Sunday, November 19th, 2023 

The Houthi movement hijacks a British cargo ship operated by a Japanese company and partially owned by an Israeli businessman in the Red Sea. 25 people are on board from different nationalities, including Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Filipinos, and Mexicans. (Al Arabiya) (Jerusalem Post) 

On the group’s Telegram channel, Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea declares their intention to target ships owned or operated by Israeli companies, or carrying the Israeli flag. (Al Arabiya) 

Nicaragua completes its withdrawal from the Organization of American States. (La Prensa Latina) 

Argentines vote for their president in a run-off election between Sergio Massa and Javier Milei. (AP) 

In tennis, Serbian Novak Djokovic wins a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals singles title after defeating Italian Jannik Sinner in three sets, 6–3, 6–3. Djokovic, who successfully defended his title, surpasses Roger Federer‘s achievement. (AP) 

Sam Altman steps down as CEO of American artificial intelligence developer OpenAI following a vote from the company’s board of directors demanding his resignation. In response, fellow co-founder Greg Brockman quits his role as president of OpenAI. Mira Murati takes over as interim CEO. (CNBC) 

Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios is crowned Miss Universe by her predecessor, R’Bonney Gabriel, marking the country’s first win in the pageant’s history. (CNN) 

Saturday, November 18th, 2023 

The Jebel Aulia Bridge, part of the Jebel Aulia Dam complex, is destroyed amid heavy fighting in Jabal Awliya, although the dam itself remains intact. It is the second bridge in Khartoum to be destroyed in the past week. (Sudan Tribune) 

Efforts to rescue 40 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand, India, are suspended due to concerns of further cave-ins. (AFP via Dawn) 

A person dies at the first of American singer Taylor Swift’s concerts at the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during a day when temperatures reached 39.1 °C (102.4 °F). Swift postpones her second concert in the city due to the heat. (The Guardian)

Four major Congolese opposition parties form a coalition to contest President Félix Tshisekedi in the upcoming election. Martin Fayulu‘s party remains absent from the agreement. (AFP via The Citizen) 

American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX launches the second test flight of the Starship rocket, at Starbase in Texas, United States, reaching an altitude of 148 kilometres (92 mi). The Super Heavy booster explodes shortly after separation, with the second stage terminating itself eight minutes into the flight. (CNBC) (CNN) 

The End Sunday 

Saturday, November 18th, 2023 

One person is killed and thousands injured at American singer Taylor Swift‘s concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil due to a heatwave. (The Guardian) 

Apple, IBM, Paramount Global and other multinational companies suspend their advertising on X (formerly Twitter) in response to X chairman Elon Musk‘s endorsement of the white genocide conspiracy theory. (Axios) (The New York Times) 

American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX launches the second test flight of Starship, reaching an altitude of 148 kilometers but the booster explodes shortly after separation and the second stage explosively terminates itself around eight minutes into the flight. (CNBC)

A Norse Atlantic Airways Boeing 787 lands at Troll Airfield in Antarctica, making it the first time that this type of aircraft has landed in Antarctica. (Flightradar24) 

The Jebel Aulia Bridge, part of the Jebel Aulia Dam complex, is destroyed amid heavy fighting in Jabal Awliya. A Sudanese official says the dam itself remains intact. It is the second bridge in Khartoum destroyed in a week. (Sudan Tribune) 

Friday,  November 17th, 2023 

Ten fuel trucks enter the Gaza Strip from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing carrying 150,000 litres of diesel fuel. (Al-Ahram) 

Japan and the United States finalize a $2.35 billion deal for the latter to export 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles to the former. (AFP via France 24) 

Russia begins its shipments of free grain to Africa as part of President Vladimir Putin‘s pledge to send 200,000 tonnes of grain to six African nations. (AFP via The Moscow Times) 

Israel calls on civilians to evacuate Khan Yunis in the south of Gaza and head to field hospitals, saying that Israeli troops will be carrying out a military operation in the area. (Reuters) 

An Israeli airstrike kills Ahmad Bahar, a senior leader in Hamas who served as the vice president of the Palestinian Legislative Council. (Times Of Israel) 

Operation 1027 The military recaptures the town of Pauktaw, Rakhine State, from the Arakan Army following heavy bombardment of the town. (Myanmar Now) 

A Myanmar Air Force warplane bombs a school in Chin State, killing at least eight children. (BBC News) 

Operation 1107 Karenni rebels overrun military forces sheltering inside the district courthouse in Loikaw, Kayah State, subsequently setting the building on fire as fighting continues in the city. (The Irrawaddy) 

The United Auto Workers and General Motors ratify a contract to end the strike at General Motors plants across the United States. (ABC) 

The Al Dhafra solar farm, the largest solar farm in the world, comes online in the United Arab Emirates. The solar farm is expected to power around 200,000 homes. (Electrek) 

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hits southern Mindanao, Philippines, killing at least seven people and leaving two others missing. (Bloomberg) 

The Philippines and the United States sign a deal for the latter to export nuclear technology and materials to the former. (Reuters) 

The International Court of Justice orders Azerbaijan to facilitate the “safe, unimpeded, and expeditious” return of displaced people to Nagorno-Karabakh, following the country’s offensive, and to ensure freedom of movement for those wishing to leave or remain in the region. (AFP via RFI) 

Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom formally join the genocide case at the International Court of Justice against Myanmar, accusing Myanmar’s military junta of committing genocide against the Rohingya people. (Al Jazeera) 

The ECOWAS Court rules that Senegal has not violated the rights of opposition figure Ousmane Sonko. (AFP via The Guardian) 

Liberian President George Weah concedes defeat to former Vice President Joseph Boakai. (Reuters) 

The European Commission suspends all paid advertising on X, citing the risk of “reputational damage” to the EU, and “widespread concerns relating to the spread of disinformation” on the platform. (Politico) 

Thursday, November 16th, 2023 

Russian activist Aleksandra Skochilenko is sentenced to seven years in prison on charges related to her protest of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (The Guardian) 

Russian activist Aleksandra Skochilenko is sentenced to seven years in prison on charges related for her protest of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AP via WIVB) 

The Israel Defense Forces surround the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City with tanks. (Middle East Monitor) 

Israeli Police kill three gunmen who attacked a checkpoint near Jerusalem, injuring six security forces. (AFP via RFI) 

Operation 1027 The Arakan Army captures the town of Pauktaw, Rakhine State. The military responds by bombing the town with helicopters and warships. (The Irrawaddy) 

The Sudan Liberation Movement, the Justice and Equality Movement and other smaller rebel factions declare war on the Rapid Support Forces, having previously remained neutral in the conflict. (Sudan Tribune) 

The general categories are dominated by women winners. (Billboard) 

Twenty-six people are killed and 63 others are injured in a fire at an office building in Lüliang, Shanxi, China. (BBC News) 

U.S. Rep. George Santos says he will not seek re-election next year after the House Ethics Committee issued a scathing report against him, which led to him being charged with felonies. (ABC News) 

Four Indonesian Air Force personnel are killed when their military planes crash in Pasuruan, East Java. (Asia Today) 

Twenty-three people are injured when a Chicago “L” commuter train crashes into snow-removal equipment in Chicago, Illinois, United States. (BBC News) 

The European Commission renews its authorisation of the systemic herbicide glyphosate for 10 years, following the failure of the European Union member states to reach a consensus on the renewal. (AFP via France 24) 

The Turkish parliament‘s foreign affairs commission delays a vote on Sweden‘s NATO membership bid. (Reuters) 

The Parliament of Kenya approves the deployment of its police officers to Haiti as part of a United Nations-backed multinational security mission to combat the gang war in Haiti. (AFP via TOI) 

The Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office requests that the immunity of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo and Vice President-elect Karin Herrera be lifted for their alleged participation in the seizure of the facilities of the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. If the request is successful, Arévalo and Herrera could be arrested. (Bloomberg) 

Pedro Sánchez is re-elected as prime minister of Spain, forming his third government. (The Guardian) 

Casgevy, a world-first gene therapy that aims to cure sickle-cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia, is approved by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, becoming the first drug using CRISPR to be licensed. (BBC) 

Citizens of Madagascar head to the polls to elect a new president. (Africanews) 

The Arakan Army captures the town of Pauktaw, Rakhine State. The military responds by bombing the town with helicopters and warships. (The Irrawaddy) 

The Israeli Police kills three gunmen who attacked a checkpoint near Jerusalem, injuring six security forces. (AFP via RFI) 

Twenty-six people are killed and 63 others injured during a fire at an office in Lüliang, Shanxi, China. (BBC News) 

The European Commission renews its authorisation of the systemic herbicide glyphosate for 10 years, following the European Union member states‘ failure to reach a consensus on its renewal. (AFP via France 24) 

The Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs commission delays a vote on Sweden’s NATO membership bid. (Reuters) 

The End