Portal:Current events/2017 March 25

March 25, 2017 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Four people are killed in twin bombings in Sylhet, Bangladesh. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- According to a local police chief, at least seven militants are killed by Afghan security forces in Logar Province. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Syrian Civil War
- At least 16 people are killed by multiple airstrikes on a prison in Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
March 2017 Israel–Syria incident
- In response to several Israeli airstrikes against suspected Hezbollah-related targets inside Syria, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has threatened wider war with the State of Israel, stating its intention to fire Scud missiles, and specifically target the Israeli city of Haifa. Israel responded by stating that any such actions by the Assad regime, or attacks on its aircraft, will cause Israel to "annihilate" Syrian air defense systems. (The Times of Israel)
Sinai insurgency
- A roadside bomb kills four Egyptian Army soldiers near the town of Arish, North Sinai Governorate. (Reuters)
A vehicle mounts the pavement and runs into pedestrians in Islington, London, injuring 4. The teenage perpetrators are found carrying offensive weapons, but are not assumed to be terrorists. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Disasters and accidents

A 45-meter long escalator at Langham Place in Hong Kong malfunctions injuring at least 18 people. (RT)

International relations

European Union leaders gather in Rome to mark 60 years since the Treaty of Rome was signed. (BBC)
The UK-US air travel ban on laptops and other electronic devices in the passenger cabin comes into effect. (BBC)
China, Chile and Egypt lift their bans on importing meat from Brazil. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Northern Mali conflict
- The Coordination of Azawad Movements, a coalition of Tuareg groups, announce that they will boycott a peace conference scheduled next week on implementing a 2015 peace agreement saying it was "not sufficiently inclusive". (Al Jazeera)
The UK Independence Party (UKIP)'s only MP, Douglas Carswell, quits the party to become an independent MP. (The Guardian)
2017 Belarusian protests
- Thousands of people protest in Minsk, Belarus, despite a ban on protests, against a so-called "social parasites" tax on the unemployed. (BBC)

Sports

2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
- The first two places in the Final Four are decided. In the West Region in San Jose, California, Gonzaga defeats Xavier 83–59, advancing to the first Final Four in the program's history. (AP via ESPN) In the Midwest Region in Kansas City, Missouri, Oregon defeats Kansas 74–60, giving the Ducks their first Final Four appearance since winning the first NCAA Tournament in 1939. (AP via ESPN)