Portal:Current events
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Topics in the news
- A gas leak in Andhra Pradesh, India, kills thirteen people and injures over a thousand others.
- Astronomers announce the discovery of the first black hole located in a star system visible to the naked eye.
- In the Philippines, the leading television network ABS-CBN (headquarters pictured) is ordered to stop broadcasting by the National Telecommunications Commission.
May 9, 2020 (Saturday)
May 8, 2020 (Friday)
Business and economy
- Socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Coronavirus recession
- The U.S. unemployment rate hits 14.7%, the highest since the Great Depression, mainly due to job losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Washington Post)
- Microsoft announces a $1.5 billion investment in Italy, as part of its expansion of cloud computing services around the world. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- Visakhapatnam gas leak
- The death toll from a styrene gas leak in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, rises to 13. (The Weather Channel)
- A train kills 16 migrant workers who were sleeping on the track in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. The driver tried to stop the freight train when he saw the people, according to initial inquiries. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
- Kuwait announces a total curfew lasting from May 10 to May 30, as part of new measures to prevent the spread of the virus. This comes after the Health Ministry confirmed 641 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase to date. (Gulf News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
International relations
- Macuto Bay raid, United States–Venezuela relations
- Venezuelan Chief Prosecutor Tarek William Saab formally requests the extradition of U.S. citizen Jordan Goudreau and two dissident Venezuelans, JJ Rendón and Sergio Vergara, over their involvement in the armed incursion earlier this week, known as "Operation Gideon". (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Former Ethiopian minister of communication Bereket Simon is sentenced to six years in prison for corruption and mismanagement of public funds. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- The Supreme Court of Malawi rejects a bid from President Peter Mutharika and upholds a lower court ruling that annulled last year's elections, paving the way for a new election that will be held on July 2. (Al Jazeera)
May 7, 2020 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2019–2020 Persian Gulf crisis
- The U.S. removes four Patriot missile batteries, two jet fighter squadrons and dozens of military personnel from Saudi Arabia while considering a reduction in the U.S. Navy presence in the Persian Gulf. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- Saudi Arabia withdraws its troops from the Yemeni island of Socotra amid separatist unrest. (Middle East Monitor)
Disasters and accidents
- Visakhapatnam gas leak
- Eleven people die and over 5,000 fall ill from a styrene gas leak from an LG Polymers chemical plant in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, India. (Times of India)
International relations
- China–Indonesia relations
- Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi summons Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian to express concerns about the alleged human rights violation of Indonesian workers aboard Chinese fishing vessels. This comes after a video showing Chinese sailors throwing the body of a dead Indonesian crew member overboard went viral. (The Jakarta Post)
Law and crime
- Shooting of Ahmaud Arbery
- Gregory and Travis McMichael are arrested for murder and aggravated assault in relation to the February shooting of an African American man in Brunswick, Georgia. (ABC News)
- Lesothan King Letsie III approves a law barring Prime Minister Tom Thabane from dissolving parliament and calling an election in the event of a vote of no confidence. (Reuters)
May 6, 2020 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- Indian Army troops kill Riyaz Naikoo, a commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist group, after launching an offensive that resulted in the death of at least three other militants in Kashmir's Pulwama district. (Reuters)
- Macuto Bay raid, United States–Venezuela relations
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says that the two captured American mercenaries accused of organizing an armed incursion into Venezuela will be tried in the country by its civil courts. United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the U.S. government will "use every tool that we have available to try to get them back." (FRANCE 24)
- Iraqi insurgency
- Three Katyusha rockets, fired from the Bakriya neighborhood, land in the perimeter of Baghdad International Airport but cause no damage or casualties. (ABC News)
Disasters and accidents
- At least two people are killed and two others seriously injured after a plane carrying vital medical supplies crashes near Esquel Airport in Esquel, Argentina. (Mirror)
Law and crime
- Shooting of Ahmaud Arbery
- A cellphone video of the shooting of an African-American man jogging in Brunswick, Georgia, surfaces. The two men who killed him claim that they believed he was a burglar and then got into a fight with him when he was fatally shot. The case is subsequently taken to a grand jury. (CNN) (CBS News)
Politics and elections
- 2020 Polish presidential election
- The Polish governing coalition announces the presidential election, scheduled for May 10, is postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new election date will be announced later. (AP)
Science and technology
- The European Southern Observatory announces the discovery of Earth's closest-known black hole (HR 6819). The invisible object in the QV Telescopii system has a mass at least four times that of our Sun, and is roughly 1,000 light years (10 quadrillion km) from Earth in the constellation Telescopium. (NPR) (BBC)
May 5, 2020 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Macuto Bay raid, United States–Venezuela relations
- U.S. President Donald Trump denies any involvement by the U.S. government in Silvercorp USA's armed incursion into Venezuela on May 3, which left eight people dead and several others captured, including two U.S. citizens. (Reuters)
- Western Iran clashes (2016–present)
- Gunmen kill three Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members near the Kurdish-majority city of Divandarreh, in the Kurdistan Province, while "several counterrevolutionaries" are reportedly killed in the fighting, according to Iranian media. (RFERL)
Disasters and accidents
- At least two miners are killed in a mine collapse in Grand Cape Mount County, Liberia. The mayor of the county’s administrative centre says scores of others are unaccounted for and feared dead. (Reuters)
- A massive fire breaks out at the 48-storey residential skyscraper Abbco Tower in Al Nahda, Sharjah, UAE. At least 12 people are injured. (Gulf News)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Yemen
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
- Brazil's Ministry of Health reports 6,935 new cases of COVID-19 and 600 more deaths, the highest daily death toll in the country to date, bringing the country's death toll to 7,921 and 114,715 total cases. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- The Department of Health and Social Care reports that the death toll from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom stands at 29,427, which is now the highest in Europe, after surpassing Italy. (BBC)
Law and crime
- The Philippines' National Telecommunications Commission issues a cease and desist order to the broadcasting operations of ABS-CBN, the country's largest media network, as Congress fails to renew its franchise granted in 1995. The network signed off at 7:52 PM, Philippine Standard Time. The last time the network was shut down was upon the declaration of martial law by the Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos. (Al Jazeera) (ABS-CBN News) (Rappler)
May 4, 2020 (Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan
- The Taliban claims responsibility for an attack on Sunday on an Afghan military centre in southern Helmand where they say that "dozens were killed or wounded". (Reuters)
- Ituri conflict
- The armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo announce that 12 soldiers were killed in an attack by militants in Ituri Province over the weekend. (Anadolu Agency)
- Macuto Bay raid
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says "13 terrorists", including two U.S. citizens working for Jordan Goudreau's private security company Silvercorp USA, have been detained after foiling a plot to assassinate him, accusing them of "playing Rambo". State television broadcasts footage of captured mercenaries in Aragua. (Reuters)
- Opposition leader Juan Guaidó denies any involvement with the Silvercorp USA operation. Jordan Goudreau claims his company signed a contract with Guaidó to remove Nicolás Maduro from power by force, but says he has only been paid "a tiny share of the amount agreed upon." (AP via Toledo Blade)
Arts and culture
- Reuters wins the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for its coverage of the protests in Hong Kong. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- Coronavirus recession, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- The U.S. government announces plans to borrow $3 trillion for the second quarter, five times more than the previous record set during the 2008 financial crisis. (BBC)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe extends the national state of emergency to May 31. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
- New Zealand reports no new cases of COVID-19 for the first day in almost two months. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
Politics and elections
- UK Trade Minister Conor Burns resigns after a watchdog group recommended suspending him from parliament for making "veiled threats" towards a company his father had financial disputes with. (BBC)
Science and technology
- A team of British and Kenyan scientists announce the discovery of Microsporidia MB, a parasitic microbe in the Microsporidia fungi group that blocks mosquitos from carrying malaria. While acknowledging they need to understand how the microbe spreads and how it blocks the disease, the team believes it has potential to be used in malaria control. (BBC) (Nature)
May 3, 2020 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Korean conflict
- North and South Korean soldiers exchange gunfire across the DMZ at a South Korean guard post in Cheorwon, but no injuries are reported. South Korean and U.S. officials suspect the initial shots from the north to be accidental. (BBC) (Reuters)
- Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea
- Unidentified forces attack two fishing vessels near the Gabonese capital of Libreville and abduct six crewmen (3 Indonesian, 2 Senegalese, and a South Korean). It is the second pirate attack reported this year off the coast of Gabon. (The Korea Herald)
- Sinai insurgency
- Macuto Bay raid, Crisis in Venezuela
- Former U.S. Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, who took part in the failed 2019 Venezuelan uprising attempt to oust Nicolás Maduro, releases a video claiming responsibility for an incursion in Venezuela, announcing the start of an effort to capture senior Venezuelan officials wanted by the U.S. government, codenamed "Operation Gideon". Goudreau claims 60 troops have successfully entered Venezuela by "land and sea" and fighting is underway. (The Washington Post)
- Venezuelan Interior Minister Néstor Reverol says the country's security forces have foiled a "marine incursion" by "terrorist mercenaries" from Colombia, killing at least eight gunmen and capturing two others. The foreign group reportedly landed on a beach in the city of La Guaira on speedboats. (Al Jazeera)
- State television broadcasts images it says are captured high-calibre weapons, Peruvian documents, and uniforms emblazoned with an American flag. (Canberra Times)
Business and economy
- Indonesian e-commerce site Tokopedia launches a security investigation after a hacker said they stole the information of 91 million users and plans to release it on the dark web. (Reuters)
Health and environment
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Ongoing events
Business
Disasters
- COVID-19 pandemic
- Kivu Ebola epidemic
- 2018–20 Southern Africa drought
- 2019–20 South Pacific cyclone season
- 2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- 2019–20 European windstorm season
- Yemeni famine
Politics
- Afghan peace process
- Chilean protests
- Hong Kong protests
- Iraqi protests
- Israeli political crisis
- Kashmir lockdown
- Libyan peace process
- Persian Gulf crisis
- Post-Brexit diplomatic talks
- Venezuelan presidential crisis (protests)
Recently concluded
- United States: Michael Avenatti, Harvey Weinstein
Ongoing
- Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
- Cambodia: Kem Sokha
- Guatemala: Otto Pérez Molina, Roxana Baldetti, Juan Carlos Monzón and others
- Greece: Nikolaos Michaloliakos
- Israel: Faina Kirschenbaum, Benjamin Netanyahu
- Malaysia: Najib Razak
- Malta: Murder of Daphne Caruana
- Philippines: Leila de Lima, Maria Ressa, Marcos vs. Robredo electoral protest
- South Africa: Jacob Zuma
- Spain: Bárcenas affair, Catalan police leadership
- United Kingdom: Alex Salmond
- United States: Fat Leonard scandal, Varsity Blues scandal, Raid on the North Korean embassy in Madrid, 6ix9ine
- International: The Gambia v. Myanmar
Upcoming
- Guatemala: Álvaro Colom, Manuel Baldizón, Juan Alberto Fuentes
- Japan: Carlos Ghosn
- United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, R. Kelly, Golden State Killer, Nikolas Cruz
- Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo
- Association football
- Women's association football
- American football
- Basketball
- Golf
- Ice hockey
- Rugby sevens
- Rugby union
- Other sports seasons
More details – current sports events
May 2020
- 8: Byron Mallott
- 7: Mike Storen
- 6: Barry Farber
- 6: Brian Howe
- 6: Florian Schneider
- 5: Millie Small
- 4: Don Shula
- 2: Cady Groves
- 2: Gil Schwartz
- 2: Arif Wazir
- 1: Augustine Mahiga
April 2020
- 30: Tony Allen
- 30: Rishi Kapoor
- 30: Sam Lloyd
- 29: Giacomo dalla Torre
- 29: Irrfan Khan
- 27: Lynn Harrell
- 27: Ramon Jimenez Jr.
- 27: Mohammad Shariff
- 25: Ricardo Brennand
- 25: Ravi Vallathol
- 24: Grandma Lee
- 24: Stefan Lippe
- 24: Harold Reid
- 23: Norbert Blüm
- 22: Shirley Knight
- 21: Dimitri Diatchenko
- 21: Donald Kennedy
- 21: Laisenia Qarase
- 20: Tom Lester
- 19: Alexander Vustin
- 18: Paul H. O'Neill
- 18: Lucien Szpiro
- 17: Norman Hunter
- 16: Christophe
- 16: Gene Deitch
- 16: Howard Finkel
- 16: Matthew Seligman
- 15: Ranjit Chowdhry
- 15: Brian Dennehy
- 15: Lee Konitz
- 14: Hank Steinbrenner
- 13: Landelino Lavilla Alsina
- 13: Juan Cotino
- 13: Moraes Moreira
- 12: Peter Bonetti
- 12: Tim Brooke-Taylor
- 12: Stirling Moss
- 12: Doug Sanders
- 11: John Horton Conway
- 11: Edem Kodjo
- 11: Alojz Uran
- 10: Enrique Múgica
- 9: Clément-Joseph Hannouche
- 9: Mort Drucker
Africa
- Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
- Cameroon
- Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
- Central African Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Libya
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
Americas
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Peru
Asia-Pacific
- Afghanistan
- China
- India
- India and Pakistan
- Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
- Indonesia
- Myanmar
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Thailand
Europe
- Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Georgia
- Russia
- Ukraine
Middle East
- Egypt
- Iran and the Persian Gulf
- Iraq
- Iraq and Syria (map)
- Israel and Gaza
- Syria
- Turkey
- Yemen and Saudi Arabia