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Topics in the news

COVID-19 pandemic

Riot damage in Minneapolis

SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 make their first crewed launch for NASA.
Protests and riots (aftermath pictured) break out across the United States following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Costa Rica becomes the first Central American country to legalise same-sex marriage.
A Pakistan International Airlines passenger aircraft crashes in Karachi, killing ninety-seven people.

June 3, 2020 (Wednesday)

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International relations

Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations, 2019–20 Hong Kong protests
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the United Kingdom will change immigration laws to offer a pathway to UK citizenship for all Hong Kong citizens who are eligible for BN(O) status, if the government of China imposes new security laws on the territory. (BBC)

Law and crime

Former Lesotho First Lady Maesaiah Thabane is arrested on charges of murder. Her husband, former Lesotho Prime Minister Tom Thabane, is also accused of murder but not formally charged. (Reuters)
A court in France orders Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga to be handed over to a United Nations tribunal for trial. Kabuga's lawyers said that their client would not receive a fair trial at a UN tribunal and that his health was too fragile to be transferred amidst a pandemic. However, French justice said his transfer is "not incompatible" with the decision. (Reuters)

June 2, 2020 (Tuesday)

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Business and economy

A US$5 billion class action lawsuit is filed against Alphabet Inc. and Google, alleging the company violates users' right to privacy by tracking them in Chrome's Incognito mode. (BBC)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic in India
- India approves the use of remdesivir to treat emergency COVID-19 cases that require immediate attention. (The Jakarta Post)

International relations

Philippines–United States relations
- President Rodrigo Duterte suspends for six months the termination of the Philippines–United States Visiting Forces Agreement. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. says the decision comes due to "political and other developments in the region". (Al Jazeera)
United States–Venezuela relations
- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces sanctions on four shipping firms for transporting oil from Venezuela. Three firms are based in the Marshall Islands and another in Greece. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza responds by saying Pompeo has a "criminal obsession" with Venezuela. (Reuters)

Law and crime

George Floyd protests
- James N. Miller, former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, announces his resignation from the Defense Science Board, citing disagreement with the Trump administration's actions against protestors in Washington, D.C. (The Washington Post)

June 1, 2020 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

ISIL-linked militants attack a police station in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, killing an officer. One of the militants is shot dead as he tries to attack other policemen. (Jakarta Globe)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia
- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan tests positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- The annual Tiananmen Square massacre vigil in Hong Kong is banned for the first time since 1990 citing health concerns due to COVID-19. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, who organize the vigil, say the ban signals the end of Hong Kong's "one country, two systems". (BBC)
Kivu Ebola epidemic
- The World Health Organization reports six new cases of ebola, and UNICEF reports five deaths, in a renewed outbreak of the disease in Mbandaka, Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (CNN)

International relations

United States–Zimbabwe relations, George Floyd protests
- Zimbabwe summons the U.S. envoy for comments by U.S. National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien suggesting that Zimbabwe is among "foreign adversaries" that could face retaliation for trying to foment unrest in the U.S. over the killing of George Floyd. (AP News)

Law and crime

George Floyd protests
- Forty cities across the United States impose overnight curfews in order to quell the violence from the protests. (CNN)
- Two protesters are shot and killed during riots in Davenport, Iowa. In a separate incident, a police vehicle is ambushed, resulting in the wounding of an officer. (The Des Moines Register)
- Two bystanders are shot and killed by "outside agitators" during protests in Cicero, Illinois. (CBS Chicago)
- Police shoot and kill an armed man wearing body armor at a protest in Las Vegas. In another incident, a policeman is shot and critically injured. (Reno Gazette Journal)
- Anonymous sources suggest President Donald Trump is considering invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act to deploy the military to respond to protests throughout the country. (NBC News)
- An active duty military police battalion of 200 to 250 troops are deployed in the U.S. capital Washington, D.C. to provide security as protests continue. Defense officials say the troops are from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. (CNN)
- Four police officers are shot in St. Louis amid rioting in the downtown area of the city. (New York Post)
Shooting of David McAtee
- Police and National Guard troops open fire on a group of protesters after allegedly being fired upon in Louisville, Kentucky, resulting in the death of David McAtee, a local barbecue shop owner. An investigation is ongoing, while the LMPD Chief has been fired, as the officers involved in the shooting did not have their body cameras turned on. (Associated Press)
Killing of George Floyd
- An independent autopsy concludes George Floyd died of "asphyxiation from sustained pressure" and that there was "neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain" and that Floyd died at the scene of his arrest and not at the hospital, contradicting the Hennepin County, Minnesota coroner's report. (USA Today)
Shooting of James Scurlock
- Prosecutors conclude a bar owner who fatally shot a protester during protests in Omaha, Nebraska, acted in self-defense and therefore will not press charges against him. (Omaha World-Herald)

May 31, 2020 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War
- At least six civilians are killed when a minibus hits a roadside bomb near Mogadishu. There has been no claim of responsibility. (Reuters)
Second Libyan Civil War
- At least three civilians are killed and several others are injured in Tripoli when a park comes under shelling from suspected Libyan National Army forces loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. (Reuters)
Herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria
- Hundreds of men on motorcycles, some armed with assault rifles, kill at least 18 people, including a local official in Sabon Gari, and steal thousands of livestock in Katsina State, Nigeria. (Reuters)
A 20-year-old Kurdish man was stabbed multiple times by three men in Ankara, Turkey, killing him. The attack, described as a xenophobic murder, was carried out as the victim was playing Kurdish music. (Middle East Eye)

Disasters and accidents

Anglo-Australian mining corporation Rio Tinto admits blowing up the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge caves in Pilbara, Western Australia, on May 24. The firm issues an apology to Aboriginal Australians who are the traditional owners of the site, saying "We are sorry for the distress we have caused". (BBC)
A plane crash in Nettuno, Lazio, Italy, kills two Italian competitive swimmers, Fabio Lombini and Gioele Rossetti. (Khaleej Times)
A plane crash near St. Louis, Missouri kills four people. (WCRZ)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
  - Rwanda reports its first death from COVID-19, a 65-year-old who had severe respiratory complications and was being treated at a specialised center. (Reuters)
- The number of worldwide cases of COVID-19 surpasses six million. The United States remains the global epicenter, accounting for approximately 29% of all reported and confirmed cases in the world. (CNN)

International relations

India–Pakistan relations
- India expels two officials at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, accusing them of being involved in espionage activities. Pakistan condemns the expulsion and alleges that the two were detained and tortured by Indian authorities. (DW)

Law and crime

George Floyd protests
- Rioting and looting continue overnight in cities all over the United States as 12 states activate the national guard to defuse the situation. (Al-Jazeera) (Voice of America)
- At least 1,383 people have been arrested in 17 cities during the protests since Thursday. (Yahoo! News)
- Shooting of James Scurlock
  - Police investigate the overnight shooting death of a protester, James Scurlock, by a bar owner in Omaha, Nebraska. Eyewitness video indicates the shooter was attacked by a group of people, one of whom was apparently Scurlock, before the fatal shots were fired. (Omaha World-Herald)
- During protests in Indianapolis, two people are shot dead and two others injured after unidentified assailants open fire against protesters. (Fox News)
- A woman is facing four counts of attempted murder, as well as counts of attempted arson, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a weapon, and assault for throwing a Molotov cocktail at an occupied NYPD van during a riot in Brooklyn. (Fox News)
- President Donald Trump announces his plans to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization after saying they were responsible for the looting and arson occurring during the protests. Various government and non-government officials claim that designating domestic terrorist groups is prohibited by the First Amendment. (CNN)
- The media is revealed to have been the target of violence and harassment at least 50 times on Friday and Saturday. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro
- Anti-fascist protesters gather in the Brazilian cities of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte in response to police brutality and President Bolsonaro's defence of unconstitutional measures. A pro-government crowd forms in São Paulo, with police reporting neo-Nazi flags hung from a sound truck. (The Republic)
2020 New Caledonian independence referendum
- In New Caledonia, the largest pro-independence party Caledonian Union agrees to postpone the referendum on independence from France due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns. Anti-independence parties welcome the decision. (RNZ)
2020 Niuean general election
- In Niue, Sir Toke Talagi loses his seat at the Common Roll and is now leaving his position as Premier of Niue. Former Secretary to Government Richard Hipa, a first-time candidate, topped the Common Roll votes with 440 and now looks to be a contender for the premiership. (RNZ)

Science and technology

Crew Dragon Demo-2
- SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully docks with the International Space Station (ISS) with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Douglas Hurley joining the existing crew aboard the space station. (CNN)

May 30, 2020 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Afghan peace process; War in Afghanistan; May 2020 Afghanistan attacks
- Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, which leads peace efforts with the Taliban, says that his team is ready to start discussions with the armed group "at any moment". The group has not commented on Abdullah's remarks. (Al Jazeera)
- A journalist and a technician are killed and seven others wounded when a private bus carrying network employees is bombed in Kabul. ISIL – Khorasan Province claims responsibility. (Reuters)
Israeli police officers open fire in Jerusalem against an unarmed 32-year-old man, who had autism; the man dies at the scene. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - Brazil reports a record 33,274 new cases of COVID-19 and 956 more deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 498,440 and 28,834 deaths, the fourth highest in the world. (Reuters)

International relations

Ethiopia–Sudan relations
- Sudan summons its Ethiopian ambassador regarding an attack at the border between the two countries that killed military personnel and civilians, including children. A Sudanese military spokesman blamed militias "supported by Ethiopia", while there was no response from the Ethiopian government. (Reuters)

Law and crime

George Floyd protests
- A man is killed and five others are injured in four shootings at protests in Chicago, Illinois. It is not known if the attacks were carried out by the same assailant. (WMAQ-TV)
- A Federal Protective Service officer is killed and another injured in an overnight drive-by shooting outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland, California, amid protests over the death of George Floyd five days prior. (NBC News)
- A protester in St. Louis dies after being accidentally struck by a truck during the protests. (The Mercury News)
- Many major cities around the United States implement curfews meant to prevent a second night of riots, including Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Rochester, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. (NBC News)

Politics and elections

COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
- Russian President Vladimir Putin announces the adoption of a new package of measures to support the economy and citizens in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. This payment does not cancel but supplements the previously introduced support measures. Additionally, Putin proposed to establish a monthly payment of five thousand rubles for families with children under three years of age. (RT)

Science and technology

Crew Dragon Demo-2
- SpaceX launches Crew Dragon carrying two NASA astronauts, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, to the International Space Station (ISS) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 3:22 pm Eastern U.S. time. (CNN)
- Crew Dragon's mission is to check the ship's systems and the crew's readiness to work with it. Crew Dragon is heading to the ISS. It is the first time since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011 that American astronauts have been launched into orbit from the United States, and is the first ever crewed commercial space flight. (WSJ)
Researchers announce a 2.5cm millipede fossil discovered on the island of Kerrera, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, is the world's oldest-known land animal, which lived 425 million years ago in the Silurian period. (Reuters)

May 29, 2020 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

At least 15 people are killed in northern Burkina Faso after a convoy transporting traders is targeted by an unidentified armed group. Burkina Faso has been fighting Islamist terrorists amid a resurgence of attacks in the Sahel. (Reuters)

International relations

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is terminating the country's relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming the WHO has become a "puppet of China" and that American funding will be redirected to "other global public health needs". (Reuters)

Law and crime

Killing of George Floyd
- Former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, who was recorded on video kneeling on George Floyd's neck for several minutes and eventually causing his death, is taken into custody by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and charged with third-degree murder and second degree manslaughter. (KSTP) (WCCO)
George Floyd protests
- Hundreds of Minnesota National Guard are deployed in Minneapolis to enforce a night curfew, after Mayor Jacob Frey declared a state of local emergency amid civil unrest, but rioting and arson fires continue. (Star Tribune)
- In Detroit, police use tear gas to disperse a crowd of protesters and make several arrests, including one person who drove their car at a police officer. A man was killed during an altercation during the protests. (CNN)
- In Atlanta, the CNN Center is vandalized and police vehicles are attacked and set on fire as protests spread. Seven people are reportedly arrested. (Newsweek)
- In Houston, at least 137 people are arrested, eight police officers are hospitalized, and 16 police vehicles are vandalized in a riot. (KHOU)
- In Chicago, 108 people are arrested after several police vehicles are vandalized. (WGN-TV)
- In Los Angeles, more than 500 people are arrested as the city declares the protest an "unlawful assembly". (Deadline)
- Several other protests against police brutality and systemic racism take place in large cities across the United States, some of which included arson, vandalism, and looting. (CNN)
Taiwan decriminalises adultery in what is considered a landmark ruling. Marital infidelity was a crime with a maximum sentence of a year in prison. (Reuters)
Lesotho's Appeal Court revokes former First Lady Maesiah Thabane's bail. Thabane and her husband, former Lesotho Prime Minister Tom Thabane, are accused of ordering the murder of his first wife, Lipolelo. Both deny involvement in the crime. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

LGBT rights in Hong Kong
- Pro-democracy and LGBT rights activist Jimmy Sham files a petition to the High Court to recognize his same-sex marriage, which was registered in New York City in 2014. Sham argues that not recognizing same-sex marriages violates the Basic Law. (South China Morning Post)

Science and technology

A SpaceX Starship prototype (SN4) is destroyed in a large explosion during static fire testing at the SpaceX South Texas Launch Site. (CNBC)

May 28, 2020 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan, Afghan peace process, May 2020 Afghanistan attacks
- In the first attack since the end of a truce declared by the Taliban, and despite a petition of the government for the Taliban to extend the ceasefire, at least 14 security forces members are killed in an attack on a checkpoint in Parwan. A government spokesperson says the Taliban also suffered casualties. The group has not commented on the attack. (Al Jazeera)
Rwandan genocide
- A court in Rwanda sentences former Mayor of Nyakizu Ladislas Ntaganzwa to life imprisonment for his role in orchestrating the massacre of hundreds of thousands of people in the 1994 genocide. His lawyer is planning to appeal the ruling. (Al Jazeera)
Somali Civil War
- Gunmen abduct multiple healthcare workers in Balad, Middle Shabelle, before killing seven of them and another civilian. (Reuters)
Herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria
- Gunmen kill 60 to 74 people in villages in the Nigerian state of Sokoto, where similar attacks had occurred on Monday. (BBC) (SR)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- The death toll from COVID-19 in the United States exceeds 100,000. (CNN)

International relations

2020 China–India skirmishes, China–India relations
- China moves thousands of People's Liberation Army troops to its Himalayan border with India, bringing vehicles and heavy machinery to what India says is its territory. India sends several battalions of its Army from nearby Leh to the border in response. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi, COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
- A manhunt is launched after hundreds of people, some with COVID-19, escape from quarantine centers in Zimbabwe and Malawi, with authorities worried that they will spread COVID-19 in countries whose health systems can be rapidly overwhelmed. (AP News)
Killing of George Floyd, George Floyd protests
- Protests continue for a second day in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities after an unarmed man, George Floyd, died while being arrested. Some of them have escalated into riots, including looting and arson. (CNN)
- A Minneapolis Police Department station is abandoned by police after being overran by protesters and is then looted and set on fire. An MPD spokesman confirmed the Third Precinct building had been evacuated "in the interest of the safety of our personnel". (Politico)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- The 2020 Boston Marathon is officially canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the first time in the event's 123-year history that the annual running had to be canceled. A modified version of the race, scheduled for September 14, will be run virtually, and runners who complete the marathon track in six hours or less will be eligible for the 2021 Boston Marathon. (ESPN)

More May 2020 events...

Time: 13:34 UTC|Day: 3 June