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Yokozuna Kisenosato Yutaka

Scientists at Harvard University report the first creation of metallic hydrogen in a laboratory, using a diamond anvil cell.
In sumo, Kisenosato Yutaka (pictured) is promoted as the 72nd yokozuna, becoming the first Japanese wrestler to earn the title in 19 years.
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom issues a ruling that an Act of Parliament is needed before the government can trigger Article 50 to leave the European Union.
Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms kill at least twenty people across the Southeastern United States.

January 29, 2017 (Sunday)

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January 28, 2017 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- The World Food Programme cuts food aid to over 1.4 million displaced Iraqis by 50%, citing payment delays from donor states. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

Pope Francis takes de facto control of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (the entity retains sovereignty under international law), forcing its leader Prince and Grand Master Matthew Festing to resign. (The New York Times)
Turkey–United Kingdom relations
- UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sign a £100 million defense deal to build new fighter jets. Under the deal, BAE Systems will collaborate with Turkish companies to build the TAI TFX. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Protecting the Nation From Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals Executive Order
- Travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen are blocked from entering the United States as the executive order takes effect. (The New York Times)
- Iran says it will ban all U.S. citizens from entering the country in response to President Donald Trump signing the executive order which limits immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran. (CNN)

An Italian court orders former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to stand trial on April 4 on charges of allegedly bribing witnesses with €10 million (US$11 million) in order to silence them over accusations he paid for sex with young women. (Reuters)

Sport

2017 Australian Open
- Serena Williams defeats her sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 to win the women's singles and an Open era-record 23rd Grand Slam singles title. (The Guardian)

January 27, 2017 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Somalia (2009–present)
- Al-Shabaab militants attack a remote AMISOM base in southern Somalia, claiming to have killed dozens of Kenyan troops. (Reuters)

Business and economics

The clothing retailer Wet Seal announces the closing of all 148 of its brick-and-mortar stores after filing for bankruptcy in 2015. The news comes on the heels of recent announcements of the closings of other major clothing chains, such as The Limited. (WHIO-TV)

Disasters and accidents

A wildfire destroys almost the entire town of Santa Olga in Chile's central Maule Region as a Russian firefighting Ilyushin Il-76 arrives to help fight the worst wildfire in Chile's modern history. (BBC)

Entertainment

British actor Sir John Hurt dies at the age of 77. (Hollywood Reporter)

International relations

United Kingdom–United States relations
- British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C.. This is the first visit by a foreign leader since Trump's inauguration last Friday. (BBC) (Politico)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Israeli authorities approve 153 construction permits for settlement homes in East Jerusalem, and plan to approve another 11,000 in the coming months. (Al Jazeera)
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- New satellite imagery released by think tank 38 North indicates North Korea has resumed operations at its Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center in North Pyongan Province. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Protests take place in Cameroon following the arrest of several opposition leaders and internet services being cut off in the nation's English-speaking areas. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

California independence referendum
- Yes California, the campaign to reinstate the independence of California launches its signature campaign. (New York magazine), (CNBC)
Presidency of Donald Trump
- President Trump signs an executive order limiting refugees and immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The order also prioritizes the vetting of Christian refugees of the Syrian Civil War. (Reuters) (BBC)
- Vice President Mike Pence gives a speech at the March for Life promising to end the tax-payer status of abortion providers. (The Washington Post)

Science and technology

Two Harvard scientists report, in the peer-reviewed journal Science, the first creation of metallic hydrogen in a laboratory, using a diamond anvil cell. Other researchers did not agree with this finding when it was first posted on the arXiv preprint server in October 2016, and have not yet changed their positions. (BBC) (Scientific American) (Chemistry World)

January 26, 2017 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Forces of the Libyan National Army claim to have captured one of the last remaining strongholds of Benghazi from Ansar al-Sharia. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economics

Tankers anchored in the Caribbean Sea are unable to deliver over four million barrels of crude oil, due to Venezuela's state-owned oil and natural gas company being unable to pay for hull cleaning, inspections, and other port services. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Two to three days of freezing weather and heavy snow kills at least 27 children in Jowzjan Province, Afghanistan. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) (Khaskbahar Hindi)
At least 14 Indian Army soldiers and four civilians are killed in a series of avalanches near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. (BBC)

International relations

Mexico–United States relations
- Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto cancels the meeting scheduled for next week with U.S. President Donald Trump, citing his plan to build a border wall between the two countries. (The New York Times)
- Donald Trump calls for a 20% tariff on Mexican imports to pay for the cost of a wall on the U.S–Mexican border. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says that this is one of the ideas that the administration is considering to make Mexico pay for the wall. (NBC News)

Law and crime

The Supreme Court of Greece rejects the extradition of eight soldiers accused by Turkey of involvement in the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

Patrick F. Kennedy, Joyce Anne Barr, Michele Thoren Bond and Gentry O. Smith resign from the United States Department of State, after Victoria Nuland and Gregory B. Starr had declined to stay on in the Donald Trump administration. (The Herald Scotland)
2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis
- Gambian President Adama Barrow returns to the Gambia after being sworn in as president in Senegal, bringing an end to the country's political crisis. (The Guardian)
Ard van der Steur the Minister of Security and Justice of the Netherlands resigns after allegedly misinforming the House of Representatives over the fallout of a payments scandal. (BBC News)

Science and technology

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moves the Doomsday Clock thirty seconds forward, to two and a half minutes before midnight. (The Washington Post)

January 25, 2017 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War
- Twenty-eight people are killed in a coordinated attack on the Dayah Hotel in central Mogadishu. The terrorist group Al-Shabaab claims responsibility. (Yahoo) (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

The Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks 20,000 for the first time ever. (CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

Over 800 homes are destroyed or flooded in Tahiti, French Polynesia, following severe storms over the weekend, with at least 4,000 people affected. (Radio New Zealand)

International relations

Mexico–United States relations
- Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto rejects the idea, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, that Mexico would pay for any border wall between the United States and his country. (The Telegraph) (NBC news)
- Mexican senior officials say President Peña Nieto may cancel his plans to visit the White House next Tuesday, January 31, because of President Trump's actions. (The New York Times) (Fortune)
Foreign relations of Taiwan
- Burkina Faso and Swaziland refuse to break relations with Taiwan and recognize the One-China policy despite being offered aid from China. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

The German government decides it will abolish the crime of lèse-majesté, almost one year after the Böhmermann affair. (AFP by Digital Journal)
Domestic violence
- The Russian Duma backs a law decriminalizing a first instance of domestic violence that does "not seriously injure" the person, making it an administrative offense. The bill also includes violence against children. (CNN)
Women's rights
- Belgium supports a plan by Dutch minister Lilianne Ploumen to launch a fund compensating worldwide for the United States' newly-reinstated Mexico City policy. (De Standaard) (Reuters)

Politics and elections

The Vatican City State announces that Pope Francis will name a Pontifical Delegate to head the Sovereign Military Order of Malta after Prince and Grand Master Matthew Festing's unexpected forced resignation in a spat over condoms. (Reuters)
Presidency of Donald Trump
- United States President Donald Trump announces that he intends to seek an investigation into possible voter fraud from last year's election. (Reuters) (FOX News)
- President Trump signs two executive orders related to immigration, one to take federal grant funding away from sanctuary cities, and another to build a wall along the U.S.–Mexico border. (CNN)

Sports

The International Olympic Committee says that sprinter Nesta Carter took the banned substance methylhexaneamine while competing in the 2008 Olympic 4 × 100 metres relay. As a result, the Jamaican team is disqualified and Usain Bolt loses his ninth Olympic gold medal. (ESPN)
With a victory in the second stage of the Vuelta a San Juan, Tom Boonen becomes the first professional road cyclist to win a race on a bike equipped with disc brakes. (RoadCyclingUK)
In sumo wrestling, Kisenosato Yutaka becomes the 72^nd yokozuna. He is the first Japanese national to effect the promotion to the highest rank in 19 years. (Time)

January 24, 2017 (Tuesday)

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Arts and culture

89th Academy Awards
- Nominations for the 2017 Academy Awards are announced, with La La Land, Moonlight and Hidden Figures among the favorites. (Los Angeles Times)
Mashhad in northeastern Iran was officially named the capital of the Islamic culture in 2017 by the ISESCO. (Tasnim)

Disasters and accidents

California Governor Jerry Brown declares a state of emergency in 50 counties, as winter storms kill four and cause millions of dollars in damage. (The Weather Channel)
Rigopiano avalanche
- The death toll from the avalanche which buried the four-star luxury resort Hotel Rigopiano on 18 January rises to seventeen, with twelve others still missing. (ABC News)
An Italian rescue helicopter, carrying an injured skier from Gran Sasso d'Italia, crashes amid thick fog, killing six people. (BBC)
Fire destroys a kennel in Wasilla, Alaska, killing 46 Labrador Retrievers. Thirty-two other dogs survive the fire in the licensed shelter. (KTUU-TV)

Law and crime

Police discover US$20 million in a bed frame under a mattress at a Massachusetts home. The cash is believed to be linked to Telexfree, a pyramid scheme disguised as a company that claimed to provide internet phone services. A Brazilian man that police were following was charged in connection to the money. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Ken Wyatt is sworn in as the first Indigenous Australian ever to serve as a Federal minister, becoming the Minister for Indigenous Health and Aged Care. (ABC News)
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom rules that the Government of the United Kingdom may not begin the formal Brexit process until Parliament votes in approval of the move. (BBC)
Israel approves the construction of 2,500 more new settlement homes in the West Bank, the most in years and the second time new homes were approved since Donald Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States. (The Guardian)
Syrian peace process
- The second day of peace negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan, end with the sponsors of the talks, Russia, Turkey and Iran, agreeing to set up commission between the three to monitor and enforce the fragile ceasefire to the Syrian Civil War. (The Guardian)
Gambian President Adama Barrow names Fatoumata Tambajang as Vice-President of the Gambia. (Al Jazeera)
Presidency of Donald Trump
- U.S. President Donald Trump signs documents approving the construction of both the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines. (BBC)

January 23, 2017 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War
- The Yemeni Army claims to have recaptured the port city of Mocha from Houthi rebels. (Al Jazeera)
Sinai insurgency
- At least five Egyptian Army soldiers are killed by unknown gunmen in the Sinai Peninsula. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

John D. Bates, United States federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, blocks a proposed merger by health insurance companies Aetna and Humana. (The New York Times)

Law and crime

2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis
- According to an advisor to Gambian President Adama Barrow, more than 500 million dalasi, equivalent to US$11.3 million, are reported missing from state coffers after former President Yahya Jammeh left the country in exile. (BBC)
Following a joint police operation by Europol and Interpol last October and November across much of Europe, dubbed "Operation Pandora", more than 3,500 stolen artwork and artifacts are recovered, with 75 people arrested and 48,588 more being investigated. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Presidency of Donald Trump
- U.S. President Donald Trump issues Presidential memorandums to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and reinstates the Mexico City Policy, a policy banning U.S. aid to foreign organizations that use funds from other sources to perform or discuss abortions, which Barack Obama scrapped in 2009. (The Independent) (The Washington Post) (CNN)
Syrian peace process
- Peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, between the Syrian opposition and the Syrian Government, meant to build on a fragile ceasefire currently in effect in the Syrian Civil War, end with no breakthrough reported. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

More January 2017 events...

Ongoing events
Disasters European cold wave UK and Ireland windstorm season Political European migrant crisis (timeline) South China Sea disputes More details on ongoing conflicts below Sport 2017 Africa Cup of Nations 2017 Australian Open 2016–17 Bundesliga 2016–17 La Liga 2016–17 NBA season 2016–17 NFL playoffs 2016-17 NHL season 2016–17 PBA season 2016–17 Premier League 2016–17 Serie A edit sidebar

Recent deaths
January 2017 28: Many Clouds 27: John Hurt 27: Emmanuelle Riva 26: Mike Connors 26: Tam Dalyell 25: Mary Tyler Moore 24: Butch Trucks 23: Gorden Kaye 23: Douglas Reeman 22: Jaki Liebezeit 22: Naqsh Lyallpuri 22: Andy Marte 22: Yordano Ventura 20: Harry J. Middleton 19: Miguel Ferrer 18: Rachael Heyhoe Flint 18: Roberta Peters 17: Peter Abrahams 17: Colo 16: Eugene Cernan 16: William Onyeabor 15: Eddie Long 15: Jimmy Snuka 14: Zhou Youguang 13: Antony Armstrong-Jones 13: Magic Alex 12: William Peter Blatty 12: Anthony King 12: Graham Taylor 10: Roman Herzog 10: Clare Hollingworth 10: Oliver Smithies 9: Michael Chamberlain 8: Pioneer Cabin Tree 8: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani 8: Peter Sarstedt 7: Nat Hentoff 7: Mário Soares 6: Ricardo Piglia 6: Om Puri 6: Tilikum 5: Jill Saward 4: Georges Prêtre 4: Milt Schmidt 2: John Berger 2: Albert Brewer 1: Tony Atkinson 1: Derek Parfit December 2016 31: William Christopher 31: David Meltzer 30: Sutter Brown 30: Allan Williams 30: Tyrus Wong 29: LaVell Edwards 29: F. Ross Johnson 28: Gregorio Conrado Álvarez 28: Anthony Cronin 28: Michel Déon 28: Debbie Reynolds 27: Carrie Fisher 27: Ratnasiri Wickremanayake edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Africa Algeria and Tunisia Maghreb insurgency ISIL insurgency in Tunisia Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria Boko Haram insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Somalia Civil war South Sudan Ethnic violence (South Sudanese Civil War) Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Sudanese nomadic conflicts Americas Mexico Mexican War on Drugs Peru Internal conflict in Peru Asia Afghanistan Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines Moro conflict Cross border attacks in Sabah Indonesia and Papua New Guinea Papua conflict Myanmar Internal conflict in Myanmar Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Thailand South Thailand insurgency Europe Armenia and Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Russia Chechen–Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Egypt Sinai insurgency Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria Arab–Israeli conflict Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraq American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Iraq and Syria (map) Military intervention against ISIL Israel and Lebanon Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israel and Palestine Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Syria American-led intervention in Syria Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Turkish military intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey–PKK conflict Turkey–ISIL conflict Yemen Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Al-Qaeda insurgency edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Upcoming February 5: Liechtenstein, Landtag 12: Turkmenistan, President 19: Ecuador, President and Parliament, Referendum edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Australia: Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara Cambodia: Sam Rainsy China: Wan Qingliang, Ling Jihua, Zhoi Bin, Guo Boxiong Iran: Babak Zanjani Netherlands: Geert Wilders Philippines: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Nur Misuari, Joel Villanueva Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Spain: Lionel Messi United Kingdom: Chris Denning, Adam Johnson, Ched Evans United States: Bob McDonnell, Paul Anthony Ciancia International ICTY: Radovan Karadžić Ongoing China: Bai Enpei, Pan Yiyang, Yang Weize Germany: Beate Zschäpe Indonesia: Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Mary Jane Veloso Pakistan: Waseem Azeem, Mufti Abdul Qawi Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr., Leila de Lima, Rodrigo Duterte, Jovito Palparan Romania: Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil Spain: Gürtel case, Spanish Royal House, Bárcenas affair United States: Etan Patz United Kingdom: Rolf Harris, Barry Bennell International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo ICTY: Ratko Mladić Upcoming China: Wu Changshun Egypt: Mohamed Morsi Estonia: Edgar Savisaar Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Rick Perry, Bill Cosby edit sidebar