Portal:Current events/2018 February 20: Difference between revisions

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February 20, 2018 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Turkish military operation in Afrin
  - Pro-Syrian government forces are sent to help the Kurdish YPG fight against Turkey and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army in the Afrin Region. This action opens up a new front in the war. (The Independent)

Business and economy

Economy of Venezuela
- Venezuela launches its Petro cryptocurrency, which it claims is the world's first sovereign cryptocurrency. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2017–18 South Pacific cyclone season
- Seven regions in New Zealand declare states of emergency as Cyclone Gita makes landfall. (Newshub)
Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 3704
- Iranian forces have spotted the wreckage of the missing Aseman Airliner 30 meters below a hilltop on mount Dena. Helicopters could not land yet at the crash site due to weather and topographical conditions. 65 people are feared dead. (PressTV)
2018 Mount Sinabung eruption
- Indonesia's Mount Sinabung has a massive eruption, completely destroying the volcano's peak, with ash reaching over 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) high. Much of the surrounding area is covered with ash. (Quartz)

Law and crime

Corruption in Latvia
- Latvia will ask the European Central Bank not to renew the mandate of ECB Governing Council member Ilmārs Rimšēvičs, the head of the central Bank of Latvia since 2001, amid an ECB payment moratorium and an U.S. graft investigation into Latvia's third-largest lender, ABLV. On 19 January, Rimšēvičs was released on bail. (Bloomberg)
Judiciary of Thailand
- A court in Thailand awards a Japanese man paternity rights over 13 of his children from Thai surrogate mothers. (BBC)
Gun politics in the United States
- U.S. President Donald Trump orders the Department of Justice to prepare regulations to ban devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to become fully automatic, such as the bump stocks used in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. (The Hill)
U.S. Special Counsel investigation
- Attorney Alex van der Zwaan pleads guilty in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to making false statements to the FBI during the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Specifically, the charges are that he lied to investigators about his interactions with political consultant and lobbyist Rick Gates and an unidentified Ukrainian-based associate of Paul Manafort. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Aftermath of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
- Families and students from Parkland, Florida, begin arriving in Tallahassee, the Florida State Capitol, for advocacy meetings with lawmakers and other State officials. During Tuesday's legislative session, the Republican-controlled Florida House defeated, by a party-line vote, a motion to debate assault weapons ban legislation, 71–36. (Tallahassee Democrat) (Miami Herald)
2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis
- Anna Gabriel, former member Parliament of Catalonia for Popular Unity Candidacy and Catalan independentism leader, flees to Switzerland before declaring before the Supreme Court of Spain amid rebellion and desobedience crime. (Independent)

Sports

2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal
- In college basketball, the NCAA denies an appeal of sanctions imposed on the University of Louisville stemming from a sex scandal first publicized in 2015. The most significant sanction requires Louisville to vacate its 2013 national title, making the Cardinals the first Division I men's or women's basketball team ever forced to vacate a national title. (ESPN)

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+;Armed conflicts and attacks
+*[[Syrian Civil War]]
+**[[Turkish military operation in Afrin]]
+***Pro-Syrian government forces are sent to help the [[Kurds in Syria|Kurdish]] [[People's Protection Units|YPG]] fight against [[Turkey]] and the [[Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army]] in the [[Afrin Region]]. This action opens up a new front in the war. [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-civil-war-assad-regime-afrin-kurdish-kurds-turkey-ypg-militia-a8219651.html (''The Independent'')]
+;Business and economy
+*[[Economy of Venezuela]]
+**[[Venezuela]] launches its [[Petro (cryptocurrency)|Petro cryptocurrency]], which it claims is the world's first sovereign [[cryptocurrency]]. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43133853 (BBC)]
 ;Disasters and accidents
+*[[2017–18 South Pacific cyclone season]]
-*Several regions in [[New Zealand]] declare [[state of emergency|states of emergencies]] in the aftermath of [[Cyclone Gita]]'s landfall. [http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/02/live-updates-cyclone-gita-to-bring-new-zealand-to-standstill.html (Newshub)]
+**Seven [[Regions of New Zealand|regions]] in [[New Zealand]] declare [[state of emergency|states of emergency]] as [[Cyclone Gita]] makes landfall. [http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/02/live-updates-cyclone-gita-to-bring-new-zealand-to-standstill.html (Newshub)]
 *[[Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 3704]]
-**Iranian forces have spotted the wreckage of the missing Aseman Airliner 30 meters below a hilltop on mount [[Dena]]. Helicopters could not land yet at the crash site due to weather and topographical conditions. 66 people are feared dead. [http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/02/20/552971/Iran-Aseman-Yasuj-ATR (PressTV)]
+**Iranian forces have spotted the wreckage of the missing Aseman Airliner 30 meters below a hilltop on mount [[Dena]]. Helicopters could not land yet at the crash site due to weather and topographical conditions. 65 people are feared dead. [http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/02/20/552971/Iran-Aseman-Yasuj-ATR (PressTV)]
+*[[Mount Sinabung#Eruptions|2018 Mount Sinabung eruption]]
+**[[Indonesia]]'s [[Mount Sinabung]] has a massive eruption, completely destroying the volcano's peak, with ash reaching over {{convert|7|km|mi}} high. Much of the surrounding area is covered with ash. [https://qz.com/1211486/indonesia-volcano-an-eruption-at-mount-sinabung-completely-annihilated-its-peak/ (Quartz)]
 ;Law and crime
+*[[Corruption in Latvia]]
-*[[Latvia]] will ask the [[European Central Bank]] not to renew the mandate of [[Governing Council of the European Central Bank|ECB Governing Council]] member [[Ilmārs Rimšēvičs]], the head of the central [[Bank of Latvia]] since 2001, amid an ECB [[Debt moratorium|payment moratorium]] and an U.S. [[Graft (politics)|graft]] investigation into Latvia's third-largest [[List of banks in Latvia|lender]], [[ABLV Bank|ABLV]]. On 19 January, Rimšēvičs was released on bail. [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-19/latvia-seeks-to-block-ecb-member-from-his-post-amid-graft-probe (Bloomberg)]
+**[[Latvia]] will ask the [[European Central Bank]] not to renew the mandate of [[Governing Council of the European Central Bank|ECB Governing Council]] member [[Ilmārs Rimšēvičs]], the head of the central [[Bank of Latvia]] since 2001, amid an ECB [[Debt moratorium|payment moratorium]] and an U.S. [[Graft (politics)|graft]] investigation into Latvia's third-largest [[List of banks in Latvia|lender]], [[ABLV Bank|ABLV]]. On 19 January, Rimšēvičs was released on bail. [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-19/latvia-seeks-to-block-ecb-member-from-his-post-amid-graft-probe (Bloomberg)]
-*A court in [[Thailand]] awards a [[Japan]]ese man paternity rights over 13 of his children from Thai [[Surrogacy|surrogate mothers]]. The man had rented an apartment in [[Bangkok]] and run it as a [[Child harvesting|baby factory]]. [http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43123658 (BBC)]
+*[[Judiciary of Thailand]]
+**A court in [[Thailand]] awards a [[Japan]]ese man paternity rights over 13 of his children from Thai [[Surrogacy|surrogate mothers]]. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43123658 (BBC)]
+*[[Gun politics in the United States]]
+**[[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Donald Trump]] orders the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] to prepare regulations to ban devices that allow [[semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic rifles]] to become fully automatic, such as the [[bump stock]]s used in the [[2017 Las Vegas shooting]]. [http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/374722-trump-to-take-steps-to-ban-bump-stocks (''The Hill'')]
+*[[Mueller special counsel investigation|U.S. Special Counsel investigation]]
+**Attorney [[Alex van der Zwaan]] pleads guilty in the [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.]], to making false statements to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] during [[Mueller special counsel investigation|the special counsel investigation]] into [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections]].  Specifically, the charges are that he lied to investigators about his interactions with political consultant and lobbyist [[Rick Gates (political consultant)|Rick Gates]]  and an unidentified Ukrainian-based associate of [[Paul Manafort]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/us/politics/alex-van-der-zwaan-gates-russia-mueller.html (''The New York Times'')]
+;Politics and elections
+*Aftermath of the [[Stoneman Douglas High School shooting]]
+**Families and students from [[Parkland, Florida]], begin arriving in Tallahassee, the [[Florida State Capitol]], for advocacy meetings with  lawmakers and other State officials. During Tuesday's legislative session,  the Republican-controlled [[Florida House of Representatives|Florida House]] defeated, by a [[party-line vote]],  a motion to debate assault weapons ban legislation, 71–36. [http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/02/20/students-demand-action-and-house-votes-no-assault-weapons/356694002/ (''Tallahassee Democrat'')] [http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article201186164.html (''Miami Herald'')]
+*[[2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis]]
+**[[Anna Gabriel]], former member [[Parliament of Catalonia]] for [[Popular Unity Candidacy]] and Catalan independentism leader, flees to Switzerland before declaring before the Supreme Court of Spain amid rebellion and desobedience crime. [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/catalonia-independence-latest-anna-gabriel-flees-spain-madrid-trial-referendum-mp-a8219271.html (''Independent'')]
+;Sports
+*[[2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal]]
+**In [[college basketball]], the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] denies an appeal of sanctions imposed on the [[Louisville Cardinals men's basketball|University of Louisville]] stemming from a [[2015 University of Louisville basketball sex scandal|sex scandal]] first publicized in 2015. The most significant sanction requires Louisville to vacate its [[2012–13 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team|2013]] [[NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament|national title]], making the Cardinals the first [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] men's or women's basketball team ever forced to vacate a national title. [http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22513517/ncaa-denies-louisville-appeal-rules-cardinals-vacate-2013-national-title (ESPN)]
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