2025–2026 Dutch cabinet formation Rob Jetten is sworn in as the new prime minister of the Netherlands.
Connections of Jeffrey Epstein British politician Peter Mandelson is arrested on charges of misconduct in public office related to his links to convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mil Mi-17 A Mil Mi-17 helicopter of the Peruvian Air Force that went missing the previous day is found crashed near Chala, Peru. All 15 people on board are confirmed dead.
Prithvi Highway A bus plunges off a mountainous section of the Prithvi Highway near Benighat, Nepal, killing 19 people and injuring 25 others.
Panama Panama's canal authority assumes control of the Balboa and Cristóbal ports on the Panama Canal after the supreme court annulled the concessions held by Hong Kong–based CK Hutchison, with an 18-month transition period and a new international tender process planned.
Syrian conflict The Syrian interior ministry reports that four security personnel and an assailant were killed in an attack claimed to involve the Islamic State at a checkpoint in Raqqa.
Sudanese civil war Chad closes its border with Sudan after five Chadian soldiers and three civilians are killed, and 12 more people are injured, in clashes between Rapid Support Forces in opposition to and militia groups affiliated with the Sudanese government.
Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Three security personnel are killed and two others are injured in a quadcopter strike on a paramilitary fort in Karak District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Mexican drug war The death toll among Mexican National Guard troops in Jalisco rises to at least 25 with dozens more wounded amid clashes with Jalisco New Generation Cartel gunmen.
Russo-Ukrainian war Russian forces launch a wave of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, killing four people, including two civilians in Odesa.
Articles The post-truth and the contextMost of the daily information we see on the mainstream media today is the news equivalent of fast-food.
2026 Winter Olympics The United States defeats Canada 2–1 during overtime, winning gold in the men's tournament in ice hockey for the first time since 1980, exactly 46 years after the Miracle on Ice.
The Winter Olympics conclude with Norway as the highest-ranked team in the medal table. The Olympic flag is handed over to the organizers of the 2030 Winter Olympics to be held in the French Alps.
9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, is re-elected as the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, the most powerful position in the one-party state.
2026 Laotian parliamentary election Laotians vote in a parliamentary election to elect the 175 members of the tenth National Assembly. The only legal party in Laos contesting the election is the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.
Secret Service Secret Service and police officials kill an armed 21-year-old man who entered Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's estate in Palm Beach, Florida, United States.
Iran–Russia relations The "Financial Times" reports that Iran had signed a confidential €500 million (US$589 million) arms agreement with Russia in December 2025 to buy 500 9K333 "Verba" man-portable air-defense systems and 2,500 associated missiles, with deliveries scheduled between 2027 and 2029 under a contract negotiated between Iran's defence ministry and the Rosoboronexport.
Search and rescue Search and rescue operations begin for three individuals who have been reported missing after a collapse of a landfill in Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines, two days prior. There are other claims that up to 50 people are feared missing from the incident.
February 2026 North American blizzard In the United States, a major nor'easter snowstorm hits the East Coast, causing blizzard conditions and major transportation disruptions.
79th British Academy Film Awards At the 2026 BAFTA Awards, the American film "One Battle After Another" wins the most awards with six, including Best Film. "Hamnet" became the most-nominated film by a female director and "Sinners" became the most-nominated film by a Black director in BAFTA history.
Mexican drug war At least seven National Guard troops are killed in clashes with CJNG forces in Western Mexico.
Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and six other gunmen are killed during a security operation carried out by the Mexican Armed Forces near Tapalpa, Jalisco. In response, CJNG members launched coordinated retaliatory attacks, including road blockades involving burning vehicles and improvised checkpoints across multiple states.
Libyan crisis At least five bodies of refugees wash ashore near Tripoli, Libya. Residents also observe a child's body carried back to sea by strong waves, prompting a coast guard search operation.
2025–26 Australian bushfire season The state emergency service of Victoria, Australia, issues the highest-level emergency evacuation warning for areas surrounding the A1 Mine Settlement of Gaffneys Creek, as an uncontrolled bushfire burns the settlement.
Tariffs in the second Trump administration United States president Donald Trump raises the global tariff on imports from 10% to 15% under emergency powers that permit the measure for up to 150 days after the Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a 1977 law does not authorize the imposition of his earlier country-specific tariffs. The administration states that the new rate applies broadly, with exemptions for certain sectors and goods covered by existing trade agreements.
76th Berlin International Film Festival At this year's Berlin Film Festival, İlker Çatak's "Yellow Letters" wins the Golden Bear.
Terrorism in Ukraine A policewoman is killed and at least 15 others are injured, including some seriously, in two explosions at a shop in Lviv, Ukraine. The attacks are being treated as terrorism.
Syrian conflict The Islamic State claims responsibility for two attacks on security personnel in northern and eastern Syria, in which a soldier and a civilian were killed.
Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Two soldiers and five militants are killed in a shootout in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Pakistan conducts intelligence-based strikes on seven locations along the Durand Line in the Nangarhar and Paktika provinces of Afghanistan targeting alleged camps of the Pakistani Taliban and an affiliate of the Islamic State, resulting in dozens of fatalities and injuries.
Russo-Ukrainian war Russian forces capture the village of Karpivka in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, as they attempt to advance towards Lyman.
Ukrainian forces launch long-range FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles, striking the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant in Votkinsk, Udmurtia, Russia. Another missile strikes a natural-gas processing plant in Samara Oblast.