Portal:Current events
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Topics in the news
- Cyclone Batsirai (satellite image shown) makes landfall in Madagascar, displacing at least 112,000 people and leaving more than 100 others dead.
- In association football, the Africa Cup of Nations concludes with Senegal defeating Egypt in the final.
- Indian playback singer and composer Lata Mangeshkar dies at the age of 92.
- Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi dies in a US military raid in Atme, Syria.
February 12, 2022
(Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) advises Taiwanese nationals to leave Ukraine as soon as possible. (Focus Taiwan)
- Estonia warns against traveling to Ukraine and urges Estonian citizens to leave. (ERR)
- All UK troops are ordered to withdraw from Ukraine. (The Independent)
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
February 11, 2022
(Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Russia–NATO relations
- The Biden administration says that Russia now has enough troops and military equipment in place in order to launch an invasion of Ukraine and warns Americans to leave the country within the next 48 hours. (BBC News)
- The British Foreign Office orders British citizens to leave Ukraine immediately as a Russian invasion now appears to be imminent. (The Independent)
- It is announced that the United States Armed Forces will deploy 3,000 additional troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to Poland in the "coming days" amid tensions with Russia. (Reuters)
- Israel begins evacuating embassy staff and diplomats’ families from Kyiv, and also orders a travel warning for all Israelis, saying that a large scale Russian offensive may occur soon. (Times of Israel)
- Japan urges its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately. There are about 150 Japanese citizens currently living in Ukraine. (Nikkei)
- South Korea bans all travel to Ukraine and asks its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately. (Newsweek)
- Russia–NATO relations
- Satellite imagery records Russia amassing more troops near the Russia–Ukraine border. (Reuters)
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Iran–Israel proxy conflict
- Israel announces the arrest of eight alleged Iranian spies for organizing a plot to kill an Israeli businessman in Istanbul in retaliation for the 2020 assassination of the chief of Iran's nuclear program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, widely regarded to be the work of the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. Turkish intelligence shared with the Mossad apparently contributed to the arrests, and several Turkish operatives were among those arrested. (Times of Israel)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong reports a record 1,325 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 20,119. (South China Morning Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea reports a record 53,926 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,239,287. (The Korea Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- The Government of France announces that mask mandate in indoor public places will be eased beginning on February 28 as the number of COVID-19 declines. (Euronews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- Italy lifts its outdoor mask mandate and reopens nightclubs as the number of COVID-19 cases declines. (France 24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
- Russia reports a record 203,949 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 13.7 million. (The Moscow Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- Koala conservation
- The Australian Government officially lists the koala as an endangered species due to a combination of factors including drought, bushfires, disease and habitat loss. (The Guardian)
- Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, Deforestation in Brazil
- Experts say that the area of the Amazon rainforest affected by deforestation in January is five times larger than the area recorded at the same time last year. (BBC News)
International relations
- Somaliland–Taiwan relations
- Somaliland Foreign Minister Essa Kayd rebukes China's apparent attempts to dictate the unrecognized breakaway state's foreign relations with Taiwan and reaffirms the state's recognition of the Republic of China. (Reuters)
- Finland–United States relations
- Finland agrees to a $9.4 billion deal with the United States to purchase 64 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter-jets for its air force. The agreement also includes buying advanced surface-to-surface missiles from Lockheed Martin in order to upgrade the country's missile systems. The munition deliveries are expected to begin by 2025. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Mass shootings in the United States
- Five police officers are shot, with four others wounded, during a mass shooting that occurred during a domestic violence incident in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The suspect as well as a woman in the home were killed. (Yahoo! News)
Politics and elections
- Aftermath of the 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état
- Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, leader of the military junta, is declared president by the Burkinabé Constitutional Council. His "election", deemed retroactively effective since the coup on January 24, will be made official by an inauguration on February 16. (AP)
February 10, 2022
(Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Belarus–Russia relations
- Russia and Belarus begin a 10-day military exercise known as "Allied Resolve-2022" amid ongoing tensions with Ukraine. The United States and NATO denounce the exercise, with NATO calling it the biggest deployment of Russian troops since the Cold War. (CNBC)
- Russia–Ukraine relations
- Ukraine says that Russian Navy drills in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov have made navigation "virtually impossible", stating that the drills are part of a "hybrid war" against the country. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says that the Sea of Azov is completely blocked, essentially blockading Ukrainian ports. (Reuters) (BBC News)
- Ukraine–United States relations
- U.S. President Joe Biden calls on any remaining Americans to leave Ukraine immediately due to increased threats of Russian military action. The U.S. State Department issues a level 4 travel warning, the highest level. (BBC News)
- Belarus–Russia relations
- Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
- Four civilians are killed during a battle between French troops and Ansar ul Islam in Burkina Faso. Ten militants are killed in the clash, which involved support from an attack helicopter. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
- Spain lifts its outdoor mask mandate due to a decline in the spread of the Omicron variant. (GMA News Network)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- Charles, Prince of Wales, tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia
- Western Australia reports a record 37 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC News Australia)
- COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
- The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation proposes changing the definition of a fully vaccinated person to only include people who have received a booster dose. (ABC News Australia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica
- Costa Rican president Carlos Alvarado Quesada tests positive for COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
- Tunisia lifts its nightly curfew due to a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases, but extends the ban on gatherings for one week. (National Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
Law and crime
- Xenophobia and racism related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- A South Korean envoy in New York City is attacked in an unprovoked assault. (Yahoo! News)
Politics and elections
- Aftermath of the Second Libyan Civil War
- The interim Government of National Unity, intended to be dissolved by the 2021 Libyan presidential election before its indefinite postponement, chooses former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha to replace the incumbent, UN-recognized Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, for his failure to hold the elections as agreed during the peace process. Dbeibeh rejects the appointment, saying that his replacement must be chosen by the eventual national election as per the aforementioned ceasefire agreement, reigniting fears of renewed warfare. (Al-Jazeera)
Science and technology
- Archaeologists announce the discovery of a human tooth in the Grotte Mandrin near Malataverne, France, dating to 54,000 YBP, around 10,000 years before the currently accepted date for the arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe. (CNN)
February 9, 2022
(Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Colombian conflict
- Two soldiers are killed during an insurgent attack against Infantry Battalion 21 of the Colombian Army in Granada, Meta. (La FM)
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, with mild symptoms. (Barron's)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
- Sweden scraps almost all pandemic restrictions, essentially declaring the pandemic as "over". The move is condemned by scientists in Sweden and abroad, who warn the pandemic still persists and continues to represent serious dangers. (Reuters)
- 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 territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 17,808. Hong Kong also reports their first two deaths from COVID-19 since September. (South China Morning Post)
- COVID-19 vaccine
- Johnson & Johnson officially suspends production of its COVID-19 vaccine. It says production will likely resume later, and that millions of doses remain stocked for distribution per earlier agreements. (CBS News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
Sports
- 2022 Winter Olympics
- ROC at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Doping in Russia
- Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva tests positive for banned substances after winning gold in the team event, delaying the medal ceremony. (AP News)
- ROC at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Doping in Russia
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
- Insurgency in the Maghreb
- Five rangers and a soldier are killed and 10 others injured during an ambush by unidentified assailants at the W National Park, in Benin. (Al Jazeera)
- 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 report 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. (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
- 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)
Law and crime
- Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Europe
- In a letter published by the Vatican, ex-Pope Benedict XVI expresses "my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness," in response to inquiry into his handling of child sex abuse when he was Archbishop of Munich and Freising between 1977 and 1982. In a statement published with the letter, his aides insist that "as an archbishop, Cardinal Ratzinger was not involved in any cover-up of acts of abuse". (France 24)
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)
Sports
- 2022 Winter Olympics
- Italy at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- Unexpectedly undefeated in all 11 competitions at the Olympic curling mixed doubles tournament, Italy wins a first historic gold medal in the sport: the curling broom used in the final has been donated to the Olympic Museum. (Eurosport)
- Italy at the 2022 Winter Olympics
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 territory-wide 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)