Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Aug. 4

A woman was killed and five other people were wounded in a knife attack in central London and the police are exploring the possibility of terrorism, authorities said Wednesday.

Police were called to reports of a man in possession of a knife attacking people in central Russell Square around 10:30 p.m. local time(2130 GMT). (Britain-Knife Attack)

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HERAT -- At least 10 foreign tourists were killed and five others wounded in an ambush attack in Afghanistan's western province of Herat on Thursday, a district governor said.

"Two mini buses carrying foreign tourists were attacked by gunmen along a main road in Chishti Sharif District Thursday morning. As a result of the incident 10 people were killed and five others wounded," district governor Farhad Khadimi told Xinhua. (Afghanistan-Attack)

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MOSCOW -- Seven people died and more than 20 were injured as rebels attacked the northern Syrian city Aleppo with toxic gas, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The ministry said in a statement on its website that shells containing poisonous agents were used to attack a residential area in the eastern part of the city controlled by insurgents of Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki, which claimed to be an opposition group. (Syria-Rebels-Toxic Gas)

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LONDON -- The Bank of England (BoE) Thursday cut its interest rate from 0.5 percent to a record low level of 0.25 percent, as Britain pushes for a stimulus to expand its economy after a historic vote to leave the European Union.

The move is the first cut in seven years since the rate hit its previous record low level of 0.5 percent in March 2009. (Britain-Economy) Endi