Portal:Current events/2013 May 15

May 15, 2013 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):
- Gunmen using silenced weapons attack at least nine alcohol stores in western Baghdad, killing twelve people. (Al Jazeera)
- Thirty-five people, including three police officers, are killed in bomb attacks in Shi'ite sections of Baghdad and parts of northern Iraq. (Reuters)
Syrian civil war:
- Rebel fighters launch a massive assault on a prison in Syria's northern city of Aleppo. (BBC)
A rebel attack on army positions in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo town of Beni leaves at least 31 people dead, including 23 Mai Mai and three FARDC troops. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

American graphic designer Richard Swanson dies after being struck by a pickup truck in Oregon while attempting to dribble a soccer ball all the way to Brazil to raise money for charity. (AP via National Public Radio)
The 2013 Cannes Film Festival opens with a showing of The Great Gatsby. (Guardian)
Plans for a £200m fifteen year expansion of Britain's Pinewood Studios are turned down by the local authority that oversees the area where the studios are situated. (BBC)

Business and economy

A man who found what he believes to be the secret recipe for Coca-Cola at an estate sale sells the instructions on eBay for $15 million. (Time)(EBAY)
The Eurozone records its sixth straight quarter of recession with France, Italy and Spain all recording negative growth and Germany growing weakly. (BBC)(News Limited)
The Bank of England upgrades its forecast for the UK economy, and says that inflation will fall faster than previously predicted. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Authorities in Myanmar and Bangladesh prepare for the arrival of Cyclone Mahasen, which has already killed at least seven people and displaced nearly 4,000 in Sri Lanka. (Reuters)
A tornado hits Granbury, Texas, United States, killing several people and injuring at least 100. (CNN)

Law and crime

The jury in the U.S. state of Arizona that convicted Jodi Arias of first-degree murder last week quickly decide that she should either face the death penalty or life in prison without parole during the penalty phase of trial. (NBC)
According to the U.S. ATF, no evidence has yet been found that a bomb blast was responsible for the April West Fertilizer Company explosion that killed fifteen people in West, Texas. (NBC)

International relations

China, India, and four other nations join the Arctic Council with observer status. (The New York Times)
The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning the Syrian government for human rights violations. (AlJazeera)

Politics and elections

Steven Miller, the acting commissioner of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, resigns amidst pressure from the fallout surrounding the agency's targeting of Tea Party groups. (Los Angeles Times)
In the United Kingdom House of Commons, an amendment to last Wednesday's Queen's Speech expressing regret that it did not contain legislation for a referendum on EU membership is defeated 277–131. (BBC)

Science and technology

In a study published in Nature, University of Oregon researchers describe the first creation of human embryonic stem cells by cloning. (Nature)
NASA's Kepler telescope suffers a critical hardware failure, possibly putting an end to its planet hunting mission. (Discovery News)
New fossils provide evidence on the evolutionary split between apes and monkeys. (Design & Trend)
New evidence suggests that Mount Everest's glaciers are melting. (NBC News)
Scientists release pictures of what they believe the lost city of la Ciudad Blanca in La Mosquitia, Honduras.(NBC News)
A new study finds that the white blood cell levels in men decrease faster during aging than in women, possibly providing one clue as to why women have longer average lifespans. (Telegraph)

Sports

The NBA's Board of Governors votes against allowing the Sacramento Kings basketball franchise to move to Seattle. (ABC News)
In horse racing, Orb draws the rail for the Preakness Stakes. (ABC News)
In association football, Chelsea wins the UEFA Europa League after beating Benfica 2–1. (BBC)