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Worldwide current events
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Bill English

Bill English (pictured) becomes Prime Minister of New Zealand.
A bombing at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church in Cairo, Egypt, kills at least 25 people and injures 49 others.
A church collapses in Uyo, Nigeria, killing at least 23 people.
Two explosions outside a football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, kill 46 people and injure more than 150 others.
A freight train derails, explodes and catches fire at Hitrino, Bulgaria, killing 7 people and injuring 29 others.

December 17, 2016 (Saturday)

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December 16, 2016 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Aleppo offensive (November–December 2016)
- Evacuations following the failed ceasefire are once again disrupted by the Syrian forces for reasons withheld. An estimate of 8000 people, mostly civilians, successfully fled the remains of the city. (The New York Times)
Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
- An attack on a border post near Burkina Faso's border with Mali, leaves at least 12 Burkinabe troops dead and two others missing. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Nine people die in Vancouver, British Columbia from overdoses of fentanyl. (The Globe and Mail)

International relations

China–United States relations, Spratly Islands dispute
- China's People's Liberation Army Navy seizes an underwater drone deployed by USNS Bowditch in the South China Sea; the United States files a formal diplomatic protest and a demand for its return. (Reuters)
Israel–United States relations
- President-elect Donald Trump nominates bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman as the next United States Ambassador to Israel. (CNN)

Law and crime

A riot breaks out inside the G4S-run HM Prison Birmingham in Winson Green, Birmingham, England. At least one inmate has been badly injured. The Ministry of Justice says riot police have regained control of the prison. (BBC) (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Protests, with looting, erupt in several Venezuelan states as citizens lack cash for gas, groceries, and Christmas gifts, since the highly used, but now worthless, 100-bolívar notes were removed from circulation, and the substitute 500-bolívar notes are not available because of delays in bank deliveries. (Reuters)
Crowds blocked all Polish parliament exits protesting the Polish ruling Law and Justice Party's allegedly illegal 2017 budget that was approved in a vote outside of the assembly's main chamber. Earlier, the opposition Civic Platform Party stopped parliamentary proceedings on the budget because of new rules on media access. (Reuters) (Reuters²)

December 15, 2016 (Thursday)

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International relations

War in Donbass
- The European Union extends its main Ukraine-related economic sanctions against Russia for six months until mid-2017. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories
- Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio holds a press conference showing findings from 2 different forensic experts of "9 points of forgery" alleging President Obama's long form birth certificate was forged and also claims to have found the birth certificate used to make the forgery. (USA Today) (Newsmax)

Charleston church shooting
- Dylann Roof is convicted of the racially motivated murder of nine black churchgoers in the U.S. city of Charleston, South Carolina. (New York Post)

Politics and elections

Romanian legislative election, 2016
- Romania's centre-left Social Democratic Party won 45% of the seats in both houses of parliament in Sunday's election, and with the expected participation of the liberal centre-right Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Party in the coalition government, will hold an outright majority of 250 seats in the 465-seat assembly. (Reuters) (Romania-Insider.com)

Science and technology

A Pegasus rocket successfully deploys the CYGNSS hurricane observation satellite constellation for NASA. (NASA) (SpaceFlight 101)

December 14, 2016 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Aleppo offensive (November–December 2016)
- Shelling breaks the ceasefire in Aleppo causing disruption to the evacuation of rebels and civilians. (CNN) (The Star via Reuters)
- Fighting resumes in Aleppo after the ceasefire collapses. (BBC)
Military intervention against ISIL
- A U.S. airstrike in Al-Raqqah, Syria, kills four ISIL leaders, two of which were confirmed to have roles in the November 2015 Paris Attacks. (USA via MSN)

Business and economy

Merger talks between two giant Denmark oil and gas corporations headquartered in Denmark have reached an impasse over valuation, it is thought DONG Energy may look for suitors other than Maersk. (Reuters)
The Federal Reserve System raises the benchmark interest rate in the United States to a level between 0.5 and 0.75%. This is the second time in a decade that the Federal Reserve has increased interest rates. (New York Times)

International relations

Spratly Islands dispute
- Satellite images show anti-aircraft guns and missile defence systems being built on artificial islands in the South China Sea; China had previously committed to not militarising its controversial developments in the region. (BBC News)

Law and crime

Yahoo! data breaches
- Yahoo! announces that ID information about more than 1 billion accounts may have been hacked in August 2013. This is separate from the company's earlier disclosure of a data breach of 500,000 accounts in 2014. (The New York Times) (Business Insider)
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports a record 259 journalists, 81 in Turkey, are jailed worldwide as of December 1. (CNN) (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Philippine Drug War
- The Philippines cabinet of Rodrigo Duterte, through former journalist Martin Andanar, criticizes the Western media's coverage of the Philippine Drug War, particularly that of The New York Times, and urges them to cover the purge more effectively. (The New York Times)
- President Rodrigo Duterte admits in a speech to a group of businessmen that he "personally" killed suspected criminals when he served as Davao City's mayor. (INQUIRER.net) (The Guardian) (NBC News)

December 13, 2016 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Botroseya Church bombing
- The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the Egyptian Coptic Church bombing in Cairo that claimed 25 lives on 11 December. (IBT)
Syrian Civil War
- Battle of Aleppo, Aleppo offensive (November–December 2016)
  - The warring parties reach agreement on a ceasefire, now that the fighting has ended, to allow civilians and the remaining rebel fighters trapped in the besieged Syrian city to evacuate. Five buses will start moving to pick up passengers at 5:00 a.m. EET Wednesday (03:00 UTC). (NBC News) (Reuters)

Business and economy

Google and Cuba forge a deal about better access to the Internet for the island. (The Guardian)

International relations

Saudi Arabia–United States relations, Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- The United States is to limit military support to Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen amid concerns over rising civilian casualties. (Reuters) (Huffington Post)

Law and crime

November 2016 Jakarta protests
- Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) pleads not guilty to charges of blaspheming Islam during a September 27 campaign speech. Ahok is an ethnic Chinese Christian. (Reuters) (Time)

Politics and elections

Muhammad V becomes the new monarch of Malaysia. (Malaysian Outlook)
Presidential transition of Donald Trump
- President-elect Donald Trump formally announces ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his choice for United States Secretary of State. (BBC)
- President-elect Trump announces former Governor of Texas Rick Perry is his choice to be Secretary of Energy. (Chicago Tribune)
- President-elect Trump announces Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana is his choice to be United States Secretary of the Interior. (Fox News)
Aftermath of the Gambian presidential election, 2016
- Gambian security forces take over the headquarters of the electoral commission as the current president, Yahya Jammeh, refuses to accept the recent election results. (BBC), (The New York Times)
- The president of ECOWAS, Marcel de Souza, says the West African bloc could send troops into The Gambia if Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down from power. (BBC)

Science and technology

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirms a 19-meter wave (62.4 feet) recorded on 4 February 2013 in the Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the United Kingdom is the largest ever on record. (WMO) (The Guardian)

December 12, 2016 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

December 2016 Istanbul bombings
- The death toll from the bombings in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, rises to at least 44, according to Health Minister Recep Akdağ. (Anadolu Agency)
- At least 118 HDP officials and supporters are arrested in anti-terrorism raids. HDP rejects any link with either the PKK or Kurdistan Freedom Falcons. (Reuters), (FOX News)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights declares that "the battle for Aleppo has reached its end" with a major victory for the Syrian government. (Euronews)
- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says he is hoping he is wrong stating that the United States "orchestrated, coordinated" the Islamic State's recent capture of Palmyra in order to "give a break to those bandits that are in eastern Aleppo." (Reuters)
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that suspected Syrian government or Russian warplanes conduct a series of air raids on Oqayrabat and other nearby villages in the Hama Governorate at dawn, killing at least 34 civilians, including 11 children. (Hindustan Times) (Times of Israel)
- Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, warns that "atrocities" have occurred in recent hours in the battle for Aleppo. (BBC), (BBC)
- Russian airstrikes against ISIS in Palmyra kill 5 people. (Middle East Monitor)

Arts and culture

74th Golden Globe Awards
- La La Land leads nominations. (Entertainment Weekly )

Business and economy

Venezuela swaps its bolivar notes with coins in order to curb hyperinflation. (BBC)
National Amusements announces CBS Corporation and Viacom media companies will not be merging. CBS shares rose 1.8 percent closing in on a nearly 2-1/2 year high while Viacom fell 6.9 percent. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Tropical Cyclone Vardah is expected to make landfall in southern India today bringing heavy rain to the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu as well as Andhra Pradesh. At least four people have been killed and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from low lying areas. (CNN), (Reuters via ABC News Australia)

International relations

One-China policy, China–United States relations
- President-elect Donald Trump says he sees no reason why the U.S. should continue to abide by the One China policy unless a bargain is reached with Beijing involving trade. (The Guardian)
- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman says these comments raise the possibility that U.S.-China relations could be adversely affected, and that the One-China policy is the political foundation of the ties between the two countries. (CBS News) (NPR)
China–Mexico relations
- Representatives from China and Mexico pledge to deepen ties between their countries as a reaction to Donald Trump's positions on trade. (Reuters)
Cuba–European Union relations
- Cuba and the European Union sign an accord in Brussels to normalize relations, formally ending the Common Position which was adopted by the Council of the European Union in 1996. (AFP via Yahoo!)
Kenya threatens to leave the International Criminal Court. (Voice of America)
Former Prime Minister of Portugal António Guterres is sworn in as the new United Nations Secretary General. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Pakistan appoints Lt. Gen. Naveed Mukhtar as the new head of the Inter-Services Intelligence. (The Seattle Times)
Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, goes on trial in France for alleged negligence as Finance Minister resulting in the loss of hundreds of millions of euros. (New York Times) (Al Jazeera)
Aaron Schock, a former U.S. representative from Illinois's 18th congressional district, pleads not guilty on 24 charges including Mail fraud and tax evasion. (Reuters).

Politics and elections

2016 United States presidential election recounts
- Jill Stein's bid to force a recount of the presidential election results in the state of Pennsylvania is rejected by a federal judge. (USA Today)
- The completed recount in Wisconsin verifies Donald Trump as the winner of the state's ten electors. (MSN)
New Zealand National Party leadership election, 2016
- Bill English is elected as the leader of the New Zealand National Party and is now the country's Prime Minister. Paula Bennett is elected as English's deputy. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Gambian presidential election, 2016
- The president of Senegal urges The Gambia's fallen dictator Yahya Jammeh to respect the result of the polls. (Fox News)
Romanian legislative election, 2016
- Being forced into opposition a year earlier, by the resignation of Prime Minister Victor Ponta amid the Colectiv nightclub fire tragedy, the Social Democratic Party returns to government following a landslide victory in last Sunday's parliamentary elections. (The New York Times)

December 11, 2016 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Two car bombings kill at least eight people in Fallujah. (Reuters)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- December 2016 Mogadishu suicide bombing
  - A suicide bomber kills at least 29 people and injures 50 others in an attack on a police station near Mogadishu's port. (AP)
December 2016 Istanbul bombings
- The death toll from yesterday's bombings rises to 38 with 155 injured. Thirteen people have been arrested in connection with the bombings. (AP)
- The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) claim responsibility for the bombings. (Deutsche Welle)

Botroseya Church bombing
- A bombing in Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo kills at least 25 people and injures at least 49 others. (AP via Daily Mail), (Reuters via ABC)
Moro conflict
- Three Filipino soldiers are killed and 17 others injured in fighting with Abu Sayyaf militants in the province of Sulu, Philippines. (FOX News)
Syrian Civil War
- Palmyra offensive (December 2016)
  - ISIL recaptures the Syrian city of Palmyra despite heavy Russian airstrikes, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Palmyra Coordination Committee (PCC). (The Independent)
At least three people are killed in two suicide bombing attacks in Maiduguri, Nigeria. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Patti Smith performs in place of Bob Dylan in the Nobel Prize for Literature ceremony. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Non-Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agree to cut oil output which will help increase the price of petroleum products in the world market. (BBC)
Iran Air finalises a deal with U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing to purchase 80 jetliners for $16.6 billion. (AP via ABC News America)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Naivasha oil tanker explosion
- An oil tanker explodes on a main highway near Naivasha, Kenya, killing at least 42 people, according to the Kenya National Disaster Operation Centre. (BBC) (Reuters)
Uyo church collapse
- The death toll from yesterday's church collapse in Uyo, Nigeria, rises to 160 with the death toll expected to rise further. (AP/Reuters via ABC News Australia)

International relations

United States presidential election, 2016
- Republican campaign manager Kellyanne Conway dismisses allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, calling the claims "laughable and ridiculous". (The Washington Post)

Politics and elections

Kyrgyzstani constitutional referendum, 2016
- Kyrgyzstani voters vote for a new constitution. (ABC News Go)
Macedonian parliamentary election, 2016
- Macedonian voters elect a new parliament. (Reuters)
Romanian legislative election, 2016
- Romanians head to the polls in the country's parliamentary elections. Exit polls show the Social Democratic Party winning by a wide margin. (The Washington Post), (Reuters via Daily Mail)
Italian constitutional referendum, 2016
- Paolo Gentiloni becomes the new Prime Minister of Italy. (BBC)
Gambian presidential election, 2016
- Defeated dictator Yahya Jammeh vows to contest the election results in The Gambian supreme court. (ITV News)

Science and technology

Mexico's Coronado Islands become a national reserve. (Los Angeles Times)

Sport

2020 Summer Olympics
- Tokyo breaks ground for the National Olympic Stadium on the site of the stadium used for the 1964 Olympic Games. (AP via ABC News America)

More December 2016 events...

Ongoing events
Business Indian currency demonetisation Trans-Pacific Partnership Disasters Oklahoma earthquake swarms UK and Ireland windstorm season Law Black Lives Matter protests Dakota Access Pipeline protests Philippine Drug War Timor Gap PCA hearings Political Brexit aftermath Ethiopian protests European migrant crisis (timeline) Presidential transition of Donald Trump South China Sea disputes More details on ongoing conflicts below Sport 2016–17 NBA season 2016–17 NHL season 2016 NFL season 2016–17 Premier League 2016-17 La Liga edit sidebar

Recent deaths
December 15: Craig Sager 13: Thomas Schelling 13: Alan Thicke 12: E. R. Braithwaite 12: Anne Deveson 12: Shirley Hazzard 12: Javier Echevarría Rodríguez 12: Walter Swinburn 10: Ken Hechler 10: Bill Dineen 10: A. A. Gill 8: John Glenn 8: Joseph Mascolo 8: Peter van Straaten 7: Warren Allmand 7: Paul Elvstrøm 7: Junaid Jamshed 7: Greg Lake 6: Rashaan Salaam 6: Peter Vaughan 5: Jayalalithaa 3: Rémy Pflimlin 2: Sammy Lee 1: Don Calfa 1: Joe McKnight November 29: Luis Alberto Monge 29: Ray Columbus 28: Mark Taimanov 28: Van Williams 25: Margaret Rhodes 25: Ron Glass 25: Trevor Goddard 25: Fidel Castro 25: Thomas Taylor 24: Dave Ferriss 24: Florence Henderson edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Africa Algeria and Tunisia Maghreb insurgency ISIL insurgency in Tunisia Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria Boko Haram insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Somalia Civil war South Sudan Ethnic violence (South Sudanese Civil War) Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Sudanese nomadic conflicts Americas Mexico Mexican War on Drugs Peru Internal conflict in Peru Asia Afghanistan Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines Moro conflict Cross border attacks in Sabah Indonesia and Papua New Guinea Papua conflict Myanmar Internal conflict in Myanmar Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Thailand South Thailand insurgency Europe Armenia and Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Russia Chechen–Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Egypt Sinai insurgency Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria Arab–Israeli conflict Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraq American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Iraq and Syria (map) Military intervention against ISIL Israel and Lebanon Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israel and Palestine Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Syria American-led intervention in Syria Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Turkish military intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey–PKK conflict Turkey–ISIL conflict Yemen Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Al-Qaeda insurgency edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent November 24: Grenada, Referendum 26: Kuwait, National Assembly 27: Switzerland, Referendum December 1: Gambia, President 4: Austria, President (2nd round) 4: Italy, Constitutional referendum 4: Uzbekistan, President 7: Ghana, President, Parliament 11: Kyrgyzstan, Referendum 11: Macedonia, Assembly of the Republic 11: Romania, Chamber of Deputies, Senate 15: Turks and Caicos, House of Assembly Upcoming December 18: Côte d'Ivoire, National Assembly edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Australia: Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara China: Wan Qingliang, Ling Jihua, Zhoi Bin, Guo Boxiong Iran: Babak Zanjani Netherlands: Geert Wilders Philippines: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Nur Misuari, Joel Villanueva Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae South Korea: Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil Spain: Lionel Messi United Kingdom: Chris Denning, Adam Johnson, Ched Evans United States: Bob McDonnell, Paul Anthony Ciancia, Dean Skelos International ICTY: Radovan Karadžić Ongoing Cambodia: Sam Rainsy China: Bai Enpei, Pan Yiyang, Yang Weize Germany: Beate Zschäpe Indonesia: Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Mary Jane Veloso Pakistan: Waseem Azeem, Mufti Abdul Qawi Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr., Leila de Lima, Rodrigo Duterte, Jovito Palparan Romania: Darius Vâlcov, Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie, Cătălin Voicu Russia: Alexei Navalny United States: Etan Patz International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo ICTY: Ratko Mladić Upcoming China: Wu Changshun Egypt: Mohamed Morsi Estonia: Edgar Savisaar Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi United Kingdom: Rolf Harris United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Rick Perry, Bill Cosby edit sidebar