The LuLac Edition #4,192, December 28th, 2019

TOP 10 INTERNATIONAL STORIES OF 2019

1. ENGLAND British Prime Minister Theresa May announces her resignation as Conservative leader, effective June 7, 2019. Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister. Later in the year The 2019 United Kingdom general election takes place, for all 650 seats in the House of Commons. Johnson’s Conservative party wins in romp over the Labor party.
2. President Donald Trump approves deployment of several hundred troops and military equipment to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates following the September 14 attack on Saudi oil refineries. Both Saudi Arabia and Iran vow to defend themselves..
3. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust
4. The 2019 North Korea–United States summit is held in Hanoi, Vietnam. It is the second summit between United States President Donald Trump and the North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un.
5. Russia formally adopts the Paris climate agreement. The United States, under climate change denier, Diaper Don DID NOT!
6. The 2019 Canadian federal election takes place, for all 338 seats in the House of Commons of Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party win a narrow victory to form a minority government.
7. 51 people are killed and 50 others injured in terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand: Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, both of which were the target of shootings by Australia-born Brenton Harrison Tarrant. It is the deadliest mass shooting and terrorist attack in New Zealand's history and described by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as "one of New Zealand's darkest days". Subsequently, Facebook announced they had disabled 1.5 million videos of the gunman's rampage.
8. WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange is arrested after seven years in Ecuador's embassy in London
9. During Holy Week, a major fire engulfs Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, resulting in the roof and main spire collapsing.
10.   Pope Francis abolishes pontifical secrecy in sex abuse cases; the move follows the Vatican's Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church months prior The Pope also raises the definition of "child pornography" from 14 to 18 years old.
Francis insisted on the centrality of protecting immigrants and refugees, who represent all those who are “discarded from globalized society.” He insisted these marginalized groups, “represent a voice crying in the wilderness of our humanity” and that Jesus lying in the manger “has the face of our brothers and sisters most in need.”