Portal:Current events/2017 November 2

November 2, 2017 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Battle of Deir ez-Zor
  - According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the city of Deir ez-Zor has largely been cleared of ISIS fighters by the Syrian Armed Forces. Deir ez-Zor was the scene of a three-year-long siege until it was broken in September 2017. (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

Balfour Declaration
- A Bethlehem art installation (by anonymous artist Banksy) satirizes the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Disasters and accidents

2017 NTPC power plant explosion
- At least 22 people killed and 100 injured in boiler explosion at a coal-fired power plant in Uttar Pradesh state, India. (BBC)

Law and crime

Spanish constitutional crisis
- Judge Lamela sends preventive detention to eight of the ministers of the Government of Catalonia (Junqueras, Forn, Borràs, Romeva, Mundó, Bassa, Rull, Turull) due to an alleged crime of sedition and rebellion. The ninth Santi Vila, minister of Enterprise and Knowledge, leaves the jail the next day after payment of a bail, being the only one who was given this opportunity. (BBC)
- Five other members of the Bureau of the Parliament and the Speaker face similar charges, but each case will be handled by the Supreme Court due to their parliamentary immunity. (BBC)
- A new general strike is convened in Catalonia for November 8. (Express)

Politics and elections

Icelandic parliamentary election, 2017
- Opposition leader Katrín Jakobsdóttir of the Left-Green Movement receives the mandate to form a government with its coalition partners: the Social Democratic Alliance, the Progressives and the Pirates. (Bloomberg)
Donald Trump on social media
- U.S. President Donald Trump's main social media account is suspended for 11 minutes. Twitter blames the incident on an employee and says it is "taking steps to prevent this from happening again." (The Guardian)

Science and technology