This week, the rescue of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl after his five years held hostage by the Taliban raised big questions: Lawmakers wondered if the trade for five Taliban detainees at Guantanamo was worth it, and voiced concern about not being notified properly of the prisoner release. Others grew upset at the possibility that the controversial swap helped free a soldier who may have deserted his post.
The week also marked several anniversaries: the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the 30th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster in India, the 25th anniversary of the pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen square and the one year anniversary of the Gezi Park protests in Turkey. Syria held elections, despite little doubt that current president Bashar al-Assad would coast to victory. Eight US states also held primary elections.
A new state formed in India, the country’s 29th, after a five-decade long campaign. Ukrainian president-elect Petro Poroshenko met briefly with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at a D-Day memorial in France. And two shootings, one in Eastern Canada and another in Seattle, made headlines. Here are the week’s events, captured in photos:
A woman rides in a car bearing president Bashar al-Assad’s portrait and painted the colors of the Syrian flag in Damascus, Syria on June 3. Dusan Vranic/AP Photo
Former paratrooper Fred Glover, 88, of the 9th regiment from Brighton, watches the landing of parachutists in Normandy on June 6, the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Michael Kappeler/DPA/ZUMA Press
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ukrainian president-elect Petro Poroshenko, and Russia’s president Vladimir Putin meet on June 6 at an event in France commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Guido Bergmann/DPA/ZUMA Press
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray speaks on June 2 at a rally outside city hall after Seattle’s city council passed a $15 minimum wage measure. Ted S. Warren/AP Photo
On June 1, residents of Hyderabad celebrate the formation of India’s 29th state, Telangana, marking the formal division of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Mahesh Kumar A./AP Photo
A man works at a metal factory on World Environment Day, June 5, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The UN-designated holiday aims to raise awareness of environmental issues. A.M. Ahad/AP Photo
Tens of thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil at Hong Kong’s Victoria Park on June 4, marking the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen square crackdown on Beijing’s pro-democracy movement. Vincent Yu/AP Photo
A National Transportation Safety Board official looks through wreckage on June 2 in Bedford, Massachusetts, where a plane erupted in flames during a takeoff attempt. Lewis Katz, co-owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and six other people died in the crash. Mark Garfinkel/Boston Herald/Pool/AP Photo
US Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) on June 4 as he leaves a stop on the first day of a three-week campaign. Cochran, 76, is seeking a seventh term, and will face state Sen. Chris McDaniel in a run-off election in late June. Rogelio V. Solis/AP Photo
The coal-fired Plant Scherer on June 1 in Juliette, Georgia. The Obama administration unveiled a plan Monday to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by nearly a third over the next 15 years. John Amis/AP Photo
Turkish protesters clash with police during the one-year anniversary of the Gezi Park protests on May 31 in Istanbul, Turkey. Cesare Quinto/NurPhoto/ZUMA Press
Police in New Brunswick, Canada search for a suspect who killed three Canadian police officers and injured two others on June 4. 24-year-old Justin Bourque turned himself in after a massive manhunt. Steve Russell/The Toronto Star/ZUMA Press
President Obama walks back to the Oval Office with the parents of US Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, after announcing their son’s release by the Taliban after five years in captivity. Rex Features/AP Photo
