Portal:Current events

Worldwide current events · Sports events

Topics in the news

Cyclone Mahasen (storm track pictured) causes significant damage in Southern and Southeastern Asia, resulting in more than 90 deaths.
The Maya site Nohmul in Belize is largely destroyed by contractors seeking road construction materials.
The Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, led by Boyko Borisov, wins a plurality in the Bulgarian parliamentary election.
Genetic sequencing of the floating bladderwort reveals that its genome contains just 3% noncoding DNA.
The Pakistan Muslim League (N) wins a plurality in the Pakistani general election.
A Guatemalan court finds former president Efraín Ríos Montt guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Recent deaths: Jorge Rafael Videla

Wikinews

May 18, 2013 (Saturday)

edit

history

watch

May 18, 2013 Wikinews articles

May 17, 2013 (Friday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Several bombings in Sunni areas of Iraq kill at least 76 people, the highest single-day death toll in more than eight months. (Times of India)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- Two bombs explode near two separate mosques in the Malakand District of Pakistan, killing 15 people and wounding at least 100 others. (Dawn)

Business and economy

The United States government paves the way for expanded exportation of natural gas by approving a US$10 billion facility in Texas. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Ottawa experiences a 5.2 magnitude earthquake. (CTV)
A US Navy Seal is killed and 7 others are injured as their humvee rolls over during a training exercise. (Reuters)
Two Metro-North commuter trains collide near Bridgeport, Connecticut injuring at least 60 people and resulting in the cancellation of Amtrak services between New York City and Boston. (USA Today)(CNN)

Politics and elections

Jorge Rafael Videla, who served as President of Argentina after the 1976 Argentine coup d'état, dies at the age of 87 in a jail of Marcos Paz, Buenos Aires. (USA Today)

Law and crime

A million dollars worth of jewelry meant for use by celebrities at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival is stolen from a Novotel hotel room in Cannes. (BBC)
An anti-homophobia march in the Georgian capital Tbilisi results in a riot with dozens of people injured as opponents attacked the march. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)

Science and technology

NASA records the brightest lunar meteor impact yet observed. (National Geographic)
Mild electric shock is shown to provide lasting improvement to mathematical ability. (Nature)

Sports

In golf, former U.S. Open winner and longtime TV analyst Ken Venturi dies at age 82. (ABC News)

May 17, 2013 Wikinews articles

May 16, 2013 (Thursday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflict and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- Many people are killed in two suicide bombings in Afghanistan, at least fifteen of which are killed in the capital Kabul when a suicide bomber from Hizb-i-Islami, a Taliban affiliate, targeted a convoy carrying foreign troops, injuring another 40. (Xinhua) (NBC)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Seventeen people are killed when car bombs detonate and gunman attack people in Baghdad, Iraq. (AP via USA Today)
Suspected militants abduct six security personnel in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. (AP via Bloomberg)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- The Nigerian military imposes a dusk to dawn curfew in Adamawa State. (Xinhua)

Arts and culture

The American adaptation of the television series The Office airs its last episode on the National Broadcasting Company after nine seasons. (Reuters)
British author Jenny Colgan wins the 2013 Romantic Novel of the Year Award for her book Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams. (BBC)
A topless painting of actress Bea Arthur sells for US$2 million at auction. (New York Post)

Business and economy

Bill Gates becomes the world's richest person for the first time since 2007 with a fortune of approximately $72.7 billion. (abcnews)
The Venezuelan government attempts to put an end to a toilet paper shortage. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

A shoe factory collapses in Cambodia, killing three. (Reuters)
A plane crashes while attempting to land on a mountain airstrip in northern Nepal, injuring all 21 passengers. (The Washington Post)

International relations

The Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Saeed Jalili, reiterates that Iran will never give up its right to use nuclear energy for peaceful means, but it will not seek nuclear weapons. (Xinhua)
The United States announces new sanctions against the Syrian government. (Los Angeles Times)
Pope Francis calls for worldwide "financial reform along ethical lines" to fight the "tyranny [of] financial speculation". (Irish Times)

Law and Crime

Two brothers are arrested in connection with the Mother’s Day parade shooting that wounded 20 in New Orleans. (The Washington Post) (AFP via News24)

Science and technology

Rolf Wolff, president of the Stockholm School of Economics, is fired amidst a scandal where he promoted a convicted insider trader for a top position at the university and allegedly he lied about his academic credentials. (Dagens industri) (Dagens Nyheter)
Water dating back 2.6 billion years, by far the oldest ever found, is discovered in a Canadian mine. (Fox News)
A study suggests that marijuana may improve blood sugar by decreasing insulin resistance. (Healthline)

Sports

In association football, midfielder David Beckham announces his retirement effective at season's end, a decision that came days after he won the Ligue 1 title with his last club, Paris Saint-Germain. (CNN)
Former NASCAR driver Dick Trickle dies at age 71 from an apparent suicide. (Fox Sports)

May 16, 2013 Wikinews articles

May 15, 2013 (Wednesday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Gunmen using silenced weapons attack at least nine alcohol stores in western Baghdad, killing twelve people. (Al Jazeera)
- Thirty-five people, including three police officers, are killed in bomb attacks in Shi'ite sections of Baghdad and parts of northern Iraq. (Reuters)
Syrian civil war:
- Rebel fighters launch a massive assault on a prison in Syria's northern city of Aleppo. (BBC)
A rebel attack on army positions in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo town of Beni leaves at least 31 people dead, including 23 Mai Mai and three FARDC troops. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

American graphic designer Richard Swanson dies after being struck by a pickup truck in Oregon while attempting to dribble a soccer ball all the way to Brazil to raise money for charity. (AP via National Public Radio)
The 2013 Cannes Film Festival opens with a showing of The Great Gatsby. (Guardian)
Plans for a £200m fifteen year expansion of Britain's Pinewood Studios are turned down by the local authority that oversees the area where the studios are situated. (BBC)

Business and economy

A man who found what he believes to be the secret recipe for Coca-Cola at an estate sale sells the instructions on eBay for $15 million. (Time)(EBAY)
The Eurozone records its sixth straight quarter of recession with France, Italy and Spain all recording negative growth and Germany growing weakly. (BBC)(News Limited)
The Bank of England upgrades its forecast for the UK economy, and says that inflation will fall faster than previously predicted. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Authorities in Myanmar and Bangladesh prepare for the arrival of Cyclone Mahasen, which has already killed at least seven people and displaced nearly 4,000 in Sri Lanka. (Reuters)
A tornado hits Granbury, Texas, United States, killing several people and injuring at least 100. (CNN)

Law and crime

The jury in the U.S. state of Arizona that convicted Jodi Arias of first-degree murder last week quickly decide that she should either face the death penalty or life in prison without parole during the penalty phase of trial. (NBC)
According to the U.S. ATF, no evidence has yet been found that a bomb blast was responsible for the April West Fertilizer Company explosion that killed fifteen people in West, Texas. (NBC)

International relations

China, India, and four other nations join the Arctic Council with observer status. (The New York Times)
The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning the Syrian government for human rights violations. (AlJazeera)

Politics and elections

Steven Miller, the acting commissioner of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, resigns amidst pressure from the fallout surrounding the agency's targeting of Tea Party groups. (Los Angeles Times)
In the United Kingdom House of Commons, an amendment to last Wednesday's Queen's Speech expressing regret that it did not contain legislation for a referendum on EU membership is defeated 277–131. (BBC)

Science and technology

In a study published in Nature, University of Oregon researchers describe the first creation of human embryonic stem cells by cloning. (Nature)
NASA's Kepler telescope suffers a critical hardware failure, possibly putting an end to its planet hunting mission. (Discovery News)
New fossils provide evidence on the evolutionary split between apes and monkeys. (Design & Trend)
New evidence suggests that Mount Everest's glaciers are melting. (NBC News)
Scientists release pictures of what they believe the lost city of la Ciudad Blanca in La Mosquitia, Honduras.(NBC News)
A new study finds that the white blood cell levels in men decrease faster during aging than in women, possibly providing one clue as to why women have longer average lifespans. (Telegraph)

Sports

The NBA's Board of Governors votes against allowing the Sacramento Kings basketball franchise to move to Seattle. (ABC News)
In horse racing, Orb draws the rail for the Preakness Stakes. (ABC News)
In association football, Chelsea wins the UEFA Europa League after beating Benfica 2–1. (BBC)

May 15, 2013 Wikinews articles

May 14, 2013 (Tuesday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- The Taliban kills four US soldiers in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. (BBC)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- The President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, declares a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe to fight an Islamist insurgency. (AP via Houston Chronicle)

Arts and culture

American actress Angelina Jolie announces that she underwent an elective double mastectomy due to her family history of breast cancer. (USA Today)

Business and economy

Greek civil servants hold a 24-hour strike after the government proposes to use emergency powers to stop striking teachers from disrupting university exams. (AP via ABC)

Disasters and accidents

A tunnel collapses at Freeport-McMoRan’s Grasberg mine in Indonesia's Papua province trapping approximately thirty workers. (AFP via Inquirer)
Several boats carrying over 100 Rohingya Muslims away from an oncoming cyclone capsize off the coast of Myanmar leaving only 42 survivors. (Wall Street Journal)

Law and crime

An alleged CIA agent is arrested in Moscow for trying to recruit a Russian intelligence officer. (BBC), (Sky News)
The United States fines the Indian pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy Laboratories US$500 million after they are found guilty of selling adulterated drugs to the United States. (AFP via Google News)
Convicted murderer, abortion physician Kermit Gosnell, in a plea bargin, trades away his appeals in exchange for a life sentence without the possibility of parole. (CNN)
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service admits that it targeted conservative groups for special scrutiny. (FOX News)

Politics and elections

Voters in Canada's British Columbia Province go to the polls to select members to the province's Legislative Assembly. (CTV News)
Former President of the Philippines Joseph Estrada is declared as the winner of the mayoral election in the capital Manila. (AP via Brooklyn News 12)
The British Conservative Party publishes a draft European Union (Referendum) Bill aimed at holding a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union by 2017. (BBC)
Kenyan protestors release dozens of pigs in front of parliament to protest perceived greed. (AFP via Google News)
Brazil becomes the fifteenth country to legalise same-sex marriage. (Huffington Post)

Science and technology

A Soyuz capsule carrying astronauts Chris Hadfield of Canada, Thomas Marshburn of the United States and Roman Romanenko of Russia of Expedition 35 back from the International Space Station lands safely in Kazakhstan. (Herald-Sun)

May 14, 2013 Wikinews articles

May 13, 2013 (Monday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Aftermath of the Libyan civil war:
- A car bomb explodes near a hospital in the Libyan city of Benghazi, killing at least nine people. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- Three Georgian soldiers are killed and several wounded in a large-scale insurgent attack on an ISAF base in the Helmand Province. (Civil Georgia)

Arts and culture

A 2,300-year-old Mayan pyramid at Nohmul in Belize is destroyed by a construction company seeking road fill gravel. (Fox News)
Veteran U.S. broadcaster Barbara Walters announces her 2014 retirement. (ABC News America)

Business and economy

Kevyn Orr, a state-appointed emergency manager of the finances of the city of Detroit, Michigan, issues a report describing the city as "clearly insolvent on a cash flow basis." (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A military aircraft crashes in residential area in Yemen's capital of Sana'a. (Xinhua)
The search of the wreckage of the 2013 Savar building collapse in Bangladesh ends with 1,127 people found dead. (CTV News)

International relations

Myanmar state television announces that President Thein Sein will make the first official visit to the United States, the first by a leader of that country in nearly fifty years. (ABC News)

Law and crime

The news agency Associated Press announces that the U.S. Justice Department secretly seized two months worth of telephone records from AP offices and reporters. (Reuters Canada) (The Daily Telegraph) (The Guardian)
In Mexico City, Mexico, two men are arrested in connection with the May 9 murder of 28-year-old American Malcolm Shabazz, the grandson and first male descendant of Malcolm X. (NPR)
Iranian man Azim Aghajani is convicted in Nigeria of attempting to smuggle weapons to The Gambia. He is sentenced to five years imprisonment. (BBC)
Kermit Gosnell, a U.S. abortion physician, is found guilty in Pennsylvania of three counts of murder of newborn infants, one count of involuntary manslaughter, and various other charges. (The Washington Post)(BBC)
The U.S. Department of Treasury may probe why Bloomberg News reporters were monitoring how investment bank employees searched their site for financial information, including U.S. Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. (The New York Times),(BBC)

Politics and elections

The Senate in the U.S. state of Minnesota passes a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. Governor Mark Dayton says he intends to sign it into law. (ABC News)
Voters in the Philippines go to the polls for House of Representatives and Senate elections with police on heightened security. (ABS CBN)
Siddaramaiah of the Indian National Congress party is sworn in as the 22nd Chief Minister of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. (Zee News)
In Canada's Newfoundland and Labrador Province, Liberal Party's Yvonne Jones won a by-election to the province's Labrador electoral riding, formerly held by Conservative Party's Peter Penashue. The by-election was widely viewed as a crucial test for new Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau. (CBC News)(CTV News)

Sport

In association football, Premier League and FA Cup runners-up Manchester City sack manager Roberto Mancini. (BBC)

May 13, 2013 Wikinews articles

'Django Unchained' returns to Chinese cinemas

May 12, 2013 (Sunday)

edit

history

watch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Four Filipino UN peacekeepers that had been taken captive by Syrian rebels on May 7 are released. (Los Angeles Times)

Disasters and accidents

2013 Savar building collapse:
- The death toll reaches 1,126 with many people still missing; the accident is now the third worst industrial disaster in history. (Xinhua)
At least 28 people are killed in a mining accident in China's Sichuan Province. (CNN)

Health and environment

The first group of what is an expected to be more than a trillion 17-year cicadas to emerge in the eastern United States is spotted in North Carolina. (Design & Trend)
WHO says that it appears likely the novel coronavirus can be transmitted from close person-to-person contact. (BBC)

Law and crime

Nineteen people are injured during a shooting at a Mother's Day parade in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. (NOLA.com)
Four people are found fatally shot in Waynesville, Indiana, United States. (CNN)
A 12-year-old boy is arrested in connection to the April 27 Valley Springs, California, United States stabbing of his 8-year-old sister. (FOX News)
Andrew Moran, one of Britain's most wanted criminals, is arrested in Costa Blanca, Spain. (BBC)

Politics and elections

2013 Pakistani general election:
- Partial results reveal former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to be the winner, though no party manages to obtain an absolute majority in the 342-seat National Assembly. (Al Jazeera)
Voters in Bulgaria go to the polls for a parliamentary election. Boyko Borisov's GERB party wins between 30% and 32% of the votes, closely followed by Sergei Stanishev's resurgent BSP with 26 to 28 percent. No party manages to obtain a majority, while analysts predict a political deadlock amid low voter turnout and economic woes. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
The Murrawarri Republic begins a sovereignty campaign with the UN. (SBS)

Religion

Pope Francis canonizes a record-breaking 800+ new Catholic Church saints - Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI had submitted the 813 "Martyrs of Otranto" who had been beheaded by Ottoman soldiers for refusing to convert to Islam. (Atlantic Wire), (Cleveland Leader)

Science and technology

In a study by SUNY Buffalo, it is discovered that Utricularia gibba, a carnivorous bladderwort plant, has the shortest known DNA sequence of any multicellular plant and that it lacks "junk DNA", sequences of code that do not encode proteins. (Design & Trend)

Sport

In association football:
- Paris St-Germain wins the French Ligue 1 championship, their third Ligue 1 title and first since 1994. (BBC)
- Manchester United win 2-1 at home to Swansea City in Sir Alex Ferguson's last game at Old Trafford as club manager, with the coach lifting the record 20th Premier League trophy at the end of the game. (Al Jazeera)
- Veteran midfielder Paul Scholes announces his second retirement from football after the end of the current season. (Al Jazeera)
In American football, Hall of Fame member Jack Butler dies at the age of 85. (The New York Times)

May 12, 2013 Wikinews articles

More May 2013 events...

Ongoing events
Economic Great Recession European sovereign-debt crisis Greek economic crisis Cypriot financial crisis Environmental North American drought 2013 extreme weather events Food safety Meat adulteration scandal Political List of ongoing protests More details on ongoing conflicts below edit sidebar

Recent deaths
May 17: Jorge Rafael Videla 17: Ken Venturi 16: Paul Shane 16: Dick Trickle 15: Jens Elmegård Rasmussen 14: Billie Sol Estes 14: Chuck Muncie 13: Joyce Brothers 12: Kenneth 12: Toni Linhart 11: Jack Butler 11: Doug Finley 10: Barbara Callcott 9: Malcolm Shabazz 9: Vincent Dowling 9: George M. Leader 9: Sanaullah Haq 9: Alfredo Landa 9: Ottavio Missoni 9: Andrew Simpson 8: Asaph Schwapp 8: Bryan Forbes 8: Jeanne Cooper 8: Alan Abelson 7: George Sauer, Jr 7: Ray Harryhausen 6: Giulio Andreotti 6: Steve Martland 5: Dean Jeffries 5: Helmin Wiels 4: Christian de Duve 4: Otis R. Bowen 4: Mario Machado 4: Frederic Franklin 3: Herbert Blau 3: Cedric Brooks 3: Brad Drewett 2: Jeff Hanneman 2: Sarabjit Singh edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Global War on Terror Terrorist incidents Operation Active Endeavour Operation Enduring Freedom War on Drugs Africa Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Maghreb insurgency OEF - Horn of Africa OEF - Trans Sahara DR Congo: M23 rebellion Egypt Egyptian protests Libya: Libyan factional fighting Mali: Northern Mali conflict Nigeria: Nigerian Sharia conflict Niger Delta conflict Somalia: Civil War Piracy Sudan and South Sudan: Sudan internal conflict South Sudan internal conflict Americas Colombian conflict Mexican Drug War Asia Afghanistan War: Military operations Taliban insurgency Pakistan: North-West War Sectarian violence India: Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Islamic insurgency in the Philippines: Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines Korea: Korean crisis Korean maritime border conflict Southeast Asia: Cambodian–Thai border dispute Kachin conflict Papua conflict South Thailand insurgency Territorial disputes in the South China Sea Europe North Caucasus insurgency War in Ingushetia Dissident Irish Republican campaign Middle East Arab–Israeli conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israel–Iran proxy conflict Iraqi insurgency Kurdistan: Kurdish–Iranian conflict Syrian civil war Yemen: al-Qaeda crackdown South Yemen insurgency Shia insurgency edit sidebar

Elections
Recent: April 21: Paraguay, General 23: Bhutan, National Council 27: Iceland, Parliament Recent: May 5: Malaysia, General 11: Pakistan, General 12: Bulgaria, Parliament 13: Philippines, House of Representatives, Senate (one half) Upcoming: May 26: Equatorial Guinea, Parliament edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Canada: Michael Rafferty Croatia: Ivo Sanader Egypt: Hosni Mubarak, Alaa Mubarak, Gamal Mubarak Germany: Breno Borges Indonesia: Abu Bakar Bashir Netherlands: Ante Gotovina (ICTY), Mladen Markač (ICTY), Momčilo Perišić (ICTY) Norway: Anders Behring Breivik Russia: Leonid Khabarov, Vladimir Kvachkov, Pussy Riot Sierra Leone: Charles Taylor (SCFSL) South Africa: Chris Mahlangu Ukraine: Yulia Tymoshenko United Kingdom: Levi Bellfield, Robert Black, Vincent Tabak, 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 United States: Noshir Gowadia, Buju Banton, Barry Bonds, Raj Rajaratnam, Casey Anthony, Conrad Murray, George Huguely, Allen Stanford, Roger Clemens, Jerry Sandusky, Jared Lee Loughner, Lauryn Hill, Kermit Gosnell Ongoing Cambodia: Khmer Rouge Tribunal Canada: Luka Magnotta China: Organized crime in Chongqing France: Church of Scientology Germany: Beate Zschape Iraq: Supreme Criminal Tribunal Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim Netherlands: Thomas Lubanga (ICC), Radovan Karadžić (ICTY), Ratko Mladic (ICTY) Palau: Tommy Remengesau Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr., Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Russia: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Platon Lebedev Singapore: Tak Boleh Tahan South Africa: Oscar Pistorius Sudan: Lubna al-Hussein Thailand: Thaksin Shinawatra Turkey: Ergenekon network, Kenan Evren United Kingdom: Koo Stark, Dale Cregan, Liam Adams, Mark Bridger United States: Ahmed Ghailani, David Headley, Charles P. White, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Viktor Bout, Jodi Arias Vatican: Vatileaks scandal Upcoming Czech Republic: Václav Klaus France: Éric Raoult Italy: Silvio Berlusconi Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Ivory Coast: Laurent Gbagbo United Kingdom: Dane Bowers United States: Nidal Malik Hasan, Javaris Crittenton, Bradley Manning, Robert Bales, George Zimmerman, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Peter Madoff, Christian Gerhartsreiter, Crystal Mangum, Dylan Quick, Richie Farmer, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, James Eagan Holmes, Ariel Castro edit sidebar

Events by month

2013: January; February; March; April; May

2012: January; February; March; April; May; June; July; August; September; October; November; December

2011: January; February; March; April; May; June; July; August; September; October; November; December

Content listings

Lists

Indices

Portal:Current events

Economic

Environmental

Food safety

Political

May

Global

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Middle East

Recent: April

Recent: May

Upcoming: May

Recently concluded

Ongoing

Upcoming

Navigation menu

Personal tools

Namespaces

Variants

Views

Actions

Search

Navigation

Interaction

Toolbox

Print/export

Languages