The United Nations General Assembly has voted to keep Ban Ki-moon as the head of the world body for another five years. The 192-nation assembly Tuesday unanimously approved a second term for Secretary General Ban, set to begin on January 1. Last week, the Security Council endorsed the bid of Mr. Ban, a 67-year-old former […]
Oil Prices Rise
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 4:05 pm (UTC-5)
Here are the prices of some key commodities traded in New York on Tuesday: Crude oil prices rose 54 cents to close at $94.17 a barrel. Coffee futures fell a fraction of a cent to finish at $2.44 per pound. Copper prices gained one cent to end at $4.09 a pound. Cocoa futures gained $60 […]
Sectarian Violence Erupts in Northern Ireland, Two Shot
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 3:55 pm (UTC-5)
Violence has erupted in Northern Ireland between pro-Britain Protestants and pro-Ireland Catholics, leaving two people with gunshot wounds. Police said Tuesday hundreds of people were involved in the disturbances, the largest breakout of violence after a long period of peace between the two factions. Rioters Monday night pelted homes with fire bombs, bricks and stones […]
Hurricane Beatriz Weakens, Heads Back to Sea
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 3:45 pm (UTC-5)
Hurricane Beatriz has turned back into a tropical storm after sending strong winds, rains, and waves to the western coast of Mexico. The U.S. National Hurricane Center Tuesday afternoon discontinued all its warnings for the Mexican coast as the storm moved away from land. The Miami-based center reported wind speeds from the storm have dropped […]
US Astronaut Retiring to be with Congresswoman
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 3:35 pm (UTC-5)
Mark Kelly, the U.S. astronaut who commanded the final space shuttle Endeavour flight, says he is retiring to spend more time with his lawmaker wife as she recovers from a gunshot wound to the head. Kelly said in a statement posted on his Facebook page Tuesday he will retire from NASA and the U.S. Navy […]
New Graphic Images Warning of Dangers of Tobacco Use
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 3:25 pm (UTC-5)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled a series of graphic images Tuesday that will appear on cigarette packages meant to warn of the dangers of smoking tobacco. The warnings feature pictures of rotting teeth, diseased lungs and dying cancer patients. The images must appear on the top half of the front and back labels […]
UN Mulls Piracy Courts
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 3:05 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations is considering where to establish courts to try the more that 1,000 suspected pirates currently being held in 20 countries across the globe. The U.N.’s top legal advisor, Patricia O’Brien, told the Security Council on Tuesday that Somalia, with the most number of pirates in detention, prefers to have the establishment of […]
Russia Moves to Cut Off Electricity to Belarus
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 2:35 pm (UTC-5)
Russia is threatening to suspend supplies of electricity to Belarus if that country does not pay its bills. Belarus is battling a severe currency crisis, and has seen the value of its money fall by 36 percent. The Russian state-controlled power group InterRAO said it would stop the flow of electricity on Monday, June 27, […]
US First Lady Visits Nelson Mandela in Africa
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 2:30 pm (UTC-5)
U.S. first lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday paid a previously unannounced visit to former South African president Nelson Mandela at the beginning of a tour of southern Africa. Mrs. Obama met with the 92-year-old anti-apartheid icon at his home in Johannesburg. The wife of U.S. President Barack Obama was accompanied by the couple’s two daughters, […]
Greenpeace Chief to be Deported After Scaling Greenland Oil Rig
Posted June 21st, 2011 at 2:25 pm (UTC-5)
Two Greenpeace activists, including the head of the environmental group, are to be deported after climbing an oil rig off the coast of Greenland to demand a halt to deepwater drilling in the Arctic. Police officials say Greenpeace executive director Kumi Naidoo and another activist were to leave Greenland Tuesday. The two were arrested Friday […]
