ISIS CLAIMS THEY WERE BEHIND THE LAS VEGAS MASS SHOOTING

Isis has claimed responsibility for the shooting attack that has left at least 50 dead in Las Vegas. A statement published by the group's Amaq propaganda agency claimed the attacker was a "soldier of the Islamic State".

"The Las Vegas attacker is a soldier of the Islamic State in response to calls to target coalition countries," it said. In a second statement, Isis claimed the gunman "converted to Islam several months ago". The wording of the release is similar to other attacks that have been inspired, rather than directed, by Isis.

The claim cannot be independently verified.

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Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re

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LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

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