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Worldwide current events
Sports events

Topics in the news

Alejandro G. Iñárritu

A bombing in Ankara, Turkey, kills at least twenty-eight people and injures more than sixty others.
The Revenant wins five awards, including Best Film and Best Director (Alejandro G. Iñárritu, pictured), at the British Academy Film Awards.
Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill jointly call for an end to persecution of Christians in the Middle East and to wars in the region.
Scientists using the LIGO detector announce the first direct observation of gravitational waves.
Eleven people are killed in a head-on collision between two passenger trains near Bad Aibling, Germany.

Ongoing events:
- Zika virus outbreak
- European migrant crisis
Recent deaths:
- Boutros Boutros-Ghali
- Antonin Scalia

February 19, 2016 (Friday)

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International relations

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says his country is willing to accept some asylum seekers from the Middle East and Asia, currently in detention camps on impoverished Pacific island nations. Presently, 267 refugees in Australia for medical treatment, some accompanied by a relative, are set to be returned to Nauru’s detention camp. Australia is hesitant about the offer, concerned that it could encourage people smugglers. (AP via The Washington Post)

February 18, 2016 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Business and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

A man sues an Oklahoma gun range after he is told to leave after identifying himself as a Muslim. The gun range owners though claim that the man was acting belligerent. (Associated Press via MSN)

Politics and elections

Philippine Senate election, 2016
- Nike, Inc. drops Manny Pacquiao as an endorser after his remarks about LGBT people. (BBC), (Forbes)
Ugandan general election, 2016
- Voters in Uganda go to the polls for a general election to elect a new President of Uganda as well as for parliamentary and local elections. The Presidential race with eight candidates including incumbent Yoweri Museveni and seven challengers is tipped to be the closest in the nation's history. (BBC)
- The government shuts down social media at the request of the electoral commission which says it is a security matter. Many Ugandans access Twitter and Facebook via a Virtual private network (VPN) which masks a user's location. (Daily Times) (Quartz)
- Kizza Besigye, the main opposition presidential candidate, is "briefly" arrested after the polls close in Naguru, trying to get into a police command center in the capital Kampala. Besigye, who's challenged President Musveni in the last three elections, has been repeatedly arrested, roughed up, or confined to house arrest during that time. (AP via Sky News Australia) (The Globe and Mail) (The New York Times)
Łukasz Kamiński, head of the Institute of National Remembrance says a newly found document, seized this week from the house of Poland's last communist-era interior minister, Czesław Kiszczak, suggests that former Polish President Lech Wałęsa was an informant for the Polish People's Republic's secret security service during the 1970-1976 period. (NBC News) (BBC)

February 17, 2016 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Arts and culture

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

Business and economy

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

Sports

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

February 16, 2016 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Arts and culture

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

February 15, 2016 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Arts and culture

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

Disasters and accidents

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

February 14, 2016 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Arts and culture

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

Disasters and accidents

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

International relations

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

Politics and elections

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

Sports

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

February 13, 2016 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Disasters and accidents

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

International relations

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

Politics and elections

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

Law and crime

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

More February 2016 events...

Ongoing events
Health Zika virus outbreak Flint water crisis Political War in Afghanistan Boko Haram insurgency Burundian unrest Iraqi Civil War Military intervention against ISIL American-led Iranian Israeli–Palestinian conflict Moldova protests Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenian–Azeri border conflict Nepal blockade PKK rebellion Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention Second Libyan Civil War Sinai insurgency South China Sea disputes Syrian Civil War American-led intervention Russian military intervention War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine More details on ongoing conflicts below Sports 2015-16 UEFA Champions League 2015–16 La Liga season 2015–16 NBA season 2015–16 NHL season 2015–16 Premier League season edit sidebar

Recent deaths
February 18: Abdul Rashid Khan 17: Mohamed Hassanein Heikal 17: Elias P. Demetracopoulos 17: Andrzej Żuławski 16: Boutros Boutros-Ghali 15: George Gaynes 15: Constance Glube 15: Fighton Simukonda 15: Vanity 14: Eric Lubbock 14: Steven Stucky 13: Nathan Barksdale 13: Avigdor Ben-Gal 13: Flakey Dove 13: Robin Ghosh 13: O. N. V. Kurup 13: Antonin Scalia 13: Viola Beach 13: Lauro Vizconde 12: Johnny Lattner 12: Yan Su 11: Jakob Denzinger 11: Kevin Randleman 11: Arthur Tunstall 11: Zeng Xuelin 10: Fatima Surayya Bajia 10: Andrew L. Lewis, Jr. 10: Abdel-Bari Zamzami 9: Sushil Koirala 9: Elizabeth Joan Smith 8: Amelia Bence 8: Margaret Forster 8: Roy Señeres 8: Zdravko Tolimir 8: Violette Verdy 6: Dan Hicks 6: Anisa Makhlouf 5: Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum 4: Marlow Cook 4: Harry Harpham 4: Dave Mirra 4: Edgar Mitchell 4: Jeremy Morse 4: Axl Rotten 4: Edgar Whitcomb 3: Big Kap 3: Mark Farren 3: Lord Lucan (officially declared dead) 3: Saulius Sondeckis 3: Maurice White 2: Bob Elliott 1: Murray Louis 1: Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores January 31: Benoît Violier 31: Terry Wogan 30: Mohammad Salimi 30: Feyrouz 30: Frank Finlay 30: Maikhail Miller 30: Cayetano Paderanga, Jr. 30: Francisco Flores Pérez 30: Georgia Davis Powers 29: Jacques Rivette 29: Ken Sailors 28: Signe Toly Anderson 28: Buddy Cianci 28: Paul Kantner 28: Bob Tizard 27: Carlos Loyzaga 26: Black 26: Gil Kahele 26: Tommy Kelly 26: Abe Vigoda 25: Thornton Dial 25: Kalpana 25: Mike Minor 24: Jimmy Bain 24: Yvonne Chouteau 24: John Jay Hooker 24: Marvin Minsky 24: Henry Worsley 23: Jack Bannister 23: Barry Brickell 23: Archie Gouldie 23: Jennifer Guinness 23: Žuži Jelinek 23: Bobby Wanzer 22: Homayoun Behzadi 22: Cecil Parkinson 21: Mustafa Vehbi Koç 21: Derrick Todd Lee 21: Bill Johnson 21: Mrinalini Sarabhai 20: Bud Beardmore 20: David G. Hartwell 20: Edmonde Charles-Roux 20: Chang Yung-fa 20: Kingmambo 20: George Weidenfeld 19: Robert M. Carter 19: Yasutaro Koide 19: Samuel Odulana Odungade I 19: Ettore Scola 19: Sheila Sim 18: Johnny Bach 18: Glenn Frey 18: Pablo Manavello 18: Michel Tournier edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Africa Algeria, Tunisia and Niger Maghreb insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Katanga insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Boko Haram insurgency Somalia Civil war South Sudan South Sudanese Civil War Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Americas Colombian conflict Internal conflict in Peru Mexican War on Drugs Asia Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Moro conflict Moro conflict in Sabah Southeast Asia Internal conflict in Burma Papua conflict South Thailand insurgency Europe Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Chechen–Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency War in Ingushetia Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Arab–Israeli conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Egypt Sinai insurgency Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraqi civil war American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Syrian Civil War American-led intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey–PKK conflict Turkey–ISIL conflict Yemeni crisis Houthi rebellion Al-Qaeda insurgency South Yemen insurgency edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent January 16: Taiwan, President, Legislative Yuan 22: Vanuatu, Parliament 24: Portugal, President February 14: Central African Republic, President (2nd round) Upcoming February 18: Uganda, President, Parliament 21: Bolivia, Constitutional referendum 21: Comoros, President 21: Niger, President (1st round), National Assembly 25: Jamaica, House of Representatives 26: Iran, Islamic Consultative Assembly, Assembly of Experts 26: Ireland, Dáil Éireann 28: Switzerland, Referendums March 3–24: New Zealand, Flag referendum 4: Samoa, Fono 5: Slovakia, National Council 6: Benin, President edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Australia: Brett Peter Cowan, Craig Thomson, Robert Hughes Brazil: Mensalão scandal Canada: Luka Magnotta China: Ji Jianye, Li Chuncheng, Jiang Jiemin, Liao Shaohua, Ni Fake, Chen Baihuai, Zhou Yongkang, Gu Junshan Croatia: Ivo Sanader Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Peter Greste, Mohamed Morsi Germany: Bernie Ecclestone, Uli Hoeness, Christian Wulff Iran: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Israel: Hussam Qawasmeh Jordan: Abu Qatada Philippines: Joseph Scott Pemberton Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Dan Diaconescu Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Eston Kohver, Vladimir Kvachkov South Africa: Shrien Dewani, Oscar Pistorius Turkey: Kenan Evren, Tahsin Şahinkaya United Kingdom: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, Kweku Adoboli, Tony McCluskie, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, Chris Huhne, Nicola Edgington, Vicky Pryce, Derek Rose, Mick Philpott, Mairead Philpott, Paul Mosley, Stuart Hazell, Mark Bridger, Andrew Lancel, Dale Cregan, Ray Wilkins, Liam Adams, R v Grillo and Grillo, Ian Watkins, William Roache, Dave Lee Travis, Nicholas Jacobs, Nigel Evans, Max Clifford, Stuart Hall, Dappy, Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, Rolf Harris, Tulisa Contostavlos, Chris Denning, Ray Teret, Gary Glitter, Fred Talbot United States: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Michael Grimm, Jesse Jackson Jr., Bob McDonnell, Vilma Bautista, Jared Lee Loughner, Lauryn Hill, Kermit Gosnell, George Zimmerman, Chelsea Manning, Ariel Castro, Whitey Bulger, Robert Bales, Nidal Malik Hasan, Jodi Arias, Anas al-Libi, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, James Eagan Holmes, Sheldon Silver International ECCC: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan ICC: Germain Katanga ICTY: Momčilo Perišić, Mladen Markač, Ante Gotovina, Zdravko Tolimir Ongoing China: Yao Mugen, Guo Youming, Zhu Zuoli Germany: Beate Zschäpe Iran: Babak Zanjani, Jason Rezaian Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr., Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Janet Lim-Napoles, Jovito Palparan Romania: Darius Vâlcov, Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie, Cătălin Voicu, Relu Fenechiu, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: MV Sewol crew members United Kingdom: Adam Johnson United States: Dean Skelos International ICTY: Radovan Karadžić, Ratko Mladić PCA: China Upcoming China: Wu Changshun, Ling Jihua Estonia: Edgar Savisaar Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Spain: Lionel Messi United States: Paul Anthony Ciancia, Javaris Crittenton, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Dylan Quick, Aaron Hernandez, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Rick Perry International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo edit sidebar