Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
Robert Fico
- Protests over voting rights changes break out in New Caledonia, a territory of France in the Pacific.
- Robert Fico (pictured), the prime minister of Slovakia, is hospitalised after an assassination attempt.
- Lee Hsien Loong steps down after nearly 20 years as the prime minister of Singapore, and is succeeded by Lawrence Wong.
- Switzerland, represented by Nemo with "The Code", wins the Eurovision Song Contest.
- A series of solar storms impact Earth, creating aurorae seen farther from the poles than usual.
May 18, 2024 (Saturday)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Afghanistan–Pakistan floods
- At least 68 people are killed by floods in Ghor and Faryab Provinces, Afghanistan. (AP)
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
- 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)
- 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 suspect is later fatally shot. Seven suspected members of Jemaah Islamiyah are arrested in connection to the attack. (CNA)
- Terrorism in France
- An Algerian man is killed by French police after setting a synagogue on fire in Rouen, France. (BBC News)
- 2024 Bamyan shooting
- Islamic militants kill six tourists in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan. Four foreigners (including a Spaniard and a Norwegian) and three Afghans are injured. (Reuters)
- Hezbollah–Israel conflict
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. (Al Jazeera)
Law and crime
- 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. (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)
May 14, 2024 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2024 Kharkiv offensive, Kharkiv strikes
- At least 20 people are injured when Russian airstrikes hit a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Reuters)
- Ukraine pulls back from positions near Lukyantsi and Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast. (Reuters)
- 2024 Kharkiv offensive, Kharkiv strikes
- Israel–Hamas war
- Rafah offensive
- Israeli tanks enter residential areas of Rafah as they attempt to capture the city. Hamas' armed wing al-Qassam Brigades says that it destroyed an Israeli troop carrier with a Al-Yassin 105 anti-tank missile, killing several troops and injuring several others, while the Israel Defense Forces claim to have "eliminated" several terrorists in the city. (Reuters)
- Rafah offensive
- Israeli settler violence
- Israeli incursions in the West Bank during the Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli protestors attack a convoy of aid trucks in the West Bank, damaging 15 trucks and causing $2 million worth of damage. (Reuters)
- Israeli incursions in the West Bank during the Israel–Hamas war
- 2024 New Caledonia unrest
- Riots erupt in New Caledonia as France plans to change the constitution, allowing more recent white French settlers to vote in the island's provincial elections, which protesters claim would marginalise the Indigenous Kanak people. (Al Jazeera) (The Guardian)
- Three Kanak residents are killed and many more injured during a drive-by shooting by a group of French settlers. (Reuters)
- At least 54 officers are injured and more than 130 people are arrested. Shops and cars are looted, while a prison breakout has been prevented. (AP) (Al Jazeera)
Arts and culture
- The 77th annual Cannes Film Festival opens in Cannes, France, with Meryl Streep receiving an honorary Palme d'Or award. (AP)
Business and economy
- China–United States trade war
- U.S. President Joe Biden passes tariff increases on Chinese imports, including electric vehicles and batteries, computer chips, and medical products. (Reuters)
- Economy of Argentina
- Inflation in Argentina slows to a single digit number of 8.8 percent amid severe austerity plans by president Javier Milei. (AP)
- GameStop short squeeze
- The share price of GameStop increases by a further 61%. (Quartz) (Yahoo! News)
Disasters and accidents
- The death toll from a building collapse in George, South Africa, last week, increases to 33. (Reuters)
- Thirteen people, including former Congressman Édgar Alarcón, are killed in a bus crash in Vinchos, Huamanga Province, Peru. (Reuters) (Infobae)
- Eight people are killed and 40 others are injured when a bus carrying farmworkers collides with a truck and overturns in Marion County, Florida, United States. (AP)
Law and crime
- Corruption in Russia
- Russian police arrest former head of personnel of the Ministry of Defence Yuri Vasilievich Kuznetsov for bribery of over $1 million. Kuznetsov's charges carry up to 15 years of jail time. (Al Jazeera)
- Two prison guards are killed and three others are critically injured in an ambush of a prison van near Rouen, Normandy, France, to free an inmate with ties to a drug dealing gang. (BBC News)
- Tunisian police raid the headquarters of the Tunisian Order of Lawyers in Tunis and arrest Mahdi Zagrouba, who is known for his opposition to President Kais Saied. (Al Jazeera)
- The Supreme Court of Kazakhstan sentences former Minister of National Economy Kuandyk Bishimbayev to 24 years in prison for torturing and murdering his wife. (Al Jazeera)
- Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza loses his appeal against a 25-year prison sentence. (Reuters)
- A court in Germany convicts and fines Alternative for Germany member Björn Höcke €13,000 ($14,000) for using a Nazi slogan that once belonged to the Sturmabteilung. (Al Jazeera)
Politics and elections
- 2023–2024 Georgian protests
- Riot police clash with protesters on the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia, after the parliament approves a controversial "foreign agent" law that requires media organizations to declare foreign funding. (BBC News)
- The United States warns Georgia that $390 million in planned economic support will be "under review" if the Georgian government considers the U.S. as an "adversary", and not as a strategic partner. (The Guardian)
Science and technology
- May 2024 solar storms
- The sun emits the largest solar flare since 2005, days after producing auroras in the Northern and Southern Hempisheres. (Axios)
- Russia places its nuclear capable submarine-launched Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile into service. (Reuters)
May 13, 2024 (Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Rafah offensive
- The Israeli military advances into northern and southern Gaza. (Reuters)
- A staff member of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security is killed and another is injured in Rafah. (United Nations)
- Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis
- Hamas says that it has "lost contact" with the militants holding four Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin. (Reuters)
- Rafah offensive
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2024 Kharkiv offensive
- Russia claims that its troops have entered the town of Vovchansk, 74 kilometres (46 mi) from Kharkiv. (BBC News)
- 2024 Kharkiv offensive
Business and economy
- GameStop short squeeze
- Three years after the previous GameStop stock squeeze, Redditors return to artificially inflate GameStop's share price by 75%, reaching an 18-month high. The share price of AMC Theatres also increases by more than 70%. (Reuters) (CNBC)
- Russia–United States relations
- U.S. President Joe Biden signs a bill banning imports of uranium from Russia. (Reuters) (The Washington Post)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods
- Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
- The final remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, which killed six workers, are demolished with explosives. (East Bay Times)
- The death toll from the flash flood and lahar in West Sumatra, Indonesia, increases to 43, with 15 others still missing. (Reuters)
- At least 14 people are killed, 75 are injured, and others are trapped after a billboard collapses during heavy rains in Mumbai, India. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- The Airlines for America trade association and several major American airlines file a lawsuit against the United States Department of Transportation over a rule requiring upfront disclosure of airline fees. (Reuters)
- Indonesian police conducts a major drug raid on a lab hidden in a villa in Bali, Indonesia. They arrested one Indonesian, two Ukrainians, and one Russian. (AP)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Lithuanian constitutional referendum
- A referendum to allow dual citizenship in Lithuania fails to pass. (LRT)
- 2024 Lithuanian presidential election
- Gitanas Nausėda and Ingrida Šimonytė advance to the run-off election, which will be held on 26 May. (The Guardian)
- 2024 New Caledonia unrest
- The High Commissioner of New Caledonia imposes a curfew and mobilizes security forces after a general strike and violent protests over proposed constitutional changes in the capital city Nouméa. (Al Jazeera)
- An administrative court in Münster, Germany, rules that the Alternative for Germany political party could threaten democracy and can be spied on. (The Washington Post)
Science and technology
- OpenAI announces a new model of their generative pretrained transformer (GPT) named GPT-4o, capable of visual and video speech recognition and translation. (Reuters)
May 12, 2024 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2024 Kharkiv offensive
- The Russian Defence Ministry states that its forces have captured several villages in Kharkiv Oblast. (CNN)
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- President of Russia Vladimir Putin reassigns Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to the National Security Council and replaces him with Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov. (The Washington Post)
- 2024 Kharkiv offensive
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Israel–Hamas war
- Rafah offensive
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warns Israel lacks a credible plan to protect Rafah civilians. (Reuters)
- Rafah offensive
- Israel–Hamas war
- War in Sudan
- Battle of El Fasher
- Fighting during RSF attacks on eastern El Fasher, over the weekend, kill at least 38 civilians and injure 189 others amid fears of an all out RSF assault on the city. (The Washington Post)
- Battle of El Fasher
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Afghanistan–Pakistan floods
- The death toll from the ongoing flooding in northern Afghanistan increases to 315, with more than 1,600 people injured, and more than 1,000 houses destroyed. (Reuters)
- 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods
- The Marywilska 44 shopping mall in Białołęka district, Warsaw, Poland, is destroyed in a suspected arson attack. Many of the venues were Vietnamese-owned. (The Times of India) (Puls Biznesu)
- Wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, force thousands to evacuate. (CNN)
International relations
- Egypt–Israel relations, Rafah offensive
- Egypt announces it will intervene on South Africa's side in the South Africa v Israel case in response to Israel's growing assault on Rafah. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Catalan regional election
- The Socialists' Party of Catalonia wins the regional election with its best result since 2003. Pro-independence parties lose their absolute majority in the Parliament. (Reuters)
- 2024 Lithuanian presidential election, 2024 Lithuanian constitutional referendum
- Lithuanians elect the President of Lithuania and vote on a constitutional amendment that would allow dual citizenship. (ABC News) (lnk.lt)
- 2024 North Macedonian presidential election
- Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova is sworn in as the first female President of North Macedonia. (Bloomberg Macedonia)
- Forty-nine Vatican Museums employees start an unprecedented labor dispute over unfair and poor working conditions against the Vatican's Pontifical Commission. (Reuters)
- Hundreds of protesters march in Tunis, Tunisia, to demand the release of imprisoned journalists, activists, and opposition figures. (Reuters)
Sports
- Bayer Leverkusen extend their record unbeaten streak in European association football to fifty matches. (Bundesliga)
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