Saudi Prince Salman has been appointed crown prince, heir apparent to 89-year-old King Abdullah, on Monday. The royal decree quoted by state TV said the monarch appointed Salman “crown prince and deputy prime minister” while keeping him on as defense minister. Prince Salman, 76, was largely believed to be the likely successor. Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, the hard-line interior minister, died on Saturday.
Kuwait's emir suspends parliament for 1 month
Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Monday suspended parliament sessions for one month. The move is intended to defuse tensions between the government and MPs. Earlier the cabinet approved a draft decree recommending to the emir to enforce the suspension, AFP said. Tensions have increased recently between the opposition-controlled parliament, elected over four months ago, and the government controlled by the Al-Sabah ruling family. Opposition MPs have accused some members of the government of irregularities.
Putin to visit Israel, Palestine, Jordan
President Vladimir Putin will make working visits to Israel, Palestine and Jordan on June 25-26, the Kremlin press service said on Monday. Invitations were received long ago, presidential aide Yury Ushakov said, as cited by Itar-Tass. Putin will discuss bilateral and regional problems with the states’ leaderships. Also, in Israel, Putin will take part in a ceremony to open a memorial in the town of Netanya to pay tribute to the Red Army victory over Nazi Germany. He will also take part in opening a Russian science and culture center in Bethlehem. In Jordan, the president will attend a ceremony of opening a place of receipt for Russian pilgrims.
Nepal protesters attack PM’s motorcade with stones
Hundreds of protesters demanding the resignation of Nepal's prime minister attacked his motorcade with stones on Monday. Supporters of the opposition Nepali Congress party attempted to block Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's motorcade as it approached Kathmandu’s airport, AP said. Riot police blocked the protesters, who damaged two security vehicles. The protesters later clashed with the riot police. The opposition wants Bhattarai to step down and a new government to conduct elections later this year.
Egypt military ‘to hand over power’ to new president by end of June
The ruling military council in Egypt will hand over power to the newly-elected president at the end of June, a senior member of the ruling military council said on Monday. The official news agency quoted Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Assar as saying that the transfer of power will take place in a “grand ceremony.” He gave no exact date, AP said. The winner of the presidential runoff held this weekend will be officially announced on Thursday. The Muslim Brotherhood claimed early on Monday that its candidate, Mohammed Morsi, had defeated Ahmed Shafiq.
Russian warships to sail for Syria
Large Russian landing ships, Nikolai Filchenkov and Caesar Kunikov, are completing preparations for a special unscheduled mission to the Syrian port of Tartus in the Mediterranean Sea, a source Navy central headquarters told Interfax on Monday. Tartus hosts a Russian naval base. The ships will carry a large group of Black Sea Fleet marines. If necessary, the crews will be able to provide security for Russian citizens and evacuate part of equipment, the source said.
Greek winning party begins national coalition talks
Antonis Samaras of the New Democracy party that narrowly won Greece's election, has begun talks to form a coalition, saying he wants to forge a "national consensus".
Samaras said he would seek changes in the terms of a bailout agreement reached with the EU and IMF. The second-place Syriza party has rejected the terms of the bailout and said it would remain in opposition.
German FM warns Greek reforms ‘not negotiable’
Germany expects the next Greek government to stick to the terms of the bailout agreement. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that the “substance of the reforms is not negotiable,” Reuters reports. “Whatever government is formed must stick to what has been agreed with Europe,” he said. But other German officials said Westerwelle's comments did not represent the broader government line. “It is clear to us that Greece should not be over-strained,” Deputy Finance Minister Steffen Kampeter said.
Israeli air strike kills 2 in northern Gaza Strip
The Israeli military has carried out an air strike against suspected Palestinian militants in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian medical officials in Gaza said on Monday two men were killed in the air strike as they were riding a motorcycle, AP reports. The Israeli military says they were wanted militants. The attack took place near the town of Beit Hanoun along the Israeli border shortly after militants infiltrated Israel from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula nearby.
Four killed, over 40 wounded in Pakistan bus attack
At least four people were killed and 40 others wounded as a car bomb tore into an IT university bus in Pakistan’s southwest on Monday. Most of the students are Shia Muslims, AFP said, citing police. An improvised-explosive device was planted in a car parked on the roadside near the bus on the outskirts of Quetta.
Military search for terrorists infiltrating Israel
Israeli military are searching for a terrorist group which reportedly infiltrated the country’s south on Monday. One Israeli was killed and another seriously wounded in a terror attack earlier in the day. At least two terrorists were killed in the clash. The military say three or four other terrorists could be in the area. Due to fears of terrorists, all schools there were closed, and residents were ordered to remain in homes.
Death toll from Nigeria attacks rises to 45
Suicide attacks on three churches and riots in northern Nigeria have killed at least 45 people, a rescue official said on Monday. He added the toll could rise further, AFP said. Bomb blasts struck three churches in northern Kaduna state within an hour on Sunday. Islamist group Boko Haram has been blamed for similar attacks. Following the blasts, Christian youths attacked motorists of Muslim appearance at the main motorway that leads to the capital Abuja.
China, Philippines end standoff over disputed islands
Beijing urged a further easing of tensions on Monday after the Philippines pulled back two vessels from a group of disputed rocks. The move ends a two-month standoff between the two states. “We hope there will continue to be an easing in the situation and hope bilateral cooperation will recover,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, as cited by Reuters. He said that Chinese fishing boats in the area were heading back to port because of bad weather, the same reason given by Manila. Philippine coast guard ships had since April guarded the mouth of Scarborough Shoal.
Australian FM heads to Libya to press for release of ICC team
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr headed to Libya on Monday to press for the release of an International Criminal Court team. Australian Melinda Taylor and colleagues from Lebanon, Russia and Spain, were detained on June 7 as they helped the son of deceased dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam, choose a defense lawyer. Libyan officials say Taylor was carrying a pen camera and attempting to give Seif a coded letter from his former right-hand man. The ICC wants to try Seif for crimes against humanity. “I am cautious about commenting on the specifics of the allegations, and have modest expectations from the talks today,” Carr said, as cited by AFP.
Bomb kills 4 students on bus in southwestern Pakistan
A motorcycle bomb ripped through a university bus in southwestern Pakistan on Monday, killing four students and injuring 50 people, Pakistani police said. The bombing targeted a bus belonging to the Baluchistan IT university, in the provincial capital Quetta, AP reports. No group has claimed responsibility, but security forces have held Baloch nationalists responsible for such bombings in the past.
Senior Yemen army general killed in suicide bomber attack
The commander of Yemen’s southern military region was killed in a suicide attack in Aden early on Monday, medics and a security official said. The bomber wearing an explosives belt targeted Major General Salem Ali Qatan as he was on his way to work, Reuters reports. The attack came as the army drove Al-Qaeda-linked militants from their strongholds in the area.
China's Shenzhou-9 docks with Tiangong-1 space station
China's Shenzhou-9 capsule with three astronauts, including a woman, on board, docked with the Tiangong-1 orbital station on Monday. The first Chinese docking was reportedly carried out as planned. The Shenzhou mission was launched on Saturday. It is expected to make a range of scientific experiments. Last year, unmanned Shenzhou-8 completed successful docking maneuvers at Tiangong.
Two people dead in gunfire attack along Israeli-Egypt border
Israeli media reports one Israeli civilian and one militant shot dead in a gunfire exchange along the border with Egypt. Israeli military say militants infiltrated Israel early on Monday, opening anti-tank fire against Israeli civilians building a security fence along the border. An explosive device was also set off during the attack. The military did not confirm the Israeli death, though said there were "limited casualties." Other militants are believed to be at large and Israeli troops are searching for them.
Frankfurt stock exchange barricaded with sandbags
Several hundred activists in Germany have built walls of sandbags outside the Frankfurt stock exchange, Europe's second-largest trading hub. Protesting against market speculation, they demanded the introduction of a financial tax on every transaction carried out on the money markets. The EU is set to decide on the much discussed tax, while many disagree as to how effective it is likely to be.
UN calls for evacuation of civilians from Homs
The head of the UN observer mission to Syria has urged the Syrian authorities and the opposition to allow the evacuation of women, children and sick people from the besieged city of Homs, the hotbed of the anti-government uprising, AP reports. "The parties must reconsider their position and allow women, children, the elderly and the injured to leave conflict zones without any preconditions and ensure their safety," Maj. Gen. Robert Mood said in a statement. He stressed that attempts by the UN to remove civilians from the line of fire over the past week have been unsuccessful. "This requires willingness on both sides to respect and protect the human life of the Syrian people," he added. The statement comes after the UN announced that it is suspending its monitoring mission in Syria due to concern for the safety of its 300 observers there. Violence continues in the Middle Eastern nation, where more than 9,000 are believed to have died since the uprising started last year in the wake of the Arab Spring.
Magnitude 6.4 quake hits east of Japan’s main island
A powerful earthquake has struck to the east of Japan’s Honshu island, some 116 kilometers north-east of Sendai at a depth of 31.8 kilometers. No further details are available at this point, but according to the USGS, the US Geological Survey, the earthquake hit on Monday at 05:32 am local time, which is Sunday 20:32 pm UTC.
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