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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Ray Kouguell reporting. Deadly attack hits Tunisian museum.
Gunmen opened fire at one of the Tunisian capital's top tourism sites Wednesday in an attack that left 22 people dead, 17 of them foreign visitors. Prime Minster Habib Essid said two armed assailants wearing military-style uniforms "hunted and chased down" tourists at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis before taking a small group captive. Two attackers were killed in the ensuing police operation that freed the hostages. Tunisian authorities are searching for up to three potential accomplices. It remains unclear who the gunmen were. The foreign tourists killed were from Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain. The U.S. Defense Department confirms a drone strike in southern Somalia last week killed a leader of the Islamist militant group al-Shabab. The airstrike on March 12 hit a car carrying Adan Garaar, the top official in al-Shabab's security service. The Pentagon says Garaar was connected to the 2013 attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, which killed more than 60 people. The Nigerian army says it's found no clues to the whereabouts of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped almost a year ago by Boko Haram despite the retaking of many towns from the militant group. The girls were abducted by the Islamist militants from a government-run secondary school in the town of Chibok. President Vladimir Putin addressed a rally in Moscow Wednesday marking the one-year anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, saying that any attempt from abroad to make life difficult for his country is a "futile pursuit." The U.S. and European Union imposed sanctions on Russian officials and businesses after Russia annexed Crimea last year. This is VOA news. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will do everything in his power to ensure the "well-being and security" of all Israeli citizens. Mr. Netanyahu made his comments on Wednesday at the Western Wall in Jerusalem a day after his conservative Likud party scored a resounding victory in Israel's parliamentary election. With almost all ballots counted, Likud captured 30 of the 120 seats in parliament. Its main challenger, the Zionist Union led by Isaac Herzog, picked up 24 seats. Mr. Netanyahu says he intends to form a government in the next two to three weeks, which would give him a fourth term as prime minister. There has been strong reaction to Mr. Netanyahu's continuation in office. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Capitol Hill. While U.S. lawmakers of both parties congratulated Israel for holding elections, a striking difference in tone emerged between Republicans and Democrats. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch made clear he was cheering for Mr. Netanyahu: "one of the strongest people I've seen in the world." By contrast, Democrat Richard Blumenthal gave a measured reaction: "I'm looking forward to continuing to work with Prime Minister Netanyahu." Earlier this month, the Israeli leader enraged many Democrats by blasting a possible emerging deal on Iran's nuclear program in an address to a joint meeting of Congress. Michael Bowman, the Capitol. Serbian prosecutors say eight men have been arrested in connection with the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe's worst genocide since World War II. The suspects are accused of killing more than 1,000 Bosnians in a single day at a warehouse near Srebrenica towards the end of the three-year war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The U.S. central bank moved a step closer to raising interest rates Wednesday, saying it will no longer be "patient" in waiting for economic conditions to improve further. Many investors saw that change as a signal that the U.S. Federal Reserve could raise rates as early as June. Central bank chairman Janet Yellen says that an increase is unlikely at its next meeting in April. "The timing of the initial increase in the target range will depend on the committee's assessment of incoming information. Today's modification of our guidance should not be interpreted to mean that we have decided on the timing of that increase." Analysts say the concern is that waiting too long to raise rates might spark higher inflation that could hurt the economy. Police in Japan say they are investigating death threats against U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and Alfred Magleby, the U.S. consulate general in Okinawa. Reports say the threats were made in telephone calls to the U.S. embassy. The motive for the threats was not made public. I'm Ray Kouguell in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. |