May 31, 2013 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Turkish protestors are removed from Gezi Park in Taksim Square, Istanbul, in a violent crackdown by police after days of anti-government unrest. (Reuters)
Business and economics
- Starbucks announces it will no longer allow customers to smoke in any of its locations. (The Guardian)
Disasters and accidents
- Four firemen are killed and five others injured fighting a fire in Houston, Texas, U.S. (USA Today)
- Four people are killed when two small planes collide near Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. (USA Today)
- Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport is evacuated due to a tornado threat with three tornadoes touching down with five people dead and others reported missing. (CNN), (USA Today)
Health and environment
- Italy announces its first case of novel coronavirus. (Reuters)
International relations
- U.S. President Barack Obama lifts a trade embargo of communications equipment and software to non-government Iranians. (Bloomberg)
Law and crime
- The United States Naval Academy announces it is investigating allegations that three football players sexually assaulted a female student. (CBS News)
Politics and elections
- British Conservative Party MP Patrick Mercer resigns his party whip over allegations he broke the rules on lobbying. (BBC)
- Iranian presidential election: The first televised debate is held with candidates discussing their economic plans. (PressTV) (Trend)
- Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court orders elections must be held no later than July 31. (RTT News)
Science and technology
- Near-Earth asteroid 1998 QE2 and its moon pass within 3.6 million miles (5.8 mil km) of the Earth. (BBC)