An earthquake strikes Maluku, Indonesia, killing at least 30 people.
During a prolonged period of haze (pictured) over Southeast Asia, more than 800,000 people endure respiratory diseases.
An earthquake in Kashmir kills 38 people and injures more than 700 others.
Astronomers announce that 2I/Borisov is the first verified interstellar comet, ahead of its closest approach to the Sun on 7 December.
Ongoing: Brexit Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump
Recent deaths: Jack Edwards Shuping Wang Arne Weise Sid Haig Robert Hunter Madhav Apte
Nominate an article
October 1, 2019 (Tuesday)
edithistorywatch
Business and economy
The famed Belfast shipyard Harland and Wolff will not close. Its owner, Dolphin Drilling announces that it has found a buyer, infrastructure-based InfraStrata. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
A bridge collapses on fishing boats in Su'ao, Taiwan. Ten people are injured and six are believed to have been trapped. (Reuters)
Law and crime
One person is dead and 9 others are injured after reportedly being attacked with a sword at a school inside a mall in Kuopio, Finland. Police used firearms, and a suspect was taken into custody. (Evening Standard)
Politics and elections
2019 Hong Kong protests
Violent clashes erupt between pro-democracy protesters and police in Hong Kong on National Day of the People's Republic of China. (The Charlotte Observer)
September 30, 2019 (Monday)
edithistorywatch
Armed conflicts and attacks
Somali Civil War
Islamist militants launch two attacks against foreign forces in Somalia. A U.S. military base in Baledogle, Lower Shabelle, is stormed by attackers using two car bombs and guns, and an Italian peacekeeping convoy is targeted by additional bombs in Mogadishu. United States and Italian authorities both state no injuries occurred, although the suicide bombing against the Italian convoy destroyed a military vehicle and heavily damaged nearby buildings. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for both attacks. (Newsweek)
Yemeni Civil War, Yemeni peace process
The International Committee of the Red Cross says that the Houthis have unilaterally released 290 prisoners. The move is part of a peace agreement brokered in Stockholm by the United Nations in December. The Houthis call on their opponents to take a comparable step. (BBC)
The Swedish Navy formally relocates its headquarters back to the underground Muskö naval base on the island of Muskö after a 25-year absence. The move from Karlskrona naval base to Muskö is based on the calculation that only Muskö could withstand a Russian attack, according to the Swedish Defence Research Agency. (The Guardian)
Business and economy
The American clothing retailer Forever 21 files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announces it will close up to 178 stores. (NPR)
French airline XL Airways grounds all flights amid financial difficulties ahead of a bankruptcy hearing scheduled for Wednesday. (The Local)
Slovenian airline Adria Airways cancels all flights and files for bankruptcy. (Reuters)
International relations
Foreign relations of Vanuatu, 2019 Papua protests
At the United Nations, the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai, calls for "action on West Papua". He was rebuffed by Indonesian diplomats. (RNZ)
Iraq–Syria relations
The main border crossing between Al-Qa'im, Iraq, and Albukamal, Syria, reopens. (AFP via The Daily Star)
Law and crime
Eight alleged members of a far right terror cell go on trial in Germany. The defendents, from Chemnitz, are accused of plotting attacks against immigrants and "the economic establishment". The city saw far-right protests last year following the stabbing homicide of a German man. (BBC)
Moroccan journalist Hajar Raissouni and her husband Rifaat al-Amin are each jailed for a year by a Rabat court for premarital sex and unlawful abortion, with doctor Mohammed Jamal Belkeziz receiving two years for carrying an abortion out. Her lawyer claims the evidence was fabricated to dissuade Raissouni and others from criticising the government. Observers including Amnesty International criticise the verdicts. (The Guardian)
European migrant crisis
Riots erupt following a fire yesterday which killed an Afghan woman at an overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. The camp in Moria houses 13,000 in tents and shipping containers but has facilities for only 3,000 residents. The Greek government declares it will step up transfers to the mainland in response. (The Guardian)
Politics and elections
President of Peru Martín Vizcarra dissolves the Congress and calls for snap elections. Lawmakers reject the proposal, suspend him from office and name Mercedes Aráoz as acting president. The Peruvian Armed Forces continued to recognize Vizcarra as president of Peru and head of the armed forces. Popular protests takes place in the streets of Lima. (BBC), (The Guardian), (The New York Times)
Science and technology
Scientists say the largest iceberg in 50 years has broken away from Antarctica's Amery Ice Shelf. The 1,636 sq km iceberg, known as D28, will continue to be monitored as it could pose a risk to shipping. (BBC)
A near-record snowstorm drops large amounts of snow in some parts of Alberta, from September 27-30. 95 cm fell in Waterton, 50-60 cm fell in Lethbridge, and over 27-32 cm fell in Calgary. Impacts were relatively mild, with power outages, and businesses closing. (The Globe and Mail)
September 29, 2019 (Sunday)
edithistorywatch
Armed conflicts and attacks
Saudi Arabian and Yemeni border conflict, Yemeni Crisis
Yemen's Houthi movement releases footage appearing to show captured Saudi Arabian Army soldiers and burning armoured personnel carriers, after claiming to have conducted an "all-out" cross-border offensive inside Saudi Arabia's Najran Region that defeated three "enemy military brigades". (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
A major blackout leaves almost all residents of the Spanish island of Tenerife without electricity. (Sky News)
A fire at an overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos kills an Afghan woman living in a shipping container. A local official claims "aggressive" residents at the camp prevented firefighters from accessing the blaze, and that thrown stones and other missiles injured first responders and damaged their vehicles. (The Guardian)
Politics and elections
2019 Austrian legislative election
The Federal Electoral Authority, based on preliminary results, reports the People's Party, headed by the prior chancellor Sebastian Kurz, wins the snap election with 38.4 percent of the vote. Second place Social Democratic Party got 21.5%. (BBC), (The New York Times), (National Election Authority (in German)), (Reuters)
Sports
2019 UCI Road World Championships
Mads Pedersen wins the men's Road race World Championship as the first rider from Denmark ever. (BBC)
September 28, 2019 (Saturday)
edithistorywatch
Armed conflicts and attacks
A bomb targeting the office of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in Chaman, Balochistan, Pakistan, kills three people, including leader Maulana Mohammad Hanif, with nine more people injured. (Arab News)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
Houthi rebels claim that they have captured "thousands" of enemy troops near the Saudi town of Najran following a major, deadly attack near the two countries' border. Saudi officials have not confirmed the claim. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
Flooding in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh kills at least 93 people and displaces thousands of others. Another 29 people were killed in Bihar. (BBC).
An oil tanker ship explodes in Ulsan, South Korea, with flames subsequently spreading to an adjacent second tanker. At least ten people are injured. (CBC)
A coach with a flat tyre swerves into oncoming traffic and strikes a lorry head-on in Jiangsu, China. The collision kills at least 36 and injures another 36. (The Guardian)
International relations
Syrian Civil War, U.N. General Assembly 74th session, Rojava conflict
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem demands the immediate withdrawal of "occupying forces" from Turkey and the United States, maintaining they are an illegal presence in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and warning that Syria is entitled by international law to take countermeasures. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
2019 Afghan presidential election
Voters in Afghanistan head to the polls to elect a new president. The process is overshadowed by "insurgent" attacks, which led to dozens of civilian casualties. (DW)
The Independent Election Commission says it has reports that there is no contact with 901 of the 4,942 polling centers. (Reuters)
Sports
The Richmond Football Club defeats the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the 2019 AFL Grand Final by 114 points to 25, marking the club's twelfth premiership and second in three years. The match, attended by 100,014 spectators, is the lowest single-match score by the Giants in their history, and the most lopsided Grand Final result in Richmond's history (89 points). (The Age)
2019 UCI Road World Championships
Annemiek van Vleuten wins the women's road race after a 105-kilometre (65 mi) solo attack, with a lead of 2 min 15 s over second-placed defending champion Anna van der Breggen. (The Guardian)
September 27, 2019 (Friday)
edithistorywatch
Armed conflicts and attacks
American intervention in Libya (2015–present)
The United States Africa Command says the US has carried out an airstrike against ISIL in southwest Libya, killing at least 17 militants. (The Straits Times)
Business and economy
Collapse of Thomas Cook
Portugal announces it has set aside 150 million euros to lend to the companies that have been hurt by the collapse of tour guide company Thomas Cook. (Reuters)
Health and environment
September 2019 climate strikes, Individual and political action on climate change
An estimated two million people across the world participate in strikes to encourage action on climate change, with a total of 6 million during the week, including up to 500,000 protesters in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (The Guardian) (CBC)
International relations
Foreign relations of China, Foreign relations of Taiwan, Foreign relations of Kiribati, Cross-Strait relations
Anti-China protests are held by the opposition in Kiribati's capital of Tarawa after the government severed ties with Taiwan and established relations with China. (RNZ)
Turkey–United States relations
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says that it is "impossible" for his country to stop buying oil from Iran, despite United States sanctions against Iran. (Reuters)
U.N. General Assembly 74th session, Foreign relations of North Macedonia
North Macedonia establishes diplomatic relations with Armenia, Monaco, San Marino and Tunisia at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia) (News.am) (Foreign Minister of North Macedonia)
2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
Diplomats of several Western-aligned countries walk out of the UN General Assembly as Venezuelan Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez begins a speech.(Fox News)
Law and crime
Honour killing in Pakistan
The brother of Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch is sentenced to life in prison for her honour murder, while six others are acquitted. The case sparked international headlines and discussion of women's rights in the country. (BBC)
Crisis in Venezuela
A resolution is adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council with 19 votes in favour, 7 against and 21 abstentions, accusing Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro government of thousands of extrajudicial murders, forced disappearances, and torture, after being proposed by the Lima Group and backed by many European countries. The UN resolves to send an investigative mission to the country. Maduro says the motion was "produced by the United States to run a hate campaign". Another Venezuelan representative calls the UN a "small group" that they "will not cooperate with". (BBC)
Police in Kaduna, Nigeria, raid an Islamic learning centre, and free around 500 men and male children held captive there. The freed detainees allege torture, slavery, and sexual abuse, and some display evidence of injury and malnutrition. Two children self-identify as being from Burkina Faso, with the remaining captives thought by police to be mostly Nigerian. Eight suspects are arrested. (BBC)
Politics and elections
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is formally referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) amid allegations of corruption during his tenure as Mayor of London. Johnson is alleged to have awarded a close friend, American technology entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri, "thousands of pounds" in public business funding, according to the The Sunday Times. (The Guardian)
Trump–Ukraine controversy, Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump
Kurt Volker, United States special envoy to Ukraine, resigns one day after the release of a whistleblower report concerning a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. (CNN) (Reuters)
2020 United States federal budget
President of the United States Donald Trump signs a short-term spending bill that temporarily extends government funding through November 21, thereby avoiding a federal government shutdown when the 2019 budget funding ends on September 30. (The Hill) (CNN)
September 26, 2019 (Thursday)
edithistorywatch
Business and economy
The world's largest airport, Beijing Daxing International Airport, formally opens to commercial flights. (CNN)
Disasters and accidents
2019 Ambon earthquake
A 6.5-magnitude earthquake strikes the Maluku Islands in eastern Indonesia. 30 people are killed and 156 others injured. (Rappler)
Around 100 people are evacuated from Breivika port in Tromsø, Norway, after Russian trawler FV Bukhta Naezdnik catches fire and develops a heavy list. The burning ship has a tank of ammonia and 200,000 litres of diesel oil on board. The ship is purposely capsized to reduce the risk of the ammonia tank exploding. (BreakingNews.ie) (The Independent)
At least 30 miners are killed after a gold mine collapses due to a landslide in the Tibesti Region, Chad. (BBC)
International relations
Foreign relations of Sudan, Aftermath of the Sudanese Revolution
Sudan closes its borders with Libya and the Central African Republic citing the "threat they pose to the security and economy of Sudan". (Africanews)
Japan–South Korea relations, 2019 Japan–South Korea trade dispute
Japan and South Korea fail to make progress toward resolution, but agree to continue dialogue. (The Japan Times) (Bloomberg)
Law and crime
The Major Criminal Court in Bahrain sentences four people to jail terms for setting up a terror group with the aim of launching attacks on police, and related crimes. Two are fugitives tried in absentia (Gulf News)
Authorities in the Netherlands launch a probe into bank ABN Amro. The bank is suspected of breaching rules on money laundering and terrorism financing. (City A.M.)
Politics and elections
National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States
The United States Senate votes to end President Donald Trump's emergency declaration along the U.S.-Mexico border. (CBS News)
September 2019 Indonesian protests and riots
A student dies after allegedly being shot during a violent clash between the protesters and police force in front of the provincial parliament building in Kendari, Indonesia. (The Jakarta Post)
Science and technology
The Soyuz-MS spacecraft Sarmat successfully docks with the International Space Station, with the first Emirati astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri, and Expedition 61 astronauts Jessica Meir and Oleg Skripochka joining the crew of Expedition 60 aboard the station. (Gulf News)
September 25, 2019 (Wednesday)
edithistorywatch
Business and economy
Collapse of Thomas Cook
German airline Condor, a subsidiary of the now insolvent Thomas Cook Group, files for bankruptcy. (BBC)
Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps announces that the UK government is planning to introduce new legislation in the aftermath of Thomas Cook's collapse in order to allow "more orderly" bankruptcies by travel agencies and airlines. (Sky News)
Northern Irish bus manufacturer Wrightbus collapses into administration after buyout talks fail, with 1,200 jobs lost. Local politicians urge action from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who commissioned the so-called "Boris Bus" from the company when he was Mayor of London and previously promised to "do everything we can to ensure the future of" Wrightbus. (Sky News)
Disasters and accidents
Rescuers reach the wreckage of a Twin Otter cargo plane that crashed last week between Timika and Ilaga in Papua, Indonesia. All four persons on board are found dead, and their bodies are recovered. (The Malaysian Insight)
Health and environment
Climate change mitigation
An advisory board to the Dutch government recommends reducing speed limits on roads and using public money to purchase outdated cattle farms as part of a raft of measures to tackle global warming-linked nitrogen emissions in the country. (Associated Press)
Economy of Poland
Polish Energy Minister Krzysztof Tchórzewski announces the ruling Law and Justice party plans to pass new laws to enable more coal mines to be built. (Reuters via Euronews)
International relations
Foreign relations of Kiribati
Kiribatian President Taneti Mamau condemns Australia for the alleged apathy the Australian government shows toward small island nations in the Pacific facing the threat of global warming. (RNZ)
Law and crime
A bomb explodes as a police riot bus passes by in Yüreğir, Adana Province, Turkey. At least five officers are injured. (Bianet)
Cannabis in Australia
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) becomes the first jurisdiction in Australia to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. From January 31, 2020, adults within ACT will be allowed to have 50 grams of the drug and can grow up to four cannabis plants at home. (BBC)
Millionaire Italian yacht businessman Giulio Lolli is convicted of terrorism in Libya and sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Tripoli. Lolli is wanted for fraud in Italy, and his Italian lawyer says the Libyan legal case appears to be based on Lolli using a yacht to evacuate fighters from Tripoli. (The Times)
A jury in New York convicts Dilkhayot Kasimov, a citizen of Uzbekistan, of terrorism offences for attempting to raise funds to assist a friend in travelling to join ISIL. Five others pleaded guilty in 2015. (Associated Press)
Suspected serial killer Gracious David-West confesses to fifteen murders at a hotel in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. (The Telegraph)
The military court in Blida sentences Mohamed Mediène, Said Bouteflika [ar; fr], Bachir Tartag [ar; fr] and Louisa Hanoune, four persons from the ruling elite around former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, to 15-year jail terms for conspiracy against the army and the authority of the Algerian state. (Reuters)
Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump
The United States House of Representatives issues an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. (CNN)
Danske Bank money laundering scandal
Authorities raid the German bank Deutsche Bank as part of a money laundering probe into €200 billion of suspicious payments identified into the accounts of Danske Bank's branch in Estonia. Danske Bank's Estonian boss from 2007 to 2015 is found dead near Talinn at his home in circumstances police describe as neither suspicious nor accidental. (City A.M.)
A federal grand jury indicts a US Army solider on charges of distributing explosives information as part of an alleged far-right terror plot. (CNN)
Politics and elections
September 2019 Israeli legislative election
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin formally gives Benjamin Netanyahu the mandate to form the next Israeli government by October 24, after 55 members of the Knesset recommended the latter, compared with 54 recommendations for Benny Gantz. If Netanyahu fails, the mandate could be transferred to Gantz. (The Jerusalem Post)
Science and technology
The Soyuz-MS spacecraft Sarmat, carrying Hazza Al Mansouri, the first United Arab Emirates astronaut, and Expedition 61 crew members Jessica Meir and Oleg Skripochka, is launched to the International Space Station. It was the final flight of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle – all future Soyuz MS spacecraft launches will be conducted with the Soyuz-2. (Spaceflight Now) (CBS News)
During a prolonged period of haze (pictured) over Southeast Asia, more than 800,000 people endure respiratory diseases.
An earthquake in Kashmir kills 38 people and injures more than 700 others.
Astronomers announce that 2I/Borisov is the first verified interstellar comet, ahead of its closest approach to the Sun on 7 December.
Ongoing: Brexit Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump
Recent deaths: Jack Edwards Shuping Wang Arne Weise Sid Haig Robert Hunter Madhav Apte
Nominate an article
October 1, 2019 (Tuesday)
edithistorywatch
Business and economy
The famed Belfast shipyard Harland and Wolff will not close. Its owner, Dolphin Drilling announces that it has found a buyer, infrastructure-based InfraStrata. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
A bridge collapses on fishing boats in Su'ao, Taiwan. Ten people are injured and six are believed to have been trapped. (Reuters)
Law and crime
One person is dead and 9 others are injured after reportedly being attacked with a sword at a school inside a mall in Kuopio, Finland. Police used firearms, and a suspect was taken into custody. (Evening Standard)
Politics and elections
2019 Hong Kong protests
Violent clashes erupt between pro-democracy protesters and police in Hong Kong on National Day of the People's Republic of China. (The Charlotte Observer)
September 30, 2019 (Monday)
edithistorywatch
Armed conflicts and attacks
Somali Civil War
Islamist militants launch two attacks against foreign forces in Somalia. A U.S. military base in Baledogle, Lower Shabelle, is stormed by attackers using two car bombs and guns, and an Italian peacekeeping convoy is targeted by additional bombs in Mogadishu. United States and Italian authorities both state no injuries occurred, although the suicide bombing against the Italian convoy destroyed a military vehicle and heavily damaged nearby buildings. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for both attacks. (Newsweek)
Yemeni Civil War, Yemeni peace process
The International Committee of the Red Cross says that the Houthis have unilaterally released 290 prisoners. The move is part of a peace agreement brokered in Stockholm by the United Nations in December. The Houthis call on their opponents to take a comparable step. (BBC)
The Swedish Navy formally relocates its headquarters back to the underground Muskö naval base on the island of Muskö after a 25-year absence. The move from Karlskrona naval base to Muskö is based on the calculation that only Muskö could withstand a Russian attack, according to the Swedish Defence Research Agency. (The Guardian)
Business and economy
The American clothing retailer Forever 21 files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announces it will close up to 178 stores. (NPR)
French airline XL Airways grounds all flights amid financial difficulties ahead of a bankruptcy hearing scheduled for Wednesday. (The Local)
Slovenian airline Adria Airways cancels all flights and files for bankruptcy. (Reuters)
International relations
Foreign relations of Vanuatu, 2019 Papua protests
At the United Nations, the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai, calls for "action on West Papua". He was rebuffed by Indonesian diplomats. (RNZ)
Iraq–Syria relations
The main border crossing between Al-Qa'im, Iraq, and Albukamal, Syria, reopens. (AFP via The Daily Star)
Law and crime
Eight alleged members of a far right terror cell go on trial in Germany. The defendents, from Chemnitz, are accused of plotting attacks against immigrants and "the economic establishment". The city saw far-right protests last year following the stabbing homicide of a German man. (BBC)
Moroccan journalist Hajar Raissouni and her husband Rifaat al-Amin are each jailed for a year by a Rabat court for premarital sex and unlawful abortion, with doctor Mohammed Jamal Belkeziz receiving two years for carrying an abortion out. Her lawyer claims the evidence was fabricated to dissuade Raissouni and others from criticising the government. Observers including Amnesty International criticise the verdicts. (The Guardian)
European migrant crisis
Riots erupt following a fire yesterday which killed an Afghan woman at an overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. The camp in Moria houses 13,000 in tents and shipping containers but has facilities for only 3,000 residents. The Greek government declares it will step up transfers to the mainland in response. (The Guardian)
Politics and elections
President of Peru Martín Vizcarra dissolves the Congress and calls for snap elections. Lawmakers reject the proposal, suspend him from office and name Mercedes Aráoz as acting president. The Peruvian Armed Forces continued to recognize Vizcarra as president of Peru and head of the armed forces. Popular protests takes place in the streets of Lima. (BBC), (The Guardian), (The New York Times)
Science and technology
Scientists say the largest iceberg in 50 years has broken away from Antarctica's Amery Ice Shelf. The 1,636 sq km iceberg, known as D28, will continue to be monitored as it could pose a risk to shipping. (BBC)
A near-record snowstorm drops large amounts of snow in some parts of Alberta, from September 27-30. 95 cm fell in Waterton, 50-60 cm fell in Lethbridge, and over 27-32 cm fell in Calgary. Impacts were relatively mild, with power outages, and businesses closing. (The Globe and Mail)
September 29, 2019 (Sunday)
edithistorywatch
Armed conflicts and attacks
Saudi Arabian and Yemeni border conflict, Yemeni Crisis
Yemen's Houthi movement releases footage appearing to show captured Saudi Arabian Army soldiers and burning armoured personnel carriers, after claiming to have conducted an "all-out" cross-border offensive inside Saudi Arabia's Najran Region that defeated three "enemy military brigades". (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
A major blackout leaves almost all residents of the Spanish island of Tenerife without electricity. (Sky News)
A fire at an overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos kills an Afghan woman living in a shipping container. A local official claims "aggressive" residents at the camp prevented firefighters from accessing the blaze, and that thrown stones and other missiles injured first responders and damaged their vehicles. (The Guardian)
Politics and elections
2019 Austrian legislative election
The Federal Electoral Authority, based on preliminary results, reports the People's Party, headed by the prior chancellor Sebastian Kurz, wins the snap election with 38.4 percent of the vote. Second place Social Democratic Party got 21.5%. (BBC), (The New York Times), (National Election Authority (in German)), (Reuters)
Sports
2019 UCI Road World Championships
Mads Pedersen wins the men's Road race World Championship as the first rider from Denmark ever. (BBC)
September 28, 2019 (Saturday)
edithistorywatch
Armed conflicts and attacks
A bomb targeting the office of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in Chaman, Balochistan, Pakistan, kills three people, including leader Maulana Mohammad Hanif, with nine more people injured. (Arab News)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
Houthi rebels claim that they have captured "thousands" of enemy troops near the Saudi town of Najran following a major, deadly attack near the two countries' border. Saudi officials have not confirmed the claim. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
Flooding in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh kills at least 93 people and displaces thousands of others. Another 29 people were killed in Bihar. (BBC).
An oil tanker ship explodes in Ulsan, South Korea, with flames subsequently spreading to an adjacent second tanker. At least ten people are injured. (CBC)
A coach with a flat tyre swerves into oncoming traffic and strikes a lorry head-on in Jiangsu, China. The collision kills at least 36 and injures another 36. (The Guardian)
International relations
Syrian Civil War, U.N. General Assembly 74th session, Rojava conflict
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem demands the immediate withdrawal of "occupying forces" from Turkey and the United States, maintaining they are an illegal presence in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and warning that Syria is entitled by international law to take countermeasures. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
2019 Afghan presidential election
Voters in Afghanistan head to the polls to elect a new president. The process is overshadowed by "insurgent" attacks, which led to dozens of civilian casualties. (DW)
The Independent Election Commission says it has reports that there is no contact with 901 of the 4,942 polling centers. (Reuters)
Sports
The Richmond Football Club defeats the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the 2019 AFL Grand Final by 114 points to 25, marking the club's twelfth premiership and second in three years. The match, attended by 100,014 spectators, is the lowest single-match score by the Giants in their history, and the most lopsided Grand Final result in Richmond's history (89 points). (The Age)
2019 UCI Road World Championships
Annemiek van Vleuten wins the women's road race after a 105-kilometre (65 mi) solo attack, with a lead of 2 min 15 s over second-placed defending champion Anna van der Breggen. (The Guardian)
September 27, 2019 (Friday)
edithistorywatch
Armed conflicts and attacks
American intervention in Libya (2015–present)
The United States Africa Command says the US has carried out an airstrike against ISIL in southwest Libya, killing at least 17 militants. (The Straits Times)
Business and economy
Collapse of Thomas Cook
Portugal announces it has set aside 150 million euros to lend to the companies that have been hurt by the collapse of tour guide company Thomas Cook. (Reuters)
Health and environment
September 2019 climate strikes, Individual and political action on climate change
An estimated two million people across the world participate in strikes to encourage action on climate change, with a total of 6 million during the week, including up to 500,000 protesters in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (The Guardian) (CBC)
International relations
Foreign relations of China, Foreign relations of Taiwan, Foreign relations of Kiribati, Cross-Strait relations
Anti-China protests are held by the opposition in Kiribati's capital of Tarawa after the government severed ties with Taiwan and established relations with China. (RNZ)
Turkey–United States relations
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says that it is "impossible" for his country to stop buying oil from Iran, despite United States sanctions against Iran. (Reuters)
U.N. General Assembly 74th session, Foreign relations of North Macedonia
North Macedonia establishes diplomatic relations with Armenia, Monaco, San Marino and Tunisia at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia) (News.am) (Foreign Minister of North Macedonia)
2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
Diplomats of several Western-aligned countries walk out of the UN General Assembly as Venezuelan Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez begins a speech.(Fox News)
Law and crime
Honour killing in Pakistan
The brother of Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch is sentenced to life in prison for her honour murder, while six others are acquitted. The case sparked international headlines and discussion of women's rights in the country. (BBC)
Crisis in Venezuela
A resolution is adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council with 19 votes in favour, 7 against and 21 abstentions, accusing Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro government of thousands of extrajudicial murders, forced disappearances, and torture, after being proposed by the Lima Group and backed by many European countries. The UN resolves to send an investigative mission to the country. Maduro says the motion was "produced by the United States to run a hate campaign". Another Venezuelan representative calls the UN a "small group" that they "will not cooperate with". (BBC)
Police in Kaduna, Nigeria, raid an Islamic learning centre, and free around 500 men and male children held captive there. The freed detainees allege torture, slavery, and sexual abuse, and some display evidence of injury and malnutrition. Two children self-identify as being from Burkina Faso, with the remaining captives thought by police to be mostly Nigerian. Eight suspects are arrested. (BBC)
Politics and elections
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is formally referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) amid allegations of corruption during his tenure as Mayor of London. Johnson is alleged to have awarded a close friend, American technology entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri, "thousands of pounds" in public business funding, according to the The Sunday Times. (The Guardian)
Trump–Ukraine controversy, Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump
Kurt Volker, United States special envoy to Ukraine, resigns one day after the release of a whistleblower report concerning a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. (CNN) (Reuters)
2020 United States federal budget
President of the United States Donald Trump signs a short-term spending bill that temporarily extends government funding through November 21, thereby avoiding a federal government shutdown when the 2019 budget funding ends on September 30. (The Hill) (CNN)
September 26, 2019 (Thursday)
edithistorywatch
Business and economy
The world's largest airport, Beijing Daxing International Airport, formally opens to commercial flights. (CNN)
Disasters and accidents
2019 Ambon earthquake
A 6.5-magnitude earthquake strikes the Maluku Islands in eastern Indonesia. 30 people are killed and 156 others injured. (Rappler)
Around 100 people are evacuated from Breivika port in Tromsø, Norway, after Russian trawler FV Bukhta Naezdnik catches fire and develops a heavy list. The burning ship has a tank of ammonia and 200,000 litres of diesel oil on board. The ship is purposely capsized to reduce the risk of the ammonia tank exploding. (BreakingNews.ie) (The Independent)
At least 30 miners are killed after a gold mine collapses due to a landslide in the Tibesti Region, Chad. (BBC)
International relations
Foreign relations of Sudan, Aftermath of the Sudanese Revolution
Sudan closes its borders with Libya and the Central African Republic citing the "threat they pose to the security and economy of Sudan". (Africanews)
Japan–South Korea relations, 2019 Japan–South Korea trade dispute
Japan and South Korea fail to make progress toward resolution, but agree to continue dialogue. (The Japan Times) (Bloomberg)
Law and crime
The Major Criminal Court in Bahrain sentences four people to jail terms for setting up a terror group with the aim of launching attacks on police, and related crimes. Two are fugitives tried in absentia (Gulf News)
Authorities in the Netherlands launch a probe into bank ABN Amro. The bank is suspected of breaching rules on money laundering and terrorism financing. (City A.M.)
Politics and elections
National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States
The United States Senate votes to end President Donald Trump's emergency declaration along the U.S.-Mexico border. (CBS News)
September 2019 Indonesian protests and riots
A student dies after allegedly being shot during a violent clash between the protesters and police force in front of the provincial parliament building in Kendari, Indonesia. (The Jakarta Post)
Science and technology
The Soyuz-MS spacecraft Sarmat successfully docks with the International Space Station, with the first Emirati astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri, and Expedition 61 astronauts Jessica Meir and Oleg Skripochka joining the crew of Expedition 60 aboard the station. (Gulf News)
September 25, 2019 (Wednesday)
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Business and economy
Collapse of Thomas Cook
German airline Condor, a subsidiary of the now insolvent Thomas Cook Group, files for bankruptcy. (BBC)
Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps announces that the UK government is planning to introduce new legislation in the aftermath of Thomas Cook's collapse in order to allow "more orderly" bankruptcies by travel agencies and airlines. (Sky News)
Northern Irish bus manufacturer Wrightbus collapses into administration after buyout talks fail, with 1,200 jobs lost. Local politicians urge action from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who commissioned the so-called "Boris Bus" from the company when he was Mayor of London and previously promised to "do everything we can to ensure the future of" Wrightbus. (Sky News)
Disasters and accidents
Rescuers reach the wreckage of a Twin Otter cargo plane that crashed last week between Timika and Ilaga in Papua, Indonesia. All four persons on board are found dead, and their bodies are recovered. (The Malaysian Insight)
Health and environment
Climate change mitigation
An advisory board to the Dutch government recommends reducing speed limits on roads and using public money to purchase outdated cattle farms as part of a raft of measures to tackle global warming-linked nitrogen emissions in the country. (Associated Press)
Economy of Poland
Polish Energy Minister Krzysztof Tchórzewski announces the ruling Law and Justice party plans to pass new laws to enable more coal mines to be built. (Reuters via Euronews)
International relations
Foreign relations of Kiribati
Kiribatian President Taneti Mamau condemns Australia for the alleged apathy the Australian government shows toward small island nations in the Pacific facing the threat of global warming. (RNZ)
Law and crime
A bomb explodes as a police riot bus passes by in Yüreğir, Adana Province, Turkey. At least five officers are injured. (Bianet)
Cannabis in Australia
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) becomes the first jurisdiction in Australia to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. From January 31, 2020, adults within ACT will be allowed to have 50 grams of the drug and can grow up to four cannabis plants at home. (BBC)
Millionaire Italian yacht businessman Giulio Lolli is convicted of terrorism in Libya and sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Tripoli. Lolli is wanted for fraud in Italy, and his Italian lawyer says the Libyan legal case appears to be based on Lolli using a yacht to evacuate fighters from Tripoli. (The Times)
A jury in New York convicts Dilkhayot Kasimov, a citizen of Uzbekistan, of terrorism offences for attempting to raise funds to assist a friend in travelling to join ISIL. Five others pleaded guilty in 2015. (Associated Press)
Suspected serial killer Gracious David-West confesses to fifteen murders at a hotel in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. (The Telegraph)
The military court in Blida sentences Mohamed Mediène, Said Bouteflika [ar; fr], Bachir Tartag [ar; fr] and Louisa Hanoune, four persons from the ruling elite around former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, to 15-year jail terms for conspiracy against the army and the authority of the Algerian state. (Reuters)
Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump
The United States House of Representatives issues an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. (CNN)
Danske Bank money laundering scandal
Authorities raid the German bank Deutsche Bank as part of a money laundering probe into €200 billion of suspicious payments identified into the accounts of Danske Bank's branch in Estonia. Danske Bank's Estonian boss from 2007 to 2015 is found dead near Talinn at his home in circumstances police describe as neither suspicious nor accidental. (City A.M.)
A federal grand jury indicts a US Army solider on charges of distributing explosives information as part of an alleged far-right terror plot. (CNN)
Politics and elections
September 2019 Israeli legislative election
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin formally gives Benjamin Netanyahu the mandate to form the next Israeli government by October 24, after 55 members of the Knesset recommended the latter, compared with 54 recommendations for Benny Gantz. If Netanyahu fails, the mandate could be transferred to Gantz. (The Jerusalem Post)
Science and technology
The Soyuz-MS spacecraft Sarmat, carrying Hazza Al Mansouri, the first United Arab Emirates astronaut, and Expedition 61 crew members Jessica Meir and Oleg Skripochka, is launched to the International Space Station. It was the final flight of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle – all future Soyuz MS spacecraft launches will be conducted with the Soyuz-2. (Spaceflight Now) (CBS News)