1. Five Arraigned by Military Tribunal for Planning 9/11. Five men held by the United States, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, have been brought before a military tribunal for their role in planning the September 11 terrorist attacks. None of the defendants entered a plea of either guilty or not guilty, deffering their plea to a later date. Prosecutors took two-and-a-half hours to read the charges related to the hijackings, during which time the defendants refused to listen to their translators and answer questions. Their defense attorney claims that the actions are in protest of torture that they had undergone at the Guantanamo Bay detention center, and that the men cannot be convicted based on evidence revealed under torture. (Source: Al Jazeera)

2. Obama Visits Afghanistan on Anniversary of Bin Laden Raid. President Barack Obama made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on May 1, where he gave a televised address to the nation. In the speech, he thanked U.S. troops for their service and congratulated on the successful raid. He also added that after a decade in Afghanistan, there was “a light on the horizon,” and that the Taliban and al-Qaida were on a path to defeat. The speech came after Obama signed a strategic agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The agreement lays out the military and diplomatic relations between the United States and Afghanistan after U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014. (Source: BBC)

3. UK Lawmakers: Murdoch “Not Fit” to Run a Company. British lawmakers slammed Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corporation, saying in a report that he “is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company.” After a committee of ten members of parliament conducted interviews with employees of the now defunct News of the World newspaper, the committee voted 6-4 to release the report. The dissenting four Conservative Party members called the report “partisan.” News of the World closed after it was found to have hacked the voicemails of members of the British public. (Source: BBC)

4. Soldiers Attempt Counter-Coup in Mali. At least 14 have died after soldiers in Mali tried to stage a coup d’état against the current military government. The government had seized power earlier this year in a similar way, overthrowing the democratically elected president after brief but heavy fighting. The military claims that they staged the coup after failing to receive adequate support in fighting against separatists in the northern part of the country. Separatist fighters have taken advantage of the unrest to quickly advance and capture the three main towns in the north of Mali at the end of March. (Source: Al Jazeera)

5. Chinese Activist Leaves U.S. Embassy; Fears for Safety. Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng left the U.S. embassy in Beijing. He was admitted to a hospital under guard by the Chinese government. Guangcheng has expressed fear for his own safety and the safety of his family, and has asked the United States to provide him political asylum. Tentatively, the U.S. has reached an agreement with China regarding Guangcheng’s safe passage out of China, but this has not been finalized. Guangcheng escaped from house arrest last month after being detained for campaigning against forced abortions in China. (Source: BBC)