Portal:Current events/2026 May 13

May 13, 2026 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
  - 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
    - Chinese supertanker Yuan Hua Hu, 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. (Jerusalem Post)
    - Four other vessels from China cross the Strait of Hormuz within the past 24 hours, including vehicle carrier Xian Jiang Kou and oil chemical tanker Starway. (AA)
- 2026 Lebanon war
  - At least 22 people, including eight children, are killed by Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon. (AFP via RTÉ)
- Gaza war
  - ACLED reports that April was the deadliest month in Gaza this year, with more than 120 reported fatalities related to Israeli violence. (Reuters)
Russo-Ukrainian war
- Russian attacks on civilians in the Russo-Ukrainian war
  - Nine people are killed and at least 28 others are injured in the latest Russian drone strikes across Ukraine. (BBC News)
Sudanese civil war
- Darfur campaign
  - At least two people are killed and several others are injured in a drone strike by the Sudanese Armed Forces in El Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan. (Sudan Tribune)
Insurgency in Balochistan
- Clashes between Pakistani forces and the Balochistan Liberation Army in Balochistan, Pakistan, kill five soldiers, including an army major, and seven insurgents. (AP)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war
- 2026 Iran war fuel crisis
  - 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. (AA)
Merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines
- 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. (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. (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. (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. (WDAY)

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. (Reuters)
Four people are killed in a two-story house fire in North Jakarta, Indonesia. (Xinhua)

International relations

2026 Cuban crisis, Cuba–United States 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. (AFP via Arab News)
Ghana–South Africa relations, Xenophobia in South Africa
- Ghanaian foreign minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announces plans to evacuate about 300 citizens from South Africa following attacks targeting sub-Saharan African migrants. (Reuters)

Law and crime

International Criminal Court investigation in the Philippines
- 2026 Philippine Senate lockdown
  - 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. (AFP via The Peninsula) (Reuters)
Murder of Eric Richins
- A U.S. court sentences author Kouri Richins to life imprisonment without parole after convicting her of murdering her husband with fentanyl in 2022. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
Trial of Alex Murdaugh
- The South Carolina Supreme Court overturns the sentence of Alex Murdaugh, convicted in 2023 for the 2021 double homicide of his wife and son, citing jury interference by a court clerk. Motions are made for a new trial. (NYT)
Sussex Police say they have recovered the bodies of three women off a beach in Brighton, England, and are working to identify the women. (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. (AP)

Politics and elections

Constitutional crisis in Somalia, 2026 Somali presidential election
- Controversies of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
  - 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. (Garowe Online) (Somali Guardian)
2026 Niuean general election
- Niuean prime minister Dalton Tagelagi is re-elected for a third term in office following a vote of 11–9. (Pacific Media Network)
2026 State Opening of Parliament
- King Charles III makes the speech from the House of Lords opening the new UK parliamentary session. (BBC News) (NBC News)
Alberta separatism
- A Canadian judge rules that Elections Alberta improperly approved a petition seeking a referendum on provincial independence without consulting Indigenous groups. (AFP via The Manila Times)
Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
- 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. (Bloomberg) (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. (Reuters)
In the Central African Republic, the Government of Prime Minister Félix Moloua resigns. (Koaci)