Portal:Current events/2011 May 22

May 22, 2011 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2011 Yemen protests:
- Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh reportedly refuses to sign a Gulf-brokered accord allowing him to resign within 30 days in exchange for immunity; the opposition signed the deal yesterday. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
- The embassy of the United Arab Emirates is attacked in the capital Sana'a as it holds a meeting of Arab and Western mediators leading to an evacuation by helicopter. (AFP via Google News), (CNN)
2011 Libyan civil war: NATO warplanes attack the port of Tripoli and the residence of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. (AFP via France 24)
Gunmen wearing explosive suicide vests storm a government building in Khost, Afghanistan. (AP via Forbes)
A series of bomb attacks around the Iraqi capital of Baghdad kills at least 18 people, including 7 policemen. (AFP via ABC News Australia)
Sudanese seizure of Abyei:
- South Sudan says the capture of the disputed Abyei region is a "declaration of war". (Arab News)
- The United Nations Security Council calls on Sudan to withdraw its forces. (Reuters)
African Union and Somali troops advance on Mogadishu's Bakara market, a rebel-held area, amid intense fighting. (Reuters)
Three explosions rock a Pakistan Air Force base in the southern city of Karachi. (AP via Yahoo! News)
The UK's military operation in Iraq will officially end at midnight, after the Royal Navy completes its training of Iraqi sailors. (BBC)
The Taliban warn that Kazakhstan's decision to send troops to Afghanistan will have "severe consequences". (Trend News Agency)

Arts and culture

The Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick and starring Brad Pitt, wins the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. (Bloomberg)
The BBC television series Sherlock wins two prizes at the 2011 British Academy Television Awards ceremony in London, including best drama series. (BBC)
The infamous hat worn by Princess Beatrice at the 2011 Royal Wedding has been sold on auction site eBay for £81,100.01. Funds raised from the sale will go to the charities UNICEF and Children in Crisis. (BBC)

Business and economy

US company Jimmy Choo is sold to private equity firm Labelux for $800 million. (New York Times)

Disasters

The Government of Iceland imposes a flight ban, following the eruption of Iceland's most active volcano, Grímsvötn. (BBC)
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 21–26, 2011 in the Central United States:
- Tornados hit the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, damaging scores of homes and killing at least one person. [http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110522/NEWS01/105220114/Tornado-hits-north-Minneapolis-no-word-injuries?odyssey=nav