A fatal blast at a rally in Pakistan
At least 43 people were killed in the country’s northwest yesterday, officials said, the latest sign of the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan. The death toll is expected to rise: At least 200 people were wounded.
Officials suspect that the attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province might have been orchestrated by an Islamic State affiliate that is active near the border with Afghanistan. The group has previously targeted members of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, the Islamist political party that organized the rally. A local party leader was killed.
The provincial police chief told the local news media that a suicide bomber set off the explosion. No one immediately claimed responsibility.
Background: Militant groups — including the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or T.T.P. — have become more active in recent years. This year, the T.T.P. attacked a mosque in Peshawar, killing more than 100 people, and waged an hourslong assault on Karachi.
Fallout: The rise of militant violence in Pakistan could dampen campaigning before the next general election, expected in the fall, and dissuade voters from coming to the polls.
India’s opposition pushes Modi to speak about the ethnic conflict
The violence in Manipur has killed more than 150 people and displaced 60,000 others, and the northeastern state has been effectively partitioned along ethnic lines in what residents are describing as a civil war.
But Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India has almost entirely avoided addressing the conflict. Last week, opposition parties resorted to a no-confidence motion in Parliament. The move was procedural; Modi’s government is at no risk of being voted out.
Instead, Gaurav Gogoi, the opposition leader who initiated the vote, said he had hoped that it would “force” Modi to speak about the violence. Gogoi, citing national security concerns such as potential “ripple effects” in other states, noted that about 5,000 weapons were unaccounted for after mobs had looted police weapons depots.
The military: Tens of thousands of national security forces have struggled to restore calm, potentially stretching India’s military resources. Analysts say many come from a division primarily responsible for security at the border with China, where the two sides have remained in a standoff for more than two years.
Modi’s approach: Modi is personally more popular with voters than with his party, known as the B.J.P., which has let him rescue regional elections where it has struggled. Party leaders want to avoid linking him in the public mind with Manipur.
Helicopter crash overshadows Australia-U.S. military cooperation
Australia plans to accelerate missile production for the U.S. and expand military cooperation and training. Overshadowing the announcement was the crash of an Australian army helicopter during one such exercise.
The U.S. agreed to fast-track licensing for the new missiles, which will be built with U.S….
2023-07-30 15:27:07
Post from www.nytimes.com
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