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Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 

Former Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is charged with money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation in connection with an investigation into the alleged laundering of the €53 million public bailout that incumbent prime minister Pedro Sánchez‘s second government provided to the airline Plus Ultra and La Liga Airlines in 2021. (Politico) 

Catalonian police arrest Jonathan Andic, the son of Mango founder Isak Andic, as part of an investigation into Isak’s death during a hiking trip to Collbató in 2024. (AFP via Cebu Daily News) 

The Israeli Navy intercepts a flotilla boat taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla that was to be headed for the Gaza Strip in a effort to break the blockade. (The Jerusalem Post) 

A Syrian soldier is killed and at least twelve others are injured in a car bomb explosion in Damascus. (The New Region) 

U.S. African Command says that U.S. and Nigerian forces have launched airstrikes on a ISIS camp in Nigeria. (Peoples Gazette) 

Vietnamese police arrest five Chinese nationals and a local accused of operating a gold smuggling network in Hanoi that allegedly traded more than US$45 million worth of gold. (AFP via New Straits Times) 

The death toll from a pickup truck crash in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, Guangxi, China, rises to ten after the bodies of nine missing people were recovered. (Reuters) 

The Nigerian Defence Headquarters confirms that around 175 ISIS, ISWAP, and Boko Haram militants have been killed since the joint operation launched by the United States and Nigeria, including second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. (The Guardian Nigeria) 

The Sudanese Emergency Lawyers reports that 28 people have been killed in a drone strike on a market in West Kordofan, Sudan. (Toronto Star) 

At least 10,000 homes are evacuated amid spreading wildfires in Santa Rosa Island and Simi Valley, California, United States. (BBC News) 

Ten people are killed in torrential rain and flooding in Guizhou, Hubei, and Hunan provinces, China. (Reuters) 

The death toll in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo rises to 131. (Reuters) 

Sudan begins implementing Ebola measures, including screening passengers at the international airport in Port Sudan. (Sudan Tribune) 

Thailand reports two cases of mpox, prompting the Department of Disease Control to increase surveillance of the disease. (Nation Thailand) 

The cabinet of Thailand approves plans to reduce the length of visa-free stays for travelers from more than 90 countries as part of measures targeting crimes involving foreign nationals. (AFP via ABS-CBN News) 

Opposition coalition Somali Future Council says Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud can no longer perform key presidential functions, including military oversight or dismissing government officials. They propose that parliamentary speaker Aden Madobe serve as acting president until elections scheduled for 30 June. The president has lost full executive authority following the expiry of his mandate on 15 May. (Idil News) 

Monday, May 18th, 2026 

Oil prices rise amid fears of a prolonged war and the draining of world oil reserves, including West Texas Intermediate to US$102.76 per barrel and Brent Crude to US$112.89 per barrel. (The Wall Street Journal) 

Hezbollah states that it shot down an Israeli military aircraft over Ayta al-Jabal in southern Lebanon. (Al Jazeera) 

Australian treasurer Jim Chalmers orders several China-linked shareholders to divest their stakes in Northern Minerals under foreign investment laws aimed at protecting the country‘s rare earths sector. (AFP via HKFP) 

Pakistan reportedly shares a revised proposal with the United States from Iran aimed at ending the war. (Reuters) 

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says that talks between Iran and the U.S. are still ongoing via Pakistani mediation. (AA) 

Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority announces that any passage through the Strait of Hormuz that is not coordinated with it and the Iranian armed forces is “illegal”. (Al Jazeera) 

U.S. president Donald Trump announces that he has called off planned military strikes against Iran for tomorrow at the request of Middle East allies including Qatari emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Emirati president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, citing “serious negotiations” taking place. (PBS) (Middle East Eye) 

The Lebanese health ministry announces that the death toll has surpassed 3,000 people, with at least 3,020 people killed and 9,273 wounded since the war began on March 2. (Al Jazeera) 

Sudanese Armed Forces breaks the siege in Dilling, South Kordofan, for a third time. (Sudan Tribune) 

It is reported that Rapid Support Forces has released commander Abu Lulu after previously being arrested last year after videos were seen of him executing and massacring civilians in El Fasher, Sudan. He is back in combat following his release. (Reuters) 

At least 13 people are killed and more than 20 others are injured, most seriously, when a tempo carrying wedding guests collides with a container truck on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Palghar district, Maharashtra, India. (CNN-News18) 

The Lebanese health ministry announces that the death toll has surpassed 3,000 people, with at least 3,020 people killed and 9,273 wounded since the war began on March 2. (Al Jazeera) 

Five students drown while swimming in the Lô River in Phú Thọ province, Vietnam. (Xinhua) 

Three people are killed, and four others are still missing after flash floods caused a river to overflow in Xuan’en County, Hubei Province, China. (Xinhua) 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that it is suspending entry into the United States for 30 days to travelers without a U.S. passport that have been to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda amidst the ongoing Ebola outbreak in these countries. (Politico) 

At least two people are killed and multiple others are injured in a mass shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego mosque in San Diego, California, United States. Both the perpetrators are killed. (BNO News) 

MV Hondius, the cruise ship at center of the hantavirus outbreak, arrives at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands for disinfection after passengers disembarked the ship. (Reuters) 

The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control imposes sanctions on Cuba‘s intelligence agency and several senior Communist Party and military officials as part of expanded pressure on the government amid the country’s energy and financial crisis. (AFP via Arab News) 

Pakistan deploys 8,000 troops, HQ-9 air defense systems, and a full air force squadron, mostly of JF-17 fighter jets, to assist Saudi Arabia under their mutual defense agreement. (Reuters) 

Prosecutors in Bolivia issue an arrest warrant for Mario Argollo, general secretary of the Bolivian Workers’ Center, on charges including terrorism and incitement amid protests and road blockades in La Paz. (AFP via Indo Premier) 

Three people are killed in a drive-by shooting outside a mosque in San Diego, California, United States. Both of the perpetrators die by suicide. (AFP via France 24) (BNO News) 

Six people are killed and eight others are injured in a shooting spree, including one inside a restaurant, in Mersin, Mediterranean Region, Turkey. A widespread manhunt is underway to catch the suspect. (Mersin Haber in Turkish) (CBS News) 

Four people are killed and more than 30 others are injured in deadly nationwide protests and transport strikes triggered by a massive surge in fuel prices due to the Iran war, which has raised petroleum costs by more than 20% to record highs in Nairobi, Kenya. (BBC News) (Reuters) 

Eight people are killed and five others are injured in a mass shooting in Abu Tig, Asyut Governorate, Egypt. The perpetrator is killed by security forces. (AFP via Al Arabiya) 

Two people are killed and four others are seriously injured in a mass shooting in El Ejido, Andalusia, Spain. The perpetrator is arrested. (Reuters) 

The Philippine senate resumes the impeachment process against Vice President Sara Duterte following last week’s lockdown. (Reuters) 

The Belarusian defence ministry announces that its military has began joint training exercises with Russia on nuclear weapons combat. (Al Jazeera) 

the end