Monday, May 20
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved approximately $82.6 million for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to address violent protests triggered by increasing electricity tariffs, flour prices, and taxes. The protests resulted in the death of a police officer and injuries to 90 others. The turmoil presents a challenge to Pakistan's military with a substantial presence in the area.
Kazakhstan's Supreme Court convicted former economy minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev of torturing and murdering his wife, sentencing him to 24 years in prison. The case sparked nationwide outrage, prompting calls for harsher penalties for domestic violence. Bishimbayev initially denied guilt but later admitted to beating his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, leading to her death. His relative, Bakhytzhan Baizhanov, received a four-year sentence for helping cover up the murder. The case prompted Kazakhstan to toughen spousal abuse laws, following widespread public outcry and petitions for justice.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted on Monday that his beleaguered governing Conservative party can win a general election despite polls consistently indicating the opposite, but refused to set a date for the vote. The UK leader said he was "confident" his party would win a fifth consecutive term but conceded that Labour, out of government since 2010, may ultimately inflict defeat.
Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, has stepped down from his role as President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He has officially submitted his resignation to Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the PML-N. As a result of this development, the PML-N has set a general council gathering in Lahore for May 28 to choose a new president. Initially, the party had intended to convene this meeting on May 11.
For the second consecutive year, smoke from Canadian wildfires has triggered health advisories across the upper Midwest. Blazes in British Columbia and Alberta cast a haze over Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's first air quality alert encompassed the entire state, cautioning against outdoor activities due to unhealthy pollution levels until noon Monday.
Kami Rita Sherpa, a 54-year-old Nepalese climber and guide, has once again made history by scaling Mount Everest for the 29th time on Sunday morning. Known as the 'Everest Man', Kami Rita broke his own record, which he had set last spring season by reaching the summit of the world's highest peak twice within a week, marking his 28th successful ascent.
More than 1,700 individuals were moved from regions close to the Russian border in Kharkiv, Ukraine as Moscow increased its ground attack and initiated a large-scale assault on various settlements in the second-largest city of Kyiv. Nevertheless, Moscow has recommenced its attack in that region as the troops in Kyiv encounter difficulties because of a lack of ammunition.
