BBC News with David Austin.
Gunmen in Pakistan have attacked the airport in the biggest city Karachi, killing at least five people. The attackers hurled grenades and opened fire on security guards. Some passengers and staff are reportedly still trapped inside. Flights have been diverted to other airports. From the capital Islamabad, Shahzeb Jillani reports.
“A cloud of thick smoke can be seen above the airport; reports speak of explosions and intense exchange of fire from inside the airport. Initial report say an aircraft may have been damaged. The airport has been shut down until further notice. And all the incoming flights are being diverted to other cities. Pakistani army commandos have arrived to try to regain the control of the airport.”
At least 22 people have been killed in a gun and bomb attack on Pakistan's border with Iran. Officials in Baluchistan province said the killings took place when a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims home from Iran stopped in the town of Taftan. No one has admitted carrying out the attack.
Pope Francis has welcomed the Israeli president Shimon Peres and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas to an unprecedented joint prayer meeting at the Vatican. The two leaders met the Pope outside his residence before travelling together with him and the spiritual head of the Orthodox Christians Patriarch Bartholomew to a ceremony in the Vatican gardens. From Rome, Alan Johnston reports.
“The Pope told his guests that it took more courage to make peace than to make war. He said they have to turn to God to find the strength they need. The Israeli president Shimon Peres responded first. He said it is within our power to bring peace to our children. He described this as a holy mission. Then President Abbas called on God to deliver a comprehensive and just peace.”
The prominent critic of Nigerian president Lamido Sanusi has been named as the new emir of Kano, one of the country's most respected traditional figures in the mainly Muslim north. In February, President Goodluck Johnathon suspended him from his job after Mr. Sanusi alleged that ＄20 billion of oil revenue had gone missing.
Egypt's new president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said he will be a leader for all Egyptians, but vowed that there would be no reconciliation with the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Mr. Sisi said his top priority would be fighting terrorism and restoring security. Orla Guerin reports from Cairo.
“In a televised address, Egypt's new president ruled out any compromise with the Muslim Brotherhood. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said there would be no leniency towards those who resorted to violence, an accusation leveled against the outlawed Islamists. Sisi's swearing-in came almost a year after he ousted the Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi from the presidency following mass protest. But he said he had never pursued a political position.”
World News from the BBC.
Metro workers in Brazil's largest city Sao Paulo have voted to continue to strike for an indefinite period despite an earlier ruling by a labor court calling them to return to work immediately. The court said the unions had abused their powers by calling the strike last Thursday. With half of all metro stations closed, Sao Paulo experienced some of its worst traffic jams in recent years.
The former UN peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has said that Syria is descending into a failed state run by warlords, which threatens the future of the wider Middle East. Mr. Brahimi who resigned last month said the Syrian conflict was spreading as a result of diplomatic failure. He said Lebanon was being destabilized while the main jihadist group operating in Syria was now active in Iraq and threatened Jordan and Turkey.
Tens of thousands of people in the Northern Basque region have joined hands in a human chain more than 120 kilometers long to demand the right to hold a vote on independence from Spain. Demonstrators, many draped in red, white and green Basque flags formed a line stretching from the city of Durango to Pamplona in the neighboring Navarra region, which has a significant Basque-speaking population.
The Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal has won the French Open for a record 9th time. He defeated his great rival Novac Djokovic in four sets. The Serbian Djokovic took the first set but appeared to wilt visibly on a hot and humid afternoon after Nadal claimed the second set. Nadal paid tributes to his opponents.
“Novac Djokovic always is a big, big challenge for me and I was losing against him the last four times, so every time that I have the chance to beat him is because I played to my limit. Now I think both of us are for the last couple of years we are playing at very, very high level so for him today I think he deserves to win this tournament time, and I’m sure he will in the future.”