Portal:Current events/2024 February 23

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Ukraine claims responsibility for the downing of a Russian Beriev A-50 over Krasnodar Krai, Russia, which is their second downing of an A-50 this year. (Kyiv Independent) (Business Insider)
• War in Amhara
  • An Ethiopian airstrike kills at least 15 people and injures more than 20 others in North Shewa, Ethiopia, with many of the victims fleeing clashes between Fano and the Ethiopian government. (Reuters) (The East African)
• A high-altitude balloon is detected over the Western United States, prompting the deployment of fighter aircraft to intercept the object. The origin and purpose of the balloon are unknown, according to U.S. officials. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2024 Nanjing building fire
  • At least 15 people are killed and 44 more injured during a fire at an apartment block in Nanjing, China. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

• Israel–United States relations
  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declares that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, overturning a policy instated under former U.S. President Donald Trump. (Haaretz)

Law and crime

• Cannabis in Germany
  • The German Bundestag votes to legalise recreational usage of cannabis for adults, making Germany the third European country to do so after Malta and Luxembourg. (CNN)
• Three women are killed during a mass stabbing at a brothel in Vienna, Austria. A 27-year-old male suspect is arrested. (Swiss Info)

Politics and elections

• 2024 Senegalese presidential election
  • President of Senegal Macky Sall states that he will leave the presidency in April, but does not give a specific date for the presidential election, which was postponed earlier this month. (AP)

Science and technology

• Moons of Uranus, Moons of Neptune
  • Three new moons of the Solar System are discovered, one around Uranus and two around Neptune, bringing their total known satellites to 28 and 16, respectively. (PBS)