Portal:Current events/2026 February 22

Arts and culture

• 79th British Academy Film Awards
  • At the 2026 BAFTA Awards, the American film One Battle After Another wins the most awards with six, including Best Film. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

• February 2026 North American blizzard
  • In the United States, a major nor'easter snowstorm hits the East Coast, causing blizzard conditions and major transportation disruptions. (CNN)
• Search and rescue operations begin for three individuals who have been reported missing after a collapse of a landfill in Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines, two days prior. There are other claims that up to 50 people are feared missing from the incident. (Kahleej Times) (Manila Bulletin)

International relations

• Iran–Russia relations
  • The Financial Times reports that Iran had signed a confidential €500 million (US$589 million) arms agreement with Russia in December 2025 to buy 500 9K333 Verba man-portable air-defense systems and 2,500 associated missiles, with deliveries scheduled between 2027 and 2029 under a contract negotiated between Iran's defence ministry and the Rosoboronexport. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Mexican drug war
  • 2026 Jalisco operation
    • Nemesio Oseguera "El Mencho" Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), is killed during a security operation carried out by the Mexican Armed Forces near Tapalpa, Jalisco. In response, CJNG members launched coordinated retaliatory attacks, including road blockades involving burning vehicles and improvised checkpoints across multiple states. (N+) (AP)
• Secret Service and police officials kill an armed, 21-year-old man who entered Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's estate in Palm Beach, Florida, United States. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, is re-elected as the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, the most powerful position in the one-party state. (AFP via France 24)
• 2026 Laotian parliamentary election
  • Laotians vote in a parliamentary election to elect the 175 members of the tenth National Assembly. The only legal party in Laos contesting the election is the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. (AFP via France 24)

Sports

• 2026 Winter Olympics
  • Ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics
    • The United States defeats Canada 2–1 during overtime, winning gold in the men's tournament in ice hockey for the first time since 1980, exactly 46 years after the Miracle on Ice. (KNBC-TV)
  • 2026 Winter Olympics closing ceremony
    • The games conclude with Norway as the highest-ranked team in the medal table. The Olympic flag is handed over to the organizers of the 2030 Winter Olympics to be held in the French Alps. (France 24)