Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- Flooding (pictured) in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, leaves more than 100 people dead and at least 130 others missing.
- Kyren Wilson wins the World Snooker Championship.
- In horse racing, Mystik Dan wins the Kentucky Derby.
- Following the Solomon Islands general election, Jeremiah Manele becomes the prime minister.
- Acting prime minister of Haiti Ariel Henry resigns, and the Transitional Presidential Council is sworn in.
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Rafah offensive
- United States support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war
- Humanitarian aid during the Israel–Hamas war
- A US-flagged ship carrying aid to the United States-built floating pier in Gaza sets sail from Cyprus. (Reuters)
- Spillover of the Israel–Hamas war
- Red Sea crisis
- The Houthis claim responsibility for attacks on two container ships in the Gulf of Aden and one in the Indian Ocean. (Al Jazeera)
- Red Sea crisis
- Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran–Israel relations
- Iran warns it will build a nuclear weapon if Israel continues to target its nuclear facilities. (Al Jazeera)
Business and economy
- Air India Express cancels 85 flights due to staff calling in sick last minute, linked to a protest against working conditions imposed by the new owner Tata Group. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- Eight people are killed, 29 others are injured and 44 others are missing after a building collapses in George, South Africa. (Reuters)
- Two Boeing 737 planes are involved in accidents involving takeoff and landing in Senegal and Turkey. (Al Jazeera)
International relations
- Australia–Tuvalu relations
- Australia and Tuvalu sign a new security agreement, where Australia vows to protect Tuvalu in cases of natural disasters, pandemic or military aggression. (AP)
Law and crime
- Former Fijian prime minister Frank Bainimarama is sentenced to one year in prison for perverting the course of justice. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Politics and elections
- Israel–Hamas war protests
- Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters march in Malmö, Sweden, against Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest and the contest's ban of pro-Palestinian content and imagery. Among the protesters is Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. (AP)
- Argentine unions launch a general strike against President Javier Milei's planned reforms and budget cuts. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Humanitarian aid during the Israel–Hamas war
- Israel reopens the Kerem Shalom border crossing, allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, the UN states that no aid has entered. (AP)
- Rafah offensive
- Israeli troops reach the outskirts of Rafah with Hamas saying that heavy fighting is underway. The Israeli military says that it has "uncovered terrorist infrastructure" and killed a number of Hamas militants as it advances. (BBC News)
- Al-Shifa Hospital siege
- A third mass grave holding at least 49 bodies was discovered in Gaza City's al-Shifa Hospital. (Al Jazeera) (The Hill)
- Humanitarian aid during the Israel–Hamas war
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kharkiv strikes
- Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Russia launches missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, injuring three people and damaging critical infrastructure. Ukraine says that it shot down 39 of 55 missiles and 20 of 21 drones. (AP) (Bloomberg News)
- Islamic State–Taliban conflict
- A motorcycle bombing kills three Taliban security personnel in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province claims responsibility for the attack. (Reuters)
Arts and culture
- A statue of the late African American civil rights leader Daisy Bates is unveiled at the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington, D.C., representing the state of Arkansas. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- Siemens Energy brings in a new CEO for its troubled wind turbine division, Vinod Philip. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- Tornadoes of 2024
- Tornado outbreak of May 6–8, 2024
- Dozens of tornadoes strike the United States, killing five people and leaving multiple others injured. (The New York Times)
- Tornado outbreak of May 6–8, 2024
- 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods
- Rolling blackouts occur in several cities in Mexico amid an ongoing heatwave in the country. (The New York Times)
- A Boeing 767 operated by FedEx was forced to make an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport after the front landing gear failed to deploy. (The Guardian)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 vaccine
- AstraZeneca withdraws its marketing authorizations in Europe and withdraws its COVID-19 vaccines worldwide due to low demand, after finding that the vaccines can very rarely lead to blood clots. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Human trafficking in India
- The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation arrests four people linked to a network of human traffickers who have been luring young men to go to Russia with the promise of jobs or university admission, then to force them to fight in the war in Ukraine. The Ministry of External Affairs is working with Russia to secure discharges for 20 Indian nationals in the Russian Army. (Al Jazeera)
Politics and elections
- Elected British politicians who have changed party affiliation
- British Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke defects to the opposition Labour Party, citing the Sunak government's failure to stop the English Channel migrant crisis. (Reuters)
- The United States House of Representatives vote 359–43 to keep Mike Johnson as House Speaker, defeating an initiative by Marjorie Taylor Greene to have him removed. (Al Jazeera)
Science and technology
- Researchers at Google DeepMind announce the development of AlphaFold 3, an AI model that can predict the structures of almost all biological molecules and model the interactions between them. (Time) (Nature)
Sports
- 2024 Summer Olympics torch relay
- The ship Belem arrives in Marseille, France, with the Olympic flame. (AP)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Rafah offensive
- Israeli forces enter Rafah in a "limited" operation, taking control of the Rafah Border Crossing on the Egypt–Gaza border. (Haaretz) (AP) (Reuters)
- At least 27 people are killed by Israeli airstrikes in Rafah. (Al Jazeera) (AP)
- Rafah offensive
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Assassination attempts on Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- The Security Service of Ukraine says that it detained two Ukrainian government protection unit colonels recruited by Russia's Federal Security Service who were planning an assassination of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top Ukrainian officials. (Reuters)
- Ukrainian forces launch a missile strike on an oil terminal in Luhansk, causing a large fire and injuring at least five workers. (Reuters)
- Assassination attempts on Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- M23 offensive
- The death toll from rocket strikes on an IDP camp in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, increases to 18. (Reuters)
Arts and culture
- The Boy Scouts of America announces the renaming of the organization to Scouting America on February 8, 2025, in an effort to make girls feel more welcome. (AP)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods
- The death toll from ongoing heavy flooding in southern Brazil increases to 90, with more than 150,000 people left homeless. (Reuters) (Reuters 2)
- Tornadoes of 2024
- Tornado outbreak of May 6–8, 2024
- A FedEx warehouse in Portage, Michigan, United States, is destroyed by a tornado. (Detroit Free Press)
- Tornado outbreak of May 6–8, 2024
International relations
- International recognition of the State of Palestine
- The Bahamas formally recognizes Palestine as an independent nation. (Eyewitness News Bahamas)
Law and crime
- Russian undesirable organizations law
- Russia declares American nonprofit organization Freedom House an "undesirable organization", effectively outlawing the group, after accusing the group of "discrediting the Russian Army" and advocating sanctions against Russia. (Reuters)
- Two people are killed and 21 others are injured in a mass stabbing at a hospital in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan, China. A suspect has been detained. (AP)
- TikTok and its parent company ByteDance sue the United States government over the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, alleging that the law is unconstitutional. (AP)
Politics and elections
- Israel–Hamas war protests
- 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
- Dutch police end a pro-Palestinian occupation at the University of Amsterdam. (Reuters)
- 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
- Fifth inauguration of Vladimir Putin
- Russian President Vladimir Putin is inaugurated for a fifth six-year term. (Reuters)
- Premiership of John Swinney
- The Scottish Parliament votes to elect John Swinney as First Minister of Scotland with 64 votes in favour and seven abstentions from the Scottish Greens. (BBC News)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Israel tells civilians to evacuate parts of eastern Rafah ahead of a planned ground invasion. (BBC News) (The Guardian)
- Hamas states that it has accepted a ceasefire proposal negotiated by Egypt and Qatar. Israel rejects the proposal, claiming that the deal does not meet its "core demands", but confirms that it will continue negotiations in Cairo, Egypt. (Reuters) (AP)
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Six people are killed and 35 others are injured in Ukrainian drone attacks in Belgorod Oblast, Russia. (The Moscow Times)
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kurdish–Turkish conflict
- Kurdistan Workers' Party insurgency
- The Turkish Air Force carries out airstrikes on Iraqi Kurdistan, reportedly killing 16 PKK insurgents. (Reuters)
- Kurdistan Workers' Party insurgency
Arts and culture
- The 2024 Met Gala takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City with the theme "The Garden of Time", celebrating the Met's exhibit Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. (Vanity Fair)
- The 2024 Pulitzer Prize ceremony is held, with 16 awards in Journalism and 10 in Letters, Drama, & Music. (NPR)
Business and economy
- Steward Health Care, a for-profit hospital chain in the United States, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (CBS News)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods
- An under construction apartment complex collapses in George, South Africa, killing seven people and leaving dozens more missing. (AP)
- Five workers are killed and another is critically injured while carrying out maintenance work on a wastewater lifting tank in Palermo, Italy. (Palermo Today)
- Tornado outbreak of May 6–8, 2024
- The U.S. Storm Prediction Center issues a rare high risk convective outlook ahead of an expected significant tornado outbreak in parts of Oklahoma and Kansas. (Storm Prediction Center)
Law and crime
- An American soldier is arrested in Russia on charges of criminal misconduct. According to US officials, the soldier was based in South Korea and had been accused of stealing from a woman. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Israel–Hamas war protests
- 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
- Japanese students at the University of Tokyo, Sophia University, Tama Art University, International Christian University, and Hiroshima University hold solidarity encampments. (Arab News Japan)
- Belgian and Dutch students hold solidarity encampments and occupy parts of the Ghent University, the University of Amsterdam, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. (Reuters)
- 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
- 2024 Chadian presidential election
- Chad holds presidential elections under its junta, contested between incumbent Mahamat Déby and Prime Minister Succès Masra. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
- 2024 Scottish National Party leadership election
- John Swinney is elected leader of the Scottish National Party following the resignation of First Minister Humza Yousaf. (The Guardian)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israel–Hezbollah conflict
- Israeli air raids in Meiss Ej Jabal, Lebanon, cause "massive destruction" according to a Lebanese state-run agency, killing four civilians and injuring three others. In response, Hezbollah fires dozens of Katyusha and Falaq rockets towards Kiryat Shmona, Israel. (Reuters)
- Three Israeli soldiers are killed and ten civilians are injured when Hamas launches a rocket barrage at the Kerem Shalom border crossing. (Times of Israel) (Reuters) (Jerusalem Post)
- Hamas announces the end of ceasefire talks held in Cairo, Egypt, while Israel vows to continue its military operations. (AP)
- Israel–Hezbollah conflict
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Terrorism in Australia
Arts and culture
- With the closing performance of the Celebration Tour at Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, American singer Madonna attracts 1.6 million people in a free concert and breaks the record for the most attended stand-alone concert by any artist, and the all-time highest attended concert by a female artist. (Billboard)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Kenya floods
- 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods
- The death toll from the ongoing heavy flooding in southern Brazil increases to 78, with more than 100 people still missing. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Israel–Hamas war protests
- 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
- Virginia State Police dismantle a pro-Palestine encampment on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville, and arrest more than 15 students. (The Daily Progress)
- 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
- 2024 Panamanian general election
- Panamanians elect their President and members of the National Assembly. (Reuters)
- José Raúl Mulino, the stand-in for former president Ricardo Martinelli, wins the presidential election with more than 35% of the vote, after his three nearest opponents conceded. He will assume office in July. (AP)
- 2024 Togolese parliamentary election
- The ruling Union for the Republic party wins 108 out of 113 seats in the National Assembly. (AP)
- Censorship in Israel
- Thousands of Hungarians protest in Debrecen, Hungary, against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's rule and policies. (Reuters)
Sports
- 2024 Formula One World Championship
- 2024 Miami Grand Prix
- In auto racing, McLaren driver Lando Norris wins his first Formula One race at the Miami Grand Prix. (DW)
- 2024 Miami Grand Prix
- 2024 NASCAR Cup Series
- 2024 AdventHealth 400
- Kyle Larson edges out Chris Buescher in the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history, winning a photo finish by one-thousandth (0.001) of a second. (AP)
- 2024 AdventHealth 400
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Terrorism in Germany
- German MEP Matthias Ecke is "seriously injured" in Dresden, Germany, in what is suspected to be a politically-motivated attack against the Social Democratic Party of Germany. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods
- The death toll from ongoing heavy rains in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, increases to 56, with 67 people still missing and nearly 25,000 displaced. The airport in Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, suspends all flights until further notice. (Reuters)
- At least 14 people are killed by floods and landslides in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Reuters)
International relations
- Greece–Israel relations
- Israeli police forcibly removes and arrests a guard of the Greek consulate inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in East Jerusalem, during Holy Saturday. (Al Jazeera) (Anadolu Ajansı)
- India–United States relations
- Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar rejects comments made by US President Joe Biden saying that India's economic growth was being held back by "xenophobia". (Reuters)
- International reactions to the Israel–Hamas war
- Palestinian doctor and rector at the University of Glasgow Ghassan Abu-Sittah is denied entry into France after landing at Charles de Gaulle airport on his way to speak at the French Senate. Last month, he was denied entry into Germany. (Al Jazeera)
Law and crime
- Russian state media reports that a number of officials from Ukraine and NATO countries have been placed on Russia's wanted list, including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former president Petro Poroshenko, Ukrainian Ground Forces commander Oleksandr Pavlyuk, and Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas. The Ministry of Internal Affairs neither states what crimes the wanted individuals are being charged with, nor clarifies the allegations that are being brought against them. (AP)
Politics and elections
- 2024 London mayoral election
- Sadiq Khan wins re-election as mayor of London, England, with 43.8% of the vote, becoming the first London mayor to be elected to a third term. (BBC News)
Sports
- 2023–24 La Liga
- Real Madrid are crowned champions of La Liga after Barcelona's 4–2 defeat at Girona. (BBC News)
- 2023–24 Liga F
- Barcelona are crowned champions of Liga F after winning 1–4 at Granada. (Mundo Deportivo)
- 2024 Kentucky Derby
- The 150th edition of the Kentucky Derby is held, with American thoroughbred racehorse Mystik Dan winning in a photo finish. (AP)
- The International Olympics Committee (IOC) bans Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah from all positions within the committee for 15 years over ethics breaches. Sheik Ahmad was previously banned by the IOC for three years in 2023 over his alleged interference in the Olympic Council of Asia elections, as well as for forgery and a fake arbitration procedure. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Kivu conflict
- M23 offensive
- The mining town of Rubaya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, is seized by the March 23 Movement. (AP)
- Twelve people are killed and more than 20 others are injured during explosions caused by bombs at two camps for displaced people in Lac Vert and Mugunga, in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AP)
- M23 offensive
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Two people are killed and two others are injured by Russian shelling in the city of Kurakhove in the Donetsk oblast. (The Moscow Times)
- British Foreign Secretary David Cameron promises £3 billion of annual military aid to Ukraine for "as long as it takes." (Reuters)
- Israel–Hamas war
- The United States tells Qatar to evict Hamas if the latter obstructs an Israeli hostage deal. (The Washington Post)
Arts and culture
- US President Joe Biden gives Presidential Medals of Freedom to 19 people. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission gives ExxonMobil approval in the acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources for $60 billion. (CNBC)
- Panama bans First Quantum Minerals from extracting copper following the closure of its Cobre Panamá mine last year. (Reuters) (The Globe and Mail)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods
- A bus plunges into a ravine in Diamer District, Pakistan, killing 15 people and seriously injuring more than 20 others. (AP)
- Thirteen people are killed and 2,000 homes are flooded during heavy rains in Haiti, mainly in the city of Cap-Haitien. Rains occurs also in Puerto Rico, where planes are landed in San Juan to reroute. (AP)
- Mexican authorities locate the bodies of three tourists, one American and two Australians, in Baja California, where they were reported missing in April. Three people have been arrested and are being questioned in relation to the case. (Reuters) (BBC News)
Law and crime
- Canada–India diplomatic row
- Three Indian men are arrested in Canada and charged with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year. The Canadian government is investigating whether the men had ties to the Indian government. (Reuters) (Toronto Star)
- Capital punishment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo sentences eight soldiers to death for cowardice and other crimes. (AP)
- U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar is indicted for accepting nearly $600,000 worth of bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled company and a Mexican bank. (AP)
- The International Criminal Court warns against outside interference, saying that efforts to undermine the court's work must "cease immediately". (The Washington Post)
Politics and elections
- Israel–Hamas war protests
- 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
- 2024 Sciences Po pro-Palestinian occupation protest
- French police evacuate Sciences Po University in Paris and close the university in response to pro-Palestine protests and building occupations by students. (Reuters) (Le Monde)
- The Houthis offer American students who have been suspended in pro-Palestine protests education at Sanaa University in Yemen. (Reuters)
- Students at the National Autonomous University of Mexico hold pro-Palestine solidarity encampments and protests. (France24)
- 2024 Sciences Po pro-Palestinian occupation protest
- 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
Science and technology
- Chinese space program
- The China National Space Administration launches the Chang'e 6 spacecraft from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on a two-month mission to collect lunar rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon. (Reuters) (AP)