The bombing in a Baghdad shopping district killed more than 320 people and was one of the world’s deadliest attacks after the September 11 assaults on the United States.

Former Mayo Clinic researcher Muhammad Masood, who was arrested by the FBI in 2020, pleaded guilty a year ago in Minnesota to attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation.

West African military chiefs said they were ready for an armed intervention in Niger after a coup ousted President Mohamed Bazoum last month, but a diplomatic mission was possible over the weekend to keep talks open.

The ambush is a sign of possible escalation, as militant factions move into the security void caused by the overthrow of the country’s democratic government.

If convicted, Mohamed Bazoum – who is accused of undermining state security – could face the death penalty, according to Niger’s penal code.

The Chinese embassy said it ‘strongly condemns this terrorist act,’ urging authorities to punish the perpetrators. There were no Chinese casualties as a result of the attack in the port city of Gwadar, the embassy said.

‘One person has been killed and eight others wounded in the attack,’ official news agency IRNA reported, quoting deputy Fars governor Esmail Ghezel Sofla. Earlier, IRNA said four people were killed but has retracted the initial report.

But the risk of sanctions and security factors mean Chinese companies are still reluctant to invest in Afghanistan, says academic.

Ten days into a coup in Niger, life has become more challenging for US forces at a counterterrorism base in a region of West Africa known as the world’s epicentre of terrorism.

Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi is the fourth Isis head to be killed since the group was founded.

‘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,’ Islamic State’s Amaq agency said on Telegram.

Officials said initial investigations suggested Islamic State could be behind the attack, and officers were still investigating. The explosion coincides with a visit to the country by a senior delegation of Chinese officials.

The incident was a significant escalation in what has been a recent string of encounters between the two superpowers’ aircraft in the region, a US official says.

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met Bashar al-Assad, who said the visit would mark a ‘practical leap’ in ties between the countries.

The US military said in a statement that Friday’s encounter lasted for about two hours during which three MQ-9 drones were ‘once again harassed’ by Russian fighter aircraft while flying over Syria.

Russian warplanes ‘harassed’ three American drones over Syria on Wednesday while they were taking part in a mission against jihadists, a US commander said.

The court said the defendant ’s husband brought the young Kurdish woman to their home and regularly raped her, and that the defendant was aware of that.

Africa takes the spotlight as the United Nations hosts a high-level conference of heads of counterterrorism agencies.

Mali’s unexpected demand for the departure of UN peacekeepers has raised fears the West African country could slide deeper into chaos amid an Islamist insurgency.

Central Command, which oversees US troops in the Middle East, said no enemy fire was reported but added that the cause of the incident was under investigation.

Decision comes after Chinese foreign ministry’s external security affairs chief holds first such meeting with Iranian and Pakistani counterparts in Beijing.

Farajollah Cha’ab was a leader of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz and was accused of masterminding a 2018 attack on a military parade.

Turkey’s president said Abu Hussein al-Qurashi was ‘neutralised as part of an operation’ by Turkey’s MIT intelligence agency.

Alleged Isis mastermind was behind the 2021 bomb attack that killed more than 170 Afghans and 13 US soldiers during the international military evacuations from Afghanistan.

Families, survivors urge ‘deserving punishment’ for perpetrators, as evidence suggest authorities had intelligence on potential attacks at least two weeks in advance.

Khalid Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri was responsible for planning Islamic State attacks in Europe and developed the leadership structure for the group, a US Central Command statement said.