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Hosni Mubarak

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak (pictured) dies at the age of 91.
American former film producer Harvey Weinstein is convicted of two felony sex crimes.
Shootings in Hanau, Germany, leave eleven people dead and five others wounded.
The Irish general election concludes with no party holding a majority of seats in Dáil Éireann.

February 26, 2020 (Wednesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

North East Delhi riots
- Violent clashes in North East Delhi, India, between Hindu and Muslim protesters over the Citizenship Amendment Act continues leaving 21 people dead and at least 180 injured. (NDTV)

Law and crime

Six prisoners are shot dead by Papua New Guinea Police as they escape from prison in Western Highlands Province. They were among 100 inmates who escaped during a mass breakout. Scores of others are captured. (RNZ)

February 25, 2020 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- A U.S. airstrike kills an employee of the telecoms Hormuud Telecom. It was aimed at Al-Shabaab in Jilib, Middle Juba. (Reuters)
Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–present), Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- As fighting continues in the Idlib Governorate, the Syrian Army takes control of rebel-stronghold Kafranbel for the first time since 2012, and 18 nearby villages including Sheikh Dames and Sheikh Mustafa. (RFI)
- Turkish-backed rebels recapture the village of Nayrab, west of Saraqib, after days of heavy fighting which has left dozens dead, according to Turkish state media. (Al Jazeera)
Turkish military intervention in the Second Libyan Civil War
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirms the first Turkish Armed Forces casualties in Libya since beginning a military operation in support of the GNA government after two troops are killed. (BBC)

Business and economy

Steve Hasker, former company president of American data firm Nielsen Holdings, is appointed CEO of Thomson Reuters effective March 15. (Reuters) (The Wall Street Journal)
Bob Iger steps down as CEO of The Walt Disney Company, and is succeeded by Bob Chapek, former chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. Iger will continue to serve the company's "creative endeavors" as executive chairman. (Reuters)

Health and environment

2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Italy
  - 93 more coronavirus cases are confirmed in Italy, bringing the number to 322. Four more virus-related deaths are confirmed, bringing the death toll to eleven. (Agenzia ANSA)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Austria
  - Two people from Lombardy, Italy, living in Austria's state of Tyrol, test positive for coronavirus. (The Guardian)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Croatia
  - Croatia confirms its first case of coronavirus. The patient had stayed in Milan, Italy from 19 to 21 February, and was hospitalised in Zagreb, Croatia. (The Guardian)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Iran
  - Iran's deputy health minister, Iraj Harirchi, tests positive for coronavirus. (CNA)
  - A member of the Iranian Parliament, Mahmoud Sadeghi, states on Twitter that he has been infected with the virus. (New York Times via MSN News)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Spain
  - Hundreds of guests are locked down in a hotel in Tenerife, Spain, after a visiting Italian doctor tested positive for the virus. (BBC)
  - The first case on the peninsula and the fourth in the country is confirmed in Barcelona, Catalonia. The wife of the Italian doctor becomes the fifth infected in Spain. A sixth case is reported in Villarreal. (La Vanguardia)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Switzerland
  - On 25 February, Switzerland confirmed the first case of coronavirus. It has been confirmed that the case occured in Ticino, on the border with Italy. (The Guardian)
- Algeria confirms its first case of the coronavirus. The patient is an Italian man who arrived in the country a week ago. (Africa Times)
- Canada's largest airline Air Canada suspends all flights to China until April in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. (CBC)

International relations

China–Sweden relations
- The Swedish Foreign Ministry summons the Chinese ambassador after the Chinese government sentences bookseller and Swedish citizen Gui Minhai to ten years in prison for espionage. (Reuters)

Law and crime

A man is arrested for attempting to blow up a car in The Pentagon parking lot. (NBC)
Duffy reveals she was raped, drugged and held hostage over some days resulting in her disappearance from the limelight in recent years. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

German Health Minister Jens Spahn declines to run for leadership of the ruling Christian Democratic Union party, and endorses North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President Armin Laschet for the position. (Reuters)
The Saudi government appoints former energy minister Khalid A. Al-Falih to head a new investment ministry replacing the General Investment Authority, and sacks the media minister, among other changes to the cabinet. (Reuters)
Former Liberal Democrats leader David Steel resigns from the party and announces he will leave the UK House of Lords after a report accused him of “abdicat[ing] his responsibility” when he supported the knighthood of former party whip Cyril Smith, who is accused of child molestation. (The Guardian)

February 24, 2020 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Volkmarsen ramming attack
- Nearly 60 people are injured when a car rams civilians at a carnival parade in Volkmarsen, Hesse, Germany. A 29-year-old German national is arrested by police. (BBC)
Gaza–Israel conflict, Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatens the leadership of the Gaza Strip with war if rocket attacks continue. (News AU)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present), Libyan peace process
- Both of Libya's rival governments, the Government of National Accord and Tobruk-based House of Representatives, pull out of UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva. (Al Jazeera)
North East Delhi riots
- Violent clashes in New Delhi, India, between Hindu and Muslim protestors over the Citizenship Amendment Act during U.S. President Donald Trump's visit leave 13 people dead and at least 150 injured. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops more than 3% as the coronavirus outbreak spreads outside China. This follows benchmark indices falling sharply in Europe after steep declines across Asia. (Barrons), (Wall Street Journal)

Health and environment

2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Iran
  - Armenia has closed its border from Meghri with Iran and suspended all flights from Armenia to Iran for the next two weeks due to increasing cases of coronavirus in Iran. (Prime Minister of Armenia's Facebook page)
  - The General Authority of Oman's Civil Aviation announced the suspension of all flights between the sultanate and the Islamic Republic of Iran until further notice. (CNN)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Italy
  - Seventy-four more coronavirus cases are confirmed in Italy, bringing the number to 229. Four more virus-related deaths are confirmed, bringing the death toll to seven. (La Repubblica)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in South Korea
  - Vietnamese airline Bamboo Airways suspends flights to South Korea starting 26 February. (CNN)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in the United States
  - The total number of infected in the United States is now 53 people, up from 34 two days ago. (CNN)
- Pakistan International Airlines suspends flights to China until March 15. (Geo News)
- A 300-bed isolation ward has been set up in Islamabad for Chinese citizens returning to Pakistan after vacations. (ARY News)
- Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman and Bahrain confirm their first cases of coronavirus. (Gulf News) (Straits Times) (Fox News)
- Spain confirms its third case in Tenerife, Canary Islands, from an Italian tourist. (El Periódico)

International relations

India–United States relations
- U.S. President Donald Trump visits India and meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the sale of American military jets to India. (NPR)(ARY News)

Law and crime

The United States wants the United Kingdom to extradite WikiLeaks creator Julian Assange, who might face American espionage charges. (NBC News)
Prime Minister of Lesotho Tom Thabane appears in court and hears the charges against him in a pre-trial hearing. He denies involvement in the murder of his former wife and requests immunity from the higher court. (Reuters)
Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases
- U.S. film producer Harvey Weinstein is found guilty of rape. (The New York Times)
The United Kingdom bans Sonnenkrieg Division, the UK branch of the American Neo-Nazi organization Atomwaffen Division, as a terrorist group in response to the Hanau shootings last week. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

2020 Dominican Republic municipal elections, Timeline of 2020 Dominican Republic Municipal Election Protests
- The Organization of American States begins an audit of the suspended elections. (Dominican Today)
- Protests in Santo Domingo continue for the fifth day. (Dominican Today)
Politics of Malaysia
- Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigns. (CNN)

February 23, 2020 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Israel kills two members of Islamic Jihad in an aerial attack near Damascus, Syria. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

The Carnival of Aalst in Belgium goes ahead despite UNESCO withdrawing its recognition of the event as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity because of Jewish caricatures. (Reuters) (newsmonkey)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Iran–Turkey earthquakes
- An earthquake in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, kills at least nine people and injures more than a hundred others. (Daily Sabah)

Health and environment

2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Italy
  - Seventy-six more coronavirus cases are confirmed in Italy, bringing the number of the cases in the country to 155. (La Repubblica)
  - A 68-year-old woman dies of coronavirus in Crema, Italy, bringing the number of deaths in the country to three. (Tgcom24)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in South Korea
  - South Korea confirms that 169 more people have contracted the coronavirus in the country, raising the total number to 602. (BBC)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Iran
  - Pakistan has closed its border from Taftan with Iran due to increasing cases of coronavirus in Iran. (Geo News)
  - Turkey has closed its border with Iran and halted incoming flights due to more cases of coronavirus in Iran. (Reuters)
  - Afghanistan suspended travel between it and Iran and reported three suspected virus cases in Herat. (TRT World)

Politics and elections

2020 Comorian legislative election
- The second round of the latest election in Comoros takes place. The election is still boycotted by the political opposition. (RFI)
2020 Dominican Republic municipal elections
- Protests begin in New York and Massachusetts in the United States, Paris in France, Toronto in Canada, Madrid, Navarre, and Barcelona in Spain, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and London in England. (Dominican Today)
- Protestors demand the Central Electoral Board resign. (Dominican Today)

February 22, 2020 (Saturday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Kashmir conflict
- Two Kashmiri civilians alleged to be Lashkar-e-Taiba militants are killed by Indian soldiers at Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, in a counter-terrorism operation. (DNA India) (ARY News)
Five terrorists are killed in Peshawar, Khyber Paktunkhwa, Pakistan, by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in a heavy exchange of fire during a search operation. (Geo News)

Disasters and accidents

Daredevil and flat Earth conspiracy theorist Mike Hughes dies after crashing in his homemade rocket near Barstow, California. He was attempting to prove the Earth was flat as part of a documentary series with Science Channel. (BBC)

Health and environment

2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Italy
  - Italy confirms that a 78-year-old man in Padua, Veneto, and a woman in her 70s in Codogno, Lombardy, have died after contracting the virus. They are the first two coronavirus deaths in Italy. (Tgcom24)
  - 58 more coronavirus cases are confirmed in Italy, bringing the number of cases to 79. (Open)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in South Korea
  - South Korea confirms that 229 more people have contracted the coronavirus in the country, raising the total number to 433. (BBC)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in the United States
  - The United States reports 34 confirmed cases of the illness and expects more. (The New York Times)
- 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Asia
  - The first coronavirus case is confirmed in Iraq. (Anadolu Agency)
  - Samoa bans all cruise ships from visiting the country amid growing efforts to keep the virus away. (RNZ)

France shuts down its first nuclear power reactor, at the Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant. (Deutsche Welle)

Law and crime

Lesotho PM Tom Thabane is granted sick leave until 27 February when he is due to appear in court for the murder of his former wife. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Dominican Republic municipal elections
- The Dominican Republic government wants the Organization of American States to investigate what occurred in the controversial February 16 elections. (Dominican Today)
2020 Togolese presidential election
- Voters in Togo head to the polls to elect the country's president. Incumbent president Faure Gnassingbé, accused of an authoritarian rule, seeks to run for a fourth term which was made possible by a constitutional amendment in 2019. (DW)
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- Senator Bernie Sanders wins the Nevada Caucus. (CNN)

February 21, 2020 (Friday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present), Afghan peace process
- A seven-day "reduction of violence" between United States troops, Afghan troops, and the Taliban is due to start at midnight local time (19:30 UTC). If the partial truce is successful, a US–Taliban agreement on withdrawing American troops would be signed on February 29. (NBC News)
Kashmir conflict
- India and Pakistan have engaged in a military confrontation across the de facto border in Kashmir; Indian and Pakistani forces exchanged fire near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir. One Pakistani soldier died in the exchange of fire. (Hindustan Times)

Health and environment

2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- Israel and Lebanon report their first cases of 2019-nCoV coronavirus. (Al Jazeera)
- Italy confirms 18 more coronavirus cases in the country, bringing the confirmed cases to twenty-one. All eighteen are Italian citizens. (Corriere della Sera)
- North Korea cancels this year's Pyongyang Marathon due to concerns about coronavirus. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Prime Minister of Lesotho Tom Thabane fails to appear in court for the murder of his former wife, and his son says he has traveled to South Africa to see a doctor. Police warn that if he does not return, they will issue an arrest warrant. (Reuters) (Independent Online)
The Constitutional Court of Thailand orders the Future Forward Party to be dissolved. (ABC News)
Mexico extradites Rubén Oseguera González, the son of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, to the United States to face drug charges. Cervantes is the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. (ABC News)
Wells Fargo is set to pay $3 billion over their 2016 scandal of creating fake accounts in customers' names. (NBC News)

Politics and elections

2020 Dominican Republic municipal elections
- The major opposition party PRM asked for protection for its presidential security chief. (Dominican Today)
- The Protest in Black continues into the fourth day. (Dominican Today)
- Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez Sánchez launches a plan to sequester the Justice Ministry for partisan purposes. (Dominican Today)

2020 Iranian legislative election
- Parliamentary elections are being held in Iran. The election is criticized for the barring of around 9,000 candidates, thus raising the concerns of an unusual low voter turnout. (DW) (The Guardian)

February 20, 2020 (Thursday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–present), Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- Turkish-backed rebels launch an offensive in the Idlib Governorate against government forces. A Russian air strike kills two Turkish soldiers and wounds five others, while Turkey says a retaliatory strike killed 50 Syrian troops. Several tanks and armoured personnel carriers are destroyed near the village of Nayrab. (News AU) (Al Jazeera)
- Turkey formally requests the deployment of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems by its NATO ally United States on the Syria–Turkey border to deter Syrian and Russian air strikes on its troops. (The Telegraph) (Al Masdar News)

Art and culture

An 18th-century Ethiopian ceremonial crown, one of the 20 in existence, is returned to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. It was discovered in the Netherlands in 1998, and was held by Dutch authorities until now so it could be returned when the country was more politically stable. (BBC)

Business and economy

Morgan Stanley purchases electronic trading firm E-Trade for US$13 billion, in the largest banking deal since the 2008 financial crisis. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Wallan derailment
- A XPT train derails in Victoria, Australia, killing two people. (The Guardian)
A 200-car pileup in La Prairie, Quebec, Canada, kills two people and injures 69 others. (News AU)

Health and environment

2019–20 coronavirus outbreak
- South Korea reports its first death from COVID-19. (Sputnik)
- Two Japanese passengers who were on board of the Diamond Princess cruise ship have died from the disease. Both, a man and a woman in their 80s, had underlying health conditions. (BBC)
- Australia extends its ban on travel from China for the fourth week in a row. (The Guardian)

International relations

The Guardian reveals that Australian ambassador to Myanmar Andrea Faulkner met with Commander-in-chief of the Burmese Armed Forces Min Aung Hlaing last month to discuss improving relations between the two nations and possibly training Hlaing's officers in Australia, among others. Human Rights Watch criticized this meeting as enabling Hlaing's genocide against the Rohingya. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Weeks after the First Lady of Lesotho Maesiah Thabane was arrested and charged with the killing of former First Lady Lipolelo Thabane, it is announced that current Prime Minister of Lesotho Tom Thabane will also be charged with the murder in the upcoming hours. He also announced he will be stepping down at the end of July citing old age. (Reuters)
Criminal charges brought in the Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019)
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentences Roger Stone, long-time adviser and ally to the President of the United States Donald Trump, to 40 months in federal prison for seven charges of obstruction, lying to Congress and witness tampering. (CNN) (BBC)
New Mexican Attorney General Hector Balderas sues Google for allegedly collecting private information of the state's schoolchildren without parental consent. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Dominican Republic municipal elections
- Protests happen in major Dominican Republic cities over the election problems. (Dominican Today)
- Col. Ramón A. Guzmán and Claro telecom technician Manuel Antonio Regalado were arrested for the election sabotage. (Dominican Today)
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit and SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar agree to form a unity government by Saturday, in a major step to end the South Sudanese Civil War. (Al Jazeera)
The California State Legislature unanimously passes a resolution apologizing for the state's role in interning Japanese-Americans during World War II. (The Guardian)
Aftermath of the 2020 Irish general election
- The 33rd Dáil Éireann meets for the election of the Taoiseach (head of government) and Ceann Comhairle (speaker of parliament).
- Seán Ó Fearghaíl of Fianna Fáil is re-elected as Ceann Comhairle. No candidate for Taoiseach attains the 80 votes required to form a government. The Dáil adjourns until March 5. (RTÉ)
- Incumbent Taoiseach Leo Varadkar offers his resignation to President Michael D. Higgins, but will remain as Taoiseach in a caretaker capacity until the formation of a new government. (Sky News)