Tens of thousands of Palestinians protested along the border between Gaza and Israel to highlight their various grievances. Israeli soldiers shot and killed about 60, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Some had attempted to breach the border fence; others threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at the Israeli side. Most of the protesters, however, were unarmed. See article.
On the same day as the violence, America opened its new embassy in Jerusalem, recognising the contested city as Israel’s capital. Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said it was a “great day for peace”. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, described the embassy as a “US settlement outpost”.
A coalition led by Muqtada al-Sadr, a Shia cleric who once urged attacks on American troops, won Iraq’s parliamentary election, according to preliminary results. His allies promised to tackle corruption and curtail foreign influence. A coalition led by Haider al-Abadi, the prime minister, came second. See article.
After a campaign marred by several murders, Burundi held a referendum on whether to extend the president’s term from five years to seven. If it passes, Pierre Nkurunziza, who calls himself the country’s “Supreme Eternal Guide”, might remain president until 2034. See article.
An outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to the city of Mbandaka, a transport hub, raising fears that the disease will advance rapidly. At least 42 people have been infected by this latest outbreak so far.
Fancy a flutter?
The Supreme Court overturned a law that banned betting on sports, finding that it infringed on states’ rights. The law was passed in 1992 (Nevada was exempted). Americans already place an estimated $150bn of illegal wagers on sports each year. See article.
Another round of primary elections was held in America to pick congressional candidates for the mid-terms. Pennsylvania’s contests took place under new district boundaries, after a court over-ruled Republican gerrymandering. Three women won in heavily Democratic districts, so the state’s all-male delegation will probably be slightly feminised in November
Unknown territory
Italy’s populist Five Star Movement (M5S) and far-right Northern League neared agreement on forming a governing coalition, more than two months after an election. The government would be the first all-populist one in western Europe. Many fear it could pull Italy out of the euro and cosy up to Russia. The parties have struggled to reconcile their programmes, which promise big tax cuts (the League) and benefit increases (M5S). See article.
Catalonia’s parliament elected Quim Torra as president of the region. He was backed by Carles Puigdemont, who was forced from office when he declared independence and is now in Germany. The Catalan parliament approved Mr Torra, a hardline separatist who has made disagreeable remarks about Spaniards, by a margin of one vote. See article.
The Open Society Foundations decided to close shop in Budapest, the birth place of George Soros, its founder, and move its Hungarian operations to Berlin. Mr Soros has been scapegoated by the nationalist Fidesz government, which blames the Jewish billionaire philanthropist for much that goes wrong in Hungary. See article.
Time to talk
Students, businessfolk and civic leaders in Nicaragua gathered in Managua, the capital, for the first day of talks with Daniel Ortega, the president. The “dialogue”, which is being mediated by the Catholic church, follows weeks of protests against Mr Ortega’s socialist government, in which dozens of people were killed.
Margarita Zavala, an independent candidate in Mexico’s presidential election, dropped out to “free” her supporters to vote for more popular candidates. Her withdrawal could weaken Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a left-wing populist who has a big lead in the polls.
Venezuela’s socialist regime took over a factory that Kellogg, a food company, had closed because of the country’s economic meltdown. President Nicolás Maduro said workers at the factory could “continue producing for the people”, who are going hungry because of price controls and official corruption. Meanwhile, prisoners took over the detention centre of Sebin, Venezuela’s feared intelligence agency, to protest against abuses. The government said it had regained control; prisoners disputed this.
Party poopers
North Korea cancelled a meeting with the South about improving ties and threatened to pull out of a summit between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and Donald Trump, due to take place in Singapore in June. The Kim regime hinted that it was less keen on giving up its nuclear weapons than it had previously implied. See article.
China marked the tenth anniversary of an earthquake in Sichuan that killed 70,000 people. President Xi Jinping said China had provided “enlightenment for the international community” in rebuilding disaster zones. Officials imposed tight security, fearful of attempts by parents to mourn children who died in shoddily built schools.
The governor of the Indian state of Karnataka invited the Bharatiya Janata Party to form a government, though two other parties had won a majority of the state legislature between them. The pair appealed to the Supreme Court. See article.
Suicide-bombers attacked churches and police stations in Indonesia, killing 13 people. The attacks were mounted by families, including children. Islamic State claimed responsibility. See article.
Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s former finance minister and a leader of the opposition alliance that won the recent general election, was released from prison on the ground that his jailing had been politically motivated. Mr Anwar is expected eventually to take over from the current prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad. See article.
The windscreen of a Chinese passenger jet blew out while it was cruising at 32,000 feet. The co-pilot was sucked halfway out, but was saved by his safety belt. The pilot landed the aircraft safely, despite the sudden loss of cabin pressure and a plunge in temperature to -30°C (-22°F).