Rio de Janeiro, June 16 (RHC) -- A new round of negotiations to achieve a consensus for the final document for the Rio + 20 Conference began on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro.

Damascus, June 16 (Xinhua-RHC) -- The head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), General Robert Mood, said that due to the escalation of violence in Syria, his mission is suspending its activities, adding that UN observers will not be conducting patrols and will stay in their locations until further notice.

Jiuquan, June 16 (RHC) -- Commander-in-chief of China’s manned space program Chang Wanquan announced Saturday that Shenzhou-9 spacecraft had accurately entered its orbit, calling the spaceship launch a success.

Caracas, June 16 (RHC) -- Venezuelan Vice-President Elías Jáua announced that President Hugo Chávez approved new laws to benefit the population and drive economic development.

Baghdad, June 16 (Xinhua-RHC) -- The death toll from two separate car bomb explosions targeting Shiite pilgrims on Saturday in Baghdad, climbed to a total of 20 killed and 44 pilgrims wounded, an Interior Ministry source reported.

Cairo, June 16 (Xinhua-RIA Novosti-RHC) -- Egyptians started their historic voting in the presidential run-off between the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Morsi, and former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq. According to local news reports, both men have vowed to restore stability and security to Egypt.

Havana, June 17 (RHC) Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Prime Minister is scheduled to attend the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio De Janeiro, and pay official visits to Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile from June 20 to 26.

Havana, June 16 (RHC) Greece's Sunday elections have been labelled as a dilemma between painful austerity and disorderly default, a choice between the euro and the drachma.