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Worldwide current events
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Boris Johnson

The Conservatives, led by Boris Johnson (pictured), win a majority of seats in the UK general election.
In a non-binding referendum, Bougainville votes for independence from Papua New Guinea.
In New Zealand, the Whakaari/White Island volcano erupts, leaving at least fourteen people dead, at least two missing, and at least thirty others injured.
The World Anti-Doping Agency bans Russia from participating in major international sporting events for four years due to doping violations.

December 14, 2019 (Saturday)

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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)

December 13, 2019 (Friday)

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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)

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 head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine Artem Sytnyk's culpability and sentence for corruption. (UNIAN)

Politics and elections

Impeachment inquiry against 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)

December 12, 2019 (Thursday)

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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)

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)
2019 United Kingdom general election
- Voters in the United Kingdom go to the polls to elect members to the House of Commons in a general election. (BBC)
- The exit poll forecasts a substantial Conservative victory with major gains in Northern England. (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 11, 2019 (Wednesday)

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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. (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) (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)

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)

December 10, 2019 (Tuesday)

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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)

Politics and elections

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

December 9, 2019 (Monday)

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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–present)
- 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)

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)

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 8, 2019 (Sunday)

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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)

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 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)