International

Gunmen attack Tunisian museum, kill eight tourists and take hostages

(Reuters) – Gunmen opened fire on tourists getting off buses outside Tunisia’s national museum on Wednesday, killing seven foreigners and a Tunisian and taking others hostage inside the building, witnesses and officials said. Security forces stormed the Bardo museum in central Tunis around two hours later and killed two militants, freeing all the captives, a government spokesman said. Polish and Italian tourists were among the wounded, officials added. One policeman was killed in the police […]

Japan unveils latest bullet train

Japan unveiled its latest bullet train, the Hokuriku Shinkansen, on Saturday (March 14) to run on a newly extended line to link one of the last remaining unconnected areas on the mainland to Tokyo. The newly extended line to the old castle town of Kanazawa will run the new E7 or W7 train. The train also known as “Kagayaki” or brightness in Japanese takes 2 hours and 28 minutes to travel from Tokyo to Kanazawa. […]

Cervantes remains found in Madrid convent, investigators believe

Spanish scientists said on Tuesday that remains found under a Madrid convent are likely to include those of “Don Quixote” author Miguel de Cervantes, one of the world’s most celebrated writers. Nearly 400 years after his death, the quest to find Cervantes had led investigators deep into the sub-soil of a 17th century convent. Some of bones dug up in recent months almost certainly belong to the writer, they said. “We believe that some of […]

Fighting near Tikrit destroys Saddam’s tomb

The tomb of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein has been destroyed in fighting near Tikrit where Iraqi forces supported by Iran-backed Shi’ite militias have been trying to take control of the city from the militants of the Islamic State. The once large octagonal, domed building in Awja, 150 km (95 miles) north of Baghdad, was severely damaged. The building appeared to have been burned then destroyed. The dome was damaged but remained largely intact. A […]

Pakistan hangs 12 men in largest execution since moratorium

Pakistan hanged 12 male convicts on Tuesday (March 17), an Interior Ministry spokesman said, making it the largest number of people executed on the same day since an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment was lifted in December. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted a de facto moratorium on capital punishment on December 17, a day after Pakistani Taliban gunmen attacked a school and killed 132 students and nine teachers. The slaughter put pressure on the government […]

Guinea Ebola cases rise, three doctors infected

Guinea has suffered a setback in its fight against Ebola with a rash of new cases, including three doctors infected by the virus, with officials blaming weak surveillance and a failure to follow safety procedures. The outbreak, which began in eastern Guinea more than a year ago and has killed over 10,000 people in the three West African countries worst hit, had appeared to be on the wane, but Guinea has seen cases rise for […]

Russia’s Putin makes another public appearance

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (March 17) presided over an official planning meeting for Victory Day celebrations to commemorate the end of World War Two inMoscow. It was the second time the Russian president made a public appearance, after 10 unexplained days out of public view, which lead to speculation over his health. The 62-year-old leader criticised what he called attempts to ‘distort’ historical events, aimed at undermining the “power and moral authority of […]