• Syrian Civil War
  • Siege of eastern Ghouta
    • Government forces launch a ground and air offensive in eastern Ghouta despite the adoption of Resolution 2401 by the United Nations Security Council demanding a ceasefire in part of the area. (Al Jazeera)

• 2018 Papua New Guinea earthquake
  • A magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurs at the western Southern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, killing at least 31 people and injuring more than 300 others. (The United States Geological Survey), (TIME)
• An explosion destroys a store and a house, causing at least five deaths on Hinckley Road in Leicester, England. The cause of the explosion and subsequent fire is unknown. (BBC)

• North Korea–United States relations
  • South Korean president Moon Jae-in states that North Korea is willing to enter talks with the United States in an effort to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. (ABC News)

• Crime in Puerto Rico
  • A mass shooting at a bar in the town of Comerio, Puerto Rico, near the capital San Juan, leaves at least five people dead and one other injured. (CBS News)
• An Iraqi court sentences 15 Turkish women to death by hanging after they were found guilty of joining the ISIS group as brides. (Newsweek)

• Politics of China
  • The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposes that the country's constitution be amended to abolish term limits for the posts of President and Vice President. The move is seen as an attempt by current president Xi Jinping to solidify his power. (The Guardian)

• 2018 EFL Cup Final
  • Manchester City beat Arsenal 3–0 at Wembley Stadium to win the 2017–18 EFL Cup for the fifth time. (BBC)
• 2018 Winter Olympics
  • The closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics occurs, officially bringing the competitions to an end. The Norwegian team leads the medal table with 14 gold and record 39 medals in total. (Pyeongchang 2018)