Portal:Current events
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Topics in the news
- At least 171 people are killed due to mudslides and floods (aftermath pictured) in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- In American football, the Los Angeles Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl.
- 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.
February 21, 2022
(Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
- An Iranian F-5 jet crashes into a school in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan province, killing both pilots and a person on the ground. (Reuters)
International relations
- Israel-Morocco relations
- Morocco's Ryad Mezzour and Israel's Orna Barbivai both sign a trade deal in Rabat on behalf of their respective countries. (National Post)
- Russia-Ukraine relations
- Russia recognises the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, two breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent states. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- Aftermath of the 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état
- Burkinabè president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba orders an inquiry into the deaths of two civilians during the last month's coup d'état. (Barron's)
February 20, 2022
(Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- France–Russia relations
- Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron announce that they will work toward a ceasefire agreement in order to avert war with Ukraine. (Firstpost)
- Belarus–Russia relations
- Military exercises between Belarusian and Russian forces in Belarus are extended amid tensions with Ukraine. Around 30,000 Russian troops are currently stationed in Belarus, according to NATO. (Reuters)
- France–Russia relations
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Australia–China relations
- Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton reveals that a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy destroyer fired at a Royal Australian Air Force Boeing P-8 Poseidon over the exclusive economic zone of Australia with a military-grade laser weapon as the ship transited through the Arafura Sea last week. (Sky News Australia)
- Seven children are killed and five more are injured during a Nigerian Air Force airstrike in the Maradi region of Niger. The army reported that the airstrike was the result of "a mistake on the border". (Al Jazeera)
Business and economy
- Leaked data from Credit Suisse exposes the identities of over 30,000 of the bank's clients whose anonymous numbered Swiss bank accounts, which collectively held over $100 billion, had allowed them to keep their identities secret. Its clients included heads of state (such as king Abdullah II of Jordan), human rights abusers, drug traffickers, intelligence officials, and individuals under sanctions or involved in financial crimes such as tax evasion or corruption, among others. The secret data from Switzerland’s second-largest bank was leaked about 1 year ago to the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung and was analyzed by the non-profit Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and 46 other news organizations including The New York Times, Le Monde, and The Guardian. (OCCRP) (AP News) (The Guardian) (New York Times)
- The controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam begins producing electricity, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attending the inauguration of the dam. (Al Jazeera)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
- The Italian Health ministry recommends that severely immunocompromised people should receive a fourth dose of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine at least 120 days after receiving their previous booster. (U.S. News and World Report)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- Queen Elizabeth II tests positive for COVID-19 with "mild cold-like symptoms". (BBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
International relations
- Cross-Strait relations
- Taiwan announces that its army will conduct live military drills next month which will simulate an invasion attempt of its islets of Dongyin and Kinmen, and its coast guard will conduct similar drills near Pratas Island, amid rising tensions between Taiwan and China. (South China Morning Post)
- Nepal–United States relations, Millennium Challenge Corporation's Nepal Compact
- Hundreds of protestors gather outside the Nepalese parliament in Kathmandu in order to protest a United States grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation for infrastructure projects, stating the deal undermines Nepal's sovereignty. Several protesters are injured following clashes with police. (BBC News)
Sports
- 2022 Winter Olympics
- The closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics is held in Beijing. (NPR)
- 2022 NASCAR Cup Series
- Rookie Austin Cindric wins the 64th running of the Daytona 500, becoming the ninth driver to score his first career Cup Series victory in the event. (FOX Sports)
February 19, 2022
(Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- War in Donbas
- The Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic declare a full military mobilisation, a day after beginning to evacuate civilians to Russia. (Reuters)
- Two Ukrainian troops are killed and four others are injured by shelling from separatist forces. Separatists have opened fire on more than 30 settlements with artillery, according to the Ukrainian military. (Reuters)
- Russia launches an investigation following reports that shells landed inside Rostov Oblast, 2 km from the Russia–Ukraine border. At least one structure on a farm is reportedly destroyed. (Reuters) (TASS)
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that Vladimir Putin is planning "the biggest war in Europe since 1945" and that Russia intends to launch an invasion that will encircle the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. (BBC News)
- War in Donbas
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Somali Civil War
- 2022 Beledweyne bombing
- Fourteen people are killed by an al-Shabaab suicide bomber at a restaurant in Beledweyne, Somalia. (The Guardian)
- 2022 Beledweyne bombing
International relations
- International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- Russia–United States relations
- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris warns that the United States will impose sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine. (NBC News)
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges sanctions on Russia before a potential invasion occurs. (CBS News)
- Russia–United States relations
Law and crime
- Canada convoy protest
- Ottawa police continue clearing protesters on Parliament Hill. Over 170 people have been arrested since Thursday as part of an effort to end the protests. (NBC News) (India Times)
- Freedom Convoy demonstrators admit that the protests are near the end. (The Washington Post)
- Jeffrey Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel is found dead inside his cell at La Santé Prison in Paris. Brunel faced allegations of sexual assault spanning three decades and of participating in the sex trafficking ring run by Epstein. (Sky News)
Sports
- 2022 Winter Olympics
- Slovakia at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- The Slovakia men's hockey team wins their first medal at the Winter Olympics after defeating Sweden in the men's tournament. (The Hockey News)
- Slovakia at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics
February 18, 2022
(Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- War in Donbas
- The Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic order mandatory mass evacuations of civilians from their respective capital cities, Donetsk and Luhansk. Around 700,000 people are expected to be evacuated to Russia with the first buses carrying civilians to the Russian border already travelling to Rostov Oblast. Russian President Vladimir Putin orders lump-sum allowances of 10,000 rubles (130 US dollars) to be paid to refugees from Donbas. (MSN) (TASS)
- A UAZ-469 jeep is blown up outside of a building of the Donetsk People's Republic government in Donetsk city. No injuries are reported. (The Jerusalem Post)
- Russia confirms that the Druzhba pipeline is on fire in rebel-held Luhansk Oblast after a massive explosion cut off gas to almost a hundred households. The pipeline is one of Russia's main pipelines used to transport oil to the European Union although transit supplies to Europe were not affected and continue as usual. (Reuters)
- Additional explosions are reported in Luhansk. The Luhansk People's Republic authorities state that a gas station has been blown up. (Metro) (National Post)
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- The British government relocates its embassy from Kyiv to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, and again urges its citizens to leave the country while they still can. (Reuters)
- Estonia delivers a shipment of U.S.-made FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine. (Reuters)
- U.S. President Joe Biden says that Vladimir Putin will launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the "coming days" and that Russian troops will try to capture the capital Kyiv. (Reuters) (Mirror)
- Anti-war protesters gather in Burlington, Vermont to call for a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict amidst fears of a war with Ukraine. (MyChamplainValley.com) (WCAX-TV)
- War in Donbas
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Mali War
- Eight Malian soldiers and 57 Islamist militants are killed during a gunfight in the Archam region, after 40 civilians were killed there during terrorist attacks last week. (Al Jazeera)
- Mali's ruling military junta demands that French forces leave the country "without delay" after French President Emmanuel Macron announced a withdrawal of troops in an "orderly fashion" in the coming months. (France 24)
- Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea
- Denmark recalls its frigate HDMS Esbern Snare from the Gulf of Guinea following a request from NATO to increase readiness and contribute to deterrence in Europe. The warship has been conducting anti-piracy measures in the Gulf since October. (The Local)
- Iran–Israel proxy conflict
- Israel's Iron Dome fails to intercept a Hezbollah-operated military drone from Lebanon that penetrated seventy kilometers into Israeli airspace. The drone flew for forty minutes before returning to Lebanon. Israeli jets fly at very low altitude over Beirut in response to the incident. (Times of Israel) (ABC News)
Disasters and accidents
- 2021–22 European windstorm season
- At least seventeen people are killed in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom as Storm Eunice impacts northwestern Europe. Millions are also left without power. (BBC News) (Dutch News) (Euronews)
- England records a record wind gust of 122 mph (196 kmh) on the Isle of Wight in the English Channel. (Reuters)
- The Grain Power Station in Kent, England, goes offline following the collapse of one of its towers and the roof of The O2 Arena in London is severely damaged due to high winds. (BBC News) (ITV News)
- The roof of the ADO Den Haag Stadium, in The Hague, the Netherlands, is severely damaged. (The Guardian)
- Eleven people are missing after a ferry travelling between Greece and Italy catches fire. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea reports a record 109,831 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.75 million. (Al Jazeera)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
International relations
- India–United Arab Emirates relations
- India and the United Arab Emirates sign a free trade agreement over digital goods, raw materials, and apparels. It is the first major trade deal signed by India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power in 2014. (Moneycontrol)
- Poland–United States relations
- U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announces the sale of 250 M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Poland amid tensions with Russia. The Polish Land Forces will become the first European military to operate the American M1 Abrams. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Canada convoy protest
- The Ottawa Police Service makes over 100 arrests, including the arrest of protest organizer Pat King. Police accuse protestors of assaulting officers with one person being arrested after allegedly throwing a bicycle at a horse with a mounted officer on it. (CBC News) (MSN)
Sports
- 2022 Winter Olympics
- LGBT athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games
- Timothy LeDuc becomes the first openly non-binary athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics. They competed in figure skating with their skating partner Ashley Cain-Gribble for the United States. (HuffPost)
- LGBT athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games
February 17, 2022
(Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- War in Donbas
- The Ukrainian government accuses Russian separatists of shelling a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk Oblast using artillery, injuring three civilians. The Luhansk People's Republic says that its forces were attacked by the Ukrainian military with mortars, grenade launchers and machine gun fire. At least 32 shells hit the city, causing power outages and damaging multiple structures. (MSN) (The Guardian)
- The United Nations Security Council convenes in order to discuss Russia's military buildup on the Ukrainian border. (C-SPAN)
- The U.S. State Department confirms that the U.S. deputy ambassador to Russia was expelled from the country. White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calls the expulsion "unprovoked". (Reuters)
- The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell says that shelling has begun in eastern Ukraine. (La Vanguardia)
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Senior British officials say that Russian President Vladimir Putin has now decided to invade Ukraine following "changes in the last 24 hours". (The Times)
- Germany deploys 130 troops and 60 armoured personnel carriers to Lithuania. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says that the German forces are authorized to defend the country from threats. More troops are expected to arrive later this week. (Reuters)
- War in Donbas
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Mali War, Operation Barkhane
- France and the EU-wide Takuba Task Force announce that they will begin withdrawing from Mali, stating that the military government in place since last year's coup has placed "multiple obstructions" to their counter-terrorism operations. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- Panama-flagged car carrier MV Felicity Ace is abandoned approximately 90 nautical miles southwest of the Azores following a severe fire onboard. The ship's entire 22-man crew safely evacuates using lifeboats. (CNN)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
- COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
- British Columbia lifts most of its COVID-19 restrictions, allowing all businesses to reopen and operate at full capacity. Indoor gatherings and organized events are also permitted to operate without occupancy limits. However, provincial mandates requiring the use of vaccine cards for entry into businesses and the use of masks in indoor settings remain in effect. (CBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in California
- Governor Gavin Newsom announces that California will become the first U.S. state to approach COVID-19 as an endemic rather than a pandemic. (CBS News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in California
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Dominican Republic
- The Dominican Republic ends all COVID-19-related public health measures, including mask wearing mandates and use of vaccine passes in order to enter public places, despite not reaching 70% of its vaccination target. (U.S. News and World Report)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- Indonesia surpasses 5 million cases of COVID-19. (Medcom.id)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- Japan reports a record 269 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Nippon.com)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
- New Zealand reports a record 1,929 new community transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (New Zealand Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
- Swiss President Ignazio Cassis tests positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
Law and crime
- Canada convoy protest
- Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, two organizers of the protest in Ottawa, are arrested by police. (CTV News)
- Designated terrorist organisations in Australia
- Australia designates the entirety of Hamas, including its political wing, as a terrorist organisation, and also designates Atomwaffen Division, Tahrir al-Sham and the Guardians of Religion Organization as terrorist organisations. (SBS News)
Politics and elections
- The Kuwaiti Ministers of Defense and the Interior, both members of the ruling Al-Sabah family, resign. The resignations are accepted by the Emir, who appoints a different member of the Al-Sabah family and Mohammad al-Fares, the current Oil Minister, to their respective posts. (Reuters)
- The British government ends its immigrant investor programs, known as a Tier 1 (Investor) visa, with "immediate effect". The scheme was introduced in 2008 in order to encourage wealthy people from outside the European Union to invest in the United Kingdom. (BBC News)
February 16, 2022
(Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian civil war
- Syrian state media agency SANA reports that Israel has fired missiles at at the Syrian town of Zakiyah, with no recorded casualties. (Toronto Star)
- Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian civil war
Arts and culture
- Cristina Calderón, the last full-blooded Yahgan and last native speaker of the Yahgan language, dies in Chile. (France24)
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 Brazil floods and landslides
- 2022 Petrópolis floods
- At least 117 people are killed by mudslides and flooding in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro. It is the heaviest rainfall registered in the city since 1932. (Reuters)
- 2022 Petrópolis floods
- List of fatal shark attacks in Australia
- A man is killed in a shark attack off Little Bay, Sydney, Australia. It is the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963. A witness estimated that the shark was about 4.5 metres (15 ft) in length. (Reuters)
- At least 13 people are killed after wedding guests fall into a well, in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. (CNN)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- Indonesia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 64,718 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4.96 million. (detikHealth)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
- Malaysia reports a record 27,831 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3.11 million. (The Star)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea reports a record 90,443 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.55 million. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
- Switzerland lifts almost all of its COVID-19-related restrictions, with people no longer needing to show COVID-19 vaccine certificates to enter public venues, due to confidence that infection rates had been uncoupled from hospitalization. (Politico.eu)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
Law and crime
- Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation
- The European Court of Justice dismisses Poland and Hungary's challenges against the regulation and confirms that the regulation is in compliance with the treaties of the European Union. This will allow the European Commission to suspend funds from the EU budget to member states that have rule of law issues which are likely to affect the management of EU funds. (Al Jazeera)
Sports
- Philippine Basketball Association
- The Alaska Aces, the second most successful team in the history of the league with 14 championship titles in 35 years, announced that it will cease to exist after the conclusion of the ongoing 2021 PBA Governors' Cup. (ESPN)
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 claims that a "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
- Capsizing of the Villa de Pitanxo
- A Spanish-owned fishing trawler, Villa de Pitanxo, sinks off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, killing 10 crew members and leaving 11 others missing. A search and rescue operation is underway. (BBC News)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- Japan reports a record 236 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the number of cumulative COVID-19 cases surpasses four million. (The Japan Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea reports a record 57,177 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.46 million. (The Korea Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
- Vietnam lifts its COVID-19-related curbs on international passenger flights with no limitation on the number of flights in order to restore the travel to pre-pandemic level. (Al-Jazeera)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
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. (CTV News Ottawa)
- 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
- In Louisville, Kentucky, council candidate Quintez Brown is charged with attempted murder, a day after he allegedly opened fire on mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg in his campaign office, narrowly missing him. (AP via The Washington Post)
- 2022 Louisville mayoral election