Portal:Current events/2008 May 23

May 23, 2008 (Friday)

Twelve South American nations agree to form the Union of South American Nations uniting two customs unions in Mercosur and the Andean Community. (Euronews)
At least 17 civilians including a child are killed in a claymore mine explosion in Kilinochchi, North of Sri Lanka. (Daily Mirror)
The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon states that Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council has decided to grant access to areas worst hit by Cyclone Nargis to international aid workers regardless of nationality. (Bloomberg)
Around 20,000 passengers are affected by unofficial industrial action by Iarnród Éireann, Ireland's national rail operator. (RTÉ)
Hu Jintao, the President of China, and the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev condemn the United States' National missile defense system. (AP via Google News)^{[permanent dead link‍]}
The International Court of Justice awards sovereignty of Pedra Branca to Singapore, ending a 28-year dispute over the islet between Singapore and Malaysia. Malaysia was awarded sovereignty of an outcropping of Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks, while the sovereignty of South Ledge was left to be determined by the maritime boundary between the two nations, which is also a contentious point. (Channel NewsAsia)
Seven Moroccan tourists are killed in a bus crash in central France, near the city of Blois. (RTÉ)
An independent investigation into $8.2 billion in United States Department of Defense spending in Iraq, as well as aid to Egypt and Kuwait since 2001 finds that 95% of payments to contractors failed to meet requirements for documentation to determine what was paid for. (The New York Times)
2006 Lathen maglev train accident: Germany fines two test track managers over the 23 deaths and 11 injuries. A third defendant remains to be tried due to suicide fears. (Bloomberg) (Wikinews)
A coroner suggests the entire fleet of British Royal Air Force Hawker Siddeley Nimrod aircraft should be grounded on safety concerns. (BBC News)