1. Bomb hits World Cup viewers in Nigeria

    At least 13 people, including young children, were killed on June 17 when a bomb tore through a venue in northeast Nigeria where fans had gathered to watch a World Cup soccer match.

    Some people at the scene said an attacker dropped a device in front of the venue in the town of Damaturu and ran off.

    No one claimed responsibility for the blast, but Damaturu and the surrounding Yobe state are at the heart of a five-year-old insurgency* by Islamist group Boko Haram.

    2. Iran to defend Iraq’s Shiite sites

    Iran’s president vowed on June 18 to defend Shiite holy sites in Iraq where Sunni militants battled their way into the biggest oil refinery*.

    Sunni fighters were in control of three quarters of the territory of the Baiji refinery north of Baghdad, an official said there.

    Speaking on live television to a crowd, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani made the clearest declaration yet that Tehran was prepared to mobilize.

    3. Stamp sets new record at auction

    A stamp so rare it is known as the Mona Lisa has set a record after going on sale at auction in New York, the Daily Telegraph reported on June 18.

    The 1856 British one-cent postage stamp sold for US$9.5 million, making it both the world’s most expensive stamp and, at just 2.5 cm by 3.2 cm, the most valuable object by weight and size.

    The stamp was one of a small number printed by a local newspaper 158 years ago at the request of a postmaster when weather delayed the delivery of postal materials to the then-British colony of Guiana, now known as Guyana, from England.

    4. World Cup exit end of an era for Spain

    Spain’s shocking World Cup exit on June 18 marks an end to a glittering six-year run, during which the nation swept all before them to claim a debut global title and back-to-back European crowns.

    Spain’s tournament got off to* a shocking start when the Netherlands inflicted* the heaviest defeat on Spain at World Cup finals in more than 60 years.

    Spain’s first major success came at the 1964 European Championship before fans of La Roja endured more than four decades of underachievement that finally ended with a 1-0 victory over Germany in the final of Euro 2008.

    5. King Felipe VI takes over in Spain

    Spain’s Felipe VI was formally proclaimed the new king on June 19, following the abdication* of his father, Juan Carlos.

    The new king promised to head a changed monarchy* “for new times” in an address before the packed parliamentary chamber.

    “We have a great country, we are a great nation — let us trust in it,” he told the packed parliamentary chamber and the millions watching nationwide.

    6. S. Korean border guard kills five soldiers

    South Korean military authorities surrounded a soldier who fled his border outpost* after killing five comrades the day before and were trying to persuade him to surrender, a defense official said on Sunday.

    One platoon leader* was wounded when the runaway soldier, identified only by his surname Yim, fired on the military personnel closing in on him. It wasn’t clear how officers were communicating with Yim.

    7. Twin sons born 39 days apart

    Two tiny little boys thriving in the Kansas City area in the United States are twins, but their birthdays are more than a month apart.

    A pair of twins in Boston made headlines a week ago in the United States after they were born 24 days apart. But Carl and David Cowan in Missouri have them beat.

    Carl and David were born 39 days apart. And after some incredibly tough moments, both are doing surprisingly well.(SD-Agencies)