1. Orphanage fire

    Estonia observed a day of mourning* on Monday for eight disabled children and two adults who were killed when a fire destroyed an orphanage.

    Interior Minister Marko Pomerants said that investigators hoped to determine “in the nearest future” what caused the blaze at the orphanage for disabled children in Haapsalu, western Estonia.

    Authorities initially said all 10 victims of Sunday’s fire were children. But on Monday they said eight of those killed were children aged 7 to 16, and two were adults, aged 20 and 21.

    2. Stampede in Mali

    At least 36 people were killed and 70 others injured on Monday night in a stadium stampede* in Mali.

    Media reports said the stampede occurred in the Modibo Keita stadium in Bamako, the capital of Mali, at the end of a sermon* by a renowned imam*. The tragedy came as the crowd was trying to get close to the imam, the reports said.

    3. Japan site excavation

    Japan was excavating* the site of a former medical school that may reveal grisly* secrets from World War II.

    The investigation began on Monday afternoon at the former school linked to Unit 731, a germ* and biological warfare* outfit during the war.

    It is the first government probe* of the Tokyo site and follows a former nurse’s revelation that she helped bury body parts there.

    4. Bank bombing

    The death toll from a Taliban attack on a bank in eastern Afghanistan has risen to 35, officials said on Sunday, with more than 70 others injured.

    Seven Taliban suicide bombers armed with machine guns and grenades* stormed a branch of Kabul Bank on Saturday morning in Jalalabad city, initiating a several hour stand off* with security forces before detonating* their devices.

    5. Boat sinking

    Vietnamese police said on Sunday that human error was to blame for the sinking of a tour boat in Ha Long Bay that killed 12 sleeping passengers. The vessel’s captain and a crew member have been arrested.

    A valve that allows water into the boat to cool the engine was left open while the vessel was anchored for the night, Quang Ninh provincial police spokesman Le Thanh Binh said. The engine was turned off, preventing a pump from running to push the water out, he said.

    Eleven foreign tourists from nine countries were among those who drowned when the boat went down in the scenic bay last week.

    It was Vietnam’s deadliest tour boat accident since the country opened up to foreign visitors 25 years ago.

    6. Lance Armstrong retires

    Lance Armstrong, who recovered from cancer to win the Tour de France a record seven times, formally announced his retirement from cycling last Wednesday, a month after his last race.

    The 39-year-old American, who made a comeback* to the sport two years ago, said he was quitting for good to spend more time with his family and his charities.

    Armstrong was diagnosed* with testicular cancer in 1996 but survived and returned to the bike and went on to become one of the most successful and controversial cyclists of all time. (SD-Agencies)