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Somalia Bombings: Casualties cross 500 mark in worst terror attacks

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]US, Somalia continue targeting Al-Shabab terror group

President of Somalia has declared three days of national mourning and urged citizens to help those affected in the Saturday’s bombings in the capital Mogadishu killing at least 276 people and injuring over 300 others.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed,  posted a twitter message early Sunday, “We will observe three days of mourning for innocent victims, flags will be flown at half-mast. Time to unite and pray together. Terror won’t win.”

He also made appeal to the residents to help those affected by the attack. “I call on our citizens to come out, extend help, donate blood and comfort the bereaved. Let’s get through this together,” Mohamed said.

President Mohamed, a Somali-American, considered to be very close to US administration, had declared new offensive against the extremist group Al-Shabab earlier in April this year.

Meanwhile Abdirahman Osman, the Information Minister said on his twitter post that around 300 others were also wounded in the powerful explosion at a busy road junction. Destroying nearby homes and businesses and turned vehicles into burned wrecks.

Osman called the attack “barbaric” and said that number of countries including Turkey, Ethiopia and Kenya had already offered to provide medical assistance.

This was the deadliest blast in modern history of the country. The number of the casualties may rise as the rescuers continue to pull more bodies from the rubble, the information ministry said.

The first truck explosion destroyed dozens of stalls and the popular Safari Hotel in the heart of the city. The truck was reportedly packed with several hundred kilograms of military-grade and homemade explosives.

Sources close to Somalia government claimed that the truck had been stopped at a checkpoint and was about to be searched when the driver suddenly accelerated. It crashed into a barrier, and then exploded. This ignited a fuel tanker which was stationary nearby, multiplying the damages. It was considered to be aimed at Somalia’s foreign ministry.

According to Colonel Ahmed Hassan of Mogadishu police, the security forces had been tipped off about the vehicle carrying explosives and were pursuing it in the busy K5 district of the city when the explosion took place. The K5 district hosts several government buildings, restaurants and hotels.

Within two hours of the truck explosion, a suicide car explosion occurred in Madina district of the capital.

No group has claimed responsibility of the attacks so far. However, earlier this year Al-Shabab terror group had vowed to escalate attacks after both the Trump administration and Somalia’s recently elected president announced new military effort against the group.

The Al-Shabab, an Al-Qaeda linked terror group since 2011, follows Saudi propounded Wahabi ideology. It has carried out several deadly car bomb attacks in the city. In recent months, Al-Shabab has escalated its attacks in an effort to destabilise the new government of Mohamed.

The terror group had caused alarm in February 2016 when it claimed responsibility for the bombing of an airliner that made emergency landing with a gaping hole in the fuselage shortly after taking off from Mogadishu.

Mogadishu Mayor Thabit Abdi Mohammed went to the hospital for donating blood and appealed to all Somali people to come forward to donate blood. “I call on the Somali people to visit the city’s hospitals and donate blood. Please, come to the rescue of your brothers,” he said.

Several foreign missions in the vicinity were affected. Qatar Embassy was partly damaged, while its charg d’affairs suffered minor injuries. British ambassador to Somalia David Concar tweeted that the blast was audible from inside British Embassy.

Meanwhile Micheal Keating, special representative of the UN secretary general for Somalia, said he was appalled by the death toll and the scope of destruction. “The perpetrators struck a densely populated neighborhood of Mogadishu. They have killed an unprecedented number of civilians. It is a revolting attack both in terms of its intent and impact,” he said.

The attack came 48 hours after the resignations of the defence minister and country’s army chief without offering any explanation. Moreover US Africa command was in Mogadishu to meet Somalia’s president just two days before the bombings.

President Donald Trump has recently approved an expanded military role in Somalia which includes carrying out more aggressive airstrikes against Al-Shabab and considering parts of southern Somalia areas of active hostilities.

US military has stepped up drone strikes and other efforts this year against Al-Shabab. A US special force operative was killed in skirmish with the group earlier this year.

In April this year, The US military sent dozens of regular troops to Somalia, being the largest deployment in the country in two decades. It was reported that 40 troops were engaged to impart training to Somalia’s army.

In 1993, US had pulled out of Somalia, when two helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu. The bodies of the slain US soldiers were dragged through the streets.

Mogadishu, the Somalian capital which happens to be a large city on the east African coast, has witnessed high level of violence for years.

According to recent UN report, more than 3.1 million people in Somalia are threatened by famine because of the food shortages and violence.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns amid affair scandal, Colette Kress takes over

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned amid an affair-related controversy. The company’s CFO, Colette Kress, will serve as interim CEO while the board looks for a permanent successor.

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned from his position, marking a major leadership change at the world’s leading artificial intelligence chipmaker. The company’s board has appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while it begins the process of finding a permanent successor.

The development comes amid controversy surrounding reports of Huang’s alleged extramarital relationships, including one involving a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US authorities of having links to espionage activities.

Huang’s departure comes after more than three decades at the helm of Nvidia, the company he co-founded in 1993. His leadership helped transform the business from a graphics chip manufacturer into a dominant supplier of processors powering the global artificial intelligence industry.

Colette Kress appointed interim Nvidia CEO

Following Huang’s resignation, Nvidia’s board appointed Colette Kress as interim chief executive officer.

Kress, who has served as Nvidia’s executive vice president and CFO since September 2013, will continue to hold the finance portfolio alongside her interim leadership responsibilities until a permanent successor is appointed.

Before joining Nvidia, she spent nearly 25 years working in finance roles at major technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft.

The board has said it will consider both internal and external candidates as part of its search for a permanent CEO.

Nvidia has also appointed Harvey C. Jones as the company’s first-ever chairman of the board.

Affair controversy surrounding Jensen Huang

Huang’s resignation follows a series of reports about alleged extramarital relationships that have raised questions about his position at the company.

One of the controversies involves Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whom US intelligence agencies reportedly suspect of involvement in facilitating shipments of Nvidia chips to Chinese companies.

Another report alleged that Huang had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reportedly worked under him.

Huang had earlier acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to Nvidia employees, taking responsibility for his actions and apologising to his family and colleagues.

The company’s board had also initiated an independent investigation into whether Huang had been targeted as part of a foreign intelligence operation.

Jensen Huang’s departure marks a major change for Nvidia

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 alongside Curtis Priem and Chris Malachowsky. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a graphics processing unit manufacturer primarily associated with gaming into a central player in the global AI industry.

Nvidia’s processors have become critical to companies developing and operating artificial intelligence systems, making the company one of the most influential businesses in the technology sector.

His departure also comes at a crucial time for Nvidia, with investors closely watching the company’s leadership transition and its ability to maintain its position in the rapidly expanding AI market.

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India, Canada discuss trade pact to boost bilateral commerce

India and Canada discussed advancing negotiations on a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at expanding trade, investment and market access between the two countries.

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India and Canada discussed advancing negotiations on a proposed trade agreement as the two countries seek to strengthen their economic and commercial ties.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, who is leading a Canadian delegation to India. The discussions focused on advancing negotiations for the proposed India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The proposed pact is aimed at creating greater market access and opening up new opportunities for trade and investment between the two countries.

India-Canada CEPA talks

Both sides discussed the importance of a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement that can make use of the complementary strengths of the two economies.

The discussions also focused on deepening commercial engagement and creating new opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Goyal said the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to taking the India-Canada economic partnership to a higher level, with CEPA serving as a catalyst for deeper commercial engagement.

India and Canada are working towards concluding the CEPA negotiations by the end of 2026.

India-Canada trade

The proposed CEPA is aimed at improving market access and creating opportunities across sectors while strengthening the broader economic relationship between India and Canada.

The agreement is expected to provide greater opportunities for businesses in both countries and support deeper trade and investment ties.

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White House put on temporary lockdown after car crashes into signpost

The White House was temporarily placed under lockdown after a car crashed into a signpost near Lafayette Square in Washington, DC. The driver was detained after a confrontation with security personnel.

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The White House was placed under a temporary lockdown on Monday after a car crashed into a signpost at Lafayette Square near the presidential residence in Washington, DC.

The incident triggered a security response in the area, with the US Secret Service directing members of the White House press corps to move indoors and remain there temporarily.

Driver detained after confrontation with security personnel

The driver was detained following a confrontation with Secret Service officers and National Guard personnel, according to reports.

Video footage showed a silver sedan on the paved area at the northern end of Lafayette Square after striking a signpost. Smoke was also seen coming from the vehicle.

Authorities had not immediately disclosed the driver’s identity or established what led to the crash.

White House security restrictions imposed

The security response prompted temporary restrictions around the White House. The incident occurred at Lafayette Square, which is directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the presidential complex.

At around 10 am local time, Secret Service personnel instructed White House journalists to move indoors while security personnel dealt with the incident.

The White House was under the security restriction while President Donald Trump was at the premises, according to reports.

Motive behind crash remains unclear

It was not immediately known whether the crash was accidental or deliberate. Authorities had also not immediately confirmed whether anyone was injured.

The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the driver’s identity and possible motive, remained under investigation.

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