Left-wing French parties win strong support in first round of lower parliamentary vote
After the close of the first round of parliamentary elections in France, preliminary exit polls show left-wing parties and their allies won more than 45 per cent of the vote, while the conservative UMP took 35 per cent. The ballot was marked by low voter turnout. The decisive second round of voting is scheduled for June 17. This vote is said to be crucial to President Francois Hollande's socialist agenda.
Hague: Syria intervention possible
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he won’t rule out the possibility of a foreign military intervention in the internal conflict in Syria. "It is looking more like Bosnia in the 1990s, being on the edge of a sectarian conflict in which neighboring villages are attacking and killing each other," he added. Hague said he still hoped a peaceful transition was possible through international diplomatic pressure that would force current President Bashar Assad to step down.
Pakistanis rally against U.S. and NATO in the country
Thousands of supporters of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party rallied against the US and NATO on Sunday, pledging to resist the restoration of NATO supply lines across the border into Afghanistan. They also demanded a halt to drone attacks targeting militants on Pakistani soil, saying the US is violating international laws as well Pakistan's airspace. Local Jamaat-e-Islami leader Nasrullah Shajee accused politicians of doing nothing for the welfare of people, and urged the government to take Pakistanis "out of American slavery."
South Sudanese protest deportations in Israel
Several hundred illegal immigrants from South Sudan marched through the streets of Tel-Aviv with placards saying “Sudanese are not cancer” in protest against deportations. 22 illegal immigrants were arrested on Sunday morning, and will now face deportation after the courts ruled that their life would not be in immediate danger after repatriation. Earlier this week, authorities said they would give immigrants a week to turn themselves in voluntarily.
Israel and Palestine meeting quietly to discuss halted peace effort
Israeli and Palestinian envoys Yitzhak Molcho and Saeb Erekat have held regular, low-key meetings in recent weeks to discuss the halt in peace efforts. The sides also negotiated a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The two leaders have not met since a short-lived attempt to resume negotiations in late 2010. Peace talks broke down in December 2008, and have remained frozen since.
Thousands gather for opposition rally in Georgia
Thousands of opposition supporters gathered in Georgia’s second largest city of Kutaisi. The rally was organized by The Georgian Dream, an opposition movement founded by President Saakashvili’s main rival, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. The billionaire, who wants to run for president, has promised his supporters democratic reforms, higher pensions and affordable health care if he comes to power.
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UEFA charges Germany fans for pelting players with paper missiles
UEFA has warned Germany that it faces sanctions if its fans continue to attack opposing players during EURO-2012 matches. German fans threw rolled up paper balls at Portugal players during Saturday’s match in Lvov, Ukraine. In turn Portugal was sanctioned for delaying the second-half kick-off in the same match.
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Elections in Libya postponed from June 19 to July 7
Libyan national elections have been postponed till July, 7 after initially being set for June, 19, the electoral commission says. The intention to push the vote back was first voiced on Saturday. The postponement had been decided in consultation with UN officials working with the commission who had "proposed a date during the first week in July." This will allow time for appeals from candidates who had been ruled out of the contest.
State of emergency declared in western Myanmar
In a speech televised nationally Myanmar's president Thein Sein has declared a state of emergency in two areas of Rakhine state where sectarian tensions between Buddhists and Muslims have sparked violence. Local media reported at least seven people died and 17 were wounded. Hundreds of houses were also burned down.
Powerful quake shakes southwestern Turkey
Officials say a 6.1 magnitude quake has shaken southwestern Turkey. According to seismologists, the quake's epicenter was off the coast of the popular Aegean resort town of Oludeniz. Turkish state TV reported some people were injured in the quake, but did not give any details. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Syrian troops renew shelling of Homs, kill 38 people –opposition
Syrian opposition activists claim 38 civilians have been killed as government troops attempt to regain control of the rebel-held Homs province. Fierce fighting has also been going on near the coastal city of Latakia. State-run news agency SANA, however, said "terrorist groups" attacked public institutions and committed "heinous" crimes against civilians, setting fire to the national hospital and forcing people to leave their homes.
Thirteen people killed in Libya clashes
Thirteen people were killed during the second day of clashes between Libyan soldiers and tribesmen in the remote southeast of the country, according to security officials. Violence erupted in the early hours of Saturday in the city of Al Kufra, where armed forces were sent in February to quell fighting in a long-standing rivalry between the Tibu and Zwai tribes.
Bomb attack and gunfire strike two Nigerian churches
The explosion occurred at an Evangelical church in the city of Jos. There are no details of the suspected casualties. In another incident, reports say gunmen opened fire on a church in Biu Town in Borno State. No one has accepted responsibility for either incident, but the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram has carried out similar attacks in the past.
Israel blames Iran and Hezbollah of complicity in Syria
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah over their alleged involvement in the bloodshed. ``This massacre is not executed by the Syrian government alone; it is assisted by Iran and Hezbollah, and the world should realize this is a concentrated axis of evil: Iran, Syria and Hezbollah,'' Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday. Vice Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz warned that Iran and Hezbollah could take the conflict beyond Syria's borders.
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