January 29, 2020 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
- The Syrian Army say that the armed forces are now in full control of the city of Maaret al-Numan, after they entered it yesterday with little resistance. (France24)
- Mali War
- Mali's Prime Minister Boubou Cissé announces that his country will increase the size of its armed forces by 50% in recruitment to uproot jihadist groups. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- The British government announces that rail firm Northern will be nationalized following public outcry over Arriva UK Trains handling of the firm. Arriva says it "understood the government's decision", but blames problems on "external factors" such as rail infrastructure. (BBC News)
- Facebook agrees to pay US$550 million to settle a class action lawsuit launched in 2015 over its mass harvesting of biometric data in the state of Illinois. (The New York Times)
- U.S. President Donald Trump signs the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement into law to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. (NBC News)
Disasters and accidents
- In the Indian state of Maharashtra, two vehicles collide and plunge into a well, killing 26 people and injuring 32 others. (Reuters)
- Thirteen people are injured in a fire at a high rise apartment building in Los Angeles, California, United States. (KTLA)
Health and environment
- French Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume announces that the culling of unwanted male chicks will be outlawed by the end of 2021, becoming one of the first countries to initiate such a ban. (BBC News)
International relations
- Algeria–Bangladesh relations
- Brexit
- The European Parliament votes 621–49 to pass the 2020 Brexit agreement, making today the last day Britain will be represented in the EU Parliament. MEP and Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage applauds its passage by saying "we'd be better off out", while UK Labour MEP Judith Kirton-Darling tearfully states it "attacks the very foundation of our identity". (Reuters)