Citing the Brazilian press, Spanish news agency EFE reports that five armed men stole a truck carrying nearly 2.4 tons of explosives in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Wednesday (9/1).

A suspected suicide bomber attacked a pro-Palestinian rally being conducted by Shiite Muslims in southwestern Pakistan today, killing more than 50 people and injuring dozens more.

A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand's southern island early Saturday morning local time. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake's magnitude at 7.0 and placed the epicenter about 35 miles WNW of Christchurch. There are reports of extensive damage.

Israel and the Palestine Authority (PA) open direct peace talks today (9/2) in Washington, DC. These are the first face-to-face meetings in nearly two years.

While Israeli and PA leaders are back at the negotiating table, some of their followers are doing everything they can to keep the violence going. On the Israeli side, settlers announced new construction in the West Bank. And on the Palestine side, Hamas has promised more attacks on Israel.

The U.S. announced a few legal actions against the Pakistani Taliban, aka Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), on Wednesday (9/1).

First, the U.S. Justice Department charged Hakimullah Mehsud, the self-proclaimed emir of the Pakistani Taliban, for his alleged involvement in the murder of seven CIA agents on Dec. 30, 2009 at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan.

Second, through the Rewards for Justice program, a $5 million reward is being offered for information leading to Mehsud's capture, and another $5 million is offered for the apprehension of Wali Ur Rehman, another Taliban leader.

Lastly, the State Department designated TTP as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

The U.S. State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs has issued the following Travel Alert for India ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in New Delhi in October to provide U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in India with information pertaining to safety and security issues.

From U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs:

At least three coordinated bombs exploded during a Shiite religious procession in Lahore, Pakistan today (9/1).

It isn't clear exactly how many people were killed by the suspected suicide blasts. Pakistan's Dawn reports authorities say 6 are dead and at least 80 more wounded, but CNN's report puts the death toll much hire at 22, with nearly 200 wounded.

Today, September 1st, is the sixth anniversary of the beginning of the Beslan school hostage crisis in Russia's North Ossetia-Alania Republic.

The mass hostage-taking incident ended with more than 300 people killed by both the Chechen separatist hostage-takers, and the Russian security forces who stormed the school.