Portal:Current events/2016 May 4

May 4, 2016 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro conflict
- The Abu Sayyaf militant group threatens to behead a Canadian hostage, a Filipina hostage, and a Norwegian hostage. (The Guardian)
Syrian Civil War
- Dozens of people have died in heavy fighting between Syrian government and opposition forces in the western Aleppo Governorate. (Reuters)
Kurdish–Turkish conflict (2015–present)
- Suspected Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants launch a car bomb attack on a military installation in Turkey, killing one soldier; Turkey's army destroyes PKK targets in air strikes and kills more than 20. (Reuters)
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- Assailants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed with machetes hacked at least 16 civilians to death in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (FOX News) (Leadership)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Hamas says it has reached a truce with the Israeli military following hostilities today along the Gaza-Israel border. There were no casualties. (The Jerusalem Post) (Reuters)

Business and economy

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- The Philippine stock market continues to fall for the fifth straight day due to fears about the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. He continues to lead in opinion polls. (The Philippine Star) (Rappler)
British publisher Trinity Mirror announces that its daily newspaper, The New Day, will close after just two months since its launch, after sales fell to around 30,000 copies per day. The last edition will be printed on May 6. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Fort McMurray wildfire
- Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says the wildfire has destroyed about 1,600 structures in Fort McMurray, which is in Canada's oil sands region. No major oil sands facilities are in the fire's path, though two Royal Dutch Shell mines are closing, and a Suncor Energy facility is reducing crude production. The fire is threatening the Alberta Highway 63 bridge across the Athabasca River, the sole route south. The Canadian Red Cross is encouraging people to donate funds rather than clothing. (Reuters) (USA Today) (Metro)
At least 13 people are killed and 53 injured after a bus skids off a bridge while travelling between India's Jharkhand state to Raipur, capital of Chhattisgarh state. (AFP via Daily Mail)

International relations

European migrant crisis, EU-Turkey relations
- The European Union proposes visa-free travel for Turkish citizens within Europe's Schengen Area and invites member states and EU lawmakers to endorse the move by June 30. The EU says Turkey has met all but five of the 72 criteria included in the agreement in exchange for its efforts to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe. This visa deal also needs approval from the European Parliament. (AP) (UPI)

Law and crime

North Carolina Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act
- The U.S. Justice Department notifies North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory that the state's new law which limits restroom access for transgender people violates the U.S. Civil Rights Act, and asks for a response by May 9 whether the state will correct "these violations of Title VII." The Governor's statement in response does not specifically say what the state will do. (Reuters) (CNN)

Politics and elections

Science and technology

IBM allows the public to access a five-qubit quantum computer its researchers have developed in Yorktown Heights, New York. (Wired)

Sport