2019 was a year dominated by Brexit, it has taken 12 months longer than we expected and we’re still not over the finishing line. However, like most calendar years these last 12 months have been riddled with lots of controversy and political scandals as well as tragedy and mayhem.
We are unable to include every event whoever, we have tried to include some of the more popular stories from around the world which made the headlines. When people are searching the web for current events summaries they can trust, they almost always end up on wtxnews.com.
View a mosaic of captivating images and news briefs about critical government decisions, news discoveries, global life-changing events and more. From this page, you’ll see news events organised chronologically by month. we hope you enjoy them and have a safe and enjoyable start to the New Year.
JANUARY
Most Women elected to Congress & for the first time 2 Muslim women
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic congresswomen pose together outside the US Capitol. A record number of women elected to Congress were key to Democrats reclaiming the majority in the House. In a historic day, for the first time in American history, two Muslim women were elected to congress and immediately caught the eye of President Donald Trump.
FEBRUARY
Pope Francis makes a historic visit to the UAE
Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, began a three-day trip to the UAE on Feb. 3, which he described as an opportunity to write “a new page in the history of relations between religions.” He landed at the presidential airport in Abu Dhabi on a Sunday morning, where he was greeted by Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. As part of his trip, Francis attended an interfaith conference, followed by an open-air two-hour mass in Zayed Sports City Stadium, where he was greeted by more than 100,000 people.
MARCH
New Zealand Terror attack by the Far-Right Terrorist who killed 51 Muslims
Al Noor mosque in Christchurch March 15 had begun like a normal day when gunfire suddenly rang out from the front doorway, the beginning of an attack on two mosques by a lone gunman that left 51 worshippers dead and 40 severely injured. The entire attack was live-streamed on facebook by a Far-right terrorist. The shootings, termed as a “terrorist attack” by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, took place during the Friday prayers. Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian published a manifesto, which was disseminated online ahead of the shooting, was filled with anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim ideas.
Brexit Extension
After months of deliberation and political squabbling, no breakthrough was made by the Tory government. The weak and fragile coalition led by Theresa May was unable to pass the Brexit bill through parliament. As a result, the UK missed its Brexit deadline of March 31st and the then Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to request an extension.
APRIL
Sudan’s president ousted after 30 years in power
After a 30-year dictatorship marked by oppression, war crimes and human right violations, Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir was ousted on April 11. He came to power in a military coup in 1989 and was later accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of genocide. Political unrest gripped Sudan in December 2018, when protests broke out nationwide after price increases were announced for fuel and bread. This turned into a wider call for Al-Bashir and his government to step down. That goal was achieved in 2019 after months of unrest and military intervention.
Julian Assange arrested in London and hasn’t been heard of since
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures to the media after arriving at a court in London. Earlier in the day, police entered the Ecuadorian Embassy to detain Assange, who had been holed up at the embassy for the last seven years. Assange, who had his asylum revoked by Ecuador, was charged with “failing to surrender to the court” over a warrant issued in 2012. Assange has been a key figure in major leaks of classified government documents, cables and videos. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Notre Dame Burns down
Smoke and flames rise from the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. A catastrophic fire engulfed the 850-year-old structure, destroying its iconic spire and roof. since then millions of Euro’s have been raised to rebuild the iconic development.
MAY
Meghan and Harry have a baby
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II looks at her new great-grandchild, Archie. Archie is the first child of Prince Harry, second from left, and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Prince Philip is on the far left. Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, is next to her at right. The first mixed-race royal baby in British history.
Prime Minister announces her resignation after another Brexit loss
British Prime Minister Theresa May tears up as she announces her resignation in London. May said she deeply regretted not being able to deliver Brexit, the issue that brought her to power in 2016 and consumed her premiership.
JUNE
People march in the streets of Hong Kong
People march in the streets of Hong Kong to protest a controversial extradition bill. Critics feared the bill would allow citizens to be sent across the border into mainland China. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam withdrew the bill on September 4, but she refused to give ground on protesters’ four other demands, which include greater democracy for the city and an independent commission into police conduct.
JULY
Boris Johnson is invited to form a government by the Queen
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Boris Johnson at Buckingham Palace, where she formally invited him to become Prime Minister. Johnson won the UK’s Conservative Party leadership contest and replaced Theresa May, who was forced into resigning after members of her Cabinet lost confidence in her ability to secure the UK’s departure from the European Union.
AUGUST
Disgraced billionaire Jeffery Epstein found dead in NY jail
American billionaire and convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein was found dead in his NYC jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Though his autopsy ruled his death as a suicide by hanging, it is highly disputed. Many believe Epstein’s death was a result of a homicide. His friendship with Prince Andrew resulted in the Prince retiring from public duties.
US suffers double mass shooting in 24 hours
In less than 24 hours and 1,600 miles apart the United States suffered two mass shootings killing 29 people and injuring 53, leaving the country reeling. A gunman opened fire at a crowd in an El Paso, Texas Walmart store. Patrick Crusius, 21, a Trump supporter, admitted to targetting Hispanic Americans. Hours later Connor Betts, 24, opened fire at a bar in Dayton, Ohio – his sister was one of the victims. His motives remain unknown. He was shot dead by police about 1 minute after the attack began.
India revokes Jammu and Kashmir’s special status
The Indian government revoked the special status granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir. Among the government actions was the cutting off of communication lines in the Kashmir valley. Several Kashmir politicians were taken into custody. International human rights groups condemned the revocation.
SEPTEMBER
Australian bushfires
Since September the Australian bushfires have burned about five million hectares of land, killed at least 13 people and left four people unaccounted for. The fires have raged over New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. Across the country, a total of 1107 homes have been destroyed, nearly half a billion aminals are feared dead and the fires continue to worsen as every state has now reached 40C.
Hurricane Dorian makes landfall on the Bahamas
Hurricane Dorian was the most intense tropical cyclone on record to hit the Bahamas. In total, Dorian killed 80 people – 10 in the US and 70 in the Bahamas. At present 282 people are still missing in the Bahamas and the hurricane left behind $3.4 billion worth of damage. The damage in the Bahamas was catastrophic due to the prolonged and intense storm conditions, including heavy rainfall, high winds and storm surge. The true death toll is unknown but expected to be significantly higher.
India’s lunar mission cut short
By September, India’s Chandrayaan-2 failed to soft-land on the moon. The spacecraft launched in July and reached the Moon’s orbit in August. But the lander deviated from the route and lost communication when a touchdown was expected. It is believed the craft crashed, if the mission had been successful India would have been the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon. A re-attempt is expected next year.
OCTOBER
Trump impeachment enquiry begins
US President Donald Trump talks to reporters about the House impeachment inquiry. Trump called the inquiry “the greatest hoax,” lashing out at Democrats, the media and the anonymous whistleblower who submitted a complaint to the intelligence inspector general.
Lebanon protests prompt Hariri to step down as PM
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned from his post on Oct. 29 following nearly two weeks of daily mass protests against corruption and a collapsing economy. Nationwide demonstrations had paralyzed Lebanon at a time of deep economic crisis, shutting banks, schools and businesses for more than 10 days. Rallies against the political elite demanded the removal of the government and an end to the sectarian political system. In response, Hariri submitted his resignation and that of his government in a letter handed to President Michel Aoun.
Essex lorry deaths
The bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were found in the trailer of a refrigerated lorry in Grays, Essex. It is believed they had been smuggled either as migrants or in human trafficking. Of the deceased, 31 were male and 8 were female and included 10 teenagers; the youngest was 15-year-old boys. At present, 13 people have been arrested on a range of charges including manslaughter, money laundering and unlawful immigration.
NOVEMBER
Disney + launches and a New Era of entertainment begins
Disney launched its subscription video-on-demand streaming service in the US, Canada, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand (the UK set for March 2020). Despite the new streaming site entering an already overcrowded market, Disney + saw more than 10 million subscribers within the first day of its launch. The service is built around content from Disney’s main entertainment studios, including Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios and content from other leading studios.
London Bridge Terror attack leaves two dead
Five people were stabbed, two fatally, in Central London by Usman Khan, who had been released from prison on licence after serving a sentence for terrorist offences. Khan was attending an offender rehabilitation conference in Fishmongers’ Hall when he stabbed Jack Merritt, 25 and Saskia Jones, 23, to death. He wore a fake suicide vest and attacked people with two knives before being restrained by members of the public. Khan was shot dead by police.
DECEMBER
President Trump impeached
President Trump became the third US President to be impeached after the House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment. The charges of Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress were both approved on December 18. The charges came after allegations Trump sought help from Ukrainian authorities to influence the 2020 Presidential election by asking them to investigate rival Joe Biden. The articles must now be submitted to the Senate to initiate trial which is expected to begin in early January 2020.
Tories win the general election by a landslide, Corbyn says goodbye
A snap December general election saw the UK hit the polls in what was called the most important election of our times. The Conservative party won the election with a landslide majority of 80 seats, their biggest win since 1987. The Tories win saw the Labour party lose the ‘red wall’ in Northern England, seats traditionally belonging to the Labour party. The North’s strong ‘Leave’ opinion is said to have played a big role in the Conservatives’ seat gains. Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn announced he will step down next year.
Aramco lists shares on Saudi Stock Exchange
Saudi Aramco shares made their stock market debut on Dec. 11, rising to the maximum allowed 10 per cent over the listing price. The stocks advanced to SR38.70 ($10.32), up from the initial public offering price of SR32, hitting the daily limit permitted by the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) and giving the company a valuation close to the coveted $2 trillion. Aramco became the world’s most valuable listed company, more than the top five oil companies combined.
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