Portal:Current events/2018 February 8

• Syrian Civil War
  • American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War
    • Syria and the Russian Federation once again state that the United States' military presence in Syria is "illegal". United States and US-backed forces now have control of about a quarter of Syrian territory. (The Washington Post)
  • Battle of Khasham
    • A force of five hundred Syrian pro-government troops supported by tanks and artillery launched a ground assault on a local headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces near the town of Khasham, in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. More than one hundred Syrian government fighters were killed in the battle, including Russian private military contractors of Wagner Group. (The Washington Post)

• Economy of Germany
  • Germany's trade surplus shrank in 2017 for the first time since 2009, reflecting strong domestic demand. (Reuters)
• Japan–United Kingdom relations
  • After a meeting with top Japanese business and British government executives in 10 Downing Street, Japan's ambassador to Britain warns that companies may discontinue their UK operations if a Brexit without a new trade deal makes them unprofitable. (The Telegraph)

• Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
  • A senior European External Action Service official says that the European Union, in order to protect its companies doing business with Iran, could implement "blocking regulations" based on a legal framework set up in 1996 for E.U. trade with Cuba, should the United States pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal and restore its sanctions. (Reuters)
• Commonwealth of Nations
  • The Gambia formally rejoins the Commonwealth five years after its former President Yahya Jammeh withdrew the West African country, calling it a "neocolonial institution". (Euronews)
• Belgium–Netherlands relations
  • A judge in Amsterdam delays the extradition of the man suspected of a lethal stabbing on the Bruges Market Square, citing concerns over the living conditions in Belgian jails. (Knack) (Het Laatste Nieuws)
• United States–Guatemala relations
  • U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales. Trump thanks Morales for having supported the decision of the United States to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. They discuss various issues about the crisis in Venezuela, drug trafficking and the UN anti-corruption commission. (The Times of Israel)

• LGBT rights in Bermuda
  • Bermuda repeals same-sex marriage, becoming the world's first jurisdiction to legalise, then repeal same-sex marriage. However, about half a dozen same-sex marriages that took place in Bermuda between the Supreme Court ruling in May 2017 and the repeal will continue to be recognised. (The Guardian)
• Crime in Toronto
  • The remains of six people found on a property in East York are linked to alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur. (Global News) (National Post)
• Mexican Drug War
  • Mexican authorities arrest American-born Jose Maria Guizar Valencia, the alleged leader of the Zetas drug cartel, as he was entering a hotel in Mexico City's upscale neighborhood of Roma. (Los Angeles Times) (BBC)

• 2017–18 United States political sexual scandals
  • Jeff Kruse announces his resignation from the Oregon State Senate, effective March 15, amid allegations that he sexually harassed female colleagues and other staffers. Kruse denies the allegations. (USA Today)

• 2018 Winter Olympics
  • Luger Erin Hamlin is selected as the Team USA flag bearer after winning a tie-breaking coin toss against speed skater Shani Davis. (The Guardian)