The world at a glance . . . Europe

Belfast, U.K.

Terrorists resume killing: Northern Ireland feared a return of “the Troubles” this week after hard-line republican groups resumed attacks on British soldiers and police. One IRA splinter group, the Real IRA, killed two British soldiers at an army base in Northern Ireland—the first murders of soldiers in the British province since 1997. Another splinter group, known as Continuity IRA, killed a policeman in a town near Belfast. Mainstream Irish republicans denounced the attacks. “Their intention is to bring British soldiers back onto the streets,” said Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams. “They want to destroy the progress of recent times and to plunge Ireland back into conflict.”

Winnenden, Germany

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

School massacre: A 17-year-old this week killed 15 people, including nine students and three teachers, in a shooting rampage at his former high school in southern Germany. The gunman, Tim Kretschmer, carjacked a vehicle to flee the school, and police launched a massive manhunt using helicopters and dogs. They cornered him hours later in a nearby town and killed him in a shootout. “He went into the school with a weapon and carried out a bloodbath,” said Police Chief Erwin Hetger. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.” There was no immediate word on what triggered the assault. Germany, which is second only to the U.S. in mass shootings, raised the legal age for gun ownership from 18 to 21 in 2002, after a school massacre that claimed 16 lives.

Munich

Swiss gigolo jailed: A Swiss man who extorted millions of dollars from wealthy European women was sentenced to six years in a German prison this week. Helg Sgarbi, 44, posed as a suave, James Bond–like secret agent. He would romance rich women and tell them he needed money to pay off the Mafia, claiming he had accidentally killed a hit man’s daughter. If they refused to pay, he blackmailed them by threatening to release compromising photos. One of his victims was BMW heiress Susanne Klatten, whose fortune of $9.6 billion makes her the 68th wealthiest person in the world. “I apologize in public to all the wronged ladies,” Sgarbi said. But he refused to say where he’d stashed the $11.5 million he reportedly earned from his cons.