detoxed.news

May 21

Health and environment

The South Korean Foreign Ministry says that South Korea will raise its travel alert for Uganda and is planning to impose a level-4 travel ban for parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially the Ituri Province, due to the ebola outbreak in both countries.
Source: Yonhap external link

May 20

Law and crime

The U.S. Department of Justice announces that a grand jury in Miami, Florida, has indicted former first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Raúl Castro and five others on murder charges in connection with the 1996 shootdown of an aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue.
Source: Reuters external link
Two U.S. Capitol Police officers who helped defend the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. during the January 6, 2021 riot file a lawsuit to block January 6 rioters from receiving payouts from a new $1.8 billion settlement fund.
Source: Reuters external link
The German public prosecutor general arrests a Chinese couple in Munich who are accused of spying for a Chinese intelligence agency.
Source: DW external link
The Philippine supreme court rejects an injunction sought by senator Ronald dela Rosa against his arrest on an International Criminal Court warrant for crimes against humanity related to the Philippine drug war.
Source: Al Jazeera external link

Disasters and accidents

The 1,200-year-old Reikado Hall in the Daishō-in temple complex in Itsukushima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, burns down completely.
Source: Nippon.com external link

Sports

In association football, Aston Villa defeat SC Freiburg 3–0 at Beşiktaş Stadium, Istanbul, to win their first UEFA Europa League title, and second European title after the 1982 European Cup final. Emiliano Buendía, who scored Villa's second goal, is named player of the match.
Source: Sky News external link
The DR Congo football team cancels a 3-day FIFA World Cup training camp and a fan farewell in Kinshasa over ebola concerns in the country.
Source: AP external link
In ice hockey, the Montreal Victoire defeat the Ottawa Charge 3–1 to win their first-ever PWHL Walter Cup.
Source: The Athletic via The New York Times external link

Health and environment

The World Health Organization reports that the Ebola virus outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo likely began two months ago due to a superspreading event, and initially went undetected.
Source: Reuters external link
An Air France flight from Paris, France, to Detroit, Michigan, U.S., is diverted to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, due to flight restrictions imposed by the U.S., as a passenger on the flight is from the DR Congo.
Source: CBS News external link
American MV passengers quarantined in Nebraska following exposure to the hantavirus on the ship will remain in quarantine until the end of May.
Source: NBC News external link
The United Nations General Assembly adopts a resolution reaffirming states' obligations to address climate change and recognizing a recent advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice on states' legal responsibilities regarding climate commitments.
Source: AFP via France 24 external link

Business and economy

The U.S. House of Representatives passes the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in a 396-13 vote; the legislation is aimed, without supporting evidence, at helping the cost-of-living and housing in the United States. The bill heads back to the U.S. Senate for any revisions.
Source: Politico external link

International relations

Bolivia and Colombia expel each other's ambassadors amid a diplomatic dispute over comments by Colombian president Gustavo Petro regarding anti-government protests in Bolivia.
Source: Reuters external link
Source: AFP via ABS-CBN News external link
Lithuania issues an air raid alert in Vilnius after the military detected a drone signal near the Belarusian border, marking the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that an EU and NATO member state has ordered the general population to take shelter.
Source: AP external link

Politics and elections

Bolivian president Rodrigo Paz announces plans to reshuffle Bolivia's cabinet and create an economic and social council following weeks of anti-government protests linked to the country’s economic crisis.
Source: Al Jazeera external link

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says that Iran has received and is reviewing a new proposal from the United States regarding talks to end the war, while Pakistani interior minister Mohsin Naqvi visits Tehran to facilitate exchanges between the two sides.
Source: Arab News PK external link
Saudi Arabia news channels Al Arabiya and Al Hadath reports that Islamabad is likely to hold the second round of talks between Iran and the U.S. after the Hajj season ends.
Source: Dunya News external link
Two supertankers from China carrying four million barrels ​of Middle East crude oil exit the Strait of Hormuz after staying in the Persian Gulf for two months since the war started on February 28.
Source: Reuters external link
A South Korean-flagged oil tanker safely transits the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first passage by a South Korean vessel through the waterway since the war started.
Source: The Star external link
The IRGC Navy claims that it has allowed 26 ships to cross the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.
Source: Oman Observer external link
Israeli airstrikes kill at least eight people in Ad-Doueir, Tibnin, Burj el-Shamali, and Shebaa in southern Lebanon.
Source: Al Jazeera external link

May 19

International relations

Somaliland announces that the country will open an embassy in Jerusalem to strengthen its ties with Israel, for now the only country to recognize Somaliland as an independent nation. Israel announces that it will reciprocrate by opening an embassy in Hargeisa.
Source: Reuters external link
The cabinet of Thailand approves plans to reduce the length of visa-free stays for travelers from more than 90 countries as part of measures targeting crimes involving foreign nationals.
Source: AFP via ABS-CBN News external link

Politics and elections

Opposition coalition Somali Future Council says Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud can no longer perform key presidential functions, including military oversight or dismissing government officials. They propose that parliamentary speaker Aden Madobe serve as acting president until elections scheduled for 30 June. The president has lost full executive authority following the expiry of his mandate on 15 May.
Source: Idil News external link
Several banks close in La Paz as protests intensify across Bolivia, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of president Rodrigo Paz.
Source: Reuters external link
The War Powers Resolution, requiring a halt to hostilities in Iran not approved by the United States Congress, passes a preliminary vote in the U.S. Senate by 50–47 following several failed attempts, after the defection of Louisiana Republican senator Bill Cassidy.
Source: CNBC external link

Sports

Source: London Evening Standard external link
The English Football League's Independent Disciplinary Commission expels Southampton from the 2026 EFL play-offs after finding the club guilty of spying on a Middlesbrough training session ahead of their semi-final match on 12 May, 2026, which Southampton won. Southampton are also found guilty of spying on Oxford United and Ipswich Town earlier this season, and will be deducted four points for the following season.
Source: Sky Sports external link
World Cup co-host United States allows the DR Congo football team to participate in the upcoming games in the country despite ebola concerns.
Source: Al Jazeera external link

Arts and culture

In literature, by Yang Shuang-zi and translated by Lin King wins the 2026 International Booker Prize.
Source: BBC News external link

Disasters and accidents

At least 10,000 homes are evacuated amid spreading wildfires in Santa Rosa Island and Simi Valley, California, United States.
Source: BBC News external link
Ten people are killed in torrential rain and flooding in Guizhou, Hubei, and Hunan provinces, China.
Source: Reuters external link
The death toll from a pickup truck crash in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, Guangxi, China, rises to ten after the bodies of nine missing people were recovered.
Source: Reuters external link
At least 27 people are injured in a M 6.1 earthquake off the coast of Ica Department, Peru.
Source: in Spanish external link

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iran confirms that it has sent a proposal to the United States for ceasefire talks including a withdrawal of American troops from areas close to Iran, an end to all conflicts in the region, and compensation for damages caused by the war.
Source: VOV external link
United States vice president JD Vance says that progress has been made in talks with Iran regarding its nuclear program. However, he also stated that the U.S. is ready to resume strikes if talks fail.
Source: Israel National News external link
reports that the early goal of Israel and the U.S. following the assassination of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei was to install former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who reportedly survived a strike on his home himself, despite making inflammatory comments about Israel.
Source: AA external link
The Israeli Navy intercepts a flotilla boat taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla that was to be headed for the Gaza Strip in a effort to break the blockade.
Source: The Jerusalem Post external link
A Syrian soldier is killed and at least twelve others are injured in a car bomb explosion in Damascus.
Source: The New Region external link
Israeli airstrikes kill 19 people and injure 34 in the Nabatieh District and the Tyre District, Lebanon.
Source: Al Jazeera external link
Israel seizes control of approximately 1,000 km (390 sq mi) of territory across the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria, an area equivalent to roughly 5% of the country's landmass.
Source: Financial Times external link
Estonia reports that a Romanian NATO F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone over Estonian territory.
Source: BBC News external link
The Sudanese Emergency Lawyers reports that 28 people have been killed in a drone strike on a market in West Kordofan, Sudan.
Source: Toronto Star external link
The U.S. African Command says that U.S. and Nigerian forces have launched airstrikes on a ISIS camp in Nigeria.
Source: Peoples Gazette external link

Health and environment

The death toll in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo rises to 131.
Source: Reuters external link
Sudan begins implementing Ebola measures, including screening passengers at the international airport in Port Sudan.
Source: Sudan Tribune external link
Thailand reports two cases of mpox, prompting the Department of Disease Control to increase surveillance of the disease.
Source: Nation Thailand external link
Taiwan reports its first case of the transmissible mpox clade Ib variant in a man in his 20s in northern Taiwan.
Source: Taiwan News external link
Norway reports the first recorded case of avian influenza in a polar bear in Europe after the H5N5 virus was detected in the animal in Svalbard.
Source: AFP via GMA News Online external link

Law and crime

Former Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is charged with money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation in connection with an investigation into the alleged laundering of the €53 million public bailout that incumbent prime minister Pedro Sánchez's second government provided to the airline Plus Ultra and La Liga Airlines in 2021.
Source: Politico external link
Catalonian police arrest Jonathan Andic, the son of Mango founder Isak Andic, as part of an investigation into Isak's death during a hiking trip to Collbató in 2024.
Source: Cebu Daily News external link
Vietnamese police arrest five Chinese nationals and a local accused of operating a gold smuggling network in Hanoi that allegedly traded more than US$45 million worth of gold.
Source: New Straits Times external link
Three people, including two Japanese nationals and a Chinese national, are injured in a stabbing attack at a restaurant in Shanghai, China.
Source: AP external link

May 18

Health and environment

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that it is suspending entry into the United States for 30 days to travelers without a U.S. passport that have been to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda amidst the ongoing Ebola outbreak in these countries.
Source: Politico external link
MV , the cruise ship at center of the hantavirus outbreak, arrives at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands for disinfection after passengers disembarked the ship.
Source: Travel and Tour World external link

Politics and elections

The Philippine senate resumes the impeachment process against Vice President Sara Duterte following last week's lockdown.
Source: Reuters external link
The Belarusian defence ministry announces that its military has began joint training exercises with Russia on nuclear weapons combat.
Source: Al Jazeera external link

Business and economy

Oil prices rise amid fears of a prolonged war and the draining of world oil reserves, including West Texas Intermediate to US$102.76 per barrel and Brent Crude to US$112.89 per barrel.
Source: The Wall Street Journal external link
Australian treasurer Jim Chalmers orders several China-linked shareholders to divest their stakes in Northern Minerals under foreign investment laws aimed at protecting the country's rare earths sector.
Source: AFP via HKFP external link

Disasters and accidents

At least 13 people are killed and more than 20 others are injured, most seriously, when a tempo carrying wedding guests collides with a container truck on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Palghar district, Maharashtra, India.
Source: CNN-News18 external link
Five students drown while swimming in the Lô River in Phú Thọ province, Vietnam.
Source: Xinhua external link
Three people are killed and four others are missing after flash floods caused a river to overflow in Xuan'en County, Hubei Province, China.
Source: Xinhua external link

Armed conflicts and attacks

Pakistan reportedly shares a revised proposal with the United States from Iran aimed at ending the war.
Source: Reuters external link
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says that talks between Iran and the U.S. are still ongoing via Pakistani mediation.
Source: AA external link
Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority announces that any passage through the Strait of Hormuz that is not coordinated with it and the Iranian armed forces is "illegal".
Source: Al Jazeera external link
U.S. president Donald Trump announces that he has called off planned military strikes against Iran for tomorrow at the request of Middle East allies including Qatari emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Emirati president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, citing "serious negotiations" taking place.
Source: Middle East Eye external link
Hezbollah states that it shot down an Israeli military aircraft over Ayta al-Jabal in southern Lebanon.
Source: Al Jazeera external link
The Lebanese health ministry announces that the death toll has surpassed 3,000 people, with at least 3,020 people killed and 9,273 wounded since the war began on March 2.
Source: Al Jazeera external link
Sudanese Armed Forces breaks the siege in Dilling, South Kordofan, for a third time.
Source: Sudan Tribune external link
It is reported that Rapid Support Forces has released commander Abu Lulu after previously being arrested last year after videos were seen of him executing and massacring civilians in El Fasher, Sudan. He is back in combat following his release.
Source: Reuters external link

Law and crime

Prosecutors in Bolivia issue an arrest warrant for Mario Argollo, general secretary of the Bolivian Workers' Center, on charges including terrorism and incitement amid protests and road blockades in La Paz.
Source: AFP via Indo Premier external link
Three people are killed in a drive-by shooting outside a mosque in San Diego, California, United States. Both of the perpetrators die by suicide.
Source: BNO News external link
Six people are killed and eight others are injured in a shooting spree, including one inside a restaurant, in Mersin, Mediterranean Region, Turkey. A widespread manhunt is underway to catch the suspect.
Source: CBS News external link
Four people are killed and more than 30 others are injured in nationwide protests and transport strikes triggered by a massive surge in fuel prices due to the Iran war, which has raised petroleum costs by more than 20% to record highs in Nairobi, Kenya.
Source: Reuters external link
Eight people are killed and five others are injured in a mass shooting at a crowded transportation hub in Abnub, Asyut Governorate, Egypt. The perpetrator is killed by security forces.
Source: AFP via Al Arabiya external link
Two people are killed and four others are seriously injured in a mass shooting at a home in El Ejido, Andalusia, Spain. The perpetrator is arrested.
Source: Reuters external link

International relations

The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control imposes sanctions on Cuba's intelligence agency and several senior Communist Party and military officials as part of expanded pressure on the government amid the country's energy and financial crisis.
Source: Arab News external link
Pakistan deploys 8,000 troops, HQ-9 air defense systems, and a full air force squadron, mostly of JF-17 fighter jets, to assist Saudi Arabia under their mutual defense agreement.
Source: Reuters external link