Four individuals, including an alleged Afghan national believed to be the mastermind, were arrested in connection with a suicide bombing that killed over 30 people at a mosque in Pakistan on Friday, according to Pakistan's interior minister. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on the Shia mosque in the Tarlai area, which also injured more than 160 people.
The arrests followed raids where one counter-terrorism officer was killed and three others were wounded, as stated by the interior minister. The bombing occurred during Friday prayers when the mosque was filled with worshippers. Thousands gathered in Islamabad to mourn the victims of the attack.
In other news, former French Culture Minister Jack Lang is under preliminary investigation by financial crime prosecutors in France over his alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein. The investigation, which follows the release of the Epstein files by the US Department of Justice, is looking into suspected "laundering of tax fraud proceeds." Lang, 86, has denied any wrongdoing, describing the allegations as "baseless." He told AFP the investigation "will bring much light on to the accusations that are questioning my probity and
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the United States has proposed that Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams meet in the US, possibly in Miami, next week to discuss ending the war. Zelensky confirmed Ukraine's participation in the talks. According to BBC World, the US wants the war to end by June. There was no immediate comment from Washington or Moscow.
In the United States, former President Donald Trump stated he "didn't see" a racist clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes in a video he shared on social media. The clip, which was set to the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," was at the end of a 62-second video containing claims about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Trump said he had only seen the beginning of the video before it was posted by a staff member. He added he had not made a mistake when asked whether he was going to apologize.
Finally, Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is facing potential challenges from state lawmakers. Measures before the Virginia Legislature, in response to allegations of systemic racism at the institution, could potentially strip the oldest state-run military college in the nation of its independence.
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