January 20, 2011 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- At least 50 people are killed and more than 150 others are injured in two bomb attacks near Karbala. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (Times of India)
- The Israeli military shoots dead an armed man who attacked a checkpoint near Mevo Dotan in the West Bank. (BBC)(Ynet)
- Somali pirates seize a Mongolian bulk carrier off the coast of Oman. (Reuters)
- Muslim separatists in southern Thailand kill four soldiers in an attack on an army base. (BBC) (Thai News Agency)
- Two bomb blasts occur simultaneously in Makiyivka, Ukraine. No injuries are reported and the responsible group threatens more bombings unless they are paid off. (The Sofia Echo)
- Iraq Inquiry documents show former British prime minister Tony Blair was offered an alternative to attacking Iraq during a secret meeting held eight days before its soldiers invaded the country in 2003. (The Guardian)
Arts and culture
- Prejudice against Muslims is declared socially acceptable and Britain is becoming less tolerant according to Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi, the first female British Muslim cabinet member, in a speech at the University of Leicester. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) (The Daily Telegraph)
- Palme d'Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is denied a nomination at the Academy Awards in the foreign language film category. (BBC)
- Three works of art stolen from a museum 15 years ago are retrieved. (BBC)
Disasters
- Save the Children launches a £1 million appeal to help assist up to 400,000 children it expects are affected by a food crisis following Sri Lanka's worst floods in recent history. (The Guardian)
International relations
- South Korea accepts North Korea's proposal of high-level military talks to discuss "pending issues". (Al Jazeera) (Yonhap) (Reuters)
- The Vatican is said to be "troubled" by the latest sex scandal engulfing Italy's prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, alleging that Berlusconi purchased an under-age prostitute. (BBC)
- President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, accompanied by ministers and business leaders, arrives in Russia. (Al Jazeera)
- Chinese president Hu Jintao receives a hostile reception from the United States Congress; the country is accused of bullying its neighbours and its rulers are described as "Nazis". (The Guardian)
- The largest rocket ever launched from the west coast of the U.S. is launched carrying a secret payload; speculated to be a spy satellite.(Reuters)
Law and crime
- Customs officials in Hong Kong seize a haul of cocaine worth US$33.4m bound for China, originating from Bolivia. (BBC) (RTHK)
- New trials are reported to be starting soon at Guantánamo Bay after the United States Congress blocks President of the United States Barack Obama's attempts to close the prison; The Pentagon refuses to comment. (The Guardian)
- Haiti's former president Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, now facing charges of corruption and theft of funds, hopes to becomes president again, according to his lawyer. (Al Jazeera)
- A 32-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of murdering Bristol woman Joanna Yeates. (Sky News)
- One of the largest hauls of illegal chimpanzee and gorilla parts is seized by officials in Gabon. (BBC) (WWF) (Afrol News)
- Agents of the United States charge 127 alleged mafia members in the northeast of the country. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (AP via The Guardian)
- The Daily Nation publishes a picture of a police officer apparently shooting a male at point-blank range on a main road in Nairobi; Amnesty condemns the incident and three police officers are suspended. (BBC)
Politics and elections
- Situation in Tunisia:
- Tunisia's army fires warning shots as citizens protest the current government and wave baguettes in a call for an end to food shortages. (AP via The Guardian)
- Tunisia's new interim government holds its first cabinet meeting. (BBC)
- More ministers resign from the Constitutional Democratic Rally party that had governed the country. (UPI) (Africa Review)
- Situation in Ireland:
- Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, Minister for Justice and Law Reform Dermot Ahern and Minister for Defence Tony Killeen all resign following the recent resignations of Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin. (RTÉ) (AFP)
- The Green Party threaten to pull out of government. (Reuters Canada)
- Brian Cowen announces a date for the 2011 general election; he tells Dail Éireann that it is to take place on Friday 11 March. (Al Jazeera) (RTÉ) (The Wall Street Journal) (BBC)
- Cowen defends his handling of the resignations as it emerges that there is "deep disagreement" between Fianna Fáil and coalition partners the Green Party. (The Irish Times)
- Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams resigns from his seat at Westminster. (The Irish Times) (Press Association)
- Minister of State Conor Lenihan calls on Brian Cowen to resign. (RTÉ) (The Irish Times)
- Britain's Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson resigns from the Labour Party's frontbench team for "personal" reasons. (BBC) (The Guardian)
Science
- 2010 tied for the warmest year ever recorded, and the last decade was the warmest ever recorded, since records began in the 1800s.(Reuters)