Portal:Current events/2019 October 31
October 31, 2019 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- ISIL confirms the deaths of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and its spokesman Abul-Hasan al-Muhajir, and names Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi as its new leader. (Al Jazeera)
- Syrian Civil War
- A car bomb in Afrin kills nine people and wounds over 14 others. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. (Voice of America)
- Islamist insurgency in Mozambique
- Seven Russian defense contractors from the Wagner Group and 20 Mozambican soldiers are reportedly killed in attacks by Salafi jihadists in northern Mozambique. (The Moscow Times)
- A rocket is fired from the Gaza Strip, exploding in an open field in southern Israel. The IDF retaliates by launching strikes against two Hamas military posts. (The Jewish Press) (Xinhua News Agency)
- Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- The Armed Forces of DR Congo (FARDC) began a new large scale offensive against the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group in the Congo's North Kivu province. (Al Jazeera)
- Ansar al-Islam
- Ansar al-Islam claims responsibility for an IED explosion that killed three soldiers in Iraq's Diyala Province. This was their first attack since 2013. (Long War Journal)
Arts and culture
- An archaeologist discovers a 25 m (82 ft)-wide ring cairn dating back to the Bronze Age near Tidenham, Gloucestershire. (BBC News)
- American rock band My Chemical Romance announces their reunion and first show in seven years. (CNN)
Business and economy
- Ana Botín, the chairwoman of Spain's Santander bank, which has suffered a major stock price fall since reporting its disappointing third quarter earnings, buys €3.61 million worth of shares as a display of confidence. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2019 Tezgam train fire
- A train catches fire in Liaquatpur Tehsil, Rahim Yar Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. The blaze, apparently sparked by gas stoves used by passengers illegally cooking on board, kills at least 74 people. (BBC News)
- Firefighters in Hungary save 20,000 baby birds in the wake of a barn fire that broke out earlier this week. (MSN)
Law and crime
- Police in Papua New Guinea withdraw the arrest warrant issued against former Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who was accused of corruption. (Radio New Zealand)
- Mongolian police arrest 800 Chinese citizens and confiscate hundreds of computers and SIM cards in Ulaanbaatar. Authorities believe they were part of a cybercrime ring involved in illegal gambling, hacking and identity theft, among other activities. (Reuters)
- Orinda shooting
- Police say five people were shot dead and another four injured at a Halloween party in Orinda, California. An investigation is currently underway. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Politics and elections
- Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro
- Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro threatens to introduce a "new AI-5" in response to opposition to the government headed by his father, Jair Bolsonaro. (GloboNews)
- India formally splits Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, dubbed Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Both entities will be directly governed from New Delhi. (BBC News)
- 2019–20 Lebanese protests
- Days after Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned, both France and Hezbollah call for quick formation of a new government, saying that reforms are needed to deal with Lebanon's economic crisis. (Reuters)
- President Michel Aoun pledges that the new government will consist of technocrats. (Reuters)
- Impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump
- The U.S. House of Representatives votes 232 to 196 to approve a resolution formalizing the procedures of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. (CNN)
- 2019 Bolivian protests, 2019 Bolivian general election
- Two men are killed in a town in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, during protests and riots over the disputed general election on 20 October. (Bloomberg)
- The Organization of American States, with Spain, Mexico and Paraguay as observers, begins its audit of the election results. (BBC News)
- 2019 Iraqi protests
- In Iraq, Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi agrees to resign after weeks of anti-government protests. (CNN)
Science and technology
- Researchers discover a shipwreck at a depth of 20,400 feet (6,200 m) under the Philippine Sea. The shipwreck is believed to be the remains of USS Johnston, a World War II-era destroyer. (MSN)