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Worldwide current events
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Volutus cloud formation

Former Russian MP and government critic Denis Voronenkov is shot dead in Kiev.
The World Meteorological Organization adds twelve new cloud types (including volutus, pictured) to the International Cloud Atlas, the first update to the official cloud classification scheme since 1986.
A terrorist attack at the Palace of Westminster, London, results in five people dead and fifty others injured.
The United States defeats Puerto Rico to win the World Baseball Classic.
French mathematician Yves Meyer is awarded the Abel Prize for his work on the mathematical theory of wavelets.
American guitarist, singer, and rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry dies at the age of 90.

March 27, 2017 (Monday)

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March 26, 2017 (Sunday)

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Disasters and accidents

A Ukrainian military Mi-2 transport helicopter crashes after hitting a power line near Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, killing all five people aboard. (Reuters)

Law and crime

One person is killed and fourteen injured in a shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio. (CNN)
2017 Russian protests
- Hundreds of people, including Alexei Navalny, are detained at anti-corruption protests across Russia. (Reuters) (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Bulgarian parliamentary election, 2017
- Bulgarians vote to elect a new Prime Minister after the resignation of Boyko Borissov. Opinion polls predict a close contest between Borissov's centre-right GERB and the Socialist Party. (The Economist)
Hong Kong Chief Executive election, 2017
- The Hong Kong Election Committee meets to select a new Chief Executive. Carrie Lam becomes the first female Chief Executive. (The Telegraph), (The New York Times)

March 25, 2017 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Four people are killed in twin bombings in Sylhet, Bangladesh. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- According to a local police chief, at least seven militants are killed by Afghan security forces in Logar Province. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Syrian Civil War
- At least 16 people are killed by multiple airstrikes on a prison in Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
March 2017 Israel–Syria incident
- In response to several Israeli airstrikes against suspected Hezbollah-related targets inside Syria, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has threatened wider war with the State of Israel, stating its intention to fire Scud missiles, and specifically target the Israeli city of Haifa. Israel responded by stating that any such actions by the Assad regime, or attacks on its aircraft, will cause Israel to "annihilate" Syrian air defense systems. (The Times of Israel)
Sinai insurgency
- A roadside bomb kills four Egyptian Army soldiers near the town of Arish, North Sinai Governorate. (Reuters)
A vehicle mounts the pavement and runs into pedestrians in Islington, London, injuring 4. The teenage perpetrators are found carrying offensive weapons, but are not assumed to be terrorists. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The Driehaus Architecture Prize for New Classical architecture is awarded to Robert Adam in Chicago. (The Architect's Newspaper)

International relations

European Union leaders gather in Rome to mark 60 years since the Treaty of Rome was signed. (BBC)
The UK-US air travel ban on laptops and other electronic devices in the passenger cabin comes into effect. (BBC)
China, Chile and Egypt lift their bans on importing meat from Brazil. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Northern Mali conflict
- The Coordination of Azawad Movements, a coalition of Tuareg groups, announce that they will boycott a peace conference scheduled next week on implementing a 2015 peace agreement saying it was "not sufficiently inclusive". (Al Jazeera)
The UK Independence Party (UKIP)'s only MP, Douglas Carswell, quits the party to become an independent MP. (The Guardian)
2017 Belarusian protests
- Thousands of people protest in Minsk, Belarus, despite a ban on protests, against a so-called "social parasites" tax on the unemployed. (BBC)

Sports

2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
- The first two places in the Final Four are decided. In the West Region in San Jose, California, Gonzaga defeats Xavier 83–59, advancing to the first Final Four in the program's history. (AP via ESPN) In the South Region in Memphis, Tennessee, Oregon defeats Kansas 74–60, giving the Ducks their first Final Four appearance since winning the first NCAA Tournament in 1939. (AP via ESPN)

March 24, 2017 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Insurgency in the North Caucasus
- Six Chechen soldiers, along with six militants, are killed in a nighttime attack on a Russian National Guard base in Chechnya. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Russian Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov denies allegations by NATO Commander Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti that Russia was "perhaps" supplying the Taliban. (BBC)
A suicide bomber blows himself up at a checkpoint at Shahjalal International Airport, Bangladesh, with no other casualties reported. (Reuters)
On Friday night a man begins to shoot in a Lille Metro station in Lille, France. Three people are injured, including being shot in the leg and neck. The gunman is not thought to be a terrorist, and is still on the run. (The Independent)

Disasters and accidents

Proactiva notes the finding of five corpses the Libyan coast; these were floating near two capsized boats which could each hold more than 100 people. (BBC)

International relations

France–Russia relations
- French National Front presidential candidate Marine Le Pen meets with Russian president Vladimir Putin and afterwards urges that European Union sanctions on Russia be lifted. (BBC)

Law and crime

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is released from detention in Cairo. (AFP)
The Gambia's justice minister Abubacarr Tambadou states that the country will establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission "within the next six months" to investigate allegations of abuse dating from the time of former President Yahya Jammeh. According to Tambadou, public hearings are scheduled to get underway by year's end. (BBC)
Imprisoned former Congolese warlord Germain Katanga is ordered by the International Criminal Court to pay reparations to some of his victims in the first such ruling by the court. (BBC)

Politics and elections

United States President Donald Trump approves the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. (CNN)
2017 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act replacement proposals
- The replacement plan for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is withdrawn after Republican leaders fail to gain enough support. The failure of the Trump administration to repeal the act means it will remain law in the United States.(BBC)
Gilmar Pisas is sworn in as Prime Minister of Curaçao. (The Curaçao Chronicle)

Science and technology

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet take a spacewalk outside of the International Space Station to prepare the vessel for new arrivals. (Space.com)

March 23, 2017 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2017 Westminster attack
- Authorities arrest at least eight people in connection with yesterday's attack. (Fox News)
- London's Metropolitan Police Service announces that the attacker is British-born Khalid Masood, previously questioned by British authorities for connections to terrorism. (Reuters)
- The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility. (The Telegraph)
A former Ukrainian soldier assassinates former Russian Duma deputy Denis Voronenkov 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 drives into a crowd of pedestrians in Antwerp, Belgium, injuring several people. Police arrest 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's 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 of Balakliya forces thousands to be evacuated from their homes. (BBC)
Sinking of MV Sewol
- The South Korean government raises the wreckage of the MV Sewol 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 approaches a vote on a replacement plan for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). (CNN)
- The U.S. House postpones the vote due to a lack of support and slow progress in dealmaking. (CNN)

March 22, 2017 (Wednesday)

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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)
A jury acquits the former head of the now-closed Massachusetts pharmacy, New England Compounding Center, Barry Cadden, on 25 counts of second-degree murder but convicts him of racketeering and other crimes in a meningitis outbreak that was traced to fungus-contaminated drugs and killed 64 people across the country. Cadden disregarded sanitary conditions to boost production and make more money. (Boston.com)
In regards to if the Obama administration, through the United States Department of Justice, through the Federal Bureau of Investigation wiretapped President Elect Donald Trump, U.S. Representative Devin Nunes states that "the intelligence community incidentally collected information" regarding communications between Donald Trump and his team as part of their surveillance of foreign agents. (Fox News), (Newsweek), (The Washington Examiner), (CNN), (BBC), (Reuters)

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)

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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)

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 2016–17 Bundesliga 2016–17 EuroLeague 2016–17 EuroLeague Women 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 UEFA Champions League 2017 AFL season 2017 NCAA Division I Men's 2017 NCAA Division I Women's 2017 NASCAR Cup Series 2017 World Rally Championship edit sidebar

Recent deaths
March 2017 25: Dave Steele 23: Lola Albright 23: William H. Keeler 23: Clay Matthews Sr. 23: Denis Voronenkov 22: Dallas Green 22: Pete Hamilton 22: Sib Hashian 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 edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent March 2: Northern Ireland, Assembly 15: Netherlands, House of Representatives 20: East Timor, President (1st round) 26: Bulgaria, Parliament Upcoming April 2: Armenia, Parliament 2: Ecuador, President (2nd round) 2: Serbia, President 6: The Gambia, National Assembly 16: Turkey, Constitutional referendum 23: France, President 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 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