BBC News with Sue Montgomery.
Police in the southern US state of Texas say nine people have been killed in a battle between rival motorbike gangs at a restaurant in the city of Waco. At least 16 others were taken to hospital after being shot or stabbed. Diners at the Twin Peaks Cafe said they and the staff had locked themselves in a freezer room for safety before being escorted off the premises by armed police. Sergeant W. Patrick Swanton of the Waco Police Department said the fight had escalated from fists and feet to chains, clubs and knives, and then guns. He described the crime scene.
I will tell you that in 34 years of law enforcement, this is the most violent crime scene that I have ever been involved in. There are dead people still there, there is blood everywhere, we will probably approach the number of 100 weapons that we’ve recovered from individuals here at this biker fight.
The Iraqi city of Ramadi is reported to have fallen to Islamic State militants following an intense battle. Iraqi officials say government troops are withdrawn and IS has declared victory. However, the United States has refused to confirm that Ramadi has changed hands. XXX reports from Washington.
The Pentagon is yet to concede that Ramadi’s fallen to Islamic State. The spokesperson told the BBC that the situation was contested, but that IS had the advantage. Officials here say the loss of Ramadi wouldn’t be tactically significant to the US.
“If we lose it, that just means we’ll have to take it back later.” said one. But even so, it’s an unwelcome setback for coalition forces. Just a day ago, American officials were celebrating the death of a key IS Commander who’d been killed by US Special Forces on the ground in Syria.
Forces loyal to the Ukrainian government say they have captured two Russian soldiers in the east of the country. More from David Stern in Kiev.
In a Facebook posting, Ukraine’s volunteer Aydar battalion said its fighters captured the Russian soldiers after a battle in the eastern region of Luhansk. Ukrainians said the two men were members of Russia’s military intelligence, or GRU. A Ukrainian military spokesman confirmed that two Russian had been detained, but provided no further details. The information could not be independently confirmed. And Moscow has not commented on the reports. However, a video has emerged on social media which appears to show one of the alleged Russian soldiers being questioned in a hospital bed.
Israeli police have clashed with Palestinians protesting against a march by Jewish nationalists to mark Israel’s capture with Jerusalem in 1967. Palestinians threw stones as Israelis bearing flags marched through the predominantly Muslim old wall city. Two police officers and at least two Palestinians are reported to have been wounded.
BBC News.
A Saudi-led coalition has resumed airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, after a five-day cease fire between the rebels and government forces came to an end. The latest airstrikes came in spite of optimism expressed by the UN Special Envoy to Yemen that the truce could be renewed for at least another five days.
Reports from Jordan say the Interior Minister Hussein Al-Majali has resigned, and two senior police officials have been dismissed by King Abdullah. No official reason was given.
Doctors in Europe and the United States say a groundbreaking treatment for the lung disease cystic fibrosis could improve the health of people with the most common form of the illness. A trial involving 11 hundred patients found that a combination of drugs could bypass the genetic errors that cause cystic fibrosis and might increase life expectancy. Professor Stuart Elborn from Queen’s University Belfast led the European part of the trial.
It’s a very exciting development in the treatment of people with cystic fibrosis. The data released today at the American Thoracic Society demonstrate that ivacaftor and the second drug called lumacaftor have a very positive effect on the most common mutation in cystic fibrosis.
Hundreds of anti-corruption protestors in Macedonia say they will stay outside government headquarters until the Conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski resigns. They’ve erected a long line of tents outside the building. The Opposition Leader Zoran Zaev said he and his supporters will spend the night there. They accuse Mr. Gruevski and members of his government of corruption. He’s refused to stand down and will hold a rally on Monday.
A British team has broken the record for the fastest crossing of the Greenland icecap. The four explorers completed the 560 kilometers coast-to-coast journey in just under ten days, eight days faster than the previous record.