Portal:Current events/2026 May 17

May 17, 2026 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
  - United Arab Emirates in the 2026 Iran war
    - The United Arab Emirates reports a drone strike has targeted the Barakah nuclear power plant in the Al Dhafra region, causing a fire. No injuries or radiation have been reported. (ABC News) (Reuters)
    - The UAE Defense Ministry says that the country has intercepted three drones, including the one that targeted the Barakah nuclear power plant in Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi. (Gulf News)
  - 2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
    - The United States reportedly issues 5 conditions for a deal with Iran, including allowing only one nuclear facility in Iran to be operational. (Middle East Monitor)
  - 2026 Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia
    - Saudi Arabia intercepts three drones launched from Iraq. (Al Jazeera)
- 2026 Lebanon war
  - Israeli airstrikes kill at least eight people across Jwaya, Tayr Debba, and Tayr Felsay in Lebanon. (Al Jazeera) (Al Jazeera)
  - An Israeli missile strike on an apartment near Baalbek kills a commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and his daughter. (AFP via Arab News)
- Gaza war
  - Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip kill five people, including three community kitchen workers, in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah. (Reuters)
Mali War
- 2026 Mali offensives
  - Drone strikes by the Malian military in Tene, San Cercle, Mali, kill at least 10 civilians who were preparing for a wedding. (AFP via Channels TV)
Russo-Ukrainian war
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
  - Ukrainian forces launch a massive drone attack on Russia, killing at least four people, with strikes reported in Moscow and Belgorod Oblast, after ‌facing its largest attack in more than a year. (Reuters)
Boko Haram insurgency
- The U.S. African Command and the Nigerian Armed Forces carries out airstrikes targeting Islamic State positions in northeastern Nigeria. (Al Jazeera)
Nigerian bandit conflict
- Ten people are killed, including children and a pregnant woman, in an attack by bandits on a rural community in Katsina State, Nigeria. (Reuters)
Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
- ISM insurgents claim to have killed 27 Naparama ethnic militia in the forest of Katapua, after setting fire on the entire village of Messanje, Chiúre. It is allegedly one of the deadliest clashes between the two groups in the history of the insurgency. (The Mozambique Times)
Mexican drug war
- At least thirteen gunmen are arrested after an encounter resulting from an operation carried out by military forces in the municipality of Escuinapa, Sinaloa. (La Jornada)

Disasters and accidents

Eight people are killed and 15 others injured after a bus overturned on an intercity road near Siraf, Bushehr Province, Iran. (Xinhua)
One person is killed, five others are rescued and nine are reported missing when a pickup truck falls off a bridge in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, Guangxi, China. (CTV News)
Two people are killed, four others are injured, another is reported missing and 13 buildings collapse after a M_ww 5.0-5.2 earthquake strikes near Liuzhou, Guangxi, China. (Reuters) (BNO News)
A collision involving two EA-18G Growler jets of the US Navy's Electronic Attack Squadron 129 occurs at an air show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. All four pilots escaped and ejected safely. (NPR) (The Aviationist)

Health and environment

2026 Central Africa Ebola epidemic
- The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control activates its emergency preparedness systems after the World Health Organization designated the ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency. (Business Day)
- Nigeria confirms no cases of ebola despite the outbreak. (The Guardian Nigeria)
2026 Bangladesh measles outbreak
- Around six people in Bangladesh are reported to have died from measles in the past 24 hours. Additionally, around 1,517 cases of measles have been reported. (Bangladesh Pratidin)
MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak
- A national lab in Winnipeg, Manitoba confirms that a Canadian passenger on MV Hondius who is isolating in British Columbia has tested positive for hantavirus. (CBC)

Law and crime

Ten people are killed, including three children, in a mass shooting at a ranch in the municipality of Tehuitzingo, Puebla, Mexico. Authorities blames the massacre on a family dispute. (Reuters) (La Jornada)
Four people are injured after multiple gunmen carried out shootings at ten different locations over the weekend across Austin, Texas, United States. Two suspects are taken into custody while another remains at large. (CBS News)

Politics and elections

2026 Cape Verdean parliamentary election
- Cape Verdeans vote to elect 72 members of the National Assembly. The ruling Movement for Democracy, led by prime minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, seeks a third consecutive term in government. (AFP via Indo Premier)
- The African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), led by Francisco Carvalho, wins the most seats at the National Assembly. (DW)
2026 Andalusian regional election
- In Spain, the ruling People's Party of Andalusia loses its absolute majority in the Andalusian parliament, whilst the PSOE-A posts its worst result ever. The far-right Vox and the left-wing Adelante Andalucía are the only parties to gain votes and seats. (El Mundo)

Sports

Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Kami Rita reaches the summit of Mount Everest for a record-extending 32nd time, while Lhakpa Sherpa extends the women's record with her 11th successful ascent. (AFP via New Straits Times)
2026 PGA Championship
- In golf, Aaron Rai wins his first major title at the PGA Championship. (Golf Channel)