Portal:Current events/February 2021

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • The military hands over power to Min Aung Hlaing and announces a state of emergency for a year, after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the National League for Democracy party. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• Twelve people are killed when two vessels sink close to a port on Colombia's Pacific coast, in Tumaco. (The Canberra Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
        • British Columbia confirms 18 cases of the new variants of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom and South Africa. (CBC)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, 501.V2 variant
        • Ontario reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person from the Peel Region with no known travel history. (CP24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The United States surpasses 26 million cases of COVID-19. (MarketWatch)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Mainichi)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan receives 500,000 doses of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine. (The News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam closes schools in 22 provinces ahead of the Tết holiday and ends a Communist Party congress early following the detection of a new cluster of COVID-19 cases in northern areas. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • Dubai closes all bars and pubs for the entire month of February and limit other activities due to rise of COVID-19 cases across the United Arab Emirates. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia
      • Armenia approves the use of the Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia. (Public Radio of Armenia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria announces the easing of its lockdown from February 8, allowing non-essential shops and schools to reopen while toughening border restrictions and implementing a curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time. (Vienna.at)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Isle of Man
      • The Isle of Man lifts its second "circuit-breaker" lockdown after 20 days without a community case. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy eases its national restrictions by allowing the reopening of bars, restaurants and museums in 16 "Yellow-zone" regions. However, a curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. will remain in place. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Lithuania reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a woman from Vilnius who tested positive for COVID-19 in early January. (LRT)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa receives one million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. (ABC News)

International relations

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Myanmar–United Kingdom relations
    • The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office summons the ambassador of Myanmar to the United Kingdom in response to the coup. (AFP via NDTV)
  • Myanmar–United States relations
    • U.S. President Joe Biden threatens to re-impose sanctions on Myanmar's military leaders and calls for them to relinquish the power that they seized in the coup. (Reuters)
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
  • Andorra stops recognizing Juan Guaidó as the interim President of Venezuela. (Diari d'Andorra)
• Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, visits Cameroon this week. He hopes peace and reconciliation can be found in the country, which is struggling amid an armed separatist movement in the Southwest and Northwest regions. (Catholic News Agency)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest
  • Internet access remained blocked following violent clashes between police and farmers protesting controversial agricultural reforms. Online access was suspended in at least 14 of 22 districts in Haryana near New Delhi. That order was first imposed on Republic Day in Haryana districts for 24 hours, but has been extended every day since. (CNN)
• 2021 Boğaziçi University protests
  • A total of 159 people are detained at the protests over the appointment of Melih Bulu as the rector of Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Over 228 people have been charged or arrested for participating in the storming of the United States Capitol. (Business Insider)
• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest
  • Protesters marched in Rochester, New York, after a nine-year-old girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by police. Protesters ripped away barricades protecting a Rochester police precinct as hundreds took to the streets in outrage. (Democrat and Chronicle)
• Ballot Measure 110 goes into effect in Oregon, making it the first state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of specified Schedule I and Schedule II drugs. (ABC News)

Politics and elections

• 2021 President of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil election, 2021 President of the Federal Senate of Brazil election
  • The National Congress of Brazil elects new leaders for the 56th Legislature. Arthur Lira and Rodrigo Pacheco, candidates supported by President Jair Bolsonaro, are elected President of the Chamber of Deputies and President of the Federal Senate respectively. (AFP via Bangkok Post)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Burmese State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi is placed under house arrest in the capital Naypyidaw after the military coup that overthrew her government. (Financial Times)
• Tigray War
  • Three Ethiopian opposition parties say that at least 52,000 civilians have died in Tigray. (Bloomberg)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Rescue Plan
  • The United States Senate votes 50–49 to pass a budget resolution that would allow Democrats to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package without support from Republicans. (Business Insider)
• Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announces that he will step down as CEO during the third quarter. Current Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy is expected to replace him. (CNBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • Captain Tom, a British Army veteran who served in World War II and who donated to charities during the lockdown, dies from COVID-19 at the age of 100. (The Guardian)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces a phased return to school for Scotland's youngest children, with nurseries and all primary pupils from P1 to P3 planned to be back in the classroom beginning on February 22. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain will restrict travel to South Africa and Brazil due to concerns about new variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Reuters)
      • Spain reports 724 deaths in the past 24 hours, the most since April. (El País)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • Andorra surpasses the 10.000 COVID-19 cases. (Diari d'Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • The French National Authority for Health approves the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged under 65. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports a record 101 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 3,418. (The Irish Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns
      • Prime Minister Mark Rutte extends all of the country's tough lockdown measures for at least a month due to the spread of more transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in San Marino
      • Former Captain Regent Fausta Morganti dies from COVID-19 at the age of 76. (Corriere Romagna)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Brunswick, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • New Brunswick reports its first two cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Toronto Star)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Saskatchewan reports its first two cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the Regina area. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico approves the use of Sputnik V vaccine in the country. (CTV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 21 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 791. (The Star)
      • Malaysia extends its movement control order in all states and territories except Sarawak until February 18. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 12,848 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 896,530. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The Japanese government extends an ongoing state of emergency in 10 prefectures, including Tokyo, which surpassed 100,000 cases yesterday. (UPI)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Kyrgyzstan is expected to receive 504,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in March. (24.kg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Prime Minister Imran Khan launches the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 in Pakistan, with the first dose of Sinopharm's vaccine administered to a doctor in Islamabad. (DAWN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • Palestinian Authority begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 starting with healthcare workers in the occupied West Bank. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • The Ministry of Health confirms that 276 people in 10 provinces and cities are currently infected with the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine
      • A peer-reviewed result published in the journal The Lancet finds Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to be 91.6% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 infection. It is the third major vaccine candidate to exceed 90% efficacy, along with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. (CBS on MSN)

International relations

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • China blocks a United Nations Security Council statement formally condemning the military coup in Myanmar. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• 2021 Sunrise, Florida shootout
  • Two FBI agents are killed and three others are wounded during a shootout in Sunrise, Florida, while serving an arrest warrant. The gunman is later found dead. This is the deadliest incident involving FBI agents since 1986. (BBC News) (Orlando Sentinel)
• 2021 Muskogee shooting
  • Five children and one adult are killed, and another person wounded, during a mass shooting at a home in Muskogee, Oklahoma. A 25-year-old male suspect who had been living with the victims is taken into custody. (Associated Press)

Politics and elections

• Cabinet of Joe Biden
  • The United States Senate votes to confirm Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary, making him the first openly gay person to be confirmed to a Cabinet post. (ABC News)
  • The Senate also confirms Alejandro Mayorkas as Secretary of Homeland Security, making him the first Jewish person, first Latino person and first immigrant to head the Department of Homeland Security. (The Hill)
• 2021 Italian government crisis
  • President Sergio Mattarella invites former President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi to form a new government following the resignation of Giuseppe Conte as Prime Minister. (AFP via RTE)

Sports

• 2020–21 Premier League, Manchester United F.C. 9–0 Southampton F.C.
  • Manchester United defeats Southampton 9–0 to equal the record for the largest winning margin in a Premier League match, equalling that of Leicester City's 0–9 victory against the same team in the previous season and their own 9–0 win against Ipswich Town in 1995. (ABC Australia)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Syria missile strikes (February 2021)
    • Israel launches airstrikes in Syria, Syrian forces responded late on Wednesday to "Israeli aggression" in the south of the country, according to state news agency SANA. (i24 News)
• Mali War
  • Nine soldiers are killed and six others are wounded during an ambush near the village of Boni, Mopti, Mali. Twenty attackers are also killed. (Al Jazeera)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • Four Tunisian soldiers are killed by a land mine during a counter-terrorism operation in Mount Mghila, central Tunisia. (AFP via Barron's)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • General Motors announces the suspension of operations at its Fairfax, Ingersoll, and San Luis Potosí assembly plants due to a global shortage of semiconductors. (AFP via RFI)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Wooroloo bushfire
  • Over 70 homes are destroyed by a large wildfire in Western Australia. (ABC Australia)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in Catalonia. Experts believe that it has no relation to South Africa, the variant's country of origin, and that it originated in Europe. (El Periódico)
      • Spain surpasses 60,000 deaths from COVID-19. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech Republic surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • The Swedish government announces that all travellers will be required to show a negative COVID-19 testing result within 48 hours of arrival beginning February 6 in order to prevent the spread of variants of SARS-CoV-2. Swedish citizens as well as foreign residents living in Sweden will be exempt from this rule. (The Local Sweden)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 vaccination programme in the United Kingdom
      • The number of people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United Kingdom surpasses 10 million. (ITV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The Japanese House of Councillors passes a law that will introduce fines for people and businesses that do not comply with restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
      • Kuwait will suspend entry for non-citizens for two weeks beginning February 7, due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country. (Gulf News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • The Health Sciences Authority approves the use of the Moderna vaccine for people aged above 18 in Singapore, becoming the first country in Asia to do so. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • The United Arab Emirates reports a record of 3,977 new confirmed cases and 12 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 313,626 and the nationwide death toll to 878. (Al-Arabiya)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas
      • Kansas reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Ellis County. (The Wichita Eagle)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • Medsafe provisionally approves the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine in New Zealand with certain conditions. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • GlaxoSmithKline and the German biotech firm CureVac sign an agreement worth 150 million euros ($180.7 million) to develop a vaccine to counter many variants of SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be introduced in 2022. (MarketWatch)
    • Preliminary tests indicate that the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine may reduce transmission of COVID-19 and not simply prevent symptomatic infections. (U.S. News & World Report via MSN)
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
  • Authorities in Brandenburg, Germany, cull 14,000 turkeys due to an outbreak of H5N8 bird flu on a farm in the Uckermark area. (Reuters)

International relations

• Guyana–Venezuela relations, Guayana Esequiba dispute
  • The Venezuelan government releases the crew of two Guyana-flagged fishing vessels detained by the Venezuelan military in January for alleged illegal fishing in the disputed Guayana Esequiba region. (AFP via France 24)

Law and crime

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • The police file criminal charges against overthrown de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi for illegally importing communications equipment and seek her custody until February 15 as part of investigations. (Al Jazeera)
• Terrorism in Canada
  • Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announces the designation of 13 groups as terrorist organizations, including the American far-right group Proud Boys and white supremacist organizations such as the Russian Imperial Movement, Atomwaffen Division, and The Base. In the process, Canada has become the first country to designate the Proud Boys as a terrorist organization. (The Washington Post) (USA Today)
• Fifteen people are arrested in Ethiopia over a plot to attack the United Arab Emirates' embassy in the capital Addis Ababa. Several other suspects, who were planning attacks against the UAE's diplomatic mission in Sudan, are also arrested. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Italian government crisis
  • Mario Draghi accepts the order from President Sergio Mattarella to form an "emergency government" after Giuseppe Conte's resignation. (The New York Times)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War, Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • U.S. President Joe Biden announces that the United States will end their support for Saudi Arabia in their intervention in Yemen. However, he also said the United States will continue targeting al-Qaeda operations in the country. (The Financial Times)
• Lebanese political activist and Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim is assassinated, with his body being found inside his car with multiple gunshot wounds in Sidon District. Prime Minister Hassan Diab says "this heinous crime shall not pass without accountability". (BBC News)

Arts and culture

• New Zealand announces a new floating public holiday to commence in 2022 based on the Māori celebration of Matariki. (RNZ)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Wooroloo bushfire
  • The number of homes destroyed rises to 81, as a new bushfire to the north threatens the Bullsbrook township. (ABC Australia)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin
        • Governor Tony Evers issues a new mask mandate after the Legislature voted to repeal the original mandate. (AP)
      • President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly Volkan Bozkır receives his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. (Business Standard)
      • Johnson & Johnson requests emergency approval for its vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration. (CNET)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says he is in "good health and recovering" after testing positive for COVID-19 in late January. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • The Ministry of Health grants emergency use authorization for China's Sinopharm vaccine. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran receives its first shipment of 500,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • Palestine receives 10,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Taiwan reports its first death of a foreigner from COVID-19. The patient was a British national in his 70s. It is also the first death from the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 reported in the country. (Taiwan News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Lineage P.1
      • France reports four cases of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy surpasses 90,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Il Messaggero)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The government confirms that British nationals and non-residents returning from 30 "red list" high-risk countries will need to quarantine in hotels or government-approved accommodation beginning February 15, two weeks after it was announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Private gatherings in Victoria are limited to 15 people after a worker at a quarantine site for tennis players competing in the Australian Open tests positive for COVID-19. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
    • Peru signs a deal with Pfizer to purchase 20 million doses of its vaccine. (Gestión)
• 2019–2021 locust infestation
  • Somalia declares a state of emergency due to swarms of desert locusts. (Daily Sabah)

International relations

• 2020–2021 Indian farmers protest
  • The Biden administration calls for India to resolve the farmers' protests via dialogue. However, the Ministry of External Affairs compared reactions to the January 26th incident at Red Fort to the January 6 riot that occurred at the Capitol. (National Herald)
  • A probe by the Modi government to the source of a protest toolkit Greta Thunberg posted suggested it was put together by a Canadian pro-Khalistan organization and that the toolkit had a plan to carry forward the "malign Indian campaign" even if the government repealed the laws. (Times of India)
• Foreign relations of Guyana, Foreign relations of Taiwan
  • Taiwan announces that it will establish a Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Guyana. The United States welcomes the "milestone". (AFP via CNA)
  • After criticism from China, Guyana terminates the above agreement and says it will continue to follow the One-China policy. (The Guardian)
• China–United Kingdom relations
  • British broadcasting regulator Ofcom revokes the license of China Global Television Network (CGTN), an English-language Chinese news network, after concluding the network was "ultimately controlled" by the Chinese Communist Party. China responds to the move by accusing BBC News of spreading "fake news" about COVID-19. (Reuters)
• Turkey–United States relations
  • Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu accuses the United States of being behind the coup d'état attempt in 2016, which killed more than 250 people. The U.S. State Department says the accusation was "wholly false", and "inconsistent with Turkey's status as a NATO ally". (Reuters)
• Henry Puna becomes the new Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum replacing Meg Taylor. (RNZ)

Law and crime

• 2021 Kilmarnock incidents
  • A woman is stabbed to death outside a hospital, and another killed at a nearby street, in Ayrshire, Scotland. The perpetrator dies during a car crash while escaping from the scene. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 117th United States Congress
  • The United States House of Representatives votes 230–199 to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) from her assignments on the Education and Labor and Budget committees. (BBC News)

Science and technology

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, Censorship in Myanmar, Censorship of Facebook
  • American technology company Facebook, Inc. reports that multiple Internet service providers in Myanmar have restricted access to its social networking services, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company has urged authorities to restore connectivity. (AFP via Deccan Herald)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • The International Criminal Court announces that it will pave the way for investigations into alleged war crimes in Palestinian territories. Israel and groups like Hamas could be investigated. (NBC News)
• Mali War, Takuba Task Force
  • Swedish troops are deployed to Mali to join French-led counter-insurgency operations against jihadist groups. The Riksdag approved the deployment of up to 150 soldiers in June 2020. (France 24)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Rescue Plan
    • The United States Senate votes 51–50 to pass a budget resolution as a step to pass the $1.9 trillion stimulus package without Republican support, with Kamala Harris casting her first tiebreaking vote as Vice President. (CBS News)
    • The United States House of Representatives votes 219–209 to approve the Senate's budget resolution, with all Republicans and one Democrat voting against the resolution. (The Hill)
  • Economy of Indonesia, COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    • Indonesia's GDP contracts 2.07% in 2020, the first economic contraction since the aftermath of the 1997 Asian financial crisis in 1998. (Okezone)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid, Lineage P.1
        • Spain reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 variant in a 44-year-old man who travelled from Brazil to Madrid on January 29 and later tested positive for COVID-19. (RTVE)
      • Spain approves the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in people aged 18 to 55. (El Mundo)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece imposes a ten-day curfew in Attica, Thessaloniki, and Halkidiki, and also closes high schools in these areas beginning tomorrow in an attempt to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. (Ekathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announces that hotels, theatres, swimming pools and other indoor facilities will be allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity on February 12, but that restaurants and fitness centres will continue to remain closed. (The National Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine secures 12 million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Novavax. (UNIAN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • India reaches past 5 million vaccinations. (Business Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain
      • Bahrain announces that all indoor gyms, indoor exercise classes, sports halls, and swimming pools will be closed from February 7 to February 21 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The country also announces that government entities and institutions can allow up to 70 percent of their employees to work from home. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel announces that it will ease its lockdown measures beginning February 7. People will no longer be restricted to within one kilometer of their homes, many services will be allowed to operate, and all national parks will reopen. However, international borders will remain closed until February 20. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea surpasses 80,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Korea Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Western Australia lifts a five-day lockdown in Perth and surrounding areas after it reports no community cases. (9 News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
      • Immigration and government officials announce that New Zealand will restart its Refugee Quota Programme this month, nearly a year after closing its border due to the pandemic. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa
      • Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announces that the state will lift its mask mandate and gathering restrictions, which will take effect on Sunday. (The Des Moines Register)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oklahoma, Lineage P.1
      • Oklahoma reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 variant originated from Brazil in a woman who had a travel history. (KFOR-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia, 501.V2 variant
      • Virginia reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person from eastern Virginia. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Variants of SARS-CoV-2
      • AstraZeneca-Oxford developers say that their vaccine candidate is effective against the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (BBC News)

International relations

• Palau announces its intention to withdraw from the Pacific Islands Forum after claiming fraudulence in the recent election for the organization's Secretary General. (AFP via The Straits Times)

Law and crime

• Crime in London
  • 2021 Croydon stabbings
    • A man is killed and 10 others are injured in stabbing attacks in Croydon, London, England. (BBC News)
• Aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Prominent National League for Democracy official Win Htein is arrested for sedition and taken from his house in Yangon by members of the military and police. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• Second Libyan Civil War, Libyan peace process
  • Delegates of the United Nations-supported Libyan Political Dialogue Forum vote in Geneva to elect Mohammad Younes Menfi as President of the Presidency Council and businessman Mohammed Dbaiba as Prime Minister, defeating President of the House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, and Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha. (Bloomberg)

Science and technology

• Censorship in Myanmar
  • The military junta in Myanmar orders internet service providers to block Twitter and Instagram "until further notice". (Reuters)
• Scientists belonging to a German–Malagasy expedition announce the discovery of Brookesia nana, a lizard found in Madagascar. The male's body spanning only 13.5 millimetres (0.5 in), is potentially the smallest reptile on Earth. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Internal conflict in Myanmar
  • An ambush on a convoy by suspected MNDAA insurgents in Shan State, Myanmar, kills nine civilians and three policemen, and injures 13 others. (ANI News)
• Tigray War
  • The United Nations says that the Ethiopian government is blocking aid from going to 2.3 million people in non-government-controlled rural areas in Tigray who are in dire need of assistance. (VOA)
• War in Afghanistan
  • A bombing targeting a Hindu shop in Kabul, Afghanistan, kills three people. Attacks against Hindu and Sikh minorities increased in the country in the last years, mainly by Islamic State militants. (Gandhara)

Business and economy

• Economy of Cuba
  • The Cuban Council of Ministers approves a measure authorizing private activity in most sectors. (AFP via CTV News)

Disasters and accidents

• Eleven people are dead and three others have been rescued after their wooden boat overturns in a lake in Susong County, in east China's Anhui province. (Sina)
• Four skiers are killed and four others are injured in an avalanche in Millcreek Canyon, Utah, United States. (KSTU-TV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri
        • Missouri reports its first case of B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in an adult from Marion County. (KMOV-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • Canada surpasses 800,000 cases of COVID-19. (CP24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China's National Medical Products Administration gives a conditional approval to Sinovac's Coronavac vaccine for general use. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 61 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,989. (Xinhua)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar
      • Myanmar approves the use of the Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia. (Sputnik V)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • The government eases the restrictions on business operating hours outside of the Seoul Capital Area, allowing those businesses to operate until 10 p.m. local time amid a backlash over prolonged restrictions. (The Korea Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy signs a decree authorizing the emergency use of monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 patients. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (NL Times)

International relations

• Immigration policy of the Joe Biden administration
  • U.S. President Joe Biden suspends and initiates the process to terminate the Trump-era "Asylum Cooperative" agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. (Reuters)
• The leaders of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands will meet on Monday to discuss leaving the Pacific Islands Forum after Marshallese candidate Gerald Zackios was not chosen as Secretary-General. Palau had earlier announced that it was leaving the forum. (RNZ)
• Moussa Faki is re-elected as Chairperson of the African Union Commission. (AFP via Al-Ahram)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  • COVID-19 pandemic in California
    • Governor Gavin Newsom issues revised COVID-19 mitigation guidelines for churches after the U.S. Supreme Court lifts the state's ban on indoor worship in areas hardest hit by the pandemic. The new guidelines limit indoor services to 25 percent of the church's capacity in hard-hit areas and restricts indoor singing and chanting. (ABC News)
• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • An Australian economic advisor to Aung San Suu Kyi reveals that he has been detained by the Tatmadaw. He is the first foreign national confirmed to be in the custody of Myanmar's military. (AFP via The Star)
• After a juggler is shot dead by a Carabinero, several protests are held in Panguipulli, southern Chile. The protests escalate into riots and several buildings, including the city hall, are burned. (The New York Times)
• Egypt frees Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein after four years in detention. He had been held on charges of spreading false news, joining a banned group and receiving foreign funds. (VOA)

Politics and elections

• French religious sister Nathalie Becquart is named by Pope Francis one of the Undersecretaries of the Synod of Bishops, becoming the first woman to reach that office and having a right to vote in the Synod. (CNN)

Science and technology

• Censorship in Myanmar, aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • The military junta shuts down the country's internet with a near-total blackout in effect amid growing protests against the coup. (BBC News)

Sports

• 10th Annual NFL Honors
  • In American football, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wins his third MVP award, making him the sixth player to do so after Jim Brown, Brett Favre, Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady. (National Post) (Bleacher Report)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • A roadside bomb explodes in Dusmareb, Somalia, killing twelve agents of the National Intelligence and Security Agency, including its local head. (Al Jazeera)
• 2020–21 Sudanese–Ethiopian clashes
  • Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto arrives in Khartoum to help reduce tensions between Sudan and Ethiopia. He will also visit a refugee camp containing refugees fleeing the Tigray War and visit Ethiopia after spending time in Sudan. (European Union)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Uttarakhand glacial outburst flood
  • A glacier breaks off in Joshimath, India, in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district resulting in flash floods along the Alaknanda River and Dhauliganga River. Eighteen people are found dead and 200 more are feared dead. (Reuters)
• An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 occurs in the southern province of Davao del Sur, Philippines, with damage and aftershocks expected. No casualties have been reported. (The Philippine Star)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
        • U.S. Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX) dies from COVID-19 at the age of 67, thus making him the first member of Congress to die from the disease. (NBC News)
      • The United States surpasses 27 million cases of COVID-19. (KIRO-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Lineage P.1
        • Ontario reports Canada's first case of the Lineage P.1 variant in a person who travelled from Brazil to Toronto. (CP24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Beatriz Yamamoto Cázarez becomes the fifth incumbent member of the Congress of the Union to die from COVID-19. (El Universal)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan
      • Afghanistan receives 500,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from India. (The Hindu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh begins a nationwide vaccination programme against COVID-19 in Dhaka. (All India Radio)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia receives its first 600,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam surpasses 2,000 cases of COVID-19. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria tightens its border controls with all neighbouring countries in order to avoid non-essential travel due to the pandemic. (The Local Austria)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary approves the use of the Sputnik V vaccine in the country. (The Moscow Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa suspends its rollout of the Oxford-AstraZenenca vaccine after research finds that the vaccine is less effective against the 501.V2 variant discovered in the country. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, 501.V2 variant
      • A limited-size clinical trial in Johannesburg suggests that the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is weak against the 501.V2 variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Wall Street Journal)
• The health ministry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announces a "resurgence" of the Ebola virus in the country's eastern side, after it was reported that a woman there died from the disease four days prior. The announcement comes three months after the World Health Organization declared an end to the Kivu Ebola outbreak in the country's Équateur province. (AFP via France 24)

International relations

• Iran–United States relations after 1979
  • Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei says that the United States should "lift all sanctions" if it wants to reverse its nuclear steps, saying that Iran complied with all obligations of the 2015 deal and accuses the United States and European countries of not doing so. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2018–2021 Haitian protests
  • The Haitian government says that it has thwarted an attempted coup d'état against President Jovenel Moïse, with at least 23 people arrested. Protesters assert that Moïse's term expires today, however, he claims that his term ends on February 7, 2022; in accordance with the constitution. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Ecuadorian general election
  • General elections occur in Ecuador to elect the successor of President Lenín Moreno. Socialist and former aide of President Rafael Correa, Andrés Arauz, is expected to finish in first place, but may face a run-off. (DW)
• 2021 Liechtenstein general election
  • General elections occur in Liechtenstein to elect the 25 members of the Landtag. (Euronews)
• 2021 Myanmar protests, aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Tens of thousands of people protest against the military coup in Myanmar's largest city Yangon, calling for the release of jailed leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The protests are the largest to occur in the country's history since the 2007 Saffron Revolution. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2020 NFL season, Super Bowl LV
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the Super Bowl following a 31–9 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, making them the first wildcard team to win the Super Bowl since the 2010 Green Bay Packers and the first to win it in their home stadium. Quarterback Tom Brady is named Super Bowl MVP. (BBC News)
  • Sarah Thomas becomes the first female NFL official to officiate a Super Bowl. (The New York Times)
• 2020 FIFA Club World Cup
  • Tigres UANL defeats Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras 1–0 in the semi-finals, to become the first CONCACAF team to reach the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. (AP via The Seattle Times)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Houthi forces resume an offensive against Maʼrib, the last stronghold of the internationally-recognized Yemeni government in northern Yemen. A government source says that 20 pro-government fighters have been killed and 28 others have been injured repelling five attacks in the past 24 hours. (Middle East Eye)

Disasters and accidents

• Twenty-four workers die in a flooded illegally-run textile workshop in a private house in Tangier, Morocco, which occurred as a result of intense rains that hit the region. Ten others were rescued and hospitalized. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
        • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
          • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that restaurants can bring back their indoor dining from February 12, three days ahead of originally schedule on Valentine's Day Sunday. (The Wall Street Journal)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Texas, 501.V2 variant
        • The Houston Methodist Hospital reports Texas' first case of the 501.V2 variant in a man from Fort Bend County who recovered several weeks ago. This makes it the fourth state known to have this variant. (The Houston Chronicle)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg quarantines for 14 days after a member of his security detail tests positive for COVID-19. (The Daily Telegraph)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • President Andrés Manuel López Obrador resumes morning news conferences two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 13,038 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 963,028. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laos receives 300,000 doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 24 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 896. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • Seoul metropolitan government launches COVID-19 test for pet cats and dogs, which comes after South Korea reported its first case of COVID-19 infection in an animal (kitten) on January 24. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
      • France introduces new measures to ban homemade masks in educational institutions, requiring school children over the age of six to only wear category 1 masks in schools. (RFI)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • The Netherlands extends its nationwide curfew until March 3 in order to prevent the spread of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Cyprus, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Northern Cyprus reports its first case of B.1.1.7 variant in 16 samples that contracted SARS-CoV-2 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. (Anadolu Agency)
    • The European Commission finalizes a deal to secure 300 million additional doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (DW)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, Lineage P.1
    • Argentina reports its first cases of two different Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 variants in two people infected with the P.1 variant and two others infected with the P.2 variant. (Semana)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
    • Rwanda eases its lockdown in the capital Kigali and allows businesses to resume operations with up to 30% of essential staff. (Anadolu Agency)
• The government of Vietnam reports that it has culled more than 100,000 poultry in 14 provinces so far this year in a bid to contain the spread of highly pathogenic H5N1 and H5N6 bird flu strains. (Reuters)

International relations

• Greece–Israel relations, COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
  • Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sign an accord that would allow vaccinated travellers to visit freely between the two countries without any restrictions in order to revive their battered tourism sector. (Ekathimerini)
• Russia–European Union relations, 2021 Russian protests
  • The governments of Germany, Poland, and Sweden each expel a Russian diplomat to reciprocate the Russian government's expulsion of three European Union diplomats on February 6. (AFP via The Moscow Times)

Law and crime

• Trial of Benjamin Netanyahu, corruption in Israel
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pleads not guilty to charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud at the Jerusalem District Court. (Reuters)
• Venezuelan refugee crisis
  • The government of Colombia announces the legalization of undocumented Venezuelan migrants currently in the country, making them eligible to receive 10-year residency permits. (AP)
• Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, Trump–Raffensperger phone call
  • Georgia officials launch an investigation into former U.S. President Donald Trump for several phone calls made urging officials such as Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn Joe Biden's win in the state. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Myanmar protests, aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • A nationwide general strike takes place in Myanmar in response to the military coup with thousands marching in the capital Naypyidaw, where they clashed with riot police. Several injuries have been reported. (BBC News)
  • The military junta declares martial law in the country's second largest city Mandalay amid protests against the coup. Public gatherings of more than five people are banned, and a curfew from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. has been imposed. (Channel News Asia)
• 2021 Somali presidential election
  • An alliance of opposition parties ceases recognising Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed as the President of Somalia, and propose the creation of a "national council of lawmakers, opposition leaders and civil society" to govern the country as the President's term expires with no clear plan for succession. (Reuters)
• 2018–2021 Haitian protests
  • Haitian opposition names judge Joseph Mécène Jean-Louis from the Supreme Court the new interim President of Haiti to lead a "transitional government" after arguing that incumbent Jovenel Moïse's term has expired and calling on him to step down. The Organization of American States considers that Moïse's five-year term ends in 2022 as he took office in 2017. (CNN)
• The Palau National Congress passes a joint resolution supporting the decision made by President Surangel Whipps Jr. to leave the Pacific Islands Forum. The National Congress says that the "gentleman's agreement was not honored". (RNZ)

Sports

• 2021 Australian Open, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • The Grand Slam of the Australian Open begins in Melbourne Park, three weeks later than originally scheduled due to the pandemic, with daily attendance capped at 30,000 people per day. (7 News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Five people are killed in two separate attacks targeting government employees in Kabul, including the head of the provincial department of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development. (Reuters)
• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Tatmadaw raids the headquarters of ousted de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party National League for Democracy in Yangon, according to a party statement posted on Facebook. (CNA)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash
  • The National Transportation Safety Board concludes their investigation of the crash that killed former professional basketball player Kobe Bryant and eight others nearly a year prior, citing pilot error and spatial disorientation as the cause of the crash. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba
        • Manitoba reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (CBC)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • Quebec reports its first two cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. (Global News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 drug development
      • The Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for Eli Lilly and Company's combination antibody therapy bamlanivimab/etesevimab for use in COVID-19 positive adults and children aged 12 and older who are at high risk of severe disease. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that all British and Irish residents returning from 33 "high-risk" countries will be charged £1,750 to stay in quarantine hotels in England for 10 days and that those who fail to do so or who violate COVID rules face fines of up to £10,000 or up to 10 years in jail. (BBC News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • Scottish Transport secretary Michael Matheson announces that all people who arrive from outside the UK and Ireland will be charged £1,750 for “managed quarantine” at one of six hotels at Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces a statewide isolation order in Tyrol beginning February 12 in order to prevent the spread of the 501.V2 variant. Residents will have to present a negative COVID-19 test result from the last 48 hours in order to leave the state. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus
      • Belarus surpasses 260,000 cases of COVID-19 after reporting 561 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Xinhua)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces a near-full lockdown in the Attica region, which includes the capital Athens, from February 11 until February 28. All schools, churches, hair salons, and retail stores, with the exception of supermarkets and pharmacies, are ordered to close; and restaurants are only allowed to offer delivery services. (Ekathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain surpasses three million cases of COVID-19. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
      • Switzerland reports its first case of the Brazilian P.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Local Switzerland)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 among healthcare workers using the Sputnik V vaccine. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia approves the emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Sputnik V)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • The government allows more businesses in retail sector and Mosques in most of Malaysia to reopen beginning tomorrow and allows restaurants to resume dine-in service with two people seat on the table despite COVID-19 cases in the country remains high. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan approves the emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, becoming the third vaccine to be approved in the country after the Sinopharm and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Equatorial Guinea
    • Equatorial Guinea imposes a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time for the first since the beginning of the pandemic and prohibits many leisure activities. The country also reduces domestic flights to once per day, and international flights to twice per week for domestic airlines and once per week for foreign airlines. (EWN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
    • Peru launches a vaccination program against COVID-19 two days after it received 300,000 doses of Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine. President Francisco Sagasti becomes the first person to get vaccinated. (Voice of America)

International relations

• Five countries: Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Nauru, officially withdraw from the Pacific Islands Forum over a disagreement regarding the choice of the forum's new Secretary-General. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest
  • Indian actor and activist Deep Sidhu is arrested by the Delhi Police's special cell unit for his role in inciting the January 26 riot at the Red Fort. (The Times of India)
• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest
  • George Floyd protests, George Floyd protests in Richmond, Virginia
    • A Ku Klux Klan member is sentenced to three years and eight months in prison for driving his pickup truck into Black Lives Matter protesters in Richmond, Virginia, during the summer. (The Washington Post)
• Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump
  • Former United States president Donald Trump's second impeachment trial begins. (Reuters)
  • The United States Senate votes 56–44 to proceed with the impeachment trial, rejecting claims by Trump's attorneys that the proceeding is unconstitutional. (RTÉ)
• COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
  • A court in Baden-Württemberg overturns the nighttime curfew imposed since mid-December to stop the spread of COVID-19 following an emergency application. It means that the 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will be scrapped on February 11. (Euronews)
• Mass media in Hungary
  • A court in Budapest rejects an appeal by independent radio station Klubrádió to have its broadcast license renewed by the government's media regulator, which says that the station had infringed rules. Klubrádió owner András Arató says that the station will appeal the decision at the Supreme Court. (AFP via Barron's)
• Buffalo, Minnesota clinic attack
  • One person is killed and four others injured in a mass shooting at an Allina Health clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota. A 67-year-old man is arrested, and the clinic is believed to have been intentionally targeted. (CNN)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Myanmar protests, aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Demonstrations in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, continue in response to the military coup. Riot police fire rubber bullets and use water cannons to disperse protesters. (BBC News)
  • 90 townships in 30 cities, including Naypyidaw and all 44 townships in Yangon, are placed under curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. local time and all gatherings of more than five people are banned. (Myanmar Times)
• COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
  • Parliament suspends their sittings for the next three weeks after 17 MPs and 151 staff tested positive for COVID-19. (Pulse Ghana)

Science and technology

• Emirates Mars Mission
  • United Arab Emirates Space Agency spacecraft Hope enters orbit around Mars. The space probe will study the climate of Mars, and meteorological phenomena such as dust storms. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Four bombings in the Afghan capital Kabul kill at least four people, including a district police chief and his bodyguard. Three others are reportedly wounded. (Reuters)
• Tigray War
  • Red Cross officials report that 80% of Tigray's 6 million people are unreachable. In the regional capital of Mekelle, which is now home to 250,000 displaced people, vaccines have expired and there are no longer any HIV or tuberculosis drugs. (Associated Press) (Europe External Programme with Africa)
  • Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces ambush Ethiopian and Eritrean troops in May Keyah, 50–60 kilometers south of Mekelle. Fighting between the TPLF and Ethiopia is also reported in Guya, Kola Tembien. (Europe External Programme with Africa)
• Saudi Arabian–Yemeni border conflict
  • The Houthis carry out a drone strike on Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia, damaging a civilian aircraft. A Houthi spokesman says that the attack is in response to coalition airstrikes and other actions in Yemen. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Sriwijaya Air Flight 182
  • Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee issues a preliminary report into the crash of Sriwijaya Air Flight 182, which reveals that a malfunctioning cockpit throttle caused the left engine of the aircraft to lose power before it plunged into the Java Sea. (Voice of America)
• Earthquakes in 2021
  • A magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off the Loyalty Islands Province, New Caledonia. It is the strongest recorded earthquake of the year so far. A tsunami warning was issued with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology confirming that a tsunami was generated by the earthquake. (The San Francisco Chronicle) (Metro) (NDTV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • COVID-19 pandemic in the San Francisco Bay Area, 501.V2 variant
          • California reports its first two cases of the 501.V2 variant in people from Alameda County and Santa Clara County. (The Los Angeles Times)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, Lineage B.1.1.7
        • Florida surpasses 300 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Patch.com)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maine, Lineage B.1.1.7
        • Maine reports its first two cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom in a person from Franklin County who previously travelled internationally. (Portland Press Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico approves the use of China's Sinovac and CanSino vaccines. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain
      • Bahrain approves the emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, becoming the fourth vaccine to be approved in the country. (Bahrain News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia launches a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using 600,000 doses of Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine. The son of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Hun Manet, and several cabinet ministers are among the first people to get vaccinated. (Nikkei Asia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong will reopen theme parks and sports and entertainment facilities, as well as extend dining hours in restaurants to 10:00 p.m. local time beginning February 18 as the number of cases continues to decline. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • A pet dog owned by a COVID-19 patient in South Korea tests positive for COVID-19 after it showed symptoms. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • Croatia detects the first case of UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a samples from three people including a three-year-old children. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • The federal government and leaders of 16 German states agree to extend the nationwide lockdown until March 7 due to concerns about variants of SARS-CoV-2 despite a decline in the number of new cases. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, Lineage P.1
      • Portugal reports its first two identified cases of COVID-19 infection with the Lineage P.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2, both of which were detected in the Lisbon metropolitan area. (RTP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia surpasses four million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fourth country to do so after the United States, India, and Brazil. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 vaccination programme in the United Kingdom
      • Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall receive their first doses of the vaccine. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • The New Zealand Government grants a formal approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and announces that high-risk groups such as quarantine personnel, frontline health workers and airline staff will be the first to receive the vaccine. (ABC Australia)
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine by all adults worldwide, including people over age of 65 and recommends an interval of 8 to 12 weeks between the doses. (Financial Times)

International relations

• Myanmar–United States relations, 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • U.S. President Joe Biden announces sanctions on the military leaders who directed the coup in Myanmar. (CBS News)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that Iran has carried out its plan to produce uranium metal at a nuclear facility in Isfahan, a major breach of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Uranium metal is essential to making the core of a nuclear weapon. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in Pakistan
  • The Supreme Court of Pakistan commutes the death sentences of two schizophrenic prisoners after considering that if their illness makes them unable to comprehend the rationale of their crimes, the death sentence will not meet the ends of justice. The ruling is celebrated by human rights groups. (DW)
• 2021 Russian protests
  • A court in Russia orders the arrest of Alexei Navalny's ally Leonid Volkov for "appealing to minors to join illegal protests". Volkov, who lives in the European Union and who will not be extradited, said on Facebook that he will "ignore the charges". (DW)
• Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, Trump–Raffensperger phone call
  • Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opens a criminal investigation into former U.S. President Donald Trump for attempting to overturn Joe Biden's victory in Georgia, including conducting a phone call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger where he pressured Raffensperger to "find enough votes" for him. (NPR)
• Crime in the United Kingdom
  • British sex offender David Wilson is sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for 96 offences against 51 boys aged 4 to 14. (BBC News)
• The Saudi government releases women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul from prison, after being held in custody for almost three years. She will still be banned from traveling for the next five years, and has been placed on a three-year probation. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

• Twitter suspensions
  • Donald Trump on social media, 2024 United States presidential election
    • Twitter confirms that the ban on Donald Trump's account will remain permanent, even if he were to run for president in 2024. (NBC News)
• Chinese space program
  • The China National Space Administration space probe Tianwen-1 enters into planetary orbit around Mars. It is the first Chinese spacecraft to reach Mars. A rover will be deployed to explore the Martian surface sometime in May. (BBC News)

Sports

• 2020–21 in English football
  • Following their 3–1 win against Swansea City in the fifth round of the FA Cup, Manchester City sets a record for the most consecutive wins in all competitions by a top-flight English football club, with 15 consecutive wins. (Rappler)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Sino-Indian border dispute
  • China and India will withdraw troops around Pangong Lake in a disputed area of eastern Kashmir following sustained talks between the two countries. Tensions have been high since border clashes last year killed dozens. (BBC News)
• Kurdish-Turkish conflict
  • Three Turkish soldiers are killed by PKK separatists in Iraqi Kurdistan. (Al Jazeera)
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Four Pakistani soldiers and four militants are killed in an attack on a security outpost in South Waziristan, according to the Inter Services Public Relations. (Pakistan Observer)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in France, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation
    • France's government cancels a plan by international airport operator Groupe ADP to expand Charles de Gaulle Airport, the country's largest airport, citing reduced traffic due to the pandemic and inconsistency with environmental policies. (AFP via RFI)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, COVID-19 recession
    • Malaysia's GDP contracts 5.6% in 2020, its worst annual contraction since 1998 following the 1997 Asian financial crisis. (The Straits Times)

Disasters and accidents

• Six people are killed and at least 65 others are injured during a 133-vehicle accident following freezing rain near Fort Worth, Texas, United States. (KXAS-TV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia
      • Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announces a slight easing of restrictions beginning on February 16, citing the stable number of new cases in the past few weeks. Foreign language schools, casinos, gyms and betting shops can reopen and restaurants and bars can also sell coffee to go. (The National Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Chamber of Deputies votes down an appeal by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to extend the state of emergency beyond February 14. (Radio Prague International)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany will close its border with the Czech Republic and Austria's Tyrol region beginning on the evening of February 14 because of a high risk of variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Eurozone)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Montenegro
      • Montenegro's Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices approves the purchases of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. (Vijesti)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • The Assembly of the Republic votes to extend its state of emergency, allowing the government to extend its second lockdown until March 1. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
      • The government announces that starting from February 15, all retail stores will be allowed to reopen and customers will no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 testing result to enter. Schools and universities will also be allowed to resume their classes. Also, skiers will now be allowed to present negative test results from the past seven days instead of just the past 24 hours. (Total Slovenia News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and health workers across the country receive their second doses of COVID-19 vaccine as the country begins to administer second doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine. (Daily Sabah)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
      • Morocco receives their second shipment of four million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine from India. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that the country has secured nine million doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, with the first shipment of 80,000 doses arriving next week. (SABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwe purchases 600,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine, in addition to 200,000 doses donated by China. These vaccines are expected to arrive at the beginning of March. (TimesLive)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California surpasses New York as the U.S. state with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths. (CBS News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, 501.V2 variant
      • Illinois reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person from Rock Island. (WMAQ-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina, 501.V2 variant
      • North Carolina reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant an adult in the central part of the state who had no travel history. (WRAL-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio
      • Ohio Governor Mike DeWine lifts a statewide curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. EST, citing drop of COVID-19 cases. (Patch.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C., Variants of SARS-CoV-2
      • Washington, D.C. confirms its first cases of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa and the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (WRC-TV)
    • U.S. President Joe Biden announces that his administration has finalized a deal purchasing a total of 200 million vaccine doses from Moderna and Pfizer. (NBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • South Australia tightens its border restrictions with Victoria due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in Victoria. Travelers from Melbourne will be banned from entering South Australia, though people living in other parts of the state will still be permitted to cross the border. (ABC Australia)
• The Democratic Republic of Congo reports its second death of the Ebola virus outbreak in North Kivu province. (NPR)

International relations

• Belarus–Russia relations
  • Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko expresses his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin as both men face protests. He also criticized the protests in his own country as a "rebellion" during the All Belarusian People's Assembly. (Newsweek)
• China–United Kingdom relations, Censorship in China
  • China's National Radio and Television Administration bans BBC World News, in response to British telecommunications regulator Ofcom revoking the television license for the state-run China Global Television Network last week. (DW)

Law and crime

• The Greek parliament approves legislation to create a special police force in universities. The measure faces opposition from various student groups, who describe it as "anti-democratic". (AFP via CNA)

Politics and elections

• National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States
  • U.S. President Joe Biden ends former President Donald Trump's nearly two-year emergency declaration on the Mexico–United States border. (Politico)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
  • The German Badminton Association (DBV) cancels the upcoming 2021 German Open in Mülheim an der Ruhr scheduled for March 9 to 14 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kompas)
• 2020 FIFA Club World Cup
  • Bayern Munich defeats Tigres UANL 1–0 in the final to win the FIFA Club World Cup. Robert Lewandowski is awarded the Golden Ball of the tournament. (CNN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • A French presidency official and a senior Chadian official announce that Chad will reinforce their troops by 1,000 in order to fight jihadists in the border regions of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. It will be formally announced in a summit on February 15–16. (Reuters)
• Mali War
  • A Togolese peacekeeper has died after being wounded yesterday in an attack on a MINUSMA base near Douentza in Mopti, central Mali, which wounded 28 peacekeepers, according to United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. (UrduPoint)

Arts and culture

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • The United States Senate votes by unanimous consent to award United States Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal for keeping rioters away from the Senate chamber during the storming of the United States Capitol. (The Washington Post)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 recession
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
    • The Norwegian economy contracts by 2.5% in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as their Q4 GDP grew faster than expected by 1.9%. (Bloomberg)
  • Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    • The Office for National Statistics says that the economy of the United Kingdom has contracted by a record 9.9% since the pandemic began, but has narrowly avoided a double-dip recession. This is nonetheless estimated to be the largest annual contraction since 1709. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 strikes 35 kilometres west of Murghob, Tajikistan. The tremors are felt as far away as northern India and Pakistan. (The Straits Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York
        • New York governor Andrew Cuomo announces to extend the operating hours of indoor dining in restaurants in New York City to 11:00 p.m. EST beginning from Valentine's Day as it expands their curfew on restaurants and bars statewide. (WCBS-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire, Lineage B.1.1.7
        • New Hampshire reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 variant in a person from Hillsborough County who had close contact with someone who travelled internationally. (Patch.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
        • British Columbia reports Canada's first case of the Nigerian variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a young person from the Interior Health region who is currently self-isolating. (Vancouver Sun)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexican authorities lower the pandemic alert level in Mexico City and the State of Mexico to orange status due to a decrease in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations. (MedicalXpress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia approves the emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sinovac Biotech vaccines. (Cambodianess)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • The number of recovered COVID-19 patients in Indonesia surpasses one million. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan receives their first shipment of 400,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from Belgium. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan approves the emergency use of China's CanSinoBio vaccine, becoming the fourth vaccine to be approved in the country. (DAWN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece extends their full lockdown to Achaia and the island of Euboea beginning February 13 in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Ekathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
      • Russia gives a preliminary approval for its Sputnik V vaccine to be manufactured in Serbia. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom surpasses four million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fifth country to do so after the United States, India, Brazil, and Russia. (The Independent)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • President Sebastián Piñera receives the first dose of the Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine. (United News of India)

International relations

• Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations, Censorship in Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong's public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong joins mainland China in blocking BBC World News and BBC World Service. (U.S. News and World Report)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest, Black Lives Matter protests in New York City
  • A Black Lives Matter protest turned violent in New York City, resulting in nearly a dozen arrests and injuries among police officers. The New York Police Department said two officers were injured during the march in midtown Manhattan. (The Washington Examiner)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Italian government crisis
  • Prime Minister-designate Mario Draghi meets with President Sergio Mattarella and presents the list of proposed ministers for his cabinet. Draghi's oath of office is scheduled for tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. local time. (ANSA)
• 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Elections in Belarus
  • President Alexander Lukashenko says that the country will hold a referendum that would change their constitution before January 18, 2022. (AP)
• North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un fires Economic Affairs Minister Kim Tu-il less than a month after appointing him to his cabinet for "lack of innovation". He is replaced by O Su-yong, according to state media. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• A study by University College London suggests that the bluestones that form Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, likely originated from another stone circle in Pembrokeshire, Wales, called Waun Mawn. (AFP via Dawn)
• Facebook restricts the content posted by the Myanmar's Tatmadaw in order to stop the spread of "misinformation" in a wake of military coup. (Euronews)

Sports

• 2020 Summer Olympics
  • The Chairman of Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Yoshiro Mori resigns due to a scandal over sexist remarks he made about women. (NBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • At least four security forces personnel, including a commander, are killed in eastern and southern Afghanistan as clashes with an unidentified terrorist group intensify. Separately, in Kandahar, a Humvee containing explosives detonates, injuring seven police officers. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• Egyptian and American archaeologists discover an ancient mass-production brewery in the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos, likely dating back to the Early Dynastic Period. Mostafa Waziri, the secretary-general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, believes it to be "the oldest high-production brewery in the world". (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Fukushima earthquake
  • A 7.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off the Tōhoku coast of Japan, injuring at least 110 people. (The Japan Times)
• A series of severe weather-related incidents in Northern Italy leaves four people dead and 25 others injured. (Il Messaggero)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
      • Lebanon receives its first shipment of 28,500 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from Belgium. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Two 11-week-old white tiger cubs that died in Lahore Zoo on January 30 are believed to have died of COVID-19. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • The government decides to lower social distancing levels to level 2 in the Seoul Capital Area and level 1.5 in other regions beginning February 15, allowing nightclubs to reopen and extending the operating hours of restaurants, coffee shops and gyms in the Seoul Capital Area until 10:00 p.m. local time. However, gatherings of more than five people continue to be prohibited, but theatres, libraries, and other types of businesses will no longer be subject to operating hours restrictions. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
      • The United Arab Emirates surpasses 1,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Khaleej Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Prince Edward Island, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • Prince Edward Island reports its first case of the B.1.1.7 variant in a man in his 20s who had travelled internationally. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Lineage B.1.1.7
    • Victoria returns to Stage 4 restrictions in a five-day "circuit breaker" lockdown due to an ongoing outbreak of the B.1.1.7 variant at the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn. All non-essential businesses are closed, masks are mandatory in all public places, and people are only permitted to leave their homes for essential work, education or care-giving, or for up to two hours a day for essential shopping and outdoor exercise within a radius of 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of their homes. All international flights to Melbourne have also been cancelled for the duration of the lockdown. (ABC Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Cyprus
    • Northern Cyprus extends its full-scale curfew until February 22 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • The cabinet announces that 20 of South Africa's land borders with Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe will reopen on February 15. (TimesLIVE)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
    • Venezuela receives its first shipment of 100,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters)
• Guinea's health ministry reports the country's first deaths from the Ebola virus disease since the 2013–2016 epidemic. (AFP via Hindustan Times)

Law and crime

• Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump
  • The United States Senate votes to acquit former President Donald Trump for the second time when the 57–43 vote in favor of conviction fails to reach the necessary two-thirds majority. Seven Republicans join the entire Democratic caucus in voting for conviction, making it the closest trial vote since the Andrew Johnson impeachment trial of 1868. (The Hill)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Italian government crisis, Draghi Cabinet
  • Prime Minister Mario Draghi and the ministers of his cabinet are officially sworn in at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, ending the government crisis. (ANSA)
• Presidency of Joe Biden
  • White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo resigns after making threats towards Politico journalist Tara Palmeri. (BBC News)

Sports

• 2021 Australian Open, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • Spectators at a late-running tennis match are ordered to leave as Victoria's 5-day "circuit breaker" lockdown comes into effect. Matches at the Melbourne tournament will continue without any spectators for the duration of the lockdown. (9 News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Kurdish–Turkish conflict
  • Operation Claw-Eagle 2
    • According to Turkish authorities, a Turkish military operation against Kurdish PKK fighters in Duhok, Iraq, ends with the death of 48 PKK fighters, three Turkish soldiers, and 13 Turks who had been kidnapped by the PKK. (Reuters)
• Kivu conflict
  • Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
    • Militants of the Islamic State's Central Africa Province raid the town of Ndalya in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 11 civilians and three members of the armed forces. (AFP via Manila Standard)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
        • The Indian state of Maharashtra records 4,097 fresh infections after 39 days of no infections (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan's Ministry of Health officially approves the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine, three days after a government panel recommends its approval. This is the first government-approved vaccine in the country. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
      • Lebanon begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, a day after the first 28,500 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine arrived in the country. A doctor at Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut is the first person to be vaccinated. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • The number of recovered COVID-19 patients in Pakistan surpasses 500,000. (Gulf News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia extends precautionary measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, which restricts social gatherings to 20 people and suspends all events and parties, for another 20 days. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, 501.V2 variant
      • Thailand reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person who travelled from Tanzania and undergoes mandatory quarantine. (Bangkok Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • In defiance to the Chamber of Deputies, the Czech government re-declares a state of emergency for the next two weeks in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially because of the emergence of the more contagious B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • The French Direction générale de la Santé asks regional health agencies and hospitals to go into "crisis mode" beginning on February 18 in order to prepare for a possible increase in COVID-19 cases as a result of highly contagious variants of SARS-CoV-2. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • Health Minister Roberto Speranza signs a provision that extends the ban on recreational skiing at resorts until March 5, effectively preventing ski resorts from opening tomorrow for the first time this season due to the spread of the UK variant and other variants of SARS-CoV-2. (AFP via RFI)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia surpasses 80,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Arab News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    • Mexico receives a shipment of 870,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine from India. (NDTV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • New Zealand reports their first community cases of COVID-19 since January 24. The patients are a family from Auckland. (Sydney Morning Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
    • Rwanda begins a COVID-19 vaccination programme with limited supplies of WHO-approved vaccines acquired through unnamed international partners, making it the first country in East Africa to begin its campaign. Healthcare workers and other high-risk groups will be the first to receive a vaccine. (Reuters)
• Guinea declares a new Ebola epidemic after three people died and four others became ill in the country’s southeast. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

• Cyprus-Israel relations, COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus, COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
  • Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announce an agreement to allow vaccinated travelers to travel between the countries without the need to quarantine in order to restore their countries' tourism industries. (ABC News)

Law and crime

• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • The leaders of the junta issue warnings to the public against harboring fugitives at the same time that arrest warrants are issued. Among the fugitives is democracy activist Min Ko Naing. (CNA)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Catalan regional election
  • Catalans head to the polls to elect the new Parliament of Catalonia. (The Washington Post)
  • Pro-independence parties gain a majority of the votes for the first time, though voter participation was the lowest in history. The anti-independence Socialists' Party of Catalonia, led by former national Health Minister Salvador Illa, wins the most seats for a single party. The far-right Vox places fourth and enters Parliament for the first time, winning 11 seats. Citizens, who placed first in the previous election, falls to seventh and loses 30 seats. (The Guardian)
• COVID-19 pandemic in Peru, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
  • Peru's Foreign Minister Elizabeth Astete resigns amid an uproar over secret vaccination before the country receives one million doses for health workers. (The Washington Post)
• 2021 Kosovan parliamentary election
  • Kosovans head to the polls to elect the new Assembly of Kosovo. The Vetëvendosje party is expected to gain most seats as it shows on exit polling data. (Voanews) (DW)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Saudi Arabian–Yemeni border conflict
    • The Houthis say that they have struck Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah with drones. A Houthi spokesman said on Twitter that the attacks halted operations in the airports for two hours. The Saudi-led coalition says that it intercepted drones heading towards the kingdom but did not confirm the attacks. (Reuters)
• Syrian civil war
  • Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
    • Israeli airstrikes on Iranian weapons and missile depots near Damascus, Syria, kill six foreign nationals, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The headquarters of the Syrian Army's 4th Armoured Division is also hit. (Jewish Press)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • Operation Barkhane
    • Chadian President Idriss Déby announces that his government will deploy 1,200 troops to the tripoint of the Burkina Faso–Mali and Burkina Faso–Niger borders. (AFP via France 24)
• 2021 Myanmar protests, aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Myanmar's military junta deploys Tatmadaw troops and cuts Internet services in many parts of the country hours after security forces fired live rounds to disperse a demonstration in the northern state of Kachin. (The Straits Times)
• 2021 Erbil missile attacks
  • Multiple rockets strike near Erbil International Airport in Kurdistan Region, Iraq, killing a foreign civilian contractor and wounding nine others, including a U.S. service member. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Bishop David Zubik of the Pittsburgh Diocese announces that four Catholic elementary schools are merging to form two schools for the school year beginning in fall 2021. The decision comes after more than a year's deliberation and hours of study. (Catholic News Agency)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 recession
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark, Economy of Denmark
    • Denmark's GDP contracts 3.7% in 2020, which is the first annual economic contraction since 2009 due to the impact of the pandemic. (DR)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, economy of Japan
    • Japan's GDP contracts 4.8% in 2020, which is the first annual economic contraction since 2009 due to the impact of the pandemic. (BBC News)
• The World Trade Organization formally appoints former Finance Minister of Nigeria Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as its first African and first female Director-General. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Congo River disaster
  • A passenger barge crashes and capsizes on the Congo River in Mai-Ndombe Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least 60 people, while 240 others are reported missing. At least 300 people have been rescued from the river. (Reuters)
• At least 37 people are killed by a bus falling off a bridge into a canal in Madhya Pradesh, India. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico begins the second phase of its vaccination programme for people over the age of 60 against COVID-19 in more than 300 municipalities. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Connecticut, 501.V2 variant
        • Connecticut reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person from Fairfield County with no known international travel history, which was notified by health officials in New York. (WVIT-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi, Lineage B.1.1.7
        • Mississippi reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. (Daily Journal)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
        • Australia suspends its quarantine-free travel bubble arrangement with New Zealand after the discovery of three new community cases in Auckland. (BBC News)
      • Australia receives 142,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
      • New Zealand receives 60,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. (Stuff.co.nz)
      • Auckland enters level three restrictions for the next three days in response to an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, closing all non-essential businesses and suspending all in-person education. The rest of the country will enter level 2 restrictions, which will limit public gatherings. (The Guardian)
      • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirms that three members of a family in Auckland who tested positive for COVID-19 are infected with the UK variant and that this is not connected to any managed isolation or quarantine facilities. (TVNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • Cambodia reports their first three cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom in 28-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman from India and a 23-year-old woman who travelled from China. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • Iraq announces that they will re-impose a partial lockdown from February 18 until March 8 after reporting their first cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan surpasses 7,000 deaths from COVID-19. (ABS-CBN News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency scales back Q1 vaccination targets to 750,000 people due to delayed shipments from COVAX and the decision not to use the AstraZeneca vaccine on people aged 65 or older until more efficacy data becomes available. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnamese authorities order two million people in Hải Dương province to stay at home for 15 days beginning tomorrow due to a growing COVID-19 outbreak in the province. Gatherings with more than two people are banned, and when leaving their homes, residents must stay 2 metres (6.6 ft) from others. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • The United Kingdom begins a mandatory hotel quarantine for all British and Irish citizens and all permanent residents arriving in England from 33 "high risk" countries, requiring them to stay for 10 days at government-designated accommodations. (ITV) (The Irish Times)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • Scotland begins a mandatory hotel quarantine for all international arrivals, requiring them to self-isolate for 10 days in one of six government-designated hotels. (STV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
      • Colombia receives their first shipment of 50,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. (MedicalXpress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwe receives their first shipment of 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. (South China Morning Post)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • The World Health Organization announces the approval of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Forbes)
• An Ebola vaccination campaign begins in the city of Butembo, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Health workers are the first to be vaccinated. (Reuters)

International relations

• Turkey–United States relations, Operation Claw-Eagle 2
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accuses the United States of supporting "the PKK terrorists", following the killing of 13 Turkish hostages held captive in Kurdistan Region. Turkey also summons the U.S. ambassador David M. Satterfield in response to the killings. (Daily Sabah)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • Iran says that it has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it will no longer allow snap inspections of its nuclear facilities as of February 21. The snap inspections were a condition of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, January 6 commission
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces that Congress will establish a 9/11-style commission to investigate the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. (AP)
• Turkish authorities announce the detention of 718 people they accuse of having links to Kurdish militant groups. Among those arrested include pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party officials. The mass arrests are seen as a direct response to the murder of 13 Turkish hostages in Iraq. The Kurdistan Workers' Party blamed Turkish airstrikes on their bases for the deaths of the hostages. (France 24)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Peru
  • President Francisco Sagasti appoints Allan Wagner Tizón as new foreign minister, a day after Elizabeth Astete resigned over secretly receiving a vaccination against COVID-19. (Andina)

Sports

• 2021 NASCAR Cup Series
  • Michael McDowell wins the 63rd running of the Daytona 500. It is McDowell's first career victory in the Cup Series. (NASCAR.com)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Ma'rib Campaign
    • Houthi forces continue to advance on the city of Maʼrib, capturing the village of al-Zor and reaching the Marib Dam. Yemeni government officials say that dozens of people have been killed in the past 24 hours as government forces counter the Houthi offensive. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock condemns the Houthi assault, warning of "unimaginable humanitarian consequences". (Al Jazeera)
• Tigray War
  • A spokesperson for the rebel group Tigray People's Liberation Front claims that an estimated 100,000 troops (both Tigrayan and Ethiopian) have been killed during the conflict. Three Ethiopian opposition parties previously claimed that an estimated 52,000 civilians have also died. (Europe External Programme with Africa) (Bloomberg)
  • Rwandan President Paul Kagame says the reported deaths in Tigray were too high to let Ethiopia and the African Union handle the situation alone. He adds that the UN should intervene in the Tigray War, explaining that when a state is not able to stop atrocities on its territory, such as genocide, the UN has a duty to intervene. (Agence Ecofin)
• War in Afghanistan, Afghan peace process
  • New Zealand announces that it will withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by May. (Radio New Zealand)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • The White House announces that President Joe Biden will extend the foreclosure ban and mortgage forbearance through the end of June as an effort to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. (NBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• Tornadoes of 2021
  • A tornado in Brunswick County, North Carolina, kills three people and injures ten others. (The Washington Post)
• 2020–21 North American winter, February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm
  • A winter storm kills at least 23 people and causes power outages for millions of people across the United States. (The New York Post)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirms that a phased return to school will begin on February 22, which will include pre-school children, pupils in primaries 1, 2 and 3, and secondary students who need to carry out practical assignments. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary receives 550,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy's first case of B.1525 variant found in Naples in a person who had recently travelled from a country in Africa. (The Local Italy)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta, 501.V2 variant
      • Malta reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (Times of Malta)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts, 501.V2 variant
        • Massachusetts reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in a woman in her 20s from Middlesex County. (Masslive)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Dominican Republic
      • The Dominican Republic begins to inoculate medical workers as part of a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 following the arrival of the first 20,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • COVID-19 vaccination in South Korea
        • South Korea signs an agreement with Novavax and Pfizer to secure additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for 23 million people in the second quarter of this year. (Yonhap News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • Palestine reports their first cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom in 139 people from the West Bank. (Anadolu Agency)
      • Health Minister Mai al-Kaila accuses Israel of blocking the delivery of 2,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine to the Gaza Strip, intended for ICU and emergency staff. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, Variants of SARS-CoV-2
      • India reports their first four cases of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa and one case of the Lineage P.1 variant from Brazil in people who traveled internationally. (NDTV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia extends their movement control order in Selangor, Johor and Penang as well as the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur until March 4 but eases restrictions in other parts of the country. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
      • Morocco receives its second shipment of 500,000 doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • The first batch consisting 80,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine arrives at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, which is unapproved for general use in South Africa and worldwide. (SABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • The Therapeutic Goods Administration approves the emergency use of the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca for people over 18 years of age in Australia. (ABC Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazilian Environment Minister Ricardo Salles tests positive for COVID-19. (G1)
• The World Health Organization asks six African countries (Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Liberia) to be on the alert for possible Ebola outbreaks after Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo reported new cases that signaled a resurgence of the outbreak. (Hindustan Times)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar
  • The Myanmar Police Force files new charges against ousted State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi for violating COVID-19 regulations, which may allow her to be held indefinitely without trial. (CBS News)
• COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
  • A lower court in The Hague orders the government to scrap its 9:00 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. curfew, citing violations of freedom of movement and assembly. Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government appealed the court decision, which was overturned by a high court. (Euronews)
• Capital punishment in Bangladesh
  • A court in Bangladesh sentences five men to death for murdering Avijit Roy, an American-Bangladeshi blogger critical of religious extremism, six years ago. The men belong to the al-Qaeda-inspired group Ansarullah Bangla Team. Another man was sentenced to life in prison. (Al Jazeera)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • The NAACP and U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson file a lawsuit accusing former President Donald Trump, Trump lawyer and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, and far-right groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers of conspiring to incite the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. The lawsuit, citing the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, also accuses the defendants of disrupting the certification of Biden's victory by Congress. (CNBC)
• 2020–2021 Belarusian protests
  • Belarus authorities raid the offices of the Association of Journalists and Viasna Human Rights Centre as part of the latest move to end protests against President Alexander Lukashenko. (AP)
• Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces that there will be a probe following accusations of rape against his government in Parliament. (The Straits Times)
• Two men accused of leading a Christian-majority Anti-balaka group in the Central African Republic that targeted Muslims plead not guilty at the start of their trial at the International Criminal Court. (Reuters)
• Footage obtained by the BBC programme Panorama reveals that Dubai sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum has been held in a private villa for at least a year after she attempted to escape from her family in February 2018. Latifa's close associates are calling for international intervention after they stopped receiving messages from her, fearing for her safety. (BBC News) (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• 2016 Philippine presidential election
  • The Electoral Tribunal unanimously dismisses the electoral protest of former Senator Bongbong Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo. (The Philippine Daily Inquirer) (Rappler)
• 2019–2021 Algerian protests
  • Thousands of protestors defy COVID-19 restrictions and take to the streets in Kherrata to both commemorate the second anniversary of the protests and to repeat their demands for the ruling government to step down. (Al Jazeera)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Kagara kidnapping
  • A school pupil is killed and 27 others are kidnapped from their school in the early hours in Kagara, Niger State, Nigeria. Three staff members and 12 of their relatives are also abducted. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • The Indian government issues new Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) guidelines that would be mandatory for travelers from the United Kingdom, Europe, Brazil, and South Africa to conduct self-paid molecular COVID-19 testing, beginning from February 22 at 23:59 p.m. IST. (The Wire)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccine
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • The Israeli Maccabi Healthcare Services confirm that, in a trial of 602,000 people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the vaccine's effectiveness was 95%. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 beginning with 40,000 health workers. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • The first shipment of the Sputnik V vaccine donated by Russia arrives in Gaza after Israel allows the shipment of 1,000 vaccines, which was previously blocked. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
      • Uzbekistan approves and certifies the use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine for mass vaccination. (AKIPress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark, 501.V2 variant
      • Denmark reports their first community transmission of the 501.V2 variant. (The Local Denmark)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • The Spanish Health Ministry introduces a ten-day quarantine for all travelers arriving from Brazil and South Africa. (Euro Weekly News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces that the country will gradually lift COVID-19 restrictions, including curfews and weekend lockdowns beginning in March on a provincial basis, which will divide the country into four categories based on infection and vaccination rates. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The British clinical trials ethics body approves the world's first COVID-19 human challenge study, which will begin in the next few weeks. Volunteers aged 18 to 30 will be exposed to the virus in the trial. (BBC News)
    • The European Commission signs a deal with Moderna to secure additional 300 million doses of the vaccine in the European Union. (DW)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Somalia
      • Somalia orders all government employees in ministries and departments except directors and senior staff to work from home following an increase in COVID-19 cases. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • South Africa begins its vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using a vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, which has not yet been authorized worldwide. President Cyril Ramaphosa, government officials, and health workers are among the first to receive the vaccine. (The Wall Street Journal)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania
      • Zanzibar's first Vice President, Seif Sharif Hamad, dies from COVID-19. (The Citizen)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland, Lineage P.1
      • Maryland reports their first case of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil in a deceased adult aged older than 65 living in Washington metropolitan area, who had international travel. (The Baltimore Sun)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • North Dakota reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Grand Forks Herald)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Protesters in the capital Naypyidaw, Mandalay, and the country's largest city Yangon stage a record number of demonstrations against military junta since February 1 coup. Many of public and private employees and civil servant join demonstrations despite military's warning. (Voice of America)

Science and technology

• Discoveries of exoplanets
  • Astronomers announce the discovery of HD 110082 b, a sub-Neptune exoplanet that is three times larger than Earth and which orbits a relatively young star. (Phys.org)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Ma'rib Campaign
    • Houthi forces take control of the Marib Dam, al-Balaq, Dahwan, and Athaf mountains, and the Kholan area, among others, as coalition forces retreat. This is the first time since 2015 that the Houthis control Marib Dam, which gives the Houthis fire control of the southern road to Marib. (ISWNews)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb, Mali War
  • Jihadist insurgents kill nine people in an ambush in Burkina Faso, while another jihadist attack near Bandiagara, Mopti Region, Mali, kills nine people and leaves others missing, according to local government officials. (Reuters)
• ISIL insurgency in Iraq
  • Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg announces an increase in NATO personnel in Iraq from 500 to around 4,000 amid a surge in ISIL activity in the country. The training mission will also be expanded to more areas beyond Baghdad and include more Iraqi security institutions, according to Stoltenberg. (France 24)

Business and economy

• News Media Bargaining Code
  • Facebook bans Australian news publishers from posting and Australian users from viewing and sharing news content in a preemptive retaliation move against the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission's (ACCC) proposed News Media Bargaining Code, which would require Facebook to pay to host Australian news content. A number of key government and charity organisations were also blocked for several hours. (The Guardian)
  • Alphabet Inc. agrees to begin paying News Corp for news content. News Corp CEO Robert Thomson credits the ACCC's proposed legislation with making the deal possible. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020–21 North American winter
  • February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm, 2021 Texas power crisis
    • In Texas, power is restored to millions of homes, but millions of people lack safe drinking water and 325,000 homes and businesses remain without power. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Lockdown restrictions are eased in Victoria as contact tracers are confident that all cases linked to a recent outbreak are self-isolating. People are permitted to leave their homes for non-essential reasons but are required to wear a mask when they are indoors. Private gatherings of up to five people and public gatherings of up to 20 people are once again permitted. Non-essential businesses and on-campus learning have been reopened, and businesses that were working from home can have up to 50% of their employees return to the office. (The Guardian)
      • South Australia reopens its land border with Victoria to the state's regional population, while still restricting travelers from Melbourne, the location of the recent outbreak. Similar restrictions are also in place at the New South Wales and Tasmanian borders. (9 News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
      • Restrictions are eased in New Zealand, with Auckland downgraded to alert level 2 and the rest of the country to alert level 1. Most Auckland schools are reopened and masks are made mandatory on public transportation. (New Zealand Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong grants emergency use authorization to the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine, making it the second vaccine to be approved in the city. (Quartz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 25 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby surpassing 1,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
      • Nepal approves the emergency use of the Sinopharm vaccine, which is the second vaccine to be approved in the country. (Deccan Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia's Food and Drug Authority approves the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Gulf News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
      • Nigeria approves the emergency use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwe begins its vaccination programme against COVID-19 using China's Sinopharm vaccine. Health minister and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is the first person to receive the vaccine. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazil surpasses 10 million cases of COVID-19, being the second country to do so after the United States. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
      • Venezuela launches a vaccination program against COVID-19 using Sputnik V vaccine starting with frontline health workers. (VOA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada, 501.V2 variant
      • Nevada reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person who travelled from South Africa to Reno and who later began showing symptoms of COVID-19. (U.S. News and World Report)
  • COVID-19 vaccine, 501.V2 variant
    • Lab studies suggest that the Pfizer–BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are significantly less effective in providing antibody protection against the 501.V2 variant of the disease, which is most prevalent in South Africa. (The Guardian)

International relations

• Iran–United States relations, United States sanctions against Iran
  • The Biden administration rescinds the UN sanctions placed on Iran by his predecessor Donald Trump, seen as a potential step towards rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The "snapback" of sanctions had been ignored by the rest of the world. (AP)
• Israel–Syria relations
  • Israel and Syria carry out a Russian-mediated prisoner exchange. An Israeli woman who crossed the border into Syria's Quneitra Governorate and was detained by the Syrian military, is returned in exchange for two Syrian shepherds held by the Israel Defense Forces. (BBC News)
• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Canada and the United Kingdom announce sanctions on the military junta generals in response to the coup and the arbitrary detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political figures. (France 24)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest, Internet Censorship in India
  • A New Delhi court sends climate activist Disha Ravi to jail for allegedly sharing a "toolkit" on social media in connection with the ongoing farmers' protest against three farm bills as it investigates further. Ms. Ravi, a resident of Bangalore, was arrested on February 4 and flown overnight to New Delhi. (The Hindu)
• Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security rearrests former deputy chief of Custom Service Raimbek Matraimov due to an ongoing investigation into allegations of money laundering. The arrest comes days after hundreds protested in the capital of Bishkek over a court commuting his sentence last week. (Radio Free Europe)

Politics and elections

• Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia resigns due to disagreements with his cabinet over the detention of prominent opposition figure Nika Melia. (Reuters)
• Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in a televised address, announces he will pardon dozens of protestors associated with the Hirak movement, reshuffle the cabinet within 48 hours and will dissolve the lower chamber of parliament to make way for new elections. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

• Mars 2020
  • The rover Perseverance successfully lands on Mars as part of the Mars 2020 mission. (The New York Times)
• A coalition of technology companies including Facebook, Google, and Amazon, as well as the United States Chamber of Commerce, file a federal lawsuit against the U.S. state of Maryland for passing a gross revenue tax on digital ads by non-media companies. It is the first tax of its kind in the nation. (The Verge)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing, a young protester who was shot in the head last week, dies from her injuries, the first death since the opposition to the coup began and as pressure on the military mounts. (Reuters)
• Kashmir conflict
  • Two policemen are killed by unidentified gunmen at close range in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. (The Indian Express)

Arts and culture

• Megxit
  • Buckingham Palace announces that Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex will be stripped of their royal patronages and honorary military appointments following a review of the royal couple's position within the British royal family. The couple will retain their HRH titles but will no longer use them. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

• Uber BV v Aslam
  • The UK Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, orders Uber to classify its drivers as employees, entitling them to minimum wage and paid leave. (Wired)
• Bitcoin reaches a US$1 trillion market cap for the first time. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • Health Minister Jan Blatný announces that shops will not be allowed to reopen on February 22, unlike what was previously promised. He also announced that residents will be required to wear FFP2 respirators, nanotowels, or two surgical masks in indoor places and on public transport due to the spread of the B.1.1.7 variant. (BRNO Daily)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, Lineage P.1
      • Ireland reports its first three cases of the Lineage P.1 variant in people who travelled from Brazil. (RTÉ)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Senators vote 45–13 to approve legislation that underpins the curfew, ensuring that it will continue until March despite an initial court order to end it. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland, 501.V2 variant
      • Poland reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (TVN24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong receives one million doses of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine, a day after it was approved for emergency use in the city. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan detects a new variant from 91 cases in the Kanto region and two cases at airports. In addition, an infection cluster is detected at a Tokyo immigration facility. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports 157 deaths in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total in five months, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 11,829. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia
      • Zambia surpasses 1,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Xinhua)
    • Africa surpasses 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, Lineage P.1
      • Florida reports their first case of the Brazil variant of SARS-CoV-2, making it the fourth state to do so after Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Maryland. (WFTS-TV)
      • Florida surpasses 30,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Miami Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho, 501.V2 variant
      • Idaho reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person from Southwestern Idaho who previously travelled internationally. (Idaho Statesman)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Johnson & Johnson submits an application of its experimental single-dose vaccine to the World Health Organization for emergency authorization. (Marketwatch)
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
  • Hong Kong suspends the import of poultry meat and products from bird flu-affected areas in South Korea, Germany and Poland due to spread of highly pathogenic H5N8 in those areas. (The Straits Times)

International relations

• 47th G7 summit
  • U.S. President Joe Biden and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi make their first global appearance at a virtual G7 meeting as the countries discuss COVID-19 recovery, trade, social media, free speech, and their approach to China. The countries also commit to offer $7.5 billion in funding for vaccination rollouts in poor countries. (France 24)
  • President Biden, in a reversal of the Trump administration's approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, says that the United States will contribute up to $4 billion to COVAX. (CBS News)
• Environmental policy of the Joe Biden administration
  • The United States formally rejoins the Paris Agreement, 107 days after it left the climate accord. (The Guardian)
• Equatorial Guinea–Israel relations
  • Equatoguinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo announces that his country will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Anadolu Agency)

Law and crime

• In a 6–1 decision, the Federal Court of Malaysia rules that news portal Malaysiakini can be held in contempt of court over its users' comments against the Malaysian judiciary. Co-founder and editor-in-chief Steven Gan is personally absolved of the charge. The portal will be required to pay RM500,000 (about US$120,000) in fines next week. (Malaysiakini) (CNA)
• A Sudanese asylum seeker stabs an immigration official to death at a refugee centre in Pau, France. The attack is not thought to be linked to terrorism. (BBC News)
• Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council secretary Oleksiy Danilov announces sanctions on pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk for allegedly using coal mines in the Luhansk Oblast to finance separatists. The government also announced that it would nationalize a pipeline that transports Russian oil into the rest of Europe, which Medvedchuk was suspected of owning. (Reuters)
• The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies votes 364–130 to confirm the Supreme Federal Court-mandated arrest of congressman Daniel Silveira (PSL-RJ) for posting videos online threatening the judges of the Court, calling for the Court's extinction and for a new AI-5 – considered the most repressive legal instrument of the former Brazilian military government. His party is also considering his expulsion. (EN24) (O Globo)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Turks and Caicos Islands general election
  • The opposition Progressive National Party wins 14 of the 15 seats in the House of Assembly, with Washington Misick slated to become the next premier. Outgoing Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson of the People's Democratic Movement loses re-election to her seat. (Turks & Caicos Sun)
• COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
  • Argentine Health Minister Ginés González García resigns amid scandal over preferential treatment for the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to his close friends, including journalist Horacio Verbitsky. (The Washington Post)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war
    • At least 130 Russian airstrikes have killed 21 members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the past 24 hours in the Badia desert, according to the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (France 24)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Two people are killed and 40 others are injured in a clash between police and demonstrators in Mandalay as the police fire live ammunition to suppress protesters and force workers back to their jobs. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020–21 North American winter
  • February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm, 2021 Texas power crisis
    • U.S. President Joe Biden declares a major disaster in Texas following a severe winter storm and cold weather that left at least 70 people dead and millions of others without power. The declaration allows federal funds to be spent and made available to affected people. (NBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • The British Health Secretary announces a small step to ease the nation's lockdown, allowing care home visitors in England to be regularly visited by a single friend or family member. This change will take effect on March 8. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary surpasses 400,000 cases of COVID-19. (Hungary Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, Lineage P.1
      • Irish health officials say that the three cases of the Brazilian variant of SARS-CoV-2 have been contained. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announces the approval of the CoviVac vaccine for domestic use in Russia, becoming the third vaccine to be approved despite not yet having undergone any clinical trials. (CNBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Data from the Health Ministry show that COVID-19 vaccines are 99.2% effective against serious illness, reduce mortality by 95.8% and decrease the chance of hospitalization by 98.9%. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports 239 deaths in the past 24 hours, the second-highest number of daily reported deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 12,068. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan grants emergency use authorization for the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Kuwait bans entry to all non-Kuwaiti citizens until "further notice", while its citizens returning from abroad must quarantine at a hotel for a week, and then spend a further week in quarantine at home. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • New Zealand begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19, starting with 70 border workers under strict infection prevention measures. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • The United States surpasses 28 million cases of COVID-19. (UPI)
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
  • Russia reports their first case of human transmission of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu in seven workers at a poultry farm in the southern part of the country. (The Daily Telegraph)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • The Department of Justice and the FBI announce that they are investigating whether Alex Jones, Roger Stone, and Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander played any role in inciting the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. (The Independent)
• Mass shootings in the United States, Crime in Louisiana
  • Three people are killed, including the gunman, and two others are wounded during a shooting at a gun store and indoor shooting range in Metairie, Louisiana. (CNN)
• Protests against the imprisonment of Pablo Hasél
  • Looting, barricades, and riots are reported during the fifth consecutive night of protests mainly in Barcelona, Spain, over the imprisonment of rapper Pablo Hasél. Several protesters break windows at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palau de la Música Catalana and also attempt to storm the Stock Exchange of Barcelona. (ABC.es)
• The Moscow City Court upholds the three-year prison sentence against opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny. Navalny now faces slander charges. His defense had previously said that the European Court of Human Rights had labeled his arrest as "unlawful". (DW)

Politics and elections

• 2020–2021 Thai protests, COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
  • Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha survives a second vote of no-confidence in the House of Representatives, accused of mismanagement of the economy, mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, corruption, and abuse of human rights. (The Washington Post)

Sports

• 2021 Australian Open
  • Naomi Osaka defeats Jennifer Brady in the final to win the Women's Singles. She is the first player to win a fourth Grand Slam singles title since Maria Sharapova at the 2012 French Open. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • 2021 Tillabéri attacks
    • Seven members of the electoral commission are killed and three others are wounded in a land mine explosion in Tillabéri, Niger. The attack is carried out on the same day as the second round of the presidential election. (BBC News)
• Libyan Crisis
  • UN-backed Libyan Minister of the Interior Fathi Bashagha escapes a motorcade shooting in Tripoli. One of his guards is wounded and the others chase the assailants, killing one of them and arresting two others. The ministry calls the attack an assassination attempt. (ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

• A Nigerian Air Force King Air 350 military plane crashes on approach to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria, killing all seven people on board. (Reuters)
• A Mexican Air Force Learjet 45 jet crashes in Emiliano Zapata Municipality, Veracruz, killing six crew members. (Reuters)
• Israeli authorities close off access to its Mediterranean beaches following an offshore oil spill that has devastated more than 100 miles (160 km) of the country's coastline. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority calls the spill "one of the most serious ecological disasters" in the country’s history. The cause of the spill is currently under investigation. (The Independent)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel reopens many sectors of their economy as part of an easing of lockdown restrictions. However, while shops are open to all residents, access to leisure sites is limited to people who have received a vaccine or who have recovered from COVID-19. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia receives its first shipment of 312,390 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. This allows the starting date of the vaccination campaign to be brought forward to February 24. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • The Philippines confirms 18 new cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 first detected in the United Kingdom. (CNN Philippines)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, Lineage P.1
      • Taiwan confirms their first three cases of the Lineage P.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 first detected in Brazil, prompting the government to impose a 14-day quarantine for all travelers arriving from Brazil at a centralized facility beginning February 24. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New York, 501.V2 variant
      • New York reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa in a person from Nassau County. (CNBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Australia begins a mass vaccination campaign with the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is one of the first people to receive a vaccine. (ABC Australia)
    • Australia and New Zealand reopen their maritime borders after recent outbreaks in both countries have been contained. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina approves the emergency use of Sinopharm's vaccine. (La Tercera)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
    • Serbia receives their first shipment of 150,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine, making it the first country in the Western Balkan region to receive vaccines. (N1)

International relations

• The International Atomic Energy Agency reaches an agreement with Iran to allow inspectors to resume monitoring their nuclear program for up to three months. However, the agreement bars inspectors from doing snap inspections and also prohibits them from reviewing footage taken at the nuclear sites. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2020–21 Nigerien general election
  • Nigeriens vote in a runoff to select a new president, in what is considered to be the nation's first potential peaceful transition of power since gaining independence in 1960. The two candidates are the ruling Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism's leader Mohamed Bazoum, and former president Mahamane Ousmane. (Reuters)
• 2021 Ecuadorian general election
  • The National Electoral Council confirms that CREO candidate Guillermo Lasso will face the winner of the first round Andrés Arauz in the runoff. (CNN in Spanish)
• 2021 Laotian parliamentary election
  • Laotians vote in a parliamentary election to elect the members of the ninth National Assembly. (Xinhuanet)

Science and technology

• 2021 Myanmar protests, aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Facebook takes down the main page of the military of Myanmar a day after two protesters were killed. The social media site said that the account violated its policies of "incitement to violence and coordinating harm". Earlier, the military had blocked Internet access in many parts of the country. (BBC News)

Sports

• 2021 Australian Open
  • Novak Djokovic defeats Daniil Medvedev in the final to win the Men's Singles competition of the tournament. (The New York Times)
  • Ivan Dodig and Filip Polášek win the Men's Doubles by defeating Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. (Reuters)
• COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • Rwanda will allow individual and non-contact outdoor sports activities to resume on February 23 due to a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. (New Times)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Assassination of Luca Attanasio
  • Six gunmen open fire on a World Food Programme convoy in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio, a carabiniere and their driver. (The Guardian)
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Four female development workers are killed and their driver wounded when gunmen open fire on their vehicle in Mira Ali, North Waziristan, Pakistan. (Al Jazeera)
• Rwandan opposition politician Seif Bamporiki is killed in his car by a single bullet fired by a gunman in Cape Town, South Africa, where he lived in exile. (BBC News)

Arts and culture

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema, COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state), COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
  • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that movie theatres in New York City can reopen with 25% capacity on March 5, in line with rules currently in place for locations in the rest of the state. (CNBC)
• French electronic music duo Daft Punk announce their split after 28 years. (The New York Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a new four-step plan for easing lockdown restrictions in England, starting with the reopening of schools on March 8 and the lifting of the stay-at-home order on March 29. (ABC Australia)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
        • Students in P1 to P3 return to school in Scotland for the first time since the Christmas holiday as part of a phased school reopening. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • French authorities announce that 90% of residents in the southeastern region of Alpes-Maritimes, which includes Nice, will be placed under a weekend lockdown for the next two weeks following an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
      • Elementary students and pre-school children in more than half of Germany's 16 states return to schools and kindergartens in the first major easing of restrictions since December. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy extends their ban on non-essential travel between regions with the exception of business trips and emergencies until March 27 due to the spread of COVID-19 infections. (The Brussels Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • The White House orders United States flags to fly at half-staff for the next five days in order to honor those who have died from COVID-19. (The Independent)
      • The United States surpasses 500,000 deaths from COVID-19, just five weeks after the country passed 400,000 deaths. (CBS News) (NPR)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Mexico
        • Mexico receives the first shipment of 200,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine. (VOA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
        • Maharashtra imposes a ban on all political, social, and religious gatherings, as well as all processions and public demonstrations in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Business Today)
      • India surpasses 11 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the second country to do so after the United States. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
        • The Philippines approves the emergency use of the Sinovac Biotech CoronaVac vaccine for non-healthcare workers. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Thailand
        • Thailand's Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for the Sinovac Biotech CoronaVac vaccine. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Chief Executive Carrie Lam and other government officials receive their first doses of the Sinovac Biotech CoronaVac vaccine as Hong Kong begins its vaccination campaign. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka surpasses 80,000 cases of COVID-19. (Ada Derana)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Somalia
    • Somalia closes all schools and universities for the next two weeks due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi begins new clinical trial of their protein-based vaccine candidate and aim to reach the final testing stage in the second quarter after setback last year. (CNBC)
  • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • The Vatican Press Office announces that all journalists to accompany Pope Francis on his March trip to Iraq must receive a Covid vaccination. Certificates of vaccination are required for reporters seeking press credentials for the trip. (Catholic Culture)

International relations

• Uyghur genocide, Canada–China relations
  • Canada's House of Commons approves a motion by 266 to zero votes, formally recognizing that China is committing genocide against its Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and most of his Cabinet did not participate in the vote. An amendment to the bill also calls for the 2022 Winter Olympics to be moved from Beijing if the genocide continues. (The Globe and Mail)
• Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama urges the leaders of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, and Palau to reconsider their decision of leaving the Pacific Islands Forum and says that this is an opportunity to fight climate change. Bainimarama also invites U.S. President Joe Biden to the next forum meeting in August. (RNZ)

Law and crime

• Cannabis in the United States
  • Cannabis in New Jersey
    • Enabling legislation for Public Question 1 is signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy, making New Jersey the 14th state to legalize recreational cannabis. (NBC News)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • A general strike begins in Myanmar despite warnings by the Tatmadaw that further confrontations could cost lives. (DW)
• Gambling in Australia
  • The Victoria State Government establishes a royal commission into Crown Melbourne after New South Wales revoked Crown Resorts' gambling license over money laundering concerns. (The Guardian)
• Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump
  • The United States Supreme Court, by a 7–2 vote, declines to block the subpoena of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. for former President Donald Trump's financial records, including his tax returns. (CNN)

Sports

• 2021 Russian protests, 2020–21 NHL season
  • In ice hockey, New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin takes a personal leave of absence after the Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda publishes a story in which former Kontinental Hockey League coach Andrei Nazarov accuses him of sexually assaulting a 18-year old Latvian woman in Riga. The team releases a statement calling the allegations against Panarin a “intimidation tactic” against him after speaking out against “recent political events”, most notably being critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressing his support for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was detained upon return to Russia from Germany. (Axios) (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Kivu conflict
  • Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
    • Suspected ADF militants kill 13 people during two attacks in Beni, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Historical Memory Law
  • The last statue of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in Spain is removed in Melilla. (El País)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota
        • The North Dakota House votes 50–44 to pass House Bill 1323, which bans state and local officials from imposing mask mandates. (Grand Forks Herald)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state), 501.V2 variant
        • Washington reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in King County. (The Seattle Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan, 501.V2 variant
        • Saskatchewan reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. The patients are two people from the Regina zone who tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of January. (CKCK-DT)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland, 501.V2 variant
        • Northern Ireland reports their first three cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (The Irish Times)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces a roadmap to ease the lockdown, with four people from two households being allowed to meet outdoors as of March 15 and the lifting of the stay-at-home order on April 5. Non-essential businesses such as bars, restaurants, and gyms can be reopened on April 26, and Scotland will return to the levels system at the same time. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • Former president Václav Klaus tests positive for COVID-19. (Aktuálně.cz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy raises the age limit for Oxford–AstraZeneca's vaccine to 65 years old from previously 55. (The Local Italy)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Prime Minister Mark Rutte extends the curfew until March 15 while easing some lockdown restrictions, with senior high schools and vocational schools reopening on March 1. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces the phased reopening of schools beginning on March 1 with junior and senior infants as well as senior students facing Leaving Certificate exams. Meanwhile, the government extends the level 5 lockdown restrictions until April 5. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in San Marino
      • San Marino receives their first shipment of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine receives their first shipment of 500 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. (RFE/RL)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan
      • Afghanistan begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 following the WHO's emergency use approval of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh receives their second shipment of two million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India. (All India Radio)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Oman announces a ban on all travelers from 10 countries for 15 days beginning February 25 with the exception of Omani citizens, diplomats and health workers. (Gulf Business)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
      • Egypt receives 300,000 doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine. (Asharq Al-awsat)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal
      • Senegal begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using 200,000 doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine. Government ministers and health workers are the first to receive the vaccine. (U.S. News and World Report)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Suriname
    • Suriname begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using a small number of vaccine doses donated by Barbados. (Reuters)
• Guinea begins a vaccination campaign against Ebola for high-risk people in Gouecke, Nzérékoré Prefecture, as an emergency measure to reduce the spread of the virus that was detected for the first time since 2016. (WHO Regional Office for Africa)

International relations

• Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
  • Iran says that it is restricting the access of international inspectors to its nuclear installations. (AP via Al Arabiya)

Law and crime

• Crime in Italy
  • A man stabs and wounds two police officers and tries to stab two passersby, who escape unharmed, during a random stabbing rampage in Milan. The attacker is shot dead by police. (Milano Today)
• At least 79 inmates are killed in simultaneous fights in three jails in Ecuador, prompted by a battle for control of the jails after a gang leader was killed in December. (BBC News)
• Malaysia deports 1,086 Burmese citizens back to Myanmar, defying an order by the Kuala Lumpur High Court halting their deportation in light of the coup on February 1. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• News Media Bargaining Code
  • Facebook unblocks Australian news pages after the Australian government offers to make it exempt from their new News Media Bargaining Code if Facebook, Inc. can form enough private agreements to pay Australian news companies for their content. (The Guardian)

Sports

• U.S. golfer Tiger Woods is involved in a serious car accident in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, sustaining multiple leg injuries, requiring surgery. (CNN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Boko Haram insurgency
  • 2021 Maiduguri rocket attacks
    • Boko Haram militants fire a series of rockets in Maiduguri, Borno, Nigeria, killing 10 civilians and wounding others. (BBC News)

Arts and culture

• Africanization
  • The South African city of Port Elizabeth is formally renamed "Gqeberha" ([ᶢǃʱɛ̀ɓéːxà]), the Xhosa name for the Baakens River which flows through the city. Port Elizabeth International Airport is also renamed Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, after David Stuurman. These name changes are part of a wider campaign to remove colonial and apartheid-era names in the Eastern Cape. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • The cabinet extends the curfew to 10:00 p.m., and orders all businesses to close at 9:00 p.m. local time beginning tomorrow due to the spread of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant. The cabinet also re-imposes a Friday lockdown. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Director-General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah receive their first doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine as the country officially begins its national immunisation programme. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan lifts their COVID-19-related restrictions, allowing indoor dining and wedding ceremonies to resume on March 15. Time limits for shopping centres, markets, and amusement parks are also lifted. (Geo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand receives their first shipment of 200,000 doses of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccines. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam receives their first shipment of 117,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine from South Korea. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • The government announces the easing of national COVID-19 restrictions, with shops reopening on March 1. Schools in some areas will also reopen on March 1, but classes will be at 50% capacity. (The Local Denmark)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • Health Minister Olivier Véran announces that the government will impose a weekend lockdown in Dunkirk beginning this weekend due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland, variants of SARS-CoV-2
      • The Polish Health Ministry bans the use of scarves, bandanas, and face shields and requires people to only wear surgical masks as of February 27 due to the spread of variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Poland In)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
      • The government announces that it will allow non-essential shops, museums and outdoor sporting facilities to reopen on March 1 as part of an easing of social distancing restrictions. In addition, outdoor gatherings up to 15 people will also be allowed. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
      • Egypt grants emergency use authorization for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (PR Newswire)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana
      • Ghana becomes the first country in the world to receive vaccines distributed through the COVAX initiative, with 600,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (The Washington Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska
      • Alaska governor Mike Dunleavy tests positive for COVID-19 following a brief period of isolation after suspected exposure. (The Hill)
      • Alaska reports their first case of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil in a person from Anchorage with no known travel history. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California surpasses 50,000 deaths of COVID-19, becoming the first U.S. state to do so. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho, Lineage B.1.1.7
      • Idaho reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant in a person from Ada County. (Idaho Press)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina
      • North Carolina governor Roy Cooper announces that some stay-at-home and curfew restrictions will be lifted on February 26, such as allowing bars to reopen indoors, increasing the number of people in gatherings, and extending the alcohol sale cutoff to 11:00 p.m. (The News & Observer)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
      • Mayor of Washington D.C. Muriel Bowser's sister, Merica Bowser, dies from COVID-19 as the city surpasses 1,000 total deaths. (USA Today)
    • COVID-19 vaccine
      • Johnson & Johnson's single-shot COVID-19 vaccine candidate meets the standards for emergency use authorization, according to analysis from a committee within the FDA, though formal authorization will not be determined until February 26. The vaccine is 66% effective in combating the virus and can be stored in normal refrigerators. (CNN)
  • COVID-19 vaccine, 501.V2 variant
    • Moderna announces that they will ship their vaccine candidate for testing against the 501.V2 variant that originated in South Africa. (Time)

International relations

• Nicolás Maduro's government declares European Union Ambassador to Venezuela Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa a persona non grata and gives her 72 hours to leave the country following new sanctions by the EU against 19 Venezuelan officials. (El Mundo)

Law and crime

• Assassination of Luca Attanasio
  • Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi asks the United Nations and the UN World Food Programme to open an investigation into the attack that killed Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio and two other people. (AP)
• Drug policy of Germany
  • Authorities in Germany and Belgium seize more than 23,000 kilograms (51,000 lb) of cocaine, worth billions of dollars, in an international operation that resulted in one arrest. Authorities consider this to be the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Europe. The containers came on a ship from Paraguay, via Tangier and Rotterdam, the police said. (CNN)
• Philippine drug war, PNP–PDEA shootout
  • A mishandled sting operation between the national police and the country's drug enforcement agency in Quezon City results in the deaths of two police officers following a shootout between the two parties. (CNN)

Science and technology

• Scientists discover Dzharatitanis kingi, a Diplodocus-like dinosaur fossil, in Uzbekistan. It is the first dinosaur of its kind to be discovered in Asia. (New Scientist)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Ma'rib Campaign
    • Houthi forces attack Ma'rib, with ballistic missiles amidst an ongoing offensive to capture the city. (Al Arabiya English)
• 2021 Kaduna and Katsina attacks
  • Gunmen kill 36 people, wound several others, and burn down houses when they attack two villages in Kaduna and Katsina States, Nigeria. Several attackers are also killed during an air operation by security forces. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Armenian coup d'état attempt, 2020−2021 Armenian protests
  • Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warns of an attempted military coup against him after the army demands that he and his government resign. In response, Pashinyan dismisses the head of the general staff of the armed forces and calls on his supporters to rally in his support. (Reuters)
• Central African Republic Civil War
  • At least 14 people are killed at a religious site in Bambari, Central African Republic, amid clashes between armed groups and security forces. (Al Jazeera)
• Mali War
  • Nine soldiers are killed and nine others are wounded during a long exchange of fire with armed groups in Bandiagara, Mali. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Pro-military counter-protesters attack anti-coup protesters during a rally against the military junta in Yangon. Some counter-protesters were armed with knives and clubs, while others used slingshots and threw stones to attack their opponents. (Voice of America)
• At U.S. President Joe Biden's direction, the U.S. military launches airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia group Kata'ib Hezbollah's structures in Abu Kamal, Syria, killing 17 Popular Mobilization Forces militants. The airstrikes are described as retaliation for a recent rocket strike in Erbil, Iraq, which left two people dead and 13 others wounded, including American military personnel. (Al Jazeera)
• Ituri conflict
  • Seven civilians are killed by CODECO militiamen in Banyari Kilo sector, Djugu Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Radio Okapi)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Fukushima earthquake
  • A man in his 50s is confirmed to be the first fatality of the February 13 earthquake that struck near Fukushima, Japan, after his body is found buried in his destroyed home. (Kyodo News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia
      • The government confirms that bars, cafés, and restaurants can reopen their outdoor terraces on March 1. (The Dubrovnik Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus announces that it will allow high schools, gyms, and indoor sports facilities such as swimming pools to reopen on March 1 as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to decrease. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic, 501.V2 variant
      • The Czech Republic reports their first cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in a group of people who travelled to Zanzibar. (Radio Prague International)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
      • Prime Minister Sanna Marin announces "tier-two" lockdown restrictions for the next three weeks, which includes the closure of bars and restaurants, expanded remote learning, and a ban on gatherings of more than six people beginning March 8 due to the spread of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant. (Yle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary extends their nationwide lockdown restrictions until March 15 due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and the spread of variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Hungary Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports its first case of the B.1.525 variant first detected in Nigeria. (Independent.ie)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain
      • Bahrain becomes the first country to approve the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use. It is also the fifth vaccine to be approved in the country. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • The National Medical Products Administration grants conditional approval for a single-dose vaccine made by CanSino Biologics and a vaccine made by Sinopharm. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka receives 500,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine from India. (The Hindu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Syria
      • Syria's health ministry confirms that the government has received COVID-19 vaccines from an unnamed "friendly country", adding that healthcare workers will be the first to be vaccinated beginning next week. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria, Lineage B.1.1.7
    • Algeria reports their first two cases of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant in a healthcare worker from Algiers and a person who traveled to France. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina receives the first shipment of 904,000 doses of Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine. (Buenos Aires Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Belize, Lineage B.1.1.7
    • Belize reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant in a member of the British Army Training Support Unit Belize who has been infected with this variant. (Breaking Belize News)
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
  • Afghanistan reports an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu on a poultry farm in Herat Province. (Hindustan Times)
• Western Cape reports their first case of African Swine Fever at two small farms in Mfuleni, Eerste River in Cape Town, South Africa. (News24)

International relations

• India–Pakistan relations
  • India and Pakistan issue a joint statement indicating that both sides agree to stop firing at each other at the disputed Line of Control border in Kashmir. (DW)
• Uyghur genocide, China–Netherlands relations
  • The Dutch House of Representatives votes to recognize the Chinese government's treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority as genocide, becoming the first European Union country to do so. (Reuters)
• The governing body of the International Civil Aviation Organization appoints Juan Carlos Salazar of Colombia as the new Secretary-General of the Organization succeeding Fang Liu of China. (ICAO)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Malaysia, judiciary of Malaysia
  • The Federal Court, in a landmark decision, unanimously declares that Selangor's sharia law provision on "unnatural sex" is invalid and unconstitutional, as such offences fall under the jurisdiction of federal law. (Malay Mail) (CNA)
• Tax returns of Donald Trump
  • Former U.S. President Donald Trump's tax returns are given to New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. (ABC News)
• USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal
  • Former USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert dies from suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound off Interstate 96 in Michigan, shortly after being charged with human trafficking and sexual assault of a minor. (BBC News)
• 2021 Croix-des-Bouquets jailbreak
  • Notable gang leader Arnel Joseph and other detainees escape from prison in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, during a riot that also resulted in the death of eight people inside the jail, including the prison's director. Casualties are also reported in the city's streets. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• LGBT rights in the United States
  • The United States House of Representatives votes to pass the Equality Act. The bill will now head to the Senate for a vote. (NBC News)

Science and technology

• Facebook bans all accounts related to Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, as well as ads from military-controlled companies following the military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi and the military seizure of power on February 1. (CBS News)

Sports

• 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  • Despite losing the last match 2–1 to São Paulo, Flamengo wins their seventh Brasileirão and eighth national championship overall. (UOL)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • An explosion hits the Israeli-owned cargo ship MV Helios Ray in the Gulf of Oman. No injuries are reported among the ship's 28 crew members. Israeli media reports, citing unnamed Israeli government officials, that Iran was likely behind the blast. (Bloomberg)
• Zamfara kidnapping
  • At least 317 girls are kidnapped by armed bandits raiding a secondary school hostel in the Nigerian state of Zamfara. (Al Jazeera)
• 2019–2021 Iraqi protests
  • Security forces open fire against a crowd of demonstrators during anti-government protests in Nasiriyah, Iraq, killing 3 people and wounding 47 others. Two other protestors have also been killed in the past few days. (Al Jazeera)
• War in Donbass
  • Ukraine reports 10 ceasefire violations in the Luhansk region. (Unian)
• Batwa–Luba clashes
  • An NGO vice-president met with 70 members of the Twa and Bantu in Nyunzu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, to ensure lasting peace in the Nyunzu Territory. (Radio Okapi)
• Ituri conflict
  • Claude Ibalanky, the coordinator of the National Monitoring Mechanism of the Addis Ababa Agreement (MNS), reveals at a workshop organized by the MNS and MONUSCO in Kinshasa that there are residents taking advantage of the instability in eastern Congo. (Radio Okapi)
• Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) kill three civilians in an ambush on the Beni-Kasindi road. Congolese and MONUSCO troops positioned nearby then clashed with the ADF, forcing them to retreat. (Radio Okapi)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
    • The United States House of Representatives votes 219-212 to pass U.S. President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package, which would provide $1,400 in direct payments. The bill will head to the Senate for a vote. (CNET)
• Aftermath of the GameStop short squeeze
  • The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission temporarily halts the trading of 15 stocks, most of which are penny stocks, out of concern that online users were coordinating to artificially raise their value. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

• A small plane crashes in Gainesville, Georgia, U.S., killing three people. (Yahoo! News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • The Indian government announces that people can choose their COVID-19 vaccination centres when the vaccination campaign expands next week. This will allow people to choose whether they want to receive the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine or the Bharat Biotech vaccine. (Zee News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong begins administering vaccines to the general public with the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin issues a new regulation that authorizes a mutual assistance vaccine programme so that private companies can buy state-approved vaccines in order to vaccinate their staff. (Tempo.co)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine, with the first doses administered to residents at about 200 nursing homes across the country. (Nikkei Asia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam approves the emergency use of the American Moderna and Russian Sputnik V vaccines. (dpa International)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska, Lineage B.1.1.7
        • Nebraska reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant in a person from Douglas County. (Lincoln Journal Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • Health Canada authorizes the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine and a related vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India. (CTV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
      • Belgium announces that easing of major COVID-19-related restrictions will be put on hold for another week due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections and the spread of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Chamber of Deputies passes a new pandemic law that allows the health ministry and local authorities to shut down trade, production facilities, and events. In turn, the government announces the new state of emergency from February 27 until March 28. (Politico.eu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
      • Authorities in Greater Helsinki order the closure of public and private facilities, such as gyms, indoor sports venues, saunas, playgrounds, and swimming pools for two weeks beginning March 1 as part of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Yle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • President Janos Ader receives his first dose of Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine. (Budapest Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia, 501.V2 variant
      • Slovenia reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in a person from Maribor who recently travelled to Africa. (STA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • The Spanish health ministry announces that people under 55 who have already been infected with COVID-19 will be given just a single dose of the vaccine, six months after their infection. (The Local Spain)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
      • Argentinian Health Minister Carla Vizzotti tests positive for COVID-19. (El Día)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brasília enters a 24-hour lockdown for all non-essential services due to an increase in COVID-19 cases that has pushed the city's intensive care units to near full capacity with more than 80% of beds already occupied. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Ivory Coast
    • Ivory Coast becomes the second country to receive vaccines via the COVAX initiative, with 500,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India arriving in the country. (Africanews)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
    • Papua New Guinea reports a record 89 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,228. (France 24)

International relations

• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun addresses the UN in New York, calling for the international community to take the "strongest possible action" to remove the military junta from power. (France 24)
• Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia–United States relations
  • The Biden administration releases a previously classified intelligence report on the assassination of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, confirming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had approved of the assassination. (The New York Times)

Law and crime

• aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • Criminal charges brought in the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Death of Brian Sicknick
    • The Federal Bureau of Investigation has reportedly identified a suspect in connection to the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick during the storming of the U.S. Capitol last month. (CNN)
• Begum v Home Secretary
  • The UK Supreme Court rules that ISIL supporter Shamima Begum is forbidden from returning to the United Kingdom to appeal the revocation of her citizenship. This overturns the decision by the Court of Appeal, citing four errors in their ruling. (CNN)
• 2021 Croix-des-Bouquets jailbreak
  • Arnel Joseph, a powerful Haitian gang leader, is killed in a gun battle with police in L'Estère a day after escaping from prison during a riot. The death toll from the incident rise to a total of 25 people, including many civilians killed by the inmates after randomly opening fire in the streets. The prison's director, six inmates and police officers are among the dead. Sixty more prisoners who escaped are captured and arrested, while more than 200 others are still on the run. (BBC News)

Sports

• The Belarus Olympic Committee elects Viktor Lukashenko, son of President Alexander Lukashenko, as its new President. Lukashenko is currently suspended from the International Olympic Committee meaning Belarusian athletes will likely be forced to compete as an independent team in the upcoming Tokyo Games. (CTV News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict; Yemeni Civil War
  • 2021 missile attacks in Saudi Arabia
    • Saudi Arabia intercepts a ballistic missile attack over its capital Riyadh and bomb-laden drones targeting the southern province of Jizan, both of which were launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels backed by Iran. (ABC News)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Police launch the most extensive crackdown since the protests began, critically wounding a woman and detaining hundreds of people across the country. (Reuters)
  • The junta leaders fire Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun after he called for their removal in a UN General Assembly meeting on Friday. (BBC News)
• Kagara kidnapping
  • All 42 people, including 27 students, who were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kagara, Niger State, Nigeria, on February 17 are released by their captors. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wales
        • First Minister Mark Drakeford announces that Wales will ease their COVID-19 restrictions to allow households with an infant below the age of one to form a bubble with one other household. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • The government tightens restrictions in five regions in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. For the first time since January, Basilicata and Molise are moved into a lockdown, while Lombardy, Piedmont, and Marche are moved to stricter orange zones. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania, COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova
      • Romania donates 21,600 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to Moldova for use in their vaccination program which will begin next week with frontline health workers. (U.S. News and World Report)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong receives a shipment of 585,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia receives its first shipment of 300,000 doses of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine. (New Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • The Palestinian National Authority announces new lockdown restrictions in the West Bank for the next 12 days, which include the closure of universities, a ban on gatherings for weddings and funerals and nighttime restrictions on travel and non-essential commerce. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The government extends the General Community Quarantine in Metro Manila, Davao City, and eight other areas until the end of March due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska, Variants of SARS-CoV-2
      • Nebraska reports their first case of California's B.1.429 variant in a man in his 60s in Lancaster County. (The Lincoln Journal Star)
    • The Food and Drug Administration approves the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use in the United States. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19-related restrictions in Victoria are eased in line with the rest of Australia after a recent outbreak was contained. Private gatherings of up to 30 people and public gatherings of up to 100 people are allowed, masks will only be mandated in shopping centres and on public transport, and offices are allowed to return up to 75% of their workforce. (7 News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa receives its second shipment of more than 80,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (News24)