Portal:Current events/February 2017

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February 2017 was the second month of that common year. The month, which began on a Wednesday, ended on a Tuesday after 28 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from February 2017.

Current events of February 1, 2017 (2017-02-01) (Wednesday) Armed attacks and conflicts Four alleged extremists planning terror attacks in Azerbaijan are killed in a shootout with the country's security forces; one suspect is arrested. The State Security Service says the group was connected to an unspecified religious extremist group abroad. (Reuters) (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Business and economy European Union roaming regulations Negotiators reach a preliminary deal on capping mobile phone intercarrier (wholesale) tariffs. Roaming charges on voice and data calls for consumers within the EU are expected to be terminated on June 15, 2017. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents According to a report released by Malegapuru William Makgoba, 94 mentally ill patients in South Africa died from starvation, dehydration and diarrhea between March and December 2016 because of a "reckless" government attempt to save money by transferring the patients from a specialized institution to care centres with "invalid licenses". (BBC) International relations Iranian Minister of Defence Hossein Dehghan confirms Iran tested a new missile, claiming that the test did not violate the 2015 nuclear deal nor UN resolution 2231. (Reuters) (PressTV) Israel announces it will build an entirely new settlement in the West Bank for the first time in about twenty years. Many in the international community believe that such settlements are illegal but Israel disputes that. The settlement program is illegal under international law. (CNN) The United Kingdom's House of Commons backs the Brexit bill by 498 votes to 114. (The Washington Post) Law and crime Israeli security forces begin evicting people from the illegal Amona, Mateh Binyamin, outpost built on private Palestinian-owned land near Ramallah in the central West Bank. The Supreme Court ordered residents to leave the area last year. (CNN) A jury finds in favor of video game publisher ZeniMax Media after the trial of its copyright lawsuit against Oculus and Facebook, regarding virtual reality coding. (Reuters). 2017 Berkeley protests Police cancel a scheduled appearance of right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos on UC Berkeley due to hundreds of violent protesters on campus. (San Francisco Chronicle) Politics and elections Formation of Donald Trump's cabinet The United States Senate, in a 56–43 vote, confirms Rex Tillerson's nomination as United States Secretary of State. (The Independent) Current events of February 2, 2017 (2017-02-02) (Thursday) International relations Georgia–European Union relations The European Parliament unanimously approves visa-free regime in the Schengen zone for Georgia. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Russia–United States relations The United States Department of the Treasury eases some sanctions on the Federal Security Service (FSB), allowing for limited transactions with the intelligence agency. The sanctions were put in place last year by Barack Obama over alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. (Reuters) Australia–United States relations Citing unnamed U.S. officials, The Washington Post reports that U.S. President Donald Trump berated Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Trump claimed it was "the worst call by far" and criticized a refugee settlement deal organised between the Turnbull Government and the Obama administration in late 2016. (The Washington Post) White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says the U.S. is still planning on carrying through with the refugee resettlement deal. (Bloomberg Politics) Israel–United States relations, Israeli–Palestinian peace process The White House cautions Israel that building new settlements or expanding existing settlements in the West Bank, "... may not be helpful in achieving (peace)." (NBC News) (BBC) Law and crime Former HBOS manager Lynden Scourfield and other bankers and consultants are found guilty of corruption and abuse of power in stealing £245 million from the bank and small businesses in a loans scam, which was spent on personal luxuries. Scourfield was sentenced to 11 years in prison. (The Guardian) Politics and elections Colombian peace process The National Liberation Army releases former congressman Odin Sanchez, who had been held hostage by the rebel group since April 2016, paving the way for peace talks to begin between the rebels and the Colombian government next week in Ecuador. (BBC) Current events of February 3, 2017 (2017-02-03) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–present) According to Afghan Police, eight of their forces have been killed by the Taliban at a checkpoint in Faryab Province. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Syrian Civil War, American-led intervention in Syria At least 47 ISIL militants have been killed by Turkish and U.S.-led bombing raids by fighter jets on the town of al-Bab in the last 24 hours, with the Turkish Armed Forces attacking 135 other ISIL targets in northern Syria. (Al Jazeera) Activists say U.S.-led coalition aircraft has destroyed the main pipeline supplying the de facto ISIL capital Al-Raqqah with water. (The New York Times) 2016–17 Rohingya persecution in Myanmar The United Nations Human Rights Council releases a report detailing mass atrocities by the military and police forces against Myanmar's Rohingya minority, including gang-rapes, mass killings, and possible ethnic cleansing, which could amount to crimes against humanity. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) Disasters and accidents Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster According to Tokyo Electric Power Company, radiations levels within one of the reactors of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, are at its highest level since experiencing a meltdown, with a reading of 530 sieverts an hour. (The Guardian) The United Nations and various humanitarian groups call on the international community to help prevent a possible famine in Somalia as rising food prices and drought have left over six million people at risk of starvation. (The Guardian) International relations Iran–United States relations The United States Department of the Treasury announces new sanctions against Iran in response to the latter's recent ballistic missile test. Thirteen people and twelve entities with ties to Iran have been affected. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) In retaliation for the recent travel ban, Iran bars the United States' athletes from the 2017 Wrestling World Cup - Men's freestyle tournament to be held in Kermanshah. (The Washington Post) Peru–Venezuela relations Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's government creates a temporary visa for thousands of Venezuelans whose country is mired in a deep economic crisis. Visa holders will be able to study, work, and receive health services in Peru for a year. "This is part of our migratory policy that aims to build bridges not walls", says Interior Minister Carlos Basombrio. (Reuters) Per the Afghan government's request, the United Nations drops sanctions against Hezb-e Islami party leader and former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. This potentially sets up his return to Afghanistan, which is part of the country's peace deal with its second largest militant group, signed in September 2016. (Reuters)(BBC) Law and crime The High Court of Australia rules that Rod Culleton was ineligible for election as a candidate for Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party in Western Australia in the Federal election and is ineligible to serve in the Senate of Australia. (Canberra Times) 2017 Paris machete attack A French Army soldier shoots and wounds a man armed with a knife who was trying to enter an underground shopping area near the Louvre in Paris. The museum was evacuated. (BBC) U.S. immigration suspension United States federal judge James Robart temporarily blocks the so-called travel ban nationwide pending a legal challenge by the government. (Reuters) (NBC News) The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency tells U.S. airlines that they should board travelers who had been blocked by the executive order addressed in Judge Robart's ruling. (Global News) (The New York Times) (The Guardian) The justice department says it will not file for an emergency stay on Friday night. (The Guardian) (Reuters) A lawyer for the Justice Department, in a federal court in Virginia, says 100,000 visas have been revoked this week. A State Department spokesperson says the actual number is fewer than 60,000. (NBC News) Former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik says he was detained at Dulles Airport earlier this week because he had visited Iran in 2014. A Lutheran minister, Mr. Bondevik was in Washington for meetings associated with the National Prayer Breakfast. (The Nordic Page) (The New York Times) Political appointments of Donald Trump West Point graduate, billionaire businessman, and philanthropist Vincent Viola withdraws his name from consideration as Secretary of the Army because of Defense Department rules concerning his family businesses. (Reuters) (Military Times) (Reuters) Citing court rulings and privacy laws, the United States Department of Agriculture stops making its records of animal abuse available to the public online, which makes them available exclusively through Freedom of Information Act requests. It has not yet been revealed whether another Agency will now be responsible for the keeping and public hosting of such records. (The Washington Post) Current events of February 4, 2017 (2017-02-04) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Donbass A rebel commander is killed by a bomb in eastern Ukraine while three Ukrainian Army soldiers are killed in fighting. At least 33 people have been killed in fighting over the past week. (AP via News Limited) International relations Australia–United States relations Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Australia will honor the agreement to accept refugees from Central America even though the U.S. has postponed interviews with asylum seekers in a camp at the Pacific island of Nauru. (Reuters) (The Washington Examiner) Ukraine–United States relations U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, in a telephone call, discuss strengthening the two countries' strategic partnership with particular attention to the conflict in the Donbass, a Ukrainian region that borders Russia. (Reuters) Politics and elections 2017 Romanian protests Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu announces that his government will scrap its proposed decree of decriminalizing some graft offenses on Sunday. (Reuters) The United Nations drop sanctions on Gulbuddin Hekmatyar after his Hezb-e Islami faction and the Afghan government reached a deal in September. Hekmatyar is granted immunity in exchange for his abandoning violence and supporting the Constitution of Afghanistan. (BBC News) U.S. immigration suspension, State of Washington v. Trump The Department of Homeland Security says it has stopped enforcing the executive order per Judge James Robart's ruling in State of Washington v. Trump. The State Department activates visas that had been previously suspended because of this order. (NBC News) The federal government notifies the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that it will appeal Judge Robart's ruling that has halted enforcement of the executive order. The filing contained no legal arguments. (USA Today) Late Saturday, the Justice Department files a request to "immediately stay" Friday's court ruling. (NBC News) Science and nature The cave squeaker (Arthroleptis troglodytes), a critically endangered species of frog, is located and captured for the first time since 1962. Scientists announce plans to breed. (The New York Times) Current events of February 5, 2017 (2017-02-05) (Sunday) Disasters and accidents Heavy snow and avalanches kill dozens of people in Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, while Kabul International Airport is closed due to snow and ice on the runway. (BBC), (FOX News) Law and crime Turkish police arrest over 400 suspected ISIL members in raids across the country. (Al Jazeera) Politics and elections U.S. immigration suspension, State of Washington v. Trump Trump's travel ban remains suspended as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denies the Justice Department's request to stay the ruling which blocks major portions of the executive order. (NPR) Following the court's suspension of the travel ban, Iran allows visas for the United States men's freestyle wrestling team to compete in the 2017 World Cup. (CNN) 2017 Romanian protests More than 600,000 people protest in dozens of cities in Romania and diaspora against Grindeanu Government. (Digi24) Following diplomatic mediation by the European Union and the United States, minority Serbs tear down a concrete wall in Mitrovica. The city's majority Albanians regarded the wall as a provocation. (VOA News) The Obama Administration and Bush Administration had failed to publicly disclose up to thousands of lethal airstrikes the U.S. made in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria against ISIL, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban via U.S. Army helicopters and drones. (Reuters) (Military Times) The Liechtenstein general election, 2017 took place in Liechtenstein resulting in a Progressive Citizens' Party and Patriotic Union coalition government under Prime Minister Adrian Hasler. The election left the Progressive Citizens' Party with only nine seats, one less than the previous election. The Patriotic Union kept all eight seats during the election. Gaining stature in the Landtag of Liechtenstein the Free List or FL held on to all three seats but rose 1.5%pp. With the Independents gaining one seat from the previous election leaving them at five. Sports Super Bowl LI The New England Patriots defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34–28, in the first game in Super Bowl history to go into overtime. (The New York Times) Tom Brady, the quarterback for the New England Patriots, wins his fourth Most Valuable Player award, the most won by any player. Brady joins Charles Haley as the only players to be on five Super Bowl-winning teams. (NBC Sports) In association football Cameroon wins the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations with a 2–1 victory over Egypt. (The Guardian) Current events of February 6, 2017 (2017-02-06) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Sinai insurgency An Egyptian Army raid in central Sinai kills at least 14 ISIL militants. (Reuters) An Afghan diplomat is shot dead at the Afghan consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. (Reuters) Arts and culture Queen Elizabeth II marks her 65th anniversary as sovereign, making her the only British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee. (Reuters) Health and medicine South Korea's Agricultural Ministry confirms a case of foot-and-mouth disease at a dairy farm in Boeun County. This is the first instance of this disease in the country since March 29, 2016. (The Korea Times) Law and crime Brazilian President Michel Temer deploys the Brazilian Army to the southeastern state of Espírito Santo, where a police strike has led to a wave of violence and looting, including dozens of murders in the state capital, Vitória. (Reuters) (The Guardian) Israel passes the Regulation Law which retroactively legalizes 4,000 housing units in 16 settlements on Area C West Bank occupied Palestinian territories. (The New York Times) (The Jerusalem Post) Politics and elections U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz proposes a bill to eliminate the United States Environmental Protection Agency. (The Hill) Science and technology A herd of Plains bison are successfully reintroduced to the Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, more than 100 years after they were nearly hunted out of existence. (BBC) Current events of February 7, 2017 (2017-02-07) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–present) A suicide bombing at the Supreme Court of Afghanistan in Kabul kills at least 20 people and injures 41 others, 10 of whom are in critical condition. (BBC) (NBC News) Syrian Civil War A report by Amnesty International states that between 5,000 and 13,000 people, most of them civilians, were hanged at the military-run Sednaya Prison near Damascus between September 2011 and December 2015. (BBC) According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, airstrikes on the rebel-held city of Idlib kill at least 26 people, with the death toll expected to rise. (Al Jazeera) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Coalition troops take control of the strategic Yemeni port city of Mocha after driving out Houthi forces. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents Multiple tornadoes tear through New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and other parts of southeastern Louisiana, injuring at least 20 people; no deaths have been reported. The severe weather also delivers heavy rain and hail in Mississippi and Alabama. (AP) (Reuters) Law and crime Former President of France Nicolas Sarkozy is ordered to stand trial for alleged campaign finance fraud during his failed 2012 presidential election campaign. (AP via Fox News) U.S. immigration suspension The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals holds a hearing, by telephone, for the U.S. Justice Department and plaintiffs (states of Washington and Minnesota) arguments whether or not to reinstate the travel ban suspended on Friday by U.S. District Court Judge James Robart. Judge Michelle Friedland states the court will work to deliver its decision quickly. (The Washington Post) (CBS News) Women in Russia President of Russia Vladimir Putin signs into law the decriminalization of domestic violence. (CNN) Politics and elections Incumbent Australian Senator Cory Bernardi defects from the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia to establish his own minor party, the Australian Conservatives. (ABC News) Cabinet of Donald Trump The U.S. Senate confirms, via Vice President Mike Pence's unprecedented tie-breaking vote, Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. (NPR) (NPR²) The U.S. Senate votes, along party lines (49-43), to not let Senator Elizabeth Warren participate in the debate about Senator Jeff Sessions's nomination to be the Attorney General in President Donald Trump's Cabinet because she violated Senate rule XIX when she was reading letters from the late Coretta Scott King and the late Senator Ted Kennedy that were critical of Sen. Sessions, thereby impugning his character. (The Washington Post) Current events of February 8, 2017 (2017-02-08) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Donbass Donetsk People's Republic commander Mikhail Tolstykh, better known by his nom de guerre "Givi", is killed in a bomb blast in Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast. DPR officials blame the Security Service of Ukraine for the attack. (BBC) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Six Afghan Red Cross workers are shot dead by suspected ISIL militants in the northern Jowzjan Province. Two other Red Cross workers are reportedly abducted. (BBC) Somali Civil War (2009–present) Unknown gunmen storm a hotel in Bosaso, leaving at least four guards and two militants dead. It is unclear who carried out the attack. An official blames Al-Shabaab, though the group denies having any involvement. (Al Jazeera) Syrian Civil War Syrian rebels, with backing from the Turkish Armed Forces, advance on ISIL-held al-Bab, capturing the outskirts of the town. (Reuters) Yemeni War Yemen reassesses its permission to the United States to run special operations ground missions against suspected terrorist groups because of the civilian deaths in the January 29 raid. Earlier reports indicated permission had been suspended. (The New York Times) (The New York Times)² Arts and culture Archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem announce the discovery of another cave that used to have Dead Sea Scrolls. (The Times of Israel) Business and economics The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia blocks health insurer Anthem Inc.'s proposed $54 billion merger with rival Cigna because it would have exacerbated an already highly concentrated market and likely raised prices. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents More than 10,000 people are left homeless after a fire ravages a densely populated neighborhood of the Philippines capital Manila. (The Telegraph) Law and crime 2016–17 Turkish purges The Turkish government dismisses more than 4,400 public servants from their jobs in the latest purge within the country following a failed coup attempt last year. (The Guardian) Politics and elections 2017 Romanian protests The government of Prime Minister of Romania Sorin Grindeanu survives a no-confidence motion over proposed decriminalisation of certain corruption offences, with 161 MPs voting in favor of the motion, short of the 232 votes needed for it to pass. (AP) (Al Jazeera) Also that day, the Constitutional Court rejected two pleas made by President Iohannis and the Supreme Council of the Magistracy (CSM) that claimed an institutional conflict between the Parliament, respectively the CSM on one hand, and the Government on the other, in a move that surprised the critics of the PSD-led cabinet and the protesters. The next day it rejected the final plea made by the Ombudsman on reasons of inadmissibility. (The Romania Journal) Somali presidential election, 2017 Somali politicians gather inside a high-security compound at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu to elect a President for the country, with current president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud running for a second term. (The Guardian) In a surprise result, former Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is chosen as President. (BBC) Cabinet of Donald Trump The United States Senate, in a 52 to 47 vote, confirms the nomination of Jeff Sessions as United States Attorney General. (The Guardian) Science and technology Intermediate-mass black hole and 47 Tucanae New strong evidence supporting the existence of an intermediate-mass black hole is announced. (Sky & Telescope) (Science Daily) (Nature) Current events of February 9, 2017 (2017-02-09) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War, Battle of al-Bab At least three soldiers of the Turkish Armed Forces are accidentally killed by a Russian airstrike near al-Bab in northern Syria. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) The International Committee of the Red Cross announces it will be temporarily halting some of its operations in Afghanistan after gunmen killed six of its workers yesterday. (Al Jazeera) An airstrike hits a tunnel in the Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border, killing at least two people and injuring five more. It is unclear who launched the airstrike. (Al Jazeera) Disasters and accidents A fire at the Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant in northwest France caused an explosion in a "non-nuclear" part of the station. One reactor was taken offline and five people were affected by fumes. The accident did not cause a radioactive leak. (Reuters) February 2017 North American blizzard A major blizzard hits the northeastern United States, cancelling more than 2,400 flights. (The Weather Channel) A power outage plunges the Belgian capital of Brussels into darkness. (BBC) International relations China–United States relations Donald Trump, the President of the United States, agrees to continue the One China Policy after a discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Washington Post) Russia–United States relations When Russian President Vladimir Putin, during the January telephone conversation with President Donald Trump, raised the possibility of extending the 2010 New START treaty that caps U.S. and Russian deployment of nuclear warheads, President Trump declined, stating that this treaty is a bad deal for the United States. (Reuters) (The Hill) Law and crime U.S. immigration suspension The appeal of the Trump administration is denied as the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals said it would not block a lower-court ruling that brought the president's executive order to a halt. (BBC) Politics and elections A high court in Kenya blocks a government bid to close the Dadaab refugee camp and repatriate over 260,000 Somali refugees back to Somalia. The government said it will appeal against the ruling. (BBC) 2017 Romanian protests Romanian Justice Minister Florin Iordache resigns after losing the support of Prime-Minister Sorin Grindeanu. (Reuters) President of the Senate Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu notifies the Constitutional Court claiming a judicial conflict of a constitutional nature between the Government of Romania and the Public Ministry, through the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA). (actmedia) Democrat Congressman Jerrold Nadler files a Resolution of Inquiry motion aimed at clarifying Donald Trump's relationship to Russia as well as potential conflicts of interest arising from his businesses. (The Washington Post) Current events of February 10, 2017 (2017-02-10) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks French police arrest three men and a 16-year-old girl found with bomb-making materials in a Montpellier flat. The female suspect had been spotted online saying she wanted to either leave for the Syria-Iraq conflict or mount an attack in France, and recorded a video in which she pledged allegiance to ISIL. (BBC) In Hong Kong, over 16 were injured, and an incoherent man was charged with arson after an alleged firebomb attack on a rush hour Hong Kong metro commuter train. The man set fire to himself and others with a flammable liquid for an unspecified personal reason, but officials found no evidence of a terrorist motive. (Independent) Business and economics British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser agrees to buy U.S. baby formula maker Mead Johnson Nutrition for $16.6 billion. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents At least seven people have been killed in the Bangli Regency of Bali after a landslide caused by torrential rain. (AP via ABC News Australia) Volunteers are working to save the remaining live pilot whales beached at Farewell Spit on New Zealand's South Island. Project Jonah reports that 75 percent of the more than 400 stranded whales are dead. (NBC News) A 6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes 14 kilometers (8 miles) northwest of Surigao City on the Philippines island of Mindanao and kills four people, injures more than 100 others, and damages multiple buildings. (AP), (9news) (Reuters) At least 17 people are killed with dozens injured in a crowd stampede at a football stadium in Uíge, Angola. (AP) Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło is injured in a car crash in her hometown, Oświęcim, Poland. Mrs. Szydło is in good condition in a Warsaw hospital. (AP) International relations European Union–The Gambia relations The European Union pledges to give the Gambia €225 million in aid to assist the country following the departure of former president Yahya Jammeh, whose 22 years of misrule left the country "virtually bankrupt". (The Guardian) Law and crime U.S. immigration suspension legal challenges Aboard Air Force One, President Trump tells reporters he is considering issuing a revised policy banning citizens of certain countries traveling to the United States. (Reuters) The Trump administration decides to not immediately appeal the Ninth Circuit's decision, which continues the travel ban suspension, to the Supreme Court. (CNN) A judge in Peru issues an arrest warrant for former President Alejandro Toledo for allegedly receiving US$20 million in bribes from Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company, in exchange for a contract deal to build a transoceanic highway between Brazil and the Peruvian coast. Toledo denies any wrongdoing. (The Guardian) Movies The Movie Premiere of The Lego Batman Movie From the Studio That Brought You Osmosis Jones, Ozzy & Drix, Space Jam, Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Lego Movie Politics and elections Cabinet of Donald Trump The United States Senate, in a 52 to 47 vote, confirms physician and U.S. Representative Tom Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. (CBS News) Iran marks its 38th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution with nationwide rallies and ceremonies. The ceremony also contains some anti-Trump protests. (The New York Times) (Reuters) Sport Doping in Russia Russian track and field athlete Mariya Savinova is banned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport from partaking in any sporting events for four years and is stripped of her gold medal that she won in the 800 metres at the 2012 Summer Olympics for doping between 2010 and 2013. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race The Iditarod Trail Committee announces the race's March official start has been moved from the Anchorage area northeast to Fairbanks, Alaska, due to low-snow conditions in the Alaska Range. (AP) (Iditarod.com) Current events of February 11, 2017 (2017-02-11) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–present) A suicide bomber kills at least seven people outside a bank in Lashkargah. (Reuters) Syrian Civil War, Battle of al-Bab Syrian rebels and Turkish troops enter al-Bab, with Syrian troops also approaching the town, prompting heavy clashes with ISIL militants. (Al Jazeera) 2017 Istanbul nightclub shooting Abdulkadir Masharipov is charged with murder in relation to the shootings in Istanbul that killed 39 people and is remanded in custody. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has claimed responsibility for the shootings. (ABC) Disasters and accidents Severe flooding following five days of incessant rain causes landslides that have killed 13 people in Indonesia's West Nusa Tenggara Province. (AP) Over 70,000 people are evacuated from Thessaloniki, Greece, as authorities attempt to defuse a World War II-era unexploded ordnance, which was discovered last week. (The Guardian) Politics and elections 2017 elections in India Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election Voters in Uttar Pradesh cast ballots in Phase 1 of the state's 2017 elections, with Phase 7, the final poll, to be held on 8 March. This will be an important test of India's November policy change that removed 86 percent of the cash then in circulation. (Reuters) Violence erupts at a protest rally in Baghdad, Iraq, killing at least four protesters and one police officer. Thousands of supporters of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gathered in the capital to demand an overhaul of the country's electoral system. (Al Jazeera) Current events of February 12, 2017 (2017-02-12) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Yemeni Civil War (2015–present), Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen A helicopter from the Saudi-led coalition bombs a vehicle outside Aden International Airport, wounding at least three Yemeni soldiers. (Reuters) Kashmir conflict Four suspected militants, two Indian Army soldiers, and one civilian are killed in clashes in a village in southern Jammu and Kashmir. (Al Jazeera) Arts and culture 59th Annual Grammy Awards Adele wins the Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Hello" and Album of the Year for 25. Chance the Rapper wins the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. David Bowie wins four posthumous awards, two for his final studio album Blackstar and two for its title track. (CNN) 70th British Academy Film Awards La La Land wins five awards. I, Daniel Blake wins Best British Film. Emma Stone, Casey Affleck, Viola Davis and Dev Patel win in their respective acting categories. (BBC) Disasters and accidents The New South Wales Rural Fire Service issues an emergency warning for a bush fire located to the east of Dunedoo in New South Wales, Australia. The warning comes amidst "unprecedented" fire conditions across the region, deemed to be worse than the conditions precipitating the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria. (The Daily Telegraph) (NSW Rural Fire Service) The California Department of Water Resources orders residents near Oroville Dam to evacuate, including low-lying levels of Oroville, after an emergency spillway severely eroded. (Fox News) International relations North Korea and weapons of mass destruction North Korea test fires a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan. (BBC) Politics and elections Swiss referendums, 2017 Voters in Switzerland approve a referendum that makes it easier for third-generation immigrants to become citizens. (BBC) (Reuters) 2017 Turkmenistani presidential election Voters in Turkmenistan go to the polls for an election, with current president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow expected to win another term. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) 2017 German presidential election Former Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is elected President of Germany. (The Guardian) Current events of February 13, 2017 (2017-02-13) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in North-West Pakistan 2017 Lahore suicide bombing At least 13 people, including six police officers, are killed and 85 are injured after a bomb explodes at a protest rally in Lahore, Punjab. The Pakistani Taliban splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claims responsibility. (Dawn) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) According to a United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan inquiry, 18 civilians in Helmand Province were killed in coalition air raids last Thursday and Friday, with locals and Afghan officials claiming that the death toll is higher. (Al Jazeera) Disasters and accidents 2017 Oroville Dam crisis Thousands of people are urged to evacuate in and around the vicinity of Yuba City due to the impending failure of an emergency spillway at Oroville Dam in Northern California. 188,000 people were reported to be evacuated. (CNN) (The Washington Post) At least four skiers are killed in an avalanche at the Tignes resort in France. (The Guardian) At least 34 people are killed after a tour bus, carrying mostly local elderly tourists, overturns on a freeway in Taipei, Taiwan. (Focus Taiwan) (BBC) The U.S. Coast Guard continues to search for the missing F/V Destination, a Seattle-based fishing vessel operating near St. George, Alaska, with a six-member crew. The Coast Guard has discovered a debris field, but no sign of the crew. (KTUU-TV) Law and crime A warrant of arrest is to be served on Philippines opposition leader and senator Leila de Lima. (CNN) Politics and elections The Islamabad High Court indefinitely bans the celebration of Valentine's Day in Pakistan. (CNN) Michael T. Flynn resigns as National Security Advisor following controversy over his alleged contacts with Russian officials. Retired United States Army general Keith Kellogg subsequently becomes acting National Security Advisor until a permanent replacement is appointed. (Reuters) Kim Jong-nam, eldest son of Kim Jong-il, is assassinated in Malaysia after two unidentified women reportedly poisoned him at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. (FOX News) Cabinet of Donald Trump The United States Senate, in a 53–47 vote, confirms Steven Mnuchin to be Treasury Secretary. (NBC News) Current events of February 14, 2017 (2017-02-14) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War, Idlib Governorate clashes (2017) Rival fighters between Tahrir al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa clash in Syria's northern Idlib Governorate, killing "dozens" according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (BBC) Kashmir conflict At least three Pakistan Army soldiers are killed by the Indian Army, while separate clashes kill three Indian Army soldiers and one suspected militant, at the Line of Control. (Al Jazeera) Kasaï-Central clashes (2016–present) According to the United Nations, the Congolese military has killed at least 101 people, including over 30 women, in the last five days while fighting Kamwina Nsapu rebels in Kasaï-Central. (Al Jazeera) Business and economics Cigna announces that it has terminated its merger with Anthem, a deal that was blocked by a U.S. federal judge last week. In addition, Cigna sues Anthem for the $1.85 billion reverse termination fee, and for more than $13 billion in additional damages. Anthem says Cigna has no right to terminate the merger, a deal which in January was extended to April 30, 2017. (Bloomberg) (CNBC) Aetna and Humana terminate their proposed merger that had been blocked last month by a U.S. federal judge. Aetna announces it will pay Humana the $1 billion fee for calling off the agreement. (Forbes) (NPR) International relations United States–Venezuela relations The United States sanctions Vice President of Venezuela Tareck El Aissami for allegedly "playing a significant role in international narcotics trafficking". The sanctions freeze his assets in the U.S. and bar him from entering the country. (BBC) Foreign relations of the Gambia British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, during a visit to the Gambia, announces that the West African nation is to rejoin the Commonwealth of Nations following talks with Gambian President Adama Barrow. The Gambia withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2013 under Yahya Jammeh, who considered it a "neo-colonial institution". (Sky News) Law and crime Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present) / 2016–17 Turkish purges Turkish police arrest over 800 people with alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). (Al Jazeera) Two radio journalists are shot dead and a co-worker injured in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, while presenting the show "Milenio Caliente" on Facebook Live. Three people were arrested. (BBC) (CNN) Politics and elections Joseph Clancy, Director of the United States Secret Service, announces his retirement effective March 4. (USA Today) Science and technology The United Arab Emirates announces at the World Government Summit that its planned passenger drone will begin operations in July. (BBC) Current events of February 15, 2017 (2017-02-15) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in North-West Pakistan Two separate bombings take place in Pakistan, killing at least seven people. A suicide bomber kills five people at the administrative headquarters in the Mohmand Agency tribal district while the other kills two people at a hospital in Peshawar. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claims responsibility for the first attack. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) A suicide bomber detonates a pick-up truck full of explosives at a busy street in northern Baghdad, killing at least nine people. (Al Jazeera) Arts and culture Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Twenty-one organizers for the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev, Ukraine, resign en masse after claiming they were completely blocked from making decisions about the show. Despite the setback, the European Broadcasting Union insists that the event must go on. (BBC) At the Indigenous Peoples Forum in Rome, Italy, Pope Francis says that developmental needs have to be reconciled with the protection of the particular characteristics of indigenous peoples and their territories. This is taken by some as a reference to the Standing Rock Sioux and other groups opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents At least eight homes are destroyed as a wildfire rages out of control in the Port Hills, in the southern outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand. A pilot died when his helicopter crashed while fighting the fire. (Stuff) (The New Zealand Herald) Law and crime Censorship in Venezuela Venezuela bans CNN en Español, CNN's 24-hour Spanish language television channel, after accusing it of spreading propaganda. (BBC) Politics and elections Formation of Donald Trump's cabinet Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, withdraws from consideration to be Secretary of Labor in President Donald Trump's cabinet. (NBC News) Science and technology The Indian Space Research Organisation launches a record 104 satellites in single mission. (BBC) Current events of February 16, 2017 (2017-02-16) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2017 Sehwan suicide bombing At least 70 people are killed and more than 150 injured in suicide bombing at Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Shrine in Sehwan, Sindh, Pakistan; 50 of the injured are in critical condition, medical emergency has been declared in the hospitals of Hyderabad, Dadu and Jamshoro. (Dawn News), (The News) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) A car bomb explodes in a Shi'ite neighbourhood in Baghdad, killing at least 48 people. ISIL claimed responsibility for the bombing. (BBC) 2016–17 Rohingya persecution in Myanmar According to Myanmar's military, it has ended its "clearance operation" against the country's Rohingya minority in Rakhine State, which the United Nations says may amount to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. (The Guardian) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) An air raid on a funeral in a village north of Sana'a kills at least eight women and children. The Houthis blames the Saudi-led coalition for the attack. (Al Jazeera) Law and crime Venezuelan protests Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice upholds the 13-year, 9-month-plus prison term of Popular Will party founder Leopoldo López for inciting violence, via "subliminal messages," at the 2014 anti-government protests where 43 people were killed. Yesterday, United States President Donald Trump met with López's wife, Lilian Tintori, and called on Venezuela to release López immediately. (Latin American Herald Tribune) (Reuters) (Heavy.com) Legal challenges to U.S. immigration suspension order The U.S. Justice Department tells the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that it won't be seeking further action by the court since this executive order will soon be replaced by a different one. Justice added they expect the Ninth Circuit ruling will be vacated once the new executive order is issued. (NBC News) Politics and elections Philippine presidential election, 2016 The Supreme Court of the Philippines allows the electoral protest of defeated candidate Bongbong Marcos against Philippine vice president Leni Robredo to continue. (Reuters via U.S. News and World Report) United Nations officials announce the creation of a new team in Geneva to investigate possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide during the Syrian Civil War in order to prepare for future prosecutions of those responsible. (The Guardian) Formation of Donald Trump's cabinet U.S. President Donald Trump names Florida International University College of Law Dean and former National Labor Relations Board member Alexander Acosta to be Secretary of Labor. The President's initial nominee, Andy Puzder, withdrew his nomination yesterday. (Politico) (CNN) (NPR) Political appointments of Donald Trump The U.S. Senate confirms, 51-49, Congressman Mick Mulvaney to head the Office of Management and Budget. (The Washington Post) U.S. immigration suspension, Day Without Immigrants Hundreds of restaurants and other businesses in U.S. cities close their doors after activists called on immigrants to stay home from work, avoid shopping or eating out, and skip classes Thursday for #ADayWithoutImmigrants, to protest the President's immigration reforms and highlight the immigrant community's contributions to the United States. (Reuters) (The Atlantic) (The Philadelphia Inquirer) (Los Angeles Times) Current events of February 17, 2017 (2017-02-17) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Boko Haram insurgency Up to seven suicide bombers blow themselves up after failing in an attempt to attack a camp for displaced people near Maiduguri, Nigeria. (Al Jazeera) War in North-West Pakistan In response to yesterday's bombing at the Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar that killed 88 people, the Pakistan Army claims to have killed more than 100 terrorists and arrested many others. (Al Jazeera) Arts and culture Mark Zuckerberg publishes a new mission statement for his website, Facebook, including the development of artificial intelligence to identify potential tragic events such as suicides before they occur. (Forbes) (The Guardian) Business and economics British-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever rejects a US$143 billion takeover from Kraft Heinz, saying the deal had no financial or strategic merit. Nevertheless, Kraft is still interested in finding agreement; it has until March 17 to make a final bid under UK takeover rules. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents Cyclone Dineo kills seven and destroys twenty-thousand homes in Mozambique. (Newsweek) Severe storms in southern California prompt flash flood warnings over most of southern and central California, toppling trees and power lines, and delaying over 300 flights from Los Angeles International Airport. Since the largest El Nino of 1997-98 and 2009-10.(ABC) Health Authorities in the state of Pennsylvania discover the Seoul virus, a member of the Hantavirus family, in a contained scientific breeding-facility for rats. (CBS) International relations European migrant crisis Nearly five hundred African migrants swarm the border of Spain from Morocco. (CNN) Law and crime Princess Cristina of Spain is acquitted of fraud but her husband is convicted. (The New York Times) Politics and elections Leila de Lima, senator and critic of the Philippine Drug War, is charged by Philippines justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II of alleged drug-related crimes. (BBC) Political appointments of Donald Trump With a 52–46 vote, the U.S. Senate confirms Attorney General of Oklahoma Scott Pruitt as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Breaking with party lines, Republican Susan Collins opposed the nomination, while Democrats Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Manchin supported Pruitt, who has been described as a climate change denier with a history of criticizing the agency he now leads. (CNBC) Science and technology Zealandia comes closer to being recognized as a continent. (BBC), (The Guardian) Current events of February 18, 2017 (2017-02-18) (Saturday) Disasters and accidents 2017 Leuven derailment One person is killed and 20 are injured when a passenger train derails near Leuven, Belgium. (Sky News) A bus traveling to Chile overturns in Argentina's Mendoza Province, killing at least 19 people. (Reuters) International relations China–North Korea relations, North Korea and weapons of mass destruction China's Ministry of Commerce suspends all coal imports from North Korea until the end of 2017, as part of international sanctions against North Korea over its ballistic missile program. (The Washington Post) War in Donbass At the Munich Security Conference, a truce between Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian army, per the Minsk Protocol, takes effect Monday. Pending a permanent political agreement, Russian President Vladimir Putin orders that civil registration documents issued in separatist-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine be temporarily recognized. Ukrainian authorities say this violates provisions in the Minsk agreement. This is the third such agreement because the previous two in 2014 and 2015 were violated. Low-level fighting and artillery fire never fully stopped. (Al Jazeera) (CNN) Law and crime According to the United Nations, as many as 96 families have been displaced by criminal gangs who are filling the vacuum left by FARC rebels in Colombia after the latter signed a peace deal with the government last year. (BBC) Omar Abdel-Rahman, convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, dies in his federal prison cell in Butner, North Carolina. (CNN) Politics and elections As many as fifty thousand people gather in Manila for a march organized by the Philippine Catholic Church to protest the Philippine Drug War. (International Business Times), (Fox News) Adama Barrow is officially sworn in as the Gambia's new President. (BBC) Science and technology SpaceX CRS-10 SpaceX delays the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida due to a technical issue. The Falcon 9 will resupply the International Space Station. (CNBC) Sports Iran defeats the United States to take the gold medal in freestyle wrestling's World Cup. (Financial Tribune) (Time) (Flowrestling) Current events of February 19, 2017 (2017-02-19) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War, Battle of Mosul Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says U.S.-backed Iraqi forces have launched an operation to regain control of western Mosul from ISIL militants. The United Nations says humanitarian agencies are setting up in these older sections of the city where, already, food and fuel supplies are dwindling, running water is scarce, and electricity in many neighborhoods is unreliable for the estimated 800,000 civilians. (CNN) (BBC) (UN-OCHA) Somali Civil War (2009–present) A car bomb explodes in the Wadajir District of Mogadishu, killing at least 20 people and injuring 50 more. (Al Jazeera) An explosion kills one and injures at least 30 people, mostly police officers preparing for the weekly anti-bullfighting protests in Bogotá, Colombia. Bullfighting resumed last month after a four-year lull, per a Supreme Court order. Responsibility has not been determined. (Reuters) (BBC) (i24news) War in North-West Pakistan An overnight Pakistani counter-terrorism raid kills five members of the banned Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which has claimed responsibility for recent deadly terrorist attacks. Four militants escaped. (AP) Business and economics Kraft Heinz drops its bid to buy Unilever for US$143 billion. Unilever rejected the idea last Friday but Kraft Heinz still expressed interest in finding an agreement. (BBC) Disasters and accidents 2017 Afghanistan avalanches At least 25 people are killed by snowstorms and avalanches in northern Afghanistan as heavy snow continues to hit the country. (Al Jazeera) International relations Mongolia's economy An agreement is reached between Mongolian government representatives and the International Monetary Fund and other international partners on a three-year, $5.5 billion economic stabilization package. (Reuters) (IMF) Politics and elections Ecuadorian general election, 2017 Voters head to the polls to select the National Assembly and a new president with former vice-president Lenín Moreno facing off against former bank president Guillermo Lasso, and six other opposition candidates. There will be an April 2 runoff unless the leader receives 40 percent of the votes and is at least 10 percentage points ahead of the others. In addition, there's a tax haven referendum. (Reuters) South Sudanese Civil War Two top level officials overseeing South Sudan's military courts resign from their posts, accusing the government of interfering in the court's moves to discipline soldiers accused of rape and murder. The resignations come less than a week after a military general and the Minister of Labour resigned in protest of President Salva Kiir Mayardit's alleged approval of atrocities against civilians not belonging to the Dinka group. (Al Jazeera) 2017 Belarusian protests Demonstrations spread to the second city of Belarus—Gomel—where 2,000 march against a 2015 tax law. (Reuters) Science and technology SpaceX CRS-10 SpaceX successfully launches a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, placing a Dragon spacecraft in orbit and recovering the launcher's first stage. The spacecraft will resupply the International Space Station.(NPR) Sports 2017 Asian Winter Games The week-long 2017 Asian Winter Games open at Sapporo Dome in Japan with more than 2,000 athletes from 31 countries, including North Korea, participating. (AP) Current events of February 20, 2017 (2017-02-20) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Gunmen attack a Vietnamese vessel near Tawi-Tawi, Philippines, killing at least one sailor and abducting seven others, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. Abu Sayyaf militants are suspected of being behind the attack. (Reuters) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) At least 11 people, all belonging to the same family, are killed in a grenade attack on their home in Laghman Province, according to provincial officials. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Libyan Civil War (2014–present) A motorcade carrying prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord, is attacked by unidentified gunmen in Tripoli. There were no injuries reported. (Al Jazeera) Syrian Civil War The ISIL-affiliated Syrian opposition group Jaysh Khaled bin Waleed overwhelms Tahrir al-Sham and Southern Front militants, capturing the towns of Tasil and Saham al-Jawlan, along with two other villages and a hill in Daraa Governorate. (Al Masdar News)(Reuters) Arts and culture British journalist Milo Yiannopoulos's invitation to speak at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference is rescinded, and publication of his book Dangerous by Simon & Schuster is cancelled after a video is posted allegedly containing statements of his condoning sexual relations with boys as young as thirteen. (New York Times via MSN) Business and economy Seattle-based Amazon.com says it will create 15,000 new full-time jobs across Europe by the end of 2017, increasing its European workforce by approximately 30 percent. (AndroidHeadlines.com) (Euronews) Disasters and accidents 2017 South Sudan famine The World Food Programme (WFP) and other United Nations agencies declare that there is a famine in parts of Unity State, South Sudan, with 100,000 facing starvation and another million on the brink of famine. (The Guardian) (Al Jazeera) Severe storms, from the weather system that hit Southern California Friday, reach southwest Texas injuring several people and damaging at least 100 homes with one confirmed tornado in San Antonio. Heavy rains continue today with flash floods likely as the storm moves to eastern Texas and southern Louisiana. (USA Today) (Weather Channel) International relations Malaysia–North Korea relations, Death of Kim Jong-nam Malaysia recalls its ambassador from North Korea amid an ongoing dispute over the alleged assassination of Kim Jong-nam by North Korean agents in the country. (BBC) According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the global transfer of weapons between 2012 and 2016 has been higher than any other five-year period since the end of the Cold War, with the Middle East increasing its weapon imports by 212%, second only to India, who accounted for 13% of the world's imports. (The Guardian) Montenegro–Russia relations A Montenegrin prosecutor accuses Russian authorities of being involved in the October 2016 coup plot in order to halt Montenegro's accession to NATO. Russian officials dismiss the allegations as "absurd." (The Guardian) Law and crime Antisemitism in the United States The Ronald Gardenswartz Jewish Community Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico is evacuated for the second time this year following a bomb threat, after a wave of threats against Jewish institutions in the United States. (Albuquerque Journal) Politics and elections Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin dies suddenly in New York City. He would have turned 65 on Tuesday. (Reuters) (New York Daily News) Formation of Donald Trump's cabinet President Donald Trump names United States Army Lt. General H. R. McMaster as National Security Advisor and says that U.S. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who has been the acting NSA, will remain as the NSC's Chief of Staff. (Fox News) Current events of February 21, 2017 (2017-02-21) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in North-West Pakistan Multiple suicide bombers kill at least six people near a district court in Charsadda. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack. (Al Jazeera) Arts and culture British journalist Milo Yiannopoulos resigns from his post as technology editor at Breitbart news, after controversy around his statements regarding underage sex. (BBC) Business and economy Verizon Communications agrees to buy the core business at Yahoo Inc. for $4.48 billion. Completion of this July 2016 deal had been delayed because of two data breaches Yahoo disclosed last year. (Reuters) Restaurant Brands International The parent company of Burger King announces plans to purchase Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, operator of the Popeyes chicken restaurant chain in a US$1.8 billion deal. (USA Today) Disasters and accidents 2017 Essendon Airport Beechcraft King Air crash A charter plane crashes into a Direct Factory Outlets shopping centre in Melbourne, Australia, shortly after taking off from Essendon Airport, killing the five people on board. (ABC News Australia) Flooding occurs across parts of Indonesia, including the capital Jakarta, due to torrential downpours over the last few days. Thousands of homes have been flooded and schools were forced to close. However, there are no reports of injuries yet. (Al Jazeera) Health More than 4.9 million people in South Sudan are in need of aid due to a famine. (CNN) International relations France–Lebanon relations French National Front presidential candidate Marine Le Pen leaves before her scheduled meeting in Beirut with Lebanon's top Sunni Muslim religious leader, Grand Mufti Abdellatif Deryan, following her refusal to accept the offered headscarf to cover her hair. Le Pen's aides had been informed earlier about the traditional, religious need for a headscarf for this meeting. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera) Law and crime 2017 Rinkeby riots After Swedish police arrest a suspect on drug-related charges, rioting occurs in Rinkeby, a suburb of the Swedish capital Stockholm. (AP via CNBC) An Austrian court grants a United States request to extradite Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash. U.S. officials accuse Firtash of being involved in a scandal where he allegedly paid US$18.5 million in bribes for a permit to mine titanium in India, something Firtash denies. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Hebron shooting incident Following last month's manslaughter conviction, Israeli soldier Elor Azaria is sentenced to 18 months in prison by a military court for, during a violent incident, his deadly shooting of the wounded, unarmed, prone Palestinian Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, who had stabbed a soldier last March in Hebron. (CBS News) United States immigration ban The Trump administration releases a new memo that sets the policy for the deportation of undocumented migrants accused of any crime. (NBC News) Politics and elections Azerbaijani First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, who is widely considered to be in line to succeed her husband, is named vice president. (BNO News) Nagorno-Karabakh constitutional referendum, 2017 In a referendum held yesterday in the breakaway state of Nagorno-Karabakh (a region long claimed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia), 87.6% of voters approve changing the country's governance system from semi-presidential to full presidential, therefore abolishing the position of prime minister. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Ecuadorian general election, 2017 A runoff presidential election, between former vice-president Lenín Moreno and former bank president Guillermo Lasso, is scheduled for Sunday, April 2 since no candidate gained at least 40 percent of the vote in Sunday's poll. With 95.3 percent of votes counted, Moreno received 39.21 percent of valid votes and Lasso had 28.34 percent. (Reuters) Science and technology Several new species of tiny frogs are discovered in India. (CBS News) Current events of February 22, 2017 (2017-02-22) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War, Raqqa offensive U.S.-backed SDF forces on two fronts meet up northeast of Raqqa, encircling a pocket of villages still held by ISIS. (Rudaw) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) A Houthi missile attack on a Yemeni military camp near the port city of Mocha kills Major General Ahmed Saif al-Yafei, Yemen's deputy chief of staff, and several others. (Reuters) Arts and culture Amnesty International releases a report criticizing the rise of populist leaders such as Donald Trump of the United States, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey. (The Washington Post) Headscarf rights in Turkey The Turkish government lifts the ban prohibiting female army officers from wearing a Hijab. The military is the last Turkish institution to end the ban. (BBC) International relations 2017 Mexico–United States diplomatic crisis Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray Caso rejects and condemns the United States's new plan on deporting undocumented immigrants, stating that Mexico cannot "accept unilateral decisions imposed by one government on another." (BBC) Law and crime South Africa's North Gauteng High Court rules the government's decision last October to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was unconstitutional, and instructs the government to revoke its notice of withdrawal. (AP), (NPR) Former Chief Executive of Hong Kong Donald Tsang is sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption, becoming the highest officeholder in Hong Kong's history to be convicted. (BBC) 2017 Olathe, Kansas shooting In an apparent hate crime, an Indian engineer is shot dead and another injured in Olathe, Kansas. (The New York Times) Politics and elections Transgender rights in the United States The Trump administration revokes Obama-era orders on protection of gender identity under Title IX. (BBC) (CNN) French presidential election, 2017 François Bayrou drops out in an effort to boost Emmanuel Macron. (The Guardian) Science and technology NASA and the European Southern Observatory announce the discovery of four new Earth-like planets in the Goldilocks zone of the star TRAPPIST-1, in addition to the three discovered there last year. (The Atlantic), (NBC News) Sports Eastern Sports Club's manager Chan Yuen-ting becomes the first woman to coach a male football club in a top-flight continental competition with managing team against Guangzhou Evergrande in the AFC Champions League. (Sky Sports) 2024 Summer Olympics Budapest withdraws its bid, leaving Paris and Los Angeles as the two candidate cities for hosting the 2024 competition. (Reuters) Current events of February 23, 2017 (2017-02-23) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in North-West Pakistan At least six people are killed in a bomb blast in the Pakistani city of Lahore. (BBC) Battle of Mosul (2016–17) Iraqi Police forces enter the Mosul International Airport and capture the runway from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. (Associated Press) Arts and culture American-born panda Bao Bao arrives in China. (The Washington Post) Business and economy Dakota Access Pipeline protests The protestors in the area of the Dakota Access Pipeline are evicted, clearing the way for the oil pipeline through Canada and the United States to be built. (The New York Times) Disasters and accidents 2016–17 UK and Ireland windstorm season The Met Office issues travel warnings for parts of Wales, Scotland and England as Storm Doris, described as a “weather bomb”, brings gales, heavy rain and snow to the United Kingdom. At least one person is killed. (The Guardian) (The Independent) Law and crime A Philippine court orders the arrest of Duterte critic and Liberal senator Leila de Lima. She later voluntarily turned herself in the next day (Al Jazeera), (PDI) Politics and elections United Kingdom by-elections Labour's Gareth Snell holds off UKIP's leader Paul Nuttall to win the Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election, while Conservative Party candidate Trudy Harrison wins the Copeland by-election, the first gain for a governing party since 1982. (BBC) French presidential election, 2017 Yannick Jadot drops out in an effort to boost Benoît Hamon. (Deutsche Welle) Sports The Alaska Aces ice hockey team announce that the 2016–17 ECHL season will be the team's last after 28 seasons of play, following a downturn in the Alaskan economy and sagging ticket sales.(The Hamilton Spectator) Current events of February 24, 2017 (2017-02-24) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War, Battle of al-Bab The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army captures Al-Bab from ISIL after months of fighting. (The Washington Post) A car bomb explodes in the Syrian village of Sousian, north of al-Bab, killing at least 60 people. (Time), (BBC), (AP) Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War The Iraqi Air Force strikes ISIL targets inside Syria for the first time in response to recent bombings in Baghdad. (RT) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) At least eight Yemeni soldiers are killed in a suicide bombing at a military camp in Zinjibar. (Al Jazeera) Business and economy Retail chain JC Penney announces plans to close between 130 and 140 stores, as well as 2 distribution centers, amid sagging store sales. (CNBC) International relations The Guatemalan army blockades a ship from the Dutch NGO Women on Waves that provides material for abortions. (BBC) Israel denies entry to Omar Shakir, a researcher for Human Rights Watch and an American citizen, because the organization engages in so-called Palestinian propaganda. HRW's Sari Bashi said, "This Israeli government has been narrowing the space for democratic activity," by closing the country off to critics. Later, the Israel government would grant Mr. Shakir a tourist visa while considering HRW's appeal on the work visa. (CNN) (The New York Times) 2017 Mexico–United States diplomatic crisis Mexico states that it will reject third-country deportees. (ABC News) A report alleges that the German BND has been spying on journalists in Afghanistan. (BBC) Law and crime Death of Kim Jong-nam Malaysian police claim that Kim Jong-nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was killed by VX nerve agent, a toxin used almost exclusively for chemical warfare. (The New York Times) Presidency of Donald Trump The Trump administration signals that it plans a crackdown on U.S states that legalize the use of cannabis. (Los Angeles Times) The Justice Department plans to expand the use of private prisons. (The Washington Post) Protesters in South Africa rally against immigration. (France24) Politics and elections Philippine vice president Leni Robredo defends her fellow Liberal party-mate Leila de Lima who was arrested for alleged drug trafficking. Robredo calls de Lima's arrest political harassment. (PDI) Presidency of Donald Trump The Trump White House bars The New York Times, CNN, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Daily News, The Hill, the Daily Mail, BBC, Politico, and BuzzFeed from a Friday press "gaggle." Generally conservative, mostly new, outlets were permitted entry, such as Breitbart News, One America News Network, and The Washington Times. Also allowed in were ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, and Fox News. Time magazine and the Associated Press could have attended but chose not to in protest. The White House Correspondents’ Association, which represents the press corps, quickly rebuked the White House’s actions. (AP) (Reuters) (NBC News) (The New York Times) (The Hill via MSN.Com) Current events of February 25, 2017 (2017-02-25) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that militants attacked two Syrian Armed Forces bases in Homs, killing at least 42 people, including a senior intelligence officer. (Reuters via Jerusalem Post), (SBS) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) According to officials, at least 11 people, mostly police officers, are killed outside a mosque in Jowzjan Province in an ambush by militants. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) Shifa Gardi, a prominent female reporter for Rudaw Media Network, is killed by a roadside bomb while reporting on the battle for Mosul. (BBC) Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Clashes erupt between Nagorno-Karabakh separatists and Azerbaijani forces in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense confirmed casualties on its side while the separatist forces claim to have no casualties. Both sides blame each other for the flareup in fighting. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) International relations France–United States relations French President François Hollande reproaches U.S. President Donald Trump for his disparaging comments about Paris at Friday's Conservative Political Action Conference, noting that allies should have more respect and support for each other. (Reuters) (The New York Times) Law and crime German police shoot a man, who was trying to escape after apparently driving into a group of pedestrians in a central square in Heidelberg. A 73-year-old man was killed and two other people injured. Police do not believe terrorism is involved. (BBC) (Deutsche Welle) (Reuters) A suspected drunken driver plows his car into a crowd watching the Krewe of Endymion parade at the New Orleans Mardi Gras. Dozens are injured, with 28 people, including a child and a police officer, taken to seven hospitals, five in critical condition. (AP) (New Orleans Times-Picayune) (AP via ABC News) Politics and elections An act to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act A leaked memo from House Republicans reveals cutting provisions from Obamacare such as Medicaid expansions and subsidies for health insurance. (CNBC) Democratic National Committee chairmanship election, 2017 Voting takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, to elect a new Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Candidates include Sally Boynton Brown, Keith Ellison, Jehmu Greene and former United States Secretary of Labor Tom Perez. (CNN) In a second round of voting, Tom Perez is elected Chair of the DNC with 235 votes. Perez names Congressman Keith Ellison Deputy Party Chair. (NBC News) (The Washington Post) Presidency of Donald Trump Donald Trump announces he will not attend the 2017 White House Correspondents' Dinner, following recent friction between his administration and various news organizations. (BBC News) Current events of February 26, 2017 (2017-02-26) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War The Syrian Army recaptures the strategic town of Tadef from ISIL, south of al-Bab, securing key transportation routes in eastern Aleppo Governorate. (Xinhuanet) A Sabal Trail Transmission Pipeline protester who was seen firing a high powered rifle at the pipeline construction site in Florida was chased by police until his car crashed. The suspect was shot and killed by a deputy after he tried to engage police in a gunfight (CBS News) Arts and culture 89th Academy Awards The 89th Academy Awards are held in Los Angeles, California. (ABC) Moonlight wins Best Picture, moments after La La Land was mistakenly announced as the winner. It also won Best Adapted Screenplay. (ABC News Australia), (ABC) Mahershala Ali wins the Best Supporting Actor for his role in Moonlight. He is the first Muslim American to win the award. (The Guardian) La La Land 's director Damien Chazelle wins the Oscar for Best Director and Emma Stone wins the Best Actress. (The Guardian) Casey Affleck wins the Best Actor for his role in Manchester by the Sea, which also won Best Original Screenplay. (ABC) Viola Davis wins the Best Supporting Actress for her role in Fences. (ABC) The Salesman directed by Asghar Farhadi won Best Foreign Language Film. Farhadi and other film crew did not attend the ceremony in protest of Donald Trump's visa ban. First Iranian in space Anousheh Ansari and scienist Firouz Naderi attended in place of Farhadi. (The Guardian) O.J.: Made in America wins the Best Documentary Feature. (ABC) The Netflix "documentary" The White Helmets, a film about the Syrian Civil War, wins the Best Documentary Short.The cinematographer Khaled Khatib who is himself a member of the rebel-aligned group couldn't attend the ceremony because officials from the Department of Homeland Security discovered "derogatory information" about him.(Vox) Zootopia wins the Best Animated Feature. (ABC) Disasters and accidents Millions of residents in the Chilean capital Santiago are left without access to running water after the Maipo River is contaminated by flooding and landslides. At least four people have died in the floods. (BBC) 16 people dead in northern India after a truck carrying villagers to church overturned on a mountain road. (DW) Politics and elections Tens of thousands of people march through Moscow, Russia, to commemorate the two-year anniversary of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov's assassination. (The Guardian) (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Political appointments of Donald Trump Philip Bilden, nominee for Secretary of the Navy, withdraws his name from consideration. Mr. Bilden says his business interests created complications. (CNN) Sport 2017 EFL Cup Final Manchester United beat Southampton 3–2 at Wembley Stadium to win the 2016–17 EFL Cup. (BBC) 2017 Daytona 500 Kurt Busch wins his first Daytona 500, in the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event to contain stages within the race. (Orlando Sentinel) Current events of February 27, 2017 (2017-02-27) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Moro conflict The Abu Sayyaf militant group beheads their German hostage Jurgen Kantner in Indanan, Philippines. (The Straits Times) Communist rebellion in the Philippines A total of 21 combatants die in a three-week offensive by the government against the Communist Party of the Philippines. (Rappler) Syrian Civil War The Syrian Government's Tiger Forces reaches the front lines with the Syrian Democratic Forces south of Manbij after capturing territory from ISIL, east of al-Bab. (Syrian Live Map) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) According to the Afghan Interior Ministry, Mullah Abdul Salam Akhund, a senior Taliban commander, is killed in a U.S. airstrike in Kunduz Province. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Somali Civil War (2009–present) A car bomb explodes near a checkpoint outside Mogadishu, wounding at least four Somali soldiers. (Al Jazeera) International relations Armenia–European Union relations Armenia and the European Union agree on a new pact to boost ties between the two. It is expected to be signed later this year. This comes after Armenia rejected an Association Agreement in 2013. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Politics and elections The Liberal Party of the Philippines, the party of vice president Leni Robredo and detained senator Leila de Lima, formally becomes the opposition after its members and its ally from the Akbayan party are ousted from key positions in the Senate. (Rappler) Science and technology SpaceX announces that it will take two space tourists on an orbit of the Moon in 2018. (CNBC) Current events of February 28, 2017 (2017-02-28) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Twelve Afghan National Police officers are killed in a Taliban "infiltration attack" in the southern Helmand Province. (BBC) Gaza–Israel conflict At least four Palestinians are injured following Israeli air strikes in Gaza that were reportedly in response to rockets launched into southern Israel by Hamas. (RT) Business and economics The Hershey Company announces it will cut about 15 percent of its global workforce (~2,700 jobs) to return its international businesses to profitability as quickly as possible. The layoffs will have a greater impact on the international workforce. (CNN) Disasters and accidents A small plane crashes in a residential area of Riverside, California, killing at least three people, all of whom were passengers on the plane. No one on the ground was injured. (BBC) A police sniper accidentally fires his weapon while changing position and injures two people during a speech by French President François Hollande in Villognon. (BBC) Twelve people are injured, four critically, after an SUV hits the Gulf Shores High School Band during the Gulf Shores, Alabama, Mardi Gras parade. The vehicle, in the parade behind the band, accelerated when the 73-year-old driver's foot slipped off the brake pedal onto the gas. (RT) (CNN) (WPMI-TV) Law and crime 2016–17 Turkish purges About 330 people with alleged links to last year's coup attempt stand trial at a prison outside Ankara on charges of murder and attempting to overthrow the government, the largest trial to date. (Al Jazeera) German police storm a refugee center in Hamburg after a knife-wielding man barricades himself in a room with a pregnant woman believed to be his partner. The man was injured before he was arrested. (RT) Hundreds of right-wing activists gather to protest the court-ordered demolition of the Israeli settlement Ofra, which was built on private Palestinian land in the West Bank. Israeli police are evacuating nine homes in the settlement, despite hunger strikes and people barricading themselves inside. (RT) The Royal Thai Government has fired Police General Jumpol Manmai for "extremely evil" misconduct and political interests which threatened national security. (Reuters) Politics and elections Presidency of Donald Trump The Trump administration plans to increase the budget of the United States Armed Forces by more than 9%. (Reuters)

February 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  Ongoing events Disasters European cold wave UK and Ireland windstorm season Law Philippine Drug War Kidnapping and killing of Jee Ick-Joo Political European migrant crisis (timeline) Romanian protests South China Sea disputes United States immigration ban More details on ongoing conflicts below Sport 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2016–17 Bundesliga 2016–17 La Liga 2016–17 NBA season 2016–17 NHL season 2016–17 PBA season 2016–17 Premier League 2016–17 Serie A 2016–17 EuroLeague 2016–17 EuroLeague Women 2017 Pakistan Super League 2017 Asian Winter Games  Recent deaths February 2017 26: Gerald Kaufman 26: Joseph Wapner 25: Neil Fingleton 25: Bill Paxton 25: Elli Norkett 23: Alan Colmes 23: Bernie Custis 23: David Waddington 22: Ed Garvey 21: Kenneth Arrow 21: Jeanne Martin Cissé 21: Desmond Connell 21: Ion Croitoru 20: Vitaly Churkin 20: Mildred Dresselhaus 19: Charismatic 19: Larry Coryell 19: Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe 18: Omar Abdel-Rahman 18: Norma McCorvey 18: Clyde Stubblefield 18: Daniel Vickerman 17: Warren Frost 17: Robert Michel 17: Michael Novak 17: George Steele 16: Dick Bruna 16: Jannis Kounellis 15: Stuart McLean 13: Ricardo Arias Calderón 13: Kim Jong-nam 12: Al Jarreau 12: Sione Lauaki 11: Chavo Guerrero Sr. 10: Mike Ilitch 10: Hal Moore 9: Packy 8: Tara Palmer-Tomkinson 8: Tom Raworth 8: Hans Rosling 7: Svend Asmussen 7: Richard Hatch 7: Alec McCowen 7: Raymond Smullyan 6: Irwin Corey 6: Inge Keller 6: Joost van der Westhuizen 4: Basil Hetzel 4: Bano Qudsia 3: Gordon Aikman 2: Jeff Sauer 1: Desmond Carrington 1: Étienne Tshisekedi  Elections and referendums Recent February 5: Liechtenstein, Landtag 8: Somalia, President 12: Germany, President 12: Switzerland, Referendum 12: Turkmenistan, President 19: Ecuador, President, National Assembly, Referendum 20: Nagorno-Karabakh, Constitutional referendum 21: Marshall Islands, Constitutional Assembly Upcoming March 2: Northern Ireland, Assembly 7: Micronesia, Congress 15: Netherlands, House of Representatives 20: East Timor, President 26: Bulgaria, Parliament  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  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