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BANGKOK-Three people were killed and four wounded in a shooting at a major Bangkok shopping mall on Tuesday, with the attacker arrested by police. Hundreds of people fled the upmarket Siam Paragon mall in the heart of the Thai capital as shots rang out around 4:30 pm (0930 GMT), witnesses told AFP. The police arrested a 14-year-old boy after a shooting at a luxury shopping mall in the capital Bangkok on Tuesday. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters the attacker had been apprehended and the situation brought under control. “Police are clearing the scene. The situation is easing,” Srettha told reporters. Yuthana Srettanan, director of the Erawan Emergency Center, said three people were killed and four wounded in the incident, in a message sent to reporters. “At around 4.30 pm, I heard loud gun noises, continuously, about 10 times,” Thanpawasit Singthongkham, 31, who works at a Japanese restaurant in the mall, told AFP. “Then the department store announced that there was a shooting. Source: https://www.nation.com.pk/04-Oct-2023/three-dead-in-bangkok-mall-shooting-attacker-arrested

Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) Munir Akram on Tuesday described India’s occupation of Jammu and Kashmir as the “worst manifestation of modern-day colonialism”. Speaking during the UN General Assembly’s Special Political and Decolonisation (Fourth) Committee meeting, Akram called on the world body to push for a peaceful settlement of the lingering Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and as per the aspirations of people of Kashmir. Noting that since 1946, 80 former colonies have gained independence, he said that there are still people who are denied the right to self-determination, “most prominently the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine.” The right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people, the envoy said, was explicitly recognized in UNSC resolution 47 and several subsequent resolutions, which prescribed that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir should be decided by its people through a free and fair plebiscite held under UN auspices. These resolutions were accepted by both India and Pakistan, he said, adding that under Article 25 of the UN Charter, both parties are obliged to implement these resolutions, APP reported. In his remarks, Akram also said that durable peace in the Middle East can only be achieved through the two-state solution and the establishment of a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine, with the pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. On Kashmir, he said that for 75 years, through force and fraud, India has avoided the implementation of UN resolutions, and since 1989, it’s “brutal” campaign of repression killed 100,000 Kashmiris. Since 5 August 2019, he said, India has taken “unilateral and illegal steps” to annex occupied Kashmir in what its leaders have termed as a “final solution”. “Resolution 122 (1957) of the Security Council provides that unilateral measures ‘to determine the future shape and affiliation of the entire state or any part thereof, would not constitute a disposition of the state’”, Ambassador Akram said, adding that consequently, all unilateral actions taken by India on and after 5 August 2019 are not only illegal, but, ipso facto, null and void.” “Kashmir today is the most densely occupied place in the world, with more than 900,000 Indian occupation troops deployed there who have perpetrated a vicious campaign of extrajudicial killings in fake encounters and so-called ‘cordon and search’ operations; abduction and enforced disappearances of 13,000 young Kashmiri boys; collective punishments, destroying and burning entire villages and urban neighbourhoods,” he said. “In a classic settler-colonial project, India is seeking to convert occupied Kashmir from a Muslim-majority state to a Hindu-majority territory,” the envoy said, pointing out that over 3.4 million fake domicile certificates have been issued to Hindus from across India. “The land and properties of Kashmiris are also being confiscated for military and official use,” he told the committee. India’s brutal campaign, he said, is turbo-charged by the ideology of ‘Hindutva’, which asserts the religious and ethnic supremacy of Hindus and hate against Muslims. “This has led the organisation — Genocide Watch — to warn of the possibility of genocide in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and, indeed, against Muslims within India itself. Underscoring that the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is essential to achieve durable peace in South Asia, Akram said the onus is on India to create conditions for a dialogue towards its settlement. To that end, he said, India must stop its human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir; halt and reverse the process of demographic change there; and rescind the illegal and unilateral measures imposed on and after 5 August 2019. “The United Nations and all its member states are bound by the Charter to promote a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” he added. Source:https://www.geo.tv/latest/512839-at-unga-body-pakistan-terms-indias-occupation-of-iiojk-worst-manifestation-of-colonialism

Islamabad, PakistanCNN —  Police in eastern Pakistan have smashed an illegal organ harvesting ring, arresting eight people for surgically removing kidneys from hundreds of patients for wealthy people needing a transplant, authorities said Monday. The alleged gang leader, identified as “Dr Fawad,” is accused of conducting 328 operations on people to remove their kidney and selling them to clients for up to 10 million Pakistani rupees ($34,000) each, said Mohsin Naqvi, the chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province. Fawad was allegedly assisted in the operations by an unnamed car mechanic who administered the anesthesia, Naqvi said. The chief minister said the gang lured patients from hospitals and performed the operations privately in the region of Taxila, the city of Lahore and in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. “They were able to do this in Kashmir because there is no law regarding kidney transplant, so it was easier for them to carry out the operations there,” Naqvi said. Three deaths have so far been confirmed, according to the chief minister, but authorities were still confirming the data. “There must be more operations that must have been carried out, the number is the only ones we’ve confirmed,” he added. Fawad had previously been arrested five times but was released on each occasion and was able to resume his operations, Naqvi said. Some of the patients whose organs were harvested did not know their kidney was removed, he added. Police spent almost two months investigating the case after a man came forward saying he was convinced by one of the alleged gang members to get medical treatment done privately. US government announces plan to overhaul organ transplant system Later, when he went to another doctor for further treatment, he was told he didn’t have a kidney, according to the chief minister. Naqvi said he is working with the Inspector General of Police of Punjab to strengthen the country’s cyber laws so adverts for such illegal kidney transplants are banned online. “Our entire focus is to track other gangs who are operating like this,” he said. Pakistan made the commercial trade of human organs illegal in 2007 and a strengthened law in 2010 made the harvesting and trafficking of organs punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a 1 million rupee ($3,400) fine. Before the legislation, the country was a center for the organ trade for foreigners and wealthy Pakistanis in search of a transplant, and the buying and selling of kidneys was a regular practice, with some impoverished Pakistanis selling their kidneys in order to survive. But the practice has continued and local media have reported that illegal kidney transplants have made a comeback in recent years. Source:https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/03/asia/pakistan-kidney-trafficking-ring-intl-hnk/index.html

MEXICO-At least 10 people were killed and two people seriously injured on Sunday night after the roof of a church in northern Mexico collapsed, officials said. Preliminary reports indicate that about 100 people were inside the building in Ciudad Madero at the time of the incident, according to a statement from security services in the state of Tamaulipas. Thirty people were believed to be buried in the rubble, Reuters reported. At least 60 people were injured, with two people sustaining serious injuries, Tamaulipas security spokesperson said. Units from the National Guard, State Guard, Civil Protection and the Red Cross were assisting in the rescue operation. Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez, from the diocese of Tampico, said the roof of the church collapsed while worshipers were taking communion, Reuters reported. He urged other members of the community to pray for survivors. “In this moment the necessary work is being carried out to pull out the people who are still under the rubble,” Bishop Armando said in a recorded message shared on social media, according to Reuters. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/03-Oct-2023/10-killed-after-mexico-church-roof-collapses

A lightning strike caused a massive gas explosion at a food waste recycling facility in the UK, local media reported on Monday. Eyewitnesses described a dramatic fireball illuminating the night sky following the blast, which occurred at Severn Trent Green Power’s Cassington AD (anaerobic digestion) facility near Yarnton, located north of the city of Oxford. Severn Trent Green Power, which specializes in converting food waste into biogas, reported that the lightning strike triggered the explosion of one of its biogas tanks around 7.20 p.m. local time. Residents in Witney, Burford, Chipping Norton and Milton-under-Wychwood reported experiencing power outages, according to the BBC. Thames Valley Police confirmed their presence at the scene and issued a statement saying it is believed that lightning struck gas containers at the site during adverse weather conditions this evening, resulting in a significant fire. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/03-Oct-2023/lightning-strike-causes-large-gas-explosion-at-recycling-plant-in-uk

MIANWALI   –  A police constable was martyred af­ter a group of terrorists attacked a Punjab Highway Patrolling Post in Mianwali. A crossfire also left two terrorists dead and another severe­ly injured. According to a Punjab Police spokesman, a group of more than 10 terrorists attacked Eisa Khel Kundal patrolling post in ear­ly hours on Sunday. An exchange of fire took place between the sus­pects and Punjab police officials who foiled the attempt of the suspects to enter the patrolling post’s building. The fir­ing left two suspects dead while a police head constable Haroon Khan martyred. The spokes­man further said the gun battle ensued for about four hours and the PHP officials repulsed the at­tack. Punjab police chief Dr Usman Anwar said the deceased suspects were involved in terror­ists activities across the country. He said a hunt had been launched to trace the runaway sus­pects. He said the Punjab police along with oth­er security forces were fighting the terrorists, adding CTD has so far conducted 130 intelli­gence-based operations. The Punjab police were put on high alert to pro­tect life and property of the masses, the Punjab IG said. A spike in ter­rorism has recently been witnessed in recent days as terrorists are either attacking law enforce­ment agencies or com­mitting suicide attacks. On Friday, two suicide bombings in Baloch­istan’s Mastung and Khy­ber Pakhtunkhwa’s Han­gu had left 64 martyred and over 75 injured. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/02-Oct-2023/cop-martyred-2-terrorists-gunned-down-in-mianwali-post-attack

FO says Islamabad stands with Ankara in fight against terrorism ANKARA  –  Two attackers detonated a bomb in front of Turkish government build­ings in Ankara on Sunday, leaving both of them dead and two police of­ficers wounded, and a Kurdish militant group claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities called it the first terrorist attack in the capital in years. CCTV footage showed a vehicle pull­ing up to the Interior Ministry’s main gate and one of its occupants quickly walking toward the building before be­ing engulfed in an explosion, while the other remains on the street. The blast killed one of the attackers and authorities “neutralised”, or killed, the other, the interior minister said of the incident that rattled a central dis­trict that is home to ministerial build­ings and nearby parliament. In a speech at the opening of a new parliamenta­ry session hours later, President Tayyip Erdogan called the morning attack “the latest attempt” to inflict terror on Turks. “Those who threaten the peace and security of citizens have not achieved their goals and never will,” he said. The ANF News website, which is close to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, said a group called the ‘Immor­tals Battalion’ had carried out the at­tack, citing a PKK statement. The statement described the bomb­ing as a ‘suicide attack’ planned to coin­cide with the opening of parliament and carried out by “a team of ours linked to our Immortals Battalion”. A senior Turk­ish official told media the attackers had hijacked the vehicle and killed its driv­er in Kayseri, a city 260 km (161 miles) southeast of Ankara, before carrying out the attack. One of the injured officers suffered shrapnel injuries, he added. “Two terrorists came with a light commercial vehicle in front of the en­trance gate of the General Directorate of Security of our Ministry of Internal Affairs and carried out a bomb attack,” Ali Yerlikaya, the interior minister, said on social media platform X. Meanwhile, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Sunday strong­ly condemned the dastardly terrorist attack in Ankara and expressed soli­darity with Turkiye. “Pakistan strongly condemns the dastardly terrorist at­tack in Ankara today. We stand in com­plete solidarity with our Turkish broth­ers and sisters in the fight against the scourge of terrorism. I have no doubt that under the dynamic leadership of my brother (President Recep Tayyip Er­dogan), the resolute Turkish nation will emerge ever stronger from this chal­lenge,” PM Kakar wrote on his X handle. Separately, in a press release shared by PM Office Media Wing, the Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said, “Pakistan resolutely stands with Tur­key in its fight against the scourge of ter­rorism…. The Turkish nation will defeat this menace and emerge ever stronger.” Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/02-Oct-2023/terrorists-carry-out-attack-in-ankara

MURCIA-At least 13 people have died in a fire at a nightclub in the south-eastern Spanish city of Murcia. The blaze broke out in the Fonda Milagros nightclub in the Atalayas area, at around 06:00 (04:00 GMT). Video shared online showed flames raging above the building and thick, dark smoke pouring out of its windows. It is not clear what caused the fire, which broke out when the club was still busy. Officials say the number of deaths could rise. Fourteen people are still missing as emergency services continue searching the building. Police said the fire started at the Fonda Milagros nightclub – known as La Fonda – before spreading to its neighbouring clubs, Teatre and Golden. Local media report that all fatalities are believed to have happened in La Fonda. Diego Seral, of the national police, said “substantial structural damage” had caused a collapse inside La Fonda. A 28-year-old woman sent a voice note to her mother when the fire had started, according to the La Verdad de Murcia newspaper, saying: “Mummy, I love you, we’re going to die.” It She had gone out with her partner and some friends from the nearby town of Caravaca de la Cruz. is not clear if she survived. “They went because in Caravaca there are no nightclubs,” the woman’s father, named as Jairo, told the paper. “It was the second time she had been.” Four people are being treated in hospital for smoke inhalation, and a local sports venue is being used to provide counselling for those affected. Among the victims identified so far, many were attending a birthday party, La Verdad de Murcia newspaper reported. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/02-Oct-2023/nightclub-fire-kills-13-in-spain

ROTTERDAM-A 32-year-old man has been arrested in the Dutch city of Rotterdam following two deadly shooting incidents on Thursday, Rotterdam police said. The number of dead from the shootings is currently unknown. “The two shooting incidents in Rotterdam have resulted in fatalities. We will first inform family and relatives and will explain more later,” the city’s police said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. The suspect was arrested “under the helipad” of Erasmus University’s Medical Center, authorities said. He was armed with a handgun when he was detained. Earlier in the day, police said they received several reports of two shooting incidents in the area of the Erasmus University Medical Center at around 2:25 p.m. local time (8:25 a.m. ET), adding that the incidents took place in a house and in a classroom. The university hospital warned people “not to come” to the medical center due to “various incidents,” in a post on X, previously known as Twitter. Per earlier X posts by police, the suspect was wearing “combat-style” clothes, was tall, with black hair and carrying a backpack. His motive is not yet known. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/29-Sep-2023/multiple-deaths-after-shootings-erupt-in-dutch-city-police-say