diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e69de29..d31c548 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -0,0 +1,262 @@
+Overview of changes leading to 0.6.0
+Friday, May 27, 2011
+====================================
+
+- Vertical text support in GPOS
+- Almost all API entries have unit tests now, under test/
+- All thread-safety issues are fixed
+
+Summary of API changes follows.
+
+
+* Simple Types API:
+
+  o New API:
+    HB_LANGUAGE_INVALID
+    hb_language_get_default()
+    hb_direction_to_string()
+    hb_direction_from_string()
+    hb_script_get_horizontal_direction()
+    HB_UNTAG()
+
+  o Renamed API:
+    hb_category_t renamed to hb_unicode_general_category_t
+
+  o Changed API:
+    hb_language_t is a typed pointers now
+
+  o Removed API:
+    HB_TAG_STR()
+
+
+* Use ISO 15924 tags for hb_script_t:
+
+  o New API:
+    hb_script_from_iso15924_tag()
+    hb_script_to_iso15924_tag()
+    hb_script_from_string()
+
+  o Changed API:
+    HB_SCRIPT_* enum members changed value.
+
+
+* Buffer API streamlined:
+
+  o New API:
+    hb_buffer_reset()
+    hb_buffer_set_length()
+    hb_buffer_allocation_successful()
+
+  o Renamed API:
+    hb_buffer_ensure() renamed to hb_buffer_pre_allocate()
+    hb_buffer_add_glyph() renamed to hb_buffer_add()
+
+  o Removed API:
+    hb_buffer_clear()
+    hb_buffer_clear_positions()
+
+  o Changed API:
+    hb_buffer_get_glyph_infos() takes an out length parameter now
+    hb_buffer_get_glyph_positions() takes an out length parameter now
+
+
+* Blob API streamlined:
+
+  o New API:
+    hb_blob_get_data()
+    hb_blob_get_data_writable()
+
+  o Renamed API:
+    hb_blob_create_empty() renamed to hb_blob_get_empty()
+
+  o Removed API:
+    hb_blob_lock()
+    hb_blob_unlock()
+    hb_blob_is_writable()
+    hb_blob_try_writable()
+
+  o Changed API:
+    hb_blob_create() takes user_data before destroy now
+
+
+* Unicode functions API:
+
+  o Unicode function vectors can subclass other unicode function vectors now.
+    Unimplemented callbacks in the subclass automatically chainup to the parent.
+
+  o All hb_unicode_funcs_t callbacks take a user_data now.  Their setters
+    take a user_data and its respective destroy callback.
+
+  o New API:
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_empty()
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_default()
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_parent()
+
+  o Changed API:
+    hb_unicode_funcs_create() now takes a parent_funcs.
+
+  o Removed func getter functions:
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_mirroring_func()
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_general_category_func()
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_script_func()
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_combining_class_func()
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_eastasian_width_func()
+
+
+* Face API:
+
+  o Renamed API:
+    hb_face_get_table() renamed to hb_face_reference_table()
+    hb_face_create_for_data() renamed to hb_face_create()
+
+  o Changed API:
+    hb_face_create_for_tables() takes user_data before destroy now
+    hb_face_reference_table() returns empty blob instead of NULL
+    hb_get_table_func_t accepts the face as first parameter now
+
+* Font API:
+
+  o Fonts can subclass other fonts now.  Unimplemented callbacks in the
+    subclass automatically chainup to the parent.  When chaining up,
+    scale is adjusted if the parent font has a different scale.
+
+  o All hb_font_funcs_t callbacks take a user_data now.  Their setters
+    take a user_data and its respective destroy callback.
+
+  o New API:
+    hb_font_get_parent()
+    hb_font_funcs_get_empty()
+    hb_font_create_sub_font()
+
+  o Removed API:
+    hb_font_funcs_copy()
+    hb_font_unset_funcs()
+
+  o Removed func getter functions:
+    hb_font_funcs_get_glyph_func()
+    hb_font_funcs_get_glyph_advance_func()
+    hb_font_funcs_get_glyph_extents_func()
+    hb_font_funcs_get_contour_point_func()
+    hb_font_funcs_get_kerning_func()
+
+  o Changed API:
+    hb_font_create() takes a face and references it now
+    hb_font_set_funcs() takes user_data before destroy now
+    hb_font_set_scale() accepts signed integers now
+    hb_font_get_contour_point_func_t now takes glyph first, then point_index
+    hb_font_get_glyph_func_t returns a success boolean now
+
+
+* Changed object model:
+
+  o All object types have a _get_empty() now:
+    hb_blob_get_empty()
+    hb_buffer_get_empty()
+    hb_face_get_empty()
+    hb_font_get_empty()
+    hb_font_funcs_get_empty()
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_empty()
+
+  o Added _set_user_data() and _get_user_data() for all object types:
+    hb_blob_get_user_data()
+    hb_blob_set_user_data()
+    hb_buffer_get_user_data()
+    hb_buffer_set_user_data()
+    hb_face_get_user_data()
+    hb_face_set_user_data()
+    hb_font_funcs_get_user_data()
+    hb_font_funcs_set_user_data()
+    hb_font_get_user_data()
+    hb_font_set_user_data()
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_user_data()
+    hb_unicode_funcs_set_user_data()
+
+  o Removed the _get_reference_count() from all object types:
+    hb_blob_get_reference_count()
+    hb_buffer_get_reference_count()
+    hb_face_get_reference_count()
+    hb_font_funcs_get_reference_count()
+    hb_font_get_reference_count()
+    hb_unicode_funcs_get_reference_count()
+
+  o Added _make_immutable() and _is_immutable() for all object types except for buffer:
+    hb_blob_make_immutable()
+    hb_blob_is_immutable()
+    hb_face_make_immutable()
+    hb_face_is_immutable()
+
+
+* Changed API for vertical text support
+
+  o The following callbacks where removed:
+    hb_font_get_glyph_advance_func_t
+    hb_font_get_kerning_func_t
+
+  o The following new callbacks added instead:
+    hb_font_get_glyph_h_advance_func_t
+    hb_font_get_glyph_v_advance_func_t
+    hb_font_get_glyph_h_origin_func_t
+    hb_font_get_glyph_v_origin_func_t
+    hb_font_get_glyph_h_kerning_func_t
+    hb_font_get_glyph_v_kerning_func_t
+
+  o The following API removed as such:
+    hb_font_funcs_set_glyph_advance_func()
+    hb_font_funcs_set_kerning_func()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_advance()
+    hb_font_get_kerning()
+
+  o New API added instead:
+    hb_font_funcs_set_glyph_h_advance_func()
+    hb_font_funcs_set_glyph_v_advance_func()
+    hb_font_funcs_set_glyph_h_origin_func()
+    hb_font_funcs_set_glyph_v_origin_func()
+    hb_font_funcs_set_glyph_h_kerning_func()
+    hb_font_funcs_set_glyph_v_kerning_func()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_h_advance()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_v_advance()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_h_origin()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_v_origin()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_h_kerning()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_v_kerning()
+
+  o The following higher-leve API added for convenience:
+    hb_font_get_glyph_advance_for_direction()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_origin_for_direction()
+    hb_font_add_glyph_origin_for_direction()
+    hb_font_subtract_glyph_origin_for_direction()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_kerning_for_direction()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_extents_for_origin()
+    hb_font_get_glyph_contour_point_for_origin()
+
+
+* OpenType Layout API:
+
+  o New API:
+    hb_ot_layout_position_start()
+    hb_ot_layout_substitute_start()
+    hb_ot_layout_substitute_finish()
+
+
+* Glue code:
+
+  o New API:
+    hb_glib_script_to_script()
+    hb_glib_script_from_script()
+    hb_icu_script_to_script()
+    hb_icu_script_from_script()
+
+
+* Version API added:
+
+  o New API:
+    HB_VERSION_MAJOR
+    HB_VERSION_MINOR
+    HB_VERSION_MICRO
+    HB_VERSION_STRING
+    HB_VERSION_CHECK()
+    hb_version()
+    hb_version_string()
+    hb_version_check()
+
+
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e8bf009..372c9f2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 AC_PREREQ([2.64])
 AC_INIT([harfbuzz],
-        [0.5.0],
+        [0.6.0],
         [http://bugs.freedesktop.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=harfbuzz],
         [harfbuzz],
         [http://harfbuzz.org/])