Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Pakistan suicide bombing death toll rises to 56

Daesh which claims responsibility for the blast says the attack was part of its war against ‘democracy'

Pakistan suicide bombing death toll rises to 56

THE death toll from a suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan that targeted a hard-line religious group's political rally has risen to 56, a government official said on Tuesday (1).

The toll from Sunday's attack in the Bajaur district on the border with Afghanistan could rise, said Anwar-ul-Haq, the region's deputy commissioner.

Daesh or the Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attack on a gathering of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, which is known for its links to hardline Islamists but which condemns militants seeking to overthrow the government.

The party is allied with prime minister Shehbaz Sharif's ruling coalition, which is preparing for a general election that must be held by November.

Sharif denounced the blast, which came after months of political tension and an economic crisis, as an attack on the democratic process.

Daesh's Amaq news agency said in a claim for the attack on its Telegram channel that democracy was hostile to Islam.

"The attack comes in the natural context of the ongoing war waged by the Islamic State against 'democracy' as a regime hostile to true Islam and in conflict with its divine law," the news agency said.

(Reuters)

More For You

Proud moment for Sadiq Khan’s family as King knights London mayor

Sir Sadiq Khan

Proud moment for Sadiq Khan’s family as King knights London mayor

THE London mayor, Sadiq Khan (right), was knighted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace in the capital on Tuesday (10).

Sir Sadiq, who was re-elected for a historic third term in May 2024, went down on one knee during the traditional ceremony, as the King dubbed him with a sword. The mayor was recognised in the monarch’s New Year honours list for his political and public service.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anger as Kohli killers’ sentences
‘don’t reflect that they took a life’

Bhim Kohli

Anger as Kohli killers’ sentences ‘don’t reflect that they took a life’

COMMUNITY leaders and MPs have called for a review into what they said were “unduly lenient” sentences given to two teenagers convicted of killing 80-year-old Bhim Kohli.

The attorney-general has been asked to review the sentences handed down to a 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl – convicted of the manslaughter of Kohli in Franklin Park last September – given the racially aggravated nature of the crime.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eid-prayer-Getty

Muslims pray during Eid al-Adha at an open-air Eidgah in Hyderabad, Pakistan, on June 7, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Ahmadis stopped from offering Eid prayers in Pakistan

RELIGIOUS extremists in Pakistan stopped members of the Ahmadi community from offering Eid prayers in at least seven cities, the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan (JAP) said on Tuesday.

In Punjab, police arrested two Ahmadis and booked three others for trying to perform the ritual animal sacrifice during Eid-ul-Azha. According to JAP, members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) also forced two Ahmadis to renounce their faith.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus to step down after April polls

Chief adviser to the government of Bangladesh Professor Muhammed Yunus speaks during a live interview at Chatham House on June 11, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus to step down after April polls

BANGLADESH interim leader Muhammad Yunus said on Wednesday (11) that there was "no way" he wanted to continue in power after elections he has announced for April, the first since a mass uprising overthrew the government.

The South Asian nation of around 180 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, ending her 15-year rule.

Keep ReadingShow less