May 13, 2015 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War: Hezbollah and Syrian Army gain strategic territories in Qalamoun Mountains north of Damascus, which was held by opposition factions, particularly al-Nusra Front. (Al Jazeera)
- Gunmen open fire on a bus containing members of the Ismaili Shia Muslim community in the Pakistani city of Karachi, killing at least 44 people and injuring a dozen. (Pakistan Tribune) (BBC)
- The Government of Iraq claims that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant second-in-command Abdul Rahman Mustafa Mohammed has been killed in an airstrike in northern Iraq. (BBC)
- War in Afghanistan: Gunmen attack a Kabul guesthouse used by both foreigners and locals sparking a gun battle with police. At least eight people including the three gunmen are killed with 16 rescued and 100 still inside. (Thomson Reuters Foundation) (NBC News)
- Yemen crisis: A five-day truce begins in Yemen as various aid groups, including Iran, seek to gain access to the country's ports and airports. Saudi Arabia had blocked Iranian Red Crescent aids recently. (BBC)
- A military reservist opens fire at a South Korean military base killing 2 and injuring 3. (Yonhap)
Business and economy
- Japanese carmakers Toyota and Nissan recall 6.5 million vehicles due to fears over exploding airbags. (AFP via Yahoo!)
- The United States Department of Agriculture reports that more than 40% of honey bee colonies died in the preceding year. Farmers rely on honey bees to pollinate over half the country's food supply annually. (Wall Street Journal)
- International conglomerate Danaher announces plans to acquire water filtration company Pall for US$13.8 billion and to split off its industrial businesses into a new company. (Bloomberg)
- Discord was officially created.
Disasters and accidents
- Rescue efforts resume in Nepal after yesterday's earthquake which killed at least 63 in Nepal and 17 in northern India. (BBC) (CNN)
- 2015 Philadelphia train derailment
- The death toll from the derailment rises to seven with over 200 people injured. (WCAU) (US News and World Report)
- Search teams recover the black box. (AFP via News24)
- Reports indicate that train is believed to have been traveling in excess of 100 mph (161 km/h), about twice the speed limit for the curve. (CNN)
- 2015 Valenzuela fire: At least 72 people die after a fire engulfs a rubber sandal factory in Valenzuela City, a northern suburb of Manila, Philippines. (CNN) (Al Jazeera)
- Rescue workers attempt to rescue at least 15 gold miners trapped by floods in a mine in Colombia's Caldas Department. (BBC)
International relations
- The Vatican concludes a treaty to recognize the Palestinian state. (New York Times)
Law and crime
- 2015 Burundian unrest
- Major General Godefroid Niyombare has declared a coup in Burundi and the establishment of a "national salvation committee". President Pierre Nkurunziza is attempting to return home from Tanzania. (BBC)
- Police in Burundi fire on protesters in Bujumbura opposing the bid by President Pierre Nkurunziza for a third term. (BBC)
- Bujumbura International Airport and all land borders are ordered closed by Major General Godefroid Niyombare. (AFP via News24)
- Radio Publique Africaine, one of the most popular radio stations, has been burnt down. (BBC)
- The small nation of Nauru temporarily bans Facebook, purportedly to protect young people. (ABC Australia)
- Shooting of Tony Robinson: Demonstrators peacefully protest a Wisconsin prosecutor's decision, announced yesterday, not to pursue charges against the officer who shot and killed a 19-year-old. (Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel)
Politics and elections
- South Korea claims that North Korea has executed its defense chief Hyon Yong-chol with an anti-aircraft gun. (Yonhap) (CNN)
- The United States House of Representatives votes overwhelmingly to end the mass collection of Americans' phone data with the USA Freedom Act passing 338-88 (79%). The bill's passage through the Senate is less certain. (The Guardian)
Sports
- Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics: The U.S. men's 4x100 metres relay that won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London is stripped of the medal due to a positive test result by Tyson Gay. (The Guardian)