February 4, 2015
(Wednesday)
Armed conflict and attacks
- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Jordan executes convicted Iraqi terrorists Sajida al-Rishawi and Ziad al-Karbouli in response to the execution by ISIL of Jordanian Air Force lieutenant Muath Al-Kasasbeh. (USA Today)
- Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- War in Donbass
- Boko Haram
- Boko Haram militants reportedly raid the Cameroonian town of Fotokol in Cameroon's Far North Region with scores of people killed. (Voice of America) (CNN)
- The Chad Army claims to have killed 200 militants and lost nine soldiers in fighting in northern Nigeria. (BBC)
- Anthem discloses that criminal hackers have broken into its servers and potentially stolen over 80 million records that contain personally identifiable information from its servers. According to Anthem, the data breach extends into multiple brands Anthem uses to market its healthcare plans, including, Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Amerigroup, Caremore, Unicare, Healthlink, and DeCare. Anthem says the medical information and financial data was not compromised. (NBC News) (AP)
Business and the economy
- Under investigation for corruption, Mao Xiaofeng resigns as the President of Minsheng Banking Corporation. China's Communist Party anti-graft agency links him and disgraced Chinese official Ling Jihua. (SCMP)
Disasters and accidents
- TransAsia Airways Flight 235
- A TransAsia Airways ATR 72 turboprop aircraft with 58 people on board en route from the Taiwanese capital Taipei to Kinmen, Taiwan crashes into the Keelung River near Taipei just after liftoff killing at least 31 people with several injures and missing. (Bloomberg) (Fox News) (BBC)
- 100 km/h winds spark a scrub fire near the Christchurch suburb of Hornby in New Zealand destroying two homes with several others damaged. (Stuff)
Law and crime
- A Manhattan federal court convicts Ross Ulbricht, aka "Dread Pirate Roberts", the owner of the Silk Road Deep Web illicit products website, on seven charges including trafficking and money laundering in the United States. (AP)
Politics and elections
- 2015 Mamasapano clash
- The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines says that it will not join growing calls for the impeachment and resignation of Philippines President Benigno Aquino III following the January 25 botched police operation. (UCA News)
- Fiji will adopt a replacement for its flag which it says is a symbol of colonialism. (BBC)