May 2013

2013 January February March April May June July August September October November December

May 2013 was the fifth month of that common year. The month, which began on a Wednesday, ended on a Friday after 31 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from May 2013.

May 1, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

South Thailand insurgency:
- Insurgents kill six people, including a two-year-old boy, in a deadly shooting in Pattani, Thailand. (ABC News)
Boston Marathon bombings:
- Boston Police state that three more individuals are implicated and arrested. (CNN)
- A report states that Dzhokhar has told detectives he was motivated by wanting to defend Islam because of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. (NBC)
Insurgency in the North Caucasus:
- A bomb detonates in a busy shopping center in Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia, killing 3 and injuring 2 others. (Ria Novosti)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Multiple bomb attacks across Iraq kill at least 15 people. (The Daily Star)

Business and economy

T-Mobile US debuts on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol TMUS. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Flash floods leave 16 people dead and 3 others missing in Saudi Arabia, with authorities urging citizens to avoid low-lying wadis. At least two others were killed in neighboring Oman in some of the heaviest rainfall in more than 25 years. (Al Arabiya)
Heavy rain and a whirlwind sweeps over eights districts and towns in Lào Cai Province, northern Vietnam, destroying 52 houses and 2 schools, ripping roofs off of 1600 houses, and damaging crops of local people. (Talkvietnam)

International relations

The UN Human Rights Office says that the force-feeding of hunger-strikers at the U.S. Guantánamo Bay Prison is a violation of international law. (AFP via France24)
Several British Overseas Territories, including Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, sign agreements to share tax information with UK and other EU members. (BBC)

Law and crime

A May Day protest in Seattle, Washington, United States escalates into violence, causing injuries to eight police officers and damage to storefront property. (Seattle Pi) (CNN)
British Coronation Street star William Roache, the world's longest-serving soap actor, is arrested and charged with two counts of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1967. (TVNZ),(The Guardian)
Seven Venezuelan legislators are injured as a fight breaks out between the Socialist Party and the opposition over the outcome of the last month's presidential election. (The Daily Beast)

Science and technology

In San Jose, California, IBM researchers release A Boy and His Atom, the smallest movie ever made, which was created by manipulating individual carbon monoxide molecules with a scanning tunneling microscope. (BBC)
An international group of researchers announce in Nature the creation of a digital camera that can mimic the compound eyes of insects. (CNN)
The Wyoming, United States discovery of a tiny prehistoric bird, Eocypselus rowei, may help explain the origins of hummingbirds. (Science World Report)

May 2, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

The Chad government announces that it foiled a coup attempt that "had been in preparation for several months." (Reuters)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- At least 14 members of the Sons of Iraq are killed in two separate attacks within Fallujah. (BBC)
Syrian civil war:
- Up to 100 people are killed in a raid of al-Bayda, Baniyas by the Syrian Army. (The Daily Star)

Business and economy

U.S. jobless claims fall to their lowest level in five years. (New York Daily News)
Intel elects American Brian Krzanich as their new CEO. (MarketWatch)

Disasters and accidents

More than 60 miners die when a recently reopened gold mine collapses in Jebel Amir, North Darfur, Sudan. (Reuters)
Hundreds of homes in California, U.S. are evacuated due to wildfires in the region. (Reuters)

Health and environment

The last known rhinoceroses in Mozambique are revealed to have been killed by poachers. (The Telegraph)
The central northern United States experiences record snow fall. (USA Today)

International relations

North Korea sentences American Kenneth Bae to 15 years of prison labor for "hostile acts" against the regime. The United States calls for amnesty. (The Australian) (BBC)

Law and crime

A man fires two shots into the ceiling of Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, United States with a rifle before killing himself. (CNN)
The U.S. state of Maryland abolishes capital punishment for future offenders. (Reuters)
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rules that five relatives of Osama bin Laden and a construction company started by his father cannot be held liable for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. (NBC)
English broadcaster Stuart Hall pleads guilty to 14 charges of sexual assault. (BBC)
British businessman James McCormick, who sold ADE 651 fake bomb detector to Iraq and other countries, is jailed for ten years at the Old Bailey. (BBC)
Convicted Indian spy Sarabjit Singh dies after being attacked by fellow inmates in a Pakistani prison. He is flown home to India where the government of Punjab has declared him a martyr. (NDTV)
The U.S. state of Rhode Island becomes the tenth state to legalize same-sex marriage. (AP via Fox News)
Two kindergarteners are poisoned to death by the owner of a rival school in northern China. (International Business Times)

Politics and government

The Egyptian government announces it will replace six cabinet ministers. (Reuters)
Voters in England and the Isle of Anglesey in Wales go to the polls for local elections. (BBC)
Voting also gets underway in the South Shields by-election to fill the parliamentary seat vacated by former Foreign Secretary David Miliband. (BBC)

Religion

Two months after his resignation, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI returns to live in Vatican City at the Mater Ecclesiae. (BBC)

Science and technology

Harvard scientists unveil RoboBee, a robot with the smallest ever man-made wings capable of flight. (Los Angeles Times)

May 3, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Israeli warplanes bomb a Syrian weapons facility in an overnight attack. (The New York Times)

Arts and culture

The world's largest rubber duck is moved to Hong Kong. (ABC News)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art announces that it will return two Koh Ker statues to Cambodia. (ABC News)

Business and economics

The Stockholm School of Economics, one of Sweden's most prestigious universities, is hit by scandal amidst revelation that top official Justin Jenk forged CMC documents about his conviction of insider trading in Greece. (Dagens Industri) (Swedish)
Heavy construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar announces it plans to lay off an additional 300 employees by July. (Chicago Tribune)

Disasters and accidents

2013 Savar building collapse:
- The death toll in Bangladesh rises to 547. (CNN)
- Bangladesh's finance minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, downplays the impact of last week's factory-building collapse on his country's garment industry. (AP via News24)
- A top investigator probing the disaster says that vibrations from four huge generators placed on the roof of the building caused it to collapse. (AFP via News24), (BBC)
A U.S. KC-135 tanker aircraft on its way to Afghanistan crashes in northern Kyrgyzstan after a mid-flight explosion. (The Globe and Mail), (BBC)
Wildfires continue to spread in the U.S. state of California. (Los Angeles Times)

Law and crime

British Brian Shivers is acquitted of any involvement in the 2009 Massereene Barracks shooting. Mr. Shivers, who has cystic fibrosis, has his life sentence overturned, having been jailed since January 2012 in what his solicitor describes as a miscarriage of justice. (BBC) (RTÉ)
Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, a prosecutor with Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency leading the prosecution of former President Pervez Musharraf over alleged involvement in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, is shot dead on the way to court in Islamabad. (The Guardian)
Daryl Washington, an American football player with the Arizona Cardinals, is arrested on aggravated assault charges in Phoenix, Arizona. (AP)
Police in China arrest more than 900 people as they shutdown a million dollar crime ring that was selling rat meat as mutton. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

United Kingdom local elections, 2013:
- Results of the elections show gains for Labour and UKIP and losses for the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party.BBC
- The UK Independence Party wins 140 seats, achieving 25% of the votes in areas where it fielded candidates, the party's most significant results to date. (BBC)
- Labour's Emma Lewell-Buck retains the South Shields Parliamentary seat for the party following Thursday's by-election, but with a reduced majority after the UK Independence Party secures almost a quarter of the votes cast. (BBC)
Google calls one of its search engine websites "Google Palestine" instead of "Google Palestinian territories". (FOX) (BBC)

Science and technology

An international team of scientists announce the discovery in China of a new meat-eating Theropod dinosaur, Aorun zhaoi, dating from 161 million years ago. It is the oldest Coelurosaur known to date. (Design & Trend)

May 4, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001-present)
- Five US soldiers are killed when a bomb detonates in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Additionally, three more are killed in separate incidents. (The New York Times)
Syrian civil war:
- Israeli forces, in a second attack in as many days, bomb a weapons shipment of sophisticated missiles suspected as being transported from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. (The Washington Post)
- Activists claim that 77 people are massacred in the Syrian city of Baniyas by government forces; the government claims it was fighting against "terrorist groups." (BBC)
39 people are killed during religiously motivated clashes at a funeral in Wukari, Nigeria. (Bloomberg)

Arts and culture

Cuban Filin pioneer César Portillo de la Luz dies at the age of 90. (The Miami Herald)
American author Harper Lee files a lawsuit claiming that a literary agent tricked her into relinquishing the copyright on her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Hundreds of protestors gather in Chinese cities to rally against planned large-scale industrial projects. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

A train carrying toxic flammable chemicals derails and causes a major fire near the Belgian town of Wetteren, killing two and wounding forty-nine. (BBC)

Health and environment

The National Health Service in England says it is investigating seven "potentially serious" incidents involving its recently-established non-emergency medical helpline, NHS 111. (BBC)
In the U.S., Alaska's Cleveland Volcano experiences a low-level eruption. (AP via Fox News)

Law and crime

Nigel Evans, a deputy speaker of the United Kingdom House of Commons, is arrested for allegedly raping two men. (The Guardian) (Daily Mail)

Sports

In horse racing, Dominican Joel Rosario rides Orb to win the Kentucky Derby. (USA Today)

In boxing, American Floyd Mayweather retains his WBC Welterweight title by defeating Robert Guerrero in a unanimous decision. (The New York Times)

In association football, Juventus F.C. win their 29th Scudetto. (BBC)

May 5, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Israeli aircraft hit at least six targets near Damascus, targeting Iranian-made Fateh-110 missile shipments en route to Hezbollah. (BBC) (The Times of Israel)
- Syria's foreign ministry accuses Israel of helping and working with the Syrian rebels to coordinate airstrikes (Xinhua) (ABC) (The New York Times)
Communist insurgency in the Philippines:
- New People's Army attack a mining site at Sipalay, Negros Occidental and burn equipment. A firefight ensues leaving five soldiers dead and two wounded. (Philippine Star)
War in Somalia (2009–present):
- Eight people are dead after a suicide bomber rams an explosive-laden car into a convoy carrying Qatari officials through the center of Somalia's capital Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack. (Voice of America)
Three people are dead and over 200 are injured when Hefajat-e-Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami clash with police in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (The Hindu)
One person is dead and another 57 are injured after a bomb detonates inside a Roman Catholic church in Arusha, Tanzania. (Reuters)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- 10 people are killed in an attack on a church and a local market in Njilan, Adamawa State, Nigeria. (AP via The Montana Standard)

Disasters

A limousine catches fire on the San Mateo Bridge in Hayward, California, United States killing five women and injuring four trapped inside. (Boston.com)
A military aircraft crashes during an air show killing the pilot and injuring another 19 on the ground in Madrid, Spain. (Kuwaiti News Agency)
2013 Savar building collapse:
- The death toll in Bangladesh rises to 622. (Washington Post)

Law and crime

Six people are wounded during a drive-by shooting outside a McDonald's restaurant in East Palo Alto, California, United States. (Huffington Post) (San Francisco Chronicle)

Politics and elections

Malaysia's ruling coalition Barisan Nasional retains a majority of parliamentary seats in the general election. (FT)
Helmin Wiels, leader of the largest political party in Curaçao, is assassinated. (BBC)

Science and Technology

A test of an M51 missile by the French military ends in failure when it self-destructs in midair. (RFI)
The world's first gun produced by Defense Distributed using a 3-D printer is fired successfully in Austin, Texas, United States. Security officials worry that such plastic weapons could evade detection at airport screenings. (BBC),(WGBH)

May 6, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes:
- An Afghan border police guard is killed and two Pakistani troops are injured in border violence. (BBC)
Syrian civil war:
- Rebels shoot down a Syrian Military helicopter in Deir ez-Zor Governorate killing all eight soldiers on board. (AP via Anchorage Daily News)
- A UN official on a Swiss television station says the UN has "concrete" suspicions that the rebels have used Sarin gas. The UN later released a statement in response stressing that it has not reached any official conclusions, and has yet to have acquired proof that either side used chemical weapons. (The New York Times),(BBC)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- At least 10 people are killed and 26 others injured in attacks across Iraq. (Xinhua)
13 people die in clashes between Islamist protesters and Bangladesh Police officers in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka and the outlying suburb of Kanchpur. (AP via Fox News)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- 15 people are killed and another 50 are injured when a bomb detonates at a political rally of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in Kurram Valley, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan. (Xinhua)

Business and economy

Wal-Mart passes ExxonMobil as the largest company by revenue on the annual Fortune 500 list. (Economic Times)
Bank of America agrees to pay US$1.6 billion to insurer MBIA to settle a long-running dispute between MBIA and two companies Bank of America had since acquired. (The New York Times)

Health and environment

A new Swedish study published in the journal Pediatrics finds that children whose parents suck on their pacifiers have fewer allergies later in life. (The New York Times)

Law and crime

Germany arrests a 93-year-old, alleged former Auschwitz guard, Hans Lipschis, on charges of murder. (AFP via Google News), (BBC)
According to the FBI, a terror attack is disrupted when US authorities raid a mobile home in Montevideo, Minnesota, United States. (AP via News24)
U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Krusinski, who was in charge of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, is arrested on charges of sexual assault. (ABC News)
A stolen dinosaur skeleton is returned to Mongolia. (Los Angeles Times)
Three women missing for more than a decade are found alive in the U.S. city of Cleveland, Ohio, while a 52-year-old man, Ariel Castro, is taken into custody. (The Guardian), (News Limited)
American singer Lauryn Hill is sentenced to prison for three months after being convicted of tax evasion. (Huffington Post)

Politics and elections

Seven-time Prime Minister of Italy Giulio Andreotti dies in Rome at 94-years-old. (BBC)
The US Senate passes a bill allowing states to tax internet sales. (Nordonia Hills News-Leader)

May 7, 2013 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Four Filipino UN peacekeepers are kidnapped by armed men while patrolling the demilitarized area between Syria and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. (Al Jazeera), (BBC)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- An attack in Nigeria, suspected to be perpetrated by Islamic sect Boko Haram, kills 55 people. (The Independent)

Art and culture

American special effects innovator Ray Harryhausen dies at the age of 92. (Chicago Sun-Times)
American As I Lay Dying frontman and lead vocalist Tim Lambesis is arrested on charges of attempting to hire a hitman. (MTV)

Business and economy

2013 Korean crisis:
- The Bank of China halts business with a North Korean bank accused by the United States of financing Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs. (AP)
Microsoft acknowledges and plans to address complaints with its Windows 8 operating system – changes will be available later this year. (AP)
The Reserve Bank of Australia cuts its benchmark interest rate to 2.75%, down from 3.00%. (BBC)
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above the 15,000 mark for the first time, setting a record. The S&P 500, up 0.5%, sets a record high as well. (USA Today)
China's April import and export figures beat expectations, potentially easing concerns that its economy is lagging. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Mayon Volcano erupts in the Philippines killing four mountain climbers and requiring four other climbers trapped near the summit to be rescued. (AP via New Zealand Stuff)
A gas tanker explodes in Ecatepec de Morelos, Mexico, killing at least 20 and injuring 36. (BBC), (Reuters)
A Nigerian warplane involved in operations within Mali crashes in Niger, killing two pilots. (BBC)
Bears attack villages in Orissa, India, killing eight people and injuring a dozen more. The bears are said to have become aggressive due to excessive consumption of the mahua flower. (BBC)
The Italian cargo ship Jolly Nero crashes into the port of Genoa, destroying the traffic control tower. Seven people die, four are injured and at least two are missing. (News.com.au)

Health and environment

India has the highest first day infant mortality rate in the world, according to a new study. (Times of India)
Alzheimer's drug Gammagard fails to produce results in a large-scale clinical trial. (USA Today)
A new strain of gonorrhea, HO41, is reported to be incurable and extremely virulent. (Times of India)

International relations

India agrees to demolish some bunkers near the Chinese border in order to end a three-week-long standoff in the Himalayas. (Reuters)

Law and crime

A Pentagon study finds a sharp rise in sexual assaults among U.S. military personnel. (The New York Times)
Paperwork filled on behalf of Aurora shooting suspect James E. Holmes states that he plans to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Thousands of striking bus workers march through South Africa's biggest city, Johannesburg. (News 24)
Ireland's parliament, the Oireachtas, passes legislation pardoning thousands of soldiers who left the Irish Army to fight with the Allies during World War II. (BBC)
Governor Jack Markell signs a bill making Delaware the 11th U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. (Delaware Online)
Former Governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford wins a special election for South Carolina's 1st congressional district defeating Elizabeth Colbert Busch. (MSNBC)
The United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II announces she will miss a Commonwealth meeting for the first time in 40 years. Prince Charles will attend on her behalf. (Los Angeles Times)

Science and technology

A new study by the University of California, Davis suggests that all Europeans are related to small group of ancestors dating back only 1,000 years. (Nature World News)
Researchers discover statistical evidence for the proposed Eurasiatic language superfamily, dating back 15,000 years. (Los Angeles Times)
In a study published in Nature Communications, scientists unearth in Alberta, Canada and identify what may be the earliest known pachycephalosaur (bone-headed dinosaur), Acrotholus audeti. (Latinos Post)

Sports

In North American baseball, Toronto Blue Jays' pitcher J. A. Happ is carted off the field after getting hit in the head by a line drive. (ABC News)
In tennis, unseeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov pulls off a major upset over world number one Novak Djokovic at the Madrid Open. (Reuters)

May 8, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan:
- A suicide car bombing hits a police station in the Bannu District of northwest Pakistan, killing at least two people and injuring twenty. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
War in Somalia (2009–present):
- Nineteen people are killed in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in suicide bombings and firefights between Al-Shabaab militants and government forces. (Xinhua)
Amid protests for free education by tens of thousands of people in major cities across Chile, police clash with protesters. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Following consultations with fellow academics, Stephen Hawking boycotts the Israeli Presidential Conference Facing Tomorrow 2013 in Jerusalem. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

33 people are killed in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh when an overloaded bus falls into a fast-flowing river. (BBC), (Xinhua)
2013 Savar building collapse:
- The death toll in Bangladesh rises to 823. (CNN)

International relations

The United Nations appoints a three-member panel led by Australian High Court judge Michael Kirby to investigate alleged human rights breaches in North Korea. (BBC)
The World Trade Organization advised that Roberto Azevêdo of Brazil will be the next Director-General effective September 1, 2013. The formal announcement will be made following a special meeting of the General Council on Tuesday, May 14, 2013. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Police in France, Belgium and Switzerland arrest more than two dozen people in connection with the Brussels Airport diamond heist. (Wall Street Journal)
An Italian appeals court upholds the conviction of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on tax fraud and sentences him to four years in prison. (Macleans Canada)
Jodi Arias is convicted of the first-degree murder of her boyfriend by a court in Arizona. (BBC)
Ariel Castro is charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape relating to the 2013 Cleveland, Ohio, missing trio. (Reuters)
An 83-year-old nun and two others are found guilty of breaking into the Y-12 National Security Complex nuclear facility in Tennessee. (AP)

Politics and elections

Indian National Congress won legislative assembly election of Indian state Karnataka with clear majority. (NDTV)
British Conservative Party MP Nadine Dorries is allowed to rejoin the party, having been suspended in November 2012 for her appearance on a reality television show during parliamentary time. (BBC)

Sport

In football, Sir Alex Ferguson announces his retirement as the Manager of Manchester United at the end of the 2012–13 Premier League season after 26 years in charge having won 38 trophies. (BBC)

May 9, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan:
- Ali Haider Gillani, the son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, is abducted by unidentified gunmen at an election rally in the city of Multan two days before the May 11 general election. (BBC)
Indonesian police shoot dead seven terror suspects in raids on the island of Java including some allegedly planning to bomb the Sri Lankan embassy. (AFP via The News International)
Suspected Sudanese ivory poachers shoot dead an unknown number of elephants at the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park world heritage site in the Central African Republic, close to the border with Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A fuel train derails in Russia's Rostov Oblast causing a massive fire with one person missing, 27 injured and 3,000 evacuated. (RT)
2013 Savar building collapse:
- The death toll rises to 1,006 - Bangladesh's worst industrial accident and the deadliest structural collapse in modern human history. (Channel News Asia)

International relations

Pakistani militant Sanaullah Haq dies after being assaulted in an Indian jail as a revenge attack following the death of Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan last week. (Reuters)

Law and crime

It is revealed today that in February hackers stole $45 million from worldwide bank ATM's with large numbers of criminals using fradulent debt cards. (AP via FOX News)(The New York Times)

Politics and elections

The Australian government announces that it will hold a referendum on recognition of local government in the constitution simultaneously with the federal election on September 14. (The Australian)

Sport

Current Everton manager David Moyes is confirmed as Alex Ferguson's successor at Manchester United. (BBC)
In sailing training for the America's Cup, British, two-time Olympic medallist Andrew Simpson dies in San Francisco Bay as part of the Swedish team, Artemis Racing. (San Francisco Chronicle)

May 10, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Bombs explode outside two police stations in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi. (Reuters)
Albert del Rosario, the Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs, wants to withdraw Filipino peacekeepers from the Golan Heights subsequent to Syrian rebels kidnapping four troops. (Straits Times)
Boston Marathon bombings:
- Suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev is buried in the al-Barzakh Cemetery in Doswell, Virginia, United States. (Reuters via News24)
- Evidence mounts that the brothers may be involved in an unsolved triple murder in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States from September 11, 2011 - one of the victims, Brendan Mess, was once a roommate of Tamerlan. (ABC News)

Disasters

2013 Savar building collapse:
- The death toll reaches 1,042 with many people still missing. (BD Today)
- A survivor, Reshma Begum, is found alive 17 days after the collapse. (AP via Miami Herald)

International relations

Taiwan demands an apology from the Philippines related to an incident where a Taiwanese fisherman died after a Philippine Coast Guard intercepted his fishing vessel in the disputed waters of the Bashi Channel. (BBC)

Law and crime

After yesterday's attack, preserve park authorities discover that twenty-six elephants, including four calves, were killed by poachers in the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central African Republic. (The Guardian)
A paramedic in West, Texas, United States is arrested for possession of an explosive device, but authorities do not elaborate as to whether there is a connection to the deadly explosion last month at the town's fertilizer plant. (Reuters via News24)
A Guatemala court finds former military leader Efraín Ríos Montt guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity and sentences him to 80 years in prison. (BBC)

Science and technology

ISS crew members prepare for a contingency spacewalk to stop an anticipated ammonia coolant leak. (NASA) (nasaspaceflight.com) (nasaspaceflight.com)

May 11, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan:
- A bomb explodes near the Awami National Party offices in Karachi killing 11 people. (News Limited)
Syrian civil war:
- 43 killed and over 100 injured in two car bombings in Reyhanlı, Turkey, near the Syrian border. (Russia Today)
A Ghanaian national goes on a spree attack with a pickaxe in Milan, Italy killing a passerby and wounding four others in an apparently random attack. (AP via News24)

Business and economy

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, says that the finance ministers and central bankers of the G7 have agreed there must be co-ordinated action against tax evaders. (BBC)

Disasters

A strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake occurs in southern Iran with reports of injuries and property damage. (AFP via AsiaOne)
A landslide in the city of Aizawl in India's Mizoram state kills at least eight people with 25 injured and 11 missing. (Indian Express)

Law and crime

A manhunt is issued for a suspect in the shooting deaths of his wife and two children in Shasta County, California, United States. (AP via FOX News)
A retrial of former President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak begins in Cairo for his alleged complicity in the deaths of protesters in the 2011 Egyptian revolution. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

Pakistan elections:
- Voters in Pakistan go to the polls for a general election with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan threatening to carry out attacks. There was a record turnout despite 24 people being killed. (News Limited)
- Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-N declares victory, despite not having gained a majority in the parliament. (ABC News Australia)
Canadian Senator and former Conservative Party campaign director Doug Finley dies of cancer. (CTV)

Sport

In NASCAR, American Matt Kenseth wins the 2013 Bojangles' Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway. (USA Today)
Association football:
- In England, Wigan Athletic, playing in their first FA Cup Final, defeat Manchester City with a last minute goal by Ben Watson at Wembley Stadium. (The Guardian)
- In Germany, Bayern Munich sets a number of Bundesliga records including most points, most away goals and best start as they are presented with the 2012–13 Fußball-Bundesliga trophy. (Reuters)
- In Spain, FC Barcelona wins its fourth La Liga title in five years. (BBC Sport)

May 12, 2013 (Sunday)

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 Saint-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 13, 2013 (Monday)

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

Attorney General Eric Holder, acting for the Obama Administration, testifies before the House Judiciary Committee that he was not party to the U.S. Justice Department's secret seizure of telephone records of the news agency the Associated Press. The Justice Department seized two months worth of telephone records from AP offices and reporters. (Fox News),(CBS News)(AP)
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 14, 2013 (Tuesday)

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 lethal cases 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 bargain, 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 certain classes of conservative groups (mainly those who had the words "Tea Party", "Patriot", and other related words in their titles) 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 15, 2013 (Wednesday)

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 16, 2013 (Thursday)

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 17, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- A string of bombings, most of them in Sunni areas of Iraq, kill at least 90 people and injured more than 200 others. (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 72 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 attack 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 18, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Gunmen break into the home of an anti-terrorism police officer in the Baghdad suburbs, killing him and his family. (Voice of America)
Zahra Shahid Hussain, a senior vice-president of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party is shot dead by a gunman outside her home in Karachi. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Emmelie de Forest of Denmark wins the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Only Teardrops". (Reuters via Chicago Tribune) (BBC)
A winner is found for a record $590 million Powerball jackpot with the winning ticket sold at an agent in Zephyrhills, Florida. (NBC News)

Business and economy

One hundred thousand people march in Rome, the capital of Italy, to protest the austerity measures of the new government, demanding a new policy focus on the creation of jobs. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

US Airways Express Flight 4560, with 34 people aboard is forced to make a belly landing at Newark International Airport after experiencing landing gear trouble. No injuries are reported (AP via News24) (CNN)
A Boeing 737 carrying more than 130 people catches fire while landing in Moscow. No injuries are reported. (AP via News24)
A car drives into a crowd at a parade in Damascus, Virginia, injuring at least 50 people. (CNN)

International relations

2013 Korean crisis:
- North Korea launches three short-range missiles off its east coast and into the Sea of Japan - two in the morning and one in the afternoon. (NBC)

Sport

2012-13 Football League Two:
- Bradford City A.F.C win the Football League Two Play-off final 3-0 against Northampton Town to win promotion to the 2013-14 Football League One. (The Telegraph)
In rugby union, RC Toulonnais beats ASM Clermont Auvergne 16-15 in an all-French 2013 Heineken Cup Final at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (BBC)
In horse racing, American horse Oxbow wins the 2013 Preakness Stakes held at Pimlico Race Course. (News Limited)

May 19, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Heavy fighting is reported in Qusair, Syria, as the Syrian army launches a major counter-offensive against rebel forces. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Taylor Swift wins eight awards, including top album and top artist, at the Billboard Music Awards. (The Guardian)
Star Trek Into Darkness earns an estimated US$70.6 million during its opening weekend in the US and Canada. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

At least one person is killed and a dozen injured after a series of tornadoes hits the US states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois. (BBC), (CNN)

International relations

North Korea fires three short-range guided missiles into its eastern waters. (New York Times)
North Korea captures a Chinese fishing boat and demands a ransom for its return. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Authorities in hazardous-materials suits search a downtown Spokane, Washington apartment, investigating the recent discovery of two letters containing the deadly poison ricin. (AP via News24)
Clashes break out between police and supporters of the Ansar al-Sharia Islamic organization in Tunisia. (al-Jazeera)

Politics

Nigel S. Wright resigns as the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Canada as a result of his role in an expenses scandal involving Senator Mike Duffy. (BBC)

Science and technology

US Navy dolphins find a rare nineteenth-century torpedo off the coast of California. (USA Today)

Sport

In cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India holds an emergency meeting to tackle the 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing case which has resulted in the arrest of three cricketers and eleven bookmakers. (DDI news)
In golf, Bae Sang-moon wins his first PGA tour event at the Byron Nelson Championship. (USA Today)
Sweden defeats Switzerland 5-1 to win the Ice Hockey World Championships. (USA Today)
Salisbury University defeats Trinity College 12-5 to win the Division III NCAA women's Lacrosse championship. (The Baltimore Sun)
Raha Moharrak becomes the first Saudi woman to summit Mount Everest. (CNN)
Samina Baig becomes the first Pakistani woman to summit Mount Everest. (Jagran Josh)

May 20, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- A wave of violence continues, with attacks across the country killing 133 and leaving 283 others injured. Almost 400 people have been killed in the last six days alone, as tribal leaders warn of impending civil war. (BBC) (Antiwar.com via AP)
Insurgency in the North Caucasus:
- Twin car bombs explode in Makhachkala, capital of the Russian republic of Dagestan, killing 4 and injuring almost 50 others. Hours later authorities announced they have foiled a terror attack in Moscow.(Reuters)
North Korea launches short-ranged projectiles off its coast for the third day in a row. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

A massive two mile wide tornado strikes south of the US city of Oklahoma City, causing widespread damage and causing the National Weather Service to issue a rare tornado emergency. (MSN) (NPR)(NBC News), (ABC News)
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of Chile. (Christian Science Monitor)
A morning peak Tranz Metro commuter train derails near central Wellington, New Zealand, after part of the undercarriage comes loose and punctures the carriage floor, injuring four people and delaying tens of thousands of commuters as services are cancelled. (Fairfax NZ)
A hot air balloon crashes in Cappadocia, Turkey, killing 2 tourists and injuring another 20. (BBC)
The BBC documentary series Panorama airs unseen footage from the 1989 Hillsborough disaster that casts doubt on medical evidence given at the inquest. (BBC)

Health and environment

North Korea confirms a bird flu outbreak that has forced authorities to kill over 160,000 ducks in Pyongyang. (Yonhap News Agency)

International relations

The President of Myanmar Thein Sein visits the White House as part of his visit to the United States, the first by a Burmese head of state in 47 years. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Guatemala's Constitutional Court overturns a genocide conviction against former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt due to a dispute over jurisdiction. (The Guardian)
Immigrant youths riot in Stockholm suburb Husby, burning more than 100 vehicles. (Washington Post)

Religion

The Church of Scotland's General Assembly votes to allow openly gay men and women to become ministers. (BBC)

Sport

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius' agent confirms that he will not take part in any sports this year as he awaits his trial for murder. (BBC Sports), (Sky News)

May 21, 2013 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Israel and Syria exchange gunfire on the Golan Heights. (Reuters)
- Elite Hezbollah reinforcements are sent from Lebanon across the border to al-Qusayr, Syria. Activists report that much of the city has been destroyed. (Al Arabiya)
French historian Dominique Venner shoots himself dead inside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Chinua Achebe's body is flown into Lagos to be greeted by a funeral processional. His remains await burial in Ogidi, the author's hometown. (AllAfrica)
Gerbrand Bakker wins the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for translation. (The Guardian)
Iain Banks posts an update on his cancer battle for the first time since announcing his impending death. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

The death toll from the 2013 Moore tornado in the U.S. state of Oklahoma is revised sharply downward to 24, with over one hundred people injured and many missing. (Reuters)

International relations

Xinhua reports that North Korea has released 16 Chinese fishermen after their boat was seized on May 6. (AFP via Asia One)

Law and crime

Criminal investigation of Saab Automobile:
- Three former top executives of Swedish car manufacturer Saab Automobile, Jan-Åke Jonsson (President and CEO), Kristina Geers (Chief Counsel), and Karl Lindström (CFO), are arrested on suspicion of accounting fraud and tax evasion during the bankruptcy procedure of the company. (Göteborgs-Tidningen) (Sveriges Radio)
Carl Pistorius, the brother of Paralympian athlete Oscar Pistorius, is acquitted of culpable homicide over the death of a motorcyclist in South Africa. (BBC)
U.S. Army Brigadier General Bryan T. Roberts, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, is suspended from his duties because of an investigation into alleged adultery (which is treated as a criminal violation, not just a civil matter, in the U.S. military), and for allegedly being in a physical altercation. (NBC)

Politics

MPs in the House of Commons vote 366-161 in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill taking an important step towards allowing gay marriage in England and Wales. (BBC)
Iranian presidential election, 2013:
- Final list of candidates are announced by Guardian Council. This included Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Hassan Rouhani, Saeed Jalili, Mohsen Rezaei and four others. (PreesTv)
- Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei are rejected by the council due to their age and health problems. (newser)
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary approves immigration reform legislation that would give citizenship to millions living in the country illegally. (AP via Washington Post)

Science and technology

Microsoft announces their eighth generation console, the Xbox One. (IGN)

Sport

Premier League club Stoke City unexpectedly sack manager Tony Pulis after seven years in charge. Pulis led the side to the Premier League, then the 2011 FA Cup Final and the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League. (The Guardian)
In basketball, the Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA Draft Lottery for number one pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. (USA Today)

May 22, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Eric Holder, the Attorney-General of the United States, confirms that four US citizens have been killed in drone aircraft attacks since 2011 including radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki killed in 2011. (CBS News)

Disasters and accidents

One fourth-grade child is fatally injured, one is missing, and two others (from a St. Louis Park, Minnesota elementary school) were rescued by firefighters, after a gravel slide at St. Paul, Minnesota's Lilydale Regional Park, near the Mississippi River. The rescue effort was suspended for the night, after conditions got worse. (NBC)

International relations

Prime Minister elect of Iceland, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, declares that a January decision to freeze European Union membership talks will be extended indefinitely. (Bloomberg)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un dispatches a special envoy to the People's Republic of China amid signs of strained relations. (New York Times)

Law and crime

Documents are secured as Dutch authorities execute a tax raid on Spyker Cars' headquarters on behalf of the Swedish tax authorities. (Dagens industri)
Australian politician Craig Thomson is charged with an additional 19 charges including 15 of fraud and 4 of theft. (ABC News)
In Orlando, Florida, Ibragim Todashev, a suspect under FBI questioning with ties to the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombings suspects, after initially being cooperative, goes on to attack an agent (in the course of the questioning) and is shot dead as a result. (NBC)
In London, a uniformed soldier is murdered in the street. Two men carrying knives and a meat cleaver are subsequently shot and apprehended by police. The UK government is treating it as a terrorist incident. (Metro) (BBC)
A decorated combat veteran of the Iraq War and United States Military Academy (West Point) U.S. Army staff member, Sgt. 1st Class Michael McClendon, is relieved of his duties for allegedly planting cameras to spy on female cadets. (NBC)

Sport

Former professional Major League Baseball slugger Jose Canseco, 48, a former Oakland Athletics Rookie of the Year (who also played for six other teams, from 1985 to 2001, and admitted to steroid use) is accused of sexual assault in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has not yet been formally charged, and claimed on social media that the woman's accusations were false. (FOX Sports)

May 23, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War:
- Friends of Syria calls on Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah to withdraw from Syrian territory. (Ynet)
Riots continue for a fourth night in suburbs of the Swedish capital Stockholm heavily populated by immigrants with unrest spreading. (Irish Times)
Code Pink's Medea Benjamin condemns Barack Obama's use of drones and the Guantanamo hunger strikes during Obama's speech outlining U.S. drone policy. (AP) (The Hill) (Business Insider)
Two suicide bombers strike in the northern Niger towns of Agadez and Arlit with twenty-one dead and ten more people killed in a gun battle between soldiers and Islamist fighters. (Euronews)

Arts and culture

The Boy Scouts of America vote to allow openly gay youth to join. (Time)

Business and economy

Ford Motor Company announces the closure of its Australian manufacturing operations in October 2016, including a car factory in Broadmeadows and an engine plant in Geelong with a loss of 1,200 jobs. (The Australian)

Disasters and accidents

Five people are killed and thirty eight injured in a road accident in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. (Xinhua)
The Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River collapses in the US town of Mount Vernon, Washington, dumping vehicles in the river but with no fatalities. (KOMO News), (CBC News Canada), (AP via ABC News America)

Health and environment

Most of the population in Montreal, Canada, is advised to boil water before drinking after sediments are found in the reservoir of a major water treatment plant. (CBC)
A cluster of mysterious and serious respiratory illnesses that affected Southeast Alabama and killed 2 people was nothing more than the ordinary common cold, mostly rhinovirus, and seasonal influenza A. (NBC)

International relations

Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, visits the Democratic Republic of the Congo as fighting continues near the eastern city of Goma. (BBC)

Law and crime

The victim of yesterday's attack in London is confirmed to have been a serving British soldier, and named as Drummer Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. (BBC)
Abdul-Baki Todashev, the father of Ibragim Todashev (the man who had confessed to the FBI the day before in Orlando, Florida, to working with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the deceased older brother in the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, in a previously unsolved 2011 triple homicide, and subsequently while being questioned attacked an agent with a knife and was killed) claims that his son is innocent and that federal investigators are biased against Chechens and made up their case against him. (NBC)

May 24, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Afghanistan War:
- Afghan security forces battle Taliban insurgents in central Kabul. An Afghan policeman, a Nepalese soldier, and numerous insurgents are killed. (BBC)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- A suicide bombing in the Pakistani city of Peshawar kills at least three people and leaves several injured. (Dawn)
Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen:
- Attackers blow up Yemen's main oil pipeline, halting the flow of crude oil. (The Star)

Disasters and accidents

A collision between a hotel shuttle bus and a tractor-trailer occurs near the Atlanta airport, injuring eighteen people. (AP via News24)
An 8.3 magnitude earthquake in East Russia leads to widespread evacuations, but no casualties. (New York Times)
Five mountain climbers are missing and feared dead on Kanchenjunga. (AP via USA Today)

Health and environment

A study of more than 10,000 people finds a correlation between cesarean section birth and childhood obesity. (Reuters)
Main Street Family Pharmacy of Newbern, Tennessee, US voluntarily recalls a steroid injection (preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate), used for arthritis and allergy relief in at least 11 states. No serious infections are reported. (CNN)

Law and crime

As part of "a policy of reducing the impact of rough sleepers on the community" London's Metropolitan police seize belongings including sleeping bags from homeless people. (The Guardian)
Malaysian police arrest four people for sedition including opposition politician Chua Tian Chang, the Vice-President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat. (Radio Australia)
The 2013 Stockholm riots enter their fifth night. (UPI)
A necklace worth €1.9 million is stolen during the Cannes film festival. (BBC)
Police arrest two men on suspicion of endangering an aircraft, after British fighter jets escort a Pakistan International Airlines passenger plane to London Stansted Airport. (Reuters via News24)

Politics and elections

Rafael Correa is sworn in as President of Ecuador for an unprecedented third term. (BBC)
President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni removes Aronda Nyakairima as head of the military and names him as Minister of the Interior. (Reuters)

Sport

In association football, Gibraltar is accepted as a full UEFA member at the organization's XXVIII congress. (Panorama)
In cycling, 2007 Giro d'Italia winner Danilo Di Luca of Italy tests positive for Erythropoietin (EPO). (Cycling Weekly)

May 25, 2013 (Saturday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar claims responsibility for two suicide bombing attacks that killed 30 people in Niger on May 23. (New York Times)
Insurgency in the North Caucasus:
- A female suicide bomber injures at least 11 police officers and civilians, including two children, in Makhachkala in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan. (AP via News24)
Syrian civil war:
- Dozens of people are killed in Al-Qusayr, Homs, Syria, as the Syrian Army and Hezbollah bombard the rebel-held town with heavy artillery. (CNN)
A bomb explodes near a bus north of Baghdad, Iraq, killing six Iranians, one Iraqi, and wounding fourteen people. (ABC)
Suspected Maoist rebels kill at least 27 people in an attack on a convoy of Indian National Congress politicians in Chhattisgarh, India. (NDTV) The Times of India

Business and economies

Thousands of people across 36 countries rally in protest of genetically modified seed producer Monsanto. (The Guardian) (USA Today)

Disasters and accidents

A gas cylinder explodes on a school bus in the Pakistani city of Gujrat, killing at least 17 children. (BBC)
48 people are rescued from a boat which was taking on water after it collided with a rock off the coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales. (BBC)
Two people are killed when the US city of San Antonio, Texas, experiences heavy flooding. (Chicago Times)
Two freight trains collide in southeast Missouri, United States, causing a highway overpass to collapse. (CNN)

International relations

The African Union celebrates its 50th anniversary. (News 24)

Law and crime

British counter-terrorism police arrest a man who was a childhood friend of the terrorist Michael Adebolajo after he gives an interview to the BBC in which he claims that the MI5 had contacted him in the past. (CNN)
A French anti-terror soldier is stabbed in the neck in a suspected copycat of the 2013 Woolwich attack. (Sky News), (Daily Mail)
A Spring Ford High School (Royersford, PA) senior, Julianne Siller, 17, is allegedly stabbed to death by her boyfriend, 16-year-old Tristan Stahley after a fight during a breakup. (NBC)

Politics and elections

Fifty people are arrested ahead of a major rally against France's new law allowing same-sex marriage. (AFP via Google)
Russia arrests 30 gay-rights supporters in Moscow after they attempt to hold a rally in spite of a law forbidding gay-rights demonstrations. (Voice of America)

Religion

Thousands of people attend the beatification of Pino Puglisi, a Roman Catholic priest murdered by the Sicilian Mafia for speaking out against crime. (BBC), (Herald Sun)

Science and technology

An Apple I computer sells for US$671,000 at auction. (PC Magazine)

Sport

In football, Bayern Munich defeats Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League Final. (The Guardian)
Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura becomes the oldest person ever the summit Mount Everest at the age of 80. (Philippine Star)

May 26, 2013 (Sunday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Two rockets strike the Lebanese capital of Beirut in the predominantly Shiite southern suburbs, which also serves as the stronghold of Hezbollah. (AP via Sydney Morning Herald)
War in Somalia (2009–present):
- Six people are killed in an attack by Somali militants in police posts over the Kenyan border. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The French film Blue Is the Warmest Colour wins the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. (BBC)
Fast & Furious 6 opens at the top of the movie sales charts in 59 countries, including the United States and Canada where it grossed an estimated $122 million. (New York Times)

Business and economy

The Governor of the Bank of Japan says that although interest-rate increases will cause some stress to Japanese financial institutions, they have "sufficient resilience against such shocks." (Reuters)
Electric car company Better Place announces it will file for bankruptcy. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

At least one person is killed, and ten people are injured after a party bus collides with a passenger car near Burlingame, California, United States. (San Jose Mercury News)

Health and environment

Whiteface Mountain in the U.S. state of New York experiences three feet (91 cm) of snow. (ABC News)

Law and crime

A 17-year-old American boy, Grant Acord, is arrested and charged with attempted aggravated murder for planning to blow up his school, West Albany High School, in Albany, Oregon. Six explosives were found in his bedroom. (AP via News24) (CNN)
British counter-terrorism officers arrest another man in connection with the 2013 Woolwich attack. (SAPA via News24)

Politics and elections

An estimated 150,000 people rally against gay marriage in Paris, France, with 100 people arrested. (BBC), (Sky News)

Sport

In motorsport:
- In Formula One, German Nico Rosberg wins the Monaco Grand Prix. (BBC)
- In IndyCar, Tony Kanaan of Brazil wins the Indianapolis 500. (The New York Times)
- In NASCAR, Kevin Harvick wins the Coca-Cola 600. During the race, a cable used to support a Fox skycam falls on the track, causing minor injuries to 10 spectators and minor damage to several cars in the event. (ESPN)
In road cycling, Vincenzo Nibali of Italy wins the Giro d'Italia. (BBC)
In Twenty20 cricket, the Mumbai Indians defeat Chennai Super Kings in the final to win a maiden Indian Premier League title. (The Indian Express)
In Gaelic football, Donegal open the defence of their All-Ireland title with a victory over Tyrone in the Ulster Senior Football Championship. (The Score) (The Irish Times)
In tennis, Venus Williams loses in the first round of the French Open for the first time since 2001. (Los Angeles Times)
In ice hockey, the Halifax Mooseheads defeat the Portland Winterhawks to win the 2013 Memorial Cup
In professional golf
- Boo Weekley wins the Crowne Plaza Invitational. (ESPN)
- Matteo Manassero becomes the youngest player to win the BMW PGA Championship. (USA Today)

May 27, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Seven Philippine police officers are killed by a New People's Army land mine in the municipality of Allacapan, Cagayan. (Philstar)
At least 75 people are killed and over 200 injured in a wave of bombings in Shi'ite neighbourhoods across Baghdad as sectarian violence in Iraq continues to increase. (Reuters via News24)
Syrian Civil War:
- The European Union lifts its ban against arming Syrian rebels as full consensus among its 27 member states to extend the current embargo could not be reached. (CNN) (BBC)

Art and culture

Romania unfurls the world's largest flag ever made, according to Guinness World Records. (Herald Sun) (Guardian)

Business and economics

Canadian drugmaker Valeant Pharmaceuticals announces it will purchase Bausch & Lomb for US$8.7 billion. (Washington Post)
Digital currency Liberty Reserve is shut down and its founder arrested on money laundering charges in Costa Rica. (Salon)

Health and environment

Seventeen people die during an H1N1 outbreak in Venezuela, and a further 250 are infected. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Nurse Roger Dean pleads guilty to eleven counts of murder in relation to a fire at a nursing home in the Sydney suburb of Quakers Hill. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Politics and elections

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia upgrades the National Guard to a ministry position and appoints his son Mutaib bin Abdullah as the first minister. (The Nation)

Science and technology

400-year-old bryophyte specimens left behind by retreating glaciers in Canada are brought back to life in the laboratory. (BBC)(PNAS)
Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History announces the discovery of nearly 5,000 cave paintings near Burgos, Tamaulipas. (io9)

May 28, 2013 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- United States Senator John McCain travels to Syria to meet with rebel fighters and discuss with them America's possible involvement in the nation's civil war.(Reuters)
- Le Monde reports continued use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime in Syria. (Le Monde)
- Russia evacuates 130 people as the situation in Syria continues to worsen. (IANS via OneIndia)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- Gunmen kill one anti-polio worker and wound three others (CTV News)

Arts and culture

Sweden's largest music festival, the Peace & Love in Borlänge, files for bankruptcy. (Göteborgs-Posten)

Business and economy

The U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles, California announces that Scott London, former senior partner with KPMG, has agreed to plead guilty on charges involving insider trading. (Reuters)

Disasters

A boat carrying 100 passengers capsizes in the Rajang River in Malaysia's Sarawak state with over 20 passengers missing. (AFP via NDTV), (BNO via Wire Update)

Health

France reports its first death from the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus as Saudi Arabia advises of five new cases. (Reuters)

International relations

Australia's ABC News claims that the People's Republic of China hacked plans for the headquarters of the country's spy agency ASIO. (ABC News Australia)

Law and crime

The United States launches a prosecution against Liberty Reserve, based in Costa Rica, for money laundering worth $6 billion. (Sydney Morning Herald)

May 29, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan:
- Drone attacks in Pakistan: Pakistani intelligence officials claim that a US drone attack has killed 5 alleged foreign militants, including Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan commander Wali-ur-Rehman, in the North Waziristan town of Miran Shah. (New York Times)
Insurgents storm a Red Cross guest house in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. (AP via The Miami Herald)

Arts and culture

The veteran Italian actress Franca Rame, also known as the wife and muse of Dario Fo and mother of Jacopo Fo, dies in Milan at the age of 83. Dario Fo dedicated his 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature to her. (The Guardian) (Reuters)
Italians campaign to save Trieste's historic Caffè San Marco, frequented by figures such as James Joyce, Italo Svevo and Umberto Saba. (The Guardian)

Business and economics

Chinese meat processing company Shuanghui buys the world's largest meat processing company Smithfield Foods for $4.72 billion. (AP via USA Today)
Funeral service and cemetery company Service Corporation International purchases another funeral service company Stewart Enterprises for $1.4 billion. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

At least 13 people are dead and at least 20 injured following a collision between a bus and a tanker near the Indian town of Dahanu in Maharashtra state. (IBN)

Law and crime

French police arrest a man, said to be a radical Islamist, for allegedly stabbing Cédric Cordier, a soldier in the La Défense business district near Paris. (The Times)
Former Bosnian official Jadranko Prlić is sentenced to 25 years in prison by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for war crimes during the Yugoslav Wars. (The Australian)
Buddhist mobs burn down Muslim homes and shops in Lashio, Myanmar leaving 1 dead and 4 others injured. (Reuters)
The New York Police Department (NYPD) states that preliminary tests indicate ricin was present in letters that were sent to the office of New York City Mayor and media mogul Michael Bloomberg, and to the office of the Director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. (CNN)
Michael Adebowale is charged with the murder of British Army soldier Lee Rigby in the 2013 Woolwich attack. (CBS News)

Politics and elections

U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, a prominent figure in the Tea Party movement, abruptly announces that she will not seek reelection to a fifth term in November 2014. (MarketWatch)

Science and technology

Aurornis xui is described as the most basal species of Avialae, potentially unseating Archaeopteryx as the oldest known bird. (BBC)

Sports

The International Olympic Committee releases its shortlist of sports to be included in the 2020 Summer Olympics: wrestling, squash, and a joint baseball-softball bid. A final decision will be made on September 7. (ESPN)
England and Ireland meet at Wembley Stadium for the first time since England fans rioted and attacked their Irish counterparts in Dublin in 1995. The match passes off peacefully with a 1-1 draw. (RTÉ) (BBC)
In a friendly soccer match in Cleveland, Belgium defeats the United States by a score of 4 to 2. (Sports Illustrated)

May 30, 2013 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- An Israeli official says the Israeli government is looking into reports that Syria received a shipment of S-300 missiles. (The Jerusalem Post)
- Doctors in the besieged city of Qusayr request urgent medical aid as they run out of supplies to treat eight-hundred wounded. (The Jerusalem Post)
- Syrian state television reports that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have killed three westerners including an American woman and a British man fighting for the Opposition. (CNN)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- A series of bombings across Iraq kills at least eleven people. (BBC)
Abdul-Baki Todashev, father of Ibragim Todashev who was killed by the FBI last week, describes U.S. agents as "bandits" who killed his son "execution-style". (The Guardian) (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine makes an "unpatriotic" comment on television, prompting calls for him to be removed to a "Communist country" or pursued by secretive anti-terrorism hit squads. Levine responds by tweeting dictionary definitions of words such as "joke", "humourless" and "lighthearted" but is later forced to apologise for his indiscretion. (The Guardian)
It is announced that Internet sensation Grumpy Cat will star in a feature-length movie. (Reuters)

Health and environment

There is no added benefit obtained from a double dose of Tamiflu according to a new study. (Reuters)

International relations

Following the controversial discovery of genetically modified wheat on a U.S. farm on May 29, Japan suspends imports of wheat from the U.S. (Associated Press via The Washington Post) (The Huffington Post)
Nigeria soldiers uncover a large stock of weapons that they believe belonged to Hezbollah. (Fox News)

Law and crime

Parents in Polk County in the U.S. state of Florida protest against their children having their irises scanned by authorities without permission by schools. The EyeSwipe-Nano program is temporarily suspended. (RT)
U.S. president Barack Obama appoints James Comey, a former member of the Bush administration, as the new director of the FBI. (The Guardian) (The Independent)
After a three-year trial, a U.N. tribunal in The Hague acquits two former Serbian security officials accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1990s Bosnian War. (Al Jazeera)
A court in Mold, Wales, finds Mark Bridger guilty of abducting and murdering five-year-old April Jones in October 2012. (BBC)
Nigeria passes a law banning same-sex marriage. (AP via News12)
Seton Hall University is shut down due to a bomb threat that turns out to be a hoax. (USA Today)

Science and technology

New analysis suggests that turtles evolved a shell 40 million years earlier than previously thought. (Nature World News)
Russian scientists discover a "perfectly preserved" woolly mammoth carcass containing liquid blood. (Newsday)
Stanford University researchers unveil a zinc–air battery that is more energy-dense and cheaper than lithium-ion counterparts. (GlobalPost)
The asteroid (285263) 1998 QE2, expected to approach within 3.6 million miles of Earth on May 31, is discovered to have its own moon.(Los Angeles Times)

Sport

In association football, a judge suspends England's match against Brazil over safety fears at the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. (BBC) (The Guardian)
FC Barcelona releases Éric Abidal, who had fought back from a liver tumour and a liver transplant to play again. (Associated Press)
Arvind Mahankali wins the 86th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. (USA TODAY)

May 31, 2013 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Turkish protestors are removed from Gezi Park in Taksim Square, Istanbul, in a violent crackdown by police after days of anti-government unrest. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Starbucks announces it will no longer allow customers to smoke in any of its locations. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Four firemen are killed and five others injured fighting a fire in Houston, Texas, U.S. (USA Today)
Four people are killed when two small planes collide near Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. (USA Today)
Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport is evacuated due to a tornado threat with three tornadoes touching down with five people dead and others reported missing. (CNN), (USA Today)

Health and environment

Italy announces its first case of novel coronavirus. (Reuters)

International relations

U.S. President Barack Obama lifts a trade embargo of communications equipment and software to non-government Iranians. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

The United States Naval Academy announces it is investigating allegations that three football players sexually assaulted a female student. (CBS News)

Politics and elections

British Conservative Party MP Patrick Mercer resigns his party whip over allegations he broke the rules on lobbying. (BBC)
Iranian presidential election: The first televised debate is held with candidates discussing their economic plans. (PressTV) (Trend)
Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court orders elections must be held no later than July 31. (RTT News)

Science and technology

Near-Earth asteroid 1998 QE2 and its moon pass within 3.6 million miles (5.8 mil km) of the Earth. (BBC)

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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

Recent deaths
May 31: Richie Phillips 31: Jean Stapleton 30: Rituparno Ghosh 29: Andrew Greeley 29: Helen Hanft 29: Cliff Meely 29: Henry Morgentaler 29: Margaret Shields 28: Viktor Kulikov 27: Bill Pertwee 26: Roberto Civita 26: Otto Muehl 26: Jack Vance 25: Marshall Lytle 25: Jimmy Wray 25: Lewis Yocum 24: Ed Shaughnessy 23: Hazel Hawke 23: James Sisnett 22: Henri Dutilleux 22: Brian Greenhoff 22: Mick McManus 22: Richard Thorp 21: Trevor Bolder 21: Eddie Braben 21: Dominique Venner 20: Ray Manzarek 19: Bella Flores 18: Aleksei Balabanov 18: Steve Forrest 18: Penne Hackforth-Jones 17: Alan O'Day 17: Jorge Rafael Videla 17: Ken Venturi 16: Paul Shane 16: Dick Trickle 16: Heinrich Rohrer 15: Jens Elmegård Rasmussen 14: Billie Sol Estes 14: Chuck Muncie 13: Joyce Brothers 12: Kenneth Waltz 12: Kenneth 12: Toni Linhart 12: Bill Miles 11: Jack Butler 11: Doug Finley 10: Barbara Callcott 9: Vincent Dowling 9: Sanaullah Haq 9: Alfredo Landa 9: George M. Leader 9: Ottavio Missoni 9: Malcolm Shabazz 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

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

Elections
Recent: May 5: Malaysia, General 11: Pakistan, General 12: Bulgaria, Parliament 13: Philippines, House of Representatives, Senate (one half) 26: Equatorial Guinea, Parliament Upcoming: June 14: Iran, President 23: Albania, Parliament 26: Mongolia, President

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 Hall, Stuart Hazell, Mark Bridger 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 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 South Africa: Oscar Pistorius United Kingdom: Dane Bowers, Max Clifford 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

References

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May 2013

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