Here’s What Happened Around The World In May 2025
Here’s what happened around the world in May 2025.
Here’s what happened around the world in May 2025.
What Really Happened This Month And More Updates On Israel's Genocide In Gaza:
1. Israel has now openly said it wants to occupy Gaza indefinitely, expanding its military operation
On May 5, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is going to fully take over Gaza.
The Israeli cabinet has approved the operation "Gideon's Chariots" on May 5, and Israeli forces have launched intensive attacks since then.
Israel would forcibly move all Palestinians in Gaza to the south. It said it would also be in control of distributing aid in the Strip.
It is planning its plan aims to defeat and dismantle Hamas. It has moved people repeatedly to "safe zones" then attacked them anyway.
It has already occupied about one-third of Gaza, according to the UN.
2. Israel finally allowed five aid trucks into Gaza after imposing a full blockade for over 80 days but launched a huge ground invasion at the same time
Israel has finally allowed five aid trucks to enter Gaza after more than 80 days of total blockade on over 2.3 million people but also launched at the same time a huge ground operation to take over Gaza.
Israel has been blocking all aid from entering Gaza since March 2.
3. As of May 20, 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in the next 48 hours due to Israel blocking all aid
More than 93% of Gaza’s children, about 930,000, are currently at risk of famine as Israel has been blocking all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza since March 2.
Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, May 20, the UN's humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said that 14,000 babies could die in Gaza within 48 hours unless immediate aid reaches them.
4. Spain called Israel a "genocidal state" and for it to banned from Eurovision and began reviewing an arms embargo
On Monday, May 19, Spain's prime minister Pedro Sánchez again doubled down on Israel, calling for it to be banned from international cultural events such as Eurovision, where Israel competed as a finalist just two days earlier on May 17.
"I believe that no one was shocked three years ago when Russia was asked to withdraw from international competitions after it invaded Ukraine and not participate, for example, at Eurovision. Therefore, Israel should not do so either," he said.
On Tuesday, May 20, Spanish lawmakers voted in favor of a motion calling on the government to impose an arms embargo on Israel in response to its genocide in Gaza.
The motion calls on the government to ban exporting any materials that could strengthen the Israeli military, including helmets, vests and fuel with potential military use, according to Anadolu Agency.
5. The UK, France and Canada jointly condemned Israel for its genocide and threatened to add sanctions
The UK, France and Canada have jointly condemned Israel's intensified military offensive in Gaza as well as its blockade on aid after it said it would only allow a basic amount of aid to enter Gaza, calling it “wholly inadequate and saying they are not afraid to add sanctions.
The UK prime minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday, May 20, at the UK’s parliament after the three countries released a joint statement on May 19, that they are “horrified by the escalation from Israel, saying they would not stand by while Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Government pursues these “egregious actions,” adding that “innocent children being bombed again is utterly intolerable.”
“If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response,” the statement said.
6.Netanyahu has said "Free Palestine" is today's version of "Heil Hitler"
In a statement on Thursday, May 22, condemning the killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sara Milgrim, two Israeli embassy staff members who were murdered in a shooting attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, Netanyahu said that “Free Palestine” is just today’s version of “Heil Hitler,” claiming that those who chant it are “neo-Nazis” who do not want a Palestinian state but rather seek to annihilate the Jewish people as the gunman who killed Lischinsky and Milgrim chanted “Free Palestine” before getting arrested.
7. Yemen's Houthi rebels announced it will impose an air blockade on Israel on top of its naval blockade to pressure Israel to end its genocide
Yemen's Houthis have announced it is imposing an aerial blockade on Israel and repeatedly target its airports in response to Israel's genocide in Gaza.
It was the first time that Israel's defense system failed to intercept a missile from the Houthis since November 2023, when the group began launching missile and drone attacks towards Israel and on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea to stand with Palestinians in Gaza.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels also have said they will resume attacks on Israeli naval vessels in the Red Sea after Israel blocked all aid deliveries to Gaza following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
Since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, the Houthis, an armed group that controls most parts of Yemen, had been launching missile and drone attacks towards Israel and on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea.
8. Trump has announced that The US will stop bombing Yemen’s Houthis rebels, saying they "capitulated”
Since March, the US has been bombing Yemen after US President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on the Houthis for attacking Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea.
Since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, the Houthis — an armed group that controls most parts of Yemen — have been launching missile and drone attacks towards Israel and on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea to support Palestinians in Gaza and pressure Israel to end its genocide, which has now killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
On Sunday, May 4, the two sides began escalating their attacks on each other after Israel failed to intercept for the first time since November 2023 a Houthi ballistic missile that struck near Ben Gurion Airport.
9. Palestinian digital rights are under attack with Nidaa Basoumi at RightsCon 2025
Even before Oct. 7, social media platforms such as Meta have been silencing Palestinian voices, banning and censoring their accounts, and the genocide has only worsened the situation, with big tech companies such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon selling technology to the Israeli military to kill Palestinians in Gaza and surveil them in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Nidaa Bassoumi media coordinator of Sada Social, a Palestinian digital rights project, spoke to Almost at RightsCon 2025 about just how extensive the effects of big tech’s actions are on Palestinians’ everyday lives.
What's Happening Around The World:
1. Why is The US removing sanctions on Syria a big deal? with Syrian activist Wafa Moustafa
On Tuesday, May 13, US President Donald Trump announced that the US will remove all its sanctions on Syria, saying that the sanctions have “served their purpose” and lifting them will give Syria "a chance at greatness" after its liberation in December 2024.
The US sanctions had been in place for over a decade and were expanded after the 2011 Syrian Revolution, aimed at isolating the Syrian regime under former president Bashar al-Assad and restricting its economic and military capabilities.
The sanctions had designated Syria as a "State Sponsor of Terrorism" since 1979 and included arms embargoes, financial restrictions, freezing Syrian government assets overseas, banning US investments and oil imports to Syria sanctioning individuals and entities linked to the regime.
Syrian journalist and activist Wafa Mustafa shared with Almost how the move will not only allow Syria a chance for economic recovery but also provide hope for Syrians in the country who have felt the effect of the sanctions acutely in their everyday life for years.
2. The EU has finally removed its sanctions on Syria to give it a chance to rebuild after its liberation
The European Union has lifted economic sanctions on Syria to give Syrians “the chance to reunite and rebuild a new, inclusive, pluralistic and peaceful Syria free from harmful foreign interference” after 14 years of brutal civil war under the Assad regime.
3. India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed neighboring countries, agreed to a ceasefire after four days of fighting
Since Wednesday, May 7, India and Pakistan have been launching missile and drone attacks against each other after a militant attack in Kashmir, which both India and Pakistan claim full control over.
Kashmir, which is majority Muslim, was split between India and Pakistan by a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1949 after a war in 1947, with India calling its part "Jammu and Kashmir" and Pakistan calling its parts "Azad Kashmir" and "Gilgit-Baltistan".
Since then, India and Pakistan have fought four wars — three of them directly or indirectly tied to Kashmir — and regularly clashed along the border inside Kashmir, known as the Line of Control.
On Saturday, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that India and Pakistan had used "Common Sense and Great Intelligence" and agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire following talks mediated by the US.
4. A Reporter Tried To Force This Indian Boy To Incite Hatred Against Pakistan And He Completely Shut It Down
Since May 7, India and Pakistan have been launching airstrikes against each other after a militant attack in Kashmir, which both sides claim full control over.
A Muslim boy in India is going viral for shutting down a reporter trying to force him to incite violence against Pakistan with a powerful anti-war message.
5. The new Pope, Leo XIV, has delivered his first address after being chosen by the conclave
Pope Leo XIV, the new pope selected by the conclave in the Vatican on Thursday, May 8, has delivered his first address, calling for peace and a missionary church that builds bridges and dialogue.
69-year-old Pope Leo, born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was born in Chicago in the US but served decades as a missionary and later an Archbishop in Peru, where he is a naturalized citizen.
He was seen as a "middle of the road" candidate, not the most radical reformer nor the most conservative cardinal in the conclave, which began its gathering on May 7, after the death of Francis on Easter Monday on April 21.
6. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended ceasefire talks in Turkey alone after Russian president Vladimir Putin called for direct talks but didn't show
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for "direct talks" with Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 15, saying the negotiations would be "without preconditions" to achieve "lasting, strong peace."
On Thursday, May 15, Zelenskyy arrived in Turkey as promised but to find out that Putin is not coming and sent a low-ranking delegation instead, which Zelenskyy called a “decorative” or “sham” delegation that doesn’t have real authority to make decisions.
“I feel disrespect from Russia. No meeting time, no agenda, no high-level delegation - this is personal disrespect. To Erdoğan, to Trump,” Zelenskiy said, Reuters reported.
7. Putin met Chinese president Xi Jinping and vowed they will fight against “Neo-Nazism” together
China’s President Xi Jinping arrived in Russia on Wednesday, May 7 to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin, with both leaders vowing to fight against “neo-nazism” and Western “bullying” together.
“Together with our Chinese friends, we firmly stand guard over historical truth, protect the memory of the events of the war years, and counteract modern manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism,” Putin said during their meeting.
“Facing the countercurrent of unilateralism and bullying internationally, China will work with Russia to shoulder the special responsibilities as world powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, to take on the responsibility.” Xi said.
8. In a surprise upset, people in Romania rejected the far-right and elected a pro-EU president
In 2024, far-right politician Călin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential election, which was annulled due to alleged Russian interference.
This brought the country to the brink of a political crisis. Georgescu was then banned from the elections but endorsed another far-right politician George Simion.
As Simion was expected to win the second round, thousands of people across Romania held pro-EU protests, fearing that the country would be isolated from the EU.
But on May 18, pro-EU Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan won the second round in a shock.
9. Canada's new prime minister met with Trump and told him that Canada will "not be for sale, ever"
The exchange took place on Tuesday, May 6, during Carney’s first White House visit after winning the April elections on a promise to stand up to Trump, as trade tensions and tariff disputes escalated between the two countries.
During the meeting, Trump said again he wanted to make Canada the 51st US state, saying “It would really be a wonderful marriage," adding that Canada would benefit from joining the US, including through possible tax cuts.
Carney firmly rejected the idea of annexation, saying, “there are some places that are never for sale. We're sitting in one right now,” adding Canada '”is not for sale. Won't be for sale, ever."
10. Trump met with South Africa's president and then falsely accused him of permitting "white genocide"
US President Donald Trump falsely accused South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa of facilitating “white genocide” in the country.
During a meeting in the White House on Wednesday, May 21, Trump accused Ramaphosa of presiding over the systematic persecution and genocide of white farmers in South Africa and presented videos, images and news articles, which he claimed documented widespread violence and land seizures targeting white people, who are the minority in South Africa.
Ramaphosa rejected Trump’s claims, clarifying that Black South Africans are statistically more likely to be victims of violence and that the government does not condone or promote attacks on white farmers, adding that the actions of a small party don’t reflect official government policy and that South Africa’s constitution protects freedom of speech.
11. Trump announced The US and China have agreed to stop imposing more tariffs on each other for 90 days
The US President Donald Trump has announced that the US and China have agreed to stop imposing more tariffs on each other for 90 days.
In March, Trump increased tariffs on Chinese goods to 20%, with China then retaliating by imposing a 15% tariff on some US products.
The two countries kept increasing tariffs on each other till April, when the US increased its tariffs on China to 145%, with China increasing its tariffs to 125%.
The tariff increases led to higher prices, disrupted supply chains, slowed economic growth and exports in both countries and also negatively affected the global economy, disrupting trade flows.
On May 12, Trump said in a statement that both countries agreed to reduce their tariffs by 115% for 90 days starting May 14 after successful negotiations in Geneva.
During the 90-day period, the two countries will also discuss their economic and trade relations.
12. What to do when you are targeted with intimate deepfakes with Ivette Yáñez Soria at RightsCon 2025
“What you see on the internet is not always real.”
At RightsCon 2025, Ivette Yáñez Soria, director of Strategic Communications and Senior Researcher at global non-profit "think-and-do tank" Data-Pop Alliance, shared with Almost her advice for young people who are dealing with being targeted by intimate deepfakes online.
13. This Taiwanese woman activist started the world’s first period museum to end period stigma
Come with us to the world’s first period museum in Taipei, Taiwan.
Founded by Taiwanese activist Vivi Lin, the museum aims to break the taboo surrounding periods through interactive exhibitions.
Lin, who suffers from endometriosis, told Almost she hopes to help people understand that periods are natural and that period equality is a human right.
14. This Mexican beauty influencer was shot and killed during a TikTok livestream
23-year-old Valeria Márquez, who had around 200,000 followers on social media, was killed in a beauty salon where she worked in Zapopan, Jalisco state, in central Mexico, on May 13.
During the stream, Márquez was sitting at a table holding a stuffed animal before she said, "they're coming".
A man is then heard asking her offscreen if she is Valeria, and she responded with “yes” before proceeding to mute the video to talk to them.
Moments later, Márquez was shot at least twice on the livestream and collapsed in her chair.
Authorities are treating the case as femicide, which is the murder of a woman due to her gender, but have not named a suspect.
15. This British woman ran the London marathon in her wedding dress to honor her late husband
This British woman ran the London marathon in her wedding dress to honor her late husband.
Laura Coleman-Day told Almost what inspired her to run in her wedding dress.
16. The Vatican has revealed that Pope Francis' final wish was to turn the popemobile into a mobile clinic for Gaza children
The Vatican has revealed that Pope Francis requested that his popemobile be transformed into a mobile health clinic for the children of Gaza as his final wish before he died.
Throughout his lifetime, especially in his later years, Francis openly condemned Israel's genocide on Gaza on several occasions, calling its actions "terrorism" and "cruelty, not war."
He also made daily calls to a church in Gaza every evening for 15 months since Oct. 9, 2023, two days after Israel began its genocide in Gaza, even while he was hospitalized for months for double pneumonia.
17. To celebrate 25 years of Darude's "Sandstorm", people all across Finland played it at the same time
All of Finland paused for a moment and came together on May 8 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Darude’s iconic song "Sandstorm."
Darude is the stage name of Toni-Ville Henrik Virtanen, a Finnish DJ and music producer.
The song was released on October 26, 1999, and became one of Finland’s biggest hits around the world.
On May 8, at exactly 9:15 am local time, radio stations, malls, schools and other places across Finland played "Sandstorm" at the same time.
Several videos of the events making rounds on social media showed people dancing at radio stations, students dancing in classrooms, shoppers stopping to enjoy the music in malls and people listening in their cars.
Darude thanked everyone on social media for the nationwide tribute, calling it "an honor".
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Kassy Cho
Kassy Cho
