Portal:Current events/2015 January 20

Current events of January 20, 2015 (2015-01-20) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks Shia insurgency in Yemen Houthi rebels take over the residence of the President amidst calls by the rebel leader for negotiations to adjust the country's power structure. (The Washington Post) The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant threatens to kill two Japanese citizens unless it receives a ransom of $200 million. (Reuters) Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claims responsibility for the attack on the town of Baga, Nigeria in which an unknown number of civilians were killed. (Reuters via ABC News Australia) Business and economy Oil services company Baker Hughes will lay off 7,000 people due to falling crude oil prices. (AP via ABC News America) Disaster and accidents A fire in a bowling alley causes a roof collapse in Taoyuan City, Taiwan killing six firefighters. (AP) An overpass of I-75 in Cincinnati, Ohio collapses while undergoing demolition, killing one worker and injuring a trucker whose vehicle was struck by debris. (Cincinnati.com) According to preliminary tests at the Glendive, Montana city water treatment plant, the January 17 oil spill in the Yellowstone River contains benzene, a chemical that causes cancer. (National Geographic)(LA Times) Law and crime A gunman shoots a cardiovascular surgeon to death at Harvard Medical School's Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and then commits suicide. (USA Today) Politics and elections Zambian presidential election, 2015 Voters in Zambia go to the polls for a presidential election following the October 2014 death of incumbent President Michael Sata. Defence Minister Edgar Lungu (the Patriotic Front) and Hakainde Hichilema (the United Party for National Development) seek the office. (AFP via Yahoo! News) 2015 State of the Union Address The President of the United States Barack Obama delivers a State of the Union address to the United States Congress. (AP),(AP),(AP)