story_clusters.txt

%%%2012–2013 Egyptian protests
Massive protests against Mohamed Morsi develop all over Egypt on the second anniversary of the 2011 revolution, including in Tahrir Square, where thousands of protesters gathered. At least 6 civilians and 1 police officer are shot dead in the Egyptian city of Suez, while 456 others are injured nationwide
The Egyptian Army is dispatched to the town of Suez following the death of at least nine people in clashes between anti-government protesters and supporters of President Mohamed Morsi
At least 30 people die in violence that erupted in Port Said, Egypt, following the death sentences of 21 people for their roles in the Port Said Stadium disaster
Seven more people are killed and 630 injured during the funerals for 33 people killed the day before in Port Said
In a televised statement, President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi declares a 30-day state of emergency and a curfew from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am in the cities of Port Said, Suez and Ismailia
Two people are killed in clashes between protesters and police on the edge of Cairo's Tahrir Square
The protesters clashes with police outside the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, after a week of violence in which more than 60 people were killed
Five people die in clashes between protestors and Egyptian police
Demonstrations across Egypt gather about 15 million people nationwide calling for the resignation of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi
At least 16 people, including an American, have been killed, and 800 injured, in the anti-government demonstrations that began last week
Egyptian army officials issue a 48-hour ultimatum to the Muslim Brotherhood-linked government of President Mohamed Morsi to respond to the concerns of millions of protesters who have taken to the streets calling for Morsi’s resignation, or it will “step in to restore order”
%%%2013 Korean crisis
North Korea announces it will resume activities in the Yongbyon nuclear complex, closed since 2007
U.S. officials reveal that China has been increasing its military presence on the border with North Korea since mid-March, and conducted naval drills in the Yellow Sea
Experts reveal that the 2013 North Korean nuclear test may have been conducted with a newly developed enriched uranium nuke, instead of a plutonium one
South Korea's Ministry of Unification says that North Korea is denying workers entry to joint-Korean Kaesong complex amid tensions on the peninsula. The Ministry of Defence will consider a military action if the workers' security is threatened. The U.S. Navy sends USS John McCain and USS Decatur into the area
The North Korean army says it has final approval to launch "merciless" military strikes on the United States, involving the possible use of "cutting-edge" nuclear weapons
The United States plans to set up a missile defence system in Guam. U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel describes North Korea as a "real and clear danger"
South Korean sources say a North Korean medium range missile has been moved to the eastern coast and that it may be ready for testing or for attacking Japan or Guam
The United States announces that it is moving an advanced missile defence system to the Pacific island of Guam in response to North Korean threats
South Korea Defence Minister Kim Kwan-jin says the country is ready for possible military action, as the Kaesong industrial complex blockade enters its second day
The United States announces its intent to cool down its rhetoric towards North Korea
South Korea deploys two warships with Aegis missile-defense systems as a precautionary measure, following reports that North Korea had repositioned intermediate-range ballistic missiles to its east coast a day earlier
North Korea warns that it cannot protect their embassies in Pyongyang as of April 10. It is advised that all foreign countries consider asking the staff of their embassies to leave
The United States decides to delay a long-planned intercontinental ballistic missile test scheduled for next week at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, following tensions with North Korea
A senior South Korean government official says that North Korea may be preparing for its fourth nuclear test, as increased activity is detected at its main test site. However, the South Korean Defence Ministry denied having clear signs that the test may be imminent
North Korea says it will withdraw all of its workers from the Kaesong Industrial Region, an industrial complex that is jointly run with South Korea, and consider shuttering the complex permanently
Russian President Vladimir Putin is "extremely concerned about the situation that may lead to a nuclear disaster worse than Chernobyl"
North Korea announces its plans to launch a missile tomorrow; an event on that day had been warned about before
North Korean authorities advise foreigners to leave South Korea soon, forecasting a possible conflict
Japan sends two warships to patrol the Sea of Japan and sets Patriot missiles in central Tokyo and Okinawa Island
North Korea forbids all its workers to reach the Kaesong industrial plant, which may be permanently closed
UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon warns that the crisis may soon become "uncontrollable". The Commander of the United States Pacific Command Samuel J. Locklear describes the situation as a threat to the U.S but states that North Korean missiles will not be destroyed, unless a serious threat
North Korea shuts down tourism from China as nuclear tensions mount, but business travel is allowed to continue
South Korea and the United States raise their military watch alert to "vital threat" (level 2) ahead of an expected North Korean missile launch
South Korea announces that North Korea was behind the wave of cyber attacks against several companies last month
North Korea renews a threat to permanently close its Kaesong joint industrial zone with South Korea, blaming the "confrontation" policies of the South Korea's new president, Park Geun-hye
The United States military places a Sea-based X-band Radar in a position where it can detect any possible missile launches by North Korea, while President Barack Obama vows to protect both the U.S. and its allies
The G8 foreign ministers condemn "in the strongest way" North Korea's recent threats and vow to apply stronger measures if the country does not step down its rhetoric
According to a released incorrectly declassified U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report, North Korea may have the technology to miniaturize, mount, and deliver a nuclear warhead with a long-range missile. The accuracy of the system should, however, be low
South Korea's defense ministry says it doubts North Korea has the ability to launch a nuclear-armed ballistic missile as claimed in a report by the United States Defense Intelligence Agency
United States Secretary of State John Kerry lands in Seoul, South Korea, as he embarks on three-day trip through South Korea, Japan, and China to send a "tough" message to North Korea
North Korea declares that Japan will face annihilation if it threatens to wage war. Japan declares that the Patriot missiles deployed in Okinawa Island will be permanent
South Korean police stop a planned launch of anti-North Korean leaflets across the border, as the government of South Korea seeks to open dialogue with the North and defuse soaring tensions in the Korean Peninsula
The United States and People's Republic of China agree to work towards ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons
The Philippines offers the use of its military bases to the United States
North Korea rebuffs an offer of dialogue by South Korea
Professor Craig Calhoun, Director of the London School of Economics, calls on the BBC to pull a scheduled edition of its Panorama documentary strand, North Korea Undercover in which three journalists travelled undercover to the country with a group of students. Calhoun argues that the group was placed at risk by the BBC's actions
BBC says that an edition of Panorama filmed secretly on a university study trip to North Korea will be broadcast, despite claims by the London School of Economics that students may have been put in danger
North Korea suggests that it is open to peaceful negotiations, on the condition that its status as a nuclear power is not challenged
North Korea issues an "ultimatum" to South Korea, demanding blanket apologies and an immediate cessation of anti-DPRK activities. Some protesters in Seoul were noted burning portraits of North Korean leaders on Monday, while North Korea celebrated the birthday of the late Kim Il-sung. The new threat comes amid what is otherwise perceived as an easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean authorities say that an attack may occur without warning at any moment
North Korea blocks a delegation of South Korean businessmen from delivering food and supplies to 200 of their staff inside the closed Kaesong joint industrial zone
North Korea demands an end to United Nations sanctions on the country as a condition for dialogue with the United States
North Korea rules out denuclearization but says it is open to negotiating an arms reduction
North Korea reportedly moves two more missile launchers to its east coast in anticipation of an expected missile launch
The Bank of China halts business with a North Korean bank accused by the United States of financing Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs
North Korea launches three short-range missiles off its east coast and into the Sea of Japan - two in the morning and one in the afternoon
North Korea warns against an underway joint military drill by South Korea and the United States, stating that the exercise could jeopardize a recent easing of tension on the Korean Peninsula
North Korea releases 85-year-old American retiree Merrill Newman after 42 days in captivity. The United States once again asks the DPRK to pardon and release Kenneth Bae
%%%2013 Savar building collapse
An eight-story commercial building collapses in Savar Upazila near the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, resulting in at least 256 people dead, one thousand injured and scores more trapped
The death toll in Bangladesh rises to 401
Police in Dhaka clash with factory workers protesting the disaster and advocating for capital punishment to be administered to the factory's owner
The death toll in Bangladesh rises to 547
Bangladesh's finance minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, downplays the impact of last week's factory-building collapse on his country's garment industry
A top investigator probing the disaster says that vibrations from four huge generators placed on the roof of the building caused it to collapse
The death toll in Bangladesh rises to 622
The death toll in Bangladesh rises to 823
The death toll rises to 1,006 - Bangladesh's worst industrial accident and the deadliest structural collapse in modern human history
The death toll reaches 1,042 with many people still missing
A survivor, Reshma Begum, is found alive 17 days after the collapse
The death toll reaches 1,126 with many people still missing; the accident is now the third worst industrial disaster in history
%%%2013 Thai protests; 2013–14 Thai political crisis
Protestors demand the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra who they believe is the puppet of her deposed brother Thaksin
As anti-government protests in Thailand continue to spread beyond the capital Bangkok, the parliament discusses a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
The Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra survives a no-confidence vote in the Parliament amidst street protests
The opposition Civil Movement for Democracy holds a protest march on the headquarters of Thailand's ruling Puea Thai party in Bangkok
A thousand protesters enter the headquarters of the Royal Thai Army
Anti-government protests cause the Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra to flee to a secret location as a pro-Thai government protester is killed
Thai police say that they will not resist protesters seizing the Bangkok police headquarters
The King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej calls for stability as he celebrates his 86th birthday
The Thailand Opposition vows to resign en masse after weeks of protest
Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra announces that she plans to hold elections
Protesters gather in Bangkok to shut down the city centre in an effort to bring down the government of Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra
Thai protesters continue to shutdown Bangkok in order to force Yingluck to step down
An explosion rocks the protests in Bangkok resulting in dozens of injuries
A blast at an anti-government protest at Victory Monument in Bangkok injures 28 protesters, seven of them seriously
Kwanchai Praipana, a leader of the pro-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, is shot in the city of Udon Thani as protesters gather in Bangkok despite the declaration of a state of emergency
Thai protesters surround the venue of a cabinet meeting in Bangkok
The Thai Army announces plans to deploy more troops in the streets of Bangkok ahead of Sunday's general election
The government of Thailand deploys thousands of riot police to reclaim areas of Bangkok currently occupied by protesters
Protesters and police clash after a crackdown ordered by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra with one policeman shot dead and dozens wounded
At least two people have been killed and 41 injured in an attack on an opposition rally in the Khao Saming District in Trat Province
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra says she will not resign
The National Anti-Corruption Commission summon the Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra to face charges of allegedly mishandling a rice subsidy program as her supporters block access to the building
Two people are killed and 21 wounded in an attack on an anti-government protest in Bangkok
The Royal Thai Army declares martial law after six months of political unrest
Thailand's army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha announces a coup d'etat, saying the military is taking control of government
The Thai military junta gives permission for former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to travel abroad for the first time since the coup
%%%2014 Crimean crisis
Russian President Vladimir Putin formally asks the Federation Council of the Russian Parliament for approval to use armed forces in Ukraine. He receives unanimous support. The Council also demands for President Putin to recall the Russian Federation ambassador to the United States
US President Barack Obama warns Russia, saying that any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be "deeply destabilizing," and that "the United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine
De facto Prime Minister of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov claims control of all military, police and other forces in Crimea and asks the President of Russia Vladimir Putin for assistance
Russian Federation ambassador to the United Kingdom is summoned by the British Secretary of State William Hague
The U.N. Security Council is to be summoned for the second time in just two days
Ukraine's Navy commander-in-chief, Denis Berezovsky who was appointed only March 1, defects to the Russia-backed Crimea government
Ukraine's acting president Oleksandr Turchynov says Ukraine's airspace has been closed to any non-civilian aircraft
The commander of the Ukrainian frigate Hetman Sahaydachniy reportedly confirms that the ship never defected to Russia as reported in Russian media
Ireland's deputy leader Eamon Gilmore responds by summoning his Russian ambassador for talks
The Lithuanian and Polish presidents call for NATO treaty Article 4 consultations on the basis that Russia is executing military maneuvers in Kaliningrad, close to the borders with Lithuania and Poland
Reuters reports that armed men have seized a ferry checkpoint between Crimea and Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a press conference, saying that “force isn’t needed right now” after deploying roughly 16,000 troops to Crimea
Swedish foreign secretary Carl Bildt compares the ousted Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych to Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling after Yanukovych asked Russia to intervene to restore "law and order" in the country
Russia's UN ambassador says to the UN Security Council that Ukraine's fugitive former President Viktor Yanukovych requested Russian soldiers in the strategic Crimea region "to establish legitimacy, peace, law and order," contradicting the president's own comments last week
Vladimir Putin orders troops near the Ukraine border to return to their bases with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling the military exercises a "success"
UN Envoy Robert Serry is ordered to leave Crimea at gunpoint after being threatened by 10–15 armed men
Saying she cannot be part of a network that "whitewashes the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin", Washington-based anchor Liz Wahl resigns on-air from the Russian government-backed news channel RT
The European Union freezes the assets of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich, two of his sons, and dozens of his advisers
The European Union and UN Security Council both hold emergency meetings to talk about the current crisis in Ukraine
President Barack Obama signs an executive order placing sanctions and visa bans on people that contributed to the current crisis in Crimea
A special referendum date is moved again. Now it becomes March 16, 2014 instead of the previously announced March 30. Voters will be asked whether they wish to stay part of Ukraine or join the Russian Federation
Armed men – thought to be Russian – attempt to seize a Ukrainian military base in Sevastopol, withdrawing soon afterwards
Turkey scrambles fighter jets after a Russian surveillance plane flew along its Black Sea coast
A pro-Russian military force of just about a dozen men take control of the Ukrainian naval base near the town of Bakhchysarai
Russia says planned U.S. financial aid to Ukraine is illegal
Leaders in the Ukrainian Kherson Oblast threaten to shut off all power and water to Crimea if the referendum goes forward
Russia masses its military near the Ukrainian border again as new military operations are announced
The March of Peace took place in Russia a day before the Crimean referendum. 30,000 people participated in anti-war protests in Moscow
Japan announces it will fall in line with American sanctions against Russia for its role in promoting the secession of Crimea from Ukraine
The parliaments of Russia and Crimea sign an accession treaty
Transnistria formally requests to join the Russian Federation
Russian forces overrun the Ukrainian Navy headquarters in Sevastopol and another naval base
The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, announces the possibility of further sanctions from the European Union against Russia for the invasion and annexation of Crimea
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, announces further sanctions against Russia in response to the annexation of Crimea
Russian troops capture Novofedorivka, an airbase of the Ukrainian Navy in the western region of the Crimean Peninsula
The interim President of Ukraine Olexander Turchynov orders Ukrainian forces to withdraw from Crimea
UK Prime Minister David Cameron says the planned 40th G8 summit scheduled to be held in the Russian city of Sochi will not take place because of Russia's actions in Crimea
The General Assembly of the United Nations passes a motion condemning the Russian annexation of Crimea
Sergei Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia, says that Russia has no intention of invading Ukraine
NATO suspends "all practical civilian and military cooperation" with Russia as a result of the annexation of Crimea, and no sign that Russian troops have withdrawn from the Ukrainian border
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe suspends Russia's right to vote and take part in election observations as a consequence to its annexation of Crimea
Montenegro, Norway, Iceland and Albania join the list of countries supporting sanctions including asset freezings and travel bans directed at Russian individuals
Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen visits Bulgaria and meets with President Rosen Plevneliev, during his visit he calls on Russia to withdraw their troops from the Ukrainian border
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Crimea for the first time since the annexation, arriving in Sevastopol for Victory Day celebrations. (Wall Street Journal)
Russia test fired several nuclear delivery systems on the Victory day celebrations and also sent a naval flotilla led by the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov through the English Channel. (spacedaily
%%%2013 protests in Turkey
Riot police fire tear gas at people in Istanbul and Ankara amid calls for the downfall of the current Turkish government
The Turkish Doctors' Union (TTB) says one person has been killed in Taksim Gezi Park
Turkey's public sector unions start a two-day strike in support of the anti-government demonstrations
Turkish public servants go on a two-day strike in support of the protests as a second fatality is reported
Support for the protests in Turkey spread across Europe with demonstrators gathering outside the EU Parliament in Brussels, and France
Turkey's Ahmet Davutoğlu announces an investigation into police attacks on civilians with tear gas and water cannon in cities nationwide
An image known as "The Lady in the Red Dress" showing a policeman in a gas mask hosing a woman with pepper spray becomes the defining image of Turkey's pro-democracy demonstrations thus far
Following Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's denunciation of Twitter as a "menace to society", police arrest 25 people on charges relating to the use of social media to speak ill of the government
Turkish police carry off dozens of lawyers, with reports that some have been kicked in the head and subjected to other assaults
Police move past the barricades in Istanbul's Taksim Square, occupied by protesters
Riot police fill Taksim Square with tear gas, while clashes between protesters and police continue into the night
Police use water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets on thousands of civilians gathered in Istanbul's Taksim Square for a memorial to the 4 protestors killed in previous days
Clashes erupt across the country after the funeral of a 22-year old student activist and security forces respond by teargas and water cannons
%%%2014 FIFA World Cup
Japan becomes the first side to qualify for the 2014 World Cup with a 1–1 draw against Australia at Saitama Stadium. (Goal
Iran defeats Qatar 1–0 with a goal from Reza Ghoochannejhad at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. (Goal
The draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup is done in Brazil with the 2010 FIFA World Cup champions Spain and runners-up The Netherlands both drawn in Group B
A construction worker dies, in Brazil, while at work for the FIFA World Cup 2014 arena building to be held in the country. (mirror.co
A construction worker dies building a monorail extension to Congonhas-São Paulo Airport, one of several World Cup projects that have fallen well behind schedule
The opening ceremony for the FIFA World Cup is held, followed by the first game in Group A between Brazil and Croatia in Arena de São Paulo with Brazil winning 3-1
Luis Suárez of Uruguay is charged with biting Giorgio Chiellini of Italy in yesterday's Group D match
Uruguay's star striker Luis Suárez is expelled from the tournament, banned for nine international matches and suspended from all football-related activity for four months for biting Giorgio Chiellini of Italy in Tuesday's Group D match. The verdict, the most severe against any player in FIFA World Cup history, means Suárez will be unable to play or train for his club Liverpool until 27 October
Argentina defeats The Netherlands 4-2 after a penalty shootout to advance to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final
The Netherlands beats Brazil 3-0 in the Third Place playoff
Germany defeats Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final at the Maracanã Stadium in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, with Mario Gotze scoring the winning goal
Lionel Messi of Argentina wins the Golden Ball for player of the tournament while Colombia player James Rodriguez wins the Golden Boot for highest scorer and Manuel Neuer of Germany wins the Golden Gloves for best goalkeeper
%%%2014 Hong Kong protests
Benny Tai announces that Occupy Central is launched as Hong Kong's government headquarters is being occupied by thousands of protesters
Hong Kong police resort to tear gas to disperse protesters but thousands remain
Hong Kong government says it has called off a meeting on 10 October 2014 with student leaders of the pro-democracy movement
Hong Kong's Occupy Central protest leaders call for supporters to hold a major rally after the Government of Hong Kong calls off planned talks
Violent clashes between police and protesters occur in central Hong Kong as protesters attempt to barricade a major road
There are overnight scuffles between members of the Hong Kong Police Force and Occupy Central with Love and Peace protesters for a second night
The Hong Kong Police Force stages a dawn raid at the protest site in the suburb of Mong Kok
Hong Kong authorities start clearing away barricades in the district of Mong Kok
More than 80 people are arrested as police dismantle a protest camp in the Mong Kok commercial district
Student leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum are amongst those arrested
The Hong Kong Police Force arrests eleven more people in a second night of violence after removal of a camp in Mong Kok and seven police officers are arrested for alleged assault of a protester on October 15
Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators clash with police in the Mong Kok district as they try to reclaim their former protest site
Pro-democracy demonstrators and the Hong Kong Police Force clash outside the headquarters of the Government of Hong Kong. Dozens of people are arrested
C. Y. Leung, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, warns pro-democracy activists not to return to the streets after yesterday's clashes
The Hong Kong Police Force warn protesters that they have until Thursday to leave their protest camp in Admiralty
Authorities start clearing the main protest site in Hong Kong following a recent court order for protesters to vacate the site in Admiralty area
Authorities remove the last remaining protest camp, the one at Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
%%%2014 Israel–Gaza conflict
A cease fire deal proposed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is rejected by Israel and not commented on by Hamas. Israel agrees to a uni-lateral 12 hour humanitarian ceasefire as negotiations continue
Israel Police admits that the kidnapping of the three teenagers did not occur on the orders of, or with the knowledge of the Hamas leadership and that the crime was the action of a "lone cell"
Israel agrees to pause its offensive on the Gaza Strip while negotiations continue for a broader ceasefire while Hamas violates the ceasefire
The death toll from the offensive exceeds 900
Fox News reports that Israel has extended the ceasefire by four hours with further extensions under consideration while Hamas rejects an extension
Israel extends a humanitarian ceasefire on the Gaza Strip but Hamas refuses to do so unless Israel withdraws its tanks. Fighting has resumed
An Israel Defence Force soldier dies from mortar fire as Hamas fires more rockets at Israel. The Israeli ceasefire ends early due to continued Hamas attacks
The United Nations Security Council calls for an immediate ceasefire but neither Israel nor Hamas agrees
Israeli officials release a report documenting cases of journalists being threatened after reporting on potential war crimes by Hamas
The IDF releases data indicating that long range rockets fired by Islamic Jihad in Gaza struck a hospital in Shifa and a Palestinian refugee camp in Shati killing at least nine children and two adults
In Toulouse, France, a man is arrested for firebombing a Jewish center after a pro-Palestinian protest
A young Jewish man is assaulted and battered in Paris after his picture and identity is posted on a Facebook page calling for attacks on Jews
Eighteen people die in airstrikes on Gaza City as the fighting intensifies. IDF reported performing over 200 airstrikes today. (CNN). According to media[weasel words], up to[weasel words] 128 Palestinians are dead in different military attacks today, marking the bloodiest day of Gaza war to the moment
The Palestinian Authority announces it has convinced Hamas and Islamic Jihad to accept a humanitarian ceasefire, but Hamas denies the claim
Israeli shelling of a UNRWA school in Jabaliya refugee camp kills at least 19 Palestinian civilians and wounds scores more
Three IDF soldiers are killed and fifteen injured when trying to disarm an IED rigged smuggling tunnel found at a UNRWA run health clinic in Khan Younis. Since the start of Operation Protective Edge 56 IDF soldiers and over 1200 Palestinian civilians and militants have been killed
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offers to donate weapons to the West Bank to better hit Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv
Israel Defense Forces declare that the Israeli solider previously believed to have been captured by Hamas fighters in Rafah had in fact been killed in battle that day and his body taken
A UNRWA-run school in Rafah is hit by an Israeli air strike. At least seven people are thought to have been killed, and at least 30 injured. (The Guardian). UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon condemns in strong terms the attack as 'moral outrage and criminal act'
Israel and Hamas enter a 72-hour ceasefire brokered by Egypt
Daniel Mansour, the commander of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine in the northern Gaza Strip is killed in an Israeli Air Force strike
Human Rights Watch has found that Israeli forces have deliberately killed Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including ones fleeing the conflict
A Palestinian drives a tractor down a crowded street into a bus in Jerusalem killing one and injuring six before being shot dead by a police officer
A Palestinian shoots and critically injures an Israeli soldier in Jerusalem and escapes on a motorcycle hours after a trailer terrorist attack
Hamas rejects the continuation of a 72-hour ceasefire and has shot over 60 rockets since 8:00 into southern Israel. Israel launches air strikes in response
A 72-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas begins, and talks aimed at finding a long-term solution to the conflict commence in Cairo
Associated Press journalist Simone Camilli, a freelance translator and four Gaza police officers are killed when police tried to defuse unexploded ordnance
Two hours before the end of a 72-hour ceasefire, rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel. One rocket landed in Egypt and one child died and several were injured. Despite the violations, the cease-fire has been extended
An interview with Fatah militants in the Gaza Strip was aired on Lebanon TV in which they claim to be planning a "high profile" attack and claim to be moving rockets in order to be fired into Israel
Israel and Hamas agree upon a fresh five-day ceasefire
Israeli Defence Forces destroy the homes of the three suspected murderers of the kidnapped teenagers on the West Bank
In response to rocket fire six hours before the end of a cease-fire, Israeli airstrikes kill 11 Palestinians including the wife and infant son of Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif - the first deaths in a week - while Hamas launches over 130 missiles at Israel during the day. This is the 11th cease-fire broken by rocket fire from Hamas
Israeli airstrikes kill three senior military commanders of Hamas
A senior Hamas official speaking in Turkey praises the Al-Qassam Brigades for the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers. In response an Israeli NGO calls on the United States Attorney General to force Turkey to extradite the official as one of the teenagers was an American citizen
On the 50th day of the conflict, an internationally supported long-term truce is reached where the borders of Gaza, Egypt, and Israel are opened for humanitarian and reconstruction supplies and the Gaza fishing zone is extended to 6 km. Other issues such as an airport/seaport and the Israeli demand for demilitarization will be negotiated within a month
Hamas fires over 100 rockets into Israel, causing over 30 injured and 2 dead. The Israeli Air Force strikes over 50 targets on the Gaza Strip causing casualties
A United Nations report finds evidence that both Hamas and Israel committed war crimes during the 2014 conflict
%%%2014 Northern Iraq offensive
The United States evacuates personnel from its embassy in Baghdad as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant nears the city
ISIL takes control of the town of Tal Afar, Iraq
The Pentagon sends the USS Mesa Verde to the Persian Gulf to join a contingency of U.S. Navy ships already stationed there to monitor the northern offensive
40 Indians working for a Turkish construction company are abducted by militants in Mosul
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant militants lay siege to Iraq's largest oil refinery, located in Baiji
US sends 300 military advisers to Iraq as battle rages in Baiji over the country's biggest oil refinery
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant captures the towns of al-Qa'im, Anah and Rawa in Western Iraq
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant capture the al-Walid (al-Tanf) border crossing with Syria and the Turaibil (Karameh) border crossing with Jordan
The Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki calls for national unity as a Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant reaches Yathrib 87 kilometres (54 miles) north of Baghdad
The Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki confirms that the Syrian Air Force bombed Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant positions in Iraq earlier in the week
Insurgents capture the town of Mansouriyat al-Jabal, containing four natural gas fields, which is about 110km northeast of Baghdad
Iraqi forces launch an airborne assault on rebel-held Tikrit with at least one helicopter crashing
American human rights group Human Rights Watch claims that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant executed at least 160 captives earlier this month in Tikrit
The Iraqi Army expels militants from the centre of the city of Tikrit amongst heavy fighting
Islamist rebels including members of the Al-Qaeda affiliated Nusra Front challenge Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant's control of the town of Albu Kamal on the Syrian border on Saturday
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is renamed The Islamic State, with a caliphate being proclaimed and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi being named caliph
46 Indian nurses held hostage by the ISIS for almost a month in Tikrit, Iraq, arrive at Cochin airport, Kochi, India
The Islamic State seizes the Yazidi-dominated town of Sinjar. (BBC) It also seized control of the Mosul Dam, which is Iraq's biggest dam, the Ain Zalah oil field, and two more towns
The Islamic State captures a range of cities inhabited primarily by Assyrian/Chaldean Christians in Northern Iraq, notably Bakhdida, Bartella, Qaraqosh, Tel Keppe, Karamlish and Tel Isqof; thousands flee, while many Yazidis are caught in the newly-captured city of Sinjar
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, delivers a statement promising increased humanitarian and military assistance including air strikes
%%%2014 Pacific typhoon season
Japan braces for the impact of Typhoon Neoguri which is expected to hit Okinawa and then Kyushu on Tuesday
Typhoon Neoguri leaves two dead on Okinawa as it departs for Japan's main islands threatening heavy rain
Typhoon Neoguri hits the main Japanese island of Honshu causing flooding, landslides and three deaths
The Philippines braces for the impact of Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda) which is expected to pass over the capital Manila causing flooding
Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda) hits the Philippines island of Luzon causing extensive damage and at least ten deaths
Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda) heads for southern China and northern Vietnam after killing at least 38 people in the Philippines with eight missing
The Philippines province of Quezon is placed under a state of calamity due to the damage caused by the typhoon
Typhoon Rammasun, which has killed at least 54 people in the Philippines, approaches the southern China provinces of Hainan and Guangdong
Three people are reported killed and eleven injured as a roof collapses on a bank in Shenzhen, China as a result of heavy rain from the typhoon
Typhoon Rammasun has killed at least 14 people in southern China since it arrived late on Friday
The death toll from Typhoon Rammasun reaches 94 in the Philippines and 18 in southern China
The death toll from Typhoon Rammasun rises to 26 in southern China and 11 in northern Vietnam
Typhoon Matmo (Henry) is expected to make landfall over Taiwan en route to eastern China later in the week
The total death toll for Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda) reaches 151 as Typhoon Matmo (Henry) hits Taiwan. Typhoon Matmo has been described as a likely cause of the crash of Transasia Airways Flight 222
Typhoon Kalmaegi hits the northeast Philippines with warnings of potential floods and landslides
Typhoon Kalmaegi sweeps past Hong Kong after causing six deaths in the Philippines on Saturday
At least four people are dead as Typhoon Phanfone makes landfall in central Japan
Supertyphoon Vongfong becomes the most intense storm of the year as it heads for Japan
Typhoon Vongphong heads for the Japanese island of Okinawa leading to power losses and flight disruptions
At least 28 people are injured on the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Kyushu with 150,000 evacuated as Typhoon Vongfong approaches
Typhoon Vongfong makes landfall in the Japanese island of Kyushu causing the evacuation of 150,000 people and disruption to plane and train services
Typhoon Vongfong leaves Japan as a tropical storm having caused at least one death, two people missing and 93 injured
%%%2014 South Korean ferry capsizing
Yonhap news agency reports that the Republic of Korea Coast Guard has been dispatched to rescue a ferry with 476 passengers sinking off the southeastern coast of South Korea with claims that at least four passengers have died and scores are injured. Approximately 280 people remain unaccounted for
Republic of Korea Coast Guard and Navy divers resume the search for 290 missing people from yesterday's ferry capsizing off the coast of the island of Jindo
The death toll of the accident rises to 28
South Korean prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for the captain, Lee Joon-seok, and are seeking the arrest of two other crew members of the Sewol in the wake of the ferry capsizing
The death toll of the accident rises to 32 as two bodies are found in the sea and three in a cabin of the ferry, which became fully submerged yesterday
The South Korean government considers declaring a special disaster zone in Ansan
The death toll rises to 58 as Navy and Coast Guard divers comb the ferry to retrieve victims from the Sewol. Five routes into the ferry have been established, and operations are expected to pick up pace
South Korean President Park Geun-hye condemns the action of crew members as tantamount to murder. 87 people are known to have died and 238 are missing and presumed dead in the sinking of Sewol ferry on 16 April
Four more crew members from the ferry are arrested for deserting the vessel as it was sinking
A total of 113 people are known to have died, with 190 more passengers missing and presumed trapped inside the vessel. Seven crew members are detained for their failure to evacuate Sewol ferry. The reason for sinking is not yet clear
%%%2014 Ukrainian revolution
The United States administration formally declares that it no longer recognizes Viktor Yanukovych as Ukraine’s president as "his actions have undermined his legitimacy"
Ukraine's interim President Oleksandr Turchynov formally becomes the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Ukraine's acting interior minister Arsen Avakov says the elite Berkut police unit, blamed for the deaths of protesters, has been disbanded
The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, orders snap military exercises near the Ukraine border
The Parliament of Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea announces a referendum to determine the region’s future and ousts the regional government
Ousted President Viktor Yanukovich, whose whereabouts remained unknown before he turned up in Russia, issues a statement saying that he is still the legitimate president and "ready to fight to the end" to fulfill his deal with the opposition
Around 50 armed men bearing Russian national symbols seize the building of the Supreme Council of Crimea following clashes between the ethnic Tatar and Russian protesters. The interim authorities of Ukraine put security forces on alert
The Verkhovna Rada or parliament of Ukraine appoints Arseniy Yatsenyuk as the Prime Minister of Ukraine
Members of the Russian Parliament propose new laws that would make it easier for Russia to incorporate parts of Ukraine
Russia finally confirms that it has moved troops in Ukraine's Crimea region to protect its own interests
Mykhailo Kutsyn is appointed Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Acting General Prosecutor General Oleh Makhnitsky formally calls on Russia to extradite ousted President Viktor Yanukovych along with 10 other figures; the list includes former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka, former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, Yanukovich aide Andriy Klyuyev, and former Justice Minister Olena Lukash
Interim President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov says the Russian military is "directly involved" in the crisis in Crimea, while Interior Minister Arsen Avakov describes the events as "a military invasion and occupation"
News agency Interfax-Ukraine reports that armed pro-Russian men have taken over control of two airports, among which Simferopol International Airport, and raised the Russian Navy flag
Oleksandr Muzychko, a prominent member of Ukraine's Right Sector nationalistic party, is killed under unclear circumstances
Ihor Tenyukh is discharged as Minister for Defence, to be replaced by Gen. Mykhaylo Koval following the loss of Crimea
The interim government of Ukraine agrees to increase natural gas prices for domestic consumers by 50% in order to secure an aid package from the IMF
The IMF pledges US$18 billion in loans to help steady Ukraine's economy
%%%2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak
The first possible case is reported in Mali, with the death toll rising in Guinea and Liberia to 90
The death toll from the West Africa ebola outbreak reaches 121
Seven people are reported to have died from the latest outbreak of Ebola virus in Monrovia, Liberia
The World Health Organisation convenes an emergency meeting of health ministers from 11 countries in Accra, Ghana, to discuss ways of combatting the outbreak which has so far infected 763 people, leading to 468 deaths
The ebola virus outbreak in West Africa continues to get worse with the death toll now exceeding 500
A Liberian official visiting Lagos dies of the Ebola virus becoming the first reported death in Nigeria
Dr. Kent Brantly, the medical director for Samaritan's Purse in Liberia, tests positive for the virus
ASKY Airlines suspends flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone as the death toll from the Ebola outbreak reaches 672
Sheik Umar Khan, the doctor who was leading the fight against the disease in Sierra Leone, dies of the Ebola virus
Liberia closes schools and quarantines communities in order to stop the spread of the Ebola virus that has claimed 672 lives in West Africa
The World Health Organization announces a US$100 million emergency response plan to combat the outbreak, which has killed at least 729 people
Liberia and Sierra Leone declare a state of emergency in response to the Ebola virus disease by sending in troops and ordering the closure of schools and markets and the quarantining of affected communities
The World Health Organisation estimates that the death toll from the Ebola virus outbreak has risen to 887
The World Health Organisation reports that 932 have died from the latest outbreak of the Ebola virus with a man reportedly dying of the disease in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after a business trip to Sierra Leone
The World Health Organisation states that the Ebola virus outbreak is an international public health emergency
Nigeria becomes the third African nation to declare a state of emergency over the outbreak
%%%2014 Winter Olympics
LGBT sportspeople, such as tennis player Billie Jean King and ice hockey player Caitlin Cahow, are to represent the United States in Sochi as a protest against the treatment of LGBT people in Russia
The United States State Department issues a warning to those going to the host city of Sochi, informing that local medical facilities are "untested" and that there are threats of terrorist activity
Vladimir Putin cautions gay people should not "spread gay propaganda" when visiting the host city of Sochi
Amidst concerns over the safety of the slopestyle course, Shaun White withdraws from the event
The opening ceremony is held in the Russian city of Sochi
A man attempts to hijack a Pegasus Airlines flight from Kharkiv, Ukraine, and demands to be flown to Sochi; the pilots turned off the inflight monitors and landed in Istanbul, Turkey, where the passenger was arrested
Norwegian athlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen ties with compatriot Bjorn Daehlie for a record 12 medals in the Winter Olympics by winning a gold medal in the men's biathlon sprint
The International Olympic Committee lifts the suspension of the Indian Olympic Association effective immediately. Indian athletes are now able to compete at the 2014 Winter Olympics under their nation's flag
The United States garners its first medal in two-man bobsled since the 1952 Winter Olympics
Meryl Davis and Charlie White become the first Americans to win Olympic gold in ice dancing
Marit Bjørgen of Norway becomes the most successful female Winter Olympian of all time when she wins a sixth gold medal in the Women's 30 kilometre freestyle cross-country skiing event. She has won ten Olympic medals in total
The Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia officially concludes
%%%2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine; 2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine; 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
A large skirmish occurs in eastern Ukraine when pro-Russian separatists launch a massive attack on a border control centre near the city of Luhansk; five militants are killed and another eight are wounded, and seven Ukrainian border guards are wounded in the clash
Separatists capture two Ukrainian Military bases in Luhansk Oblast as fighting continues near the rebel-held town of Sloviansk
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko call for a quick and peaceful end to the violence in eastern Ukraine
Russian media reports that the self proclaimed "people's mayor" Vyacheslav Ponomarev is arrested by a militant wing of a rebel group led by former GRU officer Igor Girkin in Slovyansk
Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov claims that three Russian tanks crossed into eastern Ukraine and were attacked by the Ukrainian Army
Arsen Avakov, Ukraine's Minister of the Interior, claims that Ukrainian forces have recaptured the port of Mariupol
A Ukraine military Ilyushin Il-76 airlifter is shot down, killing all 49 people on board
Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko says he will put forward a detailed peace plan that will include a ceasefire in the conflict
Pro-Russian insurgents agree to a ceasefire proposed by the Government of Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin formally asks Russia's upper house of parliament to revoke the right that it earlier granted for Russian forces to intervene militarily in Ukraine in defense of Russian-speakers there
Nine Ukrainian servicemen are killed when an Ukrainian Ground Forces Mil Mi-8 is downed by separatist forces near Slavyansk, one day after a temporary ceasefire was declared
Pro-Russian separatists agree to release four of eight Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe observers held hostage since April
Pro-Russian separatists release another group of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitors seized on May 29
A cameraman from Russia's Channel One dies after being shot in Donetsk
The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko states that the Ukraine government's forces will resume offensive operations against pro-Russian rebels
Ukrainian forces recapture the pro-Russian armed separatists' main strongholds of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk after the separatists defending it escaped an encirclement
Minister of Defense of Ukraine Valeriy Heletey says that special forces have retaken the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk from armed insurgents
Ukrainian forces retake Artemivsk and Druzhkivka from pro-Russian armed separatists
A spokesman for Russia's Investigative Committee confirms that Nadiya Savchenko, the female military aviator who was captured by pro-Russian separatists on June 18, is now held in Voronezh, Russia, where she has been charged with killing two Russian journalists
Ukrainian forces reclaim control of the city of Siversk from pro-Russian insurgents, and move on to consolidate their position by repairing damaged infrastructure and funneling aid into recently recaptured territory
Pro-Russian demonstrators seize an administrative headquarters in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk
Pro-Russian activists occupying a government building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk have proclaimed the creation of a sovereign Donetsk People's Republic independent of the capital Kiev
The acting President of Ukraine, Olexander Turchynov, calls an emergency cabinet meeting to respond to protests in the cities of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv
Ukrainian special forces clear armed protesters from the security service headquarters in Donetsk
Ukrainian police detain about 70 people in Kharkiv in an "anti-terrorist" operation that clear government buildings seized by pro-Russian protesters in Kharkiv
United States Secretary of State John Kerry accuses Russian agents and special forces on Tuesday of stirring separatist unrest in eastern Ukraine
Russia warns Ukraine that any use of force in eastern Ukraine could lead to a civil war
Gunmen gain control of a police department in the town of Slaviansk in the eastern Ukraine
Ukraine launches a "full-scale anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Russian protesters who have captured police and security forces buildings in the town of Slaviansk
Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov says that Ukrainian Ground Forces will conduct a similar operation in the eastern part of the country against armed protesters
Pro-Russian gunmen storm another police station, in the town of Horlivka, Donetsk Oblast
Shots are fired at Kramatorsk air base as Ukrainian Ground Forces are dispatched to take on separatists. Unconfirmed reports state that 4 pro-Russian militants have been killed and 2 people have been injured. Some reports claim up to 10 deaths
Ukraine's acting President Olexander Turchynov has announced the start of an "anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Russian separatists
Six armored personel carriers belonging to the Ukrainian military are captured by pro-Russian protesters amid rising tensions between the protestors and the military
Russia and Ukraine together with the United States and the European Union sit down for emergency talks in Geneva. All four agree that "illegal military formations in Ukraine" must be dissolved, and that everyone occupying buildings must be disarmed and leave them. There would be an amnesty for all anti-government protesters under the agreement
A skirmish on the Ukrainian military base in Mariupol by pro-Russian militants results in the deaths of 3 of the militants, the wounding of another 13, and the capture of 63 others
The Ukrainian Army unit whose tanks were seized by pro-Russian forces is disbanded and its members charged with crimes
Russian President Vladimir Putin admits having sent Russian forces to Crimea last month to protect its military equipment there
Jews in Donetsk are ordered to register with the government of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic via leaflets dropped by an unknown party. The Jewish community in Donetsk dismissed it as a "provocation"
Pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk say they will not leave the government buildings, defying the Kiev authorities and threatening a new international deal on Ukraine
Ukraine suspends operations against pro-Russian militants in the east of the country over Easter (BBC
Three people are killed in an attack on check post in Eastern Ukraine manned by pro-Russian supporters
According to pro-Russian militants, the bodies of two pro-Russian militants are pulled from the Seversky Donets River in Sloviansk, Ukraine, with both having multiple stab wounds. The claim could not be independently verified
Russian-born American-Israeli journalist Simon Ostrovsky is reportedly abducted in Sloviansk by the militia of the separatist pro-Russian leader Vyacheslav Ponomarev
Ukrainian security officials discover that the Assumption Monastry Lavra of the Moscow Patriarchate in Sviatohirsk served as a military base for pro-Russian insurgents who have besieged the region
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema announces that pro-Russian militants will be targeted in four eastern cities, Kramatorsk, Slaviansk, Donetsk and Luhansk, as they refuse to vacate government buildings they previously seized, defying the international deal made in Geneva
The Ukrainian government says it's regained control of the city hall in the eastern port of Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists. Administrative buildings have been taken over in at least a dozen towns in Eastern Ukraine
Washington accuses Moscow of fomenting unrest in the east, with Obama threatening the possibility of applying additional sanctions on Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accuses the United States of being behind the political upheaval in Ukraine, and said Russia would respond if its interests came under attack
A battle between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian troops in Sloviansk, Ukraine, leaves 5 pro-Russian militants dead
A Ukrainian military helicopter is destroyed after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade at a base near the town of Kramatorsk in Eastern Ukraine
Pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine free a Swedish observer, but not other seven European monitors they have been holding for three days
Pro-Russian militants in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk seize the regional administration's headquarters, resulting in a tense standoff with the militants and security personnel
Pro-Russian militants seize the regional prosecutor's office in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk
Ukraine announces that it is reintroducing conscription
The Armed Forces of Ukraine launch a military operation against separatists in the city of Sloviansk with claims of many deaths and two Ukrainian Army helicopters downed. In the port city of Odessa, violent clashes kill at least 42 people, as pro-Ukrainians set the pro-Russian headquarters on fire
Pro-Russian activists attack the police headquarters in Odessa, forcing the release of several people held over deadly violence two days before
A Ukrainian military helicopter patrolling around the eastern city of Sloviansk is shot down; all of the pilots survived and were later rescued
Neighbouring Ukraine and breakaway Transnistria, Moldova places its borders on alert as the unrest continues
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov rules out any fresh talks in Geneva to defuse the crisis unless pro-Russian groups are also involved
Pro-Russian militants recapture the city hall of the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol hours after the Ukrainian government forces took control of the building from the militants
Five pro-Russian militants are killed and fifteen more are captured during clashes with the Ukrainian military in the outskirts of the southern city of Mariupol
Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Ukraine's presidential election on May 25 is a step "in the right direction", calling on anti-Kiev protesters to postpone a May 11 federalization referendum. Putin also added qualifying conditions
Pro-Russian rebels push forward with plans for a referendum on May 11th ignoring Putin's statement to delay the vote
On Victory Day, the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory calls on Ukrainians to replace the ribbon of Saint George with a red poppy flower, a symbol that is used in Commonwealth countries on Remembrance Day
Pro-Russian insurgents in Donetsk and Luhansk declare the cities independent states whilst on choosing to join Russia after controversial hastily-arranged referendums
Valeriy Bolotov, a leader of the separatist movement in the eastern city of Luhansk, is wounded in an assassination attempt by an unknown assailant
An insurgent ambush kills six Armed Forces of Ukraine soldiers
Another 13 individuals, including Russian President Vladimir Putin's first deputy chief of staff, Vyacheslav Volodin and the self-declared mayor of Sloviansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, and two legal entities are added to the EU sanctions list for "undermining or threatening" Ukraine's sovereignty
The governor of Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, Serhiy Taruta says his region, with the exception of Slaviansk, is prepared for the May 25 presidental election, calling the separatist referendum nothing more than a "sociological questionnaire"
Talks to end the crisis in Ukraine begin, without representatives of pro-Russian separatist groups
Pro-Russian rebels quickly withdraw from Mariupol as dozens of unarmed pro-Ukraine steelworkers joined by the police start to patrol the city
The United Nations warns of a deterioration of human rights in eastern Ukraine and the harassment and persecution of the Crimean Tartars in Crimea
Russia's President Vladimir Putin says he ordered troops in the Rostov, Belgorod and Bryansk regions to withdraw and return to their permanent bases
NATO secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, says the Western allies had not seen any sign of a withdrawal of Russian forces
Ukrainian businessman Rinat Akhmetov asks workers to stage a peace rally in the Donetsk region in protest against the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic
Graham Phillips, a British national and reporter for the Russian TV network RT, is detained in Mariupol by the SBU
At least 11 Ukrainian Army soldiers are killed and 30 injured when pro-Russian seperatists attack a military checkpoint
Luhansk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine declares martial law and asks Russia to send peacekeeping troops to protect civilians
Russian President Vladimir Putin announces that he will respect the outcome of Ukraine's presidential election
Pro-Russian militants force the closure of Donetsk International Airport a day after preventing any voters in the city of Donetsk from casting a vote in the Ukrainian presidential election
The Ukrainian Air Force conducts airstrikes on Donetsk International Airport while paratroopers drop in to fight pro-Russian separatists
At least thirty pro-Russian separatists have died in fighting over control of Donetsk International Airport; the Ukrainian government claims to have total control of the airport following the clashes with the separatists
The newly elected President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko vows to continue Kiev's anti-terrorist operation against pro-Russian militants in the east
Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic, insists he has not sent troops to Ukraine to fight alongside pro-Russia separatists
Rebels in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk say they are holding four missing Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitors and the observers may be released soon
A Ukrainian military helicopter is shot down over Sloviansk, with 12 casualties reported, including major-general Serhij Kultschyzkyj (de)
Pro-Russian group |Vostok Battalion seize control of the headquarters of the Donetsk Peoples Republic in a coup d'état, plunging the rebels into chaos
Heavy fighting between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian militants takes place in and around the rebel-held eastern city of Sloviansk
Ukrainian forces in recently reclaimed city of Sloviansk discover documents that show pro-Russian insurgent leader Igor Strelkov handed down at least four death sentences under a Stalin-era law of 1941
Twenty-three Ukrainian Army soldiers die as rebels fire a BM-21 Grad missile at an armoured brigade near the Russian border
The European Union imposes sanctions on Aleksandr Borodai and ten other pro-Russian leaders including travel bans and asset freezes
A Ukrainian Antonov An-26 military transport plane was shot down near Luhansk where there is currently heavy fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatist rebels. The Ukraine claims that it was shot down by a rocket fired from Russia
Ukraine and Russia trade charges of alleged violations of the border with the Russians claiming that shell fired from the Ukraine killed a Russian man in a border town on the weekend
An airstrike on the rebel-held town of Snizhne kills at least eleven civilians
Fighting restarts near Donetsk as international investigators arrive to examine the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
The Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak states that pro-Russian separatists agree to hand over the black box flight recorders to a Malaysian investigation team
The United Nations Security Council unanimously supports an Australian proposed resolution for an international investigation and an end to hostilities near the site
Pro-Russian separatist commander Alexander Khodakovsky of the Vostok Battalion confirms that the rebels did possess the BUK missile system - believed to have shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 - originating from Russia, and it could have been sent back to Russia subsequently to remove proof of its presence
The Red Cross officially declares the fighting in Ukraine as a civil war. The formal classification means participants in the fighting between government forces and pro-Russian separatists in the east could eventually be prosecuted for war crimes in international courts
Ukrainian forces recapture the villages of Karlivka, Netailove, and Pervomaiske in Donetsk Oblast from pro-Russian separatists
Two Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-25 military fighter jets are shot down by pro-Russian separatists in Savur Mogila
The bodies of crash victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 are returned from Eastern Ukraine to the Netherlands together with flight recorders from the flight
Ukrainian Government forces recapture the city of Lysychansk from pro-Russian rebels
Pro-Russian separatists continue to control the strategic border crossing near Izvaryne, Luhansk Oblast, which they are believed to use to transport weapons and reinforcements from Russia into Ukraine
The United States says it has evidence that Russia is firing artillery across the border into Ukraine to target Ukrainian military positions in the conflict against pro-Russian separatists
More wreckage from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is discovered together with more bodies
Ukrainian forces recapture control of the strategic height of Savur-Mohyla in Donetsk oblast from pro-Russian insurgents
Ukrainian forces recapture control of Debaltseve, Shakhtarsk, Torez, and Lutuhyne in Donetsk oblast from pro-Russian separatists
The US and the EU increase sanctions against Russia
The Ukrainian Azov Battalion say that they and the 39th battalion of the Dnipropetrovsk territorial defense have recaptured control of Novy Svit in Donetsk Oblast from pro-Russian insurgents
64 percent of polled Russians think that the Ukraine crisis was caused by Western "interference" and 55 percent believe that Russia should continue supporting pro-Moscow separatists even if it could lead to a full-fledged civil war or even World War III, a poll shows
Ukrainian forces recapture control of Stepanivka (Perevalsk Raion) in Luhansk oblast from pro-Russian insurgents
The Australian Federal Police and Dutch police abandon efforts to reach the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 due to escalating tensions
The EU approves tougher sanctions on Russia
Fighting intensifies in the east as Ukraine forces recapture control of the strategic town of Avdiivka from pro-Russian insurgents
The Ukrainian government declares a unilateral one-day cease-fire in order to facilitate for a team of forensics experts and crash investigators to reach the site where Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 went down two weeks ago, after days of delay caused by heavy fighting in the area
At least 120 soldiers of the Ukrainian military have been confirmed killed in battle since July 17
Vladimir Antyufeyev, a Russian citizen and veteran of the pro-Russian separatist rebellion in Moldova, takes over as head of Donetsk People's Republic rebellion after self-labled "prime minister" Alexander Borodai reportedly disappeared for Russia
Ukrainian forces retake control of the towns of Krasnohorivka and Staromykhailivka, outside the pro-Russian rebels' stronghold of Donetsk
The pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk, who are now in great danger of being encircled by the Ukraine government forces, renew their calls for Russia to send troops and arms to their aid
A military spokesman of the Ukrainian government forces says the army has now recaptured three-quarters of the territory the pro-Russian rebels once controlled in their self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic rebellion
Ukrainian government forces recapture control of Yasynuvata from pro-Russian insurgents; government troops have now all but encircled the rebels' second-largest stronghold of Luhansk, and rebels declared a "state of siege" in Donetsk
The Ukrainian military urges residents of Donetsk to evacuate amid reports of "increased rebel attacks" on civilians and to clear the way for government troops to advance on one of the insurgency’s biggest stronghold
The President of Russia Vladimir Putin meets with the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in Minsk, Belarus, as disputes in eastern Ukraine continue
Ukrainian forces battle pro-Russian rebels near Luhansk International Airport. The area is encircled by the pro-Russian forces for over 3 weeks
Valeriy Heletey, Ukraine's Defence Minister, accuses Russia of launching a "great war"
The RIA Novosti news agency reports that Russian photojournalist Andrey Stenin has been found dead in Ukraine. It was discovered that he died 4 weeks ago
Ukraine claims that the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin have agreed to a "permanent ceasefire". Russia later denies these claims
France halts delivery of the first of two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships to the Russian Navy due to circumstances in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, and Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine, will meet at the sidelines of the Asia–Europe Meeting in Milan, Italy to discuss the conflict and supplies of natural gas
Voters in break away "people's republics" (Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic respectively) in Donetsk and Luhansk go to the polls for parliamentary and presidential elections. Rebel leaders Alexander Zakharchenko (Donetsk) and Igor Plotnisky (Luhansk) appear set for victory in early counting in elections which will be recognised in Russia but not elsewhere. International observers noted a very high turnout
At least three people die in a new round of fighting between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists
Kazakhstan renews its military cooperation with Ukraine, to which it promises vital supplies of coal, following a visit to Kiev by the Kazakh leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev
%%%2014–15 Australian region cyclone season
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology is predicting that a low pressure system in the Coral Sea will develop into tropical cyclone Marcia within 24 hours and bring heavy rain to South East Queensland with the potential to cause flooding
Tropical Cyclone Lam intensifies to Category 3 as it moves towards the Northern Territory's Arnhem Land
Cyclone Marcia is expected to strengthen to category 5 before making landfall in Central Queensland
Residents of Goulburn Island off the coast of the Northern Territory are evacuated ahead of Cyclone Lam
Cyclone Marcia makes landfall near Shoalwater Bay in central Queensland as a Category 5 tropical cyclone with wind gusts of up to 285 kilometres per hour
Cyclone Lam makes landfall in Arnhem Land between Millingimbi and Elcho Island. The communities of Ramingining and Galiwinku have also been badly damaged
Tropical Cyclone Nathan intensifies to a Category 2 system as it nears Cape York Peninsula in the north of the Australian state of Queensland
Tropical Cyclone Olwyn intensifies with the potential to reach Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale before making landfall in Western Australia's Pilbara region on March 13
Cyclone Nathan intensifies to a category 2 tropical cyclone (Australian scale) and is expected to make landfall near the Queensland town of Cooktown on March 19
Authorities in the Australian state of Queensland prepare for the impact of Severe Tropical Cyclone Nathan which is forecast to make landfall near Cooktown early tomorrow morning
Severe Tropical Cyclone Nathan makes landfall on Cape York Peninsula in far North Queensland as a category 4 (Australian system)
Residents living on the east coast of the Northern Territory prepare for the second tropical cyclone to hit the area in a month as Tropical Cyclone Nathan is likely to make landfall tomorrow morning
Cyclone Nathan makes landfall near Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory as a high end Category 2 cyclone
%%%2015 Nepal earthquake
A strong 7.9 earthquake strikes between the Nepalese capital Kathmandu and the regional headquarter city of Pokhara. The Government of Nepal declares a state of emergency with 1500 dead. A number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites are destroyed, including the historic Dharahara tower. Deaths are also recorded in India, Bangladesh and the Chinese province of Tibet
Rescue and recovery attempts continue in Nepal after Saturday's earthquake with the death toll more than 2200 and expected to rise further
A strong earthquake aftershock measured at 6.7 hits Nepal and northern India and causes further avalanches in the Himalayas
Rescue helicopters airlift badly injured climbers off Mount Everest a day after avalanches triggered by the earthquake kill seventeen people
The death toll from the earthquakes in Nepal rises to more than 3,700 with reports that tens of thousands of people are homeless. There are fears that the death toll could rise to over 5,000
The official death toll exceeds 5,000 with the United Nations estimating that 1.4 million people in the region need emergency food assistance
At least 250 people are missing after a mudslide and avalanche in Ghodatabela, a remote village near the epicenter of the earthquake
The death toll for the earthquake reaches 6,100 as the first food aid reaches Nepal. This includes 6000+ people in Nepal, 19 people on Mount Everest, 76 in India, 25 in China, and 4 in Bangladesh
Thousands of people are fleeing Kathmandu due to uncertainty over food supply
Kathmandu International Airport closes to large aircraft flying in relief because its runway can no longer stand the strain
The death toll from the earthquake passes 7000 and is expected to rise much higher
The death toll from earthquake reaches 8000 as three earth tremors hit Nepal. Avalanches disrupt rescue efforts higher in the mountains
%%%Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
Three members of Ansar al-Sharia and two pro-government militia fighters are killed in an attack in Abyan Governorate
Two al-Qaeda fighters and two pro-government militiamen are killed in clashes in Jaar, Yemen
Five Yemeni soldiers and two Al-Qaeda militants are killed in fighting in the central town of Rada. A senior intelligence officer is also gunned down by a drive-by shooting in the south
Attackers blow up Yemen's main oil pipeline, halting the flow of crude oil
Separate attacks on army bases in Shabwa Governorate kill at least 38 soldiers and 8 militants
The Yemeni Defense Ministry regains control of their military compound in Sana'a, Yemen, killing 11 militants in the process
The Philippines bans its workers from Yemen after the deaths of seven Filipinos there
Suspected Al-Qaeda militants attack an army post in Hadramawt province killing at least eight soldiers and injuring eleven
At least 30 people have been killed in clashes between Al-Qaeda and the Yemen Army
Seven Yemeni Army soldiers and 16 Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula militants are killed in fighting near the town of Azan in Shabwa province
At least 27 people are killed in an al-Qaeda raid on the town of Seyoun in Hadramout province
The Yemeni Military kills 5 al-Qaeda militants and arrests 4 in a raid north of Sana'a
The entire country of Yemen remains without electricity for a second day after insurgents sabotaged power lines linking the capital Sana'a and the contested Ma'rib Governorate
Yemeni forces kill at least seven al-Qaeda militants in the Wadi Hadramout region
%%%Boko Haram
The militant organisation Boko Haram attacks a village in Northern Cameroon, leaving an estimated 30 dead
Cameroon launches its first airstrikes against Boko Haram in a successful operation to reclaim several villages and a military base briefly seized by the militant group in the Far North Region
Fleeing villagers from a remote part of the Borno State report that Boko Haram had three days prior kidnapped around 40 boys and young men
News emerges that two days prior hundreds of Boko Haram militants had overrun several towns in northeast Nigeria and captured the military base in Baga
A female suicide bomber, believed to be aged around 10 years old, kills herself and 19 others, possibly against her will, at a market in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, Nigeria
More female suicide bombers, this time two, and again each believed to be around 10 years old, kill themselves and three others at a market in the northeastern city of Potiskum, Nigeria
Cameroon kills 143 Boko Haram fighters in clashes
Boko Haram militants reportedly raid the Cameroonian town of Fotokol in Cameroon's Far North Region with scores of people killed
The Chad Army claims to have killed 200 militants and lost nine soldiers in fighting in northern Nigeria
Boko Haram attacks two towns in Niger but is repulsed by the Niger Army with assistance from the Chad Air Force
Boko Haram launch a raid on a prison in the town of Diffa in Niger. Authorities repel the attack
The Nigerian Army claims to have killed 300 militants in northeastern Nigeria
A warplane bombs a funeral ceremony in Niger killing 30 civilians
The Nigerian Army recaptures the town of Baga where Boko Haram killed scores of people last month
Chadian soldiers kill over 200 Boko Haram fighters in a clash near the town of Garambu, close to Nigeria's border with Cameroon. One Chad Army soldier is killed and nine wounded
Suicide bombers target two crowded bus stations in Potiskum and Kano in northern Nigeria, killing at least 27 people in nearly daily violence in the embattled region. There is no claim of responsibility for either blast, but both bore the hallmarks of militant group Boko Haram
Maiduguri city in northeast Nigeria sees five suicide bomb blasts with 54 dead and 143 wounded
Forces from Niger and Chad launch a ground and air offensive against Boko Haram Islamist militants in northeastern Nigeria
Boko Haram captures Karamga island in Lake Chad from Niger, killing many soldiers
Hundreds of people have been found dead in the northern Nigerian town of Damasak, most likely killed by Boko Haram
At least five people are killed in a Boko Haram attack on a village in southwest Niger
Boko Haram kills at least 43 people in the town of Gubio in Nigeria's Borno State
A suicide bomber kills 26 people in a Maiduguri mosque hours after militants launch an attack on the first full day of President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari's term of office
A bomb explodes at a market place in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri killing at least four people
A suicide bombing in the city of Maiduguri in the north of Nigeria kills 20 people
Residents of northeast Nigeria claim that Boko Haram has killed at least 43 people and burnt down three villages in recent attacks
Over 42 people are shot dead by suspected Boko Haram gunmen in two attacks on villages in Nigeria's Borno state
%%%Boston Marathon bombings
Two explosions in Boston, United States, near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon leave 3 people dead and 183 injured
The Pakistani Taliban denies any involvement in the Boston marathon bombings
Organisers and security officials reassess security plans for Sunday's 2013 London Marathon. This follows yesterday's incident at the 2013 Boston Marathon which killed three people
The 2012–13 NBA season game between the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics, which was originally scheduled for April 16, is cancelled after blasts in Boston
The U.S. FBI recovers forensic evidence suggesting the two explosive devices which exploded near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon were pressure cooker bombs, placed inside heavy black nylon bags containing shrapnel
An episode of the popular U.S. sitcom Family Guy is pulled by the Fox Network over its depiction of people being run over by a car at the Boston Marathon. The film Four Lions is also pulled by Film4 due to the hysteria surrounding the recent Boston Marathon bombings in which three people died
U.S. President Barack Obama visits the city of Boston in the wake of the recent marathon bombings
The Federal Bureau of Investigation posts photos of two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings
A campus police officer is shot dead in his vehicle at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the U.S. city of Cambridge, Massachusetts
The Boston Police Department chases two carjacking suspects in the MIT shooting death of a campus policeman to the nearby suburb of Watertown where, after a gunfight that included explosives, an MBTA officer is injured, one suspect is dead, and the other flees but is later captured
The suspects are brothers. The at-large suspect is identified as a Kyrgyzstan-born Cambridge resident, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The deceased brother is identified as 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev. A number of YouTube videos, posted by the suspects, surface that seek Muslim takeover of Chechnya
Boston and its suburbs are on lockdown as a result of the manhunt. People were not allowed to go out until the lockdown was lifted, and businesses were also closed
Shortly after officials announce that they have lost track of the suspect and lifted the lockdown, a tip leads police to the back yard of a home in the Boston suburb of Watertown, Massachusetts, where the second suspect is captured after an exchange of gunfire and a brief standoff
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is captured and taken in serious condition to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. U.S. President Barack Obama gives a news conference, where he praises the collaboration between government law enforcement agencies. With the suspect's capture and presumed interrogation (if he survives), the lockdown and emergency state will likely be lifted
The FBI and the CIA admit that Russian intelligence had warned the U.S. intelligence agencies several times regarding the extremist connections of Tamerlan Tsarnaev prior to the Boston marathon bombings
Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York City, claims that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation briefed him that suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev said that the bombers intended to attack New York City next
Prosecutors discuss a plea deal (avoidance of the death penalty in exchange for a likely sentence of life in prison without parole) for the surviving Boston bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Police have taken DNA from Tamerlan Tsarnaev's wife and are exploring the brothers' connection to two deceased Russian extremists
Boston Police state that three more individuals are implicated and arrested
A report states that Dzhokhar has told detectives he was motivated by wanting to defend Islam because of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
Suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev is buried in the al-Barzakh Cemetery in Doswell, Virginia, United States
Evidence mounts that the brothers may be involved in an unsolved triple murder in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States from September 11, 2011 - one of the victims, Brendan Mess, was once a roommate of Tamerlan
Suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev makes his first appearance in a US court since his arrest on April 19
Dzhokhar pleads not guilty to 30 counts including using a weapon of mass destruction in his first court appearance
Azamat Tazhayakov, a friend of accused marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is found guilty of obstruction of justice and conspiracy for trying to hide evidence during the ongoing case
Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev receives a guilty verdict on all legal charges against him
%%%Charlie Hebdo shooting
Gunmen attack the Paris office of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing twelve people and injuring ten. Some witnesses report that the gunmen identified themselves as belonging to al-Qaeda in Yemen. A 2011 issue had depicted a cartoon of the Islamic prophet Muhammed
French police identify three suspects in the killings with raids being conducted in the city of Reims for the assailants, brothers Said and Cherif Kaouchi, aged 32 and 34, respectively, and Hamyd Mourad, 18
One of the suspects in the killings, Hamyd Mourad, voluntarily surrenders to police in Charleville-Mézières while the other two suspects are still at large
On the night of January 7 and morning of January 8, assailants throw grenades and fire guns at three mosques throughout France
The two suspect brothers take a hostage at a sign printing company, Création Tendance Découverte, in the French town of Dammartin-en-Goële
The standoff ends with the two brothers dead and the hostage released
The standoff ends with the two brothers dead and the hostage released
A second hostage situation of unclear connection occurs at a Jewish market, Hypercacher, in the eastern Paris suburb of Vincennes. There are two suspected hostage takers, Hayat Boumeddiene, 26, and Amedy Coulibaly, 32, who were previously suspected of shooting a policewoman dead earlier in the week. There are at least sixteen hostages. (Herald-Sun)
The concurrent standoff ends with Coulibaly dead as well as four hostages. Four additional hostages and two police officers require hospitalization. Boumeddiene remains at large
Thousands of police and military personnel prepare to secure a Paris unity rally with up to a million people expected to attend
An arson attack on the German newspaper Hamburger Morgenpost, which published cartoons from Charlie Hebdo, causes no injuries but leads to two arrests
France announces plans to deploy 10,000 troops to protect sensitive sites across the country beginning tonight
%%%Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
Cuba announces plans to send 165 medical staff to West Africa to help combat the Ebola virus outbreak that has claimed more than 2,400 lives
The United States will send thousands of troops to West Africa to build Ebola virus clinics and train health workers
Eight members of an Ebola awareness team are killed by rioting villagers in a remote area of southeastern Guinea
The Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon announces the creation of an emergency mission to respond to the virus which has killed over 2,500 people in West Africa 
A three day curfew in Sierra Leone ends and will not be extended
The World Health Organisation and the Government of Liberia introduce a controversial program to move infected people out of their homes and into de facto shelters
The World Health Organisation says that the death toll from the Ebola virus is over 2,900
The official death toll from the Ebola virus outbreak reaches 3,000 with the World Health Organisation warning that the official figures "vastly underestimate the true scale of the epidemic"
A Spanish nurse becomes the first person to be infected with the Ebola virus outside West Africa
Three people in Mali, which has had no cases, are injected with an experimental vaccine against the Ebola virus, the first such trial in Africa
The World Health Organisation estimates that the death toll from the outbreak has passed 4000 with all but nine deaths occurring in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea
The World Health Organisation declares Senegal to be free of the Ebola virus
Mali confirms that a 2-year-old girl has tested positive for Ebola, marking the country's first documented case
Australia issues a blanket ban on issuing visas for residents of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the countries worst affected by the Ebola epidemic
The World Health Organisation appoints Dr Matshidiso Moeti of Botswana as its new Africa chief as the death toll from the virus passes 5,000
Mali confirms that it has a new case of Ebola virus, this time in the capital Bamako
The World Health Organization reports that the death toll in the three worst affected countries in West Africa - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone - has passed 5,000
Sierra Leone quarantines the Tonkolili district with more than half the country under lockdown and the official death toll in the country reaching 1,530 and roughly 7,109 infected
Medical personnel combating the spread of the Ebola virus are named Time Person of the Year
China sends an additional 232 People's Liberation Army medical workers to West Africa to combat the outbreak (in addition to the 78 that had previously been stationed)
Sierra Leone quarantines 700 homes in the Aberdeen district of Freetown following the death of a fisherman
Liberia lifts curfews and reopens borders from Sunday as the epidemic starts to end
Liberia's last known ebola patient is discharged from a treatment center in Monrovia. The country now needs 42 days without a subsequent diagnosed infection to be declared disease free
The World Health Organization declares that the outbreak of the Ebola virus has ceased in Liberia after weeks of no cases there
Two new cases of ebola virus disease are reported from Sierra Leone’s capital city of Freetown about three weeks after the most recent new cases were found
%%%Euromaidan
During the third Sunday of mass protests, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in Kiev seek the resignation of the government for refusing a deal on closer ties with the European Union
Anti-government protesters topple the last surviving statue of Communist leader Vladimir Lenin in central Kiev
Former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko sends a letter of support to Ukrainian protesters after they topple a statue of Lenin
Police in Kiev abandon their posts after a sweep of the protesters ended in violence
Sanctions are being considered by the United States against Ukraine after the recent violent dispersal of protests
U.S. Senator John McCain joins protesters in Kiev and accuses Moscow of intervening in the internal politics of the country
President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow amid mass protests against the relationship between the two
Russia agrees to reduce prices on gas exports to Ukraine and purchase 11 billion Euros worth of Ukrainian government bonds
Ukraine's opposition vows to continue the pro-EU protests over the holiday period, despite an economic deal signed with Russia a few days ago
Tetiana Chornovol, an Ukrainian civic activist and journalist, is dragged from her car and beaten by a group of men. Authorities say that this is the latest attack on government opponents
Yuri Lutsenko, one of the leaders of the protests, is injured during clashes with the police
New violent clashes erupt in Ukraine as a reaction to new strict anti-protest laws
Violence spreads in Kiev as protesters clash with police
Violent clashes occur for a second day between protesters and police in Kiev, Ukraine
Ukrainian security forces start dismantling protest camps in Kiev with two protesters feared dead after clashes with police
Unrest in the Ukraine spreads to the cities of Khmelnitsky, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Lviv (Lvov), Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lutsk, Rivne and Chernivtsi. In Rivne and Lviv, the offices of the governors were broken into; the Lviv regional governor was forced to sign a letter of resignation
Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov submits his resignation to President Viktor Yanukovich "for the sake of a peaceful settlement of the conflict
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich accepts the resignation of Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov and his cabinet; the cabinet will continue to work until a new government is formed
Parliament repeals anti-protest laws which had led to protests
Activist Dymtro Bulatov reappears after allegedly being tortured by the government
Violent clashes between police forces and opposition demonstrators reignite in Kiev, Ukraine. The death toll rises to 14, six of them policemen who were shot dead during the confrontation
After protesters had resisted the police, opposition and President Viktor Yanukovych hold talks and reach a truce. The toll of riots over the past couple of days is at least 25 dead and 241 injured
The President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych sacks Volodymyr Zamana as Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; replacing him with Yuriy Ilyin
In a few cities in Western Ukraine anti-government protesters seize government buildings
A shaky truce is broken with police and protesters renewing clashes on Kiev's Maidan Nezalezhnosti, with scores of deaths reported
The mayor of Kiev, Volodymyr Makeyenko, announces he is stepping down from his post and leaving the Ukraine's ruling party Party of Regions
The European Union imposes sanctions against Ukraine including asset freezes and visa bans
The Ukrainian government and opposition agree to form a unity government and to hold early elections
The Ukrainian parliament votes to free Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister jailed for more than two years for what supporters say are politically tainted charges. She is released later in the day
Protesters claim control of the capital Kiev with reports that President Viktor Yanukovych has fled to eastern Ukraine
The Ukrainian parliament votes to remove President Viktor Yanukovych from his position. From his current base in Kharkiv, Yanukovych denounces the events in Kiev as a "coup"
Ukrainian economist and writer Oleksandr Turchynov is voted Speaker of the Parliament, and in that capacity acting President of Ukraine
%%%Gaza–Israel conflict
Two rockets fired from Gaza strip land in Sderot, Israel, in violation of the ceasefire brokered after the eight-day conflict in November 2012
Five people are injured on the Gaza Strip in an Israel Air Force raid following Palestinian militants firing a rocket towards Ashkelon
The Israeli Air Force carries out an air strike seriously injuring one Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative in the Gaza Strip and wounding two others
At least 11 rockets are fired into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip causing light damage to a house
The Israeli cabinet approves the call up of 40,000 reserve soldiers as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns of a ground operation against Palestinian rockets attacks and infiltration attempts into Israel
The Israel Defense Forces launch an air and artillery offensive in the Gaza Strip to quell rocket attacks and the Israeli Air Force conducts more air strikes against the Gaza Strip after Hamas fires rockets into Israel
The Israeli Army intensifies its attack on the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip with 130 attacks on key sites such as command centers and rocket launchers after over 250 rockets and mortars were fired into Israel over the past week. Hamas rockets reached over 100 km into Israeli territory
The death toll from Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip reaches 40
A BBC investigation determines that photographs circulating on social media sites allegedly covering the airstrikes on Gaza include photographs taken from conflicts in Iraq and Syria and are up to five years old
As Israeli airstrikes continue, Hamas releases a video threatening to carry out stabbings, terror attacks, and suicide bombs inside Israel. The IDF arrests two Palestinians as they tried to enter Israel from the West Bank with a car bomb to carry out an attack
Israeli military troops kill one Palestinian man in a West Bank refugee camp. Israeli sources claim the man threw an explosive device at an army patrol
Canadian academic William Schabas resigns as the head of a United Nations committee investigating alleged Israeli war crimes in an offensive in the Gaza Strip during 2014 due to Israel alleging bias due to consultancy work he did for the Palestine Liberation Organisation
%%%Germanwings Flight 9525
A Germanwings flight crashes en route from Barcelona, Spain, to Düsseldorf, Germany, in a mountainous region of the Alps near Digne-les-Bains in Southern France leaving 150 dead. Rescue workers recover the damaged, but still usable, cockpit voice recorder
A search and recovery operation resumes for the remains of the Germanwings flight that crashed into the French Alps on March 24
An audio recording indicates that a pilot was locked out of the cockpit at the time of the crash and was unable to reenter
French prosecutors claim that evidence supports the conclusion that the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, deliberately crashed the plane
Investigators, searching one of the two residences of the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, find a torn doctor's note granting Lubitz medical leave—deeming him unfit for work—for a period including the day of the crash
In imitation of current U.S. policy, Lufthansa, together with other German airlines announce plans to mandate that two people (either two pilots or a pilot and a flight attendant) must be inside the cockpit at all times
According to an interview with Germany's Bild newspaper, the former girlfriend of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was told by him that "One day I'm going to do something that will change the whole system, and everyone will know my name and remember
A mourning religious service is held at Digne-les-Bains in the French Alps near the site of the downed passenger jet
Germanwings' owner Lufthansa officially acknowledges that it knew there were mental health issues with Andreas Lubitz before the crash
German newspaper Bild and French news magazine Paris Match say they have a passenger's cell phone video showing the plane's last moments before the crash
The flight data recorder is recovered from the crash site
German prosecutors state that the co-pilot researched suicide methods and the security of cockpit doors
Data from the flight data recorder reveals that the plane was deliberately accelerated before crashing into the French Alps
French prosecutors say the passengers onboard the Germanwings flight that crashed in southern France have all been identified, and their bodies can be returned home to their families
%%%Iraqi insurgency; Iraqi insurgency (2011–present); Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal)
Car bombings in Baghdad kill at least 17 people and injure dozens of others
A suicide bombing at a mosque in the Iraqi town of Tuz Khormato kills at least 23 people
Iraqi security forces reach the town of Amerli which had been besieged by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces
The Prime Minister of Iraq Haidar al-Abadi promises a crackdown on corruption after an audit shows that there were 50,000 ghost soldiers in the Army
The Iraq Prime Minister fires 24 Interior Ministry officials while the Islamic State kills at least 15 police officers near the border with Syria
Bombings in Kirkuk and Shia Muslim sections of Baghdad kill at least 33 people
A suicide bombing in Madaen among a group of pro-government Sunni militiamen kills at least 33 people and leaves 55 others wounded
Iraqi government forces and allied Shia militia recapture the town of Dhuluiya in Saladin Province, north of Baghdad, from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
A car bomb blast in Baghdad kills at least three people and injures 12
At least seven people are dead after a car bomb blast south of Baghdad
Ten people are killed in an Iraqi Air Force air strike on the rebel-held town of Hawija
A suicide bombing in Baghdad kills at least 21 people
Gunmen attack a prisoner convoy north of Baghdad resulting in the death of 52 prisoners and eight Iraqi Army soldiers
Twin car bombs kill at least 13 people in central Baghdad
An Iraqi Army raid on jihadist targets in a town southwest of Baghdad kills at least 17 people
Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria clash with Iraq's Kurdish minority in the north of the country
Iraq government television reports that an Iraqi Air Force strike has killed 60 militants
At least 51 people are killed in a series of car bombings in Baghdad
Iraq's embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says that he will file a legal complaint against President Fuad Masum for opposing Maliki's reappointment
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that 52 people have died as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Islamists gain control of eight villages between Aleppo and the Turkish border
The United Nations declares its highest state of emergency in Iraq following the advance of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Sunni militants and the Iraqi Army clash west of Baghdad, Iraq leaving 4 children dead
President Obama announces that U.S airstrikes broke the IS siege of Mount Sinjar, allowing thousands of Yazidi refugees to escape, and declares plans for further airstrikes against IS forces
Kurdish forces, supported by U.S. airstrikes, retake control of the Mosul Dam after its capture by IS militants
The UN calls for action to prevent what it suspects may become a massacre in the northern Iraqi town of Amirli, which has been besieged by IS forces since June
At least 30 people are killed in bombings in Baghdad and Kirkuk
A suicide bomber detonates his vest inside of a Shiite mosque in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 13 people
A car bomb explodes in a mainly Shi'ite section of Baghdad, killing at least eight people and wounding 20
The United States sends an additional 250 US troops to protect American personnel
A car bombing in a busy street in Baghdad's largest Shi'ite neighbourhood kills at least 12 people
Three bombs explode in Shi'ite areas of Baghdad killing at least 30 people
A suicide bomber targets a police checkpoint in the town of Youssifiyah, killing seven people
Several attacks around Baghdad including bombings and shootings kill at least sixteen people
Separate attacks in Baghdad kill at least eight people
Multiple bombings in Baghdad, Iraq, kill at least nineteen people and wound another thirty-six
Two explosions in Baghdad kill at least 13 people and injure dozens
At least 6 guards and 30 prisoners are killed in an Iraq prison break while 40 prisoners escape
A suicide bombing in Mussayab kills 27 Shiite pilgrims and injures 60 others
A suicide bomber kills a Sunni MP and six others in Fallujah, two days after Finance Minister Rafi al-Issawi survived an assassination attempt in the same city. The parlamentarian, Ifan Saadoun al-Issawi, was an important member of the Sahwa[disambiguation needed] committee in Fallujah and part of the opposition to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
Two car bombs explode in the city of Dujail, Iraq, leaving at least 7 dead and 25 wounded
A bomb detonated on a bus carrying pilgrims in Iraq. In a separate incident a roadside bomb detonated and injures two pilgrims walking to Hussein ibn Ali. Another bomb detonated at a bus stop killing 7 people and wounding 28
Also a civilian vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb leaving 2 dead. In total 33 people were killed in one of the most violent days this month
At least 33 people are killed in Kirkuk, Iraq, when a suicide bomber detonates a truck packed with explosives outside a police headquarters and gunmen disguised as officers tried to storm the compound
A suicide bomber attacks a government building in Taji, 15 kilometres north of the capital Baghdad, killing 22 and injuring 44 others. Nineteen of the dead are members of the Sahwa militia opposed to al-Qaeda in Iraq, who were waiting for their monthly salaries
A string of bombings kill at least 29 people and injure 69 others in central Iraq, including twin blasts in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighborhood, as well as the city of Hilla
A rocket kills six people and injures over 50 others at Camp Liberty, an Iraqi facility near Baghdad that shelters members of People's Mujahedin of Iran
A suicide bombing kills General Ali Aouni, the head of the Iraqi intelligence academy, and three of his bodyguards in Tal Afar
A series of car bombs kill at least 37 people and injure more than 130 others in mostly Shiite areas of the capital Baghdad
At least 23 people are killed and 60 others injured in a series of bombings in Shiite districts of Baghdad and surrounding suburbs
A string of coordinated car bombs and suicide bombers strike central Baghdad, followed by a militant attack on the Justice Ministry building. At least 25 people are killed, including 7 police officers and 3 militants, along with 50 wounded
A car bombing near a bus station in Garmat Ali near the Iraqi city of Basra kills at least 10 people
A roadside bombing kills the head of a local town council and a member of a provincial council in Tuz Khormato, Saladin Province, Iraq
Coordinated car bombings against five Shiite mosques in Baghdad and Kirkuk kill 23 worshipers
A suicide attacker blows up a tanker lorry at the police headquarters in the Iraqi city of Tikrit, killing at least nine people. Three people are killed in a separate shooting in Baghdad
At least 22 people are killed and more than 60 others injured when a suicide bomber blows himself up in a busy election campaign tent in the Iraqi city of Baquba
At least 11 people are killed and more than 30 are wounded in bomb attacks at Sunni mosques in Baghdad and in the province of Diyala
18 April 2013 Baghdad bombing: At least 27 people, including two children, are killed and 65 injured in a bomb attack on a cafe in the Iraqi capital Baghdad
At least five people are killed in separate incidents in Iraq including a suspected al-Qaida leader in Mosul
Multiple bomb attacks across Iraq kill at least 15 people
At least 14 members of the Sons of Iraq are killed in two separate attacks within Fallujah
At least 10 people are killed and 26 others injured in attacks across Iraq
Gunmen using silenced weapons attack at least nine alcohol stores in western Baghdad, killing twelve people
Thirty-five people, including three police officers, are killed in bomb attacks in Shi'ite sections of Baghdad and parts of northern Iraq
Seventeen people are killed when car bombs detonate and gunman attack people in Baghdad, Iraq
A string of bombings, most of them in Sunni areas of Iraq, kill at least 90 people and injured more than 200 others
Gunmen break into the home of an anti-terrorism police officer in the Baghdad suburbs, killing him and his family
A wave of violence continues, with attacks across the country killing 133 and leaving 283 others injured. Almost 400 people have been killed in the last six days alone, as tribal leaders warn of impending civil war
A series of bombings across Iraq kills at least eleven people
Authorities in Iraq say they have uncovered an Al-Qaeda plot to use chemical weapons, as well as to smuggle them to Europe and North America
UN death-toll figures show more than 1000 people died from violent attacks in Iraq during the month of May, making it the country's deadliest month since 2008
Fourteen people are killed at a fake security checkpoint manned by gunmen in western Iraq
At least 19 people are killed when two suicide bombers drive cars packed with explosives into targets in the Baghdad area
Twin suicide bombings kill 31 and wound another 60 in al-Qahira, Baghdad
A wave of market bomb attacks mostly targeting Shi'ite Muslims kills 46 people (Herald Sun
15 people die in a suicide bomb attack targeting a Shia mosque in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad
A suicide bombing inside a Sunni mosque in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala kills at least twenty people
A suicide bombing in the Iraqi town of Tuz Khormato kills at least eight policemen
A wave of twelve car bombs targeting Shiite communities in Iraq kills at least 44 people
At least eight people have been killed in violence across Iraq
25 people are killed and 60 are wounded by car bombs near markets in Baghdad in Iraq
Eight people are killed and 25 are injured in a suicide bomb attack on a cafe in Balad north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad
Two roadside bombs explode in the Iraqi city of Baqubah killing 14 and wounding 26 people
Fourteen people are killed by a suicide bomber in a military headquarters in Western Iraq
26 people are killed and 55 wounded by a suicide bomber in a park in northern Baghdad (FOX News
A wave of bomb attacks kill 41 people in Iraq
At least 51 people are killed and dozens wounded in a series of bombings and attacks in and around Baghdad
Bomb attacks targeting both Shi'ite Muslims and Sunnis kill at least 16 people in Iraq
Bombings in Baghdad and Shia provinces kill at least 21 people
Over 100 people are killed in a series of attacks across Iraq, most of them in a twin suicide bombing at a Shiite funeral in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood
Fourteen car bombs targeting Shi'ite neighborhoods in Baghdad leave 54 people dead
Gunmen shoot down a military helicopter in northern Iraq killing all four crew members
Two car bombs detonate in a village near Tal Afar, Iraq killing and wounding dozens of people
A bomb detonates outside a Sunni mosque in Kirkuk, Iraq, killing 12 worshipers and injuring another 24
Attacks on Shia Muslims killed at least 59 people across Iraq, including a suicide truck bomb targeting at least 15 members of the country's Shabak people
Suicide bombers targeting police and local officials in Rawa, northwest of Baghdad, kill 15 people
At least 37 people are killed in a suicide bombing at a cafe in the Shia-dominated area of Baghdad
Militants kill 22 security forces in police and military checkpoints in Anbar Province
A series of car bombings around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, kills at least 38 people
Twenty people are killed in bombings in Iraq
A suicide bomber detonates a bomb in an oil tanker truck, killing 15 people in Baghdad, Iraq
Bombs across Iraq detonate, killing 18 people
39 people are killed in Iraq in attacks against Shiites Muslims
A series of attacks in Baghdad and north Iraq kills four policemen and wounds dozens
A truck bomb detonates in a vegetable market in northeastern Iraq, killing at least 31 people
23 people are killed in bombing and shootings in Iraq
A car bomb and a suicide bomber kills nine people and wounds 54
Two bombs exploded outside a cafe in Baghdad in the district of Sadriya, home to mainly Shiite Muslims, killing at least 17 and wounding 37
33 people are killed in bombings and shootings across Iraq
A wave of violence in Iraq kills 52 people, most of whom were kidnapped and then shot dead
A suicide bombing at a funeral kills at least 17 people in Baqubah, Iraq
Iraqi security forces storm the Jawahir Mall in Kirkuk after armed gunmen seize hostages
Militants in Kirkuk, Iraq, attack a mall and police headquarters, killing 10 people and injuring another 70
At least 30 people are killed as a result of car bombings in Iraq
Attacks around Iraq kill at least 18 people, including a car bombing at a cafe in the town of Buhriz which killed 12 people
15 Iranians and 3 Iraqis were killed in a pipeline attack in the north-east of Baghdad
A series of attacks across Iraq kills 22 Shiite pilgrims
Two roadside bombings in Iraq kill 11 people (Daily Star
Bombings and shootings across northern Iraq kill 14 people
Eighteen Iraqi military officers and soldiers are killed and more than 30 others injured after an attack in Rutbah, in Iraq's western Anbar province. Among those killed is the commander of the elite Iraqi 7th Division Major General Mohammed al-Karawi, as well as 4 other officers
A mortar attack kills four Iraq army officers and two soldiers in an army base west of Baghdad
A terrorist attack on a news complex in Tikrit, Iraq kills 5 people
A car bomb explodes near a church as Christian worshippers were leaving a Christmas service in the capital, Baghdad, killing at least 14 people and wounding 28 others
18 people are killed in attacks across Iraq, including a military general in a bombing in the northern city of Mosul
Armed tribesmen and ISIS militants control the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, after days of violence that erupted as a protest camp was removed
13 people are killed in a suicide bombing in Balad Ruz, near Baqubah
A suicide bomber kills 23 Iraqi army recruits and wounds 36 in Baghdad
A car bombing at a bus station in central Baghdad kills at least nine people
At least 26 people are killed in a series of attacks in central Iraq
17 people are killed in car-bomb and mortar attacks on a Shi'ite Muslim village in Iraq
Six suicide bombers take over the Iraqi Ministry of Transportation in Baghdad and kill at least 24 hostages before security forces take control
A wave of bombings hits central Baghdad with at least 16 people dead
At least 25 people are killed and dozens wounded in bombing attacks across Baghdad; three bombs exploded in public markets and a fourth outside a Shiite mosque
A wave of bombings in the Iraqi capital Baghdad kills 53 people. [http://www.dailytimes.com
Gunmen attack a police headquarters north of Baghdad and suicide bombers strike across Iraq killing 25 people and injuring dozens
Attacks in Baghdad and predominantly Sunni Arab areas of northern and western Iraq kill nine people
A suicide truck bomber detonates at a police station in Kirkuk Governorate, Iraq killing 8 policemen
49 people have been killed and 69 wounded in a series of attacks across Iraq including attack by Iraqi security forces on insurgents in Anbar province
Attacks across Iraq kill 27 people
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant gunmen storm the campus of the University of Anbar, killing 3 guards and holding dozens of students hostage before withdrawing
The dead bodies of 21 policemen who were kidnapped a day before by militants are recovered in Mosul, Iraq
At least 52 people are dead following a series of bombings in Baghdad
At least 13 people are killed and 60 injured as a result of a double bombing at the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in Jalula, Diyala region
A suicide truck bomber detonates his vehicle at the gate of a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan office in Tuz Khormato, Iraq, a second truck bomb detonated as people were gathering around the first one. Over 15 are killed and at least 110 injured
Militants stage an overnight attack in Mosul, Iraq, taking control of the city while police and military flee
2014 Mosul offensive: Insurgents continue their offensive, gaining control of the city of Tikrit, the second provincial capital to fall in as many days. At least 500,000 residents of Mosul flee the fighting and head east into Kurdish-controlled territory, while insurgents storm the Turkish Embassy and take 48 Turks hostage, including the Consul General
The United Nations Security Council meets to discuss the rapid progress of an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant offensive towards Baghdad
Iraqi Kurds take over control of the city of Kirkuk as the army flees
The Parliament of Iraq postpones a vote on Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's call for a state of emergency due to a lack of quorum
Sittings of the Council of Representatives of Iraq are postponed for five weeks as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces kill an Iraqi Army general on the outskirts of Baghdad
Iraqi security forces find the bodies of 53 men shot recently in Hamza south of Baghdad
Kurdish MPs withdraw from the central government following a dispute with the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with Kurdish forces taking over control of two northern oil fields at Bai Hassan and Kirkuk
Gunmen kill 29 people in an apartment building in East Baghdad, including twenty women
Twin bombings in the city of Kirkuk kill at least 28 people
Three bombs explode in Baghdad killing at least fifteen people
%%%Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant; Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Tens of thousands of Kurds flee into Turkey ahead of an ISIL offensive
Over 300 members of the Sunni Albu Nimr tribe are executed by ISIS militants in Anbar Province, western Iraq
Islamic State militants claim to have captured the Jahar gas fields in the Syrian province of Homs, the second gas field they have captured in a week
Syrian Air Force raids on the city of Raqqa kill at least 36 people
The Lebanese government arrests a wife and daughter of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Iraqi officials claim that ISIL have shot down a military helicopter near Samarra, killing both pilots
The Turkish media reports that the Turkish Army has sent troops into Syria to evacuate troops and artefacts from the Tomb of Suleyman Shah in the Aleppo Governorate which has been under threat from Islamic State for several months. One soldier has reportedly been killed
Islamic State releases a video showing the execution of three Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq with threats to execute dozens more
An Islamic state attack on a Kurdish Nowruz festival (New Year's Day) kills 45 people
The Governor of Iraq's Anbar Governorate estimates that 500 people were killed and 8000 fled as ISIS captured the strategically important city of Ramadi
Islamic State captures the Syrian city of Tadmur from the Syrian Army with grave concerns held about the Palmyra site
Islamic State militants have carried out multiple suicide bombings targeting the Iraqi Army in Anbar Province killing at least 17 people
The Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi says he has ordered the army to stop shelling areas held by the Islamic State where there are civilians present
Islamic State releases a video purporting to show the beheading of British aid worker David Haines
Australia sends combat aircraft and special forces to the Middle East to help in the fight against Islamic State
Islamic State fighters shoot down a Syrian Air Force warplane conducting an airstrike on Raqqa
Islamic State release a video purporting to be from British journalist John Cantlie as propaganda
The United States Senate passes a budget measure authorising President Barack Obama to equip and train moderate rebels to fight ISIL in Syria
France launches airstrikes against the Islamic State
Malaysia says that Muslim women are joining IS as "prostitutes" which is contrary to the teachings of Islam
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that ISIL militants have captured 60 villages near the Kurdish town of Kobani on the border with Turkey
The Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu says that 49 Turkish hostages taken after the fall of Mosul have been released
2014 military intervention against ISIS in Syria -- The United States and its allies commence air strikes against Islamic State in Syria with reports of at least 120 deaths
Georgia denies media reports alleging that the country has offered hosting of a training center for anti-Islamic State Syrian rebel fighters and states that its involvement in the crisis will be limited to "humanitarian missions"
The al-Nusra Front claims that its leader Abu Yousef al-Turki was killed in the air strikes
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is recalled to discuss British participation in 2014 military intervention against ISIS. (Daily Mail) (Telegraph.uk)
The Parliament approves air strikes against ISIS in Iraq by 524 votes to 43
A hospital in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar says that 29 suspected ISIL fighters were killed in airstrikes last night
Kurds clash violently with Turkish police over failure to help Kurds under siege in the Syrian border city of Kobani under siege by ISIL forces. At least fourteen people have died in the clashes
ISIL forces capture the headquarters of Kurdish forces defending the Syrian border town of Kobane with the United Nations warning of massacre
Turkey agrees to allow the training of 2,000 Syrian opposition forces on its soil as Islamic State militants approach to within 1 mile of the centre of the border city of Kobani
Islamic State claims responsibility for a triple suicide bombing in Iraq's Diyala Province that killed 26 Kurds as well as an attack in Anbar Province that killed the head of security
Turkey will allow Turkish Kurds to join in the fight against ISIL in Kobane
At least 43 Shi'ites are dead in Baghdad and the holy city of Karbala in a wave of suicide and car bombings
The Syrian Air Force claims to have shot down two of the three fighter jets operated by ISIL in northern Syria
A suicide bomber kills eight people in the centre of Baiji in northern Iraq
Suicide bombings kill at least 23 people across Iraq
ISIL claims to have executed American hostage Abdul-Rahman Kassig
Iraqi airstrikes kill 17 Iraqi citizens within ISIL controlled areas
Heavy fighting in the northern Syrian city of Kobani kills at least 40 fighters from both ISIL and Kurdish forces
Coalition forces launch over 30 airstrikes on Raqqa, the de facto capital of ISIL
The Kurdish region’s military forces, the Peshmerga Ministry, states that over 700 Iraqi Kurds have died fighting ISIL forces since June
Clashes with ISIL in Anbar province kill twenty-three Iraqi Army soldiers and allied Sunni fighters
The Combined Joint Task Force combating ISIL conducts ten airstrikes in Syria, eight of them targeting the contested city of Kobani, with the airstrikes destroying fourteen ISIL fighting positions and a building
Apparent ISIL computer hackers attack the feeds for the United States Central Command for Twitter and YouTube
Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State militants in the town of Kobanî, Syria on the Syria-Turkey border capture the strategic Mishtenur hill killing eleven fighters
The Islamic State kills eight Lebanese soldiers in the northeastern Lebanese village of Ras Baalbek
Japan states that it is seeking to verify a video that claims the killing of Japanese hostage Haruna Yukawa by Islamic State militants
Kurdish fighters recapture at least 90% of Kobanî, Syria
Islamic State fighters kill Kurdish commander Brigadier General Shirko Rauf and five other peshmerga soldiers in heavy fighting in Iraq's Kirkuk province
A monitoring group claims that ISIL has reportedly released a video showing the execution of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant posts pictures of Jordanian Air Force pilot Muath Al-Kasasbeh being burnt alive which Jordan believes are a month old
Jordan executes convicted Iraqi terrorists Sajida al-Rishawi and Ziad al-Karbouli in response to the execution by ISIL of Jordanian Air Force lieutenant Muath Al-Kasasbeh
ISIL claims that the American female hostage Kayla Jean Mueller has been killed by Jordanian airstrikes at the outskirts of Raqqa, Syria. The White House says that they have no proof of her death
Bombings in Baghdad kill at least 37 people hours before the city's curfew was due to end. ISIL claims responsibility
The United States confirms the death of ISIL hostage Kayla Mueller
ISIS burns more than 8,000 rare books and manuscripts in Mosul, Iraq
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that ISIL kidnapped at least 150 people from Assyrian Christian villages in Syria in a series of February 23 raids
"Jihadi John", an ISIL terrorist featured in many beheading videos, is identified as Mohammed Emwazi, a Kuwaiti-born man who lived in the United Kingdom and was on a terrorism watch list
ISIS posts a video showing the destruction of Mosul Museum, the second largest in Iraq and rich in artifacts from thousands of years of Iraqi history
A series of car bombs kill 19 people in Balad Ruz, east-central Iraq
A coalition of Iraqi Armed Forces and militia numbering around 30,000 launches an offensive against Islamic State positions in Tikrit. Troops seize control of the district of al-Tin and al-Abeid
In Iraq, ISIL destroys the ancient city of Hatra following the destruction of Nimrud
Sohaib al Rawi, Governor of Al Anbar Governorate in Iraq, claims that ISIL has killed 52 people, mostly police officers on the border with Syria in the past week
Fierce clashes in Iraq's Anbar province as Islamic State captures three villages near the provincial capital Ramadi
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad says that the "most dangerous" leaders of ISIS are Scandinavians
Up to 150,000 civilians flee the Iraqi city of Ramadi which is under siege from Islamic State
Iraqi officials claim that militia leader Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri has been killed in fighting in Salahuddin province. Al-Douri was the highest ranking member of Saddam Hussein's government not to be captured
A suicide car bombing outside the U.S. consulate in Erbil in Iraq's Kurdish region kills three and injures 14. ISIS claims responsibility
Iraqi Army Brigadier-General Hassan Abbas Toufan and three other officers are killed in a targeted car bombing in Anbar province
The Pentagon raises security at its US military bases due to a growing jihadist threat in the United States and a recent shooting in Garland, Texas
Islamic State fighters enter the ancient ruins of Palmyra after capturing the Syrian city of Tadmur yesterday. A hundred pro-government fighters are believed to have died in fighting
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that Islamic State now controls more than half of Syria dominating 95,000 square kilometres and controls settlements in nine provinces
Close to 55,000 people have fled the Iraqi city of Ramadi since it was captured by Islamic State
Singapore says the Islamist group plans to take the conflict into Southeast Asia
Dammam Mosque bomb blast:Islamic State claims responsibility for a car bomb in the parking lot of the Imam Hussain Mosque situated in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, during Friday prayers, with at least four people killed and dozens injured. Authorities state that the mosque itself was not hit
%%%Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
Gunmen from the Islamist group Boko Haram kill 27 villagers in two attacks in Nigeria's restive northeast
Gunmen from the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram kill 42 people, mostly students, in an attack on a college in the town of Gujba, Yobe State
Air Force fighter jets bomb camps belonging to suspected Islamist militants in northeast Nigeria in response to a massacre of students at an agricultural college
Nigerian troops kill 37 Boko Haram Islamist militants in air and ground strikes in their bases in the northeast
Military officials report that 74 members of Boko Haram have been killed in a combined ground and aerial assault on militant camps in northeastern Borno State
Five members of the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram and two Nigerian Army soldiers are killed in fighting in the city of Kano
Gunmen kill 12 people in a raid on a Northeastern Nigerian village
Gunmen kill 30 people in the central Nigerian village of Shonong in the Riyom local government area
Sixty-one people are feared to have been killed following gun attacks in the states of Adamawa and Borno
Boko Haram Islamists kill 59 students in an attack on the Federal Government College in the town of Buni Yadi in Yobe State
Over 100 people die in several bomb attacks in Nigeria
Borno State Senator Ahmed Zannah reports that 135 civilians have been killed in attacks in north west Nigeria since Wednesday
Twin bomb blasts hit a crowded bus station at the outskirts of the Nigerian capital Abuja, killing at least 71 and injuring more than 120 others
A car bomb attack in the Nigerian capital Abuja kills at least nine people
At least 125 people are killed in a massacre in Gamboru Ngala, Borno State
Boko Haram militants rampage through three villages in northern Nigeria killing 28 people
Islamist terror group Boko Haram kills at least 33 security personnel during attacks in Nigeria's northeastern Yobe State
Islamist terror group Boko Haram abduct two prominent traditional rulers from Borno State in Nigeria
A bombing at a football match in the town on Mubi in northeastern Nigeria kills at least 40 people
Two Italian priests and a Canadian nun kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram gunmen have been released
Boko Haram militants kill dozens of people in fresh attacks on villages in Borno state
Suspected Boko Haram militants launch an attack in a village near the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, killing approximately 45 people
A suicide bomber detonates a tricycle taxi filled with explosives at an outdoor viewing venue for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Damaturu, Nigeria, resulting in several deaths and 15 people critically injured
An explosion at a public health school in the city of Kano in northern Nigeria kills at least 12 people
A blast in a brothel in the northeastern city of Bauchi kills at least 11 people and injures 28
Islamist extremists torch four churches near the town of Chibok and fire on worshippers killing at least 30
A car bomb explodes in a market in the northeast Nigerian town of Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, with dozens feared dead
Many people are feared dead after suspected Boko Haram militants raided the town of Damboa with substantial parts of the town including the market burnt down. So far, 18 bodies have been recovered with the death toll expected to rise
Two explosions rip through the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna killing at least 82 people
Gunmen believed to be members of Boko Haram abduct the wife of Deputy Prime Minister of Cameroon Amadou Ali
Suspected Islamist Boko Haram fighters have abducted dozens of boys and men in Doron Baga, a remote, sandy fishing village in the northeast, in Borno State, near Lake Chad
Chadian troops rescue 85 hostages from Boko Haram who had been kidnapped in Nigeria and taken over the border into Chad
Thirty-five Nigerian police officers are missing following an attack on a training school in Borno state
Boko Haram declares an Islamic state in areas of Nigeria under its control
Dozens of people are killed as Boko Haram captures the town of Bama
The Elders Forum in the Nigerian state of Borno warns that Boko Haram militants have surrounded the city of Maiduguri
At least 13 people are dead and 34 injured after Boko Haram gunmen attack a government college in the northern Nigerian city of Kano
Boko Haram abducts "dozens" of women and girls in Adamawa State, specifically in the villages of Wanga Mangoro and Garta
A suicide bomber kills at least 47 students at a school assembly in the Nigerian town of Potiskum in Yobe state
The Nigerian-based militant group seizes control of the northeastern town of Chibok, Borno State
A female suicide bomber kills 13 people in the town of Abare in northeastern Nigeria
The Nigerian army drives the militant group out of Chibok two days after the town's capture
Boko Haram kill at least 45 in a reprisal attack on a village in northeastern Nigeria
Boko Haram militants kill 48 fish traders near the border with Chad
Two teenage girl suicide bombers kill more than 40 people in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state in northeastern Nigeria
A roadside bomb planted at a bus station near the town of Mubi in northeastern Nigeria kills 40, including 5 soldiers
Gunmen set off three bombs and fire at worshippers at the central mosque in the northern city of Kano after the Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had issued a call to arms against Boko Haram. At least 120 people are killed
Suspected Boko Haram militants storm the Christian-majority town of Shani, Nigeria, leaving dozens dead
Dual Boko Haram attacks in Maiduguri and Damaturu leave at least 77 dead, including 33 police, 6 soldiers, and 20 militants
Two bombs explode in the central Nigerian city of Jos with at least 40 people dead
Boko Haram militants attack a bus in Waza, Cameroon, killing eleven people and injuring six
Following the January 16 Chad authorities decision to send troops to Nigeria and Cameroon to fight Boko Haram militants, the Russian ambassador to the country pledges to supply Cameroon with more modern weapons to combat the Islamist insurgents
A female suicide bomber attacks minutes after the President of Nigeria leaves an election rally in the city of Gombe resulting in at least one death and eighteen people injured
Nigeria postpones its general election for six weeks to allow its armed forces to take control of the Boko Haram-controlled parts of the country
%%%Islamist protests in Egypt (July 2013–present); Islamist unrest in Egypt (2013–present)
Four people are killed after supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi clashed with opponents and security forces
At least 53 people are killed during clashes between supporters and opponents of former president Mohamed Morsi on the 40th anniversary of Egypt's crossing of the Suez Canal in 1973
Six Egyptian soldiers are killed in an ambush west of Ismaïlia, close to the Suez Canal. In the South Sinai, a suicide bomber kills 3 and injures 55 others after an attack against security buildings in the provincial capital El-Tor
Three Egyptian policemen are killed by masked men in an attack at a checkpoint in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura
Ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi's trial starts in Cairo's police academy. He faces charges of inciting violence and murder in connection with clashes at the presidential palace in Cairo in December 2012
Lawyers in the UK accuse Egypt's military of committing crimes against humanity after July's ouster of President Mohamed Morsi
A huge explosion hits the Dakahlia security directorate in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura, killing 16 and injuring at least 134
The Egyptian government re-designates the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as a terrorist organisation
Three people are killed in clashes between police and Muslim Brotherhood supporters across Egypt
Supporters of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood clash with police at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. One person is killed and two campus buildings are set on fire
A bomb targeting an Egyptian military intelligence building north of Cairo in the village of Anshas wounds four soldiers
Thirteen people are killed in clashes between Muslim Brotherhood supporters, police and opponents
Two people were shot dead as clashes between Muslim Brotherhood supporters and police flared up across Egypt
Three bombs explode in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, killing about five people
64 people are killed in anti-government marches
An Egyptian court sentences 26 people to death in absentia for plotting attacks on ships passing through the Suez Canal
An Egyptian court bans the Palestinian group Hamas and orders its offices in the country to be shut down and all dealings with the group suspended. The court also brands it as a terrorist organization
Masked gunmen attack a bus carrying Egyptian Army soldiers in Cairo, killing one
A court in Minya, Egypt, sentences 528 supporters of former President Mohammed Morsi to death for a range of offenses including murdering a policeman and attacks on people and property. It is the largest mass death sentence handed down in recent history anywhere in the world
Mohammed Badie, the guide of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, will appear in court with 680 others to face charges of incitement to kill
A bomb detonates near Cairo University killing a police chief and injuring 5 others
A police officer is killed and another is wounded after a bomb detonates in a busy square in Cairo's Mohandessin district
Gunmen killed an Egyptian intelligence officer and a policeman on a desert road outside Cairo in a late-night firefight
Egyptian security forces arrested an alleged member of the Free Syrian Army in Giza's Imbaba. They also seized a number of explosives they claimed would allegedly be used in terror attacks in the country before the upcoming presidential elections
Homemade bombs explode in four metro stations and a court house in Greater Cairo, injuring eight people
A homemade bomb placed in a government construction site in 6th of October City exploded, killing a girl and wounding her mother
Sinai insurgency: Egyptian special forces tracked down and arrested a terrorist cell consisting of 15 militants who belong to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
A police officer was killed and several others wounded in a small explosion near the presidential palace in Cairo. A second officer was killed while defusing another bomb at the same site
On the anniversary of Mohamed Morsi's ouster last year, three attacks took place in Kerdasa, Cairo and Assiut, during which one suspected militant was killed when the homemade bomb he was handling prematurely exploded. A late night bomb in Alexandria exploded in a passenger train, wounding 9 people
One pro-Morsi demonstrator and a policeman were killed during clashes between protester and security forces in Giza and Helwan respectively
Sinai insurgency: Government raids in Rafah killed 17 suspected extremist militants
Gunmen in Egypt's western desert province of New Valley Governorate attack a military checkpoint, killing at least 21 soldiers. Egypt reportedly declares a state of emergency on its border with Sudan
%%%Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Hundreds of thousands of people rally in Gaza in a show of unity between the governing Hamas, elected in 2006, and Fatah, in opposition since then
Two Palestinians are shot by Jewish settlers when conflict erupts in the West Bank
A rocket is fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, marking the first such attack since a ceasefire was signed in November 2012
2013 Rishon LeZion car bombing: At least 2 people are killed in a car bombing in Rishon LeZion near Tel Aviv, Israel
A Palestinian protestor is killed by Israeli forces after hurling stones and incendiary bottles in the West Bank
Israeli warplanes strike targets in the Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire, the first air strikes launched by Israel since an informal ceasefire ended eight days of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza in November 2012
A Palestinian, Naji Balbisi, dies from injuries he suffered during a clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, a day after his cousin, Amer al-Najjar, died in the clashes after they tried to firebomb a checkpoint
Two rockets fired from the Gaza strip at a southern Israeli coastal city are shot down
After having rocks hurled at them, Israeli troops respond and shoot dead a Palestinian man in the West Bank
An IED injures 5 IDF soldiers, causing clashes that leave 2 Hamas militiamen dead and 2 wounded
Israeli forces kill a Palestinian and wound four others in three separate incidents of cross-border violence in the Gaza Strip (Haaretz
The Israeli Air Force launches airstrikes on targets in the Gaza Strip after Palestinians fire a rocket from Gaza at the Eshkol region in southern Israel
An 85-year old man dies during Israeli suppression of a violent riot at Kufr Qaddoum near Nablus; he is the first Palestinian casualty from conflict with Israel in 2014
Israel suspends peace talks with the Palestinian Authority following an announcement of a unity agreement between the ruling Palestinian faction Fatah and the militant Hamas rulers of Gaza
The bodies of three kidnapped Israeli teenagers, including one with dual American citizenship, are found partially buried near Hebron on the West Bank. Shin Bet determined they were murdered shortly after being kidnapped, and is searching for two Hamas kidnappers and accomplices
A missing Palestinian boy in Shuafat is rumored to be murdered in revenge for the kidnapping and murder of Israeli teenagers, clashes break out
6 Israeli nationals are arrested in relation to the murder of Muhammad Abu Khdeir as Palestinians continue to riot and clash with police in East Jerusalem and Nazareth
In response to over 25 rockets fired from Gaza into Israel on Sunday, the IAF carries out airstrikes killing 6 Hamas militants. Over 150 rockets and mortars have been fired into Israeli civilian areas over the past three weeks
A vehicular attack in Jerusalem leaves one person dead and injures fourteen others as Hamas claims responsibility and calls for similar acts
Killing of Sergeant Almog Shiloni: A Palestinian man fatally stabs an Israeli soldier in Tel Aviv
2014 Alon Shvut stabbing attack: In a separate attack at a bus stop near Alon Shvut in the West Bank, a Palestinian man runs over three people with a vehicle then stabs all three, resulting in the death of 26-year-old occupational therapist Dahlia Lemkus
Four rabbis (three American and one British) are killed, and eight other people wounded in a terrorist attack on a Jerusalem synagogue by two men armed with meat cleavers and guns. The two attackers were killed by police who arrived at the scene. One of the policemen died from his wounds
Netanyahu vows for a heavy response and blames recent incitement by Palestinian leaders as Fatah officially condemns the attack while Hamas and Islamic Jihad praise it and call for more similar attacks
Israel launches an airstrike against an alleged Hamas base near Khan Yunis in retaliation for a rocket attack
%%%Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
A Libyan warplane bombs a Greek-operated oil tanker anchored offshore the city of Derna, killing two sailors, one Greek and one Romanian. The Greek government condemned what it called an "unprovoked and cowardly" attack and demanded an investigation and punishment for those responsible
State-sponsored army and Islamist-sponsored opposition declare a ceasefire
Five gunmen at the Libyan Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli attack with at least ten dead. The hotel was previously the location in 2013 where a former prime minister was abducted
Gunmen storm Libya's al-Mabrook oil field
The Islamic State releases a video purportedly showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians who had been previously kidnapped in Sirte
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announces a seven-day mourning period and calls for a security meeting with the country's top security body
Egypt bombs Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant targets in the city of Derna in Libya following the execution of 21 Coptic Christians recently
Multiple car bombs kill at least 45 and wound 30 in the eastern Libyan town of Al Qubbah
Islamic militants attack the South Korean embassy in Tripoli killing two guards and leaving another injured
In Tripoli, the Moroccan Embassy is damaged by a bomb explosion just hours after gunmen assault the South Korean mission. ISIL loyalists take credit for both attacks
The Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi warns that thousands of Libyans will continue to risk their lives travelling to Europe unless the civil war ends. More than 2000 people have been rescued in the past week
A rocket attack on a centre for despatching ambulances in the eastern city of Benghazi kills at least three people and injures seven other
A Turkish-owned ship is attacked with tank fire off the coast of Tobruk in Libya, resulting in the loss of a crew member and several others being injured
A suicide bomber strikes a checkpoint near the city of Misrata causing several deaths
An armed group storms the Tunisian embassy in Libya taking ten hostages
%%%Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Malaysia Airlines loses contact with a Boeing 777-200ER passenger plane carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China
The Ministry of Transport of Vietnam orders local airports and airlines to tighten their security, after the Malaysian plane vanished, on the first level of a three-level security alert system
China requests activation of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters meaning international space agencies join an "unprecedented" search for the Malaysian airliner which disappeared over an ocean Saturday
A crowdsourcing search effort after the vanished airliner finds a silhouette in the water of similar size and shape to the lost plane. Also, a Chinese satellite sights sizable pieces of debris. (CNN) (news.com
Chinese aircrew report seeing "suspicious objects" in the southern Indian Ocean while searching for the missing Malaysian Airlines plane
Najib Razak, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, announces that with information from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch, flight MH370 went down over the southern Indian Ocean with "all lives lost
A Tropical Cyclone hampers the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 which vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board. A U.S. Navy submarine Bluefin-21 is on mission to find the wreckage
The search area for the missing aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean is expanded with any debris likely to be found on the ocean floor with the minimum time anticipated for the search eight months
Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation and British satellite firm Inmarsat release the raw data used to determine the estimated path of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau reports that they have finished searching an area where pings were heard in April and have discounted it as the final resting place for the plane
Australia, Malaysia and the People's Republic of China reach an agreement about the costs and direction of the ongoing search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 which is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean southwest of Western Australia
Indonesian police chief General Sutarman says he knows what happened to the MH370 and an aviation expert claims MH370’s pilot, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, caused the plane to crash by locking his copilot out of the cockpit, depressurised the cabin and shut down all communications before turning the plane around. (News.com
Without recovering any physical evidence, including the data recorders, Malaysia officially declares the loss of Flight 370 over the Indian Ocean an accident meaning that victims families can seek compensation
Two brothers whose father was on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 last year when it disappeared receive compensation from the government of Malaysia and Malaysian Airlines
%%%Mexican Drug War
Mexican troops kill 12 alleged drug traffickers who opened fire at a checkpoint in La Estación, Zacatecas
Gunmen break into a prison in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas, and liberate 12 inmates
Gunmen storm a bar in Cancún, Mexico, and kill 7 people, also 4 others were wounded in the attack. The authorities allege that the victims were part of a taxi union
The Mexican police find 9 mutilated bodies inside a SUV with Texas license plates in the northern state of Tamaulipas, Mexico
Recent report from Stratfor indicates that at least 60 people were killed in Tamaulipas state in March, after the Gulf Cartel leaders Miguel El Gringo Villarreal and Mario Ramírez Treviño fought for control of the organization
At least 14 people are killed in a series of clashes between alleged drug traffickers and police in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The government states that a high-profile drug lord was killed in the battle
The Mexican Army captures Miguel Treviño Morales, the supreme leader of Los Zetas drug cartel
Clashes between the Knights Templar Cartel and the Mexican federal police leave 22 dead in the state of Michoacán. According to government press reports, two of the dead were law enforcement officials, while the rest were cartel gunmen
Gulf Cartel leader Mario Ramírez Treviño is arrested in the state of Tamaulipas
Mexican forces arrest Alberto Carrillo Fuentes, the alleged leader of the Juárez Cartel
High-ranking Sinaloa Cartel leader Gonzalo Inzunza Inzunza is killed in a shootout with the Mexican Navy in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora
Communitary forces take several towns in Mexican state of Michoacán trying to expel the Knights Templar Cartel forces, and prompting the intervention of Mexican Army against them
The Mexican Navy kills Knights Templar Cartel high-ranking leader Enrique Plancarte Solís
Galindo Mellado Cruz, one of the founding members of the Mexican drug cartel Los Zetas, and four other armed men are killed in a shootout with Mexican security forces after they raided Cruz's hideout in the city of Reynosa
Mexican Army soldiers kill 22 criminals in a shootout at a warehouse in the town of Tlatlaya in central Mexico
Gunfire and roadblocks are reported in the city of Reynosa on the border with the US after local leader "El Gafe" of the Gulf Cartel is arrested
Three Mexican Army soldiers die as gunfire downs a helicopter in the state of Jalisco. Ten soldiers and two Federal Police officers are injured
A PRI/PVEM mayoral candidate in the city of Chilapa de Álvarez, Guerrero, is assassinated
Mexican police find three dismembered bodies in a search for ten missing people in Chilapa, a city occupied by vigilantes with alleged links to drug rings between May 9-14
At least 42 members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and two Federal Police officers are killed in a shootout in the state of Michoacán. The death toll is preliminary and is expected to rise
%%%Nigerian Sharia conflict
Nigeria's military kill 13 members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram and lose one soldier in a gun battle in Maiduguri
Gunmen from the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram open fire at a market in Damboa, Nigeria, killing 18 people
Five people are hacked to death in Maiduguri, Nigeria, by members of the Islamist sect Boko Haram
The Nigerian army bomb a suspected terrorist camp used by Boko Haram killing 18 members and capturing large amounts ammunition, guns and weapons
Nine women are shot to death in the Nigerian city of Kano. According to reports, all of them were involved in a polio vaccination policy and were most probably killed by the Islamist movement Boko Haram, which has previously threatened to target those involved in vaccinations
Suspected Boko Haram militants kill three doctors in the northeastern Nigerian region of Yobe. Their nationality is disputed, with reports suggesting they are South Korean, North Korean or Chinese
In Nigeria six foreign workers, of which one Italian, one Greek and two Lebanese, are kidnapped in a construction site, one security guard is killed
Seven French tourists are kidnapped by gunmen near Waza National Park in northern Cameroon, near the border with Nigeria. President of France François Hollande states that the Islamist group Boko Haram may be responsible
At least six people die in an attack in Ngalda, Yobe State, Nigeria
Gunmen kill seven guards guarding a marketplace in Yobe State, Nigeria
Gunmen kill eight people in an attack on a police station and a bank in northeastern Nigeria
Nigerian militant group Ansaru announces that it has killed seven foreigners that were being held hostage
Nigerian militants belonging to Ansar al-Muslimeen claim responsibility to kidnapping and killing Italian, Greek, and British construction workers in Northern Nigeria
Men on motorbikes storm a primary school in Nigeria and open fire wounding four teachers
A series of explosions kill at least 25 people in a bus park in the northern Nigerian city of Kano
25 people are killed in coordinated attacks by unidentified men armed with machine guns, bombs and rocket-propelled grenades in Northern Nigeria Adamawa State
The Nigerian Army kills 14 suspected Boko Haram members in a raid on a building, with the death of one soldier and the capture of a potential suicide bomber in a car full of explosives in the northern city of Kano
11 people are killed in a gun and machete attack in a village of Midlu in Northern Nigeria
Boko Haram rejects the idea of an amnesty offer for militants by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan
In Nigeria, a clash between the military and Islamic extremists leaves at least 185 people dead
The Nigerian Red Cross claims that 185 people have been killed in Borno State in the north of country over the past few days as a result of fighting between militants and government state forces. The local military claim the numbers are inflated
10 people are killed in an attack on a church and a local market in Njilan, Adamawa State, Nigeria
An attack in Nigeria, suspected to be perpetrated by Islamic sect Boko Haram, kills 55 people
The President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, declares a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe to fight an Islamist insurgency
The Nigerian military imposes a dusk to dawn curfew in Adamawa State
At least 21 people are killed in Maiduguri, Nigeria, as the government continues its crack down on Boko Haram militants
Suspected Islamist insurgents kill 13 people in Maiduguri, Nigeria after hiding their weapons in a coffin
Seven students and two teachers are killed in a suspected Boko Haram attack on a secondary school in Damaturu, Nigeria
Boko Haram gunmen kill nine children in an attack on a school in Maiduguri
Islamic extremists kill 42 people, mainly students, in an attack on the Government Secondary School boarding school in the Nigerian town of Mamudo in Yobe state
28 people are killed in a series of explosions targeting bars in the northern Nigerian city of Kano
35 people - mostly Boko Haram militants - are killed in separate attacks on security forces in Borno State
Gunmen kill 30 people in northeastern Nigeria
Two Boko Haram commanders Mohammad Bama and Abubakar Zakariya Yau are killed by the Nigerian army in a gun battle in the north-east Adamawa State
Clashes between Nigerian soldiers and Boko Haram Islamists kill 18 people in northeast Nigeria
Suspected Islamist militants armed with guns and machetes kill at least 20 people in villages in northeast Nigeria
Fighting between Boko Haram and government-backed vigilantes in Borno State leaves 18 dead
%%%Northern Mali conflict; Northern Mali conflict (2012–present)
Islamists flee the town of Diabaly, Mali, after repeated French airstrikes. The government of Mali now says that they control the city
French and Malian troops retake Diabaly and Douentza as Islamist forces retreat
The Malian army says it is investigating allegations that soldiers have carried out summary executions in the Islamist-controlled north of Mali
The Malian army retakes the town of Hombori after driving Islamist forces out
13 Chadian soldiers and 65 Islamist insurgents are killed in heavy fighting in a remote part of northern Mali
10 Chadian soldiers and 28 Islamist insurgents are killed in heavy fighting in the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains of northern Mali
One of Islamist organization al-Qaeda's most feared commanders in Africa, Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, is killed by Chadian forces in Northern Mali
Chadian soldiers kill Mokhtar Belmokhtar, an al-Qaeda commander in Africa responsible for a mass hostage-taking at an Algerian gas plant
French officials announce that a soldier was killed in action during contact with Islamic militants over the weekend. It is France's third casualty since operations began in Operation Serval
France claims that it is "probable" that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb chief Abdelhamid Abou Zeid was killed in Mali in late February
The Government of Mali announces that 63 of their soldiers have been killed fighting jihadists since the French led intervention Operation Serval in January 2013
Rebel Islamist fighters attempt to infiltrate Timbuktu, but are repelled by French and Malian forces
Tuareg separatists in Northern Mali mark the one year anniversary since the founding of the unilaterally declared Azawad
One soldier is killed when the National Guard attacked a camp occupied by police who supported the 2012 Malian coup d'état that ousted the Malian president
A vehicle carrying United Nations peacekeepers hits a roadside bomb in northern Mali, injuring six soldiers
The Malian army used artillery on Islamist rebels in Gnimignama in the first skirmish between the two belligerents since April 2012, when Islamist and Tuareg rebels first assumed control of the region
Islamists capture the town of Konna, previously held by the Malian army
France commits troops to aid government forces in the Northern Mali conflict
A French pilot is killed in a helicopter raid in northern Mali, according to French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian
Islamists rebels capture the Malian town of Diabaly after fierce fighting with government troops, as French airplanes strike targets in Gao
African troops are to be deployed in Mali to fight alongside French and Malian soldiers within a week
Battle of Diabaly: French troops are reported to be fighting rebels in the Malian town of Diabaly alongside Malian troops
The number of French forces in the country rises to 1,400, more than half of the planned 2,500 strong force, as its troops continue to fight insurgents in Konna and Diabaly. Chad prepares to send the first 200 troops of a 2000-strong force to assist in the military operations as part of a regional mission. The European Union votes to send 450 to 500 "non-combat" troops to Mali, half of them are trainers
The first West African troops enter Mali. 100 soldiers from the Togolese military enter the country with Nigerian military due to enter shortly afterward
The Military of Mali recaptures the town of Konna three days after French jets drove out Islamist militants
French-led troops in Mali take control of Gao International Airport in the northern town and Islamist stronghold of Gao
French forces prepare an attack on Timbuktu to defeat Islamists, as more African troops are sent into Mali
French troops take over Timbuktu Airport as they enter the city without any resistance from the Islamists. Residents report that the French now control all access to the city
The fleeing Islamists set on fire the Timbuktu library containing the Timbuktu Manuscripts. The extent of the damage is still unknown
The UK announces it will deploy 330 military personnel to Mali and other West African countries in support of French forces operating in the area
French troops take Timbuktu while Tuareg forces of MNLA claim they control the city of Kidal in the north of Mali
French forces enter the city of Kidal in northern Mali after seizing its airport overnight
The country's first reported suicide bomber blows himself up in Gao, injuring one Malian soldier. In the north, French and Chadian forces retake the city of Tessalit
Firefights between Islamists and the Malian Army break out in Gao, Mali
Insurgents launch an attack on the strategic city of Gao, capturing a police station and sparking a day-long firefight that included Malian troops, as well as French attack helicopters
France formally confirms death of Islamist commander Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, a senior al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in February, after DNA tests
2013 Kidal suicide attack: Two suicide bombers kill three Chadian soldiers and injure dozens of civilians at a market in Kidal, Mali
The United Nations Security Council votes to send a peacekeeping force to Mali to replace French and African forces battling Islamist guerrillas
The government of Mali opens talks with Tuareg separatists in the hopes of reaching a ceasefire agreement
%%%Operation Protective Edge
Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas claims responsibility for the over 80 rockets fired into southern Israel Monday evening; the Israeli Air Force carries out overnight airstrikes killing nine Palestinian militants. In response to escalating rocket fire, the Israel Defense Forces calls up 1,500 reservists as southern towns declare a state of emergency
The death toll in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of Israeli air strikes reaches 120. The IAF has performed over 1,300 airstrikes since the beginning of the operation
Israel Defense Forces special forces raid a missile launch site in the Gaza Strip and destroy it
A ceasefire deal, brokered by Egypt, is accepted by Israel but rejected by Hamas
Despite the suspension of airstrikes by the IDF for 6 hours as the ceasefire agreement comes into effect, rockets continue to be fired from Gaza and the IDF resumes its military operation as the death toll in Gaza reaches 190
The IDF reports that a rocket which started a fire in the Golan Heights was launched from Syria
Israeli shelling kills four children playing in a port next to Al-Deira hotel in Gaza, base to many journalists
Israel and Hamas agree to a brief UN humanitarian ceasefire Thursday morning to allow aid to enter the Gaza Strip
It is reported later by Israel´s foreign minister and Hamas the cease fire was misinformed news
During a routine investigation by the United Nations, over 20 rockets are found hidden in an abandoned school in Gaza operated by UNRWA
Another ceasefire deal brokered by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is accepted by Israel but rejected by Hamas, several hours later Israel commences a ground offensive
According to Hamas the death toll from Israel's offensive against the Gaza Strip exceeds 300 although it is not clear how many are civilians or militants. Israel conducted over 2500 airstrikes and artillery strikes during the operation while thousands of rockets have been fired into Israel
Israel agrees to a two hour ceasefire in Shuja'iyya neighbourhood in the Gaza Strip at the request of the Red Cross ِafter a heavy firefight caused the death of more than 74 Palestinians and 13 Israel Defense Forces soldiers
At least 100 Palestinians and 13 Israel Army soldiers are killed in fighting with the United Nations Security Council set to meet tomorrow
The United Nations Security Council calls for an immediate ceasefire on the Gaza Strip after an emergency meeting
For the second time, an inspection by United Nations officials reveals rockets being stored in a UNWRA run school in Gaza. Rockets discovered in a school a week ago were returned to Hamas by UNWRA workers
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay condemns both Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip and Hamas for "indiscriminate attacks" on Israel, and warns that war crimes may have been committed
Speaking in Qatar, Hamas political chief, Khaled Mashal rejects the current ceasefire efforts and threatens future attacks from the West Bank
A pro-Palestinian protest in Sarcelles, France turns violent as protesters vandalized and looted Jewish businesses and called for the gassing and killing of Jews
A football friendly in Austria between Maccabi Haifa and French team Lille is abandoned after pro-Palestinian protesters storm the field and attack the players
A 72-hour ceasefire brokered by the UN and USA which began at 08:00 falls apart with each side accusing the other party of breaching the ceasefire. An Israeli soldier is kidnapped and several killed during a suicide bomber attack at 09:30, according to Israeli officials. 91 Palestinians were killed in the city of Rafah south of Gaza according to the Gaza Officials since the Israeli solider was captured. The UN and USA strongly condemn the attack. The ceasefire was cancelled
2 Palestinians are shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes in the West bank
The Israel Defense Forces Advocate General has announced criminal investigations into three more incidents from Operation Protective Edge. Of the 190 incidents reported to the IDF, investigations have been completed on 105, with seven leading to criminal investigations
%%%PRISM
The Guardian obtains a copy of a document from April that reveals that the NSA is mining data using PRISM, spying on the e-mails and web activities of American citizens through direct access to Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, YouTube, Skype, Yahoo, Paltalk and AOL. The Guardian's report does not state from whom they obtained the document
The US government comes under heavy criticism at home and abroad when news of its secret PRISM surveillance program to monitor emails and other person information is leaked
The Wall Street Journal reveals the NSA's monitoring of American citizens includes credit-card transactions and customer records from the three major phone networks
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin calls on Attorney General Eric Holder to resign over the U.S. Department of Justice's seizure of journalist phone records
The Guardian reveals Barack Obama ordered a list of foreign targets for cyber-attacks "to advance US national objectives around the world with little or no warning to the adversary or target and with potential effects ranging from subtle to severely damaging". Obama's order also authorizes hits on foreign nations without their government's consent
U.S. director of national intelligence James Clapper denounces the revelations of government surveillance into civilian lives as "reprehensible"
British Prime Minister David Cameron is urged to launch an investigation into allegations that the UK's electronic listening post GCHQ had access to data from the program
The existence of Boundless Informant, an NSA tool used by the U.S. government to watch every country on planet Earth, is revealed
Larry Page of Google and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook deny having any knowledge of PRISM as Barack Obama confirms the existence of the program used to spy on U.S. citizens, in part through their websites
The New York Times contradicts some of the company figureheads by reporting that companies which negotiated with the U.S. government on spying on their customers include Google (owner of YouTube), Microsoft (owner of Hotmail and Skype), Yahoo!, Facebook, AOL, Apple and Paltalk
A former CIA employee named Edward Snowden comes forward as the source of recent NSA leaks in the United States. Fearful of prosecution for his actions, he defects to Hong Kong
William Hague answers parliamentary questions on Britain's role in the U.S. surveillance scandal, though MPs and activists express dissatisfaction with his answers on whether Britain is similarly spying on its own citizens
European Union officials send a letter to U.S. attorney general Eric Holder with seven detailed questions requesting concrete explanations about the country's data snooping programs and how it affects EU citizens ahead of a meeting in Dublin this Friday
The American Civil Liberties Union lays down the first constitutional challenge to the U.S. programs of spying on its own citizens. ACLU accuses the U.S. government of "snatching every American's address book"
Expecting to be rendered or otherwise targeted by the CIA or its allies or third parties, Edward Snowden checks out of the Hong Kong hotel in which he based himself after revealing the U.S. spy scandal to the public
Several Federal officials, including National Security Agency (NSA) Director Keith Alexander, testify at a hearing held by the U.S. House Intelligence Committee over government surveillance programs whose existence was leaked earlier this month
The NSA states its surveillance efforts have stopped more than 50 terror plots
%%%Post-civil war violence in Libya
On the first anniversary of the 2012 Benghazi attack, a powerful car bomb explodes near the Libyan Foreign Ministry building in the city
The Prime Minister of Libya Ali Zeidan is kidnapped from a hotel in Tripoli but later released
Rival militias battle each other in firefights on the streets of Tripoli. No deaths are reported despite the use of rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft artillery by the combatants
Second day of fighting in Tripoli as death toll from violence at anti-militia protest topped 40
Libya's deputy intelligence chief Mustafa Noah is kidnapped outside Tripoli airport
Nine people are killed in clashes between the Libyan Army and militias in the city of Benghazi
Four Libyan soldiers are killed in clashes between the army and Islamist militias in the eastern city of Benghazi
Unidentified gunmen shoot and kill a U.S. teacher at an international school in Benghazi, Libya
13 people are killed and 10 injured in a suicide car bomb attack at a military checkpoint near the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi
Five Egyptian embassy staff are kidnapped in the Libyan capital of Tripoli
At least 12 people are injured in a grenade attack on a school in Benghazi
Libyan police found the bodies of seven Egyptian Christians shot dead execution-style on a beach near the city of Benghazi
The Libyan National Army fights with rebels occupying oil ports near Benghazi
Islamist militias attack the Zintan Brigade which controls Tripoli International Airport triggering fierce clashes that result in six deaths
Islamist militia renew their attack on Tripoli International Airport
The United States evacuates its embassy in Tripoli amid concerns about deteriorating security conditions
Intense fighting in Benghazi between the Libyan Army and local Islamist militias leaves 38 dead, mostly soldiers
A rocket attack in Libya's capital Tripoli kills 23 Egyptian workers amid increased fighting in the city for control of an airport
A huge fire at the National Oil Corp. depot started by a stray rocket threatens the Libyan capital Tripoli
Islamist militias capture a special forces base in Benghazi
At least 21 people die in Libyan tribal clashes on the weekend
%%%Shia insurgency in Yemen
At least 16 people are killed in clashes between Shi'ite Muslim tribesmen and Yemeni government forces and allied Sunni tribesmen
Fierce battles between army and Houthi rebels continue for third day in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, killing 123 people and forcing hundreds to flee their homes
The Yemeni government and Shia Houthi rebels sign an agreement aimed at ending the political crisis as the rebels advance towards the capital Sanaa; prime minister Mohammed Basindwa resigns, and under the deal, rebels will nominate a new prime minister within three days
Shia Houthi rebels and suspected al-Qaeda militants clash near the town of Radaa in Al Bayda' Governorate province resulting in at least 10 deaths
A bombing at a local Houthi movement headquarters in Dhamar Governorate, Yemen, kills five people and wounds 25
Clashes in the Yemeni capital Sana'a leave at least nine dead and 67 injured
Houthi rebels seize the official Saba News Agency and surround the residence of the Prime Minister
Houthi rebels take over the residence of the President amidst calls by the rebel leader for negotiations to adjust the country's power structure
Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, Prime Minister Khaled Bahah, and the Yemeni cabinet resign
Shiite Houthi rebels seize a Yemeni military base south of the capital, Sana'a, where U.S. military advisers once trained Yemeni counterterrorism forces to fight Al-Qaeda in the south of the country. Forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh had manned the captured base
%%%Sinai insurgency
At least 24 Egyptian policemen are killed in an attack near Rafah in the Sinai peninsula
An Egyptian army helicopter kills 15 militants in the Sinai Peninsula
The Egyptian army launches a major operation against Islamist militants in North Sinai killing at least 30 people
Two suicide bombers ram a car with explosives. Egyptian military says one hit the local branch of military intelligence, while the other struck an army checkpoint in Rafah killing nine soldiers and wounding 17 others
At least 10 Egyptian Army soldiers are reported killed and 35 are injured following a suicide bomb attack in the city of al-Arish
Two Egyptian soldiers are killed and eight wounded in an operation targeting Sinai militants in the northern Sinai Peninsula
Egyptian security officials say army helicopter gunships have rocketed several houses where militants were thought to have gathered in the northern region of the Sinai Peninsula, killing at least 10
Egyptian security forces claim to have killed Shadi el-Menei, the leader of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, and three other senior members in overnight fighting
One soldier and seven civilians, including two children, are killed in two successive mortar blasts in Egypt's city of Al-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula
Eleven Egyptian Army soldiers are killed in a roadside bomb attack in the Sinai Peninsula
Six Egyptian police officers are killed and three wounded following a roadside bombing in the Sinai peninsula
Two attacks by militants on Egyptian military positions in the Sinai Peninsula kill at least 33 security personnel
Egypt declares a three month state of emergency for parts of the Sinai Peninsula after at least 31 soldiers are killed in two attacks there
Ansar Beit al-Maqdis claims responsibility for widespread attacks on Egyptian army and police targets throughout the Sinai Peninsula killing at least 25 people
A suicide bomber kills one person and injures 24 in an attack on a police station in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula
About 15 Egyptian soldiers and 2 civilians are killed by a combination of guns and car bombs
Eleven civilians and two Egyptian Army soldiers have been killed in three attacks in the northern Sinai Peninsula
A roadside bomb hits an armoured vehicle near the border town of Rafah in the northern Sinai Peninsula killing three people
Egyptian security officials report that militants have blown up a natural gas pipeline leading to Israel outside El-Arish, the provincial capital of North Sinai. That pipeline was attacked at least 20 times in the last 5 years
%%%Sinking of the MV Sewol
The official death toll of the ferry capsizing rises to 150 with 150 people still missing
The Prime Minister of South Korea Jung Hong-won announces his immediate resignation following growing criticism of the response to the sinking of the MV Sewol
Surveillance video footage captures the captain of MV Sewol Lee Joon-seok escaping the vessel and leaving behind his passengers
The President of South Korea Park Geun-hye apologises on national television for the government's poor handling of the incident
The death toll rises to 205, with 97 passengers still unaccounted for
Fifteen crew members of the MV Sewol are charged over the sinking of the MV Sewol off the coast of South Korea with four people including the captain charged with homicide
Park Geun-Hye, the President of South Korea, announces that the Republic of Korea Coast Guard will be broken up in the wake of the ferry disaster
Thousands of South Korean police raid a religious compound in search of Yoo Byung-eun, a fugitive billionaire wanted over the sinking of the Sewol
In South Korea, fifteen members of the crew of the MV Sewol are sentenced for criminal negligence in the ferry disaster with the captain sentenced to 36 years and the chief engineer sentenced to 30 years
A South Korean court sentences Kim Han-sik, the chief executive of Chonghaejin Marine, operator of the MV Sewol, to ten years in jail for negligence and embezzlement
South Korea approves plans to recover the MV Sewol which sank last year with the loss of 300 people
%%%Sony Pictures Entertainment hack
The FBI launches a probe into a massive hacking attack on Sony Pictures, believing the leadership of North Korea to be responsible
Sony Pictures Entertainment reportedly shuts production on several sets because of computer network issues regarding employee disbursement of pay following a massive computer hack
Sony cancels the New York City sneak preview of the upcoming 2014 film The Interview, originally scheduled for December 18, due to threatening messages by hackers
Sony cancels the release of The Interview, originally scheduled for Christmas 2014
Paramount Pictures orders theater chains, including those in Cleveland, Atlanta, and New Orleans, not to re-release the 2004 film Team America: World Police, which depicts a fictional mission to kill Kim Jong-il
The North Korean government denies the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations's (FBI) accusation of involvement in hacking Sony's computers, asking the U.S. for a joint investigation and threatening "serious consequences" if the United States refuses the offer of cooperation
The United States rejects the offer from North Korea and then seeks help from China instead
Hackers send the FBI an email linking to a YouTube video of "You are an idiot!" (The Daily Beast)(ITV
Sony schedules the film The Interview for release to small theaters on Christmas Day despite canceling its debut
Sony releases the film The Interview online via YouTube and Google Play
North Korea's embassy in Moscow issues a statement, saying: "The film The Interview, produced by the U.S. studio Sony Pictures, is a very dangerous film product that justifies and promotes terrorism
Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokesman Alexander Lukashevich says that "the mere idea of the film is aggressively scandalous and that the reaction of the North Korean side is very understandable
A report says that even before the American Christmas Eve release of The Interview, thousands of Chinese citizens were downloading pirated versions of the movie on domestic video-sharing websites. By midday on December 26, more than 300,000 people had seen the film
The Interview grosses US$1 million on Christmas Day at the box office despite being released only to small theaters
%%%South Thailand insurgency
A roadside bombing in Thailand's southern Yala Province kills 5 soldiers and injures three others
16 Muslim insurgents are killed during an attack on a military base in the Thai province of Narathiwat
Thailand agrees to peace talks with Muslim rebels for the first time after 20 years of conflict
Suspected insurgents detonate a motorcycle bomb in Southern Thailand killing 2 Thai Military rangers and wounding 11 people
The Thailand government prepares for peace talks with Muslim separatist groups with the hope of ending a decade-long insurgency
Two soldiers are killed and six security officers are wounded as insurgents mount dozens of coordinated bombing, shooting and arson attacks in the Pattani region of Thailand
Insurgents kill six people, including a two-year-old boy, in a deadly shooting in Pattani, Thailand
The southern town of Yala is hit by a series of explosions that have killed one and injured others
Emergency rule in the southern Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narithiwat is extended for another three months
A group of gunmen open fire at a mosque in the Panare district in Pattani province in Thailand, resulting in at least one death
%%%Syrian Civil War; Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
The 11th-century minaret of the Umayyad Great Mosque at the World Heritage Site of Aleppo is destroyed. Both warring parties blame each other
The United States Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel claims that US intelligence has concluded "with some degree of varying confidence" that the Government of Syria has used sarin gas during the past two years in the civil war. The Israeli and British governments made similar statements
The Free Syrian Army accuses the government of Iraq of conducting an airstrike against its forces in Deir ez-Zor, a town in eastern Syria
Syrian state TV reports that the Prime Minister Wael Nader Al-Halqi escaped an assassination attempt in the western Damascus suburb of Mazzeh when a bomb explodes near his convoy
Friends of Syria calls on Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah to withdraw from Syrian territory
The European Union lifts its ban against arming Syrian rebels as full consensus among its 
27 member states to extend the current embargo could not be reached
A car bomb explodes near a police station in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, killing at least eight members of the security forces and injuring civilians
A United Nations human rights team says there are "reasonable grounds" to believe that chemical weapons have been used in Syria
French foreign minister Laurent Fabius claims that the nerve agent sarin has been used on several occasions
United Nations peacekeepers from Austria start withdrawing from the Golan Heights
The Friends of Syria Group agrees to give urgent assistance to the rebels
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that 100,000 people have died in the fighting
An ammunition depot explodes in Homs, Syria, killing at least 40 people and critically injuring many more
A suicide bomber kills 16 Syrian Army soldiers at a checkpoint near Damascus
The Syrian Army captures the town of Qarah
Salim Idris, top commander of the Free Syrian Army, flees Syria. Islamist fighters take over his headquarters and key warehouses
The European Union is criticized by Amnesty International for meager assistance of Syrian refugees
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that barrel bomb airstrikes by the Syrian government on the city of Aleppo kill at least 76 people
Britain agrees to help destroy Syria's chemical weapons (Los Angeles Times
Battle of Aleppo: Rebel forces capture the Al-Kindi hospital after a huge suicide truck bombing destroys part of the building
Syrian government warplanes drop barrel bombs on the city of Aleppo killing 63 people, including civilians
Russia sends 25 armored trucks and 50 other vehicles to Syria to help transport toxins that are to be destroyed under an international agreement to rid the nation of its chemical arsenal
Syrian government forces and rebel fighters in a besieged Damascus suburb agree to a 48-hour truce that could result in food being allowed in for residents threatened with starvation
A Syrian army airstrike in a market in the northern city of Aleppo kills 25 people
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says barrels packed with explosives dropped from Syrian Air Force aircraft have killed 517 people in the northern province of Aleppo since 15 December
The Lebanese army fires on Syrian warplanes after they violate its airspace for the first time in the conflict
A car bomb kills 18 people, including women and children, in Syria's central Hama province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights organization
Islamic extremist groups in Syria with ties to al-Qaeda try to identify, recruit and train Americans and other Westerners who have traveled there to get them to carry out attacks when they return home
500 people are killed in inter-factional fighting between an alliance of secular rebels and moderate Islamists against radical Islamists
Syrian state tv claims that a rebel mortar attack kills 19 people in the government-controlled Ghouta and Karm al shami areas of the city of Homs
46 Palestinians and Syrian residents in the Yarmouk Camp have died of starvation and lack of medical care, since October, from a Syrian army enforced blockade
Western and Arab countries pledge to give an additional US$1.4 billion for United Nations aid
A suicide bomber kills 4 people and injures 26 in the Lebanese town of Hermel, a Hezbollah stronghold near the Syrian border
Two car bombs hit a rebel-held post on the Syrian border with Turkey, killing at least 16 people amidst continuing fighting between Turkey-supported rebels and Saudi-supported rebels
Talks in Geneva end
Civilians are evacuated from a rebel-held area of the Syrian city of Homs after more than 18 months under a government blockade
Hundreds of civilians are evacuated from Homs, Syria, as a tense truce between rebel and government forces is maintained
The Syrian Army and their Lebanese ally Hezbollah begin an assault to retake the strategic border town Yabrud from the Syrian rebels
Russia says it will veto a U.N. resolution on humanitarian aid access in Syria, claiming that the draft is an effort to prepare for military strikes against President Bashar al-Assad's regime
From 18 to 43 people including civilians are killed and dozens wounded by a car bomb outside a mosque in the southern Syrian village of al-Yadouda according to local reports
Talks in Geneva end without an agreement
Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, calls on other sectarian forces in the Arab world to withdraw from Syria, saying that if they did so, Hezbollah would also "not remain in Syria either
A Syrian child is transferred to an Israeli hospital near Tiberias for emergency treatment after being injured during clashes in Syria, near the Israeli border, between rebels and Syrian Army
Seven people are killed and 50 wounded in a car bombing near a field hospital in northern Syria, close to the border with Turkey
Syrian army and Hezbollah troops kill over 70 rebel fighters in an ambush in the outskirts of Damascus
Syrian air strikes near the Lebanese border town of Arsal killed three people
The Israeli Air Force launches several air strikes on Syrian military sites, killing 1 Syrian soldier and wounding 7 others, in retaliation for a bombing that wounded four of its troops in the Golan Heights
Syrian troops capture the 1,000-year-old Krak des Chevaliers crusader castle from rebels after laying siege to the fortress since January
Mortar fire kills at least six people in a Damascus suburb
Mortar fire kills two people near the Damascus Opera House
25 people are killed in car bombings in the central Syrian city of Homs
Chemical weapons are used again in Syria, this time on the town of Kafr Zita, Hama
Syria's political opposition urges US action in response to the Syrian government's barrel bombing campaign in the city of Aleppo
Syrian government troops recapture the towns of Al-Sarkha and Ma'loula near the Syria-Lebanon border
More chemical attacks are reported, this time in the Damascus suburbs
Jordanian warplanes strike a convoy of vehicles as they were trying to enter Jordan from Syria
Syrian Air Force air strikes in Aleppo, Syria, killing dozens of people; 14 others are killed by barrel bombing in the neighborhood of Baeedeen
At least 37 people are killed and 85 others are injured in multiple explosions in the Syrian city of Homs
The Local Coordination Committees of Syria announces that 25 children were killed on Wednesday when Syrian army forces dropped barrel bombs on an elementary school
A 24-hour ceasefire deal is reached in Syria's city of Homs allowing rebels to withdraw from their last stronghold in the central city
A large explosion levels the Carlton Hotel in Aleppo which was used as a military base by the Army of Syria as well as several other buildings
A car bomb explodes near the Turkish border, killing at least 29 people and wounding dozens of others
Syrian TV reports that 39 people have been killed and 205 injured as a result of a mortar attack on a pro-Assad rally
3 bombs detonate in Homs, Syria, killing 9 people and injuring another 20
Eleven people, including six members of a United Nations Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons fact finding mission, are attacked near Hama in central Syria
A bomb explodes in the town of al-Mayadin in Deir al-Zor province near the Iraqi border killing 8
The Syrian Military retakes control of Kessab in north-western Syria
A barrel bomb is dropped from a helicopter in Aleppo, Syria, killing at least 25 people
Opposition activists claim that Syrian Army helicopters have bombed a refugee camp near the border with Jordan, killing at least 20 people
The OPCW releases a preliminary report indicating more chemical weapons have been used since the August 2013 attacks, confirming France's suspicions that the Syrian government has still been using chlorine gas attacks
Syria hands over its remaining 100 tonnes of its declared chemical weapons to the United Nations Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons but the organisation cannot declare that the country no longer has any such weapons
At least four people are killed as Hezbollah clashes with Syrian rebels on the border between Lebanon and Syria
About 100 soldiers, guards and employees are killed as insurgents belonging to the Islamic State (ISIS) seize control of the Shaer gas field in Palmyra, central Syria. The United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 115 people were killed in total
The Jordanian Air Force shoots down a drone as it flew over the northeastern Mafraq Governorate near the border with Syria, a security official said. The official said the drone flew near the Zaatari refugee camp, which is home to around 100,000 Syrian refugees
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces claim to have killed at least fifty members of the Syrian Army, summarily killing many of them
The Islamic State loses control of three towns in the area around Al-Asharah to local tribesmen
The Lebanese Army states that 14 soldiers have been killed and 22 are missing after alleged clashes with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant fighters on the Syrian border
Saudi Arabia grants Lebanon US$1 billion to help the country in its conflict with self-declared jihadist fighters on the border with Syria
The United Nations estimates that the death toll in Syria has doubled to at least 191,000 in the past year
After more than 18 months of requests, Turkey comes under heavy international pressure to secure its borders to the influx of foreign fighters, oil, and weapons crossing into Syria to fight for ISIS. ISIS fighters have been moving towards the Turkey-Syria border using armored cars looted from Iraqi military bases
Fighters from the Islamic State seize Al-Thawrah airbase, the last remaining stronghold of Bashar al-Assad's government in Ar-Raqqah Governorate
Peter Theo Curtis, an American citizen, is released by an al-Qaida-linked group after two years in captivity
The UN Human Rights Council issues a report accusing both IS militants and Syrian government forces of committing war crimes in Syria
The US government confirms that an American man believed to have been fighting alongside Islamist militants in Syria has been killed; the total number of Americans killed while taking part in the civil war rises to three
Syrian rebels take over the border Quneitra crossing between Israel and Syria after heavy fighting. Mortar rounds and rockets were launched into Israel. One IDF soldier is wounded by a bullet just days after rocket attacks from Lebanon
The United Nations estimates that three million Syrians live as refugees overseas while another 6.5 million are displaced within Syria
Syrian rebels attack the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights and capture 42 Fijian peacekeepers while surrounding a base manned by 75 Filipino soldiers
Thirty-two United Nations peacekeepers from the Philippines were evacuated under fire from the Golan Heights border checkpoint between Syria and Israel, while others remain under fire from groups including the Al-Nusra Front
ISIL releases an Internet video showing the beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff
A spokesman for the White House confirms that a video showing American journalist Steven Sotloff being beheaded is authentic
A spokesman for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that Sotloff was a dual citizen of Israel and the U.S., a fact that had been concealed during his captivity, including by Sotloff himself
The Syrian Air Force targets a bakery and a training camp controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Ar-Raqqah, killing 25 people
The al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front releases dozens of Fijian United Nations peacekeepers captured near the Golan Heights
Nearly 50 people have been killed in two days of Syrian government airstrikes on the town of Talbiseh in Homs Governorate
Several Syrian rebel groups sign an agreement to unite in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and President Bashar al-Assad's forces
Mortar fire kills eleven children at a school in Damascus
The Syrian Army repels an ISIL offensive on the Deir ez-Zor air base, resulting in at least 119 casualties total
The Israeli Air Force bombs two Syrian Armed Forces bases near Damascus and the town of Dimas, according to Russian and Syrian sources
A battle between Bashar al-Assad loyalist forces and Islamist rebels in Aleppo Governorate leave 34 rebels dead and 3 loyalist fighters captured
Around one hundred Syrian soldiers and eighty Islamist fighters die in a two-day battle for Wadi Deif, with the Islamic Front capturing over 120 government soldiers
The United States Department of Defense announces that it will send 400 troops to train moderate Syrian rebels in the spring of 2015
The United Arab Emirates suspends air strikes against the Islamic State after a video of a Jordanian air force pilot being burned alive is published online. The suspension involves concerns over a lack of coalition search and rescue capabilities in Syria to recover downed pilots
State news agency SANA claims that insurgent group Jaysh al-Islam has conducted a rocket attack on Damascus with at least eight people injured
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that at least 70 Syrian Army soldiers and more than 80 insurgents have died in recent fighting around the city of Aleppo
A Syrian Armed Forces helicopter crashes in Jabal al-Zawiya in the Idlib Governorate resulting in the death of one crew member and the capture of four
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that Syrian government air strikes on areas controlled by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant kills 32 people. The air strikes hit a hospital in Dayr Hafir killing at least 21 people
Islamist rebels including the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front claim to have captured most of the town of Jisr al-Shughur in the Idlib Governorate
Syrian government planes bomb the city of Jisr al-Shughur the day after it was captured by al-Qaeda and its allies
The Russian embassy in Damascus is shelled
A Syrian military helicopter crashes near the town of Kweiras killing all on board
Turkey says that it has reached an in-principle deal with the United States to give support to some elements of Syrian opposition. Over a million Syrian refugees live in Turkish territory, including many Syrian opposition figures
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that barrel bombs dropped by the Bashar al-Assad regime have killed at least 45 people in the Aleppo Governorate and injured dozens more
The Southern Front of the Free Syrian Army claims to have captured a major Syrian Army base known as Brigade 52 in Daraa Governorate
Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, the Al-Nusra Front, shoots dead at least 20 Druze villagers in Idlib in what is being described as a "massacre"
Some 13,000 refugees have crossed into Turkey as Syrian Kurd People's Protection Units encircle the ISIL-held town of Suluk
Thousands of Syrians flee into Turkey as Kurdish fighters come closer to capturing the border town of Tell Abyad from Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
Kurdish YPG forces and Free Syrian Army rebels seize control of the ISIL stronghold of Tell Abyad in northern Al-Raqqah Governorate
Kurdish People's Protection Units have captured the border town of Tell Abyad from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces
Hundreds of Syrian refugees return from Turkey to the border town of Tell Abyad after the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant are expelled by Kurdish People's Protection Units
The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) capture the military base Brigade 93 and enter the town of Ayn Issa, the first defense line of ISIL north of its de facto capital al-Raqqah
ISIL claims it has started the destruction of the ancient complex of Palmyra
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces re-enter the Kurdish town of Kobanî after a successful large-scale counterattack against the Kurds
A car bomb explodes in the Central District of Beirut, Lebanon, killing eight people, including the former ambassador to the U.S. Mohamad Chatah, and wounding 71 others
Sources confirm that Lebanon has captured Majid bin Mohammad al-Majid, leader of the al-Qaeda-linked group Abdullah Azzam Brigades responsible for the recent bombing of the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon
Five people are killed and 20 wounded in a car bomb which hit a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut
A sniper kills a man and six people are wounded in clashes between districts in Tripoli, Lebanon, that support rival sides in neighboring Syria's civil war
A rocket fired into the Lebanese border town of Arsal kills seven people and wounds 15
A bomb detonates at a Hezbollah building in Beirut, Lebanon killing 4 people and wounding 35
Two people are killed and 38 injured in a bombing of a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut
A suicide bomber kills three soldiers at a Lebanese army checkpoint in the border town of Arsal close to the Syrian border
Unidentified gunmen kill 6 Lebanese soldiers near the eastern town of Ras Baalbek
A suicide attack by al-Nusra Front (al-Qaeda's official affiliate in Syria) at a café in Tripoli, Lebanon, kills at least seven people
Fierce clashes erupt near the Aleppo International Airport in the battle of Aleppo in Syria, with unconfirmed reports it has been temporarily closed
An airstrike on a petrol station outside the capital Damascus kills and injures dozens of people
The United Nations says the death toll from the conflict could be more than 60,000 people
9 people are killed by a car bomb at a petrol station in the Syrian capital of Damascus. The bomb reportedly hit the Barzeh al-Balad district, as large numbers of people were queuing for fuel
The President of Syria Bashar al-Assad
 delivers a rare television appearance addressing the Syrian crisis and 
denounces the Syrian rebels as "enemies of God and puppets of the West".
 It is his first television appearance since June 2012
Forty-eight Iranians who were kidnapped by Free Syrian Army rebels in the capital Damascus in August 2012 are released in exchange for 2,130 prisoners held by the Syrian government
Rebel forces take over the strategic Taftanaz airbase in northern Syria
Government forces conduct air raids against rebels south of Damascus, as well as in Aleppo, with local observers reporting dozens of deaths, including children
At least 57 countries submit a petition to the UN Security Council, calling on it to refer the conflict to the International Criminal Court for a pending war crimes investigation
Aleppo University bombings: 83 people are killed and more than 150 injured in a rocket barrage aimed at Aleppo University, as government forces and rebels continue fighting in the suburbs of Damascus. Both sides accused each other of launching the missiles. (Times of India) (Reuters) (Antiwar
Three car bombs explode near military checkpoints and government buildings in Idlib Governorate, Syria, leaving 24 people dead. Two other bombs were defused by government forces
106 people are massacred in the Basatin al-Hasawiya district of Homs, Syria, including children. People were shot, stabbed, and burned to death by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad known as the Shabiha
Two suicide car bombs explode south of Damascus, Syria, near a mosque killing many people
A large explosion rocks Aleppo, Syria, causing several casualties. Syria TV says that it was a rocket launched by "terrorists". Syrian rebels state that it was a Syrian Air Force jet causing havoc in the city
French journalist Yves Debay is killed by a Syrian sniper while he was covering clashed between Syrian forces and rebels. In a separate incident, Al Jazeera reporter Mohamed al-Horani is killed by a Syrian sniper while covering clashes in Busra al-Harir
The children death toll of the Syrian civil war reaches 3,538, with over 60,000 people killed overall
Syrian refugees fleeing the violence from the Syrian civil war are gunned down by the Syrian Army while trying to cross the Jordanian border
Russian authorities announce a plan to evacuate 100 Russian citizens from Syria by sending in two passenger planes to Beirut
A car bombing in Salamiyeh kills over 30 people
The government of Jordan says that more than 12,000 Syrians have fled to Jordan in the past six days
The Russian government organizes an evacuation for some of its citizens by transporting them to Lebanon and then flying them to Russia
Two car bombs explode in the Syrian controlled part of Golan Heights killing 8 people
Reports claim that elite Syrian military forces shell the town of Darayya just southwest of Damascus
At least 65 corpses are discovered in the Queiq River near Aleppo. All of them appear to have been executed with gunshots
Israeli forces attack an arms convoy on the Lebanon–Syria border overnight destined from Syria to Hezbollah
Syrian sources claim that the true objective of the raid was a weapon research center northwest of Damascus and that two people were killed in the action
At least 20 people die in Aleppo, Syria, after an apartment complex is struck by a rocket belonging to the forces of Bashar Assad
Over 110 people are killed nationwide by the Syrian army in Syria
Clashes between government forces continue around Damascus and Homs, with heavy aerial bombardment by the Syrian Air Force being reported
President of Syria Bashar al-Assad reshuffles his cabinet, appointing seven new ministers in a move analysts describe as an attempt to stabilize the country's economy
Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi makes an official statement, extending an invitation to the opposition for dialogue aimed at achieving a political solution to the conflict
An explosion in a vehicle at the Cilvegözü border gate kills 14 civilians (eleven Syrians and three Turks), and injures more than 25 others in Reyhanlı district of Hatay Province, Turkey. The gate is on the Turkish–Syrian border
Rebels clash with the Syrian military at an army base protecting Aleppo's international airport. The opposition claims that 40 Syrian soldiers were killed in the fighting, as large parts of the base are overrun
After intense fighting 40,000 people become displaced in the city of Shadadah, Hasakah, adding to the 3 million people already internally displaced in Syria
At least 61 people are killed and more than 200 injured following a car bombing near Syria's Baath Party headquarters in Damascus. Three other bombings kill 22 people and injure 50 others in the suburb of Barzeh, most of them government soldiers. These are the deadliest attacks in the Syrian capital since the outbreak of the civil war
Three missiles launched by the Syrian army crash into residential areas of Syria's northern city of Aleppo, killing at least 29 civilians and injuring 150 others
French freelance photographer Olivier Voisin, who was wounded near Idlib in January 2013, dies in Antakya, Turkey, after surgery
For the first time since the start of the Syrian civil war, President Bashar al-Assad's government offers to talk with rebels in hopes of a diplomatic solution to the conflict
The Syrian opposition agrees to attend an international summit in Rome, Italy, after foreign aid pledge
The United States announces that it will provide $60 million of food and medical aid, but not weapons, to rebel fighters
Battle of Ar-Raqqah: Syrian rebels capture Ar-Raqqah, the first major city to be under rebel control in the Syrian civil war
British Foreign Secretary William Hague announces the UK will send armoured vehicles and body armour to opposition forces in Syria to help save lives
The Arab League grants the Syrian National Coalition the seat within its organisation formerly occupied by the Syrian Republic
20 United Nations peacekeepers are detained by around 30 armed fighters in the Golan Heights on the border between Syria and Israel
Rebels free 21 United Nations peacekeepers who were held captive for four days
Syrian Army forces kill 30 army deserters in an ambush on the Damascus Airport road
The Syrian army launches intensive air strikes on Homs following the rebel's capture of the Baba Amr district
Ahmad Shihadeh, a member of the European Union's delegation in Syria, is killed in a rocket attack in a Damascus suburb
Fighter jets from the Syrian Air Force fire rockets into northern Lebanon with no casualties reported
The Syrian Opposition claims that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons in an attack on their forces in Aleppo
At least 42 people are killed and 84 injured after a reported suicide bombing at a Damascus mosque. Senior pro-government Sunni cleric Mohammed al-Buti is amongst those killed
President of the Syrian National Coalition Moaz al-Khatib condemns the attack, while placing his suspicion on the Syrian government for orchestratring it. The Free Syrian Army denies involvement in the attack on the grounds that it doesn't target mosques
Rebel Free Syrian Army chief Colonel Riad al-Asaad is injured after a blast targets his car
Arab League officials say the Syrian opposition, the National Coalition, will represent the country in the upcoming summit in Doha, Qatar
The United Nations prepares to move about half of its international staff in Syria out of the country as violence creeps closer to UN facilities
Mortar fire hits Damascus University cafeteria section killing 15 students and injuring 7 others
Lebanese gunmen kidnap eight Syrians from the Alawites minority and demand a hostage exchange
An air strike on Aleppo by the Syrian Air Force kills 15 people, including nine children
Syrian Armed Forces fire OTR-21 Tochka missiles at Baraza region of Damascus
A car bomb explodes in the center of the capital, Damascus, killing at least 15 people and wounding 53 others
At least 57 people are killed by the Syrian Army in the towns of Sanamayn and Ghabaghib, Daraa Governorate, Syria
Twenty civilians are killed in Saraqib, Idlib, after a government warplane bombs the city
The Times reports that evidence smuggled out of Syria indicates the use of chemical weapons in the ongoing conflict
Locals and activists in Damascus report that the Syrian Army killed over 500 people in the suburb of Jdeit al-Fadel
An Israeli military intelligence analyst states that Syria has used chemical weapons repeatedly over the past month. He also criticizes the international community for not responding to the use of the weapons
Two Orthodox Christian bishops kidnapped by gunmen in a rebel-held area in northern Syria are released
Syrian rebels capture three military airbases in the north
A bomb explodes in the center of the capital, Damascus, killing at least 13 people
A purported chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian army kills at least 2 people in Saraqib, Idlib
Up to 100 people are killed in a raid of al-Bayda, Baniyas by the Syrian Army
Israeli warplanes bomb a Syrian weapons facility in an overnight attack
Israeli forces, in a second attack in as many days, bomb a weapons shipment of sophisticated missiles suspected as being transported from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon
Activists claim that 77 people are massacred in the Syrian city of Baniyas by government forces; the government claims it was fighting against "terrorist groups
Israeli aircraft hit at least six targets near Damascus, targeting Iranian-made Fateh-110 missile shipments en route to Hezbollah
Syria's foreign ministry accuses Israel of helping and working with the Syrian rebels to coordinate airstrikes
Rebels shoot down a Syrian Military helicopter in Deir ez-Zor Governorate killing all eight soldiers on board
A UN official on a Swiss television station says the UN has "concrete" suspicions that the rebels have used Sarin gas. The UN later released a statement in response stressing that it 
has not reached any official conclusions, and has yet to have acquired 
proof that either side used chemical weapons
Four Filipino UN peacekeepers are kidnapped by armed men while patrolling the demilitarized area between Syria and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights
43 killed and over 100 injured in two car bombings in Reyhanlı, Turkey, near the Syrian border
Four Filipino UN peacekeepers that had been taken captive by Syrian rebels on May 7 are released
Rebel fighters launch a massive assault on a prison in Syria's northern city of Aleppo
Heavy fighting is reported in Qusair, Syria, as the Syrian army launches a major counter-offensive against rebel forces
Israel and Syria exchange gunfire on the Golan Heights
Elite Hezbollah reinforcements are sent from Lebanon across the border to al-Qusayr, 
Syria. Activists report that much of the city has been destroyed
Dozens of people are killed in Al-Qusayr, Homs, Syria, as the Syrian Army and Hezbollah bombard the rebel-held town with heavy artillery
United States Senator John McCain travels to Syria to meet with rebel fighters and discuss with them America's possible involvement in the nation's civil war
Le Monde reports continued use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime in Syria
Russia evacuates 130 people as the situation in Syria continues to worsen
An Israeli official says the Israeli government is looking into reports that Syria received a shipment of S-300 missiles
Doctors in the besieged city of Qusayr request urgent medical aid as they run out of supplies to treat eight-hundred wounded
Syrian state television reports that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have killed three westerners including an American woman and a British man fighting for the Opposition
The Syrian Army regains control of the strategic town of Al-Qusayr, as rebels pull out
In an official statement, the Iranian government congratulates the Syrian army and people for capturing Al-Qusayr
The United Nations appeals for $4.4 billion of aid for refugees, the largest such request in the UN's history
The Syrian military captures the town of Al-Buwaydah al-Sharqiyah
A fierce battle has gone on over the last 24 hours as rebels launch another attack against the Menagh Air Base, the last remaining Syrian government controlled airbase in Aleppo
Twin suicide bombings in Marjeh Square in Damascus kill at least 14 people and injure 31
The United Nations estimates that the death toll was just under 93,000 as at the end of April
The United States establishes and concludes that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has used chemical weapons
The United States offers unspecified military equipment to the rebels after determining that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against the opposition
Three German Gruenhelme e.V. aid workers have been missing since May 19 in the town of Harem in northern Syria and are believed to have been kidnapped
Syrian government troops launch a major offensive on rebel-held areas in the city of Homs, following the regime’s success in seizing the city of Qusayr with Hezbollah backing
The Syrian opposition calls for immediate humanitarian aid to Homs after the Syrian army and Hezbollah step up their siege of the city with increased artillery shelling and incendiary bombs
Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, calls for a ceasefire during Ramadan
A car bomb targeting the office of the Shia militant group Hezbollah located in the Lebanese capital Beirut injures 53 people
Syrians in Aleppo stage a protest against a rebel siege of government-held areas in the city
Syria's opposition claims that 200 civilians are trapped in a mosque in a Damascus suburb while fighting rages outside
1 man and a 15 year-old boy are killed near the Turkish border town of Ceylanpınar after clashes erupted between Al-Nausra and female Kurds of the YPG
7 people are killed by a car bomb close to Damascus
17 people are killed and 26 wounded in a mortar attack in the government held district of Homs and the town of Dablan (ABC) (The Times of Israel
A car bomb kills Syrian Kurdish politician Isa Huso outside his home near the Turkish border
Syrian rebels capture an ammunition depot with anti-tank missiles and rockets north of Damascus
Syrian rebels capture Menagh Military Airbase in Aleppo near the Turkish border
A car bomb kills 18 people and wounds 55 in a suburb in Damascus
A chemical attack on Adra and Houma in the Damascus Suburbs is reported
The Syrian Army launches a large missile on the southern Damascus neighborhood of Yarmouk, largely inhabited by Palestinian refugees
Syrian officers reports that Syrian Army kills senior Saudi Arabian al-Qaeda commander Abu Malik al-Shahri, who is known as 'Bin Laden of Syria', in outskirt of Latakia
Syrian rebels attack a militia checkpoint in Homs, killing 5 from the NDF militia but 6 civilians nearby as well
A Syrian government warplane attack in Aleppo leaves at-least 15 civilians dead
A team of twenty UN weapons inspectors arrives in the capital, Damascus, to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons in the conflict
Syrian activists claim that chemical weapon attacks have killed over 600 people in the outskirts of Damascus
The United Nations reports that there are a million child refugees
The Syrian government prevents UN inspectors from visiting the site of the reported chemical massacre
Médecins Sans Frontières report treating 3,600 cases of "neurotoxic symptoms", with 355 fatalities
The Syrian government allows UN inspectors to visit the site of suspect chemical weapons attack outside the outskirt of Damascus
The U.N team in charge of the investigation on the alleged recent chemical attacks in Syria comes under fire from snipers; none of the U.N. delegates are injured and the team reaches one of the alleged hit sites. The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry describes the attack as "a shame and an offense to the world and humanity that deserves the proper punishment"
Khalaf Muftah, a former Syrian assistant information minister, warns that if Syria was attacked, his country would retaliate against Israel
The Guardian newspaper raises the 1999 NATO Kosovo intervention as a precedent for humanitarian intervention into Syria, given the absence of a UN Mandate
The Russian foreign ministry warned that an attack on the Syrian government could be "catastrophic" and told Western countries to show "prudence" over the crisis happening there
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said he rejects "utterly and completely" that Syrian government forces used chemical weapons, while the U.S. and its allies prepare their forces for an alleged imminent attack, which is said to be "well defined in time and space", limited to targeting command and control, airfields and artillery
French President François Hollande says France is "ready to punish" those responsible for the chemical attacks
The Syrian government is believed to be behind the recent Tripoli bombings in Lebanon after a suspect confesses to Lebanese police
British Prime Minister David Cameron recalls the UK Parliament from its summer recess to discuss the UK's response to the chemical weapons attack
Russia has begun to evacuate its citizens from Syria
Moscow evacuates nationals; Iran dismisses "ridiculous" reports of Assad in Tehran; UN inspectors return to site of alleged chemical attack
The Saudi army is on full alert after the US-led West increased the level of its threats and said a strike on Syria may come within the next few days
Russia: UN response to alleged attack still premature; Jordan says no Syria strike from its soil
United Nations Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi says any military action against Syria in response to apparent chemical attacks must be taken after a decision by the United Nations Security Council. "What they [American administration] will decide I don't know, but certainly international law is very clear," he adds
US Vice President Joe Biden says there "is no doubt that Syria's government was responsible for a recent chemical attack in Damascus"
British Prime Minister David Cameron says the UK's National Security Council has agreed that the "world should not stand by" after the "unacceptable use" of chemical weapons by the Syrian government. However, a full report from the UN investigation on the chemical attack is expected before taking any measure
Syrians in the capital Damascus race against time to prepare for a foreign strike, with many hoarding supplies and others scrambling to find accommodation further away from potential military targets
Russian and Chinese officials walk out of the UN Security Council meeting in New York after U.S. Permanent Representative Samantha Power calls for immediate action on Syria
Downing Street publishes the UK government's motion on Syria, which proposes waiting for a UN Security Council decision before MPs vote on any military action
UN chemical weapons inspectors resume their investigations in Syria (BBC
Syria's deputy foreign minister says that the United States, Britain and France helped "terrorists" use chemical weapons in Syria, and that the same groups would soon use them against Europe
Syria's ambassador to the United Nations accuses Britain of conspiring with rebel forces to carry out the chemical attack that killed hundreds of Syrian civilians last week
The French frigate Chevalier Paul leaves the port city of Toulon, though the shipping authorities declined to confirm a media report that it was headed to Syria
The Parliament of the United Kingdom defeats a government motion supporting intervention in the war by 13 votes, effectively ruling out British military involvement in an international response to the chemical attacks
French President François Hollande says "political solution" is the ultimate goal for Syria, sounding more cautious than earlier. "Everything must be done for a political solution but it will only happen if the coalition is able to appear as an alternative with the necessary force, notably from its army," he said
Russia sends two warships to the eastern Mediterranean
Lebanon and Jordan say the Lebanese air space and the Jordanian territories would not be made available for military intervention in Syria
Allegations are made that the lines between Hezbollah and the Syrian regime are so blurred that Israel will hold Damascus responsible if Hezbollah bombards Israel in the coming days
A Kuwaiti newspaper reports that Gulf leaders have been in touch with Israel, and have asked that Israel act “with restraint” in the event of an attack by Western nations on Syria
Britain is sending six Typhoon fighter jets to Cyprus to guard against potential retaliation by the Assad regime in the event of air strikes against Syria
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says that "Syria will defend itself against any aggression
Britain's Joint Intelligence Committee concludes it is "highly likely" that the regime of Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the chemical weapons attacks in Syria last week that have prompted moves towards launching military strikes
British Prime Minister David Cameron says that a "robust response" to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria is needed despite UK military action being ruled out
Defence Secretary Hagel says US still building "international coalition", despite UK and Germany ruling out action
The United Nations team of chemical weapons inspectors has headed out on the last day of its probe into a deadly poison gas attack in Syria
U.S Secretary of State John Kerry has said Syrian government forces killed 1,429 people in the chemical weapons attack last week
Damascus said Friday that a US intelligence report concluding that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons in an onslaught that killed close to 1,500 people was "entirely fabricated"
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the five permanent Security Council members that it may be two weeks before final results of an analysis of samples experts collected at the site of a chemical weapon attack last week in Syria are ready, diplomats said on Friday
American President Barack Obama says that he is ready to order a limited strike, but will seek approval from Congress
Russian President Vladimir Putin challenges the US to present to the UN evidence that Syria attacked rebels with chemical weapons and urges U.S. President Barack Obama not to attack Syrian forces
The UN inspectors leave Damascus after concluding their inspection
Several countries advise their citizens against traveling to Lebanon as regional tensions grow over a possible US military strike on Syria
The Arab League discusses the ongoing crisis in Syria at a closed-door meeting in Cairo
Secretary of State John Kerry asserts the United States now has evidence of sarin gas use in Syria from hair and blood samples
France claims to possess documentation of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war
Anticipating a retaliatory strike from Syria, Israel carries out a joint missile test with the United States in the Mediterranean
U.S. government officials say that they are willing to rewrite a proposed resolution to clarify that any operation would be limited in scope and duration and would not include the use of ground troops
A former US army chief claims that Barack Obama is eyeing intervention in Syria that would go beyond a mere deterrent against chemical weapons to damage the military capacity of the Assad regime
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon questions the legality of US plans to strike Syria without UN backing, saying that the use of force is only legal when it is in self-defence or with Security Council authorization
Reuters reports that the former defense minister of Syria, Ali Habib Mahmud, has defected to Turkey
The Russian government releases a report that claims to show a makeshift weapon used in a chemical attack near the Syrian city of Aleppo in March was similar to ones made by rebels
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approves a resolution authorizing a limited US military intervention in Syria, setting the stage for a debate in the full Senate next week on the use of military force
According to Turkey, almost all G20 summit leaders support operations against Syria
Russian opposition to military intervention in Syria gains increasing international support
UN chief Ban Ki-moon says military action against Syria could worsen sectarian violence in the country
Russia sends four more warships to Syria, one with alleged "special cargo," (The Washington Post) [1] (Ynetnews
Heavy government shelling of rebel positions near the Syrian capital kills 14 rebels and two civilians in the south of Damascus
The Islamist al-Nusra Front captures the historic Christian town of Ma'loula from the Syrian Army; Russia calls for protection of the town
Human Rights Watch issues a report concluding that Syrian government forces were most likely to be responsible for chemical weapons attacks on two suburbs in Damascus on August 21
France announces that it will propose a United Nations Security Council resolution proposing that Syria hand over its chemical weapons to international control
Barack Obama, the President of the United States, gives a televised address to the nation, saying that he has asked the United States Congress to postpone a vote on the use of force while he pursues a diplomatic solution
The UN accuses both the Syrian government and, to a lesser extent, the rebels of war crimes. Out of 9 massacres they investigated, 8 were attributed to the Syrian Army. The remaining massacre was attributed to insurgents
Russia gives the alleged proof of chemical weapons use by militants in Syria to United Nations Security Council
Fighters from an Al Qaeda-linked rebel group kill 12 members of the minority Alawite sect in central Syria after seizing their village, opposition activists say
UN investigators in Syria say Syrian army forces continue to bomb hospitals and massacre civilians
France drafts a resolution forcing the Syrian government to hand over its stockpiles of chemical weapons in 15 days (The Independent
The United States and Russia reach a deal on Syrian chemical weapons
The United Nations confirms the use of sarin gas in the Ghouta Attacks
The head of a United Nations war crimes tribunal states that it is investigating 14 alleged instances of chemical weapons attacks
Jihadis belonging to the al-Qaida offshoot known as the ISIL overrun the town of Azaz, after driving out the Free Syrian Army
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Iran is "ready to facilitate talks between the Syrian government and opposition"
President Bashar al-Assad said he will allow international experts to access chemical weapons sites
United Nations inspectors are investigating three alleged instances of use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war since the Ghouta chemical attack on 21 August
Syrian rebels claim taking control of a military post on the edge of the city of Deraa on Syria's southern border with Jordan after four days of heavy fighting with the Syrian Armed Forces
A team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons enters Syria to begin work on dismantling the Assad regime's stockpile of chemical weapons
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is accused by Human Rights Watch of killing at least 190 villagers in pro-government areas and kidnapping hundreds more
Gunmen kidnap seven workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross from northern Syria
Opposition activists say Syrian army tanks killed 11 civilians including 3 children in a crossfire incident during the battle for the 
city center of Daraa
At least 21 civilians are killed when their minibus hits a land mine in southern Syrian town of Nawa, with opposition activists blaming the Syrian army
A suicide truck bomber attack by the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front on a government checkpoint outside Hama, Syria, kills at least 30 people, including a number of soldiers
The Al-Nusra Front captures the Syriac Orthodox village of Sadad, killing at least 9 people and sparking heavy fighting with Syrian Army forces
Syrian rebels attack a gas pipeline close to Damascus International Airport, causing a country-wide power outage
The Syrian army retakes the ancient Christian town of Sadad
Syrian civilians leave the besieged Damascus suburb of Moadamiya
Israeli aircraft carry out a strike near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia targeting Russian-made S-125 air defense missiles allegedly intended for use by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah
A bomb explodes in the center of the capital, Damascus, killing at least 8 people and injuring more than 50 others
A suicide bomber kills 8 people and injures 41 others in an attack against an intelligence building in the southern city of As-Suwayda. Among those killed is a Syrian Air Force major
Turkey seizes a truck loaded with 1,200 rocket warheads and other weapons near the border with Syria and detain nine people
North Korea denies giving military aid to Syria
Hezbollah vows to keep fighters in Syria. (News
Albania says it will not allow the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons on its soil after days of protests
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons agrees to a Syria arsenal destruction plan
Syrian government air strikes around the northern Syrian city of Aleppo kill 40 people
More than 160 people have been killed in fighting between the Syrian Army and opposition forces in the suburbs of Damascus
Syrian Army forces capture Deir Atiyah while rebels capture Otayba
Three million people are now refugees from the conflict, as estimated by the United Nations
One Syrian is killed and nine others injured in mortar shelling of the Russian embassy in Damascus
The US offers to destroy Syria chemical weapons at sea using the US Navy auxiliary vessel MV Cape Ray
Four people are killed in a mortar attack on the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus
Syrian army helicopters bombard the northern rebel-held town of Al-Bab for a second day, killing 20 people
A rocket attack on government-held areas of the Syrian city of Aleppo kills 18 people including a number of civilians
The Islamic Front has taken over Bab al-Hawa bases from the Free Syrian Army
88 civilians are killed in Aleppo by barrel bombs dropped from Syrian government warplanes
The death toll of children in the entire conflict reaches nearly 15,000
The Syrian government declares a general amnesty for all citizens
12 people including 9 children are killed when a Syrian army helicopter strikes a refugees camp south of Damascus
A 15-year old Israeli boy is killed and three Israelis wounded when their truck is hit by an unknown weapon in the Golan heights near the Quneitra border crossing; Israeli Defense Forces fire at Syrian government targets in response
The Syrian opposition accuses the Syrian army of launching a chemical attack on the Jobar neighborhood of Damascus, killing at least six people
A Syrian tribe in Deir Ezzor province faces genocide from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and appeals for the world to help
Syrian Air Force jets bomb rebel-held positions near the Israel-Syria border on the Golan Heights with heavy fighting on the ground and the IDF claims that members of a UNDOF peacekeeping force were abducted
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that dozens of Syrian government forces, captured after the loss of the Tabqa air base, were executed by IS militants
The United Nations says that 43 Fijiian peacekeepers have been captured on the Golan Heights with another 81 trapped
At least 45 people (including 41 children) are killed and 56 injured following a suicide bomber attack on the Akrameh al-Makhzumi school in Homs
The Kurdish city of Kobane in the Raqqa governate is on the brink of catastrophe as ISIL fighters besiege the city
18,000 Palestinians are facing life-threatening shortages of water in the Yarmouk Camp neighborhood of Damascus
Islamic State kills 146 civilians in Kobanî, the second largest massacre since the start of conflict when the extremist group executed 700 members of the al-Sheitaat tribe in eastern Syria
An Islamic State suicide bomber kills at least 20 people in the city of Hasakeh
%%%Taliban insurgency
A suicide bomber kills 10 spectators, including the district police chief, during a local gaming event in Kunduz province of northern Afghanistan
Twenty-one people are killed in a suicide bombing attack on a Kabul restaurant
A suicide bomber attacks an army bus in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing two soldiers and two civilians
The Taliban attack an Afghan Armed Forces base in Kunar province, killing 19 soldiers and kidnapping seven
Gunmen attack the Indian consulate in Afghanistan's Herat Province
Five NATO International Security Assistance Force troops are killed in fighting
A suicide bomber attacks an Afghan National Army air force bus in Kabul killing at least five people
The Taliban claims responsibility for an attack in central Afghanistan that claims the lives of 10 civilians, four Czech members of the International Security Assistance Force and two Afghan police officers
A car bomb explodes at a market in the eastern Afghanistan province of Paktika, killing at least 89 people and injuring scores more in one of the deadliest attacks of the war
Explosions and gunfire are reported near Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan as militants temporarily capture a building under construction
A Taliban suicide bomber blows himself up outside Kabul International Airport killing three foreign advisers and an Afghan interpreter
Insurgents stop minibuses in Ghōr Province, Afghanistan and execute 14 Shiite Muslims
A suicide bomber kills Hashmat Karzai, the cousin of the President of Afghanistan and a regional powerbroker, in the city of Kandahar
A roadside bomb detonates next to a police car in Laghman Province, Afghanistan killing 3 police officers and injuring another 4
Taliban insurgents attack the National Directorate of Security building in Jalalabad resulting in at least six deaths
A suicide bomb attack kills the police chief of a district in southern Kandahar Province in Afghanistan
A large bomb explodes in Afghan capital Kabul resulting in at least three deaths of international troops and five injuries
The Taliban gains control of the Ajristan District in Afghanistan's Ghazni Province after a week of battle
Taliban suicide bombers attack an Afghan National Army convoy in Kabul, killing at least 7 people and injuring 19
A suicide bomber kills at least four people and wounds 16 in Afghanistan's Helmand province
A Kabul roadside bomb kills at least four Afghan National Security Force soldiers with six other soldiers and six civilians injured
Ten policemen, including a commander, are killed by bomb blasts in Jalalabad and Logar Province
A Taliban suicide bomber kills at least six Afghan National Army soldiers in Tangi Tarakhil on the outskirts of Kabul
A suicide bomber attacks a cultural center putting on a play critical of terrorist attacks, killing a German national and wounding 16 others
The Obama Administration orders the closing of the last US-run detention facility in Afghanistan at the Bagram Airfield
Gunmen assassinate Atiqullah Rawoofi, the head of the Secretariat of the Supreme Court of Afghanistan, in the outskirts of Kabul
Twenty-one people die in attacks across Afghanistan including two American soldiers
Taliban attacks across Afghanistan kill 17 people
An Afghan national kills three American contractors at Hamid Karzai International Airport, the lone shooter was also killed in the incident
%%%Typhoon Haiyan
Philippines: The Red Cross says that 10,000 people are confirmed dead. It reported that at least 1,000 had been killed in Tacloban and 200 in Samar province
Vietnam: The government mobilizes over 453,000 soldiers
 and militia members, and thousands of means of transport to cope with 
Typhoon Haiyan that is forecast to hit central region early Sunday. 
Roughly 20,000 people are evacuated from Da Nang
Philippines: A Philippines police official estimates that 10,000 people have died in the central province of Leyte
Vietnam: 600,000 civilians have been evacuated
The official death toll in the Philippines is actually reported that 2,500 people were killed
The total international aid for the typhoon victims reaches over $140 million
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III is criticized by survivors, aid agencies, and international and local media for his inadequate response to the tragedy
The United Nations tallies the death toll to around 4,400. The Red Cross estimates that around 20,000 are still missing, many of whom are feared dead. This is contrary to a previous estimate by Benigno Aquino III, who put the death toll to a low 2,000
The official death toll is now at 3,631
David Cameron commits an additional £30 million to the victims
The number of people displaced reaches 1.9 million people. Numbers 
vary between 1,000-20,000 for estimates about missing people
Flooding in Vietnam has killed at least 28 people with nine more missing and nearly 80,000 displaced
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III encamps in Tacloban to oversee the rescue and relief operations after receiving criticism for his disorganized response early into the tragedy
The World Bank offers a US$500 million loan to the Philippines
China sends a 'peace ark' loaded with aid to the Philippines after it was criticized for not giving enough
The death toll in the Philippines tops 5000
The Armed Forces of the United States scales back its operations
39 musicians, including The Beatles, U2, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Lorde, One Direction, and Justin Bieber, release a charity album to help the victims
American pop band One Republic donates $1 million to aid the victims
The death toll in the Philippines is confirmed over 5,700
The death toll reaches 5,800, with 26,233 injured and 1,779 still missing
The death toll passes 6,000, officially making it the deadliest recorded typhoon in the Philippines
%%%United States presidential election, 2016
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announces his intention to run for president
Hillary Rodham Clinton, former United States Secretary of State, announces that she is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for President in the 2016 election
Florida Senator Marco Rubio announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson tells a Florida television station that he would run for the Republican Party nomination with a formal announcement to be made in the city of Detroit, Michigan, where he grew up
Former Governor of Rhode Island Lincoln Chafee announces he is seeking the Democratic Party nomination
Former Governor of Texas Rick Perry announces that he will be a candidate for the Republican Party
Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida, announces his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination
Real estate mogul and reality television host Donald Trump announces that he will be a candidate for the Republican Party nomination
Bobby Jindal, the Governor of Louisiana, announces that he will be a candidate for the Republican Party nomination in the 2016 Presidential election
New Jersey governor Chris Christie formally announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 2016 presidential election
%%%War in Afghanistan; War in Afghanistan (2001–present); War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
Two guards and an Afghan police officer are killed in coordinated suicide bombing attacks in Jalalabad and Logar Province in eastern Afghanistan, while a third such attack on the National Directorate of Security in Kabul is foiled
President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai orders the United States to leave Wardak province amid allegations of torture associated with US special forces
Taliban insurgents kill 17 Afghan government-affiliated militia personnel in an overnight attack in Andar District of eastern Ghazni Province
At least 19 people are killed by two suicide bombings in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and in Khost Province, as Chuck Hagel, the United States Secretary of Defense, visits the city
President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai alleges that the U.S. armed forces are collaborating in some way with the Afghan Taliban in an effort to ensure that some troops remain after the scheduled 2014 pullout
Australia announces that it will be closing its base in Tarinkot in Urozgan Province, with the majority of troops returning home by the end of this year
A suicide attack on a police station in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, kills five police officers while seven attackers die
One British soldier is killed and nine are wounded by Taliban insurgents in an attack on a patrol base with a truck bomb and small arms fire in Helmand Province, Nad Ali District, Afghanistan
A bomb detonates near the Afghan Supreme Court killing 8 people and wounding dozens
Taliban forces attack near the Presidential Palace in Kabul
Royal Marine Sergeant Alexander Blackman is given a life sentence by a court martial for the murder of an unarmed insurgent
A four-year-old Afghan boy is killed by U.S. troops
Senior Taliban commander Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani is killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
A U.S. major general Harold J. Greene is killed, and a German brigadier general and several American troops are among the 15 wounded, in a attack by an Afghan soldier gunman - who was killed by Afghan soldiers - at Kabul's Marshal Fahim National Defense University
A suicide bombing attack in Kabul kills at least two people
A suicide bomber kills 45 people and injures 50 more at a volleyball game in Paktika province
A suicide bomber kills 5 in a targeted attack on a British embassy vehicle in Kabul, Afghanistan
A suicide bomb kills at least nine, including two policemen, at a funeral for a tribal elder in Baghlan Province, northern Afghanistan
The International Security Assistance Force formally ends its combat mission
A Taliban suicide bomb attack on a Turkish government vehicle in Kabul kills at least one person
Gunmen kill at least thirteen people in an attack on three passing vehicles including a bus in Wardak province's Sayad Abad district
The Taliban kill 20 policemen in an attack in Helmand, Afghanistan
Fifteen Taliban militants, including the shadow governor for Kunar Province, are killed in a NATO airstrike
Suicide bombers kill four in an attack in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan
The Afghan National Directorate of Security headquarters in Kabul are attacked by a team of suicide bombers, leaving a security guard dead and 17 others injured
A suicide bombing at a market in the Afghan city of Kunduz kills at least ten people and wounds up to twenty others
At least twenty members of the Afghan National Police have been killed in bomb attacks over the past day with eight police officers killed in the latest attack in Kandahar
American general Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. takes over command of NATO forces in Afghanistan, replacing John R. Allen
Afghan officials say that a NATO airstrike in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan kills 10 civilians and injures more including 3 children
Two US and three Afghan soldiers are killed in Wardak Province in the latest insider attack against coalition forces. In a separate incident, two Afghan civilians are shot dead by American soldiers after failing to stop at a checkpoint near Kabul
At least 46 people are killed and more than 100 injured following an attack by Taliban militants armed with suicide vests on a courthouse in Farah, Afghanistan
An airstrike conducted by NATO kills at least five people in the eastern Afghan province of Ghazni
An explosive-laden donkey is used in an attack on a police security post in the Alingar District of Laghman Province in eastern Afghanistan, killing a policeman and wounding three civilians
A bombing in Qalat, capital of the southern Zabul Province, kills three U.S. soldiers and two U.S. civilians, along with an Afghan doctor. An American civilian dies in another attack in the east of the country
An airstrike conducted by NATO kills at least 12 people in the Afghan province of Kunar
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai denounces the reported death of eleven children at the hands of NATO forces in Kunar Province and orders a government inquiry into the killings
Taliban fighters are suspected of being responsible for a bus explosion that kills at least nine people and injures more than twenty others in Maidan Wardak Province, Afghanistan
Thirteen soldiers of the Afghan National Army are killed and one is injured in an ambush in the eastern Kunar Province
11 people are kidnapped in Afghanistan after the helicopter they were in was forced to land. The Taliban takes responsibility for the abductions
The Taliban announces the start of their spring offensive, signaling plans to step up attacks as the weather warms across Afghanistan, making both travel and fighting easier
A plane crashes in Southern Afghanistan killing four military personnel
A roadside bomb kills three members of NATO's ISAF force in Afghanistan
Three Georgian soldiers are killed and several wounded in a large-scale insurgent attack on an ISAF base in the Helmand Province
The Taliban kills four US soldiers in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan
Many people are killed in two suicide bombings in Afghanistan, at least fifteen of which are killed in the capital Kabul when a suicide bomber from Hizb-i-Islami, a Taliban affiliate, targeted a convoy carrying foreign troops, injuring another 40
Taliban insurgents attack two checkpoints in the Kamdesh District in eastern Afghanistan killing four Afghan police officers (ABC
A suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan kills at least 20 people, including 10 children
Three corpses are dug up near a former U.S. military base in Narkh bringing the number of corpses whose deaths locals blame on the presence of United States personnel to 10; people flood the streets of Maidan Shar calling for the U.S. to leave
Two British soldiers are court martialed for "sexually and racially abusing civilians" during their time in Afghanistan
Seven heavily armed Taliban militants launch a coordinated attack near the main international airport of the Afghan capital, Kabul, and seize a five-story building under construction nearby. Afghan 
security forces retake the building, killing all seven militants and 
sustaining no military or civilian casualties
A bomb explodes in the Afghan capital of Kabul killing three people and wounding six
Four United States troops are killed near Bagram Airfield
Militants attack NATO headquarters in the north of Kabul resulting in at least two deaths
An Afghan soldier kills a Slovak soldier and wounds six others
Seventeen people are killed by a roadside bomb in western Afghanistan
NATO forces in Afghanistan launch an investigation after a US airstrike in Nangarhar Province kills five Afghan policemen and injures another two
Nine children die in a suicide bombing near the Indian consulate in the Afghan city of Jalalabad
A bomb explodes at a market in the Afghan city of Kandahar, killing at least four people
A bomb explodes at a cemetery in the Afghan province of Nangarhar, killing at least 14 people
10 people are killed in a camp by insurgents in western Afghanistan
The Taliban kills four Afghan National Army troops in an attack on an intelligence office near Kabul
A bomb in a mosque in Afghanistan's Logar Province kills the governor Arsala Jamal and results in other injuries
A gunfight between Afghan and foreign soldiers on the outskirts of the capital Kabul, kills at least one Afghan serviceman and injures a number of other soldiers
A roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan kills 18 people
Australia declares its war in Afghanistan over while the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, visits Afghanistan
Suicide car bombing in Kabul kills six people and injures twenty
The United States stops shipping supplies to Afghanistan through Pakistan due to protests over drone attacks
A suicide bomber attacks a foreign military convoy on the eastern outskirts of the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing at least three foreign soldiers, police and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force
A suicide car bomber detonates at a police checkpoint in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, killing 3 police officers
Corporal Cameron Baird becomes the 100th Australian to be awarded a Victoria Cross, which was received for actions taken in combat in Uruzgan Province on June 22, 2013 which led to his death
Afghanistan releases 65 prisoners from the Parwan Detention Facility despite concerns by the United States that the men were responsible for attacks on NATO and Afghan forces
A welcome home parade in Darwin marks the official end of Australia's active involvement in the Afghanistan War
A NATO airstrike mistakenly hits a Afghan military outpost in Logar Province killing 5 Afghan soldiers
2014 Kabul Serena Hotel attack: Four suspected Taliban members attack the luxurious Kabul Serena Hotel, killing at least 9 people, including 4 foreigners
Suicide bombers attack a police station in the city of Jalalabad resulting in at least 11 deaths and 22 people being injured
Two members of the Associated Press are shot by an Afghan wearing a police uniform in Khost. One of them, Pulitzer Prize winner and photojournalist Anja Niedringhaus, is killed. The other is seriously injured
Barack Obama, the President of the United States, announces that 9,800 U.S. troops will stay in Afghanistan for a year after the withdrawal of combat troops in December
Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, previously the only United States military prisoner held captive in Afghanistan, is released in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay
Abdullah Abdullah of the National Coalition of Afghanistan, a frontrunner in the Afghan presidential election, survives a bombing attempt
Camp Bastion, the last remaining British base in Afghanistan, and Camp Leatherneck, an American base next to it, are handed over to the Afghan Government
Nine Afghan employees of a Czech charity People In Need have been killed in an attack by unknown gunmen in Zari District in the north of the country
The Afghan National Army kills twenty-nine insurgents and injures twenty-one others in a series of operations in Daikundi, Ghazni, and Parwan provinces during the past 24 hours
Gunmen mount an attack on the office of the attorney-general of Afghanistan's Balkh Province in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif
The Taliban announces the start of its annual spring offensive warning it would attack foreign embassies as well as military targets
The United States advises that a counterterrorism operation on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan has killed American and Italian al-Qaeda hostages Warren Weinstein and Giovanni Lo Porto
Two other American citizens working with al-Qaeda, Adam Yahiye Gadahn and Ahmed Farouq, are also killed in special operations in the same area
A roadside bomb kills two, including the district chief, in the Charcheno District of Afghanistan
At least ten Afghan police officers are killed in a Taliban attack on checkpoints in Helmand Province
A suicide bomber and gunmen attack a court building in the provincial capital of Maidan Shahr in Maidan Wardak resulting in the deaths of two police officers and four of the attackers
The Taliban launches a major offensive in the Yamgan District of Badakhshan Province with hundreds of militants involved
The Afghan National Assembly building is attacked by gunmen after a suicide bombing. All 6 of the gunmen are killed, with 18 people injured
%%%War in Donbass
Rebel commander Igor Girkin confirms that Ukrainian government forces have recaptured control of the strategic town of Krasnyi Luch from pro-Russian insurgents, effectively closing in the Donetsk People's Republic rebellion
Alexander Zakharchenko, self-proclaimed prime minister of the Donetsk People's Republic rebellion, calls for a truce on humanitarian grounds after admitting Ukrainian government forces had surrounded the main insurgent stronghold of Donetsk
Five artillery shells fired by Ukrainian government forces hit a high-security prison in outskirts of Donetsk, sparking a riot in which 106 inmates escape; the shelling also resulted in the death of one prisoner and the injury of five other prisoners and two guards
The State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine issues a statement confirming the shelling, and also states that 34 of the 106 escaped inmates were returned to the prison
Ukrainian government forces recapture control of the city of Vuhlehirsk, Donetsk Oblast, from pro-Russian insurgents
Igor Girkin, a Russian citizen from Moscow and military commander of the Donetsk People's Republic rebellion, resigns, making it the third change at top of the rebel leadership of the past week
Ukrainian government forces recapture control of the city of Zhdanivka from pro-Russian insurgents
Ukrainian forces say they recapture control of Mala Ivanivka and Andrianivka from pro-Russian insurgents, effectively isolating the rebel controlled city of Horlivka
An American volunteer in the Donbas Battalion, identified only under his nom de guerre of "Franko", becomes the first officially acknowledged foreign casualty on the Ukrainian side of the military conflict against pro-Russian insurgents in eastern Ukraine
Ukrainian government forces enter the center of Stanytsia-Luhanska after having recaptured full control of a strategically important section of the M-04 highway near Luhansk from pro-Russian insurgents
Dozens of people die in heavy fighting between Ukrainian government forces and rebels in eastern Ukraine
Ukrainian forces say they managed to stop a larger part of a convoy of around 50 armoured vehicles, which entered Ukraine from the border with Russia near Novoazovsk
Russia says that the 10 armed Russian paratroopers captured during the night in the village of Dzerkalne, Donetsk Oblast, roughly 20 kilometers from the Russian border, only entered Ukraine by "mistake"
Russian journalists say they have been attacked at a cemetery in Pskov while investigating reports that Russian soldiers were secretly buried after being killed in Ukraine
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine push their way into the port of Novoazovsk, threatening to open up a new front in the war
The Armed Forces of Ukraine claim that pro-Russian separatists backed by Armed Forces of Russia tanks and armored personnel carriers are fighting its forces on two fronts
The NATO officials state more than 1,000 Russian troops are operating in Ukraine as more air-defence systems, artillery, tanks and armoured personnel carriers are being delivered to pro-Russian insurgents
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session on Ukraine at the request of Lithuania
Russian troops capture the key town of Novoazovsk, opening a new front that threatens to encircle and capture the port city of Mariupol
The government of Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels agree to a cease-fire, fighting continues after the announcement
Pro-Russian rebels release 1,200 prisoners under ceasefire deal
Heavy fighting resumes between Ukraine forces and rebels near Donetsk International Airport with at least six people dead. The terminal is burning
Heavy shelling on the city of Donetsk, Ukraine, leaves 6 people dead and 15 wounded
A rocket attack by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine kills 10 civilians and injures 12 others in the village of Nyzhnya Krynka near Donetsk
Renewed clashes around the Donetsk International Airport between the pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government troops kill at least 12 people in the worst flareup of violence since the ceasefire accord earlier in September
The Ukrainian military say they have repelled a renewed assault by the pro-Russian forces on the Donetsk International Airport. The airport has been under sustained assaults for over 2 weeks despite an official ceasefire
At least 12 people are killed when shells hit a school and, in a separate shelling, a bus station in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk
A huge explosion occurs in a rubber factory in the rebel held city of Donetsk with the Russian media claiming it was caused by a missile. The Government of Ukraine denies the charges
Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu says that the country will resume long-distance military flights for the first time since the Cold War to the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Ukraine and pro-Russia rebels exchange nearly 370 prisoners in the largest such exchange since hostilities began in April this year
An explosion near a civilian trolleybus in the city of Donetsk kills at least thirteen people. Separatists and pro-government forces blame each other for the incident
A rocket attack on an open-air market in Mariupol, Ukraine, leaves at least 27 people killed and more than 90 injured. The pro-Russian rebel leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, announces an offensive on Mariupol
Artillery shelling of Donetsk leaves at least one civilian dead while five Ukrainian Army soldiers are killed in heavy fighting
A shell hits a hospital in the rebel-held city of Donetsk killing at least three people with many injured
The leaders of France, Germany and Russia agree to work on a peace plan to be put to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on Sunday
Fighting in the past 24 hours kills at least nine Ukrainian soldiers
An artillery shell causes a massive explosion at a chemical plant in Donetsk
Fighting kills fifteen people and leaves 60 injured as missiles hit Ukraine's military headquarters in the city of Kramatorsk
Leaders from Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine meet in the Belarusian capital Minsk for peace talks
The President of Russia Vladimir Putin announces the third peace agreement
Ahead of the upcoming February 15 start of the agreed ceasefire, fighting in the past 24 hours kills eight Armed Forces of Ukraine service personnel
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko warns of a threat to a planned ceasefire tonight from heavy fighting today and accuses Russia of "significantly increasing" its offensive. In a live interview he ordered all Ukrainian forces to cease fire after midnight
During the ceasefire, fighting kills at least five Ukrainian Army soldiers with 22 injured
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin claims that pro-Russian forces have fired on Ukrainian forces over 100 times in the past day. Separatists accuse Ukrainian troops of having violated the ceasefire. Fighting continues in the encirclement of the Battle of Debaltseve with separatist forces entering the city
The office of the President of Ukraine calls on the European Union and NATO to condemn the Russian-backed rebels for military action in Debaltseve. The self-proclaimed rebel government officials claim the town was not part of the recently established ceasefire
The United States and United Kingdom discuss imposing additional sanctions on Russia over the breach of the ceasefire
The Ukrainian Army and rebel separatists complete a prisoner exchange
Pro-Russian rebels start a two-week process of removing heavy weapons from the front lines in eastern Ukraine in accordance with the ceasefire agreement
An explosion at a pro-Ukraine march kills three and injures more than 10 in Kharkiv, Ukraine
The Ukrainian Army says it cannot withdraw its heavy weapons from the front, as it is still under attack from rebel forces despite the ceasefire
The President of Russia Vladimir Putin says a war with Ukraine is unlikely but refuses to hold more meetings with France, Germany and Ukraine over the ceasefire
Up to 75 British Armed Forces personnel will be sent as military advisors to the Ukrainian Army
Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the rebel Donetsk People's Republic said the insurgents had released two American aid workers
Pro-Russian separatist military leader colonel Alexei Mozgovoi is confirmed killed in an ambush on his car
The President of France François Hollande and the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel call on the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to implement measures agreed on the Minsk ceasefire
Russia blacklists dozens of European Union officials from entering the country
Pro-Russian separatists launch an offensive to take Marinka, Ukraine, 5 kilometers from the separatist capital of Donetsk. At least 19 people have died in fighting. Ukrainian sources claimed at least 10 tanks took part in the battle
The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko claims that his forces have repelled an attack on the town of Marinka and captured 12 rebels including one Russian
%%%War in North-West Pakistan
Gunmen kill five female teachers and two other people in an ambush on a van carrying workers home from their jobs at a community center in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan
An airstrike kills Maulvi Nazir, leader of the Pakistani Taliban along with five others in Angoor Ada near the capital of Wana, South Waziristan
A drone attack conducted by the United States kills at least ten people (suspected militants) in South Waziristan, Pakistan
Four are killed and a further four are wounded in a U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan, Pakistan
At least 24 militants are killed in clashes between the Tehrik-e-Taliban and Ansarul Islam in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan
A suicide bomber in a market kills at least 21 people and wounds more than 30 in Hangu, Pakistan
Militants attack a Pakistani Army base in the Lakki Marwat District in Pakistan killing at least 23 and injuring at least 8
A bomb at a market kills 16 people and wounds 27 others in Kalaya, capital of Orakzai Agency in Pakistan
Pakistani police arrest 170 suspected militants following the February 2013 Quetta bombing that killed 84 people and injured another 190
At least 7 people are killed in an attack by militants, suspected to be Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, on a power station in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. Ten hostages are reportedly taken by the militants
Suspected militants throw a grenade at a vehicle carrying paramilitary security officers in southern Pakistan, killing three people and wounding three others
The Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for a grenade attack on a vehicle which killed four security officers and wounded seven others in Karachi
A candidate for election in Pakistan is attacked and killed by assumed Taliban militants
A bomb explodes on a bus in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least eight people
A drone attack conducted by the United States kills at least five people in Datta Khel, North Waziristan, Pakistan
A United States drone attack kills at least five people in the Pakistani city of Wana, located in the South Waziristan Agency
A female suicide bomber kills four and injures four outside a hospital in Khaar, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan
Pakistani police defuse a car bomb near a fortified farmhouse, where the former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is under house arrest
A bomb attack by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan on a Awami National Party office in Karachi kills at least ten people and injures 25
At least eight people are dead and dozens injured as a result of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan attacks on election candidates in Kohat and Peshawar
A suicide bomber kills at least four people in an attack on a police station in Peshawar, Pakistan
15 people are killed and another 50 are injured when a bomb detonates at a political rally of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in Kurram Valley, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan
A suicide car bombing hits a police station in the Bannu District of northwest Pakistan, killing at least two people and injuring twenty
Ali Haider Gillani, the son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, is abducted by unidentified gunmen at an election rally in the city of Multan two days before the May 11 general election
A bomb explodes near the Awami National Party offices in Karachi killing 11 people
Two bombs explode near two separate mosques in the Malakand District of Pakistan, killing 15 people and wounding at least 100 others
A suicide bombing in the Pakistani city of Peshawar kills at least three people and leaves several injured
Gunmen kill one anti-polio worker and wound three others (CTV News
Drone attacks in Pakistan: Pakistani intelligence officials claim that a US drone attack has killed 5 alleged foreign militants, including Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan commander Wali-ur-Rehman, in the North Waziristan town of Miran Shah
Thirty-five militants and one soldier are killed in fighting in the Khyber Agency tribal region of northwest Pakistan in an operation
A suicide blast kills 27 and wounds over 30 others at a funeral in Sher Garh, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
A bomb attack on a security convoy in northwest Pakistan kills at least 11 people while injuring 19
A bomb in a market street kills 4 people and wounds 47 others in eastern Pakistan
The Pakistani Taliban attacks a prison in the Pakistani city of Dera Ismail Khan with more than 300 prisoners freed
5 Taliban militants are killed in bomb attack in South Waziristan
A roadside bomb targeting a passing Pakistani army convoy kills nine soldiers in North Waziristan near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan
An explosion on the Jaffar Express, travelling between the Pakistani cities of Rawalpindi and Quetta, kills 7 people and injures at least another 10
A U.S. drone strike kills Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban (whom the United States had a reward for $5 million) and five others
The Pakistani Taliban names Maulana Fazlullah as its new leader six days after Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a drone attack in North Waziristan
A Taliban suicide bomber kills two Pakistan Army soldiers in the North Waziristan tribal district
Three people are killed in explosions in northwest Pakistan
The Pakistani army launches a military offensive against Taliban insurgents near the Afghan border. There are accusations that dozens of civilians are killed
A bomb detonates in a tribal elder's home in Khyber Agency, Pakistan, killing 10 people and injuring another 9
A bomb attack on an army convoy in the city of Bannu kills at least 20 soldiers
A suicide bomber blows himself up near Pakistan's military headquarters in Rawalpindi killing at least 13 people
Pakistani military aircraft bomb suspected Taliban hideouts killing 25 militants in North Waziristan
A bomb rips through a bus full of Shi'ite pilgrims in western Pakistan killing at least 22 people
At least 11 people are killed after a grenade is thrown into a movie theatre in the city of Peshawar
A bomb attack on a polio vaccination team in a village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province kills at least ten people
The Pakistan Taliban announces a one-month ceasefire aimed at reviving peace talks
Pakistani military bombs the hideout of a Taliban militant leader killing five insurgents
Gunmen kidnap 100 men from a tribal gathering in North-West Pakistan
73 people are released from captivity by the Taliban, a day after they were kidnapped
Nine people are killed and dozens wounded in two separate bomb and gun attacks in north west Pakistan
Pakistan Air Force fighter jets bomb suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan, killing approximately 60 militants and injuring another 30
Taliban insurgents from Afghanistan attack a Pakistani border post in the Bajur tribal area, resulting in the deaths of 14 militants and one soldier
At least ten more militants are killed in a suspected United States drone attack in North Waziristan
Airstrikes in the northwestern tribal area bordering Afghanistan kill as many as 100 militants
Abu Abdur Rehman Almani, the alleged mastermind behind 2014 Jinnah International Airport attack, is killed during air strikes carried out by Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan formally launches military operation against the insurgents in North Waziristan
The Pakistan Air Force conducts airstrikes against 6 Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan positions in North Waziristan, killing 27 militants
At least 25 militants are killed as the Pakistan Air Force strikes terrorist hideouts in North Waziristan
US drones launch a series of missiles against militants in North Waziristan, resulting in at least four deaths
Pakistani forces conduct airstrikes on terrorist hideouts in North Waziristan, killing 25 militants
At least 19 militants have been killed in a Pakistan Army offensive in North Waziristan
The Pakistan Army begins a ground offensive against militants in the town of Miramshah in North Waziristan
A cross border attack by the Afghan Taliban kills three Pakistan Army soldiers in Bajaur Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
A drone strike kills at least 20 people in North Waziristan near the border with Afghanistan
Pakistan Air Force air strikes kill at least 35 militants fleeing from North Waziristan
At least eight members of the Pakistan Army Frontier Corps are killed in a militant attack in the Khyber Agency
A US drone strike kills eleven insurgents in a Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan compound in North Waziristan
Three people are killed in a bombing in Peshawar
At least 21 militants are killed in airstrikes and a gunfight in Pakistan's northwestern tribal areas
American drone strikes kill at least five militants in North Waziristan
The Pakistan Air Force claims to have killed at least 27 militants in overnight airstrikes
Pakistan's military claims to have killed 18 militants in air strikes near the Afghanistan border
A gunfight and two bombings leave at least 15 militants and 5 soldiers dead
Taliban gunmen storm one of the military-run Army Public Schools in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least 141, including 132 children and nine employees, with most of five hundred students evacuated. (Reuters)(BBC)(The New York Times)
The shooting ends with all six gunmen dead
Taliban gunmen storm one of the military-run Army Public Schools in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least 141, including 132 children and nine employees, with most of five hundred students evacuated
The shooting ends with all six gunmen dead
Pakistan lifts the moratorium on the death penalty for terror-related cases following the Taliban's assault on a school in Peshawar on Tuesday that killed 141, including 132 children
The Pakistan Armed Forces conduct operations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, killing seventy-seven militants
The Pakistan Armed Forces attacks two Pakistani Taliban positions near Peshawar, killing 5 militants
Following the December 17 announcement that it would lift its moratorium on terror-related death penalty cases, Pakistan announces that it will execute 500 militants in the coming weeks
A U.S. drone strike kills eight Uzbek people claimed to be linked with al-Qaeda in Pakistan
The Pakistan Air Force strikes Pakistani Taliban positions in Khyber Agency, Pakistan, killing 31 militants
A bomb detonates at a volleyball match in Orakzai Agency, Pakistan, killing four people and injuring eight
Pakistan announces the arrest of twelve Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in relation to their alleged involvement in last year's school massacre
Police and gunmen exchange gunfire in Peshawar after an explosion is reported at a nearby Shia mosque
The Pakistan Army claims to have killed 80 Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan fighters in fighting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent days while the Taliban claims to have killed at least six soldiers
U.S. drone strikes in North Waziristan kill at least four suspected Taliban militants
Seven Pakistani army soldiers and 19 Taliban fighters are killed in overnight fighting in North Waziristan near the Afghanistan border
%%%War in Somalia (2009–present)
One French soldier and 17 militants are killed in a failed attempt to free a French hostage in Bulo Marer, Somalia
Militants belonging to Somali group al-Shabaab announce they have executed the French intelligence agent who was the target of the unsuccessful French rescue attempt on January 11. French officials believe the hostage was killed during the mission itself, and the group is using the incident to manipulate the media
A suicide attack against the Somali government offices kills at least two people and injures dozens in Mogadishu
At least 20 people are killed in a series of bombings and gun attacks in Mogadishu, Somalia
Canadian and Somali security forces probe for evidence that Mahad Ali Dhore, a former York University student, was part of the Mogadishu suicide bombings
A Somali journalist is shot and killed in an attack by unknown gunmen
Eight people are dead after a suicide bomber rams an explosive-laden car into a convoy carrying Qatari officials through the center of Somalia's capital Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack
Nineteen people are killed in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in suicide bombings and firefights between Al-Shabaab militants and government forces
Six people are killed in an attack by Somali militants in police posts over the Kenyan border
A car bomb explodes near an African Union convoy killing three soldiers
16 people are killed and 30 wounded by a suicide bomber in an attack in a crowded restaurant in the central Somali town of Beledweyne
A suspected U.S. drone strike kills at least two Islamist Al-Shabaab insurgents and commander driving in a car south of the Somali capital Mogadishu
At least 11 people are killed in the Somalian capital Mogadishu after a bomb explodes in a carpark
An African Union base in Beledweyne, Somalia, is stormed by armed attackers, resulting in the deaths of 19 people
Five soldiers and a military officer are killed in an explosion in the Somali capital Mogadishu
11 people are killed in bomb attacks outside a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu
An al-Shabaab-led assault at the Parliament of Somalia in Mogadishu leaves at least 10 dead, including police and militants
Kenyan Air Force planes attack the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab killing 80 of its fighters according to the African Union force in Somalia
Al-Shabaab Islamic militants storm the presidential palace in Mogadishu with heavy gunfire as government troops try to repel them
Somalia's police and intelligence chiefs were sacked after Al-Shabaab's attack on the Presidential palace yesterday
At least six people are reported killed after a U.S. drone strikes a convoy of vehicles believed to be carrying senior members of the militant group Al-Shabaab
Al-Shabaab militants hijack a bus travelling between the town of Mandera and the Kenyan capital Nairobi and execute 28 non-Muslim passengers
Kenyan security forces cross into Somalia and kill 100 members of Al-Shabaab in response to the terrorist group hijacking a bus and killing 28 people
Islamists from al-Shabab kill a member of the parliament Abdullahi Qayad Barre in the capital city of Mogadishu, Somalia
At least 20 people are killed, including senior officials, in an attack on the Central Hotel in Mogadishu
The death toll from the March 27 hotel siege in Mogadishu rises to 20
Nine people have been killed in a bomb attack on a convoy carrying food supplies to a United Nations compound in Garowe in the Somali region of Puntland
A deadly explosion in a Mogadishu restaurant kills at least four people and injures ten others
Islamic extremists kill at least 18 people in an attack on two rural towns Awdhegie and Mubarak, (AP
%%%Yemeni Civil War (2015); Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
The Pakistani parliament votes not to join the Saudi led coalition in Yemen
The United Nations warns that the situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate as humanitarian aid starts to arrive
Heavy Saudi Arabian air strikes hit southern Yemen resulting in at least 20 deaths of Houthis soldiers and two members of rival militias. Saudi Arabia claims to have killed 500 rebels since the start of military operations in March
India evacuates 5600 people including 960 foreign nationals from Yemen under Operation Raahat. Several flights were allowed to take off and land in Yemen despite the no-fly zone declared on the country
The United Nations Security Council votes to impose sanctions on Yemen's Houthi rebels
An Iranian Naval convoy is headed towards Yemen to potentially resupply Shia Houthi rebels
At least 27 people are dead in fighting in the city of Taez
Iran proposes a four point peace plan which is rejected by the Hadi government of Yemen
An airstrike on an alleged Scud missile base in Sana'a causes a huge explosion
The United States sends aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and cruiser USS Normandy to block an Iranian convoy heading towards Yemen
UNICEF reports that hundreds of children have been killed and injured in the Civil War while combatants have recruited hundreds more
An Iranian Red Crescent plane is blocked by bombing of Sanaa International Airport's runway by Saudi Arabian F-15 fighters, which unsuccessfully intercepted and issued warnings to the plane to turn back
Yemen officials say that at least 20 members of the Arab coalition have landed in Aden on a 'reconnaissance' mission
Shellfire from Yemen kills two people over the border in Saudi Arabia
Armed tribesmen kill 18 Houthi fighters in an ambush in Yemen's Ibb Governorate
The United States, United Kingdom, and France close their Yemeni embassies and evacuate their staff due to terrorist activities and continued unrest
The United Arab Emirates suspends its embassy operations in Yemen due to security concerns surrounding the recent Shiite Houthi rebel take over of the country
The Houthis come to a preliminary agreement to form a new government in Yemen
Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi withdraws his resignation as President of Yemen after escaping from the custody of the Houthis
The People's Republic of China evacuates its citizens from Yemen due to concerns over declining security
Saudi-led airstrikes hit a refugee camp near a military installation in the northern Harad District killing 21 people. Houthi militants make gains in Hadi's last bastion, Aden
Al-Qaeda fighters attack a prison in Al Mukalla freeing at least 270 prisoners
Saudi Arabia donates a plethora of weapons and medical supplies to the conflict by dropping them over Tawahi
A car bomb explodes behind a military hospital in the Yemeni capital Sanaa causing 28 casualties. Islamic State has claimed responsibility
%%%association football
Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk wins the 2013 Copa del Sol by defeating Poland's Widzew Łódź in the final
Italian club A.S. Roma fires coach Zdeněk Zeman after a poor run in Serie A
European champions Chelsea loses again in the Premier League, this time to Newcastle in stoppage time
In La Liga, Cristiano Ronaldo sensationally scores in his own net as Real Madrid slumps to a shock 0–1 defeat away to Granada
Nigeria defeat favourites Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso defeat Togo after extra-time to progress to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations
Colombia wins the 2013 South American Youth Championship defeating Paraguay with a 2–1 score. Also Uruguay and Chile seal berths to the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup
Italian striker Mario Balotelli scores twice in the 2–1 win over Udinese on his A.C. Milan debut in the 2012–13 Serie A
Sergio Agüero rescues a point for the reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, while Gareth Bale scores the winner for Tottenham Hotspur after West Brom's Goran Popov is sent off for spitting at Kyle Walker
Lionel Messi extends his record streak by scoring in his 12th consecutive 2012–13 La Liga game to give leader Barcelona a 1–1 draw against Valencia
Paris Saint-Germain wins the French Ligue 1 championship, their third Ligue 1 title and first since 1994
Manchester United win 2-1 at home to Swansea City in Sir Alex Ferguson's last game at Old Trafford as club manager, with the coach lifting the record 20th Premier League trophy at the end of the game
Veteran midfielder Paul Scholes announces his second retirement from football after the end of the current season