Portal:Current events/2021 February 3

February 3, 2021 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syria missile strikes (February 2021)
- Israel launch multiple air strike in Syria, causing multiple deaths.(i24 News)
Insurgency in the Maghreb
- Four Tunisian soldiers are killed by a land mine during a counter-terrorism operation in Mount Mghila, central Tunisia. (AFP via Barron's)

Disasters and accidents

2021 Wooroloo bushfire
- Over 70 homes are destroyed by wildfires in Western Australia. (ABC Australia)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - The Japanese House of Councillors passes a law that will introduce fines for people and businesses that do not comply with restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (The Japan Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
    - Kuwait will suspend entry for non-citizens for two weeks beginning from February 7, following a rise in COVID-19 cases in the country. (Gulf News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
    - The Health Sciences Authority approves the use of Moderna vaccine for those aged above 18 in Singapore, becoming the first country in Asia to do so. (CNA)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
    - The United Arab Emirates reports a record 3,977 newly confirmed cases and 12 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 313,626 and nationwide death toll to 878. (Al-Arabiya)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
    - The Czech Republic surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Arab News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - The first case of the 501.V2 variant is detected in Catalonia. Experts believe that it has no relation to South Africa and that it comes from Europe. (El Periódico)
    - Spain surpasses 60,000 deaths of COVID-19. (MedicalXpress)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
    - Swedish government announces that all travellers will required to show a negative COVID-19 testing results within 48 hours beginning February 6 in order to prevent the spread of variants of SARS-CoV-2. Swedish citizens as well as foreign residents in Sweden are exempt from this rule. (The Local Sweden)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - The number of people who vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United Kingdom surpass 10 million. (ITV)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
  - Medsafe provisionally approves the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine in New Zealand with certain conditions. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - GlaxoSmithKline and German biotech firm CureVac sign an agreement worth 150 million euros ($180.7 million) to develop a vaccine to counter many variants of SARS-CoV-2, with target to be introduced in 2022, subject to regulatory approval. (Marketwatch)
  - Preliminary tests indicate that the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine may reduce transmission of COVID-19, and not simply prevent symptomatic infections. (US News on MSN)
2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
- Authorities in Brandenburg, Germany, cull 14,000 turkeys due to an outbreak of H5N8 bird flu on a farm in the Uckermark area. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2021 Myanmar coup d'état
- The Myanmar Police Force files criminal charges against overthrown de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi for illegally importing communications equipment and sought her custody until February 15 for investigations. (Al Jazeera)
Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announces that the American far-right group Proud Boys will be classified as a terrorist group. (Washington Post)

Politics and elections

2021 Italian government crisis
- Mario Draghi accepts the order from President Sergio Mattarella to form an "emergency government" after the resignation of Giuseppe Conte. (The New York Times)