Matthew Wale is appointed as prime minister of Solomon Islands after Jeremiah Manele was ousted in a no-confidence vote.
Source:
The Guardian 
May 15
Politics and elections
May 14
Arts and culture
It is announced that South Korean boy band BTS, American singer Madonna and Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup final halftime show at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States, on July 19, 2026.
Source:
Reuters
Disasters and accidents
Seven people are killed and one critically injured after a speeding vehicle collides with a tree near Gardabani, Georgia.
Source:
Front News Georgia
Five Italian tourists are found dead after diving in the waters of Alimathaa, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives.
Source:
The Mirror
A medical plane operated by Trans Aero MedEvac loses radio contact and crashes near Ruidoso, New Mexico, United States, killing all four passengers on board.
Source:
Primera Hora
One person is killed and 19 others are injured after a truck collided with a bus in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Source:
Xinhua
International relations
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. president Donald Trump, along with business leaders from both countries, meet in Beijing, China.
Source:
The Guardian
Source:
Al Jazeera
The Executive Office of the President of the United States says that China and the U.S. have both agreed during the Trump-Xi summit that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open.
Source:
AFP via AA
Guyana demands that Venezuela investigate a series of shootings targeting its troops patrolling the Cuyuní River on the border between both countries, amid ongoing tensions as the sovereignty dispute over the Essequibo region continues at the International Court of Justice.
Source:
AP
A Russian senior security official says that Russia will establish a "full-fledged partnership" with the Taliban government in Afghanistan, urging other countries to do the same.
Source:
Reuters
Armed conflicts and attacks
Heavy fighting erupts in Baidoa between Somali federal government forces and troops loyal to former South West State president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, following disputes over regional elections and the end of president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term tomorrow. Multiple sources confirm two senior Somali military officers from the 60th Division have been killed in a roadside ambush.
Somali Civil War (2009–present)Constitutional crisis in SomaliaControversies of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Source:
Shabelle Media
The Fars News Agency reports that Iran has allowed vessels from China to cross the Strait of Hormuz.
Source:
Roya News
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says that ships entering the Strait of Hormuz must cooperate with the Iranian Navy.
Source:
The Guardian
Russian forces launch overnight strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, hitting among other targets, a residential building in eastern Darnytskyi district, killing 16 people and wounding 57 others, including several children.
Source:
NPR
The internationally-recognized Yemeni government and the rival Supreme Political Council, which includes the Houthis, sign a deal in Amman, Jordan, following 14 weeks of negotiations to release over 1,600 detainees in the largest prisoner swap in the civil war's history since 2014.
Source:
Reuters
Science and technology
Researchers from Thailand publish the discovery of the in Chaiyaphum province, the largest dinosaur species ever discovered in Southeast Asia.
Source:
NPR
Law and crime
Philippine presidential communications undersecretary Claire Castro and senate president Alan Peter Cayetano separately announce that senator Ronald dela Rosa, who has an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity related to a drug war, has left the Senate building at early morning, hours after gunshots were heard in the area the previous day.
Source:
UPI
Warsaw registers its first same-sex marriage following a ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court demanding officials to recognize the marriage of two Polish men in Germany.
Source:
AP
Somali pirates increase their ransom demands to US$10 million for the release of the Togo-registered tanker hijacked off Somali waters.
Source:
Middle East Monitor
The Seoul Central District Court in South Korea orders North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un to pay damages to five former Korean War prisoners who were held in North Korea after the conflict.
Source:
New Straits Times
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces that Israel plans to sue for running a column by Nicholas Kristof discussing the use of sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners by the Israeli military.
Source:
Reuters
Business and economy
Japanese automaker Honda suspends plans to build an electric vehicle (EV) plant in Ontario, Canada, citing weaker demand for EVs and the impact of United States tariffs on the Canadian automotive sector and corporate losses in Japan.
Source:
CBC News
Politics and elections
Wes Streeting resigns as the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, saying he has "lost confidence" in prime minister Keir Starmer following the recent local elections.
Source:
The New York Times
Josh Simons steps down as MP for Makerfield to trigger a by-election for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to run for a seat in parliament. Burnham is widely considered the favourite candidate to replace Starmer in the event of a Labour Party leadership election.
Source:
ITV News
Burnham confirms he has requested the permission of the National Executive Committee to stand in the upcoming Makerfield by-election.
Source:
BBC News
A report authorized by Pope Leo XIV written by a Vatican working group gives detailed testimonies from gay Catholics for the first time, while condemning conversion therapy and calls for deeper understanding of same-sex marriages to overcome internal church polarization.
Source:
Church Times
Source:
Wafa
Bolivian police clash with protesting miners who attempt to reach Plaza Murillo in La Paz amid protests over the state of the economy. Some of the protesters demand the resignation of president Rodrigo Paz.
Source:
Reuters
Latvian prime minister Evika Siliņa resigns one day after losing her majority in the Saeima over the handling of Ukrainian drone incursions into Latvia's airspace.
Source:
DW
May 13
Business and economy
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that the oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to 30% in the first quarter of 2026 as compared to the previous quarter.
Source:
AA
Korean Air announces plans to launch an integrated flag carrier for South Korea on 17 December following the completion of legal procedures for its acquisition of Asiana Airlines.
Source:
AA
Germany approves reforms to its heating law and adopts new electricity supply legislation that enables support for 9 GW of new gas-fired power plants.
Source:
S&P Global
The Ocean Dream Diamond sells for US$17 million at a Christie's auction, setting a record price for a blue-green diamond sold at auction.
Source:
AFP via France 24
The United States-based Allegiant Travel Company completes its acquisition of Sun Country Airlines, successfully merging it with Allegiant Air to combine the 14th and 17th largest airlines in North America.
Source:
WDAY
International relations
U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio says the U.S. has renewed a $100 million humanitarian aid offer to Cuba amid the island's crisis and urges cooperation from the Cuban government.
Source:
Arab News
Ghanaian foreign minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announces plans to evacuate about 300 citizens from South Africa following attacks targeting sub-Saharan African migrants.
Source:
Reuters
Law and crime
Gunshots are reported at the Philippine senate building amid tensions surrounding a possible arrest of senator Ronald dela Rosa under an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged crimes against humanity.
Source:
Reuters
A U.S. court sentences author Kouri Richins to life imprisonment without parole after convicting her of murdering her husband with fentanyl in 2022.
Source:
AFP via ABS-CBN News
Sussex Police say they have recovered the bodies of three women off a beach in Brighton, England, and are working to identify the women.
Source:
The Guardian
The U.S. Senate blocks a War Powers Resolution to curtail president Donald Trump's war powers in the Iran war for a 7th time in a 49–50 vote, with John Fetterman being the lone Democrat senator to vote against it.
Source:
AP
Disasters and accidents
Over 104 people are killed and 59 others are injured from a powerful storm and heavy rain across about a dozen districts of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Source:
Reuters
Four people are killed in a two-story house fire in North Jakarta, Indonesia.
Source:
Xinhua
Armed conflicts and attacks
Chinese supertanker , which carries 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude, crosses the Strait of Hormuz after previously being stranded in the Gulf for two months following the Iran war.
Source:
Jerusalem Post
Four other vessels from China cross the Strait of Hormuz within the past 24 hours, including vehicle carrier and oil chemical tanker .
Source:
AA
At least 22 people, including eight children, are killed by Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon.
Source:
AFP via RTÉ
Nine people are killed and at least 28 others are injured in the latest Russian drone strikes across Ukraine.
Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present)Russian attacks on civilians in the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present)
Source:
BBC News
At least two people are killed and several others are injured in a drone strike in El Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan.
Source:
Sudan Tribune
Clashes between Pakistani forces and the Balochistan Liberation Army in Balochistan, Pakistan, kill five soldiers, including an army major, and seven insurgents.
Source:
AP
Politics and elections
United Kingdom and United States-mediated talks in Mogadishu, Somalia, between president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the opposition led by regional president Said Abdullahi Deni have broken down without an agreement. The deadlock centres on bitter disputes over the country's upcoming electoral framework, technical delays, and regional vote-rigging accusations in South West State of Somalia.
Constitutional crisis in Somalia2026 Somali presidential electionControversies of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Source:
Somali Guardian
Niuean prime minister Dalton Tagelagi is re-elected for a third term in office following a vote of 11–9.
Source:
Pacific Media Network
Source:
NBC News
A Canadian judge rules that Elections Alberta improperly approved a petition seeking a referendum on provincial independence without consulting Indigenous groups.
Source:
The Manila Times
Russian president Vladimir Putin replaces the governors of the border regions of Belgorod and Bryansk Oblast, Vyacheslav Gladkov and Alexander Bogomaz respectively, with army general Alexander Shuvaev and former occupation official Yegor Kovalchuk, respectively, amid continuing cross-border attacks linked to the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Source:
Reuters
Latvian prime minister Evika Siliņa loses her parliamentary majority after the Progressives withdraw support from the governing coalition and calls for talks on forming a new government.
Source:
Reuters
May 12
Politics and elections
British prime minister Keir Starmer tells his cabinet he has "no intention" of resigning after several ministers and more than 90 Labour Party MPs call on him to resign or set a timetable for a new party leader to be elected later this year.
Source:
BBC News
Four ministers resign following Starmer's refusal to resign, namely Zubir Ahmed, Alex Davies-Jones, Miatta Fahnbulleh, and Jess Phillips.
Source:
UPI
The Republican-led South Carolina Senate rejects redistricting efforts to redraw the congressional districts in the U.S. state of South Carolina, including efforts to eliminate the seat represented by U.S. congressman Jim Clyburn.
Source:
NBC News
Bahamians vote to elect 41 seats of the House of Assembly. Incumbent prime minister Philip Davis becomes the first prime minister to be re-elected for a second consecutive term in office since 1997.
Source:
Reuters
Source:
Reuters
The Cambodian National Assembly approves the extension of military conscription to two years and increases penalties for draft evasion amid border clashes with Thailand.
Source:
AFP via CNA
Nauru announces plans to hold a referendum on changing the country's official name to "Naoero", a move that would require a constitutional amendment.
Source:
The Manila Times
Brazilian president Lula da Silva announces the formal creation of the Ministry of Public Security after its previous iteration was folded into the Ministry of Justice in 2019.
Source:
Agencia Brasil
Law and crime
Bahrain sentences three people to life imprisonment and more than 20 others to prison terms over charges linked to collaboration with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Source:
The Manila Times
New Zealand justice minister Paul Goldsmith announces plans to amend the country's law to prevent courts from holding companies liable for climate change-related harm linked to greenhouse gas emissions.
Source:
The Times of India
Armed conflicts and attacks
United States ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says that Israel has deployed Iron Dome air defense systems and military personnel to the United Arab Emirates amid the Iranian strikes.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2026 Iranian strikes on Arab countriesIsrael–United Arab Emirates relations2026 Iranian strikes on the United Arab Emirates
Source:
The Hindu
It is reported that Saudi Arabia launched retaliatory strikes against Iran in response to Iranian strikes on the country during the war.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2026 Iranian strikes on Arab countries2026 Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia
Source:
Reuters
U.S. president Donald Trump says he backs Pakistan as a mediator in ceasefire talks amidst reports that the country allowed Iran to station aircraft at the PAF Base Nur Khan.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations2026 Iran war ceasefirePakistan in the 2026 Iran war
Source:
Arab News PK
British defence secretary John Healey announces that the United Kingdom has deployed Typhoon fighter jets and the Royal Navy destroyer HMS as part of a mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)2026 Iran war2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis2026 Strait of Hormuz campaign
Source:
Middle East Monitor
Lebanese health minister Rakan Nassereddine says that Israeli attacks have killed at least 108 medics and health workers since the war began on March 2, and at least 380 people have been killed and 1,122 have been injured since the ceasefire began on April 17.
Source:
AA
A new 300-page report by the Israeli non-profit organization Civil Commission claims that Hamas engaged in sexual violence and rape during the October 7 attacks on Israel.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)Gaza warSexual and gender-based violence in the October 7 attacks
Source:
The New York Times
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy states that the military has attacked several gas facilities in Orenburg Oblast, Russia.
Source:
Reuters
Six people are killed and seven others, including a nine-month-old child, are injured in Russian drone strikes in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine.
Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present)Russian attacks on civilians in the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present)
Source:
Reuters
Source:
Reuters
The International Organization for Migration reports that 50,000 people have been displaced from their homes in the Blue Nile region.
Source:
Sudan Tribune
A drone strike hits a local market and civilian vehicles in Karnoi, North Darfur, Sudan, destroying property and causing casualties.
Source:
Sudan Tribune
A bomb explodes inside a bazaar in Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, killing at least 10 people and wounding over 30 others.
Source:
Reuters
Arts and culture
Source:
Georgian Public Broadcaster
Health and environment
An American traveller, suspected of potential contact with the hantavirus, is quarantined upon arrival in the Pitcairn Islands after transiting through French Polynesia.
Source:
RNZ
The Spanish health ministry confirms the country's first case of hantavirus in a Spanish passenger from the MV who has been in isolation at a hospital in Madrid since 11 May.
Source:
The Economic Times
International relations
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen confirms that expanding U.S. military presence in Greenland is part of talks between the United States and Denmark amidst efforts to resolve a crisis caused by Trump's desire to purchase the island.
Source:
Reuters
Disasters and accidents
A World War II-era P-51D Mustang crashes near Vicksburg–Tallulah Regional Airport in Mound, Louisiana. The pilot, who was killed in the crash, was Dan Fordice, son of the former Governor of Mississippi Kirk Fordice.
Source:
AVWeb
Business and economy
American autonomous driving technology company Waymo recalls 3,800 robotaxis over risks that they could enter flooded areas.
Source:
Reuters