THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2012
PAGE 3
NEWS OF THE WORLD
Associated Press
GREECE
Euro safe after conservative party wins Parliament election
ATHENS — Fears of an imminent Greek exit from Europe's joint currency receded Sunday after the conservative New Democracy party came first in a critical election and pro-bailout parties won enough seats to form a joint government.
As central banks stood ready to intervene in case of financial turmoil, Greece held its second national election in six weeks after an inconclusive ballot on May 6.
With one party advocating ripping up Greece's multibillion-euro bailout deal, the election was seen as a vote on whether Greece should stay in the 17-nation joint euro currency. A Greek exit would have had potentially catastrophic consequences for other ailing European nations, the United States and the entire global economy. Official results showed New Democracy winning 130 of the 300 seats in Parliament.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
An EU and a Greek flag fly in front of ancient Parthenon temple, in Athens, Sunday, June 17, 2012 as Greeks vote in the most crucial elections in decades. Greece voted Sunday amid global fears that victory by parties that have vowed to cancel the country's international bailout agreements and accompanying austerity measures could undermine the European Union's joint currency.
SYRIA
U.N. demands civilians be evacuated
BEIRUT (AP) — The head of the U.N. observers' mission in Syria demanded Sunday that warring parties allow the evacuation of women, children, elderly and sick people endangered by fighting in the besieged city of Homs and other combat zones.
Maj. Gen. Robert Mood said the observers had been trying for the past week to bring out families and wounded trapped in Homs by heavily shelling of rebel-held areas. The offensive is part of a broader push by President Bashar Assad's forces to regain rebel-held villages and towns throughout the country.
"The parties must reconsider their position and allow women, children, the elderly and the injured to leave conflict zones without any preconditions and ensure their safety," Mood said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Syrians chant slogans during a demonstration in Kafar Souseh, Damascus, Syria. U.N. observers suspended their patrols in Syria on Saturday due to a recent spike in violence.