At least 24 people have been killed in Pakistan while over 50 others are injured at the Quetta Railway Station after a suspected suicide bomber exploded when passengers were gathering for the departure of a train to Peshawar.

“Around 100 people were present at the railway station when the blast occurred. Till now, 24 people have been confirmed dead while over 50 are injured. The blast occurred on the platform as passengers gathered for the departure of Jaffar Express. The train was to depart from Quetta to Peshawar,” said Quetta Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Mohammad Baloch.

The injured have been taken to Civil Hospital Quetta, while the rescue and law enforcement teams reached the blast site and cordoned off the area.

An emergency has been declared at the hospital in Balochistan’s provincial capital Quetta. The Medical Superintendent at the Civil Hospital said that the dead included women and children.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to appoint Yechiel Leiter as Israel's Ambassador to the United States, according to a statement issued by Netanyahu's office.

Leiter, 65, has served in senior public service positions in Israel, including the deputy director-general of the Education Ministry, chief-of-staff in the Finance Ministry, and acting chairman of the Israel Ports Company, news agency reported.

"Leiter was born in the United States and is deeply familiar with the American administration and society," the statement said, calling him "a highly capable diplomat" and "an eloquent speaker" who "possesses a deep understanding of American culture and politics."

The Israeli Defence Ministry announced Thursday that it has signed a $5.2 billion deal with US-based Boeing to acquire 25 advanced F-15 fighter jets.

The ministry said in a statement that the deal is part of a broader aid package approved by the US administration and Congress earlier this year. The agreement includes an option for 25 additional aircraft.

The deal, finalised on Wednesday with the US administration and Boeing, involves the delivery of F-15IA fighter jets equipped with weapon systems integrated with Israeli weapons, enhanced range, and greater payload capacity.

"These advantages will enable the Israeli Air Force to maintain its strategic superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle East," the ministry said.

A three-year-old girl has filed a petition against the local government in Pakistan's Punjab as the province, especially its capital Lahore, continues to reel under the severe impact of smog, keeping the air quality in an extremely hazardous zone.

On Thursday morning, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Lahore stayed on top of the global rankings with levels crossing much above the 800-mark, making the air seriously dangerous for the residents.

As per the Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, Lahore has been on top of the cities with the world’s highest AQI. The levels have even exceeded the 1000-mark on many occasions.

The extended and prolonged bad weather has made it impossible for citizens to venture out of their homes. The hospitals too are getting filled up with people suffering from respiratory issues. The bad air quality has left thousands of citizens of the province vulnerable to respiratory diseases with the provincial government and doctors advising all to wear masks whenever they venture out of their homes.

An elderly woman was killed and three other people were injured in a crash involving a car that was allegedly stolen at gunpoint in Australia.

Police in the northeastern state of Queensland said in a statement that a 69-year-old woman died when an allegedly stolen blue Audi being driven by a 16-year-old boy crashed into her vehicle, north of the state capital of Brisbane on Thursday morning.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the crash in Murrumba Downs, approximately 20 km north of central Brisbane, at about 9.45 a.m. local time.

Police officers and paramedics commenced CPR on the 69-year-old woman but were unable to revive her, and she was pronounced dead at the scene

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday said it has approved financing of up to almost $1.7 billion to help build a climate-resilient 37.5 km expressway along the Philippines' biggest lake to promote regional connectivity.

The Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project (LLRN) aims to provide the most resilient road link within the southern Manila transport corridor and cut peak hour travel time between Taguig City in Metro Manila and Calamba City in Laguna province by 25 per cent, news agency reported.

A roadside bomb, that exploded near a vehicle of security forces, killed at least four officers on the spot and injured several others in Pakistan's restive North Waziristan, Pakistani security agencies said on Thursday.

In another incident, two school children lost their lives after a mortar fired by insurgents landed near a road in the Tirah valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been targeting Pakistani security forces and law enforcement agencies in the region though no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, so far.

The TTP, it is believed, got a new lease of life after the return of the Taliban regime in neighbouring Afghanistan. The group's top commanders have been released from Afghanistan jails, allowing it to reorganise and regroup along the bordering areas with Pakistan while carrying out attacks on the Pakistani security agencies.

A dangerously fast wildfire fanned by fierce winds was burning out of control in California, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate.

The mountain fire occurred on Wednesday morning at Moorpark of Ventura County, 60 km northwest of Los Angeles, and has swept across more than 10,400 acres by afternoon, Ventura County Fire Department said, noting the flames have reached a suburb of the city of Camarillo, home to around 70,000 people.

Evacuation orders have been issued for more than 10,000 people so far as the wildfire threatened 3,500 structures in suburban communities, ranches and agricultural areas around Camarillo, said California Governor Gavin Newsom in a statement.

Border security forces of Iran and Pakistan conducted a joint operation along the Pak-Afghan border in Sistan and Baluchestan province, aimed at targetting "Afghan and Tajik militants".

The Iranian authorities maintain that the joint military operation conducted in Rasik, Chabahar and Parwad areas resulted in the killing of at least 18 Afghan-Tajik suicide bombers.

"The militants entered into Iran from Pakistan disguised as oil tanker owners," said Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

On the other hand, certain reports suggested that the killed militants could be smugglers. The Khorasan Diary, a Pakistan-based think tank keeping a close eye on militancy in the region and along the borders of Pakistan, stated that the joint operation by Pakistan and Iran was not against militants, but smugglers.

Mount Marapi in Indonesia's West Sumatra province erupted on Thursday morning, sending a column of ash up to 800 metres into the air, according to the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre.

The eruption occurred at 8.54 a.m. Jakarta time, with ash dispersing to the east and northeast of the crater, news agency reported.

Residents have been warned to avoid activities within a 4.5-kilometre radius of the crater. Those living along rivers that originate on the volcano's slopes are advised to stay alert for possible lava flows during heavy rains.