February 6, 2015 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- ISIL claims that the American female hostage Kayla Jean Mueller has been killed by Jordanian airstrikes at the outskirts of Raqqa, Syria. The White House says that they have no proof of her death. (AP) (AP via Twitter) (CNN) (BBC)
- Boko Haram
- Boko Haram attacks two towns in Niger but is repulsed by the Niger Army with assistance from the Chad Air Force. (AP via St Louis Post Dispatch) (Nigerian Guardian)[permanent dead link]
Business and economy
- German engineering firm Siemens announces plans to axe 7,800 jobs, 3000 of which are in Germany. (AFP via France 24)[permanent dead link]
Disasters and accidents
- Ecuador declares a state of emergency in the Galápagos Islands after a ship, The Floreana, carrying hazardous materials ran aground January 28. (Daily Mail)
Law and crime
- Mexican police find at least 61 bodies in an abandoned crematorium in Acapulco. (BBC)
- The Supreme Court of Canada strikes down a ban on assisted suicide meaning doctors can now assist mentally competent patients with severe and incurable conditions to die. (The Independent)
Politics and elections
- The Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott faces a possible leadership vote when the Parliament of Australia resumes sitting after backbencher Luke Simpkins announces that he will move a motion calling for a leadership spill. (Reuters)
- Xanana Gusmão resigns as the Prime Minister of East Timor ahead of an expected government restructure next week. (AP)
- Houthi insurgency in Yemen
- Houthi rebels take control in Yemen and dissolve the parliament. (Al Arabiyah)