Breaking news live updates, May 16: 6.0-magnitude earthquake jolts Antigua and Barbuda

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck near Antigua and Barbuda on Saturday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, with no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.

A fire broke out at an engine oil plant in northwestern Iran, Mehr News reported, with authorities saying there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made the study of three languages compulsory for students from Class IX beginning July 1, 2026, while clarifying that there will be no Board examination for the third language (R3) in Class X.

In a circular issued on May 15, the Board said that at least two of the three languages must be native Indian languages, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.

“With effect from 1st July 2026, for Class IX, the study of three languages (R1, R2, R3) shall be compulsory, with at least two languages being native Indian languages,” the circular stated.

A train crashed into a public bus on Saturday in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, killing at least eight people.

Thai news reported that the crash happened in late afternoon near an airport rail link station in the central area. The city's emergency services Erawan Medical Center said at least eight were killed and more than 20 people were injured.


Videos of the moment of the crash shared on social media showed a line of vehicles had stopped at a railway crossing when a cargo train struck an orange bus at the front. The impact also dragged several nearby vehicles along the tracks before the bus was engulfed in flames. Several motorcycles and their riders were also seen being thrown onto the road after the collision.

A man was arrested from Kolkata’s Garden Reach area for allegedly emailing the police with a threat to carry out a suicide bomb attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari with the alleged support of terror outfit Al Qaeda, a senior officer said on Saturday.

The body of a 21-year-old medical student was found hanging from his hostel room in Jharkhand's Ranchi district, police said on Saturday.

The deceased, identified as Akshit Kumar, was a native of Simdega district, and he was pursuing an MBBS degree at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) charged five people, including alleged mastermind Anand Kumar Singh alias Munna Singh, in a case linked to human trafficking and cyber slavery operations in Cambodia.

According to news agency ANI, Anand and four co-accused were booked under relevant sections in a chargesheet filed before the NIA Special Court in Patna, Bihar.

Three of the accused — Abhay Nath Dubey from Uttar Pradesh, Abhiranjan Kumar from Bihar and Rohit Yadav from Uttar Pradesh — were arrested in February after arriving in New Delhi from Cambodia. The fifth accused, identified as Prahlad Kumar Singh, is currently out on bail, the NIA said.

The case pertains to alleged trafficking networks that lured individuals to Cambodia and forced them into cybercrime-related activities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to the people of Sikkim on the occasion of the state’s Statehood Day, highlighting the Himalayan state’s contribution to India’s development as it marks 50 years of statehood.

“Greetings to my sisters and brothers on their Statehood Day. The contribution of Sikkim to India’s development is deeply valued. Wishing the people of the state good health and prosperity,” Modi said in a post on X.

Referring to the ongoing 50th Statehood Day celebrations, the Prime Minister said he recently had “the good fortune” of visiting the state and praised the warmth shown by its people.

“The warmth I received in Sikkim will remain a part of my memory. The Central Government will keep supporting Sikkim’s growth trajectory in the times to come,” he added.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police has cracked two separate cases of alleged GST fraud, uncovering a network of shell companies accused of layering funds through multiple bank accounts.

According to officials, the accused used victims’ credentials to carry out the multi-crore financial fraud operation. Investigators said the racket involved complex transactions aimed at concealing the movement of illicit funds.

Further details in the case are awaited.

Berkshire Hathaway sharply increased its investment in Alphabet and bought more than $2.6 billion in Delta Air Lines shares under new CEO Greg Abel. The company also sold stakes in Visa, Mastercard and Amazon. The moves mark a shift from former CEO Warren Buffett’s traditionally cautious approach towards technology investments.

Syria has appointed Abdul Hamid Raslan as the new central bank governor following last week’s partial government reshuffle. President Ahmed al-Sharaa replaced Abdul Qadir al-Hasriya, who will become ambassador to Canada. Hasriya had overseen currency reforms, including redesigned banknotes without images of former president Bashar al-Assad and the removal of two zeros from bills.

Around 3,000 Mexican public school teachers marched in Mexico City on Teacher’s Day, demanding higher pay and threatening major protests during the football World Cup from 11 June. While the government agreed to a nine per cent rise, dissident union members want a 100 per cent increase. Protesters criticised World Cup spending, warning industrial action could disrupt roads and airport access.

The US Supreme Court on Friday rejected an emergency appeal by Virginia Democrats seeking to restore a voter-approved redistricting plan ahead of November’s midterm elections. The decision preserves existing congressional maps after Virginia’s top court ruled lawmakers failed to follow constitutional procedures. The case highlights intensifying nationwide battles over electoral boundaries, as Democrats and Republicans vie for control of the House of Representatives.

A massive fire and explosion at a lumber mill in Maine’s midcoast region killed a firefighter and injured 11 others on Friday. The blast occurred at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont while emergency crews battled the flames. Ten victims were hospitalized in Portland, while one remained in critical condition in Bangor. Authorities are investigating the cause, and officials urged residents to avoid the area.