Gov't building blast kills five in Ukraine's Lugansk
At least five people have been killed in an explosion at a rebel-held local administration building in Ukraine's eastern city of Lugansk.
Leaders of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic say a "fighter jet attack" is possibly behind the explosion.
Witnesses say Ukrainian fighter jets were seen flying over the building prior to the incident.
However, a spokesman of the government's military operation in eastern regions has ruled out the possibility of Ukrainian troops attacking insurgents.
Meantime, Russia has circulated a draft resolution on the humanitarian situation in the southern and eastern parts of Ukraine among members of the UN Security Council.
It calls for an immediate halt to the violence and practical negotiations.
However, the US has reacted to Russia's proposal, announcing it will double military assistance to Ukraine.
Russia gives Ukraine more time to pay gas bill
Russia' gas giant Gazprom has given Ukraine more time to settle its gas bill after receiving a partial payment of 786-million US dollars.
The company had previously threatened to halt shipments of gas unless Ukraine paid its bill in full and agreed in future to pay in advance.
Gazprom says Ukraine still owes it almost 2.5-billion US dollars.
Negotiations between the two sides will resume now that the payment has been made.
Ukraine has refused to settle the full amount in protest against Gazprom's recent 80-percent price increase.
Almost 15-percent of gas used in Europe comes from Russia through Ukraine.
Palestinians end 7 years of internal division
Palestinian authorities have sworn-in a new unity government, ending 7 years of internal division.
Shortly after the government was announced, Israeli authorities announced a series of sanctions, including an end to negotiations with the Palestinians.
The current Palestinian leadership says it will respond to the Israeli sanctions, saying it cannot let them pass without taking action.
The US, which has been attempting to broker a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians for several years, says it will work with the new unity government.
Syrian Presidential Election kicks off soon
Presidential election is due to set off in Syria later today,
Ahead of the voting, people on the streets in Damascus have expressed that the election was a move towards democracy and peace.
Despite a boycott from the oppositions, the polling for overseas Syrians last week saw tens of thousands of voters casting their ballots.
A large portion of them are in support of the current President Bashar al-Assad.
King Juan Carlos of Spain abdicates
King Juan Carlos of Spain has decided to abdicate after almost 39 years on the throne.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has announced that the king's son, 45-year-old Crown Prince Felipe, will take over the throne.
Rajoy said the 76-year-old king is stepping down for personal reasons.
For much of his reign, Juan Carlos was seen as one of the world's most popular monarchs, but recently many Spaniards have lost confidence in him.
His reputation has been tarnished by a long-running corruption investigation into his daughter and her husband.
Support for the king fell further when it was discovered he had been on a lavish elephant hunting trip to Botswana in the middle of Spain's financial crisis.
Nigerian military urges football fans to be vigilant during world cup tournament/xinhua
Football fans in Nigeria are urged to be vigilant during the World Cup.
Military officials in the country are asking people to be on the lookout for suspicious persons or objects around them as they gather to watch matches.
The advice comes barely 24 hours after an explosion at a bar in a northern province. 18 football fans were killed and 19 others injured as they watched a game on TV.
Military operations in the north, where Boko Haram militants have been active, have been intensified.
The World Cup in Brazil begins in less-than two weeks.
Sanstorm kills at least 4 in Iran
A heavy dust storm roared into Iran's capital, killing at least four people and injuring 30.
The storm struck Tehran with winds of up to 110 kilometres per hour.
The storm caused power outages in some districts of the capital.
Some international flights have been cancelled.
Authorities have asked children and the elderly, as well as those with heart problems, to remain indoors.
More trains arranged for record holiday railway traffic
China railways have added an extra 290 trains to manage a record number of passengers on Monday.
People visited tourist attractions or went to their hometowns during the three days of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
The China Railway Corporation estimated the number of trips made by railway passengers nationwide would hit 8.1 million.
Apple unveils new operating system and apps
At its annual conference for software developers, Apple updated both its mobile and desktop operating systems.
The latest version of Apple's system for desktops and laptops, entitled OS X 10.10 Yosemite will allow users to make and receive calls and text messages from their iPhone on their desktops or laptops.
It also unveiled iCloud Drive, HealthKit and other app software upgrades.
Apple boss Tim Cook also showcased the tech giant's forthcoming mobile operating system, iOS 8, and emphasized cross-device integration. One feature, Handoff, allows users to start a task on one device and instantly pick it up on another. |