2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 8: Baltimore Ravens 29, San Diego Chargers 26
The Ravens were finally able to win a back and forth game, despite a poor showing from the defense, on a game-winning field goal from Justin Tucker. They improved to 2–6, but are still in last place in the AFC North because of their week 5 loss to the Browns.


2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 8: Baltimore Ravens 29, San Diego Chargers 26
Already missing Terrell Suggs for the season, the Ravens suffered another setback and this time Steve Smith, Sr. left the game with a ruptured Achilles tendon. The Ravens later announced that the injury will keep him out for the rest of the season.


2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 10: Jacksonville Jaguars 22, Baltimore Ravens 20
The Ravens were on the cusp of victory despite giving up the ball on three consecutive drives by two Joe Flacco interceptions and a Flacco lost fumble. However, on the last play of the game Elvis Dumervil sacked Jaguars QB Blake Bortles by grabbing onto his face mask, putting them into field goal range with one more play, which kicker Jason Myers converted to win the game, sending the Ravens to 2–7. It was later revealed that in fact, the Jaguars had not set before the aforementioned play, in which case they would have been penalized for a false start, and the ensuing ten-second runoff would have ended the game with the Ravens winning 20–19.


2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 11: Baltimore Ravens 16, St. Louis Rams 13
In another close game, the Ravens finally pulled together a win, despite another 2 missed field goals by Justin Tucker, on a game winning try from 41 yards. All three Ravens wins have now come from game ending scores by Tucker. Late in the first quarter, running back Justin Forsett broke his right arm, ending his season. On the final drive of the game, Flacco suffered a season ending knee injury.


2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 12: Baltimore Ravens 33, Cleveland Browns 27
In another wild game, the Ravens' second string offense, forced into starting roles due to mounting injuries, managed a win against the Browns, avoiding a season sweep which hasn't happened since 2007. The game was won on the last play of regulation, when defensive end Brent Urban blocked a Travis Coons 51-yard field goal attempt, which safety Will Hill returned 64 yards for a touchdown.


2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 13: Miami Dolphins 15, Baltimore Ravens 13
In another disappointing loss, the Ravens’ offense failed to capitalize on a fantastic defensive performance, with Schaub throwing another pick six along with another interception which also led to Miami's other touchdown. Another Justin Tucker missed field goal from 54 yards was the Ravens’ last chance at a comeback.


2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 14: Seattle Seahawks 35, Baltimore Ravens 6
Entering a game in which they were forced to start third-string quarterback Jimmy Clausen, the Ravens were outmaneuvered at every turn against a superior Seahawks team. With the loss, and the wins from the Steelers and the Jets, the Ravens were officially eliminated from postseason contention. The team dropped to 4-9 and faced their first losing season since 2007.


2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 14: Seattle Seahawks 35, Baltimore Ravens 6
This was the Ravens' first game of the season which was decided by more than one possession as the team's first 12 games were all decided by eight points or less.


2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs 34, Baltimore Ravens 14
The Ravens unexpectedly wore gold pants for this game. This drew criticism from their fan base.


2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 16: Baltimore Ravens 20, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
With the win, the Ravens improved to 5–10, and they swept the Steelers for the first time since their 2011 season.


2015 Baltimore Ravens season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 17: Cincinnati Bengals 24, Baltimore Ravens 16
The Ravens suffered their fifth straight loss to the Bengals, this time led by second year quarterback A. J. McCarron, who threw two touchdowns while Ravens starter Ryan Mallett was intercepted twice. The loss dropped the Ravens to 5–11, their worst record since their 2007 season. This was the final game for cornerback Tray Walker, as he died on March 18, 2016.


2015 Baltimore protests
On April 12, 2015, Baltimore Police Department officers arrested Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American resident of Baltimore, Maryland. Gray's neck and spine were injured while he was in a police vehicle and he went into a coma. On April 18, there were protests in front of the Western district police station. Gray died on April 19.


2015 Baltimore protests
Further protests were organized after Gray's death became public knowledge, amid the police department's continuing inability to adequately or consistently explain the events following the arrest and the injuries. Spontaneous protests started after the funeral service, although several included violent elements. Civil unrest continued with at least twenty police officers injured, at least 250 people arrested, 285 to 350 businesses damaged, 150 vehicle fires, 60 structure fires, 27 drugstores looted, thousands of police and Maryland National Guard troops deployed, and with a state of emergency declared in the city limits of Baltimore. The state of emergency was lifted on May 6. The series of protests took place against a historical backdrop of racial and poverty issues in Baltimore.


2015 Baltimore protests
On May 1, 2015, Gray's death was ruled by the medical examiner to be a homicide. Six officers were charged with various offenses, including second-degree murder, in connection with Gray's death. Three officers were subsequently acquitted; in July 2016, following the acquittals, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby dropped charges against the remaining three officers.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 12: Gray's arrest
On April 12, 2015, Freddie Carlos Gray, Jr., a 25-year-old African-American man, was arrested by the Baltimore City Police Department for possession of a “switchblade”, in the 1700 block of Presbury Street in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood. Two weeks later, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby revealed that Gray had actually been carrying a legal pocketknife, not an illegal switchblade as alleged by police. Gray was seen to be in good health at the time of the arrest.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 12: Gray's arrest
While being transported in a police van, Gray sustained injuries to his neck, including his vocal box and spinal cord. He fell into a coma and was taken to a trauma center. The BCPD could not immediately account for the injuries and released contradictory and inconsistent information regarding the timeline of the arrest, transportation and whether Gray had received appropriately prompt medical treatment. On May 23, 2016, officer Edward Nero was found not guilty of all charges against him in connection with the death of Freddie Gray. Shortly after that, the remaining officers who had not yet stood trial had all charges against them dropped.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 18–24: Protests begin
On April 18, 2015, immediately outside the Western District police station, hundreds of Baltimore citizens protested against the apparent mistreatment of Freddie Gray as well against inadequate and inconsistent information on police actions during the arrest and transport. Gray died at approximately 7am on April 19, 2015. Later that day, in response to Gray's death, Baltimore City Police Commissioner, Anthony Batts said, "I extend my deepest sympathies to his family" while also saying, "All Lives Matter" in a nod to the "Black Lives Matter" mantra shouted at protests.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 18–24: Protests begin
Protests continued during six nights in Baltimore's streets. On April 21, 2015, the Baltimore City Police Department released the identities of the six officers involved in Gray's arrest. That evening, protesters marched from the site of Gray's arrest to the Western District police station. On April 23, two people were arrested. Tensions flared, but according to the Baltimore City Police Department, the remaining protesters that day were peaceful. On April 24, a coalition of organizations including the ACLU, the NAACP, CASA de Maryland, and Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle requested Governor Larry Hogan to act and address issues of police brutality.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 25: Violence escalates
On April 25, 2015, protests were organized in downtown Baltimore. Protesters marched from the Baltimore City Hall to the Inner Harbor. After the final stage of the official protest event, some people became violent, damaging at least five police vehicles and pelting police with rocks. Near Oriole Park at Camden Yards, some groups of violent protesters also smashed storefronts and fought with baseball fans arriving at the stadium for a scheduled game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox. As a result of the violence, those attending the baseball game were forced to remain inside the stadium for their safety. At least 34 people were arrested during the riots, and six police officers were injured.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 25: Violence escalates
J.M. Giordano, a photographer for Baltimore City Paper, was taking pictures of the protest when he was "swarmed" and beaten by two police officers in riot gear. Sait Serkan Gurbuz, a Reuters photographer with visible press credentials, who photographed the scuffle from a public sidewalk, was tackled, handcuffed and walked to the Western District station. He was cited for failure to obey and later released. Subsequently, City Paper published a video on its website documenting the violence.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 25: Violence escalates
During a press conference, Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said, "most protesters were respectful but a small group of agitators intervened". She also stated that "It's a very delicate balancing act. Because while we try to make sure that they were protected from the cars and other things that were going on, we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well. And we worked very hard to keep that balance and to put ourselves in the best position to de-escalate." The phrase "we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well" was interpreted by some conservative-leaning news sources as an indication that the mayor was giving permission to protesters to destroy property.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 25: Violence escalates
Two days later, the mayor's Director of Strategic Planning and Policy, Howard Libit, released a statement clarifying the mayor's remarks:


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 25: Violence escalates
What she is saying within this statement was that there was an effort to give the peaceful demonstrators room to conduct their peaceful protests on Saturday. Unfortunately, as a result of providing the peaceful demonstrators with the space to share their message, that also meant that those seeking to incite violence also had the space to operate. The police sought to balance the rights of the peaceful demonstrators against the need to step in against those who were seeking to create violence. The mayor is not saying that she asked police to give space to people who sought to create violence. Any suggestion otherwise would be a misinterpretation of her statement.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 25: Violence escalates
Part 1 of a documentary video of the protests produced for WEAA during the day of April 25, before rioting started


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 25: Violence escalates
An independent documentary video of the protests during the day of April 25, before rioting started


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 27, Funeral
A funeral service was held for Freddie Gray at the New Shiloh Baptist Church on April 27 at 11 a.m., after a one-hour public viewing. A large attendance included civil rights leaders, families of other people killed by police, and politicians including Congressman Elijah Cummings, Cabinet Secretary Broderick Johnson, White House adviser Heather Foster, and Elias Alcantara of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 27, Funeral
Gray is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Baltimore County, Maryland.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 27, Preemptive actions
A photograph of the April 25 rioters standing on a Baltimore police car was superimposed with the text "All HighSchools Monday @3 We Are Going To Purge From Mondawmin To The Ave, Back To Downtown #Fdl" ("Purge" being a reference to the film series) and distributed on social media and as flyers. In response, Mondawmin Mall was closed at 2:15 p.m. and police in riot gear were deployed to the area. In preparation for the 'purge' police shut down the Mondawmin metro stop and also blockaded many of the nearby streets. As a result, students from Frederick Douglass High School, which is across the street from Mondawmin Mall, had considerable difficulty leaving the area via public transportation when their classes ended an hour after the "purge" began, and contributed to the swelling crowd.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 27, Preemptive actions
According to eyewitness reports, expecting the "purge" to start at 3 p.m., Baltimore police pre-emptively de-boarded all buses going through the area, shut down the nearby Mondawmin Metro station and cordoned off the area around the mall. Eyewitnesses saw police detain students in that general area. The police, in full riot gear, detained the students for a full half-hour before the first brick was thrown. Meghann Harris, a teacher in the Baltimore school system, said on Facebook, "If I were a Douglass  student that just got trapped in the middle of a minefield BY cops without any way to get home and completely in harm's way, I'd be ready to pop off, too."


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 27, Preemptive actions
Other closings in preparation or response to the riot included the University of Maryland Baltimore, which closed its campus in downtown Baltimore at 2:00 p.m. citing a police warning regarding "activities (that) may be potentially violent and UMB could be in the path of any violence", Baltimore City Community College, Coppin State University, the Lexington Market, the National Aquarium, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library system. The Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race was rescheduled from May 2 to June 14. A Baltimore Orioles baseball game against the Chicago White Sox scheduled for the evening at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and the first of a three-game series, was also postponed due to the unrest.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 27, Spread of violence
Initially 75–100 people who appeared to be high school students began throwing bricks and bottles at police near Mondawmin Mall after police refused high school students access to their primary means of getting home (the transportation hub at Mondawmin Mall), while ordering them to disperse and go home. The violence rapidly spread, and by later that day two patrol cars were destroyed and fifteen officers were injured. A police cruiser was destroyed, and some officers suffered broken bones.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 27, Spread of violence
A CVS Pharmacy location in West Baltimore was looted and burned by rioters; no one in the CVS was hurt because employees had been evacuated before the CVS was looted and burned. In East Baltimore, the Mary Harvin Senior Center, an under-construction senior housing and services project, burned to the ground; it was rebuilt and opened in April 2016.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Morning
At about 6:00 a.m., Baltimore television showed firefighters putting out fires and residents cleaning up after the overnight rioting. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard arrived in Baltimore to provide security to vital infrastructure and to give additional support to police. At about 7:35 a.m., the Baltimore mayor's office reported that there were 144 vehicle fires, 15 structural fires, and nearly 200 arrests. One person had been badly hurt due to an arson.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Morning
At  8:25 a.m., it was announced that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was temporarily moving his office from Annapolis to Baltimore and that Hogan would visit scenes around Baltimore. At approximately 9:00 a.m., Hogan visited an intersection on West Baltimore that was heavily affected by the rioting with damaged vehicles and a looted convenience store, thanking those in the area for help cleaning up the streets.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Morning
In one incident that went viral during the previous night, Baltimore mother, Toya Graham, repeatedly struck and berated her son on TV for throwing rocks at police. Graham stated that she didn't want her son to end up like Freddie Gray, but also that he shouldn't seek justice by rioting. At 11:15 a.m. on April 28, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts praised Graham, stating, "I wish I had more parents that took charge of their kids out there."


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Morning
Baltimore County police spokesman Cpl. John Wachter also announced that Security Square Mall was going to be closed for the rest of the day following the spreading of rumors that planned actions were going to occur there. The Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also closed.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Afternoon and evening
At 12:00 p.m. in the area where Freddie Gray was arrested, volunteers numbering in the hundreds were seen cleaning up debris left from the rioting. Police blocked off some of the area to assist with the cleanup while hardware stores in the neighborhood donated trash bags and brooms and city workers drove in trucks to carry away piles of trash and shattered glass.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Afternoon and evening
At 12:55 p.m., President Obama stated that there have been too many worrying interactions between police and black citizens, but said there was "no excuse" for the violence of rioters in Baltimore. At about 1:30 p.m., crowds gathered at a damaged drug store where Rev. Jesse Jackson was visiting, with Jackson stating, "It was painful because it destroyed a lot of neighborhood businesses and hurt a lot of people, but the violence is driven by that alienation."


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Afternoon and evening
At a 2:30 p.m. speaking event by Capt. Eric Kowalczyk discussing incidents that occurred on April 27, demonstrators gathered peacefully, though one individual was arrested and pepper spray was used when some protesters became disorderly. At 3:00 p.m., Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake took back comments calling rioters "thugs", saying that occasionally, "my little anger interpreter gets the best of me." Baltimore religious leaders announced that 14 churches throughout the city were open to give food to children that relied on schools to provide daily meals.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Afternoon and evening
At 8:30 p.m., the CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, Gregory Thornton, announced that Baltimore City Public School classes and after-school events would occur on April 29. Just before 9:00 p.m., several hundred protesters gathered around the CVS store that was looted, with some individuals separating the protesters and police, while a local pastor told demonstrators over a loud speaker to respect the curfew, saying, "Let's show the world, because the eyes of the world are on Baltimore right now." A police spokesman, Captain Eric Kowalczyk, stated that authorities were attempting to inform Baltimore residents of the 10:00 p.m. curfew in multiple ways, through police in patrol cars, sending messages through a police helicopter over the city and by calling residents through a Reverse 911 system.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Afternoon and evening
At 10:15 p.m., hundreds of demonstrators, some throwing bottles at police, remained in the streets while police in riot gear began to move the crowds with speakers from helicopters overhead broadcasting, "You must go home. You cannot remain here. You will be subject to arrest." Tensions began to grow after individuals began to throw objects at police. Shortly after 10:30 p.m., smoke bombs or fireworks were thrown from the crowd and police equipped with riot shields began to slowly advance on the gathering with some people beginning to disperse.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Afternoon and evening
At 10:32 p.m., Baltimore Police tweeted that "Officers are now deploying pepper balls at the aggressive crowd". They then tweeted at 10:34 p.m. "People who remain on the street – who do not meet the exceptions – are now in violation of the emergency curfew" with police moving across the intersection and the crowd dispersing down side streets away from the area. At 10:50 p.m., military vehicles were seen driving through the streets to disperse the remaining crowd numbered with dozens of people.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Afternoon and evening
At 11:00 p.m., the CVS intersection was clear except for police and media workers who were exempt from the curfew. At 11:40 p.m., Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts stated that the curfew seemed to work and that ten people were arrested; seven for violating the curfew, two people for looting and one for disorderly conduct.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 28, Afternoon and evening
Between start of curfew and late night, thirty-five people, including one juvenile, had been arrested for violating the curfew.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 29 – May 3
After the riots, many small business owners struggled to clean up. Over 200 small businesses were unable to reopen by April 29. Residents of all ages, genders, and races came together to help clean Baltimore's streets. Eighteen were arrested for curfew violations on April 29.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 29 – May 3
From April 29-May 3, 2015 FBI surveillance aircraft used FLIR cameras to record video of civil unrest. In August 2016, 18 hours of footage was released following a FOIA request from the American Civil Liberties Union.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 29 – May 3
By April 30, over forty Korean American-owned businesses had been damaged by the riots. Chinese American and Arab American owned stores were also targeted, with looters directed by African American gangs towards those businesses.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 29 – May 3
Forty people were arrested for such night violations on May 1.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 29 – May 3
After the largest peaceful rally on Saturday, May 2, 2015, 46 people were arrested during the night time curfew.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 29 – May 3
One person arrested on May 2 was News2Share journalist Ford Fischer. He was handcuffed and initially charged with violating curfew, despite the police confirming that he was credentialed media. After confirming the charge as "curfew violation" to another journalist, the police changed it to a civil citation for "Disorderly Conduct." As of May 21, he still faces that citation. This all came after the police department had confirmed that media are exempt from the curfew via Twitter.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 29 – May 3
The night curfew on the city was lifted on May 3. Meanwhile, all charges against violators were dropped. It was found that in section 14-107 of the state's public safety code, only the governor and not the mayor has the authority to issue a curfew. It was decided that the arrests of violators were punishment enough. Those who committed violations of the law other than curfew violations have still been prosecuted.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, April 29 – May 3
The Maryland National Guard withdrew completely from Baltimore on May 4.


2015 Baltimore protests, Events, Result of investigation
Initially, the Baltimore Police Department suspended six officers with pay pending an investigation of Gray's death. The six officers involved in the arrest were identified as Lieutenant Brian Rice, Sergeant Alicia White, Officer William Porter, Officer Garrett Miller, Officer Edward Nero, and Officer Caesar Goodson. On April 24, 2015, Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said, "We know our police employees failed to get him medical attention in a timely manner multiple times." Batts also acknowledged police did not follow procedure when they failed to buckle Gray in the van while he was being transported to the police station. The U.S. Department of Justice also opened an investigation into the case.


2015 Baltimore protests, Charges filed, acquittals, and charges dropped
On May 1, 2015, after receiving a medical examiner's report ruling Gray's death a homicide, state prosecutors said that they had probable cause to file criminal charges against the six officers involved. Mosby said that the Baltimore police had acted illegally and that "No crime had been committed [by Freddie Gray]". Mosby said that Gray "suffered a critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside the BPD wagon."


2015 Baltimore protests, Charges filed, acquittals, and charges dropped
Mosby said officers had "failed to establish probable cause for Mr. Gray's arrest, as no crime had been committed", and charged officers with false imprisonment, because Gray was carrying a pocket knife of legal size, and not the switchblade police claimed he had possessed at the time of his arrest. All six officers were taken into custody and processed at Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center.


2015 Baltimore protests, Charges filed, acquittals, and charges dropped
The trial of Officer William G. Porter, a black officer and the first of the six charged officers to go to trial, ended in a mistrial. The Prosecution had intended to have Porter testify against both his supervisor on the day, Sgt. Alicia White, and the driver of the van, Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. The trials ran into significant delays due to multiple motions being filed by both sides in the cases. On May 23, 2016, Officer Edward Nero was found not guilty on all four counts he was charged with, including two counts of misconduct in office, misdemeanor reckless endangerment, and misdemeanor assault in the second degree.


2015 Baltimore protests, Charges filed, acquittals, and charges dropped
In addition to Nero, two others officers were subsequently acquitted. In July 2016, following the acquittals, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby dropped charges against Porter and the remaining two officers.


2015 Baltimore protests, Related protests
On April 29, 2015, protesters marched through New York City, blocking off traffic in key areas, including the Holland Tunnel and West Side Highway. Carmen Perez, director of the criminal justice reform group Justice League, said, "It's all about solidarity, We're here to spread the message of peace from Baltimore's initial protests." More than 100 people were arrested, and the police did not allow the protest to take form before making arrests.


2015 Baltimore protests, Related protests
Anti -police brutality protests were also held in Denver in solidarity with the Baltimore protests. Eleven people were arrested on April 29, 2015 following physical altercations in which police used pepper spray on protesters who rallied around Colfax Avenue and Broadway street. The confrontation occurred shortly after 7 p.m. when an officer was knocked off his motorcycle by a protester and assaulted by five others. Police reported force was used in response to the incident. By 7:40 p.m., Broadway street was cleared for traffic as protesters relocated to the 16th Street Mall.


2015 Baltimore protests, Related protests
There were also solidarity protests in the cities of  Ann Arbor, Albuquerque, Boston, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Oakland, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Preventive actions, Government actions
At a press conference in the evening, the mayor announced there would be a citywide curfew of 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. starting April 28. The Baltimore solicitor's office stated that a limitation of the curfew to only certain neighborhoods could potentially be viewed as racial discrimination. Neighboring Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties cancelled school field trips and activities scheduled in Baltimore City until May 3. Officials also announced that Baltimore's city schools would be closed on Tuesday.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Preventive actions, Government actions
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and activated the Maryland National Guard. Major General Linda Singh of the Maryland National Guard commented that there would be a "massive number" of soldiers in Maryland on the night of April 27, and that up to 5,000 soldiers could be deployed. Maryland State Police activated 500 officers for duty in Baltimore, and requested an additional 5,000 state police officers from other states.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Preventive actions, Government actions
Business owners in the city complained that the curfew required establishments with later hours to close their doors early, thereby costing them revenue from later hours customers and hurting their employees by forcing them to work fewer hours. Some businesses complained that the curfew cost them as much as $50,000. While those with night jobs were given an exemption to be allowed to travel to work, early closing hours continued to cost employees work hours. Despite criticism of curfew enforcement, Mayor Rawlings-Blake stood by the curfew, saying it was necessary to maintain control.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Preventive actions, Government actions
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch requested an independent civil rights investigation into the Freddie Gray case in hopes of calming the violence in Baltimore.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Preventive actions, Sports actions
The Baltimore Ravens had canceled their NFL Draft party in response to the riots.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Preventive actions, Sports actions
After consulting with Major League Baseball, the Baltimore Orioles announced that their second game in a series against the Chicago White Sox would also be postponed, and that their game on April 29 would be played in the afternoon behind closed doors. This was believed to be the first behind closed doors game in Major League Baseball history (it is occasionally seen in soccer as punishment for spectator behavior). The attendance for the game was officially recorded as zero, thus breaking the previous record (of six, set in 1882) for the lowest attendance at a Major League Baseball game. The two cancelled games were made up as a doubleheader on May 28. The team also moved its May 1–3 series against the Tampa Bay Rays from Camden Yards to Tropicana Field, but still played as the home team (despite the Rays hosting it).


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Preventive actions, Gang involvement
After Baltimore police determined there was a "credible threat" of gang violence against police officers across the country, many departments across the US heightened their security in response: for example the Los Angeles Police Department ordered their officers to ride in pairs. Baltimore police claimed evidence to support the idea that the Black Guerrilla Family, the Bloods, and the Crips were "teaming up" to target police officers.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Preventive actions, Gang involvement
Later, however, leaders of both the Bloods and the Crips denied the allegations, released a video statement asking for calm and peaceful protest in the area, and joined with police and clergy to enforce the curfew. At one occasion, gang members helped to prevent a riot at the Security Square Mall by dispersing would-be rioters. On other occasions, rival gang members helped each other to protect black-owned businesses, black children, and reporters, diverting rioters to Korean-, Chinese-, and Arab-owned businesses instead. On yet another occasion, the Bloods, the Crips, and the Nation of Islam were seen taking a picture together and working together to dispel violence while peacefully demonstrating.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Critical opinions
On April 28, President Barack Obama strongly condemned the violence during a White House press conference, saying, "There's no excuse for the kind of violence that we saw yesterday. It is counterproductive. ... When individuals get crowbars and start prying open doors to loot, they're not protesting. They're not making a statement. They're stealing. When they burn down a building, they're committing arson. And they're destroying and undermining businesses and opportunities in their own communities. That robs jobs and opportunity from people in that area." Obama went on to applaud the actions of peaceful protesters who he felt were being undermined by the violence, and called upon the nation to take meaningful action to collectively solve poverty and law enforcement issues fueling what he described as "a crisis".


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Critical opinions
On social media and elsewhere, Mayor Rawlings-Blake and President Obama were criticized for calling the rioters "thugs" on April 28.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Critical opinions
When asked about the postponement of the Baltimore Orioles game, the Orioles' chief operating officer, John P. Angelos, said:


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Critical opinions
My greater source of personal concern, outrage and sympathy ... is focused neither upon one night's property damage nor upon the acts, but is focused rather upon the past four-decade period during which an American political elite have shipped middle class and working class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around the U.S. to third-world dictatorships ... plunged tens of millions of good hard working Americans into economic devastation and then followed that action around the nation by diminishing every American's civil rights protections in order to control an unfairly impoverished population living under an ever-declining standard of living and suffering at the butt end of an ever-more militarized and aggressive surveillance state.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Critical opinions
The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, an ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importance of any kids' game played tonight, or ever....


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Online reaction
The protests were originally covered on social media with the hashtag #BaltimoreRiots. However, by April 28, the more popular hashtag to cover the protests became #BaltimoreUprising. The change may have occurred in response to a decline in violent actions, or may have been the promotion of a new political narrative by social media users.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Online reaction
Dr. Denise Meringolo, an Associate Professor and public historian at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Joe Tropea, Curator of Films & Photographs at the Maryland Historical Society, co-founded the Preserve the Baltimore Uprising digital archive to capture images and oral histories related to the protests directly from the local community.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Increase in violence and decrease in policing
Baltimore recorded 43 homicides in the month of May, the second deadliest month on record and the worst since December 1971 when 44 homicides were recorded. There have also been more than 100 non-fatal shootings in May 2015. Police commissioner Anthony Batts blames looted drugs, stolen from 27 pharmacies and two methadone clinics, as well as street distribution and turf wars for the spike in crime.


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Increase in violence and decrease in policing
The increase in shootings has occurred along with a 50% decline in arrests since the charging of six officers in Gray's death in custody. The heavy police presence in crime-ridden neighborhoods is no longer apparent with one resident stating, "Before it was over-policing. Now there's no police." One officer speaking anonymously stated, "After the protests, it seems like the citizens would appreciate a lack of police presence, and that's exactly what they're getting."


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Increase in violence and decrease in policing
Batts stated that his officers are "not holding back" despite encountering hostility in the Western District whenever they make an arrest with "30 to 50 people surrounding them at any time;" he also stated that his officers feel "confused and unsupported" in the wake of the charges. The president of the police union said his members are "afraid of going to jail for doing their jobs properly."


2015 Baltimore protests, Reactions, Increase in violence and decrease in policing
According to media reports, looting at 27 drugstores and two methadone clinics resulted in an increase in black market access to opiates.


2015 Bamako hotel attack
On 20 November 2015, Islamist militants took 170 hostages and killed 20 of them in a mass shooting at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, the capital city of Mali. Malian commandos raided the hotel and freed the surviving hostages. Al-Mourabitoun claimed that it carried out the attack "in cooperation with" Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb; an Al Qaeda member confirmed that the two groups cooperated in the attack.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Background
Following the Libyan civil war, many ethnic Tuareg who had fought for the Gaddafi government and the rebels took their weapons and left for Azawad (a region in Northern Mali that the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) wants to be an independent state). Following several previously failed Tuareg rebellions, the MNLA managed to take over the area and declare independence. However, the secular movement was soon overrun by Islamist-oriented groups such as MOJWA and Ansar Dine.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Background
The French launched a military operation that ousted the rebels, with additional military support from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). However, simmering tensions and irregular incidents continued to occur. The Macina Liberation Front is a new jihadist group operating in central and southern Mali led by the radical Muslim cleric Amadou Kouffa, a strong proponent of strict Islamic law in Mali. The group draws most of its support from the Fulani ethnic group, who are found across the Sahel region. Kouffa is a close ally of Ansar Dine leader Iyad ag Ghali.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Background
A Human Rights Watch report said the Macina Liberation Front militants had carried out serious abuses in parts of central Mali since January and killed at least five people they accused of being aligned to the government. The group has attacked police and military particularly in the Mopti region, most recently killing three soldiers in Tenenkou in August. The Malian military recently arrested Alaye Bocari, a man they say was a key MLF financier and Kouffa's right-hand man.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Background
The Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako is in a business district that is close to the embassies, and is frequented by foreign businesspeople and government employees. It is part of a chain of up-market hotels that is operated by the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which has headquarters in the United States and Belgium.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Attack
Two gunmen arrived at the hotel between 7 and 7:30 a.m.; according to a hotel employee, the men were driving a vehicle with diplomatic license plates. Malian army commander Modibo Nama Traoré said that at least 10 gunmen had stormed the hotel shouting "Allahu Akbar" before firing on guards and taking hostages. Guinean singer Sekouba Bambino, who was in the hotel but escaped, reported that the perpetrators were speaking in English. This was supported by many other witnesses, who said the attackers spoke something that was neither Arabic nor local.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Attack
Kassim Traoré, a Malian journalist, said that hostages were asked to recite the shahada in order to get released. Soon after, the Armed and Security Forces of Mali special forces stormed the hotel. According to the hotel operators, 125 guests and 13 employees were inside the hotel when the siege began. According to General Didier Dacko of the Malian Army, "about 100 hostages" were taken at the beginning of the siege. The Associated Press and Al Jazeera have reported that in the chaos of the initial attack, many present were able to escape, but around 170 people were held hostage.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Attack
A delegation of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie was in the hotel at the time of the attack. Ten Chinese citizens; twenty Indian citizens; about a dozen American citizens, including personnel from the US Embassy; seven Algerian citizens, including six diplomats; two Russian citizens; two Moroccan citizens; seven Turkish Airlines staff; and an unknown number of French citizens were reported to have been among those taken hostage. Two Canadian mining executives were some of the last hostages rescued. Twelve crew from Air France, who were also in the hotel, were extracted and safely released. Three United Nations staff were safely removed from the hotel, but it remains unknown how many were caught inside. Several delegates from MINUSMA were present at the hotel attending a meeting on the peace process in the country. More than 100 hostages were freed.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Attack
UN peacekeepers supported the Malian Armed Forces by reinforcing security around the hotel. 25 U.S. Special Forces were in Bamako at the time of the attack and assisted Malian forces in evacuating civilians to secure locations. An official from the U.S. Defense Department said that 22 military and civilian department personnel were in the city, including five people who were at the hotel. However, he added that everyone was accounted for and there were no reports of injuries.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Attack
One member, who was outside, entered the hotel to help first responders move civilians to secure locations while the Malian operation was ongoing. Another member helped at the Joint Operations Center, which was set up to respond to the incident. The official also said that the forces did not directly participate in the operation. A further 12 U.S. citizens were rescued by security forces, according to AFRICOM.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Attack
Although there were earlier reports of more gunmen involved in the hotel attack, the investigation determined that in fact there were only two attackers.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Victims
Twenty people were murdered in the attack: six Malians, six Russians, three Chinese, two Belgians, one American, one Israeli and one Senegalese. Among the victims were:


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Responsibility
While the attack was under way, Al-Mourabitoun claimed responsibility for it via Twitter, although its claim has not been verified. In an audio recording provided to Al Jazeera, the group also claimed responsibility and said that it had undertaken the attack jointly with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is an armed force that defines itself as an Islamic-based militant organization whose ultimate goal is to create an Islamic State in Algeria. Al-Mourabitoun is made up of Tuaregs and Arabs from northern Mali and is affiliated with AQIM. The group, led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, formed in 2013 and is based in the Sahara Desert.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Responsibility
The Macina Liberation Front also claimed responsibility for the attack.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Reactions
Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta cut short his visit to Chad in order to return to Bamako and coordinate the response. Mali also declared a 10-day state of emergency.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Reactions
In a press conference, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stated that France will take "all steps necessary" to fight the attackers in Bamako. A crisis unit was set up in the embassy. Forty officers from the National Gendarmerie's GIGN special forces unit, along with ten forensic and criminal officers, were sent to "advise and support" Malian security forces. Air France flights to and from Bamako were suspended for the day.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Reactions
The United Nations Security Council condemned the attack. Australia advised its citizens not to travel to Mali and advised those in country to leave. Similar warnings were made by the Foreign Office in the United Kingdom advised British nationals to remain indoors and follow the instructions of the local government authorities. The United States condemned the attack and confirmed continuing coordination of its officials in the country to verify the location of all citizens in Mali and that it was "prepared to assist the Malian government in the coming days as it investigates this tragic terrorist attack." The embassy urged its citizens to shelter in place, follow government instructions and contact their family.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Reactions
The Russian city of Ulyanovsk Oblast, home of five of the victims, declared 23 November a mourning day.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Reactions
Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita later declared three days of national mourning in Mali. Ahead of the three days of national mourning, the chairman of the West African regional bloc Ecowas, Senegal's President Macky Sall, visited Bamako to show support. He said on Sunday: "Mali will never be alone in this fight, we are all committed because we are all involved." Senegal, Mauritania and Guinea are also observing the mourning.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Investigation
Three days after the attack, the Malian government released photographs of the corpses of the two attackers. The men were clean-shaven and appeared to be in their 20s. One "had visible bullet wounds to his upper body." The authorities have not been able to identify the men and urged members of the public with information to come forward. Al Mourabitoun, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said that the men were Abdul Hakim al-Ansari and Mu'adh al-Ansari, but this claim has not been verified.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Investigation
On 22 November 2015, two separate police sources speaking to Agence-France Presse on condition of anonymity said that "two foreigners" along with "three or four accomplice" were responsible for the attack.


2015 Bamako hotel attack, Investigation
On 27 November 2015, Malian special forces arrested two Malian men in their early 30s on the outskirts of Bamako in connection with the attack. The men were linked to the attack by a mobile phone found at the scene of the attack.


2015 Bandy World Championship
2015 Bandy World Championship 2015 was the XXXVth Bandy World Championship. At the FIB congress held during the XXXIVth World Championship in 2014, it was announced that Khabarovsk in Russia had been elected as host city. It was also decided the Group A tournament would be played around the end of March/beginning of April, which means it would take place when the national bandy leagues in the major bandy playing countries, Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden, would be finished for the season. Group B was played between February 1 and 6 and hit a new record attendance, already before the match for the bronze and the final.


2015 Bandy World Championship
High profile people who visited the Group A tournament include the Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, and the President of Ice Hockey Federation of Russia, the legendary goaltender Vladislav Tretiak.


2015 Bandy World Championship
The mascots of the games were a bear and a tiger, named Тоша and Ероша, were inspired by the animals in the Coat of arms of Khabarovsk.


2015 Bandy World Championship, Host selection
On 5 December 2013, the Russian news agency AmurMedia (which quoted Russian Internet site Sportbox.ru) reported that the decision on host city was made, after a decision by the working committee of FIB.


2015 Bandy World Championship, Host selection
Minsk withdrew its candidacy in August 2013. Khabarovsk won over Helsinki because there is an indoor arena in the city.


2015 Bandy World Championship, Participating teams, Division B
Latvia won Division B in 2014 and was thus promoted to Division A for 2015. However, the Latvians made an application to play in Division B this year too, and this was approved by the Federation of International Bandy. Latvia was therefore playing in both divisions this year. This was made possible by the divisions not being played at the same time, Division B was being played in early February while Division A was being played in late March/early April.


2015 Bandy World Championship, Division A
After drawn games in the group stage, a penalty shootout is held to determine final placings in the event of teams finishing on equal points


2015 Bandy World Championship, Division B, Preliminary round, Group B
Matches in Group B are 60 minutes in duration rather than the standard 90 minutes.


2015 Bandy World Championship, Division B, Knockout stage, 7th place game
The match was 60 minutes rather than standard 90 minutes.


2015 Bandy World Championship, Division B, Knockout stage, 5th place game
The match was 60 minutes rather than standard 90 minutes.


2015 Bandy World Championship, Division B, Knockout stage, 8th place game
The match was 60 minutes rather than standard 90 minutes.


2015 Bangabandhu Cup
The 2015 Bangabandhu Cup or 2015 Bangabandhu Gold Cup is an international association football tournament organised by the Bangladesh Football Federation as a tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This was the 3rd edition of the Bangabandhu Cup, after a hiatus of 16 years. It was finally given the go ahead to be played in early 2015 with six nations participating.


2015 Bangabandhu Cup
Malaysia U-23 won the third edition, after beating Bangladesh U-23 in the final. This was also the first time the host reached the final of this tournament.


2015 Bangabandhu Cup, Format
In the group stage, six teams were divided into two groups of three teams, playing a single round-robin, with the teams finishing first and second in each group qualifying to the semi-finals.


2015 Bangabandhu Cup, Venues
Nine matches were played at two different venues in Dhaka and Sylhet. The Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka,  and Sylhet District Stadium in Sylhet. All matches were played at the following two grounds:


2015 Bangabandhu Cup, Officials
Eleven referees and 2 match commissioner were appointed by the FIFA for this tournament.


2015 Bangalore Challenger
The 2015 Bangalore Challenger was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the first edition of the tournament which was part of the 2015 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Bangalore, India between 19 and 25 October 2015.


2015 Bangalore Challenger, Singles main draw entrants, Other Entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Bangalore Challenger – Doubles
Saketh Myneni and Sanam Singh won the title defeating John Paul Fruttero and Vijay Sundar Prashanth in the final 5–7, 6–4, [10–2].


2015 Bangalore Challenger – Singles
James Ward won the title defeating Adrián Menéndez-Maceiras in the final 6–2, 7–5.


2015 Bangkok Glass F.C. season
The 2015 season is Bangkok Glass's fifth season in the Thai Premier League, on the name of Bangkok Glass.


2015 Bangkok Glass F.C. season, Kor Royal Cup
Coke Charity Cup. It's a match between Buriram United the 2014 Toyota Thai Premier League's champions VS. Bangkok Glass the 2014 Thaicom FA Cup's champions at Supachalasai Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand.


2015 Bangkok Glass F.C. season, Transfers
First Thai footballer's market is opening on 6 November 2014 to 28 January 2015


2015 Bangkok Glass F.C. season, Transfers
Second Thai footballer's market is opening on 3 June 2015 to 30 June 2015


2015 Bangkok bombing
On 17 August 2015, a bombing took place inside the Erawan Shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Thailand, killing 20 people and injuring 125. Thai police were reported to have arrested two suspects, the second of whom confessed to having been the bomber. He later retracted his confession.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Prior incidents
Prior to this bombing incident, there were two other bombings in Thailand in the same year. In February 2015, two bombs exploded on the Siam BTS Station outside the nearby Siam Paragon shopping mall, injuring three people. The attack was believed to have been politically motivated. In April 2015, a car bomb exploded in Ko Samui, injuring seven.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Attack
On 17 August 2015, at 18:55 ICT (11:55 UTC), a bomb exploded inside the grounds of the Erawan Shrine, near the busy Ratchaprasong Intersection in Bangkok's city centre. The Royal Thai Police said that 3 kilograms (6.6 lb) of TNT had been stuffed in a pipe bomb and left under a bench near the outer rim of the grounds surrounding the shrine, and that an electronic circuit suspected to have been used in the attack was found 30 metres (98 ft) from the scene. Surveillance footage showed a suspect leaving a backpack at the scene shortly before the explosion.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Attack
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The attacks are thought to have targeted Thailand's tourism and economy, but there has been a range of inconsistencies in the statements of Thai authorities about those arrested and the reasons for the attack.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Attack
The Thai government has at times suggested the bombers acted to avenge a crackdown on their human trafficking network, to take revenge for Thailand's deportation of a group of Uighurs back to China in July 2015, to strike a blow for the insurgents fighting the Thai government in the deep south, or for reasons related to Thailand's domestic politics. The government has implicated a range of other suspects in the bombing, mostly Thai opponents of the military regime.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Attack
The site of the bombing had been cleaned, and the crater paved over with cement, by 19 August.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Attack, Second incident
In a separate attack in Bangkok, an explosive device was thrown from a bridge near a boat pier shortly after 13:30 ICT on 18 August 2015, but it caused no injuries. The device, possibly a grenade, appeared to have been thrown to the busy Sathon pier under the Taksin Bridge in Bangkok but landed in water of Chao Phraya river by the Saphan Taksin BTS station where it exploded. The district's deputy police chief said, "If it did not fall in the water then it certainly would have caused injuries." Some damage was done to the bridge.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Victims
Most of the victims of the explosion were tourists visiting the shrine. The Royal Thai Police reported that 20 people died and 125 had been injured.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Victims
The dead included six Thais, five Malaysians, five mainland Chinese, two from Hong Kong (including one British national resident in Hong Kong), one Indonesian, and one Singaporean. In addition, citizens of Austria, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mali, the Maldives, Oman, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore and Taiwan were among those injured.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Victims
All of the 14 non-Thai fatalities, from Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore were ethnic Chinese.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Reward
Police offered a one million baht reward for information leading to the arrest of the bomber. On 20 August this was increased to two million baht by an anonymous Thai businessman, and later to three million baht (US$84,000). A further two million baht (US$56,000) was offered by a prominent member of the Red Shirt movement and another two million by the son of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as well as five million baht (US$140,000) for "those officials who investigate and make arrests".


2015 Bangkok bombing, Reward
On 31 August, national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung awarded the three million baht to members of the police whose work led to the arrest of a suspect in the bombings. This suspect later confessed to being the individual seen on CCTV in the first bombing. One million baht came from police chief Somyot and the rest came from his friends. At the end of September 2015, police awarded themselves a second reward, essentially for making substantial progress in the investigation.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
Investigators said they were "certain" that a man shown leaving a backpack at the scene of the explosion was responsible for the blast. The security camera footage, which has been broadcast internationally, shows the man in shorts and a yellow T-shirt taking off a dark-coloured backpack while sitting on a bench and then standing up, putting the backpack underneath the bench and walking away while looking at his phone. The suspect likely had arrived by tuk-tuk from an alley near Hua Lamphong.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
Some newspapers alleged that the man captured on security footage at the Erawan Shrine bomb attack was named by authorities as Mohamad Museyin, and that investigators are focusing their efforts on budget hotels in the Sathorn Road area of Bangkok where they believe the suspect stayed. However, this information was quickly dismissed by Thai authorities.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
Thailand's chief of police said the attack was carried out by a network and released a sketch of the "unidentified foreign man" who was identified in CCTV footage as being the bomber. A warrant was issued for his arrest the same day the reward was announced. Police are also saying that two other people, wearing red and white T-shirts, seen in the same footage were being treated as suspects. These two suspected accomplices were later identified and cleared by police. Police said that the bombing was not international terrorism, but said that it involved several teams and at least 10 people. Military junta leader Prayut Chan-o-cha warned against speculating about the reason for the bombing too soon as, "It could affect international affairs".


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
A taxi driver later confirmed that he picked up the suspect, and described him as "not in a hurry. He seemed to be calm, like a regular customer, and not Thai. He also spoke in an unclear language on the way."


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
Video from shortly after the first bombing showed someone in a blue shirt kicking an item into the canal where the second explosion occurred the next day. On 27 August, an arrest warrant was issued for this unnamed individual.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
On 29 August 2015, police arrested a 28-year-old man in connection to the bombing. He is not believed to have been the bomber but is suspected of involvement. His nationality was unknown but he had a fake Turkish passport, as well as at least 11 other Turkish passports and over 200 passports in all in his apartment, along with bomb-making components. The Turkish embassy in Bangkok denied that the bomb suspect arrested by Thai police and troops on Saturday is a citizen of Turkey. A second foreigner was detained near the Cambodian border on 1 September, and authorities planned to conduct DNA tests using DNA found on taxis the bomber used.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
On 30 August, authorities raided an apartment building in Bangkok, initially telling reporters nothing suspicious had been found. However, on 31 August the authorities announced in a special broadcast that more bomb-making materials had been found and issued arrest warrants for 26-year-old Wanna Suansan, who is living in Turkey, and a foreign male named Jusuf. A photo of a suicide vest was displayed but authorities denied it was connected to the bombing.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
The bombing is suspected to have been carried out by the Pan-Turkic Turkish ultra-nationalist organization Grey Wolves in retaliation for Thailand's deportation of Uyghur terrorist suspects back to China instead of allowing them to travel to Turkey for asylum. A Chinese ethnic Uighur man, Adem Karadag, was arrested by the Thai police in connection with the bombing after fake Turkish passports and bomb-making materials were found in his apartment.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
The arrested suspect confessed to Thai authorities that he came from Turkey and travelled to Vietnam on a fake passport, and then travelled through Laos and Cambodia, paying bribes to Thai border police in Sa Kaeo to cross the border from Cambodia. He is believed to have provided Uyghurs with fake passports to go to Turkey.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
Adem Karadag, 31, was identified as the bomber on 26 September while being held in police custody, based on his own confession as well as other evidence.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Investigation
In February 2016, Adem Karadag, also known as Bilal Mohammed, retracted his earlier confession that his lawyer said was a result of torture. His co-defendant, Mieraili Yusufu, 26, also denied the charges. The Military Court has set 20–22 April 2016 for the inspection of evidence. In 2018, it was estimated that it could take several more years for the trial of the suspects to be wrapped up.


2015 Bangkok bombing, Reactions
Thai military junta leader Prayut Chan-o-cha called it the "worst-ever attack" on his country, saying, "there have been minor bombs or just noise, but this time they aim for innocent lives. They want to destroy our economy, our tourism."


2015 Bangkok bombing, Reactions
The foreign ministry announced that mostly Western countries issued travel warnings. Twelve countries—Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United States—issued "Level 2" advisories urging citizens to take extra care during trips to the country. Nine others—Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, Russia, and the United Kingdom—recommended a higher degree of caution, or "Level 3" warnings. Hong Kong advised its people to avoid non-essential travel to Thailand, or "Level 4" warning. The Netherlands instructed its people to be alert, or a "Level 1 warning."


2015 Bangkok bombing, Effect on economy
Malaysia Airlines reported that there were no flight cancellations to Bangkok. After Hong Kong raised its travel advisory for Bangkok to "red alert", which prevented the purchase of compulsory travel insurance, the number of tourists from major Asian markets dropped by 10%. Hong Kong downgraded its travel advisory to amber on 22 September.


2015 Bangladesh Federation Cup
The 2015 Bangladesh Federation Cup is the 27th edition to be played. It was played between 16 February and 5 March 2015 (originally to start on 19 December 2014). 11 teams from the Bangladesh Premier League along with one invited team will take part in the season's curtain-raiser.


2015 Bangladesh Federation Cup, Draw
The draw cremony of the tournament were held at BFF house Motijheel, Dhaka on 12 February 2015.The twelve participants were divided into four groups. Top two teams from each group will enter the quarter-finals.


2015 Bangladesh Football Premier League
The 2015 Bangladesh Premier League also known as Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League due to the sponsorship from Manyavar was the 8th season of the Bangladesh Premier League since its establishment in 2007. A total of 11 teams are competing in the league.


2015 Bangladesh Football Premier League
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club are the defending champions, having won their Bangladesh Premier League title the previous season. Farashganj SC and Rahmatganj MFS entered as the two promoted teams.


2015 Bangladesh Football Premier League, Teams and venues
The league matches was held on home and away basis of the following stadiums but the first round matches was held exclusively at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.


2015 Bangladesh Premier League Final
The 2015 Bangladesh Premier League Final was a day/night Twenty20 cricket match played between the Barisal Bulls and the Comilla Victorians on 15 December 2015 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka to determine the winner of the 2015 Bangladesh Premier League, a professional Twenty20 cricket league in Bangladesh. It ended as the Victorians defeated the Bulls by three wickets.


2015 Bangladesh Premier League Final
The Victorians, captained by Mashrafe Mortaza, topped the group stage table, whereas the Bulls, led by Mahmudullah, stood at the third position. Victorians beat Rangpur Riders in the Qualifier 1 and went to final. Bulls defeated Dhaka Dynamites and Rangpur Riders respectively in Eliminator and Qualifier 2 of semi-finals and went to final. The match telecasted on Channel 9.


2015 Bangladesh Premier League Final
Winning the toss, Victorians' captain Mashrafe Mortaza elected to field first. The Bulls scored 156 runs in 20 overs with a loss of 4 wickets. Batting at number five, Mahmudullah top scored for the Bulls with 48 runs. Victorians' bowler Darren Stevens took one wickets with 6.33	economy rate. The Bulls scored 23 in the opening partnership. However, due to contributions from the middle order, it reached the winning total in the last ball and earned the 2015 Bangladesh Premier League title. Kapali, who was the best performer for the Victorians with bat, was named the man of the match.


2015 Bangladesh Premier League Final, Route to final
Comilla was ranked first on the league table, though Barisal was ranked third in the group stage, as per NRR. Both team won seven, and lost three matches. Comilla won the qualifier 1 match and grabbed the final. Barisal won the eliminator and qualifier 2 one after one, booking their place in the final.


2015 Bangladesh Premier League player auction
Cricketers from many countries entered an auction to join franchises participating in the 2015–16 season of the Bangladesh Premier League. The auction was scheduled to take place on 22 October 2015.


2015 Bangladesh Premier League player auction, Player-by-choice
Domestic players within the top three categories for the auction are listed below:


2015 Bangladesh Premier League player auction, Player-by-choice, Icon players ($45,000)
The Bangladesh Premier League's governing council declared six Bangladeshi cricketers "icon players". They will earn the highest salaries ($45,000) among local players and are assigned to teams by lottery. Out of the 63 local players, the selection of the six icons came at the end of the draft.


2015 Bangladesh Premier League squads
The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in Bangladesh. The league consists of six teams from different cities. This is a list of the squads of all franchises for the 2015 edition.


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education
The 2015 Bangladesh student protests on "No VAT on Education" were protests by students of private universities in Bangladesh demanding the VAT imposed on higher education in private universities be eliminated. The present Finance Minister of the Bangladesh Awami League government first introduced a 10% VAT upon higher education in private universities in the draft of budget of 2015–16. Following strong opposition, the VAT was reduced to 7.5%. The imposed VAT was withdrawn by the finance division after a cabinet meeting on 14 September 2015.


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education, History
Previous government tried to impose similar VAT on private university tuition fee in 2010, but had to revoke their decision as students protested strongly.


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education, Protests
On 22 June, law enforcement authorities foiled a procession of private university students heading for the finance ministry building to press home their demands.


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education, Protests
At the start of August 2015 the government announced they would not withdraw the VAT and that students must pay it. The news sparked outrage among students. On 9 September, police opened fire on a protest by the students of East West University. This caused outrage and immediate support for the cause by thousands of other students from different universities. On 10 September, road blockades were carried out by students from different private universities to protest the VAT on tuition fees.


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education, Protests
The protest was sparked by controversial statements by the minister of finance, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith but he stood firm on the decision for the VAT to stay. The government also issued a circular stating the VAT was only imposed on the private university authorities and the students need not pay.


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education, Incidents
There were two notable incident. First one happened at Dhanmondi 27, private universities students were attacked two times in a row and the second one happened at Banani-Kakoli Square.


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education, Result
On 14 September 2015 at a regular cabinet meeting directed by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the Finance division decided to withdrew the VAT imposed on tuition fees.


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education, Gallery
Students protests against the imposition of vat in their tuition fees by upholding the placard in front of Army vehicle.


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education, Gallery
Students in Bashundhara Gate, Dhaka protest VAT on tuition fees


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education, Gallery
Students in Banani-Kakoli Square, Dhaka protest VAT on tuition fees


2015 Bangladesh student protests against VAT on education, Gallery
Traffic jam during a protest by private university students in Dhaka against the VAT on tuition fees


2015 Bangladeshi political crisis
The 2015 Bangladeshi political crisis is an ongoing state of political turmoil between the two main political parties of Bangladesh, the Awami League (AL) led by prime minister Sheikh Hasina who is currently in power, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in opposition, led by three time former prime minister Khaleda Zia. Following the controversial 2014 Bangladeshi general election, the BNP raised several demands for a second election under a neutral caretaker government. By 5 January 2015, the first anniversary of the election, their demands were not met and the BNP initiated countrywide protests and traffic blockades.


2015 Bangladeshi political crisis
After many violent and fatal attacks on the public by alleged BNP protesters, the AL branded the BNP as terrorists and Khaleda Zia was forcefully confined to her office. The BNP then called the international community for support, but other nations were reluctant to intervene as the BNP's reputation was damaged by the violence and the international community reiterated that the disputes should be handled peacefully.


2015 Bangladeshi political crisis, Events
On 5 January 2015, Khaleda Zia urged members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to halt road, rail and river transport immediately. This marked the start of the countrywide blockade.


2015 Bangladeshi political crisis, Events
On 18 February 2015, a Dhaka court issued arrest warrants for 23 BNP leaders and activists, including Joint Secretary-General Amanullah Aman, and former president of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Sultan Salauddin Taku, for two arson cases. It was passed because the accused did not appear in the court during the hearing.


2015 Bangladeshi political crisis, Events
On 20 February 2015, the Sylhet–Dhaka intercity train, bound for Sylhet at the time, was firebombed when it was driving through the Habiganj District. No casualties were reported as the driver sped away to safety. Reports of attempts to cause derailments has also been reported.


2015 Bangladeshi political crisis, Events
On 25 February 2015, a special Judge Court in Bangladesh issued a warrant to arrest Khaleda Zia in two graft cases involving over US$650,000 after she had repeatedly failed to appear for the hearings. On 4 March 2015 the court upheld the arrest warrants issued against Zia, refusing request to withdraw the arrest warrant, filed by Zia's lawyer.


2015 Bangladeshi political crisis, Victims
A total of 75 victims has so far died as of 20 February 2015 in the country-wide blockade, of which 41 were victims of arson attacks.


2015 Bangladeshi political crisis, Victims, Aid
On 25 January 2015, the Bashundhara Group donated Tk 20,000 ($260 or €240, as of March 2015) to each of the families of the 46 burn victims at the DMCH, totalling to Tk 920,000 ($12,000 or €11,000).


2015 Bangladeshi political crisis, Victims, Aid
A charity concert named the "Concert for the Burned" was held on 14 March as a fundraiser for burn victims in the DMCH; of which a significant proportion were injured or killed in arson or petrol bomb attacks. The concert is planned to be held at the National Library's auditorium with an entry fee of Tk 250 ($3.2 or €3.0) per person that will be directly given to the DMCH.


2015 Bangladeshi political crisis, Reaction
In a statement on 13 February 2015, the Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, expressed concern over the Bangladeshi political crisis and called for a peaceful resolution.


2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash
The 2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash took place on 25 August 2015 in the Bandarban District, near the Bangladesh–Myanmar border, when insurgents of the Arakan Army attacked members of Border Guards Bangladesh.


2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash, Background
The Arakan Army is a Rakhine insurgent group mainly active in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Several other insurgent groups had already violently clashed with the Myanmar Armed Forces, known officially as the Tatmadaw, earlier in 2015. In the year prior, the Arakan Army had created a settlement near Myanmar's border with Bangladesh, and hundreds of insurgents from the group crossed into Bangladesh. The group was allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade in the region, an area of 8,080 acres in Remakri near the border with only six BGB outposts. Because the region is extremely remote and inaccessible from Bangladesh's side of the border, the Arakan Army managed to gain a foothold in the area.


2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash, Background
Insurgent groups from Myanmar are often accused of looting the houses of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh, and fueling the drug trade in the border area. Members of the Arakan Army had often entered the locality of Thanchi on horses to replenish their food and materiel. On 14 July 2015, the BGB rescued two Myanmar soldiers captured by the Arakan Army.


2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash, Background
On 25 August 2015, the BGB confiscated ten horses that were being used by the Arakan Army to transport supplies. Later that day the Arakan Army fired on a BGB patrol team. The Director General of the BGB suspected that the two incidents may have been linked, and that the latter may have been a reprisal attack.


2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash, Clash
On 25 August 2015 at 09:30 AM local time, fighting erupted near the village of Boro Modok in Thanchi. The Arakan Army attacked a ten-member BGB patrol team at Baramadak near the Sangu River, and the gunfire exchange continued for five hours. After learning about the incident, the BGB declared a state of emergency in the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Authorities sent a unit of the BGB and two units of the Bangladesh Army as reinforcements to the area to conduct a coordinated operation.


2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash, Clash
On the same day, the Border Guards Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Army, and the Bangladesh Air Force launched a joint operation against the Arakan Army. Two units of army, one unit of the BGB, and one F-7 of the Bangladesh Air Force took part in the operation. Upon request from the Bangladeshi government, the Myanmar government sealed off their side of the border.


2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash, Clash
Initially, the Arakan Army had surrounded and laid siege to the BGB outpost in Boro Modok; however, the insurgents retreated from the area after Bangladeshi reinforcements arrived. Meanwhile, the Taitong Parha Army and the local police conducted joint raids for several hours between the mornings of 25 and 26 August 2015.


2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash, Aftermath
Nayek Jakir Hossain of the Barakadam BOP was injured during the gunfight. He was rescued from the area and was sent to the Combined Military Hospital in Chittagong via helicopter. The Arakan Army lost two horses during the exchange of gunfire. According to locals sources, eight to twenty insurgents were injured.


2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash, Aftermath
The Bangladeshi joint forces later arrested a Burmese citizen and accomplice of the Arakan Army, Ong Owong Rakhain, in Rajsthali Upazila. He had Arakan Army uniforms, laptops, digital cameras, motorcycles and two horses in his possession. Two more people were arrested in the following days.


2015 Bangladesh–Arakan Army border clash, Aftermath
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, accompanied by BGB Director General Major general Aziz Ahmed, visited the site of the battle the next day. In a statement, the home minister of Bangladesh said that the joint operation would continue until the Arakan Army was neutralised.


2015 Banja Luka Challenger
The 2015 Banja Luka Challenger was a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the fourteenth edition of the tournament which was part of the 2015 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina from 14 to 20 September 2015.


2015 Banja Luka Challenger, Singles main draw entrants, Seeds
Marcel Granollers, who was set as 2nd seed withdrew, due to right hip injury.


2015 Banja Luka Challenger, Singles main draw entrants, Other Entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Banja Luka Challenger – Singles
Viktor Troicki  was the defending champion, but chose not to defend his title.


2015 Bank of America 500
The 2015 Bank of America 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race scheduled to be held on October 10, 2015 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina but pushed ahead to October 11 due to rain. Contested over 334 laps on the 1.5 mile (2.4 km) intermediate speedway, it was the 30th race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, fourth race of the Chase and first race of the Contender Round. Joey Logano won the race, his fourth of the season. Kevin Harvick finished second. Martin Truex, Jr., Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch rounded out the top-five.


2015 Bank of America 500
Matt Kenseth won the pole for the race and led 72 laps before retiring from the race after slamming the wall late in the event and finished 42nd. Logano led a race high of 227 on his way to winning the race. The race had 14 lead changes among 10 different drivers, as well as nine caution flag periods for 44 laps.


2015 Bank of America 500
This was the 12th career win for Joey Logano, fourth of the season, first at Charlotte Motor Speedway and third at the track for Team Penske. He jumped to the top of the points standings with a six–point lead over Harvick. Despite being the winning manufacturer, Ford left Charlotte trailing Chevrolet by 67–points third in the manufacturer standings.


2015 Bank of America 500
The Bank of America 500 was carried by NBC Sports on the cable/satellite NBCSN network for the American television audience. The radio broadcast for the race was carried by the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.


2015 Bank of America 500, Report, Background
The race was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad-oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, the Sprint All-Star Race, and the Bank of America 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.


2015 Bank of America 500, Report, Background
The 2,000 acres (810 ha) complex also features a state-of-the-art quarter mile (0.40 km) drag racing strip, ZMAX Dragway. It is the only all-concrete, four-lane drag strip in the United States and hosts NHRA events. Alongside the drag strip is a state-of-the-art clay oval that hosts dirt racing including the World of Outlaws finals among other popular racing events.


2015 Bank of America 500, Report, Background
Matt Kenseth entered tied for the points lead with Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex, Jr., Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kevin Harvick.


2015 Bank of America 500, Report, Background, Restart zone
The restart zone was expanded from 90 ft (27 m) to 180 ft (55 m) and lines were painted across the track to indicate the zone.


2015 Bank of America 500, Report, Background, Entry list
The entry list for the Bank of America 500 was released on Monday, October 5 at 11:10 a.m. Eastern time. Forty-five cars were entered for the race. All but Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell were entered in the previous week's race at Dover.


2015 Bank of America 500, First practice
Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 27.907 and a speed of 193.500 mph (311.408 km/h).


2015 Bank of America 500, Qualifying
Matt Kenseth won the pole for the race with a time of 27.759 and a speed of 194.532 mph (313.069 km/h). He said that his team had "worked on qualifying all day. Obviously our goal was to come here and try to sit on the pole but to qualify well, and we accomplished that. They brought a real fast car here in the spring. Jason did a great job with our qualifying setup in the spring. We came here with the relatively same stuff. We’re just trying to make our stuff better.” Kyle Busch, after qualifying second, said that he liked "coming to Charlotte. This is certainly a good track for me. We look forward to Saturday night being another good night for us. Adam (Stevens) and the guys made did a great job making some good adjustments for qualifying there."


2015 Bank of America 500, Practice (post-qualifying), Second practice
Kurt Busch was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 28.606 and a speed of 188.772 mph (303.799 km/h).


2015 Bank of America 500, Practice (post-qualifying), Final practice
Kyle Busch was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 28.518 and a speed of 189.354 mph (304.736 km/h).


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, First half, Start
The race was scheduled to start at 7:21 p.m., but rain forced the race to be pushed to the next day. Under clear blue North Carolina skies, Matt Kenseth led the field to the green flag at 12:32 p.m. The field didn't make it half a lap before debris brought out the first caution of the race. The back of the field accordioned back and Jeb Burton rammed into the rear of Cole Whitt. Kyle Busch was able to take the lead before the caution flew.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, First half, Start
The race restarted on lap 5. Matt Kenseth drove by Busch to take the lead. He pulled out to a one-second lead over Joey Logano after 10 laps. The second caution of the race flew on lap 26. This was a scheduled competition caution due to overnight rain. J. J. Yeley was tagged for his crew being over the wall too soon and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, First half, Start
The race restarted on lap 31. Yeley was black-flagged for unapproved adjustments and forced to come to pit road and fix the adjustment. Kasey Kahne was running 12th when he made an unscheduled stop on lap 42 after brushing the wall in turn 1. He rejoined the race in 41st two laps down. The third caution of the race flew on lap 61 for a single-car wreck on the backstretch. Rounding turn 2, Kahne suffered a right-front tire blowout and slammed the wall. He said that he didn't understand "why either one of those tires went down. Obviously, we were doing something wrong to have two tire failures like that. It’s discouraging, but that’s the way it goes.” He went on to finish 43rd. Greg Biffle was tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, First half, Start
The race restarted on lap 66. Carl Edwards tapped the back of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., got him loose and sent him into the wall on lap 70. Eventually, Earnhardt cut down his right-front tire, rode the wall and brought out the fourth caution of the race on lap 75. Speaking on the incident, he said that Edwards "got a great run on us and drove down into one and got in the back of us a little bit. I don’t know if I cut him off or not. But he drove in there pretty hard and ran over the left rear quarter panel of the car and got in the fence." Joey Logano opted not to pit under the caution and assumed the lead.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, First half, Second quarter
The race restarted on lap 81. Austin Dillon commenced a cycle of green flag stops pitting on lap 121. Logano hit pit road the next lap and handed the lead to Jimmie Johnson. He pitted on lap 124 and gave the lead to Kyle Larson. He pitted on lap 127 and surrendered the lead to Carl Edwards. He pitted the next lap and the lead cycled back to Joey Logano.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, First half, Second quarter
Debris on the backstretch brought out the fifth caution of the race on lap 167.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Halfway
"We all hit the wall. I hit the wall, Brad hit the wall. Then we went another lap and I pitted and a bunch of other guys hit the wall. There was oil down there. It wasn’t Speedi Dri. I’ve raced this for 20 years. I know what oil and Speedi Dri is. We hit fluid and flew into the freaking wall hard. That’s not Speedi Dri. It was oil up there. There were some shadows cast by them billboards across the track and that may have made it difficult for them to see. Justin blew a hose.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Halfway
He didn’t knock a hole in the bottom of the engine that would just leave a track of oil. He blew a hose or something that is going to spray oil and throw oil all about the race track and up the race track. Maybe it was two-and-a-half car lengths wide how much oil was on the track. You can put it where the car went. You got to get out there maybe and feel around, get your hands on the track."


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Halfway
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. speaking about the oil on the track after the race


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Halfway
The race restarted on lap 174. The sixth caution of the race flew on lap 177 after Matt Kenseth made contact with the wall in turn 4. He said that his situation "just kind of snowballed, you know. We were real fast out front. We were kind of tight in traffic and got behind pitting, and then I missed the pit stall tryng [sic] to come around the 21 (Ryan Blaney) and had to back up in the pit, and that put us back there, so just kind of snowballed. But with Ryan (Newman), I honestly don’t know. I’ve got to look at it. He went up like I thought he was broke, so I went up through the middle, and I thought I left him plenty of room and then next thing I know, I was pointed at the fence.”


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Halfway
The race restarted on lap 182. The seventh caution of the race flew the same lap after Justin Allgaier blew his engine in turn 1.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Halfway
The race restarted on lap 190. Fluid in turn 2 brought out the eighth caution of the race on lap 195. Following the race, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. elaborated on the oil in turn 2. After deciding to hit pit road at the last second, Kyle Larson got turned by Kyle Busch who decided not to pit at the last second. Larson said that he was told "to do what everybody around me was doing. The No. 22 (Logano) was staying out, so I was committed to staying out.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Halfway
(But) as soon as I turned right to stay out, they said ‘pit, pit, pit.’ I hung a left, and Kyle was there.” Busch said that he didn't "know what happened. My guys don’t deserve to be put in these situations year in and year out, but we are for some reason. It’s tough, but we’re going to have to battle back with what we’ve got." Both were tagged for commitment violations as the both hit the commitment cone and were forced to restart the race from the tail-end of the field.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Halfway
The race restarted on lap 201. Matt Kenseth made contact with another car on the restart and made an unscheduled stop to fix the right-front wheel well. To add insult to injury, he was black-flagged for having too many crew members over the wall and was forced to serve a drive-through penalty. Kurt Busch kicked off a cycle of green flag stops on lap 231. Logano pitted on lap 232 and gave the lead to Austin Dillon. He pitted the next lap and gave the lead to Jeff Gordon.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Halfway
He pitted on lap 234 and gave the lead to Clint Bowyer. He pitted the next lap and handed the lead to Sam Hornish, Jr. The ninth caution of the race flew with 95 laps to go for a single-car wreck in turn 3. Matt Kenseth suffered a right-front tire blowout and slammed the wall. He said that he's taking the Contender Round "one race at a time to be honest with you. I mean, you do the best you can every week and if this is the best I can do it’s amazing I have a job.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Halfway
These are never the kind of days you want to have for sure, but it’s just one of those days. We shouldn’t have ever been back there to start with. My mistakes and they cost us today. So we’ll just move on from this and get ready for Kansas.” Hornish pitted under the caution and handed the lead back to Joey Logano.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Fourth quarter
The race restarted with 88 laps to go. Jimmie Johnson was running in the top-five when his engine blew up on the backstretch with 77 laps to go. With 65 laps remaining, Kevin Harvick began reeling in Joey Logano. Martin Truex, Jr. kicked off the final round of green flag stops with 52 laps to go. Joey Logano made his final stop with 50 laps to go and handed the lead to Sam Hornish, Jr. He made his final stop with 34 laps to go and the lead cycled back to Logano.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Second half, Fourth quarter
He continued to maintain a 1.5 to two second lead over Kevin Harvick with 10 laps to go. He continued to maintain that gap as he scored his 12th career victory.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Post-race, Driver comments
After the race, Logano said that his team "had a great car. Todd Gordon and this Shell/Pennzoil team, all of Team Penske, you always want to win it. Charlotte is everybody’s home turf and you want to make it happen here." He also added that the win "makes Talladega way easier. I know that’s on everyone’s mind when this round starts and last year we won Kansas when it was the first race of this round and now we were able to get it this time at Charlotte. We’ll get lots of sleep here the next couple of weeks.”


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Post-race, Driver comments
Harvick said that he "thought things went well. The guys did a great job on pit road and we were able to capitalize with their solid day and gaining track position. Car wasn't great all weekend but we were able to make headway on it and make gains and to do the things we needed to do to make it better. In the end that's what you want to do on a day like today, and we made a really good day out of it. Obviously you want to win, but with so many guys having trouble you want to capitalize on a top five run, too.”


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Post-race, Driver comments
Following a third–place finish, Truex said that this race "was honestly the worst weekend we’ve had all season long as far as how I felt about the race car. I thought after practice we’d be lucky to run 15th. So proud of (crew chief) Cole (Pearn) and my engineers and just everybody for sticking with it, and having a good game plan. You know, we had a good car today. We fought track position all day but once we got up towards the front we had good speed.”


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Post-race, Driver comments
Following his eighth–place finish, Gordon said that he "couldn't be happier with the entire effort that we put out there. We made some great adjustments to get us back in this thing. I'm real happy with eighth. The problem is you've got six of the guys we're racing in the championship right there ahead of us. But we didn't lose much to them and I thought it was a really strong effort."


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Post-race, Oil on the track
"Under any caution and condition, we obviously send out all the safety equipment to look and see if there is any oil from their perspective on the track. We did that in this case. We had Brett Bodine run through it multiple times and confirm back up to race control that the track was in good shape to go ahead and restart. Hopefully, there wasn’t any. We go out there and we go check and did our process multiple times and they did not see any. Ultimately, we’re not in the car and driving the car. From our view, the race was in good shape to get restarted and it always has to be before we go back green. That's where we were and felt like we did everything we could to ensure that the race track was in a safe condition."


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Post-race, Oil on the track
Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR executive vice-president and chief racing development officer, speaking on the oil cleanup on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Post-race, Oil on the track
Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were critical of NASCAR's cleanup effort of the oil following Justin Allgaier's engine expiration on lap 182. Busch sarcastically thanked NASCAR for the cleanup job.


2015 Bank of America 500, Race, Post-race, Oil on the track
In his weekly appearance on the Sirius XM NASCAR Radio program The Morning Drive, NASCAR Executive Vice-President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell told Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone that the officials in the tower didn't see the oil and that he couldn't "debate Kyle and (Earnhardt)[.] They’re in the race cars. If they say they hit it, it’s not something that we saw out there. We’ll continue to talk to them and see what maybe we can improve on in the future. We had personnel even out on the track, getting down on almost their hands and knees to make sure there wasn’t any."


2015 Bank of America 500, Media, Television
NBCSN covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, three–time Charlotte winner Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte had the call in the booth for the race. Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast handled pit road on the television side.


2015 Bank of America 500, Media, Radio
PRN had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice, Mark Garrow and Wendy Venturini called the race from the booth when the field was racing down the front stretch. Rob Albright called the race from a platform outside turn 2 when the field was racing through turns 1 and 2. Pat Patterson called the race from atop the turn 4 stands when the field was racing through turns 3 and 4. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan, Jim Noble and Steve Richards handled pit road on the radio side.


2015 Bank of the West Classic
The 2015 Bank of the West Classic was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 44th edition of the tournament, which was part of the WTA Premier tournaments of the 2015 WTA Tour, making it the longest-running women's only tennis tournament. It took place in Stanford, United States between 3 and 9 August 2015. It was the first women's event on the 2015 US Open Series.


2015 Bank of the West Classic, Singles main draw entrants, Other Entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Bank of the West Classic – Doubles
Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro were the defending champions, but chose not to participate this year.


2015 Bank of the West Classic – Doubles
Xu Yifan and Zheng Saisai won the title, defeating Anabel Medina Garrigues and Arantxa Parra Santonja in the final, 6–1, 6–3.


2015 Bank of the West Classic – Singles
Serena Williams was the defending champion, but withdrew due to an elbow injury.


2015 Bank of the West Classic – Singles
Angelique Kerber won the title, defeating Karolína Plíšková in the final, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4.


2015 Bank of the West Classic – Singles, Seeds
The top four seeds received a bye into the second round.


2015 Barbados Premier Division
The 2015 Barbados Premier Division (officially the Digicel Premiere League for sponsorship reasons) was the 69th season of the highest tier of football in Barbados. Barbados Defense Force won their final six matches to hold off Rendezvous FC for their third consecutive league title and fifth overall. With BDF having already completed their schedule, Rendezvous FC needed to make up 11 goals in goal differential with a win on the final day of the season to pull even with BDF, but managed only a 2-1 victory over Weymouth Wales. The season began on February 8 and concluded on July 23.


2015 Barcelona City Council election
The 2015 Barcelona City Council election, also the 2015 Barcelona municipal election, was held on Sunday, 24 May 2015, to elect the 10th City Council of the municipality of Barcelona. All 41 seats in the City Council were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.