Portal:Current events/2021 February 1

February 1, 2021 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2021 Myanmar coup d'état
- The military hands over power to Min Aung Hlaing and announces a state of emergency for a year, after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the National League for Democracy party. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

Twelve people are killed when two vessels sink close to a port on Colombia's Pacific coast, in Tumaco. (The Canberra Times)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
      - British Columbia confirms 18 cases of the new variants of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom and South Africa. (CBC)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, 501.V2 variant
      - Ontario reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person from the Peel Region with no known travel history. (CP24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - The United States surpasses 26 million cases of COVID-19. (MarketWatch)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Tokyo surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Mainichi)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
    - Pakistan receives 500,000 doses of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine. (The News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
    - Vietnam closes schools in 22 provinces ahead of the Tết holiday and ends a Communist Party congress early following the detection of a new cluster of COVID-19 cases in northern areas. (CNA)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
    - Dubai closes all bars and pubs for the entire month of February and limit other activities due to rise of COVID-19 cases across the United Arab Emirates. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia
    - Armenia approves the use of the Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia. (Public Radio of Armenia)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
    - Austria announces the easing of its lockdown from February 8, allowing non-essential shops and schools to reopen while toughening border restrictions and implementing a curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time. (Vienna.at)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Isle of Man
    - The Isle of Man lifts its second "circuit-breaker" lockdown after 20 days without a community case. (BBC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - Italy eases its national restrictions by allowing the reopening of bars, restaurants and museums in 16 "Yellow-zone" regions. However, a curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. will remain in place. (France 24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania, Variant of Concern 202012/01
    - Lithuania reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a woman from Vilnius who tested positive for COVID-19 in early January. (LRT)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
  - South Africa receives one million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. (ABC News)

International relations

2021 Myanmar coup d'état
- Myanmar–United Kingdom relations
  - The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office summons the ambassador of Myanmar to the United Kingdom in response to the coup. (AFP via NDTV)
- Myanmar–United States relations
  - U.S. President Joe Biden threatens to re-impose sanctions on Myanmar's military leaders and calls for them to relinquish the power that they seized in the coup. (Reuters)
Venezuelan presidential crisis
- Andorra stops recognizing Juan Guaidó as the interim President of Venezuela. (Diari d'Andorra)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, visits Cameroon this week. He hopes peace and reconciliation can be found in the country, which is struggling amid an armed separatist movement in the Southwest and Northwest regions. (Catholic News Agency)

Law and crime

2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest
- Internet access remained blocked following violent clashes between police and farmers protesting controversial agricultural reforms. Online access was suspended in at least 14 of 22 districts in Haryana near New Delhi. That order was first imposed on Republic Day in Haryana districts for 24 hours, but has been extended every day since. (CNN)
2021 Boğaziçi University protests
- A total of 159 people are detained at the protests over the appointment of Melih Bulu as the rector of Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey. (Reuters)
Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
- Over 228 people have been charged or arrested for participating in the storming of the United States Capitol. (Business Insider)
2020–2021 United States racial unrest
- Protesters marched in Rochester, New York, after a nine-year-old girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by police. Protesters ripped away barricades protecting a Rochester police precinct as hundreds took to the streets in outrage. (Democrat and Chronicle)
Ballot Measure 110 goes into effect in Oregon, making it the first state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of specified Schedule I and Schedule II drugs. (ABC News)

Politics and elections

2021 President of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil election, 2021 President of the Federal Senate of Brazil election
- The National Congress of Brazil elects new leaders for the 56th Legislature. Arthur Lira and Rodrigo Pacheco, candidates supported by President Jair Bolsonaro, are elected President of the Chamber of Deputies and President of the Federal Senate respectively. (AFP via Bangkok Post)