Portal:Current events/December 2019

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from December 2019.

December 1, 2019 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Villa Unión shootout
- A shootout between police officers and cartel gunmen in Villa Unión, Coahuila, Mexico, leaves at least 21 people dead. (Reuters)
2019 attacks on Burkina Faso
- Gunmen open fire on a church in Burkina Faso killing fourteen Christians and wounding dozens of others. The attack took place in a village in Foutouri, Est Region. (Reuters)
Anglophone Crisis
- A Camair-Co plane is fired upon while attempting to land at Bamenda Airport, but the pilot manages to safely land the plane with no casualties reported. (RT)
Syrian Civil War
- Rami Abdul Rahman says clashes in Idlib between Islamists and the Syrian Arab Army kill around 70. Around 36 Syrian soldiers were killed in the two day clash. (France 24)

Disasters and accidents

Nineteen people die when a bus skids off a bridge in Zabaykalsky Krai in the Russian Far East, and falls onto a frozen river. (Reuters)
Twenty-four people are killed and 18 injured when a bus plunges into a ravine in Tunisia. (Al Jazeera)
Three people are killed in a plane crash in San Antonio, Texas, United States. (CNN)

Health and environment

2019 Samoa measles outbreak
- Three children in one family are among those killed by the outbreak. (The Guardian)
World AIDS Day
- The observance is marked by UNAIDS and worldwide, as the AIDS Quilt returns to San Francisco. (The Independent) (The New York Times) (Wikispore)

Politics and elections

2019 Iraqi protests
- The Council of Representatives accepts Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi's resignation. (Al Jazeera)

December 2, 2019 (Monday)

Business and economy

Russia and China inaugurate their joint Power of Siberia gas pipeline. (The Seattle Times)

Disasters and accidents

Thirteen Pakistani nationals, including eight children and four women, have died and three others are injured in a fire at a farm in rural Jordan. (BBC News)

Health and environment

2019 Samoa measles outbreak
- Police urge people to respect the curfew. Authorities order that children stay at home and announce that Christmas celebrations and public gatherings have been cancelled in order to prevent the epidemic from spreading even further. The death toll from the outbreak now stands at 53. (RNZ) (Stuff.co.nz) (RNZ₂)

International relations

China–United States relations
- China bans visits by United States military ships to Hong Kong and sanctions five U.S. NGOs, in response to the American Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act passed last week. (CNBC)
International Atomic Energy Agency approved Rafael Grossi as the new Director General. (IAEA)

Law and crime

A 12-year-old boy is killed and five other people are injured in a deliberate hit-and-run crash near a school in Loughton, Essex, United Kingdom. (BBC News)
A man shoots himself on the steps of the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, causing an early adjournment of the day's question period. The individual is pronounced dead at the scene. (Global)

Politics and elections

Politics of Mauritius
- The National Assembly of Mauritius elects and sworns in Prithvirajsing Roopun as nation's President. (Business Standard)

December 3, 2019 (Tuesday)

Business and economy

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announce they are stepping down as CEO and president respectively from the company. Sundar Pichai will become the new CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc. effective immediately. (ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

An explosion at a ceramic factory in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, kills at least 16 people and leaves dozens injured, according to the Sudanese Professionals Association. (Gulf News)

Health and environment

2019 Samoa measles outbreak
- The government makes it illegal to make non-essential domestic travel on the roads while vaccination units cross the country with 40,000 still to be vaccinated. Also, the opposition calls for an inquiry into the low vaccination rates which began after a mistake by two nurses last year which resulted in the deaths of two children. (RNZ)

International relations

2019 London summit
- World leaders from members of NATO gather for their annual summit in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. (Time)

Law and crime

Pakistani business tycoon Malik Riaz agrees to surrender £190 million in cash and assets to the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency, including his Grade II listed-London home in One Hyde Park. The NCA accuses the tycoon of acquiring his wealth and property through crime. (Sky News)
The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland upholds a 2018 ruling that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is not a criminal group. Even though it carried out terrorist attacks, the Tamil Tigers' primary objective in the Sri Lankan Civil War was, according to the court, to be recognised as an independent ethnic community. (swissinfo.com)
Impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump
- The U.S. House Intelligence Committee releases a 300-page report of its impeachment inquiry saying there is "overwhelming" evidence of misconduct and obstruction of Congress by U.S. President Donald Trump. It is sent to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee for review. (CNN)

Politics and elections

Politics of Finland
- Antti Rinne resigns as the Prime Minister of Finland after losing the support of coalition partner Centre Party over Rinne's handling of industrial strikes. The Rinne Cabinet will continue as a caretaker government until a new government can be formed. (Reuters)
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- California Senator Kamala Harris drops out of the presidential race, citing a lack of funds for her campaign. (NPR)

December 4, 2019 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- Japanese doctor Tetsu Nakamura and five Afghans are killed in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan when militants open fire on their car while they were travelling to monitor a project. (BBC News) (Euronews)
Syrian Civil War, Iran–Israel proxy conflict
- An Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps weapons depot in Abu Kamal District, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria, is hit by an airstrike. Arab media say Israel is behind the attack. The United States denies any involvement. (Ynet) (Haaretz)
In Madrid, Spain, a man throws a hand grenade at a migrant unaccompanied minor centre, although it did not explode. (The Guardian)
Eighteen Indian sailors are abducted near the Nigerian coast. (The Hindu)

Arts and culture

Gadhimai festival
- Thousands of animals are sacrificed by beheading at the Hindu Gadhimai Temple in southern Nepal. (Reuters)

CBS and Viacom cease operations and become ViacomCBS.

Disasters and accidents

A boat carrying refugees capsized near Nouadhibou, off the coast of Mauritania, in one of the deadliest maritime disasters this year, leaving 58 people dead and many more who tried to swim to shore in need of treatment. The boat had departed The Gambia on 27 November 2019. It was heading towards the Canary Islands when it approached the Mauritanian coast to get fuel and food. The boat had been carrying between 150–180 people when it capsized, most of them aged between 20 and 30. (The Guardian)
A gas explosion in Szczyrk, Poland causes a three-story building to collapse and kills 8 people (tvn24.pl)

Health and environment

2019 Samoa measles outbreak
- Amid the imposed curfew, the Samoan government asks unvaccinated families to display a red flag or red cloth in front of their homes to warn others and to aid mass vaccination efforts as the death toll hits 60 and confirmed cases surpass 4,000. (Deutsche Welle)

International relations

Japan–United States relations
- The National Diet of Japan ratifies a United States–Japan trade deal. Under the deal, Japan will reduce its tariffs on U.S. beef and pork; in return, Japan will receive reductions in tariffs on certain manufactured goods. (Financial Times)
Iran–United States relations, Iran and weapons of mass destruction
- The Pentagon says the United States Navy's USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) intercepted a vessel in the Arabian Sea last month and seized advanced missile parts that were of Iranian origin. The crew were handed over to the Yemen Coast Guard, while the missile parts are in the possession of the United States military. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Crime in Hawaii
- The U.S. military says a sailor shot and killed two people at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii, before killing himself. (UPI)
Impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump
- The U.S. House Judiciary Committee begins its hearings into the impeachment inquiry of U.S. President Donald Trump. (The New York Times)

Nunes v. CNN
- U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes files a US$435 million defamation lawsuit against CNN. (USA Today)

December 5, 2019 (Thursday)

Business and economy

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei sues the U.S. Federal Communications Commission over the latter's ban on carriers from using money from the Universal Service Fund to buy equipment from Huawei and ZTE. (Tech Crunch)

Disasters and accidents

Three Minnesota National Guard members are killed when a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashes near St. Cloud. (AOL News)

International relations

Bosnia and Herzegovina takes full control of the country's airspace for the first time since the end of the Bosnian War. Bosnia's air space had been controlled by NATO between 1995 and 2003, following which it was controlled jointly by Serbia and Croatia until this announcement. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Indonesian police arrest more than 34 people over "charges of treason" for attempting to raise the outlawed Morning Star flag, which represents the independence movement of West Papua Province. (RNZ)
Accounting fraud
- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges Neil Cole, former CEO of Iconix Brand Group, with accounting fraud. (Reuters)
In Miramar, Florida, police pursuing jewel thieves through traffic engage in a shootout leaving both perpetrators dead alongside two bystanders (one of whom was a UPS driver who had been taken hostage). (Miami New Times)
Impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump
- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces the U.S. House of Representatives will begin to draft articles of impeachment against U.S. President Donald Trump before the Christmas recess. (The New York Times)

2019 French pension reform strike
- A national strike begins in France over President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform plan. (NPR)

December 6, 2019 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2019–2021 Iraqi protests
- Gunmen in vehicles open fire on protesters in Baghdad, killing over 19 and injuring around 70 others. Three of the dead were Iraqi police. The victims were either stabbed or shot. (AP) (Telegraph) (Al Jazeera)
2019 Kenya bus shooting
- At least ten people – including seven police officers – are killed when gunmen ambush a bus in Kotulo, Kenya. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting
- A shooter kills three people and injures eight more at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, United States, before being shot and killed by police. (Pensacola News Journal)
- The shooter was a Saudi national who was being trained at the Naval station. His name was later released to be Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. (CNN)
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- Islamists kill 17 civilians in two attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A collision between a U.S. Navy boat and a U.S. Coast Guard boat in Kodiak, Alaska's Womens Bay injures nine, one critically. (Stars & Stripes)
A gas explosion and consecutive fire in an apartment building in Prešov, Slovakia killed at least seven people and injured dozens. (Deutsche Welle) (The New York Times)

Law and crime

2019 Samoa measles outbreak
- Samoan police arrest Edwin Tamasese, an anti-vaccination campaigner, for incitement against a government order. (ABC Australia)
The United States District Court for the Central District of California rejects a US$190 million defamation suit against entrepreneur Elon Musk by Tham Luang cave rescuer Vernon Unsworth. The lawsuit, considered to be the first major suit by a private individual over comments made on Twitter, was filed over Musk's insulting Tweets after Unsworth criticized his role in the rescue. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2019 Dominican general election
- People in Dominica head to the polls to elect the members of the House of Assembly of Dominica. The governing Dominica Labour Party gathers the most votes and stays in power for another legislation. (Dominica News Online)

December 7, 2019 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2019–2021 Iraqi protests
- A drone attacks the home of prominent Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, leaving no casualties and causing minimal damage. The attack follows yesterday's incident in Baghdad when multiple protesters were fired upon and killed. (Reuters)
Afghan peace process
- The Taliban announce that the peace talks with the United States resumed "from where they stopped" in September. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

2018–19 Southern Africa drought
- An unprecedented drought in Zimbabwe, considered the worst in a century, causes the Victoria Falls waterfall on the Zambezi river to nearly stop flowing. (The Guardian)
A woman is killed and 18 other people injured when a bus crashes with a truck in Milan, Italy. (Ansa)

International relations

Iran–United States relations
- In an act of cooperation that is rare in recent years, Iran releases Princeton PhD candidate Wang Xiyue while the United States releases stem cell researcher Massoud Soleimani in a prisoner exchange. Both U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif thank the Swiss government for facilitating the swap. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Rohingya genocide
- Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi travels to The Hague where she is expected to face genocide charges against her government for the alleged crimes committed against the Rohingya Muslim minority, in what is described as one of the most-high profile international legal cases in a generation. (The Telegraph)
Two indigenous leaders from the Guajajara tribe are shot dead in a drive-by shooting on a federal highway in Brazil's Maranhão state. (The Guardian)

December 8, 2019 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen, Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
- Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok says the government has reduced the number of Sudanese Armed Forces troops in Yemen from 15,000 to 5,000, saying the conflict "can no longer be solved militarily". (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Delhi factory fire
- Forty-three workers are killed in a fire in a factory in Delhi, India. (BBC News)

International relations

Pope Francis appoints Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Archbishop of Manila, Philippines, to head the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. It is a congregation of the Roman Curia, responsible for world-wide missionary work and related activities. (Catholic News Agency)

Law and crime

Women's rights in Saudi Arabia
- The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs of Saudi Arabia announces that gender-segregated entrances are no longer mandatory for restaurants. This change is not considered compulsory however, and there are no announcements for similar changes to other public institutions. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2019 Hong Kong protests
- After a massive march in the city, Civil Human Rights Front leader and Rainbow of Hong Kong activist Jimmy Sham says "it is the last chance for Carrie Lam to listen to the people". (Economic Times India)
2019 Sammarinese general election
- Citizens of San Marino are called to the polls in the first round to elect the 60 members of the Grand and General Council. (Il Resto del Carlino)
Politics of Finland
- The Social Democratic Party of Finland selects Minister of Transport and Communications Sanna Marin for Prime Minister, following the resignation of Antti Rinne. If confirmed, she will become Finland's youngest ever Prime Minister and the world's youngest serving Prime Minister at age 34. (Reuters)
2019–20 Lebanese protests
- Businessman Samir Khatib withdraws his candidacy for the Prime Minister position after failing to secure enough votes from the Sunni Muslim bloc last week. This leaves the ousted Saad Hariri as the only potential candidate. Massive protests are formed outside the Parliament building in response to Hariri’s possible return. (Al Jazeera)

December 9, 2019 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The Russian Ministry of Defence says the Russian Armed Forces have entered Raqqa. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- The Washington Post publishes raw interviews and notes taken for the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction's "lessons learned" initiative. The difference with the previously published reports reveals that senior U.S. administration officials misled the public by painting "a rosier picture of the state of the war than they knew to be true". (The Hill)
2019 Venezuelan uprising attempt
- Sixteen Venezuelan National Guardsmen who took part in a failed attempt to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro on 30 April 2019 successfully flee Venezuela in a clandestine "military operation". The guards, accused of treason, were granted asylum in the Panamanian embassy in Caracas following the failed uprising. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Whakaari/White Island eruption
- New Zealand's Whakaari / White Island stratovolcano erupts with reports of at least five fatalities and a number of people injured or missing. Around 50 people, mostly tourists, were believed to be on the island at the time of eruption, according to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (CNN)

2019 Chilean Air Force C-130 disappearance
- A Chilean Air Force C-130 Hercules with 38 passengers and crew onboard is reported missing while en route to Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva in Antarctica. (BBC News)

International relations

War in Donbass, Normandy Format, Russia–Ukraine relations
- Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel meet in Paris for Ukraine peace talks. It is the first time Putin and Zelensky meet and the first such four-way leaders' meeting since 2016. (Reuters)
- Following a breakthrough in talks, Russia and Ukraine agree to implement a ceasefire in the Donbass by the end of 2019. (BBC News)

Law and crime

British serial rapist Joseph McCann receives 33 life sentences, having been convicted on Friday at London's Old Bailey of 37 charges of rape, sexual assault, kidnapping and false imprisonment, his victims ranging from 11 to 71 years old. (Sky)
Crossfire Hurricane
- U.S. Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz releases a redacted version of his investigation into the origins of the FBI's investigation of members of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign believed to be linked to Russian operations. (Reuters)

Science and technology

The European Space Agency awards the first contract to clean up space debris, in a plan to remove a single piece of debris from orbit in 2025. (The Guardian)

Sports

The 2019 Lou Marsh Award for best Canadian athlete is granted by unanimous vote to tennis player Bianca Andreescu. (The Star)
Doping in Russia
- The World Anti-Doping Agency bans Russia from competing in all major international sporting events, such as the 2020 Summer Olympics, 2022 Winter Olympics, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and possibly the 2024 Summer Olympics, for the next four years. Russian athletes that want to compete can only do so as part of a "neutral team". Russia has three weeks to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. (CNN) (United News India)

December 10, 2019 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War
- Near the Villa Somalia presidential palace in Mogadishu, five al-Shabaab gunmen attack a SYL hotel. The attack and subsequent shootout kills three civilians, two soldiers and all the attackers. (CBS17)
2019 Jersey City shooting
- Heavy gunfire is exchanged between police and two shooters in Jersey City, New Jersey. Six people are killed: a police officer, the shooters, and three people inside a kosher supermarket, which the shooters barricaded themselves in. Police describe the shooting as an "ambush". (The Independent) (NBC New York)
Iranian involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- Satellite images spot a tunnel system being dug at Imam Ali military base in eastern Syria, which is controlled by the Iranian military; Western intelligence believe the tunnels are being constructed to house their missiles. (Fox News)

International relations

Myanmar–United States relations
- The United States Department of the Treasury blacklists four top Burmese military leaders, including Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, for their role in the persecution of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Ostrava hospital attack
- In Ostrava, Czech Republic, a man opens fire in a hospital's waiting room, killing seven people before fleeing, then shooting himself dead. (Reuters)
Rohingya genocide case
- At the International Court of Justice, The Gambia presents charges against the government of Myanmar and its leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who traveled to appear in the court. According to the prosecution, the Burmese government is responsible for mass rapes, widespread arson and killings of Rohingya children, among other crimes. (Reuters)
2017 Saint Petersburg Metro bombing
- A military court sentences 10 people to jail terms ranging between 19 and 28 years. The person who is said to have trained the suicide bomber gets prison for life. (BBC News)
Impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump
- Democrats in the United States House of Representatives unveil two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. (CNN)

Politics and elections

Alberto Fernández takes the oath of office as President of Argentina while Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is sworn in as Vice President. (Reuters)

December 11, 2019 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic terrorism in Europe
- Across Denmark, police arrest twenty Islamists who were planning attacks. Bomb materials were found in some of the houses during the raids. (The Guardian)
2019 Bagram Airfield attack
- Taliban forces assaulted a United States air base in Afghanistan amidst peace talks between the two parties. The attackers killed two civilians and injured another 80 people using two car bombs and guns. The attackers were successfully repelled by a NATO mission present at the base along with support from US fighter aircraft. (The New York Times)(Military Times)
2019 Inates attack
- At least 71 people were killed after terrorists stormed a military base in Inates, Niger. The attack was carried out by suspected Islamic State in the Greater Sahara militants. (BBC News) (Reuters)
At least three patients were killed and several other people were injured during a protest outside the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, Pakistan. It was staged by the lawyers against a mocking viral video from doctors. The mob also attacked at the provincial information minister of Punjab Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan. The Young Doctors Association of Pakistan reports death of 12 patients. (Dawn) (Pakistan Today)

Business and economy

Shares from Saudi Aramco begin trading on the Riyadh stock exchange, where it surged to the maximum limit of 10% above its IPO price. This increased the company's worth to US$1.88 trillion, making it the most valuable publicly-traded company in the world. (Reuters)
The World Trade Organization's Appellate Body ceases functioning. The tenure of two of its three remaining judges expires after the United States blocked the appointment of new judges and the quorum needed for a valid appeals ruling cannot be reached anymore. (SCMP)

Disasters and accidents

2019–20 Australian bushfire season, Physical impacts of climate change, Individual and political action on climate change
- Around 7,500 people in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, stage a protest against Prime Minister Scott Morrison's lack of acknowledgement towards an ongoing bushfire caused by drought and climate change. (news.com.au)

Law and crime

During her first speech before the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi denies all charges of genocide, blames separatists and says the accusations are "misleading". (Euronews) (Reuters)
The Rajya Sabha of India votes 125 to 105 to pass a controversial amendment to the Indian nationality law that would expedite citizenship for religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. As the bill omits Muslims, critics say it's discriminatory and violates the secular nature of the Constitution. Massive protests break out in the state of Assam in response. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2019 Bougainvillean independence referendum
- Voters in Bougainville vote overwhelmingly for independence from Papua New Guinea. However, the Papua New Guinea government will have the final say on accepting it or not. (BBC News)

December 12, 2019 (Thursday)

Armed conflict and attacks

2019 Jersey City shooting
- The attack on a kosher grocery in Jersey City is officially labeled an act of domestic terrorism and antisemitism. (Fox News)
A suicide bomber kills seven paramilitary soldiers and wounds three others near Samarra, Iraq. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, catches fire while docked in Murmansk. (Ars Technica)

International relations

Former President of Bolivia Evo Morales lands in Argentina after being granted asylum. Foreign Minister of Argentina Felipe Solá says Morales will receive refugee status. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
- A trial date has been set for September 2021, after families of the victims sue Remington for the "company’s reckless marketing of the Bushmaster AR-15", the gun used by the perpetrator in the rampage. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Indian Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019
- As anger over the new citizenship law grows in the Indian states of Assam and Tripura, the government calls in the Army to restore peace. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeals for calm. (BBC News)
2019 United Kingdom general election
- Voters in the United Kingdom go to the polls to elect members to the House of Commons in the general election. (BBC News)
- The exit poll forecasts a Conservative landslide victory with major gains in Northern England. Boris Johnson was returned as Prime Minister and formed a majority government. (The Guardian)
- Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn announces he will step down as party leader following the party's defeat in the general election. (The Telegraph)
- Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson loses her seat in East Dunbartonshire to the Scottish National Party. (The Independent)
- The parliamentary leader of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Nigel Dodds loses his seat in Belfast North as Nationalist MPs overtake Unionists in Northern Ireland for the first time. (Politics Home)
2019 Algerian protests, 2019 Algerian presidential election
- Thousands of protesters flood the streets of Algiers to protest the presidential election currently underway. As all five candidates have ties to ousted president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, protesters call the election a sham and demand that the military withdraw its influence from political life. (Al Jazeera)
2020 Israeli legislative election
- The Israeli parliament votes to dissolve itself and schedules an unprecedented third election in a year for 2 March 2020. (The Jerusalem Post)
2019 Chilean protests
- The impeachment process against President Sebastián Piñera is defeated by 79 votes against 73 in the Chamber of Deputies. The impeachment process was initiated after several human rights violations have been reported against protestors. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission designates 988 as the new phone number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (Associated Press)

December 13, 2019 (Friday)

Business and economy

China–United States trade war
- Both countries announce an initial deal where new tariffs to be mutually imposed on December 15 would not be implemented. China says it "will buy more high quality of American agricultural products", while the United States says it will halve the existing 15% tariffs. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Fourteen people are killed after a van hit a truck loaded with smuggled fuel in Killa Saifullah District, Pakistan. (TRT Global)

Law and crime

2019 Chilean protests
- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights releases a report regarding the situation in Chile. The report confirms the existence of severe and reiterative human rights violations, including excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions, torture and sexual violence. (Cooperativa)
Corruption in Ukraine
- An appeals court in Ukraine confirms the guilty ruling of Artem Sytnyk, head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, for corruption. Sytnyk was accused of having expensive vacations paid by businessman Mykola Nadeyko. (UNIAN)
Impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump
- The House Judiciary Committee votes along party lines to pass two articles for impeachment against President Donald Trump. The House of Representatives is expected to hold two votes, one for each charge, on Wednesday, December 18. (ABC News)

Politics and elections

2019 Algerian presidential election
- Abdelmadjid Tebboune is elected in the first round. (NPR)
UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson begins his second term and forms a new majority government after winning the 2019 general election by a landslide. (BBC News)

December 14, 2019 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- An insider attack by seven Taliban infiltrators killed 25 Afghan Armed Forces in Qarabagh, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. (VOA News)

Business and economy

Light rail in Sydney
- The first section of the CBD and South East Light Rail commences operations returning trams down George Street for the first time since the demise of the former tram network. (The Sydney Morning Herald)

Health and environment

2019 Samoa measles outbreak
- The government of Samoa extends the state of emergency until December 29 when it was due to end on December 15. There have been 72 deaths and more than 5,100 cases to date. (RNZ) (Reuters)

Law and crime

Former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is sentenced to two years detention in a reform facility for corruption. There is heavy military custody of the government buildings and the court as followers of his now dissolved party rally in his support. Defense lawyers say they will appeal the sentence. (Reuters)

December 15, 2019 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2019–20 Lebanese protests
- Clashes between protestors and security forces at a protest camp in Beirut leave dozens of people injured. (Al Jazeera)
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- Twenty-two civilians are killed by Islamist militants in machete attacks in the town of Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters) (DW News)
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill protests in India
- Violent protests against the new citizenship bill break out in Delhi, leaving at least six dead. The protestors, numbering in the thousands and containing numerous students, were dispersed by police using tear gas and baton charges. The police also stormed the campus of Jamia Millia Islamia University to arrest protestors fleeing the scene while clashing against students. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

Censorship in China
- State broadcaster China Central Television pulls a Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City from its schedule after Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil criticized China's re-education camps in Xinjang. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Davao del Sur earthquake
- At least seven people are confirmed dead while 37 more are injured after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes Matanao, Davao del Sur, in the Philippines. (Sputnik) (AP via CBC News)
At least ten people are killed by a fire at a fan factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh. (Reuters)
A bus carrying 32 Hindu pilgrims veers off a highway in central Nepal, killing at least 14 people. (Channel News Asia)

International relations

Libya–Turkey relations, Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Turkey says it is ready to provide military support to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) against Khalifa Haftar's forces if requested to do so by the GNA. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey approves military intervention in Libya. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2019 Hong Kong protests
- Hong Kong Police Force clash with protesters at different malls across Hong Kong amid a visit by Chief Executive Carrie Lam to Beijing. Riot police use pepper spray to disperse crowds as a result. (Reuters)
2019 Chilean protests
- In a non-binding referendum organized by the Chilean Association of Municipalities, 91% of the voters support a new Constitution and more than 70% of the voters support a fully elected constituent assembly to write it. An official referendum will be realized in April 2020. (La Tercera)

December 16, 2019 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2019–20 Lebanese protests
- The Lebanese Army clashes with supporters of Hezbollah and Amal Movement in Beirut. The Shiite Islamists were attempting to attack an anti-government protester camp in Martyrs' Square. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Boeing 737 MAX groundings
- Boeing decides to halt production of the faulty Boeing 737 MAX. (The Economist)

Law and crime

The Supreme Court of the United States refuses to hear a case regarding homeless people sleeping in public parks, and on sidewalks, when no other shelter is available. In allowing the camping, the high court left intact a lower court ruling, calling such bans cruel and unusual punishment. (USA Today)
In rare protests, dozens are arrested in Kazakhstan during Independence Day. Protestors demand political reform and the sidelining of the family of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev. (Reuters)
Cannabis in Zambia
- Zambia legalizes the production and export of cannabis for economic and medicinal purposes, but recreational use of the drug remains illegal. (Reuters)
The human rights group International Rights Advocates formally launches a lawsuit in the United States against Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc. (Google), Tesla, Inc., Dell and Microsoft on behalf of 14 Congolese families whose children died or were injured in Copperbelt mines that supply cobalt for the firms' lithium-ion battery products. (BBC News)
Wanted Moroccan-Dutch criminal Ridouan Taghi has been arrested in Dubai. He was wanted by the Netherlands for large scale cocaine trafficking and multiple murders. (The Guardian)
Impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump
- The U.S. House Judiciary Committee releases its 658-page report on its inquiry of the impeachment of President Donald Trump, claiming he committed obstruction of Congress and abuse of power. (CNN)

Politics and elections

2019 French pension reform strike
- On the twelfth day of the strike, Jean-Paul Delevoye resigns. Delevoye, who was in charge of the proposed pension reform, failed to disclose private posts and income in his asset declaration. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

SpaceX successfully launches the JCSAT-18 and Kacific 1 communications satellites on a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The satellites will bring Internet access to isolated islands in the Pacific Ocean. (CNN)

December 17, 2019 (Tuesday)

Business and economy

Shandong, the first fully domestically built Chinese aircraft carrier, enters naval service. (CGTN)

Law and crime

Musharraf high treason case
- Former President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf is sentenced to death in absentia for high treason, by a 2-1 majority. He is described as a dictator who seized power in a 1999 coup, imposed a 2007 state of emergency and resigned in 2008 to avoid impeachment. (CNN) (Reuters)
2016–present purges in Turkey
- Turkish police arrest 191 people, including a mayor, accused of links with the Gülen movement (named by Turkey as FETÖ, a terrorist group) and of using ByLock, an encrypted messaging application. (Daily Sabah)

Science and technology

Climate change in Australia
- A temperature of 47°C (116.6F) is recorded in the remote outback town of Oodnadatta, South Australia, marking Australia's hottest day on record with average temperatures of 40.9°C, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. (Sky News)

December 18, 2019 (Wednesday)

Armed conflict and attack

Boko Haram insurgency
- Boko Haram militants open fire on civilians, killing 15 and wounding five others in a fishing village in Chad. 13 others were missing after the attack. (Al Jazeera)
Gunmen kill two police officers escorting a polio vaccination team in Lower Dir District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (National Post)

Arts and culture

Ilham Tohti, an Uyghur economist serving a life sentence for his criticisms of China’s policies in Xinjiang, is awarded this year’s Sakharov Prize. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

Pakistan pulls out of an international summit of Muslim nations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, scheduled to start this Thursday. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said it was done after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates expressed concern that the summit was to establish a rival bloc to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

The Cabinet of Germany proposes to ban conversion therapy for both transgender and gay people. The proposal was expanded to include people between the ages of 16 and 18. (Deutsche Welle)
Impeachment of Donald Trump
- The United States House of Representatives votes largely along party lines to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Trump becomes the third American president to be impeached by the House, after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. His impeachment proceedings continue on to the Senate, which will give them a final verdict and decide whether or not he should be removed from office. (The New York Times)

Science and technology

Cosmic Vision
- Arianespace successfully launches the European Space Agency's CHEOPS space telescope from Guiana Space Centre. The European observatory will search for new exoplanets and will be able to study an exoplanet's composition and internal structure. The launch also included OPS-SAT, an ESA CubeSat. (BBC News)

Sports

2019 Catalan protests
- Despite the boycott attempt by Democratic Tsunami, El Clásico is played in Camp Nou, Barcelona, with important security measures. (Ruptly)
- The first clashes between Mossos d'Esquadra, Boixos Nois and protestors occur outside the stadium, leaving 9 arrested and 70 injured. (El País) (Marca) (BBC News) (El Mundo)

December 19, 2019 (Thursday)

International Relations

Pakistan–United States relations
- The U.S. State Department reinstates Pakistan into International Military Education and Training program. It was suspended in August 2018 as part of the Trump administration's pressure to have it crack down on Islamist militants. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Maguindanao massacre
- A court in the Philippines finds 28 people, including former Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his brother, former Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, guilty of murder for their roles in the Maguindanao massacre, and sentences them to life imprisonment (40 years). (Rappler)
- Mayor Sajid Ampatuan, also a brother of Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., and 55 others are acquitted. (Rappler)
2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis, April 2019 Spanish general election
- President of Catalonia Quim Torra is sentenced by the High Court of Justice of Catalonia to a year and a half of disqualification (inhabilitación) from exercising the powers of elected office, in addition to a fine of 30,000€ for disobeying the Central Electoral Board by not withdrawing partisan symbols in the Palau de la Generalitat and not guaranteeing the institution's neutrality during the April election campaign. Torra can appeal the ruling. (El País)
Trial of Catalonia independence leaders, 2019 European Parliament election
- The European Court of Justice determines that jailed former Vice President of Catalonia Oriol Junqueras had immunity as an elected MEP, despite being unable to take up his seat, as the Spanish Supreme Court had ruled due to his then-provisional prison situation. (The Guardian)
Moscow FSB headquarters shooting
- Two people are killed and four injured in a mass shooting outside Russia's Federal Security Service headquarters on Moscow's Lubyanka Square. The shooter is also killed. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Citizenship Amendment Act protests
- Thousands of demonstrators take to the streets in various parts of India to protest the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. Some are arrested, and internet service is shut down in many parts of the country. (ndtv)
- Three people are killed in violent clashes between protesters and police in Mangalore and Lucknow. (BBC News)
The Venezuelan Supreme Court overturns a rule pertaining to the opposition-led National Assembly, which allowed members of the Assembly to vote in absentia due to large numbers of exiled opposition politicians. (Yahoo!)
The Parliament of Lebanon nominates former Education Minister Hassan Diab as Prime Minister. President Michel Aoun tasks him with forming a new government. (Al Jazeera)
2020 Labour Party leadership election
- Shadow Treasury Minister Clive Lewis announces his candidacy to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Labour Party. He is the second person to make this announcement, after Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry. (BBC News)
2019 Algerian presidential election
- Abdelmadjid Tebboune is sworn in as President of Algeria, the first after 20 years of Abdelaziz Bouteflika regime. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

Scientists discover a 386 million-year-old fossil forest at a sandstone quarry in Cairo, New York, making it the oldest known fossil forest in the world. (The Guardian)

December 20, 2019 (Friday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Fighting resumes in rebel-held northwestern Syria, as government forces capture four villages by making their first large-scale push against rebel groups since the ceasefire that ended the 2019 northwestern Syria offensive earlier this year. (ABC News)
Citizenship Amendment Act protests
- Further clashes between protesters and police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh leaves six people dead. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

Japan announces it will raise military spending (1.1%) for an eighth consecutive year to a record high as it invests in ballistic missile and air defence to counter a perceived threat from North Korea and China. (Reuters)

International relations

Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Fatou Bensouda announces she will launch a full investigation into allegations of war crimes in the Palestinian territories. (Al Jazeera)
Iran–Japan relations
- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani meets with Prime Minister Shinzō Abe in Tokyo to discuss renewing the Iranian nuclear deal. Rouhani is the first Iranian president to visit Japan in over 19 years. (Al Jazeera)
The Two Popes film is released on Netflix just before the holiday season. It has a limited theatrical release during November in the United States and United Kingdom. Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis gives a dramatic interpretation of a series of conversations that took place between the liberal cardinal and the conservative incumbent Pope Benedict (played by Anthony Hopkins). (Screen Daily)

Law and crime

Climate justice, Climate change mitigation
- In Urgenda Foundation v. State of the Netherlands, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands upholds a 2015 ruling that "protection from the potentially devastating effects of climate change" is a human right, ordering the Dutch government to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25% by the end of 2020 compared to 1990 levels. (climatecasechart.com) (AP)

Politics and elections

Brexit
- The House of Commons of the United Kingdom votes 358–234 to pass the government's Brexit withdrawal agreement for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union on 31 January 2020. The bill will now head to the House of Lords for final approval. The bill also rules out extending trade talks with the EU beyond 31 December 2020, known as the "transition period". (BBC News)

Science and technology

Boeing Orbital Flight Test
- An Atlas V N22 rocket successfully launches the first space-faring Boeing Starliner spacecraft during the Boe-OFT mission. However, an issue with the spacecraft's mission elapsed time clock immediately after launch causes the premature depletion of the spacecraft's attitude control fuel, precluding the spacecraft's planned rendezvous with the International Space Station. An early reentry and landing of the spacecraft at the White Sands Missile Range is planned for 22 December. (NPR)
Twitter suspensions
- Twitter bans almost 6,000 accounts, alleging that they were "amplifying messages favourable to Saudi authorities" in a Saudi state-backed coordination. (BBC News)

December 21, 2019 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- A suicide attack by car bomb in Galkayo, Somalia, kills at least seven civilians, though the death toll is expected to rise according to military officials. According to a military spokesman, the suicide bomber tried to enter a hotel compound but failed and hit a military pickup. No group has claimed responsibility yet. (Reuters)
Islamic insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present), Operation Barkhane
- During his visit to West Africa, French President Emmanuel Macron says that French forces killed 33 Islamist militants in central Mali earlier that day. (The Guardian)
Second Libyan Civil War, Libya–Turkey relations
- The Libyan Coast Guard loyal to Field marshal Khalifa Haftar seizes a Grenada-flagged ship with a Turkish crew off the coast of Derna, Libya, according to a spokesman for the Libyan National Army. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Nord Stream 2 says it will finish construction "as soon as possible" after a contractor suspends pipe-laying work due to U.S. sanctions on the Russian gas pipeline to Europe. (Reuters)
Russia–Ukraine relations
- Russia and Ukraine reach a new five-year agreement on gas transit. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

A fire at an apartment building in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, kills six people and injures thirteen others. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
A bus collides with a truck near Gualán, Guatemala, killing at least 21 people including seven children, according to the Guatemalan Public Ministry. (CNN)

Law and crime

Censorship in Pakistan, Blasphemy in Pakistan, Capital punishment in Pakistan
- A court in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan, sentences university professor Junaid Hafeez to death for blasphemy – verbal and on Facebook. (Al Jazeera)
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrest two suspects after they allegedly made online death threats to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau had to wear a bulletproof vest during a visit to Mississauga, Ontario, due to the threats made during his electoral campaign. (Yahoo! News Canada)

December 22, 2019 (Sunday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Crisis in Venezuela
- Attackers raid a military facility in the southern state of Bolívar, killing one soldier and stealing weapons. Authorities say the weapons are recovered and opposition-linked suspects are arrested. (Reuters)
Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed at least 50 people on an island on Lake Chad, bordering Cameroon and Chad. (BBC News)

Business and economy

British retailer Tesco suspends operations at a factory in China after the Sunday Times newspaper reports that a six-year-old in London found a message from Shanghai prisoners calling for help and urging whoever finds the message to alert a human rights organisation, with a link to the author of the story, hidden inside a pack of charity Christmas cards. Tesco says that it has a policy against using prison labour. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters gain access to previously cut-off towns and settlements by bushfires in New South Wales, taking advantage of cooler weather. The small town of Balmoral is reported as being destroyed with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian saying there's "not much left" of the town. (Daily Telegraph) (Reuters)

Law and crime

A riot at a maximum security prison in El Porvenir, Atlántida, Honduras leaves at least 16 inmates dead, according to Honduran authorities. The riot comes just two days after another riot killed 18 inmates at a prison in the town of Tela. (AP)

Politics and elections

2019 Afghan presidential election
- Afghanistan's incumbent President Ashraf Ghani wins a slim majority of the votes in a September 28 election, delayed preliminary results showed after a poll that plunged the country into political crisis and was marred by allegations of fraud. (Reuters)
2019 Croatian presidential election
- Citizens of Croatia cast their votes in the latest presidential election. (DW)
2019 Hong Kong protests
- Over a thousand protestors march in the financial district of Hong Kong to show solidarity with Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. A dozen police officers clash with the crowd to disperse them. (Reuters)
2019–2020 Uzbek parliamentary election
- The first round of the first election in Uzbekistan after Islam Karimov's death takes place. (Radio Free Europe)

Science and technology

Boeing's unmanned CST-100 Starliner crew capsule successfully reenters the atmosphere and lands at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, United States, after a failed rendezvous with the International Space Station. (The Guardian)

December 23, 2019 (Monday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- A car bomb in Turkish-controlled Suluk, Tell Abyad District, Raqqa Governorate, kills five people and wounds others. Turkey's defense ministry says the attack killed eight civilians and was by the PKK/YPG group. (TRTWorld)
- The UK-based SOHR says an Israeli missile attack near Damascus killed three foreigners, believed to be Iranians. (Ynetnews)
War in Afghanistan
- The Pentagon says a U.S. soldier has been killed in combat. The Taliban claim a roadside bomb in Char Dara District, Kunduz Province was responsible. (CBS News)
Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present), Operation Barkhane
- France's defense ministry reports its first armed drone strike. On Saturday, a Reaper drone strike killed seven in central Mali. (AP via The Daily Star)
2019 Iranian protests
- Unknown Iranian officials claimed the death toll is 1,500 in recent crackdowns by security forces. The United States confirmed the report, including the deaths of 400 women and a dozen teenagers. (VOA)

Business and economy

Crimean Bridge
- A railway bridge over the Kerch Strait connecting Russia and Crimea, the longest in Europe, is inaugurated. (AP)
The Democratic Republic of the Congo launches an investigation into allegations of money laundering at the state-owned mining company Gécamines, relating to a €200 million loan by the sanctioned Fleurette Group. (Reuters)
Aftermath of the Boeing 737 MAX groundings
- Boeing announces the resignation of its CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, amidst ongoing controversy over the crashes and subsequent groundings of the Boeing 737 MAX fleet. (CNN)
Economy of China
- China announces the reduction of tariffs on 850 products and measures to open markets in several industries. (AP)

Health and environment

Fukushima disaster cleanup
- Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry proposes gradually releasing or allowing to evaporate massive amounts of radioactive water at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. (TIME)

International relations

North Korea–United States relations, Korean peace process
- North Korea warns of a "Christmas gift" if the United States does not come up with an agreement by the end of the year. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi
- A court in Saudi Arabia sentences five people to death for the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Three other defendants are given prison sentences totalling a combined 24 years, and another three are acquitted. (BBC News)
- The United Nations rapporteur on summary executions, Agnès Callamard, describes the sentence as a "mockery" of justice, since, according to her, it was an "extrajudicial execution for which the state of Saudi Arabia is responsible" and its masterminds walk free. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2019 Algerian protests
- The Chief of Staff of the People's National Army of Algeria, Ahmed Gaid Salah, dies unexpectedly of a heart attack. Saïd Chengriha is appointed to the post ad interim. (AP via Arab News)
2019 Jharkhand Legislative Assembly election
- In an election occurring in the midst of massive protests against the central government, the incumbent right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party is projected to lose its majority to the United Progressive Alliance parties in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. (Al Jazeera)
2019 French pension reform strike
- Around 30 protestors clash with riot police at the Gare de Lyon in Paris. (Reuters)
Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- The Bosnian parliament approves Prime Minister Zoran Tegeltija's cabinet after a 14-month deadlock, caused by disagreements over proceeding with NATO integration, with Tegeltija stating his main priority is pursuing membership with the European Union. (Reuters)
Politics of Romania
- Centrist Florin Cîțu is approved by the Parliament as the new Prime Minister, succeeding acting Nicolae Ciucă. (Yahoo! News)

December 24, 2019 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- Taliban insurgents ambush an Afghan National Army checkpoint, killing 15 members of the security forces. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
- The Syrian Army continues its offensive in southern Idlib Governorate towards the key rebel-held city of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, capturing several towns and villages, including Jarjnaz and Sarman. Around 30,000 civilians have fled the area in recent days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Channel News Asia)
- A war monitor reports that eight people—including five children—were killed after a missile struck a school in Jobas, Idlib District, used as a shelter for displaced civilians. Opposition activists blame Russia. (Al Jazeera)
Arbinda attack, Maghreb insurgency
- Thirty-five civilians are dead and six others are injured after jihadists stormed the town of Arbinda, Soum Province, Burkina Faso, and its military base, killing seven soldiers. Eighty militants were also killed. (BBC News)
Boko Haram insurgency
- Gunmen attack the Christian village of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria, killing seven Christians. It is believed the attack was targeted for Christmas. (VOA News)

Disasters and accidents

A bus plunges into a ravine in South Sumatra, Indonesia, killing at least 25 people. (Sky News)
At least 28 people are killed after the Typhoon Phanfone battered the Philippines. It led to the evacuation of more than 58,000 people. (BBC News)

International relations

United States–Zambia relations, LGBT rights in Zambia
- Sources report that the U.S. has recalled its ambassador to Zambia after a row over a conviction of men who were sentenced to prison in Zambia for consensual homosexual acts. President of Zambia Edgar Lungu declared ambassador Daniel Lewis Foote persona non grata because he had criticized the verdict while accusing Zambia of not actively prosecuting misappropriation of donor aid. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2019 Iraqi protests
- The Council of Representatives passes a series of electoral laws to placate protestors. The laws will allow voters to select individuals rather than use party lists, and the candidates will represent electoral districts rather than provinces. (Reuters)
Thousands of Ethiopian Muslims march across the country in response to attacks last Friday that saw four mosques and multiple Muslim-owned businesses burned in the Amhara Region. (Al Jazeera)

December 25, 2019 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- Taliban militants say they have kidnapped 27 local peace activists in Farah Province as they were traveling from Herat Province. (Reuters)
Arbinda attack
- In Burkina Faso, the government orders 48 hours of mourning after the jihadist attack yesterday in Soum Province. (Al Jazeera)
- A dozen Burkina Faso soldiers are killed in an armed attack in the night by militants responsible for the previous attack. (DW News)
Two "wanted terrorists" are killed in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, after exchanging gunfire with security forces. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is briefly brought to a bomb shelter during an election rally in Ashkelon, Israel, after a rocket is fired from the Gaza Strip. The rocket is intercepted with no casualties reported. (NBCWashington) (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Notre-Dame de Paris fire
- Notre-Dame rector Patrick Chauvet states there is "maybe a 50 percent chance that [the building] will be saved" due to deterioration of scaffolding near the vaults, and that renovations will not start until 2021 at the soonest. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Japanese National Diet member Tsukasa Akimoto of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is arrested for allegedly receiving up to ¥3 million in bribes from a Chinese company interested in setting up a casino in the country. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2019–2021 Iraqi protests
- The largest parliamentary bloc, Binaa Bloc, including Fatah Alliance and State of Law Coalition, nominates Basra governor Asaad Al Eidani to succeed Adil Abdul-Mahdi as Prime Minister of Iraq. Protesters reject the nomination, seeing him as part of the establishment. (Al Jazeera)

December 26, 2019 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Second Libyan Civil War, Libya–Turkey relations
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces he will send troops to Libya to help the internationally-recognized Tripoli-based Government of National Accord after they requested support. He plans to submit his motion to the Grand National Assembly on January 7 for approval. (Al Jazeera)
Insurgency in the Maghreb
- Fourteen Nigerien soldiers are killed by heavily armed militant gunmen who ambushed the convoy in the Tillabéri Region of Niger. (France24)

Law and crime

Capital punishment in Japan
- Japan executes a foreigner for the first time since the disclosure of details of its sentences began in 2007. He was a Chinese man convicted of killing a family of four. (Reuters) (BBC News)
Censorship in Turkey
- The Constitutional Court of Turkey orders the immediate lifting of the block of Wikipedia in Turkey, ruling it a violation of the freedom of expression. In response to the news, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales says, "Welcome back, Turkey!" (The Guardian)
2020 Ivorian general election
- In Ivory Coast, former rebel leader, prime minister and presidential candidate for next year's general election, Guillaume Soro, could face prison for life over an alleged coup plot that involved amassing weapons, says the country's public prosecutor. (Reuters)
A court in Morocco sentences a man to four years in prison for insulting the king. Authorities also arrest a Twitter user for criticizing the long prison terms given to those who protest. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Citizenship Amendment Act protests
- Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath threatens to confiscate property from more than 200 people, mostly Muslims, allegedly to pay for damages caused by protesters. The northern Indian state has seen the most violence from the protests, with 18 out of the 25 killings happening there. (Al Jazeera)
Freedom of religion in Montenegro
- Hundreds of protesters, mostly consisting of supporters of the pro-Serbia opposition bloc, march in Podgorica, Montenegro, to protest a proposed law that would require religious communities to provide proof of property ownership from before the creation of Yugoslavia in 1918. Protesters claim the law unfairly targets the predominant Serbian Orthodox Church. (Reuters)
2020 Israeli legislative election
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu survives a primary challenge from former Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar with 72% of the vote. (The Guardian)
2019 Iraqi protests
- Iraqi President Barham Salih rejects the nomination of Basra governor Asaad Al Eidani for Prime Minister of Iraq, stating that protesters will also oppose him due to his connections with Iranian-backed parties. As the constitution doesn't give him the power to officially veto candidates, Salih threatens to resign instead. (Al Jazeera)

December 27, 2019 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Terrorism in Pakistan
- Pakistani authorities announce they have arrested five suspected members of al-Qaeda in the eastern province of Punjab, as they are reported to have been planning an attack on security personnel. (Reuters)
Iraqi insurgency (2017–present)
- A rocket attack on K-1 Air Base in Iraq's Kirkuk Governorate, kills an American civilian contractor and injures several U.S. and Iraqi troops. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. (ABC News)

Arts and culture

The Dutch government announces it will officially stop using the moniker "Holland" from January 2020, so the country will only be referred to by its official name, the Netherlands. The change comes ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics and Eurovision Song Contest 2020, which the country is due to participate in. (The Independent)
2018 Moscow–Constantinople schism
- The Russian Orthodox Church cuts ties with the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria over the former's recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. (The New York Times)

Business and economics

Spotify announces it will suspend all political ads on its platform starting early 2020. It follows similar moves from Twitter and Google. (Reuters)
Sudanese Finance Minister Ibrahim Elbadawi states that, as part of the government budget for 2020, subsidies for gasoline will be gradually lifted while the minimum wage and pay for civil servants will increase in an effort to combat both inflation and poverty. The budget, which will be finalized in two days, will also increase spending on education, social services, and aid to refugees. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Bek Air Flight 2100
- A Fokker 100 plane with 98 people on board crashes while taking off from Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan, killing 12 and injuring about 60 others. (BBC News)
A sightseeing helicopter crashes on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, killing seven people on board. (BBC News)

Health and environment

The Food and Drug Administration announces that President Donald Trump signed legislation last week to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act which will raise the legal age to buy tobacco in the U.S. from 18 to 21 in the next three to six months. (Gray News)

International relations

Iran–Japan relations
- After briefing the Iranian government, the Cabinet of Japan approves the deployment of a destroyer and patrol planes to the Middle East (independent from similar U.S.-led and European missions) to protect Japanese vessels, as the situation in the region remains volatile. (Reuters)
Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute
- Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth says he is considering bringing charges of crimes against humanity against British officials in the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the UK's refusal to allow evicted Chagossians to return to their former homes on the Chagos Archipelago. (BBC News)
Philippines–United States relations
- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte bans U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Patrick Leahy from entering the country, as both are seeking to enforce sanctions on politicians involved in the prosecution of Philippine Senator and Duterte administration critic Leila de Lima. Duterte also threatens to tighten visa requirements for American citizens should the sanctions go through. (Reuters)

Science and technology

Russia's Ministry of Defence announces the first deployment of the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), calling it a "landmark event". According to President Vladimir Putin, the top speed is over Mach 20 and it puts Russia's military "ahead of all other nations". (BBC News)

December 28, 2019 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- December 2019 Mogadishu bombing
  - A suicide truck bombing at a security checkpoint in Mogadishu kills at least 79 people and injures 149 others. No group has claimed responsibility. (CNN)
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- A Taliban attack on an Afghan military base in Sangin District, Helmand Province, kills at least 10 Afghan soldiers and injures 4 others. (VOA)
Monsey Hanukkah stabbing
- Five people are injured in a mass stabbing at the home of a Hasidic rabbi, during Hanukkah celebrations, in Monsey, New York. The suspect was later apprehended by the police. New York governor Andrew Cuomo calls it an "act of domestic terrorism". (The Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

A North Korean ghost ship washes up on the shore of Japan's Sado Island, containing the corpses of five people onboard, suspected to be fishermen. The bodies are described by Japanese police as "partially skeletonised", suggesting the boat has been adrift at sea for a long time. (BBC News)
Five people are killed when a plane crashes near a Walmart supermarket in Lafayette, Louisiana. One occupant survives, while three others on the ground are injured. (BBC News)
Indonesian palm oil tanker ship MV Namse Bangdzod vanishes in the Java Sea. The ship, with a crew of twelve, is theorised by rescuers to be the victim of piracy, a notion dismissed by the Navy. (The Jakarta Post)

Law and crime

Corruption in Vietnam
- A court in Vietnam sentences former information minister Nguyen Bac Son to life in prison after finding him guilty of accepting $3 million in kickbacks via an overpriced purchase of Audio Visual Global JSC for nearly 8.9 trillion dong ($383.7 million) in late 2015 by government-owned company MobiFone. (Reuters)
Prostitution in China
- The National People's Congress abolishes the use of forced labor to punish sex workers, but states that prostitution will remain illegal. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2019 Algerian protests
- Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune appoints former University of Algiers professor Abdelaziz Djerrad to be the new Prime Minister. (Reuters)

December 29, 2019 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Security Belt forces say a missile fired by the Houthis hit a military parade in the southern separatist-held town of al-Dhalea, killing at least five people and injuring others. There are no claims of responsibility for the attack. (Reuters)
War in Donbass
- The Ukrainian government and separatist rebels exchange prisoners according to the "all identified for all identified" formula agreed upon during peace talks in Paris earlier this month. (NBC)
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- Local officials say Taliban have killed 17 local militiamen in an attack on their base in Khwaja Bahauddin District, Takhar Province. A Taliban spokesman says they killed 21 gunmen. The Taliban propose a 7 to 10-day nationwide ceasefire, after which a peace deal with the United States would be signed. (Al Jazeera)
2019 United States bombing of Kata'ib Hizbollah
- The United States Air Force carries out strikes using F-15E Strike Eagle jets and drones in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the death of an American civil contractor in a rocket attack on K-1 Air Base in Kirkuk Governorate. The strikes were targeted at the Iranian-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militia group. A spokesman for Kata'ib Hezbollah, says 19 of its fighters were killed and 35 injured in the American strikes, while vowing to respond. (Reuters) (France 24) (The Washington Post)
- Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi condemns the unilateral American bombings inside Iraq, saying the U.S. strikes are a "violation of Iraqi sovereignty", and a "dangerous escalation that threatens the security of Iraq and the region." (USA Today)
- Iran warns of consequences after the airstrikes. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi stated it was "illegal" and "the United States must accept responsibility of the attack." (CNN)
Terrorism in Russia
- Following a tip-off from the United States, Russia arrests two men planning a New Year's Eve attack in the city of Saint Petersburg. (Sky News)
Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- The death toll of the attack in Mogadishu the previous day rises to 84 with over 25 others remaining missing. (Xinhua)
- The United States target Al-Shabaab in a series of airstrikes that killed four. The strikes were in coordination with the government of Somalia. (DW News)

Arts and culture

The world's oldest rhinoceros, Fausta, dies in Tanzania at the age of 57. (BBC News)

Business and economics

Citizenship Amendment Act protests
- The Indian tourism industry reports that, as a result of protests, December visits to the Taj Mahal and the state of Assam declined by 60% and 90% respectively compared to the same period last year. These declines are also occurring in the midst of general economic slowdown in the country. (Reuters)
Over 19 flights are cancelled as a three-day strike at Lisbon Airport comes to an end. The strike was instigated when airport owner Vinci refused to unfreeze wages for the employees. (Reuters)
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo announces his country will adopt the eco as its new currency, but insists to fellow members of the currency union that it should not be pegged to the euro. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

An official at Bangladesh's health directorate says at least 50 people have died of cold-related illnesses in December. A cold wave sweeps through the country, with a lowest recorded temperature of 4.5 °C (40.1 °F). (Thomson Reuters via CBC)

Health and environment

2019 Samoa measles outbreak
- The Samoan government lifts its six-week state of emergency after a mass immunization campaign against measles reduced the death and infection rates. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

West Freeway Church of Christ shooting
- A man kills two people and injures another at a church in White Settlement, Texas, United States before being killed by a security guard and a civilian. (ABC News) (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2019 Guinea-Bissau presidential election
- Citizens of Guinea-Bissau head to the polls in the second round of the country's latest presidential election. (Reuters)

December 30, 2019 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

December 2019 Mogadishu bombing
- Al-Shabaab, an ally of Al-Qaeda, claims responsibility for the suicide bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia, that killed nearly 90 people. (Reuters)
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- ADF militants kill 22 people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. They were all hacked with machetes and many also went missing in the attack. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- Thousands of people are reported stranded on a local beach awaiting evacuation near Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia, as bushfires enter the coastal town. Four people are reported missing. Elsewhere, a volunteer Fire and Rescue NSW firefighter died battling a bushfire near the town of Jingellic. (The Guardian)

International relations

Bolivia–Spain relations, Bolivia–Mexico relations
- In a tit-for-tat move, Spain expels three Bolivian diplomatic staff from Madrid after interim Bolivian President Jeanine Áñez forced two Spanish diplomats and the Mexican ambassador to leave. Their expulsions are related to the Mexican embassy in La Paz's decision to shelter at least nine officials connected to the government of deposed President Evo Morales. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Lulu and Nana controversy
- Chinese state news agency Xinhua reports that He Jiankui, who last year announced the birth of babies with modified DNA, was sentenced to three years imprisonment and a fine of 3 million yuan, for "illegal medical practice". Two other defendants are given lesser sentences. (CNN)
- The court in Shenzhen confirms his claim that a second woman was impregnated, and reveals that three gene-edited babies were born instead of the previously believed two. (New Scientist)
A Sudanese court sentences 29 people to be hanged for the killing of a teacher in detention in February during protests that led to the overthrow of former president Omar al-Bashir. (BBC News)
A Yemeni man, suspected to be an Al-Qaeda militant, is sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for a November 11 terror attack against a group of Spanish theatre actors in Riyadh, wounding three of them. An accomplice is sentenced to 12 years of jail. (BBC News)
Former CEO of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance Carlos Ghosn escapes house arrest in Tokyo and flees to Lebanon. He was under arrest for money laundering and underreporting his income, though he denies the charges. (Reuters)

December 31, 2019 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021)
- Angry supporters storm the United States embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, in response to the U.S. airstrike on Sunday against Kata'ib Hezbollah militants. Iraqi officials say the U.S. ambassador and staff have been evacuated, but the U.S. Army denies this. The U.S. ambassador is reportedly on holiday. U.S. President Donald Trump blames Iran for the attack. (The Independent) (The Guardian)
- According to an Iraqi official, demonstrators have prepared a sit-in protest in front of the embassy. (Xinhua)
- Protesters in Tahrir Square distance themselves from the events around the U.S. embassy. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

Tencent, along with Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC Private Limited and the Qatar Investment Authority, purchase a 10% stake in the Universal Music Group. The former purchased it to build up its own music streaming service. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

An 8-meter (26 ft) high fire ignites accidentally next to Adelaide Oval after the 9pm New Year's Eve fireworks in Adelaide, South Australia. This comes following major controversy over the New Year's firework displays across Australia in response to ongoing bushfires. (News.com.au)
2018–19 Southern Africa drought
- Severe drought conditions continue in Zimbabwe where close to 7 million people are facing food shortages, according to a Catholic aid agency. Because of repeated droughts over the past five years, many of Zimbabwe’s small farmers are unable to feed their families. Catholic Relief Services is working with farmers teaching soil and water conservation methods. The agency offers drought-resistant crops to farmers and is cooperating on a notification system warning farmers about threats to their harvest. (Catholic News Agency) (Bloomberg News)

Law and crime

A court in Abidjan sentences Charles Blé Goudé to 20 years in prison in absentia for his role in the Second Ivorian Civil War that followed the 2010 presidential election, his lawyers say. (Reuters)
Former Bosnian Serb Army general Milomir Savčić is indicted for his role in planning the Srebrenica massacre. (Reuters)
Aftermath of the 2019 Fresno shooting
- Police arrest six people in connection with a mass shooting last month in Fresno, California, that left four people dead and another six injured. (USA Today)