Two policemen and a civilian are killed and three others injured after a grenade attack in Burundi's capital Bujumbura. The attack takes place a day after a similar incident injured three officers, and comes in the midst of intensifying protests against current president Pierre Nkurunziza. (Al Jazeera)
The death toll from the storms has risen to six with five people dead in Queensland and a six year old boy dying after being pulled from rough seas in the New South Wales town of Ballina. (9 News)
April 2015 Nepal earthquake: The death toll from last month's earthquake rises to 7,040 people and a total of 14,025 injured with thousands missing. Authorities in Nepal have given up hope of finding more survivors in the rubble. (Xinhua)(BBC)(CNN)
More than 2400 migrants have been rescued after boats they were travelling on were rescued off the Libyan coast. (Al Jazeera)
Health
New research has suggested lung cancer patients could benefit from the use of statin drugs. Dr. Chris Cardwell, Ph.D., and researchers at Queens University Belfast in Northern Ireland found lung cancer patients who used statins within a year of diagnosis had a reduced risk of death from the disease, the American Association for Cancer Research reported. To make their finding, the research team looked at data on about 14,000 patients who were newly diagnosed with lung cancer between the years of 1998 and 2009 and were a part of the English cancer registry. (HNGN)(AACR)
Curtis Culwell Center attack: Two gunmen attacked the Curtis Culwell Center in the US city of Garland, Texas, which is holding an exhibition of drawings of the Prophet Muhammad. Both gunman were shot dead by police. Their car was found to contain no explosives. One security guard was hospitalized and is expected to recover. The attacks were reminiscent of the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris in January 2015. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack. (CBS Dallas Fort Worth)(CNN)
One of the two attackers, Elton Simpson, had linked himself to ISIL on Twitter before his attack on the exhibition of drawings of the prophet Mohammed at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas. He had been a member of a since-closed Phoenix mosque; he and his partner, 34-year-old Nadir Hamid Soofi, who had gone to college in Utah, had been known to and were investigated by law enforcement, but nevertheless, officers did not know that they were planning an imminent attack of this type, and they were not thought to be an imminent threat, despite having admired the late Anwar al-Awlaki, and swearing loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, prominent figures in al-Qaeda in Iraq and in ISIL, respectively. (CNN)
Italy reports that ten people have died and 5,800 people have been rescued in the Mediterranean Sea as people smugglers attempt to take advantage of calmer waters. (Reuters)
Curtis Culwell Center attack: ISIS claims responsibility for the attack on an exhibition of drawings of the Prophet Muhammad in the American city of Garland, Texas. One of the suspects was previously interrogated and surveilled by the FBI having visited Somalia, and both suspects praised ISIS in social media. (Washington Post)
According to University of Toronto researchers Donald Branch and Stephen McCarthy, a combination of three HIV drugs—lamivudine, AZT, and tenofovir—shows some promise fighting at least a lab-modified version (which could not infect humans) of Ebola. (CNN)
A French investigation finds that Andreas Lubitz, perpetrator copilot of the murder-suicide disaster of Germanwings Flight 9525 had practised rapid descent on a previous flight. (BBC)
Bollywood star Salman Khan is convicted of culpable homicide for running over five men in Bombay in 2002, causing the death of one, and is sentenced to five years imprisonment. (BBC)
Scores of flights are cancelled after a fire devastates part of terminal three at Rome'sFiumicino Airport. The fire was triggered by an electrical fault. (AFP via News24)
The wreck of the migrant boat which sank in April 2015 with 700 people on board is located by the Italian Navy 136km off the Libyan coast at a depth of 375m. (AFP via News24)
The Royal Navy's HMS Bulwark rescues 110 migrants from a dinghy off the coast of Libya, the first for a British ship during 2015. (BBC)
a prison break occurred in the Iraqi town of Al Khalis. More than fifty prisoners escaped in the break, including nine who had been facing terrorism charges. An estimated fifty other prisoners and twelve police officers died in the prison break. (BBC)
Russia and China agree to a US$2 billion fund for agricultural investments in both countries. (CNBC)
Burkina Faso and Niger agree to exchange 18 towns in order to resolve a long-running border dispute with Burkina Faso receiving 14 and Niger 4. (AFP via The Guardian)
According to the Centre Daily Times, a Pennsylvania State University undergraduate student, Jon S. Steindorf, 23, goes missing, vanishing without a trace, the day his parents had expected him to graduate from the University, only to find when they arrived at 4 PM that he had dropped out in the fall 2014 semester. He was last seen by his roommate at 11 AM; he is brown-haired and blue-eyed, and he may be toting a red backpack and riding a black bicycle. State College, Pennsylvania police have put out a missing persons alert for him. (New York Daily News via MSN)
The Conservative Party has won a majority in the 2015 general election, enabling them to lead without requiring a coalition government. The Scottish National Party claims all but three seats in Scotland. (BBC)
The death toll from earthquake reaches 8000 as three earth tremors hit Nepal. Avalanches disrupt rescue efforts higher in the mountains. (Times of India)
The President of Cuba, Raul Castro, is received in an official private audience with Pope Francis, who will become the third Pope to visit the still officially Communist island before visiting the U.S. this October. Some restrictions on exercise of religion, and a few restrictions on other rights, have been lifted or relaxed, especially after Pope John Paul II's historic 1998 meeting with Fidel Castro, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's trip during his reign, and especially in 2014 and earlier this year, after Raul and Francis and U.S. President Barack Obama's diplomatic team dramatically improved U.S.-Cuba relations. President Castro went there to thank Francis, whom he publicly has stated his admiration for, for his efforts, and spoke of the possibility of converting and of officially restoring the Church. (Holy See Press Office)
A Turkish-owned ship is attacked with tank fire off the coast of Tobruk in Libya, resulting in the loss of a crew member and several others being injured. (Reuters via ABC Online)
Investigators find the remains of at least seven people buried beneath a shopping centre in New Britain, Connecticut, with the suspected killer serving time for unrelated charges. (NBC Connecticut)
The reported death toll from this earthquake is at least 66 people, including 17 in neighboring India and one in Tibet. Many more have been injured. (NBC News)(Reuters)
Yemen crisis: A five-day truce begins in Yemen as various aid groups, including Iran, seek to gain access to the country's ports and airports. Saudi Arabia had blocked Iranian Red Crescent aids recently. (BBC)
A military reservist opens fire at a South Korean military base killing 2 and injuring 3. (Yonhap)
International conglomerate Danaher announces plans to acquire water filtration company Pall for US$13.8 billion and to split off its industrial businesses into a new company. (Bloomberg)
Discord was officially created.
Disasters and accidents
Rescue efforts resume in Nepal after yesterday's earthquake which killed at least 63 in Nepal and 17 in northern India. (BBC)(CNN)
Major General Godefroid Niyombare has declared a coup in Burundi and the establishment of a "national salvation committee". President Pierre Nkurunziza is attempting to return home from Tanzania. (BBC)
An Egyptian court bans hardcore football clubs over terrorism accusations. In 2012, over 70 football fans were killed and 500 injured in the Port Said Stadium riot. (AP)
At least 9 people are killed and 18 injured, some by law enforcement and others in gunfire exchanges, in a shootout between rival biker gangs in Waco, Texas, at the Twin Peaks Restaurant. (KWTX)(The Guardian)
The Philippines says that it is willing to accept 3,000 Rohingya refugees after an accusation by a newspaper was made. Last week Indonesia turned away boats carrying over 1,000 Rohingya refugees. (Rappler)
In practice runs for the annual auto race, driver James Hinchcliffe crashes, suffering severe blood loss after debris punctures his legs. He is in stable condition, but not expected to return to competition in 2015. (Sporting News)
French prosecutors say the passengers onboard the Germanwings flight that crashed in southern France have all been identified, and their bodies can be returned home to their families. (Reuters via Daily Mail)
At least 16 people are killed and scores are injured in a residential building fire in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Reuters UK)
An arrest warrant is issued for Daron Dylon Wint in the U.S. capital Washington, D.C. in connection to the alleged murder of four people on May 14. (WJLA)
Islamic State fighters enter the ancient ruins of Palmyra after capturing the Syrian city of Tadmur yesterday. A hundred pro-government fighters are believed to have died in fighting. (Reuters)
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that Islamic State now controls more than half of Syria dominating 95,000 square kilometres and controls settlements in nine provinces. (News Limited)
Video interviews show that two Russians captured in Ukraine have publicly admitted to being soldiers in the GRU Russian special forces. The Donetsk People's Republic (separatists) authorities claim these men were official policemen in the self-proclaimed republic, publicized their ID badges, and claimed they retired from the Russian military last year. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Arts and culture
Robert Gates, the President of the Boy Scouts of America, calls on the movement to end the ban on gay adult leaders and says the movement will no longer revoke the charters of chapters that accept gay male leaders. (Yahoo! News)
Mexican police find three dismembered bodies in a search for ten missing people in Chilapa, a city occupied by vigilantes with alleged links to drug rings between May 9-14. (AP)
Sports
Amnesty International accuses Qatar of failing to meet commitments on labor market reforms for migrant workers to be introduced before the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Among other charges, Qatar uses North Korean labourers who are not paid personally but instead the money goes to their government. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Li Hejun, formerly China's richest man, loses an estimated US$14 billion when his energy shares plunge nearly 50%. (Forbes)
Disasters and accidents
Surrounding areas of Wembley Stadium, London, UK have been evacuated following the discovery by construction crews of a still-live World War II-era 50-kg (110-llb) conventional-explosive bomb, a remnant of the Blitz. (MSN)
Record breaking rain causes flooding in the American states of Oklahoma and Texas with Oklahoma City recording record rainfall levels for the month of May. (CNN)
Nigerian drug agents arrest senator-elect Buruji Kashamu for extradition to the United States for his alleged involvement in a drug deal 20 years ago that is claimed to be the basis for the television show Orange is the New Black. (AP)
Peru declares a 60 day state of emergency in the Tambo Valley following violent protests against a mine project which has seen four deaths. (AP via ABC News)
A pit-road collision between the vehicles of James Davison and Pippa Mann results in the injury of two pit crew members on the team of Tristan Vautier. Greg Senerius was treated and released on-track for a foot injury, and Daniel Jang was transported to a hospital for evaluation. (ESPN)
The government of Sudan denies allegations from South Sudan that it is supporting rebels threatening oil fields in its southern neighbour. (Reuters via Daily Star)
Former Prime Minister of IsraelEhud Olmert is sentenced to eight months in jail following a conviction on corruption charges for unlawfully accepting multiple envelopes with cash from an American supporter. There are 3 more criminals prosecutions against him. (BBC), (AP via The Guardian)
Flash flood warnings are now in place in eight states with flood waters causing closures of roads, rail services and buses in Houston. (NBC News)
Thirty people are reported missing in the Houston area as the flood water levels continue to rise as the death toll in Texas rises to 13. (AP via News24), (AP)
At least 12 people, associated with the Kangleyuan Rest Home in the Chinese city of Pingdingshan in Henan province which was destroyed by fire with the loss of 38 lives, are detained for questioning. (AP)
The death toll from the recent storms in the American states of Texas and Oklahoma rises to 21 with 11 people missing. Fourteen more people have been killed in northern Mexico. (AP via ABC News)
Dozens of people are rescued in the US state of Texas. The death toll from floods in Texas and Oklahoma has reached 24 dead with 13 missing with another 15 people dead from tornadoes in northern Mexico and Texas. (NBC News)
Thailand will allow the United States to fly surveillance planes through their airspace, allowing the United States to identify boats carrying refugees. (ITV)
Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht is given a life sentence after being convicted for narcotics trafficking. (The Verge)
American television actor Dustin Diamond is convicted of two misdemeanor charges stemming from a stabbing at a Wisconsin bar last year but acquitted on felony charges. (AP)
Sepp Blatter is elected to a fifth term as president of FIFA after Prince Ali bin Hussein withdraws his candidacy before a second round of voting could take place. The first round of voting had ended with Blatter falling seven votes short of the 2/3 majority needed to win. (ESPN), (CNN)
Egyptian security officials report that militants have blown up a natural gas pipeline leading to Israel outside El-Arish, the provincial capital of North Sinai. That pipeline was attacked at least 20 times in the last 5 years. (AP via KFox)
Thousands of schools open in Nepal after the devastating earthquake of April 2015 which destroyed more than 25,000 classrooms and killed more than 8,000 people. (BBC)
