Portal:Current events/2016 February 25

February 25, 2016 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass
- The Ukrainian military retakes control of the strategic village of Shyrokyne. (Ukraine Today)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)
- Two ISIL suicide bombers attack a Shiite mosque in Baghdad, killing at least 15 people. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Army, backed by Russian airstrikes, recaptures the town of Khanasir from ISIL militants in the Aleppo Governorate. (AP via ABC News)

Arts and culture

Celebrations are held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines that led to the downfall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos' 21-year reign, and the rise of President Corazon Aquino. (The Philippine Star)

Business and economy

Brookfield Asset Management, a Canadian asset manager, agrees to buy the U.S. REIT Rouse Properties for about $2.8 billion. (Reuters)
The Nikkei reports that Japan's Sharp Corporation has accepted a 700 billion Japanese yen ($6.2 billion) takeover bid from Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group. (Bloomberg)
Australian electronics retailer Dick Smith, placed in administration by creditors in January, will close 301 stores in Australia and 62 in New Zealand with nearly 3000 people to lose their jobs. (News Limited)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - Fiji's known casualties are 42 dead, one missing, and more than 100 injured. Authorities say five percent of the country (45,245 people) is staying in evacuation centers and about 80 schools have been damaged. UNICEF reports at least 120,000 of Fiji's children have been affected. The current identified destruction is more than $1 billion. About 80 percent of the plantations were damaged, especially sugar fields. However, tourism's infrastructure has escaped serious damage. (La Prensa de San Antonio) (Daily Mail) (Fijivillage.com)

International relations

2016 North Korean nuclear test
- The United States will present the draft resolution, resulting from yesterday's meeting with China, to the United Nations Security Council expanding sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear program. (Jerusalem Post) (Reuters)
China–United States relations
- At an event hosted by Center for Strategic and International Studies, Foreign Minister Wang Yi expresses China's concerns that the planned deployment of the THAAD missile defense system and the X band radar for which the South Korea and the United States have started talks to secure its approval in order to counter the growing threat of North Korea's weapons capabilities could jeopardize the country's "legitimate national security interests." At the Pentagon, Harry Harris, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said that if China wanted to prevent consideration of the THAAD system's deployment, it should lean on Pyongyang saying, "If China wanted to exert a lot of influence on somebody to prevent THAAD from being considered going into Korea, then they should exert that influence on North Korea." (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia, Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- The European Parliament adopts a resolution calling for the introduction of an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, saying the United Kingdom, France and other EU governments should no longer sell weapons to a country accused of targeting civilians in Yemen. (Reuters)
Austria–Greece relations
- Greece recalls its ambassador to Austria in response to Austria's hosting of a meeting with Balkan states, to which Greece was not invited, about European migrant crisis policies that would make it harder for migrants to head north across Europe. Greece's foreign ministry called the move an "unfriendly act." More than 100,000 migrants have entered the EU illegally so far in 2016, nearly all of them arriving in Greece. (BBC) (Reuters)
Morocco–European Union relations
- Morocco suspends contact with the European Union over a European court ruling that invalidates the bloc's farm trade deal with Rabat, and saying it should exclude the disputed Moroccan-controlled territory of Western Sahara. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal
- A report by Dame Janet Smith finds that management at the BBC staff knew of complaints against Jimmy Savile but did not advise senior management due to a "culture of fear". (BBC)
Hesston shootings
- A series of shootings in and near the American town of Hesston, Kansas, results in at least four deaths, including the shooter, at an Excel Industries building, with up to 20 people injured. The shooter is Cedric Ford, a convicted felon. (KWCH) (USA Today) (KAKE)^{[permanent dead link‍]}

Politics and elections

Jamaican general election, 2016
- Voters in Jamaica go to the polls for a general election, with the Jamaican Labour Party, led by Andrew Holness, winning a narrow victory. (Bloomberg) (Reuters)