Escalating violence is forcing United Nations observers to suspend their mission in Syria “until further notice.” The head of the U.N. observer force announced the decision in a statement Saturday. Major General Robert Mood cited an increase in violence over the last 10 days and said operations would resume only when he sees fit. “U.N. […]
Carlotta Weakens after Hitting Mexico as Hurricane
Posted June 16th, 2012 at 10:40 am (UTC-5)
Carlotta weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Saturday over southern Mexico after pummeling the country’s Pacific coast with strong winds and heavy rains and causing a mudslide that killed two children. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said a tropical storm warning was in effect west of Punta Maldonado to the resort city of […]
Light Turnout in 1st Day of Egypt’s Presidential Vote
Posted June 16th, 2012 at 10:30 am (UTC-5)
Egyptians have begun casting ballots in a two-day presidential run-off that pits a prime minister from former president Hosni Mubarak’s era against a Muslim Brotherhood candidate. Ahmed Shafiq, the former prime minister, is vying with the Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi to become Egypt’s first president since the huge outpouring of anti-government protests that forced Mubarak’s to […]
Aung San Suu Kyi Says Nobel Prize Helped Her Reconnect
Posted June 16th, 2012 at 10:10 am (UTC-5)
Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi says the Nobel Peace Prize opened a door in her heart and helped extend her concern for democracy and human rights beyond her country’s national borders. The opposition leader called for the release of all political prisoners as she delivered her Nobel lecture in Norway on Saturday – […]
Casualties Reported After Suicide Bombing of Somali Military Base
Posted June 16th, 2012 at 10:00 am (UTC-5)
Casualties are reported after a suicide bomber in Somalia attacked a military base housing African Union soldiers and Somali security forces. Somali officials say a car laden with explosives blew up Saturday outside the military base in the town of Afgoye, about 30 kilometers west of the capital, Mogadishu. Officials are investigating further details of […]
Dual Blasts Target Iraqi Pilgrims; 26 Dead
Posted June 16th, 2012 at 9:40 am (UTC-5)
Two car bombs in Baghdad scattered body parts and turned vehicles into burned-out shells, killing 26 in the latest in a wave of attacks targeting Shi’ite pilgrims. The blasts struck the city’s Kazimiyah neighborhood Saturday, just a few kilometers from a shrine to revered Imam Moussa al-Kadhim, a great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Haider Ghareeb […]
UN Mission to Syria Suspended
Posted June 16th, 2012 at 9:25 am (UTC-5)
Escalating violence is forcing United Nations observers to suspend their mission in Syria “until further notice.” The head of the U.N. observer force announced the decision in a statement Saturday. Major General Robert Mood said observer teams would not go out on patrol or take part in other activities due to the increase in violence […]
Aung San Suu Kyi Delivers Long-delayed Nobel Speech
Posted June 16th, 2012 at 8:15 am (UTC-5)
Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has given her acceptance speech for the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, 21 years after her son accepted the prize for her while she was in detention. In a speech in Oslo Saturday, Aung San Suu Kyi said the award came while she was under house arrest in Burma […]
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Dies
Posted June 16th, 2012 at 7:15 am (UTC-5)
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud has died. He was in his late 70’s. State media reports on Saturday say Prince Nayef died while abroad. He recently traveled to Europe for medical treatment. The news reports say he will be buried on Sunday but did not provide additional details about his illness or […]
China Sends Its First Woman Into Space
Posted June 16th, 2012 at 7:05 am (UTC-5)
China has launched its most ambitious space mission yet in which its first female astronaut and two male colleagues will attempt to dock with an orbiting space station module. The Shenzhou-9 spacecraft lifted off as scheduled at 6:37 p.m. from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert in China’s northwest. […]
