A recent report from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides hard data that the first six months of 2012 were the hottest since records began being kept in 1895.

Over the past eight years, many features have been added to the social network, multiplying the ways people can interact with each other. You can chat and message someone, tag them in a photo or a post, check them into a location, post on their timeline or mention them in your own posts.

A Syrian diplomat who defected and joined the opposition has been "relieved of his duties," authorities said Thursday, a day after he left his post and denounced the regime for killing civilians.

The economic sentiment is "exceedingly glum" all around the world as the public mood has worsened since 2008, with the global economic crisis "widely eroding" support for capitalism.

With the majestic Teton Mountains as a backdrop, Mitt Romney will attend a big bucks fundraiser Thursday at former Vice President Dick Cheney's Wyoming home and country club.

Gunmen shot and killed nine prison guards in eastern Pakistan on Thursday after gaining entry to a building where they were staying, officials said.

British Home Secretary Theresa May defended Thursday the government's decision to bring in an additional 3,500 military personnel to ensure security for the Olympic Games, only 15 days before the event starts.

A summer climbing expedition in the French Alps turned to tragedy early Thursday when a six-foot wall of snow came crashing down on two groups of climbers, leaving nine dead, French police said.

Ambassador Nawaf al-Fares becomes latest Syrian government defector. 78 people have been killed across Syria on Wednesday, an opposition group reports.

Doctors say the inappropriate use of steroids worsened many cases. No new cases of the condition have been confirmed since last Saturday.

Iran is steadily improving its missile capability and could be able to test a missile that could reach the U.S. shores within three years, according to a new Pentagon report assessing the status of the Iranian military.

An international effort to save a dog on death row in Northern Ireland ended in failure, heartbreak and recrimination Wednesday when Lennox -- described by the Belfast City Council as a "dangerous, illegal pit-bull terrier type" -- was put to death.

The son of one of the world's wealthiest men is under arrest in London after the body of his American-born wife was found in their home this week, her death unexplained.

The court considers the parliament invalid, an official says. The military defends last month's decision to dissolve parliament, saying it acted on a court order.

The man accused of plotting to use model airplanes loaded with explosives to attack the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol agreed Tuesday to a plea deal.

An Egyptian couple has been charged with putting their child at risk and attempted smuggling after security officers at an airport in the United Arab Emirates found their 5-month-old boy hidden in a small handbag.

The euro fell to another two-year low against the dollar Monday, as investors continue to seek safety in the greenback while they wait for the latest news from the eurozone.

More than 1.7 million Libyans cast ballots, an election official says. Eight polling stations closed by violence were opened Sunday, an official says Former interim premier Jibril's party leads early results.

Two Britons and an American were gored Monday on the third day of Spain's famed running of the bulls through the cobblestoned streets of Pamplona in northern Spain.

Libya's first nationwide elections in nearly five decades brought hints Sunday of an Arab Spring precedent: Western-leaning parties making strides over Islamist rivals hoping to follow the same paths to power as in neighbors Egypt and Tunisia.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai ordered the arrest Monday of the Taliban who participated in the public execution of a woman accused of adultery.

In a last-ditch attempt to salvage the peace effort in Syria, U.N.-Arab League Special Envoy Kofi Annan met for two hours with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and said the two had agreed on an approach to end the violence.

U.S. officials confirm to CBS News that a roadside bombing Sunday in eastern Afghanistan killed six American service members - a blast which the Taliban claimed responsibility for on Monday morning.

Film and television actor Ernest Borgnine, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a lovelorn butcher in 1955's "Marty," has died at age 95, his manager said Sunday.

After four decades of political exclusion, Libyans on Saturday night celebrated a historic election that many saw as the African nation's first steps to building a free and democratic nation.