Portal:Current events/2014 May 21

Current events of May 21, 2014 (2014-05-21) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in North-West Pakistan:
  • Pakistan Air Force fighter jets bomb suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan, killing approximately 60 militants and injuring another 30. (Reuters)
• The Taliban launch attacks in Badakhshan and Laghman provinces in Afghanistan, killing 10 policemen and 3 civilians. (AP via ABC)
• Boko Haram attacks the village of Alagarno, in Nigeria's Borno State, killing 17 people. (BBC)
• The Republic of Korea Navy fires warning shots at 3 Korean People's Navy patrol boats after they violated South Korean waters. (CNN)
• Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
  • Defence for Children International publishes a video showing two Palestinians allegedly killed by Israeli soldiers during a demonstration that became violent. (New York Times)
  • The United Nations asks the Israeli government to lead an inquiry on the event and possible disproportionate use of force. (Arutz Sheva)
  • Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Unit answers "The said video is edited in a tendentious manner and does not reflect the level of violence that occurred at the disturbance." (Jerusalem Post)
• 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:
  • Graham Phillips, a British national and reporter for the Russian TV network RT, is detained in Mariupol by the SBU. (BBC)

Business and economics

• General Motors announces that it is recalling 218,000 older model Chevrolet Aveos due to a fire hazard. (Reuters)
• eBay forces its users to change their passwords after a database containing encrypted user passwords and other non-financial data is compromised by a cyber-attack. (BBC)

International relations

• Sino-Russian relations:
  • Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin sign a massive 30-year gas export contract worth $400 billion. (USA Today)
• Spratly Islands Dispute:
  • The death toll has risen to 6 as anti-China riots continue in Vietnam over oil rich islands in the South China Sea. China has sent ships to evacuate 3000 citizens from Vietnam. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2014 Taipei Metro Attack:
  • A knife attack on a Taipei Metro train leaves at least 4 dead and 21 passengers injured. (Focus Taiwan) (AP via Washington Post)
• An Egyptian court sentences 155 members of the Muslim Brotherhood to prison, including 54 life sentences. (Reuters)
• Former President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to three years in jail for embezzlement. (BBC)
• Six Iranians that were arrested have been released in Tehran after releasing a fan video set to Pharrell Williams' "Happy", sparking outcries over the internet. (CNN)
• Ten men convicted for producing poisoned alcohol that killed more than 30 people in 2012 have been sentenced to prison by a court in the Czech Republic, including 2 life sentences. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• Guinea-Bissau general election, 2014:
  • Former Guinea-Bissau Finance Minister José Mário Vaz is elected President of Guinea-Bissau. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Sport

• Sacramento, California approves a new arena, worth $447 million, for the Sacramento Kings. (AP via Los Angeles Times)
• England wins the 2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, beating Netherlands on penalties after a 1-1 draw. (UEFA)