NEWS OF THE DAY

From Around the World

1 Tomb discovery:

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a 4,400-year-old tomb near the country’s famed pyramids at the Giza plateau just outside of Cairo, the Antiquities Ministry said Saturday. The tomb probably belonged to a woman known as Hetpet, who archaeologists believe was close to ancient Egyptian royals of the Fifth Dynasty. The tomb is made of mud brick and includes wall paintings in good condition depicting Hetpet observing different hunting and fishing scenes. Hetpet is a previously known figure in Egyptian antiquity, though her mummy has not been discovered. Fragments of artifacts belonging to Hetpet were found in the same area back in 1909, Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani said.

2 Syria fighting:

Eight Turkish soldiers were killed Saturday near the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin in the deadliest day so far since Ankara’s operation there started. In a statement, the Turkish military said five soldiers were killed after their tank in Syria came under attack. Three other soldiers were killed in fighting in the area. Also Saturday, a Russian pilot who ejected from his fighter jet after it was shot down in northwestern Syria was killed after landing alive on the ground, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. A Syrian militant in the area said the pilot was shot and killed when he resisted capture by opening fire with a pistol at militants who tried to capture him alive. Moscow confirmed both the downing of its plane and the killing of its pilot near the rebel-held town of Sarqeb.

3 Venezuela politics:

The ruling socialist party has officially tapped President Nicolas Maduro as its candidate for this year’s election. Socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello announced the unanimous decision Friday. The government has said the election will be held by the end of April. Maduro succeeded the late President Hugo Chavez, leading the oil-rich country into a deepening economic crisis marked by soaring inflation and shortages of food and medicine. Venezuela’s opposition coalition hasn’t selected a candidate or decided if it will participate. The United States says it will reject the “snap” election.

4 Pakistan attack:

A suicide bombing in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley killed 11 soldiers and wounded 13 Saturday in what authorities said was the first attack in more than three years in the region once ruled by militants. No group immediately claimed responsibility. The bomber detonated his explosive vest near an empty lot used by the soldiers for sports and exercise in the Kabal area, the military said. Security forces cordoned off the area and were searching for possible accomplices of the bomber, the military statement said.

5 Britain rally:

Thousands of people marched through London on Saturday demanding increased funding for Britain’s overburdened National Health Service. Trade unions and the main opposition Labor Party backed the “NHS in Crisis: Fix It Now” protest. Marchers with placards proclaiming “Save our NHS” and “More staff, more beds, more funds” made their way through central London toward Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May’s Downing St. office. Britain’s state-funded health service has been under mounting pressure, with demand from a growing, aging population rising faster than investment. Winter illnesses and an exodus of medical staff have led to thousands of canceled operations and long waits for ambulances and emergency treatment. The British government says it is putting more money into health care and training more doctors and nurses.