News Headlines - 22 May 2014

▽BBC News - Thailand military seizes power in coup

Thailand's military has announced it is taking control of the government and has suspended the constitution.
In a TV statement, army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha vowed to restore order and enact political reforms.

▽Koreas Exchange Fire Near Disputed Sea Boundary - ABC News

North and South Korean warships exchanged artillery fire Thursday in disputed waters off the western coast, South Korean military officials said, in the latest sign of rising animosity between the bitter rivals in recent weeks.

▽Biggest attack in years kills 31 in China's troubled Xinjiang | Reuters

Explosives hurled from two vehicles which ploughed into an open market in China's troubled Xinjiang region killed 31 people on Thursday, state media reported, the deadliest act of violence in the region in years.

▽UK's first PLASTIC money will enter circulation in March next year | Mail Online

Britain's first plastic banknotes are set to enter circulation in March 2015 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Forth Bridge, it has been announced.
Two million of the ￡5 notes will be released by Clydesdale Bank to coincide with the anniversary of the opening of the rail bridge in east Scotland in 1890.

▽New Species Identified in 2014

What do a 12 - meter- tall tree hiding in plain sight, a clean-room microbe that could pose a hazard during space travel and a sea anemone that lives under an Antarctic glacier have in common? They are all on the 2014 Top 10 New Species list, compiled by the International Institute for Species Exploration (IISE). IISE hopes to raise public awareness of the rich, diverse planet we inhabit.