June 21, 2017 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Moro conflict
- Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters rebels storm a school in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato, Philippines, and take civilians hostage. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- Iraqi Civil War
- Battle of Mosul
- ISIL militants reportedly blow up the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul, where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi famously proclaimed the creation of a caliphate in 2014. ISIL blames a U.S. airstrike. (BBC)
- Battle of Mosul
Arts and culture
- International Yoga Day
- More than 50,000 people practice yoga in Lucknow, India, to celebrate International Yoga Day. (ABC News)
- International Dublin Literary Award
- Author José Eduardo Agualusa wins the International Dublin Literary Award for his novel A General Theory of Oblivion. (The Irish Times)
Disasters and accidents
- The United Kingdom experiences its first early summer heat wave in over 20 years, and the highest recorded June temperatures in over 40 years with a reading of 34.5C (94F) recorded at Heathrow Airport. (BBC)
- 2017 Atlantic hurricane season
- A ten-year-old boy dies from injuries sustained during Tropical Storm Cindy in Fort Morgan, Alabama. (WREG)
Law and crime
- Bishop International Airport attack
- A police officer is stabbed in the neck at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan. The FBI is investigating the incident as terrorism. The suspect was arrested on scene and charged with a federal count of violence at an international airport. The victim survived. (Fox News)
- 2017 Beckton acid attack
- Two people are injured in an acid attack in Beckton, east London. (BBC News)
- Child marriage in Australia
- An Imam in Australia who married a 14 year old to a 34 year old will not face jail time despite conviction. (Daily Mirror)
Politics and elections
- Politics of Saudi Arabia
- In a royal decree, King Salman of Saudi Arabia appoints his son Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud as Crown Prince, stripping his nephew Muhammad bin Nayef of the title. (The Guardian)
- Politics of Romania
- After a short term political crisis, started when the governing PSD retracted its support, the Parliament of Romania passes a no confidence motion against the government led by former PSD Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu. (AP)
- Second Philippe Government
- François Bayrou resigns as France's Minister of Justice amid an ongoing investigation into the centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem)'s alleged fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants. (BBC)
Science and technology
- Cosmic Vision
- The European Space Agency (ESA) approves the PLATO space observatory which will seek out Earth-like exoplanets. (Sky News)