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Worldwide current events
Sports events

Topics in the news

Duane Vermeulen

In rugby union, the World Cup concludes with South Africa defeating England in the final (Player of the Match Duane Vermeulen pictured).
A series of earthquakes hit Mindanao, Philippines, killing at least 21 people.
A fire on a passenger train near Liaquatpur, Pakistan, kills at least 75 people.
In baseball, the Washington Nationals defeat the Houston Astros to win the World Series.

November 4, 2019 (Monday)

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November 3, 2019 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Ethiopian clashes
- The death toll of recent clashes in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia rises to 86. (Reuters)
2019 Hong Kong protests
- Four people are injured at a mall as a knife-wielding man attacks a crowd in Hong Kong. The suspect, a pro-Beijing Mandarin speaker, is subdued and arrested by police. (BBC News)
Taliban insurgency
- At least nine Afghan security forces are killed in clashes with Taliban forces in northeastern Afghanistan. (WION)

Business and economy

Saudi Vision 2030
- Saudi Aramco announces it will go public on the Riyadh stock exchange, with shares totalling up to two percent of the firm's worth made available at its IPO launch. Valued at US$1.2 trillion, the company is being partially privatized to reduce the kingdom's economic dependence on oil. (BBC News)
McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook is fired for having a relationship with an employee. Current company president Chris Kempczinski immediately assumes his position. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Thirty-three people are injured, four critically, when a FlixBus overturns at an exit near Amiens, France. (BBC)

Politics and elections

2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
- Following similar measures by Argentina last month, the government of El Salvador expels diplomats of the government of Venezuela led by Nicolás Maduro. (BBC News)
October 2019 Iraqi protests
- Protestors storm the Iranian consulate in Karbala, where they set fires around the building and replaced the Iranian flag with an Iraqi one. (Al-Jazeera)

November 2, 2019 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- A car bomb explodes in Tell Abyad, Raqqa Governorate, on the Turkish border. It kills 13 people and wounds more than 30 others, mostly civilians. (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan
- A bomb blast kills nine children, aged seven to ten, who were on their way to school in Takhar Province. (BBC News)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu announces that ISIL prisoners will be sent back to their home countries. (Reuters)
- ISIL claims responsibility for the attack in Mali on 1 November that killed 54. (NBC News)
- ISIL – Sinai Province pledges allegiance to the new caliph, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. (Voice of America)
Illegal loggers in the Amazon rainforest shoot dead an indigenous warrior named Paulo Paulino Guajajara and injure another. (Reuters)

Business and economy

The United Kingdom imposes an immediate moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, also known as "fracking", a technique for the recovery of oil or gas reserves. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2019 Hong Kong protests
- Protestors vandalize numerous businesses, such as the headquarters of HSBC and the offices of Xinhua News Agency, and set fire to the entrance of numerous metro stations after police violently clashed with protestors earlier in the day. (Reuters)
October 2019 Iraqi protests
- Thousands of protestors block the roads leading to Umm Qasr Port near Basra, demanding the end to foreign influence in the country. The blockades were set up after security forces clashed with protestors earlier. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

A boat stuck at Niagara Falls moves for the first time in 101 years due to high winds and heavy rains. (MSN)

Sports

2019 Rugby World Cup
- South Africa defeat England 32–12 to be crowned World Champions for the third time. (NBC Sports)

November 1, 2019 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Northern Mali conflict
- Gunmen kill 53 soldiers and a civilian in a militant attack in Northern Mali. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Google purchases activity tracker company Fitbit for US$2.1 billion, in an attempt to break into the digital health and smartwatch markets. (Reuters)
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States launches a national security review of TikTok-owner ByteDance's US$1 billion purchase of social media platform Musical.ly. (Reuters)
California Governor Gavin Newsom issues a statement calling on the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the state's largest utility company, to find a "consensual resolution" to its bankruptcy case, threatening a state takeover if an agreement cannot be reached. PG&E filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January in response to lawsuits pertaining to wildfires caused by PG&E's equipment. (NPR)

Disasters and accidents

A Grumman OV-1 Mohawk crashes at an air show in Stuart, Florida, killing the pilot. (WPTV-TV)

Law and crime

Crime in France
- A gunman shoots and injures six people at a bar in Marseille, France. The gunman is still at large. (Euronews)
2019 Samoa assassination plot
- A man who had pled guilty to conspiracy to assassinate the Prime Minister of Samoa, and was due to be sentenced today, has changed his plea from guilty to not-guilty. (Radio New Zealand)
Irish mixed-martial artist Conor McGregor is convicted for assaulting a man in a Drimnagh pub in April, and is fined €1,000. (BBC News)
Essex lorry deaths
- Earlier statements about the victims being of Chinese nationality are repudiated. Essex Police say all victims were Vietnamese. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- Former Texas representative Beto O'Rourke drops out of the presidential primaries. (Vox)
Tens of thousands of protestors, mostly consisting of supporters of the conservative Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal, march in Islamabad demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan by Sunday. The army announces later in the evening that they will continue to support the elected government. (Reuters)

October 31, 2019 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

ISIL confirms the deaths of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and its spokesman Abul-Hasan al-Muhajir, and names Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi as its new leader. (Al Jazeera)
Syrian Civil War
- A car bomb in Afrin kills nine people and wounds over 14 others. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. (Voice of America)
Islamist insurgency in Mozambique
- Seven Russian defense contractors from the Wagner Group and 20 Mozambican soldiers are reportedly killed in attacks by Salafi jihadists in northern Mozambique. (The Moscow Times)
A rocket is fired from the Gaza Strip, exploding in an open field in southern Israel. The IDF retaliates by launching strikes against two Hamas military posts. (The Jewish Press) (Xinhua News Agency)
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- The Armed Forces of DR Congo (FARDC) began a new large scale offensive against the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group in the Congo's North Kivu province. (Al Jazeera)
Ansar al-Islam
- Ansar al-Islam claims responsibility for an IED explosion that killed three soldiers in Iraq's Diyala Province. This was their first attack since 2013. (Long War Journal)

Arts and culture

An archaeologist discovers a 25 m (82 ft)-wide ring cairn dating back to the Bronze Age near Tidenham, Gloucestershire. (BBC News)
American rock band My Chemical Romance announces their reunion and first show in seven years. (CNN)

Business and economy

Ana Botín, the chairwoman of Spain's Santander bank, which has suffered a major stock price fall since reporting its disappointing third quarter earnings, buys €3.61 million worth of shares as a display of confidence. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Pakistan train fire
- A train catches fire in Liaquatpur Tehsil, Rahim Yar Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. The blaze, apparently sparked by gas stoves used by passengers illegally cooking on board, kills at least 74 people. (BBC News)
Firefighters in Hungary save 20,000 baby birds in the wake of a barn fire that broke out earlier this week. (MSN)

Law and crime

Police in Papua New Guinea withdraw the arrest warrant issued against former Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who was accused of corruption. (Radio New Zealand)
Mongolian police arrest 800 Chinese citizens and confiscate hundreds of computers and SIM cards in Ulaanbaatar. Authorities believe they were part of a cybercrime ring involved in illegal gambling, hacking and identity theft, among other activities. (Reuters)
Orinda shooting
- Police say five people were shot dead and another four injured at a Halloween party in Orinda, California. An investigation is currently underway. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Politics and elections

Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro
- Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro threatens to introduce a "new AI-5" in response to opposition to the government headed by his father, Jair Bolsonaro. (GloboNews)
India formally splits Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, dubbed Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Both entities will be directly governed from New Delhi. (BBC News)
2019 Lebanese protests
- Days after Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned, both France and Hezbollah call for quick formation of a new government, saying that reforms are needed to deal with Lebanon's economic crisis. (Reuters)
- President Michel Aoun pledges that the new government will consist of technocrats. (Reuters)
Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump
- The U.S. House of Representatives votes 232 to 196 to approve a resolution formalizing the procedures of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. (CNN)
2019 Bolivian protests, 2019 Bolivian general election
- Two men are killed in a town in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, during protests and riots over the disputed general election on 20 October. (Bloomberg)
- The Organization of American States, with Spain, Mexico and Paraguay as observers, begins its audit of the election results. (BBC News)
October 2019 Iraqi protests
- In Iraq, Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi agrees to resign after weeks of anti-government protests. (CNN)

Science and technology

Researchers discover a shipwreck at a depth of 20,400 feet (6,200 m) under the Philippine Sea. The shipwreck is believed to be the remains of the USS Johnston, a World War II-era destroyer. (MSN)

October 30, 2019 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

A motorcycle bomb explodes in front of a hotel in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Seven are wounded. (Hindustan Times)
The Afghan army, together with its international partners, launch a series of counterterrorism airstrikes in Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul, killing 58, including a Taliban governor. Ten mines are also destroyed. (Hindustan Times)
Syrian peace process
- The first meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee takes place in Geneva in a bid to end the country's eight-year-long civil war. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Twitter announces it will ban all political ads on its platform starting November 22. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

2013 Glasgow helicopter crash
- The fatal accident inquiry into the crash concludes with the issuing of a report by Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull. Turnbull criticises the helicopter's pilot, prompting concerns by some victims over excessive blame being placed upon pilot error. The aircraft crashed into a bar after running out of fuel. (BBC News)
A fire destroys much of the 500-year-old Shuri Castle in Shuri, Okinawa, Japan, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (NHK World-Japan)

Law and crime

2019 Samoa assassination plot
- After months of delay, the Supreme Court of Samoa accepts a closed court bail hearing for two defendants accused of attempting to assassinate Prime Minister of Samoa Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. A third defendant who pleaded guilty is due to be sentenced on November 1. (Radio New Zealand)
Murder of Aya Maasarwe
- A court in Australia sentences Maasarwe's confessed killer, Codey Herrmann, to 36 years in prison with parole eligibility after 30 for rape and murder. The case prompted widespread debate about violence against women in Australia. (BBC News)
2019 Chilean protests
- Due to the escalation in the protests, President Sebastián Piñera announces the cancellation of the 2019 APEC Summit and the United Nations Climate Change Conference, due to be hosted in Santiago in the following weeks. (Bloomberg)
Death of Jeffrey Epstein
- Dr. Michael Baden, a medical examiner who observed the autopsy of Jeffrey Epstein, says that it shows signs consistent with homicide. (Yahoo! News)
Crime in California
- A mass shooting at a Halloween party at a residence in Long Beach, California, by at least one gunman, who is believed to have targeted the party but to have fired at random, kills three and injures at least nine, with some having significant injuries. (MSN)
Censorship in Myanmar
- A court in Yangon convicts five members of satirical thangyat troupe Peacock Generation over an April performance in which they lampoon the nation's military. They each are jailed for one year. (BBC News)

Sports

2019 World Series
- The Washington Nationals beat the Houston Astros 6–2 in Game 7 to win the World Series. It is the franchise's first World Series championship and the first World Series victory for an MLB team based in the district since the Washington Senators (now known as the Minnesota Twins) won in 1924. This World Series is also notable as the first in which all games were won by the visiting team. (USA Today)

October 29, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Business and economics

WhatsApp sues Israeli cyber intelligence firm NSO Group for allegedly spying on 1,400 users on four continents. Among those affected were diplomats, journalists, and government officials. If moved forward, it could set a major legal precedent for cybersecurity. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Cotabato earthquakes
- A magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes the southern part of the island of Mindanao, killing at least eight. (GMA News and Public Affairs)
At least 42 people were killed during a landslide caused by torrential rainfall in the city of Bafoussam, Cameroon. Twenty-six of the victims are children. (Al Jazeera)

South Airlines Flight 8971
- The National Bureau of Air Accidents Investigation of Ukraine concludes its investigation, stating the accident was caused by the pilot's excessive speed reductions as he attempted to land in weather conditions beyond his qualifications. (The Aviation Herald)

International relations

Turkey–United States relations, Armenia–United States relations, Armenian Genocide recognition
- The United States House of Representatives votes 405 to 11 to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide as a genocide for the first time. Turkey condemns the resolution, describing it as "a meaningless political step", and that "its sole addressees are the Armenian lobby and anti-Turkey groups". (Reuters)
Israel–Jordan relations
- Jordan recalls its ambassador to Israel when the latter refuses to release two Jordanian citizens whom Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi says have been held illegally for months without charges. They were arrested in August for crossing into the West Bank to attend a family wedding. (Reuters)