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A t least 52 people were killed and 58 others were wounded in a suspected suicide bomb blast at a procession to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The attack took place on September 29, 20 23 during a procession in a town called Mastung, which is about 50 kilometers west of Quetta. The bomber blew himself up near the vehicle of Deputy Superintendent of Police Nawaz Gishkori. The death toll from the blast has climbed to 52, and the toll could further rise as many people were in a serious condition. The attack is one of the deadliest targeting civilians in Pakistan in months. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) denied involvement.  The Pakistan Taliban have repeatedly said that they do not target places of worship or civilians .  The prophet’s birthday is widely celebrated as a national holiday in Pakistan, and tens of thousands were estimated to participate in rallies across Pak...

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazing politician and the longest-serving female US senator in history, has died at the age of 90. Feinstein was a centrist Democrat who was elected to the Senate in 1992 and broke gender barriers throughout her long career in local and national politics. She was a leading figure in California politics for decades and became a national face of the Democratic Party. The specific cause of her death is not mentioned in the search results. Her death has injected a new element of uncertainty into the nation's capital as her Senate seat is now vacant, requiring California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint a temporary successor. Tributes poured in from both sides of the aisle as news of her death spread, with many lawmakers and others who knew her during her long career in San Francisco politics and her three decades in the U.S. Senate lauding her legislative accomplishments and the example she set for others.   Following  Senator Dianne Feinstein dea...

T he African Union (AU) has begun the second section of its troop withdrawal from Somalia, marking a good step in the direction of the handover of security to the country to the hands of the government. The AU has been in Somalia due to the fact 2007, with the goal of assisting the  government in its fight against the Islamist extremist group al-Shabaab who have been carrying out several attacks in the country. The withdrawal of troops is part of a plan to progressively switch safety obligations to Somali forces, with the goal of having them take full manage by 2024. The first segment of the withdrawal started in December 2021, with the AU reducing its forces by 1,000 infantrymen. The 2nd section, which began in September 2023, will see a further 3000 troops withdrawn from Somalia. The closing 9000 troops will continue to offer help to the Somali authorities and safety forces, however their function can be steadily reduced over time. The withdrawal of AU troops has been a contentio...

T unisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi, formerly the speaker of the nation's parliament, has initiated a three-day hunger strike while incarcerated. Ghannouchi, a prominent figure in Tunisia's opposition movement and a vocal critic of President Kais Saied, commenced the hunger strike on Friday, September 29, 2023. The purpose of this protest is to challenge his detention and express his dissent towards the government's severe actions against political adversaries. Rached Ghannouchi As per a statement issued by the Ennahdha party, Ghannouchi has embarked on this hunger strike "to advocate for the release of all political prisoners and condemn the arbitrary measures imposed by the authorities on the opposition." The statement further urges the Tunisian government to uphold the principles of the rule of law and human rights, and to release all individuals detained for political reasons.  Ghannouchi's hunger strike coincides with a period of political turmo...

S ix miners have tragically lost their lives as a result of a ground collapse at the Bay Horse mine in Chegutu, Zimbabwe, situated approximately 100 kilometers west of the capital city, Harare. The incident occurred at approximately 0800 GMT on Friday, leading to the entrapment of 34 miners below the surface. While 13 individuals were fortunate enough to escape, regrettably, 21 miners remained trapped underground. According to reports from ZBC TV, six bodies have been recovered from the mine as of Friday evening, leaving an additional 15 miners still in need of rescue. The Bay Horse mine, a gold mining facility, is situated in the town of Chegutu, within the Mashonaland West Province of Zimbabwe. Ownership of the mine rests with a local company, and the exact cause of the collapse remains uncertain. In response to this distressing incident, the Zimbabwean government has initiated an investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the collapse. This occurrence has raised concer...

On September 29, 2023, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives held its first meeting to discuss impeaching President Joe Biden. The meeting was led by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has been a vocal critic of Biden since he took office.  McCarthy and other Republicans have accused Biden of a number of offenses, including mishandling the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, failing to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, and mismanaging the economy. However, it is unclear whether the House will have the votes to impeach Biden, as some Democrats have said they would not support such a move.  The impeachment meeting came as Biden is facing a number of challenges, including high inflation, rising gas prices, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. These challenges have led to a decline in Biden's approval ratings, with recent polls showing that only about 38% of Americans approve of the job he is doing as president. The impeachment process is a two-step process. Fi...

In an address to the nation on September 29, 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden warned of the threats posed to democracy by extremism, misinformation, and political division. He called on Americans to come together and defend democracy, and he urged Congress to pass legislation to protect voting rights and expand access to education.  "Democracy is not easy," Biden said. "It requires vigilance, it requires work, and it requires us to come together as a people." Biden specifically cited the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol as an example of the threat posed by extremism. He also warned about the dangers of misinformation and disinformation, which he said can be used to undermine democracy and sow division among Americans. "We have seen how misinformation and disinformation can be used to manipulate people, to sow division, and to undermine our democracy," Biden said. "We must be vigilant in defending ourselves against these threats." Biden al...

British actor Michael Gambon, who played Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, has died at the age of 82. His death was confirmed in a brief statement issued on Thursday through a public relations company. “ Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife, Anne, and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia ,” the statement did not identify the hospital where he died.  Gambon was born in Dublin, Ireland, on October 19, 1940. He began his acting career in the early 1960s, appearing in television shows such as Z-Cars and The Avengers. In 1967, he made his film debut in Ulysses. The father of two Fergus and Michael Jr. went on to appear in a number of other films, including The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), Gosford Park (2001), and The King's Speech (2010). However, he is best known for his role as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films. He played the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the last six films of t...