Hawaii activists protesting over start of work on telescope

Hundreds of demonstrators are gathered at the base of Hawaii’s tallest mountain to protest the construction of a giant telescope on land that some Native

Islamic extremist attack on Somali hotel leaves 26 dead

Islamic extremists blew up the gate of a Somali hotel with a car bomb and took over the building for more than 14 hours, leaving 26

Moscow | Protests as opposition is excluded from elections

Around 1,000 people have gathered in central Moscow to demand that opposition candidates be included on ballots for an upcoming city parliament election in September. The

UK says seized Iranian oil tanker could be released

Britain will facilitate the release of a seized Iranian tanker if Iran can provide guarantees the vessel would not breach European sanctions on oil shipments to Syria,

Offbeat | Toxic lake in Russia’s Siberia becomes selfie sensation

Residents of a city in Siberia don’t need to fly off to tropical locales for picturesque selfies taken by pristine turquoise waters. Thousands of Novosibirsk residents — ranging

This Day in History | 1995 – Serbs force Muslims out of Srebrenica

Thousands of Muslim refugees are fleeing the captured “safe area” of Srebrenica forced out by the Bosnian Serbs. United Nations officials say it is the biggest “ethnic

World briefs

Vatican City Pope Francis is encouraging efforts to safeguard the human rights of fishermen and mariners.Francis tweeted that

The Buzz | Russia launches major new telescope into space after delays

A Russian Proton-M rocket successfully delivered a cutting-edge space telescope into orbit Saturday after days of launch delays, Russia’s space agency said. If all goes well, the

Persian Gulf tensions | Britain says Iranian vessels tried to block tanker in Strait of Hormuz

The British navy said yesterday it stopped three Iranian paramilitary vessels from disrupting the passage of a British oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz in a

Offbeat | Driver escapes injury when saguaro cactus pierces windshield

Arizona authorities say a driver escaped injury when his car’s windshield was pierced by the trunk of a saguaro cactus during a wreck this week on the outskirts of

This Day in History | 1990 – Yeltsin resignation splits Soviet Communists

The populist politician and president of the Russian parliament, Boris Yeltsin, has resigned from the Soviet Communist Party. The resignation has also led to a declaration from

World briefs

Amal Clooney faults ‘collective shrug’ over slain journalist

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney accused world leaders of failing to protect journalists and responding with “a collective shrug” over the slaying of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi.

H. Ross Perot rose from poverty to self-made billionaire

H. Ross Perot rose from a childhood of Depression-era poverty to become a self-made billionaire who twice ran for president with a mixture of folksy sayings

Offbeat | Sea rescue: Olympic swimmer Magnini saves tourist in Italy

A swimmer struggling in the sea off Sardinia soon discovered it was his lucky day. Italian news agency ANSA says the male tourist got in trouble Sunday

World briefs

The Buzz | Bitcoin is approaching its highest price of 2019

The Bitcoin bulls are back in control, with the largest cryptocurrency approaching its highest price of the year after breaching USD13,000 for the first time in two weeks.