May 24, 2014
(Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen:
- At least 27 people are killed in an al-Qaeda raid on the town of Seyoun in Hadramout province. (Reuters via Trust)
- Somali Civil War (2009–present):
- An al-Shabaab-led assault at the Parliament of Somalia in Mogadishu leaves at least 10 dead, including police and militants. (BBC News) (IANS via Biharprabha)
- Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- Boko Haram militants rampage through three villages in northern Nigeria killing 28 people. (Reuters)
Arts and culture
- Turkish film Winter Sleep directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan wins the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. (France 24)
Disasters and accidents
- A magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurs in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey with reports of serious damage on the Turkish island of Gökçeada and the cities of Edirne and Çanakkale. (World Bulletin)
International relations
- Pope Francis arrives in Amman, Jordan, for the first day of a three day trip to the Middle East. (AP)
Law and crime
- Mahafarid Amir Khosravi is executed for masterminding the largest fraud case in Iran since the 1979 Revolution. (AP via USA Today)
- At least three people are killed in a shooting at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels, Belgium. (BBC News)
- 2014 Isla Vista killings: The suspected gunman in the May 23 spree killing in Santa Barbara, California, is named as Elliot Rodger. (BBC News)
- 2014 Thai coup d'état:
- The Thai military arrests 35 more individuals, including prominent academics. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- European Parliament election:
- Voters in the European Union go to the polls for a multi-day European Parliamentary election. Voters in Latvia, Malta, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic vote today. (Sofia Globe)
- Jacob Zuma is sworn in for a second term as President of South Africa following his recent election victory. (BBC News)
- Malawian general election:
- The President of Malawi Joyce Banda annuls the general elections in which she was a candidate because of claimed electoral irregularities. (BBC News)
- 2014 Thai coup d'état:
- The military leaders announce the dissolution of the Thai Senate. (Al Jazeera)
Sport
- In football, Real Madrid defeat Atlético Madrid by a score of 4-1 in extra time in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final played at Lisbon's Estádio da Luz. (BBC News) (AFP via Yahoo! sports)
- In rugby union, Toulon defeat Saracens 23–6 in the last-ever Heineken Cup final, successfully defending their title from last season. (ESPN Scrum)