David Cameron British Prime Minister David Cameron announces that Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams has resigned from the British parliament, having accepted the position of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.
Home Secretary British Home Secretary Theresa May announces new measures to replace controversial control orders for terror suspects.
People's Republic of China Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao asks citizens to voice their criticisms of the government and speak out about injustice during a visit to the country's highest petition bureau.
Southern Sudanese Independence Referendum The preliminary results of the referendum on an independence for Southern Sudan will be announced in the next few days, with final results as early as February 7; most of the count in the south already completed shows 99% voted for independence.
Barack Obama U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the annual State of the Union address calling on the United States Congress to improve the nation's "crumbling" infrastructure, saying it will create jobs and help the nation compete in the global economy.
Micheál Martin Ireland's former foreign minister Micheál Martin is elected leader of the Fianna Fáil party following Brian Cowen's resignation.
Scotland Yard Scotland Yard launches a fresh inquiry into phone hacking by tabloid journalists after receiving "significant new information".
Members Former Member of the Scottish Parliament Tommy Sheridan is jailed for three years for committing perjury.
Vietnam A court in Vietnam sentences a former Communist Party member to eight years in jail for posting articles on the Internet calling for multi-party democracy.
Tunisia Tunisia issues an international arrest warrant for former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and members of his family who fled the country earlier this month following demonstrations that toppled his regime.
Ireland Ireland upgrades its relations with Palestine to a diplomatic mission, short of recognition, though the Palestinian representative is now officially an ambassador.
Iranian state media Iranian media censor pictures of EU foreign minister Catherine Ashton's cleavage taken at recent failed talks on Iran's nuclear program; Ashton covers up in later meetings to prevent further diplomatic incident.
Kyrgyzstan Former Kyrgyz energy minister Saparbek Balkibekov, who fled the country during the 2010 uprising, is detained in Ireland by an Interpol operation.
Switzerland Switzerland adopts European Union sanctions against Iran’s energy, nuclear and weapons sectors, but an 18-22 billion euro Swiss EGL gas contract with the National Iranian Gas Export Company has not been canceled.
Ivory Coast Incumbent Ivorian leader Laurent Gbagbo orders the seizure of all local branches of the Central Bank of West African States.
China The newly released figures show China had 6.31 million new college graduates, and about 90.7 percent of them found employment by the end of 2010, which represented a 3 percent year-on-year increase.
Canada Canadian singer Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy becomes the first person in the world to graduate with a Masters degree in The Beatles, which she studied at Liverpool Hope University.
Sky Sports Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys resigns following his comments about female referee Sian Massey.
Yemen An ambush attack on an army-escorted postal truck in Yemen's southern Hadramut region kills 5 people.
Sudan People's Armed Forces The Sudanese army clashes with Sudan Liberation Army rebels in Darfur for the second time in a week, and insurgents said they shot down a helicopter gunship, killing at least three people, a claim denied by the army, which said it had killed 25 rebels.
Russian President Russian President Dmitry Medvedev fires top airport security officials, two days after a suicide bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport killed 35 people and injured 130.
Dagestan At least four people are killed and several injured in a car bombing in Dagestan in the North Caucasus.
Egyptian Protests Police in Cairo beat and arrest a "Guardian" news reporter, who secretly records the events that occur in the police van.
Egyptian authorities ban protests and block access to some websites after continuing street demonstrations in the country.
Three Egyptian protesters in Suez and one police officer in Cairo are killed in protests against president Hosni Mubarak.
Muslim Three muslim rebels are killed following a clash with government security forces in the Southern Philippines.