World This Week : 14 May–20 May 2012

A compilation of all the important topics and events of the week is given here. Update your Current Affairs Weekly with our World This Week.

14 May, 2012

• Thirteen Indians were among the 15 people who died when a plane crashed in north-western Nepal
• Russia held Al qaida responsible for deadly bomb attacks in Syria
• Sri Lankan President Mahenda Rajpaksa announced to release jailed former Army Commander of Sri Lanka, Sarath Fonseka

15 May, 2012

• Nepali political parties finalized constitutional deal
• Pakistan got invitation for Chicago meet on Pakistan
• Saudi Arabia formally launched the process for a closer political integration of the six Gulf monarchies-Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates- as a hedge against the perceived threat from Iran

16 May, 2012

• Britain decided to open two more missions in India
• India became the largest importer of arms, surpassing China
• Talks on Iran’s nuclear programme began in Vienna

17 May, 2012

• The Washington police department announced a decision to explicitly and voluntarily allow Sikh-Americans to serve as full-time, uniformed officers while keeping their articles of faith
• The war crimes trial of the former Bosnian Serb army chief, Ratko Mladic, was abruptly halted

18 May, 2012

• Regime forces fired on protesters who took to the streets of Aleppo Syria’s second city
• A new Haitian government led by Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe officially began its duties
• Activists protested in London against Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP)

19 May, 2012

• Visually-challenged Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng left  for the United States with his family
• A legal snag delayed the imminent release from jail of Sri Lanka's former Army Chief, Sarath Fonseka, who was granted both a bail and a presidential pardon
• Tens of thousands of Taiwanese rallied in Taipei  to voice their anger at President Ma Ying-jeou over a spate of controversial policies

20 May, 2012

• Pakistan blocked access to Twitter, on the ground that it was being used to publicise a contest for blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed on Facebook
• Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer and the only person convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing which killed 270 people, died at his home in Tripoli