11-year-old boy shoots teenager

UNITED STATES: An 11-year-old boy shot a 16-year-old “intruder” on Thursday, police said yesterday — but witnesses disputed the account.

Sergeant Brian Schellman said the child shot and killed the teenager during a break-in and an “accomplice” of the dead boy fled the scene.

But neighbour Donna Jackson said: “It was not a break-in. He shot him in the head,” and another witness Jazmyne Clark said the boy beckoned to a passing teenager and shot him dead when he approached.

Isis continues to destroy Palmyra

SYRIA: Islamic State terrorists continued their wave of destruction in the ancient city of Palmyra with the destruction of three “tower tombs,” Damascus’s museum chief said yesterday.

Although footage showing the Roman-era structures had been demolished has only just emerged, he said they may actually have been broken up before the explosion that wrecked the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel.

17 killed in police clashes

TAJIKISTAN: At least 17 people were killed yesterday in clashes between police and gunmen thought to be linked to Deputy Defence Minister General Abduhalim Nazarzoda.

Eight officers and nine militants were dead, authorities said, in a string of confrontations that began before dawn in Vakhdat.

The recently banned Islamic Revival Party has been blamed, but denied any involvement or links to Gen Nazarzoda.

Four imprisoned for rally attack

THAILAND: Four men were sentenced to life in prison yesterday for a grenade attack on a Yellow Shirt rally last year.

Relatives say the men were tortured into confessing to the crime, which killed three people and was one of excuses the military used to unseat the elected Yingluck Shinawatra government and take power into its own hands.

Initial death sentences were reduced because of the confessions.

Trump hits out at interviewer

UNITED STATES: Republican hopeful Donald Trump slammed interviewer Hugh Hewitt as a “third-rate radio announcer” yesterday for catching him out.

In an interview Mr Trump got confused between Iranian special ops force Quds and the Kurds and admitted he didn’t know the difference between Hamas and Hezbollah — but insisted he would know “when it’s appropriate.

“I’ll be so good on the military, your head will spin,” he insisted, adding that he was a “delegator” who would “find great people” to tell him.