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Artist's concept of the Mars rover

A suicide bombing attack near Pulwama, in Indian-administered Kashmir, kills 40 security personnel.
NASA concludes the 15-year Opportunity Mars rover mission after being unable to wake the rover (artist's concept shown) from hibernation.
The Republic of Macedonia changes its name to the Republic of North Macedonia as the Prespa agreement takes effect, ending a 27-year naming dispute with Greece.
In an American trial, Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán is found guilty of ten criminal charges, including one mandating life imprisonment.

February 18, 2019 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Kashmir conflict
- Two reported Jaish-e-Mohammed militants, one civilian and four Indian soldiers are killed in a skirmish in the Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir as police search for suspects in Thursday's suicide attack that killed 40 Indian paramilitary police. (BBC)
Syrian civil war
- Twin explosions in Idlib, Syria, kills over 25 and injures more than 20. (Daily Sabah)

International relations

A summit between Israel and the Visegrád Group (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) is cancelled following Poland's reaction and withdrawal in re Israeli officials statements on The Holocaust alleging Polish involvement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will hold bilateral talks with the three prime ministers attending. (BBC)

Law and crime

List of mass shootings in the United States in 2019
- Four people are killed in a shooting in a Solon Township, Michigan, United States home with police investigating possible murder-suicide. (NBC News) (CBS News)

Politics and elections

History of the Labour Party (UK)
- Seven Labour Party MPs (Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Angela Smith, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Ann Coffey and Mike Gapes) resign from the party, forming a new independent group, in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, and "institutional anti-Semitism" within the party. (BBC)
2019 North Korea-United States Hanoi Summit Vietnam
- The United States is discussing exchanging liaison officers with North Korea. (CNN)

February 17, 2019 (Sunday)

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Business and economy

Hundreds of airline passengers are left stranded throughout Europe following British airline Flybmi's bankruptcy filing. (AP via The Washington Times)

Disasters and accidents

At least nine people die after a fire sweeps through more than 200 slum dwellings in Chittagong, Bangladesh. (BBC)
Four children die after a landslide in Mauá, São Paulo, Brazil. (G1)
Eight people are rescued from a gold mine that is flooded in Battlefields, Zimbabwe. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Cancún nightclub shooting
- A mass shooting inside a nightclub in Cancún, Mexico, leaves five dead and five wounded. (Fox News)

Politics and elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appoints intelligence minister Israel Katz to take over the foreign minister portfolio. Netanyahu retains his defence minister and health minister roles. Israel's parliamentary elections are scheduled for 9 April 2019. (Reuters) (The Jewish Chronicle)
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces the country's major political parties computer networks had been hacked by a "sophisticated state actor." (BBC)
Saudi Arabia–Pakistan relations
- Saudi Arabia signs $20 billion dollars in deals with Pakistan. (BBC News)

Sports

2019 NBA All-Star Game
- The 2019 NBA All-Star Game takes place in Charlotte, NC, Golden State Warriors SF Kevin Durant is the All Star MVP, it is his second All Star MVP award, the first coming in 2012. (CBS Sports)
2019 Daytona 500
- Denny Hamlin wins the 2019 Daytona 500. It is his second win in the event, the first coming in 2016. (Fox News)

February 16, 2019 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Battle of Baghuz Fawqani
  - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have taken control of Al-Baghuz Fawqani, following the surrender of the last remaining ISIL militants in the town. (Reuters)
Sinai insurgency
- Militants attacked an army checkpoint in Sinai Peninsula killing and injuring 15. It is believed that 11 were killed but that has not been confirmed. Seven militants also died in the attack. (The National) (The Times of Israel)
Boko Haram suicide bombers and a gunman kill 8 and injure 15 in an attack in Maiduguri, Nigeria. All three attackers were later killed. (Al Jazeera)
Afghanistan War
- 32 Afghan border security troops are killed by a Taliban attack in Kandahar, Afghanistan. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

At least 24 miners are found dead and dozens are still missing after two mines were flooded two days ago in Battlefields, Zimbabwe. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2019 Nigerian general election
- Voting is delayed in Nigeria for a week, hours before polling was due to start because of violent incidents in the lead up to the election. (BBC)
2019 North Korea–United States Vietnam Summit
- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is to arrive in Vietnam on February 25 ahead of the second summit meeting between the two leaders on February 27-28 in Hanoi. (Reuters)
2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
- United States Air Force C-17s land at Cucuta near the Colombia–Venezuela border, the aircraft are loaded with humanitarian aid intended for Venezuela. (ABC News)
Political appointments by Donald Trump
- State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert withdraws from consideration for the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations nomination. Jonathan Cohen has been serving in that position since January 1, 2019, following Nikki Haley's resignation. (NPR)

Sports

NBA All-Star Weekend takes place at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. (CBS Sports)

February 15, 2019 (Friday)

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Armed conflict and attacks

2019 Kaduna State massacre
- 66 people were killed by gunmen in Nigeria's Kaduna State including 34 victims being either women or children. The attack happened one day before the scheduled election before it was delayed another week. (Al Jazeera) (BBC)

Business and Economy

Amazon HQ2
- After announcing that it was canceling its New York City headquarters plans the day before, Amazon announces that it will keep its second headquarters in Virginia. (CNET)
Payless ShoeSource is closing all its 2,100 stores in America, starting liquidation sales on Sunday. (USA Today)

Law and crime

Aurora, Illinois shooting
- Five people are dead and six others are injured during a mass shooting in Aurora, Illinois. The suspected shooter was later killed by police. (CBS Chicago)
Brumadinho dam disaster
- Eight Vale employees from Minas Gerais are arrested over alleged involvement in a dam collapse that killed at least 166 people. (Financial Times) (The Wall Street Journal)
Ethnic issues in Japan
- The government of Japan approves a bill which officially acknowledges the Ainu as an indigenous people, following a non-binding resolution that was passed in 2008. (The Japan Times)

Politics and elections

United States–Mexico barrier, Trump wall
- U.S. President Donald Trump declares a National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States. (Fox News)
- The American Civil Liberties Union and watchdog group Public Citizen announced they will file lawsuits challenging the legality of President Trump’s emergency declaration. (Time) (CBS News)
Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez calls for a snap general election on 28 April and will dissolve the Cortes Generales on 5 May after failing to approve a government budget. (The New York Times) (CNN)
2019 North Korea–United States Vietnam Summit
- North Korean officials arrive in Beijing ahead of the second Trump–Kim summit. (ChannelNewsAsia)
2020 United States presidential election, 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
- Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld announces the launching of a presidential exploratory committee to run for President of the United States in the 2020 United States presidential election. (CNN)
2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
- A senior United States administration official says the U.S. is willing to meet with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to negotiate an exit to the crisis, as the U.S. military helps deliver aid to Venezuela. (CNN)

Sports

2020 Summer Olympics
- Following the announcement of the launch of a joint bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics, North Korea and South Korea announce that they are also interested in marching jointly at the 2020 Summer Olympics, as well as fielding unified teams in some sports. (ESPN)

February 14, 2019 (Thursday)

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Armed conflict and attacks

2019 Pulwama attack
- At least 46 members of India's security forces are killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up as a convoy of military vehicles drove on a highway in Jammu and Kashmir. (BBC)
Iraqi insurgency (2017–present)
- A roadside bomb blast kills 8 Shiite militiamen and wounds others. (France 24)
Syrian Civil War, Battle of Baghuz Fawqani
- Thousands of ISIL fighters and their families flee or surrender to the Syrian Democratic Forces, pushing back ISIL control to a square mile in the last ISIL stronghold of Baghuz. It is expected that ISIL still holds several hostages, including British Journalist John Cantlie. (US News) (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Amazon HQ2
- Amazon cancels its New York City headquarters plans, citing opposition from activists and local politicians. (CNN)

Law and crime

Murder of Laquan McDonald
- Former CPD officer Jason Van Dyke, known for the fatal shooting of teenager Laquan McDonald, is allegedly attacked in prison. (NBC News)
Florida rapper YNW Melly is arrested for allegedly murdering two friends. (CTV News

Politics and elections

2019 Haitian protests
- The death toll rises to 9 as protesters ask for Jovenel Moïse to step down as president of Haiti. The protest started Feburary 7. (BBC) (TIME)
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, February 2019 Warsaw Conference
- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence accuses European Union members of trying to break U.S. sanctions against Iran, and calls on the EU to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. (Reuters)
Special Counsel investigation
- Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe confirms he ordered the probe on U.S. President Donald Trump for obstruction of justice, citing concerns that arose from the dismissal of James Comey. (CBS News)
Political appointments by Donald Trump
- The U.S. Senate votes to confirm Trump nominee William Barr as United States Attorney General with a vote of 54–45. (NBC News)
Brexit
- The House of Commons votes to reject British Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiating strategy with the EU, though this motion has no legal force. (BBC News)

February 13, 2019 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Khash-Zahedan suicide bombing
- At least 27 Iranian Revolutionary Guards are killed after a suicide bombing attack in southeastern Iran. The attack is claimed by Jaish ul-Adl militants. (The New York Times) (Reuters)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- A joint U.S.–Libyan force raids an al-Qaeda base in the southern Tuareg-majority town of Ubari. (Reuters)

International relations

Israel–Venezuela relations, 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
- Venezuelan disputed interim President Juan Guaidó states that he is working to restore ties with Israel, which were broken by Hugo Chávez's anti-Israeli policy, while also weighing whether to relocate the nation's embassy into Jerusalem. (Al Jazeera)
Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- The Kremlin announces that Russia, Iran and Turkey will hold their fourth round of talks in Sochi on Thursday with regards to their roles in the Syrian Civil War. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

The Public Prosecutor General of Germany announces the arrest of two members of the Syrian military intelligence service on charges of crimes against humanity. The arrests happened the day before in the states of Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate. (DW)
Special Counsel investigation
- U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson rules that political consultant and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort breached his plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller by intentionally lying, about three of five matters, to investigators and the federal grand jury. (BBC) (Daily Mail)

Politics and elections

Trump administration dismissals and resignations
- FEMA Administrator Brock Long announces his resignation. (Fox News)

Science and technology

Exploration of Mars
- The mission of NASA's Opportunity rover on Mars comes to an end. The rover stopped communicating in June 2018 after a Martian dust storm, and attempts to reestablish communications have not been successful. (NASA)

February 12, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Four Pakistani police officers are shot dead by a Jamaat-ul-Ahrar splinter group. Three additional officers are injured. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden confirms the election of Finnish writer and poet Tua Forsström as a new member of the Swedish Academy, the body that formally decides the annual winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. (Swedish Academy)

Disasters and accidents

Delhi hotel fire
- At least 17 people are killed in a fire at a hotel in Delhi, India. (BBC)

International relations

Greece–North Macedonia relations
- The Republic of Macedonia officially changes its name to North Macedonia, ending a long-standing naming dispute with neighbouring Greece. (The Guardian)
2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis, United States–Venezuela relations
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, in an interview with the BBC's Orla Guerin, accuses U.S. President Donald Trump of being openly a white supremacist who is "warmongering against Venezuela", saying that "the Ku Klux Klan is running the White House". (BBC) (Evening Standard)

Law and crime

A Swedish district court rejects the application of a European arrest warrant to extradite from Sweden to Poland a Stalinist-era judge, Stefan Michnik, suspected of issuing unlawful death sentences to underground fighters in the 1950s. (Radio Poland)
Spanish constitutional crisis, 2017 Catalan independence referendum
- The trial of Catalonia independence leaders starts at the Spanish Supreme Court. (Reuters) (The New York Times) (The Guardian)
United States of America v. Joaquín Guzmán Loera
- At his trial in a Brooklyn federal court, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán is found guilty on all 10 counts; the charges include engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds, international distribution of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other drugs, and use of firearms during the commission of a felony. (CNN)
All 78 inmates escape from a prison in Aquin, Haiti, amid ongoing unrest in the country that has left four people dead. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly announces that he will run for the 2020 United States Senate special election in Arizona. (CNN)
Jody Wilson-Raybould resigns as Canada's Minister of Veterans Affairs less than one month into her term amid allegations she had been pressured by the Prime Minister's Office to go easy on SNC-Lavalin while she was Minister of Justice. (Reuters)

Science and technology

A wreck at the site of the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands is identified as the WWII-era U.S. Naval aircraft carrier USS Hornet. (CBS News)

Sports

Rikako Ikee, 18-year-old Japanese swimmer who won six gold medals at 2018 Asian Games, announces that she has been diagnosed with leukemia. (CNN)
North and South Korea announce they will launch a joint bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics. (The Guardian)

More February 2019 events...

Time: 23:48 UTC|Day: 18 February