Seventeen dead in Ouagadougou restaurant attack
The Istanbul restaurant in Burkina Fasa's capital was invaded by militants last night

At least 17 people have been killed and eight others wounded during a terrorist attack on a restaurant in Ouagadougou, the capital of the west African nation of Burkina Faso.
Witnesses say that at least three of the attackers were killed by security forces, but several people remain trapped inside to the building.
"Attackers barricaded themselves in the Istanbul restaurant on Avenue Kwame Nkrumah in the centre of the city," CNN says. It was known to be popular with foreigners visiting the nation's capital.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"There are fears that the attack is the work of one of the affiliates of al-Qaeda that are active in the Sahel region," the BBC's Alex Duval Smith reports.
However, the Guardian says "there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the violence on Sunday, which continued into the early hours of Monday with another heavy exchange of gunfire overheard by witnesses".
Burkina Faso, "like other countries in West Africa, has been targeted sporadically by jihadist groups operating across Africa's Sahel," Reuters reports. "Most attacks have been along its remote northern border region with Mali, which has seen attacks by Islamist militants for more than a decade."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why does the U.S. need China's rare earth metals?
Today's Big Question Beijing has a 'near monopoly' on tech's raw materials
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
When did divorce begin?
The Explaine Couples have always split up, but the institution has undergone major changes over the years
By David Faris
-
What are your retirement savings account options?
The explainer The two main types of accounts are 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs)
By Becca Stanek, The Week US
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
The resurgence of the Taliban in Pakistan
Under the Radar Islamabad blames Kabul for sheltering jihadi fighters terrorising Pakistan's borderlands
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff