Source:
Bloomberg
February 6
Disasters and accidents
The Syrian Civil Defence declares a state of emergency as the death toll in Syria rises to 99 with hundreds more reportedly trapped under rubble.
Source:
ABC News
February 5
Disasters and accidents
Source:
BBC News
At least eight people are killed and 42 others are injured when a bus crashes and overturns in Afyonkarahisar Province, Turkey.
Source:
ABC News
Politics and elections
Source:
AFP via France 24
A runoff is called for February 12 between Nikos Christodoulides and Andreas Mavroyiannis.
Source:
The Guardian
Source:
Infobae
Monegasques head to the polls to elect the members of their Parliament.
Source:
Euronews
People's Deputy of Ukraine Davyd Arakhamia announces that military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov will replace Oleksii Reznikov as Minister of Defense following a corruption scandal.
Source:
AFP via ABS-CBN News
Law and crime
The government extends the state of emergency in the Apurímac, Arequipa, Cuzco, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Puno, and Tacna departments until April 7.
Source:
AFP via VOA
Arts and culture
American singer Beyoncé sets a Grammy Awards record for the most wins, surpassing Hungarian conductor Georg Solti.
Source:
NPR
Health and environment
Source:
Reuters
February 4
Health and environment
Mount Washington in New Hampshire, United States, records the lowest wind chill temperature in the country at −108 °F (−78 °C).
Source:
Manila Bulletin
Disasters and accidents
At least 16 people are killed and 66 others are injured in a multiple-vehicle collision along a highway in Changsha, Hunan, China.
Source:
The Straits Times
Nine sailors are missing after their fishing vessel capsizes off the coast of Sinan County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. President Yoon Suk-yeol has deployed the coast guard to conduct an air-sea rescue for the missing people.
Source:
Oman Daily Observer
Two people are killed and three others are injured by an avalanche in Raghistan District, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan.
Source:
5DariyaNews
Armed conflicts and attacks
The Federal Aviation Administration closes the airspace off the east coast of the United States, and suspends arrivals at Myrtle Beach International Airport, Charleston International Airport, and Wilmington International Airport after President Joe Biden orders the high-altitude balloon to be shot down over the Atlantic Ocean.
Source:
Euro Weekly News
The high-altitude balloon is shot down by a United States Air Force F-22 Raptor over the Atlantic Ocean at 2:39 PM EST. An operation to collect the remnants of the balloon in U.S. territorial waters is currently underway. It is the first time that an aircraft has been shot down in the United States since World War II.
Source:
CNN
February 3
Science and technology
The Brazilian Navy scuttles the decommissioned aircraft carrier into the Atlantic Ocean, following the rejections of injunctions from the Ministry of the Environment and the Federal Public Ministry.
Source:
AFP via RFI
Disasters and accidents
Three people are killed and several others are injured when a bus overturns near Murska Sobota, Prekmurje, Slovenia.
Source:
AP
At least seventeen people are killed in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck in Kohat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Source:
AP
Chile expands its state of emergency due to wildfires that have burned up to 8,000 hectares and also declares a catastrophe in the Biobío region amid a summer heat wave.
Source:
Reuters
Law and crime
A court in South Korea sentences former justice minister Cho Kuk to two years in prison after convicting him on charges of abuse of power and for helping his children enter prestigious schools using fake credentials.
Source:
The Washington Post
Armed conflicts and attacks
Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed meets with officials of the Tigray People's Liberation Front for the first time since the signing of a peace treaty in November.
Source:
AFP via RFI
International relations
The United States accuses China of "a clear violation of sovereignty" after a suspected meteorological high altitude balloon is noted hovering over Montana. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken postpones his official visit to Beijing, initially scheduled for February 5, in response to the incident.
Source:
Al Jazeera
The United States Department of Defense reports that a second high altitude balloon has been discovered flying over Latin America.
Source:
NBC News
Business and economy
The FTSE 100 Index, the main share index of the 100 most highly capitalized companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, reaches a record intraday value of 7,906.58 points, surpassing the previous highest intraday value of 7,903.50 points recorded on May 22, 2018.
Source:
Barron's