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Worldwide current events
Sports events

Topics in the news

Tim Berners-Lee

At least 45 people are killed and 136 others injured when two Egyptian Coptic Orthodox churches are attacked on Palm Sunday by suicide bombers.
A stolen truck is driven through crowds and into a department store in downtown Stockholm, killing 4 people and injuring 15 others.
The United States attacks a Syrian air base in response to a chemical attack in Khan Shaykhun that killed more than 70 people.
Tim Berners-Lee (pictured) wins the Turing Award for inventing the World Wide Web, the first web browser, and the protocols and algorithms that allow the Web to scale.
In college basketball, the South Carolina Gamecocks win the NCAA women's tournament and the North Carolina Tar Heels win the men's tournament.

April 10, 2017 (Monday)

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Science and technology

The Australian Research Council reports that two thirds of the Great Barrier Reef have suffered from severe coral bleaching, denoting a second consecutive year of severe bleaching. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

April 9, 2017 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2017 Palm Sunday church bombings
- At least 44 people have been killed and 50 injured in explosions near two Coptic Christian churches packed with worshippers on Palm Sunday in the Egyptian cities of Tanta and Alexandria. (Al Jazeera), (ABC Australia)
- The Government of Egypt imposes a three-month state of emergency in response to the bombings. (ABC)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- A car bomb explodes outside the Ministry of Defence in Mogadishu, killing at least 15 people. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack. (Al Jazeera)
Srinagar (Lok Sabha constituency) by-election, 2017
- Six people are killed in clashes between protesters and police near Srinagar in the disputed region of Kashmir Valley, during a by-election for a vacant seat in the Indian Lok Sabha. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2016–17 South Pacific cyclone season
- Dozens of people in Vanuatu are in shelters as Cyclone Cook hits the island. It is due to pass through New Caledonia tomorrow. (Radio New Zealand)

International relations

The United States Pacific Command deploys warships, including the USS Carl Vinson, to move towards Korea following North Korea's recent tests with weapons of mass destruction and opposition to the Sharyat missile strike. North Korea is also reclassified as a state sponsor of terrorism. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

South Ossetian presidential election, 2017, South Ossetian name change referendum, 2017
- Voters in the breakaway state of South Ossetia go to the polls for an election and a referendum. The referendum will ask voters if the country's official name should be changed to "Republic of South Ossetia–the State of Alania". (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Finnish municipal elections, 2017
- Voters go to the polls for municipal elections in Finland. (Finnish Ministry of Justice) (Yle News)

Sports

2017 Masters Tournament
- In golf, Sergio García of Spain wins the 2017 U.S. Masters defeating Justin Rose of England in a sudden-death playoff. It is García's first major victory. (The Guardian)
In rugby union, SANZAAR announces that three teams will be eliminated from Super Rugby after the current season. One team from Australia and two from South Africa will be axed, reducing the competition to 15 teams. (ABC Australia)
In basketball, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder sets a new record for most triple-doubles in an NBA season, collecting his 42nd of the 2016–17 season in the Thunder's 106–105 win over the Denver Nuggets. Westbrook surpassed Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who had 41 in the 1961–62 season. (AP via ESPN)

April 8, 2017 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- A U.S. special forces service member is killed while taking part in an operation against ISIL militants in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar Province. (Sky News)

Disasters and accidents

A freight train derails in Hunedoara County, Romania, killing both crew members on board. (The New York Times)
In Świebodzice, Poland, an old tenement house collapses killing at least six people, including two children, and injuring six. The exploration teams are looking for 4 missing people. (Gazeta.pl)
Cyclone Debbie
- Another body has been found after flooding in eastern Queensland, raising the death toll to twelve. (ABC News)
At least 20 people are killed when a boat carrying wedding guests collides with a river barge in western Myanmar. (AFP via News24)
2017 Batangas earthquakes
- Two earthquakes, with magnitudes of 5.6 and 6.0 and related to the April 4 magnitude 5.5 earthquake, hits Batangas, and are felt as far as Metro Manila (Rappler)

Law and crime

ETA ceasefire negotiations
- The militant Basque separatist group ETA begins handing over its remaining weapons during a ceremony in Bayonne, France, in which the group turned over to authorities an inventory of weapons and their locations. (BBC)
Four inmates are killed at Kirkland Correctional Institution in South Carolina. Authorities have charged two inmates with the murders of the four men. (NBC News)

April 7, 2017 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- 2017 Shayrat missile strike
  - The United States launches 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles aimed at the Ash Sha'irat air base in Homs Governorate in response to the Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons in its attack on the town of Khan Shaykhun. The Government of Syria claims the attack killed six soldiers and nine civilians, including four children. (NBC News) (AFP via Yahoo News)
  - Russia suspends a pact with the United States to coordinate operations in Syrian airspace. (The New York Times)
2017 Westminster attack
- The death toll rises to five after a woman who fell into the River Thames dies in hospital. (News.com.au)
2017 Stockholm attack
- A vehicle is driven into a group of people on a street in Stockholm, Sweden, killing four people. (Reuters)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- Mortar rounds are fired in a neighborhood in Wadajir District, Somalia, killing three civilians. Al-Shabaab is suspected of being behind the attack. (Reuters)
South Thailand insurgency
- A wave of small-scale terrorist attacks, including tire burning and the bombing of the electric grid, hits the Thai provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla in response to the new Constitution of Thailand. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Baez, Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, and Yes are the six acts inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (New York Post)

Business and economics

Hyundai (Sonata and Santa Fe) and Kia (Optima, Sorento, and Sportage) are recalling 1.5 million cars, over 1.3 million in United States and 170,000 in South Korea, over an engine defect. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Six people are killed and two are missing after the Jhelum River in Kashmir overflows following heavy rain and snowfall. (Reuters)
Twenty people have died and more than a dozen missing after a ferry capsizes in Myanmar's Irrawaddy River delta. (AP via The Telegraph)

Law and crime

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security withdraws its order that Twitter unmask a user whose tweets are critical of President Donald Trump following the company's court filing to block the order on constitutional grounds. (The Washington Post) (CBS News)

International relations

China–Norway relations
- Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg meets with Premier of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang in Beijing to announce the end of a diplomatic freeze between the countries and the resumption of free trade negotiations between China and Norway. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

The Maldives Police Service arrests the country's opposition leader, Qasim Ibrahim, after his party's failed bid to impeach the Speaker of the People's Majlis. (Reuters)
Neil Gorsuch is confirmed as the 113th justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by a 54–45 vote in the United States Senate after invocation of the "nuclear option". (The New York Times)
The governor of the State of Alabama, Robert Bentley, wins a court victory halting impeachment proceedings that were set to begin Monday to determine whether he should remain in office after it was discovered that he had a romantic relationship with a staffer. (Associated Press)
President Joseph Kabila appoints Bruno Tshibala of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress as the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kabila's earlier announcement of his decision to appoint a new prime minister prompted Samy Badibanga to resign from the role after less than five months in office. (Al Jazeera)
Over 50,000 people participate in the ongoing Democratic Alliance protests in South Africa against President Jacob Zuma. (Sowetan Live) (NewsTalk)

Science and technology

Artifacts from Triquet Island, south-west of Hunter Island in British Columbia, are found to date back 14,000 years, marking the discovery of the oldest village in North America. (CTV News)

Sports

In basketball, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder ensures that he will average a triple-double for the 2016–17 NBA season in the Thunder's game against the Phoenix Suns. He becomes only the second NBA player to average a triple-double over a season, after Oscar Robertson with the Cincinnati Royals (now known as the Sacramento Kings) in 1961–62. (ESPN)
NCAA Division I conference realignment
- Wichita State University will leave the Missouri Valley Conference after the 2016–17 school year to join the American Athletic Conference. The Shockers will become the first full but non-football member of The American since the 2013 split of its predecessor, the original Big East Conference. (ESPN)

April 6, 2017 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2017 Saint Petersburg Metro bombing
- Russian authorities discover and deactivate an explosive device in a Saint Petersburg flat, during ongoing raids occurring in response to the bombing. (BBC)
Battle of Mosul
- Two Iraqi Army pilots are killed when their Mi-24 helicopter is shot down by ISIS over the city of Mosul. (Reuters)
An Israeli soldier is killed during a car ramming attack near Ofra, in the West Bank. Another Israeli soldier was injured. A Palestinian suspected of committing the attack is taken into custody. (Haaretz)

Business

Seven & I Holdings Co., the parent company of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, agrees to acquire the retail operations of Sunoco for $3.3 billion. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Severe flooding caused by Cyclone Debbie forces the evacuation of Edgecumbe, New Zealand, and nearby areas. (BBC)

Law and crime

The Alabama Ethics Commission finds there is probable cause that Governor Robert Bentley violated the state's ethics and campaign finance laws, and refers the case to Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey. (USA Today)

Politics and elections

Thai King Vajiralongkorn signed into law a new Constitution of Thailand that paves the way for democratic reforms while allowing the Royal Thai Army to retain its influential role in Thai politics. (BBC)
United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes recuses himself from the committee’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election; Rep. Mike Conaway will take the lead in this investigation. (BBC) (The Washington Post)
Gambian parliamentary election, 2017
- Voters in the Gambia go to the polls for an election, the country's first legislative election since longtime President Yahya Jammeh resigned and left the country. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

In athletics, Jemima Sumgong, a Kenyan gold medallist in the women's marathon at the 2016 Summer Olympics, tests positive for the banned substance EPO. (Reuters via ABC Australia)

April 5, 2017 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- A suicide bomber kills at least six people and wounds 18 near a Pakistan Army vehicle taking part in the census in the city of Lahore. (Reuters)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- According to security sources, dozens of people are killed in an overnight attack in Tikrit by suspected ISIL militants. 31 bodies were taken to a hospital, according to a local doctor, while more continued to be found by morning. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

A USAF F-16 crashes shortly after takeoff from Joint Base Andrews in Prince George's County, Maryland. The pilot inside ejected safely and was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. (Fox News)
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck northeast Iran near the city of Mashhad, kills 1 person and at that least four were injured. (Reuters)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea fires a medium-range ballistic missile about 60 kilometers (37 miles) into its eastern waters, in the direction of Japan according to United States and South Korean officials. (CNN) (AP)
- United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issues a statement saying "The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment." (CNN)
China–Finland relations
- Chinese president Xi Jinping visits Finland on his way to the United States. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Mexican Beltrán Leyva Cartel drug lord Alfredo Beltrán Leyva is sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit $US529,200,000. (U.S. Department of Justice)

Politics and elections

LGBT history
- Two openly gay candidates are elected to the Anchorage Assembly, becoming the first openly LGBT elected officials in Alaska. Approximately 20 percent of the city's population voted, a notably low turnout. (LGBT Weekly) (Alaska Commons)

April 4, 2017 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- A toxic gas attack, allegedly by Syrian warplanes, kills at least 83 and injures many more in rebel-held Khan Shaykhun, Idlib. (The Globe and Mail), (NBC News)
Battle of Mosul
- The United Nations announces expansion of civilian camps for people fleeing Mosul, following resumption of airstrikes on ISIL-held portions of the Iraqi city. (Reuters) (Arab News)

Disasters and accidents

Tornadoes of 2017
- Robert Bentley, the Governor of Alabama, declares a state of emergency due to forecasts of storms with the threat of tornadoes during the day. The neighboring state of Georgia also faces the threat of severe weather. (Fox News)
2017 Batangas earthquakes
- A magnitude 5.5 earthquake hits Batangas, causing damage to buildings and are felts as far as Metro Manila and Bulacan. (The Philippine Star)(Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Law and crime

LGBT rights in the United States
- The full 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago rules (8-3) that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects LGBT employees from workplace discrimination. (AP) (USA Today)

Science and technology

Bertha, once the world's largest tunnel boring machine, completes its 9,270-foot-long (2,830 m) tunnel under Seattle, Washington, after four years of digging and a lengthy delay near the beginning of the project. (Wired)
The National Assembly of Hungary passes a bill that undermines the functioning of the Central European University (CEU). Academics and academic institutions worldwide have expressed support for CEU. (BBC)
English computer scientist Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee is awarded the 2016 A.M. Turing Award for inventing the World Wide Web, the first web browser, and the protocols and algorithms that allow the Web to scale. (Association for Computing Machinery)

More April 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 PBA season 2016–17 Premier League 2016–17 South African Premier Division 2016–17 Serie A 2016–17 UEFA Champions League 2017 AFL season 2017 Formula One season 2017 Major League Baseball season 2017 NASCAR Cup Series 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs (NHL) 2017 World Rally Championship edit sidebar

Recent deaths
April 2017 9: Carme Chacón 9: John Clarke 8: Fishman 8: Brian Matthew 7: Hans Georg Dehmelt 7: Derrick Jensen 7: Glenn O'Brien 7: Tim Pigott-Smith 6: David Peel 6: Don Rickles 5: Arthur Bisguier 5: Paul O'Neill 3: Kishori Amonkar 3: Roy Sievers 1: Darcus Howe 1: Peter Lawler 1: Ikutaro Kakehashi 1: Yevgeny Yevtushenko March 2017 31: Gilbert Baker 31: William Coleman 31: James Rosenquist 30: Rosie Hamlin 30: Donald Harvey 29: Alexei Abrikosov 28: Ahmed Kathrada 27: Clem Curtis 26: Brian Oldfield 26: Roger Wilkins 25: Julian Stanczak 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 edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent March 15: Netherlands, House of Representatives 20: East Timor, President (1st round) 26: Bulgaria, Parliament April 2: Armenia, Parliament 2: Ecuador, President (2nd round) 2: Serbia, President 6: The Gambia, National Assembly Upcoming April 16: Turkey, Constitutional referendum 23: France, President May 4: Algeria, People's National Assembly 6: Niue, Assembly 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, Thomas Mair 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 Kazakhstan: Mukhtar Ablyazov 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