Portal:Current events
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Topics in the news
- In an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Russia officially recognises the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics in eastern Ukraine, and deploys troops to the region.
- The Winter Olympics conclude in Beijing, China.
- At least 176 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.
February 23, 2022
(Wednesday)
February 22, 2022
(Tuesday)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announces a citywide testing campaign due to surge of the cases caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. Each citizen is planned to be tested three times during the campaign. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic
- Syria voices support for Russia's recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic as independent states. (Reuters)
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- Protesters gather at the Russian Embassy in Berlin, Germany to oppose President Vladimir Putin's decision to send soldiers to separatist regions in Ukraine. (CTV News)
- The United States calls the Russian troop deployments in eastern Ukraine "an invasion". (CTV News)
- The Russian parliament ratifies the friendship and cooperation treaties with the DPR and LPR, following Putin's request made the previous day. (TASS)
- The foreign ministers of European Union member states agree on a package of new sanctions against Russia. (Al Jazeera)
- Germany suspends the Nord Stream 2 project in response to Russia's recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic as independent states. (DW)
- International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic
Law and crime
- Aftermath of the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks
- A public inquiry into the 2020 shootings in Nova Scotia, Canada that killed 22 people is opened. (CBC)
- Persecution of Christians in North Korea, Religion in North Korea
- A South Korean state commission confirms that retreating North Korean soldiers murdered over 1,150 South Korean Christian civilians in the early stages of the Korean War due to a state anti-religion campaign. (Korea Times)
Politics and elections
- 20th National Congress of the People's Party (Spain)
- The secretary general of the People's Party Teodoro García Egea resigns after a scandal over an alleged espionage to the President of the Community of Madrid Isabel Díaz Ayuso. (Swissinfo)
February 21, 2022
(Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic
- The European Union says it is prepared to issue sanctions against Russia if the country recognizes the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, breakaway regions of Ukraine that declared independence in 2014. Ukraine considers the quasi-states terrorist organizations. (Reuters)
- Russian President Vladimir Putin signs decrees recognising the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic with immediate effect. He also asks the parliament to ratify the treaties on friendship and mutual aid with the breakaway territories. (BBC News) (Axios) (CNN)
- President Putin addresses the nation and declares that Ukraine is a country with "no tradition of independent statehood and an artificial creation of Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin", and that the country has become a "U.S. puppet regime rife with corruption". He also reiterates his claim that Ukraine joining NATO would be a security risk to Russia. (Reuters) (CNN International) (Sputnik)
- Russian Armed Forces are deployed to the separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk for a "peacekeeping mission", shortly after Russia recognized the independence of the republics. (Axios)
- A senior U.S. official says Russian troops could move into the separatist regions of Ukraine by the end of the day. (CNN)
- A large column of military vehicles, including tanks, is reported on the outskirts of Donetsk city hours after Russia formally recognised the self-proclaimed republic as an independent state. (Reuters)
- Russia says that it has killed five Ukrainian soldiers who tried to infiltrate its territory. Ukraine disputes the claim as "fake news". (Reuters)
- International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic
- Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- The U.S. State Department evacuates its remaining diplomats in Ukraine to Poland. (The Straits Times)
- National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan states that the United States will rally the international community to hold Russia accountable should it invade Ukraine. (CBS News)
- The U.S. says it will impose sanctions on the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic in response to Putin recognizing their independence and sovereignty. (The Guardian)
- War in Donbas
- Separatist forces shell the village of Zaitseve, Donetsk, killing two Ukrainian soldiers and a civilian. (Times of Israel)
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
Business and economy
- Suisse secrets
- In response to yesterday's leak of client data from Credit Suisse, Switzerland's second largest bank, the EU's European Commission is asked to "re-evaluate Switzerland as a high-risk money-laundering country" by the European People's Party, which is the group with the largest number of seats in the European Parliament. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- Gbomblora explosion
- An Iranian F-5 jet crashes into a school in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, killing both pilots as well as a person on the ground. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong reports a record 7,533 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the territory to 60,383. (The Standard)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan
- Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr al-Khasawneh tested positive for COVID-19 while leading his country delegation in Cairo. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea surpasses 2 million COVID-19 cases. (The Korea Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in England
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that he is lifting domestic coronavirus restrictions in England, including the legal requirement for people with COVID-19 to self-isolate, from February 24. As part of the plan, free self-testing will end by April 1. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
- COVID-19 pandemic in England
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa
- South Africa changes their COVID-19 vaccination rules to allow mixing of vaccines between the Pfizer–BioNTech and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines for second and third doses and also reduces the interval between the second and third doses of the Pfizer vaccine in order to increase the country's vaccination rate. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- Israel–Morocco relations
- Morocco's trade minister, Ryad Mezzour, and Israel's economy minister, Orna Barbivai, sign a trade deal in Rabat. (National Post)
- China–United States relations
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announces that China will sanction American defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon after the United States approved a US$100 million missile defense repair deal between the two companies and Taiwan. (Al Jazeera)
Law and crime
- Abortion in Colombia
- The Constitutional Court decriminalizes abortion in all cases for up to six months of gestation, and removes time limits in cases of rape, fetal defects, or if the mother's life is in danger. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Aftermath of the 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état
- Burkinabé president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba orders an inquiry into the deaths of two civilians during last month's coup d'état. (AFP via Barron's)
Sports
- Juwan Howard, head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, is suspended for the rest of the regular season following a postgame fight that saw Howard strike Joe Krabbenhoft, assistant coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team. The Badgers' head coach, Greg Gard, is fined $10,000. Additionally, forwards Terrance Williams II and Moussa Diabaté of the Wolverines are suspended for one game each, as is guard Jahcobi Neath of the Badgers, for their involvement in the altercation. (WKOW)
February 20, 2022
(Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
- 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)
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says a decision by Russia and Belarus to extend military drills is Moscow following its "playbook" for an invasion of Ukraine. (New York Post)
- 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)
- Russia–United States relations
- Biden has agreed "in principle" to meet with Putin in French-brokered summit talks as long as Russia does not invade Ukraine, the White House says. (CNN)
- The United States says it has intelligence indicating orders have been sent to Russian military commanders to proceed with an incursion on Ukraine. (NBC News)
- U.S. President Joe Biden holds a National Security Council meeting on the ongoing crisis. (Barron's)
- Following the meeting, Biden abruptly cancels plans to go to his home in Delaware for the Presidents' Day holiday. It is a rare occurrence for a U.S. president's travel plans to change in this manner, especially when the plans involve the president leaving Washington, D.C. (CNBC)
- Biden speaks with Macron on diplomacy with and deterrence efforts against Russia, after Macron and Putin agreed to work towards a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine. (Asian News International)
- Satellite imagery shows a shift in Russia's military deployment around Ukraine, with several units or troops deployed outside of bases or training grounds and some positioned along tree lines, according to an analysis by Maxar Technologies, who released the imagery. (CNA)
- Belarus–Russia relations
- War in Donbas
- The Luhansk People's Republic says that two civilians have been killed by Ukrainian military shelling in the village of Pionerskoye, near the Russia–Ukraine border. Five buildings were also destroyed. (TASS)
- 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 English)
Business and economy
- Suisse secrets
- 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 Süddeutsche 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. (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) (Associated Press) (The Guardian) (The 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 English)
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 & 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)
- Juwan Howard, head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, strikes Joe Krabbenhoft, assistant coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team, in an altercation following a 76-61 loss to the Badgers. Howard says Greg Gard, the Badgers' head coach, touched him in the handshake line, and that he was also upset that Gard had called a timeout with 20 seconds left in the game, which Gard had done to avoid a 10-second violation. (Sports Illustrated)
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)