9 dead in blast on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan

Today’s headlines: A Jordanian priest popular among young Palestinians has been expelled by Israel from the West Bank; The Cambodian Parliament has approved the introduction of compulsory military service for men aged between 18 and 25; In Thailand, the largest seizure of smuggled ivory in recent years; The Georgian Orthodox Church has elected the new Patriarch Sio III.

PAKISTAN

An explosion at a market in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, has left at least nine people dead and over 20 injured. The blast occurred in the town of Sarai Naurang, in the Lakki Marwat district. The victims include two police officers. The authorities have not yet clarified the nature of the explosion and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. In recent years, this region of Pakistan has seen an increase in militant attacks, often attributed to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, the Islamist group which Islamabad claims is based in neighbouring Afghanistan.

PALESTINE-ISRAEL

Fr Louis Salman, a Jordanian priest well known among young Palestinian Christians, has been forced to leave the West Bank after Israeli authorities refused to renew his visa. Fr Salman, who had served as parish priest in Beit Sahour, reportedly underwent a lengthy interrogation by Israeli security services before being ordered to leave the country by 11 May. Israel reportedly justified the decision on the basis of public statements in which he described Israel as an “occupying power”. Fr Louis gained international prominence in 2022 when he led the funeral services in Jenin and Jerusalem for the Palestinian Christian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera correspondent killed by Israeli troops.

MALAYSIA

A boat carrying 37 migrants, believed to be Indonesian, has sunk off the island of Pangkor, on Malaysia’s west coast. Maritime authorities reported that 23 people were rescued, whilst 14 remain missing. The alarm was raised by a local fisherman who found the survivors at sea. According to preliminary investigations, the group had set off from Kisaran, in Indonesia, on 9 May, bound for various Malaysian cities.

CAMBODIA

The Cambodian Parliament has unanimously approved a new law introducing compulsory military service. The 114 MPs present, including Prime Minister Hun Manet, supported the measure to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities. The law provides for two years of compulsory service for men aged between 18 and 25, whilst participation remains voluntary for women. After completing their service, citizens will join the military reserve until the age of 45. The law also applies to dual nationals residing in the country. Those who evade the obligation face up to five years in prison and fines.

THAILAND

Thai police have announced the largest seizure of smuggled ivory in the last ten years. Nine people have been arrested on charges of attempting to sell 250 kilograms of African elephant tusks via Facebook. The ivory, with an estimated value of around 0,000, had been illegally shipped from Africa by sea. The arrests and seizures took place on Thursday across seven provinces in Thailand. The country remains a major transit hub for the illegal trade in protected animals and their parts destined for the Asian black market.

INDIA

India’s National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the cancellation of the NEET 2026 exam, the main national test for admission to university medical courses, which took place on 3 May. It will be rescheduled for a date to be confirmed. The decision was taken following reports of alleged irregularities that emerged during investigations by the Rajasthan police and central agencies. According to the NTA, the examination process can no longer be considered valid and credible. It had previously assured that it had implemented advanced security measures, including tracked transport of the test papers and video surveillance using artificial intelligence.

GEORGIA

In Tbilisi, the Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church elected the new Patriarch Šio III (Mudžiri), chosen by the 39 senior prelates, following synodal proceedings attended by over 1,200 members of the clergy and male and female monastic communities, with a solemn celebration in memory of the late Ilja II and gatherings to hear the speeches of the three candidates. According to reports, the current patriarchal regent was chosen from among them.

TURKMENISTAN

The President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, presided over the launch of the first container ship, the Gadamly, at the Balkan shipyard in Turkmenbaši, in the Balkan velayat. The vessel was built by Turkmen specialists in collaboration with South Korean experts. Designed for dry cargo, it can carry over 6,000 tonnes of cargo comprising 240 twenty-foot containers. It has been announced that another similar vessel, the Menzil, will soon be built.

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