Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- Bongbong Marcos (pictured) is elected as President of the Philippines alongside his vice-presidential running mate, Sara Duterte.
- In horse racing, Rich Strike wins the Kentucky Derby.
- A gas explosion at the Hotel Saratoga in Havana, Cuba, kills at least 43 people.
- Sinn Féin, led by Michelle O'Neill, win the most seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly election.
Disasters and accidents
- Tibet Airlines Flight 9833
- Tibet Airlines flight 9833 veers off the runway and catches fire at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in Yubei District, Chongqing, China. 40 people sustained minor injuries with some being hospitalized. (Bangkok Post) (The Hindu)
- A chemical plant explosion and fire in Kocevje, Slovenia injures twenty people. (AP)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea
- North Korea announces that it has confirmed its first COVID-19 cases. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea
Politics and elections
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022 bombing of Odessa
- Russian forces continue to fire missiles at the Ukrainian port city of Odessa in an apparent attempt to cut supplies to the city. (AP)
- Battle of Kharkiv
- Ukrainian military forces recapture several settlements north of Kharkiv, driving Russian troops to less than a dozen miles from the Russian border. (MSN)
- 2022 bombing of Odessa
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is killed while covering a raid in Jenin. Palestinian sources say that Abu Akleh was shot by Israeli soldiers, while Israeli sources say that she was likely killed by indiscriminate fire by Palestinian militants. Another journalist and two other Palestinians are injured in the shooting. (NPR)
- A Palestinian is shot dead after charging at police officers in Jerusalem. (Times of Israel)
- Insurgency in the Maghreb
- Eight soldiers are killed and 13 others are injured during an ambush by Al-Qaeda-linked militants in Kpendjal Prefecture, Togo. The attack is believed to be connected to the current insurgency in Burkina Faso, making it the first Islamic extremist attack in Togo. (Reuters)
- Somali Civil War
- Four people are killed by a suicide bomber at a checkpoint in Mogadishu, Somalia. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack. (AP)
- Boko Haram insurgency
- Seven soldiers are killed and two others are missing after gunmen ambush them in Taraba State, Nigeria. (Reuters)
- Sinai insurgency
- Five soldiers are killed and four others are injured during a shooting at a security post in North Sinai, Egypt. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that New Zealand will fully reopen its borders on July 31, two months before the government lifts all remaining pandemic restrictions. (Al Jazeera)
- European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) announce in a joint statement that, starting next week, masks are no longer required for flights or in airports. However, the EASA asks passengers to "behave responsibly and respect the choices of others around them," while the ECDC recommends that passengers continue to practice social distancing if it can be done in a non-disruptive manner. (Euronews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
International relations
- Finland–United Kingdom relations, Sweden–United Kingdom relations
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs security agreements with Finland and Sweden, pledging British military assistance to both Scandinavian countries should they come under attack. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- American Indian boarding schools
- A report by the US Department of the Interior identifies 53 burial sites of Native American children near boarding schools, where children were forcibly sent to according to the 19th and 20th century federal government's policy of assimilation. Preliminary results suggest that more than 500 children were found to have died while in school custody. (Reuters)
- Surfside condominium collapse
- A tentative settlement of $997 million is reached with the families of victims and survivors of the condo collapse in Surfside, Florida, United States. However, the settlement is still subject to final approval. (AP)
- War crimes during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Ukraine starts the first trial of a Russian war crime during the invasion. A Russian soldier is accused of having shot to death a 62-year-old unarmed civilian who witnessed him and his fellow soldiers steal a car. (AFP via Le Devoir)
- Hong Kong's national security police arrest four people, including Cardinal Joseph Zen, Cantopop singer Denise Ho, and former legislative councilwoman Margaret Ng, in connection with a fund that provided aid to protesters. (The Guardian)
- The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence says that it has arrested two European nationals for allegedly attempting to destabilize the nation in connection with foreign intelligence services. (Al Arabiya)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Ituri conflict, 2021–2022 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks
- Fourteen people are killed during an attack by suspected CODECO militants at a refugee camp in Fataki, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters)
- 2022 Sri Lankan protests
- The Sri Lankan Defense Ministry authorizes the Army and police force to "shoot to kill" and to arrest protesters without warrants in response to yesterday's violence. (Al Jazeera)
Business and economy
- Apple announces it will discontinue sales of the iPod Touch, officially ending the iPod line of portable media players after more than 20 years. (The Verge)
- The operator of Ukraine's natural gas system GTSOU announces that it will stop shipments of Russian gas through the Sokhranivka route on Wednesday. (Reuters)
International relations
- Lithuania–Russia relations, Government and intergovernmental reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- In a rare public rebuke, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus criticizes China's "Zero-COVID" policy as "unsustainable", advising the Chinese government to change its strategy. (Al Jazeera)
Politics and elections
- 2022 Philippine presidential election
- Former Senator of the Philippines Bongbong Marcos, son of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is expected to become the next President of the Philippines, based on partial and unofficial counts. Marcos has more than twice as many votes as the next closest candidate Leni Robredo, the current Vice President of the Philippines. The victory will be officially ratified by the Congress of the Philippines in late May. (BBC News)
- Crown Prince of Kuwait Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah accepts the resignation of the Government of Kuwait, after the request had been submitted more than a month ago. No timeline is given for when the next election will occur. (Reuters)
- Yoon Suk-yeol is sworn in as the 13th President of South Korea. (CNN)
- Katalin Novák takes office as the first female President of Hungary. (Al Jazeera)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2022 Sri Lankan protests
- Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns amid mass protests over the government's handling of the economic crisis. (BBC News)
- Pro-government supporters storm a major protest site in Colombo, clashing with police and protesters. A total of 78 people are injured. (Al Jazeera)
- Two people are killed and eight more are injured as police open fire against a group of protestors who were trying to set fire to the Pradeshiya Sabha chairman’s residence in Weeraketiya. (Ada Derana)
- MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala opens fire against protestors who were blocking his vehicle in Nittambuwa, killing one man and injuring another. Athukorala then escaped into a nearby building, before being found dead alongside his security officer. (Al Jazeera)
- Gunmen open fire at two polling stations in Buluan and Lanao del Sur, Philippines, killing three guards and a voter and injuring another guard and two voters, amid the presidential elections. (Al Jazeera)
Arts and culture
- 2022 Pulitzer Prizes
- The Washington Post wins the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its coverage of the 2021 United States Capitol attack. The New York Times wins the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting on the war on terror's failed bombing campaigns and the most awards overall. (The New York Times) (NPR)
Business and economy
- Nigeria's airlines say that they have cancelled a plan to suspend domestic flights, a decision they had previously made due to an increase in the cost of aviation fuel. (BBC News)
- The Royal Thai Army announces it will ban all army personnel from using the Singaporean e-commerce site Lazada for allegedly insulting the royal family in a Facebook video ad. Digital Economy Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn in a separate statement said the government is considering legal action against both Lazada and the advertising agency responsible for the ad. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- One person dies and eleven others are missing after a fishing boat sinks off the coast of Ghana. (BBC News)
- Four people are killed and fifty others are injured after a tear gas grenade is set off causing a human stampede at a public university in Potosí, Bolivia. (AP)
International relations
- Enlargement of NATO
- The Swedish Social Democratic Party announces that it will decide on May 15 whether to pursue a course of action to join NATO. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö is expected to also announce Finland's intention to join NATO on May 12. (Al Jazeera)
- Foreign relations of Iran, Foreign relations of Transnistria
- Iranians in Moldova are urged to leave the country due to rising tensions in pro-Russian Transnistria and spillover effects from the war in Ukraine. (Tasnim)
Law and crime
- 2022 Ecuador prison riots
- A prison riot in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, kills 44 inmates. (ABC News)
Politics and elections
- 2022 Philippine general election
- Filipinos head to the polls to elect officials in the Presidential, Senate, House of Representatives, Gubernatorial, and other local elections. (The Guardian)
- Bongbong Marcos, the son of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is leading in the preliminary and unofficial results to become the next President. (CNN)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Two Palestinians are killed by Israeli soldiers during confrontations in the West Bank, while an Israeli policeman is stabbed and wounded in Jerusalem, hours after the perpetrators of the El'ad stabbing are arrested. (Reuters)
- Ituri conflict, 2021–2022 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks
- Thirty-five civilians are killed during an attack on a gold mine by CODECO rebels in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters)
International relations
- Government and intergovernmental reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Canada–Ukraine relations
- Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly make an unannounced visit to Kyiv to meet with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (CTV News)
- Trudeau announces the reopening of the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv. (Politico)
- Ukraine–United States relations
- U.S. First Lady Jill Biden makes an unannounced visit to Uzhhorod, Ukraine, and holds a Mother’s Day meeting with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska. (AP) (CNN)
- Canada–Ukraine relations
- European Union–United States relations, Iran–United States relations
- The European Union recommends that the United States remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps from their terrorist organization blacklist. (Times of Israel)
Law and crime
- 2022 abortion rights protests in the United States
- The office of Wisconsin Family Action, an anti-abortion group in Madison, Wisconsin, catches fire and is looted. Police discover a molotov cocktail and begin an arson investigation. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) (ABC News)
Politics and elections
- 2022 Schleswig-Holstein state election
- The Christian Democratic Union of Germany wins in a landslide, claiming 43.4 percent of the vote with a swing of over eleven percentage points and falling one seat short of an absolute majority in the Landtag. This is the biggest vote share for the party in any state election since 2006. (Deutsche Welle)
- The South Schleswig Voters' Association, a party representing the Danish and Frisian minorities in Schleswig-Holstein, wins its biggest vote share since 1947, and for the first time since 1950 the party crosses the 5-percent threshold that it is otherwise exempt from as a minority party. (Deutsche Welle)
- 2022 Hong Kong Chief Executive election
- John Lee is elected as the 5th Chief Executive of Hong Kong. (The New York Times)
Sports
- 2022 Mutua Madrid Open – Men's singles
- Carlos Alcaraz defeats defending champion Alexander Zverev to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open. (BBC Sport)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022 bombing of Odessa
- Siege of Mariupol
- Ukraine says that all women, children, and elderly have been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel plant. (Reuters)
- Bilohorivka school bombing
- Russian forces bomb a school in Bilohorivka, Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast. Only two deaths are confirmed but sixty people are believed to have been killed. (Reuters)
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
- Two colonels, two soldiers and four al-Qaeda insurgents are killed during clashes in Dhale Governorate, Yemen. (AP)
- Sinai insurgency
- Ten soldiers and one officer are killed during an attack at a checkpoint at a water pumping station in the Suez Canal, Egypt. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- The Airline Operators of Nigeria announces that all of their airlines will suspend their domestic flights beginning on Monday, in protest of rising fuel prices caused by the war in Ukraine. (BBC News)
Disasters and accidents
- Wildfires in 2022
- Eight people are killed and 17 others injured during wildfires in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Siberia, Russia, that destroy hundreds of buildings in 16 settlements. The Federal Agency for Forestry blames high winds for worsening the fires and impacting firefighting efforts. (Reuters)
- Three people are injured in an explosion at a steel coke plant in Jharkhand, India. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
- Taiwan reports a record 46,536 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, which is the first time the country has reported more than 40,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. (Focus Taiwan)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
- The monkeypox virus is detected in a person who recently travelled to England from Nigeria. (BBC News)
Law and crime
- Treatment of women by the Taliban
- The Taliban passes a law ordering all women in Afghanistan to cover their faces in public with a burqa. (Reuters)
- Iran preemptively shuts down the internet in Khuzestan province amid protests against a 200% increase in bread prices. (Iran International)
- One person is killed and six others injured in a mass shooting in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico. (AP)
Politics and elections
- 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- Irish republican party Sinn Féin win the most seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly with 29% of the first-preference vote, marking the first time that a unionist party did not win the most seats since Northern Ireland's establishment in 1921. (The Guardian)
- Former president of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announces his candidacy for the upcoming Brazilian presidential election in October, launching his candidacy with a message of "hope" and stating that he is ready to make "the greatest peaceful revolution" in the history of Brazil. (EFE)
Sports
- 2022 Kentucky Derby
- The 148th Kentucky Derby is held in Louisville, Kentucky with a full capacity for the first time since 2019 after two years of COVID-19 capacity restrictions. American thoroughbred Rich Strike wins the Derby in one of the largest upsets in history with an 80–1 odds to win. (CBS News) (ABC News)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Ukraine is open to continue peace talks with Russia if they guarantee the restoration of preinvasion borders, return the Ukrainians who were forcefully evacuated to Russia, and if Russian troops withdraw from the country. (The Independent) (Axios)
- Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko claims that the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov was struck with Neptune anti-ship missiles off of Snake Island. Russia denies having any information of the strike. (Newsweek)
- 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
- Eleven people are killed and nine others are injured in Islamist attacks in Loroum and Sanmatenga provinces, Burkina Faso. Twenty attackers are also killed. (AP)
Business and economy
- Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk
- The Orlando Police Pension Fund files a class-action lawsuit in the Delaware Chancery Court against Twitter Inc and Elon Musk, seeking to delay the acquisition of Twitter to 2025. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2022 Madrid explosion
- Hotel Saratoga explosion
- At least 26 people are killed and at least 74 others are injured by an explosion caused by a suspected gas leak at the Hotel Saratoga in Havana, Cuba. (AP)
- Two people die and over 100 more are rescued as a boat carrying migrants runs aground in southern Italy. (AP)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
- COVID-19 vaccination in Colombia
- Colombia announces that it will offer a second COVID-19 vaccine boosters for people aged above 50 years. It comes after the country reached its target for fully vaccinate 70% of population. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
- China decides to making regular COVID-19 testing mandatory for its citizens with setting up thousands of permanent PCR testing stations, with 9,000 already completed in Shanghai alone, as authorities aim to "normalise" tough pandemic controls even after the current round of lockdowns end. (Livemint)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
- Taiwan reports a record 30,035 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, which is the first time the country has reported more than 30,000 cases since the pandemic began. (Taiwan News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
International relations
- Iran–Sweden relations
- Iran detains a Swedish man who was travelling as a tourist, allegedly in response to Sweden prosecuting Hamid Nouri, an Iranian official considered to be responsible for the mass killings of political prisoners in 1988. (AP)
- Iran–United States relations
- The U.S. Senate passes 62–33 a non-binding resolution barring the Biden administration from removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. (Haaretz)
Law and crime
- Two people are killed and three others are injured during a mass shooting at a care home in Molensingel, Alblasserdam, Netherlands. The perpetrator was already wanted for murdering a man at a shop yesterday. (BBC News)
- Sofia Sapega, the girlfriend of Belarusian activist Roman Protasevich, with whom she was detained when their flight was diverted by the Belarusian Air Force last year, is sentenced to six years in prison for "inciting social hatred". The exiled Belarusian opposition condemns the verdict. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2022 Sri Lankan protests
- The Sri Lankan government declares a state of emergency in response to massive anti-government protests. (Reuters)