World 2020 Timeline

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Showing 75 events on this page. Use search or category filters to narrow the year.
Nov
13
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania COVID-19 pandemic in Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces that all states and territories in Australia will reopen the

COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania COVID-19 pandemic in Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces that all states and territories in Australia will reopen their borders by Christmas, with the exception of Western Australia. (9 News) COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand The Auckland CBD reopens after contact tracing of a new case revealed it was linked to a known case from a border isolation facility, reversing an earlier call for people to work from home. (RNZ)

Nov
15
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia South Australia reports four new cases through community transmissions linked to a supermarket and a hospital in the northern sub

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia South Australia reports four new cases through community transmissions linked to a supermarket and a hospital in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, leading to fears of a second wave in the state. In response, Western Australia reimposes hard border controls with South Australia. (News.com.au)

Nov
16
Immigration / Law / Policy

Capital punishment in Iraq Iraq hangs 21 convicted terrorists and murderers at the Nasiriyah Central Prison in Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar Governorate.

Capital punishment in Iraq Iraq hangs 21 convicted terrorists and murderers at the Nasiriyah Central Prison in Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar Governorate. The interior ministry did not provide details of the crimes of those executed but stated they were all convicted under a 2005 counter-terrorism law. (DW)

Nov
17
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark Cluster 5 The Minority government of Denmark, held by Social Democrats, agrees with four left-leaning and center parties to support

COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark Cluster 5 The Minority government of Denmark, held by Social Democrats, agrees with four left-leaning and center parties to support a law proposal that would allow for the culling of 15 million minks across the country over concerns about a mutated version of the virus that has spread among the animals. The proposed law also bans mink farming until the end of next year. (The Washington Post)

Nov
19
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, COVID-19 pandemic in Albania The Greek government announces a closure of its border crossing with Albania in Krystallopigi beginnin

COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, COVID-19 pandemic in Albania The Greek government announces a closure of its border crossing with Albania in Krystallopigi beginning tomorrow morning and will also test all people entering the country through its land borders as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. (Ekathimerini)

Nov
19
Immigration / Law / Policy

The Australian Defence Force's special report into war crimes in Afghanistan is released to the public, revealing that 39 civilians and prisoners had been kille

The Australian Defence Force's special report into war crimes in Afghanistan is released to the public, revealing that 39 civilians and prisoners had been killed unlawfully by special forces since 2001. Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell issues an apology to the Afghan people and promises significant reform. (The Guardian)

Nov
19
Immigration / Law / Policy

War in Afghanistan, Australian involvement in the War in Afghanistan The Australian Defence Force's special report into war crimes in Afghanistan is released to

War in Afghanistan, Australian involvement in the War in Afghanistan The Australian Defence Force's special report into war crimes in Afghanistan is released to the public, revealing that 39 civilians and prisoners had been killed unlawfully by special forces since 2001. Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell issues an apology to the Afghan people and promises significant reform. (The Guardian)

Nov
19
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announces a closure of the state's border with South Australia for 48 hours beginning at 11:59 p.

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announces a closure of the state's border with South Australia for 48 hours beginning at 11:59 p.m. AEDT tonight. The "hard border" between the two states will be replaced by a permit system beginning at midnight on November 21. (ABC Australia)

Nov
19
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania COVID-19 pandemic in Australia Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announces a closure of the state's border with South Australia for 4

COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania COVID-19 pandemic in Australia Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announces a closure of the state's border with South Australia for 48 hours beginning at 11:59 p.m. AEDT tonight. The "hard border" between the two states will be replaced by a permit system beginning at midnight on November 21. (ABC Australia) COVID-19 pandemic in the Marshall Islands Just days after announcing that the country was free of COVID-19 again after two infected people recovered, the Marshall Islands reports three new cases from a repatriation flight of Marshallese citizens in Hawaii. (RNZ)

Nov
23
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia The land border between New South Wales and Victoria reopens after 137 days of closure.

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia The land border between New South Wales and Victoria reopens after 137 days of closure. People will now be able to travel between the two states without permits. (ABC Australia) Victoria eases restrictions, allowing larger public and private gatherings, larger capacity quotas for businesses, and relaxing of the mask mandate so that masks will only be required in settings where social distancing is impractical. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton states that he is confident there will be no community transmission in the state. (ABC Australia)

Nov
24
Immigration / Law / Policy

Following a two-year trial, former Nduma Defense of Congo militia leader Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka is sentenced to life imprisonment for "murder, rape, sexual slavery

Following a two-year trial, former Nduma Defense of Congo militia leader Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka is sentenced to life imprisonment for "murder, rape, sexual slavery and enlisting children under 15 years old" by a military court. The Nduma Defence of Congo (NDC), while under Sheka's command, allegedly raped nearly 400 people in 13 villages between July 30 and August 2, 2010. (Al Jazeera)

Nov
24
Immigration / Law / Policy

Kivu conflict Following a two-year trial, former Nduma Defense of Congo militia leader Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka is sentenced to life imprisonment for "murder, rape,

Kivu conflict Following a two-year trial, former Nduma Defense of Congo militia leader Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka is sentenced to life imprisonment for "murder, rape, sexual slavery and enlisting children under 15 years old" by a military court. The Nduma Defence of Congo (NDC), while under Sheka's command, allegedly raped nearly 400 people in 13 villages between July 30 and August 2, 2010. (Al Jazeera)

Nov
24
Immigration / Law / Policy

Russia says its navy made a United States destroyer turn back after threatening to ram it, claiming that the destroyer violated Russia's territorial waters in t

Russia says its navy made a United States destroyer turn back after threatening to ram it, claiming that the destroyer violated Russia's territorial waters in the Peter the Great Gulf, "passing the maritime border by two kilometers". The U.S. navy says that their destroyer conducted a freedom of navigation operation to challenge a Russian claim "inconsistent with the rules of international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention to enclose the waters of a bay". (TASS) (NBC News)

Nov
24
Immigration / Law / Policy

Russia–United States relations, United States and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Russia says its navy made a United States destroyer turn b

Russia–United States relations, United States and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Russia says its navy made a United States destroyer turn back after threatening to ram it, claiming that the destroyer violated Russia's territorial waters in the Peter the Great Gulf, "passing the maritime border by two kilometers". The U.S. navy says that their destroyer conducted a freedom of navigation operation to challenge a Russian claim "inconsistent with the rules of international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention to enclose the waters of a bay". (TASS) (NBC News)

Nov
25
Immigration / Law / Policy

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religion, COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state) The United States Supreme Court temporarily blocks restrictions imposed by Go

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religion, COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state) The United States Supreme Court temporarily blocks restrictions imposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on religious sites, with Amy Coney Barrett being the deciding vote. (Newsweek)

Nov
29
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in France, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religion The Council of State orders the government to review a law limiting the number of peopl

COVID-19 pandemic in France, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religion The Council of State orders the government to review a law limiting the number of people in churches during religious services to 30, saying that the measure was not proportionate to infection risks. (France 24)

Dec
01
Immigration / Law / Policy

Canada–United States relations, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the country will not reope

Canada–United States relations, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the country will not reopen their borders with the United States until COVID-19 is significantly under control. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Dec
02
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Japan The House of Councillors passes a law that will give free COVID-19 vaccines to all residents.

COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Japan The House of Councillors passes a law that will give free COVID-19 vaccines to all residents. The new law also says that the government will cover all vaccine costs. (France 24) COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan The number of cases in Kyrgyzstan exceeds 73,000. (Xinhua News Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte issues an executive order granting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an emergency use authorization for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines. (CNA)

Dec
02
Immigration / Law / Policy

2019–20 Hong Kong protests, Hong Kong national security law Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong is sentenced to 13 and a half months in prison for inciting an "illeg

2019–20 Hong Kong protests, Hong Kong national security law Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong is sentenced to 13 and a half months in prison for inciting an "illegal assembly" while two other activists, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam, receive 10 months and 7 months in prison, respectively, for similar charges. (DW)

Dec
03
Immigration / Law / Policy

Hong Kong national security law, Pro-democracy camp (Hong Kong) Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai is denied bail and remains in custod

Hong Kong national security law, Pro-democracy camp (Hong Kong) Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai is denied bail and remains in custody over alleged fraud related to the lease of a building that houses his Apple Daily, an anti-government newspaper. (Reuters)

Dec
03
Immigration / Law / Policy

Kenosha unrest shooting The Kenosha County Circuit Court orders Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old teen accused of shooting three people, two fatally, during pro

Kenosha unrest shooting The Kenosha County Circuit Court orders Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old teen accused of shooting three people, two fatally, during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to stand trial for first degree homicide and reckless endangerment. His lawyers are claiming he did so in self defense. (ABC News)

Dec
03
Immigration / Law / Policy

The Kenosha County Circuit Court orders Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old teen accused of shooting three people, two fatally, during protests in Kenosha, Wiscon

The Kenosha County Circuit Court orders Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old teen accused of shooting three people, two fatally, during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to stand trial for first degree homicide and reckless endangerment. His lawyers are claiming he did so in self defense. (ABC News)

Dec
04
Immigration / Law / Policy

Despite international pressure to back down, Bangladesh begins transferring thousands of Rohingya refugees to the remote island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Ben

Despite international pressure to back down, Bangladesh begins transferring thousands of Rohingya refugees to the remote island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh says all the refugees being moved have given consent and that the relocation was voluntary. (BBC News)

Dec
04
Immigration / Law / Policy

Rohingya refugee crisis, Ashrayan Project Despite international pressure to back down, Bangladesh begins transferring thousands of Rohingya refugees to the remo

Rohingya refugee crisis, Ashrayan Project Despite international pressure to back down, Bangladesh begins transferring thousands of Rohingya refugees to the remote island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh says all the refugees being moved have given consent and that the relocation was voluntary. (BBC News)

Dec
06
Immigration / Law / Policy

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics, COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona The Arizona State Legislature announces that the House and Senate will close for a wee

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics, COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona The Arizona State Legislature announces that the House and Senate will close for a week starting tomorrow due to COVID-19 concerns. The move comes shortly after Rudy Giuliani, who met with several Republican lawmakers to discuss supposed election fraud in the 2020 presidential election, tested positive for COVID-19. (KSAZ-TV) (The Washington Post)

Dec
07
Immigration / Law / Policy

Carl J.

Carl J. Nichols, a federal judge for the District Court for the District of Columbia, blocks the Commerce Department from imposing restrictions on China-based app TikTok. (Reuters)

Dec
09
Immigration / Law / Policy

International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announces that an inquiry into British war crimes in Iraq has been formally abandoned.

International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announces that an inquiry into British war crimes in Iraq has been formally abandoned. In a final report, Bensouda says her office "found a reasonable basis to believe" that British troops committed war crimes in 2003, murdering at least seven Iraqi detainees, however she accepted the UK has taken "genuine action" to investigate itself. (Reuters)

Dec
09
Immigration / Law / Policy

Iraq War, Operation Telic International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announces that an inquiry into British war crimes in Iraq has been formal

Iraq War, Operation Telic International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announces that an inquiry into British war crimes in Iraq has been formally abandoned. In a final report, Bensouda says her office "found a reasonable basis to believe" that British troops committed war crimes in 2003, murdering at least seven Iraqi detainees, however she accepted the UK has taken "genuine action" to investigate itself. (Reuters)

Dec
10
Immigration / Law / Policy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic The European Central Bank expands its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme by €500 billion to €1.85 trillion and exten

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic The European Central Bank expands its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme by €500 billion to €1.85 trillion and extends the scheme to March 2022, saying it expects "a more pronounced near-term impact of the pandemic on the Eurozone economy and a more protracted weakness in inflation than previously envisaged". (Reuters)

Dec
10
Immigration / Law / Policy

The European Central Bank expands its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme by €500 billion to €1.85 trillion and extends the scheme to March 2022, saying it ex

The European Central Bank expands its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme by €500 billion to €1.85 trillion and extends the scheme to March 2022, saying it expects "a more pronounced near-term impact of the pandemic on the Eurozone economy and a more protracted weakness in inflation than previously envisaged". (Reuters)

Dec
12
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic Queensland reopens its borders to travell

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic Queensland reopens its borders to travellers from New Zealand after 28 days without any community transmission cases. (The Canberra Times)

Dec
13
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in South America COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccine The Supreme Court of Brazil orders Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello to fix the

COVID-19 pandemic in South America COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccine The Supreme Court of Brazil orders Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello to fix the starting date for a nationwide vaccination program. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay Uruguay reports a new single-day record of 528 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 9,708. (gob.uy)

Dec
14
Immigration / Law / Policy

North Korea–South Korea relations South Korea bans the launching of propaganda leaflets into North Korea.

North Korea–South Korea relations South Korea bans the launching of propaganda leaflets into North Korea. The balloon propaganda campaigns have been used by North Korean defectors and Korean reunification activists for decades to spread anti-government propaganda, news from the outside world that is restricted in the North, money, food, and USB flash drives containing South Korean media. The ban also outlaws the use of loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts. Violators of the ban will face up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($27,400) in fines. (Reuters)

Dec
14
Immigration / Law / Policy

South Korea bans the launching of propaganda leaflets into North Korea.

South Korea bans the launching of propaganda leaflets into North Korea. The balloon propaganda campaigns have been used by North Korean defectors and Korean reunification activists for decades to spread anti-government propaganda, news from the outside world that is restricted in the North, money, food, and USB flash drives containing South Korean media. The ban also outlaws the use of loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts. Violators of the ban will face up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($27,400) in fines. (Reuters)

Dec
15
Immigration / Law / Policy

Capital punishment in Japan The Tokyo District Court sentences serial killer Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", to death, for murdering nine peopl

Capital punishment in Japan The Tokyo District Court sentences serial killer Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", to death, for murdering nine people at his apartment in 2017 and dismembering their bodies. Shiraishi, who was found mentally competent, pled guilty and told the court his crimes had a sexual motive. (CNN)

Dec
15
Immigration / Law / Policy

The Tokyo District Court sentences serial killer Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", to death, for murdering nine people at his apartment in 2017 a

The Tokyo District Court sentences serial killer Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", to death, for murdering nine people at his apartment in 2017 and dismembering their bodies. Shiraishi, who was found mentally competent, pled guilty and told the court his crimes had a sexual motive. (CNN)

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