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DNA double helix

Green Book wins Best Picture and Bohemian Rhapsody wins in four categories at the Academy Awards.
Scientists synthesize hachimoji DNA using four new nucleobases in addition to the four in natural DNA (structure pictured).
A fire in a historic district of Dhaka, Bangladesh, kills at least 80 people.
German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, best known for his creative work at Chanel, dies at the age of 85.

February 25, 2019 (Monday)

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Crime and law

Police in Kenya ask a court to allow them to detain three men for 30 days on suspicion of conspiring to aid two Iranian terror suspects to escape. (KBC)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Piper PA-46 Malibu crash
- The Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the United Kingdom issues an interim report revealing the pilot, David Ibbotson, held only a private pilots licence and could not transport paying passengers within the European Union. Ibbotson and Argentinian footballer Emiliano Sala both died in the accident. Cardiff City FC announce "grave concerns" over Ibbotson's licence. (BBC)

International relations

Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest court of the United Nations, rules that the United Kingdom should end its control of the Chagos Archipelago "as rapidly as possible". Mauritius claims the archipelago was unlawfully separated from the island nation in 1965. (BBC)
Brexit
- The Labour Party announces it will support a second referendum on the end of the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union unless Wednesday sees Labour's proposed Brexit deal supported by Parliament. (BBC)
UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid announces plans to ban Hezbollah of Lebanon's political wing under counterterrorism legislation. (Herald Scotland)

Politics and elections

2019 Okinawan referendum
- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe says the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, in the Okinawa Prefecture, will still go ahead despite 72% of Okinawan voters rejecting the construction of a new base in a non-binding referendum. (BBC)
Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif resigns. (Al-Jazeera)

February 24, 2019 (Sunday)

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Arts and culture

91st Academy Awards
- The 91st Academy Awards are presented in Hollywood. Bohemian Rhapsody wins a leading four awards, followed by Black Panther, Green Book, which won Best Picture, and Roma, with three awards each. (The Guardian), (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

During a training exercise, a twin-engine aircraft crashes through the roof of a home in Winter Haven, Florida, shortly after takeoff. The pilot was killed. A trainee pilot and eight people in the house suffered minor injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating. (ABC News via MSN)

Law and crime

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight 147
- Bangladeshi special forces shoot and kill an armed man after he attempted to hijack a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight heading to Dubai International Airport. All 148 passengers and crew members disembarked safely. (BBC)
National Coalition for Men v. Selective Service System
- A federal judge rules that the exclusion of women from the Selective Service System is unconstitutional. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

2019 Moldovan parliamentary election
- Voters in Moldova go to the polls to elect the new members of Parliament. (France 24)
2019 Senegalese presidential election
- Voters in Senegal assemble to vote for the country's next president. (DW)
2019 Cuban constitutional referendum
- Voters in Cuba are asked whether they approve of a new constitution that gives criminal defendants the presumption of innocence, recognizes private property, bans some forms of discrimination, creates a term limit for the president, and restores the position of Prime Minister. (Al Jazeera)
Brexit
- British MPs will vote on the latest Brexit deal by March 12, according to Prime Minister Theresa May. (BBC News)
2019 Okinawan referendum
- Voters in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa go to the polls in a referendum on the central government's plan to move the Futenma airbase to Henoko in northern Okinawa Island. 72% of voters oppose the plan. (Asahi Shimbun English)

Sports

2019 English Football League Cup Final, 2018–19 English Football League Cup
- Manchester City F.C. defeat Chelsea F.C. in the English Football League Cup Final in the penalties after 120 minutes of goalless draw for their 6th EFL title. Post-match discussion is dominated by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga's controversial refusal to leave the pitch when head coach Maurizio Sarri attempted to substitute him. (The Guardian)

February 23, 2019 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis, 2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela, 2019 Venezuelan protests, Colombia–Venezuela relations
- Trucks carrying humanitarian aid from Colombia and Brazil attempt to enter Venezuelan territory. Two trucks are set on fire on the Francisco de Paula Santander International Bridge. (Herald Sun)
- Venezuelan people clash with the Venezuelan National Guard on the Venezuela's border with Colombia and Brazil. Three people have died in southern Bolívar State. (The Guardian)
- Sixty Venezuelan National Guard personnel defect to Colombia; three of them defect after smashing a barrier at the Simón Bolívar International Bridge on the Colombia–Venezuela border in two armored vehicles, leaving some injured. A video posted on social media shows the men with their guns above their heads in a sign of surrender. (Miami Herald) (AFP) (Reuters)
- Venezuela breaks diplomatic relations with Colombia and expels all of Colombia's diplomats; however, Colombia maintains de jure diplomatic relations with Guaidó's ambassador, Humberto Calderón Berti. (Reuters) (Colombian Foreign Minister) (Colombia's Caracol TV)
- Venezuelan opposition deputy Freddy Superlano and his assistant are poisoned at a restaurant in Cúcuta, Colombia. His assistant and cousin, Carlos Salinas, has died while Superlano is in a serious but stable condition in hospital. (Washington Post) (BNO News)

Disasters and accidents

Atlas Air Flight 3591
- A Boeing 767 on a cargo flight crashes into the Trinity Bay en-route from Miami to Houston, killing all three crew members. (The Weather Channel)

International relations

2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit Vietnam
- The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry announces that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will make an official visit to the country in the coming days, ahead of the upcoming summit between him and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2019 Nigerian general election
- After having been postponed by a week, Nigeria's general election takes place nationwide. (DW)

February 22, 2019 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
- Venezuelan National Guard (GNB) troops open fire on a group of indigenous Pemon protesters that attempted to block a military convoy heading to the Brazil–Venezuela border, killing at least two people and wounding 14 others, several seriously. (The Washington Post) (Miami Herald)
American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- U.S. President Donald Trump agrees to keep about 400 U.S. troops in Syria. (CNN)

Arts and culture

Crisis in Venezuela
- The Venezuela Aid Live benefit concert takes place on the Colombia–Venezuela border. The all-day event on the Colombian side of the Tienditas Bridge is expected to attract up to 250,000 people. (The Journal)
- In response to the concert, Nicolás Maduro announces a rival concert on the Venezuelan side of the border, and state-owned Venezolana de Televisión reports 150 artists will participate, but no artists are signed. (Billboard)
- Venezuelan interim President Juan Guaidó arrives at the Venezuela Aid Live concert in Cúcuta, Colombia, defying a travel ban placed on him by the Maduro regime. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

List of earthquakes in 2019
- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hits Ecuador, near the border with Peru. It is relatively deep, with a depth of 152 km (94 mi). (USGS)
Flooding is reported throughout Tennessee amid heavy rain. Rain is expected to continue, possibly making the flooding worse. (WSMV)

Law and crime

R. Kelly sexual abuse case
- American musician R. Kelly is indicted for raping a minor. A judge in Cook County, Illinois, issues an arrest warrant for Kelly in regard to 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. (CNN) (NBC News)
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is charged in a prostitution sting in the U.S. state of Florida. (New York Times) (USA Today)

Politics and elections

History of the UK Labour Party, Antisemitism in the UK Labour Party
- British MP Ian Austin quits Labour over a "culture of extremism, anti-semitism and intolerance" within the party under Jeremy Corbyn, becoming the ninth Labour MP to quit this week. However, unlike the others, he will not be joining The Independent Group. (The Guardian)
2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit
- The Trump Administration weighs softening demands ahead of the second summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi. (CNN)
Sudanese protests (2018–19)
- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declares a year-long state of emergency, dissolves his Cabinet and sacks all state governors amid ongoing anti-government protests. (BBC)
Political appointments by Donald Trump
- U.S. President Donald Trump nominates U.S. Ambassador to Canada Kelly Knight Craft to be the new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. (CNN)

February 21, 2019 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- The United States' allies France and the United Kingdom say they won't keep their troops in Syria after the United States pulls out. (The Washington Post)
Libyan Crisis (2011–present)
- The Tobruk-based Libyan National Army says it has taken control of the El Feel oilfield in Libya's southern Murzuq District. (Reuters)

International relations

Russia–United States relations
- Russian President Vladimir Putin states that Russia is militarily ready for "a Cuban Missile-style crisis" if the United States wants one, in relation to new U.S. missile deployments in Europe. (Reuters)
2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit Vietnam
- Vietnam tightens security at its rail station on the Chinese border ahead of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Hanoi for his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. (Reuters)
2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis, 2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro orders the closing of his country's border with Brazil. International humanitarian aid is currently scheduled to enter Venezuela on February 23, under foreign military protection. (BBC)

Law and crime

American actor Jussie Smollett is arrested for filing a false police report about an alleged hate crime. (Fox News)
Hoda Muthana, an Alabama woman who joined the Islamic State, is banned from entering the United States. (USA Today) (BBC)

Politics and elections

Spanish constitutional crisis
- Separatists in Catalonia launch a general strike in protest of the trial of Catalonia independence leaders, with major participation of the educational community. Demonstrators block major roads, highways, train tracks and the entrance to the port of Tarragona. (Time) (ABC News) (Cope)
- Clashes between demonstrators and Catalan regional police leave three arrested and 20 injured. (The Washington Post)
2018 North Carolina's 9th congressional district election
- North Carolina election authorities unanimously order a new election to choose the district's representative to the United States House of Representatives after their investigation determined the Republican candidate's campaign illegally handled absentee ballots, and the candidate, Mark Harris, reverses his position and calls for a new election. (The New York Times) (NPR)
2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
- United Socialist Party of Venezuela congressman and former head of the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence Hugo Carvajal defects to the opposition, urging the military to abandon Nicolás Maduro. Carvajal says drug trafficking and corruption are commonplace in the government. (The New York Times)
2019 Israeli legislative election
- Retired IDF Chief Benny Gantz and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid agree to combine their prime ministerial campaigns in the April 9 Knesset election against incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu. (BBC)

Science and technology

A fossil from a new species of tyrannosaur named Moros intrepidus is discovered in the U.S. state of Utah. Scientists are using the find to better understand how Tyrannosaurus rex evolved during the Cretaceous period. (National Geographic)
Scientists announce that the Megachile pluto (Wallace's giant bee), the world's largest bee, has been rediscovered in North Maluku, Indonesia, after no confirmed sightings since 1981. The first ever pictures and videos are taken of the rare species. (BBC)
JAXA's Hayabusa2 space probe successfully lands on Apollo asteroid 162173 Ryugu. (The Guardian)

February 20, 2019 (Wednesday)

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Arts and culture

The Southern Poverty Law Center reports a 30 percent increase in U.S. hate groups over the past four years with a 7% increase in 2018 alone. (NPR)

International relations

2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis, 2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela
- The Venezuelan Navy closes its maritime borders with the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire ahead of the planned entry of international humanitarian aid into Venezuela on February 23, which Nicolás Maduro considers a precursor to invasion. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Dhaka fire
- A fast-moving fire has swept through a historic district of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, killing at least 80 and wounding 50 others. (CNN)

Law and crime

Timbs v. Indiana
- The U.S. Supreme Court, in a unanimous 9–0 decision, rules the 8th Amendment's prohibition on excessive fines applies to state and local governments, as well as the federal government. (The Washington Post)

Politics and elections

History of the UK Conservative Party
- Three British MPs – Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen – defect from the Conservative Party to The Independent Group, citing their opposition to Brexit and the party's adoption of UKIP policies. This brings the total number of The Independent Group MPs to eleven following recent defections from Labour. (The Guardian)
2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit Vietnam
- The United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee permits those North Koreans on its global travel ban list to travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, for the second summit meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. (Reuters)

Science and technology

One surviving female specimen of the Fernandina Galápagos tortoise species, which was thought to be extinct for more than 100 years, is found. (USA Today)

February 19, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflict and attacks

Insurgency in Egypt (2013–present)
- Sixteen militants are killed in two different raids in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. A number of weapons and explosives are also found in the raids. (Al Jazeera)
2019 Kaduna State massacre
- Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai reports the death toll from Friday's attack in Kajuru is now more than 130, most from the Fulani ethnic group. Nigerian authorities have not identified the gunmen's motive, but they do not believe the attack was related to the upcoming election. (Al Jazeera) (Eyewitness news)

Business and economy

Economy of the United States
- American retailer Payless ShoeSource files Chapter 11 bankruptcy with plans to close all of their U.S. stores. (USA Today)
Ford Motor Company will stop selling commercial trucks in South America. (CNBC)
Honda confirms that it will be closing its car plant in Swindon, South West England, because of decreased demand for diesel cars and tougher emissions regulations. The closure in 2021 will result in the loss of about 3,500 jobs. (BBC)
Teva Pharmaceutical settles outstanding cases with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission involving payments from brand-name drugmakers to delay releasing a cheaper version of its product, so-called "pay-for-delay" agreements. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

An avalanche at the Crans-Montana ski resort in Switzerland injures four, one seriously, with fears that up to a dozen skiers may have been hit according to witnesses. 240 rescuers including police and army search the affected piste area. No further victims are immediately found, or missing persons reported. (Fox News) (SwissInfo)
A house fire in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, kills seven children from a Syrian family. (BBC)

Politics and elections

2020 United States presidential election, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign
  - Vermont Senator and 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders announces on Vermont Public Radio that he is running for President of the United States as a Democrat in 2020. (NPR)
Politics of Spain
- Francisco José Alcaraz, from Vox, becomes the first far-right politician to become a Senator since the restoration of democracy. (El Mundo)
History of the UK Labour Party, Antisemitism in the UK Labour Party
- Joan Ryan becomes the eighth MP to quit the Labour Party and join The Independent Group, citing a "culture of anti-Jewish racism" within the party as the reason for her departure. (BBC)

Sports

The opening round of the Aeroflot Open, an international open chess tournament, is postponed a day after 45 minutes of play as a bomb threat locks down the Moscow hotel hosting the event. Similar threats also shut down cinemas, shopping centres, and theatres; thousands are evacuated. (Chess.com) (Chessbase)

More February 2019 events...

Time: 20:37 UTC|Day: 25 February