AP, Beirut
More than 1,000 ancient relics and mosaics were saved from Islamic State group militants when staff at the museum of the Syrian city of Raqqa managed to hide them underground and in storehouses, Syrian officials and experts said Thursday.
The Syrian Kurdish-led administration in northeastern Syria said the 1,097 pieces – which were part of the original nearly 7,000 relics in the Raqqa museum – have been saved.
US Congress formally recognises Armenian genocide
AFP, Washington
The US Congress on Thursday formally recognized the 1915-1917 murder of up to 1.5 million Armenians as genocide.
The Senate’s passage of the repeatedly stalled resolution is expected to anger Turkey, which denies there was a genocidal mass murder, insisting the Armenians died as a result of World War I.
Chile says no hope of survivors from missing plane
AFP, Punta Arenas
Chile confirmed Thursday that a military plane with 38 people aboard crashed in the sea, with no hope of finding survivors.
“The condition of the plane wreckage that was found makes it practically impossible that there are survivors from this air accident,” Air Force chief Arturo Merino told a news conference in the southern port of Punta Arenas. Merino, flanked by Defense Minister Alberto Espina and other officials, confirmed reports that remains recovered from the sea were “most likely to be body parts of those traveling on the C-130.”
At least 6 killed in Philippines
multi-vehicle crash
Xinhua,Manila
At least six people, including four children, were killed in a crash involving multiple vehicles in Mindanao in the southern Philippines early Friday, police said.
Police said the crash, which happened at around 4 a.m. local time along a national highway in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat Province, involved two tricycles, a motorcycle, a Toyota Hi-lux pickup truck and a black Mitsubishi sport utility vehicle.
