From the devastating Grenfell Tower fire to the UK's shock General Election result: The biggest news stories of the year in 2017

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Chloe Chaplain31 December 2017

After 2016 brought the shock American election, a fraught Brexit referendum and terror attacks across Europe, it seemed unlikely that the following year could begin to compare.

But from the inauguration of President Trump in January to Theresa May’s Brexit “breakthrough” in December, 2017 has seen the headlines continue to shift the political and cultural landscape across the world.

This year will not be forgotten quickly by the UK, which endured four terror attacks and the devastating Grenfell Tower fire all within a three-month period.

Meanwhile huge political change, natural disasters and conflict around the the world have dominated global papers and news sites.

Biggest news stories of 2017

As the year draws to a close, we take a look at a small selection of some of the biggest news stories of 2017.

January

President Donald Trump

After winning the election in 2016, Trump was inaugurated before crowds of millions (according to him) or thousands (according to photographs) on January 20 2017.

In a tumultuous first year as President, Trump has introduced a string of shock policy changes, hired (and fired) scores of controversial figures and sparked international outrage with his social media habits.

Donald Trump Inauguration Day - In pictures

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He has blazed a trail of ruling via Twitter and uses the platform to relentlessly attack the media, world leaders, terrorist groups, political rivals… and generally anyone who has criticised him.

Among his more controversial moves were his withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, the “travel ban” for nationals from Muslim-majority countries, and his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

trumpoval1812a.jpg, by Gareth Richman
AFP/Getty Images

He and his team have also been subject to a series of investigations in the past year including Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into alleged Russian interference in the US election.

US investigators believe Russia may have attempted to sway the election result in favour of Trump – something the President has repeatedly denied.

February

North Korea

Since February, North Korea has fired 23 missiles in 16 tests as it continues to develop and showcase its missile programme.

On July 4 the country launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile test (ICBM), which it claims could reach "anywhere in the world".

North Korea TV shows video of ballistic missile launch

The tests have been condemned by the international community and, in typical Trump style, the President has taken to Twitter to hit out at leader Kim Jong Un, who he described as “rocket man”, and say that the US would respond with “fire and fury”.

North Korea retorted with insults about the President, labelling him a “dotard”.

March

Westminster attack

On March 22 52-year-old Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and crashed into the gates outside the Palace of Westminster.

He killed four pedestrians and injured more than 50, before jumping out of the vehicle and fatally stabbing police officer PC Keith Palmer. Masood was then shot dead by a police officer.

Front Pages for Westminster & Parliament Attack

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Parliament was on lockdown following the attack, and a debate inside the House of Commons was halted.

The following day Theresa May said: "An act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy, but today we meet as normal ... to deliver a simple message: We are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism.”

April

Acid attacks

On April 17, Arthur Collins, the partner of ex-TOWIE star Ferne McCann, threw acid in a packed nightclub in Hackney, injuring 20 people.

Collins was later jailed for the crime, which was one of a series of corrosive substance attacks that swept across the capital in 2017.

CCTV shows the moment Arthur Collins throws acid in nightclub

In November the Metropolitan Police force revealed that the number of violent acid-related offences in London had has soared by almost 200 per cent in the last 15 years.

Between January and September 2017, there were 739 acid-related offences – 411 of which were violent.

May

French election

After battling it out with far-right politician Marine Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron won a decisive victory in the French Presidential election.

France's President Emmanuel Macron walks down the steps of the Elysee Palace, with his dog 
AP

The young politician had never run for elected office before founding the En Marche! movement in 2016. His victory was seen as representing a pro-EU movement in the wake of the Brexit vote.

Manchester Arena attack

Twenty-three people were killed when Salman Abedi detonated a home-made bomb in the packed forecourt of the Manchester Arena. More than 500 were injured.

The building was full of pop fans – including many young girls – who had gone to watch American star Ariana Grande.

It sent shockwaves through the country due to the brutal nature of the attack and the fact that Abedi has deliberately targeted children.

The Queen visits Manchester victims

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Islamic State claimed the bombing was carried out by "a soldier of the Khilafah" and Theresa May temporarily raised the terror threat level to critical in the aftermath of the tragedy.

June

London Bridge attack

On June 3, a van drove through crowds of pedestrians on London Bridge before the three occupants jumped out of the vehicle and began stabbing people in nearby Borough Market.

Who are the victims of the London Bridge attacks?

Eight people were killed and 48 more were injured before police shot the three attackers dead.

The attackers, named as Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba, were later identified as being Islamic radicals.

General Election

Theresa May surprised everyone in April by announcing a snap general election in a bid to strengthen her position as Prime Minister before entering into Brexit negotiations.

General Election: How the day unfolded

But when the results started to come through after the June 8 vote, it quickly became apparent that her plan had backfired.

Mrs May was left without a majority in Parliament and was forced to go cap-in-hand to the DUP party of Northern Ireland in a bid to prop up her own government.

General Election Night 2017 - In pictures

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Meanwhile, the Labour party won back some key seats from the Conservatives and, despite winning only 262 seats in total, Jeremy Corbyn emerged victorious.

Grenfell Tower

In the early hours of June the 14, London Fire Brigade received calls from residents of a tower block in west London reporting a fire in the building.

When emergency vehicles arrived, the horror of the situation became quickly clear. Flames engulfed the building at unexpected speed and neighbours were forced to watch on helplessly as scores of families died, trapped in their flats.

Grenfell Tower timeline: What has happened in the last six months?

A total of 71 people died in the blaze – considered to be the worst since the Second World War – and hundreds of households were displaced.

Finsbury Park

On June 19 a hired van was driven into pedestrians as they left a mosque in Finsbury Park, north London. One man was killed.

An artist's impression of Darren Osborne during a court appearance in June
Elizabeth Cook/PA

Darren Osborne has pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related murder and faces a trial next year.

July

Charlie Guard

Baby Charlie was born in 2016 with a rare genetic disorder that causes severe brain damage and muscle failure.

Doctors at Great Ormond Street told his parents, Chris and Connie, that it would be in the best interests of their son to consider ending life support treatment.

Charlie's parents insisted they wanted to try experimental treatment in the US and raised funds for a transfer to a hospital in New York.

Charlie's parents Connie and Chris
Reuters

What ensued was a legal battle between the Gards and the hospital, which maintained its stance that further treatment would cause the infant unnecessary suffering.

The British courts supported GOSH's position and, on July 27, Charlie was transferred to a hospice where he died, aged 11 months and 24 days.

The case attracted widespread attention across the globe, with the likes of President Donald Trump and Pope Francis wading into the debate over the parents’ right to choose what care is provided for their child.

August

Hurricanes

In August Hurricane Harvey became the first major hurricane to make landfall in the US since 2005 – and the first large hurricane of the season.

In four days, Harvey inflicted hundreds of billions of dollars of damage across Texas. Harvey was the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the country, with floods displacing more than 30,000 people.

Much of Ohio was devastated by the impact of Hurricane Harvey
Getty

Harvey was followed by Hurricane Irma, an extremely powerful category 5 storm which swept across the Caribbean and the Florida Keys.

Irma caused catastrophic damage in Barbuda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Anguilla, and the Virgin Islands, killing more than 100 people and sparking an international aid appeal.

Hurricane Maria - In pictures

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A month later parts of the Caribbean was then hit by Hurricane Maria, which became the worst natural disaster on record in Dominica and Puerto Rico.

Hundreds of people were killed and a major humanitarian crisis was declared in Puerto Rico.

Prince Philip steps down

Prince Philip announced in May that he would be retiring from public service at the age of 96, joking that he “can’t stand up much longer”.

Retired: Prince Philip stepped down
Getty Images

The Queen’s husband, who has been dutifully by her side since they married in 1947, performed his final solo royal engagement in august when he met with members of the Royal Marines.

Rohingya flee Myanmar

On August 25, militants from the Rohingya minority group attacked police posts in Myanmar. Troops responded by systematically setting fire to villages and attacking and killing scores of civilians.

They have been accused of “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing”, with survivors describing brutal murders of babies and rapes of women and young girls.

The UN has said the Rohingya's situation is the "world's fastest growing refugee crisis".

September

Royal baby

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced they are expecting their third child.

The couple announced the pregnancy earlier than planned due to the Duchess suffering from acute morning sickness, meaning she had to skip some official duties.

Expecting: The Duchess is due in spring
Getty Images

The baby, who will be the brother or sister to Prince George and Princess Charlotte, is due in April.

German election

Angela Merkel secured a predicted fourth term as German chancellor after the election on September 24.

But her authority was weakened in the election, which saw the far-right AfD enter parliament as the third-largest party.

Getty Images

Alternative for Germany is described as a nationalist party and its leaders have often been affiliated with extreme anti-Islam groups and anti-Semitic beliefs.

October

Las Vegas shooting

On the night of October 1, 2017, a gunman opened fire on concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas Strip, killing 58 people dead and injuring more than 500.

The shooting, the deadliest in recent US history, was carried out by 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, who fired more than 1000 rounds from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandaly Bay hotel.

Paddock was found dead in the room after the shooting, surrounded by weapons and ammunition. His motive has not yet been established.

Catalan independence referendum

Leaders in Spain’s autonomous region of Catalan held an independence referendum on October 1, despite it being declared illegal by the Spanish government.

Spanish police raided polling stations on the day of the vote but 43 per cent of people still turned out, voting overwhelmingly in favour of independence.

Catalan Independence - In pictures

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On 27 October the Parliament of Catalonia declared independence and, within hours, the Spanish Senate approved actions for the Spanish government to assume direct control.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and his cabinet was dissolved. Puigdemont is in self-imposed exile in Belgium and his main separatist rival, ERC leader Oriol Junqueras, is in a Spanish jail.

Austrian election

People's Party's Sebastian Kurz is set to become the world's youngest head of government after getting the go-ahead to form a coalition government following the October 15 vote.

Austria's new coalition: People's Party leader Sebastian Kurz (right) with Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache.
EPA

But the soon-to-be president will be joining forces with the far-right Freedom Party, which will make Austria the only Western European country with a governing far-right party opposed to migration and the European Union.

Californian wildfires

The wildfires seen in California throughout 2017 have been the most destructive and deadliest ever seen in the state.

In October, several blazes broke out in Northern California’s wine country. Spurred on by adverse weather, the fires went on to span at least 245,000 acres and kill 44 people.

Dramatic videos show devastation from wildfires in Southern California

Two months later another spate of wildfires struck Southern California – duelled by Santa Ana winds. The largest blaze, Thomas Fire, alone spans almost 37,000 acres.

Harvey Weinstein

In October the New York Times and The New Yorker published articles reporting that more than a dozen women had accused movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, assault or rape.

After the allegations were made public, scores more women came forward accusing the Hollywood mogul of similar acts.

Actress Salma Hayek has claimed that Harvey Weinstein repeatedly sexually harassed her

Weinstein denied any reports of non-consensual sex but said he was checking into a sex rehab clinic. His wife left him, he was fired from his company and now faces criminal investigations in the US and UK.

The publication of the alleged assaults sparked a wave of people making allegations against scores of public figures, including actor Kevin Spacey, comedian Louis CK and several politicians in Westminster.

A social media campaign called #MeToo, originally launched in 2006, took off - with thousands of people using the tag to say that they had been the victim of sexual abuse.

TIME: Person on the Year Covers - In pictures

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The Weinstein scandal created a cultural shift in the way allegations of sexual harassment or assault are perceived and handled.

In December, Time magazine named its Person of the Year as ‘The Silence Breakers’ – paying tribute to all those who have spoken out about harassment or abuse.

November

Robert Mugabe steps down

Days after President Robert Mugabe made the controversial move to sack his deputy, Zimbabwe’s military stormed through the capital and placed him under house arrest.

Mugabe, who was the leader for nearly four decades, was sacked as leader of the ruling Zanu-PF party and impeachment proceedings were launched against him.

He announced his resignation and was spared prosecution. His former deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, known as ‘the crocodile’ for his ruthless tactics, succeeded him.

Royal engagement

Prince Harry thrilled royal fans by announcing his engagement to American actress Meghan Markle.

Engagement: Harry and Meghan

The Prince and his fiancée, who dated for around 18 months before the engagement was announced, are set to wed at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, In May.

In an interview the couple revealed that Harry, 33, proposed to Meghan, 36, during a “typical night in” over a roast chicken dinner.

Highlights from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first interview

December

Brexit breakthrough

On December 8, after months of fractious negotiations with the European Union, Theresa May emerged victorious from a night of intense talks with a draft withdrawal agreement.

Mrs May said the deal reached guarantees the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, and of UK citizens in the EU and that no hard border would exist between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.