Portal:Current events/2020 January 28

• Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
  • The Syrian Army, backed by Russian Air Force support, enters the largely deserted city of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man in the northern Idlib Governorate. Only light resistance is reported as most rebel groups, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, withdrew their fighters. The city had been under rebel control since October 2012. (Middle East Eye)

• The Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, the first commercial nuclear plant in the Arab world, is declared ready for operation after years of delays. It is expected to go online sometime during this quarter. (Reuters)

• 2020 Caribbean earthquake
  • A magnitude 7.7 earthquake is recorded off the coast of Jamaica. (KRON 4 News)
• Three people, including former Mayor Frank Edwards and his wife Cinda, are killed in a plane crash near Springfield, Illinois, United States. (ABC News)

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • Palau's President Thomas Remengesau Jr. bans chartered flights from China and suspends charter flights from Macau and Hong Kong until further notice. Remengesau is set to issue an executive order to that effect after a meeting with the National Emergency Committee. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China
    • The Health Commission in the central Chinese province of Hubei say there are 1,291 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and 24 more deaths, bringing the total death toll to 106 people. (AFP via New Straits Times)
    • China's paramount leader Xi Jinping tells the World Health Organization he is confident about defeating the "devil virus". (Reuters)

• Prosecutor General of Tajikistan, Yusuf Rakhmon, announces the arrest of 113 alleged members of the Muslim Brotherhood. (Reuters)
• Investigations involving Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu withdraws a request for immunity to the Knesset. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit formally indicts Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three cases of suspected corruption. (Vox)

• 2020 New Zealand general election
  • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that the next general election is to be held on September 19. (The Guardian)

• Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Trump peace plan
  • U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveil a peace plan developed by the Trump administration for three years. The plan recognizes Israeli sovereignty over major settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank, as well as the annexation of the Jordan Valley, in exchange for a freeze on new Israeli settlements in certain areas for four years. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismisses the plan as "nonsense", while Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz casts his support for the plan. (Associated Press)
• Politics of Qatar
  • Sheik Khalid bin Khalifa, aide of the Emir, is appointed Prime Minister, succeeding Abdullah bin Nasser. (Reuters)