Portal:Current events
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Topics in the news
- In American football, the Los Angeles Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl (Cooper Kupp pictured).
- Cyclone Batsirai 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.
February 16, 2022
(Wednesday)
February 15, 2022
(Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Vladimir Putin states that "genocide" is occurring in Eastern Ukraine. (Reuters)
- The State Duma of Russia passes a bill to officially recognise the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic in Eastern Ukraine as independent states. The bill has been sent to President Vladimir Putin for final approval. (Xinhuanet) (Deutsche Welle)
- Russian President Vladimir Putin says that diplomatic talks will continue. Russia also announces that troops will be partially pulled out from the border but that exercises will continue. (Wall Street Journal) (Truthout.org)
- Several Ukrainian websites, including the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Privatbank, and Oschadbank are affected by cyberattacks. (CBS News)
- The U.S. and its NATO allies in Europe say that they are ready to retaliate against Russian cyberwarfare on Ukraine depending on the severity of the attacks. (Reuters)
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- War in Donbas
- The Luhansk People's Republic says that a service member has been killed on the frontline by a Ukrainian military sniper, according to its office at the Joint Centre of Control and Coordination. (Urdu Point)
- An attempted terrorist attack on a memorial rally in the city of Luhansk is reportedly stopped. Russian media blames the Ukrainian Defence Ministry and "special services" of being involved in the attack. A video shows an improvised explosive device being discovered inside a garbage can. (The Jerusalem Post)
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
Disasters and accidents
- A Spanish-owned fishing trawler Villa de Pitanxo sinks off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, leaving ten crew members dead and 11 others missing. A search and rescue operation is underway. (BBC)
Health and environment
Law and crime
- Canada convoy protest
- A number of protestors blockading the Canada–U.S. border near Coutts, Alberta, have dispersed after an RCMP raid on a "smaller group within the larger protest" resulted in the seizure of weapons, ammunition, and body armour and the arrests of 13 people on Monday. (CTV News)
- Chief of police of the Ottawa Police Service Peter Sloly resigns amid criticism of his handling of the protests. (CJOH-DT)
- Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández is arrested in Tegucigalpa after the U.S. requested his extradition on charges of drug trafficking. (EFE)
Politics and elections
- 2022 United States elections
- 2022 Louisville mayoral election
- Louisville, Kentucky mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg survives an assassination attempt at a local campaign office. A local activist is arrested in connection with the shooting. (AP via The Washington Post)
- 2022 Louisville mayoral election
February 14, 2022
(Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Belarus–United States relations
- The U.S. State Department tells Americans to leave Belarus immediately due to the threat of war. (National Post)
- The United States relocates its embassy operations from the capital Kyiv to Lviv in western Ukraine, citing a "dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces" on the Russia–Ukraine border. (Reuters)
- Belarus–United States relations
- Russia rejects an official Ukrainian request for a meeting between both countries and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in order to discuss the crisis. (ABC News Australia)
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declares February 16 as a "day of unity". On this day, all Ukrainians will be asked to display the national flag from their buildings, and sing the national anthem in unison. Western intelligence has cited the day as the most likely time of a Russian attack against the country. (Reuters)
- U.S. officials say that Russian troops, along with long-range artillery and missile launchers have begun moving into staging areas near the Ukrainian border after leaving their assembly areas. (CBS News)
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Yemeni Civil War
- Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen
- The Saudi-led coalition airstrikes Sanaa, Yemen, in retaliation for an attack by Houthi forces on the Saudi Arabian city of Abha. A Houthi telecommunications system used to command drones is destroyed. (Al Jazeera)
- Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen
Disasters and accidents
- Seven people are killed and 20 more are injured by an explosion and fire at a block of flats in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, Pyrénées-Orientales, France. Firefighters are searching for survivors. (BBC News)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong reports a record 2,071 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 25,051. (South China Morning Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Kuwait lifts many of its COVID-19-related restrictions, including allowing foreign travel for unvaccinated and vaccinated citizens and allowing the entry of unvaccinated people into shopping malls as long as they show a negative PCR COVID-19 test from the previous 72 hours. (Al-Arabiya English)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore
- The Singaporean Health Sciences Authority grants interim authorisation for the use of the protein-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, COVID-19 vaccination in Sweden
- The Public Health Agency of Sweden recommends that people over the age of 80 years, residents of nursing homes, and people receiving at-home care should receive a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (MedicalXpress)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, tests positive for COVID-19. (BBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, COVID-19 vaccination in Sweden
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- Mexico–United States relations
- Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute
- The flag of Mauritius is raised on the British-controlled Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean for the first time in history. Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth describes the event as a "historic moment", saying that it was time for the United Kingdom to cede control of the archipelago. (BBC News)
Law and crime
- Canada convoy protest
- The government of Canada invokes the Emergencies Act for the first time since the law was passed in 1988, thereby giving the federal government temporary powers to deal with ongoing blockades associated with the protests. (CBC News)
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland announces that, as part of the invoking of the Act, crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe and GiveSendGo must immediately register with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and authorizes banks to freeze accounts suspected to be involved in the blockades. (CTV News)
- The United States Department of Justice asks Honduras for the arrest and extradition of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who left office less than a month ago. (Reuters)
February 13, 2022
(Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Operation Unifier
- Ukraine receives a shipment of FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems from Lithuania. (Reuters)
- Ukraine formally requests a meeting with Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe within the next 48 hours in response to the crisis. (Daily Sabah)
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
- Schools are reopened in Nepal after being closed for more than a month. (Times of India)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea reports a record of 56,431 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.35 million. (Manila Bulletin)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
Law and crime
- Eleven people are injured during a mass stabbing by a man riding a bicycle through Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. The suspect is taken into custody. (ABC News) (Albuquerque Journal)
- A car bombing in Ashkelon, Israel, kills one person and injures two more. The incident is most likely related to organized crime in Israel. (Times of Israel)
Politics and elections
- Canada convoy protest
- Canadian police say a major demonstration at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, has dispersed peacefully. The protesters had been given warnings for several days. (BBC News)
- 2022 German presidential election
- Frank-Walter Steinmeier is re-elected as president of Germany. (Deutsche Welle)
Sports
- 2021 NFL season
- The Los Angeles Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 23–20, to win Super Bowl LVI. (ESPN)
February 12, 2022
(Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- All British troops are ordered to withdraw from Ukraine. (The Independent)
- Multiple nations, including Estonia, Iraq, Palestine, Spain and Taiwan, warn against traveling to Ukraine and urge their citizens to leave the country. (ERR) (NRT) (WAFA) (El País) (Focus Taiwan)
- Israel declares a state of emergency due to tensions between Russia and Ukraine. (Haaretz)
- KLM suspends all flights to Ukraine. (NL Times)
- The Pentagon orders the departure of U.S. troops in Ukraine as tensions between Ukraine and Russia escalate. (CNBC)
- The United States orders the evacuation of its embassy staff in Kyiv. (CNN)
- Thousands of people protest against Russian military aggression in Kyiv, chanting "Glory to Ukraine" and "Ukrainians will resist". (Reuters)
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
- French forces launch an airstrike on a jihadist camp in southern Burkina Faso, near the border with Benin, killing 40 combatants. The attack was a retaliation for the massacre of nine people (including a Frenchman) in Benin's W National Park earlier that week. (Voice of America)
Business and economy
- 2018–2022 Turkish currency and debt crisis
- President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces that the value-added tax (VAT) will be lowered from 8% to 1% on dairy products, fruit, vegetables, and other basic foods. The VAT reduction, aimed at countering soaring inflation, will go into effect on Monday. (Daily Sabah)
International relations
- Bahrain–Israel relations
- Bahraini authorities confirm that an Israeli military officer will be stationed inside the country as part of an upcoming international coalition consisting of 34 countries. This is the first time an Israeli officer has been sent to a military post in the Arab World. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Lynching of Mushtaq Ahmed
- A man accused of blasphemy is lynched by a mob in Tulamba, Mian Channu Tehsil, Khanewal District, Punjab, Pakistan. (BBC)
Politics and elections
- COVID-19 protests in Canada
- Freedom Convoy 2022
- Protesters gather at the Peace Bridge near the Canada–United States border in an attempt to end the COVID-19 mandates in Canada. (USA Today) (Buffalo News)
- Freedom Convoy 2022
Sports
- 2021 FIFA Club World Cup
- In association football, English club Chelsea win their first FIFA Club World Cup title after beating Brazilian club Palmeiras 2–1 after extra time in the final at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Chelsea defender Thiago Silva wins the tournament's Golden Ball award. (Al Jazeera)
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 advises British nationals to leave Ukraine immediately. (The Independent) (FCDO)
- 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, 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, 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, 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
- Satellite imagery shows 430 square kilometres of Amazon rainforest was deforested in January, five times more than last January. (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
- Canada convoy protest
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford declares a state of emergency over the protest-related blockades in the City of Ottawa and at the Ambassador Bridge. (CBC)
- Crime in Portugal
- Portuguese police, with help from the FBI, arrest an 18-year-old boy for planning an armed attack on a university in Lisbon. (Reuters)
- Mass shootings in the United States
- Five police officers are shot, and four others wounded, during a mass shooting 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)
- Yemeni Civil War (2014-present)
- Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict
- An airstrike on Abha International Airport in the Saudi Arabian city of Abha injures twelve people. The attack was done by members of the Houthi movement. (Al Jazeera)
- Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict
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)