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Kyle Busch

In stock car racing, the NASCAR Cup Series concludes, with Kyle Busch (pictured) winning the drivers' championship.
Amid protests regarding fuel rationing and price hikes in Iran, dozens of protesters are killed and injured and the Iranian government orders an internet blackout.
Cyclone Bulbul hits the Indian and Bangladeshi coasts of the Bay of Bengal, killing at least 24 people.
After weeks of protests over alleged electoral fraud, Bolivian president Evo Morales and other high-ranking politicians are forced to resign, and opposition senator Jeanine Áñez becomes interim president.

November 22, 2019 (Friday)

edithistorywatch

Business and economy

2019 Japan–South Korea trade dispute
- South Korea decides to halt a complaint it filed with the World Trade Organization over Japan's tightened controls on exports of key chemicals that South Korean companies use to make computer chips and displays. (Voice of America)
China–United States trade war
- The U.S. Federal Communications Commission votes 5–0 to label Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE national security risks, disqualifying them from a national subsidy program in the process. In a separate vote they also mandate that national carriers remove both companies' products from their existing networks. They have 30 days to appeal the decisions. (Reuters)

Health and environment

Samoa confirms that twenty are dead from measles, mostly children, and that eleven are in critical condition. Authorities say that they have recorded 1,644 cases since the outbreak began last month. (RNZ)

International relations

Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute
- The United Kingdom misses a United Nations deadline to return control of the disputed Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, prompting the government of Mauritius to call the UK an "illegal colonial occupier". (BBC)
Canada–China relations
- China warns Canada of "very bad damage" if they follow U.S. measures to back Hong Kong protesters in an already poor relationship between Ottawa and Beijing. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2019 Bolivian protests, 2019 Bolivian political crisis
- Bolivia’s new interior minister, Arturo Murillo, announce to filed a criminal complaint against former President Evo Morales for alleged sedition and terrorism. (The Guardian) (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Japan–South Korea relations, Japan–South Korea General Security of Military Information Agreement
- South Korea decides to renew the GSOMIA pact with Japan despite deterioriating relations between the two countries in past months. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe welcomes it by saying it is a "strategic move". (Reuters)
2021 German federal election
- Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who replaced German Chancellor Angela Merkel as leader of the Christian Democratic Union, threatens to stand down as a chancellor candidate if her centre-right party continues to disagree over support. (BBC) (The Guardian) (The Telegraph)

November 21, 2019 (Thursday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Bolivian protests
- Bolivian riot police fire tear gas to break up a funeral procession that had turned into massive anti-government protest. (France 24) (International Business Times) (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Two USAF airmen are killed when two planes collide at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma, United States. (Associated Press)
An explosion at a fireworks factory in the town of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Sicily, Italy, kills five people and injures two others. (Sky News)

International relations

Cross-Strait relations
- After the running mate for the presidency of Taiwan for Tsai Ing-wen, William Lai, says he supports Taiwanese independence, China condemns the move as a "disaster" which crosses a red line China is not willing to accept. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2019 Hong Kong protests
- The Hong Kong High Court denies the lift of a travel ban imposed on pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, who was scheduled to travel to the United Kingdom to receive a human rights award from the two houses of the British Parliament. The judge cites the risk of absconding and says he can remain in the city to help restore peace. (The Independent)
2019 Chilean protests
- Amnesty International releases a report regarding human rights violations committed by the Carabineros and the Armed Forces against peaceful protesters. (Reuters)
Investigations involving Benjamin Netanyahu
- Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu is officially indicted by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Netanyahu protests the allegations as being part of a political "witch-hunt" against him. (The Guardian)
2019 Iranian fuel protests
- The Supreme National Security Council gradually restores the internet to some provinces and parts of Tehran, after shutting it off nationwide five days ago to counteract protests. (Al Jazeera)
Nine Extinction Rebellion protesters are arrested for storming U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. (Washington Post)

Politics and elections

Vanuatu backtracks on a controversial law that would have allowed immigration authorities to racially profile and closely follow people from the Middle East. (RNZ)
2019 Colombian protests
- Thousands of protestors take to the streets in Colombia demanding the resignation of President Iván Duque Márquez. The protests were instigated over controversial tax and labor reforms proposed by Congress, murders of indigenous leaders, and the government’s failure to implement the FARC peace deal. (Washington Post)

November 20, 2019 (Wednesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The Israeli military launches airstrikes on dozens of Quds Force targets in Damascus and surrounding towns in response to a missile intercepted the previous day over the Golan Heights. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports 23 are killed, including several Iranian fighters. (Associated Press)
- Missiles and airstrikes strike a crowded facility in Qah and Idlib, killing approximately over 20 including women and children. Activists claim that Syrian Armed Forces were behind the attack. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan
- The U.S. military says two American service members have been killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. (USA Today)
2019 Bolivian protests
- The death toll in the protests rises to 30. (Reuters)
2019 Iranian fuel protests
- According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, casualties are estimated to be around 106 protestors and rising. (Radiofarda)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Houthi militants release the South Korean ship they captured two days prior. (Al Jazeera)
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- Militants target civilians in the DR Congo near the border with Uganda, killing 19 and kidnapping others. Churches were also burned down in two separate attacks. It is believed that the Allied Democratic Forces is behind the attacks. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, halts all public duties in light of allegations of rape, saying his "ill-judged" association with American convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had caused major disruption to the royal family’s work. (Reuters)

Business and economy

2019 Japan–South Korea trade dispute
- South Korea's finance minister Hong Nam-ki presses Japan to take steps to lift its export restrictions. (Yonhap)
2019 Hong Kong protests
- Joshua Wong calls on HSBC to re-open an account used to support the pro-democracy movement in the city. (The Telegraph)
Google announces it will ban targeted ads that use voter data, effective within a week. (Reuters)

International relations

Iran–Saudi Arabia relations
- King Salman of Saudi Arabia blames Iran for the "chaos and destruction" their multiple missiles and drone attacks have caused in the country, and reiterates that his country will not hesitate to defend itself. (Reuters)
Pope Francis arrives in Bangkok for a three-day visit to Thailand. The Catholic Church in Thailand is celebrating 350 years of Holy See recognition of the Church in Thailand. Bishop Arpondratana of Chiang Mai diocese states that the pope's visit is important for the Church in all of Asia. (Catholic News Agency)

Law and crime

Tongan authorities contact their New Zealand counterparts to warn them of death threats against Tongan Prime Minister Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa on social media. (RNZ)
Ali al-Haj, secretary of the Islamist Popular Congress Party, is arrested after Sudanese authorities summon him for questioning over his role in the coup d’état that put former President Omar al-Bashir in power. (Reuters)
International reactions to the Rohingya genocide
- The office of Myanmar's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, releases a statement announcing that she will personally lead the legal team defending the Burmese military's actions against the Rohingya minority in the International Criminal Court. Nine days earlier, fifty-seven countries led by The Gambia filed a lawsuit in the International Criminal Court, formally accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya. (CNN) (TIME)

Politics and elections

2019 referendum on the creation of a Sidama region
- The Sidama people of Ethiopia go to the polls for a referendum on further autonomy for the Sidama Zone. If autonomy is approved, then local taxes, education, security and laws will be decided by the Sidama instead of the government of Ethiopia. (Reuters)
Next Israeli legislative election
- Blue and White Alliance leader Benny Gantz's mandate to form a new government expires. As both he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form one, Israel will likely face a third election in two years. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

In auto racing, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson announces that the 2020 season will be his last as a full-time driver. (ESPN)

November 19, 2019 (Tuesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan, 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)
- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani claims victory over ISIL, citing the surrender of over 600 of their fighters 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
- Rioters armed with knives kill three members of Iran's security forces, bringing the death toll up to 11. (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 attack on pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham the month prior, 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) party, 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 rape 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)

International Relations

Hong Kong–United States relations, China–United States relations, 2019 Hong Kong protests
- The U.S. Senate unanimously passes the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which mandates that the State Department at least annually checks to see if Hong Kong retains enough autonomy to retain its special trade status with the United States. The Senate also unanimously passes another bill banning the sale of certain crowd-control munitions to the Hong Kong police. The former's passage is condemned by China. (Reuters)

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 worked 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)
Crime in Germany
- Son of former German president Richard von Weizsäcker, a physician, is stabbed to death during a lecture. The attacker is reported as 57 years old. (Deutsche Welle) (The Berlin Spectator)
Operation Car Wash
- A Rio de Janeiro judge issues an arrest warrant against former President of Paraguay Horacio Cartes, accusing him of operating a money laundering scheme with a friend, Dario Messer, who is prosecuted as part of Operation Car Wash. (EFE) (Clarín) (Infobae)

Politics and elections

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)

edithistorywatch

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. 6 injured soldiers later die increasing the death toll to 30.(Reuters) (New York Times)

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)

edithistorywatch

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

2019 Fresno 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)

edithistorywatch

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)