Portal:Current events/February 2018

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from February 2018.

February 1, 2018 (Thursday)

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

Apple Inc. briefly removes the Telegram messaging service from its iOS 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
- United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives in Mexico to meet with President Enrique Peña Nieto and Foreign Secretary 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 Palestine Liberation Organization "rejects and condemns" the United States decision to put Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh on the OFAC SDN terror blacklist. (Times of Israel)
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
- 5 people are shot and 17 others sustain injuries during mass fighting between Afghan and Eritrean migrant groups in Calais, France. A 37-year old Afghan man is suspected of having critically wounded four Eritrean teenagers at a queue for food handouts. (BBC)

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)
- A soyuz 2.1a/fregat M carrying 2 satellites Kanopus v-3 and v-4 and 9 cubesats successfully launched into LEO.

February 2, 2018 (Friday)

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 South African miners, who were stuck in the 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)

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 House Intelligence Committee's website. Opinions on the memo were largely mixed, with Democrats, some Republicans and several national security experts suggesting that certain details in the document confirm prior reports surrounding the reasoning for the FBI's decision to conduct the investigation. Critics of the memo suggested that its release was a partisan attempt to undermine and discredit Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible ties between Trump's 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
- FK Panevėžys, a Lithuanian 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)

February 3, 2018 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that unidentified rebel factions have shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-25 jet over the Idlib Governorate, near 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 Interfax agency states that Russia retaliated with a missile attack, killing at least 30 Al-Nusra militants in North-West Syria with "precision-guided weapons". (USA Today)
- According to Sputnik agency, Tahrir al-Sham, allegedly including Al-Nusra Front, claims in a social media post that it downed the Russian jet with a shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile. (Sputnik News)
- The Turkish Army suffers its deadliest day of Operation Olive Branch so far after seven soldiers are killed in clashes with the Kurdish YPG. (BBC)
War in North-West Pakistan
- A suicide bombing, revindicated in an email to journalists by the Pakistani Taliban, kills at least 11 soldiers and injures 13 at an army unit camp's sports area in the Kabal area of the Swat Valley, in Northwestern Pakistan, according to Pakistan Army figures. (AFP via The Jakarta Post)

Law and crime

Macerata shooting
- A shooting in Macerata, Italy, leaves six African immigrants wounded. The suspect is arrested and the case is being treated as a racially motivated crime. (BBC)

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
- Sanne Cant outduels Katie Compton in women's elite race at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Valkenburg, Netherlands, winning her second title. (CX Magazine)

February 4, 2018 (Sunday)

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 European Union-funded school in the Palestinian village of Abu Nuwar, on the occupied West Bank, saying it was built illegally. Palestinians say this is the fifth such demolition since 2016, with residents and 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)
Four construction workers are killed after a crane collapse in Jatinegara, Jakarta, Indonesia. (Detik)

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
- Ecuador is set to hold a referendum consisting of seven questions for voters to approve or reject. (Reuters)
Politics of Yemen
- 2011 Nobel Peace Prize co-winner Tawakkol Karman is ordered suspended from the Islah party's ranks after she likened the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen to "reckless adventurism" and "ugly occupation". (Reuters)
Macedonia naming dispute
- Tens of thousands of people demonstrate in Athens against the willingness manifested by the Cabinet of Greece to make concessions in the long-standing dispute with the Republic of Macedonia. (Radio Free Europe)
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)

February 5, 2018 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- 2018 Ariel stabbing
  - An Israeli rabbi is stabbed to death by an Israeli Arab outside the Israeli-occupied West Bank settlement of Ariel. (Reuters)
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)

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 Netherlands withdraw their 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)

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)

February 6, 2018 (Tuesday)

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
- Turkey detains nearly 600 people for social media posts and protests opposing the Afrin offensive in Syria. (Reuters)
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 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics) warn that the ozone layer that protects people from the sun's ultraviolet radiation is recovering only over less populated areas. (The Guardian)

February 7, 2018 (Wednesday)

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)
American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War, 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
- Prime Minister of Macedonia Zoran Zaev states that his country is ready to add a geographical qualifier to its name in order to end the dispute. He also says that his government renamed the country's main airport and a key highway. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Politics of the European Union
- The European Parliament votes 447–196 to dismiss Ryszard Czarnecki (PiS) as one of its 14 vice-presidents, for calling fellow Polish parliamentarian Róża Thun (Civic Platform) a "szmalcownik" (meaning 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)
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)

February 8, 2018 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War
  - Syria and the 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
- U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales. Trump thanks Morales for having supported the decision of the United States to 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 East York are linked to alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur. (Global News) (National Post)
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)

February 9, 2018 (Friday)

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 magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of the Mexican state of Jalisco, prompting evacuations in the tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta and is felt in the country's second-largest metropolitan area of Guadalajara. No casualties are reported. (Puerto Vallarta Daily)

Law and crime

iOS jailbreaking
- A Vice Motherboard report traces the origin of a significant iOS source code leak to an Apple intern and five "friends" in the iOS jailbreaking community. (The Verge via Slashdot)
Russian espionage in the United States
- The New York Times reports that the CIA handed $100,000 to an unnamed Russian intelligence source in a Berlin hotel room, allegedly expecting to get back stolen NSA hacking tools. (Newsweek)

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 Congress in the early hours of the morning, and a Continuing Resolution is signed into law by President Trump that keeps the government open until March 23, 2018. (CNN) (Federal News Radio)
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
- Turkey arrests 17 leaders of the left-wing Peoples' Democratic Party for opposition to the ongoing 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)

February 10, 2018 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

February 2018 Israel–Syria incident
- The Israeli Army says that it shot down a Syrian 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)
Turkish military operation in Afrin
- The Kurdish YPG shoots down a Turkish Air Force T129 ATAK helicopter over Syria's Afrin District, killing both pilots. (Al Jazeera)

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
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits 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
- South Korean President Moon Jae-in hosts talks at the Blue House with North Korean President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong-nam and 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
- Mary Lou McDonald is confirmed in the position of president of Sinn Féin. She succeeds Gerry Adams, who was Sinn Féin's leader since 1983. (Reuters)

February 11, 2018 (Sunday)

Disasters and accidents

Saratov Airlines Flight 703
- An Antonov An-148 of Saratov Airlines with 71 people on board crashes shortly after take-off from 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)

Law and crime

United Kingdom 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 Iranian Revolution, 2017–18 Iranian protests
- Iranian president Hassan Rouhani proposes a referendum to heal country's divisions, according to the Article 59 of constitution. (The Guardian)
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)

February 12, 2018 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Drone strikes in Pakistan
- Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) confirms its deputy leader Khalid Mehsud has been killed in a U.S. drone strike in 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
- Emergency teams comb snowy fields outside Moscow Monday for debris from a crashed Russian airliner and the remains of the 71 people who died. Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov says that emergency teams have already found the plane's 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
- Mikheil Saakashvili, leader of the opposition Movement of New Forces party, who has been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship by Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko on 26 July 2017, is detained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kiev and deported from Ukraine to Poland. (U.S. News and World Report) (Kyiv Post) (Sputnik News)
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 Prime Minister Bill English resigns as National Party leader. (Newshub)
Presidency of Donald Trump, United States federal budget
- U.S. President Donald Trump sends his 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
- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte calls for female 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)

February 13, 2018 (Tuesday)

Disasters and accidents

United Airlines Flight 1175 traveling to Honolulu from San Francisco lands safely at 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 Haiti's historic Marché en Fer (Iron Market) in 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)
United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal
- Former association football coach 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)
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 Alvaro Colom and his entire government cabinet were arrested for their alleged participation in a new corruption case investigated by CICIG and the MP. They were sent to preventive detention at the Mariscal Zavala Military Center. (Deutsche Welle)

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
- Halbe Zijlstra offers his resignation as 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
- Russia wants YouTube and Instagram to remove videos posted by Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition figure, describing his investigation into Oleg Deripaska, a Russian billionaire, with bribing Deputy Prime Minister 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 London to New York City in three hours has just received crucial funding. The aircraft, officially named 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)
Antimicrobial peptides
- Scientists announce the discovery of malacidins, a new class of antibacterial chemicals. (BBC)

February 14, 2018 (Wednesday)

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
- Eurozone GDP rises by 2.5% in 2017, a pace not seen since 2007, and industrial production is up 5.2% year-on-year. The production of durable consumer goods is up 7.4% and capital goods, indicating investments, are up 7.6%. (Reuters via Arab News)

Disasters and accidents

A car crash at the headquarters of the United States National Security Agency at 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 shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, leaves 17 people dead (14 of whom were teenagers), and 17 others wounded. The suspect is apprehended and identified as 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz. This is the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. (CNN)
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
- Michael Cohen, the private lawyer of U.S. President Donald Trump, says he made a "lawful" 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
- Pakistan moves to ban two charities linked to terrorist 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
- The remains of Maëlys de Araujo, a nine-year-old girl who disappeared from a wedding in France in August 2017, are found after suspect Nordahl Lelandais guides investigators to the site. (RTE.ie)

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
- Morgan Tsvangirai, opposition politician in Zimbabwe, dies of 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 impersonating Kim Jong-un after walking through North Korea's cheerleading squad. (Business Insider)

February 15, 2018 (Thursday)

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)

Business and economy

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission blocks a Chinese-led group of investors from buying the Chicago Stock Exchange. (CNN)

Law and crime

Aftermath of the 2017 cyberattacks on Ukraine
- The United Kingdom government and the United States White House accuse the Russian military of being responsible for the launch of 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)
United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal
- Former Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra youth coach Barry Bennell is found guilty of 43 sexual attacks on twelve boys between 1979 and 1990. (BBC)

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
- Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borissov says that GERB, his party, will not ratify the convention due to lack of support from political parties. The treaty was designed by the Council of Europe to combat domestic violence and violence against women but critics say its language is vague, it could encourage youth to identify as transgender or third gender and it could lead to 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
- Hailemariam Desalegn resigns as Prime Minister of Ethiopia after six years in office amid ongoing unrest in the Oromia and Amhara regions. (BBC)
Politics of South Africa
- Cyril Ramaphosa is elected by the National Assembly as President of South Africa. (PBS)

Science and technology

Discoveries of exoplanets
- NASA's Kepler space telescope has discovered 95 new exoplanets. (USA Today)
Solar eclipse of February 15, 2018
- A partial solar eclipse occurrs over Antarctica and southern South America. (Space.com)

February 16, 2018 (Friday)

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)

February 17, 2018 (Saturday)

Disasters and accidents

Earthquakes in 2018
- 2018 Oaxaca earthquake
  - A military helicopter surveying the damage, carrying the Governor of Oaxaca Alejandro Murat Hinojosa and Mexico's Secretary of the Interior Alfonso Navarrete Prida, crashes over Jamiltepec, killing 13 people on the ground. These deaths are the only known ones related to the earthquake reported so far. (CNN)
- Earthquakes in the British Isles
  - A magnitude 4.4 earthquake, the strongest in the United Kingdom for ten years, occurs at Swansea. (BBC)

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
- UK Independence Party (UKIP) members vote to remove Henry Bolton as leader amid controversy over his private life and leadership. Gerard Batten becomes interim leader. (BBC)

February 18, 2018 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2018 Kizlyar church shooting
- A gunman kills five people and wounds several others at a church in Kizlyar, Dagestan, Russia. Police later shoot and kill him. (BBC)

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

2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
- Austin Dillon wins the 60th Daytona 500. (ESPN)

February 19, 2018 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Rif Dimashq offensive
  - Ahead of an expected ground offensive, Syrian Air Force strikes on rebel-held eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, kill at least 44 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (France 24)
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)
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 Scientific Reports publication, researchers propose 1965 as the start of the Anthropocene era. In that year, human nuclear weapons testing caused a noticeable spike in radiocarbon in the 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)

February 20, 2018 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Turkish military operation in Afrin
  - Pro-Syrian government forces are sent to help the Kurdish YPG fight against Turkey and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army in the Afrin Region. This action opens up a new front in the war. (The Independent)

Business and economy

Economy of Venezuela
- Venezuela launches its 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
- Iranian forces have spotted the wreckage of the missing Aseman Airliner 30 meters below a hilltop on mount Dena. Helicopters could not land yet at the crash site due to weather and topographical conditions. 65 people are feared dead. (PressTV)
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
- Latvia will ask the European Central Bank not to renew the mandate of 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 college basketball, the NCAA denies an appeal of sanctions imposed on the University of Louisville stemming from a sex scandal first publicized in 2015. The most significant sanction requires Louisville to vacate its 2013 national title, making the Cardinals the first Division I men's or women's basketball team ever forced to vacate a national title. (ESPN)

February 21, 2018 (Wednesday)

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 Pan-American Highway plunges off the road in Arequipa, Peru, killing 44 people. (BBC)
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)

February 22, 2018 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Montenegrin police identify the perpetrator of a grenade attack on the U.S. embassy in Podgorica which occurred yesterday. According to authorities, he was a veteran of the 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 Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta is more than 400, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (AP via Time)

International relations

Canada–India relations
- Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau rescinds from Khalistan separatist Jaspal Atwal his invitation to a reception in India. (BBC)
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 mi²). It is the result of a financial deal, brokered in 2016 by The Nature Conservancy. (BBC), (Phys.org)

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 Missouri Governor Eric Greitens on charges of felony 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)
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)

Politics and elections

2017–18 United States political sexual scandals
- California State Senator Tony Mendoza resigns after being investigated over sexual harassment claims. (The New York Times)
- Rhode Island State Senator Nicholas Kettle resigns after being indicted on charges of extortion and voyeurism. (WJAR)

February 23, 2018 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Rif Dimashq offensive
  - Syrian government warplanes carry out a sixth day of airstrikes in the rebel-held 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
- Barnaby Joyce announces his resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the National Party, following scandals involving an affair with a staffer and a sexual harassment allegation. The party, a junior partner in the Coalition government, will 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)

February 24, 2018 (Saturday)

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)
- Islamist car suicide bombers and gunmen try to storm the headquarters of a counter-terrorism unit in the southern port city of Aden, killing at least 14 people and wounding 40 others. (Reuters)
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)

Arts and culture

Archbishop of Guatemala City 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 First National Bank of Omaha, Hertz, and United and 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)
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

Doping in Russia
- Russian bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva who tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (a medication used to treat angina) at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang admits to doping and has been disqualified from competing. (AP via MSN)

February 25, 2018 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Siege of eastern Ghouta
  - Government forces launch a ground and air offensive in eastern 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
- South Korean president Moon Jae-in states that North Korea is willing to enter talks with the United States in an effort to denuclearize the 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)
An Iraqi court sentences 15 Turkish women to death by hanging after they were found guilty of joining the 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)

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 closing ceremony of 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)

February 26, 2018 (Monday)

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
- Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto cancels a scheduled trip to the United States after a heated phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, in which Trump refused to publicly back down from his pledge of having Mexico pay for the 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
- Monica Lewinsky questions whether her relationship with Bill Clinton was consensual, saying the 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)
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
- Simon Bridges is elected as leader of the National Party, becoming the first Māori on that position. (The New Zealand Herald), (Newshub)
- 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)

February 27, 2018 (Tuesday)

International relations

Foreign relations of North Korea
- Five unnamed Western European security sources say that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his father Kim Jong-il used fraudulently obtained Brazilian passports in order to apply for visas to visit Western countries in the 1990s. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Terrorism in the United States
- A letter containing an unknown substance opened at a U.S. military base in Arlington, Virginia, leaves 11 people ill, with three being hospitalized. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Government of Saudi Arabia
- Saudi King Salman replaces 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 Israeli Prosecutor's Office links Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a corruption case. (Times of Israel)
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)

February 28, 2018 (Wednesday)

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)
- British electronics retailer 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