QUETTA: A Pakistani Taliban suicide bomber rammed a car into a police truck in the southwestern city of Quetta on Wednesday, killing at least seven people, police said.
The attack killed five police officials and two passers-by on the outskirts of the city of Quetta, police chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema said. He said 22 people were wounded, eight of them critically.
Sarfraz Bugti, the home minister of Baluchistan province, of which Quetta is capital, told Reuters: “It was a suicide blast.”
Quetta is about 100 km (60 miles) east of the border with Afghanistan.
Bugti said the truck carrying the police officials was on its way to the city to drop them at their posts when the suicide bomber rammed into the vehicle. Television pictures showed the burnt wreckage of the vehicles.
The Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella organization of various militant groups within Pakistan, and loosely allied to the Afghan Taliban, issued a statement claiming responsibility.
Baluchistan province has long been the scene of an insurgency by separatists fighting against the state to demand more of a share of the gas- and mineral-rich region’s resources. They also accuse the central government of discrimination.
The Taliban, sectarian groups and other militants linked to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group also operate in the strategically important region, which borders Iran as well as Afghanistan.
The violence has fueled concern about security for projects in the $57 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan’s southern deep-water port of Gwadar.
A suicide bombing claimed by Daesh at a Sufi Muslim shrine this month killed 22 people and wounded more than 30.
Ayub Qureshi, the provincial police chief, said a counter-terrorism police officer was shot and killed in another part of Quetta as authorities were dealing with the suicide bombing.
A militant sectarian faction, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al-Almi, claimed responsibility for killing the counter-terrorism official, and for planting a roadside bomb in a northwestern region, that killed two soldiers.
Security officials said a remote-controlled bomb was set off as an army vehicle passed by.
Pakistani Taliban suicide bomber rams police truck, kills 7
Pakistani Taliban suicide bomber rams police truck, kills 7
TDF CEO joins World Travel & Tourism Council Executive Committee
In a landmark achievement for Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector, Tourism Development Fund CEO Qusai Al-Fakhri has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council. This appointment highlights TDF’s growing international influence and its vital role in transforming Saudi Arabia into a leading global tourism destination in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
The Executive Committee membership, one of the highest roles bestowed on a Saudi entity within the WTTC, reflects TDF’s commitment to sustainable tourism development and international collaboration. The WTTC unites key decision-makers, leaders, and experts from across the global tourism industry, focusing on strategies that drive long-term growth in travel and tourism.
The TDF CEO’s appointment underscores TDF’s leadership in fostering international partnerships, advancing Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry, and positioning the Kingdom as a top destination for foreign investment. By sharing insights and learning from global best practices, TDF will further accelerate the growth of Saudi tourism, enhancing its global standing and economic potential.
Al-Fakhri said: “Joining the WTTC’s Executive Committee is a prestigious recognition of Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the global tourism landscape. It reaffirms TDF’s commitment to driving tourism transformation in the Kingdom.”
Through this platform, we aim to leverage global expertise and innovative solutions to achieve the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030, while promoting sustainable growth across Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector.” He also highlighted TDF’s continued dedication to developing the sector through financial support and advisory solutions that empower investors and enhance collaboration with both local and international stakeholders.
The WTTC is the premier global entity representing the private sector in travel and tourism. Its mission is to raise awareness of the industry’s economic and social impact while providing a platform for leaders to share insights and address critical challenges. The WTTC’s annual global summit brings together top executives from the world’s largest travel and tourism companies to explore key issues and opportunities.
Saudi-European talks to strengthen cooperation in environmental fields
- Saudi minister of state discussed with EU security and political officials strengthening existing work on dealing with climate change
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir met with European officials on Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Al-Jubeir, who is also the Saudi climate envoy, held talks with Delphine Pronk, the Chair of the EU Political and Security Committee, and Luigi Di Maio, the EU Special Representative for the Gulf region.
They discussed issues surrounding climate change and the cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the EU in environmental fields, SPA added.
They discussed ways to strengthen their existing cooperation on tackling climate change and the recent development in foreign policy in Europe and the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia maintains a strong dialogue with the EU, and both parties share close views on several foreign policy issues, including the Saudi-led Arab Peace Initiative for the Middle East, which aims to create a prosperous region for all its people and end the cycle of conflict.
The EU and Saudi Arabia are also linked through trade relations, which made the EU the Kingdom's second trading partner after the volume of trade exchange between Riyadh and Brussels peaked at $80 billion in 2023.
Somalia says 24 people have died after 2 boats capsized in the Indian Ocean
- A delegation led by the Somali ambassador to Ethiopia is scheduled to travel to Madagascar on Monday to investigate the incident and coordinate efforts to help survivors
MOGADISHU, Somalia: Twenty-four people died after two boats capsized off the Madagascar coast in the Indian Ocean, Somalia’s government said Sunday.
Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said 46 people were rescued.
“We are working tirelessly to ensure the survivors are brought back home safely and provided with the necessary care,” he said.
Most of the passengers were young Somalis, and their intended destination remains unclear. Many young Somalis embark every year on dangerous journeys in search of better opportunities abroad.
A delegation led by the Somali ambassador to Ethiopia is scheduled to travel to Madagascar on Monday to investigate the incident and coordinate efforts to help survivors.
Fiqi also said Sunday that Somalia’s ambassador to Morocco will look into a separate report of Somali youth stranded on Morocco’s coastline. It is not clear when the Morocco incident took place and Fiqi did not provide details.
The UN migration agency has in the past raised concern over rising cases of irregular migration from the Horn of Africa countries as people flee from conflict and drought.
In April, 38 migrants died and 22 others were rescued from a shipwreck off Djibouti on a popular route to Yemen. Most of those rescued were of Somali and Ethiopian nationalities.
Russian-made plane engine catches fire after landing in Turkiye’s Antalya
- All 89 passengers and six crew were safely evacuated from the Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger plane that had come from the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, the ministry said
ISTANBUL: The engine of a Russian-made passenger plane caught fire after landing at southern Turkiye’s Antalya Airport on Sunday, the Turkish transport ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said landings at the airport were suspended until 0300 local time (0000 GMT) while authorities towed the plane from the runway.
All 89 passengers and six crew were safely evacuated from the Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger plane that had come from the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, the ministry said.
A video shared on social media by Airport Haber news website showed emergency units responding at the site of the fire, with flames and smoke coming out of the aircraft’s engine.
Videos shared by the transport ministry following the incident showed the aircraft with fire extinguishing foam underneath as firefighters continue to spray the left-side engine to cool it down.
According to the Antalya Airport website, an Azimuth Airlines plane from Sochi landed at 1825 GMT.
War-hit Lebanon suspends in-person classes in Beirut area til end of December
- Education minister announced “the suspension of in-person teaching” in schools, technical institutes and private higher education institutions in Beirut
- Suspension of in-person teaching also applies to parts of neighboring Metn, Baabda and Shouf districts starting Monday
BEIRUT: Lebanon has suspended in-person classes in the Beirut area until the end of December, the education ministry announced Sunday, citing safety concerns after a series of Israeli air strikes this week.
Education Minister Abbas Halabi announced in a statement “the suspension of in-person teaching” in schools, technical institutes and private higher education institutions in Beirut and parts of the neighboring Metn, Baabda and Shouf districts starting Monday “for the safety of students, educational institutions and parents, in light of the current dangerous conditions.”
Earlier on Sunday, Lebanese state media reported two Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, about an hour after the Israeli military posted evacuation calls online for parts of the Hezbollah bastion.
“Israeli warplanes launched two violent strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs in the Kafaat area,” the official National News Agency said.
The southern Beirut area has been repeatedly struck since September 23 when Israel intensified its air campaign also targeting Hezbollah bastions in Lebanon’s east and south. It later sent in ground troops to southern Lebanon.
