1. U.S. EMPLOYERS ADD 165,000 NEW JOBS IN APRIL
The latest jobs report shows that U.S. companies added 165,000 jobs in April and 114,000 more jobs in February and March than the Labor Department had previously estimated. That drove unemployment down to 7.5 percent, the lowest rate in four years. On a pessimistic note, most of the jobs added were in low-paying fields like restaurants and retail. [Associated Press]
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2. ISRAEL REPORTEDLY BOMBS HEZBOLLAH-BOUND MISSILES IN SYRIA
Israel carried out an air strike earlier this week "targeting a shipment of missiles in Syria bound for Hezbollah guerrillas in neighboring Lebanon, an Israeli official said on Saturday." Israel's government has not confirmed this air strike, but it reportedly happened sometime on Thursday or Friday, targeted a building, and did not involve Israeli jets entering Syrian airspace. [Reuters]
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3. BANGLADESH FINANCE MINISTER DOWNPLAYS COLLAPSE AS BODY COUNT PASSES 500
Bangladesh finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said he didn't think his country's factory building collapse was "really serious," even after the 519th casualty was confirmed in the wreckage. Muhith said that stricter safety standards would be put in place and that the country's garment industry, by far its biggest source of export income, would not be harmed. [Associated Press]
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4. U.S. MILITARY PLANE CRASHES IN KYRGYZSTAN
An airplane used to refuel U.S. fighter jets in midair over Afghanistan crashed soon after departure in a hilly area near the town of Kara-Balta in Kyrgyzstan. Two bodies of U.S. crew members have been recovered, though a third is still missing. [New York Times, USA Today]
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5. WILDFIRE CONTINUES TO RAGE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The wildfire that has consumed more than 10,000 acres in Ventura County, Calif. continues to threaten thousands of homes. The fire, which has already destroyed more than a dozen homes, was helped along by dry conditions, 90-degree heat, and 30 mph winds. It now consumes 43 square miles. [Los Angeles Times, Associated Press]
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6. DNA ON BOMBS DOESN'T MATCH BOMBING SUSPECT'S WIDOW
Investigators say that DNA and fingerprints found on bomb fragments from the Boston Marathon bombing site do not match those of Katherine Russell, the widow of suspected bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Law enforcement still wants to question her about phone calls made to Tsarnaev shortly after authorities released photos of the Boston bombing suspects. [CBS News]
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7. SOLAR PLANE BEGINS CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP
Solar Impulse, considered to be the world's most advanced solar airplane, began its cross-country flight from Mountain View, Calif. to Washington, D.C., where it is expected to land in mid-June. The plane has room for a single pilot and is powered solely by 12,000 photovoltaic cells located on its wings. [Washington Post]
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8. CHINESE AUTHORITIES ARREST 900 IN MEAT SCANDAL
Chinese police have arrested 904 people over the last three months for selling toxic and counterfeit meat, including passing off fox, mink, and rat meat as lamb to the public. The country's public security ministry announced that authorities have seized 20,000 metric tons of illegal meat since January. [Guardian]
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9. REESE WITHERSPOON PLEADS NO CONTEST TO DISORDERLY CONDUCT
Actress Reese Witherspoon pleaded no contest a disorderly conduct charge after a dashboard camera caught her yelling at an Atlanta police officer as he gave her husband a sobriety test. Witherspoon, who was forced to pay a $100 fine in court Friday, later told Good Morning America that she was "sorry and embarrassed" by the incident. [CBS News]
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10. LEBRON JAMES TO WIN 4TH MVP AWARD
League sources confirmed to ESPN that LeBron James will be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player on Sunday. This is the second straight season he has won the MVP award and the fourth time overall. He joins Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players who have won the award four or more times. [ESPN]
