results "a joke". (France 24)
  • Bobi Wine tweets that the military has "taken control" of his home and placed him under house arrest, just hours after claiming victory in the disputed election. (Al Jazeera)
• Presidential transition of Joe Biden
  • United States Vice President Mike Pence congratulates incoming Vice President Kamala Harris, 73 days after the presidential election. (Politico) (AP)
• Netherlands child welfare fraud scandal
  • The third Rutte cabinet of the Netherlands falls after negotiations regarding the childcare allowance scandal. (BBC News)
• 2021 Palestinian general election
  • President Mahmoud Abbas announces that the legislative elections will be held on May 22, while the presidential elections will be held on July 31. These are the first elections in the State of Palestine since 2006. (AFP via Arab News)
• The Lao People's Revolutionary Party elects Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith as its new General Secretary, replacing retiring chief Bounnhang Vorachit. Sisoulith was elected for a five-year term as leader of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the top post in the country, and part of the country's Politburo. (Reuters)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football, COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
  • FC Barcelona postpones its presidential election originally scheduled for January 24, following an increase in COVID-19 cases in Catalonia. (The Washington Post)

January 16, 2021 (2021-01-16) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Boko Haram insurgency
  • Hundreds of residents flee and government forces withdraw after the town of Marte in Borno State, Nigeria, is captured by Islamic State – West Africa Province militants. The military says it "tactically withdrew" troops, while confirming the town is under insurgent control. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Automotive manufacturers Fiat Chrysler and PSA finalize their 50–50 merger agreement, founding Stellantis. The new corporation becomes the world's fourth largest automobile manufacturer by volume. (AFP via RTL)

Disasters and accidents

• Five people die of carbon monoxide poisoning at a nursing home in Lanuvio, Lazio, Italy. Seven other people are hospitalized in critical condition. (Il Fatto Quotidiano)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • Canada surpasses 700,000 cases of COVID-19. (Global News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • Los Angeles County surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the first county in the United States to do so. (NBC News)
        • Los Angeles County reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a man who traveled to the United Kingdom and is currently in quarantine in Oregon. (NBC Los Angeles)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Michigan reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a woman from Washtenaw County who traveled to the United Kingdom. (WEYI-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Louisiana reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the Greater New Orleans area. (Office of the Governor of Louisiana)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Wyoming reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a man from Teton County with no known travel history. (Casper Star Tribune)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the world's largest vaccination programme against COVID-19 in India, which plans to vaccinate more than 1.3 billion people. A sanitation worker is the first person to receive the vaccine. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 14,224 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 896,642. (CNN Indonesia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 4,029 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 155,095. (New Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan approves the AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use in the country. (Livemint)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark, 501.V2 variant
      • Denmark reports their first case of the South African variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who travelled to Dubai. (Politiken)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports records for both daily counts of new cases and deaths, with 10,947 new cases and 166 deaths, bringing the nationwide cumulative totals to 539,416 confirmed cases and 8,709 deaths. (DGS) (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
      • Serbia receives one million doses of Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine. They are the first European country to receive a Chinese-made vaccine. (AFP via Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Vice President Fuat Oktay receives the first dose of the CoronaVac vaccine at a hospital in Ankara. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Argentina
        • Argentina receives their second batch of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (U.S. News & World Report)
      • Argentina also reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a man who travelled from the United Kingdom in late December and later tested positive. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
        • The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency announces that the country has returned documents from União Química seeking approval for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as it didn't meet the criteria. (Reuters)

International relations

• Qatar–Saudi Arabia relations, Qatar diplomatic crisis
  • Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud announces that Saudi Arabia will re-open its embassy in Qatar in the coming days, after a diplomatic crisis that saw the nations severing ties for three years. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in the United States
  • The federal government carries out its final execution under the Trump administration, executing convicted murderer Dustin Higgs by lethal injection at USP Terre Haute in Indiana. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election
  • North Rhine-Westphalia minister-president Armin Laschet is elected leader of the Christian Democratic Union, one of the ruling parties in the Bundestag and the party of incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel. Laschet's election makes him a front-runner to be the party's candidate in the federal election in September. (AFP via The Local)
• 2021 Ugandan general election
  • The Electoral Commission of Uganda declares incumbent President Yoweri Museveni the winner of the presidential election, winning about 59% of the vote, while opposition leader Bobi Wine received only 35% of the vote, according to the commission. (BBC News)

January 17, 2021 (2021-01-17) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks; Taliban insurgency
    • Two judges, both female, are shot dead in an ambush while en-route to their offices at the Supreme Court in Kabul; their driver is wounded. Afghan officials claim the Taliban is responsible, however no one has claimed responsibility for the attack and a spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, says that the group was not responsible. (Al Jazeera)
• War in Darfur
  • 2021 Darfur clashes
    • Eighty-three people are killed during clashes between different ethnic groups in El Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan. They started after a row in which a man was stabbed to death. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Sulawesi earthquake
  • More bodies are found under debris in Sulawesi, Indonesia, after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the island two days ago, bringing the death toll to 78. (Reuters)
• A Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter of the Philippine Air Force crashes in the Pantaron Mountain Range in Bukidnon, Philippines, killing all seven personnel onboard. (The New York Times)
• Six people have been killed by floods and landslides that affected nine subdistricts and 33 neighborhoods in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Antara News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 9,102 recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 736,460. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
      • Lebanon signs a deal to receive two million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman
      • Oman announces the closure of all land borders for at least one week, beginning tomorrow at 6:00 p.m., as part of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Times of Oman)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • The United Arab Emirates reports a record 3,453 new confirmed cases in a single-day, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 253,261. (The National)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea
      • Guinean President Alpha Condé receives the first dose of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Africanews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, 501.V2 variant
      • South Africa delays the reopening of schools due to the rapid increase in cases of the 501.V2 variant. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • American music producer Phil Spector, who was convicted for the 2003 murder of American actress Lana Clarkson, dies from COVID-19 at a hospital in Northern California. (Los Angeles Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Massachusetts reports their first case of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a woman in her 20s from Boston who traveled to the United Kingdom and began experiencing symptoms the day after she returned. (WBZ-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccine
    • The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) grants emergency use authorization requests for the vaccines developed by Sinovac and Oxford-AstraZeneca. (G1)
    • Minutes after Anvisa's announcement, a nurse from São Paulo becomes the first person in Brazil to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
    • Austria extends their nationwide lockdown until February 7 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 amid fears about new SARS-CoV-2 variants. People will also be required to wear full protective masks beginning January 25. (DW)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, the founder of "Cowboys for Trump", is arrested for his involvement during the storming of the United States Capitol, in which he allegedly entered restricted area during the riot. He claimed to be planning to drive to Washington, D.C. with a rifle and revolver. (Reuters) (NBC News)
  • Gracyn Courtright, a West Virginia student who is a senior at the University of Kentucky, is charged for entering the United States Capitol during the riot. (New York Post) (The Kentucky Kernel) (Heavy.com)
• Aftermath of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny
  • Opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny is arrested upon landing in Moscow, according to a statement from the prison service. The prominent Putin critic was arrested on charges of parole violations and terms of a suspended prison sentence and will be held in custody until a court makes a decision in his case. (Politico)
• Central American migrant caravans
  • A caravan of at least 6,000 Honduran migrants bound for the United States prompts the deployment of Guatemalan police and military troops to the Guatemala–Honduras border, where security forces fire tear gas and assault migrants attempting to cross the border. Health officials report several casualties. (AFP via IBTimes)

January 18, 2021 (2021-01-18) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks; Taliban insurgency
    • Over 40 security force members have been killed in fighting with the Taliban in Kunduz, Baghlan and Nimroz provinces, Afghanistan. (TOLO News)
• Central African Republic Civil War
  • Two United Nation peacekeepers, from Gabon and Morocco, are killed in an ambush by anti-balaka insurgents near Bangassou, Central African Republic, according to MINUSCA. (Relief Web)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • Houthi forces and pro-government troops clash in the port city of Al Hudaydah, leaving at least 23 people dead. The fighting centered around the government-controlled Ad Durayhimi District in the south of the city. Houthi-run Almasirah network claims "dozens" of government fighters have been killed. (Xinhuanet)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
  • Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announces a new RM15 billion economic assistance package, the Malaysian Economic and Rakyat Protection Assistance Package, which is expected to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the Malaysian economy. (CNA)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in China
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
        • Hong Kong reports 107 new confirmed cases, which is the first time in nearly a month that more than 100 cases are reported and brings the total number of confirmed cases in the city to 9,664. This sudden rise in cases is partially due to an outbreak among ethnic minorities. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Lakshadweep
        • The Indian union territory of Lakshadweep reports their first case of COVID-19 in a man who left for Kavaratti by ship from Kochi, making it the last territory to report their first case. (India Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 9,475 recoveries, including 2,802 from Jakarta, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 745,935. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan detects possible community spread of the B.1.1.7 variant in three people from Shizuoka with no known travel history. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Nepal reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in three people who travelled to the United Kingdom three weeks ago and later tested positive. (The Kathmandu Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkmenistan
      • Turkmenistan registers the Sputnik V vaccine despite having no confirmed cases in the country, according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund. It becomes the first country in Central Asia to approve a Russian-made vaccine. (RFE/RL)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech Republic confirms the detection of the B.1.1.7 variant that originated in the United Kingdom. (CTK)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Bavaria detects a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in 35 newly-infected patients in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is different from the strain originating from the United Kingdom. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Hair salons, health centers, car inspection stations, and non-essential shops in Greece reopen for the first time since November after the government eased a nationwide lockdown in order to revitalize the retail sectors. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record 167 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 9,028. (SIC Noticias)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • The Spanish Health Ministry reports a record 84,287 new cases in the country over the weekend, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,336,451. (elDiario.es)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order that allows travel restrictions on Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Europe to be lifted after January 26. However, incoming Press Secretary Jen Psaki says that the restrictions are expected to remain in place. (Reuters) (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California becomes the first U.S. state to surpass three million cases of COVID-19. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Maryland Governor Larry Hogan receives the Moderna vaccine at the State House in Annapolis. (The Washington Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania
      • Thirty-nine residents are confirmed to have died from COVID-19 at a single nursing home in Denver, Pennsylvania. (LNP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco, Variant of Concern 202012/01
    • Morocco reports its first case of the B.1.1.7 variant in the Port of Tangier Med. (Morocco World News)
  • Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment
    • The International Energy Agency reports that global methane emissions in 2020 amounted to about 70 million metric tons, which is 10 percent lower than the estimated amount of methane emissions in 2019. The agency cites the decline in industrial activities, as a result of the pandemic, and the introduction of new emission regulations for the reduction in emissions. (Bloomberg)

International relations

• Germany–Russia relations
  • Germany condemns the arrest of opposition politician and activist Alexei Navalny upon his return to Russia yesterday. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas calls the arrest "utterly incomprehensible" and calls for Navalny's immediate release. Likewise, British, Danish, and other European diplomats also condemn the arrest. (DW)
• South Korea–United States relations
  • South Korean President Moon Jae-in urges incoming U.S. President Joe Biden to learn from the policies, both positive and negative, of Donald Trump towards North Korea and says that the North has a "clear willingness to denuclearize if Washington and Pyongyang could find mutually agreeable steps to decrease the nuclear threat and ensure the North's security". (AP)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Fashion Institute of Technology student Nicholas Moncada is arrested for allegedly storming the United States Capitol, after posting "Outside Pelosi's office" on Instagram and livestreaming the event. (ABC News)
• Corruption in South Korea
  • The COO of Samsung, Lee Jae-yong, is sentenced to two and a half years in prison on charges of bribery. Lee was convicted of bribing former South Korean President Park Geun-hye and was arrested in the courtroom following the verdict. (The New York Times)
• Central American migrant caravans
  • Guatemalan police report that around 4,000 United States-bound Honduran migrants held up at the Guatemala–Honduras border since January 16 have been dispersed. Police have used various riot control methods to disperse migrants. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
• The Tunisian interior ministry deploys the national guard in several cities across the country and reports that a total of 632 people have been arrested following a series of riots that first occurred January 15, a day after the government imposed a nationwide lockdown in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases. (AFP via Daily Sabah)

Politics and elections

• 2020–21 Central African general election
  • The constitutional court of the Central African Republic confirms the re-election of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, despite a voter turnout of only 35.25 percent. The low turnout was attributed to the hindrance of polling stations from operating and voters unable to cast their ballots as various armed groups currently control roughly two-thirds of the country, thus prompting most opposition candidates and activists to call the election farce and fraudulent. (AFP via Africanews)

January 19, 2021 (2021-01-19) (Tuesday)

Arts and culture

• Events affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
  • Taiwan cancels the upcoming Taiwan Lantern Festival for the first time since 1990, due to an increase in COVID-19 cases on the island. (The Straits Times)

Business and economy

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States orders Ford Motor Company to recall about three million of its vehicles containing airbags manufactured by Takata, citing "potential future rupture risks". (AFP via Business Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
        • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
          • Andrew Yang, a candidate for Mayor of New York City in the upcoming mayoral election, will quarantine after one of his staffers tested positive for COVID-19. (The New York Times)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont
        • Vermont Governor Phil Scott, Health Commissioner Mark Levine, and other officials quarantine after a contractor that Levine was in contact with tested positive for COVID-19. (WPTZ-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • A memorial at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is held, honoring the 400,000 Americans who have died as a result of COVID-19. Additionally, bells are rung at the Washington National Cathedral and a moment of silence is held. (Reuters) (NBC News)
      • The United States surpasses 400,000 deaths from COVID-19, just five weeks after passing 300,000 deaths. (CBS News) (NPR)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico reports a record 1,584 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to nearly 143,000. (The Washington Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a new record for the second consecutive day, of 218 deaths, bringing the nationwide death toll to 9,246. At the same time, the nationwide number of ICU patients reaches a record 670, just below the maximum allocation capacity of 672 ICU beds set the day before. (DGS) (Reuters)
      • Portuguese Economy Minister Pedro Siza Vieira tested positive for COVID-19. (TSF)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • The first 30,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are sent from Spain to Andorra after both governments reached an agreement earlier today. (Euro Weekly News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of all 16 states agree to extend the nationwide lockdown until February 14, due to the threat of new variants of SARS-CoV-2. They also agree to mandate medical masks for all passengers on public transport. (Taggeschau)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports a record 93 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,708. (Irish Examiner)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 1,610 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 91,470. (ITV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong extends their work from home arrangements for civil servants until January 27, as the city attempts to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. (Reuters via Financial Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel extends their third nationwide lockdown until January 31 as the country reports its highest number of cases since the pandemic began. They will also require all travelers to present a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of arrival or face a fine of NIS 2,500 ($772). (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • The Shizuoka prefectural government issues an emergency alert after three cases of the more contagious variant from the UK are reported in people with no known travel history. (Kyodo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Kuwait reports their first cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in two women who travelled from the United Kingdom. (Gulf News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia's Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announces the extension of the second movement control order to six states from January 22 at 12:01 a.m. local time until February 4. This means that all states and federal territories except Sarawak will be placed under tighter restrictions. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • The New Zealand government imposes a mandatory requirement for all travellers to present a negative COVID-19 test result before departing for New Zealand, beginning January 25. This requirement does not include residents of Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Island countries. (NZ Herald)

International relations

• Uganda–United States relations
  • A Ugandan government spokesman accuses the U.S. government of "subversion" after ambassador Natalie E. Brown tried to visit opposition leader Bobi Wine at his home, where he is under house arrest. Brown said that she wanted to check on the "health and safety" of Wine. (Reuters)
• China–United States relations, Uyghur genocide
  • The outgoing Trump administration declares that China has committed genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minority groups. (CBS News)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  • Grafton vaccine incident, COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin
    • Wisconsin pharmacist Steven Brandenburg is charged with attempted misdemeanor property damage for deliberately trying to defrost doses of Moderna's vaccine. (AP)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Three members of the Oath Keepers far-right militia group are arrested by federal prosecutors for conspiring to breach the United States Capitol. (New York Daily News) (CNN)
• 2020 congressional insider trading scandal
  • The United States Department of Justice closes an insider trading probe into U.S. Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina without making him face any criminal charges. (MarketWatch)
• Protests against Rodrigo Duterte
  • The Philippine Department of National Defense terminates a 32-year-old accord with the University of the Philippines, the country's national university, that limits the access of police and military personnel into the university's campuses. Faculty members, students, and activists protest the move, calling it "a violation of academic freedom" and claiming that it would aid the government's attempts at red-tagging people. (South China Morning Post)
• A 65-year-old Thai woman is sentenced to 43 years in prison for insulting the Thai monarchy in online posts in 2014. Her sentence, initially for 87 years, was reduced after she pleaded guilty to the charges. It is the longest punishment for lèse-majesté handed down in Thai history. (Reuters on MSN)
• Bishop Daniel Thomas of the Diocese of Toledo issues statements on the deaths of a suspect and police officer, and the vandalism and arson at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral in Toledo, Ohio. (CNS)

Science and technology

• Internet regulation in Turkey
  • Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority bans advertisements on Twitter, Periscope and Pinterest after these companies failed to appoint local representatives under a new social media law. (Reuters)
• Discoveries of exoplanets
  • Scientists discover that WASP-107b is a super-puff. WASP-107b is an exoplanet the same size as Jupiter but with one tenth the mass, located 212 light years away from Earth. (CBS News) (Sci-News)

January 20, 2021 (2021-01-20) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Three Afghan soldiers are killed and four others are wounded in an attack on their vehicle by unidentified gunmen in Herat Province. (Tolo News)

Arts and culture

• Events affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
  • Dublin cancels their annual Saint Patrick's Day festival for the second year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will instead be held virtually on a special online TV channel. (RTÉ)
  • Cork, Limerick, and Ennis have all cancelled their respective Saint Patrick's Day parades for the second year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (RTÉ)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Madrid explosion
  • An explosion caused by a gas leak at a residence for priests in Madrid, Spain results in four fatalities and injures ten others. It also partially destroys the residence. (Reuters)
• A boat carrying migrants from West Africa capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, resulting in 43 fatalities. (France 24)
• An explosion caused by coal dust and air in a thermal power plant in Angren, Uzbekistan kills three workers and leaves three others injured. (Xinhua)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands bans all flights from the United Kingdom, South Africa and all South American countries beginning January 23 in order to reduce the spread of more contagious variants of SARS-CoV-2. (NL Times)
      • Prime Minister Mark Rutte issues a statement that would ask the parliament to vote regarding a weekend curfew from 8.30 p.m. to 4.30 a.m. in a parliamentary debate that will begin tomorrow. (Dutch News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • Andorra begins its vaccination campaign against COVID-19. (Periòdic d'Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record 14,647 new confirmed cases and 219 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide totals to 581,605 confirmed cases and 9,465 deaths. (Bloomberg) (SIC Notícias)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • The Russian Direct Investment Fund files the registration of the Sputnik V vaccine with the European Medicines Agency with the first review expected in February. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain reports a record 41,576 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,412,318. (elDiario.es)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 1,820 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 93,290. (ITV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India begins exporting the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Bhutan and Maldives. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 9,755 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 763,703. (Okezone)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
      • Lebanon reports a record 61 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,084. (The961)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The government reaches an agreement with Pfizer for an additional 12 million doses of their vaccine. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Beijing impose a partial lockdown in five neighbourhoods after two cases in Daxing were linked to B.1.1.7 variant found in the United Kingdom. (AFP via Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines surpasses 10,000 deaths from COVID-19. (GMA News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya, 501.V2 variant
      • Acting Health Director-General Patrick Amoth confirms the first cases of the variant found in South Africa. The patients are two people who had traveled to that country. (Kenyans.co.ke)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwe's International Trade and Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo dies due to complications from COVID-19. (News24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • President Joe Biden signs an executive order mandating face masks on federal property and during interstate travel. (Reuters)
    • The United States reports a record 4,409 deaths in the past 24 hours. (Financial Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • Chile approves the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Sinovac for emergency use in the country. (MedicalXpress)
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
  • Iraq reports an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu in the city of Samarra. (Reuters)

International relations

• China–United States relations
  • The Chinese foreign ministry places sanctions on 28 members of the outgoing Trump administration, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, and former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. The sanctions are believed to be in response to Pompeo's announcement on Tuesday that the internment of Muslim Uyghurs constitutes genocide. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• Presidency of Joe Biden
  • Inauguration of Joe Biden
    • Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. (BBC News)
    • Kamala Harris is sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States, making her the first woman, first Indian American in United States history to hold the office. (The Washington Post)
    • Donald Trump becomes the first outgoing president to refuse to attend his successor's inauguration since Andrew Johnson, who did not attend Ulysses S. Grant's inauguration in 1869. (The New York Times)
  • Cabinet of Joe Biden
    • The Senate votes to confirm Avril Haines, Biden's nominee for United States Director of National Intelligence (DNI), 84-10. Haines is the first Biden appointee to be confirmed by the Senate, and the first woman to serve in the DNI. (CBS News)
  • Biden signs his first executive orders reversing several Trump administration decisions, including rejoining the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization, repealing 2017 travel bans, ending funding for the United States–Mexico border wall, and revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. (BBC News) (NBC News) (The Guardian)
• 117th United States Congress
  • 2020 United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020 United States Senate special election in Georgia
    • Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia are officially sworn in as Senators of the United States Senate. (USA Today)
  • Alex Padilla of California is officially sworn in as Senator of the United States Senate, as an appointee replacing Kamala Harris. (LA Times)

January 21, 2021 (2021-01-21) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War
    • A United States convoy consisting of 40 trucks and armored vehicles enters northeastern Syria from Iraq via the Al Waleed crossing. (i24 News)
• ISIL insurgency in Iraq
  • 2021 Baghdad bombings
    • A suicide attack at an open market in Baghdad, Iraq, kills at least 32 people and injures 110 others. Attacks have been rare in the country since the 2017 military defeat of ISIL, making this incident one of the deadliest since then. (Reuters)
• Central African Republic Civil War
  • The Central African Republic government declares a 15-day state of emergency after rebels attempt to surround and blockade the capital Bangui. Pro-François Bozizé loyalists and anti-balaka militias now control around two-thirds of the war torn nation. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Events affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  • COVID-19 pandemic in England
    • Organisers announce that the Glastonbury Festival has been cancelled for the second consecutive year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Guardian)
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on entertainment, COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
  • Dubai suspends all entertainment permits issued by the emirate for establishments due to an increase in violations of COVID-19 health protocols. (Khaleej Times)

Disasters and accidents

• Sriwijaya Air Flight 182
  • Indonesian authorities, led by Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, officially end the search for remaining victims and debris from Sriwijaya Air Flight 182, which crashed into the Java Sea on January 9, killing all 62 people on board. (The Washington Post)
• 2021 Kharkiv fire
  • Fifteen people are killed and eleven others injured in a fire at a nursing home in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (BBC News)
• Five people are killed in a fire at a Serum Institute of India facility in Pune, Maharashtra, India. (BBC News)
• A truck carrying sticks of gelatin explodes at a boulder-crushing facility in Abbalagere in Shivamogga district, Karnataka, India, killing eight workers. (India Today)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama
        • Alabama Governor Kay Ivey extends the statewide mask mandate to March 5. (San Francisco Chronicle)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Tennessee reports their first two cases of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was first identified in the United Kingdom. (WSMV-TV)
      • Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
        • President Joe Biden signs an executive order requiring usage of masks in airports and on airplanes, trains and buses. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico reports a record 22,339 newly confirmed cases and 1,809 deaths in the past 24 hours. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Trinidad and Tobago reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 variant in a person returning from the United Kingdom. (Daily Express)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record of 221 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 9,686. (DGS)
      • The government announces the closure of all schools, kindergartens and universities for two weeks beginning tomorrow due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, as well as the emergence of the Variant of Concern 202012/01. (The Portugal News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Hungary approves the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine and Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, becoming the first European Union member state to approve the Russian vaccine. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Dutch House of Representatives votes to impose a curfew from 9.00 p.m. to 4.30 a.m. beginning January 23. (Euronews) (RTL Nieuws)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announces that as part of an easing of COVID-19 restrictions, museums and libraries will reopen beginning tomorrow, while theatres and cinemas will be allowed to accommodate more patrons. In addition, colleges, sports schools and children's clubs will resume in-person attendance, but university students will continue studying remotely. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain reports a record 44,357 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,456,675. (La Vanguardia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 346 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 27,203. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka reopens to foreign tourists after a nearly 10-month pandemic closure, however tourists are required to receive multiple testings and follow quarantine measures that have been put in place. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand's Food and Drug Administration approves the emergency use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. 50,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in February. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Argentina
      • President Alberto Fernández receives a dose of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine, a day after the usage of vaccines for people over the age of 60 was approved by the country's health regulator. (La Nacion)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South African Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu dies due to COVID-19. (CNN)

International relations

• European Union–Russia relations
  • The European Court of Human Rights rules that Russia was responsible for a series of human rights violations during its 2008 war with Georgia. (The Guardian)
• Syria–United States relations
  • Bashar al-Jaafari, Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations, called on Biden to change US foreign policy in Syria, which is nearing 10 years of civil war. During a session of the UN Security Council, Jaafari accused the United States of using the multi-sided war to steal the country's oil reserves and other natural resources. (Middle East Eye)

Law and crime

• Japanese nationality law
  • The Tokyo District Court upholds a ban on dual citizenship of Japan and another country, rejecting appeals for damages claiming that the law was unconstitutional. (AFP via Japan Today)
• A Vatican tribunal convicts two former executives of the Institute for Religious Works (the IOR, commonly known as the Vatican bank) on embezzlement and money-laundering charges. Angelo Caloia, who was president of the IOR from 1999 to 2009; and two lawyers who had acted as IOR consultants, were found guilty of arranging to profit from the sale of Vatican properties. (AP)

Politics and elections

• Presidency of Joe Biden, Efforts to impeach Joe Biden
  • Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene introduces six articles of impeachment against newly-inaugurated President of the United States Joe Biden, alleging an "abuse of power" when Biden served as Barack Obama's Vice President. (The Independent)
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics, COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
  • Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh resigns a day after thousands in Ulaanbaatar protested against the way authorities behaved with a COVID-19-infected mother and her newborn baby. (CNA)
• 2020–21 Rideau Hall workplace review
  • Julie Payette resigns as Governor General of Canada following a review that cites allegations of a toxic work environment at Rideau Hall. Chief Justice of Canada Richard Wagner will carry out the duties of that office as Administrator of Canada until the Crown appoints a new Governor General. (CBC)
• Politics of Palau
  • Surangel Whipps Jr. assumes the office of President of Palau succeeding Thomas Remengesau Jr.. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • United States district judge for the Western District of Washington Barbara Jacobs Rothstein rejects a lawsuit filed by Parler requesting reinstatement on Amazon. (Reuters)
  • House Oversight Committee chairwoman Carolyn Maloney calls for the FBI to investigate Parler for their role in the storming of the United States Capitol. (The Independent)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2020 Summer Olympics, COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    • International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach says that the Summer Olympics will be held in July, despite a state of emergency currently being declared in Tokyo. (The Guardian)
• FIFA warns top-division European football clubs and their players against participating in the proposed European Super League, threatening them with a ban from all FIFA-sanctioned competitions. (AFP via Scroll)

January 22, 2021 (2021-01-22) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war, Israel's role in the Syrian Civil War
  • Syria missile strikes (January 2021)
    • An Israeli airstrike in the city of Hama, Syria, destroys five Syrian military sites. According to SANA, four people from the same family, including two children, are killed in the strikes. (Deutsche Welle)

Business and economy

• The World Trade Organization rules that the United States violated the organization's rules when it significantly raised the tariff on some South Korean goods, from 9.49% to 59.72%, in May 2016. (Korean Herald)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • California reports a record 764 deaths in the past 24 hours. (U.S. News and World Report)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
        • Florida reports 277 deaths in the past 24 hours, tying their previous state record set in August of last year. (WJXT-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • New Jersey reports their first two cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. Neither had travelled. (NJ.com)
      • The United States surpasses 25 million cases of COVID-19, with about one in every 13 Americans testing positive for the virus. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belize
      • The number of recoveries in Belize surpasses 11,000. (Breaking Belize News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba, 501.V2 variant
      • Cuba reports their first case of a variant from South Africa in an asymptomatic person who travelled from the country. (Explica)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Panama, 501.V2 variant
      • Panama reports their first case of a variant from South Africa in a 40-year-old Zimbabwe native who entered the country from there. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany surpasses 50,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Deutsche Welle) (ABC News)
      • Germany reports their first case of the more contagious B.1.1.248 variant in a person who travelled from Brazil to Hesse. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record of 234 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 9,920. (DGS)
      • Portugal also reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant that originated in South Africa. They do not indicate whether the individual travelled. (RTP) (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Belgium declares a ban on non-essential travel in and out of the country from January 27 through March 1 in order to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants. (VRT) (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • A panel of scientists that advises the British government announces that a variant first discovered in the United Kingdom is 30% more deadly than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. (Forbes)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, Hong Kong will impose a lockdown in the Yau Tsim Mong District beginning this weekend. Negative COVID-19 testing results will be required in order to leave one's residence. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record 108 deaths in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record of 18 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 660. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar
      • Myanmar receives its first 1.5 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Botswana
    • Botswana surpasses 100 deaths from COVID-19. (ANI)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Pfizer says that they will supply 40 million doses of their vaccine to lower- and middle-income countries. (Business Insider)

International relations

• Nuclear disarmament
  • The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons enters into force, banning the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons in 51 countries. However, the world's major nuclear powers have not endorsed this international agreement. (Voice of America)

Law and crime

• Cannabis in the United States
  • Cannabis in Arizona, 2020 Arizona Proposition 207
    • Arizona begins legal sales of recreational cannabis, making it the 15th state to do so. (AP)
• Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
  • In Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox town near Tel Aviv, ultra-Orthodox Jews attack an unmarked police vehicle while officers were inside it, causing a riot in which at least six people were arrested. Israel is currently in a lockdown. (South China Morning Post)
• Indian farmers' protest
  • Farmer leaders allege a conspiracy to kill four of them and create disturbance during their proposed tractor rally on Republic Day in Delhi. (Business Standard)
• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • A magistrate judge orders Oath Keepers member Donovan Crowl to be detained on charges for his role during the attack on the United States Capitol. (Reuters)
• Essex lorry deaths
  • Seven culprits involved in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese unlawful immigrants smuggled in a refrigerator lorry in Grays, Essex in 2019 have been sentenced on multiple counts of manslaughter. Five people received sentences of between 3 to 18 years in prison, while the two main leaders of the smuggling operation received 20 and 27 years respectively. (The Guardian)
• Corruption in the mining industry of Guinea
  • Israeli businessman Beny Steinmetz is sentenced by a Geneva court to five years in prison for corruption in obtaining mining rights to an iron ore deposit in Guinea, and is ordered to pay a fine of CHF 50 million (US$56 million) to the canton of Geneva. (AFP via CTV News)
• Former Bosnian Army general and deputy Minister of Defense Sakib Mahmuljin is sentenced to ten years in prison for failing to prevent or punish foreign Islamist fighters who murdered and tortured Serbian prisoners during the Bosnian War. (Reuters)
• Police in Russia arrest five aides of Alexei Navalny ahead of planned protests. Navalny has been under arrest since returning to Russia on January 17. (Politico)
• Sam Gor drug lord Tse Chi Lop is arrested by police at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Amsterdam. The Australian Federal Police are seeking to extradite him to face trial. Twenty law enforcement agencies assisted the operation, known as "Operation Kungur". (The Independent)

Politics and elections

• Cabinet of Joe Biden
  • The U.S. Senate votes 93–2 to confirm Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense, making him the first African-American to lead the The Pentagon. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

• Mass media in Australia
  • In response to a bill proposed by parliament to require dot-com companies to compensate local news outlets for hosting their content, Google threatens to block Australians from using its web search engine should the current draft of the bill become law. (AFP via The Jakarta Post)
• Twitter suspensions
  • Twitter suspends an account linked to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei after Khamenei threatened to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump in revenge for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani in 2020. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • TikTok announces that they have banned Baked Alaska, the far-right activist who was arrested by the FBI for participating in the attack on the United States Capitol. (Newsweek)
• Alphabet Inc. announces that it will shut down its subsidiary Loon, which provides an aerial wireless network through high-altitude balloons, saying that it is not "commercially viable". (AFP via Barron's)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • British Athletics cancels its annual indoor championships that were set to begin in Glasgow in February due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (ESPN)
  • Organisers of the Tour de Normandie cancel the annual seven-day bicycle race that was scheduled for May due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second year that it has been cancelled. (Cycling News)
  • Real Madrid announces that their coach Zinedine Zidane has tested positive for COVID-19. (CBS Sports)

January 23, 2021 (2021-01-23) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• ISIL insurgency in Iraq
  • Eleven Popular Mobilization Forces members are killed, including a brigade commander, and ten others wounded in an ambush by suspected Islamic State militants east of Tikrit. (The Arab Weekly)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • The University of Michigan shuts down all sports activities for two weeks after the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 is discovered in five people with ties to the school. (MLive.com) (MLive.com²)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • North Carolina reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person in Mecklenburg County. (Raleigh News and Observer)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • Federal officials announce that all indoor portions of the National Mall and memorial parks will be closed to the public to combat the spread of COVID-19. (NBC News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state), Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Washington reports their first cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in two people residing in Snohomish County. (MyNorthwest.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Brunswick
        • New Brunswick's Edmundston region begins a 14-day lockdown. Non-essential travel is prohibited in and out of the area. In addition, all non-essential businesses, schools and public spaces are closed, and all indoor and outdoor gatherings among people of different households are prohibited. (The Toronto Star)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • A teen in London, Ontario, dies from COVID-19, making him the youngest person in the area to die from the disease. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 9,912 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 791,059. (detikHealth)
      • Indonesian COVID-19 Task Force chairman and Chairman of the National Disaster Management Agency Doni Monardo announces that he has tested positive for COVID-19. (Xinhua)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan surpasses 5,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 4,275 new confirmed cases and 4,313 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide totals to 180,455 confirmed cases and 137,019 recoveries. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi tests positive for COVID-19 after previously endorsing sorcery and magic potions. (France 24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Health authorities impose tougher lockdowns in Oslo and nine neighbouring municipalities due to an increase in cases of a more contagious variant from the UK that also caused two deaths in care home residents yesterday. (VG) (Financial Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record 15,333 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 624,469. The country also reports a record 274 deaths in the past 24 hours, surpassing 10,000 deaths from COVID-19. (SIC Notícias)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the military
      • Chief of the Defence Staff Miguel Ángel Villarroya resigns after he admitted to receiving a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while not being on the priority list. (AFP via SBS News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey signs a deal with the Russian Direct Investment Fund for the production of its Sputnik V vaccine. (Daily Sabah)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt, COVID-19 vaccine
      • President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announces that the country will begin vaccinations tomorrow. Medical staff will be the first to receive the vaccine. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia bans gatherings including demonstrations and extends their curfew to between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. local time until February 14 in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (The Washington Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
      • Brazil begins distribution of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine. (The Hill)
    • Amazonas Governor Wilson Lima announces new, tougher restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19, beginning January 25. People will only be allowed to leave their homes for essential purposes such grocery shopping. (CNN Brasil)

Law and crime

• 2021 Russian protests, aftermath of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny
  • Over 3,500 people are detained in Russia amid nationwide protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Moscow officials say 29 people have received medical assistance in hospitals, while a female protester in Saint Petersburg is currently in intensive care after being kicked by a riot police officer. (DW) (Sky News) (The Moscow Times)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Garret Miller, a Texas man who participated in the storming of the United States Capitol, is charged for threatening to assassinate U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (The Guardian)
• Police brutality in the United States
  • A Tacoma, Washington police officer drove through a downtown crowd, running over at least one person and sending them to the hospital. The officer was responding to calls that a group of people were blocking a downtown intersection when the crowd surrounded on the police car, Tacoma Police Department said. (NBC)
• Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest
  • Brazilian indigenous leaders Raoni Metuktire of the Kayapo tribe and Almir Narayamoga Surui of the Paiter Surui tribe call for the International Criminal Court to investigate President Jair Bolsonaro for "crimes against humanity" such as environmental damage to the Amazon rainforest. (France 24)

January 24, 2021 (2021-01-24) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Mali War
  • Six Malian troops are killed and 18 others are injured in simultaneous jihadist attacks in the central Mopti Region. The military also stated that around 30 militants were also killed in the clashes. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Palmas FR plane crash
  • A plane crashes in Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil, killing four Palmas Futebol e Regatas footballers, their team's president, and the pilot. (CNN Brasil)
• Eleven of the miners who went missing two weeks ago in Qixia, Shandong, China, after the gold mine where they worked collapsed, are rescued alive. Another miner is found dead, while ten others are still missing. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
        • The Israeli cabinet agrees to close Ben Gurion International Airport and ban all incoming and outgoing international passengers from the airport, beginning at midnight tomorrow. Cargo flights, medical evacuations and firefighting flights are exempted from this rule. (The Washington Post)
      • Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
        • Clashes broke out in three cities across Israel as police attempted to enforce coronavirus lockdown restrictions in a number of ultra-Orthodox communities. Israel is currently in a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. (Times of Israel)
      • Israel reports several cases of a faster-spreading variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was recently discovered in the United States. (Haaretz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • The Union Health Ministry announces that India has become the fastest nation to reach 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (The Economic Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 4,427 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 141,446. (The Edge Markets MY)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C., Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
        • Around 38 United States Capitol Police officers have tested positive for COVID-19 since the storming of the United States Capitol. (CNN)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
        • The Chicago Teachers Union votes to defy an order by the public schools to return to in-person instructions over COVID-19 concerns. (CBS News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announces that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is receiving medical treatment. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Netherlands, Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Rioting youths torched a COVID-19 testing center and threw fireworks at police in the fishing village of Urk overnight into Sunday. (DW)
      • Rioters set fires in the center of Eindhoven and pelted police with rocks at a banned demonstration against coronavirus lockdown measures. Police also faced off with curfew-defying crowds in The Hague, Amsterdam, Enschede, Venlo, Stein, Roermond, Oosterhout, Breda and elsewhere across the Netherlands. More than 100 people have been arrested. It was the worst violence to hit the Netherlands since the pandemic began and the second straight Sunday that police clashed with protesters in Amsterdam. The country has been under a lockdown since December. (AP) (BBC News) (Tasnim)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • France imposes new border restrictions that require travellers from other European Union countries arriving by air or sea to present negative PCR test results obtained in the previous 72 hours. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record 275 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 10,469. (DGS)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
      • Serbia reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 variant in a person who travelled from London and later began experiencing mild symptoms. (N1)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
    • Egypt launches a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 with the first doses of Sinopharm's vaccine given to healthcare workers in Ismailia. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • New Zealand health officials report the first community case of COVID-19 in more than two months in a person who travelled from Europe. (Sydney Morning Herald)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations, 2021 Russian protests
  • The Russian government accuses the United States of "interfering in Russian domestic affairs" after some U.S. officials criticized the police crackdown on protests backing jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. (RFERL)
• Cross-Strait relations
  • For the second consecutive day, Taiwan reports an incursion of its air defense identification zone by China's People's Liberation Army Air Force. The incursion involved 12 fighter jets, two anti-submarine aircraft and a reconnaissance plane. Taiwan deployed air defence missile systems in response, according to a statement from the Ministry of National Defense. (BBC News)
• Israel–United Arab Emirates relations, Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement
  • Israel opens an embassy in Abu Dhabi, four months after the signing of the agreement, while the United Arab Emirates approves the establishment of an embassy in Tel Aviv. (AFP via Dawn)

Law and crime

• Central African Republic Civil War
  • The Central African government renders custody of an alleged Séléka commander to the International Criminal Court, where he is expected to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. (AFP via Macau Business)
• List of mass shootings in the United States in 2021
  • A mass shooting in Indianapolis, Indiana, leaves six dead and one injured. (WXIN-TV)
• American manufacturer Tesla files a lawsuit against one of its former software engineers for allegedly copying confidential computer scripts onto a personal file hosting service. The former employee denies the company's allegation, claiming he transferred the files by mistake. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Estonia
  • The two major political parties Reform Party and Centre Party agree to form a government, whose Prime Minister will be Kaja Kallas, who will become the first female to take the office. She is succeeding Jüri Ratas, who resigned following a corruption scandal that involves his party. (Politico)
• 2021 Portuguese presidential election
  • Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is reelected with 60.7% of the vote in Sunday's election. (ABC News) (DW)
• Proposed second Scottish independence referendum
  • Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she intends to hold a "legal referendum" on independence since Brexit removed Scotland from the European Union against its will. Another referendum would require the approval of the United Kingdom's government, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson opposes. (ABC News) (Bloomberg)

Science and technology

• SpaceX successfully launches a record 143 satellites into orbit on a single rocket in its Transporter-1 mission. The payload consisted of 120 CubeSats, 12 microsatellites, 10 Starlink satellites, and 1 transfer stage. It is also the maiden flight of the SHERPA-FX satellite dispenser. (BBC News)

Sports

• 2020 NFL season, 2020–21 NFL playoffs, Super Bowl LV
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Green Bay Packers, 31-26, winning the 2020 NFC Championship and advancing to the Super Bowl. With the Super Bowl being held at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, this will be the first time an NFL team will play the championship game on their home field. They will play the Kansas City Chiefs, who beat the Buffalo Bills 38-24 in the 2020 AFC Championship. (CBC) (AP)

January 25, 2021 (2021-01-25) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Two senior leaders of the Tehrik-i-Taliban and three other militants are killed during two separate security operations in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on retail
    • British multinational retailer Debenhams announces that it will permanently close all of its brick and mortar stores in the United Kingdom, with the loss of 12,000 jobs, after being bought by online fashion retailer Boohoo.com. (AFP via RFI)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, COVID-19 recession, Economy of South Korea
    • South Korea records its worst annual economic growth since 1998 following the Asian financial crisis. Its gross domestic product contracted 1.0 percent in 2020 from 2019. (AFP via Business Times)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020–21 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
  • Cyclone Eloise leaves at least thirteen people dead and more than 8,000 people homeless after making landfall in central Mozambique. Major flooding is also reported in Eswatini, South Africa and Zimbabwe. (Reuters)
• Nine of the miners who went missing during a mine collapse in Qixia, Shandong, China, are found dead by rescue workers. Yesterday another miner was found dead, bringing the death toll to 10, while eleven others were rescued alive. Another miner is still missing. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, 501.V2 variant
        • President Joe Biden signs an order banning travel from South Africa due to fears of the 501.V2 variant; the ban is expected to take effect on January 30. Additionally, Biden also extends travel restrictions to Brazil, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and other European countries, which were expected to expire tomorrow under an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump. (The Washington Post)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • California Governor Gavin Newsom lifts the regional stay-at-home order in all areas statewide, including three areas where ICU capacity remains under 15%. (KABC-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota, Lineage B.1.1.248
        • Minnesota reports the first U.S. case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 found in Brazil. The patient is a Twin Cities resident who traveled to Brazil. (CNBC)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Nevada reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 strain of SARS-CoV-2 in a person with no recent travel history. (AP)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Virginia reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person from Northern Virginia with no recent travel history. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces that the second state of emergency in the province will be extended to February 8. (CP24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico's richest person and billionaire Carlos Slim tests positive for COVID-19. (Forbes)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain reports a record 93,822 new confirmed cases over the weekend, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,593,582. (elDiario)
      • The Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Iván Redondo tests positive for the COVID-19. (La Vanguardia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria, Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Austria begins to require people aged 14 or older to wear FFP2 masks in shops, pharmacies and hospitals, as well as on public transport. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Netherlands, 2021 Dutch curfew riots, social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
      • More than 180 people were arrested in 10 Dutch cities as protesters against the curfew and lockdown clashed with riot law enforcement overnight for a third night in a row. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine reopens schools, restaurants, and gyms as a tough lockdown aimed to prevent a new wave of COVID-19 was ended. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain
      • Bahrain approves the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use in the country. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong approves the BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in the city. (The Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports 9,994 new cases and 10,678 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 809,488. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey receives 6.5 million doses of the Sinovac Biotech vaccine. (Daily Sabah)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 vaccine
      • The Therapeutic Goods Administration approves the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine for use in Australia. (ABC Australia)
    • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, 501.V2 variant
      • Australia suspends their travel bubble with New Zealand for the next 72 hours after New Zealand's first community case in months was confirmed to be of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
    • Zimbabwe surpasses 1,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Sowetan Live)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Moderna says that their vaccine would work against the new variants found in South Africa and the United Kingdom. (Reuters)

International relations

• Greek–Turkish relations, Aegean dispute, 2020–2021 East Mediterranean crisis
  • The Greek and Turkish governments conduct the two countries' first direct dialogue regarding the dispute since 2016. (AFP via IBTimes)

Law and crime

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religion, COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada
  • The United States Supreme Court declines to hear a case from the Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley, a church in Dayton, Nevada, that faces restrictions from Governor Steve Sisolak, to consider how far the state should go when imposing restrictions on places of worship. (NBC News)
• Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump
  • The article of impeachment for former U.S. President Donald Trump is brought to the United States Senate, officially triggering the trial, which is scheduled to begin on February 8. (MSN)
• Transgender personnel in the United States military
  • President Joe Biden repeals the Trump administration's decision to ban transgender people from serving in the United States military. (The Guardian)
• Mexican drug war
  • Nineteen people are found dead in two vehicles in Camargo, Tamaulipas, near the Mexico–United States border. The victims, who were likely undocumented migrants, were shot and then set on fire. (BBC News)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Brandon Straka, the WalkAway movement founder and "Stop the Steal" activist who spoke at a rally held by pro-Trump supporters, is arrested on a felony charge of interfering with police during the storming of the United States Capitol. (Politico)
• Adass Israel School sex abuse scandal
  • Malka Leifer, the former principal of a Melbourne school who faces 74 charges of child sexual abuse, is extradited to Australia following a six-year delay of the case that allowed for her to be a fugitive in Israel. (AFP via France 24)
• A driver rams pedestrians with his vehicle during a series of hit-and-runs attack in Portland, Oregon, killing a person and injuring five others. (Oregon Live)
• Two Swedish filmmakers, who filmed the wreck of the MS Estonia that sank in 1994 for a documentary, face trial for violating a treaty that prohibits visiting the site. (AFP via RTE)
• The Canada House of Commons votes to call on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to label the Proud Boys as a terrorist organization. (Bloomberg)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Italian government crisis
  • Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is set to hand in his resignation tomorrow, due to an ongoing political crisis which began on January 13. (BBC News)
• Politics of Estonia
  • Kaja Kallas wins the support of the Riigikogu to become the new Prime Minister, the first woman to do so. (ERR)
• Cabinet of Joe Biden
  • The United States Senate votes 84–15 to confirm Janet Yellen as Treasury Secretary, making her the first woman to serve as head of the Treasury Department. (MarketWatch)

January 26, 2021 (2021-01-26) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • A Palestinian man, attempting to stab two soldiers at a road junction near Nablus in the West Bank, is shot and killed by an Israeli commander. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Tornadoes of 2021
  • List of United States tornadoes in January 2021
    • An EF3 tornado hits Fultondale, Alabama, killing one person and injuring 30 others. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • President Joe Biden orders an additional 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed by the end of August. (NBC News)
        • Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff receive their second doses of Moderna's vaccine at the National Institutes of Health center in Bethesda. (The Independent)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Alaska reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Newsminer)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Kentucky reports its first two cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (AP)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin, face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
        • The Wisconsin State Senate votes to repeal the statewide mask mandate imposed by Governor Tony Evers. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Barbados
      • The Caribbean Public Health Agency reports the presence of B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Barbados. (Government Information Service Barbados)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Al Jazeera)
      • A record 10,868 recoveries are reported in the past 24 hours. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran approves the Sputnik V vaccine for use in the country. (Ynet News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports a record of 959 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, including 914 cases in Samut Sakhon reported yesterday evening, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 14,646. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • The United Arab Emirates reports a record 3,601 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 285,147. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
      • Uzbekistan lifts its restrictions aimed to combat the spread of COVID-19 and announces that concert halls will be allowed to reopen at 50% capacity. (Trend)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • The government extends the Level 5 lockdown restrictions until March 5. They also agree to impose a 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine for all travelers without negative COVID-19 test results as well as all travelers from Brazil and South Africa. (RTÉ)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record 291 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 11,012. (Expresso)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom surpasses 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, becoming the fifth country to do so after the United States, Brazil, India, and Mexico. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
      • President Francisco Sagasti announces a total lockdown in the capital Lima and nine other regions following a significant increase in COVID-19 cases. (Al Jazeera)
      • The Cayetano Heredia University says that a volunteer in the local trial of a coronavirus vaccine produced by China's Sinopharm Group has died from COVID-19-related pneumonia. The university said that the volunteer had received the placebo. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
      • The Minister of National Defense of Colombia, Carlos Holmes Trujillo, dies after contracting COVID-19. (Yahoo News)
  • The number of worldwide confirmed COVID-19 cases surpasses 100 million. (NBC News)
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
  • The highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza is reported in two backyard hobby grey crowned cranes in Central Italy, who are killed along with ten healthy birds to prevent spread. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael R. Sherwin announces that 400 suspects have been identified and 135 people have been charged in connection to the storming of the United States Capitol. (ABC News)
• 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest
  • Samyukt Kisan Morcha protestors storm the Red Fort in Delhi, clashing with police. One protestor is killed and more than 80 police officers are injured. Protest leaders blame the violence on "rogue elements", and say they will continue to dispute the government's agriculture acts. (BBC News)
• Trump administration family separation policy
  • Acting United States Attorney General Monty Wilkinson announces that President Biden has rescinded the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy, which led to the separation of over 3,000 migrant families on the Mexico–United States border. (The Washington Post)
• Colombian businessman Alex Saab, an affiliate of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro who is charged in the United States for alleged money laundering, is placed under house arrest in Cape Verde. (AFP via Manila Standard)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Italian government crisis, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
  • Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigns amid a political crisis over the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. (BBC News)
• Cabinet of Joe Biden
  • The United States Senate votes 78–22 to confirm Antony Blinken as the 71st Secretary of State. (AP)

January 27, 2021 (2021-01-27) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • Sixteen people are dead and eight injured after three bombs explode in Balad, Mogadishu and Dinsoor. The attacks are claimed by Al-Shabaab. The deadliest attack is in Balad, which result in 14 soldiers killed. (Anadolu Agency)

Business and economy

• Boeing 737 MAX groundings
  • The European Aviation Safety Agency clears the Boeing 737 MAX passenger airliner to return to service in European Union airspace. (AFP via Barron's)
• GameStop short squeeze
  • A short squeeze causes GameStop stock to increase tremendously after Reddit users predicted a hedge fund closure over the last week. (The Guardian) (AP)

Disasters and accidents

• Dschang bus-truck crash
  • A collision between a bus and a truck in Dschang, West, Cameroon, kills 53 people and leaves 29 others injured with severe burns. (AFP via Manila Bulletin)
• Mount Merapi on Java, Indonesia, erupts. No casualties have been reported. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • New Jersey confirms their first death from the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who had "significant underlying conditions." (Patch.com)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Alabama confirms their first three cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in two children and an adult from Montgomery and Jefferson counties. (U.S. News & World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico reports a record 27,944 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to over 1.8 million. (Business Standard)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • President Joko Widodo receives his second dose of the Sinovac Biotech vaccine. (Antara News)
      • Indonesia reports a record 387 deaths and 10,974 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide totals to 28,855 deaths and 831,330 recoveries. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launches a vaccination programme in Bangladesh using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. (All India Radio)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar
      • Myanmar begins a vaccination programme using the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Healthcare workers are the first people to be vaccinated. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
      • Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli launches a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 in Nepal beginning with 430,000 frontline and healthcare workers. (The Kathmandu Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus announces a cautious easing of the second nationwide lockdown beginning February 1 following a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases that peaked after Christmas. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • North Macedonia reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person with no known travel history who recovered on January 22. (Xinhua)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • Prime Minister Erna Solberg announces the closure of all borders for non-essential travel beginning January 29 in an attempt to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants into Norway. (Forbes)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
      • Prime Minister Robert Abela announces the imposition of new measures to stop the curve: restaurants, kiosks, and snack bars must remain closed for the entire month of February from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., bars are completely closed, recommends that schools postpone the two days of school holidays for Carnival. (Times of Malta)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces the introduction of 10-day hotel quarantine for travellers from 30 high-risk countries, including Brazil, Portugal, South Africa, and all South American nations due to spread of variants of SARS-CoV-2. (The Daily Telegraph)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
      • Morocco receives half a million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. (Morocco World News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • South Africa approves a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca for emergency use in the country. (Deccan Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • Chile's health regulator approves a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca for emergency use in the country. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot
  • One of the fourteen men accused of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer pleads guilty in a federal court and agrees to testify against his co-defendants. His sentencing is scheduled for July 8. (MLive.com)
• a 16-year-old far-right extremist boy is arrested in Singapore for plotting attacks against two mosques on the anniversary of the deadly 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings. (Al Jazeera)
• In the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, 100 Hindu activists attack a prayer gathering in the Catholic media center. (UCA News)

Politics and elections

• Statehood movement in the District of Columbia
  • Democrats in the United States Senate introduce a bill that would make Washington, D.C. the 51st state. (CBS News)
• Decommunization in Ukraine
  • In accordance with decommunization laws, the last statue of Vladimir Lenin in the country (excluding territories currently annexed by Russia or occupied by separatists) is demolished in Odesa Oblast. (Svoboda Radio)

January 28, 2021 (2021-01-28) (Thursday)

Arts and culture

• Sandro Botticelli's Portrait of a Young Man Holding a Roundel is sold at auction for $92.2 million at Sotheby's in New York City, making it the second most expensive painting by an old master ever sold at public auction. (AFP via New Straits Times)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 recession
    • The Philippines' GDP contracts 9.5% in 2020, its first annual contraction since 1998 following the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the country's worst economic performance since records began in 1947. (Nikkei Asia)
  • Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 recession
    • The United States's GDP contracts 3.5% in 2020, its first annual contraction since 2009 following the financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the country's worst economic performance since 1946. (Reuters)
  • Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism
    • The World Tourism Organization reports that the global tourism sector lost $1.3 trillion in revenue in 2020, calling it "the worst year in tourism history". The organization attributes the loss to COVID-19. (AFP via i24NEWS)
• GameStop short squeeze
  • GameStop stock briefly tops US$500 before dropping 36% from Wednesday's closing. Trading was halted multiple times due to the climb and the crash. (CNBC)
  • Robinhood, TD Ameritrade, and Webull restrict the trade of heavily shorted stocks such as GameStop, AMC, BlackBerry, Nokia, and Koss on their platforms. (CNET)
  • A class action lawsuit was filed against Robinhood in response to shutting down the buying of stocks at the center of the short squeeze. US Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) has called for an investigation into the ban on stock sales. (Newsweek)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Georgia poultry plant accident
  • Six people are killed and nine others hospitalized due to a leak of liquid nitrogen at a poultry plant in Gainesville, Georgia, United States. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona
        • COVID-19 pandemic in the Navajo Nation
          • The Navajo Nation surpasses 1,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Arizona Republic)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina, 501.V2 variant
        • South Carolina reports the United States' first two cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in people with no known travel history. (NPR)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico surpasses India to have the third-highest death toll in the world. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports new daily records for both cases and deaths, with 16,432 new cases and 303 deaths, bringing the nationwide cumulative totals to 685,383 confirmed cases and 11,608 deaths. (DGS)
      • The government announces the closure of its border with Spain for two weeks beginning January 31. (El Periódico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Andorra reaches 100. (Andorra Difusió)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, 501.V2 variant
      • Spain reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant in a 30-year-old man who travelled from South Africa to Vigo. (ABC.es)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I receives the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Greek City Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 476 deaths in the past 24 hours, 200 of which are from West Java, bringing the nationwide death toll to 29,331. (Bisnis)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record 113 deaths in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Food and Drug Administration approves the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use in the Philippines. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports their first two locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in 55 days in Hải Dương and Quảng Ninh provinces, with one of them linked to the B.1.1.7 variant. (ABC Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
      • Morocco begins its COVID-19 vaccination campaign with King Mohammed VI receiving the first dose. (Morocco World News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Senegal reports their first case of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom. (AFP via Yahoo News)
    • Africa secures another 400 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Australia extends the suspension of their travel bubble with New Zealand for another 72 hours due to concerns about new variants of SARS-CoV-2. (NZ Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazil surpasses nine million cases of COVID-19, becoming the third country to do so after India and the United States. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Vaccine developer Novavax announces that their vaccine candidate is 89% effective in preventing severe COVID-19, based on trial data from the United Kingdom; their vaccine was less effective against new variants of the virus, based on data from South Africa. (Reuters)

International relations

• Decolonisation of Africa
  • Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute
    • The United Nations' International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea rules that the United Kingdom has no legal sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, and must return control of the islands back to Mauritius. The British Foreign Office rejects the ruling, saying that "Mauritius has never held sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory and the UK does not recognise its claim". (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care facilities, COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
  • New York Attorney General Letitia James releases a report accusing the state of undercounting the number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes. (AP)
• Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
  • One protester is shot dead and many more are wounded after attempting to storm a government building during an anti-lockdown riot in Tripoli, Lebanon. The municipality building was set on fire before protesters pulled back to the city's main square. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Kyrgyzstan
  • Sadyr Japarov is sworn in as President of Kyrgyzstan. (Eurasianet)

Science and technology

• Criticism of Google
  • Google removes major Australian news sites from some of its search results in an "experiment" in reaction to the Australian government's calls for Google to pay these sites for their content. (The Guardian)
  • The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission releases a report accusing Google of misusing its advertisement system to promote Alphabet Inc.'s own financial interests. (The Guardian)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • Super Bowl LV, COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
    • Tampa Mayor Jane Castor issues an outdoor mask mandate for the city during Super Bowl LV. (ESPN)

January 29, 2021 (2021-01-29) (Friday)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 recession
    • France's GDP contracts 8.3% in 2020, the country's worst economic performance since World War II. (France 24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, COVID-19 recession
    • Spain's GDP contracts 11% in 2020, the country's worst economic performance since the Spanish Civil War. (Marketwatch)

Disasters and accidents

• February 2021 nor'easter
  • A winter storm causes mudslides in southern California, resulting in over 50 car accidents. (KABC-TV)
  • The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for all areas above 6,500 feet (1,981 meters) in Nevada. (National Weather Service)
• COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
  • Fifteen people are killed in a COVID-19 facility due to a fire at the Matei Balș Hospital in Bucharest, Romania. (Digi 24)
• A helicopter crashes against a hill in eastern Cuba, killing all five people onboard. (AFP via Jamaica Observer)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Arizona reports the first three cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Arizona Republic)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Delaware, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Delaware reports the first case of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in three people from New Castle County. (Delaware Government)
      • The CDC issues a rule requiring all travelers using public transportation to wear a mask while boarding, during the trip, and while disembarking. The rule also states face shields, bandanas, and scarves are not permissible forms of face covering. (Politico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and major Canadian airlines agree to suspend all flights to "sun destinations" such as the Caribbean and Mexico until April 30. (BBC News)
      • Trudeau announces new measures to take effect "in the coming weeks" that will require incoming travelers to undergo mandatory PCR testing upon arrival and quarantine in a hotel for a maximum of three days at their own expense. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • Prime Minister Jean Castex announces the closure of borders to all travelers outside the European Union beginning January 31 in order to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants and avoid a third lockdown. In addition, travel between the overseas territories will be limited and all large shopping centres will be closed. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The German Ministry of Interior bans entry to all travellers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, Portugal, and South Africa from tomorrow until February 17 in order to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants. In addition, travellers from Lesotho and Eswatini will also be banned beginning January 31. (Dpa International)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece delays the reopening of high schools, which was scheduled to begin on February 1, due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, particularly in red zone areas. (Ekathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary approves the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine for use in the country, becoming the first EU member state to do so. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • The Verkhovna Rada passes a law banning registration of the Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia. (Reuters)
    • The European Medicines Agency approves the Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine for use within the EU and recommends that the European Commission grant it 'limited marketing authorization' within the union. (CNBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 5,725 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 203,933. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announces that the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila will be extended until February 28 and also places the Cordillera Administrative Region under GCQ status because most of the cases of the B.1.1.7 variant have been reported in the region. (CNN Philippines)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • The government announces that COVID-19 restrictions will be eased in most areas of the country beginning February 1, allowing some businesses to reopen and restaurants to extend their operating hours. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkmenistan
      • Turkmenistan approves the EpiVacCorona vaccine, becoming the first country outside of Russia to do so. (Business TM)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson announces their single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is 66% effective in preventing moderate disease and 85% in preventing severe disease during a global trial. (Politico)
    • Novartis signs an agreement with Pfizer and BioNTech to help produce their vaccine. (MedicalXpress)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a bill extending the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States until 2026, ahead of its expiration date next week, following talks with U.S. President Joe Biden. (The Guardian)
• China–Vanuatu relations
  • A Vanuatu patrol boat detains two Chinese fishing vessels near the Torres Islands in the Coral Sea for suspected illegal fishing. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Criminal charges brought in the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
    • Two members of the Proud Boys are charged with conspiracy to breach the United States Capitol, including one of the members seen smashing a window with a police shield. (New York Times)
    • The FBI announces that two women are arrested in Pennsylvania for their roles in the January 6 riot. One of the women, Dawn Bancroft, made threats to shoot House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (The Independent)
• Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, crime in the United Kingdom
  • Migrants set fire to the Napier Barracks at Shorncliffe Army Camp in Kent after "reports of a disturbance". The Home Office says people "set about destroying the barracks", after being told that they were being moved due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the camp. Kent Police say that the fire caused "a significant amount of damage" and is investigating it as a suspected arson attack. (BBC News)
• Legality of euthanasia
  • The parliament of Portugal passes legislation to legalize euthanasia. (AFP via RTE)
• Crime in France
  • A man is arrested after being linked to the murders of three women and the wounding of a man in the past three days in and around Valence, France. The victims, who were shot in four separate locations, were HR managers; the attacker's motives are suspected to be linked to his earlier employment. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Death of Brian Sicknick, aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announce that Brian Sicknick, the United States Capitol Police officer who died from injuries sustained during the storming of the United States Capitol, will lie in honor at the Rotunda. (BBC News)

January 30, 2021 (2021-01-30) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • A car bombing kills at least five people and injures 22 others in the Turkish-occupied town of Afrin in northern Syria. Turkey's Ministry of National Defense accuses the Kurdish-led YPG of being behind the attack. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland, 501.V2 variant
        • Maryland confirms its first case of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa, becoming the second U.S. state to do so after South Carolina. (Politico)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • South Carolina reports its first case of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. The patient is a person from the Pee Dee region who previously travelled internationally. (WLTX-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
      • Cuban authorities announce that the country will tighten its measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and require all tourists to isolate after visiting the island until they test negative. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 14,518 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, 4,601 of which are from West Java, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,066,313. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran imposes a 14-day quarantine upon arrival for all travelers from Europe. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 5,728 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 209,661. (New Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan reports its first death from COVID-19 since May 2020 in a woman in her 80s. (Focus Taiwan News Channel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
      • Uzbekistan reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a 10-year-old child who travelled with her family to the United Arab Emirates last week. (Xinhua)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam approves the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Algeria begins its vaccination program using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Tunisia becomes the third country in Africa to register the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine after the country approves the vaccine for one year. (Al-Arabiya)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    • The Italian Medicines Agency approves the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy for all adults but recommends that other vaccines be given to people aged over 55. (Daily Sabah)

International relations

• Economic effects of Brexit
  • The United Kingdom announces that it will apply to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which forms a trade bloc of 11 Asia-Pacific nations. The UK will be the first non-founding country to apply to join the bloc. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in Iran
  • Iran hangs Javid Dehghan, the former leader of the Salafi jihadist group Jaish ul-Adl, for the murder of two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. (Reuters)

January 31, 2021 (2021-01-31) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Tigray War
  • Former Tigray Region president and fugitive Debretsion Gebremichael speaks out for the first time since going into hiding following the fall of Mekelle to federal forces in November 2020, saying "They [the federal government] have temporary military dominance", and "we are engaged in extended resistance". His current whereabouts are unknown. (Reuters)
• Somali Civil War
  • A suicide bomber blows himself up outside the Afrik Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, while gunmen storm the hotel and open fire. Five people are killed in the al-Shabaab attack, including a former military general; ten civilians are wounded. The three other attackers are shot dead during a gun battle with security forces. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, 501.V2 variant
      • Israel reports its first reinfection case of the 501.V2 variant in a 57-year-old man who recently travelled to Turkey and who previously recovered from COVID-19. (Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
      • Lebanon surpasses 300,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Daily Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
      • Israel agrees to transfer 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Palestinians to immunize frontline medical workers. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea extends its social distancing restrictions for another two weeks amid concern around the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays and an increase in the number of cases. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, 501.V2 variant
      • Vietnam reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a 25-year-old man from South Africa who travelled to Hanoi on December 19 and tested positive for COVID-19 four days later while in quarantine. (AAP via The West Australian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in France reaches 27,613, the most since December 1. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Minister for Primary Education Arie Slob announces that primary schools and daycare centres will reopen on February 8, but secondary schools and after-school clubs will remain closed. (Dutch News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Captain Tom, a British Army World War II veteran who raised millions of pounds for charity during the pandemic, is hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. He has not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine. (NBC News) (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan announces a five-day lockdown in the Perth metropolitan, Peel, and South West regions, beginning at 6:00 p.m. AWST, after a quarantine hotel security guard tests positive for COVID-19, possibly of the B.1.1.7 variant. (9 News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
    • Cuba reports a record 1,012 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 26,686. (Presna Latina)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
    • Egypt receives its first shipment of 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India. (Ahram Online)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations
  • 2021 Russian protests, aftermath of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny
    • United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemns Russian authorities for using "harsh tactics" in protests that broke out following the arrest of Alexei Navalny. (NBC News)
• Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations, immigration to the United Kingdom
  • The United Kingdom formally launches a visa scheme allowing all Hong Kong residents with British National (Overseas) passports (BNO), and their "immediate dependents", to fast-track their UK citizenship. At least 300,000 people are expected to apply. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China says that it will "no longer recognise" BNO passports as legal travel documents. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Police in Brussels, Belgium announce that they have arrested more than 400 people in order to prevent a banned demonstration against anti-COVID-19 measures. (DW)
• 2021 Russian protests
  • More than 5,000 people are detained by police at nationwide protests calling for the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Vietnam
  • Nguyễn Phú Trọng is re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam for a third five-year term as top leader in Vietnam. (Reuters)
• Shirlene Ostrov resigns as chairwoman of the Hawaii Republican Party following a series of tweets posted by vice chairman Edwin Boyette on the party's Twitter account defending people who supported the QAnon conspiracy theory. Additionally, Boyette resigned on January 24th after the tweets were posted the day before. (AP)

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