Antartica – The Explorer, a Canadian cruise ship, sank off the coast of Antarctica after hitting an iceberg on Nov. 23. The 154 people on board all survived after being rescued by the Nordnorge, a Norwegian cruise liner controlled by Captain Arnvid Hansen. There were 14 Americans on board.
Vatican City – Pope Benedict XVI has named 23 new cardinals in the Catholic Church. There are now 210 cardinals, mostly in Europe. Twenty are in North America.
Yekaterinburg, Russia – The remains of the last Russian Czar, Nicholas II, and his family have been identified using DNA technology. The family was mutilated, burned and dumped in an unmarked mass grave. The location was discovered in 1991 but only recently have the bodies been positively identified.
Washington, D.C. – Nov. 26. Vice President Dick Cheney’s heart has been restored to normal rhythm after undergoing electrical shock treatment. Cheney is reported to have a history of heart problems. A reported 2.8 million Americans have the same condition, known as atrial fibrillation.
Baghdad, Iraq – President Bush signed a deal calling for long-term American military presence in Iraq. The report also calls for a favorable business trade with Iraq that will guarantee Iraq’s military security.
Mars – Nov. 26. A Mars orbiter has spotted the NASA rover on an enigmatic rock formation. This event could provide new clues to the red planet’s geological history. The rover has been on Mars for four Earth years and appears to be in good condition from the orbiter.
Sources: nytimes.com, cbsnews.com, msnbc.msn.com.