Portal:Current events
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Topics in the news
- Cyclone Batsirai (satellite image shown) makes landfall in Madagascar, displacing at least 69,000 people and leaving at least 29 others dead.
- Indian playback singer and composer Lata Mangeshkar dies at the age of 92.
- The Winter Olympics open in Beijing, China.
- Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi dies in a US military raid in Atme, Syria.
February 9, 2022
(Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Five park rangers and a soldier are killed and 10 others are injured in an ambush by unidentified gunmen in Pendjari National Park, Benin. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
- COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
- Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša tests positive for COVID-19. (Barron's)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong reports a record for the fifth consecutive day of 1,161 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 17,808. The city-state also report the first COVID-19 deaths since September in an unvaccinated man aged 76 years and a vaccinated man aged 73 years. (South China Morning Post)
- COVID-19 vaccine
- Johnson & Johnson officially suspends production of its COVID-19 vaccine. The company releases a statement saying that production will likely resume some time in the future, and that millions of doses remain in their inventory and will continue to be distributed per any pre-existing agreements. (CBS News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
February 8, 2022
(Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war
- Israel says that the Syrian military fired an anti-aircraft missile towards its territory, which exploded in mid-air over the north of the country, triggering air raid sirens. However, Syrian state television reports that an Israeli Air Force airstrike occurred near Damascus. (Reuters)
- The IDF says it has struck several Syrian air defense batteries and radars in response to the missile entering Israeli airspace. (Times of Israel)
- Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Shin Bet officers kill three Palestinian al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades militants in the West Bank after opening fire on their vehicle. Israel says that the men were armed and were responsible for a series of drive-by shootings in recent weeks. Protests occur in the West Bank in response to the killings. (Reuters)
- Islamic State insurgency in Iraq
- An Iraqi airstrike kills seven Islamic State members in Hatra District, Nineveh Governorate. (ANI)
- Kurdish–Turkish conflict
- In an operation against the PKK, the Turkish Air Force bombards a city in Erbil District. No known casualties are recorded. (Rudaw)
- Mali War
- A joint operation by the Malian Armed Forces and the French-led Takuba Task Force kills at least 30 jihadists. A Mirage 2000 fighter jet was involved in the operation, bombing a group of militants on motorbikes. (Reuters)
- Felix Tshisekedi and his office reports an attempted coup d'etat in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (ABC News)
Business and economy
- A planned US$66 billion merger between British semiconductor company Arm Ltd. and American hardware company Nvidia is cancelled after facing regulatory pressures from the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and China. Arm says that it will instead go public sometime before March 2023. If the deal were successful, it would have been the largest merger in the history of the semiconductor industry. (Reuters) (Ars Technica)
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 Colombia landslides
- Landslides kill at least 14 people and injure 35 in Dosquebradas, Risaralda department, Colombia. (BBC News) (DW News)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 625 new COVID-19 cases, prompting the government to impose strict social distancing measures in places of worship and hair salons as well as limiting private gatherings to two people beginning on February 10. (Al-Arabiya)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- Japan reports a record 159 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Jiji Press)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- COVID-19 pandemic in Poland, COVID-19 vaccination in Poland
- Poland indefinitely postpones its deadline of March 1 for mandatory full vaccination of teachers, members of the army and police officers, due to the current vaccination rate. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- Slovakia–United States relations
- Thousands of Slovaks protest in Bratislava against a potential military defense treaty between Slovakia and the United States. Police prevented some protesters from entering the National Council building, where the bill is being debated by lawmakers. (ABC News)
Science and technology
- Mars sample-return mission
- NASA awards Lockheed Martin a contract to build a next-generation "Mars Ascent Vehicle" to return the first rock samples from Mars to Earth in the 2030s. (Phys)
February 7, 2022
(Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Germany–United States relations
- German chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with U.S. president Joe Biden during his first visit to the United States in order to discuss the situation in Ukraine, saying that Germany will be "acting together" with the United States if Russia invades Ukraine. (CNN)
- Germany–United States relations
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
- Nigeria receives two million doses of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine donated by the European Union. (All Africa)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa
- The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority approves the use of the Sinopharm BBIBP COVID-19 vaccine for adults aged above 18 years. (The Straits Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong reports a record for the third consecutive day of 614 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 16,022. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea ditches its Test-and-Trace strategy and instead focuses on maintaining essential social functions amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Financial Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Australia announces that it will reopen its international borders to fully vaccinated tourists on February 21, after a closure of almost two years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Western Australia is expected to continue to close its borders to tourists. (ABC News Australia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
Politics and elections
- COVID-19 protests in Canada
- Freedom Convoy 2022
- In Ottawa, seven people are arrested, more than 500 others are ticketed, and sixty criminal investigations are commenced, for a number of offenses related to the truckers' protest, including violations of the Highway Traffic Act, vandalism, and the smuggling of gasoline. (MSN)
- Freedom Convoy 2022
- 2021–2022 Tunisian political crisis
- Tunisian police close the Supreme Judicial Council building in Tunis and prevent its members and their staff from entering. The legal body was dissolved yesterday by President Kais Saied in a move widely decried within the nation as illegal. (Al Jazeera)
February 6, 2022
(Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Russia–NATO relations
- French President Emmanuel Macron says that a deal to "avoid war in Ukraine" is "within reach" and that it is legitimate for Russia to raise its own security concerns to NATO. Macron will meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow tomorrow. (BBC News)
- Russia–NATO relations
- Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes
- Five Pakistani troops are killed after "militants from inside Afghanistan" opened fire on a border post in Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The army says that it retaliated, causing heavy casualties among the militants. The Taliban government denies that the firing came from within Afghan territory. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2021–22 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Cyclone Batsirai, a category 4 cyclone on the Saffir–Simpson scale, kills at least 10 people and displaces more than 48,000 after making landfall in Madagascar. (AFP via France24)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Honduras
- President Xiomara Castro tests positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
- Prime Minister James Marape tests positive for COVID-19 and returns home after attending the 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. (Voice of America)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
- Russia lifts its seven-day quarantine guideline for people who had contact with positive COVID-19 patients despite reporting a record 189,071 new cases. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea surpasses one million cases of COVID-19 after reporting a record 38,690 new cases in the past 24 hours. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Honduras
Politics and elections
- COVID-19 protests in Canada
- Freedom Convoy 2022
- Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declares a state of emergency in the capital as a trucker protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates enters its second week. (The Independent)
- Freedom Convoy 2022
- 2022 Costa Rican general election
- A general election is held in Costa Rica. (Al Jazeera)
- 2021–2022 Tunisian political crisis
- Tunisian president Kais Saied dissolves the nation's Supreme Judicial Council. The Council's leaders declare the dissolution as illegal. (DW)
Sports
- 2022 Winter Olympics
- New Zealand at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- New Zealand snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott wins a gold medal in women’s slopestyle, winning New Zealand its first-ever gold medal at the Winter Olympics. (Forbes) (RNZ)
- New Zealand at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
- In association football, Senegal win their first international trophy after beating Egypt on penalties in the final at the Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Senegalese forward Sadio Mané is named the tournament's Best Player. (CNN)
February 5, 2022
(Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- A pair of Tu-22M3 bombers are seen flying across Belarus amid large joint military drills and tensions between Russia and Ukraine. (AP)
- Protesters gather in Kharkiv, Ukraine, to protest Russian aggression. (VOA)
- Insurgency in Balochistan
- Twenty Baloch Nationalist Army separatists and nine Pakistani soldiers are killed during raids in Panjgur and Nushki, after the BNA attacked two security posts two days ago, killing four soldiers and a civilian. (Al Jazeera)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong reports a record 351 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 15,066. (The Standard)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
- Singapore reports a record 13,046 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 379,681. (The Star)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea reports a record for the third consecutive day of 36,362 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 971,018. (The Korea Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Queensland
- Queensland reports a record 21 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the statewide death toll to 268. (News.com.au)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Queensland
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
- New Zealand reports a record 243 new community transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- Iran nuclear deal framework
- The Biden administration announces the restoration of sanctions relief to Iran's civilian nuclear sector, as it attempts to entice Iran back to talks on a nuclear deal. (AP)
February 4, 2022
(Friday)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen signs a law that makes the country the first in the European Union to mandate that people over the age of 18 years receive the COVID-19 vaccine after the Bundesrat voted 47–12 yesterday to approve the law. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
- Russia reports a record for the 15th consecutive day of 168,201 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 12.45 million. (Interfax)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
- Turkey reports a record 111,157 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Hurriyet Daily News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- The United States surpasses 900,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Al Jazeera)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
Law and crime
- Whaling in Iceland
- Iceland announces it will end the practice of whaling by 2024, citing the decreasing price of whale meat. (Al Jazeera)
Politics and elections
- Politics of Montenegro, 2022 Montenegrin crisis
- The Government of Zdravko Krivokapić is ousted after a motion of no confidence passes 43–11. (Deutsche Welle)
Sports
- Iran–United States relations
- An American visa is denied for an Iranian national wrestling team that had a coach who advocated Death to America. (Fox News)
- 2022 Winter Olympics
- The 2022 Winter Olympics begin in Beijing. (CNN)
- Dutch journalist Sjoerd den Daas is interrupted and dragged away by a Chinese security guard as he broadcasts live from the ongoing Olympics. (Newsweek)
February 3, 2022
(Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- War in Donbas
- The United States Embassy in Kyiv calls on Russia to "fully comply" with the ceasefire in Donbas after pro-Russian forces shelled the strategic Hnutove entry-exit checkpoint and a humanitarian road corridor. (Ukranews)
- Belarus–Ukraine relations
- Belarus says that a Ukrainian Air Force drone violated its airspace over a military training area, and that the military forced the aircraft to land. The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons the Ukrainian ambassador in response to the incident. (Belta)
- War in Donbas
- Syrian civil war
- Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the leader of the Islamic State, dies after killing himself with a suicide bombing during a U.S. Joint Special Operations Command raid and battle in Atme, Idlib Governorate, Syria. Twelve more people are killed during the raid. (BBC News)
Disasters and accidents
- The oil tanker Trinity Spirit catches fire and explodes off the coast of Nigeria. (Newsweek)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
- The Standing Committee on Vaccination issues a recommendation for the approval of the protein-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for use in adults. (Deutsche Welle)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
- The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approves the use of the protein-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for use in adults over the age of 18 years. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- India surpasses 500,000 deaths from COVID-19, becoming the third country to do so after the United States and Brazil. (The Times of India)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- Japan surpasses three million COVID-19 cases after a record 104,270 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia
- Malaysia begins administering COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, History of COVID-19 vaccine development
- South Africa's Afrigen Biologics uses the publicly available sequence of the mRNA-based Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to make its own version of the vaccine, which will become the world's first vaccine based on an existing vaccine once it is tested on humans later this year. (Al Jazeera)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
International relations
- Germany–Russia relations, Media freedom in Russia, Censorship in Germany
- Russia withdraws the press credentials of all Deutsche Welle staff and closes the German media organization's studio in Moscow in response to German regulators blocking the Russian television channel RT Deutsch. (Deutsche Welle)
Law and crime
- Twenty people die and 74 others are hospitalized in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after consuming cocaine laced with poison or "cut" with another substance. Nine people are arrested. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- Partygate
- Four senior aides to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resign, including Downing Street Chief of Staff Dan Rosenfield, Principal Private Secretary Martin Reynolds, Downing Street Director of Communications Jack Doyle, and political adviser Munira Mirza, amid controversy over the Prime Minister's handling of the Partygate scandal. (Reuters)
Sports
- 2022 Caribbean Series
- Professional baseball team Caimanes de Barranquilla defeats the Gigantes del Cibao 4–1 to win the 2022 Caribbean Series and becoming the first Colombian team to win the tournament. (MLB)