CCTV footage has emerged showing the suspected suicide bomber and the very moment of the deadly blast that killed 10 and injured over 20 near a Sufi shrine in the city of Lahore.

The explosion rocked the second largest city of Pakistan on Wednesday, a day after the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The suspect targeted a police checkpoint near the major Sufi shrine.

“Police was the prime target in this attack. We are collecting forensic evidences to ascertain the nature of the blast,” deputy inspector general of Lahore police, Ashfaq Khan, said.

The moment of the blast was captured on several CCTV cameras and footage emerged some hours after the attack that killed 10 people, including four police officers, and injured at least 23.

The videos show a heavily clothed man, dressed in black, approaching the police van moments before the blast. Prior to that, the man was spotted wandering around the location, while holding one of his hands to his chest.

The suspect is believed to be a 15-year-old, according to Pakistani authorities. The Pakistan-based branch of the Taliban, the Hizbul Ahrar militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack, insisting that it was carried out when there were no civilians near the police.

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The South Korean military’s joint chiefs of staff have claimed that their neighbor to the north fired unidentified projectiles less than a week after its latest high-profile weapons test.

The unidentified projectiles were reportedly fired at approximately 16:30 local time (7:30 GMT) from the Sino-ri missile base some 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of the border with South Korea. They were probably short-range missiles, according to the joint chiefs’ statement.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the test-firing of rockets and at least one short-range missile from the country’s east coast into the Sea of Japan.

North Korea denies its recent missile tests were acts of provocation, insisting the drills were “regular and self-defensive.”

However, South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in claimed the recent tests were a somewhat belated response to the failed denuclearization talks with US President Donald Trump.

“North Korea seemed to be discontented it could not reach a deal in Hanoi,” Moon told South Korean broadcaster KBS Thursday. South Korea’s presidential Blue House described the launches as “worrisome” adding that they were unhelpful in improving Korean relations.

The timing of the latest incident coincides with a four-day visit by US envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun to the South Korean capital, Seoul to discuss the possibility of increasing food aid to the north with his counterpart Lee Do-oon.

The test firings have ramped up in recent weeks after denuclearization talks between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump stalled after the US said it was not prepared to lift its North Korean sanctions in their entirety, as Pyongyang requested. The North Korean delegation blamed the US for the abrupt end to the summit.

Tensions were ratcheted up in April as Washington and Seoul carried out joint war games. North Korea criticized the drills as hampering the reconciliation process and warned of a “corresponding response”.

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo repeated the false claim that US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido is the ‘duly elected leader’ of Venezuela. Apparently he reads CNN.

Speaking in London after his meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Pompeo told reporters that Venezuelans had chosen Guaido to lead them.

“The Venezuelan people have spoken through through constitutional mechanism, they have put Juan Guaido as their interim president, and he is the duly elected leader there,” Pompeo said, adding that “Maduro is on borrowed time.”

Not only did Guiado not win the presidential election in May 2018, he didn’t even run; the opposition boycotted the race. On the basis of a legal technicality, Guaido declared himself “interim president” in January, and was recognized by a number of countries, including the US and many of its allies.

In a recently corrected story, CNN also said Guaido had won an election, but claimed it was in January. There was no election in January, at least not in Venezuela.

Pompeo at the same presser also lectured leaders, including Jeremy Corbyn, who refused to take up the hostile US State Department line on Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.

“It is disgusting to see leaders in not only the United Kingdom, but in the United states as well, who continue to support the murderous dictator Maduro,” Pompeo replied, adding that “no leader in a country with Western democratic values ought to stand behind” Maduro.

The Guaido-led opposition attempted a military coup in late April, but failed to inspire mass defections from the security forces. The uprising fizzled out within 36 hours.

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The vice president of Venezuela’s National Assembly has reportedly been escorted to the HQ of the country’s intelligence agency. Opposition leader Juan Guaido accused Caracas of “kidnapping” the lawmaker.

Edgar Zambrano, the vice president of the opposition-controlled legislature, was apparently taken into custody by the Venezuelan authorities. The lawmaker tweeted Wednesday evening that he was approached by members of the SEBIN intelligence agency, who surrounded his car and demanded he leave the vehicle. Zambrano said that after he refused the order, the agents towed his car to the agency’s main offices in Caracas.

Self-proclaimed ‘interim president’ Juan Guaido sounded the alarm over Zambrano’s alleged arrest, likening his detention to a “kidnapping.”

Zambrano tweeted that he was taken by “surprise” by the SEBIN agents near the office of his Democratic Action (Accion Democratica) party in the La Florida residential area east of Caracas around 6:35pm Wednesday.
The lawmaker, who is the second most senior member of the opposition after Guaido, was apprehended a day after he, along with six other lawmakers, was stripped of parliamentary immunity by the Supreme Court of Justice, loyal to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The court suggested investigating Zambrano and the others for conspiracy, treason and rebellion after he allegedly continued to incite a military uprising following a failed coup attempt late April.

Zambrano blasted the court’s decision accusing it of an attempt to “illegally” breach his and fellow lawmakers’ right to immunity.

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Russia is celebrating Victory Day with the traditional military parade on Red Square. The event is used to demonstrate troop discipline and the most advanced military hardware in the country’s arsenal.

May 9 is one of the biggest state holidays in Russia, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. It is both about commemorating the sacrifices made to achieve that victory, and showing Russia’s military strength. 

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The military usually presents its newest hardware to the public during the parades, but one of this year’s picks is as civilian as can be. The defense minister and the commander of the Army rode in a pair of brand-new Aurus cabriolets. The luxury car brand was developed as the domestic ride for senior Russian officials, from the president down.

Another newcomer was the AK-12, the new Kalashnikov assault rifle, which underwent extensive testing and overhaul in 2016 and was signed for mass production last year.

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US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his threat to crank up the tariffs on China, saying that Beijing trampled on the draft deal negotiated with the US. China vowed to retaliate with a tit-for-tat response.

Speaking at a rally in Florida on Wednesday, Trump went into yet another fiery tirade on China, accusing it of not heeding the provisional trade agreement it had reportedly struck with the US.

“They broke the deal. They can’t do that. So they’ll be paying. If we don’t make the deal, nothing wrong with taking in more than $100 billion a year,” Trump said, referring to a new tariff hike on Chinese goods that is set to come into effect on Friday at midnight. The tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods will increase from 10 percent to 25 percent, the US Trade Representative’s Office announced. 

The measure will impact the import of technical appliances, such as vacuum cleaners, computer modems and routers, as well as furniture, lighting, and construction materials.
Click Here: Sports Water BottlesThe timing of the hike, which is bound to fuel the smoldering trade war between Beijing and Washington, is curious since it coincides with a high-ranking Chinese delegation visit to Washington aimed at soothing the differences over a 150-page draft deal. The Chinese delegation, led by Vice Premier Liu He, is set to touch down in the US on Thursday for two-day talks.

As he broke the news to a pumped-up crowd of supporters, Trump mentioned the upcoming visit by Liu.

“So they’re flying in, the vice premier tomorrow is flying, good man, but they broke the deal. They can’t do that. So, they’ll be paying,” Trump reiterated.

China indicated that it would roll out punitive measures of its own in response to the hike.

“The Chinese side deeply regrets that if the U.S. tariff measures are implemented, China will have to take necessary countermeasures,” China’s Commerce Ministry said. In the run-up to the new round of negotiations between US and Chinese trade officials, Trump has ramped up his criticism of Beijing.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump threw Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden into the mix, tweeting that China’s reluctance to seal a deal and its attempt to renegotiate the terms is due to “sincere HOPE” that Beijing will soon be dealing with Biden “or one of the very weak Democrats” and “thereby continue to ripoff the United States (($500 Billion a year)) for years to come….”

Biden’s campaign fired back. The former Obama VP’s deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield, accused Trump of so far only punishing “US farmers, small business owners& consumers” with his hardline approach to China.

The UN has warned that 1,700 Gazans shot by Israel Defense Forces at protests may need amputations in the next two years because of a lack of healthcare funding to help them recover.

Jamie McGoldrick, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Occupied Palestinian Territory, told reporters that 7,000 Palestinians were shot by Israel at protests over the last year, with many hit in the lower legs.

“You’ve got 1,700 people who are in need of serious, complicated surgeries for them to be able to walk again,” McGoldrick said, explaining the wounded require rehabilitation and “very, very serious and complex bone reconstruction surgery over a two year period before they start to rehabilitate themselves.”

There have already been 120 amputations carried out this year, including on children. Over 29,000 people were wounded at the Great March of Return demonstrations at the fence separating Gaza and Israel, which started in March 2018. Israel says shooting demonstrators in the legs shows restraint.

The UN is looking for $20 million in funding for operations to avoid amputations.

Gaza’s health system is under strain due to a lack of funding and medical supplies. The only teaching hospital is focused on trauma medicine training now, and doctors do not have the ability to carry out the complicated treatment needed for those at risk of amputation.

Food supplies are also under threat because of a lack of funding to the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The WFP has already had to cut aid to 193,000 people in the West Bank and Gaza this year.

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The EU is committed to preserving the nuclear deal with Iran and helping the nation dodge US economic sanctions, and will not bend to any ultimatums, top European diplomats say. Earlier, Tehran suspended some of its commitments.

On Wednesday, Tehran announced it will halt disposal of excessive heavy water and uranium, which is one of the key terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement (known as the JCPOA). Unless European signatories deliver on their promises to Iran, it may enact a further rollback in 60 days.

EU members pledged to create a special financial mechanism which would allow business to be done in Iran without being on the radar of the US, which threatens anyone dealing with the country with economic sanctions.

Top EU diplomats said on Thursday they remain committed to the deal but will not bend to any ultimatums.

“We strongly urge Iran to continue to implement its commitments under the JCPoA in full as it has done until now and to refrain from any escalatory steps,” the officials said in a statement.

Iran for its part stressed that it wants to fix the JCPOA and not abandon it.

“Our goal is to strengthen the JCPOA and bring it back on track,” Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization, said the same day.

Earlier, Tehran clarified that its decision to partially suspend compliance with the JCPOA was in response to the US’ withdrawal and the failure by European signatories to alleviate the damage done by American sanctions.

The deal offered Iran the lifting of sanctions in exchange for placing restrictions on its nuclear industry. Lucrative business deals with European and American companies were expected to follow, boosting Iran’s economy and building trust with the West.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has said that Iran will continue to abide by the 2015 nuclear deal – but will no longer implement some optional commitments, due to the lack of EU pushback against the US.

Zarif, who arrived in Russia on Tuesday, sought to debunk speculation that Iran is considering abandoning part of its binding commitments under the internationally acclaimed accord, struck back in 2015.

“Iran’s future actions will be fully within the [nuclear deal], from which the Islamic Republic will not withdraw,” Zarif told reporters in Moscow.

He chastised the US for being hell-bent on tearing up the deal, and the EU for being too weak to resist American pressure and preserve the accord.

“Washington’s efforts to suspend the work of the international treaty are clear,” he said. “The European Union and others… did not have the power to resist US pressure, therefore Iran… will not carry out some voluntary commitments.”

Letters specifying the changes in Iran’s implementation of the deal will be sent to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and the leaders of Russia, China, Germany, the UK, and France. Ambassadors of the countries will be briefed on the revised terms by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Tehran, IRNA reported earlier.

The deal has been hanging in the balance since May last year, when US President Donald Trump pulled the US out of it, reintroducing sanctions that had been lifted in return for Iran scaling back its nuclear program. Since its withdrawal, the US has been ramping up belligerent rhetoric towards Iran, imposing additional sets of sanctions, and has declared Tehran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “terrorists.”

In a bid to reduce Iran’s oil exports to “zero,” the US last week decided not to extend six-month waivers on Iranian crude that it had given to eight countries following their expiration on May 1, despite an outcry from the EU. In the most recent show of force, Washington deployed four B-52 heavy bombers and a carrier strike group to the Middle East, citing a “credible” threat from Iran. 

Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, exactly one year after Trump withdrew the US from the accord.

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US State Secretary Mike Pompeo has unexpectedly arrived in Baghdad for an unannounced visit, AFP reported citing Iraqi government sources. Pompeo had scrapped his visit to Germany, citing unspecified “pressing issues.”

Pompeo has reportedly met with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi. So far, no details of the surprise visit have emerged.

The development, if confirmed, explains the mysterious travel path of Pompeo’s plane, that was spotted flying towards the Middle East region earlier on Tuesday. The plane was tracked up to the airspace above eastern Turkey, where it apparently turned off its transponder while approaching Iraq.

Earlier in the day the US Secretary of State abruptly cancelled his visit to Germany, where he was scheduled to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. The “rescheduling” was vaguely explained by emergence of unspecified “pressing issues.” Before scrapping the Berlin visit, Pompeo attended a meeting of the Arctic Council in Rovaniemi, Finland, where he called the region “an arena of global power & competition.”

Pompeo’s visit to Iraq comes as the US has ramped up its military activities in the region, citing a threat of Iranian “attack.” On Monday, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group set sail to the Persian Gulf, while at least four B-52 strategic bombers were said to be redeployed to the region. 

Flexing the military muscle is needed “to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force,” according to US National Security Advisor John Bolton. While the “threat” is apparently imminent, Bolton gave no details on it. 

Iran mocked the US over presenting the carrier group deployment as rapid and spontaneous, while it was actually announced weeks ago.

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