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Worldwide current events
Sports events

Topics in the news

Kyle Busch

In stock car racing, the NASCAR Cup Series concludes, with Kyle Busch (pictured) winning the drivers' championship.
Cyclone Bulbul hits the Indian and Bangladeshi coasts of the Bay of Bengal, killing at least 24 people.
After weeks of protests over electoral fraud, Bolivian president Evo Morales and other high-ranking politicians are forced to resign, and opposition senator Jeanine Áñez becomes interim president.
The Supreme Court of India delivers a unanimous verdict in favour of the construction of a Hindu temple at a disputed holy site in Ayodhya.

November 20, 2019 (Wednesday)

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November 19, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present), Afghan peace process
- In Zabul Province, the Taliban releases two foreign hostages, American professor Kevin King and Australian professor Timothy Weeks, who had been held captive since being kidnapped outside the American University of Afghanistan in 2016. Three high-ranking Taliban militants are released in exchange for the hostages. (BBC)
- The Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, claims victory over the Islamic State, citing over 600 ISIS members surrendering in the past weeks as an example that the group has given up. (Reuters)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Libyan National Army (LNA) warplanes carry out airstrikes on the port city of Misrata. The LNA say they were targeting munitions and armored vehicles that had been delivered from Turkey. (Reuters)
2019 Iranian fuel protests
- A knife attack by rioters kills three security force members. The death toll for the police was five.^{[clarification needed]} (Al Jazeera)
- Amnesty International reports that 106 protesters have been killed during the protest. Some reports indicate a much higher death toll. (BBC) (National Post)
2019 Hong Kong protests
- After the brutal attack on pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham last month, another pro-democracy activist, Albert Ho, is attacked by masked men at a minibus stop. (South China Morning Post)
2019 Bolivian protests
- At least three people are killed and 22 injured after Bolivian police and military forces use armored vehicles and helicopters to unblock access to a major fuel plant that had been blockaded by supporters of former president Evo Morales. (The Guardian)
- Bolivia’s congress, controlled by lawmakers from Morales’ Movement for Socialism (MAS), said it would cancel a contentious vote in the legislature that had been expected to reject Morales’ resignation. (Reuters)

Business and economy

2019 Japan–South Korea trade dispute
- Officials from Japan and South Korea hold their second round of trade talks as part of the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement process. (NHK World)
- Japan and South Korea have failed to narrow their differences over Japan's export controls in the second round of bilateral talks. (NHK World) (MBC News)
Amid continuing fallout over sexual misconduct allegations against Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and controversy over his close friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, several businesses—including British banking group Standard Chartered, KPMG, Aon and drug giant AstraZeneca—cut ties with the Prince. Pitch@Palace, an initiative founded by Prince Andrew to support entrepreneurs, removes its entire web page listing its supporters. (Yahoo!) (CNN)

Health and environment

Fifteen children are confirmed (and three more suspected) dead from measles in Samoa as the illness epidemic continues within the country. (RNZ)

Law and crime

Assange v Swedish Prosecution Authority
- A Swedish prosecutor says she will drop charges of rape against Julian Assange after a review of the evidence. (Reuters)
Death of Jeffrey Epstein
- Two prison guards who work at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City are arrested in connection with the death of American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The guards are accused of falsifying the records of their watch the night Epstein was found dead. (The Washington Examiner) (New York Post)
The Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives calls for the impeachment of Governor Ralph Torres amid an ongoing Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation into his businesses. (RNZ)

Politics and elections

Japan's Shinzō Abe becomes the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan. (The Straits Times)
2019 Chilean protests
- An impeachment inquiry is launched against Chilean President Sebastián Piñera due to his alleged role in the violation of human rights in the ongoing protests. (La Tercera)

November 18, 2019 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Hong Kong protests
- Police seal off and trap hundreds of students and protesters inside Hong Kong Polytechnic University amid fears of a crackdown. After a police officer is injured, security forces threaten to fire live bullets if protesters do not give up lethal weapons. (Reuters)
- Protesters manage to escape from the university by shimmying down plastic hosing from a bridge and fleeing on waiting motorbikes as the police fire projectiles. (Reuters)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- An airstrike on a biscuit shop kills five Bangladeshi nationals and two Libyans and wounds 33 others in Tripoli, Libya. A U.N. envoy to Libya claims that it could be a war crime. (Seattle Time)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- A South Korean oil drilling rig is seized by Houthi rebels. It is unknown how many sailors were on board. (Al Jazeera) (The Guardian)
2019 Iranian fuel protests
- A Revolutionary Guard commander vows decisive action to restore calm to Iran. (Newsweek)
- The death toll in the protests rises to 12, but reports vary. (BBC)
Northern Mali conflict
- Militants kill 24 soldiers and wound 29 others on an army patrol in northern Mali. Seventeen militants were also killed in the melee. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Japan opens its first military arms show, as it tries to improve its military technology to combat external threats from China and North Korea. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Fukushima nuclear disaster
- The Japanese government authorizes a release of contaminated water from the plant into the Pacific Ocean. Officials say that the release represents a "significantly small" risk to human health. (Kyodo News English)

International relations

Russia–Ukraine relations, Ukrainian crisis
- Russia returns three Ukrainian Navy vessels it seized during an incident in the Kerch Strait last year. (Deutche Welle) (Reuters)
Israel–United States relations, Israeli occupation of the West Bank
- The Trump administration announces that the United States no longer considers Israeli settlement of the West Bank as illegal per se under international law. The announcement is praised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and condemned by the European Union, the Palestinian National Authority, and Jordanian Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

2019 Hong Kong protests
- The Hong Kong High Court rules that the government's mask ban violates the Basic Law. (South China Morning Post)
LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia
- Two Saudi journalists, one of whom worked for CNN and the BBC, are outed as gay, which prompts them to flee and seek asylum in Australia. (Reuters)
2019 Bolivian protests
- Interim interior minister Arturo Murillo threatens to arrest MAS legislators, who refuse to recognize Jeanine Áñez's legitimacy, for "subversion". (The Globe Post)

Politics and elections

Marshall Islands general election
- Citizens cast their votes for the 33 members of the country's legislature. (Reuters)
2019 Bolivian protests
- Thousands of Bolivian coca farmers came out in protest in favour of Evo Morales and called for the resignation of Añez as Acting President. (Reuters)

November 17, 2019 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Hong Kong protests
- Clashes erupt on the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Police use tear gas and water cannons. Protesters fire bows and arrows and petrol bombs, and set fires. (Reuters)
- Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong urges Germany to stop military assistance to China. (Outlook)

Disasters and accidents

A gas explosion in Chittagong, Bangladesh, kills at least seven people and injures eight. (Reuters)

Health and environment

In response to a measles outbreak, Samoa declares a state of emergency, closes all schools and urges all persons under 17 to avoid public gatherings. (ABC News)

International relations

2018–19 Korean peace process
- U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and South Korean Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo announce that their countries will postpone their annual joint military air exercises to help facilitate the peace process. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Japan–United States relations, Japan–North Korea relations
- Japanese Defence Minister Tarō Kōno tells his United States and South Korea counterparts that "no one could be optimistic about North Korea" after "they launched over 20 missiles so far this year". (Yahoo! News)

Law and crime

Fresno party shooting
- At least ten people are shot, with four killed, at a backyard party in Fresno, California. (CNN)

Politics and elections

2019 Belarusian parliamentary election
- Voters in Belarus head to the polls in the country's latest parliamentary election. The election is closely watched by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe due to the country's poor human rights record. (Deutsche Welle)

November 16, 2019 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Terrorism in Sri Lanka
- Gunmen open fire on two buses carrying Muslim voters to the polls near Anuradhapura. No casualties are reported and no arrests take place. (The Guardian)
Syrian Civil War
- Turkey blames another attack on the PKK. The bombings targeted a bus terminal in al-Bab, Aleppo Governorate, killing 18 and wounding dozens of others. (Al Jazeera)
2019 Iraqi protests
- A car bomb detonates near a protest in Baghdad, killing two people and injuring 20. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
Gaza–Israel clashes (November 2019)
- Continuing rocket fire leads Israel to launch fresh strikes into Gaza in response. (France 24)
An attack on civilians in the village of Mbau, Democratic Republic of the Congo, using bladed weapons, kills over 18 civilians. Islamic militants are the suspected attackers. (Reuters)
2019 Bolivian protests
- At least eight people were killed and dozens injured in Sacaba after security forces fired on supporters of ousted president Evo Morales. (NPR) (Associated Press)
- Bolivia's interim president met with a UN envoy, Jean Arnault, to discuss the country's political turmoil. (Global News)

Arts and culture

LGBT rights in Hong Kong
- Amid violent protests, Hong Kong holds its gay pride parade in spite of a police ban. Human rights and pro-democracy and openly gay activist Jimmy Sham heads the march. (The Sydney Morning Herald)

International relations

Iran–United States relations, Iran–Saudi Arabia relations, Egypt–Iran relations, Iran–United Arab Emirates relations, Bahrain–Iran relations, Shia–Sunni relations
- United States Air Force Chief of Staff David Goldfein asks Gulf States to be united amid rising tensions with Iran as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have divided opinions with Qatar. (Reuters)

Law and crime

List of mass shootings in the United States in 2019
- A man killed his estranged wife and their three children and injured another child before killing himself in San Diego. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

2019 Iranian fuel protests
- Large protests rock major Iranian cities with clashes reported between protesters and security forces. (Radio Farda)
2019 Sri Lankan presidential election
- Sri Lankan voters head to the polls to elect a new president. Although 35 candidates are running, the main frontrunners are former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa of the right-wing Sri Lanka People's Front and current Minister of Housing and Construction Sajith Premadasa of the centre-right United National Party. (Reuters)
- Rajapaksa claims victory and Premadasa concedes defeat, with half of the votes counted for. (Reuters)
Yellow vests movement
- Parisian police fire tear gas and water cannons at protestors and arrest around 105 people on the anniversary of the first yellow vest protests. (Reuters)
2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election
- Incumbent Democratic governor John Bel Edwards narrowly defeats businessman and Republican candidate Eddie Rispone to retain his seat; Louisiana Republicans also fall short of winning a supermajority in the Louisiana House of Representatives, allowing Edwards to retain veto power over legislation. The results follow recent gains by the Democratic Party in elections in Virginia and Kentucky and is considered as another blow to U.S. President Donald Trump. (Reuters)
2019 Hong Kong protests
- In Hong Kong, soldiers belonging to China's People's Liberation Army are spotted in the streets helping clear debris left by protesters. (The Epoch Times)
Protests in the Czech Republic
- On the 30th anniversary of the outbreak of the Velvet Revolution, over 200,000 people gathered at Letná, Prague, demanding better political culture and the resignation of prime minister Andrej Babiš. This was the second mass demonstration organized at Letná by Milion chvilek pro demokracii after a similar protest on 23 June 2019. (BBC)

November 15, 2019 (Friday)

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Business and economy

The Iranian government announces that, effective immediately, petrol will be rationed to 60 litres per month, and prices will increase 50%. Fuel beyond the limit will cost double. Iranians take to the streets to oppose the plan, which results from United States sanctions against Iran. (Al Jazeera) (The New York Times)

International relations

North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens, Japan–North Korea relations
- Sakie Yokota, the mother of a Japanese girl abducted by North Korea 42 years ago at the age of 13, appeals directly to Kim Jong-un to release her and all Japanese abductees. She also decries the lack of Japanese government action on the issue. (NHK World-Japan)
Japan–South Korea relations, Japan–United States relations, South Korea–United States relations
- Japan, South Korea and the United States agree to boost multilateral military cooperation and defense issues. (Yonhap News Agency)

Law and crime

Criminal charges brought in the Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019)
- A federal jury convicts Roger Stone of lying to the United States Congress and tampering with a witness about his efforts to learn about the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks's release of hacked Democratic emails in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (The Washington Post)

Politics and elections

2019 Hong Kong protests
- A 70-year-old bystander dies after being hit by a brick while filming a clash between protesters and residents. Police is treating the act as a murder. (BBC News) (South China Morning Post)
- Pro-Beijing Hong Kong Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng suffers minor injuries after being heckled in London. China's Foreign Ministry condemns the protesters. (Reuters) (South China Morning Post)
2019 Chilean protests
- An agreement is signed by most of the political parties supporting a referendum in April 2020 regarding the draft of a new constitution through a constituent convention. This will be the first time the Constitution of Chile is written with popular participation. (The Guardian)

2019 Bolivian protests
- Security forces open fire on protesters in Cochabamba, killing at least five. (CBC News)

November 14, 2019 (Thursday)

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Business and economy

Ford announces that its new electric SUV will be known as the Mustang Mach-E. The "Mustang" model name, previously employed by Ford's muscle cars, could be an important asset for the new venture. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A vehicle collision in Iran's southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province kills at least 28 people, all Afghan nationals. (BBC News)

Law and crime

Saugus High School shooting
- A school shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, injures five students, two fatally. The 16-year-old gunman, identified as Nathaniel Berhow, shoots himself, is hospitalized, and dies a day later. (The Cincinnati Enquirer)
2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis
- After the admission of the European Arrest Warrant against her, ousted Catalan Education Minister Clara Ponsatí, who is in a "self-exile" in Edinburgh, appears in court and is bailed without charges hours after. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2019 Hong Kong protests
- Chief Superintendent of Police of Hong Kong Tse Chun-chung says protesters' acts are "another step closer to terrorism". (Reuters)
Japan–South Korea relations
- South Korean government officials announce that Japan and the United States are interested in renewing the GSOMIA pact between Japan and South Korea to maintain bilateral cooperation between the two nations in defense issues. (Yonhap News Agency)
2019 Bolivian protests, 2019 Bolivian political crisis
- Bolivian police use tear gas to break up a peaceful pro-Morales counter-protest in La Paz, then block about a dozen pro-Morales senators from entering the nation's legislature. Pro-Morales demonstrators respond with cries of "dictatorship" and throw stones at the police. (The New York Times)
Politics of Moldova
- Ion Chicu is sworn in as Prime Minister after the collapse of Maia Sandu's government on 12 November. (Reuters)