RUSSIA/CHINA - President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have decided to hold joint military exercises next year, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II, ITAR-TASS reported. The Chinese leader announced the decision on Tuesday during an opening ceremony of joint naval drills off China’s coast. The maneuvers in 2015 will be held “in commemoration of the victory over the German fascism and Japanese militarism on the European and Asian theaters of war of WWII,” according to a statement of the two leaders.

VATICAN - Pope Francis will take a helicopter from Jordan to Bethlehem in “a sign of recognising Palestine” as Father Jamal Khader of the Latin patriarchate in Jerusalem said. The Pope will be in the “holy land” to spiritually bestow a birth certificate to another Arab-Islamic state.

VATICAN - Pope Francis will be treading on sensitive ground on a trip to the Middle East this week that is intended to promote inter-faith dialogue but has already sparked protests from ultra-orthodox Jews and radical Islamists. The Argentine pontiff will be accompanied part of the way by two old friends from Buenos Aires - Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Islamic studies professor Omar Abboud - in a conciliatory gesture that hopes to stave off criticism.

SHANGHAI, CHINA - Russia and China are planning to increase the volume of direct payments in mutual trade in their national currencies, according to a joint statement on a new stage of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation signed during high-level talks in Shanghai on Tuesday. “The sides intend to take new steps to increase the level and expansion of spheres of Russian-Chinese practical cooperation, in particular to establish close cooperation in the financial sphere, including an increase in direct payments in the Russian and Chinese national currencies in trade, investments and loan services,” the statement said.

USA - The Obama administration announced Tuesday that it will reveal the contents of a secret document that outlines the government’s justification for using drones to kill US citizens suspected of terrorism overseas.

NIGERIA - At least 46 people were killed and a further 45 injured in two explosions that hit a busy bus terminal and market in Nigeria's central city of Jos, reports AFP quoting police sources. The official News Agency of Nigeria quoted Major General Dave Enebe confirming the two blasts but saying it was too early to give casualty figures, writes Associated Press. According to a Reuters correspondent, who was at the scene of the explosion in the main business district of the city, at least 10 people were killed. The attacks come amid a bombing campaign by Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist militant group who threaten to sell nearly 300 abducted schoolgirls into slavery.

SERBIA - Balkan authorities were on alert Tuesday as swollen rivers were due to reach new peaks, AFP reported. More than 1.6 million people have been affected by flooding of the River Sava and its tributaries. Tens of thousands of hectares of farmland have been inundated and many houses and buildings destroyed or damaged during the worst floods the central European region has suffered in a century. In Bosnia, more than 100,000 people have been evacuated so far. In Serbia, the Sava has already caused unprecedented havoc in the northwestern region bordering Bosnia and Croatia.

UK - A new study finds that if temperatures rise and more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow, it will reduce the total amount of water in rivers. It is a surprising observation. One might expect the timing of water flow to change but not the overall volume. But this is precisely what scientists discovered when they examined the histories of 420 catchment basins in the US spanning the period 1948-2001. The researchers report their work in the journal Nature Climate Change. The study compares places of similar climate and precipitation, but with differing fractions of that precipitation falling as snow and as rain.

TEMPLE MOUNT, ISRAEL - The Palestinian Authority response to a proposed Knesset bill that would allow Jewish prayer on Temple Mount may exacerbate the already fraught issue by apparently misrepresenting the bill as a bid to allow Jewish worship inside the Al Aqsa Mosque.

USA - Did you know that scientists are creating cow/human hybrids, pig/human hybrids and even mouse/human hybrids? This is happening every single day in labs all over the western world, but most people have never even heard about it. So would you drink milk from a cow/human hybrid that produces milk that is almost identical to human breast milk? And how would you interact with a mouse that has a brain that is almost entirely human?

BERLIN, GERMANY - German industry is ramping up efforts to dissuade Chancellor Angela Merkel from imposing tough new economic sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, warning of lasting damage to domestic firms and the broader economy if Moscow is hit hard. Although German companies have toned down their public criticism of sanctions since the CEO of Siemens was vilified in the press for meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in late March, a behind-the-scenes lobby effort remains in full force. A confidential paper from the German-Russian chamber of foreign trade, which was sent to the government last week, shows the extent of the concern in German business circles as a May 25th presidential election in Ukraine nears.

BANDERA COUNTY, TEXAS, USA - Joe Mooneyham no longer grows any flowers or plants in his backyard. Instead, the Pebble Beach resident in Bandera County is nursing a quiet optimism that it will all come back. "I haven't watered since September of last year," Mooneyham said. "Everything was just emerald green." He misses the greenery, the deer and the water. Medina Lake, which used to send gentle waves lapping at his backyard dock, has receded more than a mile and a quarter away. Pebble Beach is on the list, and so are 33-others which could be out of water within three months. A dozen municipalities are reporting they could go dry in 45 days or less.

UK - The combination of olive oil and leafy salad or vegetables is what gives the Mediterranean diet its healthy edge, say scientists. When these two food groups come together they form nitro fatty acids which lower blood pressure, they told PNAS journal. The unsaturated fat in olive oil joins forces with the nitrite in the vegetables, the study of mice suggests. Nuts and avocados along with vegetables should work too, they say. Inspired by traditional cuisine of countries such as Greece, Spain and Italy, the Mediterranean diet has long been associated with good health and fit hearts. Typically, it consists of an abundance of vegetables, fresh fruit, wholegrain cereals, olive oil and nuts, as well as poultry and fish, rather than lots of red meat and butter or animal fats.

USA - It's widely used nationwide as a germ-killing ingredient in soaps, deodorants and even toothpaste, but it's being banned in Minnesota. Governor Mark Dayton on Friday signed a bill to make Minnesota the first state to prohibit the use of triclosan in most retail consumer hygiene products. The Minnesota House and Senate passed it earlier last week because of health and environmental concerns about the chemical. The ban isn't due to take effect until January 1, 2017, but one of its lead sponsors, state Senator John Marty, predicted Monday that the odds are good that most manufacturers will phase out triclosan by then anyway. While triclosan hasn't been shown to be hazardous to humans, studies have raised concerns that it can disrupt hormones critical for reproduction and development, at least in lab animals, and contribute to the development of resistant bacteria.

SOUTH AFRICA - Catholic and Anglican ecumenical experts have concluded a 10 day meeting in Durban, South Africa, making "a great deal of progress" towards an agreed statement on authority in the Church and the ethical decision-making process. The 18 members of the group, known as ARCIC III, also agreed to hold next year’s meeting at a Catholic seminary close to Rome. For the fourth session of their talks, which concluded on May 20th, the group focused on the Church as Communion at local, regional and universal levels, reflecting on the impact of culture and the role of lay people in decision making. The group, hosted by the Anglican bishop of Natal, also visited local ecumenical initiatives, including an AIDS centre and a project working for justice and development amongst the poorest and most vulnerable.