Militants killed at least 31 people in central Mali on Friday when they fired on a bus ferrying people to a local market, local authorities say.
It's the latest deadly attack in a region racked by violent insurgency.
The bus was targeted by unidentified gunmen as it travelled its twice-weekly route from the village of Songho to a market in Bandiagara, 10 kilometres away, said Moulaye Guindo, mayor of the nearby town of Bankass.
"Armed men ... shot at the vehicle, slashed the tires, and shot at the people," Mr Guindo said.
He and another local official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said at least 31 were dead with many more wounded or missing.
The villages sit in the heart of the Mopti region, an epicentre of violence in Mali fuelled by insurgents linked to Al Qaeda and ISIS.
An internal security memo, shared by a source, said first responders at the scene of the latest attack discovered 25 burned bodies in the truck.
Images on social media showed the smouldering frame of a passenger bus filled with bodies, still slumped over in their seats. Reuters could not independently verify their authenticity.
Jihadist attacks have surged across Africa's Sahel region, killing thousands and displacing millions across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
The UN mission Minusma has deployed about 13,000 troops to try to contain the violence, while France is in the process of drawing down a counterinsurgency force, from around 5,000 troops to around 3,000, supported by a mix of European Special Forces and focused on training the Malian army.
Minusma has recorded more than 250 fatalities since it started in 2013, making it the most dangerous UN peacekeeping mission in the world.
Unidentified armed men attacked a convoy belonging to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali on Friday, killing one civilian worker and wounding another, the mission said.
The convoy was travelling from the northern city of Kidal to Gao and came under fire about 100km (62 miles) northeast of the town of Bourem, the mission said.
Armed attacks by Islamist militants and other groups are common across vast swathes of Mali, despite a heavy presence of international troops.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
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Background: Chemical Weapons
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What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Plastic tipping points
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
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WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
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