More than 50 co-ordinated arson and incendiary attacks “aimed at creating unrest” have been carried out across Thailand’s insurgency-hit south, the Thai military has said. At least two people were injured, with a local government office building, a convenience store, and a stolen vehicle among the targets set on fire. The incidents took place across the country’s southern border provinces between 20:00 local time (13:00 GMT) and midnight on Saturday, the military’s Internal Security Operations Command said in a statement. Most were reported in Narathiwat province, with others occurring in neighbouring Yala and Pattani. According to the Bangkok Post, two…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
The Democratic Republic of Congo government and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group have agreed a roadmap for peace talks. In a joint statement after five days of talks in Switzerland, they said they had pledged to “pursue negotiations towards comprehensive peace and conflict resolution” and set up a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire. The roadmap sets out a timeline for talks under a US-brokered peace framework which they signed in 2025 – only for fighting to then continue in eastern DR Congo, which has been engulfed in conflict for decades. But disagreements remain over issues including sanctions against M23, the…
The Government has stepped up investigations into the deaths of 18 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem, with preliminary laboratory findings pointing to the possible involvement of a toxic substance. Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said the first 15 elephant deaths were recorded between June 24 and July 24, 2026, prompting the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), security agencies, investigators and scientific institutions to launch a multi-agency inquiry. The investigation has since expanded following the deaths of three additional elephants, bringing the total number of reported deaths to 18. Ms Miano said comprehensive field investigations, laboratory analysis and environmental sampling…
The editor-in-chief of US military newspaper Stars and Stripes has told the BBC of his concern over censorship a day after being dismissed by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for “insubordination”. “This is a time when we really need to hear what’s happening,” Erik Slavin said, adding that Pentagon officials appeared to be “less and less inclined to speak on the record”. Slavin says he believes he was fired for having stated in an interview that “in a hypothetical situation, censorship would be a red line”. A reporter and the paper’s publisher were also sacked. The Pentagon told the…
Seven people including two police officers have been killed in a crash with a car driving the wrong way down a dual-carriageway following a pursuit. A Volkswagen Passat with five occupants said to be in their late teens struck an oncoming marked Cleveland Police vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough at about 03:39 BST. The BBC understands a pursuit of the car had been called off before the crash, with the police vehicle just happening to be in the South Bank area. The occupants of both cars were pronounced dead at the scene. The officers have been named as PC…
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has said a fresh wave of US tariffs on Canada is a “miscalculation” designed to “hurt and divide us”, after trade talks broke down late on Friday. Carney said he walked away from a deal because he was not prepared to “compromise Canada’s sovereignty”. “They asked too much and they offered too little,” Carney said in a speech to Canadians on Saturday morning. The prime minister added that Canada will match US tariffs “dollar-for-dollar” from 8 September, including levies on steel, dairy, appliances and electronics. Donald Trump has yet to comment. Both countries were optimistic…
A Birmingham student who has won an Eton College scholarship is thought to be the first person of Sudanese descent to attend the famed school. Yusuif Ahmed, 16, who went to Lift Four Dwellings Secondary School in Quinton, was granted a conditional place after applying for Eton’s George Orwell Award – which offers a fully-funded place to boys who otherwise may not have been able to access it. After achieving outstanding grades in his GCSE exams, Yusuif is set to study maths, geography, physics and economics at Eton from September. “It’s a big honour for me, my family and my…
A Belgian car salesman has become a prince at the age of 26 after being acknowledged as the son of the king’sbrother, Prince Laurent. Clément Vandenkerckhove’s mother, a Belgian singer who had a relationship with Prince Laurent in the 1990s, only told him who his father was when he turned 16 a decade ago. It emerged this week that he was legally recognized as the son and heir of the 63-year-old younger brother of King Philippe, at a low-key town hall ceremony about six months ago after a DNA test proved his link to the royal family. Prince Laurent has…
One person has received medical treatment after a passenger’s laptop caught fire on an American Airlines flight. The pilot had reported a “cabin fire in the back of the airplane” to air traffic control, saying “the flight attendants are trying to put it out now”, according to audio obtained by the BBC’s US reporting partner CBS News. “I think we have about four to five passengers that were burned by the laptop. The laptop is contained about mid-aircraft.” One passenger received medical attention on site and was released after American Airlines Flight 2398 – coming from Atlanta, Georgia – landed…
Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug has been arrested in the US state of Texas on charges of driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana and illegal possession of a firearm. Allen County Police confirmed to BBC Newsbeat the 28-year-old, whose real name is Xavier Landum, was stopped on Friday. He is being held in Collin County Jail. He was on bail, following an arrest on similar charges a year ago. The rap artist, who makes southern hip-hop, trap, and country-rap, became well known for viral singles Texas He had recently posted on Instagram that he would be releasing new music soon and was…
Mercedes’ George Russell took his first pole position for four races in qualifying for the sprint race at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Briton, trailing Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 59 points in the championship, was 0.041 seconds quicker than McLaren’s Lando Norris in second. Antonelli could manage only fifth, behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was sixth, ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who is second in the championship, 50 points behind Antonelli. Russell’s pole was the perfect start to the second part of the season for him, having lost ground…
A major cultural and religious festival celebrating women and the Virgin Mary in northern Ethiopia has been cancelled in Mekelle, the main city in the Tigray region, over fears it may be targeted in drone attacks. The focal point of Ashenda festival, which traditionally draws thousands of young women dressed in their finery, was to be a mass gathering at a stadium in Mekelle on Saturday. Tigray is still recovering from a brutal two-year civil war that ended in 2022. There are concerns the conflict might reignite with the regional authorities blaming a recent series of deadly drone strikes on…
Former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Mike Jeffries is competent to stand trial on sex trafficking and prostitution charges, a federal court has ruled, reversing an earlier decision. Jeffries was declared “mentally incompetent” by a court last year and said to be suffering with dementia and late onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Based on an examination of his medical records and more than 21 hours of audio recordings across 109 calls, Judge Nusrat Choudhury has now ruled that there was “ample evidence” to show that he was fit to stand trial. Jeffries faces over a dozen charges related to sex trafficking…
Police in Mombasa have launched investigations into the shooting of three youths during a public sensitisation meeting convened by Governor Abdulswamad Nassir at Bomu Stadium in Changamwe Sub-County. The incident occurred during a meeting to sensitise residents about the newly unveiled Stawisha Fund when a group of youths reportedly disrupted the gathering while chanting the slogan “one term”, in an apparent reference to the governor. Mombasa County Police Commander Stella Jerono confirmed that three people were shot and wounded, several others injured, while three vehicles were damaged during the ensuing confrontation. The injured youths were initially taken to Mikindani Hospital…
Very little wreckage and evidence can be recovered from the site of the Wednesday helicopter crash since it is highly rugged and was extensively affected by fire. The Air Accident Investigations Department (AAID), which is leading and directing the probe, Friday said all recoverable debris will be collected and transported to Nairobi under their custody. “The investigation is nevertheless progressing, and the preliminary report will be released within 30 days, with the final report expected to be released within 12 months,” AAID said. The investigation includes the examination and documentation of the accident site and wreckage, recovery and preservation of…