Taliban claims responsibility for attack that kills Turkish soldier
One Turkish soldier was killed and another person wounded in Kabul on Thursday after a suicide bomber rammed a car filled with explosives into a vehicle outside the Turkish embassy in the city. The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the militant group stated that it had intended to target a convoy of US troops, but had mistakenly attacked the Turkish soldiers. In November, when a car belonging to the British embassy was attacked in the same manner.
Islamic State destroys ancient artifacts in Mosul
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released a video on Thursday showing the destruction of ancient artifacts in the captured Iraqi city of Mosul. The video, which showed fighters belonging to the militant organisation destroying statues in a museum in the city, was described as an act of "cultural terrorism" by Ishan Fethi, an Iraqi professor of architecture based in Jordan. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council to discuss how to protect Iraq's cultural heritage. The destruction of the statues follows reports of Islamic State fighters burning down Mosul Library, which contained over 8,000 ancient manuscripts.
Cover-up case against Argentinian President rejected by Judge
An federal judge in Argentina on Thursday rejected the cover-up case against President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner filed by late prosecutor Alberto Nisman. Judge Daniel Rafecas said that the documents originally filed had failed to meet the standards required to open a formal investigation. Kirchner was accused of covering up the alleged involvement of Iranian officials in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in the capital city of Buenos Aires. The case was further mired in controversy when Nisman was discovered dead under mysterious circumstances at his home on January 18.
Candidate for Nigerian Presidency vows to defeat Boko Haram
A candidate for the Nigerian Presidency, Muhammadu Buhari, pledged to defeat militant organisation Boko Haram if elected. Buhari, a former military leader, said that the army would have rescued over 200 girls kidnapped in April by the Islamist group if the current government led by President Goodluck Jonathan had devoted more resources to it. Accusing the government of rigging elections, Buhari also criticised the comments made by Nigeria's national security adviser Sambo Dasuki, saying that Dasuki's accusation of there being cowardice within the military was "most unfortunate". Elections in the African country earlier were postponed to March 28 due to the security problems caused by the militant group.
Autopsy report says Reuters journalist in Pakistan died of asphyxiation
The autopsy report on Reuters journalist Maria Golovina released on Thursday concluded that the reporter had died due to asphyxiation, the cause of which could not be established "at this stage". Golovina, who was the bureau chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was declared dead on Monday in an Islamabad hospital after collapsing in her office. In a statement, Thomson Reuters said that it would provide any information that it could regarding Golovina to the doctors reviewing her case. Meanwhile, the results of a toxicology report conducted by Pakistani authorities are expected to take a month.
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One Turkish soldier was killed and another person wounded in Kabul on Thursday after a suicide bomber rammed a car filled with explosives into a vehicle outside the Turkish embassy in the city. The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the militant group stated that it had intended to target a convoy of US troops, but had mistakenly attacked the Turkish soldiers. In November, when a car belonging to the British embassy was attacked in the same manner.
Islamic State destroys ancient artifacts in Mosul
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released a video on Thursday showing the destruction of ancient artifacts in the captured Iraqi city of Mosul. The video, which showed fighters belonging to the militant organisation destroying statues in a museum in the city, was described as an act of "cultural terrorism" by Ishan Fethi, an Iraqi professor of architecture based in Jordan. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council to discuss how to protect Iraq's cultural heritage. The destruction of the statues follows reports of Islamic State fighters burning down Mosul Library, which contained over 8,000 ancient manuscripts.
Cover-up case against Argentinian President rejected by Judge
An federal judge in Argentina on Thursday rejected the cover-up case against President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner filed by late prosecutor Alberto Nisman. Judge Daniel Rafecas said that the documents originally filed had failed to meet the standards required to open a formal investigation. Kirchner was accused of covering up the alleged involvement of Iranian officials in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in the capital city of Buenos Aires. The case was further mired in controversy when Nisman was discovered dead under mysterious circumstances at his home on January 18.
Candidate for Nigerian Presidency vows to defeat Boko Haram
A candidate for the Nigerian Presidency, Muhammadu Buhari, pledged to defeat militant organisation Boko Haram if elected. Buhari, a former military leader, said that the army would have rescued over 200 girls kidnapped in April by the Islamist group if the current government led by President Goodluck Jonathan had devoted more resources to it. Accusing the government of rigging elections, Buhari also criticised the comments made by Nigeria's national security adviser Sambo Dasuki, saying that Dasuki's accusation of there being cowardice within the military was "most unfortunate". Elections in the African country earlier were postponed to March 28 due to the security problems caused by the militant group.
Autopsy report says Reuters journalist in Pakistan died of asphyxiation
The autopsy report on Reuters journalist Maria Golovina released on Thursday concluded that the reporter had died due to asphyxiation, the cause of which could not be established "at this stage". Golovina, who was the bureau chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was declared dead on Monday in an Islamabad hospital after collapsing in her office. In a statement, Thomson Reuters said that it would provide any information that it could regarding Golovina to the doctors reviewing her case. Meanwhile, the results of a toxicology report conducted by Pakistani authorities are expected to take a month.