February 2, 2012 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- The Philippines military claim to have killed Abu Sayyaf leader Umbra Jumdail, Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, a leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, and Singaporean Abdullah Ali. (AP via Google News)
- Six kidnapped aid workers are released in Yemen. (Reuters)
- The Mexican Army sends 4,000 soldiers to Michoacán state as a result of recent violence. (AP via Washington Post)
Disasters
- The ferry MV Rabaul Queen sinks off the coast of Papua New Guinea near the Finschhafen District, with an estimated 350 people on board. Nearby commercial ships rescue 238 people from the sea. (News Limited via the Herald-Sun) (BBC)
- More than 110 people are killed across Europe as a result of a recent cold snap. (BBC) (AP via Courier Mail)
- Australian floods:
- Thousands of residents of Australian towns Bellingen and Moree, New South Wales are warned to prepare to evacuate as a result of heavy rain. (The Australian)
- A disaster is declared in the Queensland town of Mitchell with the Maranoa River expected to reach a peak of 9 metres. (The Age)
International relations
- The People's Republic of China asks for assistance from South Sudan to obtain the release of 29 Chinese workers held captive in Sudan for five days. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Corruption charges against former Premier of Western Australia Brian Burke are dropped. (ABC News Australia)
- The Supreme Court of India cancels 122 telecom licences granted in the 2008 sale at the centre of a corruption scandal involving former minister A. Raja. (AFP via Google News)
- A French appeals court upholds a 2009 conviction of the Church of Scientology on fraud charges. (AP via Google News)
- Egyptian comedian Adel Emam is sentenced to three months in prison for insulting Islam. (The Guardian)
Politics
- The Prime Minister of Egypt Kamal Ganzouri calls an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss the Port Said Stadium clashes which resulted in at least 74 deaths. (AFP via SBS News Australia)
- Voters in Kuwait go the polls for a parliamentary election. (Reuters)
- Prince William arrives in the Falkland Islands for a tour of duty as a Royal Air Force search and rescue pilot. His deployment comes at a time of high tension between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the sovereignty of the islands. (BBC)
Sports
- Sam Gagner of the Edmonton Oilers becomes just the thirteenth NHL player in history to record 8 points in one game, doing so against the Chicago Blackhawks. It is the first time the feat is attained since 1989. (CBC)