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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...