Portal:Current events/2015 February 24: Difference between revisions

{{Current events|year=2015|month=02|day=24|content=

**The [[Syrian Observatory for Human Rights]] estimates that ISIL kidnapped at least 150 people from [[Assyrian People|Assyrian]] [[Assyrian Church of the East|Christian]] villages in [[Syria]] in a series of February 23 raids. [https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/24/us-mideast-crisis-christians-idUSKBN0LS0MH20150224?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews (Reuters)]

*The [[Land Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congolese Army]] launches an offensive against [[FDLR]] rebels in [[South Kivu]]. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/congo-army-launch-offensive-rebels-south-kivu-29191544 (AP via ABC News)]

*[[War in Donbas (2014–2022)|War in Donbass]]

**Up to 75 [[British Armed Forces]] personnel will be sent as military advisors to the [[Ukrainian Army]]. [http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/national/11814655.UK_troops_to_be_sent_to_Ukraine/ (PA via ''Wandwsorth Guardian'')]

*[[Boko Haram]]

**[[Chad]]ian soldiers kill over 200 Boko Haram fighters in a clash near the town of Garambu, close to [[Nigeria]]'s border with [[Cameroon]]. One [[Chad Army]] soldier is killed and nine wounded. [https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/24/us-nigeria-violence-chad-idUSKBN0LS2GL20150224 (Reuters)]

**Suicide bombers target two crowded bus stations in [[Potiskum]] and [[Kano (city)|Kano]] in northern Nigeria, killing at least 27 people in nearly daily violence in the embattled region. There is no claim of responsibility for either blast, but both bore the hallmarks of militant group Boko Haram. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150225013626/http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-bomb-kills-10-at-bus-station-in-northeast-nigerias-potiskum/2656319.html (Voice of America)]

*[[Greece]] submits a list of eleven reforms it will proceed with to secure a loan extension. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31599688 (BBC)]

*[[Barack Obama]], the [[President of the United States]], vetoes a bill approving the [[TransCanada Corporation|TransCanada]] [[Keystone XL]] pipeline between [[Canada|Canadian]] oil sands and refineries on the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. [http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-keystone-veto-20150223-story.html (''Los Angeles Times'')]

*[[2015 Oxnard train derailment]]

**A [[Metrolink (Southern California)|Metrolink]] train [[2015 Oxnard train derailment|derails]] in [[Oxnard, California|Oxnard]], [[California]], following a collision with a truck, leaves more than 30 injured with four in critical condition. [http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-trail-derails-30-injured-20150224-story.html?track=rss&dlvrit=649324 (''Los Angeles Times'')] [http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/metrolink-train-strikes-truck-in-southern-california/ar-BBhUYOr (MSN)]

;International relations

*Dr [[Rajendra Pachauri]] resigns as head of the [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]] due to involvement in a [[sexting]] scandal. [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/climate-chief-rajendra-pachauri-quits-after-sexting-meltdown/story-fnb64oi6-1227238463214 (''The Times'' via ''The Australian'')]

*The [[President of Indonesia]] [[Joko Widodo]] says the execution of 11 convicts from overseas, most on drug charges, will not be delayed. A court has rejected the appeals of [[Myuran Sukumaran]] and [[Andrew Chan]], two Australians on death row. [https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/24/us-indonesia-australia-president-idUSKBN0LS0AD20150224 (Reuters)], [https://web.archive.org/web/20150225020915/http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-indonesia-executions-wont-be-delayed-despite-mercy-pleas/2656213.html (Voice of America)]

*Former [[Prime Minister of Egypt]] [[Ahmed Nazif]] and former Interior Minister [[Habib el-Adly]] are cleared of graft charges in a retrial. [http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/02/top-mubarak-era-officials-acquitted-egypt-150224084518947.html (Al Jazeera)]

*A [[Czech people|Czech]] gunman [[Uherský Brod shooting|opens fire]] at a restaurant in [[Uherský Brod]], killing at least eight people. [http://bigstory.ap.org/article/168fb416b841447d870ccc9890198bbc/mayor-8-dead-czech-restaurant-shooting (AP)]

*The [[British Parliament]]'s [[House of Lords]] gives final approval to a bill that earlier in February had been approved in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], refusing to block the plan by a majority of 232, that would allow, through a modified form of [[in vitro fertilization]] (IVF), the creation of three-person babies, to treat certain [[mitochondrial disorders]] ([[mitochondria]] are parts of cells that convert nutrients into useful cellular energy to fuel vital processes), by using a very small segment of mitochondrial DNA from another woman to replace the mother's defective DNA; the U.K. is the first to authorize the still ethically controversial procedure. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150226161753/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/uk-approves-three-person-babies/ar-BBhVenM (MSN)]

*Eddie Ray Routh is found guilty of the 2013 murder of [[United States Navy SEALs]]' [[sniper]] [[Chris Kyle]] and Kyle's friend Chad Littlefield in [[Texas]]. Routh is automatically sentenced to [[life imprisonment]] without [[parole]]. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31617308 (BBC)] [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AMERICAN_SNIPER_TRIAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (AP)]

**Voters in the American city of [[Chicago, Illinois]], go to the polls to elect a [[Mayor of Chicago|Mayor]] and 50 aldermen. In the mayoral election, there will be a runoff between incumbent [[Rahm Emanuel]] and [[Cook County Board of Commissioners|Cook County Commissioner]] [[Jesus "Chuy" Garcia]]. [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-chicago-mayor-race-met-0224-20150223-story.html (''Chicago Tribune'')], [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHICAGO_MAYOR_ELECTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (AP)]

**[[Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi]] withdraws his resignation as [[President of Yemen]] after escaping from the custody of the [[Houthis]]. [http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/24/Yemen-president-retracts-resignation-aide-.html (Al Arabiyah)]

*Former U.K. Foreign Secretary [[Malcolm Rifkind]] steps down as chair of a parliamentary intelligence committee and said he won’t run for re-election as a Conservative member of parliament after becoming embroiled in an embarrassing cash-for-access sting. [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/24/sir-malcolm-rifkind-resigns-isc-chairman-step-down-mp (''Guardian'')]

*[[United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs|U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs]] [[Robert A. McDonald]] admits that he lied when he claimed that he served in the [[Special Forces (United States Army)|U.S. Army Special Forces]]. [http://bigstory.ap.org/article/b5ab639fdcea4925a5293ff186f220fd/key-lawmaker-vets-group-leader-disappointed-va-secretary (AP)]

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