Armed conflicts and attacks
Middle Eastern crisis
Antisemitism during the 2026 Iran war
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a commander of the IRGC-aligned Shia Iraqi militia group Kata'ib Hezbollah, is arrested in Turkey by the U.S. justice department after allegedly planning attacks on Jewish sites in the United States, along with attacks in Europe as part of a broader campaign of retaliation by Iran over the war. (Haaretz) (The New York Times)
2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
U.S. president Donald Trump says that he is open to accepting Iran's 20-year suspension on their nuclear program if Iran gives a real guarantee. (The Times of Israel)
Israeli airstrikes kill at least seven people across Nabatieh, Tibnin, and Harouf, and injure 37 people in Tyre, Lebanon. (Sky News)
2026 Israel–Lebanon peace talks
The United States announces that Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire for 45 days, and that more specific political and security negotiations will begin on May 29 and June 2, respectively. (The Times of Israel) (PBS)
Hamas military leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad is assassinated alongside his wife and daughter in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. (Reuters)
Boko Haram insurgency
Seventeen police trainees and an unknown number of soldiers are killed in a mass shooting by Islamist militants at a specialised military school in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, Nigeria. (Reuters)
Killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki
U.S. president Donald Trump announces that U.S. and Nigerian forces have eliminated ISIS second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki during a joint mission. (Abuja Politico) (CBS News)
Russo-Ukrainian war
Prisoners of war in the Russo-Ukrainian war
Russia and Ukraine swap 205 prisoners of war following a violated three-day ceasefire. (Euronews)
Sudanese civil war
The Sudanese Army says that they have re-captured the Blue Nile town of Khor Hassan from Rapid Support Forces. (Al Jazeera)
Arts and culture
The "Recently Played" feature on Audacy's website for Mix 104.1 suffers a multi-day shutdown. For four days, it is stuck at 2:02 p.m., when the last recorded song was "Dilemma" by Nelly. As of Tuesday, May 19, this page does not show a "Recently Played" list at all. Hopefully, this is just a temporary "transition period" that will be resolved after a few more days.
Anti-fur movement
The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, which organizes Milan Fashion Week in Italy, announces guidelines encouraging participating brands not to display fur products during fashion shows following pressure from animal rights groups. (AFP via RFI)