Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • War in Donbas
    • A Ukrainian Air Force drone strike kills a pro-Russian insurgent on the frontline in Donbas, according to the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. (Skai)
    • The Luhansk People's Republic accuses Ukraine of deploying a 9K33 Osa anti-aircraft missile system in a residential area of Popasna, a majority Russian-speaking city near the frontline. (TASS)
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, Russia–United States relations
    • Russian President Vladimir Putin accuses the United States of trying to "draw Russia into war" in Ukraine as a pretext to impose more sanctions in order to "contain Russia's development". Putin also says that the U.S. has ignored Russia's concerns about the expansion of NATO in Eastern Europe. (BBC News)
• 2022 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état attempt
  • A coup attempt is made in Guinea-Bissau. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló says that "many" members of the security forces have been killed in a "failed attack against democracy" as both the African Union and ECOWAS condemn the attempted coup. (France 24)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Haiti floods
  • Three people are killed and at least 2,500 families have been evacuated amid heavy rains and flooding in Haiti. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • Norway lifts almost all remaining COVID-19-related restrictions except for face mask rules due to the country's high vaccination rate. (The Local Norway)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa announces that he has tested positive for COVID-19. (Politico.eu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, COVID-19 vaccination in Spain
      • The Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices approves the phase III trial of the Hipra COVID-19 vaccine candidate. (The Olive Press)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 102,601 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Hürriyet Daily News)
    • European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The European Union restricts the validity of the EU Digital COVID certificate to only nine months after having received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Schengen Visa Info)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, COVID-19 vaccination in Quebec
        • Quebec Premier François Legault suspends a plan to tax people who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 in order to protect "social cohesion" in the province. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The United States surpasses 900,000 deaths from COVID-19. (New York Daily News)

International relations

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • Belarus–United States relations
    • The U.S. State Department announces that they have ordered government employees and their families to leave Belarus amid ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. (The Hill)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2022 Winter Olympics
    • American bobsledder Elana Meyers announces that she has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the upcoming Winter Olympics. (Time)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • Belarus–Russia relations
    • A video is shown of troops from the Armed Forces of Belarus and the Eastern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces conducting military drills and "combat cohesions" in Belarus amid ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. (TASS) (ABC News)
  • Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby announces that the Pentagon will deploy 3,000 troops to Eastern Europe in order to defend its allies and counter Russian aggression against Ukraine. (NBC News)
• Ituri conflict; 2021–2022 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks
  • Plaine Savo massacre
    • Over 60 people are killed by CODECO militiamen during a mass stabbing at a camp for internally displaced people in Djugu, Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera)
• 2022 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état attempt
  • Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló says that gunmen tried to kill him and his entire cabinet at the government palace yesterday during the coup d'état attempt. The heavy gunfire, which lasted for five hours, resulted in the deaths of at least four attackers and two guards. The attackers are said to be "linked to drug trafficking in the country". (BBC News)
• Kurdish–Turkish conflict
  • Turkish airstrikes target PKK and SDF positions in Northern Iraq and Syria, killing 12 people and injuring 17 others. (Middle East Eye)

Business and economy

• CNN president Jeff Zucker resigns for failing to disclose that he was in a relationship with the network's executive vice president. The relationship was discovered during a misconduct investigation into the network's former anchor Chris Cuomo. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• Kinshasa power cable collapse
  • A power cable collapse kills at least 26 people in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech Republic reports a record 66,970 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Radio Prague International)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France begins to lift the mandatory outdoor mask wearing and work from home orders despite a high number of COVID-19 cases. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany surpasses ten million COVID-19 cases. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Tonga
    • Tonga enters a nationwide lockdown after the country reported its first locally transmitted COVID-19 cases. (NPR)

Politics and elections

• Canadian Opposition Leader Erin O'Toole is removed from his leadership position in a 73–45 no-confidence vote by his party. Deputy Leader Candice Bergen is announced as the interim leader of the party. (CBC)
• Human rights in Chechnya, Corruption in Russia
  • Mass government-organized protests against the Yangulbayev family occur in the Russian city of Grozny, Chechnya. The Chechen government claimed that protests were spontaneous and gathered 400,000 men, "not counting women," though the total population of Grozny is 325,000 people. Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, Rospotrebnadzor did nothing because they "couldn't find protest organizers." Earlier a member of the Russian State Duma, Adam Delimkhanov, stated that he will rip the heads off of Yangulbayevs and those who translate his speech from the Chechen language to Russian.

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2021–22 NHL season
    • 2022 National Hockey League All-Star Game
      • It is announced that Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin will miss the upcoming NHL All-Star game after testing positive for COVID-19. (ESPN)
  • Denmark at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics
    • Six players from the Danish men's national hockey team test positive for COVID-19 ahead of the upcoming Winter Olympics. (The Hill)
• Washington Redskins name controversy, Native American mascot controversy
  • It is announced that, starting in the 2022 NFL season, the Washington Football Team will be renamed as the Washington Commanders in order to replace the Redskins name, considered a racial slur, which was retired in mid-2020 following the nationwide George Floyd protests. (Reuters) (The Washington Post)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • War in Donbas
    • The United States Embassy in Kyiv calls on Russia to "fully comply" with the ceasefire in Donbas after pro-Russian forces shelled the strategic Hnutove entry-exit checkpoint and a humanitarian road corridor. (Ukranews)
  • Belarus–Ukraine relations
    • Belarus says that a Ukrainian Air Force drone violated its airspace over a military training area, and that the military forced the aircraft to land. The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons the Ukrainian ambassador in response to the incident. (Belta)
• Syrian civil war
  • Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the leader of the Islamic State, dies after killing himself with a suicide bombing during a U.S. Joint Special Operations Command raid and battle in Atme, Idlib Governorate, Syria. Twelve more people are killed during the raid. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• The oil tanker Trinity Spirit catches fire and explodes off the coast of Nigeria. (Newsweek)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India surpasses 500,000 deaths from COVID-19, becoming the third country to do so after the United States and Brazil. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan surpasses three million COVID-19 cases after a record 104,270 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia
      • Malaysia begins administering COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France surpasses 20 million COVID-19 cases. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
      • The Standing Committee on Vaccination issues a recommendation for the approval of the protein-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for use in adults. (Deutsche Welle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
      • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approves the use of the protein-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for use in adults over the age of 18 years. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazil reports a record 298,408 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 26.09 million. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, History of COVID-19 vaccine development
    • South Africa's Afrigen Biologics uses the publicly available sequence of the mRNA-based Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to make its own version of the vaccine, which will become the world's first vaccine based on an existing vaccine once it is tested on humans later this year. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

• Germany–Russia relations, Media freedom in Russia, Censorship in Germany
  • Russia withdraws the press credentials of all Deutsche Welle staff and closes the German media organization's studio in Moscow in response to German regulators blocking the Russian television channel RT Deutsch. (Deutsche Welle)

Law and crime

• Twenty people die and 74 others are hospitalized in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after consuming cocaine laced with poison or "cut" with another substance. Nine people are arrested. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Partygate
  • Four senior aides to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resign, including Downing Street Chief of Staff Dan Rosenfield, Principal Private Secretary Martin Reynolds, Downing Street Director of Communications Jack Doyle, and political adviser Munira Mirza, amid controversy over the Prime Minister's handling of the Partygate scandal. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2022 Caribbean Series
  • Professional baseball team Caimanes de Barranquilla defeats the Gigantes del Cibao 4–1 to win the 2022 Caribbean Series and becoming the first Colombian team to win the tournament. (MLB)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen signs a law that makes the country the first in the European Union to mandate that people over the age of 18 years receive the COVID-19 vaccine after the Bundesrat voted 47–12 yesterday to approve the law. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record for the 15th consecutive day of 168,201 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 12.45 million. (Interfax)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 111,157 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Hürriyet Daily News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • The United States surpasses 900,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Whaling in Iceland
  • Iceland announces it will end the practice of whaling by 2024, citing the decreasing price of whale meat. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Montenegro, 2022 Montenegrin crisis
  • The Government of Zdravko Krivokapić is ousted after a motion of no confidence passes 43–11. (Deutsche Welle)

Sports

• 2022 Winter Olympics
  • The 2022 Winter Olympics begin in Beijing. (CNN)
  • Dutch journalist Sjoerd den Daas is interrupted and dragged away by a Chinese security guard as he broadcasts live from the ongoing Olympics. (Newsweek)
• Iran–United States relations
  • An American visa is denied for an Iranian national wrestling team that had a coach who advocated Death to America. (Fox News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • A pair of Tu-22M3 bombers are seen flying across Belarus amid large joint military drills and tensions between Russia and Ukraine. (AP)
  • Protesters gather in Kharkiv, Ukraine, to protest Russian aggression. Code Pink and other anti-war protesters also gather in Topsham, Maine and other cities across the U.S. to protest the escalation. (VOA) (WABI-TV) (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Insurgency in Balochistan
  • Twenty Baloch Nationalist Army separatists and nine Pakistani soldiers are killed during raids in Panjgur and Nushki, after the BNA attacked two security posts two days ago, killing four soldiers and a civilian. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong reports a record 351 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 15,066. (The Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
      • Singapore reports a record 13,046 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 379,681. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record for the third consecutive day of 36,362 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 971,018. (The Korea Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Queensland
        • Queensland reports a record 21 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the statewide death toll to 268. (News.com.au)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
      • New Zealand reports a record 243 new community transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia reports a record for the 16th consecutive day of 177,282 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 12.63 million. (TASS)

International relations

• Iran nuclear deal framework
  • The Biden administration announces the restoration of sanctions relief to Iran's civilian nuclear sector, as it attempts to entice Iran back to talks on a nuclear deal. (AP)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • Russia–NATO relations
    • French President Emmanuel Macron says that a deal to "avoid war in Ukraine" is "within reach" and that it is legitimate for Russia to raise its own security concerns to NATO. Macron will meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow tomorrow. (BBC News)
• Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes
  • Five Pakistani troops are killed after "militants from inside Afghanistan" opened fire on a border post in Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The army says that it retaliated, causing heavy casualties among the militants. The Taliban government denies that the firing came from within Afghan territory. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021–22 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
  • Cyclone Batsirai, a category 4 cyclone on the Saffir–Simpson scale, kills at least 10 people and displaces more than 48,000 after making landfall in Madagascar. (AFP via France 24)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Honduras
    • President Xiomara Castro tests positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
    • Prime Minister James Marape tests positive for COVID-19 and returns home after attending the 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. (Voice of America)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia lifts its seven-day quarantine guideline for people who had contact with positive COVID-19 patients despite reporting a record 189,071 new cases. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • South Korea surpasses one million cases of COVID-19 after reporting a record 38,690 new cases in the past 24 hours. (CNA)

Politics and elections

• COVID-19 protests in Canada
  • Freedom Convoy 2022
    • Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declares a state of emergency in the capital as a trucker protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates enters its second week. (The Independent)
• 2022 Costa Rican general election
  • A general election is held in Costa Rica. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021–2022 Tunisian political crisis
  • Tunisian president Kais Saied dissolves the nation's Supreme Judicial Council. The Council's leaders declare the dissolution as illegal. (DW)

Sports

• 2022 Winter Olympics
  • New Zealand at the 2022 Winter Olympics
    • New Zealand snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott wins a gold medal in women’s slopestyle, winning New Zealand its first-ever gold medal at the Winter Olympics. (Forbes) (RNZ)
• 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
  • In association football, Senegal win their first international trophy after beating Egypt on penalties in the final at the Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Senegalese forward Sadio Mané is named the tournament's Best Player. (CNN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • Germany–United States relations
    • German chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with U.S. president Joe Biden during his first visit to the United States in order to discuss the situation in Ukraine, saying that Germany will be "acting together" with the United States if Russia invades Ukraine. (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
      • Nigeria receives two million doses of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine donated by the European Union. (All Africa)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa
      • The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority approves the use of the Sinopharm BBIBP COVID-19 vaccine for adults aged above 18 years. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong reports a record for the third consecutive day of 614 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 16,022. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea ditches its Test-and-Trace strategy and instead focuses on maintaining essential social functions amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Financial Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Australia announces that it will reopen its international borders to fully vaccinated tourists on February 21, after a closure of almost two years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Western Australia is expected to continue to close its borders to tourists. (ABC News Australia)

Politics and elections

• COVID-19 protests in Canada
  • Freedom Convoy 2022
    • In Ottawa, seven people are arrested, more than 500 others are ticketed, and sixty criminal investigations are commenced, for a number of offenses related to the truckers' protest, including violations of the Highway Traffic Act, vandalism, and the smuggling of gasoline. (MSN)
• 2021–2022 Tunisian political crisis
  • Tunisian police close the Supreme Judicial Council building in Tunis and prevent its members and their staff from entering. The legal body was dissolved yesterday by President Kais Saied in a move widely decried within the nation as illegal. (Al Jazeera)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war
    • Israel says that the Syrian military fired an anti-aircraft missile towards its territory, which exploded in mid-air over the north of the country, triggering air raid sirens. However, Syrian state television reports that an Israeli Air Force airstrike occurred near Damascus. (Reuters)
    • The IDF says it has struck several Syrian air defense batteries and radars in response to the missile entering Israeli airspace. (Times of Israel)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • W National Park land mine attack
    • Eight people, including five park rangers and a soldier are killed by land mines in the W National Park in Benin. (Al Jazeera)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • Shin Bet officers kill three Palestinian al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades militants in the West Bank after opening fire on their vehicle. Israel says that the men were armed and were responsible for a series of drive-by shootings in recent weeks. Protests occur in the West Bank in response to the killings. (Reuters)
• Islamic State insurgency in Iraq
  • An Iraqi airstrike kills seven Islamic State members in Hatra District, Nineveh Governorate. (ANI)
• Kurdish–Turkish conflict
  • In an operation against the PKK, the Turkish Air Force bombards a city in Erbil District. No known casualties are recorded. (Rudaw)
• Mali War
  • A joint operation by the Malian Armed Forces and the French-led Takuba Task Force kills at least 30 jihadists. A Mirage 2000 fighter jet was involved in the operation, bombing a group of militants on motorbikes. (Reuters)
• Felix Tshisekedi and his office report an attempted coup d'etat in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (ABC News)

Business and economy

• A planned US$66 billion merger between British semiconductor company Arm Ltd. and American hardware company Nvidia is cancelled after facing regulatory pressures from the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and China. Arm says that it will instead go public sometime before March 2023. If the deal were successful, it would have been the largest merger in the history of the semiconductor industry. (Reuters) (Ars Technica)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Colombia landslides
  • Landslides kill at least 14 people and injure 35 in Dosquebradas, Risaralda Department. (BBC News) (DW News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 625 new COVID-19 cases, prompting the government to impose strict social distancing measures in places of worship and hair salons as well as limiting private gatherings to two people beginning on February 10. (Al-Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record 159 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Jiji Press)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    • Poland indefinitely postpones its deadline of March 1 for mandatory full vaccination of teachers, members of the army and police officers, due to the current vaccination rate. (AP)

International relations

• Slovakia–United States relations
  • Thousands of Slovaks protest in Bratislava against a potential military defense treaty between Slovakia and the United States. Police prevented some protesters from entering the National Council building, where the bill is being debated by lawmakers. (ABC News)

Law and crime

• Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Europe
  • In a letter published by the Vatican, ex-Pope Benedict XVI expresses "my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness," in response to inquiry into his handling of child sex abuse when he was Archbishop of Munich and Freising between 1977 and 1982. In a statement published with the letter, his aides insist that "as an archbishop, Cardinal Ratzinger was not involved in any cover-up of acts of abuse". (France 24)

Science and technology

• Mars sample-return mission
  • NASA awards Lockheed Martin a contract to build a next-generation "Mars Ascent Vehicle" to return the first rock samples from Mars to Earth in the 2030s. (Phys)

Sports

• 2022 Winter Olympics
  • Italy at the 2022 Winter Olympics
    • Unexpectedly undefeated in all 11 competitions at the Olympic curling mixed doubles tournament, Italy wins a first historic gold medal in the sport: the curling broom used in the final has been donated to the Olympic Museum. (Eurosport)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Colombian conflict
  • Two soldiers are killed during an insurgent attack against Infantry Battalion 21 of the Colombian Army in Granada, Meta. (La FM)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Queen Margrethe II tests positive for COVID-19, with mild symptoms. (NDTV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
      • Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša tests positive for COVID-19, with mild symptoms. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • King Felipe VI tests positive for COVID-19, with mild symptoms. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • Sweden scraps almost all pandemic restrictions, essentially declaring the pandemic as "over". The move is condemned by scientists in Sweden and abroad, who warn the pandemic still persists and continues to represent serious dangers. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    • Hong Kong reports a record for the fifth consecutive day of 1,161 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 17,808. Hong Kong also reports their first two deaths from COVID-19 since September. (South China Morning Post)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Johnson & Johnson officially suspends production of its COVID-19 vaccine. It says production will likely resume later, and that millions of doses remain stocked for distribution per earlier agreements. (CBS News)

Sports

• 2022 Winter Olympics
  • ROC at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Doping in Russia
    • Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva tests positive for banned substances after winning gold in the team event, delaying the medal ceremony. (AP News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • Belarus–Russia relations
    • Russia and Belarus begin a 10-day military exercise known as "Allied Resolve-2022" amid ongoing tensions with Ukraine. The United States and NATO denounce the exercise, with NATO calling it the biggest deployment of Russian troops since the Cold War. (CNBC)
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Ukraine says that Russian Navy drills in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov have made navigation "virtually impossible", stating that the drills are part of a "hybrid war" against the country. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says that the Sea of Azov is completely blocked, essentially blockading Ukrainian ports. (Reuters) (BBC News)
  • Ukraine–United States relations
    • U.S. President Joe Biden calls on any remaining Americans to leave Ukraine immediately due to increased threats of Russian military action. The U.S. State Department issues a level 4 travel warning, the highest level. (BBC News)
• Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
  • Four civilians are killed during a battle between French troops and Ansar ul Islam in Burkina Faso. Ten militants are killed in the clash, which involved support from an attack helicopter. (Reuters)
• Yemeni Civil War (2014-present)
  • Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict
    • An airstrike on Abha International Airport in the Saudi Arabian city of Abha injures twelve people. The attack was done by members of the Houthi movement. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain lifts its outdoor mask mandate due to a decline in the spread of the Omicron variant. (GMA News Network)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Charles, Prince of Wales, tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia
      • Western Australia reports a record 37 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC News Australia)
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
      • The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation proposes changing the definition of a fully vaccinated person to only include people who have received a booster dose. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica
    • Costa Rican president Carlos Alvarado Quesada tests positive for COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
    • Tunisia lifts its nightly curfew due to a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases, but extends the ban on gatherings for one week. (National Post)

Law and crime

• Xenophobia and racism related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • A South Korean envoy in New York City is attacked in an unprovoked assault. (Yahoo! News)

Politics and elections

• Aftermath of the Second Libyan Civil War
  • The interim Government of National Unity, intended to be dissolved by the 2021 Libyan presidential election before its indefinite postponement, chooses former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha to replace the incumbent, UN-recognized Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, for his failure to hold the elections as agreed during the peace process. Dbeibeh rejects the appointment, saying that his replacement must be chosen by the eventual national election as per the aforementioned ceasefire agreement, reigniting fears of renewed warfare. (Al-Jazeera)

Science and technology

• Archaeologists announce the discovery of a human tooth in the Grotte Mandrin near Malataverne, France, dating to 54,000 YBP, around 10,000 years before the currently accepted date for the arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe. (CNN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
    • Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
      • Russia–NATO relations
        • The Biden administration says that Russia now has enough troops and military equipment in place in order to launch an invasion of Ukraine and warns Americans to leave the country within the next 48 hours. (BBC News)
        • The British Foreign Office advises British nationals to leave Ukraine immediately. (The Independent) (FCDO)
        • It is announced that the United States Armed Forces will deploy 3,000 additional troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to Poland in the "coming days" amid tensions with Russia. (Reuters)
      • Israel begins evacuating embassy staff and diplomats’ families from Kyiv, and also orders a travel warning for all Israelis, saying that a large scale Russian offensive may occur soon. (Times of Israel)
      • Japan urges its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately. There are about 150 Japanese citizens currently living in Ukraine. (Nikkei)
      • South Korea bans all travel to Ukraine and asks its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately. (Newsweek)
    • Satellite imagery records Russia amassing more troops near the Russia–Ukraine border. (Reuters)
• Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • Israel announces the arrest of eight alleged Iranian spies for organizing a plot to kill an Israeli businessman in Istanbul in retaliation for the 2020 assassination of the chief of Iran's nuclear program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, widely regarded to be the work of the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. Turkish intelligence shared with the Mossad apparently contributed to the arrests, and several Turkish operatives were among those arrested. (Times of Israel)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong reports a record 1,325 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 20,119. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 53,926 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,239,287. (The Korea Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • The Government of France announces that mask mandate in indoor public places will be eased beginning on February 28 as the number of COVID-19 declines. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy lifts its outdoor mask mandate and reopens nightclubs as the number of COVID-19 cases declines. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 203,949 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 13.7 million. (The Moscow Times)
• Koala conservation
  • The Australian Government officially lists the koala as an endangered species due to a combination of factors including drought, bushfires, disease and habitat loss. (The Guardian)
• Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, Deforestation in Brazil
  • Satellite imagery shows 430 square kilometres of Amazon rainforest was deforested in January, five times more than last January. (BBC News)

International relations

• Somaliland–Taiwan relations
  • Somaliland Foreign Minister Essa Kayd rebukes China's apparent attempts to dictate the unrecognized breakaway state's foreign relations with Taiwan and reaffirms the state's recognition of the Republic of China. (Reuters)
• Finland–United States relations
  • Finland agrees to a $9.4 billion deal with the United States to purchase 64 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter-jets for its air force. The agreement also includes buying advanced surface-to-surface missiles from Lockheed Martin in order to upgrade the country's missile systems. The munition deliveries are expected to begin by 2025. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Canada convoy protest
  • Ontario Premier Doug Ford declares a state of emergency over the protest-related blockades in the City of Ottawa and at the Ambassador Bridge. (CBC)
• Crime in Portugal
  • Portuguese police, with help from the FBI, arrest an 18-year-old boy for planning an armed attack on a university in Lisbon. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• Aftermath of the 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état
  • Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, leader of the military junta, is declared president by the Burkinabé Constitutional Council. His "election", deemed retroactively effective since the coup on January 24, will be made official by an inauguration on February 16. (AP)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
    • Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
      • All British troops are ordered to withdraw from Ukraine. (The Independent)
      • Multiple nations, including Estonia, Iraq, Palestine, Spain and Taiwan, warn against traveling to Ukraine and urge their citizens to leave the country. (ERR) (NRT) (WAFA) (El País) (Focus Taiwan)
      • Israel declares a state of emergency due to tensions between Russia and Ukraine. (Haaretz)
      • KLM suspends all flights to Ukraine. (NL Times)
      • The Pentagon orders the departure of U.S. troops in Ukraine as tensions between Ukraine and Russia escalate. (CNBC)
      • The United States orders the evacuation of its embassy staff in Kyiv. (CNN)
      • Thousands of people protest against Russian military aggression in Kyiv, chanting "Glory to Ukraine" and "Ukrainians will resist". (Reuters)
• Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
  • French forces launch an airstrike on a jihadist camp in southern Burkina Faso, near the border with Benin, killing 40 combatants. The attack was a retaliation for the massacre of nine people (including a Frenchman) in Benin's W National Park earlier that week. (Voice of America)

Business and economy

• 2018–2022 Turkish currency and debt crisis
  • President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces that the value-added tax (VAT) will be lowered from 8% to 1% on dairy products, fruit, vegetables, and other basic foods. The VAT reduction, aimed at countering soaring inflation, will go into effect on Monday. (Daily Sabah)

International relations

• Bahrain–Israel relations
  • Bahraini authorities confirm that an Israeli military officer will be stationed inside the country as part of an upcoming international coalition consisting of 34 countries. This is the first time an Israeli officer has been sent to a military post in the Arab World. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Lynching of Mushtaq Ahmed
  • A man accused of blasphemy is lynched by a mob in Tulamba, Mian Channu Tehsil, Khanewal District, Punjab, Pakistan. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• COVID-19 protests in Canada
  • Freedom Convoy 2022
    • Protesters gather at the Peace Bridge near the Canada–United States border in an attempt to end the COVID-19 mandates in Canada. (USA Today) (Buffalo News)

Sports

• 2021 FIFA Club World Cup
  • In association football, English club Chelsea win their first FIFA Club World Cup title after beating Brazilian club Palmeiras 2–1 after extra time in the final at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Chelsea defender Thiago Silva wins the tournament's Golden Ball award. (Al Jazeera)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
    • Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
      • Operation Unifier
        • Canada withdraws its military advisors from Ukraine and relocates them to an undisclosed destination in Europe. It moves its diplomatic staff to Lviv, suspending all operations at its embassy in Kyiv. (Reuters)
      • Ukraine receives a shipment of FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems from Lithuania. (Reuters)
    • Ukraine formally requests a meeting with Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe within the next 48 hours in response to the crisis. (Daily Sabah)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
      • Schools are reopened in Nepal after being closed for more than a month. (Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record of 56,431 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.35 million. (Manila Bulletin)

Law and crime

• Eleven people are injured during a mass stabbing by a man riding a bicycle through Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. The suspect is taken into custody. (ABC News) (Albuquerque Journal)
• A car bombing in Ashkelon, Israel, kills one person and injures two more. The incident is most likely related to organized crime in Israel. (Times of Israel)

Politics and elections

• Canada convoy protest
  • Canadian police say a major demonstration at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, has dispersed peacefully. The protesters had been given warnings for several days. (BBC News)
• 2022 German presidential election
  • Frank-Walter Steinmeier is re-elected as president of Germany. (Deutsche Welle)

Sports

• 2021 NFL season
  • The Los Angeles Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 23–20, to win Super Bowl LVI. (ESPN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
    • Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
      • Belarus–United States relations
        • The U.S. State Department tells Americans to leave Belarus immediately due to the threat of war. (National Post)
      • The United States relocates its embassy operations from the capital Kyiv to Lviv in western Ukraine, citing a "dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces" on the Russia–Ukraine border. (Reuters)
    • Russia rejects an official Ukrainian request for a meeting between both countries and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in order to discuss the crisis. (ABC News Australia)
    • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declares February 16 as a "day of unity". On this day, all Ukrainians will be asked to display the national flag from their buildings, and sing the national anthem in unison. Western intelligence has cited the day as the most likely time of a Russian attack against the country. (Reuters)
    • U.S. officials say that Russian troops, along with long-range artillery and missile launchers have begun moving into staging areas near the Ukrainian border after leaving their assembly areas. (CBS News)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen
    • The Saudi-led coalition airstrikes Sanaa, Yemen, in retaliation for an attack by Houthi forces on the Saudi Arabian city of Abha. A Houthi telecommunications system used to command drones is destroyed. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque explosion
  • Seven people are killed and 20 others injured by an explosion and fire at a block of flats in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, Pyrénées-Orientales, France. Firefighters are searching for survivors. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong reports a record 2,071 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 25,051. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Kuwait lifts many of its COVID-19-related restrictions, including allowing foreign travel for unvaccinated and vaccinated citizens and allowing the entry of unvaccinated people into shopping malls as long as they show a negative PCR COVID-19 test from the previous 72 hours. (Al-Arabiya English)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore
      • The Singaporean Health Sciences Authority grants interim authorisation for the use of the protein-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, COVID-19 vaccination in Sweden
      • The Public Health Agency of Sweden recommends that people over the age of 80 years, residents of nursing homes, and people receiving at-home care should receive a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, tests positive for COVID-19. (BBC News)

International relations

• Mexico–United States relations
  • The United States suspends all imports of Mexican avocados after threats are made against an American plant safety inspector in Uruapan, Michoacán. (AP)
• Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute
  • The flag of Mauritius is raised on the British-controlled Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean for the first time in history. Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth describes the event as a "historic moment", saying that it was time for the United Kingdom to cede control of the archipelago. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Canada convoy protest
  • The government of Canada invokes the Emergencies Act for the first time since the law was passed in 1988, thereby giving the federal government temporary powers to deal with ongoing blockades associated with the protests. (CBC News)
  • Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland announces that, as part of the invoking of the Act, crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe and GiveSendGo must immediately register with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and authorizes banks to freeze accounts suspected to be involved in the blockades. (CTV News)
• The United States Department of Justice asks Honduras for the arrest and extradition of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who left office less than a month ago. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
    • Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
      • Vladimir Putin claims that a "genocide" is occurring in Eastern Ukraine. (Reuters)
      • The State Duma of Russia passes a bill to officially recognise the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic in Eastern Ukraine as independent states. The bill has been sent to President Vladimir Putin for final approval. (Xinhuanet) (Deutsche Welle)
    • Russian President Vladimir Putin says that diplomatic talks will continue. Russia also announces that troops will be partially pulled out from the border but that exercises will continue. (Wall Street Journal) (Truthout.org)
    • Several Ukrainian websites, including the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Privatbank, and Oschadbank are affected by cyberattacks. (CBS News)
    • The U.S. and its NATO allies in Europe say that they are ready to retaliate against Russian cyberwarfare on Ukraine depending on the severity of the attacks. (Reuters)
  • War in Donbas
    • The Luhansk People's Republic says that a service member has been killed on the frontline by a Ukrainian military sniper, according to its office at the Joint Centre of Control and Coordination. (Urdu Point)
    • An attempted terrorist attack on a memorial rally in the city of Luhansk is reportedly stopped. Russian media blames the Ukrainian Defence Ministry and "special services" of being involved in the attack. A video shows an improvised explosive device being discovered inside a garbage can. (The Jerusalem Post)

Disasters and accidents

• Capsizing of the Villa de Pitanxo
  • A Spanish-owned fishing trawler, Villa de Pitanxo, sinks off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, killing 10 crew members and leaving 11 others missing. A search and rescue operation is underway. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 57,049 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4.9 million. (Kompas)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record 236 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the number of cumulative COVID-19 cases surpasses four million. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 57,177 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.46 million. (The Korea Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam lifts its COVID-19-related curbs on international passenger flights with no limitation on the number of flights in order to restore the travel to pre-pandemic level. (Al-Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Canada convoy protest
  • 2022 alleged plot to kill Coutts RCMP officers
    • Four men are arrested on suspicion of plotting to murder officers with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The arrests occurred during a protest blockading the Canada–U.S. border near Coutts, Alberta. (The Globe and Mail)
  • A number of protestors at Coutts have dispersed after an RCMP raid on a "smaller group within the larger protest" resulted in the seizure of weapons, ammunition, and body armour and the arrests of 13 people on Monday. (CTV News)
  • Chief of police of the Ottawa Police Service Peter Sloly resigns amid criticism of his handling of the protests. (CTV News Ottawa)
• Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández is arrested in Tegucigalpa after the U.S. requested his extradition on charges of drug trafficking. (EFE)

Politics and elections

• 2022 United States elections
  • 2022 Louisville mayoral election
    • In Louisville, Kentucky, council candidate Quintez Brown is charged with attempted murder, a day after he allegedly opened fire on mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg in his campaign office, narrowly missing him. (AP via The Washington Post)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian civil war
    • Syrian state media agency SANA reports that Israel has fired missiles at the Syrian town of Zakiyah, with no recorded casualties. (Toronto Star)

Arts and culture

• Cristina Calderón, the last full-blooded Yahgan and last native speaker of the Yahgan language, dies in Chile. (France 24)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Brazil floods and landslides
  • 2022 Petrópolis floods
    • At least 117 people are killed by mudslides and flooding in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro. It is the heaviest rainfall registered in the city since 1932. (Reuters)
• List of fatal shark attacks in Australia
  • A man is killed in a shark attack off Little Bay, Sydney, Australia. It is the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963. A witness estimated that the shark was about 4.5 metres (15 ft) in length. (Reuters)
• At least 13 people are killed after wedding guests fall into a well in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 64,718 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4.96 million. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 27,831 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3.11 million. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 90,443 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.55 million. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
    • Switzerland lifts almost all of its COVID-19-related restrictions, with people no longer needing to show COVID-19 vaccine certificates to enter public venues, due to confidence that infection rates had been uncoupled from hospitalization. (Politico.eu)

Law and crime

• Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation
  • The European Court of Justice dismisses Poland and Hungary's challenges against the regulation and confirms that the regulation is in compliance with the treaties of the European Union. This will allow the European Commission to suspend funds from the EU budget to member states that have rule of law issues which are likely to affect the management of EU funds. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

• Philippine Basketball Association
  • The Alaska Aces, the second most successful team in the history of the league with 14 championship titles in 35 years, announced that it will cease to exist after the conclusion of the ongoing 2021 PBA Governors' Cup. (ESPN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
    • War in Donbas
      • The Ukrainian government accuses Russian separatists of shelling a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk Oblast using artillery, injuring three civilians. The Luhansk People's Republic says that its forces were attacked by the Ukrainian military with mortars, grenade launchers and machine gun fire. At least 32 shells hit the city, causing power outages and damaging multiple structures. (MSN) (The Guardian)
      • The United Nations Security Council convenes in order to discuss Russia's military buildup on the Ukrainian border. (C-SPAN)
      • The U.S. State Department confirms that the U.S. deputy ambassador to Russia was expelled from the country. White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calls the expulsion "unprovoked". (Reuters)
      • The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell says that shelling has begun in eastern Ukraine. (La Vanguardia)
    • Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
      • Senior British officials say that Russian President Vladimir Putin has now decided to invade Ukraine following "changes in the last 24 hours". (The Times)
      • Germany deploys 130 troops and 60 armoured personnel carriers to Lithuania. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says that the German forces are authorized to defend the country from threats. More troops are expected to arrive later this week. (Reuters)
• Mali War, Operation Barkhane
  • France and the EU-wide Takuba Task Force announce that they will begin withdrawing from Mali, stating that the military government in place since last year's coup has placed "multiple obstructions" to their counter-terrorism operations. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• Panama-flagged car carrier MV Felicity Ace is abandoned approximately 90 nautical miles southwest of the Azores following a severe fire onboard. The ship's entire 22-man crew safely evacuates using lifeboats. (CNN)

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 lifts most of its COVID-19 restrictions, allowing all businesses to reopen and operate at full capacity. Indoor gatherings and organized events are also permitted to operate without occupancy limits. However, provincial mandates requiring the use of vaccine cards for entry into businesses and the use of masks in indoor settings remain in effect. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • Governor Gavin Newsom announces that California will become the first U.S. state to approach COVID-19 as an endemic rather than a pandemic. (CBS News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Dominican Republic
      • The Dominican Republic ends all COVID-19-related public health measures, including mask wearing mandates and use of vaccine passes in order to enter public places, despite not reaching 70% of its vaccination target. (U.S. News & World Report)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia surpasses 5 million cases of COVID-19. (Medcom.id)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record 269 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Nippon.com)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • New Zealand reports a record 1,929 new community transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (New Zealand Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
    • Swiss President Ignazio Cassis tests positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Canada convoy protest
  • Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, two organizers of the protest in Ottawa, are arrested by police. (CTV News)
• Designated terrorist organisations in Australia
  • Australia designates the entirety of Hamas, including its political wing, as a terrorist organisation, and also designates Atomwaffen Division, Tahrir al-Sham and the Guardians of Religion Organization as terrorist organisations. (SBS News)

Politics and elections

• The Kuwaiti Ministers of Defense and the Interior, both members of the ruling Al-Sabah family, resign. The resignations are accepted by the Emir, who appoints a different member of the Al-Sabah family and Mohammad al-Fares, the current Oil Minister, to their respective posts. (Reuters)
• The British government ends its immigrant investor programs, known as a Tier 1 (Investor) visa, with "immediate effect". The scheme was introduced in 2008 in order to encourage wealthy people from outside the European Union to invest in the United Kingdom. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
    • War in Donbas
      • The Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic order mandatory mass evacuations of civilians from their respective capital cities, Donetsk and Luhansk. Around 700,000 people are expected to be evacuated to Russia with the first buses carrying civilians to the Russian border already travelling to Rostov Oblast. Russian President Vladimir Putin orders lump-sum allowances of 10,000 rubles (130 US dollars) to be paid to refugees from Donbas. (MSN) (TASS)
      • A UAZ-469 jeep is blown up outside of a building of the Donetsk People's Republic government in Donetsk city. No injuries are reported. (The Jerusalem Post)
      • Russia confirms that the Druzhba pipeline is on fire in rebel-held Luhansk Oblast after a massive explosion cut off gas to almost a hundred households. Transit supplies to Europe were not affected and continue as usual. (Reuters)
      • Additional explosions are reported in Luhansk. The Luhansk People's Republic authorities state that a gas station has been blown up. (Metro) (National Post)
    • Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
      • The British government relocates its embassy from Kyiv to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, and again urges its citizens to leave the country while they still can. (Reuters)
      • Estonia delivers a shipment of U.S.-made FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine. (Reuters)
      • U.S. President Joe Biden says that Vladimir Putin will launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the "coming days" and that Russian troops will try to capture the capital Kyiv. (Reuters) (Mirror)
      • Anti-war protesters gather in Burlington, Vermont to call for a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict amidst fears of a war with Ukraine. (MyChamplainValley.com) (WCAX-TV)
• Mali War
  • Eight Malian soldiers and 57 Islamist militants are killed during a gunfight in the Archam region, after 40 civilians were killed there during terrorist attacks last week. (Al Jazeera)
  • Mali's ruling military junta demands that French forces leave the country "without delay" after French President Emmanuel Macron announced a withdrawal of troops in an "orderly fashion" in the coming months. (France 24)
• Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea
  • Denmark recalls its frigate HDMS Esbern Snare from the Gulf of Guinea following a request from NATO to increase readiness and contribute to deterrence in Europe. The warship has been conducting anti-piracy measures in the Gulf since October. (The Local)
• Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • Israel's Iron Dome fails to intercept a Hezbollah-operated military drone from Lebanon that penetrated seventy kilometers into Israeli airspace. The drone flew for forty minutes before returning to Lebanon. Israeli jets fly at very low altitude over Beirut in response to the incident. (Times of Israel) (ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021–22 European windstorm season
  • At least seventeen people are killed in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom as Storm Eunice impacts northwestern Europe. Millions are also left without power. (BBC News) (Dutch News) (Euronews)
  • England records a record wind gust of 122 mph (196 kmh) on the Isle of Wight in the English Channel. (Reuters)
  • The Grain Power Station in Kent, England, goes offline following the collapse of one of its towers and the roof of The O2 Arena in London is severely damaged due to high winds. (BBC News) (ITV News)
  • The roof of the ADO Den Haag Stadium, in The Hague, the Netherlands, is severely damaged. (The Guardian)
• Eleven people are missing after a ferry travelling between Greece and Italy catches fire. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • South Korea reports a record 109,831 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.75 million. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

• India–United Arab Emirates relations
  • India and the United Arab Emirates sign a free trade agreement over digital goods, raw materials, and apparels. It is the first major trade deal signed by India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power in 2014. (Moneycontrol)
• Poland–United States relations
  • U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announces the sale of 250 M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Poland amid tensions with Russia. The Polish Land Forces will become the first European military to operate the American M1 Abrams. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Canada convoy protest
  • The Ottawa Police Service makes over 100 arrests, including the arrest of protest organizer Pat King. Police accuse protestors of assaulting officers with one person being arrested after allegedly throwing a bicycle at a horse with a mounted officer on it. (CBC News) (MSN)

Sports

• 2022 Winter Olympics
  • LGBT athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games
    • Timothy LeDuc becomes the first openly non-binary athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics. They competed in figure skating with their skating partner Ashley Cain-Gribble for the United States. (HuffPost)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
    • War in Donbas
      • The Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic declare a full military mobilisation, a day after beginning to evacuate civilians to Russia. (Reuters)
      • Two Ukrainian troops are killed and four others are injured by shelling from separatist forces. Separatists have opened fire on more than 30 settlements with artillery, according to the Ukrainian military. (Reuters)
      • Russia launches an investigation following reports that shells landed inside Rostov Oblast, 2 km from the Russia–Ukraine border. At least one structure on a farm is reportedly destroyed. (Reuters) (TASS)
    • Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
      • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that Vladimir Putin is planning "the biggest war in Europe since 1945" and that Russia intends to launch an invasion that will encircle the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. (BBC News)
• Somali Civil War
  • 2022 Beledweyne bombing
    • Fourteen people are killed by an al-Shabaab suicide bomber at a restaurant in Beledweyne, Somalia. (The Guardian)

International relations

• International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Russia–United States relations
    • U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris warns that the United States will impose sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine. (NBC News)
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges sanctions on Russia before a potential invasion occurs. (CBS News)

Law and crime

• Canada convoy protest
  • Ottawa police continue clearing protesters on Parliament Hill. Over 170 people have been arrested since Thursday as part of an effort to end the protests. (NBC News) (India Times)
  • Freedom Convoy demonstrators admit that the protests are near the end. (The Washington Post)
• Jeffrey Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel is found dead inside his cell at La Santé Prison in Paris. Brunel faced allegations of sexual assault spanning three decades and of participating in the sex trafficking ring run by Epstein. (Sky News)

Sports

• 2022 Winter Olympics
  • Slovakia at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics
    • The Slovakia men's hockey team wins their first medal at the Winter Olympics after defeating Sweden in the men's tournament. (The Hockey News)