Portal:Current events/May 2015

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May 2015 was the fifth month of that common year. The month, which began on a Friday, ended on a Sunday after 31 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from May 2015.

Current events of May 1, 2015 (2015-05-01) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Mexican Drug War Three Mexican Army soldiers die as gunfire downs a helicopter in the state of Jalisco. Ten soldiers and two Federal Police officers are injured. (AP via ABC News America) A PRI/PVEM mayoral candidate in the city of Chilapa de Álvarez, Guerrero, is assassinated. (AP via Washington Post) Yemeni Civil War The United Nations warns that humanitarian efforts in Yemen could end within days unless the Houthis allow distribution of fuel. (Al-Jazeera) Libyan Civil War (2014–present) A rocket attack on a centre for despatching ambulances in the eastern city of Benghazi kills at least three people and injures seven other. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents A 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurs in Papua New Guinea's East New Britain province with the potential to generate a local tsunami. (AP via Daily Mail) Australian east coast low Four people have died in South East Queensland in flood waters triggered by heavy rain. (Courier-Mail) Arts and culture Expo 2015 opens in Milan, Italy, with the theme Feeding the planet, energy for life and with 145 countries participating.(BBC) Health Scientists at the Salk Institute and the Chinese Academy of Sciences studying Werner's syndrome, which is characterized by the appearance of premature aging, report that aging causes an overall decline in the synthesis of proteins that are themselves involved in protein synthesis. (BMC) (Washington Post, via MSN) Law and crime French President François Hollande promises to investigate claims that French Army soldiers were involved in sexual child abuse in the Central African Republic. (NPR) Death of Freddie Gray Marilyn Mosby, the State Attorney for Baltimore, Maryland, rules that the death of Freddie Gray was a homicide and six officers of the Baltimore Police Department had been negligent in his death. (New York Times) The six officers are taken into custody and charged with second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and misconduct. (AFP via News24) Fort Lee lane closure scandal Former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official David Wildstein pleads guilty for his role in creating traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge for political retribution in 2013. (AP) Sports Essex 73's won the 2015 Schmalz Cup Championship 1-0 in game 7 against the Port Hope Panthers In Australian rules football, Mick Malthouse sets a new record for games as a senior coach, surpassing Jock McHale's record with his 715th game in an AFL match between Carlton and Collingwood. (AAP via ABC News Australia) In auto racing, ARCA driver Brad Smith suffers two broken ankles after a crash at Talladega Superspeedway. (USA Today) Current events of May 2, 2015 (2015-05-02) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2015 West African offensive: The Nigerian Armed Forces announce they rescued another 234 women and girls from Boko Haram control in the Sambisa Forest on April 30. (AP) Two policemen and a civilian are killed and three others injured after a grenade attack in Burundi's capital Bujumbura. The attack takes place a day after a similar incident injured three officers, and comes in the midst of intensifying protests against current president Pierre Nkurunziza. (Al Jazeera) Iraqi insurgency (2011–present) Two explosions in Baghdad kill at least 13 people and injure dozens. (Al-jazeera) Arts and culture The Republic of Congo bans full face-veils in an apparent attempt to prevent religious extremist attacks. (The Independent) Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, returns home to cheering crowds after giving birth to her and the Duke's second child, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, fourth in line to the throne behind her older brother, Prince George of Cambridge, at St Mary's Hospital, London. Many countries send congratulations. (BBC), (Daily Mail) Disasters and accidents Australian east coast low Fifteen people have had to be rescued from floodwaters as the town of Bellingen is likely to be cut off. (Weatherzone) The death toll from the storms has risen to six with five people dead in Queensland and a six year old boy dying after being pulled from rough seas in the New South Wales town of Ballina. (9 News) April 2015 Nepal earthquake: The death toll from last month's earthquake rises to 7,040 people and a total of 14,025 injured with thousands missing. Authorities in Nepal have given up hope of finding more survivors in the rubble. (Xinhua), (BBC), (CNN) More than 2400 migrants have been rescued after boats they were travelling on were rescued off the Libyan coast. (Al-Jazeera) Health New research has suggested lung cancer patients could benefit from the use of statin drugs. Dr. Chris Cardwell, Ph.D., and researchers at Queens University Belfast in Northern Ireland found lung cancer patients who used statins within a year of diagnosis had a reduced risk of death from the disease, the American Association for Cancer Research reported. To make their finding, the research team looked at data on about 14,000 patients who were newly diagnosed with lung cancer between the years of 1998 and 2009 and were a part of the English cancer registry. (HNGN) (AACR) Law and crime Thai police dig up a campsite in southern Thailand used by human traffickers with 30 grave sites. (AP via Daily Mail) Authorities in the Maldives arrest three opposition leaders and nearly 200 citizens following violent protests yesterday calling for the resignation of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom. (The Guardian) In Queens Village, a part of the New York City borough of Queens, 25-year-old New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Brian Moore is shot in the head through the cheek while on patrol with his partner, Erik Jansen, who was uninjured, according to NYPD Police Commissioner William Bratton. The officer was placed in an induced coma at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, but his condition eventually deteriorated, and he died on Monday, May 4, 2015, after being taken off of life support. Demetrius Blackwell, 35, is charged with first-degree murder in the case. (New York Times) Sport Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao: In boxing, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. of the United States defeats Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines for the united welterweight championship at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in the U.S. state of Nevada. Mayweather wins a unanimous points decision. (Daily Telegraph) (Daily Mail) In horse racing, the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby occurs at the Churchill Downs racecourse in the American city of Louisville, Kentucky with American Pharoah ridden by Victor Espinoza and trained by Bob Baffert winning in front of a record crowd. (The Guardian), (Los Angeles Times), (AP) In rugby union, Toulon defeat Clermont 24–18 in an all-French European Rugby Champions Cup final at Twickenham in London. Toulon becomes the first side ever to win three consecutive European club championships. (ESPN (UK)) In football, Celtic wins the 2014–15 Scottish Premiership with three games to go. (AFP via ABC News Australia) In auto racing, a crewman from Aric Almirola's team is airlifted to a hospital during the Winn-Dixie 300 of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, after Brendan Gaughan's vehicle crashed into the pit wall and struck tires and a sign, which then struck the crew member. (ESPN) Current events of May 3, 2015 (2015-05-03) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Yemen officials say that at least 20 members of the Arab coalition have landed in Aden on a 'reconnaissance' mission. (AP via UT San Diego) Moro insurgency in the Philippines Fugitive Abdul Basit Usman dies in a clash in Mindanao. (Rappler) Disasters and accidents April 2015 Nepal earthquake Kathmandu International Airport closes to large aircraft flying in relief because its runway can no longer stand the strain.(AP) The death toll from the earthquake passes 7000 and is expected to rise much higher. (Reuters via ABC News Australia) At least eighteen people are killed in a traffic accident in Afghanistan's Badghis Province. (TOLO News) Italy reports nearly 4,100 migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast with more rescues expected as people smugglers take advantage of the safe conditions. (Reuters via Daily Mail) (Reuters) Health Preventive medicine researchers from Harvard University and Northwestern University conduct a study on long-term (13 years; 793 people) pre-cancer changes (mostly leukemia, prostate cancer, lung cancers, and skin cancers) in telomeres, the protective ends of DNA. Some said, in previous short-look studies, that focused mostly on their known role in the pace of regular aging, that they either got shorter or longer. There was a 3-4 year period of accelerated aging, and then it halted a few years before cancer was diagnosed. (Medical News Today) Law and crime Curtis Culwell Center attack: Two gunmen attacked the Curtis Culwell Center in the US city of Garland, Texas, which is holding an exhibition of drawings of the Prophet Muhammad. Both gunman were shot dead by police. Their car was found to contain no explosives. One security guard was hospitalized and is expected to recover. The attacks were reminiscent of the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris in January 2015. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack. (CBS Dallas Fort Worth) (CNN) Politics and elections Madison, Wisconsin, becomes one of the first cities in the United States to make discrimination against atheists illegal. (AP, via MSN) 2016 United States presidential election Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson tells a Florida television station that he would run for the Republican Party nomination with a formal announcement to be made in the city of Detroit, Michigan, where he grew up. (USA Today) Nagorno-Karabakh parliamentary election, 2015.(Euroactiv.com)(Interfax) Sports In English football, Chelsea wins the 2014–15 Premier League. (The Guardian) Current events of May 4, 2015 (2015-05-04) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Curtis Culwell Center attack One of the two attackers, Elton Simpson, had linked himself to ISIL on Twitter before his attack on the exhibition of drawings of the prophet Mohammed at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas. He had been a member of a since-closed Phoenix mosque; he and his partner, 34-year-old Nadir Hamid Soofi, who had gone to college in Utah, had been known to and were investigated by law enforcement, but nevertheless, officers did not know that they were planning an imminent attack of this type, and they were not thought to be an imminent threat, despite having admired the late Anwar al-Awlaki, and swearing loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, prominent figures in al-Qaeda in Iraq and in ISIL, respectively. (CNN) Arts and culture It is announced that the daughter of the Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has been named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, named after her grandfather, grandmother, and great grandmother. (News Limited) Disasters and accidents Italy reports that ten people have died and 5,800 people have been rescued in the Mediterranean Sea as people smugglers attempt to take advantage of calmer waters. (Reuters) Health An analysis of drinking water from three homes in Bradford County, Pennsylvania revealed traces of a compound commonly found in Marcellus Shale drilling fluids. The paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) addresses the potential risks to underground drinking water from the drilling technique fracking. (New York Times) Politics and elections 2016 United States Presidential election Former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina announces that she will be seeking the Republican Party nomination for the 2016 presidential election. (CNN) Sport In basketball, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is named as Most Valuable Player of the North American National Basketball Association for the 2014–15 NBA season. (AP via Yahoo! News) Stuart Bingham wins 2015 World Snooker Championship defeating Shaun Murphy in the final. (World Snooker) Current events of May 5, 2015 (2015-05-05) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Curtis Culwell Center attack: ISIS claims responsibility for the attack on an exhibition of drawings of the Prophet Muhammad in the American city of Garland, Texas. One of the suspects was previously interrogated and surveilled by the FBI having visited Somalia, and both suspects praised ISIS in social media. (Washington Post) Business and economy Indonesia permanently bans domestic workers from employment in the Middle East citing "many problems" regarding "labor norms and human rights violations". (The Guardian) Disasters and accidents A local tsunami warning is issued after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurs in the Pacific Ocean near the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. There is a small tsunami and some property damage. (National Nine News), (AP via ABC News America) Health Catriona Finlayson-Wilkins, 41, of England, becomes the first diabetic (she has Type I diabetes) to give birth naturally after using an artificial pancreas throughout her pregnancy. (MSN) According to University of Toronto researchers Donald Branch and Stephen McCarthy, a combination of three HIV drugs—lamivudine, AZT, and tenofovir—shows some promise fighting at least a lab-modified version (which could not infect humans) of Ebola. (CNN) International relations South Korea and Vietnam sign a bilateral Free Trade Agreement. (Yonhap) John Kerry becomes the first United States Secretary of State to visit Somalia after making an unannounced visit. (NBC News) Politics and elections The President of the United States Barack Obama nominates Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (AP), (New York Times) 2016 United States presidential election: Former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee announces that he is seeking the Republican Party nomination. (New York Times) Alberta general election, 2015: Voters in the Canadian province of Alberta go to the polls with the New Democratic Party, led by Rachel Notley, winning a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly for the first time ever. The Progressive Conservative Party, which had ruled for more than 40 years, not only loses its majority, but also finishes behind the Wildrose Party. (The Globe and Mail) Science and technology Scientists announce the discovery of EGS-zs8-1, the oldest and most distant galaxy ever observed. (NY Times) Archaeornithura meemannae, a new species of prehistoric bird that represents the oldest known member of the modern bird lineage, is discovered. (Science) Current events of May 6, 2015 (2015-05-06) (Wednesday) Business and economy Alexion Pharmaceuticals agrees to purchase Synageva BioPharma, a maker of rare disease treatments, for US$8.6 billion. (New York Times) Disasters and accidents Japanese authorities raise alert level for the Mount Hakone volcano in the Lake Ashi tourist area. (Bangkok Post) A French investigation finds that Andreas Lubitz, perpetrator copilot of the murder-suicide disaster of Germanwings Flight 9525 had practised rapid descent on a previous flight. (BBC) Tornadoes of 2015: Tornadoes are reported across several states in the Great Plains region of the United States including Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. (NBC News) Law and crime Bollywood star Salman Khan is convicted of culpable homicide for running over five men in Bombay in 2002, causing the death of one, and is sentenced to five years imprisonment. (BBC) 2015 Baltimore riots: The Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, rescinds a state of emergency imposed following the riots prompted by the death of Freddie Gray. (Baltimore Sun) Chicago City Council announces "reparations" to victims of the Chicago police torture squad under Jon Burge in the 1970s to 1990s. (Philly.com) Politics and elections Senator Christine Milne announces her resignation as leader of the Australian Greens. Senator Richard Di Natale is elected as the new leader. (Sydney Morning Herald), (ABC) Israeli legislative election, 2015: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at an agreement with Habayit Hayehudi - the last party to join - just before the midnight deadline for the talks. With Naftali Bennett's party agreeing to a deal, Netanyahu's coalition will number 61 Members of the Knesset - the bare minimum needed. (Haaretz) Finnish parliamentary election, 2015 The Centre Party, led by Juha Sipilä, starts negotiations which will lead to a coalition government with the centre-right National Coalition and the Eurosceptic Finns Party; for the first time since 1979, the Swedish People's Party of Finland is not invited into the government. (The Irish Times) Sport Deflategate: In American football, the National Football League finds that two New England Patriots employees intentionally deflated footballs used in the American Football Conference game against the Indianapolis Colts and that quarterback Tom Brady was generally aware of the deflation. (NBC News) Current events of May 7, 2015 (2015-05-07) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Boko Haram At least five people are killed in a Boko Haram attack on a village in southwest Niger. (Reuters) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant The Pentagon raises security at its US military bases due to a growing jihadist threat in the United States and a recent shooting in Garland, Texas. (CNN) Arts and culture Archaeologists in Madagascar announce the partial discovery of Captain Kidd's treasure. A silver ingot was found in a wreck off the coast of Île Sainte-Marie. (BBC) Disasters and accidents Scores of flights are cancelled after a fire devastates part of terminal three at Rome's Fiumicino Airport. The fire was triggered by an electrical fault. (AFP via News24) The wreck of the migrant boat which sank in April 2015 with 700 people on board is located by the Italian Navy 136km off the Libyan coast at a depth of 375m. (AFP via News24) The Royal Navy's HMS Bulwark rescues 110 migrants from a dinghy off the coast of Libya, the first for a British ship during 2015. (BBC) International relations The United States Senate passes a bill giving the Congress a voice in any nuclear deal negotiated between Iran and world powers. (New York Times) Law and crime A three-judge panel of the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals rules that the National Security Agency's mass surveillance of telephones metadata is illegal under the Patriot Act. (The Guardian) (The New York Times) Politics and elections United Kingdom general election, 2015 Voters in the United Kingdom go to the polls for a general election with the Conservative Party winning a narrow majority in the House of Commons after the election. (The Guardian) (BBC), (The Telegraph), (BBC) The Scottish National Party wins a massive bulk of the seats in Scotland with the Scottish Labour Party losing a very large number of seats. (AP via Washington Post) Current events of May 8, 2015 (2015-05-08) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2015 Al Khalis prison break a prison break occurred in the Iraqi town of Al Khalis. More than fifty prisoners escaped in the break, including nine who had been facing terrorism charges. An estimated fifty other prisoners and twelve police officers died in the prison break. Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015–present) Saudi Arabia announces a five day ceasefire in Yemen starting Tuesday next week. (New York Times) Arts and culture Bill Simmons will leave American broadcaster ESPN in fall 2015 when his contract expires. (The New York Times) Business and economy Syngenta AG, the world's largest maker of agrochemicals, rejected a 41.7 billion Swiss franc takeover offer from Monsanto Co. (Bloomberg) The economy of the United States adds 223,000 jobs in April with unemployment falling to 5.4%. (New York Times) Disasters and accidents At least six people including diplomats are killed when a Mil Mi-17 helicopter crashes into a school in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. (Dawn) A Piper PA-32 plane crashes onto the motorway near DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, Atlanta, Georgia killing all four passengers. Interstate 285 is closed in both directions. (BBC) International relations Russia and China agree to a US$2 billion fund for agricultural investments in both countries. (CNBC) Burkina Faso and Niger agree to exchange 18 towns in order to resolve a long-running border dispute with Burkina Faso receiving 14 and Niger 4. (AFP via The Guardian) Law and crime Death of Freddie Gray The United States Department of Justice announces an inquiry into the Baltimore Police Department following the death of Freddie Gray. (BBC) The officers accused in the case file a motion for Marilyn Mosby, the State's Attorney for the city of Baltimore, to recuse herself from the case. (WBAL) A mistrial is declared in a murder case of a man in relation to the 1979 disappearance of Etan Patz in New York City. (AP via Yahoo! News) According to the Centre Daily Times, a Pennsylvania State University undergraduate student, Jon S. Steindorf, 23, goes missing, vanishing without a trace, the day his parents had expected him to graduate from the University, only to find when they arrived at 4 PM that he had dropped out in the fall 2014 semester. He was last seen by his roommate at 11 AM; he is brown-haired and blue-eyed, and he may be toting a red backpack and riding a black bicycle. State College, Pennsylvania police have put out a missing persons alert for him. (New York Daily News, via MSN) Politics and elections United Kingdom general election, 2015 The Conservative Party has won a majority in the 2015 general election, enabling them to lead without requiring a coalition government. The Scottish National Party claims all but three seats in Scotland. (BBC) Prime Minister David Cameron meets with Queen Elizabeth II to get permission to form a new administration of government, while Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage, respectively the leaders of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP, resign their positions. (BBC) Roxana Baldetti, the Vice President of Guatemala, resigns over a corruption scandal. (AP via ABC News America) 2015 Burundian protests The President of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza officially registers to run for a third time sparking violent protests in the Nyakabiga district of Bujumbura. (Reuters) Current events of May 9, 2015 (2015-05-09) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks North Korea claims to have successfully test fired a ballistic missile from a submarine. (CNN) Ongoing insurgency in Kumanovo between the National Liberation Army and the Macedonian army. 3 policemen are reported to have been killed. (CNN/N1INFO), (International Business Times) Iraqi insurgency (2011–present) At least 6 guards and 30 prisoners are killed in an Iraq prison break while 40 prisoners escape. (AP via ABC News America) War in Donbass Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the rebel Donetsk People's Republic said the insurgents had released two American aid workers. (AP via Yahoo! News) Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Naxalite Maoists are holding 250 villagers hostage to protest the building of a bridge in India's Chhattisgarh state. (AP) Disasters and accidents 2015 Pacific typhoon season Thousands of people are evacuated from the Philippines island of Luzon ahead of Typhoon Noul (Dodong). (Reuters via Daily Mail) 2015 Atlantic hurricane season Tropical storm Ana forms near the states of North and South Carolina weeks before the official start of the hurricane season. (Accuweather) An Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft crashes near the Spanish city of Seville with three people onboard killed. (The Telegraph) Tornadoes of 2015 At least one person is killed and another injured in a tornado in the town of Cisco, Texas with tornadoes also reported in eastern Colorado. (CNN) Ten people are killed after a wall collapses on a construction project in China's Shandong province. (AP via ABC News America) Health Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa The World Health Organization declares that the outbreak of the Ebola virus has ceased in Liberia after weeks of no cases there. (BBC) International relations Russia stages its biggest ever military parade in Moscow's Red Square to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Victory Day despite a boycott by many western world leaders due to Russian involvement in the Ukrainian crisis. (BBC) Law and crime Former President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak and his two sons are sentenced to three years imprisonment and a fine for corruption. (AP via Washington Post) A man is arrested in Paraguay for allegedly raping and impregnating his ten-year-old stepdaughter. (AFP via ABC Online) Two police officers are shot dead in the American town of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. (AP via ABC News America) Politics and elections The Moro Islamic Liberation Front registers the United Bangsamoro Justice Party as its vehicle to run in future elections in the Philippines. (Inquirer) Sport In cycling, the 2015 Giro d'Italia gets underway at San Lorenzo al Mare. (ABC News Australia) Current events of May 10, 2015 (2015-05-10) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Yemeni Civil War Saudi-led airstrikes target the Sana'a home of former President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh. (Thomson Reuters Trust) The Yemeni Army accepts a five day truce offer from the Saudis. (Reuters via Daily Mail) Business and economy The People's Bank of China in the People's Republic of China lowers its benchmark interest rate for the third time in half a year. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents 2015 Pacific typhoon season Typhoon Noul (Dodong) makes landfall in the northern Philippines as a Category 5 typhoon with thousands of passengers stranded and warnings of landslides. (Al-Jazeera), (Reuters via Daily Mail), (Reuters via ABC News Online) 2015 Atlantic hurricane season Tropical Storm Ana makes landfall near the city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, today. (CNN) April 2015 Nepal earthquake The death toll from earthquake reaches 8000 as three earth tremors hit Nepal. Avalanches disrupt rescue efforts higher in the mountains. (Times of India) Tornadoes of 2015 At least 36 people are hospitalised and 30 per cent of the town of Van, Texas is damaged by a tornado. (NBC News) At least two people are killed in the American town of Nashville, Arkansas. (NBC News) Health Mexico suspends vaccination of infants and authorises an inquiry after two babies die and 29 injured in the municipality of Simojovel in Chiapas state. (AP via ABC News) International relations The President of Cuba, Raul Castro, is received in an official private audience with Pope Francis, who will become the third Pope to visit the still officially Communist island before visiting the U.S. this October. Some restrictions on exercise of religion, and a few restrictions on other rights, have been lifted or relaxed, especially after Pope John Paul II's historic 1998 meeting with Fidel Castro, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's trip during his reign, and especially in 2014 and earlier this year, after Raul and Francis and U.S. President Barack Obama's diplomatic team dramatically improved U.S.-Cuba relations. President Castro went there to thank Francis, whom he publicly has stated his admiration for, for his efforts, and spoke of the possibility of converting and of officially restoring the Church. (Holy See Press Office) Two boats carrying 500 members of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim people arrive in western Indonesia. (AAP via SBS) King Salman of Saudi Arabia will not meet with President of the United States Barack Obama at Camp David or at a summit meeting sending senior Ministers instead reportedly due to disagreement over a nuclear deal with Iran. (New York Times) Law and crime Police in the Mississippian city of Hattiesburg arrest three people on suspicion of murdering two policemen. (AP) Politics and elections Polish presidential election, 2015 Voters in Poland go to the polls for a presidential election with a second round of voting scheduled with Andrzej Duda of the Law and Justice Party challenging incumbent President Bronisław Komorowski. (The Economist), (BBC) Sport 2015 Spanish Grand Prix In auto racing, the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix is held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló with Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton. (BBC) Current events of May 11, 2015 (2015-05-11) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Han Min-goo, the South Korean Minister for National Defense states that South Korea will "mercilessly counterattack" any North Korean "provocations" following the North's successful trial of a ballistic missile system. (Yonhap) Libyan Civil War (2014–present) A Turkish-owned ship is attacked with tank fire off the coast of Tobruk in Libya, resulting in the loss of a crew member and several others being injured. (Reuters via ABC Online) Arts and culture Pablo Picasso's Women of Algiers (Version O) becomes the most expensive artwork ever to sell at an auction at Christie's auction house selling for US$179,365,000. (AP via Business Insider) (BBC) Alberto Giacometti's lifesized statue Pointing Man sells for a record US$141.3 million making it the most expensive sculpture ever sold at auction. (Yahoo! News) Business and economy The Obama administration gives provisional approval for Royal Dutch Shell to drill in the Arctic Ocean during the summer. (New York Times) Disasters and accidents At least 15 people are dead and 20 others injured after a bus falls into a gorge in the Udhampur district in India's Jammu and Kashmir state. (Times of India) Typhoon Noul (2015) Two people are dead after Typhoon Noul hits the Philippines. The storm is now headed for Japan. (USA Today), (Time) May 5–10, 2015 tornado outbreak sequence The death toll from a tornado outbreak in the United States rises to five with dozens injured and eight people missing. (CNN) Health A new strain of bird flu caused by the H5N8 virus is identified in a backyard poultry flock in Whitley County, Indiana, in the United States. (AP via Journal Gazette) International relations Malaysia detains over a thousand Bangladeshi and Rohingya people asylum seekers who arrived by boat on Monday. The Indonesian Navy confirms that it had turned the boats away. (Reuters), (AP via Washington Post) Law and crime The Swedish Supreme Court rejects a bid from Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to revoke the warrant for his detention in 2010. (Deutsche Welle) George Zimmerman is involved in a shooting incident in Lake Mary, Florida, and suffers a minor gunshot wound. (WESH) Investigators find the remains of at least seven people buried beneath a shopping centre in New Britain, Connecticut, with the suspected killer serving time for unrelated charges. (NBC Connecticut) Politics and elections Guyanese general election Voters in Guyana go to the polls for a general election. (Telesurtv) The President of Chile Michelle Bachelet approves a new cabinet following a fall in popularity caused by a corruption scandal. (BBC) The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron announces a new Cabinet consisting of members of the Conservative Party. (BBC) Sports In American football, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is suspended without pay for four games. The team is also fined $1 million dollars (USD) and forced to forfeit their first-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft and their fourth-round selection in the 2017 draft for their role in Deflategate.(NBC)(CNBC) Current events of May 12, 2015 (2015-05-12) (Tuesday) Arts and culture Christianity in the United States falls to its lowest percentage levels while irreligion rises. (Pew Research) Business and economy The Philippines establishes regulations for transportation network companies, such as Uber, making it the first country to do so. (Wired) Verizon Communications Inc. announces that it will buy AOL Inc. for US$4.4 billion. (Fox Business) Bus drivers in the Indian city of Delhi call off a strike to protest the murder of a driver after the state government invokes the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). (NDTV) Disasters and accidents An explosion on a train in the Indian city of Kolkata results in at least 17 people being injured. (Hindustan Times) Typhoon Noul arrives at the southern Japanese islands at Amami Oshima before moving through Kyushu and then Honshu. (AP) May 2015 Nepal earthquake A magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes the town of Namche Bazaar, Nepal, near the Tibetan border and the base camp for Mount Everest. (MSN), (BBC), (ABC News Australia), (Reuters via Daily Mail) The reported death toll from this earthquake is at least 66 people, including 17 in neighboring India and one in Tibet. Many more have been injured. (NBC News) (Reuters) A United States Marine Corps Bell UH-1Y Venom helicopter on a relief mission goes missing over Bhimeshwar (formerly Charikot), Nepal, with eight people on board. (The Guardian), (NBC News) 2015 Philadelphia train derailment An Amtrak train derails in the Port Richmond neighborhood of the American city of Philadelphia causing cars to roll over. At least 5 people have been killed, 50 people are injured in the derailment.(USA Today)(Huffington Post), (CNN) International relations United States Secretary of State John Kerry will meet President of Russia Vladimir Putin during his first visit to Russia since the Ukraine crisis began. (BBC) Democrats in the United States Senate block passage of a fast-track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership sought by President Barack Obama. (The Hill) Law and crime Bangladeshi secular blogger Ananta Bijoy Das is cut to pieces by a masked gang wielding machetes in the city of Sylhet. He is the third secular blogger to be killed in Bangladesh this year. (BBC) Shooting of Tony Robinson Officer Matt Kenny of the Madison Police Department will not face charges in relation to the shooting of Tony Robinson in March 2015 in the American city of Madison, Wisconsin. (CNN) Science Russia delays the return of three astronauts from the International Space Station due to a recent failure of a supply mission. (AFP bia France 24) Current events of May 13, 2015 (2015-05-13) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War: Hezbollah and Syrian Army gain strategic territories in Qalamoun Mountains north of Damascus, which was held by opposition factions, particularly al-Nusra Front. (Al Jazeera) Gunmen open fire on a bus containing members of the Ismaili Shia Muslim community in the Pakistani city of Karachi, killing at least 44 people and injuring a dozen. (Pakistan Tribune), (BBC) The Government of Iraq claims that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant second-in-command Abdul Rahman Mustafa Mohammed has been killed in an airstrike in northern Iraq. (BBC) War in Afghanistan: Gunmen attack a Kabul guesthouse used by both foreigners and locals sparking a gun battle with police. At least eight people including the three gunmen are killed with 16 rescued and 100 still inside. (Thomson Reuters Foundation), (NBC News) Yemen crisis: A five-day truce begins in Yemen as various aid groups, including Iran, seek to gain access to the country's ports and airports. Saudi Arabia had blocked Iranian Red Crescent aids recently. (BBC) A military reservist opens fire at a South Korean military base killing 2 and injuring 3. (Yonhap) Business and economy Japanese carmakers Toyota and Nissan recall 6.5 million vehicles due to fears over exploding airbags. (AFP via Yahoo!) The United States Department of Agriculture reports that more than 40% of honey bee colonies died in the preceding year. Farmers rely on honey bees to pollinate over half the country's food supply annually. (Wall Street Journal) International conglomerate Danaher announces plans to acquire water filtration company Pall for US$13.8 billion and to split off its industrial businesses into a new company. (Bloomberg) Disasters and accidents Rescue efforts resume in Nepal after yesterday's earthquake which killed at least 63 in Nepal and 17 in northern India. (BBC), (CNN) 2015 Philadelphia train derailment The death toll from the derailment rises to seven with over 200 people injured. (WCAU), (US News and World Report) Search teams recover the black box. (AFP via News24) Reports indicate that train is believed to have been traveling in excess of 100 mph (161 km/h), about twice the speed limit for the curve.(CNN) 2015 Valenzuela fire: At least 72 people die after a fire engulfs a rubber sandal factory in Valenzuela City, a northern suburb of Manila, Philippines. (CNN) (Al-Jazeera) Rescue workers attempt to rescue at least 15 gold miners trapped by floods in a mine in Colombia's Caldas Department. (BBC) International relations The Vatican concludes a treaty to recognize the Palestinian state. (New York Times) Law and crime 2015 Burundian unrest Major General Godefroid Niyombare has declared a coup in Burundi and the establishment of a "national salvation committee". President Pierre Nkurunziza is attempting to return home from Tanzania. (BBC) Police in Burundi fire on protesters in Bujumbura opposing the bid by President Pierre Nkurunziza for a third term. (BBC) Bujumbura International Airport and all land borders are ordered closed by Major General Godefroid Niyombare. (AFP via News24) Radio Publique Africaine, one of the most popular radio stations, has been burnt down. BBC The small nation of Nauru temporarily bans Facebook, purportedly to protect young people. (ABC Australia) Shooting of Tony Robinson: Demonstrators peacefully protest a Wisconsin prosecutor's decision, announced yesterday, not to pursue charges against the officer who shot and killed a 19-year-old. (Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel) Politics and elections South Korea claims that North Korea has executed its defense chief Hyon Yong-chol with an anti-aircraft gun. (Yonhap) (CNN) The United States House of Representatives votes overwhelmingly to end the mass collection of Americans' phone data with the USA Freedom Act passing 338-88 (79%). The bill's passage through the Senate is less certain. (The Guardian) Sports Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics: The U.S. men's 4x100 metres relay that won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London is stripped of the medal due to a positive test result by Tyson Gay. (Reuters via Yahoo 7) Programs Discord was first created. Current events of May 14, 2015 (2015-05-14) (Thursday) Arts and culture Blues legend B.B. King dies at the age of 89. (BBC) Disasters and accidents In New Zealand's North Island heavy rains cause flooding on the Kapiti Coast in the Wellington Region prompting evacuations and closing road and rail links. (TVNZ), (Fairfax New Zealand) 2015 Philadelphia train derailment The death toll from the derailment rises to eight, with 43 of the more than 200 injured remaining hospitalised. (The Guardian) International relations U.S. President Barack Obama meets with the Gulf Cooperation Council at the White House with a proposed nuclear deal with Iran top of the agenda.(CNN) Malaysia turns away two boats with more than 800 Rohingya and Bangladesh migrants abandoned at sea by human traffickers. (AP) Current events of May 15, 2015 (2015-05-15) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2015 Burundian coup d'état attempt Burundi officials say that they have arrested several coup members but the leader of the failed coup against President Pierre Nkurunziza, Major General Godefroid Niyombare remains at large. (Reuters) Arts and culture Irish journalist and TV3 political editor Ursula Halligan comes out as lesbian ahead of the country's Marriage Equality referendum next week. (Guardian) (The Irish Times) Disasters and accidents April 2015 Nepal earthquake Wreckage from the American helicopter missing since Tuesday has been located, with bodies of some of the occupants. (CNN) Law and Crime Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is sentenced to death for his role in the Boston Marathon bombings. (New York Times) Current events of May 16, 2015 (2015-05-16) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks The United States claims that senior ISIL commander Abu Sayyaf is killed in a United States special operations forces raid within what is officially Syrian territory. (CNN) Law and crime An Egyptian court sentences deposed President Mohamed Morsi to death for his part in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. (CNN) Sinai insurgency: In response to Morsi's sentence, gunmen fatally shoot three Egyptian judges in the Sinai Peninsula. (AFP via Al Arabiya News) An Egyptian court bans hardcore football clubs over terrorism accusations. In 2012 over 70 football fans were killed and 500 injured in the Port Said Stadium riot. (AP) Disasters and accidents A passenger train collides with a tractor and trailer on a level crossing at Ibbenbüren, Germany. Two people are killed and twenty are injured.(Metro) Politics Jim Murphy announces his resignation as Scottish Labour Party leader. (BBC News) Health Study suggests inflammation may be to blame for brain injury in newborn bloodstream infections. The findings were published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. (Harvard Medical School) (Journal article) Sports American Pharoah wins the 2015 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, and, in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray in that city, is described as a sporting event that "...could help start the healing process."(ESPN) Current events of May 17, 2015 (2015-05-17) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks A suicide attack by the Taliban kills three and injures at least eighteen outside Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan. (BBC News) The Islamic State reportedly seizes control of the Iraqi city of Ramadi after the retreat of government forces. (BBC News) Arts and culture Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church canonises two saints from Palestine, Sister Mariam Baouardy and Sister Marie Alphonsine Ghattas. (AP via Ten Play) 2015 Billboard Music Awards American pop music star Taylor Swift wins 8 awards at the Billboard Music Awards, including top artist. (The Independent) Law and crime 2015 Waco shootout At least 9 people are killed and 18 injured, some by law enforcement and others in gunfire exchanges, in a shootout between rival biker gangs in Waco, Texas, at the Twin Peaks Restaurant. (KWTX), (The Guardian) At least 25 members of outlaw motorcycle clubs are being held as witnesses and possible suspects. (Austin American-Statesman) Health A 'groundbreaking' combination of lumacaftor and ivacaftor could improve the quality of life and life expectancy of cystic fibrosis sufferers is trialed. (BBC News) Politics A large rally is held by tens of thousands of protestors in Skopje, Macedonia, as part of the ongoing protests against Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. (BBC News) A referendum was held in Osaka, Japan to mandate the implementation of the Osaka Metropolis plan. The proposal was defeated by 50.38% to 49.62%. Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto announced retirement from politics by the end of his term in December 2015. (Japan Times) (Yomiuri Shimbun) Science Roscosmos manages to restart the engines of the Progress spacecraft and to correct the orbit of the International Space Station. (AFP via Yahoo! News) Sports In ice hockey, Canada wins gold over Russia at the 2015 IIHF World Championship, while the United States wins bronze over the Czech Republic. Canada's Sidney Crosby becomes the newest member of the Triple Gold Club, the group of players and coaches who have won gold medals at both the World Championship and Olympics, plus the Stanley Cup. (Sportsnet) 2014–15 A-League In football (soccer), Melbourne Victory FC defeats Sydney FC 3–0 in the Grand Final of the Australian A-League with Victory captain Mark Milligan winning man-of-the-match. (ABC News) Current events of May 18, 2015 (2015-05-18) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen The Saudi Arabia-led airstrikes against the Houthi rebels resume after a five-day ceasefire. (BBC) Simultaneous explosions occur at local offices of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party headquarters in the southern Turkish cities of Adana and Mersin. (RT) Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant The Governor of Iraq's Anbar Governorate estimates that 500 people were killed and 8000 fled as ISIS captured the strategically important city of Ramadi. (Al-Arabiya) Business and economy The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 end at record levels. (CNBC) Disasters and accidents Amtrak resumes train services between New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, following a fatal train derailment on May 12. (AP via Huffington Post) At least 52 people die in a landslide caused by heavy rains in the Colombian town of Salgar, Antioquia. (AFP via Yahoo News) International relations The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, assures South Korea of "ironclad" American security commitments on a visit to Seoul while accusing North Korea of a litany of crimes. (AP) The Philippines says that it is willing to accept 3,000 Rohingya refugees after an accusation by a newspaper was made. Last week Indonesia turned away boats carrying over 1,000 Rohingya refugees. (Rappler) Law and crime Scott Driscoll, a former member of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of Queensland, has been committed to stand trial on fraud charges. (Courier Mail) President of the United States Barack Obama bans the provision of some military-type equipment to local police departments and restricts access to other types of equipment following recent tensions between police and minority communities. (AP via Yahoo! News) Former Australian tennis player Bob Hewitt is jailed for six years in South Africa for raping underaged girls. (BBC) Victorino Chua, a nurse at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, is found guilty for the murder of two patients following the 2011 Stepping Hill Hospital poisoning incident. (BBC News) The District Attorney for Manhattan says he intends to retry a murder case in the disappearance of Etan Patz which ended in a mistrial. (NBC News) Politics 2015 Burundian unrest After a failed coup d'état the President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, fires three Ministers, including the Minister of Defence. (The Washington Times) 2015 Macedonian protests In the ongoing protests in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, tens of thousands of people rally in support of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. (BBC News). Sports 2015 Indianapolis 500 In practice runs for the annual auto race, driver James Hinchcliffe crashes, suffering severe blood loss after debris punctures his legs. He is in stable condition, but not expected to return to competition in 2015. (Sporting News) Current events of May 19, 2015 (2015-05-19) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War The Russian embassy in Damascus is shelled. (RT) Business and economy The inflation rate in the United Kingdom goes to -0.1 in April, marking the first time since 1960 it has been negative. (BBC) Takata Corporation doubles the size of its recall of faulty airbags in the United States with 34 million vehicles to be recalled. (Wall Street Journal) The Los Angeles City Council votes to increase the minimum wage in the American city of Los Angeles, California, to $15 an hour by 2020. (New York Times) Disasters and accidents More than 20 garment workers are killed after a bus that they were travelling to work in collides with a tourist bus in Cambodia's Svay Rieng Province. (Cambodia Daily) The death toll from landslides in the Colombian town of Salgar rises to 56 with scores missing. (Agencies via Al-Jazeera) Germanwings Flight 9525 French prosecutors say the passengers onboard the Germanwings flight that crashed in southern France have all been identified, and their bodies can be returned home to their families. (Reuters via Daily Mail) At least 16 people are killed and scores are injured in a residential building fire in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Reuters UK) Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Dawn ran aground three miles off Bermuda when departing for a return trip to Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.. (Boston Herald) (Irish Independent) International relations Prince Charles becomes the first member of the British Royal Family to meet with Gerry Adams, the President of Sinn Féin, during a two-day visit to Ireland. (AFP via ABC News) Law and crime Former nurse Victorino Chua has been found guilty of murder and poisoning patients at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Greater Manchester, U.K., and sentenced to 35 years in jail. (BBC) Police arrest more than 50 people following a probe into match fixing in Italian football. (BBC) Mohawk Industries and five other companies agree to pay $275.5 million to settle lawsuits related to alleged price fixing of polyurethane foam, (Reuters) Politics and elections The President of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza says that the government will proceed with a presidential election despite protests and a recent failed coup. (BBC) The United States Congress sends a human trafficking bill to President Barack Obama for signature. (Washington Times) Sports Deflategate In American football, Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, says that team will not appeal the National Football League ruling. (ESPN) Current events of May 20, 2015 (2015-05-20) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Islamic State captures the Syrian city of Tadmur from the Syrian Army with grave concerns held about the Palmyra site. (The Hindu) (BBC) The Chinese navy issues warnings eight times as a United States Navy surveillance plane flies over manmade islands in the South China Sea. (CNN) Arts and culture Tools found near Lake Turkana in Kenya by Sonia Harmand and Jason Lewis of Stony Brook University are dated at 3.3 million years making them the oldest yet discovered. (AP via ABC News America) The last edition of the Late Show with David Letterman goes to air on CBS Television in the United States. Following his retirement, David Letterman will be succeeded by Stephen Colbert on September 8, 2015. (CNN Money) Disasters and accidents A Shosholoza Meyl passenger train collides head-on with a goods train in Eastern Cape, South Africa, killing two people and injuring 20. (News24) A rupture of an underground oil pipeline in California's Santa Barbara County near Refugio State Beach may have released 105,000 gallons of crude oil with tens of thousands gallons released into the Pacific Ocean. Jerry Brown, the Governor of California later declares a state of emergency. (Los Angeles Times), (ABC7 Los Angeles) 2015 Colombian landslide The death toll from Monday's landslide in the town of Salgar rises to 80. (CNN) International relations Antigua and Barbuda recognizes the independence of Kosovo. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo) South East Asian migrant crisis The foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand meet in Kuala Lumpur to discuss people smuggling and the migrant crisis. Malaysia and Indonesia agree to accept asylum seekers providing that they can be resettled or repatriated within a year. (Straits Times), (wires and ABC Online) Over 430 migrants are rescued off the coast of Indonesia's eastern Aceh province. (AP via New York Times) North Korea North Korea abruptly cancels an invitation for Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to visit. (AFP via Sydney Morning Herald) The Korean Central News Agency claims that North Korea has the ability to miniaturize nuclear weapons and place them on ballistic missiles. (CNN) Law and crime Zambia lifts a ban on hunting big cats imposed over corruption in hunting concessions in the past. (AFP via Yahoo News) Five big banks Barclays, RBS, Citi, JP Morgan and UBS are fined $5.7 billion after a United States Department of Justice investigation into collusion by forex traders in several countries. The investigations estimated the banks profited over $100 billion from these crimes. (The Guardian) An arrest warrant is issued for Daron Dylon Wint in the U.S. capital Washington, D.C. in connection to the alleged murder of four people on May 14. (WJLA) The legislature in the American state of Nebraska votes to abolish the death penalty. (Washington Post) Julio Suárez, the head of the Guatemalan Central Bank, is arrested together with the head of the Social Security Administration on corruption charges. (AFP via France24) Sports British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton signs a three year contract with the German constructors Mercedes AMG. (CNN) The 2016 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame is announced, consisting of champion drivers Bobby Isaac, Terry Labonte, and Jerry Cook; driver and builder of Charlotte Motor Speedway, Curtis Turner; and the head of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., Bruton Smith. (ESPN) Current events of May 21, 2015 (2015-05-21) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Islamic State fighters enter the ancient ruins of Palmyra after capturing the Syrian city of Tadmur yesterday. A hundred pro-government fighters are believed to have died in fighting. (Reuters) The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that Islamic State now controls more than half of Syria dominating 95,000 square kilometres and controls settlements in nine provinces. (News Limited) Al-Shabaab militants briefly take over a mosque in Kenya's Garissa County. (BBC) 2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine Video interviews show that two Russians captured in Ukraine have publicly admitted to being soldiers in the GRU Russian special forces. The Donetsk People's Republic (separatists) authorities claim these men were official policemen in the self-proclaimed republic, publicized their ID badges, and claimed they retired from the Russian military last year. (AFP via Yahoo! News) Arts and culture Robert Gates, the President of the Boy Scouts of America, calls on the movement to end the ban on gay adult leaders and says the movement will no longer revoke the charters of chapters that accept gay male leaders. (Yahoo News) Health South Korea confirms its third case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. (Yonhap) Two prisoners die and 30 are hospitalised following a cholera outbreak at the Shimo la Tewa facility in Mombasa, Kenya. (The Star via AllAfrica) Cleanup continues after the Refugio Oil Spill at Refugio State Beach along the coast of Santa Barbara County, California.(ABC7.com) Health authorities in the United States say that 53 people in nine states have been sickened in a salmonella outbreak. California is the worst affected state with 31 cases with the other states with cases include Arizona, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. (NBC News) Law and crime Brazilian anti-corruption blogger Evany José Metzker is found dead after investigating a drug dealing and prostitution case. (Deutsche Weller) Death of Freddie Gray A grand jury in the American city of Baltimore indicts six police officers relating to the death of Freddie Gray in police custody. All six officers will face charges of reckless endangerment. (AP via ABC News America), (ABC2) Daron Dylon Wint is arrested in the American capital of Washington D.C. in relation to the murder of four people on May 14. (NBC Washington) Mexican Drug War Mexican police find three dismembered bodies in a search for ten missing people in Chilapa, a city occupied by vigilantes with alleged links to drug rings between May 9-14. (AP) Sports Amnesty International accuses Qatar of failing to meet commitments on labor market reforms for migrant workers to be introduced before the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Among other charges, Qatar uses North Korean labourers who are not paid personally but instead the money goes to their government. (AFP via Google News) Current events of May 22, 2015 (2015-05-22) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant captures the border crossing at Al Waleed (al-Tanf in Syria), the last remaining border crossing between Syria and Iraq controlled by the Government of Syria. ISIL reportedly advances to within 40 km of Baghdad after their victory in Ramadi. (BBC) A suicide bomber targeting Shiites at a mosque in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, has killed 19 and injured 28, per Red Crescent authorities. (Irish Independent) Mexican Drug War At least 42 members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and two Federal Police officers are killed in a shootout in the state of Michoacán. The death toll is preliminary and is expected to rise. (Reuters) Business Li Hejun, formerly China's richest man, loses an estimated US$14 billion when his energy shares plunge nearly 50%. (Forbes) Disasters and accidents Surrounding areas of Wembley Stadium, London, UK have been evacuated following the discovery by construction crews of a still-live World War II-era 50-kg (110-llb) conventional-explosive bomb, a remnant of the Blitz. (MSN) The Myanmar Navy rescues two boats carrying 208 migrants as it faces growing international pressure to tackle the Rohingya migration crisis. (AFP via Yahoo! News) Over 3,000 cases of cholera resulting in at least 31 deaths breaks out in a refugee camp for Burundians fleeing the recent political unrest in their country. (Al Jazeera) Politics Voters in Ireland go to the polls to vote on constitutional referendums, including one that would allow same-sex marriage. (BBC) The United States Senate passes legislation to allow President Barack Obama to fast track trade negotiations with other countries. (AP via ABC News America) Science Science publishes a series of papers on biodiversity in the deep sea, including tens of thousands of single-celled organisms most of which had not been previously identified. (BBC) Sports In cricket, Pakistan plays a Twenty20 match against Zimbabwe at Lahore. This is the first time a test playing nation toured Pakistan for a cricket match since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team. (IndiaTV) Current events of May 23, 2015 (2015-05-23) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–present) A roadside bomb kills two, including the district chief, in the Charcheno District of Afghanistan. (AP via ABC News America) Somali Civil War (2009–present) Islamic extremists kill at least 18 people in an attack on two rural towns Awdhegie and Mubarak, (AP) War in Donbass Pro-Russian separatist military leader colonel Alexei Mozgovoi is confirmed killed in an ambush on his car. (BBC News) Arts and culture The Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero, assassinated at the start of the Salvadoran Civil War, is beatified in Pope Francis's name, by Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, in San Salvador. (White House) (CNN) (Vatican) The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 is held in Vienna, Austria with Måns Zelmerlöw of Sweden winning for the song Heroes. (Sydney Morning Herald), (BBC) A memorial service is held in the Scottish capital Edinburgh for the Quintinshill rail disaster which occurred 100 years ago and claimed over 200 lives. (BBC) Disasters The death toll from China's latest round of flooding rises to at least 48. (AP via Washington Post) An Indian heat wave claims over 200 lives with the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana worst affected. (The Hindu) Record breaking rain causes flooding in the American states of Oklahoma and Texas with Oklahoma City recording record rainfall levels for the month of May. (CNN) International relations Rohingya refugee crisis Julie Bishop, the Foreign Minister of Australia, says that Indonesia has advised that most of the people who have traveled to South East Asia by boat are from Bangladesh, not Rohingya from Myanmar. (Straits Times) Myanmar announces plans to deport recently rescued migrants to Bangladesh. (Sky News Asia) Law and crime Cleveland Police Department officer Michael Brelo is acquitted of manslaughter in relation to the 2012 deaths of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams following a police chase. There are multiple arrests in protests afterwards (Los Angeles Times via WA Today), (Newsnet) The U.S. Justice Department announced it will review the decision to determine if further action is required. (The Guardian) Nigerian drug agents arrest senator-elect Buruji Kashamu for extradition to the United States for his alleged involvement in a drug deal 20 years ago that is claimed to be the basis for the television show Orange is the New Black. (AP) The President of Myanmar, Thein Sein, signs the Population Control Health Care Bill requiring some parents to space each child three years apart. (AP via Daily Mail) Politics and elections Peru declares a 60 day state of emergency in the Tambo Valley following violent protests against a mine project which has seen four deaths. (AP via ABC News) The United States Senate adjourns without agreeing either to reform the National Security Agency or extend the Patriot Act which is due to expire at the end of this month. (The Hill) Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015 The counting of votes for yesterday's referendum occurs with the Republic of Ireland becoming the first country to adopt same sex marriage by referendum. (AP), (Independent Ireland), (The Guardian) The Cabinet of the Netherlands approves a proposal for bill on a partial ban on the burqa and niqab. (The Guardian) Current events of May 24, 2015 (2015-05-24) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–present) At least ten Afghan police officers are killed in a Taliban attack on checkpoints in Helmand Province. (AP via Fox News) 2015 Burundian unrest The Burundi opposition suspends talks with the Government of President Pierre Nkurunziza following the assassination of opposition leader Zedi Feruzi of the Union for Peace and Development party yesterday. (CNN) Syrian Civil War A Syrian military helicopter crashes near the town of Kweiras killing all on board. (AP) Arts and culture Dheepan, a French film directed by Jacques Audiard, wins the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. (The Guardian) Disasters and accidents Flash floods and heavy storms in the American states of Texas and Oklahoma claim at least two lives with at least eight people missing and hundreds of homes destroyed. (AP via Yahoo!, (CNN), (KXAN) International relations Feminist activists including Gloria Steinem cross the Korean Demilitarized Zone by bus after being denied permission to walk across. (AP via US News and World Report) Law and crime Authorities in Malaysia find mass graves in more than a dozen camps near the border with Thailand where Rohingya migrants are held. (AP) Politics and elections Polish presidential election, 2015 Voters in Poland go to the polls for the second round of a Presidential election between President Bronisław Komorowski and challenger Andrzej Duda with exit polls showing Duda ahead. (BBC), (AP), (AP via WTOP) Ethiopian general election, 2015 Voters in Ethiopia go to the polls for a general election with the ruling Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front facing no viable opposition. (The Guardian) Science Nobel Prize winner John Forbes Nash, Jr. and his wife Alicia died in a taxi accident. (The New York Times) Sports 2015 Monaco Grand Prix Nico Rosberg of Mercedes wins the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix ahead of third placed team mate Lewis Hamilton who started in pole position. (BBC) 2015 Indianapolis 500 2000 winner Juan Pablo Montoya holds off teammate Will Power by 0.105 seconds to win the 2015 Indianapolis 500. 2008 winner Scott Dixon started on the pole position and finished fourth. Concerns about safety had been raised after several practice crashes before the race, including one that hospitalized James Hinchcliffe. (ESPN) A pit-road collision between the vehicles of James Davison and Pippa Mann results in the injury of two pit crew members on the team of Tristan Vautier. Greg Senerius was treated and released on-track for a foot injury, and Daniel Jang was transported to a hospital for evaluation. (ESPN) 2015 Coca-Cola 600 The 2015 Coca-Cola 600 occurs today with 2000 winner Matt Kenseth on the pole position. Carl Edwards won the race. (ESPN) 2015 French Open The French Open gets underway at Stade Roland Garros with Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova the defending champions in men's and women's singles. (Tennis.com) 2015 Indian Premier League Mumbai Indians beats Chennai Super Kings to win the Indian Premier League title for the year 2015. Current events of May 25, 2015 (2015-05-25) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War Turkey says that it has reached an in-principle deal with the United States to give support to some elements of Syrian opposition. Over a million Syrian refugees live in Turkish territory, including many Syrian opposition figures. (Reuters via Yahoo! News) A Tunisian Army soldier is killed after a shooting rampage in which 7 fellow soldiers are killed and 10 others injured in their barracks in Tunis. (AP via Fox News) (AFP via News24) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Close to 55,000 people have fled the Iraqi city of Ramadi since it was captured by Islamic State. (CNN) Arts and culture Australia announces that it will repatriate the bodies of up to 25 soldiers killed in the early stages of the Vietnam War. (AP via Yahoo! News) Disasters and accidents Nine railway carriages of the Muri Express derail in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi district, killing one and injuring more than 100 people. (Zee News) Tornadoes of 2015 A tornado kills at least thirteen people in the Mexican city of Ciudad Acuña and injures 88. (Reuters) 2015 India heat wave The death toll from an Indian heat wave rises to 432 in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with extreme conditions forecast to continue. (Times of India) At least 38 people are killed and 6 injured in a nursing home fire in Lushan County of China's Henan Province. (BBC) Emergency workers have recovered the final bodies from a collapsed gold mine in Colombia with 15 people recovered. (France 24) International relations Malaysia summons a Philippines diplomat over a dispute regarding the ownership of Sabah. (Rappler) The People's Republic of China lodges an official complaint with the United States over a flight by an alleged spy plane over parts of the South China Sea. (Reuters) The government of Sudan denies allegations from South Sudan that it is supporting rebels threatening oil fields in its southern neighbour. (Reuters via Daily Star) Law and crime Malaysia announces the discovery of 139 mass graves near the border with Thailand with some graves containing more than one body. (Reuters viaDaily Mail) Former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert is sentenced to eight months in jail following a conviction on corruption charges for unlawfully accepting multiple envelopes with cash from an American supporter. There are 3 more criminals prosecutions against him. (BBC), (AP via The Guardian) Politics David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, outlines who will be able to vote in the referendum on the United Kingdom remaining a member of the European Union with the vote restricted to those eligible to vote in British elections rather than European Parliament elections. (AP via WTOP) Surinamese general election, 2015 Voters in Suriname go to the polls for a general election. (AFP via Yahoo! News) Two recent polls indicate that the ruling party in Republic of Turkey, the Justice and Development Party of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is in danger of losing its parliamentary majority in the June 7 election. (Reuters) Current events of May 26, 2015 (2015-05-26) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan (2001–present) A suicide bomber and gunmen attack a court building in the provincial capital of Maidan Shahr in Maidan Wardak resulting in the deaths of two police officers and four of the attackers. (Tolo News) Thirteen Kenyan police officers are missing after an Al-Shabaab ambush in Garissa County. (Standard Digital) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Shellfire from Yemen kills two people over the border in Saudi Arabia. (AFP via Daily Star) Boko Haram Boko Haram kills at least 43 people in the town of Gubio in Nigeria's Borno State. (Reuters) Business and economy Charter Communications announces plans to merge with Time Warner Cable in a $55.1 billion deal. (Market Watch) (Bloomberg) Arts and culture Police in China catch 175 looters who raided the Niuheliang Neolithic archaeological site in Manchuria. (AP) Disasters and accidents Tornadoes of 2015 Thirteen die in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico in the city's first-ever tornado. (BBC News) Texas–Oklahoma floods Flash flood warnings are now in place in eight states with flood waters causing closures of roads, rail services and buses in Houston. (NBC News) Thirty people are reported missing in the Houston area as the flood water levels continue to rise as the death toll in Texas rises to 13. (AP via News24), (AP) 2015 India heat wave The death toll from the heat wave passes 1100 as the roads in the capital New Delhi are melting in the heat. (AFP via AsiaOne) Health A man dies of the rare Lassa fever in the American state of New Jersey after returning from West Africa. (AFP via Yahoo! News) International relations The President of Taiwan Ma Ying-jeou proposes a mechanism for resolving disputes in the South China Sea. (The Guardian) The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force will for the first time participate in Exercise Talisman Saber, a joint exercise between the United States and Australia. (AFP via ABC Australia) Law and crime A petition to legalize same-sex marriage in the Philippines is filed in the Supreme Court. (Rappler) Thieves use an online tax service provided by the American Internal Revenue Service to steal information from more than 100,000 taxpayers. (AP) A US Appeals Court rules that President Barack Obama will not be able to implement his executive action on immigration while it is being challenged by Texas and 25 other states. (Washington Examiner)(New York Times) A lone gunman enters a Walmart store in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States, and opens fire, killing one employee before turning the gun on himself. (Minneapolis Star Tribune) Science The Wildlife Conservation Society estimates that poachers have killed half of Mozambique's elephants in the past five years. (AFP via CapitalFM) Sports 2015 NBA Finals In basketball, the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James win the Eastern Conference and will play in the 2015 NBA finals. (Cleveland.com) Current events of May 27, 2015 (2015-05-27) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Islamic State militants have carried out multiple suicide bombings targeting the Iraqi Army in Anbar Province killing at least 17 people. (AP) Disasters and accidents At least 12 people, associated with the Kangleyuan Rest Home in the Chinese city of Pingdingshan in Henan province which was destroyed by fire with the loss of 38 lives, are detained for questioning. (AP) A sixth person is found to have died in this week's floods in Harris County, Texas, which contains the city of Houston. (Houston Chronicle) 2015 Indian heat wave The death toll in the two worst affected states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana passes 800. (Times of India) International relations Representatives from the United States, Japan and South Korea meet in Seoul on how to respond to North Korea's nuclear weapons program. (AP) Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair resigns as the peace envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East. (ABC News) Law and crime FIFA corruption scandal Six FIFA officials are detained in Switzerland for extradition to the United States in relation to allegations of corruption between the 1990s and now. Those arrested include Jeffrey Webb, Jack Warner, Eduardo Li, Eugenio Figueredo and José Maria Marin. (AP), (BBC), (Washington Post) Swiss federal prosecutors open criminal procedures in relation to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. (AP) FIFA suspends eleven people from involvement in football over the scandal. (AP) The Legislature of the US state of Nebraska votes to outlaw the death penalty, overriding a veto by Governor Pete Ricketts. (Lincoln Journal Star) The parliament of Greenland unanimously votes to legalize same-sex marriage by 1 October, 2015. (The Local) Politics The newly elected British House of Commons commences its session with the State Opening of Parliament ceremony in which the Queen's Speech is delivered. (BBC) The Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt calls an election for June 18. (Reuters via Straits Times) Rick Santorum announces he will be seeking the nomination of the Republican Party in the 2016 United States presidential election. (Washington Post) Science and technology Elon Musk's SpaceX wins U.S. Air Force approval to launch military satellites. (AFP via News24) Sport 2014–15 UEFA Europa League In association football, Sevilla FC of Spain becomes the first club to win the UEFA Europa League four times defeating FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk of Ukraine 3-2 with Colombian striker Carlos Bacca scoring twice in the final. (CNN) Matheus Leite Nascimento collapses on the field of play during the 2015 UEFA Europa League Final in Warsaw. (SM) 2015 NBA Finals In basketball, the Golden State Warriors defeat the Houston Rockets 104-90 to win the Western Conference 4-1 and go to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975. (Bleacher Report) Current events of May 28, 2015 (2015-05-28) (Thursday) Business and economy The Solicitor General of the United States sides with Oracle in a much-watched copyright dispute with Google over Java APIs. (IDG News Service). Disasters and accidents The United States Air Force says that as many as 22 people have been inadvertently exposed to anthrax during a laboratory training exercise at Osan Air Base in South Korea. (AFP via Yahoo! News) Tornadoes of 2015 and 2015 Texas–Oklahoma flood and tornado outbreak The death toll from the recent storms in the American states of Texas and Oklahoma rises to 21 with 11 people missing. Fourteen more people have been killed in northern Mexico. (AP via ABC News) 2015 Indian heat wave The death toll from the Indian heat wave rises to over 1,400 with over 1000 dead in Andhra Pradesh state alone. (CNN) Seventeen students are killed and five injured when a truck carrying them to school overturns on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. (AFP via Abram Online) International relations The Hellenic Coast Guard rescues 218 migrants off the coast of Greece who sailed illegally from Turkey making the total number of people arriving more than 1,500 in a week. (AFP via Daily Star) Law and crime Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Dennis Hastert is indicted for allegedly trying to evade banking reporting requirements and lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigations. (CNBC) Independent lawmaker Catherine Murphy raises fresh allegations in Ireland's Dáil against billionaire Denis O'Brien, prompting criticism over the silence of the country's media (much of it owned by O'Brien). (RTE) (Broadsheet) (UP Report) Politics and elections Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016 Former Governor of New York, George Pataki, announces that he is seeking the Republican Party nomination for the 2016 presidential election. (CNN) Science and technology NASA awards Boeing a commercial contract to build and fly the next passenger spacecraft, the CST-100. (Fin24) Current events of May 29, 2015 (2015-05-29) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Singapore says the Islamist group plans to take the conflict into Southeast Asia. (Straits Times) Dammam Mosque bomb blast:Islamic State claims responsibility for a car bomb in the parking lot of the Imam Hussain Mosque situated in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, during Friday prayers, with at least four people killed and dozens injured. Authorities state that the mosque itself was not hit. (The Express Tribune), (CNN) Balochistan conflict Gunmen in Pakistan's Balochistan Province attack two buses killing at least 19 people. (BBC) Disasters and accidents A volcano erupts on the Japanese island of Kuchinoerabu-jima prompting the evacuation of all residents and the diversion of all flights. (Kyodo via Japan Times), (GMA Network) 2015 Texas–Oklahoma flood and tornado outbreak Dozens of people are rescued in the US state of Texas. The death toll from floods in Texas and Oklahoma has reached 24 dead with 13 missing with another 15 people dead from tornadoes in northern Mexico and Texas. (NBC News) The Governor of Texas Greg Abbott asks for a Presidential declaration of a disaster to obtain United States Government assistance for the worst affected areas of the state. (AP) 2015 Indian heat wave The official death toll from the Indian heat wave passes 1,800 making it the deadliest heatwave in more than two decades. (AFP via Yahoo! News) Health The number of cases in an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome in South Korea rises to 12. (Yonhap News) International relations 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis Thailand will allow the United States to fly surveillance planes through their airspace, allowing the United States to identify boats carrying refugees. (ITV) Irish Naval Service patrol vessel LÉ Eithne rescues 300 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya. (BBC) The United States officially removes Cuba from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. (NBC News) War in Donbass The President of France François Hollande and the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel call on the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to implement measures agreed on the Minsk ceasefire. (Reuters) Russia blacklists dozens of European Union officials from entering the country. (AFP via France 24) Law and crime Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht is given a life sentence after being convicted for narcotics trafficking. (The Verge) American television actor Dustin Diamond is convicted of two misdemeanor charges stemming from a stabbing at a Wisconsin bar last year but acquitted on felony charges. (AP) Politics and elections Muhammadu Buhari is sworn in as the President of Nigeria following a recent election. (AP) Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016 Former Governor of Maryland Martin O'Malley will announce his candidacy for President of the United States at 10:00 am on May 30. (USA Today) Sports Sepp Blatter is elected to a fifth term as president of FIFA after Prince Ali bin Hussein withdraws his candidacy before a second round of voting could take place. The first round of voting had ended with Blatter falling seven votes short of the 2/3 majority needed to win. (ESPN), (CNN) Current events of May 30, 2015 (2015-05-30) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian Civil War The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that barrel bombs dropped by the Bashar al-Assad regime have killed at least 45 people in the Aleppo Governorate and injured dozens more. (AFP via Daily Star) Boko Haram A suicide bomber kills 26 people in a Maiduguri mosque hours after militants launch an attack on the first full day of President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari's term of office. (AFP via Sky News) Disasters and accidents A 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurs off the coast of Japan. No tsunami warning is issued. (BBC) Illegal immigration from Africa to Europe The Italian Coast Guard states that at least 17 people have died and 4,200 have been rescued in the Mediterranean Sea attempting to travel to Europe in the past 24 hours. Ships from nations including Italy, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom have been involved in rescue efforts. (AFP/Reuters via ABC Online) International relations Territorial disputes in the South China Sea The United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter warns that the People's Republic of China's island building in the South China Sea is undermining security in the Asia-Pacific region and has called for a diplomatic solution. (The Guardian) US surveillance detects two large self-propelled artillery vehicles on one of the islands. (AP via News24) (CNN) Law and crime 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis A Thai national is arrested in Myanmar in relation to human trafficking offences after the Myanmar Navy rescues more than 200 people from a boat that he allegedly owns. (AFP via Myanmar Mail) Politics and elections Beau Biden, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden's son, who had served in the Iraq War and for multiple terms as the Attorney General of Delaware, dies at Walter Reed Medical Center after a battle with malignant brain cancer. (MSN) Martin O'Malley announces that he will be seeking the Democratic Party nomination in the 2016 US presidential election. (CNN) Science A mystery disease has killed over 120,000 saiga antelopes – more than a third of the world's total population – in Kazakhstan in recent weeks. (AFP via ABC Online) Sport Football In England, Arsenal defeat Aston Villa 4-0 in the 2015 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, with the victors playing in a record 19th final and achieving a record 12th win. (BBC) (The FA via Twitter) In Scotland, Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC defeat Falkirk FC 2-1 at Hampden Park to win the 2015 Scottish Cup Final. This is Inverness' first major title. (BBC), (The Guardian) In South Africa, Namibia defeat Mozambique 2-0 to win the 2015 COSAFA Cup for the first time. (COSAFA) In Spain, FC Barcelona defeat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in the 2014–15 Copa del Rey final meaning they complete a domestic double after winning La Liga. Lionel Messi scored a brace in the victory. (The Guardian) (Reuters via Sydney Morning Herald) Alastair Cook becomes the leading run scorer of all time in test cricket for England playing against New Zealand in the second test at Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds. (BBC) Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Anaheim Ducks in a seven game series to advance to the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals. (NHL) Current events of May 31, 2015 (2015-05-31) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Sinai insurgency Egyptian security officials report that militants have blown up a natural gas pipeline leading to Israel outside El-Arish, the provincial capital of North Sinai. That pipeline was attacked at least 20 times in the last 5 years. (AP via KFox) Libyan Civil War (2014–present) A suicide bomber strikes a checkpoint near the city of Misrata causing several deaths. (Reuters via LBC) Boko Haram A bomb explodes at a market place in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri killing at least four people. (Channel STV) Disasters and accidents 2015 Indian heat wave The death toll from the heat wave reaches 2,100 with intense heat to continue until Monday. (NHK) April 2015 Nepal earthquake Thousands of schools open in Nepal after the devastating earthquake of April 2015 which destroyed more than 25,000 classrooms and killed more than 8,000 people. (BBC) International relations Russia announces that it will join the People's Republic of China in naval drills in the South China Sea in May 2016. (RT) Russian Su-24 attack aircraft intercept the US destroyer Ross in the Black Sea at the edge of Russian territorial waters. (Reuters) John Kerry, the United States Secretary of State, is taken to hospital in Switzerland with a broken leg following a cycling accident in the nearby French town of Scionzier. Kerry had been in Geneva negotiating with the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. (BBC), (NBC News) Qatar agrees to temporarily extend travel bans on five senior Taliban leaders released last year from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for releasing American sergeant Bowe Bergdahl. (AP via Yahoo! News) Law and crime One man is dead and two are detained after an incident at Singapore's Shangri-La Hotel which is currently hosting a high-level international dialogue over the South China Sea. (Straits-Times) Politics and elections Key sections of the Patriot Act expire at midnight (Eastern Daylight Time) due to failure of the United States Senate to agree to an extension. It is highly likely that USA Freedom Act will be passed soon, but the bulk collection of domestic telephone data by the National Security Agency is expected to end. (Time), (USA Today) The East African Community calls on Burundi to postpone its presidential election due to unrest sparked by the decision by President Pierre Nkurunziza to run for a third term. (AP) Sport 2015 Giro d'Italia In cycling, Alberto Contador of Spain wins his second Giro d'Italia. (BBC)

May 2015 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31  Ongoing events Political Syrian and Iraqi civil wars Military intervention against ISIL Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen 2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine More details on ongoing conflicts below  Recent deaths May 30: Beau Biden 30: Joël Champetier 30: Julie Harris 30: Tony McNamara 30: Lennie Merullo 30: Cornell Moss 30: L. Tom Perry 29: Doris Hart 29: Chris Kohlhase 28: John Buckner 28: Reynaldo Rey 27: Erik Carlsson 27: Bill Foster 27: Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki 27: Andy King 27: John Siegal 26: Vicente Aranda 26: Walter Byers 26: Bob Hornery 26: Art Thieme 25: Mary Ellen Mark 25: John M. Murphy 25: Bill O'Herlihy 24: Marcus Belgrave 24: Michael W. Ryan 23: Anne Meara 23: John Forbes Nash, Jr. 22: Marques Haynes 22: Vladimir Katriuk 22: John Mosley 22: Terry Sue-Patt 21: Louis Johnson 20: Bob Belden 19: Bruce Lundvall 19: Happy Rockefeller 19: Robert S. Wistrich 18: Aruna Shanbaug 17: Chinx 16: Prashant Bhargava 16: Moshe Levinger 16: Dean Potter 16: Adrian Robinson 16: Abu Sayyaf 16: Peter Tallberg 16: John Templeton, Jr. 16: Yeung Kwong 15: Elisabeth Bing 15: Alfred DelBello 15: Corey Hill 15: Jacob Jensen 15: John Lo Schiavo 15: Garo Yepremian 14: B.B. King 14: Franz Wright 13: Derek Davis 13: David Sackett 12: Peter Gay 12: Bill Guthridge 12: William Zinsser 11: Tony Ayala, Jr. 11: Maggie Black 11: Jef Geeraerts 11: John Watts 10: Chris Burden 10: William T. Cooper 10: Kim Kyok-sik 10: Rachel Rosenthal 10: Victor Salvi 9: Kenan Evren 9: Johnny Gimble 9: Alexandre Lamfalussy 9: Michael Mackellar 9: Elizabeth Wilson 8: Rutger Gunnarsson 8: Mwepu Ilunga 8: Leif Holger Larsen 8: Domingo Lucenario, Jr. 7: Maurice Flanagan 7: Frank DiPascali 6: Errol Brown 6: Jim Wright 5: Gerard Davison 5: Craig Gruber 5: Hans Jansen 4: Ellen Albertini Dow 4: Marv Hubbard 4: Joshua Ozersky 3: Thomas A. Constantine 3: Danny Jones 3: Robert Rietti 3: Abdul Basit Usman 2: Guy Carawan 2: Dave Goldberg 2: Maya Plisetskaya 2: Ruth Rendell 1: María Elena Velasco 1: Grace Lee Whitney  Ongoing conflicts Africa Algeria, Tunisia and Niger Maghreb insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Katanga insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Nigeria and Cameroon Boko Haram Somalia Civil war South Sudan South Sudanese Civil War Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Americas Colombian conflict Internal conflict in Peru Mexican War on Drugs Asia Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines Communist insurgency Moro insurgency Southeast Asia Internal conflict in Burma Papua conflict South Thailand insurgency Europe Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Dissident Irish Republican campaign Chechen-Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency War in Ingushetia Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Arab–Israeli conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Egypt Sinai insurgency Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraqi civil war American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Syrian Civil War American-led intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey-PKK conflict Yemeni crisis Houthi rebellion Al-Qaeda insurgency South Yemen insurgency  Elections Recent: April–May 30: Tanzania, Referendum 3: Nagorno-Karabakh, National Assembly 7: United Kingdom, House of Commons 10: Poland, President (1st round) 11: Guyana, National Assembly 13: Lebanon, President (23rd round) 22: Ireland, Referendum 24: Ethiopia, House of Peoples' Representatives 24: Poland, President (2nd round) 25: Suriname, National Assembly 26: Netherlands, Senate Upcoming: June 3: Lebanon, President (24th round) 5: Burundi, National Assembly 7: Luxembourg, Referenda 7: Mexico, Congress 7: Turkey, National Assembly 14: Switzerland, Referenda 18: Denmark, Parliament 26: Burundi, President  Trials Recently concluded Australia: Brett Peter Cowan, Craig Thomson, Robert Hughes Brazil: Mensalão scandal Canada: Michael Thomas Rafferty, Luka Magnotta China: Liu Tienan, Li Daqiu, Ji Jianye, Liao Shaohua, Ni Fake, Chen Baihuai Croatia: Ivo Sanader Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Peter Greste, Mohamed Morsi Germany: Bernie Ecclestone, Uli Hoeness, Christian Wulff, Breno Borges Iran: Mohammad Reza Rahimi Israel: Hussam Qawasmeh Italy: Silvio Berlusconi Jordan: Abu Qatada Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim Romania: Liviu Dragnea, Dan Diaconescu Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Vladimir Kvachkov, Pussy Riot South Africa: Shrien Dewani, Oscar Pistorius, Chris Mahlangu Turkey: Kenan Evren, Tahsin Şahinkaya United Kingdom: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, Ali Dizaei, Antoni Imiela, Brian Regan, Donna Air, Ched Evans, Clayton McDonald, Titus Bramble, Dan Penteado, John Terry, Iftikhar and Farzana Ahmed, Asil Nadir, Justin Lee Collins, Kweku Adoboli, Tony McCluskie, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, Chris Huhne, Nicola Edgington, Vicky Pryce, Derek Rose, Mick Philpott, Mairead Philpott, Paul Mosley, Kevin Liverpool, Junior Bradshaw, Aggro Santos, Stuart Hazell, Mark Bridger, Andrew Lancel, Dale Cregan, Ray Wilkins, Michael Le Vell, Liam Adams, R v Grillo and Grillo, Ian Watkins, William Roache, Dave Lee Travis, Nicholas Jacobs, Nigel Evans, Max Clifford, Stuart Hall, Dappy, Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, Rolf Harris, Tulisa Contostavlos, Chris Denning, Ray Teret, Gary Glitter, Fred Talbot United States: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Michael Grimm, Bob McDonnell, Vilma Bautista, George Huguely, Allen Stanford, Roger Clemens, Jerry Sandusky, Jared Lee Loughner, Lauryn Hill, Kermit Gosnell, George Zimmerman, Chelsea Manning, Ariel Castro, Whitey Bulger, Robert Bales, Nidal Malik Hasan, Jodi Arias Dzhokhar Tsarnaev International ECCC: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan ICC: Germain Katanga, Thomas Lubanga ICTY: Momčilo Perišić, Mladen Markač, Ante Gotovina, Zdravko Tolimir SCFSL: Charles Taylor Ongoing France: Dominique Strauss-Kahn Germany: Beate Zschäpe Iran: Babak Zanjani Philippines: Andal Ampatuan Jr., Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Janet Lim-Napoles, Jovito Palparan, Joseph Scott Pemberton Romania: Darius Vâlcov, Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie, Cătălin Voicu, Relu Fenechiu, Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: MV Sewol crew members International ICTY: Radovan Karadžić, Ratko Mladic Upcoming China: Zhou Yongkang, Wu Changshun Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Spain: Lionel Messi United Kingdom: Dane Bowers, Andy Coulson United States: Paul Anthony Ciancia, Javaris Crittenton, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Dylan Quick, James Eagan Holmes, Aaron Hernandez, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Anas al-Libi, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Rick Perry International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo