International News
Four Police Killed, Six Injured In Pakistan Taliban’s Roadside Bombing
In a devastating attack that shook the city, four police officers including a deputy superintendent were killed by a roadside bomb while trying to defend a police station under siege by Taliban militants in northwest Pakistan.
The incident took place on Thursday morning when heavily-armed TTP fighters launched an attack on a police station in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares a border with Afghanistan.
According to senior local police official Muhammad Ashfaq, the attack was a “planned act of terrorism”.
He said “deputy superintendent Iqbal Mohmand was known as an “exceptional poet” Who was always the centre of attention during poetic festivals.
The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Thursday and accused Mohmand of “brutally” killing its fighters. It said there were no TTP casualties.
Tariqullah, a senior local administration official, said that the bomb used in the attack which occurred around 3 kilometers (2 miles) away from the station was powerful enough to pierce the armored personnel carrier that was transporting the officers.
He said, five other officers stationed at the police station as well as the driver of the armored personnel carrier were also injured in the attack.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Twitter the attack “has left my heart heavy with sorrow”.
“Our police officers and soldiers have made unforgettable sacrifices in the war against terrorism,” he said.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has a history of targeting law enforcement officials, whom they accuse of conducting extra-judicial executions.
The TTP was founded in 2007, when Pakistani militants fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan split off from the main group to focus their attacks on Islamabad.
They sought revenge against the Pakistani government for supporting the US invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.
At their peak, the TTP controlled vast territories in northwest Pakistan. However, a military operation in 2014 largely routed the group following a deadly school attack that claimed the lives of nearly 150 people, mostly pupils.
Attacks have been steadily rising since the Afghan Taliban’s return in Kabul, and Islamabad says the TTP are launching assaults from Afghan soil.
In November of last year, a fragile six-month ceasefire between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistani government collapsed.
In January of this year, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside a mosque located in a police compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
According to report, the attack claimed the lives of more than 80 officers, making it one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in recent years.
A devastating fire has swept through a girls’ boarding school in central Kenya, leaving at least 16 students dead and dozens more injured in one of the country’s worst school tragedies in recent years.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday at Utumishi Girls Academy, located in Nakuru County, roughly 120 kilometres north of Nairobi. Authorities said the fire broke out around 1:00 a.m. while about 220 students were asleep inside the dormitory.
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Emergency responders, including the Kenyan Red Cross and local security agencies, rushed to the scene and evacuated survivors.
At least 73 students have been hospitalised with varying degrees of burns and smoke inhalation, while rescue operations and search efforts continued into the morning.
Police sources said the cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations have been launched to determine what triggered the deadly blaze.
The affected dormitory has since been cordoned off as forensic teams examine the scene.
Parents gathered anxiously outside the school as authorities worked to account for all students. Officials have urged calm, assuring that full details will be released once investigations are completed.
The tragedy adds to a troubling history of school dormitory fires in Kenya, where boarding schools remain common.
In previous years, similar incidents have raised serious concerns about safety standards and emergency preparedness in educational institutions.
Government officials are expected to revisit school safety regulations following the latest disaster.
Global oil prices climbed sharply on Thursday following reports of a new United States military strike on Iran, raising fresh concerns over stability in the Middle East and possible disruptions to global energy supplies.
Brent crude rose significantly in early trading, while West Texas Intermediate also recorded gains as investors reacted to renewed hostilities and uncertainty around the fragile ceasefire in the region.
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According to reports, the latest US action included targeted strikes on Iranian positions following a series of drone and maritime incidents in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military described its operations as “measured and defensive,” aimed at preventing further escalation and protecting strategic interests in the region.
The developments triggered immediate reactions across global financial markets, with Asian stocks mostly declining amid fears that prolonged conflict could disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical route for nearly a fifth of global crude supply.
Market analysts warn that sustained instability could push energy prices even higher, fueling inflationary pressures worldwide and potentially forcing central banks to maintain tighter monetary policies.
In Asia, major indices recorded losses, while tech-driven gains in select markets were overshadowed by broader investor caution. Safe-haven assets strengthened slightly as traders moved away from riskier positions.
Economists say the situation remains highly volatile, with conflicting signals from Washington and Tehran adding to uncertainty.
Any further escalation, they caution, could send oil prices even higher and deepen global economic pressure.
For now, investors are closely watching diplomatic developments and military activity in the region, as the world braces for possible further shocks to energy markets.
The United States has issued its strongest travel advisory against Uganda, warning citizens to completely avoid travel to the country due to an ongoing outbreak of Ebola virus disease.
In the updated alert, the United States Department of State upgraded Uganda’s travel status to Level 4, the highest risk classification, which is widely understood as a “Do Not Travel” warning.
The decision was based on serious health threats and the rapid spread of the virus in affected areas.
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Authorities also warned of the risk of cross-border transmission, noting that continued movement across neighbouring countries could worsen the situation despite ongoing containment efforts.
Previously, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had placed Uganda under a lower-level health advisory, advising travellers to take standard precautions.
However, a surge in infections and deteriorating conditions led to the tightening of restrictions.
Meanwhile, Ugandan authorities have stepped up emergency response measures, including stricter border surveillance, movement restrictions in affected zones, and reductions in public transportation and market activities in high-risk areas.
Health agencies remain on high alert as the outbreak continues to raise concern over possible regional spread across East Africa.
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