Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Aung San Suu Kyi

• Aung San Suu Kyi (pictured), the State Counsellor of Myanmar, is detained by the military in a coup d'état.
• A coordinated short squeeze targeting American hedge funds causes GameStop's stock price to spike.
• Kaja Kallas becomes the first female Prime Minister of Estonia, following the resignation of Jüri Ratas.
• In Russia, protests against the arrest of Alexei Navalny occur in more than 120 towns and cities.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic
• Indian farmers' protest

Recent deaths:

• Jim Weatherly
• Rennie Davis
• Libuše Domanínská
• Emil J. Freireich
• Abu Salman Shahjahanpuri
• Wayne Terwilliger

Current events of February 5, 2021 (2021-02-05) (Friday)

Current events of February 4, 2021 (2021-02-04) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War, Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • U.S. President Joe Biden announces that the United States will end their support for Saudi Arabia in their intervention in Yemen. However, he also said that the United States will continue targeting Al-Qaeda operations in the country. (Financial Times)

Arts and culture

• Public holidays in New Zealand
  • New Zealand announces a new floating public holiday to commence in 2022 based on the Māori celebration of Matariki. (RNZ)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Wooroloo bushfire
  • The number of homes destroyed rises to 81, as a new bushfire to the north threatens the Bullsbrook township. (ABC Australia)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • The Ministry of Health grants emergency use authorization for China’s Sinopharm vaccine. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran receives their first shipment of 500,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • Palestine receives 10,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Taiwan reports their first death of a foreigner from COVID-19. The patient was a British national in his 70s. It is also the first death from the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 reported in the country. (Taiwan News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Lineage P.1
      • France reports four cases of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy surpasses 90,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Il Messaggero)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The British government confirms that British nationals and non-residents returning from 30 "red list" high-risk countries will need to quarantine in hotels or government-approved accommodation beginning February 15, two weeks after it was announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Private gatherings in Victoria are limited to 15 people after a worker at a quarantine site for tennis players competing in the Australian Open tests positive for COVID-19. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
    • Peru signs a deal with Pfizer to purchase 20 million doses of its vaccine. (Gestión)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 vaccine
    • Johnson & Johnson requests emergency approval for their vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration. (CNET)
• 2019–2021 locust infestation
  • Somalia declares a state of emergency due to swarms of desert locusts. (Daily Sabah)

International relations

• Foreign relations of Guyana, Foreign relations of Taiwan
  • Taiwan establishes a Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Guyana. (AFP via CNA)

Politics and elections

• 117th United States Congress
  • The United States House of Representatives votes 230–199 to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) from her assignments on the Education and Labor and Budget committees following controversial comments made about the mass shootings in Parkland and Sandy Hook, as well as showing support for violence towards Democrats. (BBC)

Science and technology

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, Censorship in Myanmar, Censorship of Facebook
  • American technology company Facebook, Inc. reports that multiple internet service providers in Myanmar have restricted access to its social networking services, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company has urged authorities to restore connectivity. (AFP via Deccan Herald)

Current events of February 3, 2021 (2021-02-03) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Mali War
  • Nine soldiers are killed and six others are wounded during an ambush near the village of Boni, Mopti, Mali. Twenty attackers are also killed. (Al Jazeera)
• Syrian civil war
  • Syria missile strikes (February 2021)
    • Israel launches airstrikes in Syria, Syrian forces responded late on Wednesday to "Israeli aggression" in the south of the country, the state news agency said. (Al Jazeera) (i24 News)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • Four Tunisian soldiers are killed by a land mine during a counter-terrorism operation in Mount Mghila, central Tunisia. (AFP via Barron's)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • General Motors announces the suspension of operations at its Fairfax, Ingersoll, and San Luis Potosí assembly plants due to a global shortage of semiconductors. (AFP via RFI)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Wooroloo bushfire
  • Over 70 homes are destroyed by a large wildfire in Western Australia. (ABC Australia)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech Republic surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in Catalonia. Experts believe that it has no relation to South Africa, the variant's country of origin, and that it originated in Europe. (El Periódico)
      • Spain surpasses 60,000 deaths from COVID-19. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • The Swedish government announces that all travellers will be required to show a negative COVID-19 testing result within 48 hours of arrival beginning February 6 in order to prevent the spread of variants of SARS-CoV-2. Swedish citizens as well as foreign residents living in Sweden will be exempt from this rule. (The Local Sweden)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The number of people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United Kingdom surpasses 10 million. (ITV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The Japanese House of Councillors passes a law that will introduce fines for people and businesses that do not comply with restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
      • Kuwait will suspend entry for non-citizens for two weeks beginning February 7, due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country. (Gulf News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • The Health Sciences Authority approves the use of the Moderna vaccine for people aged above 18 in Singapore, becoming the first country in Asia to do so. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • The United Arab Emirates reports a record of 3,977 new confirmed cases and 12 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 313,626 and the nationwide death toll to 878. (Al-Arabiya)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas
      • Kansas reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Ellis County. (The Wichita Eagle)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • Medsafe provisionally approves the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine in New Zealand with certain conditions. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • GlaxoSmithKline and the German biotech firm CureVac sign an agreement worth 150 million euros ($180.7 million) to develop a vaccine to counter many variants of SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be introduced in 2022. (MarketWatch)
    • Preliminary tests indicate that the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine may reduce transmission of COVID-19 and not simply prevent symptomatic infections. (U.S. News & World Report via MSN)
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
  • Authorities in Brandenburg, Germany, cull 14,000 turkeys due to an outbreak of H5N8 bird flu on a farm in the Uckermark area. (Reuters)

International relations

• Guyana–Venezuela relations, Guayana Esequiba dispute
  • The Venezuelan government releases the crew of two Guyana-flagged fishing vessels detained by the Venezuelan military in January for alleged illegal fishing in the disputed Guayana Esequiba region. (AFP via France 24)

Law and crime

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • The police file criminal charges against overthrown de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi for illegally importing communications equipment and seek her custody until February 15 as part of investigations. (Al Jazeera)
• Terrorism in Canada
  • Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announces the designation of 13 groups as terrorist organizations, including the American far-right group Proud Boys and white supremacist organizations such as the Russian Imperial Movement, Atomwaffen Division, and The Base. In the process, Canada has become the first country to designate the Proud Boys as a terrorist organization. (The Washington Post) (USA Today)
• Fifteen people are arrested in Ethiopia over a plot to attack the United Arab Emirates' embassy in the capital Addis Ababa. Several other suspects, who were planning attacks against the UAE's diplomatic mission in Sudan, are also arrested. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Italian government crisis
  • Mario Draghi accepts the order from President Sergio Mattarella to form an "emergency government" after Giuseppe Conte's resignation. (The New York Times)

Current events of February 2, 2021 (2021-02-02) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Burmese State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi is placed under house arrest in the capital Naypyidaw after the military coup that overthrew her government. (Financial Times)
• Tigray War
  • Three Ethiopian opposition parties say that at least 52,000 civilians have died in Tigray. (Bloomberg)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Rescue Plan
  • The United States Senate votes 50–49 to pass a budget resolution that would allow Democrats to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package without support from Republicans. (Business Insider)
• Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announces that he will step down as CEO during the third quarter. Current Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy is expected to replace him. (CNBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • Captain Tom, a British Army veteran who served in World War II and who donated to charities during the lockdown, dies from COVID-19 at the age of 100. (The Guardian)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces a phased return to school for Scotland's youngest children, with nurseries and all primary pupils from P1 to P3 planned to be back in the classroom beginning on February 22. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain will restrict travel to South Africa and Brazil due to concerns about new variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Reuters)
      • Spain reports 724 deaths in the past 24 hours, the most since April. (El País)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • Andorra surpasses the 10.000 COVID-19 cases. (Diari d'Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • The French National Authority for Health approves the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged under 65. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports a record 101 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 3,418. (The Irish Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns
      • Prime Minister Mark Rutte extends all of the country's tough lockdown measures for at least a month due to the spread of more transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in San Marino
      • Former Captain Regent Fausta Morganti dies from COVID-19 at the age of 76. (Corriere Romagna)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Brunswick, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • New Brunswick reports its first two cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Toronto Star)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Saskatchewan reports its first two cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the Regina area. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico approves the use of Sputnik V vaccine in the country. (CTV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 21 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 791. (The Star)
      • Malaysia extends its movement control order in all states and territories except Sarawak until February 18. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 12,848 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 896,530. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The Japanese government extends an ongoing state of emergency in 10 prefectures, including Tokyo, which surpassed 100,000 cases yesterday. (UPI)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Kyrgyzstan is expected to receive 504,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in March. (24.kg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Prime Minister Imran Khan launches the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 in Pakistan, with the first dose of Sinopharm's vaccine administered to a doctor in Islamabad. (DAWN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • Palestinian Authority begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 starting with healthcare workers in the occupied West Bank. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • The Ministry of Health confirms that 276 people in 10 provinces and cities are currently infected with the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine
      • A peer-reviewed result published in the journal The Lancet finds Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to be 91.6% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 infection. It is the third major vaccine candidate to exceed 90% efficacy, along with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. (CBS on MSN)

International relations

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • China blocks a United Nations Security Council statement formally condemning the military coup in Myanmar. (BBC)

Law and crime

• 2021 Sunrise, Florida shootout
  • Two FBI agents are killed and three others are wounded during a shootout in Sunrise, Florida, while serving an arrest warrant. The gunman is later found dead. This is the deadliest incident involving FBI agents since 1986. (BBC) (Orlando Sentinel)
• Muskogee home shooting
  • Five children and one adult are killed, and another person wounded, during a mass shooting at a home in Muskogee, Oklahoma. A 25-year-old male suspect who had been living with the victims is taken into custody. (Associated Press)

Politics and elections

• Cabinet of Joe Biden
  • The United States Senate votes to confirm Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary, making him the first openly gay person to be confirmed to a Cabinet post. (ABC News)
  • The Senate also confirms Alejandro Mayorkas as Secretary of Homeland Security, making him the first Jewish person, first Latino person and first immigrant to head the Department of Homeland Security. (The Hill)
• 2021 Italian government crisis
  • President Sergio Mattarella invites former President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi to form a new government following the resignation of Giuseppe Conte as Prime Minister. (AFP via RTE)

Sports

• 2020–21 Premier League, Manchester United F.C. 9–0 Southampton F.C.
  • Manchester United defeats Southampton 9–0 to set the record for the largest winning margin in a Premier League match, equalling that of Leicester City's 0–9 victory against the same team in the previous season and their own 9–0 win against Ipswich Town in 1995. (ABC Australia)

Current events of February 1, 2021 (2021-02-01) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • The military hands over power to Min Aung Hlaing and announces a state of emergency for a year, after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the National League for Democracy party. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

• Twelve people are killed when two vessels sink close to a port on Colombia's Pacific coast, in Tumaco. (The Canberra Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Mainichi)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan receives 500,000 doses of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine. (The News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam closes schools in 22 provinces ahead of the Tết holiday and ends a Communist Party congress early following the detection of a new cluster of COVID-19 cases in northern areas. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • Dubai closes all bars and pubs for the entire month of February and limit other activities due to rise of COVID-19 cases across the United Arab Emirates. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia
      • Armenia approves the use of the Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia. (Public Radio of Armenia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria announces the easing of its lockdown from February 8, allowing non-essential shops and schools to reopen while toughening border restrictions and implementing a curfew from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am local time. (Vienna.at)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Isle of Man
      • The Isle of Man lifts its second "circuit-breaker" lockdown after 20 days without a community case. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy eases its national restrictions by allowing the reopening of bars, restaurants and museums in 16 "Yellow-zone" regions. However, a curfew from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am will remain in place. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Lithuania reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a woman from Vilnius who tested positive for COVID-19 in early January. (LRT)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
      • British Columbia confirms 18 cases of the new variants of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom and South Africa. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, 501.V2 variant
      • Ontario reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person from the Peel Region with no known travel history. (CP24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa receives one million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. (ABC News)

International relations

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Myanmar–United Kingdom relations
    • The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office summons the ambassador of Myanmar to the United Kingdom in response to the coup. (AFP via NDTV)
  • Myanmar–United States relations
    • U.S. President Joe Biden threatens to re-impose sanctions on Myanmar's military leaders and calls for them to relinquish the power that they seized in the coup. (Reuters)
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
  • Andorra stops recognizing Juan Guaidó as the interim President of Venezuela. (Diari d'Andorra)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest
  • Internet access remained blocked following violent clashes between police and farmers protesting controversial agricultural reforms. Online access was suspended in at least 14 of 22 districts in Haryana near New Delhi. That order was first imposed on Republic Day in Haryana districts for 24 hours, but has been extended every day since. (CNN)
• 2021 Boğaziçi University protests
  • A total of 159 people are detained at the protests over the appointment of Melih Bulu as the rector of Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Over 228 people have been charged or arrested for participating in the storming of the United States Capitol. (Business Insider)
• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest
  • Protesters marched in Rochester, New York, after a nine-year-old girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by police. Protesters ripped away barricades protecting a Rochester police precinct as hundreds took to the streets in outrage. (Democrat and Chronicle)
• Ballot Measure 110 goes into effect in Oregon, making it the first state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of specified Schedule I and Schedule II drugs. (ABC News)

Politics and elections

• 2021 President of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil election, 2021 President of the Federal Senate of Brazil election
  • The National Congress of Brazil elects new leaders for the 56th Legislature. Arthur Lira and Rodrigo Pacheco, candidates supported by President Jair Bolsonaro, are elected President of the Chamber of Deputies and President of the Federal Senate respectively. (AFP via Bangkok Post)

Current events of January 31, 2021 (2021-01-31) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Tigray War
  • Former Tigray Region president and fugitive Debretsion Gebremichael speaks out for the first time since going into hiding following the fall of Mekelle to federal forces in November 2020, saying "They [the federal government] have temporary military dominance", and "we are engaged in extended resistance". His current whereabouts are unknown. (Reuters)
• Somali Civil War
  • A suicide bomber blows himself up outside the Afrik Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, while gunmen storm the hotel and open fire. Five people are killed in the al-Shabaab attack, including a former military general; ten civilians are wounded. The three other attackers are shot dead during a gun battle with security forces. (BBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, 501.V2 variant
      • Israel reports its first reinfection case of the 501.V2 variant in a 57-year-old man who recently travelled to Turkey and who previously recovered from COVID-19. (Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
      • Lebanon surpasses 300,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Daily Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
      • Israel agrees to transfer 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Palestinians to immunize frontline medical workers. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea extends its social distancing restrictions for another two weeks amid concern around the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays and an increase in the number of cases. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, 501.V2 variant
      • Vietnam reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a 25-year-old man from South Africa who travelled to Hanoi on December 19 and tested positive for COVID-19 four days later while in quarantine. (AAP via The West Australian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in France reaches 27,613, the most since December 1. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Minister for Primary Education Arie Slob announces that primary schools and daycare centres will reopen on February 8, but secondary schools and after-school clubs will remain closed. (Dutch News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Captain Tom, a British Army World War II veteran who raised millions of pounds for charity during the pandemic, is hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. He has not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine. (NBC News) (BBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan announces a five-day lockdown in the Perth metropolitan, Peel, and South West regions, beginning at 6:00 pm AWST, after a quarantine hotel security guard tests positive for COVID-19, possibly of the B.1.1.7 variant. (9 News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
    • Cuba reports a record 1,012 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 26,686. (Presna Latina)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
    • Egypt receives its first shipment of 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India. (Ahram Online)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations
  • 2021 Russian protests, aftermath of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny
    • United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemns Russian authorities for using "harsh tactics" in protests that broke out following the arrest of Alexei Navalny. (NBC News)
• Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations, immigration to the United Kingdom
  • The United Kingdom formally launches a visa scheme allowing all Hong Kong residents with British National (Overseas) passports (BNO), and their "immediate dependents", to fast-track their UK citizenship. At least 300,000 people are expected to apply. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China says that it will "no longer recognise" BNO passports as legal travel documents. (BBC)

Law and crime

• Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Police in Brussels, Belgium announce that they have arrested more than 400 people in order to prevent a banned demonstration against anti-COVID-19 measures. (DW)
• 2021 Russian protests
  • More than 5,000 people are detained by police at nationwide protests calling for the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Vietnam
  • Nguyễn Phú Trọng is re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam for a third five-year term as top leader in Vietnam. (Reuters)

Current events of January 30, 2021 (2021-01-30) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • A car bombing kills at least five people and wounds 22 others in the Turkish-occupied town of Afrin in northern Syria. Turkey's Ministry of National Defense accuses the Kurdish-led YPG of being behind the attack. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland, 501.V2 variant
        • Maryland confirms its first case of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa, becoming the second U.S. state to do so after South Carolina. (Politico)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • South Carolina reports its first case of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. The patient is a person from the Pee Dee region who previously travelled internationally. (WLTX-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
      • Cuban authorities announce that the country will tighten its measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and require all tourists to isolate after visiting the island until they test negative. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 14,518 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, 4,601 of which are from West Java, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,066,313. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran imposes a 14-day quarantine upon arrival for all travelers from Europe. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 5,728 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 209,661. (New Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan reports its first death from COVID-19 since May 2020 in a woman in her 80s. (Focus Taiwan News Channel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
      • Uzbekistan reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a 10-year-old child who travelled with her family to the United Arab Emirates last week. (Xinhua)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam approves the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Algeria begins its vaccination program using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Tunisia becomes the third country in Africa to register the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine after the country approves the vaccine for one year. (Al-Arabiya)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    • The Italian Medicines Agency approves the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy for all adults but recommends that other vaccines be given to people aged over 55. (Daily Sabah)

International relations

• Economic effects of Brexit
  • The United Kingdom announces that it will apply to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which forms a trade bloc of 11 Asia-Pacific nations. The UK will be the first non-founding country to apply to join the bloc. (BBC)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in Iran
  • Iran hangs Javid Dehghan, the former leader of the Salafi jihadist group Jaish ul-Adl, for the murder of two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. (Reuters)

Time: 02:30 UTC|Day: 5 February

	February 2021
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession
• GameStop short squeeze

Disasters

• COVID-19 pandemic
• 2020–21 European windstorm season
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
• Yemeni famine

Politics

• Afghan peace process
• Armenian protests
• Belarusian protests
• Bulgarian protests
• East Mediterranean crisis
• Hong Kong protests
• Indian farmers protests
• Italian government crisis
• Indonesia omnibus law protests
• Kashmir lock-down
• Libyan peace process
• Nicaraguan protests
• Nigerian protests
• Persian Gulf crisis
• Russian protests
• Second Arab Spring
• Sudanese protests
• Thai protests
• United States election protests
• United States racial unrest
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
• Yellow vests movement

Elections and referendums

Recent

• January
  • 24: Portugal, President

Upcoming

• February
  • 7: Ecuador, President (1st), National Assembly
  • 7: Liechtenstein, Landtag
  • 14: Central African Republic, National Assembly (2nd)
  • 14: Kosovo, Assembly
  • 19: Turks and Caicos Islands, House of Assembly

Trials

Recently concluded

• France: Charlie Hebdo shooting
• Switzerland: Beny Steinmetz
• Vanuatu: Charlot Salwai

Ongoing

• Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa
• Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
• Colombia: Álvaro Uribe
• France: Nicolas Sarkozy
• Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
• Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev
• Malta: Yorgen Fenech
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• Spain: 2017 Catalonia attacks
• Sudan: Omar al-Bashir
• United States: Varsity Blues scandal
• International: The Gambia v. Myanmar

Upcoming

• Indonesia: Edhy Prabowo, Juliari Batubara, Muhammad Rizieq Shihab
• Kosovo: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli
• Lesotho: Maesiah Thabane
• Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina
• United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell
• Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo

Sport

• Association football
  • 2020–21 Premier League
  • 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  • 2020–21 UEFA Nations League
  • 2020 Copa Libertadores
  • 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage
  • 2020–21 UEFA Europa League group stage
• Women's association football
  • 2020–21 Champions League
  • 2020–21 Division 1 Féminine
  • 2020–21 FA WSL
• American football
  • 2020 NFL season
  • 2020 NCAA Division I FBS
• Baseball
  • 2021 MLB season
• Basketball
  • 2020–21 NBA season
  • 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
  • 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season
• Golf
  • 2020–21 PGA Tour
• Ice hockey
  • 2020–21 KHL season
  • 2020–21 NHL season
• Rugby union
  • 2020–21 Premiership Rugby
  • 2020–21 Pro14
  • 2019–20 Top 14
• Other sports seasons
  • 2020–21 international cricket season
  • 2020–21 snooker season
  • 2020–21 curling season

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

February 2021

• 3: Haya Harareet
• 2: Rennie Davis
• 2: Fausta Morganti
• 2: Captain Tom
• 1: Dustin Diamond
• 1: Jack Palladino
• 1: John Sweeney
• 1: Jamie Tarses

January 2021

• 30: Allan Burns
• 30: Sophie
• 30: Marc Wilmore
• 29: Hilton Valentine
• 28: Paul J. Crutzen
• 28: Cicely Tyson
• 28: Lewis Wolpert
• 27: Juan del Río Martín
• 26: Cloris Leachman
• 26: Carlos Holmes Trujillo
• 24: George Armstrong
• 24: Arik Brauer
• 24: Sonny Fox
• 24: Bruce Kirby
• 24: Gunnel Lindblom
• 24: Joseph Sonnabend
• 23: Walter Bernstein
• 23: Tony Ferrer
• 23: Alberto Grimaldi
• 23: Hal Holbrook
• 23: Larry King
• 23: Nilda Pedrosa
• 23: Robert Rowland
• 23: Roy Torrens
• 22: Hank Aaron
• 22: Juan Guzmán Tapia
• 22: José Rivera Pérez
• 21: Henry Chmielewski
• 20: Mira Furlan
• 20: Sibusiso Moyo
• 20: Peter Swan
• 20: Ted Thompson
• 19: V. Shanta
• 18: Jean-Pierre Bacri
• 18: Lubomir Kavalek
• 18: Jimmie Rodgers
• 18: Don Sutton
• 17: Nikolay Antoshkin
• 17: Sammy Nestico
• 16: Salleh Abas
• 16: Michael Bryce
• 16: Chris Murphy
• 16: Phil Spector
• 15: Benjamin de Rothschild
• 14: Peter Mark Richman
• 14: Joanne Rogers
• 13: Tim Bogert
• 13: Siegfried Fischbacher
• 13: Sylvain Sylvain
• 13: Philip Tartaglia

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

• Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
  • Maghreb insurgency
• Cameroon
  • Anglophone Crisis
• Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
  • Boko Haram insurgency
• Central African Republic
  • Civil War
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Kivu conflict
  • Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • Ituri conflict
  • Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
• Ethiopia
  • Tigray conflict
• Mali
  • Mali War
• Mozambique
  • Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
• Nigeria
  • Communal conflicts in Nigeria
• Somalia
  • Civil war
• Sudan
  • War in Darfur
  • South Kordofan conflict
  • Sudanese nomadic conflicts (incl. South Sudan)
• Western Sahara
  • Western Sahara conflict
    • 2020 Western Saharan clashes

Americas

• Colombia
  • Colombian conflict
• Mexico
  • Mexican War on Drugs
• Peru
  • Internal conflict in Peru

Asia-Pacific

• Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan War
• China
  • Xinjiang conflict
• India
  • Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
  • Insurgency in Northeast India
• India and Pakistan
  • Kashmir conflict
    • Border skirmishes
• Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
  • Moro conflict
    • Cross border attacks in Sabah
• Indonesia
  • Papua conflict
• Myanmar
  • Internal conflict in Myanmar
    • Kachin conflict
    • Karen conflict
    • Rohingya conflict
• Pakistan
  • Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Insurgency in Balochistan
• Philippines
  • Communist rebellion in the Philippines
  • Philippine Drug War
• Thailand
  • South Thailand insurgency

Europe

• Armenia and Azerbaijan
  • Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
• Ukraine
  • War in Donbass
    • Russo-Ukrainian War

Middle East

• Egypt
  • Sinai insurgency
• Iran and the Persian Gulf
  • Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
• Iraq
  • American-led intervention in Iraq
  • Iranian intervention in Iraq
• Iraq and Syria (map)
  • International military intervention against ISIL
• Israel and Gaza
• Israel and Syria
  • Israeli-Syrian border conflict
• Syria
  • American-led intervention in Syria
  • Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
• Turkey
  • Kurdish–Turkish conflict
• Yemen and Saudi Arabia
  • Yemeni Civil War
  • Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • Second Saudi–Yemeni War

Further information: List of ongoing armed conflicts

2021 events and developments by topic

Arts

Architecture – Comics – Film – Home video – Literature – Music (Country, Rock, Metal, UK, US) – Radio – Television (UK, US) – Video games

Politics and government

Elections – International leaders – Sovereign states – Sovereign state leaders – Territorial governors

Science and technology

Archaeology – Biotechnology – Computing – Palaeontology – Quantum computing and communication – Space/Astronomy – Spaceflight

Environment and environmental sciences

Birding/Ornithology – Climate change

Transportation

Aviation – Rail transport

Establishments and disestablishments categories

Establishments – Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

Works – Introductions – Works entering the public domain