February 2023 Current Events: World News
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The world is a very busy place, and it's hard to stay on top of everything. Infoplease has got you covered. Here are the World news events you need to know so far for February 2023.
- North Korea Accuses U.S. Of Escalation As They Deliver Tanks To Ukraine
- Sunak Sacks The Tory Party Chairman Following Breach Of Ministerial Code
- Deadline For The Deposit Of Old Currency Extended By The Central Bank Of Nigeria
- Suicide Bombing Aimed At Police Officer Killed At Least 59 People In Pakistan
- Ukraine Disappointed As U.K. And U.S. Refuse To Send Them Their Fighter Jets
- Australian Authorities Found Missing Radioactive Capsule On The Highway
- Relation Continue To Normalize Between Sudan And Israel
- Australian Girl Killed In Shark Attack While Swimming In A River
- Former Minister Of Foreign Affairs Take The Lead As Cyprus Election Head To A Runoff
- An Israeli Raid In Jericho Leaves Multiple Palestinian Militants Dead
- 54 Wolves Shot Dead By Hunters In Sweden
- Bus Crashes Into A Day-Care In Montreal, Leaving Two Children Dead And Six Others Injured
- Two People Dead As Car Crashes Into A Jerusalem Bus Stop
- Gunman Shoots South African Rap Artist, AKA Outside Restaurant In Durban
- Former Cyprus Foreign Minister, Christodoulides Win Presidential Election
- Queen Consort, Camilla Tests Positive For Covid-19
- Bus Crash In South Africa Kills 20 People
- A Bus Carrying Migrants Crashes In Panama, Killing At Least 39 Passengers
- Militants Attack Karachi Police Headquarters, Killing At Least Four People
- European Union Calls For Urgent Joint Arm Purchase To Help Ukraine
- Ballistic Missile Fired By North Korea Off East Coast
- Biden Visits Ukraine For The First Time Since Russia’s Invasion
- 39 English Schools Closed Down Due To Unsafe Building Standards
- High School Student In A French School Stabbed Teacher To Death
North Korea Accuses US Of Escalation As They Deliver Tanks To Ukraine
Photo Source: AP Photo/Michael Sohn
Friday, January 27, 2023 — Kyiv’s ambassador to France says Ukraine is set to receive more than 300 tanks from Western countries. Vadym Omelchenko said, “as of today, numerous countries have officially confirmed their agreement to deliver 321 heavy tanks to Ukraine.”
Omelchenko arrived at the figure after the United States promised to deliver 31 M1 Abrams tanks, and Germany also agreed to provide 14 Leopard 2 A6s. The interview of Omelchenko came after the United States and North Korea accused its allies of crossing the line by providing tanks for Ukraine.
The sister of the leader of North Korea, Kim Yo Jong, on Friday, accused the US and other western countries of “wrecking the global peace and the regional security, while handling military hardware over to Ukraine in total disregard of Russia’s concern about security.”
It is, however, unclear when the tanks will arrive in Ukraine.
Source: CNN
Sunak Sacks The Tory Party Chairman Following Breach Of Ministerial Code
Photo Source: AP Photo/Alastair Grant
Sunday, January 29, 2023 — The Chairman of the Conservative Party, Nadhim Zahawi, has been sacked by the United Kingdom Prime Minister after his ethics adviser discovered to disclose that HMRC is investigating his tax affairs. Mr. Sunak said it is clear that there has been a serious breach of the ministerial code due to the findings of Sir Laurie Magnus.
In the report of Mr. Sunak, he wrote, "Mr. Zahawi’s conduct as a minister has fallen below the high standards that a prime minister expects from those who serves him his government.”
It was said that Mr. Zahawi, who was responsible for the tax system of the United Kingdom back when he was the chancellor, paid close to £5 million in total, including a penalty.
Sir Laurie, in his report, said that, given that Mr. Zahawi omitted some information, constituted a “serious failure to meet the standards set out in the ministerial code.”
Source: BBC
Deadline For The Deposit Of Old Currency Extended By The Central Bank Of Nigeria
Photo Source: AP Photo/Sunday Alamba
Sunday, January 29, 2023 — The Central Bank of Nigeria has confirmed the extension for swapping old Naira currency notes by 10 days. Nigerians now have until February 10 to deposit their old ₦1,000, ₦500, and ₦200 notes.
Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank, said the new deadline is aimed at allowing those who live in rural communities to exchange the old notes. Nigerians will also have the opportunity of seven days to turn in their old notes directly with the CBN after February 10.
Nigerians Legislators, and the presidential candidate of the opposition party, Atiku Abubakar, had asked the central bank to extend the Jan 31 deadline, claiming it would help reduce financial consequences for the citizens.
CBN said their plans to reduce the use of cash would be aided by asking citizens to turn in their old Naira Notes. They have recorded close to 1.3 million Naira that had been deposited since the announcement in October.
Source: Reuters
Suicide Bombing Aimed At Police Officer Killed At Least 59 People In Pakistan
Photo Source: AP Photo/Arshad Butt
Monday, January 30, 2023 — A suicide bombing that was targeted at a police officer that was praying inside a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan, has killed not less than 59. Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, said the “terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending the country.” He also added that those who carried out the attack had nothing to do with Islam.
The attacked mosque was located in one of the heavily guarded areas in the city, where the headquarters of the police, intelligence, and counter-terrorism bureau is located.
The blast happened during afternoon prayer at around 13:30 local time in the north-western city, close to the border of Pakistan with Afghanistan
Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, condemned the attack. His spokeswoman said, “it is particularly abhorrent that such an attack occurred at a place of worship.”
Source: BBC
Ukraine Disappointed As UK And US Refuse To Send Them Their Fighter Jets
Photo Source: AP Photo/Libkos
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 — After sending tanks, the United States and the United Kingdom have crumbled Ukraine’s hope to get fighters from western Allies. Western Allies have concluded that they will no longer send F-16S and other western fighter jets to Ukraine.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, replied “no” when asked whether or not he would send F-16s to Ukraine, but said he would remain in contact with Ukraine over their weapons request. A spokesperson at Downing Street also said sending the Jets to Ukraine isn’t practical as they are sophisticated equipment.
Ukraine began requesting the fighter jets manufactured by the United States defense company just after the U.S. and Germany agreed to send their own tanks to Ukraine for the first time. A spokesperson of Ukraine’s Airforce said Ukraine was seeking 200 fighter jets.
Source: The Guardian
Australian Authorities Found Missing Radioactive Capsule On The Highway
Photo Source: AP Photo/Department of Fire and Emergency Services
Wednesday, February 1, 2023 — Australian authorities charged with looking for a tiny missing radioactive capsule have confirmed that they have found it on a remote highway, just by the roadside.
The retrieval of the capsule was announced on Wednesday afternoon after six days of searching for it. The capsule is said to contain a highly radioactive Caesium-137. It was discovered missing from a package sent from the Rio Tinto mining site to the Australian Capital, Perth.
Authorities said they believe the capsule, about 8 millimeters high and 6 millimeters round, fell off the truck transporting it along the Great Northern Highway from the mine.
Simon Trott, the company's Chief Executive, expressed his gratitude to the authorities for their work to find the capsule. He also said it was great haven located it, but it should not have been lost in the first place.
Source: CNN
Relation Continue To Normalize Between Sudan And Israel
Friday, February 3, 2023 - The foreign ministry of Israel confirmed that Sudan and Israel have finally finalized a deal to normalize relations between them. A signing ceremony is expected following the transfer of power from the military to a civilian government in Khartoum, Sudan.
After a very long time of not being recognized, Sudan promised to take some steps to achieve a diplomatic relationship with Israel, which is part of a deal made in 2020 by the former president of the United States, Donald Trump, alongside normalization deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, which they refer to as the “Abraham Accords.”
Israel’s foreign ministry said, “During the visit, which was made with the consent of the United State, the parties finalized the text of agreement.” They also said a signing ceremony is expected to follow after power has been transferred to a civilian government in Sudan.
Source: Reuters
Australian Girl Killed In Shark Attack While Swimming In A River
Photo Source: SOURCE
Saturday, February 4, 2023 - Local authorities have confirmed that a 16-year-old girl, who was swimming in a river in Perth, Western Australia, has been attacked and killed by a Shark. It was reported that she was pronounced dead after she was pulled out from the river.
An inspector from Western Australia Police, Paul Robinson, while briefing the press said, described the incident as a traumatic one for everyone to witness. It was confirmed that the girl had jumped into the river to swim with a pod of dolphins spotted nearby. Officials confirmed that they had launched an investigation into the incident.
A senior research fellow at James Cook University, Andrew Chin, said, “the Swan river estuary is a good bull shark habitat, and this means people can come into close contact with them.” He also added that some encounters with the bull shark end badly.
Source: CNN
Former Minister Of Foreign Affairs Take The Lead As Cyprus Election Head To A Runoff
Sunday, February 5, 2023 - Presidential race to determine the next and the 8th president of Cyprus is set to head into the second week after the former foreign minister of the country, Nikos Christodoulides, emerged as the front runner but has yet to gain enough support for an outright victory.
The 49–year-old Andreas Mavroyiannis, a veteran career diplomat, will head to a runoff on February 12. Results released by the ministry of interior showed that Christodoulides was leading 32.04% of the vote, his opponent having 29.6%.
Christodoulides was tipped to win the election, but they had predicted that the first-round poll would not bring forth a clear winner. Christodoulides told reporters, "the day after elections should find them all united.” He further added that elections would come to an end, but they will still have problems and challenges ahead of them.
Source: The Guardian
An Israeli Raid In Jericho Leaves Multiple Palestinian Militants Dead
Photo Source: AP
Monday, February 6, 2023 - Sources from Palestine and Israel confirm that multiple Palestinian militants were killed in a raid conducted by the Israeli army close to Jericho. The death toll is yet to be confirmed, but it is believed to be 5.
The Israel Défense Force (IDF) said the aim of the operation was to arrest a “Hamas terrorist cell”, which was responsible for the gun attack on a restaurant close to a Jewish settlement near Jericho.
Witnesses confirmed that they heard multiple gunfires during the incident in the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp. The spokesperson of the Israeli Defence Force, Ran Kochav, said the soldiers had neutralized the terrorist. He added that some of the terrorists neutralized were involved in the attack on the restaurant.
Jihad Abu al-Assal, the Governor of Jericho, said that, with the five people that the IDF killed, 8 people have also been arrested.
Source: BBC
54 Wolves Shot Dead By Hunters In Sweden
Photo Source: AP
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 - Within a month, 54 wolves have been killed in Sweden's largest and most controversial cull. This has caused the conservationist to be furious, and the farmers have expressed satisfaction who thinks the predators threatens their livelihoods.
The farmers said, in 2021, over 340 sheep were killed by a Swedish wolf population of up to 460. Gunnar Gloersen, Predator manager at the Swedish Hunters’ Association, said, “the cull is absolutely necessary to slow the growth of the wolves.”
Scientists, however, said to maintain healthy populations, the population of the wolves roaming Sweden and Finland should not fall below 500. Sweden’s Environmental Protection Agency said to avoid harmful inbreeding, 300 wolves are necessary.
The number of wolves in Sweden fell significantly after 1789 when a law that allowed commoners to hunt was passed.
Source: The Guardian
Bus Crashes Into A Day-Care In Montreal, Leaving 2 Children Dead And 6 Others Injured
Photo Source: Getty Images
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Authorities have confirmed that the city bus that crashed into a daycare center in a Montreal suburb killed two children and injured people. Police close to where the incident happened said they are yet to determine the motive, and the investigation is ongoing.
The bus driver, confirmed to be an employee of the city transport, has been apprehended. The 51-year-old Pierre Ny St-Amand now faces two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and several counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
Erika Landry, a spokesperson for the police in Laval, said, “they have six kids that have been transported into different hospitals in Montreal and Laval, but unfortunately, they have two other kids that died due to accident.” The hospital confirmed that the injuries to the other six children were not life-threatening.
Source: CNN
Two People Dead As Car Crashes Into A Jerusalem Bus Stop
Photo Source: AP
Friday, February 10, 2023 - In Jerusalem, a man and a young child were killed after a car drove into multiple people at a bus stop. The Israeli police described the attack as a “ramming terror attack.” Dean Elsdunne, the spokesperson of the police, revealed that the young child that died on the scene was six-years-old. The older man was later pronounced dead at the hospital due to several injuries from the accident.
According to the police, the suspect, Hussein Qaraque, a 31-year-old man from East Jerusalem, was neutralized at the scene. The police have also arrested the suspect's wife, father, and brother.
Aside from the two people that died, 5 others were wounded in the accident, including two other children who are said to be in critical condition. The incident happened at a bus stop at the Ramot intersection in an area considered to be a neighborhood of Northern Jerusalem.
Source: CNN
Gunman Shoots South African Rap Artist, AKA Outside Restaurant In Durban
Photo Source: Getty Images
Saturday, February 11, 2023 - One of the top rap artists in South Africa, AKA, has been shot dead outside a restaurant in the eastern dirt of Durban. Kieran Forbes, popularly known as AKA, was 35 years old. He won multiple awards in South Africa and was nominated on several occasions for a black Entertainment Television award in the United States.
In the statement posted on AKA’s Twitter account, his parent, Tony and Lynn Forbes said, “it is with extreme sadness that they acknowledged the death of their son.” He was gunned down alongside another man while they made their way to their car from a restaurant.
Beauty Dlulane, who chairs the parliamentary committee on arts and culture, implored authorities to protect South Africans from what she sees as a contract and revenge killings, where the targets happen to be performing artists and DJs.
Source: The Guardian
Former Cyprus Foreign Minister, Christodoulides Win Presidential Election
Photo Source: AP
Sunday, February 12, 2023 - Former foreign minister of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, has emerged as the president-elect of Cyprus after the runoff on Sunday. From the official result, Christodoulides, who is 49 years old, had 51.9% of the vote, while his counterpart, Andreas Mavroyiannis, who is 66 years old, had 48.1%.
Christodoulides contested the presidential election as an independent candidate, with the support of centrist and right-of-center parties. After the victory, he vowed to do everything to be worthy of the citizens' trust, and he also promised to be the president of all Cypriots.
The president-elect is faced with problems ranging from a deadlock in reunification talks with Turkish Cypriots on the island that is divided ethnically, labor disputes amid runaway inflation, the effect of corruption, and also increase in the rate of migration that has caused the authorities to cope with thousands of asylum applications.
Source: Reuters
Queen Consort, Camilla Tests Positive For Covid-19
Photo Source: AP
Monday, February 13, 2023 - Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the Queen Consort, Camilla, has tested positive for COVID-19 after displaying cold symptoms. It was then revealed that all her weekly public engagements had been canceled.
Her trip was said to be canceled due to seasonal illness before it was confirmed that she had tested positive for COVID-19. About a year ago, the Queen consort and the king, then prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19 in the same outbreak in February 2022.
According to ONS’s most recent infection survey data, close to one million people in the United Kingdom had coronavirus in the week of January 31. The latest date in England shows that about 96% of people in the age group of 75-79 years old are vaccinated, with 78.7%, having their most recent vaccination three to six months ago.
Source: BBC
Bus Crash In South Africa Kills 20 People
Photo Source: AP
Tuesday, February 14, 2023 - Transport officials and an emergency medical company confirmed that 20 people have died after a bus and a van transporting money collided on a major South African Road in Limpopo Province.
In the statement by ER24, it said, “three people were found dead by the roadside and 16 down by the river. They were all declared dead on arrival. One of the 69 passengers transported to the hospital for various injuries has also been confirmed dead.”
According to the Limpopo transport department, it was reported that the crash occurred at 5 p.m. and that the bus was transporting people from the town of Makhado to areas in the province’s Vhembe district. The department also said police divers had been sent to confirm whether or not people were swept away by the river.
Source: CNN
A Bus Carrying Migrants Crashes In Panama, Killing At Least 39 Passengers
Photo Source: AP
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 - A bus carrying over 60 migrants fell off a cliff early on Wednesday in Panama, killing at least 39 people. The accident marks the worst migration accident in the country’s history.
More than half of the 66 passengers were confirmed dead due to the accident close to Gualaca migrant shelter. Close to 20 people who were injured severely were also hospitalized. Details about the nationalities of the migrants were not provided by the Migration Authorities, saying they would have to communicate with relatives and embassies of each passenger.
The president of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, wrote on terrier that “the government extends its condolences to the families of those that died in the accident and reiterates its commitment to continue providing humanitarian aid and decent conditions to deal with irregular migration.”
Source: Reuters
Militants Attack Karachi Police Headquarters, Killing At Least Four People
Photo Source: AP Photo/M. Norman
Friday, February 17, 2023 — The police headquarters in the southern city of Karachi in Pakistan was attacked by militants, killing not less than four people and leaving 14 injured.
Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui, a senior leader of the Pakistani People’s Party, said during the attack, two policemen, two rangers, and one civilian were killed. He also said one of the 14 people injured is in critical condition.
In a video statement, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said, “three attackers were behind the attack on the Karachi Police office; all three are now dead. The police force, rangers, and army helped in resolving the situation.” He thus commended them for their bravery.
Due to the attack, a state of emergency has been declared in Karachi, said the spokesperson to Sindh provisional government, Sharjeel Memon.
Source: CNN
European Union Calls For Urgent Joint Arm Purchase To Help Ukraine
Photo Source: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
Saturday, February 18, 2023 — After Kyiv's warning that its forces need more supplies, officials confirm that the European Union is exploring ways for its member countries to come together and buy munitions to assist Ukraine. The EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss getting a 155-millimeter artillery on Monday at a meeting in Brussels.
On Saturday, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, said, “it is now time to really speed up the production and also to scale up the production of standardized products that Ukraine desperately needs.” She also said the purchase could be similar to the EU’s advance purchase of COVID vaccines.
Minister for Foreign Affairs in Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, described the need for ammunition as a critical issue, which he had discussed with the defense industry leaders at the Munich conference.
Source: Reuters
Ballistic Missile Fired By North Korea Off East Coast
Photo Source: AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon
Sunday, February 19, 2023 — Joint Chiefs of South Korea confirm that North Korea has fired a ballistic missile toward the sea of its east coast, after Pyongyang warned of a strong response to the U.S.-South Korea military drills coming up. Japan’s coastguard confirms that North Korea launched what could be described as a ballistic missile.
North Korea has also confirmed that it launched a Hwasong-15 billion intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) just a day before a sudden launching drill for a mobile counterattack against hostile forces. South Korea Military said it detected the missile at 5:22 p.m.
South Korean defense ministry said the nuclear drills between the U.S. and South Korea, referred to as the deterrence strategy committee tabletop exercise, are scheduled for Wednesday at the Pentagon, which will involve senior defense policymakers from both parties.
Source: The Guardian
Biden Visits Ukraine For The First Time Since Russia’s Invasion
Photo Source: AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Monday, February 20, 2023 — The president of the United States, Joe Biden, paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday, which makes it the first time he has been to the country since the invasion of Russia almost a year ago.
Biden announced a new $500 million assistance for Ukraine, saying the package would include more military equipment, such as artillery ammunition, more javelins, and Howitzers. He also announced that new sanctions would be imposed on Moscow later in the week.
Biden’s visitation in person shows a sign of American support for President Zelensky. After a very long journey from Washington, Biden got to Kyiv at 8 a.m. local time and arrived at the Mariinsky Palace 30 minutes later. President Zelensky shook his hand as he was about to depart in the afternoon and said, “thank you for coming.”
Source: CNN
39 English Schools Closed Down Due To Unsafe Building Standards
Photo Source: AP Photo/Jon Super/PA
Tuesday, February 21, 2023 — In England, not less than 39 schools have been compelled to lock down partially or fully in the past three years because one more building has been deemed unsafe. Due to concerns about building safety, the schools have been ordered to close down permanently. Students of the affected schools have been moved to existing spaces available on the school site or into alternative accommodations.
In the annual report of the Department for Education (DfE) in December, it acknowledged that “there is risk of collapse of one or more blocks in some schools which are at, or approaching the end of their designed life expectancy.”
Nick Gibb, minister for schools, said it is not compulsory for authorities to report building-related school closures to DfE, saying there is the possibility of closing more schools in the future.
Source: The Guardian
High School Student In A French School Stabbed Teacher To Death
Photo Source: AP Photo/Bob Edme
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 — A teacher has been stabbed to death in the French town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz by a high school student. The attack on Wednesday was confirmed by the spokesman of the French government, Olivier Veran, who said that the attacker was a teenager of 16 years old.
It was confirmed by Jerome Bourrier, a local prosecutor, that an investigation has been launched by the local police for assassination, and the suspect has been taken into custody. The prosecutor will give a news conference on Thursday to shed more light on the investigation. It was reported that there was no suggestion that the incident was terror-related.
The school where the attack happened is a Catholic establishment close to the center of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a prominent French summer holiday location.
Source: BBC
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