KEY STORYLINES
- AFRICA: The UN peacekeeping chief said a new UN force could start deploying in Mali as scheduled on July 1 if security conditions remain the same.
- AMERICAS: The NYT reported that President Obama plans to nominate James B. Comey to replace Robert S. Mueller III as the director of the FBI.
- ASIA: The Burmese government reached a preliminary ceasefire agreement with Kachin rebels.
- EUROPE: The leaders of France and Germany are to meet to discuss a joint plan to combat the youth jobs crisis in the eurozone.
- MIDDLE EAST: A top Argentine prosecutor formally accused Iran of opening secret intelligence stations in several South American countries to plan and conduct terror attacks.
- TECHNOLOGY: The Financial Times released a 24-hour financial news-commentary wire called fastFT.
TOP STORY
- Syria: Assad claims Russian missile delivery as coordination talks continue
- President Assad said in a television interview to be broadcast on Thursday that Russia has delivered S-300 air defense missiles to his country.
- Officials in Israel say the S-300 missiles could threaten flights over its main commercial airport near Tel Aviv.
- UNSG Ban Ki-moon said major powers have not agreed on who will take part in an international conference on the Syrian conflict or when it will be held.
- Russian FM Lavrov accused the Syrian opposition of seeking to disrupt plans for the peace conference.
- The opposition National Coalition launched an urgent appeal to rescue 1,000 wounded civilians from the town of Qusayr.
- Coverage: AFP, AFP-2, AFP-3, NYT, Reuters
AFRICA
- Guinea: President Conde decreed the start of campaigning for a highly contested legislative election. (AP)
- Madagascar: The interim government postponed key elections after a special court found outside factors had derailed the poll preparations. (AFP)
- Mali: The UN peacekeeping chief said a new UN force could start deploying in the country as scheduled on July 1 if security conditions remain the same. (AP)
- Mozambique: Registration for upcoming polls began amid heightened political tension. (AFP)
- Somalia: Gunmen shot and wounded a Somali journalist in Kismayo. (AFP)
AMERICAS
- Brazil: US VP Biden in Brazil said the US wants to broaden ties with Latin America. (EFE)
- Colombia: Police seized 1.5 tons of cocaine that the Los Rastrojos criminal organization was planning to ship to Guatemala. (EFE)
- United States: The NYT reported that President Obama plans to nominate James B. Comey to replace Robert S. Mueller III as the director of the FBI. (NYT)
- Venezuela: The Venezuelan government spoke out against a meeting between Colombian President Santos and Venezuelan opposition leader Capriles. (Reuters)
ASIA
- Afghanistan: Insurgents attacked a compound housing the International Committee of the Red Cross, killing an Afghan guard before security forces rescued seven foreigners. (AP)
- Burma: The government reached a preliminary ceasefire agreement with Kachin rebels. (AFP)
- China: The Defense Ministry dismissed a US report that Chinese hackers have gained access to designs of more than two dozen major US weapons systems. (Reuters)
- Korea, North: Human rights monitors and defector groups voiced concern over the forced repatriation of nine refugees captured in Laos. (AFP)
EUROPE
- Region: The leaders of France and Germany are to meet to discuss a joint plan to combat the youth jobs crisis in the eurozone. (AFP)
- Region: Russian Emergency Situations Minister Puchkov will discuss with the leadership of the EU and NATO joint emergency response plans. (Itar-Tass)
- France: President Hollande said that the European Commission could not direct France on how to manage its economic recovery. (Xinhua)
- Russia: The eighth meeting of the working group on fighting illegal turnover of drugs under the Russian-American Presidential Commission opens in Sochi. (Itar-Tass)
MIDDLE EAST
- Region: The Gulf Cooperation Council is to consider placing Lebanon’s Shiite party Hezbollah on its terror list. (AFP)
- Bahrain: The interior ministry said an explosion wounded seven policemen in what is being described as a “terrorist” attack. (AP)
- Iran: A top Argentine prosecutor formally accused Iran of opening secret intelligence stations in several South American countries to plan and conduct terror attacks. (AFP)
- Iraq: Car bombs in Baghdad and attacks around the country killed eight people. (AFP)
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Communications: The Financial Times released a 24-hour financial news-commentary wire called fastFT. (Mashable)
WORLD
- Cyclones: Nothing to report.
- Hurricanes: Tropical Depression Barbara
- Location: 104 NM NE of Tehuantepec, Mexico
- Movement: N at 8 mph
- Winds: 35 mph
- Map
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (31MAY)
- Global: 163rd Meeting of the OPEC Conference will begin in Vienna.
- Global: WHO World No Tobacco Day.
- Belarus: Heads of State Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States will convene in Minsk.
- Bhutan: Bhutan will hold multi-party elections for its main house of parliament.
- Central America/Caribbean: Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay state visits to Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, and Mexico (to 06JUN).
- Israel: Third anniversary of Israel’s raid on a Turkish flotilla delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, which killed nine passengers – 2010.
- Nigeria: Nigeria’s oil militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has said it will begin targeting mosques and Islamic institutions in a new terror campaign on this date.
- Russia: Zlatko Lagumdzija, the Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, will visit Russia to meet with Russian FM Lavrov.
- Singapore: 12th Shangri-La Dialogue, attended by top-tier defense officials from around the world, will begin (to 02JUN).
- South Africa: Anniversary of South Africa becoming a republic and breaking off from the United Kingdom – 1961.
- Tunisia: Radical Salafist group Ansar al-Sharia has called for a protest in Kairoun against the arrest of its spokesman.
END
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