Globe Trot: Ancient Syrian city falls to ISIS

SYRIA: ISIS (or Islamic State) has seized parts of the ancient city of Palmyra. Here’s real-time footage from today. But as writer Ann Voskamp points out in a blog post this week, the human toll of the ISIS march is the one that’s being overlooked. In Palmyra, for example, ISIS Twitter accounts claim the group “has liberated” about a third of the city. Residents report being trapped in the city, while headlines focus on the ruins. As to protecting a World Heritage site, where have U.S. and allied airstrikes and reinforcements been? The area has been under attack for nearly a week.

LIBYA: Documents released this week show the United States tracked weapons being shipped from Libya to rebels in Syria in 2012 and had immediate intelligence linking the 9/11 attack in Benghazi that year to al-Qaeda, despite denials from then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other principals.

SOUTHEAST ASIA: Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to provide temporary shelter and assistance to more than 7,000 embattled minorities trying to escape Bangladesh and Myanmar by sea.

EUROPE: An EU plan to deal with the crisis of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya and elsewhere ran into trouble yesterday,after the United Kingdom, Spain, and France objected to a quota system for taking in migrants.

KENYA: British jihadist Samantha Lewthwaite is believed to be the mastermind of last month’s university attack at Garissa in which gunmen targeted Christians and killed 149. Lewthwaite, the widow of London 7/7 bomber Germaine Lindsay, is believed to be working for the Somali terror group al-Shabaab. Known as the “White Widow,” she is reportedly directing as army of 200 female jihadi suicide bombers.

CHINA’s stock market has risen by 32 percent this year, perhaps the best performance in the world. But with a predominance of state-owned companies, the Communist government is the biggest winner in its bull market.

SUDAN: The trial of two Sudanese pastors accused of crimes against the state commenced Tuesday but didn’t finish. It is scheduled to resume May 31.