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The Leekfrith torcs

Following the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, North Korea bans all Malaysian citizens from leaving the country.
Scientists announce the discovery of possible microfossils within rocks dated between 3.77 and 4.28 billion years old from Northern Quebec, Canada, potentially making them the oldest known fossils of life on Earth.
The discovery of the Leekfrith torcs (pictured), believed to be the oldest Iron Age gold jewellery found in Britain, is announced.
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.

March 7, 2017 (Tuesday)

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International relations

Malaysia–North Korea relations
- North Korea temporarily bans all Malaysian nationals (estimated to be at least 11 people including embassy employees) from leaving the country amid a growing dispute between the two countries over the death of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of Kim Jong-un. Malaysian official Khairy Jamaluddin calls the move "tantamount to taking hostages". (BBC) (Channel News Asia)
South Korea–United States relations
- The United States begins deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea. (BBC)

March 6, 2017 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Internal conflict in Myanmar
- According to the government of Myanmar, at least 30 people are killed in an attack on various police, military, and government installations by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army in Laukkai. Four police officers were also taken hostage. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016–17 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Intense, Category 4 Cyclone Enawo is intensifying, as it closes in on the northern tip of Madagascar. (The Weather Channel)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- South Korea claims that North Korea has fired several missiles from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station into the Sea of Japan. (Agencies via Channel News Asia)
- According to the Japanese Government, three of them came down in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone. (NPR)

Politics and Elections

Presidency of Donald Trump
- U.S. President Donald Trump signs a revised version of Executive Order 13769 eliminating Iraq from the order and reducing the indefinite suspension of Syrian refugees to 120 days. The order will be in effect on March 16, 2017. (The New York Times) (CNN)

March 5, 2017 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile
- The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North releases 127 prisoners from captivity, mostly troops of the Sudanese military. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Cannabis in Israel
- Israel changes its law regarding marijuana use. Instead of facing criminal charges, first-time offenders who smoke marijuana in public places will only receive a fine. (Haaretz)

Politics and elections

South Korea announces it will be raising its US$217,000 cash reward for classified information from North Korea by defectors to $860,000. (The Guardian)

March 4, 2017 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- According to provincial officials, at least eight people are killed and another 22 are injured by a roadside bomb in Farah Province. However, according to locals, the attack was actually an airstrike. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- The Benghazi Defense Brigades, an ally of the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, claims to have captured five cities and two oil-production areas from forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar in the east of Libya. (Al Jazeera)
Syrian Civil War
- East Aleppo offensive (February 2017)
  - CJTFOIR deploys U.S. forces near Manbij to "reassure Coalition" members and to "deter aggression." This comes days after the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces' Manbij Military Council agreed to hand over territory west of Manbij to the Syrian Army to create a buffer zone between the SDF and Turkish-backed rebels. (Rudaw)
- A Syrian Air Force MiG-23 fighter jet crashes in Turkey's Hatay Province near the Syria–Turkey border after an engine failure. (Al Masdar News)(Daily Sabah) (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

At least 110 people have died of starvation in the drought-hit region of Bay, Somalia, in the past 48 hours, according to Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre. This comes as the United Nations and various non-governmental organizations are warning of potential famine in the country. (The Independent)

International relations

Malaysia–North Korea relations
- Malaysia expels Kang Chol, North Korea's ambassador, after he criticised the former's investigation into the death of Kim Jong-nam. (BBC)
Mexico–United States relations
- Mexico opens legal aide centers in its 50 U.S. consulates to defend its citizens' rights amid the United States "crackdown" on illegal immigration. In a video, Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray Caso said Mexico supports following the law but notes that current circumstances highlight the need for immigration reform. (Reuters) (AP via The Toledo Blade)
Canada–United States relations
- Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says Canada will not tighten its border because more migrants, reacting to the United States immigration crackdown, are illegally crossing into Canada from the U.S. Goodale added the issue had not risen to a scale that required hindering the flow of goods and people moving across the world's longest undefended border. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Capital punishment in Jordan
- Jordan says the country executed 15 people today, including 10 who were convicted on terrorism charges with others related to incidents that go back as far as 2003. Amnesty International protests the executions which were carried out in "secrecy and without transparency." Jordan restored the death sentence by hanging in 2014. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Presidency of Donald Trump
- U.S. President Donald Trump accuses former President Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower the month before the 2016 presidential election but offers no evidence to support his claim. A spokesman for President Obama rejects these claims. Former national security adviser Ben Rhodes' tweet to President Trump pointed out, "No President can order a wiretap." (The New York Times) (The Washington Post) (AAP via SBS)

March 3, 2017 (Friday)

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Disasters and accidents

2015 Shoreham Airshow crash
- The Air Accidents Investigation Branch determines that a pilot error was the cause of the crash. (BBC)
2016–17 Zimbabwe floods
- Since December, flooding in Zimbabwe has killed 246 people and nearly 2,000 more have been left homeless, according to officials. (Al Jazeera)
2017 Cook Inlet natural gas leak
- A damaged natural gas pipeline operating under Cook Inlet offshore of Nikiski (near Anchorage, Alaska) continues releasing between 6,000–8,800 cubic meters (210,000–310,000 cubic feet) of gas per day. Pipeline operator Hilcorp Energy states that due to sea ice conditions, repairs will not be possible for weeks. (Popular Mechanics), (Peninsula Clarion)

International relations

United States–European Union relations
- The European Parliament votes to end visa-free travel for United States citizens after the U.S. government failed to agree to visa-free travel for citizens of five European Union member states, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania. The resolution is non-binding. (The Independent)

Law and crime

Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home
- A mass grave is discovered at a former Catholic orphanage in Tuam, Ireland, containing “significant quantities of human remains”, all of them children. It is alleged over 800 children died at this orphanage and most were buried in the 1950s. (The Guardian)
Antisemitism in the United States
- A 31-year-old ex-journalist is arrested and charged with making at least eight threats against Jewish Community Centers in the United States, as well as a threat made against the Anti-Defamation League, while allegedly impersonating a former girlfriend. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2017
- Mike Nesbitt announces he is standing down as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) following the party's poor performance in yesterday's Northern Ireland Assembly election. (BBC)

March 2, 2017 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Palmyra offensive (2017)
  - The Syrian Army and its allies recapture the ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. (Reuters)(Al-Masdar News)
- East Aleppo offensive (February 2017)
  - The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces' Manbij Military Council, "after reaching a new alliance with Russia," hands over a vast expanse of territory west of Manbij to the Syrian Army to create a buffer zone between the SDF and Turkish-backed rebels. (BBC)(Al-Masdar News)(Rudaw)
War in North-West Pakistan
- A United States drone strike kills two alleged militants in the Kurram district of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Disasters and accidents

A methane gas explosion occurs at a coal mine in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine, killing at least eight miners, with another 20 unaccounted for. (Al Jazeera)
An avalanche near the northern Italian town of Courmayeur, kills at least three people and injures another three, while two others are believed missing. (BBC)

Law and crime

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is acquitted of involvement in the deaths of hundreds of anti-government protesters during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2017
- Northern Irish voters go to the polls to elect their new MLA representatives after a snap election was called following the resignation of Deputy First minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin over the mishandling by Democratic Unionist Party over the recent Renewable Heat Incentive scandal. (BBC News)
The government of Sweden submits a bill to the Riksdag to reintroduce conscription this summer in response to new global security challenges. (Al Jazeera)
Political appointments of Donald Trump
- The U.S. Senate confirms Donald Trump's appointment of his former opponents in the presidential primaries, neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Governor of Texas Rick Perry, as Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development and Energy respectively, with the support of all Republicans and some Democrats. (CNN)

March 1, 2017 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- At least 16 people were killed and 40 more wounded after two suicide bombers attacked Kabul. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Business and economics

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rises above 21,000 points, reaching an all-time high. (Los Angeles Times)

International relations

Georgia–European Union relations
- The European Union formally grants Georgian citizens visa-free travel to its member states, with the exception of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The signed documents will be published on March 8, and officially enter into force on March 28. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Syrian Civil War
- Russia and China veto a draft United Nations Security Council resolution sponsored by France, the United Kingdom and the United States calling for sanctions against the Syrian government and President Bashar al-Assad over allegations that the government used chemical weapons in the conflict. (RT) (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Philippine Drug War
- After a temporary suspension due to the kidnapping and killing of a South Korean national, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte orders the Philippine National Police to resume his controversial campaign. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Kim Jong-nam's assassination
- Two women, Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Đoàn Thị Hương, are charged with murder in relation to the death of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The women, who reportedly thought they were involved in a prank TV show, did not enter pleas. (CNN) (The Globe and Mail)

Politics and elections

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir names Vice President Bakri Hassan Saleh as Prime Minister of Sudan, the first person to hold the post since it was abolished following the 1989 Sudanese coup d'état. (Reuters)
Pakalitha Mosisili, the Prime Minister of Lesotho loses a confidence motion in the Parliament of Lesotho, and may call a snap election. (SABC)

Science and technology

Origin of life
- Scientists announce the finding of microfossils up to almost 4.3 billion years old, within rocks from the Hudson Bay shoreline in northern Quebec, Canada, that may represent the oldest-known evidence of life on Earth. (Reuters)
An American Atlas V successfully launched an NRO payload from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The launch is the 70th successful Atlas V launch and the 14th successful mission for the NRO. (SpaceflightNow)

More February 2017 events...

Ongoing events
Disasters European cold wave UK and Ireland windstorm season Law Philippine Drug War Political European migrant crisis (timeline) Romanian protests South China Sea disputes United States immigration ban More details on ongoing conflicts below Sport 2017 World Baseball Classic 2017 World Rally Championship 2017 NASCAR Cup 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 edit sidebar

Recent deaths
March 2017 6: Robert Osborne 6: Rabi Ray 5: Jay Lynch 4: Clayton Yeutter 3: Míriam Colón 3: Tommy Page 3: René Préval 3: Thomas Starzl 2: Tommy Gemmell 1: John Hampshire 1: Paula Fox 1: Gustav Metzger February 2017 28: Paul Kangas 27: Alex Young 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: Ivan Koloff 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 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 March 2: Northern Ireland, Assembly Upcoming March 7: Micronesia, Congress 15: Netherlands, House of Representatives 20: East Timor, President 26: Bulgaria, Parliament April 2: Armenia, Parliament 2: Ecuador, President (2nd round) edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Australia: Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara Cambodia: Sam Rainsy China: Wan Qingliang, Ling Jihua, Zhoi Bin, Guo Boxiong 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, 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