Portal:Current events/January 2016

See also: January 2016 in sports

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January 2016 was the first month of that leap year. The month, which began on a Friday, ended on a Sunday after 31 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from January 2016.

January 1, 2016 (2016-01-01) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Israeli–Palestinian conflict A shooting takes place at a pub in Tel Aviv, Israel, leaving two dead and eight injured. The gunman managed to escape and possibly killed his accomplice, an Arab taxi driver, whose body was found nearby. The police identified the shooter as 30 year old muslim Nisa'at Melkham from Ar'ara and searched his home. (Haaretz) Arts and culture A new 28-foot tall statue of Jesus, dubbed "Jesus de Greatest," is unveiled on New Year's Day outside St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Abajah village, Nigeria's Imo state, which is described as the tallest Jesus statue in Africa. (USA Today) Disasters and accidents About one thousand houses in Manila's Tondo district in the Philippines are set ablaze following New Year's Eve firecracker festivities that left one dead and 380 others injured. (AP via CTV News) International relations The EU-Ukraine Free Trade deal officially comes into force, coinciding with a Russian food embargo on Ukraine. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Law and crime The two-child policy takes effect in China, allowing couples in the country to have at most two children, replacing the controversial one-child policy. The change in law was announced by the ruling Communist Party on October 29 and passed the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on December 27, five days prior to its effect. (AFP via Channel NewsAsia) Politics and elections Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, who has been the President of Iceland for 20 years, announces in his new-year speech that he will not seek reelection for a sixth term when presidential elections will be held in June. (Visir) January 2, 2016 (2016-01-02) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Terrorism in India 2016 Pathankot attack Heavily armed terrorists, reportedly members of Jaish-e-Mohammed, attack an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Punjab; three security force personnel and four of the terrorists are reported to have been killed. (DNA) Mexican Drug War, List of politicians killed in the Mexican Drug War Gisela Mota Ocampo, mayor of Temixco in Mexico's Morelos state is assassinated by gunmen at her home, less than a day after taking office. Morelos Governor, Graco Ramírez, attributed Mota's killing to organized crime, without citing a particular drug cartel or gang. (AP via Daily Mail) Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Armed militiamen, including members of the Bundy family of Nevada, take over and occupy the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon following a peaceful rally in support of Dwight and Steve Hammond, who were convicted of arson in 2012 for setting fires on public land adjacent to their property. (Oregon Live) Law and crime Sheikh Nimr, 2011–12 Saudi Arabian protests The Saudi Arabian government executes 47 people, including Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia Muslim cleric and leader of the anti-government Shia opposition group. His execution generated negative worldwide reactions from politicians, Muslim religious figures, and Shia people. (BBC) (The Nation) (Indian Express) (Reuters) Iranian protesters ransack and set fire to the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran, in response to the Saudi execution of Nimr al-Nimr. (The New York Times) January 3, 2016 (2016-01-03) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on an Iraqi Army base (Camp Speicher, now known as Tikrit Air Academy), near the town of Tikrit, north of Baghdad, that killed at least 15 and injured 22. (Reuters) Terrorism in India 2016 Pathankot attack Gunfire and loud explosions are heard at an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Punjab, as anti-terrorist operations continue. A further two militants, for a total of six, are reported to have been killed; seven military and paramilitary personnel are reported to have been killed, with up to 20 other security personnel wounded. (DNA) Disasters and accidents 2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season Fiji warns residents to prepare for the impact of severe tropical cyclone Ula. (AFP via France 24) In the United States, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo orders communities statewide to place homeless people in shelters when temperatures reach freezing. (The Washington Post) Environment The United Kingdom designates Ascension Island and its surrounding waters in the Atlantic Ocean as a Marine protected area. The reserve will be almost as big as the UK with just over half of the protected area completely closed to fishing. (BBC) International relations North Korea and weapons of mass destruction North Korea may be preparing for an imminent thermonuclear weapon test at its Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, located in the country's North Hamgyong Province where previous tests took place in 2006, 2009 and 2013, according to a South Korean military report. (Yonhap News Agency) Saudi Arabia breaks off diplomatic relations with Iran after Sheikh Nimr's execution and an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. (BBC) Law and crime Mexican Drug War Two suspects are killed in a clash with police, and three others are arrested in connection with yesterday's assassination of Temixco, Morelos's newly inaugurated mayor Gisela Mota Ocampo. Governor Graco Ramírez, who attributed Mota's killing to organized crime, calls for three days of mourning. (AP via ABC news) January 4, 2016 (2016-01-04) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) Two Sunni mosques are bombed in central Iraq and a muezzin is killed amid fears of renewals of sectarian strife following Saudi Arabia's execution of Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia. (AFP via Straits Times) Killing of captives by ISIL The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) releases a video showing the killing of five men accused of committing espionage on the militant group for the United Kingdom. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office released a statement saying that they are examining the content of the video. (AFP via ABS-CBN News) (CBS News) 2016 Pathankot attack Five of the terrorists who attacked an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Punjab are reported to have been killed; mopping-up and search operations continue. National Security Guard officials state the operations will continue until the air base is made safe. (Indian Express) Second Libyan Civil War The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's branch in Libya attacks the Libyan oil port of Sidra, which is Libya's largest oil depot. Two members of the Petrol Facilities Guard militia, which is defending Sidra, were reportedly killed in clashes. Islamic State militants were reportedly pushed back from the port, but the group now says it controls the town of Bin Jawad, 30km west of Sidra on the road from its stronghold in Sirte. (BBC) Business and economy 2015 Chinese stock market crash Trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange are suspended for the day after stock indices plummeted by 6.85% and 8.1% respectively. (CNBC) In the United States, the Dow Jones industrial average closes 275 points down due to concerns over the Chinese economy. (NBC News) Nokia, the telecommunications giant based in Finland, announces that it has gained control of French counterpart Alcatel-Lucent, and sets the date for formal consolidation as January 14. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents 2016 Northeast India earthquake At least six people are killed and dozens injured from a 6.7 magnitude earthquake that struck 20 miles from the city of Imphal, the capital of the Indian state of Manipur, near the border with Myanmar. (NBC News) (The Times of India) (Ap) (AFP via Yahoo! News) International relations Foreign relations of Iran Sudan and Bahrain follow Saudi Arabia's lead and cut diplomatic relations with Iran, and the United Arab Emirates downgrades diplomatic ties. (BBC) Saudi Arabia will end all air traffic and trade links with Iran, and demands that Iran must "act like a normal country" before it would restore severed diplomatic relations. (Reuters) Syria's political opposition in-exile urges all Arab countries to sever diplomatic ties with Iran. The Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition declared its support for Riyadh's move, calling on "all Arab and Islamic countries to take a similar step", and criticized what it said was Iran's support for Shia militias in Syria and Iraq. (Jerusalem Post) European migrant crisis In efforts to control an influx of migrants, Denmark introduces ten days of identity checks on its southern border with Germany, while Sweden introduces similar measures on the Øresund Bridge between itself and Denmark. All three countries are subject to the Schengen Agreement on the free movement of people. (BBC) Law and crime The President of the United States Barack Obama announces executive orders to expand background checks for firearms and toughen regulation of firearms. (The New York Times) New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany German police begin investigations into a gang of up to 1,000 men of North African and Arab appearance who committed sexual assaults on women in Cologne's main square on New Year's Eve. (AFP via The New York Times) Politics and elections Marshallese general election, 2015 Casten Nemra is elected President of the Marshall Islands by the Nitijela. Nemra narrowly defeated Alvin Jacklick by a 17-16 vote. (Marshall Islands Journal) Former "Peking University prodigy" Li Shulei is named the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the municipality of Beijing. (SCMP) Science and technology The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry confirms the addition of four new chemical elements to the periodic table after scientists from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, United States provided sufficient evidence to fill the elements 113, 115, 117 and 118, which were temporarily named ununtrium, ununpentium, ununseptium and ununoctium, respectively. (The Guardian) Sports In association football, La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid sack manager Rafael Benítez, replacing him with former Real and France great Zinedine Zidane. (ESPN FC) In American football, the National Football League receives relocation applications from the San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders to relocate to Los Angeles. (ESPN) January 5, 2016 (2016-01-05) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) A United States Army soldier is killed and two others wounded in a joint operation with Afghan National Security Forces in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province. (Washington Post) 2016 Kaliachak riots Violent riots break out in Kaliachak, West Bengal, India, after political activist Kamlesh Tiwari allegedly insulted the Muslim prophet Muhammad. (Times of India) Nimr al-Nimr One Shia protester is killed and a child is injured by Saudi police in Al-Awamiyah, Eastern Province. (FT) Second Libyan Civil War Islamic State militants continue to besiege the Libyan oil port of Sidra, attacking checkpoints on the road to the port, leaving seven guards dead. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) said an oil storage tank in the port was set on fire by a long-range rocket, and that the oil tank fire started just as firefighters were close to bringing under control another blaze at an oil tank that was hit during fighting in the nearby Ra's Lanuf Refinery on Monday. (Reuters) The Islamic State, following Saudi Arabia's execution of 47 people on Saturday, threatens to destroy Saudi Arabia's Tarfiya and al-Ha'ir Prisons holding Al-Qaeda and ISIL supporters. (Reuters) (Daily Mail) Disasters and accidents A bus catches fire in the Chinese city of Yinchuan resulting in at least 14 deaths and over 30 injured. (AP via Fox News) Environment 2015–16 North American winter Droughts in the United States California's state climatologist Michael Anderson mentions that the recent El Niño-fueled storms will put a dent in the ongoing drought, but not end the conditions citing larger reservoirs that are still below normal. (USA Today) 2014–16 El Niño event Back-to-back-to-back storms from the current El Niño, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says ties the strongest on record (1997–98), are likely to produce dangerous flooding and mudslides in the Western United States with as much as 15 inches (30cm) of rain, and about 2 feet (60cm) of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains over the next two weeks. (UPI) (NBC News) International relations Syrian Civil War Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir says the country's recent tensions with Iran will not interfere with Syrian peace talks scheduled to begin in Geneva, Switzerland, later this month. (Reuters) (The Washington Post) China-Taiwan Relations China says Chinese passengers flying from the Chinese cities of Nanchang, Kunming, and Chongqing, will be allowed to stop at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport before flying to a third destination. Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou applauded this step toward normalizing relations between the two states. Taiwan's opposition party expressed concern that Beijing is trying to interfere with the country's January 16, 2016, presidential and legislative elections. (Reuters) (The Straits Times) (Central News Agency) Politics and elections Reform of the People's Liberation Army in China: The Second Artillery Corps is re-organized into the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force. The People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force is founded, with Gao Jin as its inaugural commander and Liu Fulian as Political Commissar. The Ground Force is re-organized under the People's Liberation Army Ground Force Command, under commander Li Zuocheng. (SCMP) Former Beijing Deputy Communist Party Secretary Lu Xiwen is expelled from the Communist Party of China for "interfering with the market economy and law enforcement" and "living a luxurious lifestyle", among other offenses. (SCMP) 2016 United States presidential election On January 18, 2016, the British Parliament will debate a petition, signed by more than 560,000 people, calling for the Home Secretary to ban United States Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump from entering the United Kingdom because of 'hate speech' that is unacceptable behavior, non-conducive to the public good. The conclusion reached by the lawmakers will not be binding on the UK government. (The Washington Post) (AP via The Washington Post) United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union The United Kingdom's Prime Minister David Cameron announces he will suspend collective responsibility ahead of the referendum on the country's EU membership, allowing ministers to campaign for the UK to leave the European Union. A member of his cabinet was reportedly due to resign over the issue within 24 hours. (The Telegraph) January 6, 2016 (2016-01-06) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Second Libyan Civil War The Islamic State's Libyan branch continues attacks on Libya's oil ports of Sidra and Ra's Lanuf, resulting in at least 10 security personnel deaths and 40 injured. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) reports that fires continue to rage in both Sidra and Ra's Lanuf after oil storage tanks were hit by shells. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) Bahrain says it has dismantled a terrorist cell allegedly linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon's Hezbollah. (The National) Arts and culture Star Wars: The Force Awakens becomes the highest-grossing film ever in the United States and Canada, overtaking Avatar. (Hollywood Reporter) Business and economy TransCanada, the firm that unsuccessfully applied for cross-border permission to build the Keystone XL pipeline, files a lawsuit against the United States alleging that the refusal of permission violated the North American Free Trade Agreement. (Reuters) International relations 2016 North Korean nuclear test A 5.1 magnitude earthquake near Sungjibaegam, North Korea, is suspected to be a nuclear explosion at the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site. North Korea announces it has conducted a hydrogen bomb test. They claim to have tested a miniaturized bomb. If not true it would mean that the test partially failed. (AFP via ABC News Australia) (AP) (Bloomberg) (The Guardian) The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon demands that North Korea should cease any further nuclear activity. (ABC News Australia) Law and crime German police temporarily seal off the main entrance to the chancellery building because of a suspicious package. (Reuters) (AP via USA Today) (Al Arabia) Texas state trooper Brian Encinia is charged with perjury in connection with the death of Sandra Bland. (AP via Fox 32) Sport In Major League Baseball, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Griffey was named on all but three of the 440 ballots received, surpassing Tom Seaver for the highest voting percentage in Hall history. Griffey and Piazza will be formally inducted on July 24. (NBC News) January 7, 2016 (2016-01-07) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Second Libyan Civil War Zliten truck bombing At least 60 people are killed after a truck bomb hit a police training center in the Libyan town of Zliten. (Reuters) Terrorism in Egypt Gunmen open fire on tourists at a hotel close to the Giza pyramids. There were no casualties in the attack, which caused some damage to the hotel, and the attackers were arrested shortly afterwards. (BBC) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Iran says last night, Saudi warplanes bombed its embassy in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, wounding several of its guards. The Associated Press reports there is no visible damage to the building. A Saudi-alliance spokesman promises to investigate the accusations. (RT) (The Washington Post) (AP) (Reuters) Saudi-led coalition airstrikes today reportedly hit the presidential palace and a mountain military base to the south of Sana'a, causing children and teachers in several schools to flee. There were no immediate reports of casualties. (Reuters) Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Tribal chair Charlotte Rodrique of the local Burns Paiute Tribe has joined in asking the occupiers to leave saying "The protesters have no claim to this land". Rodrique further cites a treaty, never ratified by the United States Congress, giving ownership of the land to the tribe. (The Washington Post via MSN) January 2016 Paris police station attack French police shoot dead a knife-wielding man, who was shouting "Allahu Akbar", outside a police station in Goutte d'Or, located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. A piece of paper with an Islamic State flag and claim for the attack written in Arabic was found on his body. The incident is noted for taking place on the anniversary of last year's Charlie Hebdo shooting. (BBC) Arts and culture The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announces the formation of three new missions, each in Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria. (The Salt Lake Tribune) Business and economy 2015–16 Chinese stock market crisis Trade is suspended on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange for a second time in a week after share prices tumble following the devaluation of the yuan. (Business Insider) The Chinese securities regulator introduces legislation limiting the sale of shares by shareholders. (Reuters) The Dow Jones Industrial Average declines by just under 400 points as a result of concerns over the Chinese economy. (Fox Business) Disasters and accidents 2009–16 Oklahoma earthquake swarms In the United States, a swarm of 30 (and counting) earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater struck Oklahoma from Wednesday evening through Thursday mid-afternoon. The biggest, a magnitude 4.8, happened yesterday at 10:27 p.m. CST, 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of Fairview, Oklahoma. (The Weather Channel) International relations 2016 North Korean nuclear test South Korea says it will resume cross-border propaganda broadcasts and limit entry to the Kaesong Industrial Region in response to yesterday's nuclear test at the North's Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site. North Korea considers the propaganda broadcasts to be "an act of war". (The Guardian) Iran–Saudi Arabia relations Iran bans imports of all products made in Saudi Arabia and reiterates that the ban on Iranians traveling to the Saudi holy city of Mecca remains in place.(Reuters via Haaretz) (news.com.au) Law and crime The bodies of six people are found in a rural village in Guerrero state in southern Mexico. (La Prensa) Scotland Yard confirms that they are investigating a triple murder in relation to the death of British actress Sian Blake and her two sons after the discovery of their dead bodies on Tuesday. (AAP via News Limited) January 8, 2016 (2016-01-08) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Hurghada attack Two suspected ISIS militants are killed and three tourists injured in an unsuccessful attack on a hotel in the city of Hurghada. (BBC) 2016 shooting of Philadelphia police officer A gunman stating to have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) shoots and seriously wounds a Philadelphia police officer before being arrested. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents 2015–16 Australian bushfire season Three people are unaccounted for and at least 135 structures are destroyed, including the historic Yarloop Workshops, following a bushfire in the small Western Australian town of Yarloop. Reports coming out of the area suggest the town of Yarloop has been almost completely destroyed with one local official, Murray Cowper, saying, "A big fireball came through and there was no way they were going to stop it. This could well be the end of the town". (SBS) (BBC) Law and crime New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany The chief of Cologne's police force, Wolfgang Albers, is relieved of his duties following criticism of his handling of violent clashes and sexual assaults by migrant gangs in the city on New Year's Eve. (The Independent) Mexican Drug War The Mexican Navy recaptures escaped drug lord Joaquín Guzmán, also known as "El Chapo", in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. (RT) Dragan Vasiljković, a former Serbian paramilitary commander, is charged with war crimes in Croatia. (ABC News Australia) January 9, 2016 (2016-01-09) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Terrorism in Egypt Two police officers are shot dead by gunmen near the Giza pyramids, on the outskirts of Cairo. (The Independent) Second Libyan Civil War A major power station in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi is shelled by militants. (Reuters) Syrian Civil War, Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Russian airstrikes on an Al-Nusra Front (Al-Qaeda's branch in Syria)-run prison complex in the northern town of Maarrat al-Nu'man, Idlib, leaves nearly 60 people dead. Most of those killed were rebels imprisoned by Al-Nusra, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (The National) (AFP via Daily Mail) Disasters and accidents 2015–16 Australian bushfire season Two dead bodies have been found in Yarloop, Western Australia, and residents of four towns urged to evacuate in under threat as the Waroona bushfire continues to burn out of control. (West Australian via Yahoo! Online) (ABC News) (The Australian) A bushfire burning near the town of Esperance, Western Australia, is threatening lives and properties. (West Australian via Yahoo! Australia) International relations Brussels Agreement (2013), Kosovo–Serbia relations Anti-Serbian protesters set fire to the government's headquarters in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, over an EU-brokered deal that will give Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority greater local powers. (RT) Law and crime Sian Blake's partner Arthur Simpson-Kent is arrested in Ghana in connection with the murder of Blake and her two children. (The Guardian) Sport 2016 Dakar Rally A Bolivian spectator dies in the seventh stage between Bolivia and Argentina after being hit by a Mitsubishi driven by French driver Lionel Baud. (ABC News Australia) January 10, 2016 (2016-01-10) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks PKK rebellion (2015–present) Turkish security forces kill at least 32 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants over the weekend, in military operations across the embattled Kurdish-majority southeast. (Reuters) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen A suspected Saudi missile strike on a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) clinic in Razih, located in Yemen's northern Saada Governorate, leaves at least five people dead and around a dozen injured. (RT) War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) The Afghanistan defense ministry reports its forces have recaptured Darqad District in northern Takhar Province. According to the ministry, twenty Taliban militants and one Afghan soldier were killed in two days of fighting. (The Gulf Today) (Reuters) Arts and culture The 73rd Golden Globe Awards are held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. (Los Angeles Times) The Martian wins the award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and lead actor Matt Damon winning Best Performance by an actor in a musical or comedy. (AP) The Revenant wins the award for best drama with lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio winning best actor in a drama. (Variety) British musician and actor David Bowie dies from cancer, aged 69. (BBC) Disasters and accidents 2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season Residents of the islands of Tafea are urged to seek shelter as Severe Tropical Cyclone Ula approaches Vanuatu. (Radio New Zealand) Twenty people are killed after a bus carrying amateur football players and fans plunges into a river in Veracruz, eastern Mexico. (Business Standard) (AP) The two-month-old Nipigon River Bridge near Nipigon, Ontario is closed to traffic after a mechanical failure, severing the Trans-Canada Highway and forcing a detour into the United States. (CBC) (National Post) International relations 2016 North Korean nuclear test A single United States Air Force B-52 long-range strategic bomber makes a low-level flight over South Korea, close to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), in a show of force following North Korea's fourth nuclear test on January 6, before returning to its base in Guam. (Reuters) Germany–Poland relations Poland summons the German ambassador in Warsaw over "anti-Polish" remarks made by German politicians. (BBC) Law and crime U.S. Army officials set August 8 as the start date for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s court-martial. Bergdahl, charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, was held captive by the Taliban for five years after he left his base in Afghanistan. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for early this week. (AP) Mexican Drug War Mexican authorities want to question American actor Sean Penn and Mexican actress Kate del Castillo about a secret October meeting and interview with Joaquín Guzmán, published by Rolling Stone magazine yesterday. Mexico Attorney General Arely Gomez says it was the Penn interview that led authorities to a Guzman hiding place. (CNN) (CBS News) (USA Today) (Rolling Stone) Politics and elections Catalan independence The newly appointed President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, vows to continue his predecessor Artur Mas i Gavarró's plans to secede from Spain within 18 months. (BBC) Sport Lawyers for former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter confirm that he will appeal his eight year ban from the organisation. (AFP via Yahoo! News) January 11, 2016 (2016-01-11) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) At least 51 people are reportedly killed in an attack on a shopping centre in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, and a car bombing outside an illegal casino in Miqdadiyah, east of Baghdad, with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claiming responsibility for both attacks. (BBC) (AAP via SBS) (Reuters) American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021) A U.S. airstrike destroys an ISIL money and payroll hub in central Mosul. (CNN) Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Armed militiamen, also known as the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, who are occupying the USFWS administered Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon, tear down a part of a fence that they claim was erected by the federal government in order to allow privately owned cattle to graze on the adjacent public land. USFWS condemns the actions through a written statement which states that, "Removing fences, damaging any refuge property, or unauthorized use of equipment would be additional unlawful actions by the illegal occupiers. Any movement of cattle onto the refuge or other activities that are not specifically authorized by [the Fish and Wildlife Service] constitutes trespassing." (The Guardian) (The Oregonian) Business and economy Arch Coal, the second largest coal-mining concern in the United States, files for chapter 11 protection because it has been hit hard by the collapsing market demand for that commodity. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents The Metropolitan Fire Brigade in the Australian city of Melbourne warn residents about haze from a large industrial fire burning in the suburb of Broadmeadows. (Melbourne Age) 2015–16 Great Britain and Ireland floods Philip Dilley, chairman of the UK's Environment Agency resigns after receiving heavy criticism for not returning from a family holiday in Barbados during the recent heavy floods in Northern England and Scotland. (Belfast Telegraph) Law and crime New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany Thousands of protesters in Leipzig demonstrate against a record refugee influx they blame for mass sexual violence at New Year's Eve events in Cologne and other German cities. Many chanted 'We are the people', 'Resistance!' and 'Deport them!'. The rally was organized by a local chapter of PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident). Six Pakistani men and one Syrian man were also attacked by so-called vigilantes in Cologne, following calls on social media for "revenge" in the wake of the New Year's Eve assaults. (Daily Mail) Sport In association football, Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and Argentina wins the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or, for his fifth time. Barça manager Luis Enrique is named FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football. Carli Lloyd of the Houston Dash and the USA is named FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, and USA coach Jill Ellis is named FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women's Football. (AP via Sportsfan) In Australian football, 34 current and former players with the Essendon Football Club are banned from playing in the Australian Football League during the 2016 AFL season after the Court of Arbitration for Sport finds that they took the banned substance thymosin-beta 4. (AAP and The Australian) 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship In American football, the Alabama Crimson Tide defeat the Clemson Tigers 45-40 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship. (NCAA) January 12, 2016 (2016-01-12) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks January 2016 Istanbul bombing At least 10 people are killed and 15 injured, mostly German tourists, following an explosion in Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square. A Syrian suicide bomber, an ISIL member, is responsible, according to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. (Nine MSN) (BBC) (Reuters via Sky News Australia) (The New York Times) (CNN) Sixty alleged Islamic militants are arrested in Turkey with twenty one people arrested in the city of Sanliurfa. (ITV) Syrian Civil War Latakia offensive (2015-present) The Syrian Army, backed by Russian airstrikes, retakes control of the strategic town of Salma in the northern Latakia Governorate. The town had been mostly under rebel (FSA) and jihadist (Al-Nusra Front) control since 2012. (AFP via Yahoo!) United Nations War Crimes Commission investigators are gathering information about conditions in the western town of Madaya, where an aid convoy just brought the first food and medical relief for three months. The city has been under a siege by Syrian government forces since July. Doctors Without Borders is treating 250 people with severe acute malnutrition. (Reuters) (Médecins Sans Frontières) Boko Haram insurgency Boko Haram militants shoot and kill 7 people and burn down 10 houses in Madagali, Adamawa. (ENCA) Arts and Culture A Bronze Age village is discovered in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. (BBC) Business and economy Junior doctors in the United Kingdom go on strike over a proposed new contract. (BBC) Disasters and accidents 2016 Pacific hurricane season Hurricane Pali becomes the earliest hurricane on record in the central Pacific Ocean. It is currently no threat to land. (Weather Channel) Five people are dead and 65 people are injured after trucks carrying garment workers crash in Cambodia's Kampong Speu Province. (Today Online) An Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantom II fighter jet crashes near the southeast port city of Konarak while on a training mission, killing both the pilot and co-pilot. (RT) International relations Kuwait sentences two people to death for spying for Iran and Hezbollah. (Al-Arabiyah) In accordance with a major point of a nuclear agreement reached with several world powers, Iran removed a plutonium core and filled with concrete the Arak nuclear reactor, setting the stage for the removal of sanctions against Iran. (Washington Post) Iran–United States relations Iran seizes the crew of two small United States Navy boats near Farsi Island, in the Persian Gulf, after they had allegedly entered Iranian waters. Pentagon spokesman, Peter Cook, told Associated Press that Iran has assured the United States that the crew and vessels will be returned promptly. (AP) North Korea–United States relations, North Korea and weapons of mass destruction The United States House of Representatives votes overwhelmingly in favor of legislation to tighten sanctions on North Korea in response to the North's latest nuclear test. (The Hill) Law and crime Anti-corruption campaign in China Li Dongsheng, a former Vice Minister of China's Ministry of Public Security, is jailed for 15 years for corruption. (Reuters) Saudi Arabia arrests Samar Badawi, a human rights activist who received the International Women of Courage Award from the United States in 2012. Badawi is to appear in court on Wednesday, according to Amnesty International. Both her brother, Raif Badawi, publisher of the "Free Saudi Liberals" blog, and former husband, Waleed Sami Abulkhair, are currently imprisoned. (CNN) (Amnesty International) (The Guardian) Science and technology Windows 8 along with Internet Explorer versions 8, 9 and 10 are now officially unsupported by Microsoft. (Forbes) Sport The St. Louis Rams and potentially San Diego Chargers are approved for relocation to Los Angeles by a 30-2 NFL Vote. (NFL) (Los Angeles Times) January 13, 2016 (2016-01-13) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Terrorism in Pakistan At least 15 people are killed and dozens injured after a bomb explodes near a polio centre near the Pakistani city of Quetta. (Samaa) Korean border incidents South Korean soldiers fire warning shots at a suspected North Korean drone near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The "unidentified flying object" was spotted around 29 miles north of Seoul, near South Korea's Dora Observation Post. (Sky News) War in Afghanistan Islamic State militants attack Pakistan's consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, killing 9 people and injuring 12 more. (NDTV) Syrian Civil War Following the death of its leader, Zahran Alloush, Jaysh al-Islam names Essam al-Buwaydhani as its new leader. (The News Hub) January 2016 Istanbul bombing Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala says yesterday's ISIS suicide bomber had registered with Turkish immigration authorities but was not on any known militant suspects list. (Reuters) Turkish police arrest three people with Russian citizenship in the southern province of Adana on suspicion of belonging to ISIS. (ABC News) (Leader Call) Arts and culture Three winning Powerball lottery tickets are sold in the U.S. states of California, Florida, and Tennessee. Each will share the estimated jackpot of US $1.6 billion dollars, the largest lottery jackpot in world history. (ABC News) Business and economy Al Jazeera America announces that it will close in April due to poor ratings. (The New York Times) Disasters and accidents 2016 Atlantic hurricane season Subtropical Storm Alex is located 785 miles (1,260 km) south-southwest of the Azores. Alex is one of just four tropical or subtropical storms to occur in January since 1851, the first year records were kept. The hurricane season begins on June 1 of each year. Alex is expected to hit the Azores on Friday with average rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches. (The Washington Post) (NHC) An avalanche kills three and injures one at the Les Deux Alpes ski resort in Isère département of the French Alps. Officials are searching for other possible victims. (CNN) International relations Iran–United States relations Iran claims that it has interrogated ten United States Navy personnel that it captured allegedly in its territorial waters. (Sky News Australia) All 10 U.S. sailors are freed by Iran and are in U.S. custody. The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command says, "There are no indications that the sailors were harmed during their brief detention." (The Washington Post) Israel–Sweden relations Israel says Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström is no longer welcome in the country after she called for investigations into "suspected extrajudicial executions" of Palestinians by the Israeli army. Sweden has for many years financed NGOs such as B'Tselem and Breaking the Silence operating in Israel. (Breaking Israel News) Cuba–United States relations A major indication that relations between Cuba and the U.S. are increasingly normalized will be the island nation’s participation later this month at an annual Caribbean security conference in Jamaica, according to the outgoing head of the United States Southern Command, General John F. Kelly. (Military Times) January 14, 2016 (2016-01-14) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Jakarta attacks Bomb blasts and gunfire are reported in the centre of the Indonesian capital Jakarta. At least seven deaths have been reported. (ABC News Australia) (AP) (The Australian) (Reuters) Indonesian police suspect Islamic State militants are responsible for the attacks with five attackers reported dead. (AP) (AFP via Channel NewsAsia) Turkey–PKK conflict PKK rebellion (2015–present) Turkish police headquarters in Midyat and Çınar, Diyarbakır, are hit by car bombs, killing six people and injuring 39. No group has claimed responsibility but the government accuses PKK rebels of carrying out the attack. (BBC) (Middle East Eye) 2015–2016 wave of violence in Israeli–Palestinian conflict A foiled stabbing attack resulted in Israeli soldiers shooting and killing a Palestinian at Beit Einun. (The Jerusalem Post) Arts and culture 88th Academy Awards The nominations are announced for the 88th Academy Awards at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Hollywood. (E! Online) Actor Alan Rickman dies from cancer, aged 69. (BBC) Archbishops of the Anglican Communion meeting in England vote to sanction the U.S. branch of the Communion for its unilateral decision to allow same-sex marriages.(New York Times) René Angélil, manager and husband of singer Celine Dion, dies at age 73 after a long battle with throat cancer.(BBC) Disasters and accidents 2016 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Alex becomes the first hurricane to form in the Atlantic Ocean in January since 1938 with warnings issued for the Azores. (Weather Channel) Business and economy A Brazilian court suspends the licence for the Belo Monte Dam weeks before it was due to start operating until operator Norte Energia SA and the government of Brazil reorganizes Fundação Nacional do Índio, a protection agency for indigenous Brazilians. (Reuters via CNBC) Health Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa The World Health Organisation declares an end to the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa with Liberia the last country to be declared free of the virus. (AFP via Yahoo!) A person dies of the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone hours after the WHO makes its declaration. (BBC) International relations 2016 North Korean nuclear test South Korea and the People's Republic of China will hold talks to develop a joint response to last week's North Korean nuclear test. (Yonhap) Politics and elections Thousands of people in Moldova march against proposed candidate for Prime Minister Vlad Plahotniuc. (AP via ABC News) Science and technology Astronomers announce the discovery of supernova ASASSN-15lh, the biggest yet seen by scientists. (Los Angeles Times) January 15, 2016 (2016-01-15) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Ouagadougou attacks Gunmen armed with heavy weapons attack a restaurant called Cappuccino and the Splendid Hotel, taking hostages, in the heart of Burkino Faso's capital, Ouagadougou. At least 20 people are reportedly killed. (BBC) (The Guardian) Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claims responsibility for the attack, which if confirmed would be the first Islamic terrorist attack in the city. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia) 2016 Jakarta attacks Three men are arrested in the outskirts of Jakarta in connection with the attacks. Police have identified the attackers killed in the raid with two of the men having been imprisoned for terrorism related offences. (AP via Newser) War in Somalia al Shabaab militants overrun an African Union base in southern Somalia with unconfirmed reports of dozens of soldiers dead. (Reuters) (BBC) Syrian Civil War UNICEF confirms severe malnutrition in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya. Russia calls for humanitarian aid to be let into besieged towns like Madaya, Fua and Kafraya. (Reuters via Trust) (Reuters via Daily Mail) Arts and culture Wikipedia celebrates its 15th anniversary. (Wikipedia) Business and economy China's Haier Group buys General Electric's appliance unit for $5.4 billion. (Bloomberg) Disasters and accidents A tour bus carrying skiers runs off the road in Japan's Nagano Prefecture with at least 14 people dead and injuring another 27. (Bloomberg) (Irish Independent) 2016 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Alex heads towards the Azores with hurricane warnings in place for several islands. (National Hurricane Center) Twelve people are feared dead following a road accident in the Udhampur district of India's Jammu and Kashmir state. (Greater Kashmir) The United States Coast Guard and Navy in Hawaii are searching for twelve American servicemen off the northern coast of Oahu following a crash between two United States Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters that were conducting an overnight training flight. (CNN) (Wall Street Journal) The U.S. state of Michigan asks for assistance from the federal government to assist with a water crisis in the city of Flint. (Reuters) 2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season A tropical cyclone warning is issued for the northern Cook Islands as Tropical Cyclone Victor approaches. (Radio New Zealand) Health BIA 10-2474 One person is brain dead and five people are critically ill in Rennes, France, from a clinical trial of an experimental drug made by Portuguese drug company Bial. The six men, aged 28 to 49, had been in good health prior to the start of this test. All trials on the drug are suspended. (The Guardian) (Reuters via New Zealand Stuff) (Reuters) Brazil Zika virus outbreak (2015 - present) The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns pregnant women against visiting 14 countries and territories in South America, Central America and the Caribbean due to the Zika virus outbreak. (CDC) Law and crime The Seoul Central District Court fines two South Korean baseball players Seung-hwan Oh and Lim Chang-yong for illegal gambling in Macau. (Yonhap) 2013–14 Thai political crisis Former Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra appears in court to face corruption charges. (Reuters via Trust) A trial of the facts regarding allegations of child abuse against 12 former residents of children's homes in Leicester by British lord Greville Janner ends due to his death. (BBC) American rapper Mos Def is banned from South Africa for five years, having been living illegally in the country since 2013 on a tourist visa. (BBC) Kosovo War A special court is set up at The Hague to try Kosovo Liberation Army suspects for alleged war crimes against ethnic minorities and political opponents. (BBC) Politics and elections PKK rebellion (2015–present) Twelve Turkish academics are detained for signing a declaration opposing military action against Kurdistan Workers Party forces in southeast Turkey. (AP via Washington Post) Anti-corruption campaign in China Wei Hong, Governor of Sichuan province, is announced to be under investigation for "breaching discipline" by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. (BBC) Azerbaijani National Police use tear gas and water cannons to forcibly disperse protesters in the Quba District who were protesting the country's worsening economic situation, resulting in scores being arrested. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) January 16, 2016 (2016-01-16) (Saturday) Arts and culture From the Diocese of Tonga, Catholic Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi is welcomed at the Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus in Honolulu, Hawaii. Appointed by Pope Francis, Mafi is the first and youngest cardinal from the small South Pacific nation of Tonga. (Hawaii Catholic Herald) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Ouagadougou attacks Burkina Faso security forces storm the Hotel Splendid which had been under attack by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb militants. Over 126 people have been freed and at least 29 people have died. (AP via the Daily Mail) (BBC) (CNN) (AFP via Daily Star) At least 10 bodies have also been found in the Cappucino cafe which was also attacked by the militants. (AP via Miami Herald) Two Australians, a doctor and his wife, have been abducted in northern Burkina Faso. The Al Qaeda-linked, Mali-based "Emirate of the Sahara" is responsible, according to SITE. (AP) (AFP via Yahoo! News) 2016 Jakarta attacks Indonesia blocks access to radical Islamist websites and social media sites after the recent terror attacks in Jakarta. (Reuters) Syrian Civil War 2016 Deir ez-Zor massacre At least 75 Syrian Army soldiers and pro-Assad militiamen are killed following a multi-front attack on the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports ISIL fighters had advanced into the northern tip of Deir ez-Zor city, and captured the suburb of Al-Baghaliyeh. The pro-government Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports that government forces had repelled an attack on the city leaving dozens of militants dead. (AFP via the Daily Mail) Hundreds of civilians are reportedly killed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants throughout the city of Deir ez-Zor. Syria's state news agency SANA, quoting residents, said "around 300 civilians" were killed. If confirmed it would be one of the deadliest days in Syria's nearly five-year war. (AFP via Yahoo!) Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen, Drone strikes in Yemen A U.S. drone strike on a vehicle in Yemen's Shabwah Governorate kills three suspected Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants. (The Guardian) Disasters and accidents A suspected gas explosion in the Italian town of Arnasco kills at least five people. (Business Insider) U.S. President Barack Obama declares the city of Flint, Michigan, to be in a federal public health state of emergency due to an ongoing crisis that involves lead contamination (and possibly Legionella which has caused 87 cases of Legionnaires' disease which has led to 10 deaths) in its local water supply. (The Flint Journal on MLive) International relations Iran–United States relations Iran releases four Iranian-American prisoners including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini. The United States is to release seven Iranian-Americans held in the United States for violating sanctions against Iran. (New York Times) (IRNA) (Reuters) (Washington Post) Nuclear program of Iran The International Atomic Energy Agency states that Iran has complied with its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, paving the way for international sanctions to be lifted by the United States and European Union. (IEAE) (New York Times) " (BBC) European migrant crisis Austria is to deploy its army on its borders with Germany and Slovenia in the wake of surging numbers of migrants entering the Central European country. (The Local Austria) Politics and elections 2016 Taiwanese general election Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is elected the first female President of Taiwan. Eric Chu, the ruling Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) candidate concedes defeat and announced his resignation as party leader. Ms. Tsai vowed to preserve the status quo in relations with China. The DPP supports independence for the island. (BBC) (CNN) Current ruling party Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) lost its majority in the Legislative Yuan, a first since the country's founding in 1911 (The Guardian) Argentinian left-wing lawmaker Milagro Sala is detained at her home for allegedly instigating public disturbances. (Telesur TV) Sports In motor sport, The 2016 Dakar Rally finishes with Stephane Peterhansel of France winning his 12th victory in the cars and Toby Price of Australia winning his first victory in the motorcycles. (AFP via Yahoo! News) January 17, 2016 (2016-01-17) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2016 Jakarta attacks The confirmed death toll from this week's attacks rises to eight. (Reuters via Jerusalem Post) War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) A suicide bomber kills at least 13 people and injures 14 in the Afghan city of Jalalabad. (Reuters via LBC Australia) (AFP via Yahoo! News) Syrian Civil War Deir ez-Zor massacre ISIL militants abduct at least 400 civilians from the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor. (Sky News) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) At least 13 civilians have been killed by a roadside bomb while fleeing from fighting between Iraqi security forces and ISIL near Ramadi. (Al Jazeera) Three Americans are missing, feared kidnapped, in Baghdad. Several unconfirmed reports claim that they were kidnapped by a shi'ite militant group. (Washington Examiner) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) A suicide-bomb attack outside the police chief's house in Aden, southern Yemen, leaves at least 7 people dead. (AP via ABC News) Disasters and accidents At least five people are killed and ten injured in a microbus crash in Egypt's New Valley Governorate. (Ahram Online) Health Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa Sierra Leone imposes quarantine on hundreds of people following a recent death from the Ebola virus. (AFP via ABC News) Politics and elections Iran–Saudi Arabia relations Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Raheel Sharif will visit Riyadh on Monday and Tehran on Tuesday to launch mediation efforts between Iran and Saudi Arabia for normalization of relations and to ease the tensions in the region after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr and an attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. (DAWN) (Pakistan Today) (India Times) Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Europe and the United States lift sanctions imposed on Iran regarding its nuclear programme, and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action begins to be implemented. (BBC) Sports Buzzfeed and the BBC report there is evidence of alleged widespread match-fixing by "16 players who have ranked in the top 50" of world tennis involving Northern Italian, Sicilian, and Russian betting syndicates "at major tournaments including Wimbledon." (Buzzfeed) (BBC) January 18, 2016 (2016-01-18) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2014–16 Russian military intervention in Ukraine Ukraine says that a cyberattack on Boryspil International Airport near Kiev came from Russian computers. (Sky News) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen A Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a police building in Yemen's capital, Sana'a, kills at least 26 people and injures 15 others. (RT) Spillover of the Syrian Civil War A rocket fired from ISIL-controlled territory in Syria's Aleppo Governorate, kills at least one person and injures another in the Turkish city of Kilis, close to the Syria–Turkey border. The Turkish military responded with artillery fire on ISIL positions. (AFP via Daily Mail) Arts and culture Glenn Frey, a founding member of the Eagles, dies of complications arising from rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and pneumonia. (BBC) Business and economy Reuters reports that Xiao Gang, the head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, has offered to resign after a sharp sell-off in two of China's stock exchanges. (Reuters) Tata Steel is to cut 1,050 jobs in the United Kingdom, with the majority going in South Wales. The Indian multinational steel-making company announced there will be 750 job losses at its Port Talbot Steelworks in Port Talbot, Wales while another 300 jobs will go at its plants in Corby and Hartlepool in England. (Bloomberg) Disasters and accidents Modane avalanche At least five French Foreign Legion soldiers are killed and six injured in an avalanche while on a training exercise in the Alps, close to the Italian border. The soldiers were members of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment. (BBC) Law and crime November 2015 Paris attacks A man linked to the Paris attacks is arrested in Mohammedia, Morocco. (Sky News) MASSOB Biafran separatists claim that police killed 8 protesters calling for independence. (AP via WTOP) Politics and elections The Russian Duma rejects a Communist Party bill banning homosexual expression. (Radio Free Europe) 2016 United States presidential election The British Parliament debates a petition, signed by more than 560,000 people, calling for the Home Secretary to ban, because of 'hate speech,' United States Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump from entering the United Kingdom. Almost all of the 50 MPs (member of parliament), of the 650-member legislative body, present criticized Trump -- especially his comments on Muslims -- but few supported an entry ban. (CNN) (The Guardian) January 19, 2016 (2016-01-19) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in North-West Pakistan At least 9 people are killed and 35 injured after a suicide bomber strikes near a security checkpoint near Peshawar, Pakistan. (Geo TV) (AFP via RTE) Syrian Civil War The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that scores of Syrian Army troops have been killed in fighting with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant over the past few days with the fiercest battles near the city of Deir ez-Zor. (Jerusalem Post) ISIL confirms the death of militant Jihadi John in an airstrike in November. (BBC) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) The United Nations Commission on Human Rights releases a report stating that at least 18,802 civilians have been killed and another 36,245 wounded between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2015. Of these, 3,855 civilians were killed and 7,056 wounded between 1 May and 31 October 2015, with approximately half of these deaths occurring in Baghdad. (United Nations) Arts and culture Pakistan lifts a three-year ban on YouTube after Google launches a local version that allows the government to demand removal of material it considers to be offensive. Similar systems have existed in China for many years. (Reuters via Yahoo!) Business and economy The price of oil drops below $28 a barrel, the lowest since 2003. (The Huffington Post via MSN) Disasters and accidents The roof of the renovated Hôtel Ritz in Paris is damaged by fire just weeks before the planned re-opening. (BBC) (Reuters) International relations OIC and Iran-Saudi relations Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister has left Tehran for Saudi Arabia for participation in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation ministerial meeting in Jeddah which was called for by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to discuss the consequence of attack at Saudi Embassy in Tehran following the execution of Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr. (IRIB World Service) (OIC) Law and crime The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear an appeal that may redefine the boundaries of insider trading in U.S. law and regulation, especially as it relates to tips shared among family and friends. (Bloomberg) Politics and elections 2016 United States presidential election Former Governor of Alaska, vice presidential candidate (2008), and Tea Party activist Sarah Palin endorses Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump for President of the United States. (CNN) Science and technology The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search announces the discovery of the latest largest known prime number, a Mersenne prime with 22,338,618 digits equal to 274,207,281-1. (The Guardian) Sports According to a report in The Japan Times, Major League Baseball is investigating Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish as to whether he had any links with an illegal gambling ring allegedly operated by his brother Sho, who was arrested in October 2015 in Osaka on gambling charges. The ring was alleged to have taken bets on MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball games. (The Japan Times) January 20, 2016 (2016-01-20) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in North-West Pakistan Bacha Khan University attack Gunmen attack a university in Charsadda, Pakistan. At least 21 people are reportedly killed. (BBC News) War in Afghanistan A suicide bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan, targets Tolo News, killing four and wounding 20. (BBC News) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017), Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL Satellite images released by the Associated Press reveal the historic Saint Elijah's Monastery near the Iraqi city of Mosul, the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq that predates Islam, has been completely razed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants. (Independent) International relations Kyrgyzstan's parliament revokes an agreement with Russia to construct hydropower plants, officially ending a deal that in reality was going nowhere, due to the "unfavorable economic situation" in Russia. (Radio Free Europe) Politics and elections Moldova's parliament approves a new government despite ongoing protests calling for snap elections. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Science and technology NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announce that 2015 was the hottest year on record since the beginning of meteorological records in 1890. (NASA) A team of astronomers at Caltech infer the existence of a potential new planet (Planet Nine) in the outer Solar System. (Washington Post) January 21, 2016 (2016-01-21) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Somali Civil War (2009–present) Al-Shabaab militants attack the Lido or beach area in Mogadishu. At least 20 people are reportedly killed. (BBC) (The Telegraph) Arts and culture Local Tajikistan police have shaved nearly 13,000 men's beards, closed more than 150 shops selling traditional Muslim clothing, and convinced around 1,800 women and girls to stop wearing headscarves in 2015 as part of a campaign to eradicate foreign influences in the former Soviet Republic. (Al Jazeera via MSN) (TIME) Health Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa The World Health Organisation confirms a second new case of Ebola virus in Sierra Leone. (AFP via Yahoo! News) International relations Burundian unrest (2015–2018) Two former Presidents of Burundi call for the United Nations Security Council to authorise the use of peacekeeping troops in Burundi to prevent a potential civil war. (Reuters) Law and crime Dominic Ongwen, a former commander of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda, appears before the International Criminal Court in a hearing to determine whether a criminal trial should go ahead. (Reuters) The State Council of Crimea issues an arrest warrant for the leader of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People and former Soviet dissident Mustafa Dzhemilev. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) A British inquiry alleges that Russian President Vladimir Putin "probably" personally approved the FSB's murder of Alexander Litvinenko in November 2006 based on findings from a public enquiry. (CNN) Politics and elections The 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam convenes in Hanoi for eight days to select the country's leadership for the next five years. (AP via ABC News America) January 22, 2016 (2016-01-22) (Friday) Arts and culture Douglas Borough Council announces that the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, at Douglas, Isle of Man, ran for the last time at the end of the 2015 season. (BBC) Business and economy Steve Zadesky, who has been running the electric car project for Apple Inc. for two years, will leave that company soon for personal reasons, according to the Wall Street Journal. (Wall Street Journal) Disasters and accidents January 2016 United States blizzard Millions of people in the Mid-Atlantic states brace for a winter storm. (BBC)(CNN) International relations European migrant crisis The United States government implements new restrictions to its visa waiver program which now requires, with limited exceptions, European, Japanese and Australian travelers to the United States who either have been visitors in the last five years to or are dual-citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Sudan to obtain a travel visa. The new visa policies were mandated by legislation which was passed, in the aftermath of November 2015 Paris attacks, by Congress on the grounds of national security. (CNN) (The New York Times) (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Law and crime La Loche shootings A former La Loche Community School student shot and killed two brothers at home, and two females, one a teacher, at the school in La Loche, Saskatchewan, Canada, while injuring others. A suspect has been arrested. (CBC) (Reuters) Politics and elections Wei Hong resigns as Governor of Sichuan province in China after it was revealed that he was undergoing investigation for "breaching party discipline." Former World Health Organization executive committee member Yin Li becomes acting governor. (SCMP) January 23, 2016 (2016-01-23) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War Deir ez-Zor offensive (January 2016) Airstrikes on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-controlled areas in Syria's eastern Deir ez-Zor Governorate, leaves at least 47 civilians dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Sky News Australia) Jordanian–Syrian border incidents during the Syrian Civil War Jordanian soldiers kill 12 "infiltrators" and wound several others, on the border with Syria, foiling an attempt by dozens of smugglers to cross into the kingdom. The soldiers also confiscated more than 2 million narcotics pills that were left behind. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents January 2016 United States blizzard This potentially record storm, which is predicted to generate blizzard conditions through a third day on Sunday, has caused at least 10 deaths, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, led to more than 8,300 canceled flights, stranded many travelers on major highways and, with up to 70 mph winds, produced record-high tides along the Delaware and New Jersey shores. (NBC News) (Reuters) (ESPN) Law and crime European migrant crisis Around 200 migrants storm the French port of Calais, near the Channel Tunnel to Britain, after a demonstration in support of migrants living in the nearby Calais jungle camp, with approximately 50 of them boarding the P&O Ferries operated MS Spirit of Britain cross-border ferry. The port was closed following the incident. (Reuters) Politics and elections 2016 United States presidential election Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is seriously considering a possible independent presidential run if Donald Trump or Texas Senator Ted Cruz face Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the general election. (The New York Times) (CNN) (NBC News) Polish Constitutional Court crisis, 2015, Committee for the Defence of Democracy Poland surveillance law plan angers protesters: Thousands of Poles take part in marches in Warsaw and other cities to protest about plans of the conservative government, which they say will curtail privacy and freedom. (BBC News) Science and technology Blue Origin's rocket New Shepard has been reflown in Texas. (BBC) January 24, 2016 (2016-01-24) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War The Syrian Army takes control of the strategic Turkmen town of Rabia in Syria's Latakia Governorate. The town had been under rebel control since 2012. (AFP via Global Post) Disasters and accidents Heavy snowfall in western and central Japan leaves at least two people dead and over a hundred injured. Snowfall was also recorded for the first time in 155 years on Amami Ōshima, a subtropical island in Japan's southern Kagoshima Prefecture. (The Japan Times) A magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes southwestern Alaska, leaving 10,000 in the Anchorage area without power and forcing the evacuation of several homes on the Kenai Peninsula. The National Weather Service reported that there was no tsunami following the earthquake. (USGS) (ABC) (The Los Angeles Times) Politics and elections 2016 Portuguese presidential election Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is elected President of the Portuguese Republic. (ABC News) Sports In sumo, Kotoshōgiku Kazuhiro wins his first makuuchi (top division) championship to end a decade-long drought of a Japanese-born championship winner. (Kyodo via Nikkei Asia Review) (Reuters via Daily Mail) 2015–16 NFL playoffs The Denver Broncos beat the New England Patriots 20–18 to win the AFC Championship and qualify for Super Bowl 50. (Washington Post) The Carolina Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals 49–15 to win the NFC Championship and qualify for Super Bowl 50. (The Guardian) January 25, 2016 (2016-01-25) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Boko Haram insurgency Suicide bombers kill at least 32 people and injure 66 others in northern Cameroon, near the border with Nigeria. (Reuters Africa) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) A Saudi-led coalition airstrike kills a senior Yemeni judge and seven members of his family in Sana'a. The judge had previously presided over treason cases against ousted President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. (AFP via Yahoo! News) (RT) Arts and culture Officials from the New York State parks system have proposed to temporarily "shut off" the American portion of Niagara Falls (also known as American Falls) within three years. The shut off will allow the replacement of two 115-year-old pedestrian stone bridges that are unsafe for the public. (Sky News) Disasters and accidents January 2016 East Asia cold wave At least eighty-five people are killed in Taiwan and tens of thousands stranded in airports as an unprecedented cold snap hits several Asian countries including China and South Korea. (Focus Taiwan) (CNN) January 2016 United States blizzard The death toll from the blizzard in the Eastern United States rises to at least 30. (AP) British explorer Henry Worsley dies at the age of 55 while attempting to be the first person to cross Antarctica unaided. (BBC) A MiG-31 fighter jet crashes in the Krasnoyarsk Krai region in Siberia, Russia. The pilots were able to eject safely, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. (RT) Health Zika virus outbreak in Brazil (2015 - present) The World Health Organisation warns that the Zika virus could spread to most countries in the Americas. (BBC) International relations European migrant crisis Greece faces suspension or expulsion from the European Union's Schengen Area if it can not prevent waves of migrants from crossing over the country into Macedonia. (The Telegraph) Law and Crime The United States Supreme Court ruled in Montgomery v. Louisiana (2016) that its prohibition of mandatory life sentences for juveniles convicted of murder (under Miller v. Alabama (2012)), had to be applied retroactively, potentially affecting 1300 to 2300 cases nationally. (New York Times) In Texas, a grand jury has cleared Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing while it has indicted two anti-abortionists who were involved in making videos of the organization. (New York Times) Politics and elections Bob Brown, former Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens, is arrested during a protest in the Tasmanian village of Lapoinya over proposed clear-fell logging of a nearby forest. (The Australian) January 26, 2016 (2016-01-26) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War A suicide bomb attack on a Syrian Army (SAA) checkpoint in the city of Homs kills at least 22 people, including around a dozen soldiers. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the attack. (AFP via Daily Mail) (Reuters Canada) Second Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin The Syrian Army, backed by Hezbollah militiamen and Russian airstrikes, retakes full control of the strategic town of Al-Shaykh Maskin in Syria's southern Daraa Governorate, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (AFP via Yahoo! News) War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) A U.S. drone strike kills at least 6 ISIL militants in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province, according to the Afghan defense ministry. (The New Indian Express) An Afghan police officer, allegedly tied to Taliban, poisons and kills ten of his colleagues in Urozgan province. (Al Jazeera) Business and economy French taxidrivers, air traffic controllers and school teachers go on strike over working conditions and competition from non-traditional services such as Uber. (AP via ABC News America) Disasters and accidents January 2016 United States blizzard The death toll from the blizzard rises to 38. (AP via ABC News America) Malaysian authorities find 13 bodies washed up on Johor beach believed to be Indonesian migrants. (Reuters via Channel NewsAsia) Health Zika virus outbreak in the Americas (2015–present) Virologists find the Zika virus in Australian tourists returning from South America. (ABC News Australia) International relations Moldova–Romania relations Romania offers neighboring Moldova a $65 million (60 million euros) loan to help stave off economic collapse and keep the former Soviet Republic on a pro-European course, provided the Moldovan government implements major reforms. Government funds were needed to cover more than $1 billion that "disappeared" from three Moldovan banks in November 2014. In the frigid capital Chișinău, 15,000 people from both the pro-European and pro-Russian sides of the political divide, protested on Sunday against the current government and demanded new elections. Prime Minister Pavel Filip, who took office last week, is the country's sixth PM in a year. (AP) (Reuters) (The New York Times) Law and crime The Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak is cleared of corruption by the Attorney-General of Malaysia Apandi Ali after returning US$607 million worth of donations to his personal account from the Saudi Royal Family. (Channel NewsAsia) Authorities in the People's Republic of China say that Wang Baoan is under suspicion for "serious violation of discipline" (a phrase usually associated with corruption charges) as the head of that country's powerful National Bureau of Statistics. (BBC) Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge U.S. federal authorities arrest militia leader Ammon Bundy and several of his followers following an exchange of gunfire at a traffic stop on U.S. Route 395 in Harney County, Oregon. One person, LaVoy Finicum, a rancher from Arizona and spokesman for the militia, was killed in the shootout. (CNN) (Oregon Live) Homelessness in Seattle Two people are killed and three others are hospitalized, two with life-threatening injuries, following a shooting in the "The Jungle" homeless encampment in the U.S. city of Seattle. Police are searching for two suspects. (NBC News) (seattlepi.com) Terrorism in the United States The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation arrests a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, man who is alleged to have been planning a machine gun mass shooting at a local Masonic Temple. (The Washington Post) (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) (FBI) Politics and elections Marshall Islands President Casten Nemra is defeated in a vote of no confidence. Nemra had just been elected President in early January 2016. A successor is expected to be selected soon. (Radio New Zealand International) January 27, 2016 (2016-01-27) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Boko Haram insurgency Suicide bombers blow themselves up in the northeast Nigerian town of Chibok, killing at least 13 and injuring at least 30 others. (AFP via Yahoo!) (Reuters) Cameroon closes most of its northern markets on the Nigerian border. (The News) (Voice of America) Business and economy Shareholders of Royal Dutch Shell approve that company's acquisition of BG Group, a deal expected to close on February 15. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents January 2016 United States blizzard The death toll from the blizzard that hit the Eastern United States rises to 50. (AP) Health Zika virus outbreak Several Zika virus cases have been reported in Denmark, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. (RT) International relations China–United States relations U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agree, on principle, that a strong United Nations Security Council resolution is needed regarding North Korea's nuclear test earlier this month. (Reuters) (CNN) Law and crime Human rights in Iran Amnesty International reports that at least 160 young Iranians are currently awaiting execution and 73 others have been put to death between 2005 and 2015, which including sentencing girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to death. (The Huffington Post) Politics and elections Hilda Heine is elected President of the Marshall Islands by Parliament, becoming the country's first female president, as well as the first woman to serve as president of any Micronesian country. She succeeds outgoing President Casten Nemra, who lost a vote of no confidence on January 26. (Radio New Zealand International) November 2015 Paris attacks Christiane Taubira, differing with President François Hollande concerning pending terrorist/citizenship legislation, resigns as the Minister of Justice in France. (France 24) (CNN) Vietnam reelects conservative Nguyễn Phú Trọng as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, a member of the Politburo, is expected to replace Nguyễn Tấn Dũng as prime minister. Dũng is not eligible for another term. (AP via ABC News) (Channel NewsAsia) Science and technology Artificial intelligence A computer program called AlphaGo, powered by DeepMind, beats the European Go champion Fan Hui, 5-0. This is the first time artificial intelligence has defeated a professional player in this ancient Chinese abstract strategy board game. (BBC) (MIT Technology Review) Sports Association of Tennis Professionals, Women's Tennis Association In tennis, the sport's governing bodies launch an independent inquiry into the anti-corruption unit following a report published by the BBC and BuzzFeed about allegations of failing to pursue allegations of match fixing. (ABC Australia) January 28, 2016 (2016-01-28) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) At least seven people are killed in a suicide bomb attack near the presidential palace in Aden, Yemen. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims it was behind the attack. (BBC) Disasters and accidents European migrant crisis A boat carrying Iraqi Kurd migrants sinks off the Greek island of Samos in the Aegean Sea off Turkey's Anatolian coast, killing at least 24 people, including several children, with 11 others missing. (The New York Times) (NBC News) Health 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic The World Health Organization forms an emergency committee to tackle the spread of the Zika virus in the Americas. (The Washington Post) International relations Territorial disputes in the South China Sea The President of Taiwan Ma Ying-jeou visits Taiping Island, Taiwan's largest island in the South China Sea, despite the United States warning it could provoke diplomatic tensions with the People's Republic of China and other nations in the area. (AP via U.S. News and World Report) European migrant crisis Swedish Interior Minister Anders Ygeman tells financial newspaper Dagens Industri that Sweden is disallowing about 45 percent of asylum applications which means around 60,000-80,000 asylum-seekers could be deported in coming years. (AP via CBS News) Russo-Georgian War Georgia welcomes the ICC's investigation into alleged war crimes committed during the 2008 South Ossetia war, which will be the first inquiry by the ICC into possible abuses by Moscow and/or Georgia. (Radio Free Europe) Law and crime The trial of former President of the Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo for crimes against humanity begins at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. (BBC) Six people, including the gunman, are dead in a murder-suicide in Chesapeake, Virginia, U.S. (Yahoo! News) Politics and elections Republican Party presidential debates, 2016 The seventh Republican Party presidential debate, the second hosted by Fox News, and the final debate before voting begins with the Iowa caucuses on February 1, is held in Des Moines, Iowa. The seven candidates featuring in the primetime debate were Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio. Donald Trump, the current front-runner in the polls, was also invited to the primetime debate but opted to boycott the debate and instead hosted a town hall with charitable proceeds going to veterans groups. (Fox News) January 29, 2016 (2016-01-29) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Terrorism in Saudi Arabia At least 3 people are killed and 7 wounded in an attack on a Shia mosque in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. (The News Hub) Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) A pipeline used to generate around half the electricity in Iraqi Kurdistan is blown up, knocking out power across the region. (Reuters) Business and economy Mexico launches a wholesale telecoms network tender on this day. (Reuters via Yahoo! Finance) The Bank of Japan adopts a negative interest rate policy to support the economy. (Bloomberg) U.S. corporation Xerox announces it will split into two companies, separating its business process outsourcing line from its legacy business, document technology. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents 2015–16 Australian region cyclone season Tropical Cyclone Stan gathers strength as it heads towards the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. (ABC News Australia) 2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season Storm Gertrude impacts the British Isles, with 90mph winds knocking out power lines and causing travel disruption. (The Telegraph) An avalanche near McBride in the Canadian province of British Columbia kills five people. (CBC) International relations Japan–North Korea relations Japan places its military on alert over a possible North Korean ballistic-missile launch after detecting "increased activity" at a North Korean missile site. Japan's Minister of Defense, Gen Nakatani, has ordered Kongō-class destroyers stationed in the Sea of Japan, equipped with Aegis combat systems, to target any North Korean projectiles heading for Japan. (Reuters) Law and crime Human rights in China Human rights activists claim that three pro-democracy advocates have been sentenced to up to five years imprisonment on charges of attempting to overthrow the Communist Party government in Guangzhou. (AP via Star Tribune) Hillary Clinton email controversy The Government of the United States rules that 22 emails on Hillary Clinton's home server contained closely guarded information rated as "Top Secret". (AP) Politics and elections The Mexican Federal District is officially renamed to Mexico City (Ciudad de México), and becomes one of the 32 first-level administrative entities of Mexico. (The Guardian) Science Scientists from UCLA conclude that study of the geology of the Earth and Moon indicate that both consist of a mixture of rocks from the original Earth and a hypothesized planetary-mass object called Theia after a collision. (The Telegraph) January 30, 2016 (2016-01-30) (Saturday) Business and economics Social networking service Facebook, and its photo-sharing subsidiary Instagram, ban private, person-to-person sales of guns via their services. (CNBC) (The Christian Science Monitor) Disasters and accidents 2015–16 Australian region cyclone season Western Australia's Pilbara region braces for the impact of Cyclone Stan, which is expected to make landfall as a Category Three storm. (ABC News Australia) A helicopter fighting forest fires in South Korea's North Jeolla Province crashes near the Geumsansa Temple in Gimje. The 61-year-old pilot dies in the crash. (Yonhap News) European migrant crisis Almost 40 people are killed and 75 are rescued after a boat carrying migrants sinks between Turkey and Greece. (Reuters) Health Zika virus outbreak in the Americas (2015–present) Jamaican health officials confirm the country's first case of the Zika virus in a 4-year-old child who recently returned from a trip to Texas. (USA Today) More than 2,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus. (Reuters) International relations Global surveillance disclosures (2013–present), Edward Snowden NSA documents show the US and UK spied on Israeli military drones and fighter jets. (CNN) (The Verge) Territorial disputes in the South China Sea A United States Navy guided missile destroyer, USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54), sails within 12 nautical miles of the disputed Triton Island. The Pentagon said that the mission aimed at countering the "excessive maritime claims of parties that claim the Paracel Islands", while China's Ministry of Defense said the U.S. action “severely violated the law." (BBC) (The Washington Post) Law and crime 2015 FIFA corruption case Reuters reports that a million dollars in FIFA funding is missing from the accounts of the National Football Federation of Guatemala. (Reuters) Orange County Men's Central Jail escape Two of the inmates who escaped from a jail in Santa Ana, California, were arrested in San Francisco. (San Francisco Chronicle) National Western Complex shootout At least one person is killed and multiple others injured in a fight between two outlaw motorcycle gangs in the American city of Denver, Colorado. (9 News) Politics An estimated half-million Italians protest in Rome's Circus Maximus against pending legislation that would legalize same-sex unions. The legislation would extend to civil unions the same rights they would have under marriage, including adoption of children. (AP via The New York Times) (Reuters) (NBC News) (The Local) Sports 2016 Australian Open In tennis, Angelique Kerber of Germany tops (2–1) defending champion Serena Williams of the United States, 6-4, 3–6, 6–4, to win the Women's Singles. This is Kerber's first Grand Slam title. (ABC News Australia) (The Guardian) South Korean golfer Jang Ha-na makes first albatross on par-four in LPGA history. (ABC) January 31, 2016 (2016-01-31) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Boko Haram insurgency 2016 Dalori attack At least 100 people are killed and hundreds others injured in an attack by Boko Haram militants on Dalori Village 4 kilometers from Maiduguri, Nigeria. (Sahara Reporters) Syrian Civil War 2016 Sayyidah Zaynab bombings At least 60 people are killed and 110 wounded in a twin-suicide bomb attack in the town of Sayyidah Zaynab, Rif Dimashq Governorate, near Syria's holiest Shi'ite shrine, the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claim responsibility for the attack. (NBC News) (The Jerusalem Post) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Yemen's top salafist cleric, Samahan Abdel-Aziz, is found dead, with signs of torture, in Sheikh Othman, Aden Governorate, after being abducted by gunmen outside his mosque after delivering a sermon against Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. (AP) Disasters and accidents 2015–16 Australian region cyclone season Tropical Cyclone Stan makes landfall on the Western Australian coast east of Pardoo. (ABC News Australia) Seven people are killed after a truck collides with a train near Cairo, Egypt. (Business Standard) At least 21 people are killed and 16 injured in a multi-car pile-up on a road near the city of Beni Suef, Egypt. (Omaha) A huge fire at a factory in Moscow's eastern Sokolniki District, kills at least 12 people. Police suspect arson may be involved. (RT) International relations North Korea and weapons of mass destruction, Japan–North Korea relations Japan deploys two MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile interceptor systems in Tokyo in preparation for any North Korean ballistic missiles potentially heading for the city. The deployment comes amid concerns of an imminent North Korean missile launch following the detection of "increased activity" at a North Korean missile facility. (RT) Sport 2016 Australian Open In tennis, defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeats second seed Andy Murray of the United Kingdom in the men's singles in straight sets. It is Djokovic's third straight Grand Slam title. (ABC News Australia) (BBC)

January 2016 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31  Ongoing events Health Zika virus outbreak in the Americas Flint water crisis Political War in Afghanistan Boko Haram insurgency Burundian unrest Iraqi Civil War Military intervention against ISIL American-led Iranian Israeli–Palestinian conflict Moldova protests Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenian–Azeri border conflict Nepal blockade PKK rebellion Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention Second Libyan Civil War Sinai insurgency South China Sea disputes Syrian Civil War American-led intervention Russian military intervention War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Sports 2015-16 UEFA Champions League 2015–16 La Liga season 2015–16 NFL playoffs 2015–16 NBA season 2015–16 NHL season 2015–16 Premier League season 2016 Australian Open More details on ongoing conflicts below  Recent deaths January 31: Terry Wogan 30: Feyrouz 30: Frank Finlay 30: Cayetano Paderanga Jr. 30: Francisco Flores Pérez 30: Georgia Davis Powers 29: Jacques Rivette 29: Ken Sailors 28: Signe Toly Anderson 28: Buddy Cianci 28: Paul Kantner 28: Bob Tizard 27: Carlos Loyzaga 26: Black 26: Gil Kahele 26: Abe Vigoda 25: Thornton Dial 25: Kalpana 25: Mike Minor 24: Jimmy Bain 24: Yvonne Chouteau 24: John Jay Hooker 24: Marvin Minsky 24: Henry Worsley 23: Jack Bannister 23: Barry Brickell 23: Archie Gouldie 23: Jennifer Guinness 23: Žuži Jelinek 23: Bobby Wanzer 22: Homayoun Behzadi 22: Cecil Parkinson 21: Mustafa Vehbi Koç 21: Derrick Todd Lee 21: Bill Johnson 21: Mrinalini Sarabhai 20: Bud Beardmore 20: Edmonde Charles-Roux 20: Chang Yung-fa 20: Kingmambo 20: George Weidenfeld 19: Robert M. Carter 19: Yasutaro Koide 19: Samuel Odulana Odungade I 19: Ettore Scola 19: Sheila Sim 18: Johnny Bach 18: Glenn Frey 18: Pablo Manavello 18: Michel Tournier 17: Blowfly 17: Geethapriya 17: Mic Gillette 17: Dale Griffin 17: Gulch 16: Ted Marchibroda 15: James Birren 15: Noreen Corcoran 15: Anil Ganguly 15: Dan Haggerty 14: René Angélil 14: Alan Rickman 14: Shaolin 14: Leonid Zhabotinsky 13: Luis Arroyo 13: Brian Bedford 13: Giorgio Gomelsky 13: J. F. R. Jacob 13: Lawrence Phillips 13: Jim Simpson 12: Robert Black 12: Andrew Smith 12: Carolyn D. Wright 11: Alexander Hickman 11: Monte Irvin 11: Brian Johnson 10: Abbas Bahri 10: David Bowie 10: Jeanne Cordova 10: Michael Galeota 10: Ralph Hauenstein 9: Maria Teresa de Filippis 9: Hamada Emam 9: John Harvard 9: Ed Stewart 8: Ida Gaskin 8: German Moreno 8: Paddy Reid 7: André Courrèges 7: Kitty Kallen 7: Judith Kaye 7: Ashraf Pahlavi 7: Jit Samaroo 7: Mufti Mohammed Sayeed 6: Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros 6: Pat Harrington Jr. 6: Florence King 6: Christy O'Connor Jnr 6: Nivaria Tejera 6: Labhshankar Thakar 5: Mamdouh Abdel-Alim 5: Pierre Boulez 5: Jean-Paul L'Allier 5: Elizabeth Swados 4: Stephen W. Bosworth 4: Andres Rodriguez 4: Robert Stigwood 3: Paul Bley 3: C. B. Forgotston 3: Raymond W. Lessard 3: Peter Naur 3: Igor Sergun 2: Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan 2: Michel Delpech 2: Leonard Evans 2: Nimr al-Nimr 2: Gisela Mota Ocampo 2: Frances Cress Welsing 1: Dale Bumpers 1: Brian Johns 1: Mike Oxley 1: Vilmos Zsigmond  Ongoing conflicts Africa Algeria, Tunisia and Niger Maghreb insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Katanga insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Boko Haram insurgency Somalia Civil war South Sudan South Sudanese Civil War Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Americas Colombian conflict Internal conflict in Peru Mexican War on Drugs Asia Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Moro conflict Cross border attacks in Sabah Southeast Asia Internal conflict in Burma Papua conflict South Thailand insurgency Europe Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Chechen–Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency War in Ingushetia Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Arab–Israeli conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Egypt Sinai insurgency Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraqi civil war American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Syrian Civil War American-led intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey–PKK conflict Turkey–ISIL conflict Yemeni crisis Houthi rebellion Al-Qaeda insurgency South Yemen insurgency  Elections and referendums Recent December 30: Central African Republic, President, National Assembly (1st round) 30: Kiribati, House of Assembly (1st round) January 7: Kiribati, House of Assembly (2nd round) 16: Taiwan, President, Legislative Yuan 22: Vanuatu, Parliament 24: Portugal, President Upcoming February 14: Central African Republic, President (2nd round) 18: Uganda, President, Parliament 21: Bolivia, Constitutional referendum 21: Comoros, President 21: Niger, President (1st round), National Assembly 26: Iran, Islamic Consultative Assembly, Assembly of Experts 28: Benin, President 28: Switzerland, Referendums  Trials Recently concluded Australia: Brett Peter Cowan, Craig Thomson, Robert Hughes Brazil: Mensalão scandal Canada: Luka Magnotta China: Ji Jianye, Li Chuncheng, Jiang Jiemin, Liao Shaohua, Ni Fake, Chen Baihuai, Zhou Yongkang, Gu Junshan Croatia: Ivo Sanader Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Peter Greste, Mohamed Morsi Germany: Bernie Ecclestone, Uli Hoeness, Christian Wulff Iran: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Israel: Hussam Qawasmeh Jordan: Abu Qatada Philippines: Joseph Scott Pemberton Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Dan Diaconescu Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Eston Kohver, Vladimir Kvachkov South Africa: Shrien Dewani, Oscar Pistorius Turkey: Kenan Evren, Tahsin Şahinkaya United Kingdom: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, Kweku Adoboli, Tony McCluskie, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, Chris Huhne, Nicola Edgington, Vicky Pryce, Derek Rose, Mick Philpott, Mairead Philpott, Paul Mosley, Stuart Hazell, Mark Bridger, Andrew Lancel, Dale Cregan, Ray Wilkins, Liam Adams, R v Grillo and Grillo, Ian Watkins, William Roache, Dave Lee Travis, Nicholas Jacobs, Nigel Evans, Max Clifford, Stuart Hall, Dappy, Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, Rolf Harris, Tulisa Contostavlos, Chris Denning, Ray Teret, Gary Glitter, Fred Talbot United States: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Michael Grimm, Jesse Jackson Jr., Bob McDonnell, Vilma Bautista, Jared Lee Loughner, Lauryn Hill, Kermit Gosnell, George Zimmerman, Chelsea Manning, Ariel Castro, Whitey Bulger, Robert Bales, Nidal Malik Hasan, Jodi Arias, Anas al-Libi, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, James Eagan Holmes, Sheldon Silver International ECCC: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan ICC: Germain Katanga ICTY: Momčilo Perišić, Mladen Markač, Ante Gotovina, Zdravko Tolimir Ongoing China: Yao Mugen, Guo Youming, Zhu Zuoli Germany: Beate Zschäpe Iran: Babak Zanjani, Jason Rezaian Philippines: Andal Ampatuan Jr., Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Janet Lim-Napoles, Jovito Palparan Romania: Darius Vâlcov, Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie, Cătălin Voicu, Relu Fenechiu, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: MV Sewol crew members United States: Dean Skelos International ICTY: Radovan Karadžić, Ratko Mladić PCA: China Upcoming China: Wu Changshun, Ling Jihua Estonia: Edgar Savisaar Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Spain: Lionel Messi United States: Paul Anthony Ciancia, Javaris Crittenton, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Dylan Quick, Aaron Hernandez, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Rick Perry International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo