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page 34 PAKISTAN Suicide bomber kills 65 in Pakistan park A suicide bomber killed at least 65 people and injured more than 280 others, mostly women and children, at a public park in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday, striking at the heart of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s political base of Punjab. The blast […]

page 34

PAKISTAN

Suicide bomber kills 65 in Pakistan park

A suicide bomber killed at least 65 people and injured more than 280 others, mostly women and children, at a public park in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday, striking at the heart of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s political base of Punjab.

The blast occurred in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, a few feet away from children’s swings.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred in a busy residential area during the Easter holiday weekend. Police said it was not clear whether the attack had deliberately targeted mainly Muslim Pakistan’s small Christian minority.

Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people, is plagued by a Taliban insurgency, criminal gangs and sectarian violence. Punjab is its biggest and wealthiest province.

VATICAN CITY

Use ‘weapons of love’ to fight evil of terrorism, pope says on Easter

Pope Francis urged the world in his Easter message on Sunday to use the “weapons of love” to combat the evil of “blind and brutal violence”, following the attacks in Brussels.

After a week of somber religious events commemorating Jesus’ death, Francis said an Easter Sunday Mass under tight security for tens of thousands of people in a sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square.

Afterwards, in his traditional, twice-yearly “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message, he spoke of violence, injustice and threats to peace in many parts of the world.

He mentioned recent attacks in Belgium, where at least 31 people were killed by Islamist militants, as well as those in Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Iraq.

BELGIUM

Brussels attacks: Police move against ‘hooligan’ protesters

Belgian police fired water cannon to disperse a large group of demonstrators who stormed a central Brussels square.

They invaded the Place de la Bourse as people paid tribute at a makeshift memorial for victims of last Tuesday’s deadly attacks.

Riot police intervened to try to restore order after the group confronted Muslim women in the crowds, made Nazi salutes and chanted.

The attacks at Brussels airport and on the metro killed 31 people.

A “march against fear” planned for Sunday was called off after the authorities said it would strain police resources for the investigation.

Belgian police also carried out 13 new raids and took more people in for questioning on Sunday as part of investigations into the attacks.

SYRIA

Assad hails Palmyra recapture from IS

President Bashar al-Assad has hailed the recapture of Palmyra from so-called Islamic State (IS) as an “important achievement” in the “war on terrorism”.

A monitoring group has backed the Syrian government’s claim that the city was recaptured overnight by the army.

Military sources say the Syrian army now has “full control”. It had been gaining ground for several days, supported by Russian air strikes.

President Assad said this showed the success of the army’s strategy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mr Assad, a Kremlin spokesman said.

The Kremlin said President Assad knew the Palmyra operation “would have been impossible without Russia’s support”.

Palmyra is situated in a strategically important area on the road between the capital, Damascus, and the contested eastern city of Deir al-Zour.

UNITED STATES

US 2016: Sanders wins Washington, Alaska and Hawaii

Bernie Sanders has swept to victory over Hillary Clinton in all three states that voted for the Democratic presidential nominee on Saturday.

The biggest prize was Washington State, but Mr Sanders also won in Alaska and Hawaii, boosting his campaign. He took at least 70% of the vote in all three states.

Mr Sanders thanked his supporters and said his “campaign has the momentum”, but he still faces a tough task to overhaul Mrs Clinton.

After Saturday’s caucuses, she leads Mr Sanders by 1,243 delegates to 975, the Associated Press count shows.

When superdelegates – party officials who can support either candidate – who have so far declared their allegiance are included, Mrs Clinton is ahead by 1,712 to 1,004 in the race to reach 2,383 delegates.

IRAN

Iran hopes for talks with Saudis to resolve differences

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says his country is ready to “do anything it can” to restore its relations with Saudi Arabia, for the sake of promoting progress and prosperity in the Muslim world.

Rouhani, who wound up a two-day visit to Pakistan, said he believes in resolving differences through talks, although direct talks between the two nations are unlikely in the short term.

Saudi Arabia broke off relations with Iran in January, when mobs stormed into the kingdom’s embassy in Tehran to protest against the Saudis’ execution of a Shi’ite religious leader.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Rouhani said Iran is “not interested in tension with Saudi Arabia.”

“Iran is a very big country in the region and the Muslim world,” he said. “Saudi Arabia plays an influential role in the Muslim world. Therefore, if there is a problem between the two countries it has to be resolved.”

MALAYSIA

Opponents of Malaysian PM join hands to oust him

Leaders from across Malaysia’s political spectrum and hundreds of their supporters led by former long-time Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad have rallied in Kuala Lumpur, calling for the removal of the current Prime Minister over a $700 corruption scandal.

Opponents of Najib Razak said on Sunday that they plan to petition the country’s Islamic royalty seeking the removal of scandal-plagued prime minister, who has been mired into graft allegations to the tune of $700.

“(Najib’s) leadership undermines the very existence of our institutions,” said the 90-year-old Mahathir, who dominated Malaysia as prime minister for 22 years before retiring in 2003.

The highly unusual grouping of heavyweights from both from the ruling party and the opposition groups was formed in early March, when it issued a call to “save” Malaysia from disaster by removing Najib.

MYANMAR

Myanmar army vows to keep ‘leading role’ in politics

Myanmar’s commander-in-chief of the armed forces has stressed that there is a “need” for the military to remain a political force, just days before an elected government is set to take power for the first time in 56 years.

Senior general Min Aung Hlaing, making an Armed Forces Day speech in the capital, Naypyidaw, on Sunday, reasserted the military’s belief that it is the country’s sole unifying force and protector of the constitution.

Though the military had “cooperated with the government and the people”, to hold a historic general election in November, which was won by the party of former opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, it was not yet time to step away from the political arena, he said.

GREECE

Migrants protest to be let through Greek-Macedonian border

Hundreds of migrants stranded at a makeshift Greek camp protested near the border with Macedonia on Sunday, demanding that the border be opened as they clung to hopes of making it into Europe despite new EU moves to send some refugees back.

Around 50,000 migrants and refugees remain trapped in Greece after a domino of border closures by countries along the Balkan route has prevented them from continuing their journey into wealthier European countries. Many live in squalid conditions in tents near the town of Idomeni at the border with Macedonia.

Some 400 protesters gathered at the camp on Sunday, waving white napkins and holding signs that read “open the border”.

BANGLADESH

Top Bangladesh court convicts ministers for contempt

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court Sunday found two ministers guilty of contempt after they criticised the country’s chief justice, casting doubt on their future in the cabinet.

It fined the two lawmakers 50,000 taka ($625) each, with seven days in prison if they fail to pay the penalty.

Food Affairs Minister Qamrul Islam and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haq had publicly criticised Chief Justice SK Sinha earlier this month.

They asked him to step aside from an appeal case involving a top Islamist leader sentenced to death for war crimes.

The court said their remarks were tantamount to intervention in the judiciary.