At least 20 dead in Afghan police academy blast
At least 20 cadets have been killed after a suicide attacker blew himself up at the entrance of the Kabul Police Academy in Afghanistan.
A further 20 cadets were injured when the attacker, dressed in a police uniform, detonated his explosives.
A local official said the bomber placed himself in a queue as trainees were waiting to be searched before entering the academy.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Woman arrested in NI human trafficking inquiry
A woman has been arrested in Belfast as part of an investigation into human trafficking.
The 38-year-old was also questioned about labour exploitation, gang master offences and money laundering, PSNI detective inspector Mark Bell said.
It follows the rescue of five potential trafficking victims in Belfast on 20 July.
Zoltan Raffael, 39, was remanded in custody last week as part of the same investigation.
Four teenagers in court over Athlone robbery
Four teenagers have appeared court in connection with an incident in Athlone in which a taxi driver was robbed.
Cian Quinn, 18, of Ashdale, Clonbrusk in Athlone was charged with robbery of a watch and €100 in cash at a special sitting of Mullingar District Court.
Mr Quinn was refused bail and was remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday 14 August.
Three 17-year-old youths also appeared in court in connection with the same incident – two were remanded to appear again at Mullingar District Court on Monday 10 August, while the third, with an address in Co Armagh, was granted bail on his own bond of €150 to appear at Athlone District Court on 16 September.
Ice production resumes at three Irish ports
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) has said full ice production has resumed at its plants in Kilmore Quay, Howth and Dunmore East following its decision to temporarily suspend production on Friday 31 July.
BIM said there was no interruption to the supply of ice to fishermen at any of three plants, despite the suspension.
Production had been suspended following an internal health and safety audit which detailed risks to employee safety at the plants. In a statement, BIM said the most immediate of these risks have been addressed, allowing production to resume.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) can confirm full ice production will resume at its plants in Kilmore Quay, Howth and Dunmore East this afternoon
— Damien Tiernan (@damienrte) August 7, 2015
French hostage freed in Yemen arrives in Paris
French hostage Isabelle Prime, who was released in Yemen after nearly six months of captivity, has arrived in Paris, an AFP reporter has said.
Ms Prime was welcomed at Villacoublay airbase outside Paris by French President Francois Hollande, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and members of her family.
The French presidency announced last night that the 30-year-old, who worked as a consultant on a World Bank-funded project in Yemen, had been freed by her captors.
The Omani foreign ministry said efforts by the Gulf nation "in coordination with certain Yemeni parties" had helped track her down.
The French presidency had thanked Oman for helping secure the release of Ms Prime, in the statement announcing her release. Ms Prime's translator Shereen Makawi was abducted with her on 24 February, but she was freed in March.
Funeral held for murdered Belfast woman
The funeral has taken place of Jennifer Dornan who was murdered in her home in west Belfast last weekend.
Police said the 30-year-old mother of three young children was stabbed to death.
Fr Martin Graham told mourners at her requiem mass at Christ the Redeemer Church that her murder was wicked and obscene.
A 39-year-old man, arrested in connection with the investigation, was released on police bail pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service in relation to withholding information.
Red Cross assists migrants rescued by LÉ Niamh
Members of the International Red Cross have been assisting the 367 migrants who were rescued by the crew of the Irish naval vessel LÉ Niamh off the coast of Tripoli on Wednesday.
The migrants were brought to the Sicilian port of Palermo.
Search teams in the Mediterranean say they do not expect to find any more survivors from the boat, which is thought to have been carrying up to 600 people.
Girl dies as typhoon heads towards Taiwan
An eight-year-old girl died after being swept out to sea off Taiwan as Typhoon Soudelor bore down on the island, forcing thousands to flee and troops to be placed on standby.
Billed as the biggest typhoon of the year earlier in the week, Soudelor has since weakened but authorities warned it may strengthen once more before making landfall.
More than 2,000 people have already been relocated from Taiwan's outlying islands, popular with tourists, and troops were preparing to help more residents move from their homes into shelters.
Offices and schools in two coastal counties have been shut with more in northern and eastern areas expected to close later today. Some flights out of Taiwan were also cancelled.
Fears grow for Croatian held by IS group in Egypt
There are increasing concerns over the fate of a Croatian abducted in Egypt by self-styled Islamic State group militants who had threatened to execute him by the end of today.
The father of Tomislav Salopek, who works for the French geoscience company CGG, called for the release of the 31-year-old father of two, as Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic left for Cairo to follow the case.
"I am asking the people who hold my son to let him return to his family, because his motive to go to your homeland was exclusively to earn bread for his children. Nothing else," Zlatko Salopek said.
Mr Salopek had appeared in an Islamic State video released over the internet on Wednesday, kneeling next to a masked militant holding a knife.
