Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- A helicopter crash near Varzaqan, Iran, kills eight people, including President Ebrahim Raisi (pictured) and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
- In boxing, Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in twenty-four years.
- Protests over voting rights changes break out in the French territory of New Caledonia.
- Lee Hsien Loong steps down after nearly twenty years as Prime Minister of Singapore, and is succeeded by Lawrence Wong.
May 21, 2024
(Tuesday)
May 20, 2024
(Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- International reactions to the Israel–Hamas war
- Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, requests arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Hamas political leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, and Al-Qassam Brigades leader Mohammed Al-Masri for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. (Reuters)
- International reactions to the Israel–Hamas war
- Haitian crisis
- Gang war in Haiti
- Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, reopens after being closed for three months due to gang violence, as the US military flies in supplies and civilian contractors to help the police in order to pave a way for an intervention. (AP)
- Gang war in Haiti
Business and economy
- Red Lobster, an American restaurant chain, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. (NPR)
Disasters and accidents
- Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
- The container ship Dali is freed from bridge debris since its initial collision on March 26 and is escorted by tugboats back to the port of Baltimore. (AP)
Law and crime
- Russian military commissariats attacks
- A court in Novosibirsk, Russia, sentences a 24-year-old man to 25 years in prison for allegedly plotting an arson attack on a military recruitment office with alleged directions from Ukraine. (Al Jazeera)
- Judges grant Julian Assange permission to appeal his extradition order from the United Kingdom to the United States. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 19th Congress of the Philippines
- Migz Zubiri resigns as President of the Senate of the Philippines and is replaced by Francis Escudero. (ABS-CBN News)
- 2024 South African general election
- The Constitutional Court of South Africa rules that former President Jacob Zuma is ineligible to run in the upcoming parliamentary election due to his 2021 jail sentence. (Al Jazeera)
- First vice president of Iran Mohammad Mokhber becomes acting president following the death of Ebrahim Raisi. (Al Jazeera)
- Lai Ching-te is sworn in as President of Taiwan, with Hsiao Bi-khim as his Vice President. (Al Jazeera)
May 19, 2024
(Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2024 Democratic Republic of the Congo coup attempt
- The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo say that they foiled a coup by armed men in Kinshasa that killed two police officers and four attackers, including the coup's leader, Christian Malanga, a opposition leader of the United Congolese Party. Around 50 attackers, including Malanga's 20-year-old son and a US citizen from Maryland, are arrested. (AP)
- 2024 New Caledonia unrest
- France deploys law enforcement to New Caledonia to regain control of the road to La Tontouta International Airport, which is currently controlled by protesters. (Reuters)
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- At least six people are killed and 27 others are injured in a Russian double tap missile strike on a recreation area near Kharkiv. Separately, five people are killed and nine others are injured in a Russian strike using a multiple launch rocket system on two villages in Kupiansk Raion, Kharkiv Oblast. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash
- A Bell 212 helicopter crashes in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, killing all the eight people on board, including President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (AP)
- Two people are killed and five others are missing after a boat collision on the Danube river near Verőce, Hungary. (Reuters)
- Seven villages on the island of Halmahera, Indonesia, are forced to evacuate after the Mount Ibu volcano erupts. (Reuters)
International relations
- Argentina–Spain relations
- Spain recalls its ambassador to Argentina after President of Argentina Javier Milei calls Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's wife Begoña Gómez corrupt during a rally in Madrid and also refuses to meet with King Felipe VI. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Dominican Republic general election
- President Luis Abinader wins re-election with 59% of the popular vote. (BBC Mundo)
Sports
- 2023–24 Premier League
- Manchester City win the Premier League, becoming the first team in the 136-year history of the Football League to win four consecutive top-flight titles. (The Guardian)
May 18, 2024
(Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli war cabinet
- Benny Gantz threatens to withdraw his party from the unity coalition if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't submit a post-war plan for Gaza by June 8. (Al Jazeera)
- Rafah offensive
- The Israeli army recovers the body of Ron Binyamin, who was killed and taken to Gaza by Palestinian militants in the 7 October attacks. (Reuters)
- Austria unfreezes €3.4 million (US$3.7 million) in funds to the UNRWA. (Reuters)
- Israeli war cabinet
- Myanmar civil war
- Rakhine offensive
- The Arakan Army seizes control of Buthidaung after the army captures Tatmadaw positions in the surrounding area. The town, which hosts a majority Rohingya population, is burned amidst the crossfire. (AP)
- Rakhine offensive
- 2024 New Caledonia unrest
- The death toll from the ongoing protests and riots in New Caledonia increases to six. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Afghanistan–Pakistan floods
- At least 68 people are killed by floods in Ghor and Faryab provinces, Afghanistan. (AP)
- Three people are killed and five others are injured in a boat collision on Bobs Lake in Ontario, Canada. (CBC News)
- At least 23 migrants are missing after boarding a boat travelling from Tunisia to Italy. (Reuters)
International relations
- 2024 Bishkek riots
- The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan asks that Pakistani nationals in Kyrgyzstan stay indoors after mob attacks on Pakistanis and other foreign nationals are reported. (AP)
Law and crime
- Italian financial police seize 134 Fiat cars imported from Morocco following a dispute on stickers indicating the origin of the car. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2023–2024 Georgian protests
- President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili vetoes the proposed "Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence". (The Guardian)
- LGBT rights in Peru
- Hundreds of protesters march in Lima, Peru, to demand the reversal of a new law that describes transgender people as having a mental illness. (Reuters)
- The Communist Party of Vietnam nominates Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm as the next President after Võ Văn Thưởng resigned as President in March due to the party's anti-corruption campaign. (Al Jazeera)
Sports
- 2023–24 Bundesliga
- In association football, Bundesliga champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen become the first Bundesliga team to finish a season unbeaten after defeating FC Augsburg on the final matchday. (The New York Times)
- 2023–24 Women's Super League
- In association football, Chelsea F.C. Women wins their 7th Women's Super League title after defeating Manchester United W.F.C. 6–0 in the final match. (Reuters)
- Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk
- In boxing, Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury by split decision and becomes the first undisputed four-belt heavyweight champion in history. (BBC Sport)
May 17, 2024
(Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Humanitarian aid during the Israel–Hamas war
- Humanitarian aid deliveries begin arriving at the U.S.-built Gaza floating pier. (Reuters)
- Rafah offensive
- The Israeli army recovers from Rafah the bodies of three people killed in the Re'im music festival massacre last October, including Shani Louk. (The New York Times)
- Hamas announces that an Israeli strike killed Sharhabil Sayed, a Hamas commander in Lebanon. (France 24)
- Israel announces that an Air Force strike killed Islaam Hamaisa, a commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Jenin Brigade. (Jerusalem Post)
- Humanitarian aid during the Israel–Hamas war
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Ukraine launches a massive drone attack across southwestern Russia, causing fires at several oil refineries, including at the port of Novorossiysk. (The New York Times)
- Kharkiv strikes
- At least three civilians are killed and 28 others are injured by Russian guided bombs in Kharkiv. (Reuters)
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2024 Bamyan shooting
- Gunmen open fire on a group of tourists in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan, killing three Spanish citizens, two Afghan civilians and a Taliban guard. Seven others are injured. (Al Jazeera)
- 2024 Ulu Tiram police station attack
- Two police officers are killed and another is injured outside the Ulu Tiram police station in Johor, Malaysia. The killer is later fatally shot. Seven suspected members of Jemaah Islamiyah are arrested in connection to the attack. (CNA)
- Hezbollah–Israel conflict
- Red Sea crisis
- Houthi forces shoot down a United States Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone with a surface-to-air missile over Marib Governorate, Yemen. Wreckage of the downed drone appears on social media. (ABC News)
Health and environment
- A child in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, dies of measles, the province's first such death since 1989. (CBC News)
International relations
- Azerbaijan–France relations, 2024 New Caledonia unrest
- France accuses Azerbaijan of being behind the protests and violence in New Caledonia after Azerbaijani and Togolese flags are seen alongside indigenous Kanak symbols at the protests. Azerbaijan has previously spoken out against French colonialism and supported pro-independence participants, in response to French support for Armenia. (Al Jazeera)
Law and crime
- A man is shot dead by police after trying to set a synagogue on fire in Rouen, France. (BBC News)
- The RCMP identifies the killer of four people in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in 1976 and 1977 as American serial rapist Gary Allen Srery, who died in prison in 2011. (CFCN-TV)
- Iranian police arrest more than 260 people, including three European citizens, on suspicion of spreading Satanism and nudity in Iran. (ABC News)
- Police in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, arrest American golfer Scottie Scheffler, who was travelling to the 2024 PGA Championship, for assault of a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals. (AP)
Politics and elections
- A brawl breaks out in the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, following disagreements over draft reforms between the Democratic Progressive Party and the Kuomintang. (The Independent)
Science and technology
- Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope discover the earliest known merging of black holes, 740 million years after the Big Bang. (AP)
Sports
- The annual FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, awards Brazil the host rights for the 2027 Women's World Cup. (USA Today)
May 16, 2024
(Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Insurgency in the North Gaza Strip
- Battle of Jabalia
- Palestinian fighters, including Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claim dozens of attacks on Israeli troops in and around the Jabalia refugee camp. (Al Jazeera)
- Battle of Jabalia
- International reactions to the Israel–Hamas war
- Global Affairs Canada announces sanctions on four "extremist" Israeli settlers in the West Bank for engaging in violence against Palestinian civilians and their property. (CBC News)
- The Arab League calls for a United Nations peacekeeping force and international protection in the occupied Palestinian territories until a two-state solution is implemented. (Al Jazeera) (Al Arabiya)
- The United States House of Representatives passes a bill which would defund certain offices if President Biden impedes any weapons shipments to Israel. The President is expected to veto the bill if it passes the Senate. (Politico)
- Insurgency in the North Gaza Strip
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announces a $2 billion military aid package for Ukraine, aimed at investing in Ukraine's industrial base. (Al Jazeera)
- Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2024 New Caledonia unrest
- France deploys 1,000 police officers to New Caledonia in an attempt to control the ongoing riots. (Reuters)
- Attempted assassination of Robert Fico
- Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico is reported to be in serious but stable condition. (Reuters)
Business and economy
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Houston derecho
- Heavy storms kill at least four people in Houston, Texas, United States. (The New York Times)
International relations
- China–Russia relations
- President of Russia Vladimir Putin meets with President of China Xi Jinping in Beijing, China. (CNN)
- Russia–United States relations
- The United States announces sanctions on two Russian individuals and three Russian companies for facilitating weapons transfers between Russia and North Korea. (Reuters)
- Foreign minister of Kosovo Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz writes to the Council of Europe to ask for member nations to consider granting Kosovo entry into the council. (AP)
Law and crime
- Murder of Garrett Foster
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott pardons Daniel Perry, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing a man at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020. (The New York Times)
- The European Union opens a formal investigation into Meta for potential breaches in online content rules relating to child safety on Facebook and Instagram, which violate the Digital Services Act. (Al Jazeera)
Politics and elections
- Permanent Member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee's Secretariat Trương Thị Mai resigns after just over a year in office amid the Communist Party's anti-corruption campaign. (Xinhua)
- Tunisian lawyers launch a one-day strike and protest in Tunis following the recent arrest of two lawyers and repressive measures enacted by President Kais Saied. (Al Jazeera)
May 15, 2024
(Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Southern Ukraine campaign, 2024 Kharkiv offensive
- Russia says its forces have captured the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and several more villages in Kharkiv Oblast. Ukraine confirms it has pulled back its troops from Vovchansk to "preserve the lives of our servicemen and avoid losses". (BBC News)
- Southern Ukraine campaign, 2024 Kharkiv offensive
- Israel–Hamas war
- Battle of Jabalia
- Five Israeli soldiers are killed in a friendly fire incident in Jabalia after IDF tanks open fire on their position. (BBC News)
- Battle of Jabalia
- Attempted assassination of Robert Fico
- Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico is injured in a shooting in Handlová, Slovakia, which is being treated as an assassination attempt. The shooter has been apprehended and is identified as a 71-year-old writer from Levice, Slovakia. (BBC News) (The Wall Street Journal)
- The Slovak government describes Prime Minister Robert Fico's condition as life-threatening. Deputy prime minister Tomáš Taraba stated that Fico underwent surgery, was stabilized, and is expected to survive. (Reuters) (The Guardian)
- 2024 New Caledonia unrest
- France declares a state of emergency in New Caledonia as anti-French rioting continues, which has killed four people. Schools are closed and a curfew is announced in the capital Nouméa. (Reuters)
- War in Sudan
- The United States issues sanctions on two commanders of the Rapid Support Forces, Ali Yagoub Gibril and Osman Mohamed Hamid, for their roles in the escalating violence in Darfur. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Canada wildfires
- Authorities evacuate over 6,000 people as wildfires approach the city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. (Reuters) (NPR)
- 2024 West Sumatra floods
- The death toll from the flash flood and lahar in West Sumatra, Indonesia, increases to 62, with 25 others still missing. (Reuters)
International relations
- Nicaragua–United States relations
- The United States impose visa restrictions on more than 250 members of the Nicaraguan government and also sanction three Nicaraguan entities for "repressive action" and a failure to control migrant smuggling through Nicaragua. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Six people are injured during a mass stabbing at a railway station in Zofingen, Switzerland. The suspect, who has suffered self-inflicted wounds, is detained. His motives are unknown. (Al Arabiya)
- Federal prosecutors in New York City charge two brothers, Anton and James Peraire-Bueno, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, after they were arrested for exploiting the Ethereum blockchain and stealing $25 million worth of cryptocurrency. (Reuters)
- The United States Supreme Court lets Louisiana use a new congressional map with two majority-Black congressional districts in the 2024 United States House of Representatives elections. (CBS News)
Politics and elections
- 2024 United States presidential election
- 2024 United States presidential debates
- U.S. President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump agree to hold a presidential debate on June 27, hosted by CNN, which will be the earliest general election debate in modern history in the United States. A second debate will be held in September. (The New York Times)
- 2024 United States presidential debates
- 2023–2024 Dutch cabinet formation
- A new coalition government in the Netherlands is agreed by Geert Wilders, Dilan Yeşilgöz, Pieter Omtzigt, and Caroline van der Plas. (The Guardian)
- Lawrence Wong is sworn in as the fourth Prime Minister of Singapore, succeeding Lee Hsien Loong. (BBC News) (CNA)
Science and technology
- Discoveries of exoplanets
- Scientists announce the discovery of SPECULOOS-3 b, an Earth-size exoplanet that orbits a red dwarf star that has a similar size as Jupiter. (Space.com)
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