November 17, 2019 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2019 Hong Kong protests
- Clashes erupt on the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Police use tear gas and water cannons. Protesters fire bows and arrows and petrol bombs, and set fires. (Reuters)
- Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong urges Germany to stop military assistance to China. (Outlook)
Disasters and accidents
- A gas explosion in Chittagong, Bangladesh, kills at least seven people and injures eight. (Reuters)
- The first known case of COVID-19 is traced to a 55-year-old man who had visited a market in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
Health and environment
- 2019 Samoa measles outbreak
- In response to a measles outbreak, Samoa declares a state of emergency, closes all schools and urges all persons under 17 to avoid public gatherings. (ABC News)
International relations
- 2018–19 Korean peace process
- U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and South Korean Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo announce that their countries will postpone their annual joint military air exercises to help facilitate the peace process. (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Japan–United States relations, Japan–North Korea relations
- Japanese Defence Minister Tarō Kōno tells his United States and South Korea counterparts that "no one could be optimistic about North Korea" after "they launched over 20 missiles so far this year". (Yahoo! News)
Law and crime
- 2019 Fresno shooting
- At least ten people are shot, with four killed, at a backyard party in Fresno, California. (CNN)
Politics and elections
- 2019 Belarusian parliamentary election
- Voters in Belarus head to the polls in the country's latest parliamentary election. The election is closely watched by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe due to the country's poor human rights record. (Deutsche Welle)