President Ashraf Ghani publicly acknowledged for the first time on Saturday (March 21) that Islamic State was gaining influence in Afghanistan, as he prepared to leave for the United States to seek to slow the withdrawal of American troops. Reports have been growing that some commanders of the Islamist Taliban forces fighting theAfghan government are swearing allegiance to the radical Islamist network that controls swathes of Syria and Iraq, sometimes called “Daesh”. “Daesh’s characteristic is […]
International
Islamic State calls on backers to kill 100 U.S. military personnel
Islamic State has posted online what it says are the names, U.S. addresses and photos of 100 American military service members, and called upon its “brothers residing in America” to kill them. The Pentagon said after the information was posted on the Internet that it was investigating the matter. “I can’t confirm the validity of the information, but we are looking into it,” a U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Saturday. […]
Deadlocked Iran nuclear talks break off, set to resume next week
Iran and six world powers suspended negotiations on a historic nuclear deal and were set to convene again later next week to break a deadlock over sensitive atomic research and lifting of sanctions, Western officials said on Friday (March 20). While the negotiations have made progress over the past year and both sides appear determined to push for a deal, differences on major sticking points are still wide enough to potentially prevent an agreement in […]
Picasso’s ex-electrician gets two-year suspended sentence for illegal possession of paintings
Nearly 300 works by Pablo Picasso must be returned to the family of the late artist, aFrench court ruled on Friday (March 20), rejecting testimony from a retired Picasso employee who said the Spaniard’s last wife gifted them to him over 50 years ago. Pierre Le Guennec, 75, a retired electrician, and his wife Danielle, 71, were given a suspended sentence of two years in prison. They were also ordered to hand over the 271 […]
Japan PM attends 20th memorial of sarin attack
Members of the Tokyo Metro bowed their heads for a minute of silence on Friday (March 20) in remembrance of the sarin poison gas attack on the the city’s subway system which killed 13 and sickened more than 6000 twenty years ago. At an altar at the Kasumigaseki station offices, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe turned up with white lilies to pray for those that died and those that continue to suffer the lingering effects of […]
Satellite captures solar eclipse from space
As those on Earth watched out for a solar eclipse on Friday (March 20), a European Space Agency mini satellite was capturing the phenomenon from space. The ESA’s Sun-watching Proba-2 mini satellite captured the footage which shows the shadow of the moon sweeping down across the brightly burning sun. The mini satellite uses ultraviolet wavelengths to monitor turbulence on the star’s surface. Friday’s mostly partial eclipse was visible mainly from Europe, Russia, and parts of […]
Islamic State claims responsibility for Yemen mosque bombings – Twitter statement
Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot that has seized large areas of Iraq and Syria, has claimed responsibility for suicide bomb attacks on two mosques used mainly by Shi’ite Muslims in Yemen on Friday, a statement on Twitter showed. At least 87 people were killed and 260 people were wounded in the blasts in the capital Sanaa. Both mosques are known to be used mainly by supporters of the Shi’ite Muslim Houthi group which has […]
ISS astronaut tweets photos of the solar eclipse from space
The eclipse seen from the other side: while people all over the world looked at the moon moving across the sun – the astronaut on the ISS space station got to see the shadow this caused on the earth. A partial solar eclipse was visible on Friday (March 20), mainly in Europe and Russia, and it skimmed parts of north Africa, the Middle East and Asia, as much a sight to see for the astronaut […]
Solar eclipse sweeps across Europe
A dramatic solar eclipse sweeps across Europe and skims parts of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia, delighting sky watchers across the region. The town of Torshaven in the Faroe Islands plunged into darkness as a total solar eclipse passes overhead. Timelapse video shows the dramatic impact of the region’s first such eclipse in 60 years, the moon blocking out the sun entirely for about two and half minutes. Hotels across Europe have been […]
Suicide bombers hit two mosques in Yemen, killing 50
Suicide bombers in the Yemeni capital Sanaa blew themselves up during noon prayers at two mosques used mainly by Shi’ite Muslims on Friday, killing at least 50 people and wounding scores, medical sources said, in a major escalation of the worst wave of violence in the country in years. The attacks, in which four bombers wearing explosive belts targeted worshippers in and outside the crowded mosques, happened a day after an unidentified warplane attacked the […]
Proud Tunisians disavow museum attackers in Independence Day march
Hundreds of people marched through Tunis on Friday (March 20) in protest against an attack on the capital’s Bardo museum which saw 21 foreign tourists killed. People held banners and placards reading “terrorism is neither Muslim nor Tunisian” and “we will be stronger- terrorism outside” as the country celebrated Independence Day. Tunisia said it would deploy the army to major cities and arrested nine people on Thursday after 21 foreign tourists were shot dead in […]
Islamic State video purports to show Kurdish peshmerga beheadings
Islamic State has published a video purporting to show the beheading of three Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq by militants who threatened to kill “dozens” more of those being held captive. The six-minute clip, which appeared timed to coincide with celebrations for the Kurdish New Year, showed the peshmerga wearing orange jumpsuits being decapitated by three black-clad militants, all of whom spoke Kurdish. The footage could not be independently verified. The peshmerga have emerged […]
