Midday Roundup: Terror attacks rattle Tunisia, Kuwait, and France

Reign of terror. Terrorists left their mark around the world today with three deadly attacks. The worst, in the North African country of Tunisia, left at least 37 dead and 36 wounded, mostly tourists. Gunmen attacked two hotels in the coastal city of Soussa, engaging security forces in a ranging gun battle. The resort town is popular with European tourists. Islamic extremists affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula launched a similar attack on the Bardo Museum in March, killing 21 tourists and one policeman. In Kuwait, a suicide bomber blew himself up inside the Shiite-affiliated Al-Sadiq mosque in the nation’s capital during Friday prayers. Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it maimed and killed dozens. A medic on the scene estimated the death toll at 16, with dozens more injured. And in France, two men drove a car through the gates of a gas factory, sparking an explosion. Police found a decapitated body and flags with Arabic writing at the scene. Two other people were injured in that attack.

Civilian massacre. In Syria, ISIS fighters have launched a counterattack against Kurdish forces that had gained the upper hand in the battle against the terror group. After making an incursion into the Kurdish border town of Kobani yesterday, ISIS fighters went door-to-door killing civilians. The death toll has reached as high as 146, according to independent human rights monitors in the area. It is the largest civilian massacre perpetrated by the Islamic extremists so far. The location of the ISIS offensive is strategic: Kurdish forces won’t get much help from U.S. airstrikes because of the high risk for civilian casualties. ISIS also made inroads in Hasaka, a government-held town near Kobani. U.S. officials have been reluctant to order any bombing runs in territory controlled by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Rest in peace. Mourners started lining up before dawn in Charleston, S.C., to claim a seat at the memorial service for the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, the pastor of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church who was killed last week when a gunman opened fire during a Bible study. President Barack Obama will deliver the eulogy for Pinckney and the eight other victims. First lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill, along with a bipartisan congressional delegation, also are attending the service. Because of the large crowds, the memorial service is being held in an arena at the College of Charleston. The shooting, apparently motivated by racism, has sparked a debate over the Confederate flag and other Civil War symbols. Monuments in six states have been vandalized, and lawmakers are debating whether to have those and others permanently removed.

Default countdown. Greece is running out of time to make a deal with its European lenders or get kicked out of the eurozone. The Mediterranean nation is set to make a payment on the money it borrowed several years ago, but its leaders say they don’t have the cash. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande offered to give Greece more money between now and November if President Alexis Tsipras would agree to a package of pension cuts, labor law reform, and tax increases. Greek and European leaders will meet again Saturday to get the country’s final answer. If Greek lawmakers do not agree to the terms, efforts will focus on how to mitigate the fallout of a Greek default.

Shot mandate. The California assembly voted yesterday to revoke the state’s personal belief exemptions for childhood immunizations. If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the bill, the state would become the third to require all children to get vaccinations. A measles outbreak earlier this year started at California’s Disneyland and sickened 100 people. Thanks in part to vocal opposition from several high-profile Hollywood stars, some California communities have a large number of unvaccinated children. Under provisions in the new bill, only children with compromised immune systems would be exempt from vaccination requirements, and they would have to be homeschooled to limit contact with other children.