Scores are dead after Kenyan terror attack. President Obama announces a preliminary nuclear deal with Iran. And Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion.
It’s Friday, and here are the 5 things to know for your New Day.
KENYA ATTACK
‘Sad day for Kenya’: Bodies are still on the ground today at Garissa University College, a day after a terror attack left 147 people dead. Gunmen from Somalia-based Al-Shabaab rampaged through the campus, firing indiscriminately, separating Muslim students from Christian students and taking the Christians hostage. A medic on the scene said most of the victims were found face down and had been shot in the back of the head. The four gunman are dead, and a nightly curfew is now in effect in Garissa. The attack has Kenyans asking if the nation’s security is strong enough against the terrorists.
IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
Deal making: President Obama got the framework for a nuclear deal with Iran that he wanted, earned after tough negotiations with foes. Now for the President comes the harder part: Selling it to friends. Congress (including many of Obama’s fellow Democrats) may try to block the deal by imposing new sanctions on Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau blasted the agreement and vowed his country would do what it could to scuttle it. And Saudi Arabia, another nation in the region friendly with the U.S., may get its own nukes if it feels the deal won’t stop Iran from developing them. Lots more heavy lifting to do before the June 30 deadline for a final agreement.
GERMANWINGS CRASH
‘Premediated murder’: Andreas Lubitz researched suicide methods and looked up info on cockpit doors in the days before he is suspected of deliberately crashing Germanwings Flight 9525 into the French Alps. One investigator said the searches are further proof that Lubitz’s actions amount to “premeditated murder.” Investigators did get some good news yesterday: the plane’s flight data recorder was found. Now they have both “black boxes,” since the cockpit voice recorder was found shortly after the crash.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Tweaks and fixes: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed yesterday a legislative “fix” to his state’s week-old religious freedom law, ensuring that businesses can’t use it to discriminate against gays and lesbians. Arkansas also tweaked its religious freedom bill, with Gov. Asa Hutchinson signing it after getting the changes he wanted that made the bill nearly identical to a federal version. Social conservatives howled at the fixes, but criticism from big companies like Walmart and Apple forced lawmakers to act.
ISLAM
Big gains: Both Christianity and Islam will grow robustly over the next few decades, but Islam’s growth will be eye-popping. So says the Pew Research Center, which predicts the numbers of Muslims will jump from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.76. billion by 2050. Christians will increase from 2.17 billion to 2.92 billion in the same period. Pew attributes the Muslim growth rate to the fact that Muslims generally have larger families, retain more members and are younger than members of other faiths. Pew also predicts Islam’s population may pass Christianity by 2070. Also in the study: the number of atheists and agnostics will increase in the U.S., but decline as a percentage of the total world population.
Managing the crowds at the Hajj
Those are your five biggies for the day. Here are a couple of others that are brewing and have the Internet buzzing.
On the rocks: 3D printers can make ice cubes? I think they’ve found their calling.
Whoops: “Price Is Right” model screws up a car giveaway.
Ouch!: Jockey takes a tumble (but he’s OK).
Scary: High winds whip two window washers around a Shanghai skyscraper.