1. MARCH MADNESS SWEEPS NATION

The annual college basketball championship began last Thursday, with 16 games throughout the day. This year’s tournament is full of surprises, with stunning upsets destroying fan-made brackets all weekend. The 67-game tournament ends Monday, April 4.

2. FRANCE CAPTURES TERROR SUSPECT

Nearly half a year of searching led French authorities to a Belgian town last week, where they captured the ISIS mastermind behind the deadly Paris bombings last November. Prosecutors claim the man intended to suicide bomb the city himself, but later backed out.

3. JUNIORS TAKE ACT

The test is the foundation for every college application. Juniors have the opportunity to improve their scores in upcoming tests, and the district is hosting a free SAT at the end of the year in preparation for next year’s transition away from the ACT.

4. PLANE CRASHES IN RUSSIA

A flight from the United Arab Emirates to the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don crashed 800 feet from the runway last week. The plane circled for two hours due to poor weather after attempting a first landing. Including crew, 62 people were killed. While flight recorders were heavily damaged, terrorism has been ruled out.

5. OBAMA CHOOSES SUPREME COURT SUCCESSOR

The president nominated Judge Merrick Garland to succeed Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. The Senate, which is controlled by the Republican Party, is expected to attempt to block Garland’s nomination, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declaring he will refuse to give Garland a hearing.

6. ISIS HITS TURKEY AGAIN

A suicide bomber attacked Istanbul this week, killing five and injuring 30. The man was determined to be a member of ISIS. The terror organization has bombed Turkish cities multiple times this month.

7. OBAMA TO VISIT CUBA

The president is planning to visit Cuba for the first time in decades following the decision to formally renew relations between Washington and Havana. President Barack Obama will talk to Cuban president Raul Castro, visit many cultural events and meet anti-government protesters.

8. TRUMP RALLIES CONTINUE TO CAUSE MAYHEM

Yet another rally for Republican front-runner Donald Trump encountered adversity this week. Protesters blocked a main road in Phoenix, Arizona, that backed traffic up for miles. Violence has popped up at countless Trump rallies in the past month, including in Chicago, where his rally was canceled.

9. TECH NEWS: TWITTER, APPLE AND INSTAGRAM

After months of internal deliberation, Twitter has decided to keep the 140-character limit. Apple is expected to formally announce the rumored iPhone SE on Monday, a smaller version of the current iPhone 6S and 6S+. Meanwhile, Instagram became the latest social media to welcome the Pope to its user base on Saturday.

10. IT’S SPRING BREAK! ENJOY YOUR TIME OFF

The fine arts department is visiting Disney World all week to perform, while other students are visiting Italy this week. School resumes with a late start on Monday, March 28.