Portal:Current events/2020 March 9

March 9, 2020 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok survives an assassination attempt in Khartoum. No one has claimed responsibility. (Haaretz) (The Guardian)
War in Afghanistan, Politics of Afghanistan
- Ashraf Ghani is sworn in as the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan amidst a rocket attack claimed by ISIL. Abdullah Abdullah proclaims himself as President as well. (AFP via Geo News)
Libyan Civil War, Turkish military intervention in the Second Libyan Civil War, 2019–20 Western Libya offensive
- Nearly 40 Syrian mercenaries recruited by the Turkish Army have fled to Italy, raising the number of Syrian fighters who fled from Libya to Europe to nearly 200. (SOHR)
International military intervention against ISIL
- Two United States troops are killed in a raid against ISIL in Iraq. (ABC)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Black Monday, 2020 Russia–Saudi Arabia oil price war
  - Oil prices plummet after Saudi Arabia cut its official selling prices over the weekend. (CNN)
  - Before markets open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures posted a 1,300-point drop due to the coronavirus and a fall in the price of oil. The drop would be the most points the Dow has dropped in a single day. (NBC News) (NBC News)
  - The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummets 1,800 points on opening, 500 points lower than pre-market futures trading. (MSNBC)
- Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  - The United Kingdom's largest retailer Tesco say they will be restricting the sale of essential food and household items in response to fears of mass panic buying. (BBC News) (Daily Mirror)
- The 2020 BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) is canceled due to coronavirus fears. This is one of the first major sporting events in the United States to be canceled over the coronavirus. (Bleacher Report) (News AU)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - The number of confirmed cases in Italy rose to 9,172, while the death toll rose to 463. (Corriere della Sera)
    - COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Italy
      - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte extends the lockdown from Northern Italy to the whole country. (CNN)
      - Riots continue at several prisons in Italy after family visitations were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Inmates took two prison guards hostage in Modena during an attempted escape, while inmates at San Vittore Prison in Milan overpowered guards and occupied the roof. Prisons in Pavia and Rebibbia are set on fire, allowing some prisoners to escape. (Business Insider)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
    - The Minister of Health of Cyprus confirms the first two cases in the island; one a health professional who visited United Kingdom and the other a 25-year-old man who had traveled from Italy. (Cyprus Mail)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - The first two COVID-19 deaths are confirmed in Germany. (BBC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - The French Minister of Culture Franck Riester announces he is infected with COVID-19, as five members of the National Assembly join the 1,412 cases in the Republic. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - The President of the Community of Madrid Isabel Díaz Ayuso orders the suspension of classes "at all educational levels" between 11 March until 30 March, as the region reports more than 500 cases. (La Vanguardia)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
    - Ireland cancels all the Saint Patrick's Day parades. (BBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
    - In order to combat the spread of coronavirus, Israel orders all arrivals from abroad, regardless of country, to self-quarantine. (Times of Israel)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
    - Saudi Arabia suspends all schools, universities and other educational institutions until further notice in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Al Arabiya)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    - The infection rate is reduced, but South Korean president Moon Jae-in said it was "too early to be optimistic". (The Independent)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and U.S. Representative Paul Gosar self-quarantine themselves after having made contact at CPAC with a man confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19. (USA Today)
  - U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz announces that he will quarantine for 14 days after making contact at the CPAC with a man who tested positive for COVID-19. (The Washington Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships
    - The Grand Princess cruise ship, with at least 21 people aboard who've tested positive for COVID-19, has docked at the Port of Oakland, California, to continue to the next step in the quarantining measures process. The ship was carrying more than 2,000 passengers, as well as 1,100 crew members. The Grand Princess had been idling about 10 miles (16 km) offshore since Thursday (March 5). Disembarking American passengers are being put under mandatory 14-day quarantine at military bases in California, Texas or Georgia. Foreign passengers are being sent to their home countries for the completion of the quarantine. (Fox News)

International relations

North Korea–South Korea relations
- North Korea fires three projectiles from the coast of Sondok into the sea, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Reuters)

Law and crime

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit confirms a 2016 ruling that Led Zeppelin's 1971 song "Stairway to Heaven" was not unlawfully copied from Spirit's instrumental "Taurus", overturning the so-called inverse ratio rule test. (UPI)

Music

In March 2020, the official music video for "Godzilla", Eminem featuring Juice Wrld, was released posthumously in his honor and directed by Cole Bennett. It features cameos from Mike Tyson and Dr. Dre, and has garnered over 750 million views on YouTube.^[1]

↑ "Eminem - Godzilla ft. Juice WRLD (Directed by Cole Bennett)". YouTube. March 9, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2025.

[1] "Eminem - Godzilla ft. Juice WRLD (Directed by Cole Bennett)". YouTube. March 9, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2025.

[1]