A suicide bombing near a courthouse in Islamabad has claimed the lives of 12 people and wounded at least 27 others, according to the country’s interior minister.

“Mohsin Naqvi said a bomber was planning to attack the district courthouse – but was unable to get inside.”

Authorities have pledged to focus on identifying the perpetrator and ensuring that all those responsible face justice.

Suicide bombings have been uncommon in Islamabad in recent years. Footage captured on Tuesday showed a burnt-out car and a secured police perimeter around the site.

The 27 injured victims are receiving medical care, Naqvi said.

He noted that the attacker had waited for around 15 minutes before detonating the explosive near a police vehicle.

Videos from the scene showed thick smoke rising from a charred car behind security barriers. The blast occurred at 12:39 local time (07:39 GMT).

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed that he “strongly condemned the suicide blast.”

A lawyer, who was parking outside the court at the time, recounted hearing a “loud bang.”

Rustam Malik described the scene as “complete chaos.”

“Lawyers and people were running inside the complex,” he said. “I saw two dead bodies lying on the gate and several cars were on fire.”

The last suicide bombing in the capital occurred three years ago, resulting in the death of a police officer and injuries to several others.

While suicide attacks have taken place elsewhere in the country since then, Islamabad had largely been spared.

The Federal Government has announced that diplomatic efforts are underway to reduce recent tensions between Nigeria and the United States over security and human rights issues.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed this during an interview on The World With Yalda Hakim aired on Sky News on Monday night.

Idris confirmed that communication channels between Abuja and Washington have been reactivated, expressing confidence that the ongoing discussions are helping to dispel misconceptions about Nigeria’s security situation.

“Channels of communication have been opened, I can confirm that; we are talking to them, and I think they are understanding the situation better. We believe that most of the information is a result of a lack of proper understanding of the diversity and complexity of the problem we have at hand,” he said.

The Minister also accused a proscribed separatist group of orchestrating a misinformation campaign against Nigeria through lobbyists based in the United States.

According to him, intelligence reports indicate that the group is exploiting lobbying networks in Washington to shape opinions and influence policy decisions.

“Let me also put it out there that we are seeing a direct connection between U.S. lobbyists and a proscribed terrorist organization in Nigeria. They have set up lobbying channels in the U.S., contacting high-level individuals to push narratives that misrepresent the reality in Nigeria,” Idris stated.

While acknowledging the country’s security challenges, Idris noted that the U.S. has long been a key ally in Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations and urged for renewed cooperation to sustain progress against insurgents.

“Yes, indeed, the situation is there, we have conflict in Nigeria, but in the past, the United States government has helped Nigerian authorities deal with this situation. So, we are calling on them to partner with us once again so we can have peace once and for all in our country,” he said.

The Minister further questioned the accuracy of some international data used to back claims of religious persecution in Nigeria, arguing that such information is unreliable and misrepresents the nation’s realities.

“Some of the assumptions are based on data that largely cannot stand any scientific scrutiny,” he noted.

Idris reiterated that Nigeria is a multi-faith country that upholds freedom of religion, stressing that the ongoing conflicts are not driven by religious intolerance.

He urged the global community to adopt a more balanced perspective on Nigeria’s situation, emphasizing the importance of understanding over misinterpretation.

At least 21 people have lost their lives after a vessel carrying undocumented migrants sank near Langkawi, a resort island close to the Malaysia border with Thailand.

Rescue teams are now on their third day of operations. Thirteen passengers have been pulled to safety, but dozens remain unaccounted for. Officials estimate roughly 70 individuals were aboard the boat.

Authorities believe those on board are part of a group of around 300 migrants, mostly Rohingya who departed Myanmar’s impoverished Rakhine state about two weeks ago.

Another vessel carrying approximately 230 people has not yet been located.

Maritime authorities in Malaysia anticipate that the search, which includes both sea and air patrols, could continue for up to seven days.

Officials confirmed that at least one of the recovered bodies belonged to a child.

Among the 13 survivors, 11 are Rohingya and two are from Bangladesh.

The Rohingya, a primarily Muslim ethnic minority in Myanmar, are stateless and denied citizenship by the government.

Since August 2017, a brutal military crackdown forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee into Bangladesh.

Conditions in refugee camps and poverty in Bangladesh have driven some to risk dangerous sea journeys on overcrowded boats bound for Malaysia, seen by many as a potential refuge in the region.

“People are dying in the fighting, dying from hunger. So some think it’s better to die at sea than to die slowly here,” a Rohingya refugee in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, had previously said.

Authorities report that migrants often pay more than $3,000 (£2,300) each for these perilous sea voyages.

These boats are typically overcrowded and lack basic necessities such as clean water and sanitation.

Not all vessels reach their intended destinations. Some passengers perish at sea, while others face detention or deportation upon arrival.

Occasionally, boats are turned away near Malaysia or Indonesia, either by local authorities or coastal communities. In January, two boats carrying around 300 refugees were refused entry, even after being provided food and water.

Since late 2023, over 150,000 Rohingya have arrived at refugee camps in Bangladesh, while hundreds of thousands more remain displaced globally, according to estimates.

The rights group emphasized that the recent tragedy “once again lays bare the deadly risks faced by Rohingya Muslims” attempting to escape persecution in Myanmar and deteriorating conditions in Bangladesh’s refugee settlements.

At least six lives have been claimed as a powerful typhoon tore through the Philippines, following closely on the heels of another storm that had already killed over 200 people.

“Super typhoon Fung-wong brought floods and landslides, which caused most of the deaths.” Entire regions lost electricity, and the storm eventually weakened to a standard typhoon.

Authorities evacuated over 1.4 million people before the storm made landfall. The system is now moving toward Taiwan, where more than 3,000 residents have been moved to safety.

Fung-wong marks the 21st typhoon to strike the Southeast Asian nation this year, striking at a time when many communities are still struggling to recover from consecutive disasters.

“Fung-wong, known locally as Uwan, slammed into Aurora province on Luzon Sunday night with sustained winds of around 185 km/h (115mph) and gusts of 230km/h.”

Earlier forecasts had warned of “high-risk of life-threatening” storm surges and powerful winds from the “very intense” typhoon.

In Cabanatuan, one of the hardest-hit areas, residents hurried to safeguard furniture and pets on Monday as floodwaters continued to rise, desperate to protect as much as possible.

Although Fung-wong’s winds were not among the strongest on record for the country, the storm unleashed torrential rains that destroyed or damaged roughly 4,100 homes.

“Cabanatuan resident Mercidita Adriano and her family had trimmed trees near their home last week to prepare for the storm.”

When the storm intensified, ten family members crammed into a single room, praying that their home would survive. “Part of their roof was torn off by the heavy rain.”

Many regions remain submerged, although water levels had begun to recede by Tuesday morning.

This disaster follows just days after another typhoon struck the same area, displacing tens of thousands, and comes after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook Cebu in September.

While the Philippines regularly experiences natural hazards, experts say this succession of events is “not routine.”

“It is a stark reminder of the escalating climate and seismic risks faced by vulnerable nations. Urgent support is needed to scale up relief efforts, prevent further loss of life and support the country as it recovers from this latest disaster,” it said.