Asia

BEIJING, China—Eight children were stabbed to death outside of an elementary school yesterday, according to AP. Six of the children were pronounced dead at the scene, while two died at the hospital. An additional five children were hospitalized for stab wounds.  The alleged attacker, 41-year-old Zheng Minsheng, mingled with parents in the morning before school started and then suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed the children. Zheng worked as a senior nurse in a community clinic before resigning last June and is known to have a history of mental illness. A former co-worker described Zheng as “difficult to get along with.” This incident is the latest in a string school attacks in recent years that have led to calls for improved security in the school system.

Middle East

KABUL, Afghanistan – The Taliban have announced that they will not be involved with the peace talks in Kabul between an insurgent faction and Afghan President Hamid Karzai until foreign troops leave Afghanistan entirely. On Monday, Karzai had one of the first talks with a senior delegation from Hezb-i-Islami, one of the top three insurgent factions that rival the Taliban. The meeting was said to be a success and a large stepping stone for progress in Afghanistan. The Taliban had a spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, who reiterated that no talks of peace would take place until foreign troops were withdrawn. “We have said this many, many times. There will be no talks when there are foreign troops on Afghanistan’s soil killing innocent Afghans on daily basis,” said Mujahid. “If the representatives from Hezb-i-Islami are in Kabul for talks, it’s their choice.”

Europe

PARIS, France – A countrywide rail strike is underway in response to President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to reform the pension systems. The strikers, led by top French trade unions, plan to stage public rallies in over 180 cities and towns throughout France. The international European rails are still running and are unaffected. As of Tuesday morning, domestic trains and transportation within the country are suffering. Talks between Sarkozy and trade union representatives have been scheduled for both later this month and in April to discuss France’s pension system. According to the BBC, the economic reform program was rejected so heavily that it may have led to Sarkozy’s failure to be re-elected this past Monday. It is said that the railways will be disrupted until early Wednesday.