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