Portal:Current events/2010 May 30

May 30, 2010 (Sunday)

Flight recorders from Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771, which crashed in Libya on 12 May killing 103 people, suggest there was no technical failure. (BBC) (IOL) (Reuters)
The death toll in yesterday's bus crash in Cameroon is said to have risen to at least 30 people and is expected to rise again. The bus broke into two pieces after rolling down a hill several times. (Al Jazeera) (news.com.au) (AFP)
Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan bypasses Argentina on his South American tour, opting to travel straight to Chile after Buenos Aires officials call off an event honouring Mustafa Kemal Atatürk due to what Turkey considers "hostile" interference from Armenian pressure groups. (BBC)
A second Danish pharmaceutical company, Leo Pharma, suspends sales of medical products in Greece over the government's decision to reduce the cost of medicine there. The government condemns these acts as "unfair". (BBC)
It is discovered that a British businessman was among the 93 people killed in the twin mosque attack in Pakistan on Friday. (BBC)
A roadside bomb kills seven police officers and injures one other in the Darayim District, Badakhshan. (Al Jazeera)
Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva lifts a curfew imposed in the wake of deadly anti-government protests but keeps emergency rule after two months of rallies by "Red Shirt" demonstrators paralyzed Bangkok and left almost 90 people dead. (The Australian) (CNN)
China encourages North Korea and South Korea to avoid violent clashes in the aftermath of the sinking of a South Korean warship. (CNN) (China Daily)
BP turns to a new strategy to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but it will take at least four to seven days before the containment device that could capture the leaking oil can be put into place. (The Australian) (VOA) (CNN)
Two potential pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia are disrupted by the Seychelles Coast Guard and the Australian navy. (CNN)
Bangladesh blocks access to Facebook after satirical images of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the country's leaders were uploaded. (BBC) (AFP) (Al Jazeera)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict:
- Right-wing members of Knesset call for arrest and removal from Knesset of Balad MK Haneen Zoabi, who said she was proud to do her part to end what she called a siege on Gaza.(Jerusalem Post)
- Israel jams communications of unarmed flotilla, fearing a public relations fiasco (Voice of America)^{[permanent dead link‍]}
- Ships of the Gaza protest flotilla set out from Cyprus (BBC)
- The international flotilla of ships due to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza leaves Cyprus and sets sail for Gaza. (BBC) (Voice of America)^{[permanent dead link‍]} (Jerusalem Post) (The Daily Telegraph) (Al Jazeera)
- Three Irish politicians - Chris Andrews, Mark Daly and Aengus Ó Snodaigh - are prevented by police helicopters and port security from leaving Cyprus to join the flotilla. (RTÉ) (BreakingNews.ie)
- Reports that Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah President and Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, is to visit the Gaza Strip are denied. (Xinhua)
Colombian presidential election:
- Colombians vote to replace Álvaro Uribe, who is standing down after two terms. (BBC) (Philippine Daily Inquirer) (Al Jazeera)
- Juan Manuel Santos wins the first round of the election but without a majority of the vote and a second round of voting will take place on 20 June with Antanas Mockus. (Colombia Reports)
Jón Gnarr's Best Party (Besti flokkurinn) wins the elections in Reykjavík. (BBC)
Legislative elections in the Czech Republic:
- The Social Democrats gain the most votes, but 10 percentage points less than 2006, losing 18 seats. (CNN) (AP)
- Centre-right parties win 118 seats, with two of them—TOP 09 and Public Affairs—standing in the election for the first time. A centre-right coalition, with Petr Nečas as new Prime Minister, is believed to be "almost certain". (BusinessWeek)
- Social Democrats leader Jiří Paroubek resigns as party leader following the result. (Reuters)
- The Communist Party, which was polling higher than 2006 before the election, fail to make any gains, remaining at 26 seats.
In rugby sevens, Samoa wins the Cup final of the 2010 Edinburgh Sevens, defeating Australia 41–14. The result also gives Samoa Sevens overall victory in the 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series. (International Rugby Board) (Samoa Observer)