Portal:Current events/February 2016

Armed conflicts and attacks

PKK Rebellion (2015–present)
- Two Turkish Army soldiers are killed in a Kurdistan Workers' Party ambush in the southeast Diyarbakır Province. (Anadolu Post)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A Taliban suicide bomb attack outside a police office in central Kabul kills at least 9 people. (AFP via Times of India) (Sky News) (AFP via Straits Times)

Disasters and accidents

February 2016 North American storm complex
- A snow storm in the United States is affecting multiple regions in Colorado, California and elsewhere, with more than 70,000 people in southern California losing power. (AccuWeather)

Health

Zika virus outbreak in the Americas (2015–present)
- The World Health Organization declares the spread of the Zika virus a global public health emergency requiring an urgent, united response. (BBC)
The United Kingdom Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority gives licensing rights to the Francis Crick Institute to genetically modify human embryos to study the early stages of embryo development though still needs the approval of a local research ethic board. (BBC) (Nature)

Law and crime

Chinese authorities arrest 21 people involved in the Ezubao online finance scheme accused of allegedly defrauding 900,000 people of 50bn yuan ($7.6bn; £5.3bn) in a Ponzi scheme. (BBC)
Two men are sentenced to death for the murder of Tibetan religious leader Akong Rinpoche, his nephew and his driver in 2013. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

The Assembly of the Union for Myanmar meets with Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy having the majority for the first time. (Time)
United States presidential election in Iowa, 2016
- Voters in Iowa go to Democratic and Republican Party caucuses in the first formal stage of the U.S. elections. (Yahoo! politics)
- Hillary Clinton narrowly wins the Democratic caucus; this makes her the first woman to win an Iowa caucus. (The Hill) (Who TV)
- Ted Cruz wins the Republican caucus; this makes him the first Hispanic person to win an Iowa caucus. (CNN) Fox News Latino
- Republican candidate Mike Huckabee suspends his campaign. (ABC Go) (CNN)
- Democratic candidate Martin O'Malley suspends his campaign. (Washington Post)

February 2, 2016 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present), Military intervention against ISIL
- U.S. airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan hit an ISIS radio station and kill 29 militants. (CNN)

Arts and culture

In the United States, Punxsutawney Phil does not see his shadow which according to tradition signals an early spring. (CNN)

Business and economics

Negotiators for the European Commission and the United States agree on a pact protecting data transfers across the North Atlantic by companies such as Google and Amazon, imposing on such companies certain privacy shield obligations. (Reuters)

Health

Zika virus outbreak in the Americas (2015–present)
- The Government of Honduras declares a state of emergency with 3,649 suspected cases of the Zika virus in the past three months. (AP via Journal Star Online)

Politics and elections

Martin O'Malley is suspending Presidential Campaign after Iowa Vote. (the Atlantic)

February 3, 2016 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- Three Palestinian assailants launch a shooting and stabbing attack near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, killing one policewoman and seriously injuring another, and lightly injuring a civilian, before being shot and killed by other security forces at the scene. Pipe bombs were discovered on their bodies. (The Times of Israel)
- Two Hamas militants die after a tunnel they were digging from the Gaza Strip into Israel collapses. (AP)
Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia, says that Russia's bombing campaign will continue until terrorist organisations like ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra are defeated; the Syrian opposition's High Negotiations Committee has voiced outrage at an ongoing government offensive backed by Russian air power and called for a halt to air strikes against civilians, among other demands. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Syrian Civil War
- Siege of Nubl and Al-Zahraa
  - The Syrian Army and its allies break a three-year rebel siege of two Shi’ite towns in northwest Syria, Nubl and Al-Zahraa. (Reuters)
- At least 15 people are killed and 58 injured after rockets reportedly fired by rebels hit pro-government neighborhoods in the southern city of Daraa. (RT)

Business and economy

China's state owned ChemChina offers to buy Swiss pesticide and seed manufacturer Syngenta for $43 billion. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

Daallo Airlines Flight 159
- A Daallo Airlines operated commercial plane, bound for Djibouti, makes an emergency landing at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, following an unexplained explosion that left a gaping hole in its fuselage. (BBC)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- Japan puts its military on alert to shoot down any North Korean rocket that threatens it following an announcement by North Korea of a planned "Earth observation launch". (Reuters)
- South Korea warns North Korea of "searing consequences" if it doesn't abandon plans to launch a long-range rocket that violates United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibits the country from engaging in any ballistic activities. (Fox News)

Law and crime

John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, wanted for murder since 1974, is officially declared dead so that his son can inherit the title. (BBC)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Kentucky Senator Rand Paul suspends his campaign for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. (Vox) (Politico)
- Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum withdraws from the race. (Washington Post)
Irish general election, 2016
- Voters in Ireland will go to the polls on February 26 after the President dissolves the current Dail or parliament. (AAP via News Limited), (BBC)

February 4, 2016 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- A drone strike in Yemen's Shabwah Governorate kills six suspected Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula militants. (Jerusalem Post)
Russian intervention in the Syrian Civil War, Battle of Aleppo (2012–present)
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports Russian airstrikes on several rebel-held neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo, kills at least 21 civilians. (AFP via Yahoo!)
- Russia's Ministry of Defence accuses Turkey of preparing a military incursion into northern Syria, saying it had registered "a growing number of signs of hidden preparation of the Turkish Armed Forces for active actions on the territory of Syria". Tens of thousands of Turkish troops are active on the border of Syria involved in fighting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). (Reuters)

Business and economy

The U.S. President Barack Obama announces a plan to tax crude oil $10 a barrel in order to fund infrastructure spending, according to a White House statement. (Reuters).

Health

Zika virus outbreak
- The Polynesian state of Tonga declares a Zika virus epidemic with two confirmed cases and 265 suspected cases. (Radio New Zealand)
- A pregnant woman is reported with the Zika virus in Spain - the first case in Europe. (BBC)

International relations

Julian Assange
- The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention rules that Julian Assange is being arbitrarily detained. (BBC) (Reuters) (The Guardian)
Trans-Pacific Partnership
- Twelve nations, including the United States, sign the deal at SkyCity Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand. (BBC)(UPI)
European migrant crisis
- The President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, in an address to the Finnish parliament (Eduskunta), says the current flow of migrants into Europe threatens the continent's Western values and that the UN's Convention relating to the Status of Refugees is outdated, saying "All estimates predict that the flow of people will increase this year. This is challenging the ability of Western democracies to help and also challenging the very structures underlying the idea of Europe". (Yle News)

Law and crime

The People's Republic of China charges Zhao Liping, former Police Chief for Inner Mongolia with murder, bribery and possession of fire arms and explosives. (Reuters)
The suspect in the murder investigation of former Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands Els Borst admits to have assassinated her citing political motivations. (NOS) (RTL Nieuws)
Five adults and one child are found stabbed to death in the Chicago neighborhood of Gage Park in the U.S. (Chicago Tribune)
Terrorism in Germany
- German police arrest two Algerian men suspected of having links to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and planning terror attacks in the country. One of the men detained, reported to be aged 35, had been living in a refugee shelter in the town of Attendorn, east of Cologne. Police say "investigations show that he has been trained militarily in Syria". (BBC)

Politics

Tamil national anthem
- Sri Lanka lifts unofficial ban on Tamil national anthem on independence day. (New York Times) (Indian Express)

February 5, 2016 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Army and its allies capture the town of Ataman, near the city of Daraa. (Reuters)
- Fifteen thousand Syrians mass at the border with Turkey as a result of the Syrian Government offensive in the Aleppo Governorate. (BBC)
Northern Mali conflict
- The United Nations mission in Mali confirms that the Malian armed forces had retaken a UN Police base in Timbuktu from unknown assailants that attacked it earlier in the day. (The Daily Star)
War in Somalia
- al Shabaab militants claim to have captured the port of Merca (Marka) after African Union and Somali Armed Forces withdraw. (AAP via News Limited)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Clashes between local tribal forces and Sudanese fighters in Libya's southeastern Cyrenaica region around the town of Kufra leaves around 30 dead. (Reuters)

Business and economy

The new president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, makes a $6.5 billion cash offer to holdout creditors to settle liabilities arising out of a 2002 default. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe declares a state of disaster in most rural parts of the country due to a prolonged drought. (AAP via News Limited)
One person is killed, and two are seriously injured when a construction crane collapses in Lower Manhattan's Tribeca district. (NY Daily News)
Japan's Sakurajima volcano erupts prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a warning not to approach it. The volcano, located in the southern Kagoshima Prefecture, is situated 50km from the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant. (RT)
At least 37 people die in the Indian state of Gujarat after a passenger bus plunges off a bridge over the Purna River. (Hindustan Times)
Three miners are missing but dozens have been rescued following a gold mine collapse in South Africa. (ABC)
At least 13 killed in a hotel fire in Erbil, Iraq. All of the victims are Filipino workers. (CNN Philippines)

Health

Zika virus outbreak in the Americas (2015–present)
- Three people die in Colombia after contracting the Zika virus and developing Guillain–Barré syndrome. (AFP via Daily Star)
- Puerto Rico declares a state of emergency due to the ongoing Zika virus outbreak. At least 22 people have been reported to have been infected with the Zika virus in the U.S. territory. (ABC News)

Law and crime

A shooting at a boxing match weigh-in between Jamie Kavanagh and Antonio João Bento in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, leaves one person dead and two others injured. The gunmen were reportedly dressed as police officers and armed with AK-47s. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Wei Hong is removed as the Governor of China's Sichuan province due to perceived disloyalty to the Communist Party. (AP via Las Vegas Sun)
White supremacists in the U.S. state of New Hampshire create a super PAC to support U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump's presidential campaign. (CNN)

February 6, 2016 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

An al Qaeda affiliate has freed Jocelyn Elliott, an Australian woman kidnapped in Burkina Faso along with her husband. (ABC News Australia)
Syrian Civil War
- Northern Aleppo offensive (2016)
  - The Syrian Army, backed by the Russian Air Force, takes control of the town of Ratyan in the Aleppo Governorate, after defeating Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar ash-Sham fighters. (Xinhua)
Ten people are killed and more than 40 injured when a suicide bomber on a bicycle blew himself up near a Pakistani security forces truck in Quetta, Pakistan. (The Nation) (CNN)

Arts and culture

Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan gives birth to a son, the heir apparent of the Bhutanese throne. (Kuensel)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan. Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported that 14 people were killed and 484 injured. (CNN) (Metro) (AP) (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia)
- The earthquake toppled two high-rise buildings in the city of Tainan with at least 160 people rescued and many more trapped inside. (AP)
Five people are killed in an avalanche that buried 17 Czechs in Austria. (NBC News)
Twin brothers are killed and six others injured in a sledding accident on an Olympic bobsledding course at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta. (CNN)

International relations

North Korea brings forward the date of a potential satellite launch to as early as tomorrow. (BBC)
Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
- Tunisia completes the construction of a 200km (125 mile) barrier along its border with Libya, intended to keep out terrorists trained in Libya. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Twitter claims to have closed down 125,000 accounts linked to ISIL. (Reuters via ABC News Australia)
The Vatican commission on sexual abuse announces that Peter Saunders, a sexual abuse survivor from the U.K., is suspended from commission proceedings. "I am not leaving my position," Saunders said, adding only the person who appointed him, the Pope, can dismiss him. (Buenos Aires Herald) (Patheos) (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

Opposition to immigration, Anti-Islamism
- Protesters rally against Islam and immigration in several European cities amid growing tensions over the massive influx of asylum-seekers to the continent. (Daily News)

Sports

American football:
- The Pro Football Hall of Fame announces its induction class of 2016, consisting of eight figures: players Brett Favre, Kevin Greene, Marvin Harrison, Orlando Pace, Ken Stabler, and Dick Stanfel; coach Tony Dungy; and owner Edward DeBartolo, Jr., to be inducted as a contributor. The induction ceremony will take place on August 6 at the Hall of Fame complex in Canton, Ohio. (CNN)
- At the NFL Honors Show in San Francisco, the league announces major individual awards for the 2015 season, as chosen by the Associated Press. (ESPN – Newton, Rivera) (ESPN – Watt)
  - Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is named MVP. Newton becomes the first black quarterback to win the award outright (Steve McNair shared the award in 2004 with Peyton Manning).
  - Panthers head coach Ron Rivera is named Coach of the Year.
  - Houston Texans defensive tackle J. J. Watt is named Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in four years. Watt joins Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor as the only three-time winners of the award.

February 7, 2016 (Sunday)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The death toll from yesterday's earthquake in Taiwan rises to at least 29, with at least 120 trapped under collapsed buildings in Tainan, while 198 people have been rescued. (AP) (Taipei Times)
A man is killed and three other employees are injured following a suspected meteorite strike in a garden outside the Bharathidasan Engineering College in Tamil Nadu, India. Witnesses say they saw a mysterious object fall from the sky. If confirmed, this would be the first recorded fatality from a meteorite strike. (Metro) (The Indian Express)
One person is killed and six others injured in an explosion at JCG Farms, an American feed mill near Atlanta, Georgia. (AP)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea launches a long range rocket that critics claim is a test of banned technology for a long range missile that could hit the United States. South Korea's military says the rocket released an object into orbit. (AP via Washington Post) (CNN) (Reuters)
- Japan's NHK news reports the rocket passed over the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, condemns the launch and says, "We absolutely cannot allow this. We will take action to totally protect the safety and well-being of our people". The Japanese government says no rocket debris fell on Japanese territory and there are no reports of damage. The rocket reportedly falls into waters southwest of Jeju Island. (ABC News), (Yonhap)
- South Korea's intelligence agency claims that North Korea is preparing for another nuclear test. (Yonhap)
- The United Nations Security Council condemns North Korea's long-range missile launch, a violation of numerous U.N. resolutions. (CNN) (USA Today)
Syrian Civil War, Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) says it is ready to deploy ground troops to Syria as part of an international coalition to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, if said coalition was led by the United States. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Two people are killed and ten others are injured in a shooting outside an Orlando, Florida nightclub. (Click Orlando)
One person is killed and seven others are injured in a shooting outside a Rochester, New York sports bar. (ABC News)
Hamas reports it has executed one of its commanders, Mahmoud Eshtewi, for “moral and behavioral violations.” Human Rights Watch, contacted by Eshtewi’s family, had been monitoring the case. (AP via The Washington Post)

Politics and elections

Politicians in Haiti agree to a process to select an interim President to replace Michel Martelly. Presidential elections will be held on April 14 with the winner to be sworn in on 14 May. (BBC)
- Haiti delays Carnival celebrations over concern that anti-government protests might turn violent. (Reuters) (The Guardian)
The Parliament of Algeria considers a new constitution imposing term limits for the President and recognising Amazigh as an official language. (AP)

Sport

In American football, the Denver Broncos defeat the Carolina Panthers 24–10 in Super Bowl 50. Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller is named as the game's Most Valuable Player. (BBC), (ESPN)

February 8, 2016 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- A Libyan Air Force MiG-23 fighter jet crashes due to a "mechanical failure", while conducting airstrikes on Islamic State-controlled areas in the eastern city of Derna. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- United Nations investigators accuse the Government of Syria of "extermination" in its jails and detention centres. (Wires via ABC News Australia)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- A Scud missile fired from Yemen is intercepted over Saudi Arabia. The missile's target is believed to have been the King Khalid Air Base, near the city of Khamis Mushait. (AFP via Al Arabiya)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber strikes a crowded market in eastern Afghanistan killing five civilians and wounding nine others. (NY Times) (Appeal Democrat)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The death toll from the Taiwan earthquake rises to 38 with more than 100 people missing. (Reuters via Yahoo! News) (AP via CBS News)
- Tainan mayor William Lai warns the death toll probably will exceed 100. "There are more fatalities than those pulled out," he said. (USA Today)
2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season
- Storm Imogen is set to impact the British Isles with 80mph winds and heavy rain. The United Kingdom's Met Office issues warnings for South West England, particularly the Cornish coast due to large waves, and South Wales. (Sky News)
European migrant crisis
- At least 27 migrants die in a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea when a boat capsizes in the Turkish bay of Edremit, near the Greek island of Lesbos. (ANSAmed) (Leadership) (news.com.au) (BBC)

Health and medicine

Billy Kenoi, the mayor of Hawaii's Big Island, declares a state of emergency to deal with the growing outbreak of dengue fever, which is spread by infected mosquitoes. (Reuters) (Huffington Post)

International relations

Korean border incidents
- The South Korean Navy fires warning shots at a North Korean patrol boat after it crossed the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea and entered South Korean-controlled waters. As of 2016, North Korea refuses to recognize the so-called Northern Limit Line, that was drawn up at the end of the Korean War. (Reuters)
Refugees of the Syrian Civil War
- New refugee camps go up near the Syria–Turkey border after Turkey blocks thousands of refugees from entering the country. (BBC)

Law and crime

The Constitutional Court of Colombia rules on banning all mining activities in the Páramo ecosystems due to environmental concerns. (BBC)
DotGovs, a hacker group that released data on almost 10,000 Department of Homeland Security employees yesterday, publish contact information for 20,000 FBI employees. (CNN)
The French data protection authority and the independent watchdog CNIL cite Facebook for breaching privacy laws by the collection and transfer of 30 million users' Internet data, and by tracking non-users. Companies are no longer protected by the International Safe Harbor pact that was ruled illegal last October. (Reuters) (AP via ABC News)

Sport

Daniel Bryan announces that he will retire from WWE. (WWE)

February 9, 2016 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- A suicide bomb attack in Syria's capital Damascus kills at least 10 people. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility. (The New York Times) (AP)
- Doctors without Borders reports three people were killed and at least six others wounded in Friday's airstrikes, source not identified, that hit the Tafas field hospital in Dara'a Governorate near the Jordanian border. (UPI) (Médecins Sans Frontières)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The United States sends more troops to Afghanistan's southern Helmand province to shore up security forces who are facing sustained attacks from the Taliban. (Reuters)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Iraqi Armed Forces announce the complete recapture of the city of Ramadi in western Iraq's Anbar Province from the Islamic State, along with the reopening of the Ramadi-Baghdad road. (UPI) (Iraqi News)

Business and economy

Dubai says that it will continue with its Mall of the World project, despite the financial pressures created by falling oil prices. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The death toll from Saturday's earthquake in Taiwan rises to 41 with 109 people missing. (Focus Taiwan)
- Taiwan authorities arrest three construction company executives of the Wei-guan Golden Dragon Building, which collapsed Saturday, on suspicion of negligent homicide. Almost all of those killed have been recovered from the rubble from this building; the 100-plus missing are likely buried in the debris. (Reuters) (AP via The Washington Post)
Bad Aibling rail accident
- Two passenger trains collide in the German town of Bad Aibling in the state of Bavaria. At least ten people are dead, one person is missing and presumed dead, about 80 are wounded, and 17 are seriously or critically injured. The rescue is difficult – resembling a mountain-type rescue – because of a nearby river and a steep incline and a curve in the tracks; rescue helicopters had to be used. It is one of Bavaria's and Germany's deadliest-ever railroad accidents. Human error is being examined as a possibility. (BBC) (CNN)
One Indian soldier, buried in the snow for six days, is rescued from last week's Siachen Glacier avalanche, however the other nine soldiers from the army post in the Himalayan region of Kashmir didn't survive. (AP via Appeal-Democrat)
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Ovalle in Chile's central region. No injuries or damage have been reported. (AP via ABC News)

Law and crime

2016 Mong Kok civil unrest
- Clashes break out and turn into a riot in the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong on the pretext that the police try to close down illegal food vendors. Nearly 90 police officers are injured. (The Straits Times)
The Maryland House of Delegates and Senate override Governor Larry Hogan's veto of a bill extending felons' voting rights to those who have not completed the terms of their probation or parole. The law goes into effect March 10, 2016. (UPI)
Warner/Chappell Music agrees to return $14 million collected in copyright fees for the song Happy Birthday to You which a federal judge ruled in September belongs in the public domain. (UPI)

Politics and elections

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- The campaign period for the election begins in what international media dubs as a "cliffhanger" between five candidates: Jejomar Binay, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Rodrigo R. Duterte, Grace Poe, and Mar Roxas. (Deutsche Welle), (The Daily Mail)
United States presidential election, 2016, New Hampshire primary
- Voters in the state of New Hampshire go to the polls for the first primary election in this year's presidential cycle. (BBC)
- New York businessman Donald Trump wins the Republican Party primary while Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders wins the Democratic Party primary. (NBC News) This makes Sanders the first Jewish and the first self-described democratic socialist to win a U.S. presidential primary. (The Week) (CNN) (The Huffington Post) Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican presidential nominee, was the first winner of Jewish heritage, but was a Christian. (CNN)

February 10, 2016 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency
- Two female suicide bombers kill more than 58 people at a camp for displaced people in Dikwa, Nigeria. (CNN) (Al Jazeera) (Reuters) (ABC News)
- At least six people are killed and more than 30 injured in a twin suicide attack in Cameroon near the border with Nigeria. (IB Times) (Newsweek)
PKK rebellion (2015–present)
- At least two Turkish Army soldiers are killed in clashes with Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) insurgents in the southeast Şırnak Province. (Rudaw)
Syrian Civil War
- Northern Aleppo offensive (2016)
  - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reportedly take control of the Menagh Military Airbase in the northern Aleppo Governorate after Ahrar ash-Sham, Levant Front and Free Syrian Army fighters withdraw amid Russian airstrikes. (Al Masdar News)
War in Donbass
- Four people are killed after a minibus hit a landmine near a Ukrainian military checkpoint in the Donetsk Oblast. (Kyiv Post)

Business and economy

Adair Turner former head of the U.K.'s Financial Services Authority, warns against the growth of peer-to-peer lending, telling the BBC that the practice will cause grave losses over the next five to ten years. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

An Indonesian Air Force plane on a routine training flight crashes into a house in the city of Malang in the East Java province, killing four people and injuring one. (International Business Times)

Health

Zika virus outbreak (2015–present)
- A pregnant Australian woman in the state of Queensland tests positive for the Zika virus. (ABC News Australia via MSN)
- China reports first case of Zika virus disease in a man who had traveled to Venezuela. (ABC News)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- NATO, during a two-day meeting, considers request from Turkey and Greece to monitor migrant transit in the Aegean Sea and to combat human traffickers squeezing refugees onto unsafe boats. (Reuters) (Deutsche Welle)
Rojava conflict
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blasts the United States over its support for Syrian Kurdish groups which Turkey considers to be terrorists. (AFP via GlobalPost) (VideoNews.Us)

Law and crime

A shootout in Abingdon, Maryland results in the deaths of two Harford County Sheriff's Office deputies and the suspected gunman. (CNN), (WBAL TV)
North Korea reportedly executes Ri Yong-gil, Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army on charges of corruption, according to South Korean media. (BBC)
Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
- The FBI, in armored vehicles, closes to within 50 yards (40 meters) of the last four anti-government militants occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Negotiations to end the standoff without violence continue. (Reuters) (OregonLive)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suspends his campaign for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. (CNN) (BBC)
- Republican Party presidential candidate Carly Fiorina suspends her campaign following a disappointing finish in the New Hampshire primary. (USA Today)
The Parliament of Australia considers the Turnbull Government's proposed legislation to legalize the growing of marijuana for medical use. The bill is expected to pass. (AP via The Washington Post) (Japan Today)
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announces his resignation. President Francois Hollande says he will nominate Fabius to lead the country's Constitutional Council. (NPR) (UPI)
Latvian parliament approves the new government of Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis following the resignation of Laimdota Straujuma in early December. (Reuters)

Sports

The owners of Liverpool F.C. scrap a controversial £77 ticket pricing plan for the 2016–17 season following a backlash by the club's supporters and a mass walkout during last week's game with Sunderland A.F.C. at Anfield. (Sky News)

February 11, 2016 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Northern Mali conflict
- Suspected Islamist militants attack a customs post in the town of Mopti, central Mali, killing two civilians and a customs officer. (Reuters)
Terrorism in Saudi Arabia
- A man shoots six people dead at an education centre in Jizan Province, Saudi Arabia. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Four policemen are killed and another seven wounded when one of their colleagues opened fire on them in Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Appeal Democrat)

Business and economics

Uber, in San Francisco, California (U.S.), federal court, says it will pay $28.5 million to settle two lawsuits over misleading background check information. Prosecutors settled a similar lawsuit with competitor Lyft in 2014. (AP via ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The death toll from the earthquake rises to 59 with 76 missing. (AAP via News Limited)
Aliso Canyon gas leak
- Southern California Gas Company caps, at least temporarily, the natural gas leak that started last October and has forced thousands to flee their homes. (UPI) (Los Angeles Times)
A Hellenic Navy helicopter crashes while taking part in a military exercise in the Aegean Sea, near the Greek island of Kinaros, three Greek naval airmen are feared dead. (Reuters)

Health

A yellow fever outbreak has killed 37 people in Angola since December 2015. (AAP via News Limited)

International relations

North Korea–South Korea relations
- South Korea starts withdrawing its nationals from the Kaesong Industrial Region in protest to recent actions by North Korea. (Yonhap)
- North Korea says it will freeze all South Korean assets and equipment at the jointly run Kaesong Industrial Park. (AP)
- South Korea shuts off the supply of electricity and water to the Kaesong Industrial Region. (Reuters)

Law and Crime

Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
- All four remaining occupiers leave the refuge and surrender. (CNN)
Topo Chico prison riot
- At least 52 inmates are killed in a riot and fire at Topo Chico prison in Monterrey, Mexico. (FOX News) (CNN)

Politics and elections

Charlot Salwai is elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu following the January snap election. Salwai takes office the same day. (ABC News)
José Ignacio Peralta is sworn in as Governor of Colima. (El Diario de Coahuila)
Warren Truss, the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, announces his resignation as the leader of the National Party of Australia. Barnaby Joyce is elected as the new leader with Fiona Nash elected as the new deputy leader. (ABC News Australia), (ABC News)
The French president François Hollande reshuffles his cabinet, bringing in three ministers from two green parties, Europe Ecology – The Greens and Écologistes !; former Prime Minister of France Jean-Marc Ayrault is named as the new Foreign Minister replacing Laurent Fabius who resigned earlier in the week. (The Guardian), (BBC)
Democratic Party presidential debates, 2016
- Protesters demanding a $15 minimum wage stormed the venue in front of local and national media prior to the start of the sixth debate, this one between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (UPI) (Fox 6 News)

Science

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration experiment announces the first direct observation of gravitational waves. (Nature), (Guardian), (New York Times) (APS Journals)

Sports

Sunderland A.F.C. terminate the contract of England international footballer Adam Johnson after he pleads guilty to two charges relating to child sexual abuse. (BBC)

February 12, 2016 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Northern Mali conflict
- An attack by suspected Islamist militants on a MINUSMA base in the town of Kidal, northern Mali, kills at least five United Nations peacekeepers and injures 30 others. (AFP via Al Arabiya) (Reuters)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- A Libyan Air Force MiG-23 is shot down over the city of Benghazi as it conducted airstrikes on Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries positions in the coastal city. A Tobruk-based military source said the pilot survived having parachuted to safety, but his whereabouts were not immediately clear. (AFP via Yahoo News)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- At least five policemen are killed in an attack on a police station in Aden. (Daily Times)

Business and economy

Evgeny Lebedev, the owner of the British national newspaper, The Independent, announces that as of March 2016, the 29-year-old paper will only publish online with print editions coming to an end. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The death toll from the earthquake rises to 94 with 550 people injured, and at least 30 more missing and believed buried in the apartment complex rubble in Tainan. (CNN)

Health and medicine

University of British Columbia’s Michael Brauer reports new research shows more than 5.5 million people die prematurely every year from air pollution, the world's fourth highest risk factor for death. (The Christian Science Monitor) (University of British Columbia)

International relations

Syrian Civil War
- John Kerry, the United States Secretary of State, says that a meeting of 17 ministers in Munich has agreed to a ceasefire within a week and delivery of humanitarian assistance beginning immediately. (Reuters via ABC News)
East–West Schism
- Pope Francis meets with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in Havana, Cuba. It is the first time that the heads of the Roman Catholic Church and Russian Orthodox Church have ever met. (CNN)
North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- The discontinuance of electricity and water into the Kaesong area impacts area residents who lose their steady supply of water. The public received about 60 percent of the 17,000 tons of water South Korea pumped north each day. (AP via Fox News)
- China has announced it will back a United Nations resolution to make North Korea "pay the necessary price" for the recent rocket launch. (Reuters)
- The United States deploys an additional Patriot missile battery to South Korea in response to North Korea's recent rocket launch. (The Japan Times)

Law and crime

Pakistan arrests 97 people allegedly involved in terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi who were allegedly plotting a variety of attacks including a plan to get Daniel Pearl's killer out of prison. (Reuters via Channel News Asia)
Two people are killed on the campus of Independence High School in Glendale, Arizona, near Phoenix. The campus is on lockdown, but there is no active shooter situation any longer. (The Arizona Republic)
In Cairo, thousands of doctors protest against police impunity following the assault, allegedly by Egyptian police officers, of two doctors in a hospital last week. Protests here are rare since enactment of a law limiting demonstrations to those with prior police approval. Another protest is planned across all hospitals for February 20. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Stuart Robert representing the Liberal Party, Australia's Minister for Veterans' Affairs and for Human Services, resigns for breaching ministerial standards during his 2014 business trip to China while Assistant Minister for Defence. (AP)
South Sudanese Civil War
- Salva Kiir, the President of South Sudan, appoints rebel leader Riek Machar as Vice President in a bid to end a two year civil war. (Bloomberg)
2016 United States presidential election
- Jim Gilmore suspends his campaign for the Republican Party nomination. (The Guardian)
The U.S. Senate confirms the nominations of the ambassadors to Norway and Sweden, and of two State Department officials once Senator Ted Cruz lifted his months-long hold on the nominations because of his objection to the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA). (NBC News) (St. Paul Pioneer Press) (Iranian.com) (State)

February 13, 2016 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Saudi Arabia is sending troops and fighter jets to Turkey's Incirlik Air Base ahead of a planned ground invasion of Syria. Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu confirmed the deployment in Adana near the Syria–Turkey border, but said the numbers had not been confirmed. (The Independent)
- Turkey says its military shelled Kurdish PYD positions in Azaz, in northern Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports the Menagh Military Airbase and a nearby village, recently captured by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces group, were also hit. (Reuters)
- Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, capture another rebel-held village near Aleppo, according to a Russian source. In the last two days, the Syrian Army captured positions at the Hama and Raqqa provincial border, and is set to move against the Islamic State in the Raqqa Governorate, according to a Syrian military source. (Reuters) (AP via Observer–Reporter)
- Asked to assess the chances of the ceasefire deal succeeding, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says 49 percent while German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says 51 percent (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Several Sangin security force members are killed by Taliban suicide attacks, using captured military Humvee vehicles, in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. (Reuters)
Northern Mali conflict
- Ansar Dine, a militant Islamist group linked to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims responsibility for yesterday's attack on a United Nations base in Kidal, northern Mali, that killed six UN peacekeepers, all from neighboring Guinea. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The death toll from the earthquake rises to 113 with four people still in the rubble of the Weiguan Golden Dragon high-rise tower in Tainan. (AP via Philly News)
A huge fire engulfs the under-construction Abu Dhabi Plaza in Astana, Kazakhstan. (RT)
A dangerous cold snap hits the northeastern United States with the city of Boston, Massachusetts, to face its coldest Valentine's Day in four decades. (Reuters)
At least three people are killed and more than 50 hospitalized from a 50-plus-car pileup amid strong winds and a whiteout along, the now closed, I-78 near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the U.S. More than 70 people are in a shelter at Jonestown Fire Station. (NBC News) (Philadelphia Inquirer)
The U.S. Geological Survey reports a magnitude 5.1 earthquake strike in Oklahoma, the state's third strongest quake, northwest of Oklahoma City. No damage or injuries are reported. Oklahoma has recently experienced a surge in seismic activity, leading to calls for the governor to make changes to oil- and gas-drilling regulations. (Reuters) (USGS)

International relations

Cold War II
- At the 52nd Munich Security Conference in Germany, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says that NATO and Russia are "not in a cold-war situation but also not in the partnership that we established at the end of the Cold War" while the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says tensions between Russia and NATO have sent the world spiralling into a "new Cold War", blaming U.S. and European leaders for the souring of relations with Russia. He also rejected accusations that Russian warplanes have bombed civilians in Syria, saying it is "just not true". (Sky News), (BBC)
India–United States relations
- India summons the U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma over the U.S. decision to sell more F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. (The Hindu)

Politics and elections

Albert Pahimi Padacké is appointed Prime Minister of Chad, replacing Kalzeubet Pahimi Deubet. (Reuters)

Law and crime

United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies at age 79. (The Guardian), (My San Antonio)

February 14, 2016 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- The United Nations reports that civilian casualties reached a record level in 2015; at least 3,545 non-combatants were killed and 7,457 injured. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War, Rojava conflict
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that Turkey has shelled areas held by the Kurdish YPG militia group in Syria's Aleppo Governorate for the second successive day with two YPG fighters reportedly killed. (Reuters)
- Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu says Turkey will continue to target Kurdish YPG fighters in Syria near its border, despite mounting pressure to stop the attacks. (Voice of America)
- Syria condemns Turkish military action against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, and demands, in letters to the United Nations Secretary-General and the Security Council President, UN action on these violations of Syrian sovereignty. (BBC) (Syrian Arab News Agency)
- The United States and France call on Turkey to stop shelling the YPG in northern Syria. (DW)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- Saudi air defenses intercept a Scud missile fired from Yemen as it headed towards the city of Khamis Mushait, in the southwestern 'Asir Region. (The Washington Post)
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) says one of its soldiers was recently killed while fighting the Houthis in Yemen. (Reuters)
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
- Israel claims its forces shot dead five Palestinian attackers in three separate incidents. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The 69th British Academy Film Awards are held at the Royal Opera House in London. (AP via Yahoo! News)
- The Revenant wins best film with lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio winning the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. (Deadline)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Christchurch earthquake
- The U.S. Geological Survey reports a magnitude 5.8 earthquake strikes Christchurch in New Zealand. The St. John ambulance service says that several people suffered minor injuries from falls as they ran from the quake but there were no immediate reports of serious damage. (The Washington Post)
The cold snap continues in the northeastern United States with record lows forecast in major cities like New York City and Philadelphia. (CNN)
All four members of the British indie band Viola Beach and their manager die in a road accident near Stockholm, Sweden. (BBC)
2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The earthquake death toll rises to 116. Tainan's disaster response office says search and rescue operations have ended. The last body was found yesterday. Ninety-six, of the 289 people rescued, remain hospitalized. (Taipei Times)(CNN)
Crews rescue 48 people from two Cannon Mountain tram cars stuck this afternoon about 40 feet off the ground in New Hampshire sub-zero temperatures in the White Mountains. (AP via seattlepi.com) (WMUR)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Slovenia announces that it will be clamping down on the number of migrants that it will allow to enter the country. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Politics and elections

Central African general election, 2015–16
- Voters in the Central African Republic go to the polls for the second round of voting in the presidential election, a runoff between former prime ministers Anicet-Georges Dologuélé (1999–2001) and Faustin-Archange Touadéra (2008–13). (BBC)
Jocelerme Privert is elected as the interim President of Haiti pending elections later this year. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Sports

U.S. National Basketball Association
- The 2016 NBA All-Star Game is held in Toronto, Canada, with the Western Conference All-Stars defeating the Eastern Conference All-Stars 196 to 173. (NBA)

February 15, 2016 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War, Spillover of the Syrian Civil War
- A Turkish soldier is killed following a clash on the Syria–Turkey border with an armed group trying to enter Turkey illegally. The Turkish military says the clash occurred in the Yayladağı district of the Hatay Province. (Reuters)
- Médecins Sans Frontières reports that an air strike has destroyed a hospital in the Idlib Governorate of northwest Syria, with seven people killed and at least eight people missing, presumed to be dead. (AFP via Yahoo News), (MSF)
- Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu accuses Russia of acting as a "terrorist organization" in Syria, saying "If Russia continues behaving like a terrorist organization and forcing civilians to flee, we will deliver an extremely decisive response". (Israel National News)
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces take control of Tell Rifaat in the Aleppo Governorate after pushing back mostly Islamist rebel fighters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Kashmir conflict
- India imposes a curfew in some parts of Kashmir following a general strike being called by separatists to protest the death of two protesters. (The New York Times)
Insurgency in the North Caucasus
- A car bomb kills two policemen at a checkpoint in Russia's republic of Dagestan. (Reuters)
Yemeni Civil War
- Cross-border shelling from Yemen kills a Saudi Arabian border guard in the Jizan Region. (AP via ABC News)

Arts and culture

The 58th Annual Grammy Awards are held at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles. (Entertainment Weekly)
- Ed Sheeran wins the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "Thinking Out Loud". (ABC News Australia)
- 1989 by Taylor Swift wins the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Swift is the first female artist to win the award twice. (Huffington Post), (Courier Mail)
- Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars wins the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. (Huffington Post)

Disasters and accidents

The bodies of nine Indian Army soldiers killed in an avalanche on the Siachen Glacier will be transported to Delhi. (IBN Live)
Authorities in the Chinese city of Tianjin after an inquiry into the explosions last year found that the chemical plants were too close to residential areas. (AP)
Three South Korean army soldiers die after a Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter crashes in the city of Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. (Town Hall)

International relations

Russia–Ukraine relations
- Ukraine bans Russian cargo trucks from transiting its territory after Russia's Ministry of Transport barred Ukrainian cargo trucks because armed groups had been blocking some Russian trucks from entering Ukraine. (Reuters)
Enlargement of the European Union
- Bosnia and Herzegovina formally applies to join the European Union. (BBC)
ASEAN Summit
- United States President Barack Obama hosts a two-day summit in Rancho Mirage, California with leaders of the ASEAN member states, including democratically-elected Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines and Joko Widodo of Indonesia as well as autocratic rulers such as Hun Sen of Cambodia and Najib Razak of Malaysia. (Los Angeles Times), (White House)

Law and crime

Former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert starts a 19-month prison sentence for bribery and obstructing justice. In the last decade, he was found or admitted guilty in four different corruption investigations. (AP via Yahoo! News)
Two German intelligence officers are suspected of having given money to Al Qaeda in 2010. (Sputniknews) (Berliner Morgenpost)

Politics and elections

Central African general election, 2015–16
- Officials are counting ballots from Sunday's presidential election. The final results of the run-off are not expected for several weeks. (Special Broadcasting Service)

February 16, 2016 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Three Americans abducted last month in Baghdad are freed by the Iraqi National Intelligence Service. (AP via Orange County Register)

Arts and culture

The jewels of former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos are to be auctioned. Valued at $21 million (USD), they were seized by the government when her husband Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown. (CNN), (BBC)
After more than 200 years, Mozart's and Salieri's lost cantata Per la ricuperata salute di Ofelia is discovered in Prague. (Reuters), (The Independent), (BBC)

International relations

Cuba–United States relations
- The United States and Cuba sign an agreement restoring commercial air traffic between the two countries for the first time in 50 years. The U.S. Department of Transportation immediately opened bidding for as many as 110 U.S.-Cuba flights per day to Havana and nine other destinations. Travel from the U.S. is permitted in 12 authorized categories, which does not include tourism. (AP) (AFP via The Jamaica Observer)

Law and crime

Four American journalists are charged by Bahrain for "unlawful obstruction of vehicles and attending unlawful gatherings." The state-run Bahrain News Agency said all were released "pending further investigations." Freelance reporter Anna Day and a film crew, who were covering the fifth anniversary of the Arab Spring uprisings, are scheduled to fly to Dubai tonight. (NBC News) (New York Daily News)

Politics and elections

Philippine Senate election, 2016
- Filipino Senate candidate and boxer Manny Pacquiao calls LGBT people "less than animals" when asked about his opposition to same-sex marriage, prompting condemnation from prominent Filipino LGBT figures such as Aiza Seguerra, John Lapus and Vice Ganda. Pacquiao later apologizes. (NPR) (The New York Times) (Rappler)

February 17, 2016 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber kills at least 13 recruits at a Yemeni Army base run by forces loyal to ousted President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in the southern port city of Aden. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claim responsibility for the attack. (Reuters)
2016 Ankara bombing
- Military vehicles explode outside a Turkish Armed Forces barracks in Ankara, Turkey, killing at least 28 people and injuring 61 others. Authorities believe a car bomb caused the blast. A senior Turkish security source says initial signs indicate that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are responsible. (BBC), (Time) (Haaretz) (CNN)
Iraqi Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL
- Iraqi authorities are searching for 10 grams of iridium-192, a radioactive material stolen from a Weatherford International oilfield services facility near Basra in November 2015. Authorities are concerned about its potential use by Islamic State, or the like, to develop a dirty bomb weapon. (Reuters)
- An Iraqi Air Force helicopter is shot down by ISIL near Amiriyah Fallujah, Al Anbar Governorate, killing at least one crew member and wounding another. (AFP via Al Arabiya)
Syrian Civil War
- Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) reports three people are found alive in the rubble of a hospital in northwest Syria hit by Russian airstrikes Monday. (UPI)

Arts and culture

Experts confirm the discovery of a lost Spanish settlement in Florida from an expedition led by Tristan de Luna. (Associated Press via MSN)

Business and economy

Iran says that it plans to increase its crude oil output until it achieves pre-sanction levels, although that contravenes OPEC efforts to restrain output. (Reuters)
Canadian multinational aerospace and transportation company Bombardier Inc. is to cut 7,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years, including over a thousand jobs in the United Kingdom. (The Guardian)

International relations

South Korea–United States relations
- Four U.S. F-22 stealth fighters, escorted by other U.S. and South Korean jets, flew low over the Osan Air Base in a show of force following North Korea's recent rocket launch. The Yonhap news agency reported two of these stealth planes will be deployed in South Korea "for a while." (BBC), (Yonhap)
Hungary–Russia relations
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Orbán used the meeting to call for Russia’s relations with the EU to "return to normal", saying "We all are interested in normalizing relationship between Russia and Europe" while Putin described Hungary as an "old and faithful partner". (Reuters) (RT)
Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
- A report by the Taiwanese Defense Ministry states that China has placed surface-to-air missiles on the disputed Woody Island. Taiwanese President-elect Tsai Ing-wen called on all parties to "exercise self-control based on the principle of peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea," while Harry B. Harris Jr, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, said that such a move would be "a militarization of the South China Sea in ways" that China's President Xi Jinping had pledged not to make. (BBC), (CNN)
Syrian Civil War
- Germany calls for a no-fly zone in northern Syria which could, among other things, reduce the number of displaced Syrians. Similar requests have been made by Turkey and others throughout the 5-year-old war. Russia rejects this strategy without Syria's consent. (AP via The Washington Post) (Macau Daily Times)
Royal Air Force Typhoons intercept two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers heading towards UK airspace over the North Sea. (Sky News)
Russia–Ukraine relations
- Russia's Finance Ministry sues Ukraine in London's High Court of Justice over a $3 billion debt. Payment was due December 21, 2015. Negotiations between Kiev and Moscow have not reached an agreement. Over the last 6 months Ukrainian government officials repeatedly stated they refuse to pay the debt. (UPI)

Law and crime

Maldives jails opposition leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla for terrorism. It is claimed that he urged the overthrow of the government in a speech. (BBC)
Apple Inc. says it will appeal a court order to create a backdoor for an iPhone 5c belonging to Syed Farook who conducted the 2015 San Bernardino attack. (Tech Crunch)
Transgender and schools
- In the United States, the South Dakota Legislature passes a bill requiring students, even those identifying as transgender, to use the school bathroom corresponding to their sex at birth. It now moves to Governor Dennis Daugaard for his approval or veto. (CBS News) (The Christian Science Monitor)
Egyptian authorities order the closure of the Egyptian branch of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), a prominent NGO that documents alleged human rights abuses and treats torture victims. Amnesty International condemns the closure of the Nadeem centre, saying the NGO gives a lifeline to hundreds of victims of torture and families of people subjected to enforced disappearances. (Reuters)
Colombian authorities are investigating the discovery of at least 100 dismembered bodies in a sewer system underneath La Modelo prison in Bogotá. Officials say the practice of killing, dismembering, and tossing body parts into drains might have also happened at prisons in other cities, e.g., Popayan, Bucaramanga and Barranquilla. The victims include inmates, visitors, and others. (CNN)

Politics and elections

Ugandan general election, 2016
- Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda says tomorrow’s presidential and parliamentary elections will be peaceful, and urges all registered citizens to vote. Seven candidates are vying to unseat President Museveni, who has been in office since 1986. (Voice of America)

Sports

2015–16 UEFA Europa League
- UEFA charges Dmitri Tarasov and his football club Lokomotiv Moscow with improper conduct after Tarasov, following Lokomotiv Moscow's loss to Fenerbahçe S.K., pulled off his team's jersey to reveal an undershirt that was emblazoned with a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin. (BBC), (AP via Yahoo News)

February 18, 2016 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Kurdish–Turkish conflict
- 2016 Diyarbakır bombing
  - A roadside bomb hits a military convoy, killing six Turkish Army soldiers in the southeast Diyarbakır Province. (ABC News) (Reuters)
- Turkish Air Force jets bomb Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases in Iraqi Kurdistan just hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blamed Kurdish militants for the 2016 Ankara bombing. (Haaretz)
Ethnic violence in South Sudan
- Fighting occurs between Shilluk and Dinka youths at a United Nations peacekeeping compound in the city of Malakal which lasts around three hours. Médecins Sans Frontières reports at least 18 people are killed, including two MSF South Sudanese staff members, and dozens wounded. (Reuters) (Trend News Agency)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Army, backed by the Russian Air Force, says it has captured the town of Kinsabba in the northwest Latakia Governorate. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Venezuela, facing an economic crisis, raises the price of gasoline for the first time in 20 years. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

At least 71 people are killed in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck in Ghana. (Sky News) (BBC)

Health

Zika virus outbreak
- Pope Francis indicates that contraceptives could be allowed, as the "lesser of two evils" vis-à-vis the sin of abortion, in addressing the life-threatening problem the Zika virus presents. He noted that Pope Paul VI, "in a difficult situation in Africa, permitted nuns to use contraceptives in cases of rape". (CNN) (The Washington Post) (AP)(Katholiek Nieuwsblad)(Patheos)

International relations

North Korea–South Korea relations
- South Korea's National Intelligence Service warns that North Korea is currently planning a "terrorist attack" on South Korea, saying Kim Jong-un himself gave the order to North Korea's State Security Department to make preparations for attacks. The NIS warning covered a large number of possible targets, including "subways, shopping malls, exhibition centers, power plants" as well as possible cyber attacks. (CNN)
Cuba–United States relations
- The President of the United States Barack Obama announces that he will visit Cuba next month becoming the first American president to visit Cuba since 1928. (Yahoo!)

Law and crime

Xenophobic mob blocks a refugee bus in Clausnitz, German state of Saxony. (Deutsche Welle) (Deutsche Welle) (Deutsche Welle) (The New York Times) (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Philippine Senate election, 2016
- Nike, Inc. drops Manny Pacquiao as an endorser after his remarks about LGBT people. (BBC), (Forbes)
Ugandan general election, 2016
- Voters in Uganda go to the polls for a general election to elect a new President of Uganda as well as for parliamentary and local elections. The Presidential race with eight candidates including incumbent Yoweri Museveni and seven challengers is tipped to be the closest in the nation's history. (BBC)
- The government shuts down social media at the request of the electoral commission which says it is a security matter. Many Ugandans access Twitter and Facebook via a Virtual private network (VPN) which masks a user's location. (Daily Times) (Quartz)
- Kizza Besigye, the main opposition presidential candidate, is "briefly" arrested after the polls close in Naguru, trying to get into a police command center in the capital Kampala. Besigye, who's challenged President Musveni in the last three elections, has been repeatedly arrested, roughed up, or confined to house arrest during that time. (AP via Sky News Australia) (The Globe and Mail) (The New York Times)
Łukasz Kamiński, head of the Institute of National Remembrance says a newly found document, seized this week from the house of Poland's last communist-era interior minister, Czesław Kiszczak, suggests that former Polish President Lech Wałęsa was an informant for the Polish People's Republic's secret security service during the 1970–76 period. (NBC News) (BBC)

February 19, 2016 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present), Military intervention against ISIL
- United States Air Force warplanes carry out airstrikes on ISIL in western Libya, near the Tunisian border, reportedly killing at least 38 people. (BBC)
Boko Haram insurgency
- Two suicide bombers kill at least 24 people and injure 112 others at a market in northern Cameroon. (Reuters)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- Three Palestinian assailants are shot dead in separate attacks on Israeli security forces in Jerusalem and the West Bank. (Channel News Asia)
Syrian Civil War
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) take control of Al-Shaddadah and a nearby oilfield in Syria's north-east Al-Hasakah Governorate following heavy clashes with ISIL militants. (The Independent)
- Adel Al-Jubair, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, foresees to supply surface-to-air missiles to the "moderate opposition", so changing the power balance "like they did in Afghanistan". (Der Spiegel)

Arts and culture

American author Harper Lee dies at the age of 89. (BBC)
Italian author and philosopher Umberto Eco dies at the age of 84. (BBC)

Business and economy

Yahoo Inc. says that it has created a committee of independent directors that will explore strategic alternatives, notably the sale of its core internet business. (Reuters)
William C. Dudley is reappointed as the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for another five years. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston heads towards Fiji at Category 5 strength. It is expected to make landfall on Saturday. (ABC News)

Health

Zika virus outbreak
- The first case of the Zika virus has been diagnosed in South Africa. (Times Live)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission orders manufacturers of self-balancing scooters (hoverboards) to ensure their products meet safety standards or face recall, or seizure at ports. CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye tells NBC News no hoverboard currently on the market meets these standards. (NBC News)

International relations

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says his country is willing to accept some asylum seekers from the Middle East and Asia, currently in detention camps on impoverished Pacific island nations. Presently, 267 refugees in Australia for medical treatment, some accompanied by a relative, are set to be returned to Nauru’s detention camp. Australia is hesitant about the offer, concerned that it could encourage people smugglers. (AP via The Washington Post)
European migrant crisis
- Serbia closes its southern border with Macedonia to migrants from countries not affected by war as part of measures to prevent illegal immigration. (RT)
United Kingdom European Union membership referendum
- European Union leaders unanimously agree on reforms aimed at keeping the United Kingdom in the 28-nation bloc before the country's scheduled June 23, 2016, referendum on continuing EU membership. (Reuters) (USA Today)
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, announces she will resign in July when her appointment ends. (BBC)

Law and crime

The United States Department of Justice files a motion to compel Apple Inc. to comply with a court order to help the FBI hack a phone used by an attacker in the 2015 San Bernardino attack. (CNBC)
John McAfee, creator of the anti-virus software McAfee, Inc. and former CEO, offers to unlock an iPhone that belonged to San Bernardino attacker Syed Farook for the FBI for free after Apple Inc. refused to comply with a court order asking it to unlock the device. McAfee said "It will take us three weeks," with access to a super-computer in an article published by the Business Insider. (Business Insider) (BBC)

Politics and elections

Ugandan general election, 2016
- Opposition leader Kizza Besigye is arrested again just before a planned press conference. Police raid Besigye's Forum for Democratic Change party headquarters and fire tear gas at the FDC supporters. Partial results from the electoral commission show a lead for incumbent president Yoweri Museveni. (BBC)
Kosovo opposition lawmakers twice disrupt today's session of parliament by tossing tear gas into the chamber to protest recent changes giving the country's Serb minority greater powers, and demanding the government’s resignation and snap elections. (Arab News) (AFP via GlobalPost)
According to Indian Police, at least one person is killed and up to 20 people injured during, what became violent, protests by the Jat agricultural community in Rohtak, India, for a 10 percent increase in the number of their caste quota (affirmative action). (AP via The Washington Post)
United States congressional elections, 2016
- Following the United States Supreme Court's denial of North Carolina's request to use the current district map, the state's legislature meets the deadline for a court-ordered reapportionment of its congressional voting districts. Congressional primaries are rescheduled to June 7, 2016, from March 15. (Reuters) (Chicago Tribune)

February 20, 2016 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Two Serbian embassy staff abducted in Libya in November 2015 are believed to have been among dozens killed in yesterday's U.S. airstrike on a ISIL camp in Sabratha, according to Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić. (Reuters)
- At least 14 people are killed and 32 wounded in battles in the eastern city of Benghazi, most in the Boatni neighborhood, between the Libyan National Army and Islamist militants. (Reuters)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Al-Qaeda militants take control of the southern Yemeni town of Ahwar in the Abyan Governorate. (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A United States Air Force operated MQ-9 Reaper drone crashes at the Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan. (RT)

Arts and culture

Italian refugee documentary Fire at Sea, directed by Gianfranco Rosi, wins the 66th Berlin International Film Festival's Golden Bear award for best film. (Variety)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - Hundreds of evacuation centres are activated in Fiji as Cyclone Winston makes landfall in Fiji's outer islands and heads towards islands with higher population. (ABC News Australia)
  - A curfew of 6pm is introduced with power out in many areas of Fiji. (ABC)
  - A "state of natural disaster" is declared for the next 30 days with Cyclone Winston classified as the strongest storm on record in the Southern Hemisphere. (Slate)

International relations

Syrian Civil War
- President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan proclaims Turkey's right to launch operations in Syria against “terrorist organizations.” Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu tells reporters, "The only thing we expect from our U.S. ally is to support Turkey with no ifs or buts." (Fox News) (Business Insider)
- Peace process
  - The main Syrian opposition group says a temporary truce is possible if the Syrian government's allies, including Russia, "halt all fighting" in the war-torn country. A pause in Russian bombardments appears unlikely. (Reuters) (Voice of America)

Law and crime

Jat protesters shut down 70% of Delhi's water supply meaning the Indian city could run out of water by the end of the weekend. At least nine people are killed in fighting. (The Times of India), (BBX)
Calais migrant crisis
- French authorities give up to 1000 migrants, mostly Syrians and Iraqis, until 8pm local time on 23 February to leave the Calais jungle camp. Those who refuse to leave will be forcibly removed by police. (Sky News)
2016 Kalamazoo shootings
- Seven people are killed and another injured in multiple shooting incidents in Kalamazoo County in the American state of Michigan. A 45-year-old man was later arrested in the city of Kalamazoo (RT), (Press Association via Irish Independent)
A planned refugee shelter is set on fire in Bautzen, German state of Saxony.(Deutsche Welle) (Deutsche Welle)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016.
- Voters in the American state of Nevada take part in Democratic Party caucuses, with Hillary Clinton winning against Bernie Sanders. (Fox News) (NBC News)
- Voters in the American state of South Carolina go to the polls for the South Carolina primary for the Republican Party with Donald Trump winning and Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in a close race for second. (2016 Election Central), (CNN), (AP via Boston Globe)
- Former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush suspends his campaign following a disappointing finish in the South Carolina primary. (NBC News)
China's State Council announces that Liu Shiyu, who had been chairman of the Agricultural Bank of China Limited, will replace Xiao Gang as head of the China's Securities Regulatory Commission. (Reuters) (China Daily)
Ugandan general election, 2016
- The President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni is declared the winner of the Presidential election with 60% of the vote. European Union observers state that the election was held in an "intimidating atmosphere". (NPR)

February 21, 2016 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- February 2016 Homs bombings
  - Twin bomb blasts hit the Syrian city of Homs with at least 57 people reportedly killed and more than 100 injured. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility. (Reuters) (AFP via Daily Mail) (BBC)
- February 2016 Sayyidah Zaynab bombings
  - At least 83 people are killed and 178 injured in a series of bombings in the Damascus suburb Sayyidah Zaynab, Rif Dimashq Governorate. ISIL again claims responsibility. (AFP via Yahoo! News) (CNN)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- The Libyan National Army says it has taken control of the town of Ajdabiya and several areas of Benghazi following heavy clashes with Islamist militant groups. (Reuters)
2016 Pampore stand-off
- A group of Islamic terrorists exchange fire with Indian Armed Forces troops for the second consecutive day in Pampore, Jammu and Kashmir, India. At least five soldiers and one civilian have been killed. (ABC News) (UPI)
A Hindu priest is hacked to death and two devotees, who tried to intercede, are wounded in a temple in the Panchagarh District in northern Bangladesh. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility. (BBC) (AP)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - At least five people are reported dead and entire villages have been flattened after Cyclone Winston hits Fiji. (New Zealand Herald)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Greece claims that Macedonia has closed its borders to migrants from Afghanistan. (AP via New York Times)
Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
- Germany is considering sending troops to Tunisia to help train the Tunisian Army in the fight against Islamist militants, particularly ISIL who control territory in neighboring Libya. (FRANCE 24)
Syrian Civil War peace process
- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says a tentative ceasefire agreement reached with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is now being presented to the opposing forces. (CBS News) (Reuters via The Australian Financial Review)
Japan–United States relations
- Thousands protest outside the Japanese parliament in Tokyo against the relocation of a U.S. military base on Okinawa Island. Residents cite noise, pollution, and crime as reasons for not wanting a new base built. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2016 Kalamazoo shootings
- Kalamazoo County, Michigan authorities say last evening's shooting spree resulted in six deaths with two others seriously wounded. Each victim was shot multiple times. Police acknowledge that an earlier report that a 14-year-old girl died is incorrect; she is alive, but "severely, gravely" injured. The suspect, a 45-year-old man who is a Uber driver without a prior criminal record, was taken into custody without a struggle. (USA Today) (CNN)
Terrorism in Malaysia
- Australia issues a security alert, warning that terrorists may be planning attacks in and around the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. It also recommended that Australians avoid travel to the coastal region of eastern Sabah, where the beaches and islands are popular with foreign tourists. (Reuters via Daily Mail)
Pope Francis calls for a worldwide ban on the death penalty and urges Christian leaders to work to stop executions as part of the church's Holy Year of Mercy. (UPI)

Politics and elections

Comorian presidential election, 2016
- Voters in Comoros go to the polls for a presidential election with 25 candidates standing. (Mail and Guardian)
Nigerien general election, 2016
- Voters in Niger go to the polls for a general election. (France 24)
North Korean state media confirms that Ri Myong-su is the new chief of the General Staff Department of the Korean People's Army replacing Ri Yong-gil who was executed. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016
- In what is seen as a major boost for the "Vote Leave" campaign, Mayor of London Boris Johnson announces he will be campaigning for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. (Sky News)
Ashraf Rifi resigns as the Minister for Justice for Lebanon in protest at Hezbollah domination of the government which he claims is harming relations with Arab nations. (AP)
Macedonian parliamentary election, 2016
- The European Union and the United States advise interim Macedonian Prime Minister Emil Dimitriev to postpone elections scheduled for April 24, 2016. (Balkan Insight)
Bolivian constitutional referendum, 2016
- According to exit polls, Bolivian voters reject a constitutional amendment that would have permitted President Evo Morales to stand for a fourth term in office. His current term expires in 2020. (BBC)
Philippine presidential election, 2016
- The debate series, PiliPinas Debates 2016, kicks off in Cagayan de Oro. (Nikkei Asian Review)

Sports

Denny Hamlin wins the 2016 Daytona 500 by 0.011 seconds, the closest margin in the history of the race, and the 13th-closest in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history. (Yahoo! News)

February 22, 2016 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- 2016 Pampore stand-off
  - Loud explosions and gunfire are heard in a building where Kashmiri forces are fighting Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front militants in a standoff that has claimed the lives of five soldiers and one civilian. (AP via Washington Post)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber kills at least 13 people and injures 19 in Afghanistan's Parwan province. The Taliban claims responsibility. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe assigns all diamond mining operations to the newly formed, government-run Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company, and orders eight foreign diamond mining companies from the country. (UPI)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - The death toll in Fiji rises to at least 17 as authorities continue to assess the damage. All schools in the country are closed for the week. A nationwide curfew remains in effect. (Weatherzone) (CNN)

International relations

Russia–United States relations
- Russia has announced that it will ask permission to fly unarmed surveillance planes over the United States citing the Open Skies Treaty. (CBS)
European migrant crisis, Austria–Germany relations
- German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière strongly criticizes Austria's decision to put a daily cap on the number of refugees the country can accept. Austria has set a limit of dealing with 80 asylum applications a day, while letting thousands of others transit to Germany. Maiziere said this sends "the wrong signal" and is "unacceptable". (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Iran–Russia relations
- Iran holds talks with Russia over buying an upgraded version of the S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- The United States and Russia broker a truce which is due to come into effect on midnight 27 February. (BBC)

Law and crime

2016 Kalamazoo shootings
- Jason Dalton is charged with six counts of murder in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. (CNN)
The Maryland Court of Appeals rules the state's Public Information Act does not apply to abortion clinic license applicants' names, denying the Maryland Coalition for Life's appeal which had noted that courts in Illinois, Kansas and Minnesota have ordered these names released. The ruling can not be appealed to federal courts. (AP via ABC News)

Politics and elections

Philippine Senate election, 2016
- Walden Bello, a socialist candidate for the Philippine Senate, files a petition that may disqualify boxer Manny Pacquiao for violating election rules regarding publicity. Based on the commission's rules, Pacquiao's wife, Jinkee Pacquiao, may substitute. (Rappler), (The New York Times), (Fox Sports)
Ugandan general election, 2016
- Opposition leader Kizza Besigye is arrested while trying to obtain copies of the official election results. (AAP via News Limited)
Jat reservation agitation
- Jat protesters reach an agreement with the Indian government on increased reservations similar to those authorized for economically disadvantaged lower castes. Authorities say at least 19 people have been killed in the three-day demonstrations. Protest leaders call for reopening blockaded roads in the northern state of Haryana. Water restrictions, implemented after protesters damaged the water station's New Dehli feed, remain in effect while engineers repair the equipment. (The Indian Express)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Republican candidate Ted Cruz fires campaign spokesman Rick Tyler who posted incorrect information on Twitter about candidate Marco Rubio. (Fox News) (The Washington Post)
Comorian presidential election, 2016
- Comoros authorities are counting ballots from Sunday's incident-free, presidential primary on Grande Comore island. The presidency rotates between the nation’s three semi-autonomous islands, which also held gubernatorial elections. Provisional results are due Wednesday. Then, on April 10, 2016, the three leading candidates will vie in a runoff. (Bloomberg)

Science and technology

A new study by scientists from 14 research institutions, that is published in the March 2016 Global Change Biology Journal, finds all U.S. forests are threatened by drought and climate change. (Global Change Biology) (Eureka Alert) (Nature World News)

February 23, 2016 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Battle of Aleppo (2012–present)
  - ISIL militants cut off the Syrian Army's main supply route to the city of Aleppo and capture the village of Khanasir, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - The death toll from Cyclone Winston in Fiji rises to 29. (BBC)
Water supply is restored to the Indian city of Delhi as repairs are made to the vital Munak canal after the Jat reservation agitation is resolved. (BBC)
2015–16 Australian bushfire season
- Emergency warnings are issued after bushfires threaten the Victorian towns of Mount Bolton and Addington northwest of Ballarat as well as the town of Somerville, Victoria, on the Mornington Peninsula. (ABC News Australia)
Dalfsen train crash
- A train derails near the Dutch town of Dalfsen with reports of at least one death and several injured. (BBC), (AAP via News Limited)
At least one person has been killed and three people remain missing following the partial collapse of a decommissioned turbine hall at Didcot A Power Station in Oxfordshire, England. (BBC)
Tornadoes of 2016
- At least two people are dead and 30 injured after a suspected tornado hits a trailer park near the village of Convent, Louisiana. At least one other person has died in the Deep South of the United States. (WWL TV), (Fox News)
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake strikes near Wasco, California, about 25 miles northwest of Bakersfield. There are no reports of damage or injuries. (Los Angeles Times)

Health

Zika virus outbreak (2015–present)
- The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating 14 cases where the Zika virus may have been sexually transmitted. (NBC News)

International relations

Foreign relations of Lebanon
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) bans its citizens from traveling to Lebanon, just hours after Saudi Arabia issued a warning to its citizens to leave Lebanon in retaliation for Lebanon choosing to side with Iran in the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict and Hezbollah's influence on the Lebanese government. (Middle East Eye)
South China Sea disputes
- China reportedly deploys several J-11 and Xian JH-7 fighter jets to the disputed Woody Island in the South China Sea. (Fox News)

Law and crime

The President of the United States Barack Obama announces plans to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. Obama made similar statements during his first presidential campaign in 2007 and had previously stated that the camp would be closed by 2010. (CNN)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Republican Party voters, in precinct gatherings, hold the Nevada caucuses with Donald Trump winning, Marco Rubio coming second, and Ted Cruz finishing in third place. (ABC 7), (Washington Examiner), Oregon Live)

February 24, 2016 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Kurdish–Turkish conflict
- Turkish Air Force helicopters struck a group of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters in southeast Turkey, killing nine militants, according to security sources. (Yahoo! News)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Senior Libyan military officials say French special forces are on the ground in Benghazi helping Libyan National Army troops fight ISIL militants. They said that the French forces, along with American and British teams, are setting up an operations room inside Benina International Airport in Benina. The French defense ministry declined to comment, citing a policy not to comment on special forces' activities. (The New York Times)
Gunmen attack a Malian military checkpoint in the town of Léré, near the Mauritanian border with Mali, killing at least three soldiers and wounding two others. (Reuters)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  - The United Arab Emirates pulls its troops out of Yemen amid mounting casualties among its forces battling Shia Houthi militants and rising tensions with local fighters in Aden, southern Yemen, which escalated yesterday when Aden International Airport was stormed by local pro-government gunmen. The airport has now been closed. (Fox News) (Middle East Eye)
Metrojet Flight 9268
- Two months after Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry ruled out terrorism in Flight 9268's crash, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi admits an ISIS bomb downed the Russian passenger jet. The terrorist group's Sinai Peninsula Branch claimed responsibility shortly after the incident. (Forbes)

Arts and culture

2016 Brit Awards
- The 2016 Brit Awards are held at The O2 in London with James Bay, Adele, Tame Impala, Justin Bieber, Bjork, and Coldplay all winning their respective categories. Adele won four awards in total. (The Guardian), (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - The death toll in Fiji rises to 42 and is expected to rise further as relief teams reach remote islands. (ABC Australia)
Tara Air Flight 193 crashes in western Nepal, killing all 23 people on board. (BBC) (AP via Yahoo! News)
The Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service state that the three people missing since a decommissioned turbine hall partially collapsed at Didcot A power station in Oxfordshire, England, yesterday are unlikely to still be alive. If confirmed, this would raise the death toll to four. (BBC News)
Tornadoes of 2016
- Three people die after a tornado hits the town of Waverly, Virginia. (NBC 12)
Australian icebreaker, Aurora Australis, runs aground in Antarctica with 68 people on board. There are no reports of injuries. The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) said blizzard conditions are hampering attempts to assess damage. (BBC)

International relations

Foreign relations of Lebanon
- Qatar and Kuwait join Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in asking its citizens to leave or avoid travel to Lebanon. (Al Arabiya)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- A report by two Israeli human rights groups, B'Tselem and HaMoked, states dozens of Palestinian detainees at the Shin Bet's Shikma interrogation facility in Ashkelon have been subjected to mistreatment, and in some cases torture. The report examined affidavits and personal accounts from 116 Palestinians held for security reasons at the facility between August 2013 and March 2014. (AP via San Francisco Chronicle) (Jurist)
2016 North Korean nuclear test
- United States National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agree on a draft resolution that would expand United Nations Security Council sanctions following North Korea's latest nuclear test. U.S. President Barack Obama participated in the meeting. The draft is now headed to the full 15-member council. (Reuters) (AFP via Bangkok Post)

Law and crime

2016 Phoenix murders
- A family of five falls victim to a murder-suicide in Phoenix, Arizona. 26-year-old Alex Buckner is identified by Phoenix police as the shooter, who was killed in a gunfight with police. (AZCentral)
Former California state senator Leland Yee is sentenced to five years imprisonment in a U.S. Federal prison after being convicted of corruption. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Politics and elections

European migrant crisis
- Hungary is to hold a referendum on whether to accept mandatory EU quotas for relocating migrants. (BBC)
South Korea's opposition holds a parliamentary filibuster, the first in the National Assembly since 1969, to block the current anti-terrorism bill that would expand National Intelligence Service powers. The opposition plans to continue until March 11, when the session is scheduled to end. (Los Angeles Times) {Daily Mail)

Sport

2015 FIFA corruption case
- Former President of FIFA Sepp Blatter and suspended President of UEFA boss Michel Platini lose their appeals against being banned from all football related activities but the period of the ban is reduced from eight to six years. (BBC)
- FIFA's Court of Arbitration for Sport denies presidential candidate Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan's request to postpone Friday's presidential election. Ali's request for transparent booths was rejected last week. (Reuters)

February 25, 2016 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass
- The Ukrainian military retakes control of the strategic village of Shyrokyne. (Ukraine Today)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Two ISIL suicide bombers attack a Shiite mosque in Baghdad, killing at least 15 people. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Army, backed by Russian airstrikes, recaptures the town of Khanasir from ISIL militants in the Aleppo Governorate. (AP via ABC News)

Arts and culture

Celebrations are held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines that led to the downfall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos' 21-year reign, and the rise of President Corazon Aquino. (The Philippine Star)

Business and economy

Brookfield Asset Management, a Canadian asset manager, agrees to buy the U.S. REIT Rouse Properties for about $2.8 billion. (Reuters)
The Nikkei reports that Japan's Sharp Corporation has accepted a 700 billion Japanese yen ($6.2 billion) takeover bid from Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group. (Bloomberg)
Australian electronics retailer Dick Smith, placed in administration by creditors in January, will close 301 stores in Australia and 62 in New Zealand with nearly 3000 people to lose their jobs. (News Limited)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - Fiji's known casualties are 42 dead, one missing, and more than 100 injured. Authorities say five percent of the country (45,245 people) is staying in evacuation centers and about 80 schools have been damaged. UNICEF reports at least 120,000 of Fiji's children have been affected. The current identified destruction is more than $1 billion. About 80 percent of the plantations were damaged, especially sugar fields. However, tourism's infrastructure has escaped serious damage. (La Prensa de San Antonio) (Daily Mail) (Fijivillage.com)

International relations

2016 North Korean nuclear test
- The United States will present the draft resolution, resulting from yesterday's meeting with China, to the United Nations Security Council expanding sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear program. (Jerusalem Post) (Reuters)
China–United States relations
- At an event hosted by Center for Strategic and International Studies, Foreign Minister Wang Yi expresses China's concerns that the planned deployment of the THAAD missile defense system and the X band radar for which the South Korea and the United States have started talks to secure its approval in order to counter the growing threat of North Korea's weapons capabilities could jeopardize the country's "legitimate national security interests." At the Pentagon, Harry Harris, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said that if China wanted to prevent consideration of the THAAD system's deployment, it should lean on Pyongyang saying, "If China wanted to exert a lot of influence on somebody to prevent THAAD from being considered going into Korea, then they should exert that influence on North Korea." (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia, Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- The European Parliament adopts a resolution calling for the introduction of an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, saying the United Kingdom, France and other EU governments should no longer sell weapons to a country accused of targeting civilians in Yemen. (Reuters)
Austria–Greece relations
- Greece recalls its ambassador to Austria in response to Austria's hosting of a meeting with Balkan states, to which Greece was not invited, about European migrant crisis policies that would make it harder for migrants to head north across Europe. Greece's foreign ministry called the move an "unfriendly act." More than 100,000 migrants have entered the EU illegally so far in 2016, nearly all of them arriving in Greece. (BBC) (Reuters)
Morocco–European Union relations
- Morocco suspends contact with the European Union over a European court ruling that invalidates the bloc's farm trade deal with Rabat, and saying it should exclude the disputed Moroccan-controlled territory of Western Sahara. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal
- A report by Dame Janet Smith finds that management at the BBC staff knew of complaints against Jimmy Savile but did not advise senior management due to a "culture of fear". (BBC)
2016 Hesston shooting
- A series of shootings in and near the American town of Hesston, Kansas, results in at least four deaths, including the shooter, at an Excel Industries building, with up to 20 people injured. The shooter is Cedric Ford, a convicted felon. (KWCH) (USA Today), (KAKE)

Politics and elections

Jamaican general election, 2016
- Voters in Jamaica go to the polls for a general election, with the Jamaican Labour Party, led by Andrew Holness, winning a narrow victory. (Bloomberg) (Reuters)

February 26, 2016 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro Conflict, Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines
- Philippine security forces kill as many as 42 ISIL-linked militants, and captures their stronghold in the predominantly Muslim Lanao del Sur province. Three Philippine Army soldiers were also killed during the fighting. (Reuters)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- Al-Shabaab militants storm a Somali Youth League hotel in Mogadishu. At least 14 are reportedly killed.(The Independent) (NY Times)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Seven Libyan National Army soldiers are killed fighting ISIL militants in Benghazi. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Dow Chemical agrees to pay $835 million to settle a decade-long, price-fixing, class-action dispute. Dow states that the uncertainty about the U.S. Supreme Court makeup following Justice Antonin Scalia's death means there is an "increased likelihood for unfavorable outcomes for business involved in class action suits." The urethane chemicals case, from 2005, was against a number of companies; Dow had been the only defendant not to settle. (Reuters) (Reuters via Winnipeg Sun)
A federal appeals court rules in favor of Samsung on several issues arising out of that company's long-running patent dispute with Apple, overturning a $120 million jury verdict in Apple's favor in 2014. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Air Kasthamandap Flight 9N-AJB, from Nepalgunj headed to the Jumla District, crashes in a field in the Kalikot District mountains in northern Nepal, killing the two pilots and injuring all nine passengers, one seriously. (CNN) (The Kathmandu Post)

Health and medicine

Because of the risk of Zika virus infection, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends pregnant women consider not traveling to Brazil for the 2016 Summer Olympics in August, and/or for the 2016 Summer Paralympics the following month. (Reuters) (CDC)

International Relations

Syrian Civil War peace process
- The Syrian cessation of hostilities truce is in effect, as of midnight, Saturday, local Syrian time (10:00 p.m. UTC Friday/5:00 p.m. EST Friday). (Reuters)
- The United Nations Security Council, via resolution 2268, endorses the truce which has been agreed to by nearly 100 rebel factions. The ceasefire does not apply to military actions against terrorist organizations, such as ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Qaeda in Syria). (RT) (text via U.S. State Dept.)
- United Nations special envoy Staffan de Mistura says, assuming the ceasefire holds, he will reconvene formal peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, March 7. (The Daily Telegraph)

Law and crime

Eleven prison inmates are killed in Papua New Guinea while trying to break out of Buimo jail in Lae as part of a 90 person jail break. (BBC)
Following yesterday's Constitutional Court of Turkey ruling that their rights had been violated, two Turkish journalists, jailed on terrorism charges, are released after 92 days in prison. (AFP via GlobalPost) (Journal of Turkish Weekly)
A gunman from a rural area near Belfair, Washington (U.S.), kills four members of his family, including two children, and, after a multi-hour standoff with police, also kills himself. A 12-year old girl, who was not shot, is alive. (The Seattle Times)
The University of California, Berkeley alerts 80,000 people of a cyber-attack on a system that stores Social Security and bank account numbers. There is no evidence the hacker(s) took any personal information. (Reuters)

Politics and election

Iranian elections, 2016
- Voters in Iran go to the polls for a Islamic Consultative Assembly and Assembly of Experts elections. (New York Times)
Irish general election, 2016
- Voters in Ireland go to the polls for a general election. Exit polls indicate that the ruling coalition of Fine Gael party led by Enda Kenny and the Labour Party will fall short of re-election with 34% of the vote between them. (BBC), (AAP via News Limited)
Hashim Thaçi is elected the President of Kosovo by the Parliament amid violent protests. (BBC)

Science and technology

The United States Air Force unveils the Northrop Grumman B-21 long-range strategic bomber at the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida. The B-21 is designed to replace the aging fleet of B-1 Lancer and B-52 bombers. (The Washington Post)

Sport

Officials of FIFA meet in Zürich for the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress to select a new President of FIFA to replace Sepp Blatter. Gianni Infantino is elected with a majority of votes in the second round of voting. (BBC) (Los Angeles Times)

February 27, 2016 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- A truce is in effect, as of midnight. Russian Air Force attacks on opposition positions were reported to have been intensified before the truce took effect. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber kills at least 26 and injures nearly 50 in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar Province near the border with Pakistan. (AAP via News Limited) (NY Times)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  - At least 30 people are killed in an airstrike on a market near the Yemeni capital Sana'a. (BBC)

Law and crime

Three people are stabbed, including one person critically wounded, and several people are arrested after a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) rally in Anaheim, California turns violent. (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Voters in South Carolina go to the polls for the Democratic Party primary. Hillary Clinton won. (ABC) (AL.com) (The Guardian)
Irish general election, 2016
- Counting begins of the votes cast yesterday with exit polls indicating that the existing coalition will not gain enough votes to govern without reaching a deal with other parties. (BBC)
Elections in Iran
- Counting of votes begins in Iran after polling hours in yesterday's election were extended by six hours due to a heavy turnout. Reports indicate that reformist candidates are doing well in the early count. (Reuters via Swiss, info), (AP)
- Preliminary results shows that Pervasive Coalition of Reformists has won a majority in Tehran district and some other big cities, as Principlists Coalition won seats in smaller cities. (Reuters)
- Early Assembly of Experts results show that Principlists won the majority, as Reformists won 14 out of 16 seats in Tehran, although some of them also had the support of conservatives. (Reuters via Yahoo)
Thousands, including some from Australia, protest in London, England, against the renewal of the United Kingdom's Trident nuclear deterrent system, the largest anti-nuclear rally since 1983. Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn, Scottish National Party leader and First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, the Welsh Plaid Cymru Party, and the Green Party participated in the march. A parliamentary vote on renewing Trident is expected this year. (International Business Times) (The Guardian)
A large rally, with estimated counts ranging from 7,500 to 100,000, honors former deputy prime minister and opposition leader Boris Nemtsov on the first anniversary of his assassination near the Kremlin. (Reuters)

February 28, 2016 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Two police officers are killed after a bomb explodes in Helmand Province. (Khaama Province)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Two suicide bombers kill 70 people and injure more than 100 others at a crowded market in Sadr City, Iraq. ISIL claims responsibility for the attack. (Reuters) (RT)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- Two al-Shabaab suicide bombers kill at least 40 people in the Somali town of Baidoa. (CNN) (Reuters) (Reuters via Daily Mail)

Arts and culture

The 88th Academy Awards are held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. (US Weekly)
- Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu wins the Academy Award for Best Director for The Revenant. (USA Today)
- Brie Larson wins the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Room. (Entertainment Weekly)
- Leonardo DiCaprio wins the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in The Revenant. (ABC Online Australia)
- Spotlight wins the Academy Award for Best Picture. (The Verge)

Disasters and accidents

Vorkuta mine explosion
- Thirty-six people are believed to have died at a coal mine where a methane gas ignition triggered three explosions and the collapse of the mine in Vorkuta, Russia. (NDTV)

Law and crime

2016 Thane stabbing

A man fatally stabs 14 family members before taking his own life in the Indian city of Thane. (India Today)

A Virginia police officer is killed during her first day on the job (and another two are wounded) in a domestic related shooting in Lake Ridge, Virginia. (CNN)
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
- Cardinal George Pell, the third most senior person in the Roman Catholic Church, gives evidence to the Royal Commission in Rome dealing with his time as a priest in the Australian cities of Ballarat and Melbourne. (News Limited)

Politics and elections

South Korean opposition lawmakers' anti-terrorism bill filibuster, which stops all other legislative business, extends its world record to 115 hours Sunday afternoon, easily besting Canada's 58-hour session in 2011. The major issue is giving South Korea's intelligence agency powers to monitor private communications. This parliamentary session is set to end March 11, with elections on April 13. (Reuters)
Swiss referendums, 2016
- Swiss citizens vote on four referenda, including one, proposed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party, that would automatically expel foreigners who commit two minor crimes. Current law calls for deportation of non-citizens convicted of murder or sexual violence. (BBC) (AFP via The Guardian)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Tulsi Gabbard resigns as vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee and endorses Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. (Reuters)

Sport

2016 Football League Cup Final
- Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-1 on penalties at Wembley Stadium to win the 2015–16 Football League Cup. (Mirror)

February 29, 2016 (Monday)