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Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is imprisoned for five years after the country's Federal Court upholds his conviction for sodomy.
Sam Smith wins Record of the Year and Beck (pictured) wins Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.
In association football, the Africa Cup of Nations concludes with Ivory Coast defeating Ghana in the final.
Boyhood wins three awards, including Best Film, at the British Academy Film Awards.
Paul Gauguin's When Will You Marry? sells for $300m (£197m), the highest known price ever paid for any painting.
Ross Ulbricht is found guilty of seven offenses related to the creation and running of the Silk Road website.

Recent deaths: Billy Casper – Dean Smith – Charlie Sifford

February 12, 2015 (Thursday)

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Law and crime

Six Taiwanese prisoners commit suicide after releasing hostages captured yesterday in Kaohsiung. The prisoners were protesting their sentences and alleged poor conditions of the Taiwanese prison system. (BBC)

Science and technology

A meteorite falls in northern New Zealand and is observed by at least two separate people. kelownanow.com stuff.co.nz

February 11, 2015 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi clashes and attacks kill at least 31 people. (AP)

Business and economy

Rite Aid, one of the largest chains of pharmacies in the United States, announces that it is purchasing EnvisionRx, a pharmacy benefits manager, from TPG Capital, for $2 billion. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The Greek Coast Guard rescues all 22 crewmen from a Cyprus-flagged vessel Good Faith that ran aground on the Greek island of Andros during a storm in the Aegean Sea. (AP)
A 106-car pileup occurs on Yeongjong Bridge in Incheon, South Korea, leaving two men dead and more than 65 people injured. (BBC)
Costa Concordia disaster
- A court in the city of Grosseto convicts the former captain of the Costa Concordia, Francesco Schettino, of manslaughter for his part in the January 2012 ship's sinking and sentences him to 16 years in jail. (BBC)

International relations

Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
- The United States, United Kingdom, and France close their Yemeni embassies and evacuate their staff due to terrorist activities and continued unrest. (USA Today)
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping will make his first state visit to the United States next September. (AP)
War in Donbass
- Leaders from Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine meet in the Belarusian capital Minsk for peace talks. (CNN)

Law and crime

Police arrest a suspected shooter Craig Stephen Hicks for killing a Muslim family of three in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. Police state that the shooting was motivated by a long-standing neighbor dispute over parking. (The Independent)(AP)
A shooting at a wedding in Newtownbutler, Northern Ireland kills one and injuries one while another victim was injured by a knife. (BBC)

Science and technology

SpaceX launches a weather observation satellite, Deep Space Climate Observatory, at 6:03 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral, Florida (for the US Air Force/NASA/NOAA), but postpones making of a second attempt to land a Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket on a floating platform called the autonomous spaceport drone ship, following the January 10 failure during the SpaceX CRS-5 mission. SpaceX instead, attempts a "mock" soft-landing into the Atlantic ocean (AP)(AP)

Sports

Little League Baseball strips Chicago's Little League championship team Jackie Robinson West of their 2014 Little League World Series US title after an investigation revealed the team had falsified boundaries to field ineligible players. The league names Mountain Ridge Little League of Las Vegas, Nevada, the US champion due to the vacating of Jackie Robinson West's wins. (AP)(Little League.org)

February 10, 2015 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass
- Fighting kills fifteen people and leaves 60 injured as missiles hit Ukraine's military headquarters in the city of Kramatorsk. (Radio Free Europe)
The Obama Administration announces the creation of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, a new United States federal government agency that will be a fusion center between existing agencies and the private sector for real-time use against cyber attacks. (Reuters)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- The United States confirms the death of ISIL hostage Kayla Mueller. (Fox News)

Arts and culture

NBC Nightly News suspends American newsreader Brian Williams from broadcasting for six months for exaggerating a story about his personal experiences on a helicopter during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. (AP)
American comedian and satirist Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, announces his departure from the show, which is due to take place at the end of the year. (Reuters)
The European Broadcasting Union announces that Australia will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in Vienna 2015; it will be the first country ever outside of the European Broadcasting Area, as well as the first associated member of the EBU, to participate (Eurovision.tv) (ESC Today)

Business and economy

Apple, Inc. becomes the first company in the world to close with a market capitalization over $700 billion. (AP)

International relations

Wang Yu-chi resigns as Taiwan's Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council responsible for maintaining relations with the People's Republic of China. (Reuters)

Law and crime

The Federal Court of Malaysia rejects opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's appeal against sodomy charges meaning he will start serving a five-year sentence. (Reuters)
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. states that a 50-person bribery case involves New York City inspectors, landlords, and contractors with payoffs to get safety violations dismissed and procure phony eviction orders. (AP)

Politics and elections

The February 7 Delhi Legislative Assembly election results in the Aam Aadmi Party leading in 63 out of 70 seats. (BBC)

February 9, 2015 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass
- Fighting in the past 24 hours kills at least nine Ukrainian soldiers. (Reuters)
- An artillery shell causes a massive explosion at a chemical plant in Donetsk. (ABC News)
- Ukraine claims that Russia has sent 1,500 troops and convoys of military hardware into the Ukraine on the weekend. Russia denies these claims. (Times of India)
Boko Haram
- Boko Haram launch a raid on a prison in the town of Diffa in Niger. Authorities repel the attack. (AP)
Hooded gunmen attack French police in the city of Marseille, which Prime Minister Manuel Valls is due to visit. (The Telegraph)
Several attacks, including a suicide bombing, kill at least 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, in a predominantly Shiite part of the capital. (AP)
Members of Ireland's police force Garda Síochána raid the Dublin home of former MEP Paul Murphy TD, taking Murphy into custody along with three other activists and politicians opposing the water-tax-rate change, stirring nationwide speculation of "political policing." The police later release all four without charges. (Independent.IE) (The Irish Times) (The Irish Times)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- Islamists from al-Shabab kill a member of the parliament Abdullahi Qayad Barre in the capital city of Mogadishu, Somalia. (BBC)

Business and economy

A Canadian gold mining company, Tahoe Resources, agrees to buy Rio Alto Mining for more than CAN$1 billion, part of an ongoing consolidation in the precious metals mining industry. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Mountaineers claim to have found in the Andes the wreckage of LAN Chile Flight 210 that disappeared in August 1961 killing 24 people on board including eight members and two coaches of the Club de Deportes Green Cross football team. (The Independent)
The U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, sets all-time records for amount of snow on the ground and amount of snow over 30-day and 40-day periods in 17 days. (WCVB) (NBC News)
Two buses crash head-on in Bình Thuận’s Hàm Thuận Nam District, Viet Nam, killing 10 people and injuring 9 others. (Thanh Nien News)

Law and crime

Samsung reveals potential for next generation smart TVs to eavesdrop. (AP)

Politics and elections

Bahrain suspends the newly launched Alarab News Channel. On February 1, 2015, Alarab's first day of operations, Bahrain's Information Affairs Authority had ordered the channel to cease broadcasting since it had not done enough to combat “extremism and terrorism.” Alarab had debuted with a Shia opposition politician interview. (Al Jazeera) (The Nation (Pakistan))

February 8, 2015 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

In Cairo, Egypt, clashes between police and fans of Zamalek SC kill 22 people. Egyptian authorities indefinitely suspend football league matches. (BBC), (AP)

Arts and culture

57th Annual Grammy Awards
- The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences members present the Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (News Limited)
  - "Stay with Me (Darkchild Version)" wins Song of the Year and Record of the Year. (AP) (AP)
  - Morning Phase performed by Beck wins Album of the Year. (Reuters via Yahoo!)
68th British Academy Film Awards
- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts members present the British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Opera House in London. (BBC)
- Boyhood wins Best Film with Richard Linklater winning the Best Director award. (The Guardian)

Sports

The Ivory Coast wins the Africa Cup of Nations, beating Ghana 9–8 penalties after a 0–0 draw.(CAF)

February 7, 2015 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea test fires a new "ultra-precision" intelligent anti-ship missile which is to be deployed across its navy. (AFP via France 24)
War in Donbass
- The leaders of France, Germany and Russia agree to work on a peace plan to be put to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on Sunday. (BBC)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Bombings in Baghdad kill at least 37 people hours before the city's curfew was due to end. ISIL claims responsibility. (AP via Los Angeles Times), (AP via KSL)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
- Nigeria postpones its general election for six weeks to allow its armed forces to take control of the Boko Haram-controlled parts of the country. (Irish Times)

Arts and culture

NBC Nightly News anchorman Brian Williams begins a temporary hiatus from broadcasting after he was caught lying about having been onboard an underfire helicopter which crashed during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. (AP)

Business and economy

The management of Twentieth Century Fox considers granting permission to a group of investors, including some hedge funds, seeking to amend the company's charter and turn their type of voting shares of stock into non-voting shares, a conversion that might raise that type of shares' market price and that also would further concentrate control in the hands of Rupert Murdoch and his family. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

TransAsia cancels dozens of flights to retrain its pilots following the February 4 crash of TransAsia Airways Flight 235 which killed at least 43 people. (AFP via Daily Mail)

Law and Crime

A gunman shoots six people, killing four, including several children, in Douglasville, Georgia, ending with the gunman commiting suicide. (AP via FOX News)
A 17-year-old male opens fire on a man at the Monroeville Mall in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, striking his intended target as well as two bystanders hospitalizing three people. (AP via News24) (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Politics and elections

Queensland Liberal National Party voters elect Lawrence Springborg as their leader with John-Paul Langbroek as deputy leader. (ABC News Australia)
Slovak same-sex marriage referendum
- Although greater than 90% vote in favor of the referendum, Slovak election officials deem the result invalid due to a low 21% voter turnout, far short of the 50% or greater turnout required for the results to be legally binding. (The Slovak Spectator)

February 6, 2015 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- ISIL claims that the American female hostage Kayla Jean Mueller has been killed by Jordanian airstrikes at the outskirts of Raqqa, Syria. The White House says that they have no proof of her death. (AP) (AP via Twitter) (CNN), (BBC)
Boko Haram
- Boko Haram attacks two towns in Niger but is repulsed by the Niger Army with assistance from the Chad Air Force. (AP via St Louis Post Dispatch), (Nigerian Guardian)

Business and economy

German engineering firm Siemens announces plans to axe 7,800 jobs, 3000 of which are in Germany. (AFP via France24)

Disasters and accidents

Ecuador declares a state of emergency in the Galápagos Islands after a ship, The Floreana, carrying hazardous materials ran aground January 28. (Daily Mail)

Law and crime

Mexican police find at least 61 bodies in an abandoned crematorium in Acapulco. (BBC)
The Supreme Court of Canada strikes down a ban on assisted suicide meaning doctors can now assist mentally competent patients with severe and incurable conditions to die. (The Independent)

Politics and elections

The Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott faces a possible leadership vote when the Parliament of Australia resumes sitting after backbencher Luke Simpkins announces that he will move a motion calling for a leadership spill. (Reuters)
Xanana Gusmão resigns as the Prime Minister of East Timor ahead of an expected government restructure next week. (AP)
Houthi insurgency in Yemen
- Houthi rebels take control in Yemen and dissolve the parliament. (Al-Arabiyah)

More February 2015 events...

Ongoing events
Economic Eurozone crisis Financial crisis in Russia Health Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa Political Syrian and Iraqi civil wars Military intervention against ISIL War in Afghanistan Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger More details on ongoing conflicts below edit sidebar

Recent deaths
February 2015 11: Michael Raupach 11: Bob Simon 11: Jerry Tarkanian 10: Deng Liqun 10: Bill Enyart 10: Dane A. Miller 9: Ed Sabol 8: Kenji Ekuan 8: Mario Vázquez Raña 8: Andrew Rosenfeld 7: Billy Casper 7: Robert Gavron, Baron Gavron 7: Joe B. Mauldin 7: Dean Smith 7: John C. Whitehead 6: André Brink 6: Assia Djebar 6: Kayla Mueller 6: Alan Nunnelee 5: K. N. Choksy 5: Henri Coppens 5: Stay Gold 5: Anne Moody 4: Ziad Khalaf Raja al-Karbouly 4: Sajida al-Rishawi 4: Norman Yemm 3: Frank Borghi 3: Christophe Gbenye 3: Martin Gilbert 3: Mary Healy 3: Hay List 3: Charlie Sifford 2: Dave Bergman 2: The Jacka 2: Stewart Stern 1: Aldo Ciccolini 1: Udo Lattek 1: Ann Mara 1: Molade Okoya-Thomas 1: Monty Oum edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Africa Algeria, Tunisia and Niger Maghreb insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Katanga insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Eritrea and Ethiopia Second Afar insurgency Ethiopia Ogaden insurgency OLF insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Nigeria and Cameroon Boko Haram Conflict in the Niger Delta Somalia Civil war South Sudan South Sudanese Civil War Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Sudanese nomadic conflicts Americas Colombian conflict Internal conflict in Peru Mexican War on Drugs Asia Afghanistan War Taliban insurgency 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 Communist insurgency Moro insurgency Southeast Asia Internal conflict in Burma Papua conflict South Thailand insurgency Europe Chechen-Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency War in Ingushetia Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Ukraine War in Donbass 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 Syrian Civil War American-led intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey-PKK conflict Yemeni crisis Houthi rebellion Al-Qaeda insurgency South Yemen insurgency edit sidebar

Elections
Recent: January–February 20: Zambia, President 25: Comoros, Assembly of the Union (1st round) 25: Greece, Parliament 28: Lebanon, President (18th round) 29–31: Italy, President (1st–4th rounds) 7: Slovakia, Referendum 13: Greece, President (4th round) Upcoming: February–March 18: Lebanon, President (19th round) 22: Comoros, Assembly of the Union (2nd round) 28: Lesotho, National Assembly 1: Estonia, Parliament 1: Tajikistan, Assembly of Representatives edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Australia: Brett Peter Cowan, Craig Thomson, Robert Hughes Brazil: Mensalão scandal Canada: Michael Thomas Rafferty, Luka Magnotta China: Liu Tienan, Li Daqiu, Bo Xilai Croatia: Ivo Sanader Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Peter Greste Germany: Bernie Ecclestone, Uli Hoeness, Christian Wulff, Breno Borges Iran: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Israel: Hussam Qawasmeh Italy: Silvio Berlusconi Jordan: Abu Qatada Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Vladimir Kvachkov, Pussy Riot South Africa: Shrien Dewani, Oscar Pistorius, Chris Mahlangu Turkey: Kenan Evren, Tahsin Şahinkaya United Kingdom: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, Ali Dizaei, Antoni Imiela, Brian Regan, Donna Air, Ched Evans, Clayton McDonald, Titus Bramble, Dan Penteado, John Terry, Iftikhar and Farzana Ahmed, Asil Nadir, Justin Lee Collins, Kweku Adoboli, Tony McCluskie, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, Chris Huhne, Nicola Edgington, Vicky Pryce, Derek Rose, Mick Philpott, Mairead Philpott, Paul Mosley, Kevin Liverpool, Junior Bradshaw, Aggro Santos, Stuart Hazell, Mark Bridger, Andrew Lancel, Dale Cregan, Ray Wilkins, Michael Le Vell, 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 United States: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Michael Grimm, Bob McDonnell, Vilma Bautista, George Huguely, Allen Stanford, Roger Clemens, Jerry Sandusky, Jared Lee Loughner, Lauryn Hill, Kermit Gosnell, George Zimmerman, Chelsea Manning, Ariel Castro, Whitey Bulger, Robert Bales, Nidal Malik Hasan, Crystal Mangum International ECCC: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan ICC: Germain Katanga, Thomas Lubanga ICTY: Momčilo Perišić, Mladen Markač, Ante Gotovina SCFSL: Charles Taylor Ongoing China: Ji Jianye Egypt: Mohamed Morsi Germany: Beate Zschäpe Iran: Babak Zanjani Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr., Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Janet Lim-Napoles, Jovito Palparan Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: MV Sewol crew members United Kingdom: Eddy Shah, Koo Stark, Gary Glitter, Fred Talbot United States: Jodi Arias International ICTY: Radovan Karadžić, Ratko Mladic Upcoming Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Spain: Lionel Messi United Kingdom: Dane Bowers, Andy Coulson United States: Paul Anthony Ciancia, Javaris Crittenton, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Dylan Quick, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, James Eagan Holmes, Aaron Hernandez, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Anas al-Libi, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Rick Perry International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo edit sidebar

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2014: January; February; March; April; May; June; July; August; September; October; November; December

2013: January; February; March; April; May; June; July; August; September; October; November; December

2012: January; February; March; April; May; June; July; August; September; October; November; December

2011: January; February; March; April; May; June; July; August; September; October; November; December

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