2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, Hong Kong residents' responses, October
Hong Kong district councillors and activist group Student Politicism have been holding street booths to raise awareness of the detainment. On October 27 police fined and ticketed several people at a street booth in Tsuen Wan, and on December 2 police arrested the same group at a booth in Mong Kok, citing "disorderly conduct".


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, Hong Kong residents' responses, October
In addition to holding street booths in the city, on October 27 it was also discovered that the words "FREE HK SAVE 12" were painted on the helicopter pad of Tai Mei Tuk country park.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, Hong Kong residents' responses, November
At the one-year anniversary memorial of Siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Siege of the Chinese University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong citizens put together a "SAVE 12" sign using locks on a wired fence outside of Polytechnic University. The locks have the 12 presumed detainees' names and messages such as "send them home" written on them.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, Hong Kong residents' responses, November
During Chinese University's graduation ceremony graduates displayed a giant "SAVE 12 HK" black banner on school building. They also hold cards with "SAVE12" and released black balloons with the words "SAVE12".


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, Hong Kong residents' responses, November
On November 30, the 100th day of detention, League of Social Democrats held street booths and petitions for two days in Causeway Bay. They also marched to the Central post office with their "SAVE 12" signage and postcards written by citizens. and Amnesty International also posted a statement urging China to release the 12 detainees. At night, Hong Kong citizens raised a neon-light "SAVE 12" sign on Lion Rock to show their support and continue to bring awareness.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, Hong Kong residents' responses, December
On December 10, also known as international Human Rights Day, chairman and vice-chairman of pro-democracy League of Social Democrats protested outside of Chinese Liaison office, chanting "Save 12" and holding signs.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, Hong Kong residents' responses, December
Hong Kong activists and supporters in London held a "one year commemoration" of the university sieges on December 12. Many participants held "SAVE12HKYOUTHS" signs and folded origami boats to bring awareness of the detainment.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, Portugal
Portuguese Consul-General for Macao and Hong Kong confirmed that one of the detainees, surnamed Kok, has Portuguese citizenship from his Macau ties, but the consulate stressed that it would only provide humanitarian assistance, and not legal support, to Kok.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, Portugal
Isabel Santos, a Portuguese politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament, had requested the Chinese government for a visit to Kok.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, United States
On September 12, US Secretary of Sate Mike Pompeo expressed "grave concern" about the situation and questioned "Chief Executive Lam’s stated commitment to protecting the rights of Hong Kong residents, and call on authorities to ensure due process". The next day U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus tweeted the arrests were “another example of the deterioration of human rights in Hong Kong”, and urged China to “ensure due process”.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, United States
On October 13, US State Secretary Michael Pompeo defended the 12 Hong Kong residents in the virtual award speech, saying that they had "committed no crime" but were detained by China while allegedly fleeing Hong Kong for Taiwan. Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law praised IRI for its continued support for Hong Kong's political freedom, and called upon all freedom-loving countries to resist Chinese authoritarianism.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, Taiwan
While many protesters who had fled Hong Kong for Taiwan since the LegCo storming in July 2019 later returned to Hong Kong, activists have put the number of those remaining in Taiwan as of June 2020 at over 200. When asked by media about Hong Kong residents seeking asylum in Taiwan by boat, Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang stated that "the government cared deeply about people from Hong Kong" but in regard to "the help to Hong Kong people, certain individual cases we cannot reveal". Mainland Affairs Council also discouraged any means to entry Taiwan by illegal methods.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, Italy
Italian pro-democracy political group Radicali Italiani organized a 12-day event beginning on October 12 throughout Italy to bring awareness of the 12 Hong Kong residents captured by Chinese coastguards for over 50 days and incommunicado. In addition, a member of the group began a 12-day hunger strike to protest against the detainment.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, United Kingdom
Among the 12 presumed detainees four of them hold British National Overseas (BNO) passports. On October 13, the British Parliament held a discussion on Hong Kong. Parliament member Nigel Adams stated that while the UK government had already reached out to Chinese government regarding the rights of these four individuals, the Chinese government "absolutely would not grant UK consular access" because China does not recognize dual citizenship and BNOs-entitled consular assistance is not granted in Hong Kong, Macau or mainland China.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, United Kingdom
On October 21, over 60 Parliament members urged Foreign Minister Dominic Raab to make it a "diplomatic priority" to pressure Carrie Lam and his Beijing counterpart to release the 12 activists. Raab responded several days later that UK officials have reached out to the BNO-owned families and has been pressing the issue on several occasions already and would continue to press for transparency.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, Canada
On November 16, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, François-Philippe Champagne, received an open letter penned by 25 Canadian cross party parliamentarians urging the Canadian official to "call on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and [Champagne's] counterpart in Beijing to immediately ensure the return of the twelve activists to Hong Kong, to guarantee that they have legal representation of their choosing, contact with their families, and to ensure the young people access to necessary prescribed medication."


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, Global
On December 2, the 100th day of the capture with zero contact from the detainees, over 150 parliamentarians from 18 different countries jointly called on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam to intercede and "ensure that they are guaranteed justice”. The signatories, according to organization Hong Kong Watch, include Parliamentarians from "Australia, Canada, Denmark, EU, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden, Uganda, UK, and USA".


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, Netizens
On October 1, 2020, groups of protesters appeared in front of London's Chinese embassy with signs demanding the release of the 12 detainees.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, Netizens
Since early October, various international figures such as Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and artist, cartoonist and rights activist Badiucao have held up "#Save12HKYouth" in social media to help bring awareness to the 12 detainees. The campaign was initiated by human rights organization Hong Kong Watch, and it termed this detainment as the "watershed case for Hong Kong" that will influence if extraditing pro-democracy activists to stand trial in the mainland would become a common occurrence.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Responses, International responses, Netizens
Over the weekend from October 23–25, over 30 cities around the world had support events bringing awareness of these 12 detainees to the citizens and their local governments.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Controversies, Exact capture location unverified
Although Chinese coastguards released the GPS coordinates of the capture, there is no other substantial evidence to support its claim that the location was within Chinese borders. Although Hong Kong Police stated that there was no evidence to substantiate that Chinese coastguards had entered Hong Kong waters, some Hong Kong fishermen reached out to Hong Kong lawyers said they witnessed the capture had been within Hong Kong territories.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Controversies, Extended and delayed trial date
Whereas Hong Kong has had an internationally respected judiciary system, China has had its human rights violations documented internationally. The treatment of these 12 detainees has been a grave concern for many. Even as these individuals are now "arrested" after over 30 days of detention, there is no clear indication when the prosecution and trial will take place. Therefore, this uncertain entanglement may become prolonged imprisonment and an endlessly opaque human rights battle.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Controversies, Ta Kung Pao article on backing of attempted escape
Ta Kung Pao published an article in its online edition on August 29, alleging that Hong Kong minister Chu Yiu-ming had, in cooperation with a Taiwanese pastor surnamed Huang, provided support for the attempted escape. In a reply issued in the same outlet, Chu denied this and accused the newspaper of having maliciously fabricated the story.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Controversies, Allegations about role of Hong Kong Police in the arrest
On September 20, two families' members revealed to news reporters that they had separately gone to the police stations to report their missing sons on August 24, one day after the capture. While the missing person reports were not accepted by police, one policeman showed a record of the missing person's cellphone record to the family member, raising questions on how the records were obtained two days after the capture but three days before the news broke. The other family member was told that the son was now detained in Yantian, days before the detention location was reported by media.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Controversies, Allegations about role of Hong Kong Police in the arrest
On October 5, it was reported that the Hong Kong Government Flying Service (GFS) had allegedly tracked the boat before it was captured. According to data from the flight tracking website FlightAware, an aircraft belonging to the GFS took off from the Hong Kong International Airport at 4:19 am on August 23 and circled around Sai Kung until 7:00 am, which was when the 12 detainees allegedly departed from Sai Kung. The aircraft then travelled towards southeastern Hong Kong waters at 7:30 am, which also coincides with the time the 12 detainees allegedly crossed the southeastern Hong Kong boundary.


2020 detainment of Hong Kong residents at sea by China, Controversies, Allegations about role of Hong Kong Police in the arrest
The legislator Jeremy Tam, who has also worked as a pilot, pointed out that it was very likely that the GFS aircraft was conducting surveillance on the boat, and that the Hong Kong Government may have provided information of the speedboat to Mainland law enforcement. Chief Executive Carrie Lam had ruled out any involvement by Hong Kong police in the interception of the twelve, stating that she believed "a tiny fraction of people"  had not given up on "any opportunity to smear the Hong Kong government, to attack the police, to fabricate this and that".


2020 dismissal of inspectors general
In April and May 2020, United States President Donald Trump dismissed the inspectors general (IGs) of five cabinet departments in the space of six weeks. The inspectors general removed were Michael K. Atkinson, Intelligence, on April 3; Glenn Fine (acting), Defense, April 7; Christi Grimm (acting), Health and Human Services, May 1; Mitch Behm (acting), Transportation, May 15; and Steve Linick, State, May 15. In four of the cases the announcement was made late on a Friday night in a classic Friday news dump.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general
In several cases the fired IGs had taken an action which Trump disliked, so that the dismissals were widely described as retaliation. In two other cases, questions were raised about whether the dismissals related to ongoing IG investigations into the conduct of the cabinet secretary in charge of that department. The cumulative firings were often described as a "purge" or as a "war on watchdogs".


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Inspectors general
Inspectors general are oversight officials assigned to various agencies within the executive branch of the US federal government, such as cabinet departments. Established by the Inspector General Act of 1978, the offices of inspectors general are responsible for identifying, auditing, and investigating fraud, waste, abuse, embezzlement and mismanagement of any kind within executive departments and agencies. IG investigations may come about through any of several sources: complaints from within the department, often anonymous and often through a "whistleblower" system or hotline for such reports; requests for an investigation from a Congress member or Congressional committee; and the IG's own initiative.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Inspectors general
IGs are appointed by the president and are supposed to be confirmed by the Senate, although many current IGs are in an acting capacity and have not been confirmed by the Senate. The president may dismiss an inspector general, but is required to give Congress 30 days' notice and an explanation of the reason for removing them. The 30 days' notice requirement was added to the 1978 law in 2008; its purpose was to re-emphasize the role of the IG as an independent watchdog and to dissuade presidents from retaliatory firings.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Inspectors general
In 1981, Ronald Reagan fired 16 inspectors general when he became president, with his administration explaining that Reagan intended to hire his own people. After Congress objected, Reagan rehired five of the fired inspectors general. In 1989, George H. W. Bush requested the resignations of all the inspectors general upon assuming the presidency. The inspectors general, along with Congress, raised objections, and Bush rescinded the requests. In 2009, President Barack Obama dismissed Corporation for National and Community Service inspector general Gerald Walpin citing a lack of confidence in him.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Inspectors general
After Congress objected to the lack of explanation, the Obama administration cited that Walpin had shown "troubling and inappropriate conduct", and pointed to an incident that year where Walpin was "disoriented" during a board meeting of the Corporation, which led to the board asking for Walpin's dismissal. Walpin sued for a reinstatement, but the courts ruled against Walpin.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Inspectors general
Most of the Trump administration's announcements were made late on Friday nights, a very low-profile time, so that the dismissals have been referred to as a "Friday night massacre", a reference to Richard Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre firing of Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Intelligence community
On Friday night, April 7, at 10 p.m., Trump sent a letter to Congress saying he intended to dismiss Michael K. Atkinson, the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, giving as a reason only that he had "lost confidence" in the IG. Trump has described Atkinson as disloyal for his role in forwarding the whistleblower complaint which led to Trump's first impeachment. The dismissal followed a pattern of retaliation against others Trump blamed for aiding the impeachment, including Gordon Sondland and Alexander Vindman. In theory the dismissal becomes effective 30 days after Congress is notified, but Trump placed Atkinson on administrative leave for the 30 days so that in effect the dismissal was immediate.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Intelligence community
When Trump was asked about the firing the next day, he criticized Atkinson as having done a "terrible job": "took a fake report and he brought it to Congress", in reference to the whistleblower complaint of the Trump–Ukraine scandal, which was actually largely verified by other testimony and evidence. Trump further complained that Atkinson "never even came in to see me. How can you [forward the complaint] without seeing the person?" Trump concluded that Atkinson was "not a big Trump fan".


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Intelligence community
Atkinson said in a statement that he was fired for having "faithfully discharged my legal obligations as an independent and impartial Inspector General".


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of Defense
Glenn Fine was effectively removed from his position as acting inspector general for the Department of Defense on April 7, when Trump named another person to the acting inspector general post. Fine then resumed his role as principal deputy inspector general, a Senate-confirmed post.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of Defense
Fine had been appointed on March 30 to head the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, an oversight body for funds voted by Congress to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, by the Chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, as mandated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. But only inspectors general can serve on the committee, so that Fine was in effect fired from that role eight days after assuming it.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of Defense
When Trump signed the coronavirus funding bill, he had issued a signing statement challenging the required oversight committee, and said that he personally would take the oversight role and would be in control of what information was sent to Congress about the use of the $2 trillion in relief funds authorized by the bill.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of Defense
Seven weeks later, on May 26, Fine submitted his resignation as principal deputy inspector general, effective June 1. A Pentagon official said Fine resigned voluntarily and was not pushed out. In a statement Fine gave no reason for resigning but said inspectors general "are a vital component of our system of checks and balances, and I am grateful to have been part of that system. After many years in the DoJ and DoD OIGs, I believe the time has come for me to step down and allow others to perform this vital role." Former defense secretary James Mattis praised Fine, saying "It's regrettable seeing such a highly competent, non-partisan patriot and public servant leaving government service. Mr. Glenn Fine represents all that is noble in taking on the hard work of keeping government honest and responsive. He will be missed."


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of Health and Human Services
At 8 p.m. on Friday, May 1, it was announced that the White House would nominate a permanent inspector general to replace Christi Grimm, the acting inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services. Grimm was to return to her regular position as principal deputy inspector general.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of Health and Human Services
Trump had earlier criticized Grimm for signing off on an April 6 report saying that the nation's hospitals were suffering from severe shortages of personal protective equipment and testing supplies. At the time Trump was asked by a reporter about the report, and he said "It's wrong. Did I hear the word 'inspector general'? It's wrong." He also demanded to know the name and history of the IG who produced the report, saying it might have been influenced by politics. Trump continued to insist that there were no shortages.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of Health and Human Services
On Twitter, Trump stated that Grimm's report was "Another Fake Dossier", and stressed that Grimm had worked for the Obama administration, even though Grimm had worked for the health inspector general office's since 1999, for two more administrations before Obama's. He also stated at a press conference that the report was just Grimm's "opinion", even after being informed that Grimm's report was based on a survey of 323 hospitals.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of State
On Friday, May 15, at 10 p.m., the White House announced that State Department inspector general Steve Linick had been removed. Trump appointed Stephen Akard, the director of the State Department's Office of Foreign Missions, as acting inspector general. The White House said Trump had dismissed Linick at the request of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Linick had been investigating whether Pompeo had used government employees to run personal errands for him.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of State
In a separate, almost completed investigation, Linick was reportedly looking into whether Pompeo had evaded Congressional limitations on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates by declaring an emergency, even though none existed.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of State
A third line of inquiry into Pompeo was his regular hosting of several dozen lavish, taxpayer-funded "Madison Dinners" at the State Department for hundreds of attendees, including many influential business and media figures; there were concerns that Pompeo had been using the dinners to further his own political career (assembling the names and contact information of possible future contributors and fundraisers), rather than for official diplomatic purposes, potentially violating the Hatch Act.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of State
Pompeo defended his recommendation to remove the IG, said he "should've done it some time ago", and dismissed the accusations as "crazy stuff", but he did not provide any justification for the IG removal. He initially said his action could not have been retaliatory because he had not been aware of any of the investigations; however, he later acknowledged that he had provided written responses to one of the IG probes. He faces calls to testify before Congress, even though the White House would likely block such an appearance. On May 22, the Houston Chronicle editorial board said that regarding Linick's dismissal, there is "growing concern it was engineered to derail ongoing investigations" into Pompeo.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of State
In a private interview on June 3 with the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Oversight Committee, Linick confirmed that prior to his dismissal, he had been investigating allegations of misuse of government resources" against Pompeo and his wife, and had request documents from Pompeo's executive secretary. Linick said that shortly before he was fired, he had sought to interview Pompeo about an "emergency" arms deal with Saudi Arabia, and that that a senior State Department official, Stephen Biegun, had repeatedly attempted to "bully" him into stymieing inquiries.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of State
Linick told congressional investigators, "I have not heard any valid reason that would justify my removal." The House committees investigating the dismissal are seeking interviews with a number of other high-ranking officials in Trump's State Department. In August 2020 the three committees subpoenaed four State Department officials to testify about Linick's dismissal, saying that the subpoenas were necessary because the State Department had been "stonewalling" their investigation.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of State
In August 2020 Acting Inspector General Akard resigned after less than three months on the job. An internal email said that he was returning to the private sector, and that Deputy Inspector General Diana Shaw would become acting inspector general. On August 31 Pompeo appointed Matthew Klimow, the U.S. ambassador to Turkmenistan, to serve as acting inspector general until the end of 2020. He intends to eventually return to his post in Turkmenistan. The State Department did not announce his appointment but confirmed it after it was reported.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of Transportation
Also on Friday night, May 15, it was announced that Mitch Behm, the acting inspector general for the Department of Transportation, would be replaced by another acting inspector general while a permanent inspector general is nominated. Behm returned to his position as deputy inspector general. As acting inspector general, Behm was a member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. House Democrats opened an inquiry into whether Behm's dismissal was related to an ongoing IG investigation of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, evaluating claims that she had been giving preferential treatment to the state of Kentucky, where her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, was running for re-election.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of Transportation
Howard "Skip" Elliot was named acting IG, while retaining his position as head of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), an agency within the Department of Transportation. The "dual-hat" arrangement was criticized by the chairs of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations (Carolyn B. Maloney, Peter A. DeFazio, and Gerald E. Connolly, respectively).


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Dismissed inspectors general, Department of Transportation
Maloney, DeFazio, and Connolly wrote that Elliot had an "inherent conflict of interest" since he would simultaneously report to Chao in his capacity as PHMSA administrator while also being responsible for investigating and auditing Chao's office in his capacity as acting inspector general. Elliot said that he would "defer to Deputy Inspector General Behm" on matters involving PHMSA, but made no commitment to "recusing himself from the 13 current investigations and 11 ongoing audits involving the Office of the Secretary." Maloney, DeFazio, and Connolly called upon Chao to reinstate Behm as acting IG and called upon Elliot to resign as PHMSA administration and recuse himself from any investigations involving the Office of the Secretary of Transportation.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Reactions
Democrats in Congress strongly condemned the removals, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decrying a "dangerous pattern of retaliation against the patriotic public servants charged with conducting oversight on behalf of the American people". In a letter to the White House, House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Eliot L. Engel and Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Robert Menendez wrote, "We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President's gutting of these critical positions." In May 2020, House Democrats introduced a bill, the Inspector General Independence Act, that would protect against political retaliation and would provide that the president could only remove inspectors general for just cause.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Reactions
Republicans were mostly silent, although Senator Mitt Romney said on Twitter, "The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose. It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power." A few Republicans, including senators Chuck Grassley and Susan Collins, said the president needed to provide Congress with a more detailed justification than just "lost confidence". Some expressed a desire for more information. Others defended the actions by pointing out that "It is the President's prerogative and within his authority to make decisions regarding the adequacy of performance and continued employment of the inspector general" and that the president has the right to "surround himself with people that he has confidence in".


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Reactions
Trump gave no specific official reason for the firings but defended them. When asked if the dismissals were part of a pattern by the administration to avoid accountability, Trump replied, "I think we've been treated very unfairly by inspector generals." He incorrectly stated that: "I think every president has gotten rid of probably more than I have; in fact, in the 16 years before Trump took office, only one IG had been fired by a previous president, although the report noted that some IGs may have resigned under threat of removal.


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Reactions
In a May 18 piece after the dismissal of Linick, the Boston Globe editorial board said that "Congress should use its purse strings and investigative power to curb the Trump administration's firing of federal watchdogs", adding "Trump is now purging the federal government of the independent inspectors general who hold the executive branch accountable for carrying out the duties of public service with integrity and for acting within the confines of the law." A few days later, the Des Moines Register editorial board challenged Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa to lead an inquiry into the firings, writing that Trump's dismissals of watchdog IGs "positions his administration for even less accountability."


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Reactions
The Los Angeles Times editorial board said the president was signaling contempt for oversight of his domain, writing: "Trump's warped notion that the executive branch exists to loyally serve his interests makes it especially important that these watchdogs don't lose their bite.... Trump's disdain for the role of inspectors general is part of his larger insistence that all departments of government, including the Justice Department, show fealty to him above all".


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Reactions
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board noted that "Before signing the $2.2 trillion pandemic relief package late last month, Trump prepared a document revealing, in effect, his contempt for the provision intended to guard against waste and theft — an oversight panel comprising several of the executive branch's inspectors general.... What is vital is that these government watchdogs have the confidence of the public and the Congress."


2020 dismissal of inspectors general, Reactions
The White House on May 26 addressed the dismissals by claiming that Trump was following the law, but gave no additional reasons on why Trump had dismissed them. Senator Chuck Grassley responded that he would not allow two Trump nominees to be considered by the Senate until the dismissals are adequately explained.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
The 2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series was the first season of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, a series of iRacing sim racing events originally organized for NASCAR drivers to compete in after its 2020 seasons were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Drivers from all of NASCAR's series competed in races, including Hall of Fame drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte, and Jeff Gordon.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
Each weekend, the series would race on virtual versions of the racetracks that the NASCAR Cup Series would have raced at that weekend had the real races not been postponed, except for the final race at North Wilkesboro, a former NASCAR track which last hosted a NASCAR race in 1996, to launch the track joining iRacing. The series began at March 22 with a race at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, and concluded with a race at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 9.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
Originally supposed to be a one-time event, it quickly became a weekly series, and later included the Saturday Night Thunder series of races for drivers in NASCAR's lower series.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Dixie Vodka 150 (Homestead-Miami)
This was the first race of the series. Garrett Smithley won the pole and was passed by William Byron on the first lap, who would go on to lead the most laps in the race. Denny Hamlin passed then-leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a photo finish on the final lap to win.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, O'Reilly Auto Parts 125 (Texas), Qualifying race
The qualifying race was held earlier on Sunday, March 29, before the main event. The drivers that advanced to the main event were Alex Labbé, Anthony Alfredo, Ty Majeski, and Rubén García Jr., who finished first through fourth, respectively.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, O'Reilly Auto Parts 125 (Texas), Qualifying race
Note: Kaz Grala and Trevor Bayne both used the No. 29 in this race. On the official race results, Bayne was listed as the No. 29A to differentiate the two.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, O'Reilly Auto Parts 125 (Texas), Main event
Timmy Hill won the race after executing a late bump-and-run maneuver on then-leader William Byron.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Food City Showdown (Bristol), Saturday Night Thunder
After heat races determined a 24 car starting field for the race, Logan Seavey (No. 67), in his first Pro Invitational Series start, won the race after passing Chase Cabre (No. 4) with thirteen laps to go.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Food City Showdown (Bristol), Saturday Night Thunder
Note: Kaz Grala and Trevor Bayne both used the No. 29 in this race. On the official race results, Bayne was listed as the No. 29A to differentiate the two.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Food City Showdown (Bristol), Main event
Two heat races determined the starting lineup for the main event. William Byron won heat race #1, while John Hunter Nemechek won heat race #2 in a photo finish over Ryan Preece, so they started 1-2 in the race, which they coincidentally also finished 1-2 in. This was Byron's first win in the Pro Invitational Series after having strong runs in the previous two races.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Toyota Owners 150 (Richmond), Saturday Night Thunder
Similar to the Bristol race, this was the undercard event of the weekend, with drivers from all NASCAR series racing in the event. After the three heat races were held, which in order were won by Landon Cassill (No. 89), Ty Majeski (No. 45), and Josh Berry (No. 88), and Justin Allgaier (No. 7) won the last-chance qualifier. In the race itself, Berry won again. This was his first iRacing Pro Invitational Series start.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Toyota Owners 150 (Richmond), Main event
Ryan Preece won the pole and led the race for 59 laps. William Byron dominated again, leading the most laps, and holding off Timmy Hill and Parker Kligerman on the last lap to win his second Pro Invitational race in a row.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Geico 70 (Talladega), Saturday Night Thunder
This race saw a 51 car entry list, with two heat races determining the starting lineup, and the top 20 finishers in each heat racing in the main event for a field of 40 cars. Kyle Weatherman (No. 54) won Heat #1, which gave him the pole in the main event, and Chase Briscoe (No. 98) won Heat #2.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Geico 70 (Talladega), Saturday Night Thunder
After multiple big ones during the race, Landon Huffman was able to win after inheriting the lead from Logan Seavey (No. 67) on the last lap after Seavey and some other cars crashed in the frontstretch.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Geico 70 (Talladega), Main event
Alex Bowman won after Ty Dillon spun through the infield on the last lap from the lead. Polesitter Corey LaJoie finished second over third-place Ryan Preece in a photo finish.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Geico 70 (Talladega), Main event
Jeff Gordon competed in this race, and was involved in the big one, where his No. 24 flipped into the catchfence. After using his one reset, he was involved in another incident later in the race, which ended his chances of competing for the win as he finished nine laps down.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Geico 70 (Talladega), Main event
Note: William Byron and Jeff Gordon both used the No. 24 in this race. On the official race results, Gordon was listed as the No. 024 to differentiate the two.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Finish Line 150 (Dover), Saturday Night Thunder
Like with the previous race, there were four heat races, which in numerical order, were won by Josh Berry, Anthony Alfredo, Ty Majeski, and Kaz Grala. After that, two last-chance qualifying races were held, which were won by GMS Racing teammates Sam Mayer (the first LCQ) and Brett Moffitt (the second LCQ). However, unlike the previous weeks, only the winner of each last chance qualifier advanced to the race.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Finish Line 150 (Dover), Saturday Night Thunder
This week's Saturday Night Thunder was the first to feature Elliott Sadler, who did not qualify his No. 99 into the field as he failed to finish high enough in his qualifying race and also the last chance qualifying race he was in.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Finish Line 150 (Dover), Saturday Night Thunder
Note: Raphaël Lessard and Chase Cabre both used the No. 4 in this race. However, Lessard was listed as the No. 04 on the entry list, broadcast graphics, and official results despite how his paint scheme in the race used just the No. 4 (without the zero in front of it).


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Finish Line 150 (Dover), Main event
Byron won his third PIS race after passing Timmy Hill for the lead during the last ten laps. Hill would finish third after Christopher Bell passed him for second. This was Bell's first top-10 finish in the series.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Finish Line 150 (Dover), Main event
Regan Smith, one of Fox's pit reporters who also is a driver, participated in this race. He drove a No. 78 car which was a throwback to his time driving for the former Furniture Row Racing (then a Richard Childress Racing satellite team) team from 2009 to 2012 in the Cup Series (including a win in the 2011 Rebel 500). He was involved in a crash during the race and finished 36 laps down in 31st.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Friday Night Thunder (Martinsville)
It was announced on the day of the Dover race that the season finale for the Pro Invitational Series would be at North Wilkesboro Speedway, a track which is currently abandoned, and which NASCAR last raced at in 1996. The race was held on Saturday instead of Sunday so that drivers would not race on Mother's Day as is tradition   in the real Cup Series schedule. For that reason, Saturday Night Thunder became Friday Night Thunder for this week only. That race was held at Martinsville, the track that weekend's real race would have been at, instead of also at North Wilkesboro.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, Friday Night Thunder (Martinsville)
Ty Majeski, who statistically is one of the best drivers in all of iRacing, won this race after having many strong runs in the previous races of the series. Majeski crushed the competition, leading all but one lap in the race. (The lone lap he didn't lead was led by Justin Allgaier.)


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, North Wilkesboro 160 (North Wilkesboro)
It was announced on the day of the Dover race that the season finale for the Pro Invitational Series would be at North Wilkesboro Speedway, a track which is currently abandoned, and which NASCAR last raced at in 1996, as part of iRacing launching both the 1987 Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet Monte Carlo Generation 3 cars into the game, and also the track for its servers after research and a track cleanup led by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. led to a scan of the circuit that allowed it to be programmed  The race was held on Saturday instead of Sunday so that drivers would not race on Mother's Day, a longstanding tradition with the real Cup Series schedule. For that reason, Saturday Night Thunder became Friday Night Thunder for this week only.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, North Wilkesboro 160 (North Wilkesboro)
Denny Hamlin bookended the series by winning this race. He inherited the lead from Ross Chastain after spinning him in the last few laps. Coming off a second-place finish at Dover the previous week, Christopher Bell led the most laps in this race.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, North Wilkesboro 160 (North Wilkesboro)
This was also the first and only PIS race for Martin Truex Jr. In an interview with him during the pre-race show, Truex stated that he was not home over the long break (where his simulator was), and that was why he didn't participate in any races until this one. Bobby Labonte, who drove Truex's normal No. 19 for the whole series until this weekend, still participated in this race, driving a throwback paint scheme, his old No. 018 Interstate Batteries car.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, North Wilkesboro 160 (North Wilkesboro)
Both RCR cars, the No. 52 and No. 53 Rick Ware cars, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s No. 8, the Wood Brothers No. 21, as well as Timmy Hill's No. 66 also all ran throwback paint schemes to go with the throwback racetrack. The other throwback scheme was Jeff Gordon's August 2015 Bristol paint scheme, based on the one used from start of his Cup career until 2000.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, North Wilkesboro 160 (North Wilkesboro)
Gordon, the only driver representing Hendrick Motorsports for this round as the four real-life current drivers did not participate, drove in the last real-life Cup Series race at the venue in 1996, which he won. This was Gordon's second race in the PIS after his first one at Talladega. He finished 18th.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, North Wilkesboro 160 (North Wilkesboro)
Another noteworthy participant in this race was Jon Wood, a team principal for Wood Brothers Racing who last drove in NASCAR in 2008. He substituted for Matt DiBenedetto in the No. 21, who took off for this race.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, North Wilkesboro 160 (North Wilkesboro)
In addition to DiBenedetto, Daniel Suárez, and Kurt Busch, all Hendrick Motorsports and Penske drivers did not participate in this race, opting to take a week off to prepare for regular racing to resume the following Sunday with The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Races, North Wilkesboro 160 (North Wilkesboro)
Note: Kyle Busch and Bobby Labonte both used the No. 18 in this race. On the official race results, Labonte was listed as the No. 018 to differentiate the two.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Rule changes
After cars were allowed two resets if they became damaged during the race at Homestead, it was decreased to only one reset allowed for the Texas race.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Rule changes
Not all Cup Series drivers were locked into the main event at Texas, as Joey Gase, Brennan Poole, and J. J. Yeley were placed in the qualifying race and had to attempt to race their way in.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Rule changes
The Saturday Night Thunder race from Bristol used gen-4 (old style) ARCA cars. This changed for the next one of those races at Richmond, where Xfinity Series cars were used.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Media
It was announced that Fox, which normally carries this part of the NASCAR's racing season, would broadcast all iRacing Pro Invitational Series events, which fall in a portion of the timeslots where the actual races would have been at. Fox's booth announcers Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon broadcast from Fox's NASCAR studio in Charlotte, North Carolina, which would also serve as the broadcast headquarters for main booth commentators (who did not travel to the racetracks) when real-life competition resumed.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Media
The Saturday Night Thunder races and the qualifying race for the race at Texas were not televised on Fox and were instead livestreamed on NASCAR's YouTube channel, and the commentators for the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series events, play-by-play Evan Posocco, and color commentators Tim Terry and Justin Prince, served as the broadcast team for those races.


2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, Media, Television viewership
903,000 viewers watched the first race at Homestead, while 1,339,000 watched the second race at Texas. These races became the most-watched eSports broadcasts ever.


2020 elections in India
Elections in India in 2020 will include by-elections to the Lok Sabha, elections to the Rajya Sabha for 73 Seats, elections to state legislative assemblies of 3 states and numerous other by-elections to state legislative assemblies, councils and local bodies.


2020 end-of-year rugby union internationals
The 2020 end of year rugby union tests, also referred to as the 2020 Autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, are a number of rugby union test matches scheduled to be contested approximately during the months of October, November and December 2020, primarily involving countries from the Northern Hemisphere hosting those from the Southern Hemisphere. Also involved in matches were those from second-tier teams. These international games counted towards World Rugby's ranking system, with a team typically playing from two to four matches during this period.


2020 end-of-year rugby union internationals
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing a delay or cancellation of all nations' matches, a different format is being developed for this year. The Autumn Nations Cup, an eight-team tournament involving England, Fiji, France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, will replace the scheduled matches. Also as a result of the pandemic, this year's fixtures will incorporate postponed matches from the Six Nations Championship and Rugby Europe Championship, the annual South American Championship and all matches from Tri Nations Series.


2020 end-of-year rugby union internationals, Fixtures, Bledisloe Cup – Part 1
Assistant referees:Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)Angus Gardner (Australia)Television match official:Mike Fraser (New Zealand)


2020 end-of-year rugby union internationals, Fixtures, Bledisloe Cup – Part 2
Assistant referees:Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)Paul Williams (New Zealand)Television match official:Mike Fraser (New Zealand)


2020 end-of-year rugby union internationals, Fixtures, 23–25 October
Assistant referees:Mathieu Raynal (France)Ben Whitehouse (Wales)Television match official:Marius Mitrea (Italy)


2020 end-of-year rugby union internationals, Fixtures, 23–25 October
Assistant referees:Frank Murphy (Ireland)Ian Tempest (England)Television match official:Brian MacNeice (Ireland)


2020 end-of-year rugby union internationals, Fixtures, 5 December
Assistant referees:Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)Daniel Waenga (New Zealand)Television match official:Lee Jeffrey (New Zealand)


2020 extraordinary G20 summit on COVID-19
The extraordinary G20 summit on COVID-19 is a G20 leaders' summit was held virtually via a video conference on 26 March 2020. The extraordinary G20 summit was called and chaired by King Salman of Saudi Arabia to support a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 extraordinary G20 summit on COVID-19, Participating leaders
South AfricaCyril Ramaphosa, President   2020 Chairperson of the African Union


2020 extraordinary G20 summit on COVID-19, Participating leaders
European UnionUrsula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission


2020 extraordinary G20 summit on COVID-19, Participating leaders, Invited guests
United Arab Emirates Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President   2020 Chairperson of the Gulf Cooperation Council


2020 extraordinary G20 summit on COVID-19, Participating leaders, Invited guests
Vietnam Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, Prime Minister   2020 Chairperson of Association of Southeast Asian Nations


2020 extraordinary G20 summit on COVID-19, Statement
These are the outlines of the summit's statement on COVID-19:


2020 group
The 2020 group is a grouping of around 40 centre-right Conservative MPs.


2020 group
The 2020 group was set up by Greg Barker and George Freeman in 2011 to provide a Parliamentary forum for Conservative MPs from the progressive centre ground. Seeking to draw on the career experiences and insights of newly elected MPs, and focusing on the longer-term social and economic changes and challenges confronting the intake - rather than the traditional 'silos' of Whitehall portfolios - the group sought to develop a number of policy 'themes' and ideas. Some of these ideas were later represented in the 2015 Conservative Manifesto.


2020 group
In its mission statement, the group claims that two of the most urgent problems facing the United Kingdom - the need to "unleash more enterprise and innovation" across the economy, and to tackle "entrenched welfarism and social inequality" - are fundamentally linked. It advocates an Enterprise Economy in partnership with greater Social Mobility, praising the role of technology and enterprise in creating new opportunities to tackle these issues and rejecting "the stale dogmas of both old left and right in the search for solutions for our generation".


2020 group
Re -elected with a Conservative majority in 2015, the group continues to develop themes for the new intake of Conservative MPs, defining what its calls "a One Nation Conservatism for the 21st Century".


2020 group
The Group was described by Michael Crick as a "Cameron supporters club" when David Cameron was Prime Minister. They were reported as planning to start a website to challenge Conservative Home.


2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards
The 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards were originally scheduled to take place on March 29, 2020. The ceremony was to be hosted by Usher and air on Fox. Online listener voting on all categories continued as previously scheduled until March 23, with the Best Fan Army category remaining open for voting until March 27. The event was subsequently cancelled on August 24, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and winners were revealed on September 4 to 7, 2020. Following the cancellation, Usher would subsequently host the 2021 ceremony on May 27, 2021 instead.


2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards
The most awarded artist was Billie Eilish with four. The most nominated artists were Eilish and Shawn Mendes with seven each, followed by Taylor Swift and Camila Cabello who tied with six.


2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
The ceremony was originally to take place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, which was scheduled on March 29, 2020. On March 12, due to the state of California restricting gatherings to 250 people in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which it had already declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and has cancelled scores of television events through March into July, along with postponing the ACM Awards and Billboard Music Awards. On the morning of March 16, iHeartMedia announced the ceremony's official postponement.


2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Half of the ceremony's original March 29 timeslot was retained by iHeartMedia, with both them and Fox then promoting a series of musical performances from several popular artists and bands performing from home via video and teleconferencing platforms compiled together as the iHeart Living Room Concert for America hosted by Elton John, along with charitable appeals for Feeding America and the First Responders Children's Foundation. The program also aired over a number of iHeartRadio stations nationwide, and was simulcast on Fox Sports 1/2, Fox Soccer Plus, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, the Big Ten Network, and Fox Deportes. On August 24, 2020, it was announced that the ceremony had been cancelled and that the winners would be announced through the iHeartRadio stations over Labor Day weekend.


2020 in 100 metres
2020 in 100 metres lists the World Best Year Performance in the year 2020 in both the men's and the women's 100 metres.


2020 in Abkhazian football
The 2020 season is the 22nd season of competitive association football in Abkhazia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat
The year 2020 is the 8th year in the history of the Absolute Championship Akhmat, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Russia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 104: Goncharov vs. Vakhaev
Absolute Championship Akhmat 104: Goncharov vs. Vakhaev was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on February 21, 2020 at the Basket-Hall in Krasnodar, Russia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 104: Goncharov vs. Vakhaev, Background
An ACA Heavyweight Championship bout between current champion Evgeniy Goncharov and former champion Mukhumat Vakhaev served as the ACA 104 main event. The pairing were supposed to have met previously in March 2018 at ACA 94, but Vakhaev was unable to compete due to health problems.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 105: Shakhbulatov vs. Oliveira
Absolute Championship Akhmat 105: Shakhbulatov vs. Oliveira was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on March 6, 2020 at the Almaty Arena in Almaty, Kazakhstan.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 105: Shakhbulatov vs. Oliveira, Background
This event featured a title fight for the vacant ACA Bantamweight Championship between the Russian Shamil Shakhbulatov and the Brazilian Daniel Oliveira as headliner.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 106: Frolov vs. Magomedov
Absolute Championship Akhmat 106: Frolov vs. Magomedov was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat. The event was initially scheduled to be held on March 24, 2020 at the Sibur Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia, but it was postponed to July 11, 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 106: Frolov vs. Magomedov, Background
This event was headlined by former M-1 Middleweight Champion Artem Frolov and Ibragim Magomedov.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 106: Frolov vs. Magomedov, Background
A welterweight bout between Magomedsaygid Alibekov and Georgiy Kichigin was scheduled for the co-main event of the evening. However, Kichigin was pulled from the event after testing positive for COVID-19. The welterweight bout between Andrey Koshkin and Mark Hulme was also scheduled for the main card, but Hulme was unable to compete due to visa issues. Alibekov and Koshkin faced each other in the co main event.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 107: Emelianenko vs. Ismailov
Absolute Championship Akhmat 107: Emelianenko vs. Ismailov was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on July 24, 2020 in Sochi, Russia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 107: Emelianenko vs. Ismailov, Background
The event was initially planned to be held on April 7, 2020 at the VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia, but was postponed to July 24 due to the coronavirus outbreak.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 107: Emelianenko vs. Ismailov, Background
Kurban Taigibov was set to fight against Ramazan Kishev, but Kishev had to withdraw due to an injury. As a result of this, promotion officials rescheduled the bout for ACA 110 event September 5, 2020.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 107: Emelianenko vs. Ismailov, Background
Alexey Shaposhnikov and Sheikh-Mansur Khabibulaev dropped out of the card due to injury. Their rivals Aren Hakobyan and Ruslan Abiltarov faced each other on the prelims card.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 108: Galiev vs. Adaev
Absolute Championship Akhmat 108: Galiev vs. Adaev was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat. The event was initially scheduled to be held on April 24, 2020 at the Arena COS Torwar in Warsaw, Poland, but due to the coronavirus outbreak it was postponed to August 8, 2020 in Russia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 109: Strus vs. Haratyk
Absolute Championship Akhmat 109: Strus vs. Haratyk was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on August 20, 2020 in Poland.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 110: Bagov vs. Abdulaev
Absolute Championship Akhmat 110: Bagov vs. Abdulaev was be a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on September 5, 2020 at the Krylatskoye Sports Palace in Moscow, Russia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 111: Abdulvakhabov vs. Sarnavskiy
Absolute Championship Akhmat 111: Abdulvakhabov vs. Sarnavskiy was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on September 19, 2020 at the Krylatskoye Sports Palace in Moscow, Russia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 112: Oliveira vs. Dudaev
Absolute Championship Akhmat 112: Oliveira vs. Dudaev was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on October 4, 2020 at the Sports Hall Coliseum  in Grozny, Russia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 113: Kerefov vs. Gadzhiev
Absolute Championship Akhmat 113: Kerefov vs. Gadzhiev was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on November 6, 2020 at the VTB Arena  in Moscow, Russia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 113: Kerefov vs. Gadzhiev, Background
The main event of the evening was supposed to feature a title bout between the ACA Featherweight Champion Felipe Froes and the challenger Magomedrasul Khasbulaev, but it was reported that Khasbulaev has been forced out of the bout due to a leg injury. As a result, the fight was canceled.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 114: Omielańczuk vs. Johnson
Absolute Championship Akhmat 114: Omielańczuk vs. Johnson was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on November 26, 2020 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Lodz in Łódź, Poland.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 114: Omielańczuk vs. Johnson, Background
Vazha Tsiptauri was set to fight with Tomáš Deák but he has to withdraw a week before the fight when he tested positive for COVID-19. The Finns Mikael Silander replaces Tsiptauri, takes short notice fight against Deák.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 115: Ismailov vs. Shtyrkov
Absolute Championship Akhmat 115: Ismailov vs. Shtyrkov was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on December 12, 2020 at the VTB Arena  in Moscow, Russia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 116: Froes vs Balaev
Absolute Championship Akhmat 116: Froes vs Balaev was a mixed martial arts event held by Absolute Championship Akhmat on December 18, 2020 at the VTB Arena  in Moscow, Russia.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 116: Froes vs Balaev, Background
ACA featherweight world champion Felipe Froes missed weight ahead of his fight against Marat Balaev and will not be eligible to retain the belt even if he wins. Felipe Froes was 0.7 kilograms over the limit. The fight will proceed with only Balaev, who weighed-in at 66 kg is eligible to win the title with a victory. If Froes wins the fight, the title will become vacant.


2020 in Absolute Championship Akhmat, ACA 116: Froes vs Balaev, Background
Brett Cooper was scheduled to face Beslan Isaev in a welterweight bout. However, after making weight, he consulted with his lawyers and decided to refuse fighting because of the U.S. Department of Treasury and Great Britain's sanctions policy against Kadyrov and any organization owned by him, this including Absolute Championship Akhmat. Under these sanctions, it is illegal for any US citizen to do business with any of these entities, meaning that all American fighters could face fines or jail time if they fight for the organization.


2020 in African music
The following is a list of events and releases that happened in 2020 in African music.


2020 in American football, National Football League
Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers  31 - 20


2020 in American music
The following is a list of events and releases that happened in 2020 in music in the United States.


2020 in American soccer
The 2020 season was the 108th season of competitive soccer in the United States. Many of the competitions were significantly altered, postponed, or cancelled in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 in American soccer, National teams, Men's, Senior
Goals are current as of December 9, 2020, after the match against  El Salvador.


2020 in American soccer, National teams, Men's, U–20
The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Honduras between 20 June and 5 July 2020. However, on 13 May 2020, CONCACAF announced the decision to postpone the tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the new dates of the tournament to be confirmed later.


2020 in American soccer, National teams, Women's, Senior
The draw for the tournament was on 7 November 2019, 14:30 EST (UTC−5), at the Mediapro Studio in Miami, Florida, United States.


2020 in American soccer, National teams, Women's, Senior
Goals are current as of November 27, 2020, after the match against  Netherlands.


2020 in American soccer, Club competitions, Men's, League competitions
Note: the table below has no impact on playoff qualification and is used solely for determining host of the MLS Cup, certain CCL spots, the Supporters' Shield trophy, seeding in the 2021 Canadian Championship, and 2021 MLS draft. The conference tables are the sole determinant for teams qualifying for the playoffs.


2020 in American soccer, Club competitions, Men's, League competitions
Note: The higher-seeded team hosted matches in the first three rounds. The team with the better regular season record hosted the final. Source:


2020 in American soccer, Club competitions, Men's, League competitions
Renamed from United Soccer League (USL) after the 2018 season


2020 in American soccer, Club competitions, Men's, League competitions
Bold = winner* = after extra time, ( ) = penalty shootout scoreSource:


2020 in American soccer, Club competitions, Men's, Cup competitions
Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic across the world, U.S. Soccer's Open Cup Committee has temporarily suspended the 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer's National Championship.


2020 in American soccer, Club competitions, Men's, International competitions
Major League Soccer announced the cancellation of the tournament on May 19, 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 in American soccer, Club competitions, Women's, League competitions
The NWSL announced the full schedule of the Fall Series on September 3, 2020. One day later, the NWSL announced that the winners of the Fall Series will receive the Verizon Community Shield and a grant of $25,000 to present to their chosen community partner; $15,000 and $10,000 will be presented to community partners of the second- and third-place teams, respectively.


2020 in American television
For extended information about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the American television industry, see Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States.


2020 in American television
The following is a list of events affecting American television in 2020. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, and cancellations; channel launches, closures, and re-brandings; stations changing or adding their network affiliations; and information about controversies and carriage disputes.


2020 in American television, Television shows, Shows returning in 2020
The following shows will return with new episodes after being canceled or previously ending their run:


2020 in American television, Television shows, Entering syndication in 2020
A list of programs (current or canceled) that have accumulated enough episodes (between 65 and 100) or seasons (three or more) to be eligible for off-network syndication and/or basic cable runs.


2020 in Andorra
Events in the year 2020 in the Principality of Andorra.


2020 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 2020 in Australia.


2020 in Australian literature
This is a list of historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2020.


2020 in Australian literature, Awards and honours
Note: these awards were presented in the year in question.


2020 in Australian television
This is a list of Australian television-related events, debuts, finales, and cancellations that are scheduled to occur in 2020, the 65th year of continuous operation of television in Australia.


2020 in Bangladesh
2020 (MMXX) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2020th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 20th  year of the 3rd millennium, the 20th  year of the 21st century, and the  1st   year of the 2020s decade.


2020 in Bangladesh
The year 2020 was the 49th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It is also the second year of the fourth term of the Government of Sheikh Hasina. This year the entire country celebrated the 100th birthday of its Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The period between 17 March 2020 to 17 March 2021 was announced as the ‘Mujib Borsho (মুজিববর্ষ)’ or the year of Mujib. However, like rest of the world Bangladesh was also severely impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 in Bangladesh, Events, Awards and recognitions, Ekushey Padak
Ekushey Padak was awarded to 20 people and 1 organisation.


2020 in Barbados
This article lists events from the year 2020 in Barbados.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
The year 2020 was the 3rd year in the history of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, a bare-knuckle fighting promotion based in Philadelphia.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Background
2020 season started with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 10: Lombard vs. Riggs. BKFC is available on PPV all over the world and on FITE TV.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 10: Lombard vs. Mundell
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 10: Lombard vs. Mundell was a bare-knuckle fighting event held by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on February 15, 2020 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, USA.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 10: Lombard vs. Mundell, Background
Joe Riggs was scheduled to face Héctor Lombard in the main event, however Riggs suffered an injury in training and withdrew from the fight. David Mundell served as Riggs replacement, taking the short notice fight against Lombard.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 10: Lombard vs. Mundell, Background
This event also featured the first two quarter-final bouts of the Tournament to crown the first BKFC Super welterweight Championship.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 11: Palomino vs. Vallie-Flagg
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 11: Palomino vs. Vallie-Flagg was a bare-knuckle fighting event held by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on July 24, 2020 at the Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena in Oxford, Mississippi, USA.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 11: Palomino vs. Vallie-Flagg, Background
The event was initially scheduled to be held on March 14, 2020 at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, USA. However, the event was postponed until June 20, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then pushed back further to July 24, 2020 and moved to the Lafayette County Arena in Oxford, Mississippi


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 12: Alves vs. Lane
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 12: Alves vs. Lane was a bare-knuckle fighting event held by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on September 11, 2020 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 12: Alves vs. Lane, Background
The event was initially scheduled to be held on April 11, 2020 at the Boutwell Memorial Auditorium in Birmingham, USA. However, the event was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was later rescheduled to take place on August 21, 2020, at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. However, it was then pushed back further to September 11, 2020 and moved to the Ocean Center convention center in Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 12: Alves vs. Lane, Background
Thiago Alves was originally scheduled to face Phil Baroni in the main event. However, on September 3, it was announced Baroni would be replaced by The Ultimate Fighter competitor Julian Lane.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 13: Beltran vs. Stamps
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 13: Beltran vs. Stamps was a bare-knuckle fighting event held by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on October 10, 2020 at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina, Kansas, USA.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 13: Beltran vs. Stamps, Background
The event was headlined by Joey Beltran defending his BKFC Heavyweight Championship against Marcel Stamps.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 14: Palomino vs. Alers
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 14: Palomino vs. Alers was a bare-knuckle fighting event held by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on November 13, 2020 at the InterContinental Miami in Miami, Florida.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 14: Palomino vs. Alers, Background
The event was expected to be headlined by recent signee Paige VanZant. However, the fight never materialized.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 14: Palomino vs. Alers, Background
Instead, the card was headlined by Luis Palomino defending the BKFC Super Welterweight Championship against Jim Alers.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 15: Shewmaker vs. O'Bannon
'Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 15: Shewmaker vs. O'Bannon' was a bare-knuckle boxing event held by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on December 11, 2020 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi, USA.


2020 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 15: Shewmaker vs. O'Bannon, Background
The promotion was targeting a Heavyweight bout between MMA veterant Mark Godbeer and Sam Shewmaker to headline the event. However, it was announced on December 6 that Godbeer was pulled from the contest after he tested positive for COVID-19. Undefeated heavyweight Bobo O'Bannon stepped up on a few days' notice to fight Shewmaker in the main-event.


2020 in Bellator MMA
2020 in Bellator MMA was the twelfth year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 18 events in 2020.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Background
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Bellator would go on hiatus after its 240th numbered event on February 22, 2020. The promotion would resume holding events with Bellator 242 on July 24.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Background
On September 11, 2020, it was announced that Bellator telecasts would move to CBS Sports Network, starting October 1, after Viacom's re-merger with CBS Corporation in 2019. Prior to the announcement, CBS Sports Network debuted the recap series Bellator MMA: Recharged on April 25, 2020.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Background
Bellator 248, which was held on October 10, would be the first MMA event to be held by a major promotion in France since the sport was legalized in January.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 238
Bellator 238: Budd vs. Cyborg took place on January 25, 2020 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The event aired live on DAZN.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 238
The event featured a Bellator Women's Featherweight World Championship bout between the champion Julia Budd and former Strikeforce, Invicta, and UFC champion Cris Cyborg.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 239
Bellator 239: Ruth vs. Amosov took place on February 21, 2020 at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 239
The event featured a welterweight bout between Ed Ruth and undefeated Yaroslav Amosov.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Dublin 2/Bellator 240
Bellator Dublin/Bellator 240 took place on February 22, 2020 at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Dublin 2/Bellator 240
This was the first event of the second year of the Bellator European Series. The event was to be headlined by a bantamweight bout between James Gallagher and Cal Ellenor. However, on February 4, it was announced that Gallagher pulled out of the event due to a back injury, thus a women's featherweight bout between Leah McCourt and Judith Ruis was bumped to the main event.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Dublin 2/Bellator 240
The fights billed as Bellator 240 will be held on tape-delay on Paramount Network and DAZN and will feature a lightweight bout between former Bellator Lightweight World Champion Brent Primus and Peter Queally. However, Queally pulled out due to injury. Primus instead fought Chris Bungard.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 241 (Cancelled)
Bellator 241: Pitbull vs. Carvalho was a scheduled event to take place on March 13, 2020 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event was scheduled to be live on DAZN.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 241 (Cancelled)
The event was expected to feature a Bellator Featherweight World Championship bout between the champion Patrício Freire and Pedro Carvalho.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 241 (Cancelled)
A heavyweight between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett and Ronny Markes was expected for the event. The original meeting was scheduled for Bellator 235, but Barnett was pulled out an hour before the fight due to illness and the fight was rebooked for this event. Reports came out stating that Barnett was pulled due to a failed drug test, but Mike Mazzulli, head of the Mohegan Tribe Athletic Department, announced that the reports were false. However on March 4, it was announced that Barnett was officially off the card, which Mazzulli announced that a failed medical test was the reason for Barnett's removal and Bellator then announced that Matt Mitrione would replace Barnett against Markes.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 241 (Cancelled)
On March 13, the day of the event, Bellator President Scott Coker announced that the event would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 242 (Cancelled)
Bellator 242: Bader vs. Nemkov was a scheduled event to take place on May 9, 2020 at SAP Center in San Jose, California. The event was scheduled to be live on Paramount Network and DAZN.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 242 (Cancelled)
The event was expected to feature a Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship bout between the champion Ryan Bader and Vadim Nemkov.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 242 (Cancelled)
On March 30, Bellator announced that the event would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator London 3 (Cancelled)
Bellator London: Gallagher vs. Ellenor was a scheduled event to take place on May 16, 2020 at SSE Arena in London, England as part of the Bellator European Fight Series. The event was scheduled to be live on Channel 5.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator London 3 (Cancelled)
The event was expected to feature a bantamweight bout between rivals James Gallagher and Cal Ellenor.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator London 3 (Cancelled)
On March 30, Bellator announced that the event would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 243 (Cancelled)
Bellator 243: Carmouche vs. Bohm was a scheduled event to take place on May 29, 2020 at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. The event was scheduled to be live on Paramount Network and DAZN.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 243 (Cancelled)
The event was expected to feature a women's flyweight bout between former UFC title contender Liz Carmouche and Mandy Bohm.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 243 (Cancelled)
On March 30, Bellator announced that the event would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 244 (Cancelled)
Bellator 244: Chandler vs. Henderson 2 was a scheduled event to take place on June 6, 2020 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The event was scheduled to be live on DAZN.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 244 (Cancelled)
The event was expected to feature a rematch between former Bellator world champion Michael Chandler and former UFC and WEC world champion Benson Henderson, with Chandler having won the first bout.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 244 (Cancelled)
Additionally, a semi-final matchup in the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix between former bantamweight champ Darrion Caldwell and A.J. McKee was scheduled for the card.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 244 (Cancelled)
On April 21, Bellator announced that the event would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 242
Bellator 242: Bandejas vs. Pettis took place on July 24, 2020 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 242
Bellator 242 marked the organization's return to live events following a shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was held behind closed doors without fans in attendance.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 243
Chandler vs. Henderson 2 was initially scheduled to take place at Bellator 244 on June 6, 2020 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. However, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was announced that the bout was rescheduled as the main event of Bellator 243 set to take place on August 7 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 243
The event featured a lightweight rematch between former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler and former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. To set up for Bellator Lightweight Title contention.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 244
Bader vs. Nemkov was initially scheduled to take place at Bellator 242 on May 9, 2020 at SAP Center in San Jose, California. However, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was announced that the bout was rescheduled as the main event for Bellator 244 set to take place on August 21 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 244
The event featured a men's light heavyweight championship match between the current two-division champion Ryan Bader and the number one contender Vadim Nemkov.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 245
Bellator 245: Davis vs. Machida II took place on September 11, 2020 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 245
The event featured a light heavyweight bout between former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion Phil Davis and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida. The two previously met at UFC 163 where Davis won by a controversial split decision.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 246
Bellator 246: Archuleta vs. Mix took place on September 12, 2020 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 246
The event featured a bout for the vacant Bellator Bantamweight World Championship between former featherweight title challenger Juan Archuleta and Patchy Mix.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 246
At the weigh-ins, DeAnna Bennett and Keoni Diggs both missed weight for their respective bouts. Bennett weighed in at 131.7 pounds, 5.7 pounds over the non-title flyweight limit of 126.0 pounds, and Diggs weighed in at 157 pounds, 1 pound over the non-title lightweight limit of 156 pounds. Both bouts proceeded at catchweights and both fighters were fined a percentage of their respective purses, a percentage that went to their opponents.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 246
This would be the last Bellator event to air on Paramount Network.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Milan 2
Bellator Milan: Edwards vs. van Steenis was a mixed martial arts event scheduled for September 26, 2020 from Milan, Italy and marked the organization's eighth European Series event.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Milan 2
The event aired on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom and featured a middleweight bout between Fabian Edwards and Costello van Steenis.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 247
Bellator 247: Jackson vs. Kielholtz was a mixed martial arts event held on October 1, 2020 from Milan, Italy.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 247
This was the first Bellator MMA event to air on CBS Sports Network.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 247
The event was expected to feature a welterweight bout between Paul Daley and Derek Anderson. The day of the weigh-ins, Daley notified Bellator officials that he would not make weight. Daley weighed in anyway, 2.5 pounds over the welterweight weight limit of 171 lb. Daley was hospitalized and Bellator announced that the bout was canceled. The women's flyweight bout between Kate Jackson and Denise Kielholtz was bumped to the main event.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Dublin 3 (Cancelled)
Bellator Dublin: Queally vs. Pitbull was supposed to take place on October 3, 2020 at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Dublin 3 (Cancelled)
The event was cancelled by Bellator as they announced an event for October 1.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Dublin 3 (Cancelled)
The event was supposed feature a lightweight bout between Peter Queally and  Patricky Freire.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Milan 3
Bellator Milan: Gallagher vs. Ellenor took place on October 3, 2020 at Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy as the ninth event in the Bellator European Series. The event will be live on Channel 5 in the UK.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Milan 3
The event featured a bantamweight bout between rivals James Gallagher and Cal Ellenor.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Paris/Bellator 248
Bellator Paris/Bellator 248 was a mixed martial arts event scheduled for October 10, 2020 from Paris, France. It was the first major MMA event held in France since the sport was legalized back in January.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Paris/Bellator 248
This was the first event where a leading MMA organization held a live event in front of a paying audience in France. One thousand tickets were made available and were all sold out within 48 hours.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Paris/Bellator 248
The Bellator Paris portion of the card aired on Channel 5 and featured a heavyweight bout between former title challenger Cheick Kongo and Timothy Johnson. The two previously met at Bellator 208 where Kongo won by knockout the first round.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator Paris/Bellator 248
The Bellator 248 portion of the card aired on CBS Sports Network and will feature a welterweight bout between Michael Page and former Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion Ross Houston. The bout was later updated to a 175-pound catchweight contest.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 249
Bellator 249: Cyborg vs. Blencowe was a mixed martial arts event held on October 15, 2020 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. This event aired live on CBS Sports Network.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 249
The event featured a Bellator Women's Featherweight World Championship bout between the champion Cris Cyborg and former title challenger Arlene Blencowe.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 249
A middleweight prelim bout between Curtis Millender and Joe Schilling was canceled after it was revealed by Schilling that one of his cornermen tested positive for COVID-19.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 249
A catchweight bout between Patricky Freire and Jeleel Willis was scheduled to be the co-main event of the event. However, the bout was removed from the card when the Mohegan Tribal Athletic Commission deemed Freire unable to compete due to what was termed an undisclosed medical issue.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 250
Bellator 250: Mousasi vs. Lima was a mixed martial arts event held on October 29, 2020 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. This event aired live on CBS Sports Network.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 250
The event featured a bout for the vacant Bellator Middleweight World Championship between current Bellator Welterweight World Champion Douglas Lima and former Bellator middleweight world champion Gegard Mousasi.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 250
Nick Newell was scheduled to face Zachary Zane in a lightweight bout and Veta Arteaga was scheduled to Desiree Yanez in a women's flyweight bout. However, both bouts where cancelled when Newell and Arteaga tested positive for COVID-19.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 251
Bellator 251: Manhoef vs. Anderson was a mixed martial arts event that took place on November 5, 2020 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. This event aired live on CBS Sports Network.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 251
The event featured a light heavyweight main event between Melvin Manhoef and UFC veteran Corey Anderson.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 252
Bellator 252: Pitbull vs. Carvalho was a mixed martial arts event held on November 12, 2020 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. This event aired live on CBS Sports Network.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 252
The event featured a Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix Quarter-Final bout for the Bellator Featherweight World Championship between the champion Patricio Freire and Pedro Carvalho. The bout was originally booked for Bellator 241, but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 253
Bellator 253: Caldwell vs. McKee was a mixed martial arts event scheduled for November 19, 2020 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. This event aired live on CBS Sports Network.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 253
The event featured a Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix Semi-Final bout between Darrion Caldwell and A.J. McKee.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 254
Bellator 254: Macfarlane vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held on December 10, 2020 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. This event aired live on CBS Sports Network.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 254
The event featured a Women's Flyweight main event for the Bellator Women's Flyweight World Championship between Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and Juliana Velasquez.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 254
At weigh ins, Goiti Yamauchi weighed in at 162.8 pounds, 6.8 pounds over the lightweight limit. The bout against PFL veteran, Nate Andrews was cancelled. Mohegan Sun commission head, Mike Mazzulli, said that from now on Yamauchi will be required to fight at Welterweight, 170 pounds.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 254
A women's featherweight bout between Marina Mokhnatkina and Jessica Borga was scheduled for this event but cancelled a week before for unknown reasons.


2020 in Bellator MMA, Bellator 254
This would be the last card to air on CBS Sports Network; all Bellator cards will air exclusively on Showtime beginning in April 2021.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation
The year 2020 is the 5th year in the history of the Brave Combat Federation, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Bahrain.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, 2020-2021 BRAVE CF Flyweight Tournament, BRAVE CF Flyweight Tournament bracket
1Zach Makovsky got a Quarterfinal bye as Abdul Hussein pulled out due to illness during the weightcut.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, 2020-2021 BRAVE CF Flyweight Tournament, BRAVE CF Flyweight Tournament bracket
2First bout between Torres and Sean Santella ended in a draw at Brave CF 42; Santella was replaced for the rematch by Blaine O’Driscoll due to injury and the bout was held at the Catchweight of 61 kgs


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 34: Slovenia
Brave CF 34: Slovenia (also known as WFC 24: Caged) was a mixed martial arts event held by Brave Combat Federation in partnership with World Freefight Challenge on January 19, 2020 at the Hala Tivoli in Ljubljana, Slovenia.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 35
BRAVE CF 35  was a mixed martial arts event held by Brave Combat Federation in partnership with Real Xtreme Fighting that took place on July 20, 2020 at the Berăria H in Bucharest, Romania.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 36
BRAVE CF 36  was a mixed martial arts event scheduled held by Brave Combat Federation in partnership with Real Xtreme Fighting that took place on July 27, 2020 at the Berăria H in Bucharest, Romania.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 37
Brave CF 37  was a mixed martial arts event scheduled to be held by Brave Combat Federation in co-promotion with Bulldog Fight Night on August 1, 2020, in Stockholm, Sweden.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 38
Brave CF 38  was a mixed martial arts event scheduled to be held by Brave Combat Federation in co-promotion with Bulldog Fight Night on August 8, 2020, in Stockholm, Sweden.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 39
Brave CF 39  was a mixed martial arts event scheduled to be held by Brave Combat Federation in co-promotion with Bulldog Fight Night on August 15, 2020, in Stockholm, Sweden.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 40
Brave CF 40  was a mixed martial arts event scheduled to be held by Brave Combat Federation in co-promotion with Bulldog Fight Night on August 24, 2020, in Stockholm, Sweden.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 41
Brave CF 41  was a mixed martial arts event scheduled to be held by Brave Combat Federation on September 17, 2020, in Riffa, Bahrain.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 42
Brave CF 42  was a mixed martial arts event scheduled to be held by Brave Combat Federation on September 24, 2020, in Riffa, Bahrain.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 43
Brave CF 43  was a mixed martial arts event scheduled to be held by Brave Combat Federation on October 01, 2020, in Riffa, Bahrain.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 44
Brave CF 44  was a mixed martial arts event scheduled to be held by Brave Combat Federation on November 05, 2020, in Riffa, Bahrain.


2020 in Brave Combat Federation, Brave CF 45
Brave CF 45  was a mixed martial arts event scheduled to be held by Brave Combat Federation on November 19, 2020, in Riffa, Bahrain.


2020 in Brazilian football
The following article presents a summary of the 2020 football (soccer) season in Brazil, which is the 119th season of competitive football in the country.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A started on August 8, 2020, and ended on February 25, 2021.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Relegation
The four worst placed teams, Vasco da Gama, Goiás, Coritiba and Botafogo, were relegated to the following year's second level.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
The 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B started on August 7, 2020, and ended on January 29, 2021.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, Promotion
The four best placed teams, Chapecoense, América Mineiro, Juventude and Cuiabá, were promoted to the following year's first level.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, Relegation
The four worst placed teams, Figueirense, Paraná, Botafogo-SP and Oeste, were relegated to the following year's third level.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
The 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C started on August 8, 2020, and ended on January 30, 2021.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série C final was played between Vila Nova and Remo.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, Promotion
The four best placed teams, Vila Nova, Remo, Londrina and Brusque, were promoted to the following year's second level.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, Relegation
The four worst placed teams, Treze, São Bento, Boa Esporte and Imperatriz, were relegated to the following year's fourth level.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série D
The 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D started on September 6, 2020, and ended on February 6, 2021.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série D
CRAC, Luverdense, Patrocinense, and Red Bull Brasil declined to participate in the Série D. They were replaced by Aparecidense, Sinop, Villa Nova, and Mirassol, respectively.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série D
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série D final was played between Mirassol and Floresta.


2020 in Brazilian football, Campeonato Brasileiro Série D, Promotion
The four best placed teams, Mirassol, Floresta, Novorizontino and Altos, were promoted to the following year's third level.


2020 in Brazilian football, Super cup, Supercopa do Brasil
The 2020 Supercopa do Brasil was played on February 16, 2020 between Flamengo and Athletico Paranaense.


2020 in Brazilian football, Domestic cups, Copa do Brasil
The 2020 Copa do Brasil started on February 5, 2020, and ended on March 7, 2021. The Copa do Brasil final was played between Palmeiras and Grêmio.


2020 in Brazilian football, Domestic cups, Copa do Nordeste
The competition features 16 clubs from the Northeastern region. It started on January 21, 2020, and ended on August 4, 2020.The Copa do Nordeste final was played between Ceará and Bahia.


2020 in Brazilian football, Domestic cups, Copa Verde
The competition featured 24 clubs from the North and Central-West regions, including two teams from Espírito Santo. It started on 20 January 2021, and ended on 24 February 2021. The Copa Verde final was played between Brasiliense and Remo.


2020 in Brazilian football, Youth competition champions
(1) The Copa Nacional do Espírito Santo Sub-17, between 2008 and 2012, was named Copa Brasil Sub-17. The similar named Copa do Brasil Sub-17 is organized by the Brazilian Football Confederation and it was first played in 2013.


2020 in Brazilian football, Brazil national team
The following table lists all the games played by the Brazilian national team in official competitions and friendly matches during 2020.


2020 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1
The 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1 started on February 8, 2020, and ended on December 6, 2020.


2020 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1
After the tournament suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Audax and Iranduba started a temporary partnership with Juventus and 3B da Amazônia, respectively.


2020 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1 final was played between Corinthians and Kindermann/Avaí.


2020 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1, Relegation
The four worst placed teams, Iranduba, Audax, Ponte Preta and Vitória, were relegated to the following year's second level.


2020 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A2
The 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A2 started on March 14, 2020, and ended on January 31, 2021.


2020 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A2
São Raimundo (RR) were excluded by CBF. They were replaced by Fortaleza. Vitória das Tabocas/Santa Cruz declined to participate in the Série A2. They were replaced by Atlético Goianiense.


2020 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A2
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A2 final was played between Napoli and Botafogo.


2020 in Brazilian football, Women's football, Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A2, Promotion
The four best placed teams, Napoli, Botafogo, Bahia and Real Brasília, were promoted to the following year's first level.


2020 in Brazilian football, Women's football, National team
The following table lists all the games played by the Brazil women's national football team in official competitions and friendly matches during 2020.


2020 in Brazilian football, Women's football, National team
The Brazil women's national football team competed in the following competitions in 2020:


2020 in British music
This is a summary of the year 2020 in British music.