Foreign

Bloodshed At Friday Prayers As Mosque Bombing Claims Many Lives

Published

4 months ago

February 7, 2026

A bombing at Khadija Al-Kubra mosque on Islamabad’s outskirts killed 31 people and injured at least 169 during Friday prayers. Witnesses described scenes of chaos, with bodies and wounded lying inside the mosque as rescuers transported victims to hospitals. Pakistani authorities and leaders condemned the attack, launched investigations, and called for urgent medical assistance and blood donations.

A devastating bombing struck the Shiite mosque of Khadija Al-Kubra on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, during Friday prayers, leaving at least 31 people dead and 169 others injured, officials said. Police are investigating who wa was behind the explosion, AP reported.

Witnesses described scenes of chaos as worshippers were caught in the blast. Television footage and social media posts showed rescuers and residents rushing the wounded to nearby hospitals. Hussain Shah, who was praying in the mosque courtyard, recounted the moment of the attack. “I immediately thought that some big attack has happened,” he said. Entering the mosque, he saw bodies on the carpeted floor and people screaming for help. Shah estimated around 30 bodies inside, while many more were wounded.

Authorities have not received a claim of responsibility for the bombing, though suspicion is expected to fall on militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban or regional affiliates of the Islamic State, which have previously targeted Shiite communities.

Militants in Pakistan often strike security forces and civilians, with recent months seeing a rise in attacks across the country. Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon updated the casualty numbers shortly after the initial reports. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and extended condolences to the victims’ families. “Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” Zardari said. Sharif ordered a full investigation, saying, “Those who are responsible must be identified and punished.”

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urged hospitals to provide the best possible care for the wounded. Shiite leader Raja Nasir called the attack a serious failure in protecting human life and appealed for blood donations, noting that hospitals were in urgent need. The bombing occurred near an event attended by Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Islamabad, several miles from the mosque. Islamabad has previously suffered major attacks, including a 2008 bombing at the Marriott Hotel that killed 63 people. The incident comes days after multiple attacks in Balochistan by the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which killed roughly 50 people and prompted security forces to eliminate more than 200 militants.

Foreign

BREAKING: 12 Killed in Tragic Plane Crash Near Missouri Airport

Published

4 hours ago

June 15, 2026

The Daily Voice

At least 12 people have been killed in a plane crash in Missouri in the midwestern United States, according to authorities.

The crash on Sunday was near Butler Memorial Airport in Bates County, south of the state’s largest city, Kansas City.

“Troopers are on scene assisting the Butler Police Department & Bates County Sheriff’s Office of a Fatal Plane Crash near the Butler Memorial Airport,” the Missouri State Highway Patrol posted on X.

“At this time reports indicate all occupants (12 total) have perished,” it said.

Missouri Highway Patrol Sergeant Justin Ewing said the plane was taking people up to skydive.

Emergency responders received a call that a plane was down and engulfed in fire around 11:30 am local time (16:30 GMT) on Sunday, he said.

They were able to extinguish the fire shortly after the crash, he said, describing the scene as “brutal.”

“It landed in a field adjacent to the airport, but I think they’re shutting down the roadway just as a precaution,” Ewing said.

The identities of those killed were not immediately released.

Ewing said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was on scene investigating the crash.

The cause was not immediately available.

Foreign

Relief as Marketers Release Cheaper Petrol Prices Nationwide

Published

3 days ago

June 12, 2026

The Daily Voice

The cost of importing petrol into Nigeria dropped sharply following the recent decline in global crude oil prices, creating fresh competition for local refiners, including the $20 billion Dangote Refinery.

New data released by the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) showed that the landing cost of imported Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, had fallen to N1,117 per litre as of June 4, 2026.

The figure was significantly lower than Dangote Refinery’s gantry price of N1,250 per litre, leaving a difference of N133 per litre.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s fuel market is facing renewed uncertainty after the Dangote Refinery reportedly reduced petrol production, prompting fuel marketers to increase imports of cheaper products amid concerns over supply stability.

The development comes at a sensitive period for global energy markets, with rising crude oil prices and geopolitical tensions already putting pressure on fuel costs worldwide.

According to industry monitor IIR Energy, the Dangote Refinery has reduced operating rates at its key gasoline-producing unit, the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (RFCCU), by about 34%.

The reduction is linked to technical issues affecting the unit, which plays a major role in converting heavy crude residues into valuable products such as petrol, diesel and cooking gas.

Foreign

JUST IN: Mali’s Defence Minister Killed As Army, Rebels Clash

Published

2 months ago

April 26, 2026

The Daily Voice

Mali’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, has been killed following a wave of coordinated attacks targeting military installations across the country.

Camara reportedly died from injuries sustained during an attack on his residence in Kati, a key military garrison town located about 15 kilometres from Bamako.

The assault, which occurred barely 24 hours before his death, involved a suicide car bomb and formed part of a broader offensive across the country.

The attacks were reportedly carried out by fighters linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, alongside Tuareg rebels from the Liberation Front of Azawad.

According to Al Jazeera, the attackers were able to breach Kati, considered one of the most secure military locations in Mali.

Camara, a key figure in Mali’s military leadership, rose to prominence after playing a central role in the coups of 2020 and 2021 that brought the current junta to power.

Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque described his death as significant.

“He was one of the most influential figures within the ruling military leadership… His death is a major blow to the country’s armed forces,” he said.

The coordinated offensive extended beyond Kati, with gunmen attacking several locations including Bamako, Gao, Kidal and Sevare.

“As we speak, people in the garrison town of Kidal can still hear heavy gunfire and loud explosions,” Haque said, adding that the operation remained ongoing more than 24 hours after it began.

The attacks have intensified pressure on Mali’s interim leadership, with analysts suggesting that security forces were overwhelmed by the scale and coordination of the violence.

However, Interim President, Assimi Goita, was reportedly moved to safety and remains in control of the military.

International bodies, including the African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the United States Bureau of African Affairs, have condemned the attacks and called for urgent measures to restore stability.