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Worldwide current events
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Leonard Cohen

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 strikes near Kaikoura, north of Christchurch, New Zealand, triggering tsunami warnings, causing widespread damage, and killing at least two people.
Canadian singer, songwriter, and poet Leonard Cohen (pictured) dies at the age of 82.
A tram derails on the Tramlink in Croydon, London, killing seven people and injuring more than fifty others.
Donald Trump wins the United States presidential election, while Republicans retain control of the House and the Senate.

November 19, 2016 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present), Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- The Saudi-led coalition announces a 48 hour ceasefire in Yemen from noon. (Bloomberg) (Reuters, AFP via Breaking News)

Business and economics

After a software error, Mexicans purchase $2500 Dell laptops for just $33 each. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Fire retardant foam floods the streets around a hangar at San José International Airport in Santa Clara County, California after a fire alarm malfunction. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Bersih 5 rally
- Tens of thousands of people protest in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak to step down amid an ongoing corruption scandal involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad. (Reuters)

November 18, 2016 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro conflict
- At least 14 are killed in clashes with suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu, Philippines. (The New York Times) (Inquirer)

Health

Zika virus outbreak
- The World Health Organization declares an end to its global health crisis over the spread of the Zika virus as it has been shown to be a dangerous mosquito-borne disease like malaria or yellow fever. (New York Times)

Law and crime

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit denies the release of Brendan Dassey, subject of the 2015 documentary series Making a Murderer. (CNN)
The New York Attorney General announces that Donald Trump has settled three lawsuits by former students of Trump University for $25 million. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Presidential transition of Donald Trump
- Officials serving on President-elect Donald Trump's transition team reveal selections for high-level positions, including Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, Mike Pompeo for Director of the CIA and Michael T. Flynn for National Security Advisor. (NPR)

Science and technology

Shenzhou program
- China's Shenzhou 11 returns to Earth after completing China's longest manned space mission to date. (Reuters via Yahoo!)

November 17, 2016 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports a car bomb has killed at least ten people in the city of Azaz, Aleppo Governorate. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The 17th Annual Latin Grammy Awards are held at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. (Entertainment Weekly)
- "La Bicicleta" by Carlos Vives and Shakira wins the Latin Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
- Juan Gabriel posthumously wins the Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Los Dúo, Vol. 2

Disasters and accidents

Caphiridzange explosion
- At least 73 people have been killed and hundreds injured in a fuel tanker explosion in the town of Caphiridzange in Mozambique's Tete Province. (AP) (Reuters)
European migrant crisis
- Around 100 people are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya. So far this week, 18 people are confirmed dead and 340 missing attempting to migrate to Europe. (AFP via Yahoo!)

International relations

Japan–United States relations
- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe becomes the first foreign head of government to meet President-elect of the United States Donald Trump since his election as President on November 8. (Reuters)

Law and crime

The Three UK mobile phone company admits that there has been a cyber-security breach involving the details of millions of customers. (The Telegraph)

Politics and elections

President Joseph Kabila appoints Samy Badibanga as the new Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of a power-sharing deal agreed by the opposition and government. (Africa News)
James R. Clapper resigns as U.S. Director of National Intelligence. (NBC News)

November 16, 2016 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Four members of the Afghan National Security Forces are killed and 11 people are injured during a suicide bomber attack near the Afghan defense ministry headquarters in Kabul. (AP via ABC News America)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- The Saudi-led military coalition and the Houthis (Ansar Allah) arrive at a swift ceasefire agreement effective 17 November 2016, as a result of talks led by US Secretary of State John Kerry with the region's leaders.(The Guardian)(Arabian Business)

Disasters and accidents

As many as 412 people have died in the last 23 days due to smog in Tehran, according to Iran's Health Ministry. All schools in the city have also been ordered to close as part of emergency measures. (AFP via Daily Mail)

International relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a symbolic order to withdraw Russia's signature from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid calls by pro-rebel western Non-governmental organisations for an investigation into alleged Russian war crimes in Syria. (The Independent)

Politics and elections

Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- A so-called "Muezzin Bill" which would limit the volume and usage time of loudspeakers in mosques during muezzin to decrease noise pollution is put to parliament in Israel. Palestinian activists and politicians claim it shows the government's growing intolerance of Israel's non-Jewish citizens. (Al Jazeera)

November 15, 2016 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Between four and 20 people are reported killed by government and Russian airstrikes that hit rebel held areas, five hospitals, and a mobile clinic in Aleppo, says U.S. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau. Syria and Russia deny targeting Aleppo. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters) (CBS News)

Business and economy

The global bonds sell-off continue amid uncertainty over Donald Trump as stock markets continue to rise to record levels. (BBC)

International relations

Brexit aftermath
- There is no plan for Brexit, according to a critical leaked memo from the consulting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. The document indicates Whitehall is working on 500 Brexit-related projects. Both Deloitte and the British Government confirm the document is an internal working document from Deloitte that was compiled without government approval or assistance. (BBC)
- Scottish independence
  - Scotland is considering launching its own passports to maintain the decades-old freedom of movement between Scotland and the rest of the European Union, even if it is lost by England and Wales.(Herald Scotland) (Evening Times)

Law and crime

Russia arrests Economic Development Minister Alexey Ulyukaev for allegedly seeking a bribe to approve the sale of 50 per cent of Bashneft to state-run oil producer Rosneft last month. (Bloomberg)
Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City suspends all arrival and departure flights after at least one person is shot in the airport's parking lot. Local media report that victim has been transported in "emergency condition" to a nearby hospital. (Reuters)
Six students, including the suspect, are stabbed at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah. The suspect is taken into custody, and there are no reports of life threatening injuries. (Washington Post)
Police in Anchorage, Alaska link a gun that a suspect used in the attempted murder of a police officer, to five unsolved homicides in the city which occurred over the summer. The suspect was killed during the murder attempt. (Alaska Dispatch News)
The families of those killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings of 2012 ask the Connecticut Supreme Court to reverse a lower court dismissal of their lawsuit against Remington Arms, maker of the Bushmaster rifle used by murderer Adam Lanza. (Reuters)
Egypt's court of cassation overturns the death sentence on Mohamed Morsi and five other members of the Muslim Brotherhood. The court orders a retrial of six men for their roles in releasing the prisoners from the Wadi el-Natrun prison. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Presidential transition of Donald Trump
- Ben Carson, former GOP presidential candidate, current advisor to President-elect Donald Trump and retired neurosurgeon, has decided to not accept a Cabinet position in the Trump administration. (Reuters)
- Trump business interests
  - Three Trump Place buildings on New York City's Upper West Side are each changing its name to their street addresses in response to a residents' petition, and to assume a neutral building identity, according to the landlord Equity Residential's spokesperson. (New York Post)(The Real Deal)

November 14, 2016 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Terrorism in Indonesia
- A child is killed and three other children are wounded in an attack in Samarinda. (ABC)
2016 India–Pakistan military confrontation
- Pakistan Army's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reports seven Pakistani soldiers have been killed by Indian cross-border shelling in Bhimber District, Azad Kashmir. (Reuters)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- A suicide bomber kills six people near Karbala. (Reuters) (RFERL)
- At least eight people are killed and 20 others are injured in car bomb attacks in Fallujah. (Reuters)
At least nine Shia pilgrims have been killed and several injured after police opened fire on a religious procession by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria in the city of Kano, Nigeria. (BBC News) (Al-Jazeera)

Business and economics

Samsung Electronics agrees to buy the U.S.-based Harman International Industries for $8 billion in the biggest overseas acquisition ever by a South Korean company. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Kaikoura earthquake
- A 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes north of Christchurch, New Zealand, in the early hours Monday, triggering tsunami warnings and causing widespread damage. At least two people are reported killed. (Metro) (Reuters)
A Russian MiG-29 crashes in the Mediterranean Sea off the Syrian coast. The pilot ejected safely from the plane and is unhurt. (BBC)

Law and crime

A report states that Malaysia does not successfully deal with child sexual abuse cases due to weaknesses in the nation's criminal justice system, and the country's failure to increase public awareness of this crime by not releasing relevant data. (Reuters)
A judge orders the release of Brendan Dassey, the subject of the Netflix series Making a Murderer. Wisconsin's Attorney General announces he intends to file an emergency appeal. (WTMJ-TV)
Breach notification website LeakedSource.com reports information for over 412 million users of FriendFinder Networks Inc. adult websites, as well as records from Penthouse.com, were compromised last month in the largest hack of the year. This attack potentially exposes 10 times the number in 2015's hack of infidelity website Ashley Madison. (Reuters) (The Washington Post) (LeakedSource.com)

Politics and elections

Aftermath of the Bulgarian presidential election, 2016
- Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov resigns as a result of Socialist-backed Rumen Radev winning the presidential election. (Reuters)
Augustin Matata Ponyo resigns as Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Africa News)
Moldovan presidential election, 2016
- Igor Dodon, of the Socialists’ Party, wins Sunday's Moldovan presidential election run-off with 52.2 percent of the vote, besting former Education Minister Maia Sandu of the Action and Security Party. Sandu has not yet accepted these preliminary results because of voting irregularities which she will present to the Central Election Commission for review. (AP via The Washington Post) (Euronews)
Presidential transition of Donald Trump
- President-elect Donald Trump is seeking top secret security clearances for his children, according to CBS News. (Reuters) (CBS News)

Science and technology

Spanish archaeologists in Luxor announce the discovery of an approximately 3000 year old mummy in "near perfect" condition. (MSN)

November 13, 2016 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Internal conflict in Myanmar
- Rohingya insurgency in Western Myanmar
  - Eight people are killed and 36 are arrested in clashes between the Myanmar Army and what are believed to be Rohingya insurgents in Rakhine State. (Reuters)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Human Rights Watch says that Kurdish Regional Government forces have destroyed Arab homes and villages in northern Iraq in what may amount to a war crime. (Reuters)
- Battle of Mosul (2016)
  - The ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, south of Mosul, is recaptured by the Iraqi Army after heavy fighting with ISIL militants. (The Guardian)
Syrian Civil War
- Militants launch projectiles containing toxic gas in an area near Aleppo International Airport, injuring at least 28 people. (South Front)
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says an explosion from a suspected airstrike at a border crossing in Kurdish-held Afrin Canton kills 12 people. (AP)

Business and economics

Volkswagen emissions scandal
- A new class action lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in U.S. federal court in Illinois, claims the Volkswagen Group used emission defeat devices in at least six of its Audi V6 gasoline engines. (UPI) (Auto Week) (Industry Week)

Disasters and accidents

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes northwest Argentina, near Chilecito in La Rioja Province. No reports of damages or injuries. (AP)

International relations

Australia–United States relations
- Australia and the United States reach a deal to relocate asylum seekers from Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island to the U.S. (AAP via Yahoo News Australia)

Law and crime

Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte threatens to suspend the country's habeas corpus "if forced to" by what he says the worsening lawlessness in the country. He mentioned in the same speech, the alleged widespread illegal drug trade in the country, the rebellion in Mindanao, and the worsening campaign against the militant Maute group. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Politics and elections

Bulgarian presidential election, 2016
- Bulgarians head to the polls in a presidential runoff between BSP backed Rumen Radev, of the socialist opposition, and Tsetska Tsacheva, Chairwoman of the National Assembly, from incumbent prime-minister Boyko Borisov's conservative GERB. Exit polls by Alpha Research and Gallup International show Radev with about 58 percent of the vote with Tsacheva getting around 35 percent. (novinite.com) (Reuters)
Moldovan presidential election, 2016
- Voters in Moldova head to the polls in the country's presidential runoff between two opposition candidates, Igor Dodon, from the pro-Russian socialist PSRM, and Maia Sandu, from the pro-EU liberal PAS, with Dodon expected to win. Preliminary results, in this first Moldovan election where the president is chosen by national votes rather than by parliament, will be announced Monday. (ABCNEWS) (Voice of America)
2016 South Korean political scandal
- A South Korean official says prosecutors will question President Park Geun-hye, no later than Wednesday, about the political corruption scandal. This will be the first time a sitting president is questioned by prosecutors in a criminal case. (Reuters)
Presidential transition of Donald Trump
- President-elect of the United States Donald Trump says he plans to deport or imprison up to 3 million illegal migrants, targeting those with criminal records. (BBC)
- Proposed cabinet of Donald Trump
  - President-elect Donald Trump names Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus as his White House Chief of Staff. (BBC)
  - Donald Trump's presidential campaign chief executive and Breitbart News executive chairman, Stephen Bannon, is named as Trump's Counselor to the President. (Sky News)
- United States–European Union relations
  - European Union foreign ministers hold a emergency meeting to assess the impact of the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president on EU-U.S. relations. U.K. and French foreign ministers do not participate. (The Washington Post)
- Protests against Donald Trump
  - Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway asks outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama and former U.S. First Lady and Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to discourage the protests. (The Washington Post)
2016 Turkish purges
- The Turkish Defense Ministry announces about 300 Turkish naval officers, suspected of having ties to the failed government coup, have been suspended or dismissed. (UPI)

More November 2016 events...

Ongoing events
Business Indian currency demonetisation Panama Papers Volkswagen emissions scandal Trans-Pacific Partnership Disasters Atlantic hurricane season California wildfires Oklahoma earthquake swarms Pacific hurricane season Pacific typhoon season Health Flint water crisis Law Black Lives Matter protests Dakota Access Pipeline protests Philippine Drug War Timor Gap PCA arbitration Political 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal Austria presidential election Brexit aftermath Ethiopian protests European migrant crisis (timeline) South China Sea disputes South Korean political scandal and protests Turkish purges United States elections, 2016 United States presidential election Anti–Trump protests Presidential transition of Donald Trump Venezuelan protests Zimbabwe protests More details on ongoing conflicts below Sport 2016 ATP World Tour 2016 Formula One season 2016–17 NBA season 2016–17 NHL season 2016 NFL season 2016–17 Premier League 2016 WTA Tour edit sidebar

Recent deaths
November 18: Denton Cooley 18: Sharon Jones 16: Melvin Laird 15: Mose Allison 15: Sixto Durán Ballén 15: Holly Dunn 14: Marti Friedlander 14: Gwen Ifill 13: Leon Russell 12: Lupita Tovar 11: Ilse Aichinger 11: Aileen Mehle 11: Robert Vaughn 9: Jack Bodell 8: Raoul Coutard 7: Leonard Cohen 7: Janet Reno 7: Jimmy Young 6: Marc Sleen 5: Ralph J. Cicerone 5: Marek Svatoš 4: Mansour Pourheidari 3: Clive Derby-Lewis 3: Kay Starr 2: Bob Cranshaw 2: Oleg Popov October 31: Natalie Babbitt 30: James Galanos 30: Tammy Grimes 30: Curly Putman 29: Raymond Gilmour 27: René Chamussy 27: Susan Lindquist 25: Bob Hoover 25: Carlos Alberto Torres 24: Jorge Batlle Ibáñez 24: Bobby Vee 23: Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani 23: Pete Burns 23: Tom Hayden 23: Jimmy Perry edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Africa Algeria and Tunisia Maghreb insurgency ISIL insurgency in Tunisia Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria Boko Haram insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Somalia Civil war South Sudan Ethnic violence (South Sudanese Civil War) Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Sudanese nomadic conflicts Americas Mexico Mexican War on Drugs Peru Internal conflict in Peru Asia Afghanistan Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines Moro conflict Cross border attacks in Sabah Indonesia and Papua New Guinea Papua conflict Myanmar Internal conflict in Burma Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Thailand South Thailand insurgency Europe Armenia and Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Russia Chechen–Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Egypt Sinai insurgency Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria Arab–Israeli conflict Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraq American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Iraq and Syria (map) Military intervention against ISIL Israel and Lebanon Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israel and Palestine Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Syria American-led intervention in Syria Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Turkish military intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey–PKK conflict Turkey–ISIL conflict Yemen Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Al-Qaeda insurgency edit sidebar

Elections and Referendums
Recent October 23: Lithuania, Seimas (2nd round) 29: Iceland, Althing 30: Georgia, Parliament (2nd round) 30: Ivory Coast, Referendum 30: Moldova, President November 1: Palau, President, National Congress 6: Bulgaria, President, Referendum 6: Nicaragua, President, National Assembly 8: United States, President, Senate, House of Representatives 13: Bulgaria, President (2nd round) 13: Moldova, President (2nd round) Upcoming November 20: Haiti, President 26: Kuwait, National Assembly 27: Switzerland, Referendum December 4: Austria, President (2nd round) 4: Italy, Constitutional referendum 7: Ghana, President, Parliament 11: Republic of Macedonia, Parliament edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Australia: Brett Peter Cowan, Craig Thomson, Robert Hughes, Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara Canada: Luka Magnotta China: Guo Youming, Zhu Zuoli, Wan Qingliang, Ji Jianye, Li Chuncheng, Jiang Jiemin, Liao Shaohua, Ni Fake, Ling Jihua, Chen Baihuai, Zhou Yongkang, Gu Junshan, Yao Mugen, Guo Boxiong Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Peter Greste, Mohamed Morsi Germany: Bernie Ecclestone, Uli Hoeness, Christian Wulff Iran: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Israel: Hussam Qawasmeh Jordan: Abu Qatada Philippines: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Joel Villanueva Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Dan Diaconescu, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Russia: Eston Kohver South Africa: Shrien Dewani, Oscar Pistorius Spain: Lionel Messi Turkey: Kenan Evren, Tahsin Şahinkaya United Kingdom: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, Ray Wilkins, Liam Adams, R v Grillo and Grillo, Ian Watkins, William Roache, Dave Lee Travis, Nicholas Jacobs, Nigel Evans, Max Clifford, Stuart Hall, Dappy, Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, Rolf Harris, Tulisa Contostavlos, Chris Denning, Ray Teret, Gary Glitter, Fred Talbot, Adam Johnson, Ched Evans United States: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Michael Grimm, Jesse Jackson Jr., Bob McDonnell, Vilma Bautista, Kermit Gosnell, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, James Eagan Holmes, Sheldon Silver, Javaris Crittenton, Dylan Quick, Paul Anthony Ciancia, Dean Skelos, International ECCC: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan ICC: Germain Katanga ICTY: Radovan Karadžić Ongoing China: Bai Enpei, Pan Yiyang, Yang Weize Germany: Beate Zschäpe Indonesia: Mary Jane Veloso Iran: Babak Zanjani Netherlands: Geert Wilders Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr., Leila de Lima, Rodrigo Duterte, Jovito Palparan Romania: Darius Vâlcov, Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie, Cătălin Voicu Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: MV Sewol crew members United States: Etan Patz International ICTY: Ratko Mladić Upcoming China: Wu Changshun Estonia: Edgar Savisaar Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi United Kingdom: Rolf Harris United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Aaron Hernandez, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Rick Perry, Bill Cosby International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo edit sidebar