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Worldwide current events
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The Plasco Building

At least 20 firefighters are killed and more than 70 other people injured after the collapse of Tehran's Plasco Building (pictured) due to a high-rise fire.
A suicide bombing at a military camp near Gao, Mali, kills at least 77 people.
NASA, NOAA and the Met Office announce that anthropogenic climate change caused 2016 to be the warmest year on record.
U.S. president Barack Obama commutes the sentence of Chelsea Manning, who will now be released in May 2017, instead of 2045.
An airstrike in Rann, Nigeria, kills more than 50 civilians after a refugee camp is mistaken for a Boko Haram encampment.

January 20, 2017 (Friday)

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Politics and elections

Inauguration of Donald Trump
- Donald Trump is to be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. (The Telegraph)

January 19, 2017 (Thursday)

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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, Brazil, 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)
January 2017 Central Italy earthquakes
- 2017 Farindola avalanche
  - An Italian rescue official says a number of people have been killed by an avalanche, apparently 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 Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, 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)

January 18, 2017 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Northern Mali conflict
- 2017 Gao bombing
  - 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)

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)
At least five people are wounded in a school shooting 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)

January 17, 2017 (Tuesday)

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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 52 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 conflict
- 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)
2016–17 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)

January 16, 2017 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Deir ez-Zor offensive (January 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

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 attack, 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)

January 15, 2017 (Sunday)

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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)

January 14, 2017 (Saturday)

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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)

More January 2017 events...

Ongoing events
Disasters European cold wave North American ice storm UK and Ireland windstorm season Political European migrant crisis (timeline) Gambian constitutional crisis South China Sea disputes More details on ongoing conflicts below Sport 2017 Africa Cup of Nations 2016–17 NFL playoffs 2016–17 Bundesliga 2016–17 La Liga 2016–17 NBA season 2016–17 NHL season 2016–17 Premier League 2016–17 Serie A edit sidebar

Recent deaths
January 2017 19: Miguel Ferrer 18: Rachael Heyhoe Flint 18: Roberta Peters 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 December 2016 31: William Christopher 31: David Meltzer 30: Sutter Brown 30: Allan Williams 30: Tyrus Wong 29: LaVell Edwards 29: F. Ross Johnson 28: Gregorio Conrado Álvarez 28: Anthony Cronin 28: Michel Déon 28: Debbie Reynolds 27: Carrie Fisher 27: Ratnasiri Wickremanayake 26: George S. Irving 26: Seth J. McKee 26: Barbara Tarbuck 25: George Michael 25: Vera Rubin 24: Richard Adams 24: Rick Parfitt 24: Liz Smith 22: Franca Sozzani 20: Michèle Morgan 19: Lionel Blue 19: Dick Latessa 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

Elections and Referendums
Upcoming February 5: Liechtenstein, Landtag 12: Turkmenistan, President edit sidebar

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, Rick Perry, Bill Cosby edit sidebar