Portal:Current events
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Topics in the news
- The Hunga Tonga volcano erupts (satellite animation shown), causing damage in Tonga and tsunamis across the Pacific Ocean.
- An apartment fire in the Bronx, New York City, kills 17 people.
- A rockfall at Furnas Lake in Capitólio, Brazil, kills 10 people.
- Sidney Poitier, the first black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, dies at the age of 94.
January 16, 2022
(Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- Somali government spokesperson Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu is injured in a suicide bombing in Mogadishu. (Al Jazeera)
Sports
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- 2022 Australian Open
- The Federal Court of Australia confirms the lawfulness of the visa cancellation and deportation order against Novak Djokovic issued by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Alex Hawke. Djokovic's lawyers are considering any legal recourse while Djokovic himself has said that he is disappointed with the decision but will cooperate with Australian authorities. (ABC News Australia)
- Djokovic is deported from Australia, and disqualified from the Australian Open. He is replaced with Salvatore Caruso from Italy. (ABC News Australia)
- 2022 Australian Open
January 15, 2022
(Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2022 Kazakh protests
- The death toll from the civil unrest in Kazakhstan increases to 225, including 19 members of the security forces, according to a statement from the Prosecutor General's Office. (Reuters)
- Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis
- An armed man claiming to be the brother of Pakistani Al-Qaeda suspect Aafia Siddiqui holds congregants hostage at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, United States. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) (Jerusalem Post)
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami
- Tonga is hit by ashfall and a tsunami after the eruption of Hunga Tonga, destroying homes as locals struggle to find higher ground. Major flooding is reported in the capital Nukuʻalofa. Shock waves from the eruption are detected as far away as Alaska, United States. Other Pacific countries have also advised their citizens to seek higher ground. Internet access has reportedly been disrupted in Tonga. (The Sydney Morning Herald) (The Guardian) (VOA)
- King Tupou VI is evacuated from the Royal Palace by His Majesty's Armed Forces. (CNN)
- Two people are killed by a small tsunami in Lambayeque, Peru. (Bio-Bio Chile)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
- Iran reports its first three confirmed deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in people from the cities of Tabriz, Yazd and Shahrekord. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- The Philippines reports a record for the third consecutive day of 39,004 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,168,379. (Rappler)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- 2022 Serbian constitutional referendum, Kosovo–Serbia relations
- In an extraordinary session, the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo votes to ban Kosovo Serbs from voting in Serbia's upcoming constitutional referendum on Kosovan territory. (Reuters)
Sports
- 2021 NFL season
- 2021–22 NFL playoffs
- In American football, the Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Las Vegas Raiders, 26-19, ending their 31-year playoff drought and winning a playoff game for the first time since 1991. (BBC Sport)
- 2021–22 NFL playoffs
January 14, 2022
(Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga
- The Hunga Tonga, an undersea volcano, erupts, sending ash and steam 20 kilometers into the air. The government of Tonga issues a tsunami warning and advises people in all islands of Tonga to avoid the coasts. (RNZ)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
- The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases issues a resolution stating that all foreign nationals entering the Philippines must present proof of full vaccination. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
- The Philippines reports a record for the second consecutive day of 37,207 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,129,512. (Rappler)
- Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan
- Bhutan reports its first 14 cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in people who travelled abroad. (The Economic Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia, COVID-19 vaccination in Cambodia
- Cambodia begins administering fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for high-risk groups, including healthcare workers, government ministers, and members of the armed forces. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- Germany reports a record for the third consecutive day of 92,223 new cases of COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
- Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson tests positive for COVID-19. (The New York Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- COVID-19 pandemic in South America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
- Brazil begins a COVID-19 vaccination program for children aged 5 to 11 years old with the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine despite objections from President Jair Bolsonaro. (France24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
- Mexican health regulator COFEPRIS approves the emergency use of Pfizer's anti-COVID-19 oral drug Paxlovid. (The Hindu)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- Earthquakes in Indonesia
- A magnitude 6.6 earthquake is felt in Java and neighbouring islands in Indonesia. (Antara News) (CNA)
Science and technology
- 2022 Ukraine cyberattack
- Up to 70 Ukrainian government websites are affected by cyberattacks. (BBC News)
Sports
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- 2022 Australian Open
- The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Alex Hawke, invokes his ministerial powers under the Migration Act 1958 to cancel Novak Djokovic's visa on "health and good order grounds". (ABC News Australia)
- 2022 Australian Open
January 13, 2022
(Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Russia–United States relations
- Talks between NATO and Russia over Ukraine hit a breaking point as Poland warns of possible war. (Al Jazeera)
- Vladimir Putin warns that Russia will cut ties with the United States if sanctions are placed upon him. (Business Insider)
- The U.S. Senate rejects a bill that would sanction the Nord Stream pipeline amidst fears of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. (The New York Times)
- 2019–2022 Persian Gulf crisis
- Unidentified militants launch several rockets at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, injuring a woman and a child. (CNN)
Disasters and accidents
- Maynaguri train accident
- At least nine people are killed and about 50 others injured when a train derails in Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India. (CNN)
- Six people are missing and three others are hospitalized following an explosion and subsequent fire at a commercial building in Ottawa, Canada. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
- The Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends that children between the ages of 12 and 17 years should receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least three months after having received their second dose, becoming one of the first countries to authorize booster doses for this age group. (Deutsche Welle)
- Germany reports a record for the second consecutive day of 81,417 new cases of COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in England
- British health secretary Sajid Javid announces that the self-isolation period for positive COVID-19 patients in England will be reduced to five days in order to reduce the impact of absences caused by the Omicron variant on businesses and the health sector. This change will take effect on January 17. (Financial Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in England
- COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
- Finland reduces the quarantine period for positive COVID-19 patients to five days because the duration of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant's virus cycle is shorter than other variants. (Yle News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
- Sweden reports a record 25,215 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (U.S. News & World Report)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
- The Philippine Department of Transportation issues a memorandum banning unvaccinated individuals from using all forms of public transportation in the National Capital Region beginning on January 17. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
- The Philippine Department of the Interior and Local Government issues an administrative order to all barangays in the Philippines to submit a list of unvaccinated residents in order to prevent their movement in response to the recent increase in cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (GMA News)
- The Philippines reports a record of 34,021 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,092,409. This is the highest reported number of cases in a day since the start of the pandemic. (GMA News)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
- COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
- Bangladesh bans all public gatherings, restricts the capacity of public transportation to 50%, and mandates that face masks be worn in all public places in an attempt to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Business Standard)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, COVID-19 drug development
- South Korea receives their first shipment of Pfizer's Paxlovid anti-COVID-19 oral drug. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal
- COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
- Tunisia reimposes a nighttime curfew between 10 pm and 5 am for the next two weeks and also orders the suspension of all public gatherings due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. (France 24)
- COVID-19 drug development
- The WHO guideline development group of international experts recommends the use of rheumatoid arthritis drug Baricitinib for severe and critical COVID-19 patients in combination with corticosteroids. (The Times of India)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- Heat waves of 2022
- Onslow, Western Australia, reports the hottest day in recorded Australian history, reaching a high of 50.7°C (123.3°F). (The Guardian)
- African swine fever
Law and crime
- COVID-19 pandemic in France, Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic
- The French Senate votes 249–63, with 26 abstentions, to approve a bill that would ban unvaccinated people from entering bars, restaurants, and other public places and also from using long-distance public transport. However, the modified bill would only apply to people over the age of 18 years and would only be in effect if the number of hospitalized patients exceeds 10,000 nationwide. (The Independent)
- As part of the fallout from his ongoing civil sexual assault trial, Prince Andrew hands back all of his royal patronages and military titles to the Queen and drops the use of the title "His Royal Highness" in an official capacity. (BBC News)
January 12, 2022
(Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Somali Civil War
- A car bombing kills at least eight people in Mogadishu. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- Ban of Twitter in Nigeria
- The Nigerian government lifts its Twitter ban, which was implemented in June 2021, after Twitter agreed to pay an "applicable tax" and also establish a legal entity within the country sometime in the first quarter of the year. (The Guardian Nigeria)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
- Indonesia begins administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for elderly and immunocompromised people amid fears of the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Jakarta Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia reports a record 5,362 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 593,545. (Al Arabiya English)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, COVID-19 vaccination in South Korea
- South Korea authorizes the use of the protein-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for adults, making it the fifth vaccine to be approved for use in the country. (The Washington Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- Austria reports a record 17,006 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,378,747. (Vienna.at)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- Germany reports a record 80,430 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 7,661,811. (Euronews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- Israel and the Argentine foreign ministry separately issue condemnations against the presence of Iranian minister Mohsen Rezai at the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Rezai is wanted by Argentina for his alleged connections to the 1994 AMIA bombing. (The Jerusalem Post)
January 11, 2022
(Tuesday)
Disasters and accidents
- At an apartment construction site in Gwangju, South Korea, an outer wall of the building collapses, trapping six workers. (AP)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
- COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, COVID-19 vaccination in Quebec
- Quebec announces plans to impose a "significant" tax on those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, with exemptions for those who have legitimate medical exemptions from taking the vaccine. However, few additional details were revealed on a policy which would be a first in Canada. (The Globe and Mail)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, COVID-19 vaccination in Quebec
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- Italy reports a record 220,532 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 7.77 million. (Agenzia Italia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
- Poland surpasses 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, becoming the 15th nation to do so. (The Independent)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
- Patriarch Porfirije, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, tests positive for COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
- Slovenia reports a record 5,164 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Slovenia Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
- Turkey reports a record 74,266 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
- COVID-19 pandemic in Bolivia
- Bolivian vice president David Choquehuanca tests positive for COVID-19 for the third time. Six government ministers also test positive for COVID-19. (France 24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
- The Israeli Health ministry approves a reduction of the isolation period for asymptomatic positive COVID-19 patients from ten to seven days in order to keep the economy running despite an increase in the number of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases. The changes will be in effect on January 13. (The Times of Israel)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
Politics and elections
- President of the European Parliament David Sassoli dies in Aviano, Italy. (Politico)
- Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola becomes acting President of the European Parliament. Metsola is the first Maltese person to hold this position. (Politico)
January 10, 2022
(Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Yemeni Civil War
- The pro-Yemeni government militia Giants Brigades say that they are in "full control" of the Shabwah Governorate after ten days of fighting Houthi forces. (France 24)
Arts and culture
- The United States Mint announces that they have started shipping the first coins of the American Women quarters program. American poet Maya Angelou will become the first African American woman to be featured on a U.S. quarter. (The Hill) (NPR)
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 East London floods
- Ten people are killed and hundreds more are left homeless due to floods in East London, South Africa, as poorly built homes are swept away, especially in Mdantsane just outside the city. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- India begins administering COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for high-risk individuals, such as healthcare workers and people over the age of 60 with comorbidities. (The Times of India)
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
- The Indonesian Drug and Food Control Agency issues an emergency use authorization of five COVID-19 vaccines as booster dose, namely Pfizer–BioNTech, AstraZeneca, CoronaVac, and Zifivax's ZF2001 for one dose, and half dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Kompas)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
- Nepal bans mass public gatherings of more than 25 people, closes schools until January 29 and mandates proof of vaccination in order to enter hotels, parks, restaurants, cinema halls, and public office beginning on January 21 due to an increase in the 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 North America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
- The Ontario government says that the province will resume in-person learning for students by January 17. (Ottawa Citizen)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
- Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time. (NPR)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
- 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 second booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, including immunocompromised people, becoming the first country in Latin America to do so. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- Italy restricts the access of public transport, coffee shops, gyms, and many other activities to people who have been vaccinated or has been recovered from COVID-19 amid the surge of the COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant. (Sky News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
- Uganda reopens schools for the first time since March 2020 after a nearly two year closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Independent)
- COVID-19 vaccine development
- Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says that the company will develop a COVID-19 vaccine to target the Omicron variant by March. (CNBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- Russia–United States relations
- Russia and the U.S. begin a series of talks in Geneva in an effort to defuse tensions between both countries as well as tensions with Ukraine. (The Guardian)
Law and crime
- 2021–2022 social unrest in the French West Indies
- Roadblocks are set up by demonstrators and stones are thrown at the police in Basse-Terre. (France info)
- The Peoples Gazette, a Nigerian online newspaper, claims that it has been raided by the National Intelligence Agency. (Peoples Gazette)
Science and technology
- Xenotransplantation
- Doctors at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, successfully transplant a pig heart into a human patient for the first time. (ABC News)
Sports
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- 2022 Australian Open
- The Federal Court of Australia orders that Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic be released from immigration detention and allowed to compete in the Australian Open in order to defend his Championship, and also orders the federal government to pay Djokovic's legal fees. (BBC News)
- 2022 Australian Open
- 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship
- In American football, Georgia defeats Alabama to win the national championship, its first since 1980. (CBS News)