AFP, Herat
A suicide bomber and a gunman killed at least 29 people and wounded 63 at a packed Shiite mosque in Afghanistan’s main western city of Herat Tuesday, the latest attack to highlight the country’s deteriorating security situation.
The assault on the Jawadya mosque in Herat, which is close to Afghanistan’s border with Iran, came a day after the Islamic State group claimed a deadly attack on the Iraqi embassy in Kabul.
Eight migrants dead off Libya
AFP, Rome
The bodies of eight migrants have been found at sea off the coast of Libya by rescuers coming to the aid of four rubber dinghies, the Italian coastguard said Tuesday.
Some 500 survivors were pulled to safety, the coastguard told AFP, illustrating the huge challenge that continues to bedevil authorities as people try to reach Europe.
The latest deaths came as the Italian government presented plans for a naval mission in Libyan territorial waters that aims to reduce the flow of migrants from the coast.
China building high-speed rail tunnel below Great Wall
PTI, Beijing
China is constructing a 12-km-long high-speed train tunnel through one of the portions of its iconic Great Wall to connect Zhangjiakou city which is due to co-host 2022 winter Olympics along with Beijing.
It took the Chinese engineers months to choreograph the best intersection point. In the end, the tunnel, deep below the Badaling section of the Great Wall, passed experts’ appraisal, state-run People’s Daily reported.
Tillerson sends senior envoys to handle Qatar crisis
AFP, Washington
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has asked two officials, including retired general and former Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni, to work to end the Gulf diplomatic crisis.
On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with key US ally Qatar, accusing it of backing extremism and building ties with their rival Iran.
Qatar, home to a huge US air base, has denied the claims but has agreed to Kuwait acting as a mediator and has come to an agreement with Washington to fight terror financing.
