Cinco de Mayo 2024 

The China National Space Administration launches the Chang’e 6 spacecraft from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on a two-month mission to collect lunar rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon. (Reuters)

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission gives ExxonMobil approval in the acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources for $60 billion. (CNBC) 

In auto racing, McLaren driver Lando Norris wins his first Formula One race at the Miami Grand Prix. (DW) 

With the closing performance of the Celebration Tour at Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, American singer Madonna attracts 1.6 million people in a free concert and breaks the record for the most attended stand-alone concert by any artist, and the all-time highest attended concert by a female artist. (Billboard) 

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) bans Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah from all positions within the committee for 15 years over ethics breaches. Sheik Ahmad was previously banned by the IOC for three years in 2023 over his alleged interference in the Olympic Council of Asia elections, as well as for forgery and a fake arbitration procedure. (Reuters) 

Virginia State Police dismantle a pro-Palestine encampment on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville, and arrest more than 15 students. (The Daily Progress) 

Israeli air raids in Meiss Ej Jabal, Lebanon, cause “massive destruction” according to a Lebanese state-run agency, killing four civilians and injuring three others. In response, Hezbollah fires dozens of Katyusha and Falaq rockets towards Kiryat Shmona, Israel. (Reuters) 

Three Israeli soldiers are killed and ten civilians are injured when Hamas launches a rocket barrage at the Kerem Shalom border crossing. (Reuters) 

Hamas announces the end of ceasefire talks held in Cairo, Egypt, while Israel vows to continue its military operations. (AP) 

A woman is killed and 17 other people are injured in Russian attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Reuters) 

The death toll from the ongoing heavy flooding in southern Brazil increases to 78, with more than 100 people still missing. (Reuters) 

Panamanians elect their President and members of the National Assembly. (Reuters) 

José Raúl Mulino, the stand-in for former president Ricardo Martinelli, wins the presidential election with more than 35% of the vote, after his three nearest opponents conceded. He will assume office in July. (AP) 

The ruling Union for the Republic party wins 108 out of 113 seats in the National Assembly. (AP) 

Thousands of Hungarians protest in Debrecen, Hungary, against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán‘s rule and policies. (Reuters) 

Kyle Larson edges out Chris Buescher in the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history, winning a photo finish by one-thousandth (0.001) of a second. (AP) 

A man is injured during a stabbing at a car park in Perth, Australia. The 16-year-old perpetrator is killed by police officers and has been described as a “religious radicalized individual”. A possible Islamist motive is behind the attack.(DW) 

Ten Israeli civilians are injured after Hamas launches a rocket barrage at the Kerem Shalom border crossing. (Reuters) (Jerusalem Post) 

The Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet votes to close all Al-Jazeera offices in Israel. (AP) 

Saturday, May 4th, 2024 

The 150th edition of the Kentucky Derby is held, with American thoroughbred racehorse Mystik Dan winning in a photo finish. (AP) 

Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar rejects comments made by US President Joe Biden saying that India’s economic growth was being held back by “xenophobia”. (Reuters) 

German MEP Matthias Ecke is “seriously injured” in Dresden, Germany, in what is suspected to be a politically-motivated attack at Social Democratic Party of Germany. (Reuters) 

Two people are killed and six others are injured in Russian overnight drone strikes on the Kharkiv and Dnipro regions of Ukraine. (Reuters)

The death toll from ongoing heavy rains in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, increases to 56, with 67 people still missing and nearly 25,000 displaced. The airport in Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, suspends all flights until further notice. (Reuters) 

At least 14 people are killed by floods and landslides in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Reuters) 

Palestinian doctor and rector at the University of Glasgow Ghassan Abu-Sittah is denied access into France after landing at Charles de Gaulle airport on his way to speak at the French Senate. Last month, he was denied entry into Germany. (Al Jazeera) 

Russian state media reports that a number of officials from Ukraine and NATO countries have been placed on Russia’s wanted list, including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former president Petro Poroshenko, Ukrainian Ground Forces commander Oleksandr Pavlyuk, and Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas. The Ministry of Internal Affairs neither states what crimes the wanted individuals are being charged with, nor clarifies the allegations that are being brought against them. (AP) 

Sadiq Khan wins re-election as mayor of London, England, with 43.8% of the vote, becoming the first London mayor to be elected to a third term. (BBC News) 

Real Madrid are crowned champions of La Liga after Barcelona‘s 4–2 defeat at Girona. (BBC News) 

Friday,  May 3rd, 2024 

Panama bans First Quantum Minerals from extracting copper following the closure of its Cobre Panamá mine last year. (Reuters) (The Globe and Mail) 

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron promises £3 billion of annual military aid to Ukraine for “as long as it takes.” (Reuters) 

Two people are killed and two others are injured by Russian shelling in the city of Kurakhove in the Donetsk oblast. (The Moscow Times) 

The mining town of Rubaya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, is seized by the March 23 Movement. (AP) 

Twelve people are killed and more than 20 others are injured during explosions caused by bombs at two camps for displaced people in Lac Vert and Mugunga, in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AP) 

The United States tells Qatar to evict Hamas if the latter obstructs an Israeli hostage deal. (The Washington Post) 

US President Joe Biden gives Presidential Medals of Freedom to 19 people. (Reuters) 

A bus plunges into a ravine in Diamer District, Pakistan, killing 15 people and seriously injuring more than 20 others. (AP) 

Thirteen people are killed and 2,000 homes are flooded during heavy rains in Haiti, mainly in the city of Cap-Haitien. Rains occurs also in Puerto Rico, where planes are landed in San Juan to reroute. (AP) 

Mexican authorities locate the bodies of three tourists, one American and two Australians, in Baja California, where they were reported missing in April. Three people have been arrested and are being questioned in relation to the case. (Reuters)

Three Indian men are arrested in Canada and charged with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year. The Canadian government is investigating whether the men had ties to the Indian government. (Reuters)

A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo sentences eight soldiers to death for cowardice and other crimes. (AP) 

U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar is indicted for accepting nearly $600,000 worth of bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled company and a Mexican bank. (AP) 

The International Criminal Court warns against outside interference, saying that efforts to undermine the court’s work must “cease immediately”. (The Washington Post) 

French police evacuate Sciences Po University in Paris and close the university in response to pro-Palestine protests and building occupations by students. (Reuters)

The Houthis offer American students who have been suspended in pro-Palestine protests education at Sanaa University in Yemen. (Reuters) 

The End