Template:In the news
- A virtual tie between Óscar Arias and Ottón Solís prompts a manual recount in the Costa Rican presidential election.
- Islamic cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri is jailed by a British court for seven years after being found guilty of inciting murder and race hate.
- Stephen Harper is sworn in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada. Several of his cabinet selections prompt controversy.
- In American football, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 21-10 in Super Bowl XL.
- Riots start in Egypt over the sinking of the al-Salam Boccaccio 98 with over 1,000 people on board. Crowds ransack the office of the ship's owner.