Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- An apartment fire in the Bronx, New York City, kills at least 17 people.
- Sidney Poitier (pictured), the first black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, dies at the age of 94.
- Anti-government protests triggered by an increase in fuel prices result in at least 160 deaths and 7,900 arrests across Kazakhstan.
- Peter Wright wins the PDC World Darts Championship.
Armed conflicts and attacks
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- India begins administering the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot or "precaution dose" for high-risk population, such as healthcare workers and people aged above 60 years with comorbidities. (The Times of India)
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
- Nepal bans mass public gatherings more than 25 people and closes schools until January 29 and mandates proof of vaccination to enter hotels, parks, restaurants, cinema halls, and public office beginning on January 21 due to rising number of COVID-19 cases. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- The Philippines reports a record for the third consecutive day of 28,707 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,998,530. (ABS-CBN News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
- New South Wales reports a record for the second consecutive day of 18 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the statewide death toll to 745. (The Guardian)
- Australia surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Al Jazeera)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
- COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
- Chile begins administering the second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to people most vulnerable to COVID-19, including immunocompromised people. It become the first country in Latin America to do so. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
- Uganda reopens schools for the first time since March 2020 after nearly two year closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming the world's longest educational shutdown affected more than 10 million students. (The Independent)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- Xenotransplantation
- Doctors at the University of Maryland, Baltimore successfully transplant a pig heart into a patient for the first time. (ABC News)
International relations
- Russia–United States relations
- Russia and the U.S. begin a series of talks in Geneva in a effort to defuse tensions between both countries and Ukraine. (The Guardian)
Law and crime
- The Nigerian online newspaper, the Peoples Gazette, claims it has been raided by the Nigerian National Intelligence Agency. (Peoples Gazette)
Sports
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, 2022 Australian Open
- Tennis player Novak Djokovic is allowed entry to Australia following a federal court hearing which determined his visa to be permissible despite current pandemic health measures, which require proof of COVID-19 vaccination. (BBC News)
- The counsel for the Commonwealth Christopher Tran tells the court that Alex Hawke might use his personal prerogative as the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship to cancel Djokovic's visa despite the court ruling against the Commonwealth. (ABC News Australia)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2022 Kazakh protests
- The death toll from the protests in Kazakhstan increases to 164, including 103 who were killed in Almaty. 5,135 people have also been detained. (Al Jazeera)
Arts and culture
- 79th Golden Globe Awards
- South Korean actor O Yeong-su wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in the Squid Game television series, becoming the first person from South Korea to win the honor. (Korea Times)
- Mj Rodriguez wins the Best Actress in the Pose television series, becoming the first trans actress to win a Golden Globe. (CNN)
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 Bronx apartment fire
- At least 19 people are killed and more than 60 others are injured after a fire spreads through a 19-story apartment building in the Bronx, New York City, United States. (CNN) (ABC News)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
- Tianjin begins city-wide COVID-19 testing for 14 million people after 20 children and adults tested positive for COVID-19, two of whom were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
- Kuwait reports a record 2,999 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 433,919. (Kuwait News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
- Health Minister Alymkadyr Beishenaliev announces that 55% of the Kyrgyzstan population has received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (AKIPress)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- The Philippines reports a record for the second consecutive day of 28,707 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,965,447. (Rappler)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar
- Qatar reports a record 3,487 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 266,344. (Qatar Tribune)
- COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
- New South Wales reports a record 16 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the statewide death toll to 727. (ABC News Australia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
- COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, COVID-19 vaccination in Greece
- The Greek government announces that fully vaccinated people who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose seven months after receiving their second dose will be banned from entering most indoor venues and participating in many types of activities beginning on February 1. (Times of Malta)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surpasses 10 million. (Barron's)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- Foreign relations of Mali
- The West African nations of the 15-member bloc ECOWAS suspend diplomatic relations with Mali and announce that they are closing their borders with and imposing economic sanctions on Mali in response to an "unacceptable delay" to the country's next general election. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Tigray War
- Dedebit airstrike
- At least 56 people are killed by an airstrike on an IDP camp in Dedebit, Tigray Region, Ethiopia. (Sky News)
- Dedebit airstrike
- Nigerian bandit conflict
- 2022 Zamfara massacres
- At least 200 people were killed by a bandit group from January 4 to 6 in Zamfara State in northwestern Nigeria. (Al Jazeera)
- 2022 Zamfara massacres
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 Murree snowstorm
- At least 21 people are killed by a snowstorm on a highway in Murree, Rawalpindi District, Punjab, Pakistan. (BBC News)
- Capitólio rock collapse
- At least seven people are killed and 32 others injured when a rock face collapses onto boats at Furnas Lake in Capitólio, Minas Gerais, Brazil. (The Washington Post)
- A traffic collision between two buses in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, kills 16 people and injures 18 others. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
- A Cypriot scientist detects a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 called "Deltacron", which combines genomes found in the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and genetic signatures found in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (CNBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
- Romania reintroduces mandatory face mask wearing in outdoor and indoor public spaces; reduces the operating hours and capacity of bars, restaurants, cinemas, gyms, and sporting events; and also reduces the quarantine period, amidst concern that the next wave of COVID-19 could overwhelm the health system. (Associated Press)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
- Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden tests positive for COVID-19 for a second time. (U.S. News and World Report)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Australia surpasses 100,000 for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, with Victoria reporting a record 51,356 new cases in the past 24 hours after including rapid antigen tests as part of the total number of cases. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
- Mexico reports a record 30,671 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4.1 million. The country also surpasses 300,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- The Philippines reports a record 26,458 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,936,875. (ABS-CBN News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- Volcán Wolf, the tallest mountain and volcano in the Galápagos Islands, erupts. (The Guardian)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2022 Kazakh protests
- Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issues his security forces a shoot-to-kill without warning order in an attempt to end the ongoing protests. (Reuters)
- The Russian Ministry of Defense reports that Russian troops deployed to Kazakhstan have maintained control of the Almaty International Airport and secured critical government buildings in Nur-Sultan, including the Ak Orda Presidential Palace. (Bloomberg) (The New York Times)
Disasters and accidents
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- COVID-19 testing
- The Food and Drug Administration begins accepting requests for certification of COVID-19 antigen test kits for home use. Previously, antigen test kits were only available for professional use. (CNN Philippines)
- The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases places 14 more provinces and cities under Alert Level 3 from January 9 to January 15. Five areas including Metro Manila were already placed into Alert Level 3 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
- COVID-19 testing
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- Japan declares a quasi-state of emergency for Okinawa, Yamaguchi, and Hiroshima prefectures, which host U.S. military bases and are reporting an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The quasi-emergency measures will take effect on January 9. (Kyodo News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, COVID-19 vaccination in Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka begins its COVID-19 vaccination rollout for children between the ages of 12 and 15 years using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (MedicalXpress)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer tests positive for COVID-19 and begins a period of self-isolation. (Politico.eu)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Bulgaria imposes a rule that requires almost all travellers aged above 12 years from the European Union and the United Kingdom to have a negative PCR test in the previous 72 hours along with a valid COVID-19 certificate prior to arrival, in order to limit the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Euronews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- German chancellor Olaf Scholz and the leaders of 16 states agree to reduce the isolation period for people who have received a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and also toughen the requirement to enter bars and restaurants to include a booster shot or a negative test result in addition to proof of vaccination or recovery as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the country. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
- New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet announces that the state will suspend elective surgeries as well as ban singing and dancing in hospitality venues, entertainment facilities and major recreation facilities due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. These restrictions will be in effect until January 27. (News.com.au)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Northern Territory
- The Northern Territory reports a record for the third consecutive day of 412 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 1,686. (ABC News Australia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
- COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, COVID-19 drug development
- Mexican health regulator COFEPRIS grants emergency use authorization for Merck & Co.'s anti-COVID-19 drug Molnupiravir for the treatment of severe disease. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria
- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announces that Nigeria is working on developing its own COVID-19 vaccine. (CNN)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
Law and crime
- Murder of Ahmaud Arbery
- The three defendants convicted in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery are sentenced to life in prison. Travis and Greg McMichael are sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, while William Bryan is sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. (NBC News)
Science and technology
- Discoveries of exoplanets
- Researchers from the University of Bern announce the discovery of TOI-2257 b, an eccentric exoplanet that orbits near a red dwarf. (Phys.org)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2022 Kazakh protests
- Twenty-six anti-government protestors are killed during a military operation in Almaty. The death toll of security forces increases to 18 with two of the officers being beheaded. (BBC News)
- Explosions and heavy gunfire are reported near the main Republic Square in Almaty. (The Independent)
- The Collective Security Treaty Organization military alliance approves what it describes a peacekeeping mission in Kazakhstan in response to an official request for military assistance from Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. (Yahoo! News)
- Russian-led CSTO forces enter Kazakhstan in order to help the government restore control of the country, according to a statement from Kremlin spokesperson Maria Zakharova. (Al Arabiya) (The Guardian)
- Two journalists are killed and their bodies burned during a gang attack in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (BBC News)
Disasters and accidents
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam announces a travel ban from eight countries with high SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases from January 8 to January 21. (Al Jazeera)
- High-risk establishments such as bars and gyms will be closed from January 7, while dining in restaurants will be banned after 6 p.m. (South China Morning Post)
- Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
- Iraq reports its first five cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in the northern city of Duhok, in Iraqi Kurdistan. (Al Arabiya)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
- Israel reports a record for the second consecutive day of 16,115 new cases of COVID-19. (The Jerusalem Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- The United States Armed Forces order all personnel stationed in Japan to wear masks when traveling off-base amid criticism of their handling of the increase in COVID-19 cases in areas where they are based in large numbers, such as Okinawa and Iwakuni. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia
- Malaysia grants conditional approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be used in children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (New Straits Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
- Pakistani president Arif Alvi tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time. (Business Recorder)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
- Thailand raises its COVID-19 Alert level to level four following a rapid increase in cases caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Bangkok Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- Italy reports a record for the third consecutive day of 219,441 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 6.97 million. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
- Turkey reports a record for the second consecutive day of 68,413 new cases of COVID-19. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine, COVID-19 vaccination in Ukraine
- Ukraine begins administering booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine for all adults who received their second dose at least six months prior. (Ukrinform)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- COVID-19 pandemic in South America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
- COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
- Peru raises its pandemic Alert level in 24 provinces from "moderate" to "high", resulting in an extended curfew between 11 pm. and 5 am., as well as tightened capacity limits in shopping centers, banks and restaurants. This comes as the number of daily COVID-19 cases increased 25% from the previous week. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Northern Territory
- The Northern Territory imposes a lockdown until Monday for people over the age of 16 years who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 after the territory reported a record 256 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC News Australia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
- Density limits are reintroduced to hospitality and entertainment venues and non-urgent elective surgeries are paused as cases and hospitalisations rise in the state. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Northern Territory
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic
- The Chicago Public Schools announces that schools in Chicago, Illinois, has been canceled for a third consecutive day as teachers in the city go on a strike over COVID-19 protocols. (National Review) (Chicago Tribune)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, Strikes during the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- 2020–2022 H5N8 outbreak
- A 79-year-old man in Buckfastleigh, Devon, becomes the first person in the United Kingdom to test positive for bird flu. (The Guardian)
Law and crime
- COVID-19 pandemic in France, Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic
- The French National Assembly votes 214−93 with 27 abstentions to approve a bill to transform the COVID-19 health pass into a vaccine pass, which would require people over the age of 12 years to show proof of vaccination in order to enter most public places and use inter-regional public transport. The bill will be debated in the Senate early next week and is expected to come into effect later this month. (Euronews)
- Phillipine president Rodrigo Duterte signs into law a bill outlawing child marriage, with violators facing up to 12 months in prison. Some portions of the law will not go into effect for one year in order to allow for Muslim and indigenous communities to prepare. (NDTV)
Sports
- 2022 Australian Open, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- 2021 Men's Singles champion Novak Djokovic is detained by the Australian Border Force for failing to provide a valid medical exemption to explain his not being vaccinated against COVID-19 under federal guidelines. The Victoria State Government and Tennis Australia had previously approved Djokovic's exemption under their own guidelines, which was not endorsed by the federal Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. (The Guardian)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2022 Kazakh protests
- A nationwide state of emergency is declared in Kazakhstan. (Sky News)
- Eight police officers are killed and 317 others injured in clashes between protesters and security forces. No figures on civilian casualties have been released. (Reuters)
- The presidential residence and offices of Äkim of Almaty Bakhytzhan Sagintayev are set on fire by protesters. (AP)
- The government of Kazakhstan resigns following the protests, with Alihan Smaiylov becoming acting Prime Minister. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also announces the reintroduction of the price cap on liquefied petroleum gas. (Deutsche Welle)
- President Tokayev dismisses former president and Security Council of Kazakhstan Chairman Nursultan Nazarbayev. Protesters also seize control of Almaty International Airport with all flights to and from the airport being cancelled. (Reuters)
- President Tokayev requests military assistance from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, saying that "terrorist gangs are overrunning strategic facilities across the country." (Trend)
- Kivu conflict
- Two soldiers and 18 rebels are killed in a clash between Banyamulenge rebels and government forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Arabiya)
Arts and culture
- 79th Golden Globe Awards
- It is announced that the upcoming Golden Globe Awards will be held without a live audience or celebrities due to COVID-19 concerns. (Vanity Fair)
- 64th Annual Grammy Awards
- The Grammy Awards is postponed amidst concerns of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (CNBC)
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 Philadelphia apartment fire
- Twelve people are killed and two others are injured in a fire at a row house converted into apartments in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. (ABC News)
- Fourteen people are killed and three others are injured by a landslide at a construction site in Bijie, Guizhou, China. (Al Jazeera)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
- Mumbai reports a record 15,166 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Deccan Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Rajasthan
- India reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a 73-year-old man who died last week at a hospital in Udaipur, Rajasthan. (The Economic Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
- COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his First Lady Michal Herzog receive their fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as Israel launched the second booster dose vaccination campaign. (I24 News)
- Israel reports a record 11,978 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,423,289. (Al-Arabiya English)
- COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- Iloilo City reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a 46-year-old man who traveled from Kenya. (Rappler)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore
- Singaporean Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announces that COVID-19 vaccine booster shots will be mandatory beginning on February 14 in order for people to maintain fully vaccinated status. (CNBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, COVID-19 drug development
- South Korea signs an agreement to buy an additional 400,000 doses of Pfizer's Paxlovid COVID-19 drug. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- Italy reports a record for the second consecutive day of 189,109 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 6,566,947. (ANSA)
- The Draghi Cabinet signs a decree that makes COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for people over the age of 50 years and also mandates that public and private sector workers of this age group need to show proof of vaccination or recovery or face fines of between €600 and €1,500 beginning on February 15. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- France reports a record for the second consecutive day of 332,252 new cases of COVID-19, which is also the highest daily total recorded in any European nation since the beginning of the pandemic. (France 24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
- The Netherlands reports a record 24,590 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (NL Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
- Polish President Andrzej Duda tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time. He previously tested positive in October 2020. (Voice of America)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
- Argentina confirms their first locally transmitted cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. In response, the government implements self-testing in order to avoid queues at testing centers. (Página/12)
- Argentina reports a record for the second consecutive day of 95,159 new cases of COVID-19. (Ámbito)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- Australia announces rapid antigen tests will be made free to concession card holders amid a nationwide shortage, but resists calls for universal free access. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorses the use of booster shots of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 12. (CNN)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
- Chicago Public Schools announces that public schools in Chicago, Illinois, will cancel in-person classes amidst a rise in cases of COVID-19. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- 2021 Belarus–European Union border crisis, Belarus–Lithuania relations
- The Lithuanian government announces that it will not extend the state of emergency at the border with Belarus. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- A blast hits a vehicle for the Sodicars Racing team as it leaves a hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, two days prior to the Dakar Rally, critically injuring French driver Philippe Boutron, who is in a medically-induced coma. (BBC News)
Arts and culture
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage
- Rio de Janeiro cancels the 2022 edition of its world-famous carnival street parade, which was scheduled to be held from February 25 to March 1, amid the surging COVID-19 cases and the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Radio France Internationale)
Business and economy
- The Cyberspace Administration of China announces that, beginning on February 15, all companies with at least one million users will be required to undergo cybersecurity reviews before they can be listed on foreign stock exchanges. Companies that are deemed to have an impact on national security will be barred from being listed. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- Eight people are killed, 14 more are injured and two are missing during flash floods in southern Iran, primarily in Fars Province. (Al Jazeera)
- A search continues for 14 people missing at sea in the Solomon Islands, after their boat failed to reach the Shortland Islands. Efforts were called off yesterday due to bad weather. (RNZ)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- France reports a record 271,686 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC News)
- France reports the first discovery of a new variant called the Lineage B.1.640.2 IHU variant in 12 patients near Marseille which contains 46 mutations. (FirstPost)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
- King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden test positive for COVID-19. (The Hill)
- Sweden reports a record 11,507 new cases of COVID-19 on December 30 due to delayed records of additional cases that were added in the previous days. (The Local Sweden)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
- Cyprus reports a record 5,457 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 183,178. (Cyprus Mail)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
- Greece reports a record 50,126 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,344,923. (Ekathimerini)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- The United Kingdom reports a record 218,724 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which includes backlog data from Northern Ireland for the past four days and from Wales for the past two days. (The Independent)
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
- China orders 1.1 million people in Yuzhou, Henan to stay at home after three asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were reported. (BBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Chief Executive Carrie Lam announces that the "vaccine bubble" will be expanded to restaurants, leisure venues and schools beginning on February 24, which will require people over the age of 12 years to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination of at least one dose in order to enter those venues. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritania
- Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani tests positive for COVID-19 and is displaying mild symptoms. (News 24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
- Morocco reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in an elderly woman who had not received the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Morocco World News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritania
- COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
- Argentina reports a record 81,210 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.82 million. (Buenos Aires Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
- Mexico surpasses four million cases of COVID-19. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
International relations
- North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- The South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff say that North Korea has launched an unidentified projectile ballistic missile. No confirmation has been given. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- 2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies
- A series of small roadblocks and fires are set up by protesters in the municipality of Sainte-Rose, Guadeloupe. (France info)
- 2022 Kazakh protests
- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev imposes a two-week state of emergency in Almaty, the country's largest city, and in Mangystau District due to violent protests that have been occurring in the region over an increase in the price of gasoline. (The Guardian)