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Worldwide current events
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EgyptAir Airbus A320-200 involved in hijack

EgyptAir Flight 181 (aircraft pictured) is hijacked shortly after takeoff and forced to land at Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus.
A suicide bombing in Lahore, Pakistan, targeting Christians celebrating Easter, kills at least 69 people and injures more than 300.
The Syrian Army recaptures Palmyra from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
In rowing, Cambridge win the 162nd Boat Race and Oxford win the 71st Women's Boat Race.
Denis Sassou Nguesso is re-elected President of the Republic of the Congo for a third term.

Ongoing events:
- Zika virus outbreak
Recent deaths:

March 30, 2016 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Blasts and gunfire are reported in Tripoli. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Myanmar general election, 2015
- In Myanmar's capitol Naypyidaw, Htin Kyaw is sworn in by House Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than as Myanmar's first civilian president in 54 years. Htin Kyaw, a close aide to Aung San Suu Kyi, takes power from former general Thein Sein. (Daily Mail)
The government of Pakistan warns that it will push to clear the Islamist protests occurring in Islamabad. Protests have broke out in the capital and other cities ever since Mumtaz Qadri was executed last February for his role in killing Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer in 2011 because he opposed Pakistan's blasphemy laws. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

March 29, 2016 (Tuesday)

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Business and economics

The U.S. Supreme Court's even split among the current eight justices turns down a group of California teachers' challenge to agency fees public sector unions representing government employees charge employees for collective bargaining costs, whether or not they choose to join the union. Twenty-four other states and the District of Columbia have a similar provision. The ninth circuit federal appellate court ruling in the union’s favor stands. Employees challenging the law may bring the appeal again, once the vacancy on the nation’s highest court is filled. (Boston Herald)
The U.S. National Labor Relations Board files an official complaint against a California warehouse after finding evidence it violated workers' rights to organize. The allegations of wrongdoing submitted by a worker group against California Cartage Company, LLC, which serves Amazon.com, Inc., Lowe's Companies. Inc., New Balance, and Sears Holdings Corp., will be heard by an NLRB administrative law judge in June, 2016. None of the retailers were named in the NLRB complaint. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Alaska Airlines cancels additional flights, due to the ongoing eruption of Mount Pavlof on the Aleutian Islands. (Alaska Dispatch News)
Seven people die in a plane crash on the Magdalen Islands in the Canadian province of Quebec. Former minister Jean Lapierre was one of the people on board the plane. (CBC), (CTV News)

Health and medicine

Terminix, in the U.S. District Court in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, admits it "knowingly" applied fumigants including methyl bromide, which the EPA banned for residential use in 1984, at a resort in St. John that seriously sickened a family of four, and agrees to pay $10 million in fines and restitution. (NBC News) (NBC News²)

International relations

Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute
- A United Nations commission rules in favour of Argentina to expand its maritime territory in the South Atlantic Ocean by 35% to include the Falkland Islands and beyond despite Argentina and the United Kingdom still having an unresolved dispute over the islands. (The Guardian)
Turkey–United States relations
- The United States State Department and the Pentagon order families of U.S. diplomats and military personnel to leave posts in southern Turkey due to “increased threats from terrorist groups” in the country. This order comes two days before Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's arrival in the U.S. for security meetings. (AP via New York Post)
Iran and weapons of mass destruction
- Reuters reports the United States and its European allies have notified the UN that Iran's launching of nuclear-capable missiles violated United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 which endorsed the Iran deal, i.e., the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), last year. (Reuters)

Law and crime

The Indonesian foreign ministry says 10 Indonesian nationals are being held hostage after their tug boat and coal barge was hijacked in Philippine waters. Islamist militant group, Abu Sayyaf is demanding a ransom. (AP)
EgyptAir Flight 181
- A hijacked EgyptAir flight lands in Cyprus. All hostages have been released, and the hijacker has no evident ties to any terrorist organizations. (The Guardian)
Corey Lewandowski, campaign manager for U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, is charged with battery for allegedly grabbing former Breitbart News journalist Michelle Fields on March 8. (New York Times) (The Palm Beach Post)
Transgender rights in the United States
- Dozens of chief executive officers of major U.S. technology, biotech, and financial companies urge North Carolina repeal a new state law preventing local governments from expanding protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. (AP via WBT)
- North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) says he won't defend the new state law in court. This year, Cooper is the state Democratic Party's candidate for governor. Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger says the attorney general should resign if he won't defend the law. (AP)
- The NC Values Coalition, which worked to get Charlotte's nondiscrimination ordinance overturned by the state legislature, says hundreds of North Carolina businesses support the new state law, though fear retaliation if they make that support public. The coalition did list 17 businesses willing to be identified as supporting the new law. (AP)
Obamacare constitutional challenges, Zubik v. Burwell
- In a move designed to head off a 4-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court directs lawyers for the Obama administration, and for the religious groups who challenge it, to submit written briefs on a possible remedy to the case: whether coverage could be provided through the group's insurance companies without any actual notice to the government. A 4-4 decision would not set a national precedent, and would let stand the preceding decision in each case. In these seven cases, the appeals court in six upheld the government mandate. (NBC News)
Samuel Moreno Rojas, the former mayor of the Colombian capital Bogota, is jailed for 18 years for taking bribes to award ambulance contracts. (AP via Town Hall)
El Salvador declares a state of emergency in seven prisons and transfers 299 prisoners in a crackdown on gang violence. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

2015–16 protests in Brazil
- A legal request has been filed to impeach Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff for obstructing justice and fiscal accounting tricks, the second impeachment request against her. In response to the request, Minister of Tourism Henrique Eduardo Alves turned in a resignation letter while the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party is expected to hold a party vote on whether or not to leave Rousseff's coalition government. (Al Jazeera)
- The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, the country's largest party, decides unanimously to leave President Rousseff's governing coalition. While Rousseff will remain in office, it's likely she could be impeached in a matter of months, which would make Vice President Michel Temer president. (Reuters)
- Chief of staff Jaques Wagner says President Rousseff will announce a new governing coalition before the end of the week. The President has an opportunity to form a new coalition for her remaining two years and nine months in office, Wagner added. (Reuters²)
Tanzanian general election, 2015
- The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a United States foreign aid agency, pulls $472m of funding for a Tanzanian electricity project after concluding that the election held in Zanzibar "was neither inclusive nor representative". Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, held a rerun of its election that was boycotted by the opposition after it was previously annulled because of supposed fraud. (BBC)
In the United States, the Tennessee state Senate will vote on a bill, which narrowly passed the House last year, to declare the Holy Bible the official book of Tennessee. Governor Bill Haslam (R) was among those who opposed the bill in 2015. (AP) (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
United States presidential election, 2016, Republican Party presidential candidates, 2016
- Candidate Donald Trump says he will no longer honor his pledge to support the eventual Republican Party pick for president because, "I have been treated very unfairly." (AP) (Fox News)

March 28, 2016 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Taliban fighters fire explosives at Afghanistan's Parliament while it is in session. Members of Parliament said no one was wounded while a Taliban spokesperson claims it caused heavy casualities. (Al Jazeera)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- At least 115 Al-Shabaab militants are killed and a further 110 are captured following heavy fighting with pro-government forces in the Galmudug region of Somalia, according to the regional government. There has been no independent confirmation of this claim. (BBC)
Aftermath of the Brussels bombings
- Belgian prosecutors release Faycal C., a man charged in connection with last week's deadly Brussels bombings. The prosecutor's office says the evidence which led to his arrest has not been backed up by the ongoing investigation. (Reuters)
2016 Lahore suicide bombing
- Pakistan officials tell Reuters its forces will launch a paramilitary crackdown on Islamist militants in Punjab. Sunday's attack was Taliban-affiliated Jamaat-ul-Ahrar's fifth bombing since December. (Reuters)

Business and economics

In response to the $13.6 billion cash-and-stock offer by the Marriott International to purchase Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Anbang Insurance Group raises its bidding offer to $14 billion. (AP) (Reuters) (UPI) (The Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season
- The United Kingdom's Met Office warns of major travel disruption due to heavy rain, flooding and "damaging" high winds as Storm Katie moves in from the Atlantic Ocean bringing winds of up to 75mph. (Sky News)
The Alaska village of Nelson Lagoon is coated in volcanic ash after an especially vigorous and ongoing eruption of Mount Pavlof. (Alaska Dispatch News)
- Alaska Airlines cancels 41 flights to and from six cities across the state, Barrow, Bethel, Fairbanks, Kotzebue, Nome, and Prudhoe Bay, due to Pavlof's "massive ash cloud." The carrier announces flights will remain grounded pending Tuesday's assessment of flying conditions. (KTUU-TV)

International Relations

Senkaku Islands dispute, China–Japan relations
- As part of its wider military build up along the Japanese archipelagos in the East China Sea, Japan activates a new radar station on the island of Yonaguni that is close to the disputed Senkaku Islands. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- A Saudi coalition says it's traded 109 Yemeni prisoners for nine captive Saudis. (AP)

Law and crime

A three-year-old girl is decapitated in an apparently random killing by a man with a cleaver in Taipei, Taiwan. The man was arrested shortly afterwards. (The Guardian)
The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. is on lockdown following reports of shots fired at the Capitol Visitor Center. The White House, in what appears to be an unrelated incident, was briefly locked down this afternoon. (CNN)
- Police lift the lockdown. An armed man was shot by police, is in police custody, and is undergoing surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. A female bystander suffers what appears to be a minor injury. (The Washington Post)
FBI–Apple encryption dispute
- Federal prosecutors announce the case against Apple Inc., concerning encrypted data on an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters, has been dropped since the FBI has found a means to access the data without compromising any information on the phone. (Los Angeles Times) (Los Angeles Times²)
A U.S. federal district court, in a case filed by retailer Wal-Mart Stores. Inc., strikes down a Puerto Rican tax increase for on-island companies, with more than $2.75 billion in revenues that buy goods from off-island "related parties," because the levy clearly discriminates against interstate commerce. (Reuters)
The United States Secret Service says only law enforcement officers will be allowed to have guns inside the Republican National Convention to be held in the Cleveland, Ohio, arena on July 18–21, 2016; responding to an online petition demanding Quicken Loans Arena revoke its ban on open carrying of firearms. (USA Today)
The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal file a federal lawsuit against a new North Carolina law that bars transgender people from choosing bathrooms consistent with their gender identity, arguing the measure is discriminatory and threatens individuals' personal safety. (Reuters)
Ferguson unrest
- A Missouri court strikes down parts of a law, meant to address concerns raised after the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, that limit cities' ability to profit from traffic tickets and court fines. The judge wrote the law unconstitutionally targeted St. Louis-area municipalities with caps on revenues from traffic fines that were lower than other cities in the state. (AP)

Politics and elections

Thousands of protestors rally in front of the Parliament of Pakistan in Islamabad in support of Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of reformist Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer in 2011 who was subsequently executed last February. The Pakistan Army was called in to control the situation. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
Governor Nathan Deal, of the American state of Georgia, vetoes a religious liberties bill that would have protected people whose religious beliefs don't include same-sex marriage. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) (The Washington Post) (ESPN)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signs an order banning all non-essential travel to North Carolina, i.e., travel not necessary for the enforcement of New York state law, public health, and/or safety, following the state's passage of a law blocking local governments from passing anti-discrimination ordinances. (CBS News)

March 27, 2016 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Palmyra offensive (March 2016)
  - The Syrian Army takes full control of Palmyra after heavy fighting with ISIL forces, according to a Syrian military source. (Sky News)
2016 Lahore suicide bombing
- A suicide bomber from a Pakistani Taliban faction kills at least 60 people and injures 300 others at a park in Lahore, Pakistan, and the group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it intentionally targeted Christians celebrating on Easter Sunday. An official says the explosion took place close to Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park's children's rides. (CNN) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera) (AP)

Arts and culture

Thousands of people in Dublin, Ireland, attend the Irish government's commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising against British rule. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

At least 12 Algerian Army soldiers are killed in a military helicopter crash near the town of Reggane, in Algeria's southern Adrar Province. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Israel's Supreme Court blocks the government's plan, signed last December by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the U.S. Noble Energy and the Israeli Delek Group companies, to develop Israel's offshore gas deposits. The court found the so-called "stability clause," that would prevent Israel from making significant regulatory changes for the next 10 years, undemocratically restricts the Knesset's power. The government has one year to come up with an alternative arrangement or the plan will be canceled. (AP) (Ynetnews) (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Myanmar general election, 2015
- Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's military chief, pledges to work with the new civilian government that takes over the Southeast Asian country next week, after 54 years of direct or indirect rule by the military. (AP)

2014–16 Venezuelan protests
- According to a new poll, two-thirds of Venezuelans think President Nicolás Maduro should end his presidency this year or be removed via a recall referendum amid a worsening economic crisis. In the event of a referendum, 52.1 percent of Venezuelans would vote to remove him from office, up from 44.5 percent in January, according to the poll. (Reuters)
2015–16 protests in Moldova
- Thousands of people rally in the streets of Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, demanding reunification with Romania. The rally is meant to mark the 98th anniversary since the former Romanian province of Bessarabia was unified with the Kingdom of Romania on March 27, 1918. The protesters say unification with Romania is the way for corruption-ridden Moldova to move forward and join the European Union. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Aftermath of the 2016 Brussels bombings
- Police in Brussels, Belgium, forcibly break up an apparent far-right demonstration with water cannons after they joined a crowd of people paying tribute to the victims of the bombings. The demonstrators claim to have marched against terrorism but police intervened when the demonstrators confronted Muslim women and made Nazi salutes. (Euronews) (BBC)

March 26, 2016 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Palmyra offensive (March 2016)
  - Syrian troops advance into Palmyra on multiple fronts with the help of Russian airstrikes and take several neighbourhoods, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. However they were unable to encircle the city. (BBC)

Arts and culture

British rock band The Rolling Stones performs in Havana, Cuba, playing an open-air free concert in the country, in what has been called a "historic moment." Western music used to be banned in Cuba as being "ideologically divergent." (The Guardian)
Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Robert De Niro announces the film, Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe, will not be screened at the 2016 Festival as previously announced. “Grace [Hightower] and I have a child with autism and we believe it is critical that all of the issues surrounding the causes of autism be openly discussed and examined," Mr. De Niro said. "... (our) Tribeca Film Festival team and others from the scientific community ... do not believe (this film) contributes to or furthers the discussion (about autism) I hoped for," the actor/producer said. (USA Today)

Business and economics

British newspaper The Independent publishes its last print edition. (Sky News)
Reuters reports, based on an unnamed "person familiar with the situation," that Microsoft executives are lining up financing for a possible acquisition of troubled dotcom pioneer Yahoo. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

All four on board are killed when a medical services helicopter, transporting a patient from a car accident, crashes in a wooded area in Coffee County, Alabama. The helicopter pilot, a nurse, a medic, and the patient were killed. (Reuters)

Health and medicine

Zika virus outbreak
- Chile confirms its first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus. The case involves a 46-year-old woman whose partner was infected while in Haiti. (Reuters)
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises women exposed to Zika, which means traveling to South American (or other) countries where the disease is rampant, have protected sex for at least two months before attempting to get pregnant. Men exposed should not have unprotected sex for at least six months. (UPI)
Flint water crisis
- The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency extends the federal disaster declaration for Flint, Michigan, so water deliveries can continue through mid-August. (UPI)
A study, published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, finds high school athletes who focus on a single sport may be at increased risk for knee and hip injuries. (UPI)

International relations

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford makes a proposal to President Barack Obama to increase the number of American troops in Iraq, so as to help the Iraqi Army with advisors closer to the front lines and to recapture Mosul, which fell to ISIL in June 2014. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016, Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016
- Voters in the U.S. states of Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington gather for Democratic Party caucuses. (Washington Times)
- Senator Bernie Sanders is the projected winner in Alaska, Washington and Hawaii. (U.S. News & World Report)

March 25, 2016 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Aftermath of the 2016 Brussels bombings
- Six suspects are arrested in the Brussels Schaerbeek district. (BBC) (CNN)
- Belgian officials confirm 24-year-old suicide bomber Najim Laachraoui, who also used the pseudonym Soufiane Kayawas, was suspected of being the bomb-maker who supplied suicide vests for the November 13, 2015, Paris attacks. (NBC News)
Boko Haram insurgency
- The Nigerian Army claims to have rescued more than 800 hostages from Boko Haram while performing a "clearance operation" in the Northeastern part of Nigeria with fighting killing 22 insurgents. (Al Jazeera)
Military intervention against ISIL
- The Pentagon announces the death of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant finance minister and deputy leader, Abu Ala al-Afri. (CNN)
Syrian Civil War
- Palmyra offensive (March 2016)
  - The Syrian Army and allies make major advances near Palmyra against ISIL as the group start pulling out its equipment from the town. (BBC) (NYTimes)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Iskandariya suicide bombing
  - At least 30 people are killed in a suicide attack on a football stadium south of Baghdad, Iraq. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for attack. (FOX News)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- 2016 Aden car bombing
  - At least 22 people are killed following three suicide bombings in the Yemeni port city of Aden. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the bombings. (BBC)
War in Donbass
- The body of Ukrainian lawyer Yurij Grabovsky, who defended two ex-Russian soldiers charged in Eastern Ukraine with terrorism and waging an aggressive war against the country, is found on the grounds of a former farming collective in Zhashkiv, Ukraine. Grabovsky went missing from Kiev on March 9. Information from one of two men being held in this case led police to the remains. (Reuters) (Jurist)

Disasters and accidents

Callaway train crash
- The evacuation order for the 200-person town of Callaway, Minnesota, which was emptied after a Canadian Pacific train crashed with a propane truck, is lifted. None of the train cars were carrying hazardous materials. (Valley News Live) (KMSP-TV)
Twelve Portuguese nationals, who were residents of Fribourg, Switzerland, are killed in a head-on collision between their minibus and a truck, on a highway 300 kilometers (185 miles) south of Paris, France. The only survivor from the bus is the driver; the two Italian occupants of the truck are slightly injured. (Post-Bulletin)
An air ambulance helicopter crashes in Iran's southern Fars Province, killing everyone on board. The official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) put the death toll at 10. (Reuters)

International relations

Japan–Russia relations, NATO–Russia relations
- Russia announces it will deploy state-of-the art missile defense systems to the far eastern Kuril Islands where they and Japan have rival territorial claims dating to the end of the Second World War. Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu also says that Russia will form new defence units in the country's Western Military District in response to NATO's recent deployment of forces to member states near its border. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Law and crime

A United States federal district judge rules unconstitutional a provision in an Alabama state law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. A Florida law enacted today contains a comparable provision to Alabama's. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments a few weeks ago on the constitutionality of similar abortion restrictions in Texas. (Reuters) (Alabama Media Group) (AP via Bristol Herald Courier)

Science and technology

Netflix acknowledges it's been slowing its video transmission on wireless mobile carriers around the world, including Verizon and AT&T, for five years to "protect consumers from exceeding mobile data caps." Last week, these carriers were accused of this. The company told The Wall Street Journal that T-Mobile or Sprint users weren't affected because, "historically those two companies have had more consumer-friendly policies." In May, Netflix plans to shift some of that control to viewers themselves. (C|net) (PC Magazine)

March 24, 2016 (Thursday)

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Business and economics

Starboard Value LP, an activist hedge fund, begins a proxy contest to oust the entire board of directors of internet pioneer Yahoo. (Reuters)
Lebanese daily newspaper As-Safir ("The Ambassador" in Arabic) is to cease print and online operations after over 40 years, citing falling revenues and Lebanon's political environment and sectarian problems as reasons for its closure. The newspaper has close ties to Hezbollah. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
- Australian infrastructure and transport minister Darren Chester says in a statement that debris recovered this month in Mozambique was highly likely to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. (Reuters)

Law and crime

England international footballer Adam Johnson is sentenced to six years in prison for child grooming and child sexual activity. (BBC)
Judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia find former President of the Republika Srpska Radovan Karadžić guilty of committing genocide and crimes against humanity in Bosnia during the Bosnian War and is sentenced to 40 years in prison. Karadžić is found to be "criminally responsible" for the Srebrenica massacre. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) (The Guardian)
In Toronto, Jian Ghomeshi is aquitted on all charges of sexual assault and choking. The judge found the claimants had "lied, had been manipulative and hid pertinent information" from the court and this created reasonable doubt. Protests against due process emerged immediately afterwards. (National Post)
In New York, an appeals court upheld a lower court's decision to dismiss a lawsuit trying to keep Ted Cruz off the ballot in the U.S. Presidential contest on the ground of his Canadian birth. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Myanmar general election, 2015
- Myanmar's parliament approves Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and 17 other nominees to positions in the incoming government's cabinet. Which ministry each will head was not announced. (Bloomberg)
- Amnesty International urges Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party make release of political prisoners, and rescinding laws that made incarceration possible, a top priority when they take office next Friday, April 1, 2016. Amnesty International adds it knows of almost 100 political prisoners still behind bars, with hundreds of others in detention. AI's Jasmine Heiss says, "The incoming government must take bold steps to show that human rights abuses are a problem of the past.” (AP via The Washington Post) (USA Tday) (Amnesty International)
New Zealand flag debate
- New Zealanders vote to retain the current flag over the proposed design in the nation's flag referendum. More than 2 million people vote in the referendum. (NZ Herald) (Radio New Zealand) (The Guardian)
Republic of the Congo presidential election, 2016
- Current President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso is reelected with 60 percent of the vote amid tight security and a communications blackout. Opposition leaders say that they will not accept the outcome. (Al Jazeera)

Sport

Dutch iconic professional footballer and manager Johan Cruyff dies from lung cancer at the age of 68. (CNN)
Six Russian athletes are to be stripped of the medals they won at World and European championships in 2010 and 2011 and the 2012 Summer Olympics following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The athletes affected are Sergei Balukin, Valeriy Borchin, Vladimir Kanaikin, Olga Kaniskina, Yulia Zaripova and Sergey Kirdyapkin. The ruling means Kirdyapkin is set to lose his gold medal won at the 2012 Olympics. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

More March 2016 events...

Ongoing events
Health Zika virus outbreak Flint water crisis Law FBI–Apple encryption dispute Political War in Afghanistan Boko Haram insurgency Brazil protests Burundian unrest Iraqi Civil War Military intervention against ISIL American-led Iranian Israeli–Palestinian conflict Lebanese political deadlock Moldova protests Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenian–Azeri border conflict Nepal blockade PKK rebellion Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention Second Libyan Civil War Sinai insurgency South China Sea disputes Syrian Civil War American-led intervention Russian military intervention Venezuelan protests War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine More details on ongoing conflicts below Sports 2015–16 UEFA Champions League 2015–16 La Liga season 2015–16 NBA season 2015–16 NHL season 2015–16 Premier League season 2016 ATP World Tour 2016 ICC World Twenty20 2016 WTA Tour 2016 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament edit sidebar

Recent deaths
March 29: Patty Duke 29: Jean Lapierre 29: Steven Sample 27: Mother Angelica 27: Vic Peters 26: Jim Harrison 25: Abu Ala al-Afri 25: Lester Thurow 24: Johan Cruyff 24: Garry Shandling 23: Phife Dawg 22: Rob Ford 21: Andrew Grove 21: Joseph Mercieca 21: Ricardo Larraín 20: Anker Jørgensen 19: Roger Agnelli 18: Guido Westerwelle 17: Paul Daniels 16: Sylvia Anderson 16: Better Loosen Up (death announced on this day) 16: Alexander Esenin-Volpin 16: Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan 16: Cliff Michelmore 16: Frank Sinatra, Jr. 15: Asa Briggs 15: Richard Burke 15: Tamara Grigsby 15: Seru Rabeni 14: Peter Maxwell Davies 14: Suranimala Rajapaksha 14: Davy Walsh (death announced on this day) 13: Hilary Putnam 13: Martin Olav Sabo 13: József Verebes 12: Annastasia Batikis 12: Felix Ibru 12: Lloyd Shapley 11: Ben Bagdikian 11: Iolanda Balaș 11: Rómulo Macció 10: Ken Adam 10: Ernestine Anderson 10: Anita Brookner 10: Keith Emerson 10: Gogi Grant 10: Mohammed Irfan 10: Gary Jeter 10: Jovito Salonga 9: Jon English 9: John Gutfreund 9: Richard Horton 9: Ralph S. Larsen 9: Clyde Lovellette 8: Ross Hannaford 8: George Martin 7: Adrian Hardiman 7: Steve Kraly 7: Michael White 7: Quentin Young 6: Elizabeth Garrett 6: Kalabhavan Mani 6: Francis Pasion 6: Nancy Reagan 6: Harold H. Saunders 5: Hassan al-Turabi 5: Antoni Asunción 5: Paul Couch 5: Nikolaus Harnoncourt 5: Robert Redbird 5: Ray Tomlinson 5: Panayiotis Tetsis 5: Al Wistert 4: John Brooks 4: Bud Collins 4: Pat Conroy 4: Joey Feek 4: P. A. Sangma 4: Abbas Vaez-Tabasi 4: Zhou Xiaoyan 3: Ralph Baruch 3: Berta Cáceres 3: Martin Crowe 3: Thanat Khoman 3: Sarah Tait 2: Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern 2: Aubrey McClendon 2: James Barrett McNulty 1: Jim Kimsey 1: Tony Warren 1: Martha Wright edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Africa Algeria, Tunisia and Niger Maghreb insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Katanga insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Boko Haram insurgency Somalia Civil war South Sudan South Sudanese Civil War Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Americas Colombian conflict Internal conflict in Peru Mexican War on Drugs Asia Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Moro conflict Moro conflict in Sabah Southeast Asia Internal conflict in Burma Papua conflict South Thailand insurgency Europe European Migrant Crisis Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Chechen–Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency War in Ingushetia Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Arab–Israeli conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Egypt Sinai insurgency Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraqi civil war American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Syrian Civil War American-led intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey–PKK conflict Turkey–ISIL conflict Yemeni crisis Houthi rebellion Al-Qaeda insurgency South Yemen insurgency edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent February 28: Switzerland, Referendums March 4: Samoa, Fono 5: Slovakia, National Council 6: Benin, President (1st round) 9: Kiribati, President 20: Benin, President (2nd round) 20: Cape Verde, National Assembly 20: Republic of the Congo, President 20: Kazakhstan, Majilis 20: Niger, President (2nd round) 20: Senegal, Constitutional referendum Upcoming April 6: Netherlands, EU referendum 8: Djibouti, President (1st round) 10: Chad, President (1st round) 10: Comoros, President (2nd round) 10: Peru, President, Congress 13: South Korea, National Assembly 13: Syria, People's Council 17: Italy, Oil drilling referendum 24: Austria, President 24: Serbia, National Assembly edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Australia: Brett Peter Cowan, Craig Thomson, Robert Hughes Brazil: Mensalão scandal Canada: Luka Magnotta China: Ji Jianye, Li Chuncheng, Jiang Jiemin, Liao Shaohua, Ni Fake, Chen Baihuai, Zhou Yongkang, Gu Junshan Croatia: Ivo Sanader Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Peter Greste, Mohamed Morsi Germany: Bernie Ecclestone, Uli Hoeness, Christian Wulff Iran: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Israel: Hussam Qawasmeh Jordan: Abu Qatada Philippines: Joseph Scott Pemberton Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Dan Diaconescu Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Eston Kohver, Vladimir Kvachkov South Africa: Shrien Dewani, Oscar Pistorius Turkey: Kenan Evren, Tahsin Şahinkaya United Kingdom: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, Kweku Adoboli, Tony McCluskie, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, Chris Huhne, Nicola Edgington, Vicky Pryce, Derek Rose, Mick Philpott, Mairead Philpott, Paul Mosley, Stuart Hazell, Mark Bridger, Andrew Lancel, Dale Cregan, Ray Wilkins, Liam Adams, R v Grillo and Grillo, Ian Watkins, William Roache, Dave Lee Travis, Nicholas Jacobs, Nigel Evans, Max Clifford, Stuart Hall, Dappy, Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, Rolf Harris, Tulisa Contostavlos, Chris Denning, Ray Teret, Gary Glitter, Fred Talbot, Adam Johnson United States: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Michael Grimm, Jesse Jackson Jr., Bob McDonnell, Vilma Bautista, Jared Lee Loughner, Lauryn Hill, Kermit Gosnell, George Zimmerman, Chelsea Manning, Ariel Castro, Whitey Bulger, Robert Bales, Nidal Malik Hasan, Jodi Arias, Anas al-Libi, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, James Eagan Holmes, Sheldon Silver International ECCC: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan ICC: Germain Katanga ICTY: Momčilo Perišić, Mladen Markač, Ante Gotovina, Zdravko Tolimir, Radovan Karadžić Ongoing China: Yao Mugen, Guo Youming, Zhu Zuoli Germany: Beate Zschäpe Iran: Babak Zanjani Netherlands: Geert Wilders Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr., Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Janet Lim-Napoles, Jovito Palparan Romania: Darius Vâlcov, Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie, Cătălin Voicu, Relu Fenechiu, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: MV Sewol crew members United Kingdom: Rolf Harris United States: Dean Skelos International ICTY: Ratko Mladić PCA: China Upcoming China: Wu Changshun, Ling Jihua Estonia: Edgar Savisaar Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Spain: Lionel Messi United Kingdom: Max Clifford United States: Paul Anthony Ciancia, Javaris Crittenton, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Dylan Quick, Aaron Hernandez, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Rick Perry International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo edit sidebar