Kerry urges help against terror threat
CANBERRA, Australia – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday described a photograph of a Sydney-born 7-year-old boy clutching the severed head of a Syrian soldier as “disturbing” and “grotesque,” and called for international cooperation against the terrorist threat posed by foreign fighters returning home from Iraq and Syria.
An Australian newspaper reported Monday that the image was taken in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa and posted on Twitter by the boy’s convicted terrorist father, Khaled Sharrouf, an Islamic State fighter.
Speaking after a U.S.-Australia bilateral security summit in Sydney, Kerry said the image showed why the Islamic State group posed such a threat to the world.
“This image, perhaps even an iconic photograph ... is really one of the most disturbing, stomach-turning, grotesque photographs ever displayed,” Kerry said.
Big quake shakes capital of Ecuador
QUITO, Ecuador – An earthquake measured at a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 rattled Ecuador’s capital and surrounding areas Tuesday, causing tall buildings to sway and sending people scurrying into the streets.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered 14 miles northeast of Quito.
There were no early reports of injuries or severe damage, but officials said some roads had been blocked by small landslides.
Associated Press
