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Worldwide current events
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Artist’s impression of the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system

Moonlight wins Best Picture and La La Land wins in six categories at the Academy Awards.
The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army captures Al-Bab from ISIL.
Astronomers announce that the star TRAPPIST-1 hosts seven exoplanets (artist's impression pictured), some orbiting in its habitable zone.
South Sudan and the United Nations declare a famine in parts of the country.
A suicide bombing at a shrine in Sehwan, Pakistan, kills at least 83 people and injures more than 250 others.

February 28, 2017 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Twelve Afghan National Police officers are killed in a Taliban "infiltration attack" in the southern Helmand Province. (BBC)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- At least four Palestinians are injured following Israeli air strikes in Gaza that were reportedly in response to rockets launched into southern Israel by Hamas. (RT)
Three people are critically injured after a van drives into a high school marching band in Gulf Shores, Alabama during a Mardi Gras parade. The vehicle was reportedly part of the parade, and police are still investigating whether or not the incident was intentional. (RT)

Disasters and accidents

A small plane crashes in a residential area of Riverside, California, killing at least three people, all from the plane. No one on the ground was injured. (BBC)

Law and crime

2016–17 Turkish purges
- About 330 people with alleged links to last year's coup attempt stand trial at a prison outside Ankara on charges of murder and attempting to overthrow the government, the largest trial to date. (Al Jazeera)
German police storm a refugee center in Hamburg after a knife-wielding man barricades himself in a room with a pregnant woman believed to be his partner. The man was injured before he was arrested. (RT)
Hundreds of right-wing activists gather to protest the court-ordered demolition of the Israeli settlement Ofra, which was built on private Palestinian land in the West Bank. Israeli police are evacuating nine homes in the settlement, despite hunger strikes and people barricading themselves inside. (RT)

Politics and elections

The Royal Thai Government has fired Police General Jumpol Manmai for "extremely evil" misconduct and political interests which threatened national security. (Reuters)

February 27, 2017 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro conflict
- The Abu Sayyaf militant group beheads their German hostage Jurgen Kantner in Indanan, Philippines. (The Straits Times)
Communist rebellion in the Philippines
- A total of 21 combatants die in a three-week offensive by the government against the Communist Party of the Philippines. (Rappler)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Government's Tiger Forces connects friendly with the Syrian Democratic Forces front lines south of Manbij after capturing territory from ISIL, east of al-Bab. (Syrian Live Map)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- According to the Afghan Interior Ministry, Mullah Abdul Salam Akhund, a senior Taliban commander, is killed in a U.S. airstrike in Kunduz Province. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- A car bomb explodes near a checkpoint outside Mogadishu, wounding at least four Somali soldiers. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

Armenia–European Union relations
- Armenia and the European Union agree on a new pact to boost ties between the two. It is expected to be signed later this year. This comes after Armenia rejected an Association Agreement in 2013. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Politics and elections

The Liberal Party of the Philippines, the party of vice president Leni Robredo and detained senator Leila de Lima, formally becomes the opposition after its members and its ally from the Akbayan party are ousted from key positions in the Senate. (Rappler)

Science and technology

SpaceX announces that it will take two space tourists on an orbit of the Moon in 2018. (CNBC)

February 26, 2017 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Army recaptures the strategic town of Tadef from ISIL, south of al-Bab, securing key transportation routes in eastern Aleppo Governorate. (Xinhuanet)
A Sabal Trail Transmission Pipeline protester who was seen firing a high powered rifle at the pipeline construction site in Alabama was chased by police until his car crashed. The suspect was shot and killed by a deputy after as tried to engage police in a gunfight (CBS News)

Arts and culture

89th Academy Awards
- The 89th Academy Awards are held in Los Angeles, California. (ABC)
- Moonlight wins Best Picture, moments after La La Land was mistakenly announced as the winner. It also won Best Adapted Screenplay. (ABC News Australia), (ABC)
- Mahershala Ali wins the Best Supporting Actor for his role in Moonlight. He is the first Muslim American to win the award. (The Guardian)
- La La Land 's director Damien Chazelle wins the Oscar for Best Director and Emma Stone wins the Best Actress. (The Guardian)
- Casey Affleck wins the Best Actor for his role in Manchester by the Sea, which also won Best Original Screenplay. (ABC)
- Viola Davis wins the Best Supporting Actress for her role in Fences. (ABC)
- The Salesman directed by Asghar Farhadi won Best Foreign Language Film. Farhadi and other film crew did not attend the ceremony in protest of Donald Trump's visa ban. First Iranian in space Anousheh Ansari and scienist Firouz Naderi attended in place of Farhadi. (The Guardian)
- O.J.: Made in America wins the Best Documentary Feature. (ABC)
- The Netflix "documentary" The White Helmets, a film about the Syrian Civil War, wins the Best Documentary Short.The cinematographer Khaled Khatib who is himself a member of the rebel-aligned group couldn't attend the ceremony because officials from the Department of Homeland Security discovered "derogatory information" about him.(Vox)
- Zootopia wins the Best Animated Feature. (ABC)

Disasters and accidents

Millions of residents in the Chilean capital Santiago are left without access to running water after the Maipo River is contaminated by flooding and landslides. At least four people have died in the floods. (BBC)
16 people dead in northern India after a truck carrying villagers to church overturned on a mountain road. (DW)

Politics and elections

Tens of thousands of people march through Moscow, Russia, to commemorate the two-year anniversary of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov's assassination. (The Guardian) (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Political appointments of Donald Trump
- Philip Bilden, nominee for Secretary of the Navy, withdraws his name from consideration. Mr. Bilden says his business interests created complications. (CNN)

Sport

2017 EFL Cup Final
- Manchester United beat Southampton 3–2 at Wembley Stadium to win the 2016–17 EFL Cup. (BBC)
2017 Daytona 500
- Kurt Busch wins his first Daytona 500, in the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event to contain stages within the race. (Orlando Sentinel)

February 25, 2017 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that militants attacked two Syrian Armed Forces bases in Homs, killing at least 42 people, including a senior intelligence officer. (Reuters via Jerusalem Post), (SBS)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- According to officials, at least 11 people, mostly police officers, are killed outside a mosque in Jowzjan Province in an ambush by militants. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Shifa Gardi, a prominent female reporter for Rudaw Media Network, is killed by a roadside bomb while reporting on the battle for Mosul. (BBC)
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Clashes erupt between Nagorno-Karabakh separatists and Azerbaijani forces in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense confirmed casualties on its side while the separatist forces claim to have no causalities. Both sides blame each other for the flareup in fighting. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

International relations

France–United States relations
- French President François Hollande reproaches U.S. President Donald Trump for his disparaging comments about Paris at Friday's Conservative Political Action Conference, noting that allies should have more respect and support for each other. (Reuters) (The New York Times)

Law and crime

German police shoot a man, who was trying to escape after apparently driving into a group of pedestrians in a central square in Heidelberg. A 73-year-old man was killed and two other people injured. Police do not believe terrorism is involved. (BBC) (Deutsche Welle) (Reuters)
A suspected drunken driver plows his car into a crowd watching the Krewe of Endymion parade at the New Orleans Mardi Gras. Dozens are injured, with 28 people, including a child and a police officer, taken to seven hospitals, five in critical condition. (AP) (New Orleans Times-Picayune) (AP via ABC News)

Politics and elections

An act to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
- A leaked memo from House Republicans reveals cutting provisions from Obamacare such as Medicaid expansions and subsidies for health insurance. (CNBC)
Democratic National Committee chairmanship election, 2017
- Voting takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, to elect a new Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Candidates include Sally Boynton Brown, Keith Ellison, Jehmu Greene and former United States Secretary of Labor Tom Perez. (CNN)
- In a second round of voting, Tom Perez is elected Chair of the DNC with 235 votes. Perez names Congressman Keith Ellison Deputy Party Chair. (NBC News) (The Washington Post)
Presidency of Donald Trump
- Donald Trump announces he will not attend the 2017 White House Correspondents' Dinner, following recent friction between his administration and various news organizations. (BBC News)

February 24, 2017 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War, Battle of al-Bab
- The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army captures Al-Bab from ISIL after months of fighting. (The Washington Post)
- A car bomb explodes in the Syrian village of Sousian, north of al-Bab, killing at least 60 people. (Time), (BBC), (AP)
Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- The Iraqi Air Force strikes ISIL targets inside Syria for the first time in response to recent bombings in Baghdad. (RT)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- At least eight Yemeni soldiers are killed in a suicide bombing at a military camp in Zinjibar. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

Retail chain JC Penney announces plans to close between 130 and 140 stores, as well as 2 distribution centers, amid sagging store sales. (CNBC)

International relations

The Guatemalan army blockades a ship from the Dutch NGO Women on Waves that provides material for abortions. (BBC)
Israel denies entry to Omar Shakir, a researcher for Human Rights Watch and an American citizen, because the organization engages in so-called Palestinian propaganda. HRW's Sari Bashi said, "This Israeli government has been narrowing the space for democratic activity," by closing the country off to critics. Later, the Israel government would grant Mr. Shakir a tourist visa while considering HRW's appeal on the work visa. (CNN) (The New York Times)
2017 Mexico–United States diplomatic crisis
- Mexico states that it will reject third-country deportees. (ABC News)
A report alleges that the German BND has been spying on journalists in Afghanistan. (BBC)

Law and crime

Death of Kim Jong-nam
- Malaysian police claim that Kim Jong-nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was killed by VX nerve agent, a toxin used almost exclusively for chemical warfare. (The New York Times)
Presidency of Donald Trump
- The Trump administration signals that it plans a crackdown on U.S states that legalize the use of cannabis. (Los Angeles Times)
- The Justice Department plans to expand the use of private prisons. (The Washington Post)
Protesters in South Africa rally against immigration. (France24)

Politics and elections

Philippine vice president Leni Robredo defends her fellow Liberal party-mate Leila de Lima who was arrested for alleged drug trafficking. Robredo calls de Lima's arrest political harassment. (PDI)
Presidency of Donald Trump
- The Trump White House bars The New York Times, CNN, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Daily News, The Hill, the Daily Mail, BBC, Politico, and BuzzFeed from a Friday press "gaggle." Generally conservative, mostly new, outlets were permitted entry, such as Breitbart News, One America News Network, and The Washington Times. Also allowed in were ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, and Fox News. Time magazine and the Associated Press could have attended but chose not to in protest. The White House Correspondents’ Association, which represents the press corps, quickly rebuked the White House’s actions. (AP) (Reuters) (NBC News) (The New York Times) (The Hill via MSN.Com)

February 23, 2017 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- At least six people are killed in a bomb blast in the Pakistani city of Lahore. (BBC)
Battle of Mosul (2016–17)
- Iraqi Police forces enter the Mosul International Airport and capture the runway from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. (Associated Press)

Arts and culture

American-born panda Bao Bao arrives in China. (The Washington Post)

Business and economy

Dakota Access Pipeline protests
- The protestors in the area of the Dakota Access Pipeline are evicted, clearing the way for the oil pipeline through Canada and the United States to be built. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

2016–17 UK and Ireland windstorm season
- The Met Office issues travel warnings for parts of Wales, Scotland and England as Storm Doris, described as a “weather bomb”, brings gales, heavy rain and snow to the United Kingdom. At least one person is killed. (The Guardian) (The Independent)

Law and crime

A Philippine court orders the arrest of Duterte critic and Liberal senator Leila de Lima. She later voluntarily turned herself in the next day (Al Jazeera), (PDI)

Politics and elections

United Kingdom by-elections
- Labour's Gareth Snell holds off UKIP's leader Paul Nuttall to win the Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election, while Conservative Party candidate Trudy Harrison wins the Copeland by-election, the first gain for a governing party since 1982. (BBC)
French presidential election, 2017
- Yannick Jadot drops out in an effort to boost Benoît Hamon. (Deutsche Welle)

Sports

The Alaska Aces ice hockey team announce that the 2016–17 ECHL season will be the team's last after 28 seasons of play, following a downturn in the Alaskan economy and sagging ticket sales.(The Hamilton Spectator)

February 22, 2017 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War, Raqqa offensive
- U.S.-backed SDF forces on two fronts meet up northeast of Raqqa, encircling a pocket of villages still held by ISIS. (Rudaw)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- A Houthi missile attack on a Yemeni military camp near the port city of Mocha kills Major General Ahmed Saif al-Yafei, Yemen's deputy chief of staff, and several others. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Amnesty International releases a report criticizing the rise of populist leaders such as Donald Trump of the United States, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey. (The Washington Post)
Headscarf rights in Turkey
- The Turkish government lifts the ban prohibiting female army officers from wearing a Hijab. The military is the last Turkish institution to end the ban. (BBC)

International relations

2017 Mexico–United States diplomatic crisis
- Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray Caso rejects and condemns the United States's new plan on deporting undocumented immigrants, stating that Mexico cannot "accept unilateral decisions imposed by one government on another." (BBC)

Law and crime

South Africa's North Gauteng High Court rules the government's decision last October to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was unconstitutional, and instructs the government to revoke its notice of withdrawal. (AP), (NPR)
Former Chief Executive of Hong Kong Donald Tsang is sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption, becoming the highest officeholder in Hong Kong's history to be convicted. (BBC)
2017 Olathe, Kansas shooting
- In an apparent hate crime, an Indian engineer is shot dead and another injured in Olathe, Kansas. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Transgender rights in the United States
- The Trump administration revokes Obama-era orders on protection of gender identity under Title IX. (BBC) (CNN)
French presidential election, 2017
- François Bayrou drops out in an effort to boost Emmanuel Macron. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

NASA and the European Southern Observatory announce the discovery of four new Earth-like planets in the Goldilocks zone of the star TRAPPIST-1, in addition to the three discovered there last year. (The Atlantic), (NBC News)

Sports

Eastern Sports Club's manager Chan Yuen-ting becomes the first woman to coach a male football club in a top-flight continental competition with managing team against Guangzhou Evergrande in the AFC Champions League. (Sky Sports)
2024 Summer Olympics
- Budapest withdraws its bid, leaving Paris and Los Angeles as the two candidate cities for hosting the 2024 competition. (Reuters)

More February 2017 events...

Ongoing events
Disasters European cold wave UK and Ireland windstorm season Law Philippine Drug War Kidnapping and killing of Jee Ick-Joo Political European migrant crisis (timeline) Romanian protests South China Sea disputes United States immigration ban More details on ongoing conflicts below Sport 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2016–17 Bundesliga 2016–17 La Liga 2016–17 NBA season 2016–17 NHL season 2016–17 PBA season 2016–17 Premier League 2016–17 Serie A 2016–17 EuroLeague 2016–17 EuroLeague Women 2017 Pakistan Super League 2017 Asian Winter Games edit sidebar

Recent deaths
February 2017 26: Gerald Kaufman 26: Joseph Wapner 25: Neil Fingleton 25: Bill Paxton 25: Elli Norkett 23: Alan Colmes 23: Bernie Custis 23: David Waddington 22: Ed Garvey 21: Kenneth Arrow 21: Jeanne Martin Cissé 21: Desmond Connell 21: Ion Croitoru 20: Vitaly Churkin 20: Mildred Dresselhaus 19: Charismatic 19: Larry Coryell 19: Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe 18: Omar Abdel-Rahman 18: Norma McCorvey 18: Clyde Stubblefield 18: Daniel Vickerman 17: Warren Frost 17: Robert Michel 17: Michael Novak 17: George Steele 16: Dick Bruna 16: Jannis Kounellis 15: Stuart McLean 13: Ricardo Arias Calderón 13: Kim Jong-nam 12: Al Jarreau 12: Sione Lauaki 11: Chavo Guerrero Sr. 10: Mike Ilitch 10: Hal Moore 9: Packy 8: Tara Palmer-Tomkinson 8: Tom Raworth 8: Hans Rosling 7: Svend Asmussen 7: Richard Hatch 7: Alec McCowen 7: Raymond Smullyan 6: Irwin Corey 6: Inge Keller 6: Joost van der Westhuizen 4: Basil Hetzel 4: Bano Qudsia 3: Gordon Aikman 2: Jeff Sauer 1: Desmond Carrington 1: Étienne Tshisekedi January 2017 31: Rob Stewart 31: John Wetton 31: Tokitenkū Yoshiaki edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent February 5: Liechtenstein, Landtag 8: Somalia, President 12: Germany, President 12: Switzerland, Referendum 12: Turkmenistan, President 19: Ecuador, President, National Assembly, Referendum 20: Nagorno-Karabakh, Constitutional referendum 21: Marshall Islands, Constitutional Assembly Upcoming March 2: Northern Ireland, Assembly 7: Micronesia, Congress 15: Netherlands, House of Representatives 20: East Timor, President 26: Bulgaria, Parliament 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, Bill Cosby 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