Portal:Current events/2014 June 3

Current events of June 3, 2014 (2014-06-03) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine: Heavy fighting between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian militants takes place in and around the rebel-held eastern city of Sloviansk. (BBC) Islamist insurgency in Nigeria: Boko Haram militants kill dozens of people in fresh attacks on villages in Borno state. (BBC) Disasters and accidents India's Rural Development Minister, Gopinath Munde, dies in a road accident while on his way to Delhi Airport. (IANS via Biharprabha) Health and environment Saudi Arabia announces 113 previously unreported cases of MERS, revises the death toll to 282, and fires its minister of health. (Reuters) International relations Amid the crisis in Ukraine, President of the United States Barack Obama announces the European Reassurance Initiative—a $1bn plan to fund the increase of the United States military presence in Europe and step up defense capabilities of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. (BBC) (Euronews) Law and crime London police arrest the leader of Pakistan's MQM party, Altaf Hussain, on suspicion of money-laundering. (BBC) Nigerian police in Abuja ban all protests planned in support of the 276 girls kidnapped from northern Nigeria by Boko Haram. (CNN) Politics and elections Syrian presidential election, 2014: Voters in Syria go to the polls for a presidential election with incumbent President Bashar al-Assad all but certain to win amidst an opposition boycott. On Wednesday, the Syrian government claimed that he had won with 88.7% of the vote. (AFP via GlobalPost) (Reuters) 2014 Abkhazian political crisis: Former president Aleksandr Ankvab announces his intentions to run in the upcoming elections. (ITAR-TASS) Sports In motorsport, British motor cycle racer Karl Harris dies during the Isle of Man TT. (Ultimate Motor Cycling) In cricket, Hashim Amla becomes the first non-white captain of the South African national cricket team. (FT)