In the World
SYRIA
Attack on rebel-held city leaves at least 12 dead
Syrian government aircraft pounded a rebel-held city in the country's northeast Saturday, killing at least 12 people including five children, activists said.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the air raids - seven strikes in all - hit Raqqa in the early afternoon. Four women were among the dead and dozens of people were wounded, the Observatory said.
Rebels captured Raqqa, the capital of the province of the same name, in March. It's the only major urban center to fall entirely under opposition control since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011.
Rebels also control territory in the north and parts of Aleppo, Syria's largest city and its commercial center.
President Bashar al-Assad's forces have relied heavily on air power in the last year to regain control of opposition-held territory, particularly in the north and along the border with Turkey.
Last week, at least 50 people were reported killed in two helicopter attacks on a rebel-held town near Aleppo. - AP
IRAQ
Violence claims 15 lives
A shooting targeting a row of liquor stores in Baghdad and other attacks killed at least 15 people across Iraq on Saturday, officials said. Police officials said gunmen in two speeding cars opened fire on the stores in the neighborhood of Waziriyah, killing nine people and wounding four others. Islamic extremists have frequently targeted liquor stores, but alcohol remains available in most cities. Other attacks were in Mosul, in Mishahda village, and in Ramadi. - AP
BRITAIN
Glitch hampers air traffic
Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled at Britain's busiest airports Saturday after a technical glitch left the main air traffic control center unable to operate at full capacity for much of the day. National Air Traffic Services, which controls England's crowded airspace, said it was having a problem switching between nighttime and busier daytime operations at its control center in Swanwick, southern England. About 7:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. EST) - 12 hours after the disruption was reported - NATS said the problem had been fixed and services were returning to normal. - AP