Portal:Current events/2015 February 23

Current events of February 23, 2015 (2015-02-23) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Donbass
  • The Ukrainian Army says it cannot withdraw its heavy weapons from the front, as it is still under attack from rebel forces despite the ceasefire. (Reuters)
  • The President of Russia Vladimir Putin says a war with Ukraine is unlikely but refuses to hold more meetings with France, Germany and Ukraine over the ceasefire. (Daily Mail)
• Second Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
  • The internationally recognized Tobruk-based Parliament of Libya suspends participation in United Nations brokered talks. (AFP via Daily Mail)

Disasters and accidents

• The death toll from the weekend ferry disaster in Bangladesh rises to 70. (AP)

Law and crime

• Entertainer Rolf Harris is stripped of his Order of Australia honours following recent convictions in the United Kingdom for indecent assault. (ABC News Australia)
• Egyptian political activist Alaa Abdel Fatah is sentenced to five years in jail for violating a rule against organising political protests without permission. (Al-Arabiyah)
• The High Court of Kenya throws out key aspects of an anti-terrorism law following a legal challenge from the Opposition. (BBC)
• Two young Thai playwrights, Patiwat Saraiyaem and Porntip Mankong, are sentenced to two years in prison for alleged lese majeste for a play set in a fictional kingdom. (AFP via Google News)