Portal:Current events

Edit instructions

Worldwide current events
Sports events

Topics in the news

The Palace of Westminster

A terrorist attack at the Palace of Westminster (pictured), London, results in five people dead and more than forty injured.
The United States defeats Puerto Rico to win the World Baseball Classic.
American guitarist, singer, and rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry dies at the age of 90.
An airstrike on a mosque in the rebel-held al-Jinah village near Aleppo kills at least forty-two people and injures more than one hundred others.
The VVD, led by incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte, wins the most seats in the Dutch general election, but the governing coalition loses its majority.

March 23, 2017 (Thursday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

2017 Westminster attack
- Up to eight people are arrested in pre-dawn raids in connection with yesterday's attack. (Fox News)
- London's Metropolitan Police Service announces that the attacker is British-born Pakistani Khalid Masood from Kent. (Reuters)
- The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility. (The Telegraph)
Former Russian Duma deputy Denis Voronenkov is assassinated in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. In December 2016, he received Ukrainian citizenship. Ilya Ponomarev says Voronenkov was heading to a meeting with him. (The Moscow Times)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Taliban insurgents seize control of the strategic town of Sangin in the southern Helmand Province after a year-long battle with Afghan security forces. (BBC)
2017 Antwerp attack
- A man drove his car into a crowd of pedestrians in Antwerp, Belgium, injuring several and causing people to jump out of the way. Police arrested the man, who is believed to be North African born and living in France. (The New York Times)

Arts and culture

The American city of Fort Collins, Colorado, announces its intention to appeal a federal judge ruling that blocked the city’s ban on women appearing topless in public. (USA Today via MSN)

Disasters and accidents

A series of explosions on a military base near the Ukrainian city Balakliya forces thousands to be evacuated from their homes. (BBC)
Sinking of MV Sewol
- The wreckage of the MV Sewol is raised from the sea near the South Korean island of Donggeochado. The ferry sank in April 2014, killing 304 people. (BBC)

Politics and elections

American Health Care Act of 2017
- The United States House of Representatives votes on a replacement plan for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). The replacement bill is up in the air on passing as some Republicans have refused to support it. (CNN)
- The vote has been postponed due to a lack of support and slow progress on dealmaking. (CNN)

March 22, 2017 (Wednesday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

2017 Westminster attack
- An attacker carries out a vehicle-ramming attack outside the Houses of Parliament in London, before stabbing a police officer and subsequently being shot by security forces. Including the attacker, there are at least four people dead. (BBC), (Sky News), (Fox News)
Syrian Civil War
- Raqqa offensive (2016–present)
  - A U.S.-led coalition airstrike on a school west of Raqqa, kills at least 33 people. (The Guardian)
- Syrian rebels, led by Tahrir al-Sham, launch an offensive in the Hama Governorate, capturing the towns of Suran, Khitab and Al-Majdal. (Reuters)
Boko Haram insurgency
- 2017 Maiduguri attack
  - Multiple suicide blasts occur at a refugee camp near Maiduguri, Nigeria, leaving eight people dead and wounding 18 others. (Al Jazeera), (All Africa)
An Israeli Army tank kills a Palestinian teenager and wounds two others near the Gaza border. (The Jerusalem Post)
March 2017 Israel–Syria incident
- The Israeli Air Force resumes bombing against suspected Hezbollah-related targets in Syria, with a fourth round of bombings occurring near military sites near Damascus. (The Financial Times)

Arts and culture

Near the town of Ramle, Israeli archeologists uncover hundreds of gin and whiskey bottles dating back to the First World War at the site of a former British Army barracks. (The Guardian)
Eurovision Song Contest 2017, Russia–Ukraine relations
- The Security Service of Ukraine bans Yuliya Samoylova, Russia's entrant in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, from entering the country. This follows allegations that she had toured in Crimea following its annexation by Russia. (The Washington Post)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- According to South Korean and United States officials, a missile test in North Korea ends in failure, with the missile exploding seconds after launch. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Former Congolese Vice President and warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba, sentenced last year by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to 18 years in prison for war crimes, is given an additional 12 months and fined 300,000 euros for bribing witnesses during an earlier ICC trial. The court also handed jail terms and fines for alleged interference in his trial to members of his legal team. (The Guardian)
A series of shootings in Rothschild, Wisconsin, leave at least four people dead, including a police officer. (WTOP)

Sports

2017 World Baseball Classic
- In the final, the United States defeats Puerto Rico 8–0 to claim its first title in the event. Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, who threw six hitless innings in the final for Team USA, is named tournament MVP. (AP via ESPN)

March 21, 2017 (Tuesday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Citing security concerns because of recent terrorist activity, the American and British governments impose a ban affecting inbound-passengers flying from much of the Middle East and North Africa. The ban includes airplane cabin passenger-accessible items such as laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices which are larger than a smartphone. Larger such electronic devices will still be allowed on board in checked baggage which is thus more closely screened and passenger-inaccessible. (CNN), (BBC)
War in Somalia
- A car bomb explodes at a checkpoint near the Villa Somalia, the President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's official residence in Mogadishu, killing at least five people. (Citizen)

International relations

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
- Tasnim News Agency reports that, in a Nowruz speech, Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei said experts in his country can enrich uranium to 99 percent. ISNA reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is threatening to quit the Iran nuclear deal if the United States blocks Iran's version of the deal's implementation. (Kleine Zeitung)

Law and crime

In a 6–2 decision (NLRB v. SW General, Inc), the U.S. Supreme Court puts new restrictions on presidential powers, limiting a president's authority to staff certain top government posts in a case involving an appointment to the National Labor Relations Board saying that under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, a person cannot serve as the acting head of a federal agency once the president nominates him or her to permanently serve in the role if it is a position that requires U.S. Senate confirmation. The court upholds a lower court's ruling that then-President Barack Obama exceeded his legal authority with his temporary appointment of an NLRB general counsel in 2011. The ruling will give President Donald Trump and future presidents less flexibility in filling jobs that require Senate confirmation. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Bruno Le Roux resigns as France's Minister of the Interior amid a jobs scandal involving two of his daughters. Using public funds, Bruno had hired his 15 and 16-year-old daughters as parliamentary assistants while he was serving as a deputy in the French National Assembly. (BBC)

Sports

In International professional baseball
- The United States defeats Japan 2–1 at Dodger Stadium to advance to the 2017 World Baseball Classic's final. This is the first time that the U.S. has done so in the tournament's 11-year history. (USA Today)

March 20, 2017 (Monday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- A car bomb in Baghdad's southwestern Hayy Al-A'amel neighborhood kills at least 23 people, and wounds 45 others. (AP via Fox News)
Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian Civil War, March 2017 Israel–Syria incident
- The Syrian Army shoots down an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Skylark drone over Syria's Quneitra Governorate. (The Times of Israel)

Disasters and accidents

A large tree falls into a pool at the base of the Kintampo waterfalls in Ghana, killing at least 18 people and injuring 22 others. (Al Jazeera)
2017 South Supreme Airlines Antonov An-26 crash
- An Antonov An-26 of South Supreme Airlines crashes upon landing at Wau Airport, South Sudan, the 43 people on board survived. (The Aviation Herald), (CNN)

Politics and elections

East Timorese presidential election, 2017
- Elections are held in East Timor to vote for the nation's 4th President. Francisco Guterres, runner-up in the 2007 and 2012 elections, is expected to win due to the support of Xanana Gusmão. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections
- The United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence holds a hearing about Russian interference in the 2016 election and confirms that there is an ongoing investigation into ties between Trump's team and Russia. (The Washington Post)
Neil Gorsuch Supreme Court nomination
- The Senate Judiciary Committee begins hearings on the nomination of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States. (CNN)
Brexit
- British Prime Minister Theresa May announces that her government will trigger article 50, which begins the process of withdrawing from the European Union, on March 29. (The Guardian)

March 19, 2017 (Sunday)

edit

history

watch

International relations

New Zealand–United States relations
- New Zealand expels an unnamed United States diplomat after the embassy refused to waive his immunity during a police investigation. (BBC)

Politics and elections

The Social Democratic Party of Germany endorses Martin Schulz as its leader. (Reuters)

Sports

Racing 92 and Stade Français, two French rugby clubs, announce that they are calling off their proposed merger following widespread opposition to the project. (BBC)

March 18, 2017 (Saturday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Around 1,500–2,000 people leave al-Waer district of Homs today for their preferred destination of either Northern Homs Governorate, Idlib Governorate or Turkish Army positions in Northern Aleppo Governorate. Up to 15,000 to 20,000 people including armed militants, their families and supporters will leave the besieged district in the coming weeks with the rest of the population reconciling and receiving aid. (BBC), (Al Masdar News)
Battle of Mosul
- Thousands of Iraqis flee western Mosul as the battle between Iraqi and allied forces and ISIL militants escalates in the densely populated Old City. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Chuck Berry, pioneering rock music singer and guitarist, dies in the U.S. state of Missouri at the age of 90. Berry was one of the first inductees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (BBC)

International relations

Estonia–United Kingdom relations
- Eight hundred British Army troops arrive in Estonia as part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

March 2017 Île-de-France attacks
- French security forces shoot suspect Ziyed Ben Belgacem dead in Paris' Orly Airport after he put the pellet gun to her head and took away an assault rifle from one of three soldiers from "Sentinelle" operation patrolling the airport. Airport security temporarily evacuates about 3,000 people from the terminal. Police had flagged the fugitive man for suspected radicalism. Belgacem had earlier that day shot a police officer with a pellet gun after he was pulled over for speeding with his headlights off north of Paris. Later, he had threatened a bar and then carjacked another vehicle to the airport. Authorities are investigating the attack as a "possible" act of terrorism, but the motive is unclear as the suspect's father says Belgacem did not pray, was not a terrorist, and fell under the influence of the drugs and alcohol which were also found in subsequent autopsy. (BBC), (Reuters), (USA Today), (France 24), (The New York Times)

March 17, 2017 (Friday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

March 2017 Israel–Syria incident, Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian Civil War
- The Israeli Air Force launches several airstrikes on targets inside Syria, and for the first time, publicly claims responsibility. Syrian air defenses responded by launching missiles at the aircraft, and thereupon Israeli Arrow 3 missiles were launched in response to the counter-offensive. Israel stated that it was targeting suspected weapons shipments to Hezbollah in Lebanon, adding that the Israeli military will keep intervening until they believe such shipments have ceased. According to the Syrian Army, four Israeli jets entered its airspace and struck targets near Palmyra. (CNN), (AP)
Yemeni Civil War (2015-present)
- An unknown perpetrator using an Apache helicopter fires upon a boat carrying Somali refugees off the coast of Yemen, killing at least 40 of them, injuring 35 more. (Reuters), (AFP via MSN)
War in North-West Pakistan
- Gunmen raid a Pakistani military post near the border with Afghanistan, killing at least eight people. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, claim responsibility. (Al Jazeera)
Basque conflict
- In Spain, the Basque separatist group ETA announces that it will fully disarm by April 8, 2017. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Heavy flooding in Peru kills at least 67 people and forces thousands to abandon their homes. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

The former Democratic National Committee chair and ex-CNN contributor Donna Brazile admits that she had forwarded some debate questions to Hillary Clinton's campaign during last year's Democratic primary before two debates with Bernie Sanders. (The New York Daily News)

More March 2017 events...

Ongoing events
Disasters 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 Rally Championship 2017 NASCAR Cup Series 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament 2016–17 UEFA Champions League 2016–17 La Liga 2016–17 Premier League 2016–17 Serie A 2016–17 Bundesliga 2016–17 NBA season 2016–17 NHL season 2016–17 PBA season 2016–17 EuroLeague 2016–17 EuroLeague Women edit sidebar

Recent deaths
March 2017 23: William H. Keeler 22: Dallas Green 22: Pete Hamilton 21: Chuck Barris 21: Colin Dexter 21: Jerry Krause 20: Martin McGuinness 20: David Rockefeller 20: Robert B. Silvers 19: Jimmy Breslin 18: Chuck Berry 18: Bernie Wrightson 17: George Braziller 17: Auntie Fee 17: Hugh Hardy 17: Derek Walcott 16: James Cotton 16: Hasyim Muzadi 15: Sok An 15: Dave Stallworth 14: Royal Robbins 14: John Van de Kamp 13: Adib Boroumand 13: Danehill Dancer 13: Tommy LiPuma 12: Murray Ball 11: Lloyd Conover 10: Tony Haygarth 10: Bill Leak 10: John Surtees 10: Robert James Waller 9: Mick Adams 9: Howard Hodgkin 9: Joseph Nicolosi 8: Lou Duva 8: George Andrew Olah 7: Ron Bass 7: Dave Valentin 6: Robert Osborne 6: Rabi Ray 5: Jay Lynch 5: Fred Weintraub 4: Bonnie Burnard 4: Clayton Yeutter 3: Míriam Colón 3: Tommy Page 3: Lyle Ritz 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 edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent March 2: Northern Ireland, Assembly 15: Netherlands, House of Representatives 20: East Timor, President (1st round) Upcoming March 26: Bulgaria, Parliament April 2: Armenia, Parliament 2: Ecuador, President (2nd round) 2: Serbia, President 6: The Gambia, National Assembly 16: Turkey, Constitutional referendum 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