Three Turkish soldiers are killed and 14 others wounded in an armed attack by Kurdish militants during a military operation in the town of Nusaybin, Turkey. (Reuters)
Kenyan authorities say the death toll from Friday's collapsed eight-story residential building in Nairobi has risen to 20, with 73 people missing. Rescuers continue searching for survivors. The building had been declared unfit for human habitation by the country's National Construction Authority, but remained standing. Note: the building was originally reported as six stories; flooding had sunk the ground and first floors. (AP)
In Punjab, Pakistan, the death toll has risen from 13 to 33 for people who have eaten sweets accidentally tainted with insecticide. The mass poisoning occurred in April. (Daily Times)
The first cruise ship in more than a half-century bound for Havana from the United States leaves Miami, Florida, at about 4:24 p.m. EDT. Carnival Cruise Line's 704-passenger Adonia was able to set sail for the northern Caribbean country after Cuba, April 22, loosened its policy banning Cuban-born people from traveling to the country by sea. (AP)
Thousands are set for May Day demonstrations across the United States for immigrant and worker rights, and for civility in presidential campaign rhetoric. Organizers and authorities in California are urging participants to remain calm, given the violence this week connected with Presidential campaign protests. (AP via The Washington Post)(KPCC)
Egyptianpolice raid the headquarters of the journalists' association in Cairo, and arrest two journalists with the opposition website Bawabet Yanayer, editor Amr Badr and reporter Mahmud el-Sakka, for alleged incitement to protest in violation of the law. (Daily Mail)(Reuters)
Artillery shelling and drone attacks by the U.S.-led coalition strike Islamic State positions in Syria, according to Turkish authorities, killing 63 militants and destroying multiple rocket launcher and gun positions. (AP)
Business and economy
The Philippines stock market suffers the biggest drop since February amid uncertainty about the upcoming elections. (Bloomberg)
Police in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua arrest scores of protesters as planned demonstrations to mark the anniversary of the incorporation of the region with Indonesia were to take place today. (Radio New Zealand)
President of VenezuelaNicolás Maduro orders clocks in the country to move forward by a half hour from UTC−04:30 to UTC−04:00 in order to save electricity as Venezuela faces an increasing electricity shortage. While gaining a half hour of sunlight, this means Venezuelans will now lose a half hour of sleep. (The Guardian)
By 7 p.m. local time, the entire town of population 80,000 is placed under a mandatory evacuation. The neighbourhood of Beacon Hill, home to about 2,200 people, is 80% destroyed by fire. (Weather Underground)
El Salvador arrests former congressman Raúl Mijango for allegedly attempting to smuggle banned items into prison and allegedly associating with gang members. (Reuters via Trust)
The government of Hungary announces it will hold a referendum regarding future European Union quotas for resettling refugees. The vote is expected to be held either in September or October of this year where a turnout of over 50 percent will render it to be valid. (Al Jazeera)
A meeting is held in London on the issue of West Papuan independence. Independence leader Benny Wenda joined various humanitarians, parliamentarians and lawyers in urging the United Nations to secure a vote on the future status of the region, which is occupied by Indonesia. (The Guardian)
Suspected Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants launch a car bomb attack on a military installation in Turkey, killing one soldier; Turkey's army destroyes PKK targets in air strikes and kills more than 20. (Reuters)
The Philippine stock market continues to fall for the fifth straight day due to fears about the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. He continues to lead in opinion polls. (The Philippine Star)(Rappler)
BritishpublisherTrinity Mirror announces that its daily newspaper, The New Day, will close after just two months since its launch, after sales fell to around 30,000 copies per day. The last edition will be printed on May 6. (The Guardian)
The European Union proposes visa-free travel for Turkish citizens within Europe's Schengen Area and invites member states and EU lawmakers to endorse the move by June 30. The EU says Turkey has met all but five of the 72 criteria included in the agreement in exchange for its efforts to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe. This visa deal also needs approval from the European Parliament. (AP)(UPI)
Since the fire has intermittently blocked the only route south toward Alberta's major cities, evacuees have had to go north toward oil camps and a few small settlements. The province has airlifted 4,000 people to Edmonton and Calgary as of late Thursday. Roughly 20 percent of Canada'scrude oil production, around 680,000 barrels per day, is offline and is expected to increase. There are no known casualties from the fire, which today has grown to 210,000 acres (85,000 hectares), but fatalities are reported in at least one vehicle crash along the evacuation route. (Daily Mail)
Colorado Springs, Colorado, agrees to pay people who were sent to jail because they couldn't afford to pay fines for minor offenses like panhandling and jaywalking. The city will pay $125 for each day the person spent behind bars, an estimated total of $103,000 for the 66 people identified. In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people cannot be jailed if they do not have the money to pay. (AP via The Washington Post)(The Colorado Independent)
A man is killed, and two others are injured (a man in critical condition and a woman with non-life-threatening injuries), in the parking lot of Westfield Montgomery Mall in Potomac in Montgomery County, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. Soon after, a woman is killed at a grocery store some miles away. Police suspect that the same shooter may be behind both crime scene incidents. Police in both Montgomery County and neighboring Prince George's County are also examining whether this person is the same as the male involved in the fatal shooting the previous day of a woman, Gladys Tordil, who was allegedly shot (a bystander who tried to help was also wounded) by her estranged abusive husband, tentatively identified as Eulalio Tordil, 62, a former Federal Protective Service officer. (MSN)(CNN)
The supporters of presidential candidates Grace Poe and Mar Roxas post petitions and counter-petitions on Change.org urging either candidate to drop-out and give way for the other. (The Manila Standard)
SpaceX successfully lands another Falcon 9 First stage onto a floating barge for the second time. It was carrying a Japanese communications satellite JCSAT-14, which was successfully put into geostationary orbit. (Wired)
At least 13 Iranian soldiers are killed in a battle with Islamist militants in a village near Aleppo, Syria. This is the largest single day loss for the Iranians since the start of the conflict. (Retuers)(Business Insider)(NDTV)
UEFA President Michel Platini, who had been suspended by the FIFA Ethics Committee last fall, announces his resignation following the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision that let stand his ban, shortened to four years which corresponds to the duration of his remaining time in office. The court ruled that Platini was guilty of conflict of interest for taking a $2 million payment from FIFA approved by Sepp Blatter in 2011. (USA Today)
Alberta authorities update information about the fire. About 2,400 homes and buildings were destroyed, but firefighters saved 25,000 others in the city, including the hospital, municipal buildings, and every functioning school. They expect most of the 88,000 evacuees will return to their homes within two weeks. The fire, which has merged with another blaze, is about 884 square miles (2,090 square kilometers) in size. The majority of Canada'soil sands industry, and a third of the country's total oil output, is offline, though Shell Canada has restarted its Albian Sands mining operations. (AP)
An assailant stabs four people, killing two, at a home and a mall in Taunton, Massachusetts. A third victim is being treated for life-threatening injuries. The suspect was shot and killed by an off-duty deputy sheriff at the second scene. (CNN)(The Boston Globe)
Officer Edward Nero waives his right to a jury trial on misdemeanor charges of second-degree assault, two counts of misconduct in office, and reckless endangerment. (Reuters)
Trump is projected as the winner in the Republican primary in West Virginia while Bernie Sanders is projected to win the Democratic Primary. (New York Times)(BBC)
Brazil's Federal Senate unanimously votes to strip Delcídio do Amaral of his senate seat. Amaral, one of Rousseff's biggest foes, was arrested last November for allegedly taking kickbacks from Petrobras. (AP)
The Bank of England issues an unusually sharp warning about the possible economic consequences of an "Out" vote in the upcoming Brexit referendum. (Reuters)
A criminal investigation is launched by the New Hampshire attorney general against law enforcement officials after news footage showed Massachusetts/New Hampshire police appear to beat a man who was surrendering at the end of a bi-state car chase. (Washington Post via MSN)
Maryland state elections officials decertify the results of Baltimore’s April 26, 2016, primary election because, for example, the number of ballots cast was hundreds more than the number of voters who checked in at polling places. (The Washington Post)
A 120-year old woman is found living in the Astrakhan Oblast of Russia, which would make her the world's oldest living person. However, her birth year remains internationally unverified. Thus, 116-year old Italian Emma Morano is still listed as the oldest verified living person. (TASS)
Hezbollah says Mustafa Badreddine, one of Hezbollah's highest ranking officials believed responsible for military operations in Syria, has been killed by artillery fire from the Syrian rebels. (Al Jazeera)
A massive fire breaks out at a tire dump in Seseña, near Madrid in Spain. The illegal dump contains 100,000 tons of used vehicle tires. The smoke from the fire is visible for at least 30km. (ABC News)
At least one person is dead as a shopping mall being built in the Nigerian city of Abeokuta collapses. Unconfirmed reports indicate that ten people may have died. (BBC)
Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Maduro orders the seizure of factories that have stopped production and the jailing of their owners amid a nationwide state of emergency. During a speech to pro-government supporters in Caracas, he said the country had to recover the means of production, to counter its deep economic crisis. He also said military exercises would take place next weekend to counter "foreign threats". (BBC)
Suicide bomb attacks in a state owned cooking gas plant in Taji, north of Baghdad, kill at least 18 people, while 11 others die in attacks across the country. (Al Jazeera)(Reuters via Daily Mail)
President-elect of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, vows to reintroduce capital punishment and give security forces permission to shoot to kill for organized crime figures and people resisting arrest. Duterte is due to take office on June 30, 2016. (BBC)
A released report from an interview with former U.S. diplomat Donald Rickard reveals that he provided intelligence that led to the arrest of Nelson Mandela. (The Telegraph)
Tens of thousands of people are evacuated from Old Trafford shortly before kick-off between Manchester United F.C. and A.F.C. Bournemouth after a suspect package was found. A controlled explosion was then carried out within the stadium. The package is discovered to be an explosives training device left behind earlier in the week by a private company following a training exercise involving explosive search dogs. (BBC)
At least 15 students are killed and 6 are missing after heavy rains and flash flooding trigger a landslide at a popular tourist resort in Deli Serdang Regency, Indonesia. (The Star Online)
Colombian police announce the seizure of about 8 tonnes (18,000 lb) of cocaine in an operation targeting the Clan Úsuga gang. This would make it the biggest seizure of drugs in the history of Colombia. (UPI)(BBC)(NBC News)
A Swedish court sentences Claver Berinkindi, a 61-year-old Swedish citizen originally from Rwanda, to life in prison for participation in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. (Reuters)(The Local)
Politics and elections
The Afghan capital Kabul is locked down as members of the Hazara community protest the proposed route of a power line. (AP)
Amid growing concern about North Korea's ballistic missile capability, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. are to hold their first ever joint anti-missile exercise next month, according to South Korea's Ministry of National Defense. The three countries will practice "detecting and tracing a hypothetical North Korean missile," said a ministry official. (CNN)
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, met with a group of prominent U.S. conservatives, over allegations that the company censors conservative content. (Reuters)
More than 150 people are feared dead by two landslides triggered by more than three days of heavy rain in central Sri Lanka. (Reuters)(The New York Times)
The Oklahoma Legislature files a measure asking for Congress to impeach Barack Obama over his decision to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity. (KOCO)
A highly-reported execution of convicted murderer Kho Jabing occurs at 3.30pm on 20 May 2016 amidst local and international pleas to the government of Singapore to revoke the scheduled execution. (The Straits Times)
Iraqi security forces fire tear gas and water cannon on protesters attempting to storm the Green Zone in Baghdad, injuring at least 33. (Bloomberg)(WSJ)
The Iraqi government imposes a curfew in Baghdad. (Reuters)
Voters in Vietnam go to the polls to choose legislators for its Parliament. The only legal party in the country is the Communist Party, which has already chosen its members. (AP)(Time)
Voters in Tajikistan go to the polls for a referendum to make various amendments to the constitution which include, among other things, the elimination of term limits to allow PresidentEmomali Rahmon and only him to run again for office and lowering the presidential age limit from 35 to 30, which observers believe will position Rahmon's son Rustam Emomali for future succession. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Science
NASA projects that 2016 will have the warmest global temperature average on record. This year would be the third record-breaking year in a row. Per NOAA annals, April marked the 12th record warmest month in a row. (Scientific American)
Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre reports 92 people are confirmed dead with 109 people still missing from landslides and floods resulting from Roanu. More than 500,000 have been driven from their homes. (EconomyNext)
Bangladesh reports at least 26 deaths caused by drowning or homes collapsing with 500,000 evacuated during the storm. Maheshkhali Island officials are monitoring a badly damaged 17-mile stretch of mud embankment in danger of collapsing, allowing seawater to flood the communities. (The Weather Channel)(The Navhind Times)
Health officials are concerned about the spread of the Zika virus in Haiti, which suffered the worst epidemic of cholera in recent history following the deadly 2010 Haiti earthquake. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there are 2,214 suspected cases as of April 23. But new research indicates the virus has been present since 2014. The actual infection rate remains unknown since the poor, densely populated nation lacks routine data systems that can track and document disease outbreaks. (AP)
Judge Barry Williams finds Baltimore, Maryland, Police Officer Edward Nero not guilty of all charges. Nero was accused of second-degree intentional assault, two counts of misconduct in office, and reckless endangerment. Community leaders and elected officials appeal for calm. (CNN)
DemocraticGovernor of VirginiaTerry McAuliffe is being investigated by federal prosecutors over campaign contributions, including a foreign contribution from a Chinese businessman, and what they consider to be "suspicious personal finances", as part of a public integrity probe that has lasted for more than a year, according to officials. The United States Department of Justice would not confirm or deny the investigation. (The Washington Post)
New satellite imagery from Stratfor appears to reveal the destruction of four Russian attack helicopters and 20 lorries at the Tiyas military airbase after a reported attack which was conducted last week by the ISIL. (BBC)
Reports claim that an Egyptian forensic official says that body parts recovered from EgyptAir flight 804 indicate that the crash was caused by an explosion. (Daily Mail)
Google's offices in central Paris are raided by French finance officials as part of a tax fraud investigation. Google is accused of owing €1.6bn ($1.8bn; £1.3bn) in unpaid taxes. (BBC)
Motorist Wahib Sadek Ahmed is arrested after he is accused of wielding a knife at a motorist. He is subdued after four taser shots. The FBI investigates after Sadek claim to be affiliated with a terrorist organization. His car is found to contain the knife and three guns, including an AK-47, and a loaded 45-caliber pistol. (CBSDFW local)
Archaeologists announce the discovery of a 2,400-year-old tomb which they believe to be that of Aristotle based on its grandiosity, and its location atop a hill in Stagira, the city of his birth. (UPI)(The New York Times)
South Korean PresidentPark Geun-hye, during her state visit to Ethiopia to work toward full-scale defense cooperation, pledges $1 million in aid for drought recovery. Park is expected to continue to Uganda and Kenya after this visit. (UPI)
Ken Starr, the president of Baylor University, is stripped of his title after an investigation revealed the university mishandled accusations of sexual assault against its football players. The university's football coach, Art Briles, is also fired. (The New York Times)
The United States reports 70 militants were killed, including ISIL commander Maher al-Bilawi, in a Fallujah airstrike on Wednesday. (UPI)
Disasters and accidents
Record rainfall and severe flooding in southeast Texas has killed at least two people with three others missing. On Thursday, a record 16.6 inches (42 cm) of rain fell in Brenham, west of Houston. (Reuters)
Republican candidate for U.S. President Donald Trump urges U.S. senator Marco Rubio to run for re-election after Rubio stated he would speak on Trump's behalf at the Republican Convention, if asked. (Business Insider)
Brazilian Police say they have identified and are searching for four of the more than 30 men suspected in last Saturday's gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in Rio de Janeiro. The assault came to light after several men posted about the attack online. (AP via New York Daily News)
Anti-government protests erupt across Papua New Guinea against Prime MinisterPeter O'Neill, calling on him to resign. Papua New Guinea has been in a state of political turmoil since 2014 when the Prime Minister was accused of fraud and corruption. (Radio New Zealand)
At least three people are missing after heavy rains caused flooding in the U.S. states of Texas and Kansas. So far, four people have died in the flooding. (AP)
A fire at a home for elderly people near the Ukrainian capital Kiev kills at least 16 people. (BBC)
Floods in Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany following heavy rain that started Sunday night kill at least four people. (Sky News)
Law and crime
Hissene Habre, ex president of Chad, is sentenced to life in prison for ordering rape, sexual slavery and killings during his rule from 1982 to 1990. (BBC)
Chief Syrian opposition negotiator of the High Negotiations Committee Mohammed Allush resigns over the failure of the UN-backed peace talks. Allush said that without any of the opposition demands met, peace talks were a "waste of time". In April, the HNC suspended talks with the Syrian government's delegation in Vienna. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
A special verification panel recommends throwing out the results of the Haiti presidential election on October 25, 2015, because it appeared to be tainted by significant voter fraud. (AP via US News and World Report)
In an interview with the German broadsheet Frankfurter Allgemeine, the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama says that Germany has taken too many refugees and "from a moral standpoint" refugees should "only be accommodated temporarily" — with the goal of them returning home to rebuild their countries. (NBC News)
A recent Global Slavery Index report estimates the number of people born into servitude, trafficked for sex work, in debt bondage, or forced labour to be 45.8 million. India is reported to have the highest number at an estimated 18.4 million slaves, and North Korea the highest ratio, 4.4 percent of its population. (Reuters)(Bloomberg)
Association football icon Pelé announces that he will sell 1,500 lots of his possessions via Julien's Auctions, which will include his medals, trophies, jerseys, and diplomatic gifts. (BBC)
