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Blast in Syria’s Idlib kills two, injures dozens amid ongoing instability

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At least two people were killed and more than 70 injured in a powerful explosion in the northern countryside of Idlib province on Thursday, according to Syria’s state news agency (SANA).

The blast struck the town of Maarrat Misrin, with its cause still under investigation.

Raed Al-Saleh, Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, said civil defence teams rushed to the scene, where they faced difficult rescue conditions due to ongoing secondary explosions.

“Evacuation and rescue operations are underway, but responders are working under dangerous and complex circumstances,” he wrote in a post on X, warning residents to stay away from the area.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion so far, and local officials have yet to confirm whether the incident was an accident or an attack.

Idlib province, located in northwestern Syria near the Turkish border, remains the last major opposition stronghold in the country. It is largely controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate.

Thursday’s explosion adds to the region’s instability and highlights the ongoing risk to civilians in a province where fragile ceasefires can be broken at any moment, and where the presence of armed groups and unexploded ordnance continues to pose deadly threats.

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Three killed, two injured in shooting at Idaho shopping center

Authorities said at least two other people were wounded and transported for medical treatment. Their conditions were not immediately released.

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Three people, including the suspected gunman, were killed and at least two others were injured after a shooting at a busy shopping area in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday, local authorities said.

The incident occurred at around 2:30 p.m. local time near an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in a high-traffic commercial district, according to Josh Palmer, the city’s public information coordinator.

Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said the suspected shooter was among the dead and confirmed that the threat to the community had been eliminated.

“At this point, the shooter is no longer a threat,” Hicks told reporters, adding that investigators are working to identify the suspect and determine a motive for the attack.

Authorities said at least two other people were wounded and transported for medical treatment. Their conditions were not immediately released.

Following the shooting, the Twin Falls Police Department temporarily closed roads surrounding the scene, including a nearby bridge, as officers secured the area and launched an investigation.

Twin Falls, with a population of about 47,400, is located in Idaho’s Magic Valley region.

Police have not yet released additional details about the victims or the circumstances surrounding the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.

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Saar: Trade shifts from Pakistan to Central Asia and Iran discussed

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US to make visa bond program permanent for people from dozens of countries

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The U.S. State Department will make permanent a visa bond program ‌that could require applicants from 50 countries, mostly from Africa, to post bonds of up to $20,000 when seeking U.S. visas, according to a federal noticeposted online on Friday.

The Federal Register notice applies ​to B1 and B2 visas, which are issued for business and tourism ​travel.

“Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post ⁠a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined ​by the consular officers,” the notice said.

“The 2025 visa bond pilot, which provided a ​framework for the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of the Treasury to assess the feasibility of administering a visa bond program, has provided sufficient ​data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for ​enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.”

In the pilot program, consular officers could require bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or up ‌to $15,000. ⁠The final rule eliminates the $5,000 option and raises the maximum bond to $20,000.

The final rule goes into effect on August 3 when it is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register. In the list of 50 countries for whose citizens this program applies, ​30 are from ​Africa.

U.S. officials say the ⁠policy is intended to reduce visa overstays. Immigration advocates argue it will deter legitimate travel to the United States.

Rights advocates say ​President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown violates free speech and due ​process, while creating ⁠an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities and encouraging racial profiling. Trump has defended the measures as necessary to bolster national security.

While Trump says he wants to curb illegal immigration, his ⁠administration ​has made legal immigration more difficult, for example, ​by imposing new and expensive fees for applicants of certain visas and by enforcing social media vetting for applicants ​and immigrants already in the country.

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