2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Background
This, in turn, caused the PH to lose its majority in multiple states which included Perak, where BERSATU joined hands with the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) to form a new government. On 13 March 2020, Faizal was reappointed as chief minister under the new coalition government.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Background
It has been speculated that there was widespread unhappiness within the UMNO regarding their treatment by the BERSATU leadership. Amongst foremost matters within UMNO's Perak chapter was dissatisfaction stemming from the latter's supposed disrespect towards UMNO by allegedly having members from his party dominate the number of appointed positions despite having considerably less assemblymen in the state assembly. According to former BN secretary-general Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, the "final straw" for UMNO was Faizal's unilateral move in October 2020 to appoint Aznel Ibrahim, UMNO's assemblyman for Pengkalan Hulu, as his political secretary without consultation with his party.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Background
Speaker of the Perak State Legislative Assembly Mohamad Zahir Abdul Khalid announced on 30 November 2020 that he received and accepted a 'motion of confidence' from Abdul Manap Hashim (UMNO–Pengkalan Baharu) on the chief minister which will be tabled in the upcoming assembly sitting. Amongst the opposition, the People's Justice Party (PKR) was first to announce that it will not back Faizal in the motion. The Government arranged for this motion to be debated after the presentation of the state government budget on Friday 4 December as an Opposition motion in Government time.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Background
However, emergency motions were filed by Salbiah Mohamed (UMNO–Temenggor) and Lee Chuan How (DAP–Pasir Pinji) to bring forward the vote to before the budget presentation. The bipartisan move prompted Speaker Zahir Khalid to call for a vote to approve the motions. With a final tally of 45–9, the emergency motions were approved and the vote then began.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Vote
The government lost by thirty eight votes. Ahmad Faizal Azumu stated that he did not anticipate that the large majority of assemblymen from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a BN component party, would turn against him.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Vote, National Front
With relations between UMNO and Faizal's BERSATU fractured at the federal level, the move by the former to remove Faizal from office is seen as not only to showcase UMNO's dissatisfaction towards BERSATU, but also a tit-for-tat move following BERSATU's insistence on holding the office of the Sabah chief minister despite UMNO having more assemblymen in that state. Nonetheless, there was a sole UMNO assemblymen who broke party ranks and voted in support of Faizal. Osman Sapian, BERSATU's former Johor chief minister, quickly threatened retaliation in the Johor State Legislative Assembly.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Vote, National Front
Nonetheless, it is expected that the PN–BN government will remain intact with a different assemblyman as chief minister as UMNO's aim was to force through one of its own into the chief minister's office. Three candidates that are rumoured to be considered by UMNO to take the reins includes former chief minister Zambry Abdul Kadir, UMNO's Perak state chairman Saarani Mohammad, and Shahrul Zaman Yahya.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Vote, Alliance of Hope
As the opposition in the assembly, the PH coalition which consisted of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), National Trust Party (AMANAH), and People's Justice Party (PKR), unsurprisingly voted against Faizal. All 24 of PH's assemblymen was confirmed to have voted to have no confidence in Faizal's leadership. Political analysts observed that the vote was likely not a concerted effort between the opposition and UMNO as the PH would have voted similarly regardless as they were unhappy with Faizal's party for triggering the 2020 Malaysian political crisis earlier in 2020. It was also added that the vote can also be seen as the culmination of previous efforts to unseat Faizal that began whilst the latter was still part of the then-PH administration.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Vote, National Alliance
All PN assemblymen, four from BERSATU and three from the PAS, voted in support of Faizal with one abstention.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Vote, Confidence of Supply
Outside of the PN, BN, and PH coalitions, the Perak state legislative assembly consisted of two other assemblymen of which one is from the Malaysian People's Movement Party (GERAKAN) and the other an independent. It can be noted, however, that prior to the 2020 Malaysian political crisis, both of these assemblymen represented the DAP before resigning from their party to continue in the government. Both assemblymen voted in support of Faizal. Following GERAKAN's acceptance into the PN coalition in February 2021, both assemblymen joined BERSATU as associate members in a move that saw GERAKAN losing its sole elected representative to its new ally.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
When a vote of no confidence is passed, the government must either resign and request a dissolution of the assembly from the monarch or allow the monarch to exercise His Majesty's vested power to appoint a new chief minister whom he thinks most likely commands majority support. This was established following decisions made in Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin v Zambry Abdul Kadir which coincidentally resolved the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis concerning the position of the Perak chief minister previously.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
The assembly was not dissolved immediately after the vote, with Faizal choosing against advising the sultan to do so, which, paves the way for the latter to decide on a new chief minister. Nonetheless, Faizal, along with his entire executive council, submitted their resignation to the monarch on 5 December 2020. The resignation of the government was officially accepted the following day as announced by the Comptroller of the Royal Household of Perak.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
In the days following the vote, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah of Perak granted audiences to the following party leaders and politicians to determine the assemblyman with majority support:


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
In a press conference called by PAS's secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, the party publicly stated that they will not participate in efforts to form a new government. The party's Perak state commissioner and Gunung Semanggol assemblyman Razman Zakaria also added that his party will remain committed in retaining a PN-led government in Perak.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
Following increasing speculation that UMNO may look to cooperate with the PH in forming a new government, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man commented that his party was prepared to compromise with its earlier stand of avoiding involvement in moves to form a new government if it ensures that the PH will be prevented from returning to power in the state.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
Unconfirmed reports emerged in the afternoon of 6 December 2020 that UMNO ultimately decided on Saarani Mohammad as their preferred candidate to become the new chief minister. A previously touted candidate for the office, Shahrul Zaman Yahya, posted on his Instagram account the following day that all Perak BN assemblymen reached a consensus to nominate Saarani as their candidate. Simultaneously, a significant development that was rumoured to be gaining traction due to increasing distrust between UMNO and BERSATU was the potential cooperation between long-time political arch-rivals, UMNO and DAP, as noted by former BERSATU supreme council member Abdul Kadir Jasin. Speculation further increased following similar statements released by UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and DAP deputy secretary-general Nga Kor Ming indicating their respective parties' willingness to work with one another.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
Further implications were seen in the southern state of Johor, where the BN–PN government holds a one-seat majority in the assembly. It held its own budget tabling on 6 December 2020, and, saw it passed unanimously. Johor chief minister Hasni Mohammad, who is from UMNO, later revealed that he acceded to the requests from the state opposition to triple their allocation from RM50,000 to 150,000 and provided them with a further one-off "COVID-19 RM50,000 allocation" that was originally only earmarked for government assemblymen. He also called the PH as "strategic partners" in his winding-up speech of the budget tabling which was seen as efforts to prevent BERSATU from exacting revenge. The move was later lauded by state PH leaders whom labelled the state as a "model of bipartisan government".


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
After a PAS central committee meeting on 7 December, its Perak commissioner Razman Zakaria informed the press that he will be seeking an audience with the sultan sometime between 2:30 and 3:00 pm the following day. This was after Saarani publicly remarked that UMNO was open to keeping the status quo of retaining a PN–BN government in Perak. However, it was later learnt that Razman was ordered to cancel his audience by his party's central committee for unknown reasons. Following a flurry of audiences between party leaders and assemblymen from a number of parties with the sultan, the Perak palace announced that as of 5:00 pm on 8 December 2020, there was still no assemblyman that commanded the majority support.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
After a meeting between the presidents of UMNO, PAS and BERSATU at the Parliament of Malaysia on 9 December 2020, the parties' respective secretaries-general released a joint statement affirming their support for Saarani as the next chief minister. Shortly after the decision, PAS and BERSATU assemblymen submitted their statutory declarations (SDs) to the sultan around 4:30 pm. The secretary of BERSATU's Perak branch added that he also submitted SDs from Sivasubramaniam Athinarayanan (GERAKAN–Buntong) and Tronoh assemblyman Paul Yong Choo Kiong, a PN–aligned independent.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
At around 6:00 pm, the Comptroller of the Perak Royal Household, on behalf of the sultan, announced that His Majesty was satisfied that Saarani commanded the majority of the assembly and will therefore be sworn-in as new chief minister at 11:00 am 10 December 2020. The swearing-in ceremony was scheduled to take place at the Iskandariah Palace, Kuala Kangsar.


2020 vote of no confidence in the Faizal Azumu ministry, Aftermath
In March 2021, the sole BERSATU vote that was not in support of Faizal was revealed to be that of Hasnul Zulkarnain Abdul Munaim (BERSATU– Titi Serong). As a result, BERSATU's secretary from its Perak branch confirmed that Zulkarnain has subsequently been expelled from the party effective 20 December 2020.


2020 vote of no confidence in the government of Pedro Sánchez
A motion of no confidence in the Spanish government of Pedro Sánchez was tabled by the far-right party Vox on 29 September 2020, and was debated and voted in the Congress of Deputies between 21 and 22 October 2020. It was the fifth motion of no confidence in Spain since the country's transition to democracy.


2020 vote of no confidence in the government of Pedro Sánchez
The motion was announced by Vox leader Santiago Abascal during a Congress plenary debate on 29 July 2020, justifying it on the basis of an alleged mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain on the part of Sánchez's government. Despite hints at fielding a "prestigious independent candidate", failure in finding a suitable alternative candidate led to the motion's tabling being delayed until late September and in Abascal himself being nominated to defend the party's programme.


2020 vote of no confidence in the government of Pedro Sánchez
No party other than Vox (which commands 52 deputies in the Congress) showed a willingness to support the motion, a fact that, coupled with parliamentary arithmetics—with Spanish right-from-centre parties commanding 153 out of the 176 seats required for it to pass even in the event that they coordinated themselves to support it—meant that it would fail in its attempt to bring down Sánchez's government. With the voting resulting in only 52 deputies in support of the motion to 298 against, it became the least-supported motion of no confidence in Spanish history.


2020 vote of no confidence in the government of Pedro Sánchez, Legal provisions
The Spanish Constitution of 1978 required for motions of no confidence to be proposed by at least one-tenth of the Congress of Deputies—35 out of 350. Following the German model, votes of no confidence in Spain were constructive, so the motion was required to include an alternative candidate for prime minister. For a motion of no confidence to be successful, it had to be passed by an absolute majority in the Congress of Deputies. A minimum period of five days from the motion's registration (dubbed as "cooling period") was required to pass before it could come up for a vote, but no maximum was established. Other parties were entitled to submit alternative motions within the first two days from the registration.


2020 vote of no confidence in the government of Pedro Sánchez, Legal provisions
1. The Congress of Deputies may challenge Government policy by passing a motion of censure by an absolute majority of its members.2. The motion of censure must be proposed by at least one tenth of the Deputies, including a candidate for the office of President of the Government.3. The motion of censure may not be voted on until five days after it has been submitted. During the first two days of this period, alternative motions may be submitted.4. If the motion of censure is not passed by the Congress, its signatories may not submit another during the same session.


2020 vote of no confidence in the government of Pedro Sánchez, Legal provisions
Concurrently, the Prime Minister was barred from dissolving the Cortes Generales and calling a general election while a motion of no confidence was pending. If the motion was successful, the incumbent prime minister and his/her government were required to submit their resignation to the Monarch, while the candidate proposed in the motion was automatically considered to have the confidence of the Congress of Deputies and immediately appointed as prime minister. If unsuccessful, the signatories of the motion were barred from submitting another during the same session.


2020 vote of no confidence in the government of Pedro Sánchez, Legal provisions
The procedure for motions of no confidence was regulated within Articles 175 to 179 of the Standing Orders of the Congress of Deputies, which provided for the debate on the motion starting with its defence by one of the signatory members without any time limitations, to be followed by an also time-unlimited speech by the nominated candidate to explain his/her political programme. Subsequently, spokespeople from the different parliamentary groups in Congress were allowed to speak for thirty minutes, with an opportunity to reply or rectify themselves for ten minutes. Members of the government were allowed to take the floor and speak at any time of their request during the debate.


2020 vote of no confidence in the government of Pedro Sánchez, Events, Party positions
After Vox announced in July 2020 that it would table a motion of no confidence in September, the various parties announced their stances to the motion. Aside of the governing parties—the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and Unidas Podemos—and barring any major position change, it was expected to meet with the opposition of Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), EH Bildu, Together for Catalonia (Junts), the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT), Más País, Commitment Coalition (Compromís), New Canaries (NCa), the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) and Teruel Existe. During the first debate, the Regionalist Party of Cantabria (PRC), the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), the Navarrese People's Union (UPN) and Canarian Coalition (CCa) also announced their negative vote.


2020 vote of no confidence in the government of Pedro Sánchez, Events, Party positions
Citizens (Cs) also announced its 'No' vote to the motion, dubbing it as "the most useless thing in politics". The People's Party (PP) announced that it would not be supporting the motion either, but debated on whether to abstain or vote against it. In the second day of debate, its leader Pablo Casado announced that his party would cast a "No" vote.


2020 Étoile de Bessèges
The 2020 Étoile de Bessèges (transl. Star of Bessèges) was a road cycling stage race that took place between 5 and 9 February 2020. The race is rated as a 2.1 event as part of the 2020 UCI Europe Tour, and was the 50th edition of the Étoile de Bessèges cycling race.


2020 Étoile de Bessèges, Teams
Twenty teams were invited to the race. Of these teams, seven are UCI WorldTour teams, eight are UCI Professional Continental teams, and five are UCI Continental teams. While NTT Pro Cycling entered six riders, every other team submitted seven. Of the 139 riders who started the race, 114 riders finished.


2020 Úrvalsdeild
The 2020 Úrvalsdeild karla, also known as Pepsi-deild karla for sponsorship reasons, was the 109th season of top-flight Icelandic football. Twelve teams contested the league, including the defending champions KR, who won their 27th league title in 2019.


2020 Úrvalsdeild
The season was scheduled to begin on 22 April 2020 and conclude on 26 September 2020, however this was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition was suspended on 7 October and abandoned on 30 October 2020. The standings based on the average number of points per matches played for each team were considered final and used to determine the champions, European spots and relegation.


2020 Úrvalsdeild, Teams
The 2020 Úrvalsdeild is contested by twelve teams, ten of which played in the division the previous year and two teams promoted from 1. deild karla. The bottom two teams from the previous season, Grindavík and ÍBV, were relegated to the 2020 1. deild karla and were replaced by Grótta and Fjölnir, champions and runners-up of the 2019 1. deild karla respectively.


2020 Úrvalsdeild, Results
Each team was originally scheduled to play home and away once against every other team for a total of 22 games each.


2020 Úrvalsdeild kvenna (football)
The 2020 Úrvalsdeild kvenna was the 49th season of the women's association football highest division league in Iceland. Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic the season started late on 12 June 2020. Valur were the defending champions after claiming the 2019 championship.


2020 Úrvalsdeild kvenna (football)
On 30 October 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was abandoned with just two rounds of matches left to be played. Breiðablik were declared champions, claiming their 18th Úrvalsdeild championship. The top two teams of the league at the time of the abandonment based on the average number of points per game played, Breiðablik and Valur, were selected to play in the 2021–22 UEFA Women's Champions League by the Football Association of Iceland, likewise the last two teams relegating to the 1.deild kvenna.


2020 Úrvalsdeild kvenna (football), Teams
The 2020 Úrvalsdeild kvenna was contested by 10 teams, eight of which played in the division the previous season and two promoted from the 2019 1. deild kvenna. The bottom two teams from the previous season, Keflavík and HK/Vikingur were relegated to the 1. deild kvenna and were replaced by Þróttur and FH, the winner and runners-up of the 2019 1. deild kvenna respectively.


2020 Ýokary Liga
The 2020 Turkmenistan Higher League (Ýokary Liga) season is the 28th season Turkmenistan's professional football league, the highest football league competition in Turkmenistan. Altyn Asyr are the defending champions from the 2019 campaign.


2020 Ýokary Liga, Season events
On 23 March 2020, the league was suspended. It resumed on 19 April.


2020 Ýokary Liga, Season events
On August 17, all tournaments under the auspices of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan were suspended again.


2020 Ýokary Liga, Teams and clubs locations
In February 2020, the Turkmenistan Football Federation announced that the season would involve 8 teams, with there being 112 matches in four rounds. The teams consist of FC Altyn Asyr, FC Ashgabat, FC Ahal, FC Shagadam, FC Nebitchi, FC Energetik, FC Merw, FC Kopetdag.


2020 İskenderun shootout
The 2020 İskenderun shootout took place on 26 October 2020, when two Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants fought the police in İskenderun, resulting in one of them being shot dead and the other one detonating explosives and killing himself.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Background
İskenderun is a city in Turkey located in the Hatay Province. It is the second largest city in the province after Antakya, and is a port city located on the Mediterranean Sea.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Background
The conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) (designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, the European Union and NATO) has been active since 1984, primarily in the southeast of the country. More than 40,000 people have died as a result of the conflict.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Bombing
On 26 October 2020, police forces wanted to stop a suspicious vehicle in Kozludere neighbourhood of Payas. 2 members of the PKK refused to stop as the police intended to control the vehicle, opened fire against the officers and tried to escape. Their car crashed when they were trying to escape, therefore they seized a civilian car and moved to İskenderun. They were caught by police in İskenderun and ambushed by them. One of them was shot dead, while the other one detonated the bomb on him, causing his death and injuring a police officer. The attack came days after the United States Embassy in Ankara warned of terrorist attacks and kidnappings against U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Aftermath
The Fener street, in which incident took place was closed to traffic after the incident. Many police forces and medical teams were stationed in region.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Aftermath, Damage
The injured police officer was taken to a hospital and by 30 October his health situation was good. Windows of the houses and workplaces near were broken and several cars including a police car was damaged as a result of the explosion. Because of the broken windows, 2 civilians were injured.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Aftermath, Investigation
An abandoned car near the crime scene was investigated and tracked by police. As a result, on 28 October, 5 people from Istanbul, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman and Diyarbakır were arrested related to the attack, which the Turkish authorities blamed on the PKK. The PKK claimed responsibility for the attack 3 days after the bombing, and said that Turkish media reports of the incident included “disinformation“ but did not elaborate further.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Aftermath, Reactions
Turkish: Hatay’da gerçekleştirdikleri başarılı terörle mücadele operasyonu nedeniyle kahraman güvenlik güçlerimizi tebrik ediyorum. Tüm Hataylı kardeşlerime geçmiş olsun temennilerimi iletiyorum. Rabbim ülkemizi her türlü saldırıdan, felaketten, hain emellerden korusun.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Aftermath, Reactions
I congratulate our heroic security forces for the successful counter-terrorism operation they performed in Hatay. I am forwarding my wishes for them to get well to all my brothers from Hatay. May my God protect our country from all kinds of attacks, disasters and treacherous goals.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Aftermath, Reactions
People living on the houses around the explosion scene reacted to the attack by hanging flags on their balconies.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Aftermath, Reactions
The police announced that "they will not allow traitors who want to divide their nation and country" as a response to the attack.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Aftermath, Reactions
Governor of Hatay Rahmi Doğan announced that there are no losses of life while there are several injured, none of them being in a life-threatening condition.


2020 İskenderun shootout, Aftermath, Reactions
Other Turkish politicians including Fuat Oktay, Abdulhamit Gül and Mustafa Şentop also condemned the attack.


2020 İstanbul Cup
The 2020 İstanbul Cup (also known as the TEB BNP Paribas Tennis Championship İstanbul for sponsorship reasons) was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 13th edition of the İstanbul Cup, and part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2020 WTA Tour. It took place in Istanbul, Turkey, from 8 through 13 September 2020.


2020 İstanbul Cup, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2020 İstanbul Cup, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received entry using a protected ranking into the singles main draw:


2020 İstanbul Cup, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2020 İstanbul Cup – Doubles
Tímea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic were the defending champions, but chose not to participate this year.


2020 İstanbul Cup – Doubles
Alexa Guarachi and Desirae Krawczyk won the title, defeating Ellen Perez and Storm Sanders in the final, 6–1, 6–3.


2020 İstanbul Cup – Singles
Petra Martić was the defending champion, but she chose not to participate as she was still competing at the 2020 US Open.


2020 İstanbul Cup – Singles
Patricia Maria Țig won her maiden WTA tour-level singles title, defeating Eugenie Bouchard in the final, 2–6, 6–1, 7–6(7–4).


2020-2021 Aduana Stars F.C season
The 2021–21 season of Ghanaian club Aduana Stars F.C . The season covered the period from 20 November 2020 to 8 August 2021


2020-2021 Aduana Stars F.C season, Season overview
Aduana Stars ended the 2020-21 season without a trophy after placing fourth in the domestic the league and was knock out by Ashanti Gold S.C. in the FA Cup


2020-2021 Aduana Stars F.C season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak
The 2020 Nintendo data leak, also referred to as the Nintendo Gigaleak, is a series of leaks of data from Japanese video game company Nintendo on the anonymous imageboard website 4chan. The data release started in March 2018, but became most prominent in 2020. Ten main sets of data leaked on 4chan, ranging from game and console source code to internal documentation and development tools. The name "Gigaleak" mainly refers to the second leak on July 24, 2020, which was 3 gigabytes in size.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak
The leaks are believed to have come from companies contracted by Nintendo in the design of these consoles, and/or from individuals previously convicted of intrusion into Nintendo systems. An earlier, much smaller leak had also occurred in 2018 which had the Nintendo Space World 1997 demos for Pokémon Gold and Silver leaked.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak
The leaks are infamous for the sheer size and the amount of internal material leaked; video game journalists have described the magnitude of the leaks as unprecedented, and suggested that they might have significant effects for emulation and to preservationists, in addition to the legal questions posed by the leak. As of August 2021, Nintendo has not made any official response.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Background
Nintendo is a Japanese video game developer and publisher that produces both software and hardware. Its hardware products include the handheld Game Boy and Nintendo DS families and home consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super NES, Nintendo 64 (N64), GameCube, and Wii. Software Nintendo produces includes popular franchises such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon. Ethan Gach of Kotaku described Nintendo as "notoriously secretive" about development.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Background
Nintendo is aggressive in ensuring its intellectual property in both hardware and software is protected. In a notable case, Nintendo, with the assistance of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, sought enforcement action against Ryan Hernandez, a hacker who infiltrated Nintendo's internal database to leak plans of what games and hardware Nintendo planned to announce for upcoming shows like the Electronic Entertainment Expo. In January 2020, Hernandez pled guilty to stealing the information from Nintendo.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Leaks
Beginning in March 2018, information began to leak about a trove of stolen data from Nintendo's confidential servers was leaked by hackers via the anonymous imageboard website 4chan. The leaks began with smaller releases, such as iQue Player ROMs and early Pokémon designs. As time went on, the leaks began to gain significant traction in early May 2020, when source code for Nintendo's consoles appeared online. Because the leaked material included specifications related to the Wii, the company BroadOn, which Nintendo had contracted to help design the console, was identified as one potential source of the leaks.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Leaks
Another possible source was Zammis Clark, a Malwarebytes employee and hacker who in 2019 pleaded guilty to and was sentenced to 15 months in prison for infiltrating Microsoft and Nintendo's servers between March and May 2018. According to reporting by journalist Jeremy Kirk of Bank Info Security, Clark sent the data he stole to several of his acquaintances, who subsequently began leaking the information on 4chan. According to Kirk, Nintendo likely knew the material would eventually be leaked. Further evidence to support the source being Clark can be found in the file modification dates of some released files, dated to March and May 2018, the same timeframe Clark allegedly had access.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Leaks
In late July 2020, a second set of leaked data several gigabytes in size was released. Journalists and Nintendo fans dubbed this leak the "Gigaleak". The leak comprised information about the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64 consoles and their games, including prototypes and data related to Star Fox and Star Fox 2, whose veracity was confirmed by Nintendo programmer Dylan Cuthbert. The leak also contained personal files of the developers, leading to concerns about privacy depending on how the information was shared. Tillie Kottmann was incorrectly credited with the leak by Bleeping Computer, but told Tom's Guide that it did not originate with her.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Leaks
In the first week of September 2020, a third, smaller set of information was leaked on 4chan. The leaks consisted of documents for two unreleased GameCube models. The first model appeared to be a hybrid console version of the GameCube similar to the Nintendo Switch, fitted with a built-in display and able to connect to a TV via a docking station. The second model, codenamed Tako, was discovered in a leaked PowerPoint presentation from ATI.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Leaks
This model would natively render games at HD video resolutions similar to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, include slots for both SD and memory cards, and be released around Christmas 2005. This data set also contained a disc image of the previously lost Wii Startup Disc, a disc shipped with early Wii units to install the firmware.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Leaks
A fourth set of information was leaked in 4chan on the second week of September 2020 (dubbed as "Gigaleak 3" according to Nintendo fans and journalists due to its size being on par with the second set of leaked data). This set contains the internal documents for Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, source code to the Nintendo DSi bootrom and some DSi apps, and a Game Boy and Game Boy Color ROM lot which contains released and unreleased games for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color along with their prototype and unreleased localized versions. One such game is the cancelled Pokémon Picross for Game Boy Color which, prior to the leak, was only previously seen in Japanese gaming magazines in 1999.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Leaks
A fifth set of information was leaked in 4chan on September 30th, 2020. This set contains the debug and demo ROMs for Pokémon Ranger, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, internal tools for the Nintendo 3DS, and a Famicom Disk System ROM lot containing released and unreleased games. One of which was a unreleased port of Balloon Fight for the Famicom Disk System which had never been officially announced by Nintendo during the Famicom Disk System's lifespan.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Leaks
Multiple sets were leaked in October 2020. The sixth set of information was leaked on October 17, 2020 containing the Git repository for Pokémon Sun and Moon and its updated rereleases, as well as an early version of the Wii's home menu. The seventh set of information was leaked on October 21, 2020, containing two password-protected zip files later found to contain two debug builds of Pokémon Sword dated March 2018 and December 2017, respectively. The builds appear to have been based on Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, with related assets found within the builds. The eighth set of information was leaked on October 22, 2020 containing another two split password-protected zip files which they were later found to be a May 2018 debug build of Pokémon Sword.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Leaks
A ninth set of data was leaked in December 2020, which was primarily focused on early prototype designs of the Nintendo Switch and a prerelease SDK for the unit. Although the Nintendo Switch name had been finalized by 2014, this early design was closer in power to the 3DS, had a circular display, and connected to televisions through a wireless connection as opposed to a docking station. The leak also contained information on Nintendo's surveillance of and attempts to hire one Belgian hacker who was active in the 3DS homebrew scene. Alongside this, the source code for the Switch bootrom was leaked, including both hardware revisions.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Leaks
A tenth set of data was leaked in July 2021, containing source code for the Wii Service program, debug and prototype builds of Pokémon X and Y, Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Pokémon: Let's Go Eevee!, the full development repository for the cancelled iQue Box (a GameCube-based successor to the iQue and related GameCube files), and internal emails and documents for systems like the Wii and the Nintendo Switch's Game Card reader, including early designs of the Wii Remote. Early images featuring enemies, bosses, NPCs, power-ups, and objects in New Super Mario Bros. were also leaked. These early screenshots include an early Bob-omb that is looking at Mario, and a Balloon Boo with a different mouth.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Data
The leaked data is estimated to be over two terabytes, though only three gigabytes had been released as of May 4, 2020. The oldest material dates to the late 1980s. The leaks include:


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Data, Prototypes and development materials
In addition to source code, the July 2020 leak included a number of video game prototypes, as well as cut content. A prototype of Yoshi's Island that does not feature Yoshi as the protagonist was uncovered; its title, Super Donkey, suggests it may have been considered as a new Donkey Kong game before being repurposed for Yoshi. Early sprites from various games, including Pilotwings when it was known as Dragonfly, were also discovered.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Data, Prototypes and development materials
Among the most notable revelations was the discovery of an official 3D model of Luigi for Super Mario 64, corroborating developer interviewers at the time of the game's release that they had intended to include Luigi as a second co-operative character but had to cut this feature. Another major discovery was level maps intended for an unreleased 64DD expansion pack for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. These various Zelda assets were assembled by fans to recreate a dungeon that was originally only viewable in pre-release screenshots.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Data, Prototypes and development materials
The leaks included the software that was necessary to run the Workboy, a canceled Game Boy accessory that would have added personal digital assistant features to the handheld. Only two prototypes of the Workboy were known to exist, and the software from the leak was used to verify the operation of one of the Workboys. In 2021, fans used the Super Mario Advance source code to track down the samples used to compose Super Mario World's soundtrack and recreated the music as it would have sounded before being compressed to fit the SNES's limitations.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Commentary
Video game journalists noted the magnitude of the leaks and labeled them significant and unprecedented. Journalist Alex Donaldson described the leak as "of biblical, rarely heard of proportions", while Lucas White of Siliconera wrote that the leak "could be one of the biggest leaks in the medium's history."


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Commentary
Because the source code of various Nintendo consoles was leaked, journalists have noted the various after-effects the leak might have. Gach wrote that the leaked information "would be of great interest to emulation enthusiasts, data miners, and anyone curious about" Nintendo's history. The information could be used to enhance the accuracy of Nintendo console emulators or create clone systems that function identically to the original hardware. Such actions, however, would be illegal, and developers who commit them could face prosecution from Nintendo.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Commentary
For instance, the developers of Dolphin, a GameCube and Wii emulator, stated that using any of the leaked source code would lead to the Dolphin project's immediate shutdown. Nonetheless, the financial effects of the leak on Nintendo are expected to be minimal, as the leaked material is over a decade old.


2020-2021 Nintendo data leak, Commentary
White and Sam Chandler of Shacknews suggested that the leaks would be important for video game preservation efforts. Some preservationists that have looked at the data commented on the meticulous nature that Nintendo used to save its past work, an effort that they wished other video game companies used similar methods as it would greatly assist preservation efforts. However, these preservationists raised moral and ethical questions if they could use the data from the 2020 leaks in a legal manner without knowing their source and legitimacy. Andrew Webster of The Verge found this situation similar to the 2014 Sony Pictures hack, in which "all kinds of salacious internal details" about Sony Pictures were illegally released.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree
In 2020, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and various Chinese regulatory bodies, under CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping, began a regulatory spree, strengthening regulations, issuing fines, and introducing or modifying laws. Though mostly targeted at disrupting the growth of monopolistic technology companies, the government also introduced other reforms with implications for large swathes of the economy and life in China. Actions taken include the implementation of restrictions on for-profit tutoring and education companies, the refinement of existing rules for limits on minors playing online video games, and the introduction of new antitrust rules.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Background and origins, Historical background
China's government is nominally communist, but reforms under Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s relaxed government control of some portions of the economy, allowing for the emergence of private industry. China maintains state-controlled companies, such as China Mobile, and the economy, referred to as a "socialist market economy", operates with a high degree of state control when compared to the economies of many western nations.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Background and origins, Recent events and context
Relations between China and the United States became strained during the Trump administration and tensions remain high during the Biden administration over disputes such as the sovereignty of Taiwan. An ongoing trade war between the two countries has negatively impacted both economies. This has led to speculation that the two countries will consciously "decouple" their economies.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Background and origins, Recent events and context
China has a rapidly aging population. The nation also has a declining birth rate, attributed to the cost of costs associated with raising children.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Background and origins, Reasoning, timing, and goals, As stated by Chinese officials
Chinese leadership has said the reforms aim to increase "common prosperity" in the hopes of shrinking the country's income and wealth disparities. Some of the efforts aim to lower the costs associated with child-rearing in the hopes of reversing a falling birth-rate.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Background and origins, Reasoning, timing, and goals, Interpretations and speculation
The Wall Street Journal has stated that the goal of the reforms is to establish tighter control over the market economy, granting the state and the Communist Party renewed legitimacy. Other commentators have speculated that the reforms amount to an attempt by Xi to retrench his power before the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and an effort aimed at China increasing its self-reliance, due to heightened tensions with trading partners.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Beginning of reform activity, Suspension of Ant Group IPO
Ant Group, a Chinese technology-enabled financial company majority-owned by its founder, Jack Ma, and affiliated with Ma's other major holding, Alibaba, began taking steps toward an initial public offering in 2020. Ant Group operates a number of lines of business, including Alipay, an online payments platform, Zhima Credit, a credit scoring program, and Yu'e Bao, a money market fund. Ant Group intended to raise $34 billion through the IPO process. This would have been the largest such offering by any company to date, above the $29.4 billion raised by Saudi Aramco as a result of its 2019 offering.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Beginning of reform activity, Suspension of Ant Group IPO
Due to Ant Group's scale—the company has approximately one billion users in China—and its operations, which include lending services, the company has attracted regulatory scrutiny in the past. The China Securities Regulatory Commission previously imposed new restrictions on money-market funds, a move attributed to the size and growth of Yu'e Bao, an Ant offering. Though the company asserts it does not function as a bank or a financial institution, Chinese banks have voiced their belief that Ant draws deposits away from them, so undermining the banking system. The People's Bank of China requested data from banks that lent through Ant in mid-2020 and the State Administration for Market Regulation informally began an investigation earlier in the year into whether Alipay and WeChat Pay, a Tencent subsidiary, had abused their size to hamper competitors.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Beginning of reform activity, Suspension of Ant Group IPO
Several days before the IPO was to take place, the company's founder and controlling shareholder, Ma, made negative statements about Chinese regulators and the governing political party, the Chinese Communist Party. Ma criticized regulators for their focus on risk mitigation. Soon after the comments were made, Ma and other senior Ant executives were summoned to a meeting with the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange as well as representatives from the country's central bank, the People’s Bank of China. Ant Group issued a statement disclosing that the Ant and government representatives discussed "Views regarding the health and stability of the financial sector".


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Beginning of reform activity, Suspension of Ant Group IPO
After the meeting, and two days before the IPO was set to occur, the offering was suspended by the Shanghai Stock Exchange; the Shanghai Stock Exchange referenced "major issues" as the reasoning behind the suspension. The exchange further indicated that the company no longer conformed with listing requirements. Ant subsequently suspended the Hong Kong listing. The Wall Street Journal attributed the suspension to the personal will of Xi, who had become infuriated by Ma's comments, citing "Chinese officials with knowledge of the matter", though these assertions have also been characterized as "rumors".


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Beginning of reform activity, Suspension of Ant Group IPO
The suspension was unexpected, surprising bankers working on the transaction, the broader financial industry, and consumers prepared to invest in the offering. It has been referred to as "abrupt" and "shocking". Ant began working to address regulator concerns in January 2021, though as of September 2021 no public plans for an IPO by the company have been announced.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Beginning of reform activity, Suspension of Ant Group IPO
Jack Ma retreated from the public eye after the IPO's suspension. Some speculated that Ma had left China altogether. He did not appear in public between October 2020 and January 2021. In January 2021, he spoke in a live-streamed video. In the video, he discussed his commitment to philanthropy and improving quality of life for those in rural China.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Beginning of reform activity, "Disorderly Capital" and articulation of anti-monopoly stance
Soon after the suspension of Ant's IPO, in November 2020, Chinese regulators introduced drafts of new anti-monopoly guidelines directed at large technology firms. China had, in January 2020, revised its Anti Monopoly Law to include language applicable to internet and technology companies. In December, Alibaba and a subsidiary of Tencent were both fined for not seeking approval of deals the companies had completed, which was framed as an anti-monopoly action. The anti-monopoly rules introduced in November were formalized as guidelines for companies in February 2021 by the State Administration for Market Regulation. These newly instituted rules include banning online retailers from presenting different prices to different consumers based on data collected about them.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Beginning of reform activity, "Disorderly Capital" and articulation of anti-monopoly stance
A month after the release of the draft anti-monopoly rules, party officials began using the phrase the "disorderly expansion of capital" to describe the target of economic policy and reforms. Disorderly has also been translated as "irrational". This "expansion" has been construed as responsible for the monopolistic tendencies of technology companies, expensive tutoring for children, and more.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Acceleration of reform, Comments by Xi and SAMR expansion
Xi Jinping called for further regulation of tech companies and "platform" companies in March of 2021. Major platform companies in China include Alibaba and Tencent. Xi further called for existing financial regulations to apply to all financial transactions. The nation's anti-trust authority, the State Administration for Market Regulation, began hiring new staff the month after Xi made these comments. Reuters reported the regulatory body aimed to add some between 20 and 30 staff, adding to their then-current headcount of 40. Reuters also reported that SAMR would have a larger budget and would be granted other resources.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Acceleration of reform, Comments by Xi and SAMR expansion
In April 2021, the same month Reuters reported on SAMR's growth, Alibaba was fined $2.8 billion. The fine was issued in response to Alibaba's practice of compelling third-party merchants using its site to choose between listing their offerings on Alibaba and the company's rivals, rather than on both. Financial and legal commentators interpreted this fine as the end of action against Alibaba.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Acceleration of reform, Cryptocurrency
China's Vice Premier Liu He announced that China would take steps against the mining and trading of bitcoin in May 2021 without providing other information. The announcement caused the price of the digital asset to decline. China had previously become popular with bitcoin miners due to cheap electricity prices; the hikes in the usage of coal power associated with mining clash with China's climate-related goals. The popularity of mining in China may have lead to increases in the illegal extraction of coal. Though many miners have shuttered or moved their operations, Chinese authorities have continued to search for illegal operators continuing to work disguised as other businesses.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Acceleration of reform, Cryptocurrency
In September 2021 the People’s Bank of China banned all cryptocurrency transactions and related transactions. This announcement caused the price of bitcoin to fall approximately 8%. The central bank also banned foreign companies from providing cryptocurrency services to Chinese citizens. Regulations from earlier in the year had banned domestic companies from providing services like cryptocurrency trading.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Acceleration of reform, For profit tutoring
On July 24, 2021, rules were introduced to change the operation of tutoring companies focused on teaching school-age children. The new rules prohibit these companies from turning a profit, prohibit them from raising foreign capital, and prohibit tutoring related to the school syllabus on holidays and weekends. Other regulations include the banning of the tutoring of children under six years old. Commentators referred to the new regulations as, effectively, a "death penalty" for the industry.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Acceleration of reform, For profit tutoring
American investment firms impacted by the new rules include Sequoia, Tiger Global Management, and Warburg Pincus. Other foreign firms impacted include Singapore's Temasek Holdings.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Acceleration of reform, Regulatory scrutiny of DiDi
DiDi, a Chinese vehicle for hire company headquartered in Beijing, went public in June 2021. The company listed in the United States, becoming the largest Chinese trading debut since Alibaba's IPO in 2014. On July 4, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China ordered app stores to remove DiDi, after citing violations on the company's collection and usage of personal information. DiDi had disclosed to potential investors that increased regulatory scrutiny was possible. In July Chinese regulators fined DiDi for failing to disclosing acquisitions.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Acceleration of reform, Regulatory scrutiny of DiDi
DiDi allegedly considered going private in late July. The company denied these claims were true.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Other reforms, Three child policy
China modified its longstanding one child policy in 2016 and allowed couples to have two children. The policy was updated again in 2021, allowing couples to have three children. This modification to policy was announced on 31 May 2021 at a meeting of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. The policy went into effect in August 2021.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Other reforms, Labor laws
On August 27, 2021 the Supreme People’s Court with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security issued a public notice that China's 996 work schedule utilized by big technology companies was illegal. While no new laws were implemented, it signaled that the government will step up enforcement of existing laws, under which the 996 work schedule should not exist and overtime beyond 44 hours per week should be paid out.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Contemporaneous events, Evergrande liquidity crisis
Chinese real estate developer and conglomerate Evergrande released a statement on 31 August 2021, warning it would default on its debts if it failed to raise enough cash to cover them. At the time, Evergrande was China's most indebted real estate developer. On 24 September, Evergrande missed off-shore bond payments totalling 83.5 million USD. While the company has 30 days to avoid defaulting on the debt, analysts feel the company will likely fail to pay its creditors.


2020-2021 Xi Jinping Administration reform spree, Future plans
The State Council of the People's Republic of China and the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party together released a five-year plan outlining plans for regulations and updated laws in August 2021. The plan calls for the continued introduction of rules and reform governing portions of the economy including the technology sector, finance, and defense.


2020-21 Punjab State Super Football League
The 2020-21 Punjab State Super Football League was the 34th season of the Punjab State Super Football League, the top-tier football league in the Indian state of Punjab. Punjab Police are the champions. The league commenced from 19 December  2020. Punjab Police FC, who were runners up last season, became champions this year.


2020-21 Punjab State Super Football League, Teams
A total number of 7 teams participated in the league. Last season champions Punjab FC didn't participated.


2020/21 Moçambola
The 2020/21 Moçambola is the 43nd season of Moçambola, the top-tier football league in Mozambique. The 2020/21 season started on January 16, 2021 and is in progress.


2020/21 Moçambola
ENH changed name to Associação Desportiva Vilanculo during the season.


2020/21 Moçambola
After the 4th round, due to the worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the competition was stopped and postponed for three months.


2020/21 in 60 metres
2020/21 in 60 metres lists the World Best Year Performance in the indoor season 2020/21 in both the men's and the women's 60 metres.


2020s
The 2020s (pronounced "twenty-twenties"; shortened to '20s) is the current decade of the Gregorian calendar, which began on 1 January 2020 and will end on 31 December 2029.


2020s
The 2020s began in the midst of the initial rapid spread of a novel coronavirus, a global economic recession, and massive wildfires in Australia. International demonstrations occurred in the early 2020s, including those in Hong Kong against anti-democratic legislation and others around the world against racism and police brutality. The private space race also greatly accelerated in the early 2020s, as did military conflicts such as the Israel–Palestine crisis and a Taliban offensive on the city of Kabul, which marked the end of the 20-year War in Afghanistan and a return to that country being an Islamic emirate.


2020s, Politics and conflicts, Terrorist attacks
Note: To be included, entries must be notable (have a stand-alone article) and described by a consensus of reliable sources as "terrorism". They also must have 100 or more fatalities reported.


2020s, Politics and conflicts, Political trends, Deaths
Sitting leaders Idriss Déby of Chad, John Magufuli of Tanzania, Jovenel Moïse of Haiti, Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, and Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman all died in office. Former world leaders who died were Hosni Mubarak, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, John Turner, Daniel arap Moi, Pranab Mukherjee, Kenneth Kaunda, Anerood Jugnauth, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Amadou Toumani Touré, Jerry Rawlings, Mamadou Tandja, Tabaré Vázquez, Enrique Bolaños, Benigno Aquino III, Carlos Menem and Javier Pérez de Cuéllar.


2020s, Disasters, Natural disasters, Earthquakes and tsunamis
Note: This table is a chronological list of earthquakes reported with 7.5Mw  or greater or that have reported at least 100 fatalities.


2020s, Disasters, Natural disasters, Floods, avalanches, and mudslides
Note: This section reports only floods with 200 or more deaths and avalanches and landslides involving 30 or more deaths.


2020s, Disasters, Natural disasters, Other natural events
In 2020, a huge swarm of desert locusts threatened to engulf massive portions of the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In tandem with the COVID-19 pandemic, the swarms posed major hazards to billions of people who might be affected by famine brought on by the locusts. Although experts had thought the insects would die out during the dry season in December 2019, unseasonal rains caused the incursion to reach unanticipated and hazardous levels.


2020s, Economics, Trade
The World Trade Organization reported that trade growth had stagnated and that trade restrictions were increasing as the decade began. The sectors most affected by import restrictions were mineral and fuel oils (17.7%), machinery and mechanical appliances (13%), electrical machinery and parts (11.7%), and precious metals (6%). Regional trade agreements were found to be increasing.


2020s, Society, Social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
Medical experts advised, and local authorities often mandated stay-at-home orders to prevent gatherings of any size. Such gatherings could be replaced by teleconferencing, or in some cases with unconventional attempts to maintain social distancing with activities such as a balcony sing-along for a concert, or a "birthday parade" for a birthday party. Replacements for gatherings were seen as significant to mental health during the crisis. Social isolation among alcohol users also adopted a trend towards Kalsarikänni or "pantsdrunking", a Finnish antisocial drinking culture.


2020s, Society, Social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
Low-income individuals were more likely to contract the coronavirus and to die from it. In both New York City and Barcelona, low-income neighborhoods were disproportionately hit by coronavirus cases. Hypotheses for why this was the case included that poorer families were more likely to live in crowded housing and work in the low-skill jobs, such as supermarkets and elder care, which were deemed essential during the crisis. In the United States, millions of low-income people may lack access to health care due to being uninsured or underinsured. Millions of Americans lost their health insurance after losing their jobs. Many low-income workers in service jobs became unemployed.


2020s, Society, Social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic was followed by a concern for a potential spike in suicides, exacerbated by social isolation due to quarantine and social-distancing guidelines, fear, and unemployment and financial factors. Many countries reported an increase in domestic violence and intimate partner violence attributed to lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial insecurity, stress, and uncertainty led to increased aggression at home, with abusers able to control large amounts of their victims' daily life. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for a domestic violence "ceasefire".


2020s, Society, Race
The murder of George Floyd led to many protest and riots across the United States and internationally in 2020. The stated goal of the protest has been to end police brutality and racial inequality, and is closely linked with the Black Lives Matter movement.


2020s, Society, Gender
24.3% of all national parliamentarians were women as of February 2019. 11 women were serving as Head of State and 12 as Head of Government in June 2019. 20.7% of government ministers were women as of January 2019. Katerina Sakellaropoulou became the first female president of Greece in January 2020, and Kamala Harris became the first female Vice President of the United States in 2021.


2020s, Society, Gender
There are wide regional variations in the average percentages of women parliamentarians. As of February 2019, these were: Nordic countries, 42.5%; Americas, 30.6%; Europe excluding Nordic countries, 27.2; sub-Saharan Africa, 23.9; Asia, 19.8%; Arab States, 19%; and the Pacific, 16.3%. Rwanda has the highest number of women parliamentarians worldwide, 61.3% of seats in the lower house. About 26% of elected local parliamentarians are women.


2020s, Society, Environmentalism
The 2019–20 Australian bushfire season devastated the environment of Australia.


2020s, Culture
Decorated cloth facemasks. Wearing a face covering in settings such as shops, bars, airports, and on public transport has been mandatory in many countries in the early 2020s, in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).


2020s, Culture
The Xbox Series X was also released at the beginning of the decade.


2020s, Culture
Popular singer Olivia Rodrigo visited the White House in mid-2021 in a push to normalize vaccine use for American youth. Pictured above is Rodrigo with President Joe Biden, the two of them putting on Biden's signature aviator sunglasses.


2020s, Culture
The videosharing site TikTok became an influence to pop culture and music in the early 2020s.


2020s, Culture
By the 2020s foldable phones became retail available, though they were quite expensive in comparison to the standard phone, or the bulkier phone of the 2010s.


2020s, Culture
Due to the coronavirus pandemic of the 2020s, many movies were released on internet streaming instead of theaters during 2020. (Movies like The King Of Staten Island and  Mulan, for example).


2020s, Culture
Bright multi-colored clothing became a trend in the early 2020s, as did baggier, looser fitting clothing (in a rejection to the form-fitting 2010s fashion), as modeled here by Billie Eillish, one of the most popular musicians of the decade.


2020s, Culture
Singer The Weeknd became a global success in 2020 with his hit single, Blinding Lights.


2020s, Culture
In the 2020s, multiple online food delivery services became popular. Services such as Uber Eats, Postmates, Doordash, and Grubhub. Pictured above is an Uber Eats employee delivering a meal.


2020s, Culture
The Netflix show Squid Game became an immediate global success in the early 2020s. Beyond television, the show's effects in popular culture were also notable as outfits and foot coverings from it skyrocketed in sales.


2020s, Culture, Fashion
Fashion trends of the early 2020s have been largely inspired by the 2000s. Wearing a decorative mask to prevent the disease COVID-19 from spreading was a fashion trend in the early 2020s.


2020s, Culture, Film
Several films and other upcoming movies were released exclusively on streaming platforms instead of in theatres, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 cases declined through 2021 and some restrictions were lifted, some films were released both in theatres and on streaming services.


2020s, Culture, Television
The 2020s started off with the primary streaming services being Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Hulu and Disney+. Additional streaming services such as Discovery+, Paramount+, and Peacock were being developed as well. Cable television and satellite television continued to fall out of popularity, and were no longer as prevalent as they were once in the 2010s and decades prior. In the 2020s, reboots and reunion episodes of 1990s and 2000s shows became widespread, including Animaniacs, The Conners, Saved by the Bell, HBO Max's Friends: The Reunion and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Reunion, Paramount+'s new Frasier, iCarly, and Rugrats. Streaming television such as Pluto TV become more popular.


2020s, Culture, Music
By 2020, TikTok had become an extremely popular music platform on social media. Streaming on platforms such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Festivals such as Coachella were cancelled because of the virus. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the touring business.


2020s, Culture, Music
Pop, hip hop, R&B and dance music dominated the early part of the decade, with the most popular artists being Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, H.E.R., The Weeknd, Post Malone, Cardi B, Tyler the Creator, Lil Baby, BTS, Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, SZA, Travis Scott, Ed Sheeran, the Kid Laroi and more.


2020s, Culture, Video games
The ninth generation of consoles began in 2020 with the release of the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. The video game Among Us surged in popularity online in 2020.


2020s, Culture, Video games
The Nintendo Switch continued to be popular among gamers. Animal Crossing: New Horizons had sold over 31 million copies on the Nintendo Switch, making it the second-best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch. Its success has been attributed in part to its release amid global stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020s, Culture, Architecture
There is a revival in expressionist architecture. The SoFi Stadium was completed on 8 September 2020 and is a component of Hollywood Park, a master planned neighborhood in development in Inglewood, California. The stadium serves as a home to the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. SoFi Stadium is set to host Super Bowl LVI in February 2022. The stadium is also set to host  the opening and closing ceremonies, soccer and archery in the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be hosted in Los Angeles, California, United States Of America.


2020s, Culture, Architecture
The Unity Tower was finally completed on 30 September 2020. The construction of the building originally started in 1975, but stopped permanently in 1981 because of economic constraints and political unrest at the time. Due to the unfinished building's resemblance to a skeleton, it was nicknamed after Skeletor, the arch-villain in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which was popular in Poland at the time construction began.


2020s, Culture, Sports
The 2020 Summer Olympics was postponed to July-August of 2021. This was the first Olympic games to be postponed rather than cancelled in history.


2020s, Culture, Sports
The 2020 T20 Cricket World Cup, originally scheduled to take place in Australia, rescheduled to occur in India in 2021


2020s, Culture, Sports
National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and Premier League adapt their seasons and championship play around COVID-19 by placing players in "bubbles" and televising games  played in empty arenas and stadiums


2020s, Culture, Food
Food delivery apps such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub and Just Eat Takeaway flourished due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indoor dining was also closed in many countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and upon re-opening the usage of QR Codes and other technologies in the restaurant industry increased compared to the 2010s to comply with pandemic restrictions.


2020s, See also, Timeline
The following articles contain brief timelines which list the most prominent events of the decade:


2020s in Angola
This is a list of events expected for the 2020s in Angola:


2020s in Australia political history
2020s in Australia political history refers to political history of Australia in the 2020s, presented in narrative format.


2020s in Australia political history, 46th Parliament, 2019–present, General history
At the 2019 election, in the 151-seat House of Representatives, the incumbent Coalition government was reelected with 77 seats, a majority of two seats. The Labor opposition won 68 seats. Six other MPs were elected to the crossbench, with the Greens, Centre Alliance, Katter's Australian Party, and independents Andrew Wilkie, Helen Haines and Zali Steggall winning a seat each.


2020s in Australia political history, 46th Parliament, 2019–present, General history
In the Senate, 40 of 76 seats were up for election. Following the election, the Coalition had a total of 35 seats, four short of a majority. Labor held 26 seats, the Greens held 9 seats, Centre Alliance and One Nation each held two seats, the Jacqui Lambie Network held one and one seat was held by independent Cory Bernardi, who deregistered the party he was previously a member of on 25 June 2019.


2020s in Australia political history, 46th Parliament, 2019–present, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case in Australia was identified on 25 January 2020, in Victoria, when a man who had returned from Wuhan, China, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.


2020s in Australia political history, 46th Parliament, 2019–present, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
Australian borders were closed to all non-residents on 20 March. Social distancing rules were imposed on 21 March and state governments started to close "non-essential" services. "Non-essential services" included social gathering venues such as pubs and clubs but unlike many other countries did not include most business operations such as construction, manufacturing and many retail categories.


2020s in Australia political history, 46th Parliament, 2019–present, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
The number of new cases initially grew sharply, then levelled out at about 350 per day around 22 March, and started falling at the beginning of April to under 20 per day by the end of the month. As of 8 June 2020, 3 pm, 7,265 cases and 102 deaths had been reported in Australia, with the highest number of cases being in New South Wales, with 3,112.


2020s in Australia political history, 46th Parliament, 2019–present, Specific issues and events, Pandemic economic response
The federal government announced an economic stimulus package to combat the effects of coronavirus on the economy.


2020s in Australia political history, 46th Parliament, 2019–present, Specific issues and events, Pandemic economic response
On 12 March 2020 the government announced a A$17.6 billion stimulus package, the first since the 2008 GFC. The package consists of multiple parts, a one-off A$750 payment to around 6.5 million welfare recipients as early as 31 March 2020, small business assistance with 700,000 grants up to $25,000 and a 50% wage subsidy for 120,000 apprenticies or trainees for up to 9 months, 1 billion to support economically impacted sectors, regions and communities, and $700 million to increase tax write off and $3.2 billion to support short-term small and medium-sized business investment.


2020s in Australia political history, 46th Parliament, 2019–present, Specific issues and events, Pandemic economic response
On 30 March the Australian Government announced a $130 billion "JobKeeper" wage subsidy program. The JobKeeper program would pay employers up to $1500 a fortnight per full-time, part-time or casual employee that has worked for that business for over a year. For a business to be eligible, they must have lost 30% of turnover after 1 March of annual revenue up to and including $1 billion. For businesses with a revenue of over $1 billion, turnover must have decreased by 50%. Businesses are then required by law to pay the subsidy to their staff, in lieu of their usual wages.


2020s in Australia political history, 46th Parliament, 2019–present, Specific issues and events, Pandemic economic response
This response came after the enormous job losses seen just a week prior when an estimated 1 million Australians lost their jobs. This massive loss in jobs caused the myGov website to crash and lines out of Centrelink offices to run hundreds of metres long. The program was backdated to 1 March, to aim at reemploying the many people who had just lost their jobs in the weeks before. Businesses would receive the JobKeeper subsidy for 6 months.


2020s in Australia political history, 46th Parliament, 2019–present, Specific issues and events, Pandemic economic response
The announcement of the JobKeeper wage subsidy program is the largest measure announced by the Australian Government in response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak. In the first hour of the scheme, over 8,000 businesses registered to receive the payments. The JobKeeper wage subsidy program is one of the largest economic packages ever implemented in the history of Australia.


2020s in Hong Kong
The 2020s in Hong Kong refers to Hong Kong during the current period of Hong Kong from 2020 until present under the People's Republic of China (PRC).


2020s in Hong Kong, Politics, 2020 National security law
2020 National security law, implemented on 30 June 2020, is the piece of national security legislation concerning Hong Kong.


2020s in Hong Kong, Politics, 2020 National anthem ordinance
2020 National anthem ordinance, implemented on 12 June 2020, criminalises "insults to the national anthem of China" ("March of the Volunteers").


2020s in Hong Kong, Politics, 2021 Hong Kong electoral reform
2021 Hong Kong electoral reform, implemented on 11 March 2021 by the National People's Congress (NPC), the sole legislative body of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in order to "amend electoral rules and improve the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) for its Chief Executive (CE) and the Legislative Council (LegCo), in order to ensure a system in which patriots govern Hong Kong and plug existing loopholes that allow foreign interference in Hong Kong's internal affairs.


2020s in United Kingdom political history
2020s political history refers to significant political and societal historical events in the United Kingdom in the 2020s, presented as a historical overview in narrative format.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, Boris Johnson Premiership, 2019–present, General history
Boris Johnson won a landslide majority in the 2019 general election. In late January 2020, the United Kingdom officially left the European Union.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, Boris Johnson Premiership, 2019–present, Special events and issues, COVID-19 pandemic
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic spread to the United Kingdom in late January 2020. As of 7 June 2020 there have been 286,194 confirmed cases and 40,542 confirmed deaths overall, the world's second-highest death-rate per capita. There were 48,813 deaths where the death certificate mentioned COVID-19 by 22 May (see Statistics). More than 90% of those dying had underlying illnesses or were over 60 years old. The infection rate is higher in care homes than in the community, which is inflating the overall infection rate. There is large regional variation in the outbreak's severity. In March, London had the highest number of infections while North East England has the highest infection rate. England is the country of the UK with the most such deaths per capita, while Northern Ireland has the lowest. Healthcare in the UK is devolved to each country.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, Boris Johnson Premiership, 2019–present, Special events and issues, COVID-19 pandemic
The Department of Health and Social Care launched a public health information campaign to help slow the virus's spread, and began posting daily updates in early February. In February, the Heath Secretary, Matt Hancock, introduced the Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 for England, used as a template in the other parts of the UK, and hospitals set up drive-through screening. The Chief Medical Officer for England, Chris Whitty, outlined a four-pronged strategy to tackle the outbreak: contain, delay, research and mitigate.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, Boris Johnson Premiership, 2019–present, Special events and issues, COVID-19 pandemic
In March, the UK government imposed a lockdown, banning all "non-essential" travel and contact with people outside one's home (including family and partners), and shutting almost all schools and other educational institutions, shops selling nonessential goods, venues, facilities, amenities and places of worship. Those with symptoms, and their household, were told to self-isolate, while the most vulnerable (the over 70s and those with certain illnesses) were told to shield themselves. People were made to keep apart in public. Police were empowered to enforce the lockdown, and the Coronavirus Act 2020 gave the government emergency powers not used since the Second World War. Panic buying was reported.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, Boris Johnson Premiership, 2019–present, Special events and issues, George Floyd protests
In late May and in June 2020, protests took place across the country following the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, by police officers while under arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 25 May. Immediately after the killing, protests and riots broke out in dozens of cities across the United States. These spread internationally for the first time three days later, with a solidarity demonstration outside the United States Embassy in London.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, Boris Johnson Premiership, 2019–present, Special events and issues, George Floyd protests
Protests spread across the UK, particularly in London, Birmingham and Manchester. Many have been organised by the Black Lives Matter and Stand Up to Racism movements. As well as providing solidarity to protests in the United States, many of the protests highlight pockets and instances of racism in operational policy and conduct of UK policing, rehabilitation and in daily life.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, Boris Johnson Premiership, 2019–present, Special events and issues, George Floyd protests
Many protests have received endorsement and support from local councils and politicians, including in Liverpool and Oxford. Most such UK protests have been peaceful, although notable clashes between protesters and police have occurred many times in central London. Confrontations between police and protesters included a group spraying "ACAB" on the memorial to Earl Haig. When soldiers from the Household Cavalry in plain clothes scrubbed the graffiti off, protesters criticised them for doing so. Protesters sprayed graffiti on the plinth of the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square calling him a racist.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, Boris Johnson Premiership, 2019–present, Special events and issues, George Floyd protests
A statue of 17th-century slave trader and town benefactor Edward Colston was toppled from its pedestal in The Centre, Bristol and thrown into Bristol Harbour on 7 June. The movement having identified many divisive figures of the past, some local councils have renamed such streets and public buildings, notably the Bristol Beacon having formerly paid homage to Colston.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by issue, Brexit
In January 2020, The United Kingdom and Gibraltar left the European Union, beginning an 11-month transition period, during which they remain in the Single Market and Customs Union.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by issue, Climate change
In December 2019, the World Meteorological Organization released its annual climate report revealing that climate impacts are worsening. They found the global sea temperatures are rising as well as land temperatures worldwide. 2019 is the last year in a decade that is the warmest on record.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by issue, Climate change
Global carbon emissions hit a record high in 2019, even though the rate of increase slowed somewhat, according to a report from Global Carbon Project.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by major political party, Conservatives
Leadership elections for the Scottish Conservatives were held in February and August 2020. Douglas Ross is now the leader


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by major political party, Labour
As both the Labour leader (Jeremy Corbyn) and deputy leader (Tom Watson) had resigned or announced their intention to do so in late 2019, the party had both a leadership and deputy leadership contest in early 2020. The leadership contest was won by Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Keir Starmer with 275,780 votes (56.2% of the vote share). Angela Rayner became the deputy leader, achieving 192,168 first preference votes (41.7% of the vote share) and winning a majority of votes after the third round.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by major political party, Liberal Democrats
As their leader (Jo Swinson) lost her seat at the 2019 general election, the liberal democrats announced early in 2020 that they planned to have new leader in place by the middle of July that year. The contest was delayed by six weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the winner being declared in late August, until then MP Sir Ed Davey and the party's president Mark Pack remained its acting leadership. The contest was won by Ed Davey with 63.5% of the vote.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by major political party, Scottish National Party
The SNP won a plurality of seats in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by devolved administration, Greater London Authority
The London mayoral election originally due to take place in May 2020 was suspended for a year to 6 May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mayoral race saw London Labour's Sadiq Khan win on second preferences with 55.2% of the vote. The 2021 London Assembly election took place on the same day. The assembly elections saw Labour lose a seat while the London Conservatives, London Liberal Democrats and London Greens each gained one.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by devolved administration, Scottish government
The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021. The election saw limited changes in vote share and seats with each party gaining or losing less than 2% of the overall share in each category of voting. The SNP gained one seat but fell one short of an overall majority. The Scottish Conservatives maintained their second place position with the same number of seats as in 2016. Whilst, Scottish Labour continued in third place with a loss of two seats. The Scottish Greens gained two extra seats with a small increase in their vote share.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by devolved administration, Scottish government
The election also had an unusually high voter turnout compared to previous Scottish parliament elections of 63.2%. It was suggested that this may have been in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic leading to higher postal voting and lockdown giving people more time to engage with political activists and go to the polling station. Later that year, the SNP and Scottish Greens established a powersharing agreement where the later was given non-cabinet ministerial positions in exchange for support on votes of confidence, budgets and some areas of policy.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by devolved administration, Welsh government
The 2021 Senedd election took place on 6 May 2021. It was the first Welsh Parliament election where 16- and 17-year-olds could vote, following the enactment of Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act that lowered the voting age to 16 for Welsh Senedd elections. The election saw Welsh Labour gain one seat falling one short of an overall majority (which no party had ever achieved). The Welsh Conservatives gained five seats returning their strongest ever result of 16. Plaid Cymru made a net gain of one seat returning 13.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by devolved administration, Welsh government
The Welsh Liberal Democrats lost their only constituency but kept a seat through the regional vote, whilst UKIP lost all its seats from 2016 and no other party gained any. Whilst labour lacked an overall majority it decided to not make any kind of coalition or confidence pact and its leader Mark Drakeford was reconfirmed as First Minister of Wales a few days later with none of the other parties attempting to mount any kind of challenge.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by devolved administration, Northern Irish Executive
The Northern Irish Assembly returned to business in January 2020 after a three-year hiatus with a new power sharing agreement between Sinn Féin and the DUP.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by devolved administration, Northern Irish Executive
On 30 April, First Minister of Northern Ireland Arlene Foster resigned as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party. She was replaced as First Minister of Northern Ireland by Paul Givan who was confirmed on 17 July. Meanwhile the role of DUP leader was handled separately, being given first to Edwin Poots on the 14 May and following his resignation after just 21 days in the role it was taken by Jeffrey Donaldson.


2020s in United Kingdom political history, History by local government
Local elections in England as well as police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales were postponed from May 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking place on 6 May, the local elections saw the conservatives make a net gain of 294 councillors and 13 councils, whilst labour lost 264 and eight respectively. The Green Party of England and Wales gained 85 council seats and the liberal democrats increased their total by three. The conservatives gained both a mayor and a police and crime commissioner of Labour, whom themselves gained the same from the conservatives and Plaid Cymru.


2020s in United States political history
2020s in United States political history is a narrative summary of major political events and issues in the United States from January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2029. The first part is divided chronologically by Congressional sessions and the second part highlights major issues that span several years or even the entire decade. There are links for further information.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). There are 232 Democrats, 197 Republicans, one independent, and five vacancies (March 2020).


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
The President pro tempore of the United States Senate is Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and the Senate majority leader is Mitch McConnell (R-KY). 53 Senators are Republicans, 45 are Democrats, and two are independents. All senators took office in or before 2019, except Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) who took office on January 6, 2020.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
President Trump delivered a highly partisan 2020 State of the Union Address on February 4, 2020, that ended with Speaker Pelosi ripping up his speech.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence reportedly began receiving top-secret briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic in February. Committee chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and three others (Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) allegedly used this insider information to gain millions of dollars in the stock market prior to the February 13, 2020 stock market crash.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
On March 6, President Trump signed the $8.3 billion  and on March 18 the . On March 19, Senate Republicans released a draft for the .


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
On March 27, the House approved the $2 trillion CARES Act that was previously approved by the Senate. The  includes one-time payments to individuals, strengthened unemployment insurance, additional health-care funding, and loans and grants to businesses to deter layoffs. Speaker Pelosi said more money will be needed.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
In early 2020, the outbreak of coronavirus in the United States resulted in mass shutdowns of government in cities across the country in order to try to control the spread of this highly-contagious illness.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
In May 2020, the Killing of George Floyd while in police custody led to massive protests in widespread cities around the nation.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
Conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court on October 26 along partisan lines, despite earlier Republican arguments that it is inappropriate to choose justices during a presidential election year.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
In the November 3 elections, the Democratic majority in the House was reduced to 222-213 and Republicans maintained 50 seats in the Senate with two seats (Georgia Senate election and Georgia Senate special election) awaiting a runoff on January 5, 2021.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, General history
On December 21, Congress approved a second $900 billion stimulus bill, including a $600 check for individuals, $300 extra for unemployment benefits for 11 weeks, and $25 million for rental assistance, as well as funding for distribute of COVID-19 vaccines.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, Impeachment of Trump
Three House committees began their impeachment inquiry on September 24, 2019, and in December the House Judiciary Committee heard hearings leading to Trump's impeachment on two counts on December 18, 2019. The impeachment trial of Donald Trump took up most of the month of January and early February 2020. On February 5, 2020, the Senate voted to acquit Trump of all charges. All 45 Democrats and the two independents voted for conviction; all 52 Republican Senators voted for acquittal, except for Mitt Romney (R-UT) who voted for conviction on the charge of abuse of power.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, Impeachment of Trump
Trump was impeached for the second time on January 13, 2021 for incitement of insurrection, after the storming of the United States Capitol one week earlier.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the United States in January 2020. The first confirmed case of local transmission was recorded in January, while the first known deaths happened in February. By the end of March, cases had occurred in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and all inhabited U.S. territories except American Samoa. As of May 27, 2020, the U.S. had the most confirmed active cases and deaths in the world. As of June 5, 2020, its death rate was 330 per million people, the ninth-highest rate globally.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
The Trump administration declared a public health emergency on January 31, then on February 2 began to prevent the entry of most foreign nationals who had recently traveled to China, but did not ban entry of U.S. residents who had been there, and no virus testing was implemented to screen those seeking to enter the country. The initial U.S. response to the pandemic was otherwise slow, in terms of preparing the healthcare system, stopping other travel, or testing for the virus. A lack of mass testing obscured the true extent of the outbreak.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
For much of February, manufacturing defects rendered many government-developed test kits unusable, commercial tests were disallowed by regulations, and strict testing requirements were in place. The U.S. tested fewer than 10,000 people by March 10. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump was optimistic and "cheer-leading the country", downplaying the threat posed by the coronavirus and claiming that the outbreak was under control.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
On February 25, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned the American public for the first time to prepare for a local outbreak. A national emergency was declared by President Trump on March 13. In early March, the Food and Drug Administration began allowing public health agencies and private companies to develop and administer tests, and loosened restrictions so that anyone with a doctor's order could be tested. By the end of the month, over 1 million people had been tested (1 per 320 inhabitants).


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
The Trump administration largely waited until mid-March to start purchasing large quantities of medical equipment. In late March, the administration started to use the Defense Production Act to direct industries to produce medical equipment. Federal health inspectors who surveyed hospitals in late March found shortages of test supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other resources due to extended patient stays while awaiting test results. By early May, the U.S. had processed around 6.5 million tests (about 1 per 50 inhabitants), and was conducting around 250,000 tests per day, but experts said this level of testing was still not enough to contain the outbreak.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
The CDC warned that widespread disease transmission may force large numbers of people to seek healthcare, which could overload healthcare systems and lead to otherwise preventable deaths. On March 16, the White House advised against any gatherings of more than ten people. Since March 19, 2020, the U.S. Department of State has advised U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel. Travel restrictions on most foreign nationals who had recently traveled to Iran or 28 European countries were implemented in March. By April 11, the federal government approved disaster declarations for all states and inhabited territories except American Samoa.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
State and local responses to the outbreak have included prohibitions and cancellation of large-scale gatherings (including cultural events, exhibitions, and sporting events), restrictions on commerce and movement, and the closure of schools and other educational institutions. Disproportionate numbers of cases have been observed among Black and Latino populations, and there were reported incidents of xenophobia and racism against Asian Americans.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, COVID-19 pandemic
Clusters of infections and deaths have occurred in nursing homes, long-term care facilities, prisons and other detention centers, meatpacking plants, houses of worship, and urban areas; large gatherings that occurred before widespread shutdowns and social distancing (Mardi Gras in New Orleans, a conference in Boston sponsored by Biogen, and a funeral in Albany, Georgia) accelerated transmission.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests are an ongoing series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality and racism in policing. The protests began in the United States in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020,following the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes during an arrest the previous day.


2020s in United States political history, 116th Congress, 2020–2021, Specific issues and events, George Floyd protests
The unrest began as local protests in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota before quickly spreading across the entire nation as well as George Floyd protests outside the United States in support of Black Lives Matter. While the majority of protests have been peaceful, demonstrations in some cities descended into riots and widespread looting, with more being marked by street skirmishes and significant police brutality, notably against peaceful protesters and reporters. At least 200 cities imposed curfews by 3 June, while at least 27 states and Washington, D.C, activated over 74,000 National Guard personnel due to the mass unrest. From the beginning of the protests to June 3, at least 11,000 people had been arrested, including all four police officers involved in the arrest which led to Floyd's death.


2020s in United States political history, 117th Congress, 2021–present, History of Congress
The 117th United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2021, during the final weeks of Donald Trump's presidency, and will end on January 3, 2023. It will meet during the first two years of Joe Biden's presidency.