Portal:Current events/2017 May 16

May 16, 2017 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

WannaCry ransomware attack
- The cybersecurity firms Kaspersky Lab and Symantec report that technical evidence connects the WannaCry ransomware attack to the North Korean-backed Lazarus Group. North Korea is also believed to be responsible for previous cyberattacks on the SWIFT banking system and against Sony Pictures. (The Guardian) (The New York Times)

Business and economy

The Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom states that consumer prices in Britain rose by an annualized 2.7% in April, the highest level of inflation in almost four years. (Reuters)

International relations

Syrian Civil War
- Israeli Minister of Construction Yoav Galant states that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be assassinated. Yesterday, the United States Department of State accused the al-Assad government of using a crematory at Sednaya Prison to cover up the mass murders of thousands of political prisoners. The Syrian government denies the accusations. (Fox News) (The New York Times)
Donald Trump revelation of classified information to Russia
- In a series of tweets, President Donald Trump acknowledges that he shared classified information with Russian envoys, contradicting earlier White House denials. (The Washington Post)
- U.S. intelligence officials had warned Israel not to share sensitive information with President Trump, out of fear that it could be leaked to Russia, and then from Russia to Iran. (Newsweek)

Politics and elections

Comey memos
- The New York Times reports that a memo from James Comey, read in part to a reporter by a Comey associate, revealed that President Donald Trump asked him to end the F.B.I. investigation of Michael T. Flynn. The White House denies the version of events in the memo. (The New York Times)
- Jason Chaffetz, the Chairman of the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sends a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation demanding all documents related to correspondence between President Trump and former FBI Director James Comey. (NBC News)
Iranian presidential election, 2017
- In an expected event, Eshaq Jahangiri withdraws his candidacy and urges his supporters to vote for incumbent president Hassan Rouhani. (BBC)

Science and technology

The first synchrotron in the Middle East, SESAME, opens in Jordan, marking a rare cooperation between Iran, Israel, Turkey, and the Palestinian Authority. (BBC News)

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