Portal:Current events/February 2018
February 2018 was the second month of that common year. The month, which began on a Thursday, ended on a Wednesday after 28 days. There were no full moons in that month.
Portal:Current events
This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from February 2018.
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Persecution of Muslims in Myanmar
- The existence of five mass graves in northern Rakhine State is confirmed by the Associated Press through multiple eyewitness testimonies and video evidence. Many of the bodies in the graves were Rohingya victims of the Gu Dar Pyin massacre. (AP)
Arts and culture
- The Canadian Senate agrees with the House of Commons to make the Canadian national anthem, "O Canada", gender neutral. The second line of the song will now read "in all of us" instead of "in all thy sons." (NPR)
Business and economy
- App Store. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says Apple claims "inappropriate content" is available on the service. (The Verge)
Disasters and accidents
- Eleven people are killed in a fire at a Japanese residential facility for people in financial difficulty. (BBC)
International relations
- China–Holy See relations:
- A framework accord between the Vatican and China on the appointment of bishops is ready and could be signed in a few months in what would be an historic breakthrough in relations, according to a senior Vatican source. (Reuters)
- United States–Mexico relations
- Luis Videgaray. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- School shootings in the United States
- Two 15-year-old students are seriously wounded and three other people injured in a shooting at Sal Castro Middle School in Los Angeles, California. A 12-year-old female student is taken into custody. (CNN)
- Human rights in the State of Palestine
- The Ismael Haniyeh on the OFAC SDN terror blacklist. (Times of Israel)
- The
- Slender Man stabbing
- Morgan Geyser is sentenced to 40 years in a mental institution for her role in the attempted murder of Payton Leutner. (ABC News)
- 2018 Calais migrant violence
Politics and elections
- Cabinet of Donald Trump
- Tom Shannon, the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, announces he will be resigning for personal reasons. The State Department's third-ranking official and its most senior career diplomat says he will stay on until a successor is named. (Reuters)
Science and technology
- 2018 in spaceflight
- NASA confirms that Scott Tilley, a Canadian amateur astronomer and satellite tracker, has rediscovered NASA's IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration) satellite while he was searching for the U.S. government's classified Zuma satellite. NASA engineers will try to analyze the data from the spacecraft to learn more about the state of the spacecraft. (The Independent) (Phys.org)
Business and economy
- China–United Kingdom relations
- Amid a perceived erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong, British Prime Minister Theresa May concludes a three-day visit to China, said to have generated £9 billion in trade deals. (Hong Kong Free Press)
- History of YouTube
- YouTube announces that YouTubers who make "egregious" content will be punished. Critics of the move call it censorship. (BBC)
- YouTube, in a move to boost transparency and combat propaganda, announces that it will start to label videos by broadcasters that receive state-funding. (The Hill)
Disasters and accidents
- 2018 Sibanye Gold incident
- All 955 Beatrix gold mine near Welkom in central Free State province since Wednesday, have been brought to the surface. Earlier, 65 other workers were rescued. No serious injuries have been reported. The accident apparently happened when a strong storm knocked over an electric power tower triggering the huge power cut. (BBC) (Reuters) (OkayAfrica)
- All 955
International relations
- Mexico–United States relations
- Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs Luis Videgaray Caso, flanked by visiting United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland, rejects "any option that would imply the use of violence" on the subject of Venezuela. On the eve of his visit, Tillerson had defended the 19th-century United States policy in Latin America and suggested that the Venezuelan Army could manage a "peaceful transition" from President Nicolás Maduro. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Crime in France
- After two days of questioning, influential Islamic academician and Oxford professor Tariq Ramadan is charged with the alleged rape of two women and jailed in Paris. (The Guardian)
- Aftermath of the 2017 Finsbury Park attack
- As the sole perpetrator of the 19 June 2017 attack on Muslims in London, Darren Osborne is sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murder. (Al Jazeera)
- Aftermath of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting
- An Arizonan ammunition dealer is charged in a Nevada federal court with "conspiracy to manufacture and sell armor-piercing ammunition without a license" after his fingerprints were discovered on unfired armor-piercing ammunition inside Stephen Paddock's suite. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Nunes memo
- U.S. President Donald Trump authorizes Congress to release the Nunes memo, against the wishes of the FBI, Department of Justice, and lawmakers from both sides, all of whom say that the document's release poses a risk to national security. (NPR) (USA Today)
- The document is released through the presidential campaign and Russian intelligence associates, and posed a risk to national security . (CNN)
- Nuclear Posture Review
- The United States releases a new policy on nuclear arms, the first update since 2010. It calls for the introduction of two new types of weapons in the U.S. nuclear arsenal: low-yield nuclear submarine-launched ballistic (SLBM) and cruise (SLCM) missiles. (Denver Post) (NPR)
Sports
- Football in Lithuania
- football club from the second-level I Lyga, is allegedly duped into signing Barkley Miguel Panzo based on fabricated data from a Wikipedia page. However, the club apologizes on 3 February for "the appearance of incorrect information" on its website. (SPORTbible) (FK Panevėžys)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War
- The Maarrat al-Nu'man, also killing its pilot. The pilot had escaped with his parachute but was killed on the ground while he fought with a pistol to evade capture. No groups claim responsibility. Russia's Ministry of Defence corroborates this version of events. (Deutsche Welle)
- The North-West Syria with "precision-guided weapons". (USA Today)
- According to shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile. (Sputnik News)
- The YPG. (BBC)
- The
- War in North-West Pakistan
- A Swat Valley, in Northwestern Pakistan, according to Pakistan Army figures. (AFP via The Jakarta Post)
- A
Law and crime
Science and technology
- 15760 Albion (previously 1992 QB1), the first discovered Kuiper belt object, is officially named by its discoverers. (Minor Planet Center)
Sports
- 2018 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
- Valkenburg, Netherlands, winning her second title. (CX Magazine)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- The Cabinet of Israel decides to legalize a previously unauthorized outpost "deep inside the [occupied] West Bank", Havat Gilad, allegedly in reaction to the recent killing of an Israeli rabbi there. (Voice of America)
- Israeli authorities tear down parts of a NGO's each time reconstructing it. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- Cayce, South Carolina train collision
- An Amtrak passenger train collides with a freight train in Cayce, South Carolina, U.S., and is derailed. Two people are killed. (Huffington Post) (BBC) (CNN)
- An Anglo-Eastern Group oil tanker with 22 Indian crew members on board is reported missing off the coast of Benin. The area is well known for piracy. (BBC)
Politics and elections
- Costa Rican general election, 2018
- Costa Ricans head to the polls to elect a new President, amidst a gay rights controversy. (Reuters)
- Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz (National Restoration Party) and Carlos Alvarado Quesada (Citizen Action Party) will face each other in the second round. (The Tico Times)
- Cypriot presidential election, 2018
- Cyprus is set to elect a new President in a second round of voting. Candidates include incumbent Nicos Anastasiades and AKEL candidate, Stavros Malas. (Reuters)
- Incumbent Nicos Anastasiades is declared the winner. (Al Jazeera)
- Ecuadorian referendum and popular consultation, 2018
- Politics of Yemen
- 2011 Saudi-led intervention in Yemen to "reckless adventurism" and "ugly occupation". (Reuters)
- 2011
- Macedonia naming dispute
- Tens of thousands of people demonstrate in Republic of Macedonia. (Radio Free Europe)
- Tens of thousands of people demonstrate in
- Weinstein effect
- Robert Doyle resigns as Lord Mayor of Melbourne after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him. Melbourne City Council is investigating the allegations. (BBC)
Science and technology
- Asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2018
- As predicted, a ~600 meter asteroid named (276033) 2002 AJ129 makes a close approach to Earth of 0.028 Astronomical units (4.2 million km, 2.6 million mi). (Space)
Sports
- Super Bowl LII
- The Philadelphia Eagles win their first Super Bowl, defeating the New England Patriots 41–33. It is their first championship title. (AP)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- 2018 Ariel stabbing
- An Israeli rabbi is stabbed to death by an Israeli Arab outside the Ariel. (Reuters)
- An Israeli rabbi is stabbed to death by an Israeli Arab outside the
- 2018 Ariel stabbing
- Syrian Civil War
- Syrian government airstrikes pound rebel-held Eastern Ghouta enclave near the capital Damascus, killing at least 23 civilians including four children. (Al Jazeera) (Times of Israel)
- Syrian government airstrikes pound rebel-held Eastern
Business and economy
- The Wall Street stock market sheds 4.6% of its value, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping a record 1,175 points at close. At one point during the day, the benchmark index loses a record 1,579 points. (NPR) (BBC) (USA Today)
International relations
- Brexit negotiations
- After talks with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May and Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis in London, E.U. chief negotiator Michel Barnier calls on the United Kingdom to make a choice on what sort of future relationship it wants with the European Union after Brexit. (Reuters)
- Netherlands–Turkey relations, Aftermath of the 2017 Dutch–Turkish diplomatic incident
- The ambassador in Ankara and say that they will not accept a new Turkish ambassador in The Hague. Dutch foreign minister Halbe Zijlstra says, "We have not agreed on how to normalise ties." (BBC)
- The
Law and crime
- Crime in Kenya
- Esmond Bradley Martin, a world-renowned ivory investigator whose detailed reports contributed to the fight against elephant poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, is murdered at his home in Kenya. (The Guardian)
- Politics of the Maldives
- The President of the Maldives, Abdulla Yameen, declares a 15-day state of emergency. Security forces storm the Supreme Court of the Maldives in a bid to block the court-ordered release of jailed opposition politicians. Police arrest former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. (BBC) (Reuters)
Science and technology
- Discoveries of exoplanets
- Scientists using data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory discover new exoplanets in galaxies beyond the Milky Way for the first time. (NBC News) (National Geographic)
Disasters and accidents
- 2018 Hualien earthquake
- Multiple earthquakes, including a magnitude 6.4 earthquake, strike near Hualien City, Taiwan. At least 9 people are killed and over 250 are injured, with extensive damage to many structures in the city. (The Independent)
Law and crime
- Weinstein effect
- In the United States, billionaire Steve Wynn, best known for his casino hotels and resorts, resigns as CEO of Wynn Resorts following sexual harassment reports, including a $7.5 million settlement with a former worker at his Las Vegas resort. (The New York Times)
Politics and elections
- Freedom of the press in Turkey
- Politics of the Maldives
- Former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed calls from exile for other countries to intervene in a political crisis engulfing the island nation. Nasheed asks India to help release prisoners and the United States to curb leaders' financial transactions. (BBC)
- Amendment to the Act on the Institute of National Remembrance
- Polish President Andrzej Duda ratifies a controversial Holocaust bill, despite angry protests from Israel and the United States. Duda defends the legislation, which will make it illegal to accuse the Polish state of complicity in the Holocaust during the Nazi occupation. (BBC) (Bloomberg)
Science and technology
- Falcon Heavy test flight
- SpaceX successfully launches its Falcon Heavy rocket, a feat the space company hopes will lead to increased commercial and national security missions. Both boosters were successfully landed and recovered. The core didn't land and was softly ditched in the water near the drone ship. The rocket launched Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster, playing "Life on Mars" by David Bowie, which is expected to be in an elliptic orbit of the sun, close to Mars, for several hundred million years. (Los Angeles Times)
- Ozone depletion
- Scientists (in the article published in the journal ultraviolet radiation is recovering only over less populated areas. (The Guardian)
- Scientists (in the article published in the journal
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- Syrian state media say that Israeli warplanes attacked a military position in Jamraya, Rif Dimashq Governorate, from Lebanese airspace, with the Syrian Air Defense Force intercepting most of the missiles. The target is rumored to be a weapon research facility. (Xinhua)
- United States attacks on the Syrian government
- United States Central Command says that it killed more than 100 pro-government troops in "self-defense" strikes 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) east of the Euphrates de-confliction line that was reportedly agreed with Russia. (AFP via Rappler)
Business and economy
- Procter and Gamble announces that it will close its plant in Kansas City, Kansas, and reduce operations at its plant in Iowa City, Iowa, as the company plans to shift production to factories in Tablers Station, West Virginia, and Cincinnati, Ohio, by 2020. (USA Today), (Kansas City Star)
International relations
- Macedonia naming dispute
- key highway. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Politics of the European Union
- The Nazi collaborator). It is the first time that the parliament invokes the powers of Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union to dismiss a senior office holder. Czarnecki remains a Member of the European Parliament. (Deutsche Welle)
- The
- Weinstein effect
- Rob Porter resigns as White House Staff Secretary after two of his ex-wives make allegations of physical and emotional abuse. Porter denies the allegations, which were first published by the Daily Mail. (The Guardian)
- DREAM Act
- Nancy Pelosi breaks the record for the longest speech in the United States House of Representatives. The 77-year-old Democrat spoke for eight hours non-stop, pleading for a vote to protect "Dreamer" immigrants who illegally immigrated and face the threat of deportation. (Sky News)
Science and technology
- Prehistoric Britain
- Without peer-review publication researchers at London's Natural History Museum state that the DNA extracted from "Cheddar Man" reveals that early inhabitants of Great Britain had blue eyes and dark skin. The name "Cheddar Man" was given to a fossil of a human man that lived thousands of years ago, which was discovered in 1903. Some scientists in the field state that the sample may have been contaminated with modern DNA weakening the results. (BBC), (The New York Times), (Gene Expression)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War
- American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Russian Federation once again state that the United States' military presence in Syria is "illegal". United States and US-backed forces now have control of about a quarter of Syrian territory. (The Washington Post)
- Battle of Khasham
- A force of five hundred Syrian pro-government troops supported by tanks and artillery launched a ground assault on a local headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces near the town of Khasham, in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. More than one hundred Syrian government fighters were killed in the battle, including Russian private military contractors of Wagner Group. (The Washington Post)
Business and economy
- Economy of Germany
- Germany's trade surplus shrank in 2017 for the first time since 2009, reflecting strong domestic demand. (Reuters)
- Japan–United Kingdom relations
- After a meeting with top Japanese business and British government executives in 10 Downing Street, Japan's ambassador to Britain warns that companies may discontinue their UK operations if a Brexit without a new trade deal makes them unprofitable. (The Telegraph)
International relations
- Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
- A senior European External Action Service official says that the European Union, in order to protect its companies doing business with Iran, could implement "blocking regulations" based on a legal framework set up in 1996 for E.U. trade with Cuba, should the United States pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal and restore its sanctions. (Reuters)
- Commonwealth of Nations
- The Gambia formally rejoins the Commonwealth five years after its former President Yahya Jammeh withdrew the West African country, calling it a "neocolonial institution". (Euronews)
- Belgium–Netherlands relations
- A judge in Amsterdam delays the extradition of the man suspected of a lethal stabbing on the Bruges Market Square, citing concerns over the living conditions in Belgian jails. (Knack) (Het Laatste Nieuws)
- United States–Guatemala relations
- recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. They discuss various issues about the crisis in Venezuela, drug trafficking and the UN anti-corruption commission. (The Times of Israel)
Law and crime
- LGBT rights in Bermuda
- Bermuda repeals same-sex marriage, becoming the world's first jurisdiction to legalise, then repeal same-sex marriage. However, about half a dozen same-sex marriages that took place in Bermuda between the Supreme Court ruling in May 2017 and the repeal will continue to be recognised. (The Guardian)
- Crime in Toronto
- The remains of six people found on a property in Bruce McArthur. (Global News) (National Post)
- The remains of six people found on a property in
- Mexican Drug War
- Mexican authorities arrest American-born Jose Maria Guizar Valencia, the alleged leader of the Zetas drug cartel, as he was entering a hotel in Mexico City's upscale neighborhood of Roma. (Los Angeles Times) (BBC)
Politics and elections
- 2017–18 United States political sexual scandals
- Jeff Kruse announces his resignation from the Oregon State Senate, effective March 15, amid allegations that he sexually harassed female colleagues and other staffers. Kruse denies the allegations. (USA Today)
Sports
- 2018 Winter Olympics
- Luger Erin Hamlin is selected as the Team USA flag bearer after winning a tie-breaking coin toss against speed skater Shani Davis. (The Guardian)
Business and economy
- Trinity Mirror agrees to buy British publishing group Northern & Shell from Richard Desmond for £126.7 million. The deal gives Trinity Mirror ownership of the Daily Express and Daily Star newspapers. (The Guardian)
Disasters and accidents
- Earthquakes in 2018
- A 5.8 Guadalajara. No casualties are reported. (Puerto Vallarta Daily)
- A 5.8
Law and crime
- iOS jailbreaking
- A jailbreaking community. (The Verge via Slashdot)
- A
- Russian espionage in the United States
- The Russian intelligence source in a Berlin hotel room, allegedly expecting to get back stolen NSA hacking tools. (Newsweek)
- The
Politics and elections
- Government shutdowns in the United States
- The United States government runs out of funding for the second time this year, prompting another government shutdown. (The New York Times)
- A comprehensive budget deal is later passed by Continuing Resolution is signed into law by President Trump that keeps the government open until March 23, 2018. (CNN) (Federal News Radio)
- The
- Timeline of the Trump presidency, 2018 Q1
- Rachel Brand, Associate Attorney General since May 2017, plans to step down in the next several weeks in favor of a job in the private sector. (USA Today)
- Politics of Turkey
- Afrin offensive. (Reuters UK)
Science and technology
- Human genetics
- Researchers at the University of Edinburgh claim they have successfully brought prepubescent-sourced, immature human egg cells to maturity in a laboratory for the first time. The work may be significant because it may allow the harvesting and preservation of eggs from young girls undergoing toxic cancer treatment before their lifetime reservoirs of those cells are destroyed. (BBC) (Oxford Academic)
- Asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2018
- As predicted, asteroid 2018 CB, estimated to be between 15 and 40 metres (50–130 feet) in diameter, makes a fly-by past Earth at a distance of around 64,500 km (40,100 mi). This is the second asteroid to make a fly-by this week. (The Guardian)
Sport
- 2018 Winter Olympics
- The 23rd Winter Olympic Games start in Pyeongchang, South Korea. It marks the first time that South Korea has hosted the Winter Olympics. (The Guardian) (ABC News)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- February 2018 Israel–Syria incident
- The UAV manufactured in Iran and, in response, it bombed the Tiyas Military Airbase in Homs Governorate, Syria, where it was launched from. (Reuters)
- The Syrian Air Defense Force shoots down an Israeli F-16 over the Golan Heights after it fired on alleged Iranian targets inside Syria. Both pilots parachute to safety. (BBC) (RFERL)
- Syrian state media cite a military source saying that the Syrian air defences hit "more than one plane" at dawn. (Reuters)
- The
- Turkish military operation in Afrin
- The YPG shoots down a Turkish Air Force T129 ATAK helicopter over Syria's Afrin District, killing both pilots. (Al Jazeera)
- The
Disasters and accidents
- 2018 Hong Kong bus accident
- A double-decker bus overturns near Tai Po in Hong Kong, killing at least 19 people. (The Guardian)
- A bus carrying local tourists crashes in West Java, Indonesia, killing at least 27 people. (AP via ABC News)
- A Papillon Tours helicopter crashes in the Grand Canyon in the Southwestern United States, killing three people and injuring the other four on board. The six passengers were all British citizens. (AP/CBS News) (ABC News)
International relations
- India–Palestine relations
- Palestine, saying that he backs an independent Palestine state. This event has been labeled as "historic" as it is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited Palestine. (Al Jazeera)
- North Korea–South Korea relations
- Kim Jong-Un's sister Kim Yo-jong. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Crime in Ohio
- Two officers of the Westerville, Ohio Police Department are shot and killed (one died immediately, one later at the hospital) in an ambush-type attack which had begun as a domestic dispute between the male perpetrator, who was wounded during the incident, and his wife. (CNN)
Politics and elections
- Politics of the United States
- Heath Hall, the acting Federal Railroad Administration chief, resigns "effective immediately" over a Politico report that he has a second job in Madison County, Mississippi. (NPR)
- Politics of the Republic of Ireland
Disasters and accidents
- Saratov Airlines Flight 703
- An Domodedovo Airport, Moscow, Russia. The TASS agency cites an emergency source stating that none of the 65 passengers and 6 crew members has survived. (BBC) (Reuters via The Daily Star)
- An
Law and crime
- Secretary of State for International Development Penny Mordaunt tells BBC One that Oxfam's failure to pass on information regarding sexual misconduct allegations of its workers in Haiti and Chad shows an "absolute" absence and failure of moral leadership. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- Monegasque general election, 2018
- Primo ! Priorité Monaco, a new political party, wins 21 of the 24 seats in the National Council. (Hello Monaco) (Le Figaro)
- Anniversary of the 2017–18 Iranian protests
- Iranian president constitution. (The Guardian)
- Iranian president
- Sri Lankan local elections, 2018
- The opposition SLPP (Rajapaksa) wins 44.65% of the vote, the ruling coalition parties UNP (Wickremesinghe) and UPFA (Sirisena) gather 32.63% and 8.94% respectively. Rosy Senanayake (UNP) becomes the first female mayor of the capital Colombo. (Al Jazeera)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Drone strikes in Pakistan
- North Waziristan, near the border with Afghanistan. (BBC)
Arts and culture
- Egypt bans Saturday Night Live Arabia for using "sexual expressions that are inappropriate for viewers". (The Guardian)
Business and economy
- All flights to and from London City Airport are cancelled after an unexploded World War II bomb is discovered in the River Thames at King George V Dock. (BBC)
Disasters and accidents
- 2017–18 South Pacific cyclone season
- Tonga is directly hit by Cyclone Gita, causing heavy damage to the country. Gita is the strongest storm to hit Tonga in its history. (1 News)
- Tonga's 100 year old Parliament building is destroyed by Cyclone Gita. (BBC News)
- Saratov Airlines Flight 703
- flight data recorder, which will help them determine the crash's cause, but notes that the search for the victims' remains will take at least a week. (AP via Daily Mail)
International relations
- Cyprus–Turkey maritime zones dispute
- The European Union urges calm and restraint after Turkish Navy warships obstruct a Cypriot offshore drilling vessel in the Eastern Mediterranean, which was approaching an area to explore for natural gas. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Mass shootings in the United States, Crime in Detroit
- A gunman kills three civilians and wounds three police officers and another civilian, then kills himself, in a standoff in Detroit. (The Detroit News)
Politics and elections
- Ukrainian crisis
- Politics of the Netherlands
- Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Halbe Zijlstra admits to lying about having attended a meeting with Vladimir Putin in 2006. Zijlstra had said that Putin mentioned plans to expand Russia to include Belarus, Ukraine, and the Baltic states but now says that he was not present and borrowed the story from a source. (Politico) (De Telegraaf)
- Politics of New Zealand
- Former National Party leader. (Newshub)
- Former
- Presidency of Donald Trump, United States federal budget
- US$4.4 trillion 2019 budget proposal to Congress. (The New York Times)
- President Trump also introduces his US$1.5 trillion federal infrastructure plan to several governors and mayors at the White House. (The Hill)
- Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte
- communist rebels to be shot in the genitals. Duterte's comments are described as "a funny joke" by his spokesman, while drawing heavy criticism from others. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii, after the pilots call for an emergency landing because of a loss of the engine cowling. (CBS12)
- An overnight fire destroys parts of Port‑au‑Prince. It is unclear what started the fire. (VOA)
Law and crime
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- In closed-door proceedings at an Israeli military court in Ofer Prison, near Ramallah, 17-year-old Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi is indicted on 12 counts of assault and incitement. She is ordered held until the end of the trial, which is adjourned until next month. (PRI) (VOA)
- In closed-door proceedings at an
- United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal
- Former Barry Bennell is convicted of 36 counts of indecent assault against youth footballers in the 1980s and 1990s, following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court. (BBC)
- Former
- Corruption in Israel
- Israeli police recommend indicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with charges of corruption and bribery. Netanyahu calls the accusations "baseless". (NBC News)
- Corruption in Guatemala
- Former President CICIG and the MP. They were sent to preventive detention at the Mariscal Zavala Military Center. (Deutsche Welle)
- Former President
Politics and elections
- Politics of South Africa
- South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) formally requests that President Jacob Zuma step down after he refused to resign. (BBC)
- Politics of the Netherlands
- Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Minister Sigrid Kaag takes over the portfolio ad interim. (NOS) (The Washington Post) (De Telegraaf)
- Politics of Germany
- Martin Schulz resigns as leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) with immediate effect. The mayor of Hamburg Olaf Scholz will serve as interim leader until a new leader is elected. (BBC)
- Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections
- Sergei Prikhodko and offering information about the 2016 U.S. election he had received from Paul Manafort. (ABC News)
Science and technology
- Supersonic transport
- A new plane that would fly from Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) and dubbed the "Son of Concorde", was proposed by NASA and has just been given the go-ahead by US officials. QueSST could make its maiden voyage in 2021 if all goes according to plan. If so, it will halve the current travel time between London and New York City. (Metro)
- A new plane that would fly from
- Antimicrobial peptides
- Scientists announce the discovery of antibacterial chemicals. (BBC)
- Scientists announce the discovery of
Arts and culture
- High-level delegations from the Vatican and the Patriarchate of Moscow meet in Vienna discussing the gains in ecumenical work in the two years since Pope Francis met in Havana with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. (AsiaNews)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War
- Russian aircraft carry out airstrikes in Ma'arrat Hurma village in Idlib, Syria, killing seven civilians and injuring 10 others. (TRT World)
Business and economy
- Economy of the European Union
- capital goods, indicating investments, are up 7.6%. (Reuters via Arab News)
Disasters and accidents
- A car crash at the headquarters of the Fort Meade, Maryland, injures three people. Police officers shoot at the driver, who they say was attempting to attack the building. (The Verge)
Law and crime
- Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
- A deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. (CNN)
- A
- Crime in South Africa
- The residence of the Gupta family is raided by the South African Police Service's elite Hawks unit and three people are arrested. (BBC)
- Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal
- US$130,000 payment to porn star Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels, from his own private funds. The statement to The New York Times comes after the Common Cause organization on January 22, 2018, filed a complaint about the payment with the Federal Election Commission. (ABC News)
- Crime in Pakistan
- Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. (Reuters)
- November 2015 Paris attacks
- After the first trial on the attacks, Jawad Bendaoud is acquitted. Bendaoud rented an apartment to two of the attackers but denied knowing what they planned. Mohamed Soumah is sentenced to five years in jail for acting as an intermediary, and Youssef Ait-Boulahcen to three years for failing to inform authorities. (Digital Journal)
- Disappearance of Maëlys de Araujo
Politics and elections
- Ukrainian crisis
- Mikheil Saakashvili, leader of the opposition Movement of New Forces party, who was deported from Ukraine to Poland, relocates to the Netherlands. (NOS) (Xinhua)
- Politics of South Africa
- Jacob Zuma resigns as President of South Africa effective immediately, following an ultimatum issued the day prior by African National Congress that ordered Zuma to step down as head of state or face a vote of no confidence by the South African Parliament to remove him from power within 48 hours of the declaration. Cyril Ramaphosa takes over as Acting President. (News24)
- Zimbabwean general election, 2018
- colon cancer at the age of 65, only months before a presidential election. (Al Jazeera)
Sports
- Concerns and controversies at the 2018 Winter Olympics
- A man is caught
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan
- The United Nations report that in 2017, more than 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in the war. (Deutsche Welle)
- Syrian Civil War
- An arms depot explosion in Tabiyet Jazira, Deir ez-Zor, kills at least 23 people, including over a dozen Russian contractors allegedly belonging to the Wagner Group, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (The Guardian)
- An
Business and economy
- The Chicago Stock Exchange. (CNN)
Law and crime
- Aftermath of the 2017 cyberattacks on Ukraine
- The NotPetya malware in June 2017. The White House calls it the most destructive and costly cyberattack in history and says Russia will be met with unspecified "international consequences". Russia denies responsibility and dismisses the accusation as "groundless", lacking evidence, and "Russophobic". (Washington Examiner)
- The
- United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal
- Former Barry Bennell is found guilty of 43 sexual attacks on twelve boys between 1979 and 1990. (BBC)
- Former
Politics and elections
- Mexican general election, 2018
- María de Jesús "Marichuy" Patricio Martínez, the National Indigenous Congress's independent pre-candidate for President of Mexico, is involved in a road accident while campaigning in Baja California Sur. Marichuy is reported as injured while a passenger of the vehicle is dead. (Reuters)
- Istanbul convention
- same-sex marriage in Bulgaria. (Reuters)
- Criminal justice reform in the United States
- The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee backed the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, a package to reduce some of the strictest federal sentencing rules along with reforms for the federal prison system, by a vote of 16–5. (CNN)
- Politics of Ethiopia
- Politics of South Africa
- Cyril Ramaphosa is elected by the National Assembly as President of South Africa. (PBS)
Science and technology
Armed conflict and attacks
- Boko Haram insurgency
- Three suicide bombers kill at least 20 people at a fish market in Konduga, Borno, Nigeria. (The Guardian)
Disasters and accidents
- 2018 Oaxaca earthquake
- A magnitude 7.2 earthquake strikes near the town of Pinotepa Nacional and is widely felt across Southern and Central Mexico, causing material damages in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Mexico City. It is followed by a 5.8-magnitude aftershock. (The United States Geological Survey), (CNN)
Law and crime
- Crime in Washington
- A teenager is arrested for allegedly planning a school shooting in Everett, Washington. Police found a semi-automatic rifle hidden in a guitar case along with bomb-making equipment. (CBS News)
- War on Terror
- The Court of Appeal in Rabat, Morocco, acquits Younes Chekkouri of undermining the security of the state. Chekkouri was detained in Guantanamo Bay detention camp for 14 years without charges. (Xinhua)
- Aftermath of the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt
- A court in Turkey hands life sentences to six journalists, including Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak. (Reuters) (PEN.org)
Politics and elections
- Mueller special counsel investigation
- U.S. President Donald Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon is interviewed over two days this week as part of the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. (BBC)
- Thirteen Russian nationals from the Internet Research Agency are indicted by a grand jury on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States during the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. (CNN) (BBC)
- Politics of Ethiopia
- Ethiopia declares a national state of emergency one day after the unexpected resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. (BBC)
- Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
- Bangladeshi home minister Asaduzzaman Khan meets with his Burmese counterpart, Kyaw Swe, in Dhaka to discuss the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar. The Burmese delegation accepts a list of 8,032 Rohingya refugees (1,673 families) who are to be repatriated. (Washington Post)
Disasters and accidents
- Earthquakes in 2018
- 2018 Oaxaca earthquake
- A military helicopter surveying the damage, carrying the Jamiltepec, killing 13 people on the ground. These deaths are the only known ones related to the earthquake reported so far. (CNN)
- A military helicopter surveying the damage, carrying the
- Earthquakes in the British Isles
- A magnitude 4.4 earthquake, the strongest in the United Kingdom for ten years, occurs at Swansea. (BBC)
- 2018 Oaxaca earthquake
Law and crime
- Aftermath of the murder of Zainab Ansari
- An Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore, Pakistan, sentences Imran Ali to death, for the rape and murder of 7-year-old Zainab Ansari. The victim's family demands Ali's hanging to be conducted in public. (The Express Tribune)
Politics and elections
- Politics of the United Kingdom
- leader amid controversy over his private life and leadership. Gerard Batten becomes interim leader. (BBC)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2018 Kizlyar church shooting
Disasters and accidents
- Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 3704
- An Iran Aseman Airlines ATR 72 commercial aircraft carrying 59 passengers and 6 crew members crashes near the Iranian town of Semirom. The airline reports that there are no survivors. (AP via Fox News), (BBC)
Law and crime
- Corruption in Latvia
- The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau detains the head of the Bank of Latvia, Ilmārs Rimšēvičs. In response, Latvia's Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis calls an emergency cabinet meeting but added there was no apparent threat to the Latvian financial system. (BBC)
Sports
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War
- Rif Dimashq offensive
- Ahead of an expected ground offensive, Ghouta, near Damascus, kill at least 44 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (France 24)
- Ahead of an expected ground offensive,
- An attacker stabs three people at a Tim Hortons in Montreal, Canada. (CTV news)
Disasters and accidents
- 2018 Oaxaca earthquake
- Three days after the previous, stronger earthquake, a 5.9-magnitude possible aftershock strikes again near the coast of Oaxaca and is widely felt across Southern and Central Mexico. No victims are reported so far. (Reuters)
- A collapse at a garbage dump in Mozambique kills at least 17 people. (BBC)
- Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra, Indonesia, erupts. There are no reports of injuries or fatalities. (Evening Standard)
Law and crime
- United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal
- Former coach Barry Bennell is sentenced to 31 years in prison for 50 offences against 12 boys between 1979 and 1990. (The Guardian)
- Former coach
- Child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom
- A court sentences Matthew Falder, convicted on 137 charges, to 32 years in jail after confessing to blackmailing numerous teenagers into performing sexual acts. (The Guardian)
Politics and elections
- Eurozone
- Spanish Minister of Economy and Competitiveness, Luis de Guindos, is set to be nominated by the Eurogroup to succeed Vítor Constâncio as Vice-President of the European Central Bank. (Business Insider)
Science and technology
- Human impact on the environment
- In a heartwood of the world's remotest tree, a Sitka spruce on Campbell Island, New Zealand. The general scientific community has already been using 1950 as the year "Before Present", when nuclear weapons began to significantly affect the reliability of radiocarbon dating of objects whose organic matter content formed after that epoch. (The Conversation)
- In a
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War
- Turkish military operation in Afrin
- Pro-Syrian government forces are sent to help the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army in the Afrin Region. This action opens up a new front in the war. (The Independent)
- Pro-Syrian government forces are sent to help the
Business and economy
- Economy of Venezuela
- Petro cryptocurrency, which it claims is the world's first sovereign cryptocurrency. (BBC)
Disasters and accidents
- 2017–18 South Pacific cyclone season
- Seven regions in New Zealand declare states of emergency as Cyclone Gita makes landfall. (Newshub)
- Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 3704
- 2018 Mount Sinabung eruption
- Indonesia's Mount Sinabung has a massive eruption, completely destroying the volcano's peak, with ash reaching over 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) high. Much of the surrounding area is covered with ash. (Quartz)
Law and crime
- Corruption in Latvia
- ECB Governing Council member Ilmārs Rimšēvičs, the head of the central Bank of Latvia since 2001, amid an ECB payment moratorium and an U.S. graft investigation into Latvia's third-largest lender, ABLV. On 19 January, Rimšēvičs was released on bail. (Bloomberg)
- Judiciary of Thailand
- A court in Thailand awards a Japanese man paternity rights over 13 of his children from Thai surrogate mothers. (BBC)
- Gun politics in the United States
- U.S. President Donald Trump orders the Department of Justice to prepare regulations to ban devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to become fully automatic, such as the bump stocks used in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. (The Hill)
- U.S. Special Counsel investigation
- Attorney Alex van der Zwaan pleads guilty in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to making false statements to the FBI during the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Specifically, the charges are that he lied to investigators about his interactions with political consultant and lobbyist Rick Gates and an unidentified Ukrainian-based associate of Paul Manafort. (The New York Times)
Politics and elections
- Aftermath of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
- Families and students from Parkland, Florida, begin arriving in Tallahassee, the Florida State Capitol, for advocacy meetings with lawmakers and other State officials. During Tuesday's legislative session, the Republican-controlled Florida House defeated, by a party-line vote, a motion to debate assault weapons ban legislation, 71–36. (Tallahassee Democrat) (Miami Herald)
- 2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis
- Anna Gabriel, former member Parliament of Catalonia for Popular Unity Candidacy and Catalan independentism leader, flees to Switzerland before declaring before the Supreme Court of Spain amid rebellion and desobedience crime. (Independent)
Sports
- 2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal
- In national title, making the Cardinals the first Division I men's or women's basketball team ever forced to vacate a national title. (ESPN)
- In
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Operation Barkhane
- Two French soldiers are killed after their armoured vehicle hits a roadside bomb in Mali. (France 24)
- Boko Haram insurgency
- The Nigerian military rescues 76 schoolgirls taken on Monday during a Boko Haram raid on the village of Dapchi, Yobe State. The bodies of two girls were recovered, and at least thirteen other students remain missing. (Reuters) (Daily Trust)
- 2018 Lashio bombing
- A bomb explodes at a bank in Lashio, Shan State, in northern Myanmar, killing two employees and injuring 22 others. (The New York Times) (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- A coach transiting the
- A ferry explosion at the Playa del Carmen's pier in Mexico injures 18 people. None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening. (CBS News via MSN)
International relations
- Foreign relations of South Korea
- South Korea signs free trade agreements with the Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama to eliminate duties on about 95% of traded goods and services. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
- U.S. President Donald Trump meets in the White House State Dining Room with parents and friends of young people killed in school shootings to discuss what needs to be done. Suggestions for the president included a number of items to make schools safer, and for Trump to "put politics aside" and back gun control measures. (NBC News) (AP via Star Tribune)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Armed Forces of Yugoslavia. (BBC)
- Syrian Civil War
- Russian involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- Russia blocks agreement on a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day truce in Syria. A formal vote is postponed. (The New York Times)
- Rif Dimashq offensive
- The death toll since February 18 in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta is more than 400, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (AP via Time)
- The death toll since February 18 in the rebel-held
International relations
- In exchange for some of its national debt being written off, the Seychelles designates two new marine protected areas in the Indian Ocean, covering about 210,000 square kilometres (81,000 sq mi). It is the result of a financial deal, brokered in 2016 by The Nature Conservancy. (BBC), (Phys.org)
- Canada–India relations
- Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau rescinds from Jaspal Atwal his invitation to a reception. (BBC)
Law and crime
- Politics of Romania
- Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader announces that he would trigger the dismissal procedures of the Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, Laura Codruța Kövesi. The announcement sparks protests. (Act Media)
- 2018 Russian presidential election
- Russian police detained the political activist Alexei Navalny and his chief of staff Leonid Volkov, who will be taken to court for having organized an unauthorized protest on January 28. Navalny claims that the authorities want him in jail when the upcoming presidential election occurs on March 18. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
- 2017–18 United States political sexual scandals
- A grand jury indicts invasion of privacy by allegedly threatening to publish a nude photo of the woman he was involved with in a 2015 extramarital affair, if the woman ever disclosed the relationship. Governor Greitens denies the blackmail charge. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), (Fox News)
- A grand jury indicts
- Mueller special counsel investigation
- Special Counsel Robert Mueller files a 32-count indictment against political consultant and lobbyist Paul Manafort and his aide Rick Gates in the Eastern District of Virginia for multiple crimes including tax evasion and bank fraud. (ABC News), (Fox News), (The New York Times), (Justice.gov)
- Presidency of Donald Trump
- The Trump administration through the U.S. Justice Department announces charges filed against more than 250 defendants in senior-citizen fraud schemes totaling $500 million. (CNBC)
- The
Politics and elections
- 2017–18 United States political sexual scandals
- State Senator Tony Mendoza resigns after being investigated over sexual harassment claims. (The New York Times)
- State Senator Nicholas Kettle resigns after being indicted on charges of extortion and voyeurism. (WJAR)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War
- Rif Dimashq offensive
- Ghouta suburbs east of Damascus, killing 32 people as the death toll from a week of bombardment reaches over 400. (U.S. News & World Report)
International relations
- Australia–United States relations
- U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the White House. Trump indicated that there would be new sanctions against the North Korean regime. (CNBC)
Law and crime
- Mueller special counsel investigation
- Rick Gates pleads guilty to charges of conspiracy against the United States and making false statements, and agrees to cooperate with the Special Counsel investigation. (NPR)
Politics and elections
- Politics of Australia
- vote for his successor on February 26. (The Guardian)
Sports
- 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal
- Documents obtained through legal discovery filings during the ongoing FBI probe into college basketball corruption reveal potential current and retroactive NCAA rules issues for at least 20 Division I programs and more than 25 players. In addition to programs named when federal criminal charges were first revealed in September 2017, among the programs potentially implicated in the new documents are Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina. (Yahoo! Sports)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- February 2018 Mogadishu attack
- Two car bombings near the presidential palace in Mogadishu, Somalia, kill at least 38 people. Al-Shabaab claim responsibility for the attacks. (BBC)
- Syrian Civil War
- The United Nations Security Council unanimously approves a resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria. (BBC), (The Washington Post)
- Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- A series of militant attacks in Afghanistan kill more than 20 people. (Reuters)
- Internal conflict in Myanmar
- 2018 Sittwe bombings
- Three bombs explode in Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine State, slightly injuring a police officer. Three other unexploded bombs are defused around the city. It is unclear who was behind the bombs, but most of them were placed next to government-related buildings. (BBC), (Voice of America News)
- 2018 Sittwe bombings
Arts and culture
- Oscar Julio Vian Morales died at age 70. Acting President Jafeth Cabrera decrees three days of national mourning. (ABC News)
Politics and elections
- Aftermath of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
- 2018 NRA boycott
- Several companies, including Delta airlines have cut ties with the NRA following the shooting, saying that the discount deals they have with the NRA are cancelled. (BBC) (USA Today)
- Several companies, including
- 2018 NRA boycott
- Nunes memo
- A memo written by Democrats on the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is released, countering the Republican memo released on February 2. (Bloomberg)
Sports
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War
- Siege of eastern Ghouta
- Ghouta despite the adoption of Resolution 2401 by the United Nations Security Council demanding a ceasefire in part of the area. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- 2018 Papua New Guinea earthquake
- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurs at the western Southern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, killing at least 31 people and injuring more than 300 others. (The United States Geological Survey), (TIME)
- An explosion destroys a store and a house, causing at least five deaths on Hinckley Road in Leicester, England. The cause of the explosion and subsequent fire is unknown. (BBC)
International relations
- North Korea–United States relations
- Korean Peninsula. (ABC News)
Law and crime
- Crime in Puerto Rico
- A mass shooting at a bar in the town of Comerio, Puerto Rico, near the capital San Juan, leaves at least five people dead and one other injured. (CBS News)
- A mass shooting at a bar in the town of
- An ISIS group as brides. (Newsweek)
Politics and elections
- Politics of China
- The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposes that the country's constitution be amended to abolish term limits for the posts of President and Vice President. The move is seen as an attempt by current president Xi Jinping to solidify his power. (The Guardian)
- The
Sports
- 2018 EFL Cup Final
- Manchester City beat Arsenal 3–0 at Wembley Stadium to win the 2017–18 EFL Cup for the fifth time. (BBC)
- 2018 Winter Olympics
- The Winter Olympics occurs, officially bringing the competitions to an end. The Norwegian team leads the medal table with 14 gold and record 39 medals in total. (Pyeongchang 2018)
- The
Arts and culture
- Women's rights in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia opens applications for women to join its armed forces for the first time. (BBC)
International relations
- United States–Mexico relations
- U.S.–Mexico border wall. (CNN)
- France–Turkey relations
- French President Emmanuel Macron phones Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, telling Erdoğan that the UN-approved ceasefire in Syria also applies in the Afrin Region. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Clinton–Lewinsky scandal
- Me Too movement forced her to reconsider it. (CNN)
- Crime in Belgium
- Five Dutch nationals and a Colombian are arrested at the staged delivery operation in Oss, Netherlands, of a container with 4,500 kilograms (9,900 lb) of cocaine and bananas for cover, originating from Colombia, that was previously intercepted in the Port of Antwerp. (NL Times)
Politics and elections
- National Party of Australia leadership election, 2018
- The cogoverning National Party of Australia elects Veterans' Affairs Minister Michael McCormack to succeed Barnaby Joyce as their leader. McCormack is later sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- The
- Politics of France
- French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announces plans to overhaul the state-owned railway firm SNCF. The details of the railway reform will be released in March. (Deutsche Welle)
- Politics of New Zealand
- Ron Mark is succeeded by Fletcher Tabuteau as deputy leader of New Zealand First. (Newshub)
- United States–North Korea relations
- United States Special Representative for North Korea Policy Joseph Y. Yun announces his retirement, effective 2 March. (Xinhua)
International relations
- Foreign relations of North Korea
- Five unnamed Western European security sources say that
Law and crime
- Terrorism in the United States
- A letter containing an unknown substance opened at a
Politics and elections
- Government of Saudi Arabia
- top army commanders and reshuffles key security and government ministries. (Al Jazeera)
- Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2020
- U.S. President Donald Trump names Brad Parscale as his 2020 presidential campaign manager as he formally declares he is running for re-election, a record 980 days before the election. (CNBC)
- 2016–2018 investigations involving Benjamin Netanyahu
- The
- Democratic Republic of the Congo general election, 2018
- In a public statement, the foreign ministry of Botswana urges Joseph Kabila, the President of DR Congo, to step down since his term expired in December 2016, and hold the long-delayed new election. (Voice of America)
- In a public statement, the
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Kivu conflict
- The death toll from clashes between militias in the Rutshuru Territory of the North Kivu province, DR Congo, rises to 23 people. The renewed violence has been ongoing since February 25. (New Vision)
Business and economy
- Economy of the United Kingdom
- U.S. toy and juvenile-products retailer Toys "R" Us collapses into administration in the United Kingdom, putting 3200 jobs at risk. (The Independent)
- Maplin Electronics collapses into administration after rescue talks fail, with 2,500 jobs at risk. (BBC)
- Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
- Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart raise the minimum age for purchasing firearms to 21 and stop selling military-style semi-automatic rifles altogether. (NPR), (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2017–18 Western Europe windstorm season
- The Met Office issues its highest level warning, a red alert for parts of Scotland due to heavy snow. It is the first time a red alert has ever been issued in Scotland, and only the second time anywhere in the United Kingdom. (BBC)
- A collision between a passenger and a cargo train in Beheira, Egypt kills 15 people and injures 40 more. (Egypt Independent)
Law and crime
- Weinstein effect
- Two former employees of InfoWars accuse founder and radio host Alex Jones of sexual harassment, racism and antisemitism. (New York Daily News)
Politics and elections
- Politics of Afghanistan
- 16 years of war. (Reuters)
- Presidency of Donald Trump
- Hope Hicks announces that she will resign as White House Communications Director, one day after being interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee. (The Guardian), (BBC) (CNN)
Sports
- Doping in Russia
- The International Olympic Committee restores the Russian Federation's membership after the ban from the 2018 Winter Olympics. (BBC)
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
Ongoing events
Business
Culture
Disasters
- Australian region cyclone season
- Cape Town water crisis
- Oklahoma earthquake swarms
- Pacific typhoon season
- UK and Ireland windstorm season
Politics
- Brexit negotiations
- Cyprus gas dispute
- timeline)
- North Korean crisis
- Philippine protests
- Qatar diplomatic crisis
- Rohingya persecution in Myanmar
- Saudi purge
- Spanish constitutional crisis
- Togolese protests
- Tunisian protests
- Turkish purges
- United Kingdom rail strikes
- U.S. political sex scandals
- U.S. Special Counsel investigation (timeline)
- Venezuelan protests (timeline)
Sports
More details – ongoing conflicts
Elections and referendums
Recent
- February
- 11: National Council
- 11:
Upcoming
- March
- 4: Parliament
- 7: President, Parliament
- 11: Congress
- 11: National Assembly of People's Power
- 13: House of Representatives
- 4:
Trials
Recently concluded
- Ecuador: Jorge Glas
- Russia: Alexey Ulyukaev
- United States: Jose Ines Garcia Zarate
Ongoing
- Cambodia: Kem Sokha, Mu Sochua
- Estonia: Edgar Savisaar
- Germany: Beate Zschäpe
- Guatemala: Otto Pérez Molina, Roxana Baldetti, Juan Carlos Monzón and others
- Indonesia: Setya Novanto
- Israel: Faina Kirschenbaum
- Malaysia: Siti Aisyah and Đoàn Thị Hương
- Philippines: Leila de Lima
- South Korea: Park Geun-hye
- Spain: Bárcenas affair, Gürtel case, Carles Puigdemont
- Turkey: 2016 Atatürk Airport attack suspects
- United States: Fat Leonard scandal
- International
Upcoming
- Australia: George Pell
- Denmark: Peter Madsen
- Egypt: Mohamed Morsi
- Guatemala: Alvaro Colom, Manuel Baldizón
- Iran: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
- Philippines: Andal Ampatuan Jr., Jovito Palparan, Maria Lourdes Sereno
- Romania: Liviu Dragnea
- Spain: Jordi Pujol
- Ukraine: Roman Nasirov
- United Kingdom: Football sex abuse scandal
- United States: Sayfullo Saipov, Turpin case
- Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo
Sport
- Association football
- Women's association football
- Basketball
- Golf
- Ice hockey
- Motorsport
- Rugby league
- 2018 Super League
- Rugby union
- 2018 Six Nations Championship
- 2017–18 European Champions Cup
- 2017–18 English Premiership
- 2017–18 Pro14
- 2017–18 Top 14
- 2018 Super Rugby season
- Other sports seasons
- 2017–18 international cricket season
- 2017–18 curling season
- 2017–18 figure skating season
- 2017–18 snooker season
More details – current sports events
Recent deaths
February 2018
- 27: Steve Folkes
- 26: Li Boguang
- 24: Bud Luckey
- 24: Óscar Julio Vian Morales
- 24: Sridevi
- 24: Yang Rudai
- 23: Lewis Gilbert
- 22: Nanette Fabray
- Forges
- 22: Li Ching
- 22: Richard E. Taylor
- 21: Emma Chambers
- 21: Chow Chee Keong
- 21: Billy Graham
- 19: Max Desfor
- 19: Sergey Litvinov
- 16: Barbara Alston
- 16: Jim Bridwell
- 14: Lerone Bennett Jr.
- 14: Tito Francona
- 14: Ruud Lubbers
- 14: Morgan Tsvangirai
- Henrik of Denmark
- 13: Josefina Samper
- 12: Marty Allen
- 12: Daryle Singletary
- 11: Vic Damone
Ongoing conflicts
Africa
- Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
- Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
- Central African Republic
- Civil war
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Kivu conflict
- ADF insurgency
- Ituri conflict
- Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
- Libya
- Civil war
- Mali
- Northern Mali conflict
- Somalia
- Civil war
- South Sudan
- Ethnic violence (South Sudanese Civil War)
- Sudan
Americas
- Mexico
- Mexican War on Drugs
- Peru
- Internal conflict in Peru
Asia
- Afghanistan
- Afghanistan War
- China
- India
- India and Pakistan
- Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
- Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
- Myanmar
- Internal conflict in Myanmar
- Northern Rakhine State clashes
- Pakistan
- War in North-West Pakistan
- Balochistan conflict
- Philippines
- CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion
- Thailand
Europe
- Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Georgia
- Abkhaz–Georgian conflict
- Georgian–Ossetian conflict
- Russia
- Ukraine
- War in Donbass
- Russian military intervention in Ukraine
Middle East
- Egypt
- Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria
- Iran
- Iraq
- American-led intervention in Iraq
- Iranian intervention in Iraq
- Syria (map)
- Military intervention against ISIL
- Israel and Lebanon
- Israel and Palestine
- Syria
- American-led intervention in Syria
- Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Turkish military intervention in Syria
- Afrin offensive
- Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
- Turkey
- Turkey–PKK conflict
- Yemen
- Yemeni Civil War
- Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- Al-Qaeda insurgency
Wikimedia Commons has media related to February 2018.