Portal:Current events/January 2017

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January 2017 was the first month of that common year. The month, which began on a Sunday, ended on a Tuesday after 31 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from January 2017.

Current events of January 1, 2017 (2017-01-01) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2017 Istanbul nightclub attack A gunman opens fire in a nightclub in Istanbul, on the European coast of the Bosphorus, killing at least 39 people with an additional 69 wounded. (BBC), (AP via ABC News Australia), (Fox News) A suicide car bomb explosion and gunmen attack in Iraqi al-Qadisiya town situated in west of Najaf, kills at least 7 people and injures more than 17 others. Yesterday, 29 people were killed in a bomb explosion at a busy market in Iraq’s capital Baghdad. ISIS claims responsibility. (Reuters), (Tasnim News Agency) A gunman shoots dead Burundi's environment minister Emmanuel Niyonkuru in the nation's capital, Bujumbura. (FRANCE 24) Disasters and accidents A ferry catches fire en route to Indonesia's Thousand Islands, killing at least 23 people and injuring 17 others. (The Melbourne Age) International relations North Korea and weapons of mass destruction Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, claims that the country is close to developing an intercontinental ballistic missile. (Reuters) Syrian Civil War The United Nations Security Council unanimously votes in favor of the Russian and Turkey-backed ceasefire currently in effect in Syria. (Al-Jazeera) United Nations Secretary-General selection, 2016 Portugal's António Guterres begins his term as United Nations Secretary-General, replacing South Korea's Ban Ki-moon. (India Today), (Al Jazeera), (AP) United Nations Security Council election, 2016 Bolivia, Ethiopia, Italy, Kazakhstan, and Sweden begin their terms on the United Nations Security Council, replacing Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain, and Venezuela. (Inter Press Service News) Foreign relations of the Gambia, Gambian presidential election, 2016 Gambian President Yahya Jammeh accuses the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, of "declaring war" after it said it was putting forces on alert in case he refused to step down at the end of his mandate on January 19. (Reuters) Law and crime Campinas massacre A gunman shoots dead at least 11 people, including his former wife, and then himself in a murder–suicide at a New Year's Eve party in the southeast Brazilian city of Campinas. Several others reportedly remain in critical condition. (Reuters) Spanish and Moroccan authorities clash with migrants on the Moroccan-Spanish border along Ceuta, as they attempt to climb and rush the border fence. (Express UK) Police arrest Anthony K. Boisvert after a foot chase in Lebanon, New Hampshire, charging him in the setting a fire which destroyed an abandoned building on January 2016, and two other fires, one which destroyed the historic First Baptist Church on December 2016 and stabbing two at a condominium complex December 29. (The New Hampshire Union Leader) Authorities seek three men after they rob $6 million on New Year's Eve from the offices of high-end jewelry designer Gregg Ruth in New York City. (ABC NYC) Politics and elections The Church of Norway officially ceases to be the state church of Norway after almost 500 years. (The Christian Daily) Quirino Ordaz Coppel is sworn in as Governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa. (Periódico Zócalo) Current events of January 2, 2017 (2017-01-02) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2017 Istanbul nightclub attack The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the attack in what it claims is a response to Turkey's actions in neighbouring Syria. (The Washington Post) January 2017 Baghdad bombings A series of attacks kill at least 70 people and injure more than 100 others in mostly Shiite neighborhoods of Baghdad, Iraq. (The Huffington Post) Disasters and accidents In Texas, four children die with an additional six others injured after they are poisoned by phosgene gas sprayed in an inappropriate attempt as a pesticide. (Fox News) A wildfire destroys at least 100 homes in Valparaíso, Chile, causing the evacuation of about 400 people. The Chilean Ministry of the Interior and Public Security reports that at least 19 people suffered from minor injuries. (AAP via SBS), (Reuters) A powerful storm system hits the southern United States, resulting in four deaths in Alabama and severe damage across several states. (AP) A traffic collision between a minivan and a pickup truck in the Ban Bueng District of Chonburi Province, Thailand kills at least 25 people and leaves 2 others injured. Authorities investigate the cause of the accident. (Al Jazeera), (CNN) Four people are killed in the crash of a Cessna 210 into rugged terrain on Mogollon Rim near Payson, Arizona. The plane had been traveling from Scottsdale, Arizona to Telluride, Colorado. (ABC News) (Arizona Republic) Victim was identified as Scottsdale attorney Eric Falbe along with his wife, Carrie, and his two daughters from a previous marriage. (Fox Spokane) Law and crime 2017 Manaus prison riot Prisoners kill at least 56 people in a prison riot in Manaus, Brazil. (Reuters) In New Haven Connecticut, two men are suspected of approaching a man claiming to have a gun, took his cellphone and wallet. Then they stole his SUV and apparently lost control as they were killed when their stolen SUV accidentally crashed into and seriously damaged a synagogue (Hartford Courant) In Dearborn Michigan the driver and passenger of a minivan being pursued by police for missing plates were killed when they struck a car, lost control and hit several parked vehicles. (Huron Daily Tribune) In Detroit, Michigan an African American man was shot in the head driving a car which crashed, police are searching for two men who ran from the car after the crash (WXYZ) A first-year New Rochelle Police officer crashed his Jeep into a tree, killing passenger Isaac "Hooshie" Ward. He will be charged with vehicular manslaughter as his Blood Alcohol Content was above the legal limit (newrochelletalk) Huzaifa Shafeeq was arraigned on burglary charges after police say the stole from a Long Island mosque charity box on Christmas and New Years Day. Islamic Center board member said the amount taken wasn't large, but called police as the thief needed help. (ABC7NY) Current events of January 3, 2017 (2017-01-03) (Tuesday) Business and economy Ford announces that it has cancelled plans to build a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico, long criticized by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, and will invest $700 million in its Michigan plant in Flat Rock, potentially creating 700 new jobs from the investment and expansion of the plant. (CNN), (Fox News) The U.S. Commerce Department announces that construction spending increased 0.9 percent to $1.18 trillion in November 2016, the highest level since April 2006. (CNBC) Law and crime Former Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, who is on trial for corruption, pleads not guilty to three charges of bribery and misconduct relating to a penthouse he leased in Shenzhen. (AFP, Reuters via The Straits Times), (BBC News), (South China Morning Post) 2017 Kidapawan jail siege More than 100 prisoners escape in the Philippines after armed suspected Muslim rebels storm a prison in Kidapawan. A prison guard dies. (ABC Australia), (Aljazeera) Politics and elections Presidential transition of Donald Trump U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says that Robert Lighthizer will be the country's chief trade negotiator. (Reuters) 115th United States Congress The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives cancels plans approved on Monday, following widespread criticism, including a tweet by President-elect Trump, that would have weakened the House's independent ethics watchdog, the Office of Congressional Ethics. (CNN) (Washington Post) The House GOP caucus overwhelmingly re-elects Paul Ryan to another term as House Speaker. (AP via KYTV) (Politico) The Grand National Assembly of Turkey votes to extend a state of emergency imposed after last year's attempted coup for another three months. (AP) Sports The English rugby league club the Bradford Bulls goes into liquidation after years of financial problems. (BBC) Current events of January 4, 2017 (2017-01-04) (Wednesday) Disasters and accidents 2017 Brooklyn train crash A commuter train from the Long Island Rail Road derails during the morning rush hour in Brooklyn, New York, injuring 103 people. (CBS) Politics and elections Presidential transition of Donald Trump President-elect Donald Trump fills in more of his White House staff. (The Hill): Trump nominates Katie Walsh, former Republican National Committee (RNC) chief of staff, as Deputy White House Chief of Staff. Trump nominates Joe Hagin, former Deputy Chief of Staff for President George W. Bush, as Deputy White House chief of staff for operations. Trump nominates Rajiv Shah, former RNC Deputy Research Director, as White House research director. Trump nominates Rick Dearborn, United States Attorney General designee and Senator Jeff Sessions' former chief of staff, as head of the White House legislative affairs office. Trump nominates Omarosa Manigault, former contestant on The Apprentice, as an assistant to the president and director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison. (USA Today) Trump nominates Wall Street lawyer Jay Clayton to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. (The Washington Post) Law and crime 2017 Chicago torture incident Chicago Police arrest four African-American suspects after they stream a video on Facebook showing themselves torturing and scalping a bound and gagged, kidnapped, white man with a mental disorder. The four suspects will face elevated hate crime charges. (The Guardian), (AP) Science and technology The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces the selection of two new Discovery Program space exploration missions: Lucy, a mission to several Jupiter trojan asteroids, and Psyche, a mission to the asteroid 16 Psyche, which is believed to be the exposed core of an early protoplanet. Both missions are scheduled for launch in the early 2020s. (NASA) (Spaceflight101) Current events of January 5, 2017 (2017-01-05) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Kurdish–Turkish conflict A shootout in İzmir kills two gunmen while another one escapes. During the shootout a car bomb explodes, killing a police officer and court employee. (The Guardian) Business and economy Following a start-of-year hike to the price of gas, widespread riots and looting mostly targeting gas stations, supermarkets and department stores take place in several cities in Mexico. Over 250 people are said to have been arrested so far while blockades to PEMEX installations potentially lead to critical situations in some states. (Reuters) Sears Holdings announces that 108 Kmart and 42 Sears stores will close in the United States in 2017, affecting retailers in 40 states. The company also announced it is selling its trademark Craftsman tool brand to Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million. (USA Today), (Bloomberg) Politics and elections Obamacare repeal efforts Paul Ryan announces that the Republican party will, as part of its efforts to repeal Obamacare, seek to stop using federal money to fund Planned Parenthood. (CNN) Science and technology List of organs of the human body Scientists classify the mesentery as an organ, making it the 79th human organ. It connects the intestines to the abdominal cavity. (Science Alert), (The Huffington Post) Sports In ice hockey, the United States defeats Canada to win the gold medal at the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. (The New York Times) Current events of January 6, 2017 (2017-01-06) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War Russian military intervention in Syria Russia begins to withdraw its forces from Syria, with its aircraft carrier battle group being the first to leave. The United Nations says the ceasefire is "largely holding". (BBC) 2017 Ivory Coast mutiny Republican Forces of Côte d'Ivoire soldiers launch mutinies in three cities across Ivory Coast. The Defense Minister Alain Donwahi says talks are ongoing with the soldiers, calling for all troops to return to their barracks. (Reuters), (AP) Business and economy The Limited announces the closing of all of its brick-and-mortar stores and will begin operating only online after January 8. (Dayton Daily News) Law and crime 2017 Fort Lauderdale airport shooting An arriving passenger from Alaska removes his checked-baggage pistol and kills five people and injures six at the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Florida. (Fox News) Members of the Brazilian Primeiro Comando da Capital prison gang kill 31 inmates in the Monte Cristo prison in the state of Roraima. This action was revenge for an earlier massacre in a prison in Amazonas that killed 56 inmates. (Reuters) Politics and elections 2016 United States election interference by Russia A declassified U.S. intelligence report claims that Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign to influence the U.S. presidential election against Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. (Fox News) Current events of January 7, 2017 (2017-01-07) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War A fuel truck explodes in the Syrian town of Azaz, near the border with Turkey, killing at least 43 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (The Guardian) 2017 Ivory Coast mutiny Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara reaches a deal with soldiers who seized the town of Bouake in a pay protest. The soldiers are seeking bonuses, pay rises and faster promotion. (AFP via News24) Disasters and accidents Flash flooding in southern Thailand kills at least 18 people. (Al Jazeera) A cold spell with the temperature reaching −30 °C in Moscow and other parts of Eastern Europe hits Europe. Nearly 20 people die in recent days; 10 in Poland. (The Independent) International relations Israel, Palestine, and the United Nations Israel announces it will withhold $6 million from its annual United Nations dues in protest of the December 23, 2016, Security Council settlement resolution. (UPI) Law and crime Mexican police search for a gunman who shot and wounded a U.S. Consular official in Guadalajara, Jalisco. The victim is in stable condition. (CBS News) Politics and elections Former President and Prime Minister of Portugal Mário Soares dies at the age of 92. (France 24) Nana Akufo-Addo is sworn in as the fifth President of Ghana. (BBC) Presidential transition of Donald Trump United States President-elect Donald Trump indicates that he will nominate former Indiana senator Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence. (BBC) Science and technology Free University of Berlin chemists confirm that carbon can bond with more than four atoms, previously seen as its limit because carbon has only four shareable electrons. The researchers used X-rays to, for the first time, map the molecule — a carbon atom bonded to six other carbon atoms. (Science News), (ZME Science) Current events of January 8, 2017 (2017-01-08) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks January 2017 Jerusalem vehicular attack A truck rams into a group of Israeli soldiers in a deliberate attack in East Jerusalem, killing four and wounding 21. The perpetrator was previously convicted of terrorism and was jailed for 10 years. (CNN) (The Guardian) Iraqi Civil War Two suicide bombings, one using a car bomb and another with an explosive belt, take place in vegetable markets in eastern Baghdad, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 50. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility. (Reuters AP via ABC Australia) (AP via The Daily Mail) (Al Jazeera) Arts and culture The 74th Golden Globe Awards are held in Hollywood. (News Limited) The Crown wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama. (Variety) La La Land wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy while Moonlight wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. (Los Angeles Times) La La Land becomes the single most winning film in Golden Globes history, winning all seven awards out of its seven nominations and becomes the seventh film to achieve all the awards it was nominated for, the others being Doctor Zhivago (1966), Love Story (1971), The Godfather (1973), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1976), A Star is Born (1977) and Midnight Express (1979). (Golden Globes) (Los Angeles Times) Politics and elections Israel–United Kingdom relations Several British MPs demand an investigation into a recent scandal in which an Israeli embassy official in London had conspired to damage the reputation of several British politicians in response to the recent United Nations Security Council resolution. (Al Jazeera) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former President of Iran, dies at the age of 82. (Reuters) (BBC) (Al-Jazeera) Pakistan has decided to impose official prohibition on Jundallah and splinter groups that claim responsibility for terror attacks. (The News) (Daily Times) Current events of January 9, 2017 (2017-01-09) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks January 2017 Jerusalem vehicular attack Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames the Islamic State for the attack that killed four soldiers and injured 15 others in East Jerusalem. (CNN) Sinai insurgency An attack by several gunmen and a truck bomb on a police checkpoint in El-Arish leaves 13 dead and 15 wounded, including the attackers. (Al Jazeera) A U.S. Navy destroyer fires three warning shots at four Iranian fast-attack vessels after they close in at a high speed near the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. defense officials. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents A California storm in the Calaveras Big Trees State Park fells the 1,000-year-old American tree, the Pioneer Cabin Tree. (BBC) 2016 Irkutsk mass methanol poisoning The death toll from people who drank poisonous methanol in Irkutsk, Russia, rises to 76. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) January 2017 European cold wave Dozens of people die in eastern Europe and Italy in recent days as a result of a cold snap with cancelled flights, frozen rivers, and traffic accidents. (Independent Online SA) Law and crime Two Orange County, Florida police officers are killed in connection with an apprehension attempt of a murder suspect. (CNN), (Reuters) Lawyers of former Chadian President Hissène Habré, who was convicted of crimes against humanity last May and sentenced to life in prison, appeal the verdict, claiming there were irregularities in the trial and question the credibility of some witnesses. (The Guardian) Politics and elections Death and state funeral of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani The Iranian government declares three days of national mourning following the death of the former president and one of the key figures in the Islamic Republic. (The Daily Mail) President Hassan Rouhani praises Rafsanjani as a great man of the Iranian Revolution. (BBC) Cyprus dispute Greek and Turkish local leaders of Cyprus resume talks to end the division of the island before a high level multilateral conference takes place in Geneva this week in the latest effort to reunify the island. (The Guardian) The cabinet of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte investigates an email leak that allegedly indicates the involvement of the vice president Leni Robredo in attempts to overthrow Duterte. (ABS-CBN) Renewable Heat Incentive scandal Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin resigns as the NI deputy first minister in protest of handling by the Democratic Unionist Party of a failed energy scheme that cost Northern Irish taxpayers £490 million. His decision will likely lead to a snap election. (BBC) 115th United States Congress Talks between top Donald Trump advisers and Speaker Paul Ryan happen at the capital to discuss tax reform. (The Washington Post) Sports Clemson defeats Alabama 35–31 to win the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship. (ESPN) Current events of January 10, 2017 (2017-01-10) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan, 10 January 2017 Afghanistan bombings Two bombs explode near the National Assembly in Kabul, killing at least 38 people. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Arts and Culture The board for the US$1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art announces it will construct the museum in Los Angeles, California. (LA Times) International Relations Iran–Saudi Arabia relations Iran confirms receipt of Saudi Arabian invitation to discuss bilateral talk for Hajj-2017. The Iranian delegation is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia on 23 February this year for participation in the next pilgrimage. (The Washington Post), (The News) The foreign ministry of the People's Republic of China confirms that the country's head of state Xi Jinping will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this year, making him the first President of China to attend the high-profile event. (Reuters) Israel–Palestine relations The Palestinian National Authority threatens to revoke its recognition of Israel (guaranteed by their signing of the Oslo I Accord in 1993) if the United States, under the presidency of Donald Trump, moves its Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (The Guardian) Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway is officially completed, creating a rail link between Djibouti and Ethiopia. (AllAfrica.com) Law and crime American Dylann Roof is sentenced to death for the Charleston church shooting in which nine people were killed. (Fox News) Politics and elections Death and state funeral of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Hundreds of thousands of Iranians gather in Tehran for the funeral of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. (Reuters) (CNN) Presidential transition of Donald Trump President-elect Donald Trump appoints businessman and son-in-law Jared Kushner as his senior advisor in the White House. (Al Jazeera) Sports The FIFA Council unanimously approves expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams starting in 2026. (ESPN) In U.S. college women's basketball, Connecticut wins its 90th consecutive game, tying the school's own record for the longest winning streak in NCAA Division I basketball for either sex. (ESPN) Current events of January 11, 2017 (2017-01-11) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan At least 11 people are killed in a bombing in Kandahar, including five UAE diplomats. (Al Jazeera) Taiwan scrambles navy ships and jets as Chinese warships, led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning, sail through the Taiwan Strait following exercises in the South China Sea. (Reuters) Arts and culture The Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany is officially inaugurated with light shows and concerts of the Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. (The New York Times) Business and economy Environmentalists and netizens protest the planned construction of a Nickelodeon-themed underwater amusement park and resort by Viacom International Media Networks in Coron, Palawan, Philippines, despite claims by Viacom that the project would advocate marine resources conservation. (CNNMoney), (CNN Philippines) Reuters reports, on the basis of anonymous Chinese bankers, that the State Administration of Foreign Exchange is instructing them to keep quiet about any negative analysis of prospects for the yuan. (Reuters) Law and crime Crime in El Salvador As the homicide rate in El Salvador declines, the country records its first day in the last two years without a homicide. (CNN) Politics and elections President-elect of the United States Donald Trump holds his first post-election press conference in New York City. (CBS News) The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction releases a report on Afghanistan, saying that the Afghan Armed Forces are not capable of securing the country and have lost more territory to the Taliban, the most since the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Science and technology Radio in Norway Norway becomes the first country to start a complete switch-off of national FM radio stations. The change, from the analogue FM system to digital audio broadcasting, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Some, such as the Norwegian Local Radio Association, are concerned about the impact on motorists and the elderly. (New Scientist) (BBC) Current events of January 12, 2017 (2017-01-12) (Thursday) Arts and culture Two members of funk band Tower of Power are seriously injured after being struck by a train near Jack London Square in Oakland, California.(SF Gate) International relations Cuba–United States relations President Barack Obama announces the end of the wet feet, dry feet policy, which previously allowed undocumented immigrants from Cuba to become permanent residents. (CNN) Operation Atlantic Resolve 3,000 U.S. troops are deployed in Poland as part of NATO's Operation Atlantic Resolve. Poland says that the deployment is a necessary response to Russian military exercises near its border and its intervention in Ukraine while Russia condemns the move as a "threat to national interests and security". (BBC), (Al Jazeera) European migrant crisis Germany announces plans to start deporting newly-arrived migrants to Greece starting in March. According to EU's Dublin Regulation, asylum seekers must file for asylum in the member state they arrived in. (Al Jazeera) Law and crime Robert Xie is found guilty of the Lin family murders seven years after their bodies were found in the Australian city of Sydney. (9 News) Cellebrite, a data extraction company used by U.S. law enforcement, is hacked leaking 900 GB of confidential data from its servers.(Motherboard Vice) Politics and elections The President of the United States Barack Obama awards his Vice President Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, the only time the president has awarded this particular honor during his tenure. (CNN) Sports The NFL's Chargers franchise officially announce plans to move from San Diego to Los Angeles and rename itself the Los Angeles Chargers. The team intends to play its next two seasons at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. (ESPN) Current events of January 13, 2017 (2017-01-13) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says, for the first time, that they suspect Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other senior officials of the Syrian government are responsible for the use of chemical weapons in the conflict. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents January 2017 European cold wave A winter storm hits Europe with 330,000 people in France losing power, thousands of people in Great Britain evacuated and travel disrupted. (Newsinfo) Mid-January 2017 North American ice storm A winter storm pours ice rain on the Great Plains and American Midwest, causes power outages, school closures, and a traffic fatality in Missouri. (Reuters) International relations Sudan–United States relations President of the United States Barack Obama signs an order to ease sanctions against Sudan, citing the country's efforts to "reduce internal conflict, improve humanitarian access to people requiring aid and curtail terrorism". (BBC) Law and crime Six more people have been charged in relation to the armed robbery of American celebrity Kim Kardashian in Paris last year. (9 News) Politics and elections Cyprus dispute Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vows that the Turkish Armed Forces will stay on Cyprus "in perpetuity" and that the proposal of a rotating presidency for a unified island is unacceptable, casting doubts on an eventual solution to the dispute. The remarks come as the latest round of unity talks end, with them to restart on January 18. (The Guardian) The United States House of Representatives votes in favor of legislation that approves preliminary budgetary measures for the United States Congress to begin repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as Obamacare. (The Guardian) Aftermath of the Gambian presidential election, 2016 The African Union says it will cease to recognize Yahya Jammeh as President of The Gambia on January 19, the date he is to hand power over to his opponent Adama Barrow, who won last year's election. (Al Jazeera) Science and technology A UCLA research team, analyzing lunar minerals brought back during the Apollo program, reports that the moon is at least 4.51 billion years old, up to 150 million years older than previous estimates.(Sci Tech Daily), (Independent) Current events of January 14, 2017 (2017-01-14) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Battle of Mosul (2016–17) Iraqi forces capture parts of Mosul University and several areas along the Tigris River from Islamic State militants. (Al Jazeera), (Reuters) Business and economy Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announces it will cease operation in May after 146 years, due to lower attendance, higher operating costs and protests from animal rights activists. (CBS News - Baltimore) Disasters and accidents A Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet crashes at Hat Yai International Airport in Thailand while performing at a Children's Day air show, killing the pilot, who failed to eject. (RT) At least 21 people drown in a boat accident in the Ganges River in Patna, India. (News 18 India) An estimated 180,000 alpacas are dead due to frigid temperatures and drought in Peru. (Al Jazeera) Law and crime A Syrian refugee is suing Facebook after the company failed to remove posts with his image that accuse him of being a terrorist. (Al Jazeera) German police detain two suspects with over 150kg of pyrotechnic explosives and an IED inscribed with a swastika and SS runes, stating the two may have a connection to a neo-Nazi terrorist group. (RT) Islamophobia in the United States A suspected arsonist is arrested after a fire destroys a mosque in Bellevue, Washington. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) Politics and elections Aftermath of the Gambian presidential election, 2016 President-elect Adama Barrow travels to the Malian capital of Bamako to meet with world leaders after yesterday's failed attempts at persuading incumbent president Yahya Jammeh to step down at the end of his term. (Al Jazeera) The Palestinian National Authority prepares to open an embassy in the Vatican City, just one day before a Palestinian peace conference in Paris. (Al Jazeera) The Turkish Parliament approves two constitutional amendments which expand the powers of the president to appoint new legislation and select the cabinet. (RT) Sports The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations association football tournament begins in Gabon. (BBC) In U.S. college women's basketball, Connecticut defeats SMU 88–48 for the Huskies' 91st straight win, breaking the school's own record for the longest winning streak in NCAA Division I basketball history for either sex. (AP via ESPN) Current events of January 15, 2017 (2017-01-15) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan At least seven people are killed when their vehicle hits a roadside bomb in Nangarhar Province. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Disasters and accidents Floods in Thailand Flooding in southern Thailand has caused 40 deaths in recent days with more heavy rain forecast for Monday. (Sydney Morning Herald) International relations Israeli–Palestinian peace process A summit begins in Paris, France, to restart peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine in an effort to discuss a possible two-state solution to the conflict. However, neither Israel nor Palestine sent representatives to the summit, casting doubts on a breakthrough. (Al Jazeera) Kosovo–Serbia relations Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić accuses Kosovo of "seeking a war" after a train, en route to the Serb-majority city of Mitrovica in North Kosovo, and decorated in Serbian national colors and the words "Kosovo je Srbija" (Kosovo is Serbia), was prevented from crossing the Kosovan border. The Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa says the train had been stopped "to protect the country's sovereignty". (BBC) Law and crime Crime in Brazil At least 10 people are killed in a prison riot between rival gangs in Natal, Brazil. (BBC) Bahraini uprising (2011–present) Bahrain executes three people for their alleged involvement in a bombing that killed three police officers in 2014, the first executions in the country since 2010. (The Guardian) Science and Technology Scientists have created a new form of hydrogen at temperature near absolute zero. These anions or clusters are formed by an electron addition to liquid helium nanodroplets doped with molecular hydrogen or deuterium. (Science Alert), (Science News) SpaceX returns to flight by placing 10 Iridium NEXT satellites in orbit and successfully recovering the first stage of its Falcon 9 launcher on a droneship. (Ars Technica) Current events of January 16, 2017 (2017-01-16) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War Deir ez-Zor offensive (January–February 2017) ISIL's third attack against the Syrian government's forces in the city of Deir ez-Zor reportedly splits the government held area in two. An estimated 14,000 ISIL fighters are participating in the attack according to the government. (Al Masdar News) Business and economy Italian eyewear maker Luxottica and French corrective eyewear manufacturer Essilor agree to a €50 billion merger. (Reuters via Business Insider) Disasters and accidents Turkish Airlines Flight 6491 A Turkish Airlines cargo jet crashes near Kyrgyzstan's Manas International Airport resulting in the deaths of at least 38 people. (Belarusian Telegraph Agency) 2017 Visayas and Mindanao floods Cagayan de Oro experienced a series of flash floods caused by heavy rainfall brought by a low-pressure area in the Moro Gulf. (Manila Bulletin) International relations War in Donbass, Russia–Ukraine relations Ukraine sues Russia at the International Court of Justice, accusing the latter of being engaged in acts of "terrorism" and "discrimination" in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Egypt–Saudi Arabia relations A top Egyptian court rules against giving away the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. (Reuters) Norway–United States relations, Operation Atlantic Resolve Three hundred U.S. marines arrive in Norway for a six-month deployment, becoming the first foreign troops in Norway since World War II. The marines will be stationed at Værnes Air Station in Stjørdal. (Reuters) Law and crime 2016 South Korean political scandal South Korean prosecutors issue an arrest warrant for Lee Jae-yong, a senior executive in the Samsung Group, in relation to the political scandal that has led to the impeachment of Park Geun-hye, the President of South Korea. (Los Angeles Times) Oman receives 10 former detainees of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp following a request by the United States to take them. (BBC) A lone gunman opens fire at the BPM Festival in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, killing at least four people and injuring 12 others. (BBC), (Reuters) Noor Salman, the wife of Omar Mateen who committed the 2016 Orlando mass shooting is arrested and charged with obstructing the investigation of the case. (New York Times) Abdulkadir Masharipov, suspected of killing 39 people in the 2017 Istanbul nightclub shooting, is arrested in Istanbul's Esenyurt district. (AP via New York Times) Politics and elections Syrian Civil War, Syrian peace process The Syrian Opposition agree to attend peace talks with the Syrian government in Astana, Kazakhstan, in order to press for a ceasefire to the conflict. (The Guardian) Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2017, Renewable Heat Incentive scandal The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire announces a snap election is to take place on March 2 to elect members to the Northern Ireland Assembly after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin failed to agree on a power-sharing agreement. (The Guardian) Current events of January 17, 2017 (2017-01-17) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Boko Haram insurgency A Nigerian Air Force jet mistakenly bombs a refugee camp in Borno State, near the border with Cameroon, killing at least 90 people and injuring more than 100. The pilot reportedly believed he was attacking Boko Haram militants. (BBC) Business and economy British American Tobacco agrees to take over the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for $49.4 billion. (AFP by Yahoo) Disasters and accidents Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 The underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has been suspended. (CNN) International relations Germany–United States relations Deutsche Bank agrees to a $7.2 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over its sale and pooling of toxic mortgage securities in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. (Reuters) Israeli–Palestinian peace process Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the latest peace-conference "useless". (CNN) Moldova–European Union relations Moldovan President Igor Dodon, during his first state visit to Russia, says Moldova could scrap the 2014 Moldova–European Union Association Agreement after the country's next parliamentary election. (Reuters) Law and crime Barack Obama presidential pardons The President of the United States Barack Obama commutes the bulk of the sentence for Chelsea Manning for leaking documents to WikiLeaks. Manning will now be released in 2017 instead of 2045. (BBC) President Obama also commutes the sentence of Puerto Rican independence activist Oscar López Rivera who was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment for seditious conspiracy. (The Guardian) Politics and elections Aftermath of the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016 After much speculation British Prime Minister Theresa May announces that the United Kingdom will be leaving the European Single Market. (Business Insider) 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis Four Cabinet of the Gambia members resign, including Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Abdou Kolley, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, Minister of Trade, Abdou Jobe, and Minister of Environment Pa Ousman Jarju. (Al Jazeera) Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declares a 90-day state of emergency a day before his mandate ends. (BBC) President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani has been elected as new President of the European Parliament. (BBC) (New York Times) Current events of January 18, 2017 (2017-01-18) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Northern Mali conflict A suicide bomber detonates a vehicle full of explosives at a military camp in Gao, Mali, killing at least 76 people and wounding scores more in Mali's deadliest terrorist attack in history. (The Guardian) Iraqi Civil War (2014–present) Battle of Mosul (2016–17) The Iraqi Army announces the liberation of the eastern part of Mosul following the collapse of ISIL defenses. (The Telegraph) Disasters and accidents January 2017 Central Italy earthquakes Four earthquakes of magnitude 5.1 or higher strike near Amatrice, Italy, forcing evacuation of some schools and the Rome Metro. No deaths are reported from the quakes. (CNN) (Weather Channel) Rigopiano avalanche On the afternoon of 18 January 2017, a major avalanche occurred on Gran Sasso d'Italia, a mountain in Rigopiano, a tourist destination in the province of Pescara, in Southern Italy's Abruzzo region. The avalanche struck the luxury resort Hotel Rigopiano, killing twenty-nine people and injuring eleven others. The avalanche is the deadliest in Italy since the White Friday avalanches in 1916, and the deadliest avalanche in Europe since the Galtür avalanche in 1999. Health Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush is hospitalized in intensive care at Houston Methodist Hospital for treatment of pneumonia. His wife, Barbara is also hospitalized. (Los Angeles Times) London Mayor Sadiq Khan declares a public health emergency for at least the next three days because of high levels of air pollution in the London area. The Department for Environment says this pollution episode could last until at least Sunday. (Courier Mail) (London Evening Standard) Law and crime At least four people are killed in a shootout between Mexican Police and unknown gunmen after the latter opened fire on the Quintana Roo state attorneys' office in Cancún. (BBC) Colegio Americano del Noreste 2017 shootings A student wounds four people in a school shooting and then kills himself in Monterrey, Mexico. (BBC) Politics and elections 2016–17 Gambian constitutional crisis The National Assembly of the Gambia approves extending Yahya Jammeh's term as President of the country for 90 more days. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) Thousands of British tourists are evacuated from the Gambia as West African states prepare to take military action to remove President Yahya Jammeh from power as his term ends. (BBC) Israeli–Palestinian conflict Two Israeli Bedouins and one Israeli police officer are killed in a clash during a home-demolition operation in the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran. Israeli police claim to have found evidence that the Bedouins were supporters of the Islamic State. (Al Jazeera) The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority agrees to form a unity government with Hamas following a three-day delegation in Moscow. (Al Jazeera) Science Global temperatures rose to the hottest level on record for 2016 for a third successive record according to NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (Financial Times) Current events of January 19, 2017 (2017-01-19) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War ISIL militants execute 12 people in Palmyra, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (BBC) Libyan Civil War (2014–present) U.S. B-2 stealth bombers strike two ISIL camps, south of the city of Sirte, Libya, killing more than 80 militants, according to United States Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. (ABC News) (Reuters) Business and economics Uber agrees to pay $20 million to settle U.S. Federal Trade Commission claims the company exaggerated prospective earnings and downplayed the costs of buying/leasing a car when recruiting new drivers. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents Operation Car Wash A small plane carrying Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki crashes into the sea near the tourist town of Paraty in the state of Rio de Janeiro, killing the magistrate and two other people. Zavascki had been handling the politically-charged Operation Car Wash corruption trials. (Reuters) The 17-story Plasco Building collapses after a blaze in Tehran, Iran. The building was evacuated but 30 firefighters have been killed in the collapse. (Deutsche Welle), (AP) An eruption on Bogoslof Island of the Aleutian Islands disrupts air transportation routes, distributing tephra over populated areas, including Kodiak Island, 660 miles (1,060 km) away from the volcano. (Alaska Dispatch News) 2017 Rigopiano avalanche An Italian rescue official says a number of people have been killed by an avalanche, possibly connected to Wednesday's earthquakes, that buried a ski resort on a slope of the Gran Sasso mountain in Italy's Abruzzo region. About 30 guests and staff were at the hotel. The only survivors are two men who had been outside when the disaster struck. (BBC) (Daily Express) (Reuters) At least 15 children are killed and 45 more are injured after a school bus collides with a truck in Etah, India. (BBC) At least six Britons from Manchester and Glasgow are killed in a bus crash in Saudi Arabia while they were on pilgrimage. (The Guardian) Law and crime 2016 South Korean political scandal A court in South Korea strikes down a request by prosecutors to issue an arrest warrant for Samsung vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, who is accused of bribery and embezzlement, in connection to a corruption scandal involving impeached President Park Geun-hye. (BBC) Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán is extradited to the United States, where he will face charges for his role as leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. (Business Insider) Politics and elections 2016–17 Gambian constitutional crisis Adama Barrow is sworn in as the Gambia's new President at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal. (BBC) Senegalese forces enter the Gambia as a military operation to end Yahya Jammeh's 22-year rule begins following the inauguration of Adama Barrow. (BBC) Sinn Féin politician Martin McGuinness retires from politics for health reasons. (Reuters) Presidential transition of Donald Trump Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is named Secretary of Agriculture, the last open seat in Trump's cabinet. (CNN) Current events of January 20, 2017 (2017-01-20) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War ISIL militants destroy part of Palmyra's ancient Roman theatre. (BBC) An airstrike kills more than 40 Jabhat Fateh al-Sham fighters at a jihadist camp west of Aleppo. It is currently unknown whether American or Russian planes carried out the attack. (Reuters), (FOX News) Arts and culture The Woody Harrelson biopic Lost in London makes history as the first full-length feature film to be filmed and theatrically released simultaneously. (BBC) (The Guardian) (The Telegraph) Business and economics Toilets in Japan Japanese toilet industries agreed to standardize the iconography of electric toilet seat controls in order to make them less confusing for users. (The Japan Times) (BBC) (The Guardian) (Japan Sanitary Equipment Industry Association) Disasters and accidents Search continues for missing firefighters in Tehran's Plasco Building site after the building's deadly fire and collapsing last day. (CNN) 2017 Rigopiano avalanche Italian emergency crews rescue 10 people, including four children, from 16½ feet of snow and wreckage from the luxury Hotel Rigopiano following yesterday's Gran Sasso mountain avalanche. Searchers find four bodies, while families of at least 16 people still missing wait for news. (CBS News) 2017 Verona bus crash A bus carrying Hungarian students crashes near Verona in northern Italy with at least 18 people dead and 50 injured. (The Telegraph), (BBC) International relations United Kingdom–United States relations U.S. President Donald Trump nominates New York Jets owner Woody Johnson to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. (Sky News) Law and crime Three people are killed and twenty injured after a man drove a car into the Bourke Street Mall in the CBD of the Australian city Melbourne. A man has been arrested and Victoria Police say the incident is not terror related. In the next few weeks, the death toll would rise to six. (Nine Network) (AAP via Yahoo! Australia) Inauguration of Donald Trump protests Some protesters of the inauguration smash windows, damage cars, and clash with the police. Six police officers and at least one civilian are injured. DC police say 217 protesters have been arrested. (CNN) Politics and elections Inauguration of Donald Trump Donald Trump is officially sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. (The Telegraph) 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis Lieutenant General Ousman Badjie, chief of the Gambian army, recognizes Adama Barrow as the new commander-and-chief of the armed forces and says that his troops will not fight ECOWAS soldiers. (Reuters) President Adama Barrow announces that Yahya Jammeh has agreed step down and leave the country following an intervention by ECOWAS states. (BBC) Cabinet of Donald Trump The U.S. Senate confirms the first two members of President Donald Trump's Cabinet: retired Marine General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense, and retired Marine general John F. Kelly as Secretary of Homeland Security. (CNN) Current events of January 21, 2017 (2017-01-21) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in North-West Pakistan 2017 Parachinar bombing At least 22 people are killed and around 90 injured after a bomb explodes at a vegetable market in Parachinar in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. (Al Jazeera), (AP), (Bernama via AstroAwan), (Radio Pakistan) Lashkar-i-Jhangvi al-Alami and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan released joint statements claiming responsibility through text messages sent to journalists. (Dawn News), (Reuters) Syrian Civil War A car bomb attack occurs in the Rakban refugee camp near the Jordanian border. Casualty counts are currently unknown and no one has yet taken credit for the attack. (Al Jazeera) Two suicide bombers detonate their explosives during a firefight with Saudi security forces in Jeddah. (Al Jazeera) Eight people are killed in Rafah, Egypt, after a shell lands on the home in which they were staying. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents Kuneru train derailment The Hirakhand express 18448, a scheduled passenger train from Jagdalpur to Bhubaneswar, derails near Kuneru in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. At least 25 are killed and around 200 others are injured. (The Deccan Chronicle) Law and crime Brazilian police enter the Alcacuz prison outside the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, after a week of fighting leaves 26 inmates dead. At least 126 people have been killed in Brazil's prisons since the beginning of the year. (AP) Politics and elections 2017 Women's March and Inauguration of Donald Trump protests A crowd of over 500,000 gather in Washington DC, U.S., to advocate for women's rights and address the inauguration of Donald Trump (The New York Times) (L.A. Times) Marches occur across the U.S. and throughout the world, with 408 reported marches in the U.S. and 168 marches reported in other countries. (The New York Times) 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis Former President Yahya Jammeh leaves The Gambia on a plane reportedly bound for Guinea. (BBC) Current events of January 22, 2017 (2017-01-22) (Sunday) Disasters and accidents A 7.9 magnitude earthquake hits west of Panguna, Papua New Guinea, beneath Bougainville Island. No immediate reports of casualties or major damage. Tsunami alert for Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is rescinded. (Reuters/AP via ABC) (TVNZ) (AFP via Yahoo! News) (USGS) Chile has declared a state of emergency and requested international help to help deal with forest fires. (BBC) January 21–22, 2017 tornado outbreak Severe storms kill at least 11 people and injure 23 in the U.S. state of Georgia. (BBC) The death toll in the southern United States rises to 18 with the Governor of Georgia Nathan Deal declaring a state of emergency in seven counties. (Yahoo! News Canada) Law and crime A shootout between armed robbers and civilian bystanders at the Rolling Oaks Mall in San Antonio, Texas, U.S., leaves one dead and seven wounded. (Reuters) Politics and elections Mauritian Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth announces his intention to resign on Monday and hand power over to his son, Pravind Jugnauth. (BBC) Israeli settlement Following the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States, Israel approves the construction of 566 new settlement homes in East Jerusalem. (BBC) French Socialist Party presidential primary, 2017 Voting takes place in the first round of the French Socialist Party presidential primary to select a candidate to run in this year's presidential election. (Reuters) Benoît Hamon wins the first round of voting and will now face runner-up former Prime Minister of France Manuel Valls in a second round run-off on January 29. (BBC) The Indian state government of Tamil Nadu lifts its ban on the sport of Jallikattu, following five days of protests by demonstrators against the ban. (The New Indian Express) Current events of January 23, 2017 (2017-01-23) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Yemeni Civil War The Yemeni Army claims to have recaptured the port city of Mocha from Houthi rebels. (Al Jazeera) Sinai insurgency At least five Egyptian Army soldiers are killed by unknown gunmen in the Sinai Peninsula. (Al Jazeera) Business and economy John D. Bates, United States federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, blocks a proposed merger by health insurance companies Aetna and Humana. (The New York Times) Law and crime 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis According to an advisor to Gambian President Adama Barrow, more than 500 million dalasi, equivalent to US$11.3 million, are reported missing from state coffers after former President Yahya Jammeh left the country in exile. (BBC) Following a joint police operation by Europol and Interpol last October and November across much of Europe, dubbed "Operation Pandora", more than 3,500 stolen artwork and artifacts are recovered, with 75 people arrested and 48,588 more being investigated. (BBC) Politics and elections Presidency of Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump issues executive orders to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and reinstates the Mexico City Policy, a policy banning U.S. aid to foreign organizations that use funds from other sources to perform or discuss abortions, which Barack Obama scrapped in 2009. (The Independent) (The Washington Post) (CNN) Syrian peace process Peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, between the Syrian opposition and the Syrian Government, meant to build on a fragile ceasefire currently in effect in the Syrian Civil War, end with no breakthrough reported. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Current events of January 24, 2017 (2017-01-24) (Tuesday) Arts and culture 89th Academy Awards Nominations for the 2017 Academy Awards are announced, with La La Land, Moonlight and Hidden Figures among the favorites. (Los Angeles Times) Mashhad in northeastern Iran was officially named the capital of the Islamic culture in 2017 by the ISESCO. (Tasnim) Disasters and accidents California Governor Jerry Brown declares a state of emergency in 50 counties, as winter storms kill four and cause millions of dollars in damage. (The Weather Channel) Rigopiano avalanche The death toll from the avalanche which buried the four-star luxury resort Hotel Rigopiano on 18 January rises to seventeen, with twelve others still missing. (ABC News) An Italian rescue helicopter, carrying an injured skier from Gran Sasso d'Italia, crashes amid thick fog, killing six people. (BBC) Fire destroys a kennel in Wasilla, Alaska, killing 46 Labrador Retrievers. Thirty-two other dogs survive the fire in the licensed shelter. (KTUU-TV) Law and crime Police discover US$20 million in a bed frame under a mattress at a Massachusetts home. The cash is believed to be linked to Telexfree, a pyramid scheme disguised as a company that claimed to provide internet phone services. A Brazilian man that police were following was charged in connection to the money. (BBC) Politics and elections Ken Wyatt is sworn in as the first Indigenous Australian ever to serve as a Federal minister, becoming the Minister for Indigenous Health and Aged Care. (ABC News) R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom rules that the Government of the United Kingdom may not begin the formal Brexit process until Parliament votes in approval of the move. (BBC) Israeli settlement Israel approves the construction of 2,500 more new settlement homes in the West Bank, the most in years and the second time new homes were approved since Donald Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States. (The Guardian) Syrian peace process The second day of peace negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan, end with the sponsors of the talks, Russia, Turkey and Iran, agreeing to set up commission between the three to monitor and enforce the fragile ceasefire to the Syrian Civil War. (The Guardian) 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis Gambian President Adama Barrow names Fatoumata Tambajang as Vice-President of the Gambia. (Al Jazeera) Presidency of Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump signs documents approving the construction of both the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines. (BBC) Current events of January 25, 2017 (2017-01-25) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Somalia (2009–present) Twenty-eight people are killed in a coordinated attack on the Dayah Hotel in central Mogadishu. The terrorist group Al-Shabaab claims responsibility. (Yahoo) (Al Jazeera) Business and economy The Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks 20,000 for the first time ever. (CNBC) Disasters and accidents Over 800 homes are destroyed or flooded in Tahiti, French Polynesia, following severe storms over the weekend, with at least 4,000 people affected. (Radio New Zealand) International relations 2017 Mexico–United States diplomatic crisis Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto rejects the idea, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, that Mexico would pay for any border wall between the United States and his country. (The Telegraph) (NBC news) Mexican senior officials say President Peña Nieto may cancel his plans to visit the White House next Tuesday, January 31, because of President Trump's actions. (The New York Times) (Fortune) Foreign relations of Taiwan Burkina Faso and Swaziland refuse to break relations with Taiwan and recognize the One-China policy despite being offered aid from China. (Bloomberg) Law and crime The German government decides it will abolish the crime of lèse-majesté, almost one year after the Böhmermann affair. (AFP by Digital Journal) Domestic violence The Russian Duma backs a law decriminalizing a first instance of domestic violence that does "not seriously injure" the person, making it an administrative offense. The bill also includes violence against children. (CNN) Women's rights Belgium supports a plan by Dutch minister Lilianne Ploumen to launch a fund compensating worldwide for the United States' newly-reinstated Mexico City policy. (De Standaard) (Reuters) Politics and elections The Vatican City State announces that Pope Francis will name a Pontifical Delegate to head the Sovereign Military Order of Malta after Prince and Grand Master Matthew Festing's unexpected forced resignation in a spat over condoms. (Reuters) Presidency of Donald Trump United States President Donald Trump announces that he intends to seek an investigation into possible voter fraud from last year's election. (Reuters) (FOX News) President Trump signs two executive orders related to immigration, one to take federal grant funding away from sanctuary cities, and another to build a wall along the U.S.–Mexico border. (CNN) Sports The International Olympic Committee says that sprinter Nesta Carter took the banned substance methylhexaneamine while competing in the 2008 Olympic 4 × 100 metres relay. As a result, the Jamaican team is disqualified and Usain Bolt loses his ninth Olympic gold medal. (ESPN) With a victory in the second stage of the Vuelta a San Juan, Tom Boonen becomes the first professional road cyclist to win a race on a bike equipped with disc brakes. (RoadCyclingUK) In sumo wrestling, Kisenosato Yutaka becomes the 72nd yokozuna. He is the first Japanese national to effect the promotion to the highest rank in 19 years. (Time) Current events of January 26, 2017 (2017-01-26) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Libyan Civil War (2014–present) Forces of the Libyan National Army claim to have captured one of the last remaining strongholds of Benghazi from Ansar al-Sharia. (Al Jazeera) Business and economics Tankers anchored in the Caribbean Sea are unable to deliver over four million barrels of crude oil, due to Venezuela's state-owned oil and natural gas company being unable to pay for hull cleaning, inspections, and other port services. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents Two to three days of freezing weather and heavy snow kills at least 27 children in Jowzjan Province, Afghanistan. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) (Khaskbahar Hindi) At least 14 Indian Army soldiers and four civilians are killed in a series of avalanches near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. (BBC) International relations 2017 Mexico–United States diplomatic crisis Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto cancels the meeting scheduled for next week with U.S. President Donald Trump, citing his plan to build a border wall between the two countries. (The New York Times) Donald Trump calls for a 20% tariff on Mexican imports to pay for the cost of a wall on the U.S–Mexican border. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says that this is one of the ideas that the administration is considering to make Mexico pay for the wall. (NBC News) Law and crime The Supreme Court of Greece rejects the extradition of eight soldiers accused by Turkey of involvement in the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt. (BBC News) Former Gambian Interior Minister Ousman Sonko is arrested in Switzerland on allegations of human rights abuses. (News24) Politics and elections Patrick F. Kennedy, Joyce Anne Barr, Michele Thoren Bond and Gentry O. Smith resign from the United States Department of State, after Victoria Nuland and Gregory B. Starr had declined to stay on in the Donald Trump administration. (The Herald Scotland) 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis Gambian President Adama Barrow returns to the Gambia after being sworn in as president in Senegal, bringing an end to the country's political crisis. (The Guardian) Ard van der Steur the Minister of Security and Justice of the Netherlands resigns after allegedly misinforming the House of Representatives over the fallout of a payments scandal. (BBC News) Science and technology The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moves the Doomsday Clock thirty seconds forward, to two and a half minutes before midnight. (The Washington Post) Current events of January 27, 2017 (2017-01-27) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Somalia (2009–present) Al-Shabaab militants attack a remote AMISOM base in southern Somalia, claiming to have killed dozens of Kenyan troops. (Reuters) Arts and culture British actor Sir John Hurt dies at the age of 77. (Hollywood Reporter) Business and economics The clothing retailer Wet Seal announces the closing of all 148 of its brick-and-mortar stores after filing for bankruptcy in 2015. The news comes on the heels of recent announcements of the closings of other major clothing chains, such as The Limited. (WHIO-TV) Disasters and accidents A wildfire destroys almost the entire town of Santa Olga in Chile's central Maule Region as a Russian firefighting Ilyushin Il-76 arrives to help fight the worst wildfire in Chile's modern history. (BBC) International relations United Kingdom–United States relations British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C.. This is the first visit by a foreign leader since Trump's inauguration last Friday. (BBC) (Politico) Israeli–Palestinian conflict Israeli authorities approve 153 construction permits for settlement homes in East Jerusalem, and plan to approve another 11,000 in the coming months. (Al Jazeera) North Korea and weapons of mass destruction New satellite imagery released by think tank 38 North indicates North Korea has resumed operations at its Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center in North Pyongan Province. (Reuters) Law and crime Protests take place in Cameroon following the arrest of several opposition leaders and internet services being cut off in the nation's English-speaking areas. (Al Jazeera) Politics and elections California independence referendum Yes California, the campaign to reinstate the independence of California launches its signature campaign. (New York magazine), (CNBC) Presidency of Donald Trump President Trump signs an executive order limiting refugees and immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The order also prioritizes the vetting of Christian refugees of the Syrian Civil War. (Reuters) (BBC) Vice President Mike Pence gives a speech at the March for Life promising to end the tax-payer status of abortion providers. (The Washington Post) Science and technology Two Harvard scientists report, in the peer-reviewed journal Science, the first creation of metallic hydrogen in a laboratory, using a diamond anvil cell. Other researchers did not agree with this finding when it was first posted on the arXiv preprint server in October 2016, and have not yet changed their positions. (BBC) (Scientific American) (Chemistry World) Current events of January 28, 2017 (2017-01-28) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War (2014–present) The World Food Programme cuts food aid to over 1.4 million displaced Iraqis by 50%, citing payment delays from donor states. (Al Jazeera) Disasters and accidents A boat with 31 people on board, including more than 20 Chinese tourists, goes missing after sailing from the eastern Malaysian port of Kota Kinabalu to visit the island of Pulau Mengalum. (AP) International relations Pope Francis takes de facto control of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (the entity retains sovereignty under international law), forcing its leader Prince and Grand Master Matthew Festing to resign. (The New York Times) Turkey–United Kingdom relations UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sign a £100 million defense deal to build new fighter jets. Under the deal, BAE Systems will collaborate with Turkish companies to build the TAI TFX. (The Guardian) Law and crime Executive Order 13769 Travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen are blocked from entering the United States as the executive order takes effect. (The New York Times) Iran says it will take reciprocal action after U.S. President Donald Trump signed the executive order which limits immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran. (CNN) U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in New York grants a stay of the executive order that allows people with valid visas who landed in the U.S. to temporarily remain in the country. (Reuters) (CNBC) (AP) Silvio Berlusconi prostitute trial An Italian court orders former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to stand trial on April 4 on charges of allegedly bribing witnesses with €10 million (US$11 million) in order to silence them over accusations he paid for sex with young women. (Reuters) Sport 2017 Australian Open Serena Williams defeats her sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 to win the women's singles and an Open era-record 23rd Grand Slam singles title. (The Guardian) Current events of January 29, 2017 (2017-01-29) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Yakla raid A U.S. military raid takes place in Yemen's southern Al Bayda Governorate. According to medics on the scene as reported by Reuters, "around 30" were killed, among which were at least three senior Al-Qaeda members, at least one U.S. service member, and 10 women and children. (Reuters) (The Guardian) Syrian Civil War, Siege of Wadi Barada The Syrian Army recaptures all of the towns and villages in the Barada river valley near Damascus from rebel forces. (Al Jazeera) Insurgency in the North Caucasus At least three suspected militants are killed by Russian security forces during a firefight in Khasavyurt, Dagestan. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Quebec City mosque shooting A gunman opens fire at a mosque in Quebec City, Canada, during evening prayers. At least five people were killed. Two suspects were apprehended; one was later released. (CBC News), (Reuters) Law and crime Executive Order 13769 U.S. federal judges in the states of Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington sign orders halting implementation of parts of the executive order. (New York Daily News) (Reuters via News.com.au) White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus states that people from the affected countries who have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence, i.e. have a green card, will not be prevented from returning to the United States. (The New York Times) 2017 Romanian protests In the largest protest since the 1989 Revolution, more than 90,000 people march through Romania's capital and other cities against a government proposal to pardon thousands of prisoners. (Business Review) (Digi24) Politics and elections French Socialist Party presidential primary, 2017 In the second round run-off to select the Socialist Party's candidate in this year's spring presidential election, the leftist candidate, former Minister of National Education Benoît Hamon, topped former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, a centrist, with 58.65 percent of the vote. (ABC News) (Yahoo! News) Sport 2017 Australian Open In tennis, Roger Federer of Switzerland defeats Rafael Nadal of Spain in the final of the men's singles. (ABC Australia) 2017 Bandy World Championship The World Championship Division A starts, Sweden defeats Finland 8-2. Royal Rumble 2017 John Cena defeats AJ Styles to become a 16-time WWE Champion, tying Ric Flair with the most world championship reigns. Winter X Games Aspen '17 The United States won 22 medals, including seven gold medals. Canada was second with two golds, nine overall. (Wiki) Current events of January 30, 2017 (2017-01-30) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Donbass The Ukrainian military says seven soldiers have been killed by pro-Russian separatists since Sunday. The separatists report over 5 days of artillery attacks on them by the Ukrainian side. (Reuters) Syrian Civil War, Russian military intervention The Russian Defence Ministry says six Russian bombers hit ISIL positions in Syria's Deir ez-Zor Governorate. (Reuters) Insurgency in the North Caucasus At least two police officers and three suspected militants are killed during a gunfight in Shali, Chechnya. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Yemeni Civil War A suspected U.S. drone strike kills two al-Qaida militants in central Shabwa province, according to Yemeni security and tribal officials. (AP) (CBC News) Houthi forces attack a Royal Saudi Navy frigate off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea, killing at least two sailors and wounding three others. (Fox News) Tens of thousands of people, including politicians and activists, gather for the funeral of Ko Ni, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's longtime adviser, who was assassinated yesterday as he walked out of the Yangon International Airport. (AP) (Al Jazeera) Quebec City mosque shooting French-Canadian student Alexandre Bissonnette is charged with six counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder in relation to an attack on a mosque in Quebec City. (Reuters/AP via ABC News Australia) Arts and culture Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere, winner of Miss France 2016, is crowned as the winner of Miss Universe 2016 at a ceremony in the Philippines. (AP) Business and economics Walgreens Boots Alliance reduces its offer price for Rite Aid and defers the expected closing date by six months due to concerns about regulatory approval. (The New York Times) (Reuters) Disasters and accidents Several avalanches in Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan, caused by heavy snowfall over the weekend, leave at least seven people dead. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) International relations United Kingdom–United States relations A petition, launched Sunday to cancel U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom later this year, tops 1 million signatures, passing the threshold for British Parliament debate. A British government spokesman says the state visit is going ahead as planned. (NBC News) Iraq–United States relations The Iraqi Parliament votes in favour of a reciprocal travel ban on U.S. citizens if U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order barring citizens of Iraq and six other Muslim-majority countries is not reversed. The Iraqi travel ban will not be implemented while tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers and contractors are involved in the fight against ISIL. (AFP via Daily Mail) Law and crime Philippine Drug War Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte suspends the war on drugs so resources can focus on ridding “corrupt” officers from the Philippine National Police. The cause célèbre is the kidnapping and strangulation of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo last October. (The Daily Telegraph) Operation Car Wash Brazilian police arrest EBX Group CEO Eike Batista for allegedly bribing officials in Rio de Janeiro, including former Governor of Rio de Janeiro Sérgio Cabral Filho. (BBC) 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt In Ankara, the Turkish government opens the trial of 270 suspects charged in July's failed coup in Ankara. The defendants include, in absentia, the alleged mastermind Fethullah Gülen, former NATO Chief of Staff Major General Salih Sevil, and other high-ranking military officials. (Yahoo! News) Politics and elections Gambian President Adama Barrow removes "Islamic" from the country's official name. The Gambia will now officially be called The Republic of The Gambia. Barrow also vows to reform the National Intelligence Agency, accused by human rights groups of forced disappearances and torture under Yahya Jammeh. (All Africa) (Al Jazeera) Executive Order 13769 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, during the daily press briefing, says State Department officials should follow the President's program or get new jobs . (AP via Law Vegas Review-Journal) (CNN) (The New York Times) Sally Yates, the acting Attorney General of the United States, is fired after ordering employees of the United States Department of Justice not to enforce the President's ban due to personal doubts over its legality. Dana J. Boente becomes the new acting attorney general. (BBC) Current events of January 31, 2017 (2017-01-31) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War The Syrian opposition agrees to surrender their remaining villages in the stretch between the Wadi Barada area and the Lebanon-Syria border, as well as the Rankous borderange for transportation of at least 250 rebel fighters to their stronghold in the Idlib Governorate. (Al Masdar News) Arts and culture agrees to ban the full-face veil (burqa and niqāb) in public spaces, part of a larger deal struck by the center-left Social Democratic Party and the center-right Austrian People's Party to avoid the collapse of the ruling coalition government. (BBC) (The Christian Science Monitor) Business and economics Consultancy PwC says that global banks with business both in London and on the European continent must plan for a hard Brexit that entails a break with many of the benefits of the Euro system, and a short transition period. (Reuters) International relations Enlargement of the African Union Morocco rejoins the African Union after a 33-year absence, despite opposition from several member states over the political status of Western Sahara. (Al Jazeera) White House National Trade Council director Peter Navarro says Germany exploits other countries with a "grossly undervalued" euro. German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejects the allegation. (Bloomberg) (CNBC) Law and crime Susan Kiefel is sworn in as the first female Chief Justice of Australia. (Radio National) Alan Turing law The United Kingdom posthumously pardons around 49,000 gay and bisexual men found guilty of decades-old sodomy laws in England and Wales. Those still living can apply for a statutory pardon. (BBC) The Kremlin arrests four people, Kaspersky Lab's Ruslan Stoyanov, and three officials in the Federal Security Service (FSB previously KGB) Center for Information Security, reportedly on treason charges for passing information to America's CIA. (New York Daily News), (The Washington Times), (The New York Times Jan 25), (AP) 2008 Mumbai attacks Pakistan detains Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the suspected mastermind of the 2008 attacks in the Indian city. Saeed, co-founder of the active terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, is being held under house arrest in Lahore in Pakistan's Punjab Province. Four other men are also under house arrest in the area. (CNN) (Al Jazeera) Politics and elections Cabinet of Donald Trump The U.S. Senate confirms former U.S. labor secretary and deputy transportation secretary Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation. Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. (The Washington Post) Supreme Court of the United States President Donald Trump has nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court of the United States. Neil Gorsuch is the youngest nominee to the court in 25 years. (CNN) Executive Order 13769 The State Department memorandum about concerns with this travel ban is submitted to acting Secretary of State Tom Shannon through the federal government's Dissent Channel. This protest memo had between 900-1,000 signatures. Department officials said these signatures are far more than any dissent cable in recent years, adding more diplomats want to add their names to it. (The New York Times) (Reuters and AFP-JIJI via The Japan Times) (Voice of America) 2017 Romanian protests Despite massive protests in recent days, Romania's government adopts an emergency ordinance to decriminalize some graft offences.(Reuters)

January 2017 S M T W T F S   1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10     11     12     13     14     15     16     17     18     19     20     21     22     23     24     25     26     27     28     29     30     31            Ongoing events Disasters European cold wave UK and Ireland windstorm season Political European migrant crisis (timeline) Romanian protests South China Sea disputes More details on ongoing conflicts below Sport 2017 Africa Cup of Nations 2016–17 Bundesliga 2016–17 La Liga 2016–17 NBA season 2016–17 NFL playoffs 2016-17 NHL season 2016–17 PBA season 2016–17 Premier League 2016–17 Serie A 2016–17 EuroLeague 2016–17 EuroLeague Women  Recent deaths January 2017 31: John Wetton 28: Christopher Bland 28: Many Clouds 27: Emmanuelle Riva 26: Mike Connors 26: Barbara Hale 26: Tam Dalyell 25: John Hurt 25: Mary Tyler Moore 24: Butch Trucks 23: Gorden Kaye 23: Douglas Reeman 22: Jaki Liebezeit 22: Naqsh Lyallpuri 22: Masaya Nakamura 22: Andy Marte 22: Yordano Ventura 20: Harry J. Middleton 20: Emma Tennant 19: Miguel Ferrer 18: Rachael Heyhoe Flint 18: Roberta Peters 17: Peter Abrahams 17: Colo 16: Eugene Cernan 16: William Onyeabor 15: Eddie Long 15: Jimmy Snuka 14: Zhou Youguang 13: Antony Armstrong-Jones 13: Magic Alex 12: William Peter Blatty 12: Anthony King 12: Graham Taylor 10: Roman Herzog 10: Clare Hollingworth 10: Oliver Smithies 9: Michael Chamberlain 8: Pioneer Cabin Tree 8: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani 8: Peter Sarstedt 7: Nat Hentoff 7: Mário Soares 6: Ricardo Piglia 6: Om Puri 6: Tilikum 5: Jill Saward 4: Georges Prêtre 4: Milt Schmidt 2: John Berger 2: Albert Brewer 1: Tony Atkinson 1: Derek Parfit  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  Elections and referendums Upcoming February 5: Liechtenstein, Landtag 12: Turkmenistan, President 19: Ecuador, President and Parliament, Referendum  Trials Recently concluded Australia: Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara Cambodia: Sam Rainsy China: Wan Qingliang, Ling Jihua, Zhoi Bin, Guo Boxiong Iran: Babak Zanjani 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, Adam Johnson, 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