Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- Cyclone Gabrielle (satellite image shown) causes widespread damage and flooding across New Zealand.
- In American football, the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.
- A megadrought and heatwave cause forest fires and a state of emergency in Chile.
- An earthquake strikes Turkey and Syria, killing over 42,000 people and injuring more than 120,000 others.
- In the Monaco general election, the incumbent UNM party led by Brigitte Boccone-Pagès wins all 24 national council seats.
February 16, 2023
(Thursday)
February 15, 2023
(Wednesday)
Business and economy
- World Bank President David Malpass announces he will resign by the end of June. (AFP via RFI)
- The FTSE 100 Index, the main share index of the 100 most highly capitalized companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, ends its trading day at a record value of 8,003.65 points, surpassing the previous record value of 7,906.58 points recorded on February 3, 2023. (AFP via Deccan Herald)
Disasters and accidents
- Gualaca bus crash
- At least 39 migrants are killed in Gualaca District, Chiriquí Province, Panama, when their bus, heading to the United States, falls off a cliff. (Reuters)
- 2022–23 South Pacific cyclone season
- Five people are killed by Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand. (AFP via RTÉ)
- Eleven people are killed and 73 others are missing and presumed dead after a boat carrying migrants sinks off the Libyan coast. (BBC News)
- At least 10 people are killed by avalanches in Tajikistan. (RFE/RL)
- Two people are killed after a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashes in Madison County, Alabama, United States. (AP)
International relations
- Iran and state-sponsored terrorism
- A United Nations report says that former Egyptian Army colonel Saif al-Adel has become the new leader of Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda, and is being harboured in Iran, allegedly under house arrest. (AFP via France 24)
Law and crime
- 2022 Buffalo shooting
- Payton Gendron receives ten life sentences without the possibility of parole. (NBC News)
- 2023 El Paso shooting
- One person is killed and three others are injured after a mass shooting in a shopping mall in El Paso, Texas, United States. (Reuters)
- An investigation by a consortium of journalists uncovers a major disinformation campaign by an Israeli firm named Team Jorge, led by ex-Israeli special forces member Tal Hanan, which is alleged to have influenced more than 30 elections in several countries. (The Guardian)]
Politics and elections
- Nicola Sturgeon announces that she is resigning as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party once a new leader is elected. (The Washington Post)
- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signs a law annulling many privileges of his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev, including lifetime financial support from the state, and the right to address the nation and propose ideas to officials, and also deprives Nazarbayev's immediate family of legal immunity. (RFE/RL)
February 14, 2023
(Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- High-altitude object events in 2023
- 2023 Romania and Moldova high-altitude objects
- The Romanian Air Force unsuccessfully attempts to intercept an unidentified flying object detected roughly 11,000 metres (6.8 mi) above Southeast Romania. (Reuters)
- Moldova temporarily closes its airspace after receiving reports of a "balloon-like object". (Reuters)
- 2023 Romania and Moldova high-altitude objects
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Battle of Bakhmut
- Ukrainian forces blow up a bridge located between Bakhmut and Kostiantynivka as Russian troops and Wagner Group fighters advance on the city. (The Guardian)
- Battle of Bakhmut
- Syrian civil war
- Iranian involvement in the Syrian civil war
- United States Central Command says U.S. forces have shot down an Iranian UAV near a patrol base and oil field in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria. (Newsweek)
- Iranian involvement in the Syrian civil war
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Three Pakistani Taliban members are killed by fellow militants who were trying to free them while being transported from Miranshah to Bannu, Pakistan by counter-terrorism officers. Four of the attackers are also killed in the ensuing shootout. (Tribune)
Disasters and accidents
- 2022–23 South Pacific cyclone season
- A national state of emergency is declared in New Zealand for only the third time in the country's history as Cyclone Gabrielle affects the country. (AFP via RFI) (Al Jazeera)
- Twenty people are killed and 68 others injured in a head-on collision between a tour bus and an armoured cash-in-transit van in Makhado, Limpopo, South Africa. (BBC News)
International relations
- China–Philippines relations
- Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
- Philippine president Bongbong Marcos summons Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian following a China Coast Guard vessel's alleged use of a laser weapon on a Philippine ship in the South China Sea. (The Guardian)
- Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
Law and crime
- Phase-out of fossil fuel vehicles
- The European Parliament formally approves a law to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in the European Union from 2035, citing the need to combat climate change in Europe and promote electric vehicles. (Reuters)
- Sri Lanka announces a ban on disposable cutlery, cocktail shakers, and artificial plants beginning in June, citing the risk of plastic pollution on its wildlife. (AFP via RFI)
Politics and elections
- 2024 United States presidential election
- 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries
- Nikki Haley 2024 presidential campaign
- Former Governor of South Carolina and United States ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley officially announces her run for president in the upcoming 2024 election. She is the first major Republican challenger to former president Donald Trump. (CNN)
- Nikki Haley 2024 presidential campaign
- 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries
- 2024 United States Senate elections
- California senator Dianne Feinstein announces that she will not seek re-election in 2024 after thirty years in office. (Reuters)
February 13, 2023
(Monday)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake
- The death toll of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria surpasses 37,000. (Al Jazeera)
- At least twelve people are injured by an explosion at a construction site in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (CTV News Ottawa)
Health and environment
- The Equatoguinean health ministry confirms an outbreak of the Marburg virus in the country, which has killed nine people within the last month. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
International relations
- Humanitarian response to the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake
- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres agrees with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to open two of the country's border crossings with Turkey for at least three months to permit access to humanitarian aid. (AFP via Manila Standard)
Law and crime
- Blasphemy in Pakistan
- Lynching of Waris
- Police in Punjab, Pakistan, arrest 50 men for the lynching of a blasphemy suspect at a police station in Nankana Sahib District two days ago. (The Independent)
- Lynching of Waris
- Murder of Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat
- Indonesian police general Ferdy Sambo is found guilty of killing his adjutant, Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, and is sentenced to death. (Detik)
- 2023 Michigan State University shooting
- Three people are killed and five others injured in a mass shooting at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. The shooter later commits suicide when approached by police. (CNN)
Politics and elections
- Moldova–Russia relations
- 2023 Moldovan coup d'état plan
- President of Moldova Maia Sandu accuses the Russian government of planning a coup d'état attempt against her. (La Prensalatina)
- 2023 Moldovan coup d'état plan
February 12, 2023
(Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- High-altitude object events in 2023
- 2023 Lake Huron high-altitude object
- A United States Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon shoots down an unidentified flying object over Lake Huron near the Canada–United States border. The Department of Defense describe the object as octagonal and flying at roughly 20,000 feet. (Forbes)
- The Pentagon holds a press briefing on the shootdowns with NORAD Commander Glen D. VanHerck stating it is currently unclear how the objects were "staying aloft", and "we're calling them objects, not balloons, for a reason". (Bharat Times)
- 2023 Shandong high-altitude object
- China says that it has detected an unidentified flying object over the Yellow Sea, and warns that it is prepared to shoot down the object. The Qingdao Marine Development Bureau issues an alert to fishermen in the waters to be "on alert" and "avoid risks". (South China Morning Post)
- 2023 Lake Huron high-altitude object
Disasters and accidents
- 2022–23 South Pacific cyclone season
- Thousands of people are left without power as Cyclone Gabrielle makes landfall over North Island, New Zealand. The regions of Northland and Auckland are currently under a state of emergency. (BBC News)
Law and crime
- Censorship in Cambodia
- Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen orders the closure of one of the country's last independent news outlets, The Voice of Democracy, saying that its publications have hurt him and his son Hun Manet. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Cypriot presidential election
- In a run-off election, Nikos Christodoulides is elected as President of Cyprus, defeating Andreas Mavroyiannis. (Reuters)
- NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg announces that he will not extend his mandate to serve a fourth term and is expected to step down in October. (AFP via South China Morning Post)
Science and technology
- Asteroid impact prediction
- Researchers at the Konkoly Observatory in Hungary discover 2023 CX1, a 1-metre (3.3-foot) asteroid predicted to fall harmlessly as a fireball over the English Channel at 03:00 UTC, making it the seventh asteroid to be discovered before impacting Earth. (JPL Center for NEO Studies)
Sports
- 2022 NFL season
- The Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35 in Super Bowl LVII, winning their third Super Bowl in franchise history. (CNBC)
- 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake
- 2022–23 Süper Lig
- Gaziantep becomes the 2nd club (after Hatayspor) to withdraw from the top division of Turkish football due to the earthquake. (Turkish Football Federation)
- 2022–23 Süper Lig
February 11, 2023
(Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- High-altitude object events in 2023
- 2023 Yukon high-altitude object
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau orders the takedown of an unidentified flying object over Yukon, which is later shot down by a United States Air Force F-22 Raptor using a AIM-9X Sidewinder. The Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed to collect and analyze the object. (CNN)
- 2023 Yukon high-altitude object
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- A suicide bomber blows himself up near a security forces' vehicle in North Waziristan District, Pakistan, killing three soldiers and wounding 20 more. (News Drum)
- Syrian civil war
- At least ten civilians and a soldier are killed in a mass shooting by Islamic State gunmen at a truffle farm in Palmyra, Homs Governorate, Syria. (AFP via VOA)
- Internal conflict in Peru
- Seven police officers are killed and another is injured when their vehicle is ambushed in Valle de los Ríos Apurímac, Ene y Mantaro, Peru, in a suspected attack by remnants of Shining Path. (Infobae)
Disasters and accidents
- A passenger van collides with another vehicle in Naawan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines, killing eight people who have attended a police training session. (Rappler)
International relations
- Armenia–Turkey relations, Humanitarian response to the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake
- The Alican border crossing between Armenia and Turkey briefly reopens to allow the passage of humanitarian aid following the Turkey–Syria earthquake for the first time since 1988. (AFP via Al Arabiya)
Law and crime
- Camp Evangelista shooting
- Four soldiers are killed and another is critically injured by a fellow soldier during a mass shooting at a barracks in Cagayan de Oro, Northern Mindanao, Philippines. The perpetrator is shot dead. (Rappler)
Politics and elections
- Moldovan President Maia Sandu names pro-European Union academic Dorin Recean as the next Prime Minister of Moldova. (Politico)
Sports
- 2022 FIFA Club World Cup
- In association football, Spanish club Real Madrid wins a record fifth FIFA Club World Cup title and eighth club world championship after defeating Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal 5–3 in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. With eight goals, the match was the highest scoring final in Club World Cup history. (Reuters via The Guardian)
February 10, 2023
(Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022–2023 Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, Moldova–Russia relations
- Moldova says that Russia has fired missiles over the country at targets inside Ukraine, condemning the missile flyover as a violation of its sovereignty, and also summons the Russian ambassador for an official explanation. (BBC News)
- Southern Ukraine campaign
- A Russian Navy drone boat strikes the Zatoka railway bridge on Highway H33 near Odesa. It is believed to be the first use of the naval weapon in the war by Russian forces. (The Telegraph)
- 2022–2023 Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, Moldova–Russia relations
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- 2023 Ramot Junction attack
- Three Israelis, two brothers aged six and eight years old and a 20-year-old man, are killed in a car-ramming attack in Ramot, Jerusalem. (Times of Israel)
- 2023 Ramot Junction attack
- Balochistan conflict
- Two people are killed and three others are injured when a vehicle hits a roadside bomb in Kohlu District, Balochistan, Pakistan. (AP)
- Islamist insurgency in the Sahel
- At least ten soldiers are killed and thirteen others are injured in an ambush by jihadists in Tillabéri Region, Niger. Sixteen others remain missing. (AFP via The Punch)
- High-altitude object events in 2023
- 2023 Alaska high-altitude object
- The White House's spokesperson John Kirby announces that the United States Air Force shot down a high-altitude object over territorial waters in Alaska, just days after shooting down a Chinese balloon over the Atlantic Ocean. The object was ordered to be shot down by U.S. President Joe Biden because it posed "a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight". (The Hill)
- 2023 Alaska high-altitude object
Disasters and accidents
- Great Yarmouth explosion
- A World War II-era bomb weighing around 250kg explodes while being defused in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. No injuries are reported. (BBC News)
- Two people are killed and 20 others are injured in a building collapse in Damanhour, Beheira Governorate, Egypt. (AP)
- At least 35 people are injured when a bus overturns near Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. (AP)
Law and crime
- 2017–present Peruvian political crisis
- 2022–2023 Peruvian protests
- The Permanent Assembly of the Congress of Peru approves a motion to file criminal charges against former president Pedro Castillo. The charges include criminal organization, traffic of influences, and collusion. (europapress via La Nación)
- 2022–2023 Peruvian protests
- Crime in South Africa
- Two people, including South African rapper AKA, are shot dead outside a restaurant in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The assailants fled the scene on foot, according to police. (BBC News)
- A Hong Kong court awards an Indonesian domestic worker more than HK$860,000 (US$110,000) in damages for the abuse she received from her former employers, who were convicted and imprisoned in 2013. (AFP via The Straits Times)
Politics and elections
- Moldovan prime minister Natalia Gavrilița resigns amid an economic crisis and the collateral effects of the ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine. (Reuters)
- Toronto mayor John Tory announces he will be resigning following revelations he had an extramarital affair with a staffer during the COVID-19 pandemic. (CBC)
Sports
- 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake
- 2022–23 Süper Lig
- Hatayspor withdraws from the top division of Turkish football due to the earthquake. (Reuters)
- 2022–23 Süper Lig
- 2023 Men's EuroHockey Indoor Club Cup
- The men's EuroHockey Indoor Club Cup, scheduled to be held from 17 to 19 February in Alanya, Turkey, is cancelled due to the impact of the earthquake. (La Libre) (European Hockey Federation)
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