Top news: Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court suspended its operations on Sunday, delaying a ruling on the legitimacy of two Islamist-dominated bodies: the constituent assembly that recently drafted a controversial new constitution and the upper house of parliament. The country's highest court blamed the work stoppage on protests outside the institution by supporters of President Mohamed Morsy, who sparked the latest political crisis by issuing a decree to expand his powers.
Describing Sunday as "a dark black day in the history of the Egyptian judiciary," the Supreme Constitutional Court accused Islamists of preventing judges from entering the courthouse. Islamists, in turn, claimed that the judges were simply making excuses for deferring a decision that could further destabilize the country.
Hours later, the Judges Club, an organization that represents judges across the country, announced that it will not oversee the national referendum Morsy has scheduled for Dec. 15 on the draft constitution, though the association's decisions are not binding for members. Opposition groups, meanwhile, called for protests against the referendum on Tuesday.
Climate change: As climate talks continue in Doha, Qatar, a study in the journal Nature Climate Change has found that global carbon dioxide emissions hit a record high in 2011 and that an international goal of limiting global warming to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit may be out of reach.
Asia
- China and Russia urged North Korea not to go ahead with its second rocket launch this year.
- Taliban fighters wearing coalition uniforms attacked a coalition base in eastern Afghanistan, killing four Afghan guards and at least four civilians.
- A tunnel collapse in eastern Japan killed nine people.
Europe
- France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom summoned the Israeli ambassadors in their countries to protest Israel's decision to approve the construction of new settlements.
- Borut Pahor, Slovenia's former prime minister, won the country's presidential election.
- The Vatican announced a Twitter handle for Pope Benedict XVI.
Middle East
- The United States and its allies issued warnings to the Syrian government over detected activity with the country's chemical weapons stockpiles.
- The controversial World Conference on International Telecommunications has begun in Dubai.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Turkey in his first trip in two months.
Africa
- Suspected Boko Haram militants killed 10 Christians in an attack on a village in northeast Nigeria.
- M23 rebels withdrew from the Congolese city of Goma but are still considering retaking the regional capital.
- Two Kenyan political leaders facing trial at the International Criminal Court formed an alliance ahead of elections in March.
Americas
- The Colombian military killed 20 FARC rebels in a bombing raid amid ongoing peace talks between the two sides.
- Enrique Pena Nieto was inaugurated as Mexico's new president.
- Gunmen killed peasant leader Vidal Vega at his home in eastern Paraguay.
MAHMOUD KHALED/AFP/Getty Images
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