May 8, 2010
(Saturday)
- 2010 Philippine general election
- United Kingdom general election, 2010:
- Eligible voters in the United Kingdom general election, 2010 who are living in New Zealand are the latest to be disenfranchised as anger grows over the disfranchisement of citizens living in the UK who were queuing to vote as polls closed. (The New Zealand Herald)
- The value of the pound sterling drops to a 13-month low as a result of the election. (Businessweek)
- U.S. Senator Bob Bennett, Republican from Utah, is ousted from his party's primary ballot at the state's Republican convention, meaning he will not have a chance for a fourth term. (AP at Yahoo)
- Mudslides and floods have killed 16, and more than 40 are missing in some districts of the southern Khatlon region in Tajikistan. (ITAR)
- Icelandic volcanic disruption:
- Most flights between Europe and North America face delays today. (The Times of India) (RTÉ)
- Transatlantic flights are forced to change routes and carry extra fuel in case of delay. (CBC)
- Spain closes 19 airports. (Al Jazeera) (RTÉ)
- In Great Britain, at least 29 flights from London Stansted Airport to Spain/Portugal/Canary Islands, at least seven flights from London Gatwick Airport to Alicante, Barcelona, Madrid and Portugal, and at least one flight from London Heathrow Airport to La Coruña are cancelled. (BBC) (The Daily Telegraph)
- Hundreds of people take part in a two-hour march, "For Equality", in Vilnius at Lithuania's first gay pride, with police shooting tear gas and arresting at least 12 people who threw stones and fireworks at marchers. (BBC) (The Washington Post) (iafrica.com)
- Naxalite rebels blow up a bullet-proof vehicle of the Central Reserve Police Force in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, India, killing seven officers. (PTI)
- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discusses climate change with Bolivian president Evo Morales Ayma. (UN)
- Pope Benedict XVI accepts the resignation of Walter Mixa of Augsburg, a bishop who admitted physically abusing children after initially denying accusations. (BBC) (RTÉ) (The Washington Post)
- Former Venezuelan defence minister Raúl Baduel is sentenced to almost eight years in prison for corruption. (BBC)
- Italy's first divorce fair, Ex? Punto e a capo, opens in Milan. (BBC) (The Daily Telegraph) (The Times of India)
- London's Harrod's department store is sold to the Qatari royal family by Mohamed Al-Fayed who retires after 25 years as its chairman. (Al Jazeera) (CNN) (The Times) (RTÉ)
- In mixed martial arts, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua wins the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship from fellow Brazilian Lyoto Machida at UFC 113 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Sherdog)