February 12, 2014 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War:
- The Syrian Army and their Lebanese ally Hezbollah begin an assault to retake the strategic border town Yabrud from the Syrian rebels. (AP via ABC) (Reuters)
- Russia says it will veto a U.N. resolution on humanitarian aid access in Syria, claiming that the draft is an effort to prepare for military strikes against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. (Reuters)
- Militants in northwestern Pakistan kill nine male family members of a slain leader of a pro-government militia in an attack on the family's house outside the city of Peshawar. (AP via ABC) (CNN)
Disasters and accidents
- The UK's Met Office issues a "red warning" and warns of an exceptional storm as winds of up to 100mph are forecast to hit west Wales and north west England. (BBC News)
- As the North American cold wave continues, a massive winter storm across states in the southern United States causes widespread power outages, travel disruptions and dangerous road conditions. (NBC)
- A sinkhole opens underneath the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, swallowing eight vintage Corvettes including the millionth Corvette built. (Autoblog)
Health and environment
- A measles outbreak from the Philippines has spread into Australia, Canada, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. (The Toronto Star) (The Philippine Star)
International relations
- French President François Hollande is hosted by US President Barack Obama at a White House state dinner, during a visit by Hollande to the US aimed at renewing the partnership between the two countries. (CNN)
- Garbage from Canada is discovered being dumped in the Philippines. (International Business Times)
Law and crime
- The Philippines recovers US $29 million from Ferdinand Marcos' bank accounts in Switzerland and Singapore. (The Washington Post)
Politics
- The BBC is told that the UK's three main political parties, the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, will declare that whoever forms the government after the next general election will not agree to a currency union with an independent Scotland. (BBC News)
- Protesters march against the government in various cities across Venezuela with at least two people killed in the demonstrations. (Reuters)
Sports
- New York Yankees shortstop and captain Derek Jeter announces he will retire following the 2014 Major League Baseball season. (ESPN)