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Sebastián Piñera

In Santiago, Chile, protests over increased metro fares cause President Sebastián Piñera (pictured) to declare a state of emergency.
Several Lebanese cabinet ministers resign amid protests after the government announces plans to tax gasoline, tobacco, and online phone calls.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood and Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo jointly win the Booker Prize for Fiction.
The trial of Catalonia independence leaders concludes with nine prison sentences, sparking protests across the region.

October 23, 2019 (Wednesday)

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Disasters and accidents

Lion Air Flight 610
- Indonesian investigators meet with families of the deceased ahead of the release of their final report, scheduled for Friday. They state the crash was caused by design flaws with software on the aircraft, and inaccurate assessments by Boeing as to how pilots would respond to it. (al-Jazeera)

Law and crime

2019 Grays incident
- Police discover 39 bodies inside a lorry container in Grays, Essex, UK. The driver, a man from Northern Ireland, is arrested. (Guardian)

Politics and elections

2019 Botswana general election
- Citizens of Botswana cast their vote to elect the members of the National Assembly and local government councils. (EWN)
2019 Chilean protests
- Chilean President Sebastián Piñera in a nationally televised address apologizes for the failures of the government and pledges economic reforms as violent protests continue in the country. (WJCT)

October 22, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
- Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, presidents of Russia and Turkey respectively, make an agreement in Russia whereby Russia's military police and Syria's border guards will enter the Syrian side of the Syrian-Turkish border from noon tomorrow, October 23rd. Over the next 150 hours, they are to remove the YPG and their weapons, back to 30 km (about 18 miles) from the border. From 6 p.m. local time next Tuesday, the Russian military police and Turkish military will begin patrols along that line to a depth of 32 km (about 20 miles). (CNN) (CNN₂)

Arts and culture

2019 Japanese imperial transition
- Japanese Emperor Naruhito officially proclaims his enthronement as the Emperor of Japan in an ancient enthronement ceremony held in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, after ascending to the throne on 1 May. It was attended by about 2,000 guests with 420 foreign dignitaries. (CNN) (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse
- The National Transportation Safety Board of the United States concludes its investigation into the accident, which killed six and injured ten. It states design errors were the immediate cause, exacerbated by failures to take appropriate remedial action when cracks were discovered. (USA Today)

Law and crime

Crime in Norway
- Police officers in Oslo wound an armed 32-year-old man, who injured three people when he rammed a stolen ambulance into them. The police then arrest him and a 25-year-old woman, both of whom have connections to the Nordic Resistance Movement. (The Guardian) (The Telegraph)
Manchester Arena bombing
- UK Home Secretary Priti Patel announces the inquests into the deaths of the victims will be converted into a public inquiry at the request of the coroner. This enables the hearing of evidence in secret by members of the intelligence community, which would otherwise not be available as the coroner had previously granted public interest immunity to the witnesses on the grounds of possible assistance to future terrorists were the evidence to be heard. Inquests cannot hear secret evidence. (The Telegraph)

Politics and elections

2019 Chilean protests
- According to candidate for Vice President of Argentina for the Together for Change alliance, Miguel Ángel Pichetto, there is a "destabilization plan in Latin America directly linked to Venezuela's and Cuba's governments' activities". (Clarín)
- Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie also expressed his concerns and said there were "calculated and identical methods of destabilization in the region". He blames Nicolás Maduro's government after Constituent Assembly President Diosdado Cabello says there is a "Bolivarian breeze" in the region. (Clarín)
Abortion in Northern Ireland, Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland
- As a result of the local government failing to reconvene in time, the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 comes into effect. This means abortion is decriminalized in Northern Ireland, and same-sex marriage is scheduled to commence in February 2020. (BBC)
Brexit
- The British Parliament votes 329 to 299 to pass the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, but then rejects the proposed timetable in a separate 322 to 308 vote. Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow says the bill is now "in limbo", and Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to consult with European Union leaders for the time being. (BBC)

October 21, 2019 (Monday)

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Arts and culture

A team of ocean explorers announce the discovery of Imperial Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi on the Pacific seafloor. The vessel was sunk in 1942 during the World War II Battle of Midway. (The Guardian)

International relations

New Zealand–United Kingdom relations
- The Foreign Minister of New Zealand Winston Peters accuses the United Kingdom of "walking out" on Pacific aid to small island nations. The accusation surprised British officials. (RNZ)

Law and crime

Murder of Ján Kuciak
- Authorities in Slovakia charge four people with murdering investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée. The killings sparked widespread anti-corruption protests and forced the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico. (The Guardian)
Opioid epidemic in the United States
- Teva Pharmaceuticals, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen reach a US$260 million settlement hours before a civil trial in U.S. federal court in Cleveland, Ohio, brought as a class-action lawsuit representing communities affected by opioid addiction. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

2019 Canadian federal election
- Voters in Canada go to the polls to elect members of the 43rd Canadian Parliament. Polls show Justin Trudeau's Liberals and Andrew Scheer's Conservatives deadlocked with equal numbers of support after a divisive campaign. (CBC) (CTV News)
- The Liberal Party win a pluralty of seats, and will remain in government, albeit as a minority and having lost the popular vote to the Conservative Party. The Bloc Québécois resurge from a 10-seat rump at dissolution to take third place and regain official party status. (CBC) (CTV News)
2019 Chilean protests
- Chilean President Sebastián Piñera says that Chile is "at war" as violence continues in the capital and other cities. (Al Jazeera)
2019 Lebanese protests
- The Lebanese government passes a series of economic measures, such as slashing government wages and extending financial aid to poor families, in an attempt to placate protestors. (BBC)

October 20, 2019 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
- U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says American troops withdrawing from Syria will go to western Iraq, where the U.S. military will continue to conduct operations against the Islamic State to prevent its resurgence. (Yahoo! News)

Disasters and accidents

Three American soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division are killed and three others are injured in a training accident at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia. (CNN)

Politics and elections

2019 Bolivian general election
- People in Bolivia head to the polls for the latest general elections. Preliminary results were indicating 45% for incumbent president Evo Morales and 38% for former president Carlos Mesa when the authorities abruptly stopped updating them. (BBC News)
2019 Chilean protests
- Curfew is extended to Concepción and Valparaíso Region. Including Santiago, nine million people are under a state of emergency, equal to 52% of the country's population. (La Tercera)
- Three people are found dead in a supermarket that had been set on fire in San Bernardo. (BioBioChile)
2019 Swiss federal election
- Voters in Switzerland elect the members of the country's Federal Assembly and Council. Provisional results show the Swiss People's Party retaining their plurality, and that the Green Party has become the fourth-largest party. (DW) (Le News)
Second inauguration of Joko Widodo
- Joko Widodo is officially inaugurated as President of Indonesia for the second time, while Ma'ruf Amin is inaugurated as the new Vice President. They will serve their terms from 2019 to 2024. (Tempo)
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
- The government of Bangladesh announces it will begin moving thousands of Rohingya refugees from crowded camps to the flood-prone island of Thengar Char, starting early November. The government hopes to relocate 100,000 refugees by the end of the operation, which has been criticised by rights groups as an "inevitable" humanitarian crisis. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters)

October 19, 2019 (Saturday)

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Disasters and accidents

SIEV X
- An Iraqi man is arrested at Brisbane Airport for his membership in a human trafficking syndicate responsible for chartering a boat carrying 421 Afghan and Iraqi refugees to Australia. More than 350 of those aboard perished when the boat sank off the coast of Indonesia in October 2001. (The Guardian)
A dam on the Seiba river in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, collapses, flooding a nearby gold mine and cabins used to house miners. At least 15 people have been killed, with 13 more missing and 14 hospitalised. (BBC)

Politics and elections

2019 Santiago protests
- The Chilean government declares a state of emergency in the capital Santiago, following riots in response to a price hike in Santiago Metro fares. Overnight, the high-rise headquarters of Enel Generación Chile is set on fire by rioters. (BBC)
- 19 stations of the Santiago Metro are set on fire during the night. (La Tercera)
- Police and military officers clash with protestors in Plaza Baquedano, Maipú Main Square and other places, while several cacerolazos are heard in the city. (ADN Radio)
- Curfew is announced for the Greater Santiago area, the first time it is used since the end of the Pinochet dictatorship. (El Desconcierto)
Brexit
- The British Parliament votes 322 to 306 to pass the so-called "Letwin amendment" to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which states it will not approve any withdrawal agreement unless all relevant formal legislation is passed. In effect any subsequent vote on a deal is not considered final, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be forced to ask for an extension. (Reuters) (CNN)
2019 Lebanese protests
- Four ministers resign from the current cabinet, stating that the government is incapable of addressing any of the issues under current circumstances. Conversely, Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah announces that his group will continue to support the government, saying, "All of us have to shoulder the responsibility of the current situation that we arrived at." (Al-Jazeera)

October 18, 2019 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Mexican Drug War
- The Mexican National Guard arrests Ovidio Guzmán López, one of former cartel leader Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán's sons, in Culiacán. He is later released after government forces come under intense attack and are overpowered by Sinaloa Cartel gunmen, according to Security Minister Alfonso Durazo. (BBC) (CNBC)
- According to a later statement, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and government authorities ordered officers to let Guzmán López go free to avoid a "bloodbath" and "preserve the lives of our officers and bring calm back to the city". (Clarín)
- Eight people are confirmed killed in the failed raid. More than twenty others were injured. (AP News)
Haska Meyna mosque bombing
- Multiple explosions inside a mosque in Haska Meyna District of Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province kill at least 62 people and severely damage the building. (Reuters)
2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
- The Kurds say that Turkey is already violating the ceasefire agreement by shelling the border town of Ras al-Ain. (CNN)
- Turkish airstrikes kill five civilians in the village of Bab al-Kheir. (Time of Israel)

Arts and culture

The wreck of Japanese warship Kaga, sunk in the Battle of Midway during World War II, is discovered on the seabed in the Pacific Ocean. It is only the second vessel sunk during the battle to have been found. (Live Science)

Business and economy

UK clothing retailer Bonmarché collapses into administration. The chain employs 2,900 people and operates 318 stores. (iNews)

Disasters and accidents

Seattle crane collapse
- Washington State authorities find a crane collapse earlier this year in Seattle was caused when workers removed securing pins too early during the crane's dismantling. Four people were killed in the accident. Three firms are issued fines. (NBC News)

International relations

2019 Persian Gulf crisis
- Japan says it will not join the U.S.-led International Maritime Security Construct to protect international shipping in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian aggression, but will instead deploy its own Maritime Self-Defense Force to the region to guard merchant vessels "related to Japan". (Reuters)
The Financial Action Task Force, an international counter-terrorism finance taskforce, tells Pakistan to improve its counter-terror funding operations by next February or face being added to the group's blacklist. (The Hindustan Times)

Law and crime

Trial of Catalan independence leaders; 2019 Catalan protests
- Catalonia goes to a general strike in protest of the prison sentence of the Catalan independentists leaders. Thousands of demonstrators arrive walking to Barcelona from the whole region. (The Guardian)
- After a peaceful demonstration involving more than 500,000 people in Barcelona, violent clashes erupt, with more clashes in Tarragona and Girona. (El Periódico) (Tarragona Digital)
- In Barcelona, a water cannon is used for the first time against protesters in Spain. (La Vanguardia)
Former President of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont is released with charges by the Brussels prosecutor's office after surrendering on Thursday to the Belgian authorities following the issuing of the European Arrest Warrant on Monday. (The Guardian) (Euronews)

Politics and elections

2019 Lebanese protests
- Hundreds of protestors march across Lebanon over the government's proposal to tax numerous goods, such as tobacco and WhatsApp calls. Police respond by firing tear gas on those in Beirut. (Al-Jazeera) (Reuters)
- The government withdraws the controversial tax plan. Despite this, protests continue, with participants swelling to tens of thousands and them now calling for the downfall of the government. Prime Minister Saad Hariri gives his government 72 hours to resolve the country's worsening economic crisis. (Al-Jazeera)
2019 Santiago protests
- After a week of fare-dodging protests in the Santiago Metro, thousands of protestors clash with police in different places across Santiago, Chile. Subway service is suspended in the entire city. Protests started after a price hike in the most expensive subway system in Latin America. (The Guardian)

October 17, 2019 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
- After meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says Turkey has agreed to a five-day ceasefire in Syria while the United States helps facilitate the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters. (The Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

The number of people confirmed killed in central and eastern Japan by Typhoon Hagibis rises to 77, while nine other people are still missing. (NHK World)
A Peninsula Air passenger plane carrying 42 people crashes at an airport in Unalaska, Alaska. One passenger on the Saab SB20 is killed, and at least one more is seriously injured. (KTUU)

Health and environment

2019 outbreak of lung illness linked to vaping products
- Electronic cigarette maker Juul announces it will stop producing most of its flavored cartridges, excluding mint and menthol. (Arstechnica)

International relations

Brexit negotiations, Brexit
- The United Kingdom and the European Union agree on a new Brexit withdrawal agreement deal following talks in Brussels. Current coalition partner the Democratic Unionist Party subsequently announces they will oppose the deal. (BBC)

Law and crime

Murder of Kathleen Jo Henry
- Police in Anchorage, Alaska charge Brian Steven Smith, who was arrested on October 8 for the murder of Kathleen Jo Henry, with a second murder, that of Veronica Abouchuk. Smith reportedly confessed to killing Abouchuk and told authorities where her body could be found. (KTLA Los Angeles)
The New York City Council votes to close Rikers Island, the city's main prison, by 2026. The complex's infrastructural deterioration and excessive abuses were the cited reasons. (Reuters)
The fourth night of violence in the streets of Catalonia in protest of the sentence of the Catalan independence leaders leaves 33 arrested and 80 injures. In Tarragona, the main door of the city hall is burnt. (El País) (La Vanguardia)

Politics and elections

Representative Elijah Cummings, Maryland Democratic Congressman and House Oversight Committee Chair, dies at age 68. (ABC News)
List of Trump administration dismissals and resignations
- U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announces he will resign by the end of the year. (NPR)
Trial of Catalonia independence leaders, 2019 Catalan Protests
- The Catalan president Quim Torra, in a special plenary session at the Parliament of Catalonia, announces that he will convene a third independence referendum and a Constitution throughout the legislature. (El Periódico)

Science and technology

NASA announces that the InSight Mars lander's heat probe had successfully dug 3 centimetres (1.2 in) into the ground after becoming stuck 35 centimetres (14 in) in the ground in February 2019, confirming that the probe had not hit a rock and instead simply didn't have enough friction in the soil to dig much deeper. The vehicle landed near the Martian equator in November 2018. (Space.com)

More October 2019 events...

Time: 15:28 UTC|Day: 23 October