January 1 Lithuania changes its currency from litas to euros as it becomes the 19th member of the eurozone currency union January 2 U.S. President Barack Obama targets three organizations and ten officials in new financial sanctions issued against North Korea in response to the recent hacking attack on Sony Pictures January 3 The Ezadeen, an abandoned ship carrying 450 Syrians, is rescued from choppy waters and brought safely to shore in Italy; the ship is the second to be abandoned by human traffickers off the nation's coast in the last four days January 4 Pope Francis appoints 20 new cardinals from a diverse array of nations, including Vietnam, New Zealand, Ethiopia, Tonga, Mexico, Myanmar, Uruguay, France and Thailand; three-fourths of the cardinals will have authority to vote on a papal successor January 5 The tomb of an Egyptian queen, Khentakawess III, is discovered by a team of Czech archaeologists; the queen lived during the Fifth Dynasty and was likely the wife of Pharaoh Neferefre January 6 The National Baseball Hall of Fame elects four players: Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio; the induction ceremony will take place in July January 7 Teixobactin, a newly discovered antibiotic, offers hope in treating tuberculosis and infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria; the drug has been effective in rodent trials but has not yet been tested in humans January 8 The U.S. has fined American Honda Motor Company $70 million for neglecting to report, from mid-2003 to mid-2014, over 1,700 safety issues that resulted in deaths or injuries January 9 Police have killed two of the three men who attacked the offices of French satire magazine 'Charlie Hebdo' yesterday to avenge the Prophet Muhammad; the third attacker turned himself in after the incident, which killed 12 and wounded 11 people January 10 Commercial space company SpaceX successfully launches its Falcon 9 rocket, which has released the Dragon cargo ship into orbit to the International Space Station; the rocket returned to Earth after releasing the Dragon but had a rough landing January 11 Over 3.5 million people in Paris and across France stage unity rallies to protest the recent Islamist terrorist attack on the offices of French satire magazine 'Charlie Hebdo'; the rallies carry the theme 'Je Suis Charlie' (I am Charlie) January 12 Divers have retrieved one of two black boxes from Air Asia Flight 8501, which crashed on December 28th during its flight from Indonesia to Singapore; the second black box has been found nearby, but debris must first be moved in order to access it January 13 Hosni Mubarak, former president of Egypt, may be freed after the nation's high court overturned the sole remaining verdict against him for embezzling public funds; Mubarak has been serving his three-year prison term in a hospital due to poor health January 14 American rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson become the first to successfully free-climb the Dawn Wall face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, a climb of 3,000 feet; the men started the climb on December 27th, 2014 January 15 The Swiss National Bank has uncapped the Swiss franc against the euro, resulting in a rise in its currency value from 1.20 to 1.04 francs/euro; the bank also reduced interest rates from -.25% to -.75%, increasing costs to investors who store deposits January 16 New U.S. rules loosening trade restrictions with Cuba go into effect today, including permission to sell instruments, tools, equipment and supplies to private businesses; U.S. banks will also be given greater freedom to transact with Cuban banks January 17 U.S. President Barack Obama vows to veto additional sanctions proposed by Congress against Iran, citing the delicacy of international talks currently underway with the nation regarding limitations on its nuclear program January 18 Over 6 million people attend a Mass in Manila, Philippines given by Pope Francis, who encouraged followers to protect the young and promote peace January 19 American skier Lindsey Vonn wins her 63rd World Cup, setting a new record after 35 years; the previous record of 62 wins was held by Austrian skier Annemarie Moser-Proell January 20 U.S. President Barack Obama gives his State of the Union address, promoting free community college education, increased capital gains taxes on the rich, more paid time off for employees, and greater tax credits for the middle class January 21 E-commerce company eBay announces that it will lay off 2,400 employees in advance of its plans to spin off its PayPal unit; the split is expected to take place in mid-2015 January 22 The European Central Bank will initiate a quantitative easing program that will involve printing euros in order to purchase government-issued debt instruments; the program will enhance existing measures to improve the economy within the eurozone January 23 King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia dies at age 90 after hospitalization for pneumonia three weeks earlier; he has been succeeded by his half brother Salman of Saudi Arabia January 24 Officials at the World Health Organization state that the number of new Ebola cases is rapidly declining, signaling a reversal of the epidemic; however, preventive measures and safety protocols are still needed in Ebola-infected nations January 25 U.S. President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi make progress in the areas of defense and nuclear trade; the countries plan to cooperate on defense issues, military manufacturing initiatives and nuclear power development January 26 Alexis Tsipras, leader of the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) party, is elected as Prime Minister of Greece on an anti-austerity platform January 27 A powerful blizzard covers Boston and nearby New England areas with over two feet of snow under winds that reach over 70 miles per hour; New York City had expected the same weather effects but was spared January 28 New anti-austerity Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras halts the public asset privatizations required under Greece's bailout agreement with its foreign creditors; Standard & Poor's has lowered its rating on Greek national debt from stable to negative January 29 Despite finding no wreckage to date, Malaysian officials announce that the March 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is being ruled an accident; the ruling lets families of the missing passengers seek compensation for the tragedy January 30 California officials believe that an outbreak of measles among Disneyland visitors was caused by someone with overseas exposure; Disneyland visitors account for 67 cases, with 94 total infections across the U.S. to date January 31 New Zealand professional golfer Lydia Ko, age 17, becomes the youngest No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, beating the record set by Tiger Woods in 1997 at age 21 February 1 The New England Patriots win their fourth Super Bowl title, beating the Seattle Seahawks 28-24; Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is named MVP and is now one of only three quarterbacks to have won three Super Bowls February 2 The four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta have been put on display at the British Library in London; access is limited to scholars and to 1,215 viewers from all over the world who were selected by lottery February 3 Harper Lee will release her second novel, 'Go Set a Watchman,' after 55 years; Lee wrote this novel first, presenting Scout as an adult, but editors convinced Lee to write instead about Scout as a child, resulting in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' February 4 Hackers steal personal data on up to 80 million customers of health insurance provider Anthem, Inc.; though free credit monitoring is being offered to victims, such monitoring won't detect or prevent medical identity theft February 5 RadioShack, the U.S. electronics retailer founded in 1921, files for bankruptcy; the company plans to sell up to half of its stores to Sprint and close the remainder February 6 Scientists report that climate change may be influenced by the carbon dioxide released by undersea volcanoes, which have been assumed until now to have a negligible effect; further studies are needed to assess the degree of impact February 7 TransAsia Airways suspends flights and begins retraining all its pilots in compliance with orders from Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration after the crash of Flight 235 into the Keelung River three days ago February 8 Beck wins Album of the Year and Sam Smith wins both Song and Record of the Year at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, while 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' wins five awards and 'Boyhood' wins best film at the 68th BAFTA Awards February 9 The International Energy Agency estimates that oil prices will remain relatively low for the next five years, potentially dipping this year to an average of $55/barrel before increasing to about $73/barrel by the year 2020 February 10 U.S. President Barack Obama will seek approval from Congress to add force in the fight against ISIS militants; the current U.S. military campaign began without Congressional approval, raising concerns that Obama exceeded the limits of his authority February 11 Tiger Woods announces that he will be taking a hiatus from golf in order to recover from a recent injury and work on improving his game back to peak levels; Woods did not specify an expected return date to the game February 12 Ukraine and Russia negotiate a ceasefire with the support of Germany and France; the agreement calls for an end to fighting, removal of large artillery from the sites of conflict, and greater independence for eastern Ukraine February 13 Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian journalist Baher Mohamed are released on bail in Cairo while awaiting trial for allegedly assisting the Muslim Brotherhood; a third journalist, Australian Peter Grest, was deported earlier this month February 14 GM issues a recall of over 81,000 vehicles due to potential power steering problems; 2006 and 2007 models of the Pontiac G6, Chevrolet Malibu, and Malibu Maxx are affected February 15 The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is planning rules for commercial drones that will limit flights to uncrowded areas within the operator's line of sight, meaning that uses such as package delivery or long-range news reporting are off limits February 16 A federal U.S. judge orders a halt to an executive order issued by President Barack Obama that allows approximately 5 million illegal immigrants to remain in the country; Obama expects to overcome this hurdle to implement the order as planned February 17 Ukrainian forces leave the city of Debaltseve after rebels continue fighting in spite of a negotiated ceasefire; the rebels claim that the city, which connects the rebel-held corridor between Donetsk and Luhansk, was not included in the agreement February 18 The Greek Parliament elects Prokopis Pavlopoulos as the nation's next president; Pavlopoulos, preferred by the SYRIZA party, was chosen over opposition party nominee Nicos Alivizatos February 19 Walmart announces that in April it will raise wages of 500,000 Sam's Club and Walmart workers to $9/hour, exceeding the current minimum wage by $1.75, with a further raise to $10/hour by next February February 20 Creditor nations agree to extend Greece's bailout program by four months as long as required economic reforms continue; new Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had campaigned on reversing the reforms but now accepts the terms to avoid financial chaos February 21 Turkey sends troops to Syria to rescue 40 guards and relocate remains from the tomb of Sulayman Shah, which is now surrounded by ISIS militants; the site is internationally recognized as Turkish territory February 22 At the 87th Academy Awards, 'Birdman' is awarded Best Picture, Eddie Redmayne wins Best Actor for his role as Stephen Hawking in 'A Theory of Everything,' and Julianne Moore wins Best Actress for her role in 'Still Alice' February 23 Joey Logano wins the Daytona 500; Jeff Gordon starts out strong in his final Daytona 500 race, but loses his lead and his chance at a fourth victory after getting caught in a wreck February 24 U.S. President Barack Obama vetoes the Keystone XL project, which would extend the existing Keystone pipeline and connect Canadian oil directly to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries; environmentalists claim the pipeline extension will add to climate change February 25 Smartflash, a Texas technology licensing company, has won $532.9 million in a lawsuit against Apple for infringement of data management software patents; Apple claims that the patents are invalid and that it never used the technology in question February 26 The U.S. Federal Communications Commission approves net neutrality rules, which guarantee equal Internet access to all users; broadband companies had been seeking the ability to sell faster access to certain customers while slowing access for others February 27 Actor, director, photographer and writer Leonard Nimoy, most popularly known as Dr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies at age 83 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); Nimoy had been suffering from the illness for about a year February 28 Sierra Leone Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana is entering a voluntary 21-day quarantine after one of his bodyguards dies of Ebola; spread of the virus has been slowing, but a recent increase in infections has led to new calls for precaution March 1 Astronauts at the International Space Station complete a tricky cable installation project to prepare for addition of docking ports; the ports will be able to receive manned commercial space capsules such as those launched by SpaceX and Boeing March 2 Snowstorms continue to hit Boston, Massachusetts, bringing the city's snowfall this season to 102 inches to date; the city's highest snowfall occurred in the winter of 1995 with 107.6 inches March 3 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to U.S. Congress on his concerns with current negotiations to limit Iran's nuclear program, portraying the deal as dangerous; U.S. President Barack Obama dismissed the speech content as 'nothing new' March 4 Scientists uncover a 2.8-million-year-old jawbone of a primitive human; the find suggests that humans may have evolved from hominins, or humanlike primates, about 400,000 years earlier than previously thought March 5 The last Ebola patient in Liberia, a 58-year-old English teacher, has been released; the nation will be declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization if no new cases of the virus emerge in the next 42 days March 6 AT&T will be replaced with Apple Inc. on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), reflecting shifts in the U.S. economy between telecommunications and technology; AT&T had been part of the DJIA for over 100 years March 7 U.S. President Barack Obama states that he did not know that former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton solely used a personal email address for government business, possibly violating federal law; Clinton served under Obama for four years March 8 A report is released on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 today, one year after the incident, revealing that the flight's locator beacon battery had expired a year before the flight, but nothing unusual was otherwise detected March 9 A small treasure of 2,300-year-old coins and jewelry is found in a cave in the Galilee region of Israel; the items date from the time of Alexander the Great March 10 Pakistan reinstates the death penalty for all crimes, extending a previous reinstatement only for terrorism cases; the country has had a moratorium on capital punishment since 2008 but lifted it after terrorist attacks in December 2014 March 11 The U.S. will support the Ukraine in its fight against separatist militants by providing $75 million in non-lethal aid in the form of drones, ambulances and radios; Humvees will also be sent under a separate agreement March 12 The U.S. Internal Revenue Service warns of an increase in taxpayer phone scams threatening victims unless they pay a given amount with a debit or prepaid credit card; over 366,000 people have been swindled of over $15 million since 2013 March 13 Scientists have concluded that a large ocean exists beneath the icy surface of Ganymede, the largest moon of Jupiter; the discovery was made by using the Hubble Space Telescope to observe aurora movements at the moon's poles March 14 Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale calls for aid after Cyclone Pam decimates homes throughout this nation of over 60 islands, resulting in at least 8 deaths; the full impact of the Category 5 storm is not yet known March 15 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., reaches a new snowfall record of 108.6 inches and may receive even more snow this season; the city's previous record of 107.6 inches was set in the winter of 1995-1996 March 16 Apple will begin a web TV service in September, carrying broadcast networks such as CBS, Fox and ABC; the service will offer 25 channels and will likely cost less than current cable television packages March 17 Health care and personal security records of 11 million customers have been stolen from Premera Blue Cross; the health care insurer operates mainly in the U.S. states of Washington and Alaska, but customers in other states may also be affected March 18 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ruling Likud party have retained victory in this week's election; Netanyahu will now focus on forming a coalition government March 19 The U.S. Federal Reserve has cut its 2015 inflation and economic growth predictions for the U.S. and will likely wait until at least June of this year to raise interest rates March 20 Aducanumab, a new drug developed by Biogen to treat Alzheimer's, is showing success in reducing toxic brain plaque and decreasing the rate of mental impairment in trials; if successful in further testing, the drug may be available by 2020 March 21 Negotiations continue between Iran and a group of six nations regarding limits on Iran's nuclear program, with the end of March approaching as an initial deadline; Iranian President Hassan Rouhani expresses optimism that an agreement will be reached March 22 The remains of Richard III, King of England from 1483 to 1485, are escorted in a royal funeral procession; the remains were discovered in Leicester in 2012 and will be reburied at the Leicester Cathedral March 23 Lee Kuan Yew, founder of the nation of Singapore and prime minister for 31 years, dies at the age of 91 after suffering for weeks from pneumonia March 24 H.J. Heinz Co and Kraft Foods Group Inc. will merge to form the third-largest global food company, Kraft Heinz Co.; the merger will be financed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and Jorge Paulo Lemann's 3G Capital March 25 Clues in the crash of a Germanwings flight during clear weather Tuesday suggest that the co-pilot locked the pilot out of the cabin before deliberately downing the jet in the French Alps; investigations of the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, are ongoing March 26 Shiite militia forces in Iraq boycott the fight against ISIS in Tikrit to protest U.S. airstrikes; the U.S. was responding to a request from the Iraqi government, but militias are concerned that the U.S. will receive credit for their work to date March 27 Venture capital company Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has successfully defended itself in a gender discrimination lawsuit filed by former junior partner Ellen Pao; the case was monitored by Silicon Valley firms, which tend to be male-dominated March 28 Officials find that Andreas Lubitz, co-pilot of downed Germanwings Flight 4U 9525, had mental and physical health problems that he hid from the airline; a doctor's note was found excusing him from work on the day that he crashed the plane March 29 Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announces that Arab leaders will be combining their military resources to combat violence in the region; Saudi Arabia has already led joint forces in airstrikes on Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen March 30 Former General Muhammadu Buhari defeats incumbent Goodluck Jonathan to become the new President of Nigeria; Buhari won by over 2.5 million votes March 31 The deadline has passed for conclusion of negotiations by Iran and a group of six nations on Iran's nuclear program; however, as some progress has been made, the talks will continue April 1 California Governor Jerry Brown mandates a 25% cut in water usage, the first required water restriction in the state's history, as severe drought continues; earlier calls for a voluntary 20% reduction were not met April 2 A 37-year-old man from South Carolina is rescued 500 miles from home after 66 days lost at sea; Louis Jordan had been in an antique 35-foot sailboat fishing in the open sea when the boat capsized in a storm, and he survived on fish and rainwater April 3 France has outlawed the hiring of models who do not meet new Body Mass Index (BMI) minimums for a certain period of time before and during a modeling job; the law aims to prevent promotion of anorexia among models and people who emulate them April 4 Sea incidents involving migrants continue at a steady pace in the Mediterranean, as Italian ships rescue 1,500 people from 5 separate vessels in less than 24 hours April 5 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to speak out against the pending deal with Iran in which sanctions will be lifted in exchange for cuts in Iranian nuclear capacity; Netanyahu warns the pact may lead to nuclear arms acceleration April 6 Duke University defeats the University of Wisconsin to win the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship; the game, with a 68-63 score, resulted in Duke's fifth title April 7 UConn defeats Notre Dame 63-53 to win the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship; these results follow yesterday's Duke University win over the University of Wisconsin 68-63 in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship April 8 The world's oldest living person, Gertrude Weaver of the U.S., dies at age 116, just five days after the death of the previous record holder, Misao Okawa of Japan, who died at age 117 April 9 Amazon is again exempted from Federal Aviation Administration commercial drone flight prohibitions, allowing it to test delivery drones; the company had to reapply for exemption, as its drone fleet grew outdated while waiting for initial approval April 10 Online preorders begin for the Apple Watch, initially planned for sale on April 24th; however, the volume of orders has already pushed delivery dates into June or July for the various models, which are priced from $349 to $17,000 April 11 U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro meet at the Summit of the Americas in Panama for talks aimed at thawing relations; the historic meeting marks the first interaction in decades between top leaders of the two nations April 12 Jordan Spieth, age 21, wins the Masters golf tournament, tying Tiger Woods' record-setting 72-hole score of 18 under par at the course in 1997 April 13 Iran will receive an S-300 air defense system from Russia; though the move won't violate U.N. sanctions against Iran, other nations currently in negotiation with Iran over nuclear issues have expressed concern April 14 Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi meets with U.S. President Barack Obama, focusing on the fight against ISIS militants; Obama agrees to send humanitarian aid but makes no commitment regarding military supplies or assistance April 15 Nokia announces that it will purchase Alcatel-Lucent for $16.6 billion, creating the second-largest manufacturer of mobile communication products behind Ericsson April 16 The Vatican ends a five-year investigation into a key organization of U.S. nuns two years ahead of schedule and recommends no major changes; the group was under scrutiny for practices considered out of line with Catholic Church teaching April 17 Russia accuses the U.S. of potentially 'destabilizing' Ukraine by sending paratroopers to train reserve military forces; though a cease fire agreement between Ukrainian pro-government and Russian-backed rebel forces is in place, fighting continues April 18 An outbreak of an unknown disease in Nigeria has so far resulted in 17 deaths, each occurring within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms; while tests show that the disease is not viral, the cause has not yet been identified April 19 A shipwreck that may have drowned up to 900 North African migrants traveling to Europe has prompted the European Union to meet in order to develop a plan to fund and organize rescues while reducing human trafficking incidents April 20 The Cairo Criminal Court convicts Egyptian ex-President Mohammed Morsi for his role in illegal detentions and violent responses to protests against him three years ago; he and other Muslim Brotherhood defendants will serve a 20-year prison term April 21 Italian authorities arrested the captain and a crewman of a vessel that shipwrecked in the Mediterranean, drowning at least 800 people; the passengers were migrating from North Africa to Europe April 22 Gazprom, the state-owned Russian energy company, is sued by the E.U. for antitrust violations, including seeking control of pipelines in exchange for gas, charging steep prices, and limiting gas flows to nations beyond eastern Europe April 23 A pending merger between telecommunication giants Comcast and Time Warner Cable is canceled after regulators indicate that there are concerns regarding competitive and public interest issues April 24 Scientists discover a huge magma reservoir under Yellowstone National Park that feeds the magma chamber heating the park's geothermal features; though no volcanic eruption is likely for thousands of years, such an event would dwarf all others to date April 25 A 7.9-magnitude earthquake hits Nepal, causing over 2,400 deaths, fatal avalanches on Mt. Everest, and destruction of historic sites such as the Dharahara tower April 26 A 6.7-magnitude aftershock sets off new avalanches on Mt. Everest and frightens victims of yesterday's devastating earthquake in Nepal; Google executive Dan Fredinburg was one of at least 17 climbers on Mt. Everest who died in yesterday's disaster April 27 Apple reports higher earnings than expected by Wall Street, at $2.33 per share for the second quarter versus the projected $2.16 per share; earnings were boosted by strong sales of the latest iPhone models and increased sales in China April 28 Nigerian troops rescue 93 women and 200 girls from Boko Haram encampments in the Sambisa Forest; the 'Chibok girls', kidnapped by the militants last year and taken into the forest, were not among those rescued April 29 A new birdlike dinosaur, Yi qi, has been discovered in China; the fossils suggest that it lived about 160 million years ago and had membranous, bat-like wings that not been seen in other dinosaur species April 30 NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft ends its three-year orbit around Mercury with a planned crash into the planet's surface; originally, the probe was to orbit and collect data for one year, but fuel saving efforts extended its mission for two more years May 1 Elon Musk, head of Tesla Motors, announces the formation of Tesla Energy, a producer of large batteries for storage of generated renewable energy in homes and businesses May 2 Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, announce the birth of a baby girl but have not yet revealed her name May 3 Aid response to the Nepal earthquake has been hindered due to runway damage at the country's main airport in Kathmandu, requiring airport closure to large jets; the death toll from the disaster has risen to over 7,000 May 4 The human trafficking crisis continues in the Mediterranean, as approximately 7,000 migrants are rescued from 34 vessels intercepted over the last few days May 5 Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, announce the name of their baby girl, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana May 6 In response to terrorist dangers such as the January shootings at French satire magazine 'Charlie Hebdo', the French National Assembly passes a law to expand the government's surveillance powers; critics warn that the act will violate civil liberties May 7 Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been implicated in DeflateGate, the scandal in which footballs used by the team were found to be below regulation pressure; Brady's father, Tom Brady, Sr., states that his son was framed May 8 British Prime Minister David Cameron is re-elected for five more years in a decisive victory that upset predictions of a close election and resulted in the first Conservative majority government since 1992 May 9 The World Health Organization declares Liberia free of the Ebola virus after a period of 42 days with no new cases, which is twice the normal quarantine duration; over 4,700 people perished in the nation during the epidemic May 10 Cuban President Raul Castro meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican as a gesture of gratitude for the pontiff's role in facilitating renewed diplomatic ties between Cuba the U.S.; Pope Francis will visit both countries in September May 11 Two art works set world records at a Christie's auction in New York, with Pablo Picasso's painting 'Women of Algiers Version O' selling for $160 million and Alberto Giacometti's sculpture 'Pointing Man' selling for $141.3 million May 12 A second major earthquake, magnitude 7.3, hits Nepal less than three weeks after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook the nation and caused thousands of deaths and injuries; at least 48 people are known to have perished in this second event May 13 The Vatican indicates its intention to enter a treaty with Palestine, officially recognizing it as an independent state May 14 Blues legend B.B. King dies at age 89 after battling health issues related to diabetes and high blood pressure May 15 Google will begin testing self-driving cars on the streets of Mountain View, California this summer; the company has tested modified versions of existing vehicles but will now test cars developed specifically for self-driving May 16 Mohamed Morsi, the former Egyptian president who was the first to be democratically elected, has been given a death sentence for his role in a prison outbreak during the revolution of 2011 May 17 Taylor Swift receives eight awards at the Billboard Music Awards; Pharrell Williams, Meghan Trainor, One Direction, and Sam Smith were also multiple winners at the ceremony May 18 U.S. President Barack Obama bans the use of certain military equipment by police in the wake of recent deaths of unarmed black men by police officers; the move is meant to help communities see police as protectors rather than as an 'occupied force' May 19 Prince Charles shakes hands with Gerry Adams, president of the Sinn Fein party, which was formerly part of the militant Irish Republican Army; Prince Charles is the first member of the British royal family to meet him May 20 Archaeologists report on the findings in Kenya of stone tools over a half-million years older than known species of human ancestors, raising questions regarding human evolution and use of tools May 21 Oil spill cleanup continues at Refugio State Beach in California after a pipeline burst two days ago; about 21,000 gallons of oil have been released into the ocean and 105,000 gallons on land May 22 Construction workers discover an unexploded bomb from World War II near Wembley Stadium in London; after evacuations near the site, explosives specialists safely defused and removed the threat May 23 Myanmar President Thein Sein implements a population control law requiring women to wait three years between children; critics believe the law can be used to oppress women as well as minority religion and ethnic populations in the country May 24 Nobel prize winning mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr., 86, and his wife Alicia, 82, die after an accident in New Jersey in which their taxi lost control May 25 Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel, is sentenced to eight months in prison after new evidence emerges proving corruption charges for which he had been acquitted three years ago May 26 Hackers steal personal data for about 100,000 taxpayers after breaking into a U.S. Internal Revenue Service system that allows taxpayers to retrieve previous tax returns; the data can be used to file tax refund claims and commit identity theft May 27 Commercial space company SpaceX has been approved as a contractor to the U.S. military for satellite launches; SpaceX will compete for contracts against the Boeing-Lockheed Martin United Launch Alliance, currently the primary military launch provider May 28 The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has banned 11 people after an ethics investigation; the banned officials have recently or previously been indicted for corruption by the U.S. Justice Department May 29 Flooding from recent heavy rains in Texas has resulted in over 200 rescues and at least 27 deaths to date; several people have also been reported missing May 30 Concerns over security in the Asia-Pacific region are raised after a U.S. surveillance flight identifies artillery on one of the man-made islands under development by China in the South China Sea May 31 Parts of the U.S. Patriot Act, including authorization of bulk phone data collection by the National Security Administration, expire due to lack of agreement in the Senate regarding extension June 1 Harriette Thompson, at 92 years and three months, becomes the oldest person to finish a marathon, beating the previous record holder of 92 years and 19 days June 2 Seth Blatter, president of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), resigns five days after his re-election to a fifth term; several FIFA officials were recently arrested in a corruption scandal, but Blatter has not been charged June 3 Search and rescue efforts continue for missing passengers of a cruise ship that capsized on Monday in the Yangtze River during a tornado; there are 14 survivors to date, with most of the 456 passengers still missing June 4 Negotiations break down between Greece's leftist Syriza government and the European Union regarding issuance of additional bailout funding; Greece has a deadline of tomorrow to repay USD $336 million of its existing debt June 5 Philippine President Benigno Aquino announces that his nation will enter a 'visiting forces' agreement with Japan, which will allow Japanese usage of Philippine military bases for activities such as refueling June 6 Officials from India and Bangladesh sign the Land Boundary Agreement, permanently dividing disputed border territory between the two nations; residents of this territory have lacked government-sponsored services and clear citizenship status June 7 Helen Mirren wins best leading actress for her role in 'The Audience,' and Alex Sharp wins best leading actor for 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' at the 69th annual Tony Awards June 8 World leaders at the latest G7 meeting reinforce their commitments to reduce carbon-based emissions, reaffirm support for sanctions against Russia in light of the Ukraine conflict, and discuss issues related to Greece's debt load June 9 HSBC bank announces plans to let go up to 8,000 workers in the U.K. and potentially up to 25,000 around the world as it restructures itself to improve profitability June 10 Juan Felipe Herrera, age 66, has been named by U.S. Congress as this year's national poet laureate; Herrera, who is the first Latino to be given the title, has served for the past three years as California poet laureate June 11 Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter, steps down after the company reports poor first quarter results; cofounder Jack Dorsey will step in as temporary CEO, but Costolo will keep his position on the board June 12 An outbreak of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) continues to spread in South Korea, where 11 people have died, 126 have been diagnosed, and over 3,000 people have been quarantined in an attempt to stop the epidemic June 13 Queen Elizabeth II officially celebrates her 89th birthday with a Trooping the Color ceremony; as part of the celebration, the Queen also knighted figures including actor Kevin Spacey and singer Van Morrison June 14 Philae, the comet lander that was deposited on Comet 67P last year, has awoken after several months in hibernation due to low power; scientists hope that the lander's power will last long enough for them to download data June 15 CVS Health will pay $1.6 billion to take over the pharmacy and clinic business of Target; CVS will continue existing operations within the Target stores June 16 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is banning artificial trans fats from all foods and beverages; the ban will go into effect in 2018 June 17 The Japanese parliament votes to lower the nation's voting age to 18 from 20; the change will make about 2.4 million people eligible to vote June 18 Pope Francis issues an encyclical, 'Laudato Si' (Praise Be), urging action to protect Earth from pollution and climate change; the document was issued with the intention of influencing the U.N. Climate Summit later this year June 19 The U.S. state of Hawaii raises the legal smoking age from 18 to 21, the highest smoking age among all the states June 20 A rally calling for removal of the Confederate flag forms at the capitol building of the U.S. state of South Carolina in response to a shooting earlier this week of nine African-Americans by white supremacist Dylann Storm Roof June 21 Golfer Jordan Spieth, 21 years old, wins the U.S. Open, making him the youngest to win since Bobby Jones over 90 years ago June 22 Nikki Haley, governor of South Carolina, supports removal of the Confederate flag from state grounds; however, the state legislature must first overturn a law requiring the flag to be flown at the Confederate Soldier Monument June 23 Amazon.com joins eBay and others in removing Confederate flag items from its site after last week's shooting of nine African American church members; though part of U.S. Civil War history, the flag is also seen by many as a symbol of racism June 24 A Dutch court ruling binds the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% within 5 years in comparison to 1990 levels; plaintiffs argued that citizens must be protected from climate change, which threatens the low-lying nation June 25 The U.S. Supreme Court upholds key provisions of Obamacare, including premium subsidies for about 6.4 million people enrolled in the federal health insurance exchange June 26 Members of the E.U. have agreed to relocate 40,000 of the recent migrants to Italy and Greece; over 120,000 of the 150,000 migrants to Europe so far this year have landed in these two countries June 27 The Greek Parliament votes in favor of holding a referendum on July 5th regarding whether the country should accept reforms in exchange for continued bailouts; current bailouts expire on June 30th, the day that a $1.8 billion debt payment is due June 28 A SpaceX cargo rocket explodes shortly after launch; the unmanned vessel was carrying over two tons of food, provisions, supplies and equipment for the International Space Station June 29 Israeli forces peaceably board and redirect the Swedish Marianne, a ship that was part of Freedom Flotilla III, which sought to enter the Gaza port in violation of Israel's naval blockade; the ship will be taken to the port of Ashdod and inspected June 30 Greece misses its $1.8 billion debt payment to the IMF after a bailout extension request was denied; Greek leaders had rejected making reforms in exchange for the funds, but Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is now willing to negotiate July 1 Debt rating company Moody's downgrades Greece to a Caa3 rating after the country misses its $1.6 billion payment to the IMF; Greek citizens will vote July 5th on whether to accept austerity conditions in exchange for bailout funds July 2 British Petroleum (BP) reaches a settlement with U.S. federal, state and local government entities regarding damages from its Deepwater Horizon rig explosion five years ago; BP will pay USD $18 billion through the year 2030 July 3 Health insurance company Aetna announces that it will pay $37 billion for Humana in a combination of stock and cash; the new company will be better positioned to compete against larger rivals such as Anthem July 4 UNESCO has added new sites to its World Heritage list, including the regions of Champagne and Burgundy in France, both Susa and the cultural setting of Maymand in Iran, and the Singapore Botanical Gardens, among others July 5 Greek voters reject austerity terms of the bailout proposed by the E.U., the I.M.F. and the European Central Bank, leaving open the possibility of the expulsion of Greece from the eurozone July 6 Greek Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis steps down despite the outcome of a national referendum favoring his position against the bailout terms proposed by the E.U. and other creditors; economist Euclid Tsakalotos will take his place July 7 The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has taken back Floyd Mayweather's welterweight title belt, won after his recent victory over Manny Pacquiao; WBO stripped the title after Mayweather failed to pay a $200,000 fee and vacate his existing titles July 8 Nuclear talks between Iran and Western nations fail to conclude by today's extended deadline, leading both sides to agree to another extension; Iran seeks removal of all U.N. sanctions in exchange for limitations on its nuclear development activities July 9 During his visit to Bolivia, Pope Francis asks for forgiveness for the Catholic Church for its offenses against the indigenous population of the American continent during the conquest by European powers July 10 The Confederate flag is removed from the South Carolina capitol grounds after the state government enacted a law to permanently remove it; the flag, part of U.S. Civil War history, is viewed by many as a symbol of racism July 11 Greece continues negotiations with its creditors after refusing proposed austerity measures; however, the Greek government proposal includes reforms similar to those rejected by voters in a recent referendum July 12 Novak Djokovic achieves his third Wimbledon title, winning over Roger Federer; if Federer won, he would have made history as the first to win eight Wimbledon titles July 13 Greece and its creditors agree to a bailout of up to 86 billion euros in exchange for economic reforms to include changes to the pension system and tax laws; the Greek Parliament must still approve the deal July 14 NASA's New Horizons probe reestablishes contact to transmit the first close photos of Pluto and its moons; the probe launched in 2006 and has traveled over 3 billion miles; it will continue transmitting data for the next 16 months July 15 U.S. President Barack Obama speaks out in defense of the recent nuclear agreement between Iran and Western nations; the deal removes economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for reductions in its technological research and its nuclear fuel July 16 'Game of Thrones' leads Emmy Award drama nominations with 24, giving network HBO the lead with 124 nominations overall; ABC ranks second with 42 total nominations for this year's awards, to be held in September July 17 The German government approves the Greek bailout deal, which was also approved by the Greek parliament earlier this week; German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that chaos would result if the deal did not go through July 18 Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasizes that the country's recent nuclear agreement with the West does not change its opposition to the U.S. and to American policies in the Middle East July 19 Jeffrey Webb pleads not guilty to bribery charges in the FIFA corruption case brought against 14 former officials; Webb is the first to be extradited to the U.S. to face the charges July 20 Golfer Zach Johnson wins the British Open, becoming one of only six golfers in history to win at both the St. Andrews Old Course and the Augusta National course July 21 Los Angeles County, U.S., votes to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour from $9/hour; the new pay rate will be valid for county workers and employees working in unincorporated areas of the county July 22 The Brain Kids, a team of robots from Japan's Chiba Institute of Technology, wins this year's RoboCup, a robotic football (soccer) tournament started 18 years ago to encourage new developments in the robotics field July 23 Scientists announce discovery of a planet in the Kepler-452 solar system that closely resembles Earth in size and orbit; the planet, Kepler 452-b, has a diameter 60% larger than Earth's but an orbit that is 385 days, close to Earth's 365 days July 24 Fiat Chrysler recalls 1.4 million vehicles after two researchers successfully hack wirelessly into a test car 10 miles away, enabling them to control functions such as steering and braking; the news raises concerns for all automakers July 25 Two animal rights activists are placed under house arrest, awaiting trial for acts of terrorism against the fur industry; in 2013, Joseph Buddenberg and Nicole Kissane released minks from mink farms and vandalized fur businesses across the U.S. July 26 Nike and distributor Apple settle a consumer lawsuit over false advertising for the Nike FuelBand; Nike claimed that the band could accurately track a user's health, but the device was not capable of performing the advertised functions July 27 The Shanghai Composite Index, representing China's stock market, drops 8.5% over fears that the government will withdraw support that has kept stock prices high in the midst of economic slowdown; regulators deny that such a change will be made July 28 Barack Obama becomes the first U.S. president to address the African Union, which includes 54 nations as members; the president emphasized the importance of growing economies, reducing corruption, increasing education, and instituting democracy July 29 Airplane debris is found off the coast of France's Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean; officials believe the debris is from a Boeing 777 and may be part of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared over a year ago without a trace July 30 Animal rights activists lose a case to free two chimpanzees being held for research purposes; the activists argued that the animals are highly intelligent and should be treated as humans with similar legal rights July 31 Zimbabwe seeks extradition of U.S. dentist Walter James Palmer, who killed a protected lion, Cecil, during a hunt; led by a local guide, Palmer believed that the hunt was properly licensed and fully legal August 1 Puerto Rico fails to make a $58 billion debt payment on bonds issued by the Public Finance Corporation; Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla warned creditors in June that debt restructuring will be needed to keep the government afloat August 2 Water pollution in Rio de Janeiro may pose health hazards to participants in the Summer 2016 Olympics; the World Health Organization has asked the International Olympic Committee to expand its list of tested substances to protect the athletes August 3 U.S. President Barack Obama proposes 'The Clean Power Plan' to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent of 2005 levels; the plan is more stringent than the 30% reductions proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency August 4 Delta Airlines states it will no longer transport wildlife trophies after the recent killing of a lion, Cecil, by an American who was reportedly unaware that the hunt was illegal; Delta formerly shipped such trophies if they were obtained legally August 5 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency turns polluter by accidentally releasing a million gallons of heavy-metal-laden mining wastewater into Colorado's Animas River while investigating a Superfund site August 6 Kazumi Matsui, mayor of Hiroshima, Japan, calls upon world leaders to free the world of nuclear weapons during a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city August 7 North Korea reverts its time zone to that used prior to Japanese colonialization in 1910 in order to commemorate 70 years of liberation from the �wicked Japanese imperialists� August 8 Survivors of the Ebola virus in West Africa are now experiencing medical problems, such as joint pain and eye inflammation, which are sometimes so severe that the survivors are unable to work August 9 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asserts Japan's continued pursuit of a world free of nuclear weapons as the city of Nagasaki commemorates the 70th anniversary of its destruction by atomic bombing August 10 Google, Inc. restructures, placing its search business and its various research ventures into a holding company called Alphabet; Google will begin reporting under the new company with the fourth quarter of this year August 11 Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi gains parliamentary approval for his proposed reforms to fight corruption and reduce government spending; the measures include eliminating certain government positions and reexamining closed corruption cases August 12 90-year-old Jimmy Carter, former U.S. president, announces that he has an unspecified cancer that has spread throughout his body; the cancer was discovered during a recent liver surgery August 13 China devalues the yuan by 1% after devaluations of 1.62% and 1.92% over the past two days; the moves are an effort to stem an economic slowdown by boosting the competitiveness of exports and reducing the costs of borrowing August 14 The Greek parliament approves a euro bailout package that contains conditions rejected by voters during an earlier referendum; failed confidence in Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras by his Syriza party may now oblige him to call new elections August 15 The death toll rises to 104 from a massive explosion three days ago at a warehouse containing hazardous chemicals in the port of Tianjin, China; 720 were also injured in the disaster August 16 Australian golfer Jason Day wins the PGA Championship with a score of 20 under par; American Jordan Spieth wins second place, resulting in a rank of #1 in the world, replacing Northern Irish golf champ Rory McIlroy August 17 The U.S. Internal Revenue Service reveals that hackers who stole taxpayer data in May had accessed additional databases, adding 220,000 to the previous estimate of 114,000 taxpayers who have had their information compromised August 18 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking to reduce greenhouse gases from oil and gas operations, proposing a rule to cut methane emissions from these sources by 40 to 45 percent of 2012 baseline levels over the next 10 years August 19 The U.S. Navy announces that it will allow women to undergo its intensive 6-month SEAL training; female candidates who pass the course will be able to serve on SEAL teams August 20 France�s far-right National Front party has expelled one of its founders, Jean-Marie Le Pen, after continued conflict over his anti-Semitic remarks; current party leader Marine Le Pen, his daughter, seeks to move the party away from its past August 21 Certain members of Greece's Syriza party form the Popular Unity Party, which opposes the current E.U. bailout; Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who ran on a Syriza anti-bailout platform, resigned after accepting the bailout terms against voter wishes August 22 Giant panda Mei Xiang gives birth to twin cubs at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.; the cubs appear healthy but will alternate between an incubator and nursing time with their mother August 23 Officials from North Korea and South Korea meet to discuss issues that have led to recent hostile incidents along the border; South Korea is currently conducting military exercises with the United States, which North Korea claims is a threat August 24 Stock markets around the world fall drastically due to concerns about an economic slowdown in China; the Dow Jones falls 1,000 points, closing down 588 points, while the Shanghai composite closes down 8.5% August 25 China's central bank takes action to reassure investors that it is attempting to address the nation's economic downturn, reducing interest rates and the amount of reserve funds required to be held by banks August 26 The smaller of twin cubs born to giant panda Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has died; though both cubs appeared to be healthy at birth, the smaller cub failed to gain weight and may have caught a respiratory infection August 27 The U.S. National Labor Relations Board rules that recycler Browning-Ferris has employer responsibility for contract workers supplied by an agency; the ruling may imply similar liability for franchise companies such as McDonalds August 28 Greek judge Vassiliki Thanou is sworn in as the nation's interim prime minister after last week's resignation of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras; new elections for the position will be held in September August 29 NASA is isolating a six-person team for a year within a small dome in Hawaii in order to simulate theoretical conditions of a Mars mission; the team will have no fresh air or fresh food, and a spacesuit must be worn when exiting the dome August 30 Japanese protesters gather outside the nation's parliament building to oppose changes proposed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to allow Japanese combat defense aid to allied nations for cases in which Japan itself is not under attack August 31 U.S. President Barack Obama restores the Native American name of Alaska's Mount McKinley, the tallest North American peak; the mountain will revert to its former name of Denali September 1 Stock markets around the world fall after China reports a low value for its purchasing managers' index, suggesting that the nation's economy is slowing; in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average drops by 470 points September 2 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi encounters resistance to proposed labor reforms as 150 million workers go on strike for a day in protest; Modi is seeking to make the Indian business environment more attractive to investment by foreign companies September 3 Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina resigns after a warrant is issued for his arrest on bribery charges; Vice President Alejandro Maldonado will take Perez Molina's place September 4 Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledges that the country is aiding the forces of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad with military expertise and equipment; Putin states that troops may also be sent in the future to help fight against ISIL September 5 Over 6,000 Syrian migrants arrive in Austria after being detained in Hungary in an effort to control the recent mass wave of refugees fleeing Syria and other war-torn nations; many of the migrants plan to seek asylum in Austria and Germany September 6 France and the U.K. agree to share responsibility for taking in immigrants fleeing Syria and other conflict-ridden nations; France agrees to accept 24,000 people over the next two years, and the U.K. will accept 20,000 September 7 Scientists using geophysical methods to map underground archaeological sites have discovered a set of stone monoliths buried 3 feet deep near Stonehenge; the stones are estimated to be 4,500 years old September 8 Pope Francis continues Catholic reforms by changing the marriage annulment process to make it faster and less expensive; earlier this month, the pope also declared that priests may forgive the sin of abortion during next year's Year of Mercy September 9 Queen Elizabeth II surpasses her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as the U.K.'s longest-reigning royal with 63 years on the throne; Elizabeth II was installed on the throne at age 25 in 1952 after the sudden death of her father, George VI September 10 Scientists discover a cache of skeletons of a new species of human ancestor, named Homo naledi, in a South African cave; the hominids are thought to have possibly lived up to three million years ago September 11 A memorial to the 40 people aboard Flight 93 opens in Shawshank, Pennsylvania, U.S.; terrorists hijacked the flight on September 11, 2001, but passengers rushed the cockpit, crashing the flight and averting the intended attack on the U.S. Capitol September 12 The U.K. Labor Party elects left-wing Jeremy Corbyn as its new leader; Corbyn promises to address poverty and economic inequality September 13 Serbian Novak Djokovic beats Swiss Roger Federer to win his second U.S. Men's Open title; a day earlier, Italian Flavia Pennetta beat fellow Italian Roberta Vinci in the U.S. Women's Open to win her first Grand Slam, then announced her retirement September 14 After a credit rating downgrade to 'junk' by Standard & Poor's, Brazil implements a $17 billion austerity package that will eliminate ten government ministries, cut public spending, and halt both hiring and salary increases in the public sector September 15 Australia's Liberal Party votes in Malcolm Turnbull to replace Tony Abbott as prime minister; Abbott had received majority backing from his party in a no-confidence vote just seven months ago September 16 Migrants in Serbia trying to enter the E.U. via Hungary attempt to break through a border gate, causing conflict with Hungarian police; Hungary has closed its border, but Serbia will send travelers to Croatia so they can then go on to northern Europe September 17 G.M. will pay $900 million and will undergo compliance monitoring to settle charges that it knew about faulty ignition switches in certain autos for years but neither reported nor fixed the problem; over 120 people died in crashes as a result September 18 The Japanese Diet enacts a defense policy allowing the nation's troops to aid allies in conflicts that also threaten Japan; Prime Minister Shinzo Abe supports the law, but it is opposed by many who wish to maintain the country's pacifist constitution September 19 A continued rise in cases of dengue fever has alarmed officials in the Dominican Republic and in Delhi, India; Delhi is requiring suspension of all surgeries to make 1,000 additional beds available for victims of the disease September 20 At the 67th Annual Emmy Awards, Viola Davis is the first black woman to win outstanding lead drama actress; Jon Hamm wins outstanding lead drama actor, Peter Dinklage wins best supporting actor, and 'Game of Thrones' wins for outstanding drama September 22 Pope Francis ends his visit to Cuba by blessing Santiago de Cuba, then flies to the U.S., where he is greeted by the Obama and Biden families; the pontiff will likely speak on migration and the environment during his stay September 23 Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen, resigns in the midst of a scandal in which the company confessed to installing software in its cars for the last 7 years in order to fool emissions test devices while violating U.S. clean air standards September 24 Pope Francis becomes the first pope in history to speak to the U.S. Congress; the pontiff exhorted the lawmakers to work together to address climate change, immigration reform and other issues that have stalled due to strong political division September 25 Swiss criminal investigators charge FIFA President Sepp Blatter with suspected fraud; 14 FIFA officials have already been arrested in the corruption scandal, but Blatter has stated that he has no knowledge of or involvement in wrongdoing September 26 The U.S. is allocating $300 million to an HIV reduction program for females ages 15 to 24; the goal is to cut infections by 40% by the end of 2017 in Malawi, Kenya, Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho September 27 A rare "blood moon" is visible tonight: the moon is in full moon phase and at its closest distance to Earth for the year, giving it a large 'supermoon' appearance; the concurrent lunar eclipse gives the large orb a red coloration September 28 NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter detects liquid water on Mars in the form of hydrated salts; the minerals are found along flow lines on steep slopes and tend to appear during 'warm' weather (above 10 degrees F , -23 degrees C) September 29 Researchers discover a biofluorescent hawksbill sea turtle in waters off of the Solomon Islands; though biofluorescence has been observed in captive reptiles, this is the first occurrence seen in a wild reptile September 30 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declares that the state will no longer comply with the Oslo Accords, claiming that Israel has frequently violated the agreements, which renders them non-binding
