May 2023 was the fifth month of that common year. The month, which began on a Monday, ended on a Wednesday after 31 days.
This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from May 2023.
May 1, 2023 (Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022–2023 Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Russia launches cruise missile and drone strikes across Ukraine. Among the targets hit is an industrial zone in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where a large explosion damaged or destroyed 19 apartment buildings and 25 homes, with 34 people reportedly injured. Ukrainian forces say that they shot down 15 of 18 missiles launched by Russia. (The Guardian)
- Battle of Bakhmut
- Ukrainian colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi says that Ukrainian troops have recaptured parts of central Bakhmut, but that the situation on the ground "remains difficult". (Reuters)
- 2022–2023 Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Insurgency in the Maghreb
- Fifteen people are killed after unidentified gunmen open fire at a farm in Kérou, Benin. (Associated Press)
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- A 17-year-old Palestinian boy is killed during an Israeli raid near Jericho in the West Bank. (Associated Press)
- A bomb is detonated on the road between Sofia and Samokov, Bulgaria. The target is believed to be the Chief Public Prosecutor of Bulgaria Ivan Geshev, whose motorcade was travelling on the road at the time. No injuries are reported. The explosion has been designated as a terrorist incident by officials. (Politico Europe)
Business and economy
- 2023 global banking crisis
- The FDIC seizes control of First Republic Bank, while JPMorgan Chase agrees to buy "a substantial majority of assets" and to assume the "deposits and certain other liabilities" of the bank, in the second-largest bank failure in US history. (CNN)
Disasters and accidents
- Five people are killed, one person is injured, and another person is reported missing in an explosion at a chemical plant in Liaocheng, Shandong, China. (Reuters)
- At least six people are killed and 30 others are injured in Illinois, United States, after a dust storm causes a crash involving 70 to 90 vehicles on Interstate 55. (CNN)
- The oil tanker MT Pablo catches fire off the coast of Malaysia with three of five crew members missing afterward. The tanker was reportedly carrying sanctioned oil and had changed flags only six days earlier. Oil washes up on the shores of Indonesia later. (CNN) (Lloyd's List) (Quantum Commodity Intelligence)
- a Cessna 206 light aircraft with seven people on board crashed in the jungle in the Caquetá Department of Colombia.BNN
Politics and elections
- 2023 Paraguayan general election
- Santiago Peña is declared the winner of the Paraguayan presidential election. (BBC News)
- 2024 Salvadoran general election, Salvadoran gang crackdown (2022–present)
- Various Salvadoran trade unions, syndicates, and political parties held a protest march demanding an increase in wages and against presidential re-election and the ongoing gang crackdown. (MSN) (North American Congress on Latin America)
Sports
- 2023 World Snooker Championship
- Luca Brecel wins his first World Snooker Championship title, defeating Mark Selby by a score of 18–15 in the final at The Crucible in Sheffield, England. Brecel becomes the first player from continental Europe to win the tournament. (BBC Sport)
May 2, 2023 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Sudan (2023)
- Darfur campaign
- Battle of Geneina
- Rapid Support Forces re-capture Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, after a week of fighting with more than 200 people killed. (Middle East Eye) (Dabanga Sudan)
- Battle of Geneina
- 2023 Sudanese refugee crisis
- The number of Sudanese refugees due to the ongoing civil conflict surpasses 100,000 after only a few days. (Reuters)
- Darfur campaign
- Somali Civil War
- Somali forces kill 67 al-Shabaab militants and seize many weapons in a continuation of offensives against the group in the Mudug region. (VOA)
- A Uganda People's Defence Force soldier assassinates retired colonel and cabinet member Charles Engola at his home in Kampala, while acting as his bodyguard. The soldier later commits suicide. (BBC News)
Business and economy
- 2023 Writers Guild of America strike
- The Writers Guild of America goes on strike for the first time since 2007–08. (Los Angeles Times)
- Indian airline Go First files for bankruptcy with the National Company Law Tribunal, blaming "faulty" Pratt & Whitney-manufactured engines for the grounding of about half of its fleet, costing the airline 108 billion rupees ($1.32 billion) in lost revenues. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- List of earthquakes in 2023
- Ten people are injured and more than 2,805 buildings are damaged after a magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes Baoshan, Yunnan, China. (ChinaDaily)
- Five people are missing in Darchula District, Nepal, after being struck by an avalanche. (Xinhua)
Law and crime
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Former Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman Khader Adnan dies in an Israeli prison after a three-month hunger strike. (Al Jazeera)
- Indonesian Ulema Council shooting
- A man armed with an airgun opens fire at the Indonesian Ulema Council headquarters in Menteng, Central Jakarta, Java, injuring two employees. The attacker later dies at a local health center. (Detik)
- LGBT rights in Uganda, Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023
- The parliament of Uganda passes new anti-LGBTQ+ laws after president Yoweri Museveni requested reforms. The bill maintains the death penalty as a punishment for "aggravated homosexuality". (Reuters)
- The United States Department of Defense announces that it will deploy 1,500 troops along the Mexican border to provide non-law enforcement related administrative assistance to the United States Border Patrol. (CNN)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Greek legislative election
- The Greek Supreme Civil and Criminal Court bans the far-right National Party, led by Ilias Kasidiaris, from participating in the upcoming general election, after the court accused the party of being a "continuation of the Golden Dawn". (France 24)
May 3, 2023 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022–2023 Western Russia attacks
- 2023 Kremlin drone attack
- Russia accuses Ukraine of attempting to assassinate President Vladimir Putin after two drones were shot down near the Kremlin. A spokesman claimed that Putin was not inside the Kremlin at the time of the attack. A video shows at least one drone hitting the compound. Ukraine denies any involvement in the attack. (BBC News)
- 2023 Kremlin drone attack
- 2022–2023 Crimea attacks
- Russia's Federal Security Service says that it has arrested seven Ukrainian agents who were allegedly planning a "series of high-profile sabotage and terrorist acts" in Crimea, including an attack on the Head of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov. (Reuters)
- Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russian forces shell Kherson Oblast, killing 16 civilians and injuring 22 others. (Reuters)
- 2022–2023 Western Russia attacks
- War in Sudan (2023)
- Evacuation of foreign nationals during the War in Sudan (2023)
- Australia's Royal Australian Air Force evacuates 36 Australians from Sudan, reportedly overnight. (Sydney Morning Herald) (ABC News Australia)
- The South Sudanese foreign ministry announces that a seven-day ceasefire has been agreed to in Sudan, lasting from May 4 to 11. (Firstpost) (Reuters)
- Evacuation of foreign nationals during the War in Sudan (2023)
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seize the Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi in the Strait of Hormuz. (Tasnim News Agency)
Business and economy
- The World Bank's board of governors elects American business executive Ajay Banga as the next President of the World Bank Group. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Africa floods
- 2023 Emilia-Romagna floods
- Two people are killed, one is missing and several are displaced during heavy floods in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. (AP)
- Seventeen people are killed and 29 others are injured after a public bus and a truck collide with each other on a highway in New Valley Governorate, Egypt. (Reuters)
- Eight people are killed after a fire breaks out in a construction container in Brno, Czech Republic. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School shooting
- A boy kills nine people in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Belgrade, Serbia. (Reuters)
- 2023 Atlanta shooting
- One person is killed and four others are injured in a mass shooting at a medical facility in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The suspected shooter is later arrested following an 8-hour manhunt. (AP)
- Myanmar's State Administration Council pardons 2,153 political prisoners to mark Vesak Day. (ABC News) (Xinhua)
- Belarusian activist and blogger Roman Protasevich is sentenced to eight years in prison. (AFP via Barron's)
Science and technology
- Researchers announce the successful extraction of ancient DNA from a 20,000 year old elk-tooth pendant found in Denisova Cave. (Reuters)
May 4, 2023 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- 2023 Parachinar school shooting
- Seven teachers are killed in a mass shooting at a high school in Parachinar, Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Another teacher from the same school was killed on the road in a separate attack earlier in the day. (Xinhua)
- Six soldiers and three Pakistani Taliban members are killed during a gunfight in Dir Duni, North Waziristan District. (Dawn)
- 2023 Parachinar school shooting
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Business and economy
- 2021–2023 inflation surge
- The European Central Bank raises interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, the smallest increase since it began hiking rates in July. (Barron's)
Law and crime
- January 6 United States Capitol attack
- Criminal proceedings in the January 6 United States Capitol attack
- Four members of the Proud Boys are found guilty of seditious conspiracy by a jury in Washington, D.C., for their role in forcibly preventing the peaceful transfer of power from then-U.S. President Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 presidential election. (CNN)
- Criminal proceedings in the January 6 United States Capitol attack
- 4 May 2023 Serbia shootings
- Eight people are killed and 14 others are injured in a mass shooting in and around Mladenovac, Belgrade, Serbia, after an argument broke out in a school backyard. This is the second multiple killing in the city in 48 hours, occurring the day after the Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School shooting. (BBC News)
- Following a multi-state manhunt in the United States, Corey Harrison, the last of four men who escaped from a Mississippi jail last month, is taken into custody, according to authorities. Previously, two escapees were found dead in Carthage, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana, respectively, while another was captured in Texas. (CNN)
- A jury finds that Ed Sheeran's Grammy-winning song "Thinking Out Loud" did not infringe on the copyright of Marvin Gaye's song "Let's Get It On". (CNN)
May 5, 2023 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Battle of Donbas
- Battle of Bakhmut
- Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin announces that, due to a lack of ammunition, his fighters will leave Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, on May 10 and hand over their positions to units of the Russian Defense Ministry. (CBC News)
- Battle of Bakhmut
- Battle of Donbas
- Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- Five Indian soldiers are killed by People's Anti-Fascist Front militants during an encounter in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir. (The Economic Times)
Business and economy
- The Senate of Bolivia approves legislation aimed at monetizing gold reserves for international trade amid concerns of a shortage of dollars. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Ishikawa earthquake
- A magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, killing one person and injuring 22 others. (AP)
- 2023 Africa floods
- At least 176 people are killed by floods in the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- The World Health Organization announces that it no longer considers COVID-19 to be a global health emergency, instead classifying it as global health threat. (ABC News)
International relations
- Azerbaijan–Iran relations
- The Iranian government expels four Azerbaijani diplomats in response to recent expulsions of Iranian diplomats by the Azerbaijani government. (Tasnim)
Law and crime
- Capital punishment in Myanmar
- Myanmar's military junta commutes 38 death sentences to life imprisonment as part of a wider amnesty. (Al Jazeera)
- Belgian authorities arrest an Iraqi al-Qaeda member and charge him with murder, terrorism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, for his role in the killings of at least 376 people and the injuring of over 2,300 others more than a decade ago in Iraq. (AP)
May 6, 2023 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022–2023 Western Russia attacks
- Russian nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin is injured and his driver is killed when their vehicle is hit by a car bomb in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia. (BBC News)
- 2022–2023 Western Russia attacks
- 2023 Manipur violence
- At least 30 people are killed in ethnic clashes in Manipur, India, after a rally by indigenous communities against moves to grant tribal status to the main ethnic group in the state. (BBC News)
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Two Palestinian men, members of the Tul Karm Battalion, are killed during a raid by the Israeli Defense Forces in Tulkarm in the West Bank. (Haaretz)
- Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- Two People's Anti-Fascist Front militants are killed and another is injured during two raids by Indian soldiers in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, after five soldiers were killed yesterday. (AP)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Yanaquihua gold mine fire
- At least 27 people are killed after a fire breaks out in a gold mine in Yanaquihua District, Condesuyos Province, Peru. (Reuters)
- 2023 Alberta wildfires
Law and crime
- Arab separatism in Khuzestan
- Farajollah Chaab, a leader of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, is executed by hanging in Iran after being convicted of masterminding a 2018 mass shooting on a military parade in Ahvaz that killed 25 people. (AP)
- 2023 Allen, Texas outlet mall shooting
- Eight people are killed and seven injured during a mass shooting at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas, United States. The perpetrator is killed by police. (CNN)
Politics and elections
- Coronation of Charles III and Camilla
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla are crowned in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom. (The Guardian)
Science and technology
- 2023 Asia heat wave
- Vietnam records its highest ever temperature of 44.2 °C (111.56 °F) in the Tương Dương district, Nghệ An province, while Laos records its highest ever temperature of 43.5 °C (110.3 °F) in Luang Prabang amid a heat wave. (The Guardian)
Sports
- 2023 Kentucky Derby
- Mage wins the Kentucky Derby. (Reuters)
May 7, 2023 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Sudan (2023)
- Eritrea–Sudan relations
- Deportation of Eritreans from Sudan during the War in Sudan (2023)
- Eritrea is accused of the forced deportation and repatriation of 3,500 Eritreans from Sudan to Teseney and other towns near the Sudanese–Eritrean border. (The Guardian)
- Deportation of Eritreans from Sudan during the War in Sudan (2023)
- Eritrea–Sudan relations
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Africa floods
- The death toll from the 6 May floods in the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, increases to 401 people. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Tanur boat disaster
- At least 22 people are killed when a boat carrying tourists capsizes in Tanur, Malappuram, Kerala, India. (BBC News)
- At least 12 people are killed and 31 others are injured in a multi-automobile crash in Hatay Province, Turkey. (AP)
International relations
- Chile–Venezuela relations, Venezuelan migrant crisis, Chile–Peru relations
- Chile announces that 115 Venezuelan migrants were repatriated to Venezuela on a humanitarian flight, after being stranded at the border with Peru, raising tensions between Peru and Chile. (Reuters)
- The Arab League re-admits Syria as a member, after being suspended 12 years ago due to the Syrian civil war. (Al Arabiya)
Law and crime
- 2023 Brownsville crash
- Eight people are killed and nine others are injured when a driver crashes into a group of pedestrians in Brownsville, Texas, United States. (KVEO-TV)
- Capital punishment in Iraq
- A court in Baghdad, Iraq, sentences a former police officer to death for the murder of prominent academic Hisham al-Hashimi in July 2020, although the sentence can be appealed. (AFP via France 24)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Chilean Constitutional Council election
- Chileans head to the polls to elect the 50 members of the Constitutional Council. (Morning Express)
- 2023 Turkish presidential election
- Ekrem İmamoğlu is attacked during a rally in Erzurum, with the rally being interrupted due to stones thrown from the crowd. (Gazete DuvaR)
May 8, 2023 (Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2023 Manipur violence
- The death toll from the ethnic clashes in Manipur, India, between Metei Hindus and Kuki Christians, increases to 60. At least 230 others are injured. (Times Now)
- Sudanese nomadic conflicts
- Ethiopian civil conflict
- The head of the Prosperity Party in Haruka Woreda, in Ethiopia's Afar Region, is shot and killed alongside his brother by unknown gunmen while returning from the city of Adama, Oromia. It is the third assassination targeting the party's members in the past month. (Addis Standard)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Rajasthan MiG-21 crash
- Three women are killed and three others are injured when a MiG-21 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashes into a house in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan. The pilot safely ejects from the aircraft. (The Times of India)
Law and crime
May 9, 2023 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
- The Israeli Air Force begins "Operation Shield and Arrow", launching multiple airstrikes in the Gaza Strip and killing three senior Islamic Jihad Movement leaders and at least ten civilians, including four children. (The Jerusalem Post) (Reuters)
- Two Palestinians are killed in an Israeli air attack on a car in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Battle of Donbas
- French journalist Arman Soldin is killed by a Russian rocket strike in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, while working for Agence France-Presse. (Le Monde)
- Battle of Donbas
- 2023 Djerba shooting
- Five people are killed and nine more injured during a mass shooting at the El Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia. The perpetrator is shot dead. (Al Jazeera)
International relations
- Canada–China relations
- The Government of Canada expels Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei following allegations that Zhao targeted Canadian politician Michael Chong. China has denied the allegations and stated that the action would undermine bilateral relations. (CNN)
- China expels Canadian diplomat Jennifer Lynn Lalonde in a tit-for-tat decision following the expulsion of Zhao Wei. (ABC News)
- France–Russia relations
- France's National Assembly votes unanimously to designate Russian paramilitary group PMC Wagner as a terrorist organization. (Politico)
Law and crime
- First arrest of Imran Khan, 2023 Imran Khan arrest protests
- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is arrested on alleged corruption charges during a court appearance in Islamabad. (Al Jazeera)
- Nationwide protests occur in Pakistan following Imran Khan's arrest, with eight people being killed. (BBC News)
- E. Jean Carroll vs. Donald J. Trump
- A nine-member jury in Manhattan federal court finds former U.S. President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing magazine writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s, and also finds him liable for defaming her. Trump is ordered to pay Carroll $5 million. (Reuters)
May 10, 2023 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
- Israel launches an airstrike in the Gaza Strip, killing seven people, including four members of the Marxist–Leninist PFLP. In another raid, two Islamic Jihad Movement militants are killed by Israeli security forces in Qabatiya, in the West Bank. (Al Jazeera)
- Palestinian militants fire more than 260 rockets into Israel from Gaza in response to yesterday's airstrikes. Most of the rockets are intercepted by the Iron Dome. (BBC News)
- 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- Syrian civil war
- One person is killed and 30 others injured during protests against repression across Senegal. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
- Four people are injured after a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck near Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. (Kyodo News)
- 2023 Taichung crane collapse
- One passenger is killed and ten others are injured when a metro train collides with a fallen tower crane in Taichung, Taiwan. (Taiwan News)
- 2023 Africa floods
- Ten people are killed in Lubero and six more are killed at the Rubaya mines, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo during two landslides. (Al Jazeera)
International relations
- Poland–Russia relations
- The Polish Committee for Standardization adopts a resolution suggesting that all government documents relating to the Russian semi-exclave Kaliningrad Oblast use the Polish name Królewiec Oblast. The name is taken from the place's Polish name from the fourteenth century. Russia objects to the change, characterizing the move as a "hostile act". (Polish Press Agency) (The Times)
Law and crime
- Censorship in Russia
- A court in Tver Oblast, Russia, sentences a poet to four years in prison for reciting poetry critical of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (RFE/RL)
- One person is killed and nine others are injured in a mass stabbing in Tomisławice, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland. (AP)
- Mexican drug war
- Four people are killed during clashes at the Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge, on the Mexico–United States border, between police and suspected cartel members. (Mirror)
- U.S. Representative George Santos is charged with 13 counts of fraud and other financial crimes and is taken into custody. (The Washington Post)
- Hong Kong's Legislative Council passes a law requiring foreign lawyers working on national security cases to obtain prior approval from the Chief Executive. (Reuters)
May 11, 2023 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
- An Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip kills two commanders of Islamic Jihad. Additionally, the total death toll from the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza over the past two days increases to 26. A rocket is also launched from Gaza to Rehovot, killing one person and injuring five others. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Battle of Bakhmut
- Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin confirms that Ukrainian troops have recaptured parts of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast from his forces. (Reuters)
- Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- The United Kingdom's Defence Ministry confirms that it has supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow cruise missiles. (BBC News)
- Battle of Bakhmut
- Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
- Thirty-three people are killed and three more injured after gunmen open fire against vegetable farmers in Boucle du Mouhoun Region. (VOA)
Business and economy
- 2021–2023 inflation surge
- The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee raises interest rates to 4.5%, the highest level in the UK since the 2008 financial crisis. (AP)
Disasters and accidents
- Twenty-four people are injured when a temporary pedestrian bridge collapses in Espoo, Finland. (AP) (Yle)
Health and environment
- 2022–2023 mpox outbreak
- The World Health Organization says that mpox no longer constitutes a global health emergency, but that it continues to remain a threat in Africa. (France 24)
Law and crime
- 2023 Mercedes-Benz factory shooting
- Two people are killed in a shooting at a Mercedes-Benz factory in Sindelfingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The perpetrator is arrested. (AP)
- 2023 Ratingen explosion
- Twelve people are injured in an explosion at an apartment complex in Ratingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. A 57-year-old man is arrested. (AP)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Turkish presidential election
- Turkish presidential candidate Muharrem İnce withdraws three days before the election. (BBC News)
Science and technology
- Nuclear power in Canada
- The world's first micro-modular reactor is announced to be built at Chalk River Laboratories in Canada by Global First Power. (CTV News Ottawa)
May 12, 2023 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
- Israel launches an airstrike against a multi-story building in Gaza City, killing two people, including a commander of Islamic Jihad. Rockets are also fired by Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip, striking the West Bank near Jerusalem for the first time. The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Gaza increases to 31 as Egypt mediates for a ceasefire between the two sides. (BBC News)
- 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- Mali War
- Moura massacre
- A report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concludes that the Malian Armed Forces and foreign fighters massacred at least 500 people in the town of Moura, Mopti Region, in March 2022. At least 58 women and girls were also raped by the military during the operation against jihadist groups. (France 24)
- Moura massacre
- Insurgency in Balochistan
- 2023 Muslim Bagh attack
- Six soldiers and a civilian are killed, and six others are wounded, when gunmen storm a security facility in Muslim Bagh, Balochistan, Pakistan. All six attackers are killed. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Muslim Bagh attack
Business and economy
- Twitter under Elon Musk
- Elon Musk announces that he has selected NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO for X Corp., the owner of Twitter. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- A Russian Air Force helicopter crashes in Crimea, killing both pilots. (Al Arabiya)
International relations
- France–Iran relations
- Iran frees two French citizens on humanitarian grounds. (Tasnim)
Law and crime
- Aftermath of the Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School shooting and 4 May 2023 Serbia shootings
- 2023 Serbian protests
- Tens of thousands of demonstrators peacefully march in Belgrade, Serbia, protesting against President Aleksandar Vučić and blaming him for indirectly causing the two recent mass shootings in Serbia by "creating an atmosphere of hopelessness and division". (The Guardian)
- 2023 Serbian protests
- An inmate died in late April and another at the beginning of May in the prison of Augusta, Sicily, Italy, after both started a hunger strike. (Open)
- A court in the Philippines dismisses the second of three drug charges against former senator Leila de Lima in connection with accusations that de Lima benefited financially from the alleged illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison. (GMA News Online) (Al Jazeera)
Sports
- 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
- A suspension imposed in November 2022 by the International Paralympic Committee on athletes from Belarus and Russia is overturned. However, athletes will continue to be banned from world championship events. (BBC News)
Other
- The videogame The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has now been released to the public by Nintendo
May 13, 2023 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
- Airstrikes on the Gaza Strip destroy two neighborhoods. Meanwhile, a Palestinian worker is killed and another is injured by rocket shrapnel in the Negev. (Al Jazeera)
- Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman Dawoud Shehab announces that the group accepted a ceasefire agreement mediated by Egypt, while the IDF says they will tentatively support it. (Al Jazeera)
- Israeli soldiers storm a refugee camp in Nablus, West Bank, killing two people and injuring three others. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022–2023 Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Russia launches cruise missiles at the city of Ternopil in Western Ukraine, injuring two civilians. (BBC News)
- Two Russian Mi-8 helicopters and two fighter jets, an Su-34 and an Su-35, are reportedly shot down in Bryansk Oblast. (Reuters via MSN)
- 2022–2023 Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- War in Sudan (2023)
- 2023 Sudanese refugee crisis
- Ethiopia reports large numbers of Sudanese refugees entering its territory, mainly in the city of Metemma, where nearly 20,000 Sudanese are reported to have entered in a single day. (Addis Standard)
- 2023 Sudanese refugee crisis
Arts and culture
- Eurovision Song Contest 2023
- Loreen, representing Sweden, wins the Grand Final in Liverpool, United Kingdom, with the song "Tattoo". It is Sweden's 7th win, and Loreen's 2nd, making her the first woman to win the contest more than once. (The Guardian)
International relations
- Russia–South Africa relations, South Africa–United States relations
- Lady R incident
- South Africa says that it maintains a neutral and non-aligned stance in regards to the Russo-Ukrainian War after U.S. ambassador Reuben Brigety accused South Africa of loading a sanctioned Russian ship with weapons in December 2022, causing a diplomatic crisis between the United States and South Africa. (Reuters)
- Lady R incident
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Pope Francis during a private audience in the Vatican. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- 2023 French Polynesian legislative election
- Moetai Brotherson of the pro-independence Tāvini Huiraʻatira party is elected President of French Polynesia by the Assembly. (RNZ)
- 2023 Mauritanian parliamentary election
- Mauritanians head to the polls to elect the 176 members of the National Assembly. (Newscentral Africa)
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is reportedly hospitalised at the Presidential Clinic in Drazdy, amidst non-attendance at public appearances and apparent ill health during the 2023 Moscow Victory Day Parade. (Ukrainska Pravda)
May 14, 2023 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Battle of Donbas
- The Russian Ministry of Defence announces the deaths of two of their commanders in Bakhmut and the village of Sontsivka west of Donetsk. (Novaya Gazeta Europe)
- Battle of Donbas
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Bangladesh and Myanmar order massive evacuations as Cyclone Mocha makes landfall in both countries' coastal areas. Six people are killed in Myanmar, with about 90% of the city of Sittwe being destroyed. (BBC News)
- At least 26 people are killed when a van crashes into a truck in Tamaulipas, Mexico. (AP)
International relations
Politics and elections
- 2023 Turkish presidential election, 2023 Turkish parliamentary election
- Turks head to the polls to elect a president for a term of five years as well as the members of the Grand National Assembly. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Thai general election
- Thais head to the polls to elect the members of the House of Representatives. (Los Angeles Times)
- Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko addresses the nation on the anniversary of the 1995 Belarusian referendum, one day after it was reported that President Alexander Lukashenko had been hospitalised. (BBC News)
May 15, 2023 (Monday)
Business and economy
- American-Canadian mass media company Vice Media files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (Reuters) (BBC News)
Disasters and accidents
- One person is killed and 59 others are injured when a bus and a truck collide on the D2 motorway in Slovakia. (AP)
- One person is killed and two others are injured after a fire breaks out in a refinery in Texas City, Texas, United States. (Reuters)
International relations
- 2023 visit by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Europe
- Moldova announces that it will initiate a procedure to withdraw from the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. (Anadolu Agency)
Law and crime
- China–United States relations
- Capital punishment in Malaysia
- The government of Malaysia announces that it will introduce a bill to decriminalize the possession and use of small quantities of illicit drugs after ending the mandatory imposition of a death sentence for drug trafficking earlier this year. (Reuters)
- 2023 Farmington, New Mexico shooting
- Three civilians are killed and two police officers are injured in a mass shooting in Farmington, New Mexico, United States. The shooter is killed by police. (CNN)
May 16, 2023 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022–2023 Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- More than a dozen explosions are reported in Kyiv as Russia launches a missile barrage at the capital and other Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian forces say that they have shot down six Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. (Financial Times) (Reuters)
- The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that it destroyed a Patriot air defense system in Kyiv. However a United States official says that the system was likely damaged but not destroyed. (CNN)
- 2022–2023 Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria
- 2023 Mangu violence
- At least 80 people are killed by armed attackers during a shooting spree on several villages in Plateau State, Nigeria. (AP)
- 2023 Mangu violence
- Nine people are arrested after an alleged Iranian-backed coup d'état plot is uncovered in Azerbaijan. (Barron's)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- The death toll from Cyclone Mocha's landfall in Myanmar, increases to 81 people. The majority of casualties and damage occurred in the Rakhine State. (CNA)
- Wellington hostel fire
- Six people are killed and eleven others are reported missing in a fire at a hostel in Wellington, New Zealand. (NZ Herald)
International relations
- Ukraine–NATO relations
- Ukraine officially joins NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. (Ukrainska Pravda)
Law and crime
- LGBT rights in Namibia
- The Supreme Court of Namibia recognises foreign same-sex marriages between citizens. However, homosexual acts remain illegal in Namibia under a rarely enforced colonial-era law from 1927. (AFP via Macau Business)
- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa signs a law legalizing euthanasia. (AFP via The Straits Times) (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Politics and elections
- The impeachment trial against Ecuadorian president Guillermo Lasso begins, with Lasso attending in person for his defense. (AP)
Science and technology
- Meta Platforms begins introducing paid verification on Facebook and Instagram for users in the United Kingdom. (BBC News)
May 17, 2023 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Southern Ukraine campaign
- Russian forces shell Ukrainian-held areas of Kherson Oblast, killing at least five civilians, including a child, while 17 others are reportedly injured. (BBC News)
- Southern Ukraine campaign
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Emilia-Romagna floods
- Eight people are killed in Forlì–Cesena, Ravenna and Bologna, and 20,000 are evacuated during heavy floods in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Twenty-three rivers have overflowed their banks across the region. (AP)
- The 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which was scheduled to be held at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola from May 19–21, is cancelled because of the floods. (BBC News)
- Lu Peng Yuan Yu sinking
- The Chinese government reports that the fishing vessel Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028 capsized in the central Indian Ocean on Tuesday. China and other countries are conducting search operations for 39 sailors, including Chinese, Indonesian, and Filipino nationals. (AP via NBC News) (DW)
Health and environment
- According to the World Meteorological Organization, the global temperature will temporarily pass the threshold of 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels, with a likelihood of 66%, by the year 2027, due to a combination of climate change and El Niño. (BBC News)
International relations
- France–Ukraine relations
- The French Senate votes to recognize the 1932 Holodomor famine as a "genocide" of Ukrainians. (Interfax) (Al Jazeera)
- Iran–Russia relations
- Russian president Vladimir Putin signs an investment program deal that will make an investment of 1.6 billion euros in Iranian railroad projects, which are expected to begin operation within 48 months. (Tasnim)
Law and crime
- Censorship of TikTok, Restrictions on TikTok in the United States
- Montana Assembly Bill 419
- Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signs a bill banning TikTok, making Montana the first U.S. state to ban the Chinese-owned social media app. (Reuters)
- Montana Assembly Bill 419
- Capital punishment in Thailand
- A court in Thailand sentences the former mayor of Wang Wiset district to death for the murder of an activist in May 2021. The hitman received a sentence of life imprisonment. (The Thaiger)
- Siege of Nueva Concepción
- Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele deploys 5,000 soldiers and 500 police officers to the northwestern town of Nueva Concepción in order to arrest suspects in connection with the killing of a policeman on Tuesday. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Ecuadorian political crisis
- Amid ongoing impeachment proceedings, Ecuadorian president Guillermo Lasso uses the muerte cruzada provision of the Constitution to dissolve the National Assembly. Fresh presidential and legislative elections will be held within 97 days, during which time Lasso will be able to rule by decree. (BBC News)
May 18, 2023 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Kivu conflict
- Four people are killed and six others are injured in an armed ambush on a convoy near the village of Kivandya, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Emilia-Romagna floods
- The death toll from the floods in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, increases to thirteen, as five more people are killed in Ravenna. (Il Fatto Quotidiano)
- A five-alarm fire in SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, engulfs and collapses two large buildings under construction, killing two construction workers. Emergency personnel rescue fifteen other workers, one of whom is later hospitalized. (The Charlotte Observer)
- Eleven people are killed in Guangxi, China, when a vehicle carrying 14 passengers falls off a cliff into a pool of water. (Al Arabiya)
Law and crime
- 2017 New York City truck attack
- Sayfullo Saipov is given ten life sentences and an additional 260 years in prison for killing eight people and injuring 12 others in a 2017 vehicle-ramming attack in New York City, United States. (BBC News)
May 19, 2023 (Friday)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- The death toll from Cyclone Mocha's landfall in Myanmar increases to 463 people. (BBC News)
- A 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, causing tsunami warnings in Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and other countries in the South Pacific, and generating a 60 cm (2.0 ft) tsunami in Lenakel, Vanuatu. (The Guardian) (ABC News)
Health and environment
- The United States confirms a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, in a slaughter plant in South Carolina. (Reuters)
International relations
- Foreign relations of Syria, 2023 Arab League summit, Sanctions against Syria
- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to attend an Arab League summit, the first since Syria was readmitted following a 12-year suspension due to the civil war. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- Mahsa Amini protests, Capital punishment in Iran
- Three men are executed in Iran for killing three security officials during protests in Isfahan in November and for links to the MEK Shia terrorist organization. Western human rights organizations say that the convictions were based on forced confessions. (Al Jazeera)
- Criticism of Greenpeace
- The Prosecutor General's Office of Russia announces that Greenpeace is now considered an undesirable organization. In response, Greenpeace Russia announces that it will close all of its offices. (The Moscow Times)
- Zimbabwe releases over 4,000 prisoners to address prison overcrowding. The country, with a maximum prison capacity of 17,000 inmates, currently has more than 20,000 people in prison. (AP)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Ecuadorian political crisis
- Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso says he will not run in the upcoming election. (The Washington Post)
May 20, 2023 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Battle of Bakhmut
- Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin says that they have captured all of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast. The Ukrainian Defence Ministry rejects this claim, saying that its forces still control a district on the westernmost edge of the city. (CNN)
- Pope Francis appoints Italian Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi as the Vatican's special envoy and peace envoy for the Russo-Ukrainian war. (Tagesschau)
- Battle of Bakhmut
- War in Sudan (2023)
- Battle of Khartoum
- Fighting in Khartoum between rival factions intensifies, with damage reported at the embassy of Qatar. (AFP via France 24)
- Battle of Khartoum
Disasters and accidents
- San Salvador crowd crush
- At least twelve people are killed and dozens more are injured in a crowd crush at the Estadio Cuscatlán football stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador. (BBC News)
Law and crime
- Mexican drug war
- Ensenada shootout
- Gunmen open fire during a car racing show in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, killing ten people and injuring nine others. (Reuters)
- Ensenada shootout
Sports
- 2022–23 Premier League
- Manchester City win their third consecutive Premier League title after title contenders Arsenal lose 1–0 to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. (BBC Sport)
- 2023 Preakness Stakes
- The 2023 Preakness Stakes is won by National Treasure, who was trained by Bob Baffert, who had returned after a two-year absence caused by a suspension due to Medina Spirit's disqualification and subsequent death in 2021. The 2023 Kentucky Derby winner, Mage, finishes third. (WGAU-FM)
May 21, 2023 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Sistan and Baluchestan insurgency
- Five Iranian border guards are killed and two others are injured in Saravan, Sistan and Baluchestan province, during a confrontation with an armed group at the border with Pakistan. (AP)
Disasters and accidents
- Two people are killed when an MD-530 helicopter crashes into power lines in Samangan Province, Afghanistan. (AP)
- Two pilots are killed when a private DHC-6 Twin Otter crashes 54 kilometres (34 mi) off the coast of California, United States. The NTSB is investigating the accident. (KTVU-TV) (San Francisco Chronicle)
- A massive fire damages the Manila Central Post Office in Manila, Philippines. (CNN Philippines) (Rappler)
Law and crime
- Three people are killed in a shooting in the 11th arrondissement of Marseille, France. The suspects are still at large. (BFMTV)
- Members of the Last Generation activist group pour charcoal into the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy, turning the water black. (The Guardian)
- Tajikistan announces the repatriation from Syria of 104 partners and children of jihadists. (i24NEWS)
Politics and elections
- 2023 East Timorese parliamentary election
- Citizens in East Timor head to the polls to elect the 65 members of the National Parliament. (Reuters)
- May 2023 Greek legislative election
- Greeks head to the polls to elect the 300 members of parliament. (AP)
- Moldovan protests
- More than 75,000 people gather in Chișinău to demonstrate in favor of Moldova joining the EU, following a call for a rally by President Maia Sandu in order to outdo anti-government and pro-Russian demonstrations organized by the opposition. (Al Jazeera)
May 22, 2023 (Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022–2023 Western Russia attacks
- 2023 Belgorod Oblast attack
- Governor of Belgorod Oblast Vyacheslav Gladkov says that Ukrainian "sabotage groups" have entered Grayvoronsky District. Ukrainian media reports that the cross-border excursion is being performed by the Russian rebel opposition groups, the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion. The Freedom of Russia Legion reports that it has captured the Russian towns of Kozinka and Gora-Podol. A bridge crossing the Vorskla near Grayvoron is destroyed in an explosion. (The New York Times) (Ukrainska Pravda via Yahoo! News) (Meduza) (Reuters)
- 2023 Belgorod Oblast attack
- 2022–2023 Western Russia attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Israeli security forces kill three Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militants and injure six others during a raid in Nablus, West Bank. (ABC News)
Business and economy
- The Irish Data Protection Commissioner fines Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, a record €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) for violating General Data Protection Regulations protections. (ABC News)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Mahdia school fire
- At least 19 children are killed in a fire at a secondary school in Mahdia, Guyana. (BBC News)
- Six people are killed and seven others are injured in a fire at a house in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP)
- Seventeen people are injured by a magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Sarab, East Azerbaijan, Iran. (Kuwait Times)
- Seven people are killed and 18 others are injured after a roof collapses at a school during a storm in Phichit province, Thailand. (AP)
Health and environment
- 2020–2023 H5N1 outbreak
- Brazil declares an animal health emergency for the next 180 days after the detection of the influenza A virus subtype H5N1 for the first time in the country. (Reuters)
International relations
- Papua New Guinea–United States relations
- Papua New Guinea and the United States sign a security pact that will see American troops stationed in the country. (RNZ)
- Palau–United States relations
- Palau and the United States sign an agreement to renew the countries' Compact of Free Association for an additional 20 years. (Island Times)
Law and crime
- 2023 Lafayette Square U-Haul crash
- A U-Haul truck crashes into the north barriers of the Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., United States. (CBS News)
- Belarusian democracy activist Roman Protasevich is pardoned by president Alexander Lukashenko and released from custody. Protasevich had been sentenced to eight years in prison on May 3. (Al Jazeera)
May 23, 2023 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Kurdish–Turkish conflict
- Three Sinjar Resistance Units militants are killed by a Turkish drone strike in Sinjar District, Iraq. (Reuters)
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Mawar officially strengthens into a category 4 super typhoon as it approaches the US territory of Guam. (CNN)
- Nine people are injured in a fire caused by an explosion in Eshtehard, Alborz province, Iran. (Reuters)
Health and environment
Law and crime
- 2023 Cardiff riot
- Rioting occurs in Ely, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, after two teenage boys were killed when their e-bike collided with a bus as they were being pursued by police. (BBC News)
May 24, 2023 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- Japan announces that it will donate 100 military vehicles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. (ABC News)
- Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- 2023 North Waziristan suicide bombing
- Four people are killed and several others are injured by a suicide car bombing at a checkpoint in North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (AP)
- 2023 North Waziristan suicide bombing
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Pacific typhoon season
- People in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are told to seek refuge as Typhoon Mawar approaches with winds reaching 282 km/h (175mph). (RNZ)
- The historic Cotton Tree, a large Ceiba pentandra, is felled during a rainstorm in Freetown, Sierra Leone. President Julius Maada Bio calls the destruction of the iconic tree a "great loss to the nation". (Reuters)
International relations
- Canada–Saudi Arabia relations
- Canada and Saudi Arabia agree to restore full diplomatic relations and to appoint new ambassadors for the first time since a breakdown in relations in 2018 over the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries
- Ron DeSantis 2024 presidential campaign
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announces his campaign for the 2024 United States presidential election. (Reuters) (AP)
- Ron DeSantis 2024 presidential campaign
Science and technology
- In a medical first, a paralyzed man is able to walk naturally through the use of electronic brain implants implanted by Swiss scientists. (BBC News)
May 25, 2023 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Battle of Bakhmut
- Wagner Group forces begin withdrawing from Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, transferring control over to the Russian Ground Forces. (BBC News)
- Battle of Bakhmut
Business and economy
- 2021–2023 inflation surge
- The German economy enters a recession for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic amid high levels of inflation. (BBC News)
- Modern immigration to the United Kingdom
- Net migration to the United Kingdom reaches a record of 606,000, mostly due to non-EU arrivals, according to the Office for National Statistics. In response, Minister of State for Immigration Robert Jenrick reaffirmed the governments commitment "to reducing overall net migration to sustainable levels". (Sky News)
International relations
- Belarus–Russia relations
- Russian military presence in Belarus
- Russia and Belarus sign an agreement in Minsk allowing the stationing of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says that the weapons are already being transferred to Belarus. (Reuters)
- Russian military presence in Belarus
- Afghanistan–Iran relations, Recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says that Iran does not recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan due to the lack of an inclusive government as well as recent tensions between Iran and the Taliban over border incidents and a dispute over the Helmand River. (Xinhua)
Law and crime
- Aftermath of the January 6 United States Capitol attack
- Criminal proceedings in the January 6 United States Capitol attack
- Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the 2021 attacks on the Capitol. (CNN)
- Criminal proceedings in the January 6 United States Capitol attack
- 2023 Nagano attack
- A man kills four people in a shooting and stabbing attack in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. (BBC News)
- The Supreme Court of Russia orders the liquidation of the People's Freedom Party, the oldest opposition party in the country. (The Moscow Times)
- Police in South Africa arrest Fulgence Kayishema, who was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 2001 for his involvement in the Rwandan genocide. (Al Jazeera)
- Police arrest a man after he crashed his car into the gates outside Downing Street in London, which houses the official residences and offices of the prime minister Rishi Sunak. (BBC News)
Science and technology
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves Neuralink's first-in-human clinical study of brain implants to treat conditions such as paralysis and blindness. (Reuters)
- A potent new antibiotic, abaucin, capable of killing Acinetobacter baumannii (one of three superbugs the World Health Organization has identified as a "critical threat" to humanity), is created using artificial intelligence. (BBC News)
May 26, 2023 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022–2023 Dnipro missile strikes
- A Russian missile strike on Dnipro damages a medical facility, killing two people and injuring 23 others. (Ukrainska Pravda) (The Guardian)
- 2022–2023 Dnipro missile strikes
- Somali Civil War
- Fifty-four Ugandan soldiers are killed after Al-Shabaab gunmen storm an AMISOM base in Bulomarer. (Al Jazeera)
- Allied Democratic Forces insurgency, Kivu conflict
- Seventeen civilians are killed by Allied Democratic Forces members in Beni, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AP)
- Mali War
- Germany's Bundestag votes 375–263, with one abstention, to approve the Bundeswehr's deployment in Mali as part of the UN's MINUSMA peacekeeping mission until May 31, 2024. (DW)
International relations
- Foreign nationals detained in Iran
- The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs swaps Asadollah Asadi for Belgian prisoner Olivier Vandecasteele. (CNN)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Guatemalan general election
- The Constitutional Court of Guatemala blocks the candidacy of frontrunner Carlos Pineda in the 2023 Guatemalan general election due to alleged violations of electoral law. (AP)
May 27, 2023 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022–2023 Western Russia attacks
- Russian authorities say that shelling has killed a person in Shebekino, Belgorod Oblast and Kursk, Kursk Oblast, respectively. Russia accuses Ukraine of the attacks, although Ukraine denies any involvement. (AFP via The Moscow Times)
- 2022–2023 Western Russia attacks
- Afghanistan–Iran relations
- 2023 Afghanistan–Iran clash
- Two Iranian border guards and a Taliban member are killed during a sbootout along the Afghanistan–Iran border. (Reuters)
- 2023 Afghanistan–Iran clash
- Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
- About 40 people, mainly VDP members, are killed during two attacks by gunmen in the Boucle du Mouhoun Region. (Africa News)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Astore avalanche
- Eleven people are killed and 25 more injured when a nomadic tribe is hit by an avalanche in the Astore District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. (AP)
Health and environment
- 2023 Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever outbreak
- The Afghanistan health department reports two deaths from Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever. (Tolo News)
Law and crime
- Police in the Netherlands announce the arrest of 1,500 Extinction Rebellion protesters, including actress Carice van Houten, after protesters blocked a section of the A12 motorway near The Hague. (BBC News)
- The Texas House of Representatives votes 121–23 to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton on 20 counts. (AP)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Mauritanian parliamentary election
- Mauritanians head to the polls to vote in the second round of the parliamentary election. (New Arab)
May 28, 2023 (Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Two people are killed and three others are injured in a "record drone attack" on Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities say they have shot down 52 of 54 drones. (Euronews)
- Kivu conflict
- Two rangers are killed in a shooting at Virunga National Park in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters)
- 2023 Manipur violence
Arts and culture
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates a new parliament building capable of holding 1,272 MPs. The ceremony is boycotted by the opposition for not asking President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate it and for selecting the birthday of Hindutva founder Vinayak Damodar Savarkar as the inauguration date, while Delhi Police detain wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik for protesting the sexual abuse of female athletes at the ceremony. (BBC News)
Business and economy
- The Comac C919, China's first domestically-built passenger jet, completes its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing by China Eastern Airlines. (AP)
Disasters and accidents
- Three people are injured in Battagram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, when a magnitude 5.2 earthquake strikes Badakshan, Afghanistan. (Dawn)
- Lake Maggiore boat incident
- Four people are killed and five others injured when a boat capsizes amid bad weather on Lake Maggiore in Lombardy, Italy. (BBC News)
- Buildings and roads are damaged across Melbourne by a magnitude 4.0 earthquake in Victoria, Australia. (AFR)
- An apartment building partially collapses in Davenport, Iowa, United States, killing three people. (Associated Press)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Turkish presidential election
- Citizens in Turkey head to the polls to vote in the second round of the presidential election. (AP)
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is declared the winner by the Supreme Election Council, defeating his opponent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu with 52 percent of the vote. (Tagesschau)
- Politics of Spain
- Local and regional elections are held in Spain. (El País)
- Politics of Somalia
- Somalia announces that beginning next year, the country will change to a presidential system and elect officials by direct vote, ending more than three decades of indirect voting where lawmakers elected the country's leaders with the approval of clan and elderly leaders. (Reuters)
Sports
- 2023 Indianapolis 500
- Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden wins the 107th Indianapolis 500. (CNN)
May 29, 2023 (Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022–2023 Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Russian forces strike Kyiv using Iskander ballistic and cruise missiles, with debris injuring one civilian and damaging infrastructure. Ukraine claims to have shot down all of the missiles. (AP via Los Angeles Times)
- Battle of Donbas
- Russian airstrikes on Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast, target a petrol station and a multi-storey building, killing two people and injuring eight others. (Reuters)
- 2022–2023 Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Syrian civil war
- Northwestern Syria clashes
- Commander-in-chief of the Russian special forces in Syria, Colonel Oleg Pechevisty, is killed by an HTS artillery strike on a military post in Latakia Province. (SOHR) (Enab Baladi)
- Northwestern Syria clashes
- 2022–2023 North Kosovo crisis
- Twenty-five peacekeepers of the NATO-led KFOR are injured after clashes with ethnic Serbs in North Kosovo over the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić places the Serbian Armed Forces on the highest level of combat alert in response to the clashes. (BBC News) (AP)
Disasters and accidents
- One person is killed and four others are missing after a chartered boat sinks near Sitka, Alaska, United States. (AP)
International relations
- United States and the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russia–United States relations
- The Russian Interior Ministry issues an arrest warrant for United States Senator Lindsey Graham over comments Graham made about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters)
- Russia–United States relations
Law and crime
- Capital punishment for homosexuality, Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023
- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signs the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law which introduces the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality" and a sentence of 20 years in prison for the "promotion of homosexuality". (Reuters)
- Nine people are injured after a shooting on a beach in Hollywood, Florida, United States. (AP)
Politics and elections
- The Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan, unexpectedly announces his intention to resign by the end of the week, citing exhaustion after the COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia. (ABC)
- Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, calls for snap elections after the defeat of his party in the Local and regional elections. (El País)
May 30, 2023 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 30 May 2023 Moscow drone strikes
- Russian authorities say they have intercepted eight drones over Moscow. (BBC News)
- A Russian drone attack on Kyiv results in the death of a civilian and injures several others. (The New York Times)
- 30 May 2023 Moscow drone strikes
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- An Israeli settler is shot and killed near Hermesh, West Bank by Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade gunmen. (AP)
- Boko Haram insurgency
- Eight people are killed when Boko Haram gunmen attack the towns of Mora and Zigage, Far North, Cameroon. (AP)
Business and economy
Disasters and accidents
- Three people are killed in a fire at a paper warehouse in Odintsovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia. (Reuters)
- Three people are killed in a fire at a hospital in Mödling, Lower Austria, Austria. (AP)
- Ten Vaishno Devi pilgrims are killed and 57 others are injured when their bus falls from a bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, India. (The Tribune)
Law and crime
- Salvadoran gang crackdown
- Former President of El Salvador Mauricio Funes is sentenced to 14 years in prison for making deals with gangs in El Salvador to start the 2012–2014 Salvadoran gang truce. (AP)
Royalty
- Princess Eugenie of the United Kingdom gives birth to a baby boy named Ernest George Ronnie, who was named after "his great-great-great grandfather George, his grandpa George and my grandpa Ronald". (BBC News)
Science and Technology
- Discoveries of exoplanets
- Indian scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory discover TOI 4603b, an exoplanet with a mass that is 13 times that of Jupiter. (The Hindu)
May 31, 2023 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Southern Ukraine campaign
- Russia says that it destroyed the Ukrainian Navy warship Yuri Olefirenko at the Port of Odesa in a missile strike on May 29. (Reuters)
- 2022–2023 Western Russia attacks
- Russian authorities say that a Ukrainian drone strike has caused a fire at an oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, and also caused damage in Shebekino, Belgorod Oblast. (Reuters)
- Battle of Donbas
- According to Russian authorities, five people are killed and 19 others are injured by Ukrainian shelling in Karpaty, in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast. (US News)
- Southern Ukraine campaign
- Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
- About 100 gunmen ambush a military escort of a food convoy in Tibou, killing two civilians. At least 50 of the attackers are killed in the ensuing gunfight with soldiers. (Africa News)
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Five members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command are killed and ten others are injured in an explosion at a base in Qusaya, Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon. The PFLP accuses the Israel Defense Forces of responsibility. (Al Jazeera)
- 2022–2023 North Kosovo crisis
- NATO deploys a further 700 troops to North Kosovo to reinforce its KFOR peacekeeping mission amid clashes with Kosovo Serb protesters over the election and installation of ethnic Albanian mayors in several Serb-majority towns following a Serbian election boycott. (Reuters)
Arts and culture
- The tapes for a long lost, unreleased John Coltrane live album with Eric Dolphy are found at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. (The Guardian)
- Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon announces their departure from Eat Bulaga! and TAPE Inc. that produced for nearly 44 years in the Philippines. (ABS-CBN News)
Disasters and accidents
- Cannich wildfire
- A wildfire which had been burning for four days in the Scottish Highlands is brought under control after affecting about 30 sq mi (78 km2) of land, making it the largest ever recorded in the United Kingdom. (BBC News)
- A magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes Kachin State, Myanmar, with damage reported. (Fresherslive)
International relations
- The United Arab Emirates confirms that it has withdrawn from the United States Navy-led Combined Task Force 150 mission in the Persian Gulf amid recent seizures of oil tankers by Iran. (Reuters)
Law and crime
- 2023 Bournemouth beach incident
- Two people die and eight others are injured during an incident at a beach in Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom. A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, according to Dorset Police. (BBC News)
- The Kyrgyzstan Prosecutor-General's Office calls for lawmakers to allow the prosecution of United Kyrgyzstan opposition leader Adakhan Madumarov for alleged attempts to seize power. (RFE/RL)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum
- The Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 bill passes the Australian House of Representatives, thereby allowing for a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament later this year. (ABC News Australia)
- 2023 Latvian presidential election
- Edgars Rinkēvičs is elected the 11th President of Latvia. (LSM)
Science and technology
- Discoveries of exoplanets
- In a news release published by NASA, it is revealed that the James Webb Space Telescope has discovered traces of water on the exoplanet WASP-18b, which has a mass equal to 10 Jupiters. (CBS News)
- The launch of the North Korean spy satellite Malligyong-1 ends in failure due to a malfunction of the second stage of the rocket, causing the satellite to crash into the sea. An emergency evacuation alert was erroneously sent to residents of Seoul, South Korea, after the rocket launch, which also triggered air raid sirens in the city. (AP) (Financial Times)
Sports
- 2022–23 UEFA Europa League
- In association football, Sevilla win a record-extending seventh UEFA Europa League title after defeating A.S. Roma 4–1 on penalties following a 1–1 draw after extra time in the 2023 UEFA Europa League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. (The Guardian)
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2023 events and developments by topic
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