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Malian president’s chief of staff, three others killed in ambush

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EU Mission troops pictured during a shooting class at a training compound on March 10, 2017 in Koulikoro, Mali where the interim president's chief of staff was one of four murdered people (pic Aljazeera)

The chief of staff for Mali’s interim president, Oumar Traore, and three others have been killed in an ambush, the government said on Thursday.

The ambush took place in the rural area of Nara in Mali’s southwestern Koulikoro region, the statement said, without providing further detail on when the attack occurred or who was responsible for it. A driver who was travelling with the delegation is still missing, it added.

Mali is one of several West African countries battling armed groups during the past decade.

(Aljazeera)



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Monty the giant schnauzer wins Best in Show

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A giant schnauzer named Monty was crowned Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Tuesday, the most prestigious dog show in the US.

After reaching the final three years in a row, Monty beat more than 2,500 canines to become the first giant schnauzer to take home the show’s top prize.

“The puppy did the damn thing,” Monty’s owner Katie Bernardin said in the event televised from New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

The dog club is the oldest in the US dedicated to showing dogs, with its annual show – now in its 149th year – the second-longest sporting event held in the US after the Kentucky Derby.

The winners of each of the 200 competing breeds advance to compete for one of seven group titles, with each group winner then moving to the finals.

After two years of winning the Working Group, but failing to secure the overall prize, the five-year-old male with an all-black coat finally came out on top.

He gave the Working Group of breeds its first winner since 2004.

Judge Paula Nykiel, who is a dog breeder and owner-handler, chose Monty as Best in Show after he stood out in the preliminary events during the three-day competition.

When choosing a winner, judges also consider the breed’s ideal standard, and examine its body and mouth.

Among the more than 2,500 Monty beat from across the country, was nine-year-old Bourbon, who snapped up runner-up – or Reserve Best as they are known in the show.

The whippet came out of retirement for the event, and claimed Reserve Best for the third time.

Other finalists this year included Comet the shih tzu, Mercedes the German shepherd and Neal the bichon frise.

In 2024, a female miniature poodle won Best in Show.

[BBC]

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Israel says Gaza ceasefire will end if Hamas does not free hostages by Saturday

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The Israeli military said was sending reinforcements, including reservists, to southern Israel (BBC)

Israel’s prime minister has warned Hamas it will end the ceasefire in Gaza and resume intense fighting if the Palestinian group “does not return our hostages by Saturday noon”.

Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered Israeli forces to amass inside and around Gaza in response to Hamas’s announcement that it was postponing freeing more hostages until further notice.

Netanyahu did not specify whether he was demanding the release of all 76 remaining hostages, or just the three due to be freed this Saturday – but a minister said he meant “everyone”.

On Monday, Hamas accused Israel of violating the three-week-old ceasefire deal, including by blocking vital humanitarian aid – a claim Israel has denied.

The group’s decision to delay this weekend’s scheduled release prompted US President Donald Trump to propose that Israel cancel the agreement altogether and “let hell break out” unless “all of the hostages” were returned by Saturday.

(BBC)

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Bomb blast kills at least five in Afghanistan

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A map showing Kunduz in northeast Afghanistan [Al Jazeera]

A bomb blast has killed at least five people and wounded seven in northeastern Afghanistan, local police report.

The blast took place at 8:35am (04:05 GMT) on Tuesday near a Kabul Bank branch in Kunduz province. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast yet.

The bank’s security guard and four others, including civilians and members of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban group, were among those killed, police said.

“A suicide bomber, who had improvised explosive devices, detonated himself,” Jumadin Khaksar, spokesman for Kunduz province police, noted.  “The Kunduz province police command is working with relevant organisations to find the perpetrators of the incident and bring them to justice,” he added.

The number of bomb blasts and suicide attacks in Afghanistan has markedly declined since the United States withdrew its forces and the government it backed was ousted by the Taliban in August 2021.

However, many armed groups – including ISIL (ISIS) – remain a threat.

Dozens of people were killed in a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Kunduz in October 2021, with the ISIL affiliate in Khorasan Province (ISKP) claiming responsibility.

In March last year, a suicide bomber killed at least three people when he detonated a bomb outside a bank in the southern city of Kandahar, in an attack claimed by the regional chapter of the ISIL.

Despite the ongoing attacks, the Taliban authorities say they have mostly crushed the group.

[Aljazeera]

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