In an announcement released on Thursday, the Dalai Lama said that he wants to relinquish his role as Tibet’s political leader in favor of someone freely elected by the Tibetan people.

Shahbaz Bhatti, the country’s minister of minority affairs, was traveling to attend a cabinet meeting when three gunmen opened fire on his bulletproof car.

At least 65 people were killed Tuesday when a powerful earthquake struck the city of Christchurch in New Zealand.

A human rights group claimed on Saturday that dozens of people have been killed since anti-government protests began in Libya last week.

Both the upper and lower houses of parliament are being dissolved, but the caretaker cabinet appointed by Mubarak will remain until a new cabinet is formed.

Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year grip came to an end after 18 days of protest.

Former defense secretary Angelo Reyes died Tuesday morning after sustaining a gunshot in his chest in an apparent suicide, according to television reports.

President Hosni Mubarak has refused to heed calls for him to step down even as protests continued to rage in the streets of Egypt.

There were conflicting reports on the number of casualties, but according to Reuters at least 31 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in the blast that went off in the international arrivals hall.

As expected, the GOP-led House of Representatives moved to repeal US President Barack Obama’s health care reform law approved last year.