Portal:Current events/November 2014

Armed conflicts and attacks

al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
- Clashes between al-Qaeda and security forces leave 20 soldiers and 3 militants dead in Hodeidah province of western Yemen. (Reuters)
Unidentified gunmen kill at least 20 police officers in an ambush in northwest Kenya. (World Bulletin)
Siege of Kobanê
- Turkey breaks from its policy of preventing Kurdish fighters from entering Syria and allows 150 Iraqi Peshmerga to cross into Kobanê. (The Guardian)
Israel-Gaza conflict
- The Israel Defense Forces report a rocket fired from Gaza landed in Israeli territory with no injuries or damage. (AFP via Al Arabiya English)

Disasters and accidents

At least four people are dead, one injured and several missing following a fire in a two apartment building near the University of Southern Maine campus in Portland. (AP via Yahoo News US)

Sports

Western Sydney Wanderers win the AFC Champions League, defeating Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal 1–0 on aggregate to became the first Australian club to win the tournament. (AAP via ABC News Australia)
The racehorse Bayern wins the 2014 running of the Breeders' Cup Classic.(Official Breeders' Cup results)

November 2, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant:
- Over 300 members of the Sunni Albu Nimr tribe are executed by ISIS militants in Anbar Province, western Iraq. (Reuters via Al Arabiya)
Libyan Civil War:
- The death toll surpasses 200 from fighting between loyalist troops and Islamist militias in Benghazi since an offensive launched by Khalifa Hifter began two weeks ago. (AP via ABC News)
At least 60 people were killed and 110 injured by a suicide bombing in the Pakistani city of Lahore. (CNN)
Abu Sayyaf guerillas kill six Philippine Army soldiers outside the town of Basilan. (AP viaWashington Post)
An assault on a police barracks by suspected members of the Mombasa Republican Council separatist group leaves one officer and six attackers dead in Mombasa, Kenya. (Reuters)
Gaza-Israel conflict:
- Hamas arrested five people on Sunday suspected of firing a rocket into Israel in violation of the truce. (Times of Israel)

Law and crime

Multiple people are arrested for their alleged involvement with a hit-and-run that killed three 13-year-old trick-or-treaters in Santa Ana, California, U.S. (Yahoo News)

Politics and elections

Romanian presidential election, 2014:
- More than 18 million Romanians are expected to go to the polls to choose their president in one of the most important elections since the 1989 revolution. (HotNews.ro) (EurActiv)
- Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, from the rulling PSD, and the ethnic German mayor of Sibiu Klaus Iohannis, from the opposition ACL electoral alliance, will face a November 16 runoff, with the incumbent Social democrat premier favored to win. (BBC)
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
- Voters in break away "people's republics" (Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic respectively) in Donetsk and Luhansk go to the polls for parliamentary and presidential elections. Rebel leaders Alexander Zakharchenko (Donetsk) and Igor Plotnisky (Luhansk) appear set for victory in early counting in elections which will be recognised in Russia but not elsewhere. International observers noted a very high turnout. (BBC)

November 3, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant:
- Islamic State militants claim to have captured the Jahar gas fields in the Syrian province of Homs, the second gas field they have captured in a week. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

One World Trade Center officially opens, replacing its predecessor 13 years after the September 11 attacks. (FOXNews)

Disasters and accidents

A small boat carrying asylum seekers sinks in the Black Sea near the Turkish city of Istanbul resulting in at least 21 deaths. (AAP via SBS)

November 4, 2014 (Tuesday)

International relations

The United States circulates a draft resolution proposing a sanctions regime for conflict-torn South Sudan. (Reuters)
In Johannesburg, Angolan journalist and human rights campaigner Rafael Marques says the African Union should move its headquarters out of Ethiopia because of concerns about freedom of expression there. (Fox News)

Law and crime

Mexican Federal Police arrest a mayor and his wife, the alleged masterminds of the kidnapping of 43 students in Iguala, Guerrero. (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

United States elections, 2014
- Voters in the United States go to the polls for House of Representatives, Senate and local elections. (Bloomberg)
- The Republican Party retains control of the United States House of Representatives and regains control of the United States Senate. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is expected to become Senate Majority Leader. (NBC News), (Washington Post)
- Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, becomes the first African American senator to be elected in the South since Reconstruction. (AP via Weekly Standard)
- Mia Love, a 38-year-old Brooklyn-born daughter of Haitian immigrants and a convert to Mormonism, wins election to the House of Representatives in Utah's 4th congressional district. She will become the first black female Republican to ever serve in Congress. (FOXNews)
- Voters in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia vote to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. (Chicago Tribune)
- Voters in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota approve of a minimum wage raise in their states. (NBC News)

Sports

In horse racing, German horse Protectionist wins the 2014 Melbourne Cup ahead of Red Cadeaux and Who Shot Thebarman. (Melbourne Age)
In baseball, the 2014 Korean Series begins with the Nexen Heroes defeating the Samsung Lions 4–2 in Samsung's Daegu Stadium. (Yonhap)

November 5, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War
- Battles between loyalist forces and militias have killed nearly 400 in three weeks, including at least 250 deaths in Benghazi and 140 near the capital Tripoli. (Associated Press via Washington Post)
al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
- A US drone strike kills five Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula operatives including Shawki al-Badani and Nabil al-Dahab, leader of Ansar al-Sharia in Yemen's Al Bayda Governorate. (Reuters via ABC News Australia)
Syrian Civil War
- Mortar fire kills eleven children at a school in Damascus. (Reuters)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict:
- A vehicular attack in Jerusalem leaves one person dead and injures fourteen others as Hamas claims responsibility and calls for similar acts. (AP)(Times of Israel)(ABC News)

Health

Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
- The World Health Organisation appoints Dr Matshidiso Moeti of Botswana as its new Africa chief as the death toll from the virus passes 5,000. (AP)

November 6, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

A bus bombing in the Philippines injures four people. (Retiredanalyst), (Philstar)

Arts and culture

The title of the seventh installment of the Star Wars film franchise is revealed to be The Force Awakens. (Reuters)

Law and crime

New Zealand authorities charge Australian AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd with attempting to procure two murders, making death threats, and possessing drugs. (Reuters)
Two new classes of malware called "Wirelurker" and "Rootpipe" attack Apple products. (The Guardian)
- Apple states that it has disabled the malicious applications carrying WireLurker to prevent spread. (Business Insider)

November 7, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 military intervention against ISIS
- United States President Barack Obama orders 1500 more troops into Iraq. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

The Philippines commemorates the anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) which destroyed much of the city of Tacloban. (CNN)

Law and crime

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
- The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear federal subsidies cases concerning the law. (Fox News)
Parents of Mexico's missing students say authorities found 6 bags containing unidentified corpses; investigations are underway to determine if they are of the missing students. Three people confess their involvement in the massacre. (Fox News)
Authorities in New Zealand drop the charge against AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd of attempting to procure murder. (The Guardian)
The Home Depot discloses that 53 million additional e-mail addresses are compromised in the recent data breach. (FOXBusiness)
Marysville Pilchuck High School shooting:
- The death toll in the shooting rises to five. (King5)

November 8, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Military intervention against ISIS
- Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is critically wounded during a US airstrike at al-Qaim. (DailyMail)
War in Somalia
- Al-Shabaab recaptures Kudhaa Island, at least 23 are killed. (Garowe Online)

International relations

Japan's Economy Minister, Akira Amari says that a completed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement by the end of 2014 is unlikely. (Reuters)
North Korea releases American detainees Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller. (CNN)

November 9, 2014 (Sunday)

Arts and culture

Tens of thousands of people gather in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate to mark the 25th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

Nine people die after a light plane crashes on an approach to the island of Grand Bahama. The dead include preacher Myles Munroe. (AP via Fox News), (NBC News)

Health

Portugal reports at least 180 cases of Legionella and five fatalities in an outbreak. (Diário de Notícias)

Politics and elections

The Catalan people vote in a referendum on whether and how they should exercise self-determination. The Spanish government in Madrid does not recognise the authority of the vote. (BBC)

November 10, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- A suicide bomber kills at least 47 students at a school assembly in the Nigerian town of Potiskum in Yobe state. (BBC)
Taliban insurgency
- Ten policemen, including a commander, are killed by bomb blasts in Jalalabad and Logar Province. (Washington Post)
Terrorism in Pakistan
- At least four policemen are killed and another four are wounded in separate attacks in Karachi and Rawalpindi. (Geo TV)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Killing of Sergeant Almog Shiloni: A Palestinian man fatally stabs an Israeli soldier in Tel Aviv.
- 2014 Alon Shvut stabbing attack: In a separate attack at a bus stop near Alon Shvut in the West Bank, a Palestinian man runs over three people with a vehicle then stabs all three, resulting in the death of 26-year-old occupational therapist Dahlia Lemkus. (Reuters) (Times of Israel) (Times of Israel)

Business and Economy

Isabel dos Santos, a billionaire and the eldest daughter of the President of Angola, has entered an auction for Portugal Telecom, bidding against a France based company, Altice. (BBC)

International relations

APEC China 2014
- Members of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum gather in Beijing. (BBC)

Law and crime

Prosecutors in Lithuania charge an employee at the state air navigation company for spying for Belarus over civilian and military air operations. (Reuters)

November 11, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- A gunfight and two bombings leave at least 15 militants and 5 soldiers dead. (AFP via Gulf News)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- A suicide bomber kills eight people in the centre of Baiji in northern Iraq. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Renowned Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh suffers a massive brain hemorrhage and is rushed to a hospital in western France. (NBC News)

Business and economy

The Bank of England fires Martin Mallett, once its chief foreign exchange dealer, due to evidence that he was in some degree complicit in market manipulation. (Telegraph)

Disasters and accidents

58 people are killed in a bus crash in the Sukkur District in southern Pakistan's Sindh province. (AP)
The first winter storm of the season hits the midwestern United States with at least four people dead in Minnesota. (NBC News)

Health

Eleven women have died and at least twenty are in a critical condition after undergoing sterilization surgery in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, as part of India's state-run mass sterilization campaign. (BBC)
Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
- Mali confirms that it has a new case of Ebola virus, this time in the capital Bamako. (New York Times)
Ebola virus cases in the United States
- Dr. Craig Spencer, a Doctors Without Borders volunteer, was declared free of the Ebola virus and released from a New York City hospital. His was the last Ebola case being treated in the United States. (USA Today)

Law and crime

Sinking of the MV Sewol
- In South Korea, fifteen members of the crew of the MV Sewol are sentenced for criminal negligence in the ferry disaster with the captain sentenced to 36 years and the chief engineer sentenced to 30 years. (Fox News)
2014 Iguala mass kidnapping
- A mob angry at the kidnapping and murder of 43 students torches the regional headquarters of Mexico's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in Chilpancingo, Guerrero, and briefly holds a police commander hostage. (Agencies via The Telegraph)

Politics

Umbrella Revolution
- Following a court injunction authorising the clearance of protest sites, pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong are warned they could face arrest if they do not leave the sites. (Reuters)

Sports

Thai violinist Vanessa-Mae is banned from skiing races for four years for race fixing that enabled her to compete for Thailand at the 2014 Winter Olympics. (The Guardian)
In baseball, the 2014 Korean Series ends with the Samsung Lions beating the Nexen Heroes by 4 games to 2 for their fourth consecutive Korean Series. (The Korea Herald)
In football, Morocco has been stripped of the rights to host the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations and barred from the tournament following an attempt to postpone it due to the Ebola outbreak. (Independent, Ireland)

November 12, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine
- NATO claims that Russian Army troops and military equipment have entered Ukraine. (BBC)
War in Donbass
- Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu says that the country will resume long-distance military flights for the first time since the Cold War to the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. (BBC)
Yemen
- Houthi rebellion
  - Fighting between Houthi rebels and Ansar al-Sharia-backed Sunni tribes have left at least 33 dead in Al Bayda' Governorate. (Reuters)
- al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
  - A U.S. drone strike kills seven al-Qaeda militants in the south. (Reuters)
Azerbaijan shoots down an Armenian Mil Mi-24 military helicopter. (Bloomberg)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Suicide bombings kill at least 23 people across Iraq. (Reuters)
Islamist unrest in Egypt (2013–14)
- Gunmen attack an Egyptian Navy ship on the Mediterranean Sea with eight sailors missing and four injured after the attack. Thirty-two of the gunmen have been captured with four reported as dead. (Voice of America)

International relations

The 25th ASEAN Summit is held in the city of Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar. (AP via Daily Mail)
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President of the United States Barack Obama reach a deal to limit greenhouse gases. (Washington Post)

Law and crime

2014 Iguala mass kidnapping
- Protesters attack the State Congress building in Mexico's Guerrero state setting alight five vehicles. (BBC)

Science

The European Space Agency's Rosetta lands the Philae probe on the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. (Washington Post) (BBC)

November 13, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- The Nigerian-based militant group seizes control of the northeastern town of Chibok, Borno State. (BBC)

Health

Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
- The World Health Organization reports that the death toll in the three worst affected countries in West Africa - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone - has passed 5,000. (Reuters)

International relations

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
- The investigation team extends its deadline by another nine months to August 2015 due to difficulties in accessing the crash site. (The Australian)
United Nations
- Cuba defends North Korea by circulating an amendment to a European-Japanese draft resolution recommending the referral of North Korea to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. (Reuters)

Law and crime

A doctor is arrested, believed responsible for the deaths of 13 women in a state-run sterilization clinic in Chhattisgarh, India. (BBC)
A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor in Switzerland confirms existence of open criminal investigations regarding several people who may have taken part in manipulation of the currency exchange markets; such investigations are also underway in the United States and Britain. (Reuters)
A United States Secret Service report outlines numerous security failures that enabled Omar Gonzalez to enter the White House. (Washington Post)

Science

Comet landing
- The Philae landing craft is now "stable" after bouncing hundreds of metres from its initial touchdown, and is sending pictures from the surface of the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. (BBC)

Sports

In cricket, Rohit Sharma of India sets a new record of 264 runs in an ODI innings, leading India to a 153-run victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth ODI of Sri Lanka's current tour. (ESPNcricinfo)
In Major League Baseball, the two MVPs are announced:
- In the National League, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had previously won the league's Cy Young Award as its most outstanding pitcher, becomes the first NL player to sweep both awards since Bob Gibson in 1968. (ESPN)
- In the American League, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout wins the award in a unanimous vote. At age 23, he becomes the youngest player ever to be unanimously named MVP. (ESPN)

November 14, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
- Iraqi forces expel ISIS from the refinery town of Baiji in northern Iraq. (Al Arabiya)

Arts and culture

Russia plans an "alternative Wikipedia". (BBC)

International relations

Swedish submarine incidents:
- Sweden releases a sonar image it says is proof that a foreign submarine entered its waters in October. The grainy image shows underwater tracks allegedly left by the vessel. (BBC)

Politics

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to dissolve the Lower House of the Diet on Tuesday and call a snap election on December 14th in order to seek a public mandate on whether to delay a scheduled increase in the consumption tax. (NHK World)

November 15, 2014 (Saturday)

Disasters and accidents

A chemical leak at a DuPont plant in LaPorte, Texas leaves four workers dead. (NBC News)
A 5.4 magnitude earthquake causes serious damage in the Lake Region of Kyrgyzstan. (Reuters)
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurs in waters off Kota Ternate in Indonesia with the potential to trigger a tsunami to hit Indonesia and the Philippines. (AP)
- Later reports state that the threat of a tsunami has passed. (NOAA)

International relations

The ninth G-20 summit gets underway in the Australian city of Brisbane. (AP via NBC News)
Italian MP, Romina Mura, complains on the Turkish embassy for their views on the Armenian Genocide. (Armenpress)

November 16, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- ISIL claims to have executed American hostage Abdul-Rahman Kassig. (BBC)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- A female suicide bomber kills 13 people in the town of Abare in northeastern Nigeria. (AP)
- The Nigerian army drives the militant group out of Chibok two days after the town's capture. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The Russian Presidential Library announces plans to establish a Russian version of Wikipedia stating that it would provide more "detailed and accurate" information about the country. (Reuters via ABC News Australia)

Disasters and accidents

A fire at a food processing plant kills at least 18 workers in Shandong, China. (South China Morning Post)
US planes are warned to avoid an Alaskan volcano, Pavlof. (News.com.au)
At least four people are killed in mudslides in southern Switzerland and northern Italy after days of heavy rain. (BBC)

Health

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1
- Authorities in the Netherlands ban the sale of poultry and eggs following the discovery of the bird flu virus at a chicken farm. Authorities in the United Kingdom have also confirmed that the virus has been discovered at a Yorkshire duck farm with the birds being culled. (AP)

Law and crime

Protestors in Brisbane burn Australian flags over indigenous rights. (News.com.au)

Politics and elections

Romanian presidential election, 2014
- Voters in Romania go to the polls for the second round of the presidential election with Klaus Iohannis scoring an upset victory over current Prime Minister Victor Ponta. (BBC), (Reuters)

Sports

In motorsport, American driver Kevin Harvick wins the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series by winning the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Ryan Newman finishes second by 1 point, the second-closest margin in history. (Yahoo! Sports)

November 17, 2014 (Monday)

Business and economy

After months fending off a takeover bid from Canada's Valeant, the board of U.S. biopharm firm Allergan accepts a $66 billion offer from an Irish white knight, Actavis. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A large earthquake occurs off the coast of New Zealand. (New Zealand Herald)

International relations

Australia and the People's Republic of China conclude a free trade deal worth $18 billion. (News Limited)

Law and crime

Kenyan police raid two mosques in Mombasa suspected of being linked to al-Shabab. One man is killed and over 200 are arrested. (Al Jazeera)
Former Beltrán Leyva Cartel leader Alfredo Beltrán Leyva is extradited to the United States from Mexico, facing drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. (Breitbart)

Politics and elections

Burkinabé uprising
- Former Burkina Faso foreign minister Michel Kafando is named as transitional President. (Reuters)

Religion

The Church of England adopts legislation paving the way for the appointment of female bishops. (BBC)

November 18, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

War in Afghanistan:
- A suicide bombing attack in Kabul kills at least two people. (Reuters), (AP)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict:
- Four rabbis (three American and one British) are killed, and eight other people wounded in a terrorist attack on a Jerusalem synagogue by two men armed with meat cleavers and guns. The two attackers were killed by police who arrived at the scene. One of the policemen died from his wounds. (BBC)
- Netanyahu vows for a heavy response and blames recent incitement by Palestinian leaders as Fatah officially condemns the attack while Hamas and Islamic Jihad praise it and call for more similar attacks. (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

UNESCO declares the Rizal Monument in Manila, Machu Picchu of Peru, Camino de Santiago of Spain, and the Dampier Archipelago of Australia as World Heritage Sites in Danger. (GMA News)

Disasters and accidents

South Korea launches a new National Safety Agency with more than 10,000 staff to replace the Korea Coast Guard, blamed by President Park Geun-hye for a poor response to the sinking of the MV Sewol. (Reuters)
November 2014 North American cold wave
- Lake effect snow pummels areas around the Great Lake states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio, stranding hundreds of vehicles and causing Erie County, New York, to declare a state of emergency. (The Weather Channel)

Law and crime

Human Rights Watch claims that police in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's capital Kinshasa had killed at least 51 people in extrajudicial killings in a crackdown on kuluna gangs last November. (AP)

Politics and elections

Kenneth Mapp, an independent, is elected Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the gubernatorial runoff election over Democrat Donna Christensen. (Virgin Islands News Online)
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calls a snap election for mid-December, two years ahead of schedule. (BBC)
Romanian presidential election:
- Teodor Meleșcanu becomes the second Foreign minister of Romania in just eight days to resign because of organizational problems which have left thousands of Romanians abroad unable to vote in the elections. (Independent Balkan News Agency)
Hong Kong protests:
- Hong Kong authorities start dismantling a protest site in Admiralty following a court order. (Voice of America)
Andrew Little is elected to lead the New Zealand Labour Party following the resignation of David Cunliffe in September. (Bloomberg News)
The United States Senate narrowly defeats legislation on the Keystone XL Pipeline, intended to allow oil from the oil sands of Canada to flow to the Gulf Coast of Texas. (New York Times)

Sports

Jamaica win the 2014 Caribbean Cup defeating Trinidad and Tobago in the final following a penalty shootout.(CONCACAF)

November 19, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- Boko Haram kill at least 45 in a reprisal attack on a village in northeastern Nigeria. (Reuters)
Kachin conflict
- The Myanmar Army attacks a Kachin Independence Army headquarters near Laiza, killing at least 22 insurgents. (AP via ABC News)
A car bomb targets a government building in the Iraqi Kurdish capital Irbil, resulting in four deaths. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The American NBC television network scraps a project with comedian Bill Cosby after past sexual assault allegations resurface. (BBC)
German-born American director and producer Mike Nichols (The Graduate) dies at age 83. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A giant snowstorm covers half the United States causing at least eight deaths and causing widespread disruption of flights. Areas near the city of Buffalo in New York state are worst affected with at least six deaths. (AFP, Reuters via ABC News Australia)

Law and crime

Maria Jose Alvarado, a 19-year-old Miss World competitor, is found fatally shot and buried along with her 23-year-old sister Sofia Trinidad in Santa Barbara, Honduras. The boyfriend of Sofia Trinidad, Plutarco Ruiz and an accomplice are arrested. (Sky News)

Politics and elections

Independents win a majority of seats in the National Parliament of the Solomon Islands. (ABC Online)
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama is inaugurated as the Governor of Jakarta, the first ethnic Chinese ever to hold the post. He succeeds Joko Widodo, who is now president. (TIME)
The Scottish Parliament elects Nicola Sturgeon as the first female First Minister of Scotland. (The Scotsman)

November 20, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

ADF insurgency
- The Ugandan rebel group kills up to 80 people near Beni in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

15th Latin Grammy Awards:
- Enrique Iglesias, Gente de Zona, and Descemer Bueno win three Latin Grammy Awards including Song of the Year for "Bailando". (ABC News)
- Paco de Lucía posthumously wins the Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Canción de Andaluza. (ABC News)
- Jorge Drexler and Ana Tijoux win the Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "Universos Paralelos". (ABC News)

International relations

North Korea threatens to conduct another nuclear test in response to a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution passed on Tuesday recommending the Security Council authorise a probe into human rights abuses. (BBC)

Law and crime

The New South Wales Independent Commission against Corruption charges former ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald for offenses of misconduct in public office in relation to mining licences. (AAP via Sky News Australia)
A knife attack in a sanatorium dormitory in the Northern China resort of Beidahe kills seven people, including six nurses. (Reuters via The Globe and Mail)
Sinking of the MV Sewol
- A South Korean court sentences Kim Han-sik, the chief executive of Chonghaejin Marine, operator of the MV Sewol, to ten years in jail for negligence and embezzlement. (Reuters)
The President of the United States Barack Obama announces executive orders to defer the deportations of a certain group of illegal immigrants: parents whose children are already U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who have lived in the United States for five years or more. (Washington Post)

Politics and elections

The President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa calls an early election. (Washington Post)
Thousands of protestors gather in Mexico City for a national rally in memory of the 43 missing students. Demonstrators have also called for a nationwide strike. (BBC News)

November 21, 2014 (Friday)

Disasters and accidents

A military helicopter crashes in Sibiu County, Romania, with at least eight people killed and two injured. (Xinhua) (ABC News)
The death toll from a snowstorm in western New York State reaches 13, with local heavy flooding expected in the United States this week. (AAP via SBS News)
A stampede in the city of Kwekwe in Zimbabwe caused by the police firing tear gas kills at least eleven people and injures 40 others. (IANS via Business Standard)

Health

The World Health Organization reports that an outbreak of bubonic plague in Madagascar has killed 40 people. (BBC)

Law and crime

The United States House of Representatives files a lawsuit against President Barack Obama for executive actions undertaken in relation to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. (NBC News)

Sports

In American football, an NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets is moved from Buffalo, New York to Detroit, Michigan due to the November 2014 Western New York snowstorm. (ESPN)

November 22, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Somalia (2009–present)
- Al-Shabaab militants hijack a bus travelling between the town of Mandera and the Kenyan capital Nairobi and execute 28 non-Muslim passengers. (Agencies via Deutsche Welle)

Disasters and accidents

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake occurs in Nagano Prefecture in Japan resulting in at least 30 people being injured as several homes collapse. (Wires and ABC News Australia), (AP)
A 5.9 magnitude earthquake occurs near the town of Kangding in China's Sichuan province resulting at least two deaths and 54 injuries. (AP via Wall Street Journal)

Politics and elections

Bahraini general election, 2014
- Voters in Bahrain go to the polls for the first parliamentary elections since the unsuccessful Pearl Revolution. (BBC)

Sport

In football, Argentinian Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona sets a new goal scoring record in La Liga of 253 goals. (Reuters via SBS)

November 23, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan:
- A suicide bomber kills 45 people and injures 50 more at a volleyball game in Paktika province. (Reuters)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- Boko Haram militants kill 48 fish traders near the border with Chad. (BBC)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- Kenyan security forces cross into Somalia and kill 100 members of Al-Shabaab in response to the terrorist group hijacking a bus and killing 28 people. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

The death toll from yesterday's earthquake in China's Sichuan province rises to four with 54 injured. (AP via Fox News)
Volcano eruption on Fogo island, Cape Verde is among the strongest ever recorded on the island and is forcing the evacuation of the Chã das Caldeiras village. (OceanPress)

Law and crime

Crime in the Philippines
- The Philippines marks the 5th anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre. (BBC News)
- Philippine authorities sentence the security officers of the Ozone disco who were responsible for the safety of the disco when a fire occurred in 1996. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

Tunisian presidential election, 2014
- Voters in Tunisia go to the polls Sunday in the first free presidential election since the Arab Spring's Jasmine Revolution. (BBC) (Pakistan Daily Times)
- Tuinisia's presidential election appears headed for a runoff between incumbent interim President Moncef Marzouki and former Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi. (Bangkok Post)
The Cabinet of Israel approves legislation defining it as the nation state of the Jewish people. (AP)

Sport

World Chess Championship 2014:
- Norwegian chessplayer Magnus Carlsen defends his World Chess Championship title after defeating Vishy Anand of India in 11th game of their match in Sochi, Russia. (Deutsche Welle)
Britain's Lewis Hamilton wins the 2014 Formula One world title after finishing first in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. (BBC Sport)
In tennis, Switzerland wins the Davis Cup for the first time defeating France in the final. (New York Times)

November 24, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram captures the northeastern Nigerian town of Damasak, killing 50 and forcing more than 3,000 to flee across the border into Niger. (UNHCR)

Arts and culture

Launch of The National, the first Scottish daily newspaper to support Scottish independence. (RT)

Business and economy

The chief executive officer of United Technologies abruptly steps down. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17
- The Dutch Safety Board reports that it has finished work on recovery of the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. (Irish Examiner)
Floods caused by torrential rain result in 32 deaths in southern Morocco. (Euronews)

Law and crime

Shooting of Michael Brown, 2014 Ferguson unrest
- A grand jury in St. Louis County, Missouri decides not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in relation to the shooting of Michael Brown in the suburb of Ferguson. (USA Today), (Washington Post)
- Protests turn violent following the announcement despite a request by the President of the United States Barack Obama and Brown's family for any protests to be peaceful. (CNN)

Politics and elections

President Barack Obama accepts the resignation of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. (BBC)

November 25, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
- A joint operation by U.S. and Yemeni special operations forces on an al-Qaeda hideout in eastern Yemen rescues 8 hostages and leaves 7 militants dead. (New York Times)
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
- Syrian Air Force raids on the city of Raqqa kill at least 36 people. (Washington Post)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- Two teenage girl suicide bombers kill more than 40 people in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state in northeastern Nigeria. (AP via Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

A block of flats collapses in the Egyptian capital Cairo killing at least 10 people. (BBC)

Law and crime

Portuguese police arrest the ex-prime minister of Portugal, José Socrates. They accuse him of corruption, fiscal fraud, and money laundering. (New York Times)
2014 Ferguson unrest
- The St. Louis suburb of Ferguson braces for another night of violence following the decision by a grand jury not to indict a police officer in relation to the shooting of Michael Brown. (AP via First Post)
2014 Amsterdam drug deaths
- People died afrer snorting white heroin that was sold as cocaine by a street dealer in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Washington Times)

Politics and elections

2014 Hong Kong protests
- Hong Kong authorities start clearing away barricades in the district of Mong Kok. (AP via Miami Herald)

Sport

Days after his hat-trick broke the Primera División's 59-year goal-scoring record, Barcelona striker Lionel Messi scores another hat-trick in Nicosia to become the UEFA Champions League all-time top scorer. (Guardian) (Mail)
The Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes is in critical condition after being injured by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield game. (ESPNCricinfo)

November 26, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
- At least three people die in a new round of fighting between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists. (Xinhua)

Disasters and accidents

A fire in a coal mine in China's Liaoning province kills 24 miners and injures another 52. (AFP via Channel News Asia)
A heavy storm in the eastern United States causes poor road conditions, and delays and cancellations of airline flights ahead of the Thanksgiving holidays with up to 30 million people affected. (CNN)

Law and crime

Vietnamese lawmakers approve a law allowing broad foreign ownership of property, as the government seeks to boost an ailing real-estate market and accelerate growth. (Financial Review)
An Egyptian court sentences 78 teenage boys to between 2 and 5 years in jail for participating in rallies calling for the return of ousted President Mohammed Mursi. (AFP, Reuters vis Sydney Morning Herald)

Politics and elections

Mexico's Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) founder Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas resigns amid internal political crisis resulting from the disappearance of the 43 students in September. (El País)
2014 Hong Kong protests
- More than 80 people are arrested as police dismantle a protest camp in the Mong Kok commercial district. (BBC)
- Student leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum are amongst those arrested. (Reuters)

November 27, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan:
- A suicide bomber kills 5 in a targeted attack on a British embassy vehicle in Kabul, Afghanistan. (BBC)
Sudanese nomadic conflicts:
- At least 133 people were killed and 100 wounded, in the aftermath of clashes between Awlad Omran and Al-Ziyoud groups of the Mesiria tribe. The clashes occurred in the Kwak area of the West Kurdufan state, Sudan. (Euronews)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- A roadside bomb planted at a bus station near the town of Mubi in northeastern Nigeria kills 40, including 5 soldiers. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Greek government-debt crisis:
- Greek labor unions begin a general strike to protest ongoing government austerity measures shuting down public medical, educational, and transportational services. (AP via Business Standard)
The European Parliament passes a symbolic motion calling for the break-up of American tech giant Google. (New York Times)
France sets a new record for unemployment with 3.46 million recorded in October. (Sky News)

Disasters

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East declares a state of emergency on the Gaza Strip following heavy floods. (Press TV)

Law and crime

2014 Hong Kong protests:
- The Hong Kong Police Force arrests eleven more people in a second night of violence after removal of a camp in Mong Kok and seven police officers are arrested for alleged assault of a protester on October 15. (AP)

Politics and elections

Moldovan parliamentary election, 2014
- the Election commission bans the new pro-Russian party Homeland from competing in the elections because of financial support from abroad. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
The Parliament of Ukraine meets for the first time since recent elections with Arseniy Yatsenyuk expected to be confirmed as Prime Minister. (Irish Times)
The Smith Commission, established by UK Prime Minister David Cameron to look at enhanced devolution for Scotland following the independence referendum, publishes its report, recommending the Scottish Parliament should be given the power to set income tax rates and bands. (BBC)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un appoints his sister, Kim Yo Jong, to a high government position. (CBC)
Tongans vote out half of the incumbents in the Legislative Assembly. (ABC Online)

Sports

In cricket, Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes dies two days after being struck on the head by a bouncer while playing in a Sheffield Shield match for South Australia against New South Wales. (Canberra Times)
In surfing, Australian surfer Stephanie Gilmore wins her 6th women's world surfing title. (Brisbane Times)

November 28, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- Gunmen set off three bombs and fire at worshippers at the central mosque in the northern city of Kano after the Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had issued a call to arms against Boko Haram. At least 120 people are killed. (CNN)

Business and economy

Frantic trading in energy company stocks, especially the suppliers of oil-services, shaves billions off the market capitalization of publically traded businesses within this sector. (Reuters)

International relations

Holy See–Turkey relations:
- Pope Francis visits Turkey, calling for interfaith dialogue and an end to Islamic extremism, and meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Bartholomew I of Constantinople. (AFP via The Times of India)

Law and crime

The death toll from a mass overdose in a Venezuelan prison after prisoners storm a prison infirmary during a prison uprising rises to 35. A hundred other prisoners are receiving treatment. (AP via Houston Chronicle)
Tuğçe Albayrak, an advocate for harassed women, succumbs to her injury from a November 15 attack. German police have already arrested a suspected man. (The Independent)

Politics and elections

The Parliament of Finland votes to allow same-sex marriage, marking the first time that a citizens' initiative has received lawmakers' blessing to be written into the legislation. (YLE)
The social-democratic Siumut narrowly retains a government-forming plurality of votes in the Greenlandic general election, tying with leftist opposition Inuit Ataqatigiit for number of parliament seats. (Reuters)
Post-coup unrest in Egypt (2013–14):
- Three army officers and two protesters are killed and more than one hundred protesters are arrested during anti-government protests across Egypt. (ABC News)
Hage Geingob wins his elect to become President of Namibia as his ruling SWAPO party wins an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly. (AP via ABC News)

Sports

National Football League player conduct controversy:
- An independent arbitrator between the NFL and the NFL Players Association overturns the indefinite suspension levied upon free-agent running back Ray Rice by the NFL for assaulting his fiancee. (Bloomberg)

November 29, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Xinjiang conflict
- Chinese police apprehend and execute eleven Uyghur terrorists following an attack with 15 killed and 14 injured in Yarkant County, China. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Iraqi airstrikes kill 17 Iraqi citizens within ISIL controlled areas. (Reuters)
- Heavy fighting in the northern Syrian city of Kobani kills at least 40 fighters from both ISIL and Kurdish forces. (CNN)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- Suspected Boko Haram militants storm the Christian-majority town of Shani, Nigeria, leaving dozens dead. (Daily Sabah)

Law and crime

A Cairo court clears former President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak on murder charges related to the death of hundreds of protesters in the 2011 Egyptian revolution. (AFP via Channel News Asia), (BBC)
Shooting of Michael Brown
- Ferguson PD officer Darren Wilson resigns following a grand jury decision not to indict him in the Michael Brown case. (AP)

Politics and elections

Jiang Yi-huah resigns as the Premier of Taiwan as the ruling Kuomintang suffers heavy losses in local government elections. (AFP via Khaleej Times)
2014 Hong Kong protests
- Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators clash with police in the Mong Kok district as they try to reclaim their former protest site. (Reuters)
Sunni candidates retain a majority of seats in the Bahraini Council of Representatives after an election which was boycotted by the main Shi'ite opposition. (AFP via The Daily Star)
Voters go to the polls in the Australian state of Victoria for a state election. The election sees Labor, led by Daniel Andrews, defeat Denis Napthine's Liberal–National Coalition, the first time a one-term government has lost power in the state since 1955. (BBC) (The Age) (News.com.au) (Bloomberg News)
The Union for a Popular Movement reelects former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, as the party leader. (AP)

November 30, 2014 (Sunday)