Khybrr @khybrr - Tumblr Blog

TL;DR: Insurgents have overrun Iraq’s second largest city and parts of Tikrit, resulting in the exodus of as many as half a million citizens, a 14 year old has been killed in yet another school shooting in the U.S., and President Obama implores America to “soul search” in regards to gun law reform.

Today’s Wednesday the 11th of June, and here are a few things you need to know today.

Amnesty International: Nigerian government knew of planned Boko Haram kidnapping

Damning testimonies revealed today by Amnesty International allegedly show that Nigerian security forces failed to act on advance warnings about Boko Haram’s armed raid on the state-run boarding school in Chibok which led to the abduction of more than 240 schoolgirls.

infidelco

Is that a luge in Times Square?

Former mayor Michael Bloomberg’s vision of new sporting venues across the boroughs fizzled, and New York lost its bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. But what if the city had tried to get the Winter Olympics instead? Well, the New York Times has visualised what it may just look like. Check it out.

UPDATE: Police officer, teacher killed; hostages released in Moscow school shooting

Moscow police have confirmed that a police officer and a teacher were killed after a gunman with a rifle took more than 20 children hostage at a city school; the gunman—who is believed to have been a student—has now been detained, according to the Russian Interior Ministry.

More information as it comes to hand →

#russia #moscow #school shooting

infidelco

Legendary folk activist Pete Seeger dies, aged 94

The singer-songwriter who was at the front of the American folk revival has passed away of natural causes, the New York Times reports.

Heads up! We will have evening-long coverage of the 56th Annual Grammy Awards later today. So, if you’re unable to catch them from the comfort of your own home, we’ve got you covered! Our live-blog kicks off at 8:00pm ET, and you can also stay up-to-date via Twitter.

#the grammys #grammy awards #music #news

2013 marked as Syria’s “bloodiest year” with more than 73,000 dead

The continual violence in Syria is said to have claimed more than 73,000 lives in 2013 alone, making it the bloodiest year yet in the brutal civil war that began just under three years ago, a non-governmental organisation said on Wednesday.

The tally—curated by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights—came as renewed regime air strikes in the northern city of Aleppo killed at least 20 people.

LIVE STREAM: State funeral for Nelson Mandela takes place in South Africa

South Africa will say its final goodbyes to Nelson Mandela today, closing one momentous chapter in its tortured history, and opening another in which the multi-racial democracy he founded will have to discover if it can thrive without its central pillar.

The send-off—in the rolling hills of the Eastern Cape—has drawn 4,500 guests, from relatives, and South African leaders, to Britain’s Prince Charles, American civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson, and talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

RELATED: The Life of Nelson Mandela

UPDATE: Suspect in relation to the American University campus lock-down is now in custody, according to @AUPublicSafety; said lock-down has been lifted.

#american university #washington

UPDATE: As we continue to monitor reports of an unconfirmed gunman on American University campus, AU says police are still continuing their search, and implore students to "continue to shelter in place".

#american university #washington

Mandela understood the ties that bind the human spirit. There is a word in South Africa—Ubuntu—a word that captures his greatest gift: his recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves, by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us. [...] It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailor as well; to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion, generosity, and truth. He changed laws, but also hearts.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Nelson Mandela

#nelson mandela #south africa #barack obama #quote #memorial service

HAPPENING NOW: Barack Obama is now speaking at the Nelson Mandela memorial service. Watch the live stream of the memorial on Khybrr.com.

#nelson mandela #south africa #barack obama #memorial service #live stream

He was angry at injustice, not at individuals. He hated hatred, not the people caught in its grip. He showed the awesome power of forgiveness—and of connecting people with each other and with the true meaning of peace. That was his unique gift—and that was the lesson he shared with all humankind.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Nelson Mandela

#nelson mandela #south africa #ban ki-moon #quote #memorial service

HAPPENING NOW: Dignitaries have started arriving at the FNB Stadium for Nelson Mandela's memorial service, which is due to start in the next few minutes.

RELATED: The Life of Nelson Mandela

Amid protests, embattled Thai PM dissolves parliament

UPDATE: Thailand’s prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has announced the dissolution of the lower house of parliament, and that early elections—demanded by the opposition—will be held as “soon as possible”, in an attempt to calm the country’s deepening political crisis.

“At this stage, when there are many people opposed to the government from many groups, the best way is to give back the power to the Thai people, and hold an election [...] so the Thai people will decide”, Yingluck said in a televised address.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Khybrr