Portal:Current events/2014 March 7

Current events of March 7, 2014 (2014-03-07) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks 2014 Crimean crisis: Armed men – thought to be Russian – attempt to seize a Ukrainian military base in Sevastopol, withdrawing soon afterwards. (BBC) Turkey scrambles fighter jets after a Russian surveillance plane flew along its Black Sea coast. (Reuters via Today's Zaman) Art and culture A statue of Iset, daughter of King Amenhotep III who was the grandfather of Tutankhamun and ruler of Ancient Egypt around 3,350 years ago, has been unearthed by a team of Egyptian and European archaeologists. The statue, which depicts Iset alone without her father, is the first of its kind ever discovered. (GMA News) Business and economy Staples Inc. plans to close 225 store locations and cut $500 million from its budget, citing low sales and internet competition. (Boston Globe) The United States economy added 175,000 jobs for the month of February. (AP via Houston Chronicle) Health and science A study released by the University of California, San Diego shows that vitamin D increases the chances of survival in patients suffering from breast cancer. (Science Recorder) International relations Rwanda and South Africa each expel the other's diplomats after armed men broke into an exiled Rwandan critic's home in Johannesburg. (Reuters) Law and crime The former leader of the Front for Patriotic Resistance in Ituri, Germain Katanga, is found guilty in the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. (Bloomberg) Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is sentenced to 5 years in prison for sodomy after his 2012 acquittal is overturned. (Bloomberg via SFGate) The Saudi Arabian government designates the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda among others as terrorist groups and warns that people joining them could face 30 years in prison. (AP via Washington Post) Sports 2014 Winter Paralympics: The Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia officially opens. (CBC)