Portal:Current events/2021 May 15

May 15, 2021 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
- The death toll in Gaza from the Israeli airstrikes rises to 145 people killed, including thirty-nine children. A second refugee camp is also bombed, after another was struck yesterday resulting in multiple casualties. At least 950 others are wounded, while two protesters are killed in the West Bank. The headquarters of many media organisations, including Al Jazeera and Associated Press, is destroyed in Gaza by being bombed. A man dies in Ramat Gan, in central Israel, during a rocket attack, bringing the death toll there to 9. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
    - The General Administration of Sport of China announces the summits of Mount Everest used by climbers in China will remain closed through the spring, citing coronavirus concerns in both mainland China and neighboring Nepal. (Reuters via Yahoo!)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
    - Kyrgyzstan reaches past 100,000 cases of COVID-19. (Kabar)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - Malaysia reports a record 44 new fatalities from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, including one foreigner. It brings the nationwide death toll to 1,866. (Malay Mail)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
    - The Taiwanese government raises a alert level for Taipei and New Taipei City to level 3 for two weeks, which means limit gatherings to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors, avoid non-essential travel and must wearing mask outside homes. It comes after a record 180 new COVID-19 cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (The Washington Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    - Poland reopens bars, restaurants and other establishments for outdoor setting for the first time in seven months and relaxes its mask requirement as the number of COVID-19 cases declined and vaccination program picks up. (Daily Sabah)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
    - Slovakia lifts its national state of emergency that has been in force since October as the number of COVID-19 cases declined. It means the end of curfew and nationwide restrictions on gatherings. (The Slovak Spectator)

International relations

Foreign relations of Austria, Foreign relations of Iran
- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif cancels a trip to Austria after Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz yesterday ordered the Israeli flag raised at the Chancellery and Foreign Affairs buildings. (Politico.eu)

Law and crime

Protests over the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
- The Jammu and Kashmir Police arrests 21 people in Kashmir, India, for organizing protests in support of Palestine. (ThePrint)
- Police in Paris, France use tear gas and water cannons against pro-Palestinian protesters. This comes a day after a French court banned protests in support of Palestine. (UrduPoint)
- Protesters gather in London and Madrid in solidarity with Palestine. In Central London, protesters gathered at the Israeli embassy. Former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn also speaks at the protest.(France 24) (Arab News) (Evening Standard)

Politics and elections

2021 Ethiopian general election
- The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia delays the national elections from June 5 to an unknown date, citing logistic issues. Prior to this, several oppositional parties were planning to boycott over the Tigray War. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

Chinese space program
- China National Space Administration rover Zhurong successfully lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars, making China the third nation on Earth to achieve a soft landing on the red planet. (BBC)
It is published that the Spectrometer for Heavy Atoms and Nuclear Structure (SHANS), at the Heavy Ion Research Facility, in Lanzhou, China, created a new uranium isotope, Uranium-214. (Sci-News)

Sports

2020–21 Bundesliga
- Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski scores his 40th goal of the season to equal the Bundesliga record set by Gerd Müller during the 1971–72 season of the highest number of goals scored by a player in a season. (France 24)
2021 FA Cup Final
- Leicester City beat Chelsea 1–0 at Wembley Stadium to win the 2020–21 FA Cup with Youri Tielemans scoring the winning goal. It is Leicester City's first ever FA Cup title. (BBC)]