Lebanon's banking association rejects a plan proposed by
the government to secure emergency funding from the
International Monetary Fund, saying they were not consulted and the plan will "further destroy confidence" in the country's financial system.
(Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
All five crew members declared missing after the crash of a
CanadianCH-148 Cyclone helicopter two days earlier are now presumed dead.
(The Guardian)
Inmates take seven guards
hostage at a prison in
Manaus, Brazil, during an attempted
escape. A raid later frees the guards and ends the prisoners'
rebellion.
(Global News)
Unidentified forces attack two fishing vessels near the Gabonese capital of
Libreville and abduct six crewmen (3 Indonesian, 2 Senegalese, and a South Korean). It is the second pirate attack reported this year off the coast of
Gabon.
(The Korea Herald)
Egypt's
military says that 15 of its members were killed or wounded in recent operations in
Sinai and that 126 suspected militants had been killed.
(Reuters)
Russia reports a record 10,633 new cases of
COVID-19 and 58 more deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's total cases to 134,686 and 1,280 deaths.
Moscow's
mayorSergei Sobyanin says the peak has still not been reached, warning residents to remain indoors.
(BBC News)
The
Taliban claims responsibility for an attack on Sunday on an
Afghan military centre in southern
Helmand where they say that "dozens were killed or wounded".
(Reuters)
Opposition leader
Juan Guaidó denies any involvement with the Silvercorp USA operation. Jordan Goudreau claims his company signed a contract with Guaidó to remove Nicolás Maduro from power by force, but says he has only been paid "a tiny share of the amount agreed upon."
(AP via Toledo Blade)
A
Colorado man who organized planned armed protests against the state’s stay-at-home orders is arrested after pipe bombs were discovered at his house.
(ABC News)
Politics and elections
UK Trade MinisterConor Burns resigns after a watchdog group recommended suspending him from
parliament for making "veiled threats" towards a company his father had financial disputes with.
(BBC News)
Science and technology
A team of
British and
Kenyan scientists announce the discovery of Microsporidia MB, a
parasitic microbe in the
Microsporidia fungi group that blocks
mosquitos from carrying
malaria. While acknowledging they need to understand how the microbe spreads and how it blocks the disease, the team believes it has potential to be used in malaria control.
(BBC News)(Nature)
U.S. PresidentDonald Trump denies any involvement by the U.S. government in Silvercorp USA's armed incursion into
Venezuela on May 3, which left eight people dead and several others captured, including two U.S. citizens.
(Reuters)
The
Houthis-controlled area of
Yemen reports its first case of
COVID-19 and first death; that of a
Somali man who had liver and kidney conditions. The
government in the south reports nine new infections.
(Reuters)
Brazil's
Ministry of Health reports 6,935 new cases of COVID-19 and 600 more deaths, the highest daily death toll in the country to date, bringing the country's death toll to 7,921 and 114,715 total cases.
(Reuters)
At least two people are killed and two others seriously injured after a plane carrying vital medical supplies crashes near
Esquel Airport in
Esquel,
Argentina.
(Mirror)
A cellphone video of the shooting of an
African-American man jogging in
Brunswick, Georgia, surfaces. The two men who killed him claim that they believed he was a
burglar and then got into a fight with him when he was fatally shot. The case is subsequently taken to a
grand jury.
(CNN)(CBS News)
The Polish governing coalition announces the presidential election, scheduled for May 10, is postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The new election date will be announced later.
(AP)
Kuwait announces a total
curfew lasting from May 10–30, as part of new measures to prevent the spread of the virus. This comes after the Health Ministry confirmed 641 new
COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase to date.
(Gulf News)
The Supreme Court of
Malawi rejects a bid from
PresidentPeter Mutharika and upholds a lower court ruling that annulled last year's elections, paving the way for a new election that will be held on July 2.
(Al Jazeera)
At least 20 people are killed when a group of gunmen storm villages in
Niger. The militants also loot shops, steal cattle and order villagers to flee.
(BBC News)
Four civilians are killed in
Ghor,
Afghanistan, when
police open fire on
protesters who grew angry at the local distribution of food, which they said favored those with political connections. Two policemen also are killed. Police say they responded when protesters tried to enter the governor's house.
(Reuters)
New coronavirus clusters are reported in
Wuhan—where the virus first emerged—and the north-eastern province of
Jilin, after confirming its first case since April 3.
(BBC News)
Wuhan plans to test all 11 million of their residents for the coronavirus.
(Washington Post)
Venezuelan opposition leader
Juan Guaidó accepts the resignations of his aides
JJ Rendón and Sergio Vergara, over their roles in "Operation Gideon". Rendón and Vergara admitted signing a contract with
Jordan Goudreau's Silvercorp USA in October 2019 to help remove
Nicolás Maduro from office, and install Guaidó as
President.
(Bloomberg)
In
Kabul, gunmen wearing police uniforms
open fire, killing at least 24 people, including two newborns, in the
maternity ward of a hospital. Security forces kill the attackers. In
Kuz Kunar, a
suicide bomber kills at least 32 people at a funeral.
(BBC News)
Brazil's
Ministry of Health reports 881 more deaths from COVID-19, the highest daily death toll in the country to date, bringing the country's death toll to 12,400 and 177,589 total cases.
(BBC News)
China suspends imports of beef from four Australian
abattoirs, saying that its customs agency "continuously" found violations of inspection and
quarantine requirements. Foreign ministry spokesman
Zhao Lijian says the suspension comes to "ensure the safety and health of Chinese consumers". This comes after the
Australian government last month called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the
novel coronavirus.
(Reuters)
Maryland GovernorLarry Hogan announces that the stay-at-home order will be lifted on May 15, except for Prince George's and Montgomery counties. Groups of over ten will remain forbidden.
(The Hill)
Greece, a member state of NATO, strongly criticizes Stoltenberg's remarks, saying his recognition of the "
Muslim Brotherhood government" does not reflect the positions of the military alliance.
(Greek Reporter)
The Vatican announces that
Pope Francis is sending a donation to
Lebanon for 400 scholarships in an expression of his concern for the country’s young people. Lebanon is experiencing a “severe crisis” that is robbing younger generations of hope.
(Catholic News Agency)
Save the Children reports a surge in deaths of people with
coronavirus-like symptoms in
Aden, with at least 380 in the last week. Officially, Yemen has only reported 13 COVID-19 deaths.
(BBC News)
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 strikes near
Tonopah, Nevada, with several
aftershocks reported, though no injuries are reported. The earthquake is the largest in the state since 1954.
(Reno Gazette-Journal)
Michigan passes 50,000 cases of COVID-19, the seventh state in the U.S. to do so. As of this date, this state has 50,079 reported cases, causing 4,825 deaths.
(MLive.com)
Vice President of AfghanistanAmrullah Saleh rejects U.S. assertion that
ISIL are responsible for the attack on the maternity hospital this week and instead blames the
Taliban. The Taliban previously denied the accusation and labeled the attack as "heinous".
(Reuters)
A court in
Iran sentences French–Iranian academic
Fariba Adelkhah to six years in prison for breaching
national security laws. Her lawyer said he would appeal against the verdict.
(Al Jazeera)
Protests against the
government resume in
Santiago due to food shortages in the poorest neighborhoods of the city created by the lockdown to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Reuters)
Michigan becomes the fourth state in the U.S. to pass 5,000 deaths from COVID-19. The state has 5,017 reported deaths and 52,350 total cases.
(MLive.com)
The
Brazilian Ministry of Health reports 17,408 new confirmed cases and 1,179 more deaths from COVID-19, their highest daily death toll to date, bringing
Brazil's death toll to 17,971 and 271,628 total cases.
(Reuters)
Taliban leader
Hibatullah Akhundzada says his group is "committed to a landmark deal with the U.S." despite carrying out hundreds of attacks against
Afghan forces since February. Akhundzada also urged the U.S. "to not afford anyone the opportunity to obstruct, delay and ultimately derail this internationally recognised bilateral agreement".
(Al Jazeera)
U.S. authorities in
Massachusetts arrest a father and son, aged 59 and 27, who have been charged in
Japan with helping
Carlos Ghosn, former Chairman of
Nissan, to escape from Japan to
Lebanon last year.
(Reuters)
The number of worldwide cases of COVID-19 surpasses five million. The
United States remains the global epicenter, accounting for approximately 31% of all reported and confirmed cases in the world.
(CNN)
A military court in
Vietnam sentences former deputy defense minister
Nguyễn Văn Hiến to four years in prison for allowing three plots of land in
Ho Chi Minh City to be illegally transferred from the
Navy to private investors. He is also stripped of his
Communist Party credentials.
(Reuters)
An
Airbus A320 carrying 99 people crashes in a residential area near
Karachi Airport,
Pakistan. Ninety-seven people onboard are killed; the other two survive with injuries. Another person died on the ground. Some people on the ground were also injured when the plane crashed near houses.
(BBC News)
Following accusations by former
Justice MinisterSérgio Moro and a judicial order, footage from a controversial
Brazilian Cabinet meeting is released to the media. The profanity-laden footage shows
PresidentJair Bolsonaro calling for political interference in security organs to protect his family; Bolsonaro alleges this was a reference to his private security team, while Moro says that Bolsonaro was referring to
Federal Police investigations.
(Al Jazeera)
The
Taliban declares a three-day
Eid ceasefire starting on Sunday. Taliban spokesman
Zabiullah Mujahid orders all attacks to cease and only use force "if any action is taken against you by the enemy". Afghan President
Ashraf Ghani welcomes the ceasefire and orders the armed forces of
Afghanistan to "comply with the three-days truce and to defend only if attacked".
(National Post)(Reuters)
At least five people are killed and twenty others injured by a
car bomb during an
Eid festival in
Baidoa,
Bay. No claims of responsibility have been reported.
(AFP via Al Arabiya)
In his first appearance in three weeks,
leaderKim Jong-un meets with state officials to discuss improving nuclear war deterrence measures, including increased
artillery firepower.
(Reuters)
The first of five
Iranian tankers en route to
Venezuela to deliver fuel enters Venezuelan territorial waters, after being escorted by the
Venezuelan Air Force and
Navy. Both Iran and Venezuela warned the
United States not to interfere with the delivery.
(BBC News)
The Coast Guard of
Libya stops nearly 400 migrants attempting to cross the
Mediterranean in five boats in the past two days, according to the office for migrants of the
United Nations.
(Reuters)
The
government urges the
Taliban to extend the three-day
truce due to expire today. It also announces the government will release 900 Taliban prisoners today.
(Reuters)
Huge swarms of desert
locusts destroy crops in central and western
India prompting authorities to step up their response to the country's worst
plague in nearly three decades.
(Al Jazeera)
The
Social Democratic Liberal Party, the main opposition party in
Fiji's
parliament, is suspended from parliament for 60 days amid a political feud which has caused its appointments to be declared null and void. The party's parliament leader,
Sitiveni Rabuka, said the decision will not be appealed.
(RNZ)
In
Kyoto, Japan,
Shinji Aoba is arrested. He was moved from the hospital and charged for an arson attack at an
animation center in July 2019, which killed 36 people. Aoba had been unable to be arrested due to the severe injuries he sustained during the attack.
(Reuters)(BBC News)
Judicial authorities in
Belgium and
France announce the arrest of 26 suspects, followed 16 simultaneous early morning raids on 26 May in
Brussels and
Paris, which targeted the “notably suspected”
organization believed to be responsible for the tragedy in the
U.K.(Daily News)
In the first attack since the end of a
truce declared by the
Taliban, and despite a petition of the
government for the Taliban to extend the
ceasefire, at least 14 security forces members are killed in an attack on a
checkpoint in
Parwan. A government spokesperson says the Taliban also suffered casualties. The group has not commented on the attack.
(Al Jazeera)
Protests continue for a second day in
Minneapolis and other
U.S. cities after an unarmed man,
George Floyd, died while being arrested. Some of them have escalated into
riots, including
looting and
arson.
(CNN)
A
Minneapolis Police Department station is abandoned by police after being overran by protesters and is then looted and set on fire. An MPD spokesman confirmed the Third Precinct building had been evacuated "in the interest of the safety of our personnel".
(Politico)
A manhunt is launched after hundreds of people, some with
COVID-19, escape from
quarantine centers in
Zimbabwe and
Malawi, with authorities worried that they will spread COVID-19 in countries whose health systems can be rapidly overwhelmed.
(AP News)
The
2020 Boston Marathon is officially canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the first time in the event's 123-year history that the annual running had to be canceled. A modified version of the race, scheduled for September 14, will be run virtually, and runners who complete the marathon track in six hours or less will be eligible for the
2021 Boston Marathon.
(ESPN)
In
Atlanta, the
CNN Center is vandalized and
police vehicles are attacked and set on fire as protests spread. Seven people are reportedly arrested.
(Newsweek)
In
Detroit, police use tear gas to disperse a crowd of protesters and make several arrests, including one person who drove their car at a police officer. A man was killed during an altercation during the protests.
(CNN)
Taiwan decriminalises
adultery in what is considered a landmark ruling. Marital
infidelity was a crime with a maximum sentence of a year in prison.
(Reuters)
Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, which leads peace efforts with the
Taliban, says that his team is ready to start discussions with the armed group "at any moment". The group has not commented on Abdullah's remarks.
(Al Jazeera)
A journalist and a technician are killed and seven others wounded when a private bus carrying network employees is bombed in
Kabul.
ISIL – Khorasan Province claims responsibility.
(Reuters)
Brazil reports a record 33,274 new cases of
COVID-19 and 956 more deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 498,440 and 28,834 deaths, the fourth highest in the world.
(Reuters)
Sudan summons its
Ethiopianambassador regarding an attack at the border between the two countries that killed military personnel and civilians, including children. A
Sudanese military spokesman blamed militias "supported by Ethiopia", while there was no response from the
Ethiopian government.
(Reuters)
A man is killed and five others are injured in four shootings at protests in
Chicago, Illinois. It is not known if the attacks were carried out by the same assailant.
(WMAQ-TV)
RussianPresidentVladimir Putin announces the adoption of a new package of measures to support the
economy and citizens in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. This payment does not cancel but supplements the previously introduced support measures. Additionally, Putin proposed to establish a monthly payment of five thousand rubles for families with children under three years of age.
(RT)
Crew Dragon's mission is to check the ship's systems and the crew's readiness to work with it. Crew Dragon is heading to the ISS. It is the first time since the end of the
Space Shuttle program in
2011 that American astronauts have been launched into orbit from the United States, and is the first ever crewed commercial space flight.
(WSJ)
Rwanda reports its first death from
COVID-19, a 65-year-old who had severe respiratory complications and was being treated at a specialised center.
(Reuters)
The number of worldwide confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpasses six million. The
United States remains the global epicenter, accounting for approximately 29% of all reported and confirmed cases in the world.
(CNN)
India expels two officials at the
Pakistan High Commission in
New Delhi, accusing them of being involved in
espionage activities.
Pakistan condemns the expulsion and alleges that the two were detained and tortured by Indian authorities.
(DW)
Police investigate the overnight shooting death of a protester, James Scurlock, by a bar owner in
Omaha, Nebraska. Eyewitness video indicates the shooter was attacked by a group of people, one of whom was apparently Scurlock, before the fatal shots were fired.
(Omaha World-Herald)
At least 1,383 people have been arrested in 17 cities during the protests since Thursday.
(Yahoo! News)
During protests in
Indianapolis, two people are shot dead and two others injured after unidentified assailants open fire against protesters.
(Fox News)
In
Niue,
Sir Toke Talagi loses his seat at the Common Roll and is now leaving his position as
Premier of Niue. Former Secretary to Government Richard Hipa, a first-time candidate, topped the Common Roll votes with 440 and now looks to be a contender for the premiership.
(RNZ)