Foreign News Archives - Page 3 of 11

Thailand Shooting: Teen Kills Grandparents, Five Staff

August 7, 2026 by admin

At least seven people have been killed in a shooting spree allegedly carried out by a 14-year-old boy in Thailand, according to a Reuters report on Friday. Among the victims were his grandparents and five other staff, including teachers of the Debsirin Nonthaburi School, on the northwestern outskirts of the capital city, Bangkok. The gunman fired at least 26 bullets using a gun that belonged to his grandfather, while an additional 34 rounds were found, the report stated. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters, “This is terrible for something like this to happen. I’m sad for those who died and sad for something like this to happen in our country.” The bodies of his grandparents were discovered by the police in their home, as Charnvirakul noted that the gunman had suffered from stress related to his studies. One of the students in the school, an 18-year-old, with names undisclosed, had presumed that the sound was from firecrackers, saying, “I didn’t think it was a gun at first. There were many shots: bang, bang, bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again.” According to the report, Friday’s incident is the latest in a succession of mass shootings in recent years in ⁠Thailand, which has by far the largest number of guns in civilian possession in Southeast Asia, estimated at 40%. It added that this is the second school shooting in Thailand this year after a teacher died and a student was injured in February. An emergency worker, Kiatikhun Verapongpradith, 47, narrated that the gunman shot himself in the head. “We rushed up and found that the perpetrator had shot himself in the right side of the head and collapsed. When we got up there, we checked his pulse, he still had one, so we started CPR,” he said, adding that upon arriving at the school, his team treated ⁠students with injuries in the back, chest and arms. They found a teacher dead on an upper floor of the school, and in another room a female teacher with chest and arm wounds. In another narration, a female seventh grader, still dressed n school uniform, with her mother beside her, told the BBC how she managed to escape the shooting. She added that the gunman came in close contact with one of the teachers while they were discussing. “She was talking to me when [the gunman] showed up and shot her. I couldn’t see anything but a [cloud] of dust. I had to climb over the school fence to escape with other friends,” she said. Under the country’s laws, the illegal possession of arms attracts imprisonment of up to 10 years, Reuters said. However, the police hasn’t reported that the firearm used by the boy, which belonged to his grandfather, is illegal. In the 2025 academic year, the school had an enrolment of about 3,100 students and 147 teachers, according to district authorities.

Senate Committee Backs Trump’s Former Lawyer for US Attorney General

August 4, 2026 by admin

President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, moved a step closer to becoming the United States’ top law enforcement official on Tuesday after a Senate committee approved his nomination to lead the Justice Department. The 12-10 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee was along party lines and came after two Republican senators dropped their opposition to Blanche’s nomination. Blanche’s Senate confirmation had been held up by concerns from senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis over a $1.8 billion fund for alleged victims of politically motivated prosecution and a tax audit immunity deal with the Republican president. Blanche issued a written order over the weekend scrapping the so-called “anti-weaponization fund” and said the audit immunity agreement with Trump, his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization would only apply “retroactively” to past tax years and not future filings. The full Senate, where Republicans hold a majority, is expected to vote later this week to confirm Blanche as attorney general. He has been serving as acting attorney general since Trump fired Pam Bondi in April. Senate Democrats have been united in their opposition to Blanche amid concerns he has treated the Department of Justice as an extension of the Republican president’s legal team. “Todd Blanche has no business serving as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer,” Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said before Tuesday’s vote. “The attorney general is supposed to be the people’s lawyer,” Durbin said. “Mr Blanche continues to operate as the president’s personal lawyer, treating the Justice Department like a law firm serving one client — the president.” – ‘Retribution’ campaign – Vice President JD Vance, in a post on X following the committee vote, said Blanche “will continue to serve the American people and the Trump Administration loyally, and he will make a great Attorney General.” Blanche has been closely tied to what Democrats have dubbed a “retribution” campaign by the president against his perceived political enemies and he helped negotiate the extraordinary legal settlement between Trump and the government he controls. The out-of-court settlement stems from Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the illegal disclosure of his tax records by an agency contractor. It proposed immunity from audits for past tax years and a $1.776 billion fund for people who say they were unfairly targeted by the Department of Justice, potentially including Trump supporters convicted over the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. Federal judges have separately blocked the fund and condemned the tax settlement, which according to US press reports could help the president avoid past liabilities of up to $100 million. Blanche has also come in for criticism from victims of Jeffrey Epstein over his handling of the release of investigative files about the convicted sex offender, a one-time close friend of Trump. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Blanche represented Trump in his New York trial over alleged “hush money” paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. He was also on the legal defense team in two federal cases brought against Trump by special counsel Jack Smith — for allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House and for seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Both cases were dropped after Trump won the 2024 presidential election. AFP

Russia Preparing ‘New Massive Strike’ against Ukraine — Zelensky

May 29, 2026 by admin

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that Russia was preparing a “massive new strike” on the country and called on the population to take action to “protect your lives”. Kyiv was hit particularly hard last weekend by a huge Russian bombardment attack — one of the largest since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Moscow has warned foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv, threatening to escalate attacks as it seeks revenge for a Ukrainian strike on a dormitory and a vocational high school in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, which Moscow says left 21 people dead. “We have intelligence information about Russia preparing a new massive strike,” Zelensky said in a social media message. “Please pay attention to air alerts, protect your lives. Our services are working efficiently and are prepared; the Air Force and other defenders of our skies will be on duty 24/7, as always.” The Ukrainian president has reiterated his call to allies to allow and finance the supply of Patriot missiles, which can intercept Russian ballistic missiles. He wrote to US President Donald Trump and the US Congress earlier this week asking for Patriot systems to respond to the intensifying Russian air attacks. Ukraine has also stepped up its strikes on occupied territories and on Russia in retaliation for the daily Russian bombardments. US-mediated efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict have stalled since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, which is absorbing Washington’s attention and resources. AFP

Suicide Bombing Claims Seven Lives in Pakistan

May 12, 2026 by admin

At least seven people were killed and 20 others injured after a suicide attacker detonated explosives packed inside a three-wheel vehicle in northwestern Pakistan, police confirmed on Tuesday. The blast comes days after another suicide attack saw a car bomb detonate at a checkpoint in Bannu before militants opened fire on police, killing at least 15 people. “According to the initial reports, the suspected suicide attacker approached the two traffic police officers stationed at the checkpoint before blowing himself up,” senior police official Muhammad Sajjad Khan told AFP. Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Monday summoned the top Afghan diplomat in the country after concluding that a deadly suicide attack at the weekend was “masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan”. Afghanistan’s Taliban government has repeatedly denied Pakistan’s accusations that Afghan territory was a safe harbour for militants. The frosty relationship between the neighbouring countries has spiralled into deadly armed conflict in recent months, including Pakistani airstrikes on cities in Afghanistan. AFP

Ethiopian Woman Welcomes Quintuplets,After 12 Years of Waiting

May 8, 2026 by admin

A woman in Ethiopia’s Harari Regional State has given birth to rare quintuplets after spending 12 years trying to have a child. Bedriya Adem, 35, delivered four boys and a girl at Hiwot Fana Specialised Hospital through a Caesarean section on Tuesday evening. Doctors at the hospital said both the mother and the babies are in good health. The newborns weighed between 1.3kg and 1.4kg at birth. “The babies are in full health and remain under medical care together with their mother,” the hospital’s medical director, Dr Mohammed Nur Abdulahi, told the BBC on Friday. He added that the pregnancy occurred naturally without the use of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), making the birth even more unusual. “The chance of conceiving quintuplets naturally is extremely rare,” he said. Bedriya described the birth of her five children as an answered prayer after years of emotional pain and disappointment. “I cannot express my happiness in words,” she said. “I prayed for just one child, and Allah gave me five.” The first-time mother said she endured years of social pressure and emotional suffering because she had not been able to conceive. “I spent 12 years in pain, hiding myself, and praying constantly for children — at last, Allah heard me,” she said. Bedriya revealed that doctors initially told her she was carrying four babies, but a fifth child was discovered during delivery. “When I gave birth, there was one more,” she said. She also spoke about the emotional support she received from her husband during the difficult years. “He used to tell me that having his other child was enough and that I should not worry, but deep inside I was suffering psychologically and emotionally,” she said. The quintuplets, named Naif, Ammar, Munzir, Nazira, and Ansar, are now being monitored at the hospital as the family prepares for life with five newborns. Although Bedriya said she is worried about providing for the children as a subsistence farmer, she remains hopeful. “I believe Allah will provide, through the support of my community and the government,” she said.

Trump says US Stopped Ship Delivering Chinese ‘gift’ to Iran

April 21, 2026 by admin

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said US forces intercepted a ship carrying a “gift” to Iran from China as Tehran tries to restock its military during a ceasefire period. The ship had “a gift from China” which “wasn’t very nice,” Trump told CNBC. “I was a little surprised,” he added, saying he thought he had an “understanding” with China’s President Xi Jinping. A week ago, Trump announced that Xi had assured him there would be no Chinese weapons deliveries to Iran, a close partner with Beijing for years. AFP

Nine Dead, 13 Injured as Pupil Opens Fire in Turkish School

April 15, 2026 by admin

A 13-year-old attacked a school in Turkey on Wednesday, leaving nine people dead and 13 others injured, as terrified students leapt from windows to escape what officials described as the country’s second school shooting in just two days. Wednesday’s attack unfolded in the Kahramanmaras province in the south of the country, where such mass shootings are usually rare. “We regret to report nine deaths (…) and 13 wounded. Six of them are currently in intensive care, three of whom are in critical condition,” Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said in a statement, upping the previous toll of four dead and 20 wounded. “A student came to school with guns that we believe belonged to his father in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly, causing injuries and deaths,” Kahramanmaras province governor Mukerrem Unluer told reporters earlier in the day. The attacker, an eighth‑grade student, was the son of a former police officer, Unluer said, adding that the suspect was carrying five guns and seven magazines. He died during the incident. “We suspect he may have taken his father’s weapons,” the governor said. “He shot himself. It is not yet clear whether this was suicide or happened amid the chaos,” he said. Police detained the ex-student’s father, Ugur Mersinli, the official Anadolu news agency reported. Footage released by IHA private news agency showed a person, body and face covered, being evacuated in an ambulance, as well as tearful parents who had rushed to the school in the southern province’s main city, Kahramanmaras. Another video, taken by a resident of a nearby building, verified by AFP, shows students jumping from a first-floor window of the school to escape the gunfire, while dozens of others flee through the courtyard. About 15 gunshots can be heard in the one-and-a-half-minute video. Police increased security around the building, and television footage showed ambulances in the area. The incident prompted the interior and education ministers to travel to the city. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said prosecutors had launched an immediate investigation into the shooting. -‘Vulnerability’- The shooting came a day after an ex-student opened fire with a shotgun at his former high school in Siverek district of Sanliurfa province, also in the centre of the country. The gunman wounded 16 people before killing himself in a showdown with police. Ten students were among the casualties. Speaking to the ruling AKP party in parliament, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised that those found to have been negligent or at fault “will certainly be held accountable” over the school shootings. Police detained one suspect after Tuesday’s attack and suspended four officials from duty, Erdogan said. The school was ordered closed for four days. Main opposition CHP leader Ozgur Ozel called for broader security measures. “At this point, it is clearly evident that violence in schools can no longer be explained by isolated incidents,” he wrote on X. “This issue has turned into a growing and deepening security vulnerability,” he said. Measures such as ensuring full control at school entrances and exits, increasing the number of security personnel, strengthening camera systems, intensifying police patrols around schools, and keeping emergency crisis plans ready are now essential, he added. “The security of schools is entrusted to our state. No negligence or deficiency in this regard can be excused anymore,” Ozel said. School shootings in Turkey had been rare until this week. In May 2024, a former student killed a private high school principal in Istanbul with a firearm five months after he was expelled. Turkey has strict gun laws that require licensing, registration, mental and criminal background checks, and severe penalties for illegal possession. AFP

Trump Dismisses Blasphemy Claims Over AI Image Portraying Him as Jesus

April 13, 2026 by admin

United States President, Donald Trump has denied allegations that he shared a now-deleted AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ, after the controversial post sparked widespread backlash on his Truth Social platform. Trump, who spoke to reporters on Monday at the White House in a now-circulating video, dismissed the interpretation of the image, insisting it had been misrepresented. “Well, it wasn’t a picture… I thought it was me as a doctor, and it had to do with Red Cross as a Red Cross worker there, which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one,” he said. He added that the image was intended to symbolise healing rather than religious imagery. “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better. I make people a lot better,” he said. The image, which circulated widely online, depicted Trump in flowing robes, bathed in radiant light, with his hands outstretched in a pose suggestive of healing. It also featured figures resembling angels or armed personnel suspended mid-air, alongside fighter jets and fireworks, blending religious symbolism with elements of American nationalism. The post triggered criticism from various quarters, with some describing it as inappropriate and offensive, particularly given its resemblance to Christian imagery associated with Jesus Christ. The controversy also comes amid growing tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV, following the former president’s recent remarks criticising the pontiff’s stance on global issues. Trump had described the pope as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” accusing him of unfairly targeting his administration while overlooking actions taken against religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the backlash, Trump maintained that the criticism was driven by misinterpretation, reiterating that the image had no religious intent.

UK Announces Road Closures, no-fly Zones for Tinubu’s State Visit

March 12, 2026 by admin

Britain will impose airspace restrictions and deploy armed police officers in Windsor next week as President Bola Tinubu arrives for a state visit hosted by King Charles III. Tinubu is expected to begin the visit in the company of his wife Oluremi Tinubu on Wednesday, March 18, with a reception at Windsor Castle. Thames Valley Police in a statement on its website on Wednesday, said it is working with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, the Royal Household and other security partners. The force said airspace restrictions over Windsor Castle, which are in place permanently throughout the year, would be extended on Wednesday, March 18, to cover the period from 7am to 11.59pm. Chief Superintendent Adrian Hall of Thames Valley Police’s Joint Operations Unit said the air restrictions formed part of a broader security operation for the visit. “The air restrictions are just one part of our robust security operation for the state visit of Nigerian President Tinubu next week, with many measures you will see and others you will not.. “As a force, we have a vast amount of experience in policing Royal events in Windsor and significant planning, and preparation has gone into this event,” Hall said. He said the force would take a strong stance in enforcing the restrictions, warning that any breach would constitute a criminal offence under the Air Navigation Order and could lead to arrest. “We will be taking a strong stance in enforcing the restrictions; anyone who breaches them will be committing a criminal offence under the Air Navigation Order and could be arrested.” The police chief said officers with specialist capabilities, including search teams, the Mounted Section, road policing, and armed units, would be deployed across Windsor, alongside neighbourhood policing and Project Servator resources. “We will also be deploying numerous police officers to Windsor with specialist capabilities, including our search teams, Mounted Section, Roads Policing and armed units, while our neighbourhood and Project Servator resources will also be on the ground engaging with the public,” he said. The authorities will also deploy an extensive closed-circuit television network, hostile vehicle mitigation barriers, and other undisclosed security measures for the event. Hall said, “We will also be using the extensive CCTV network in Windsor, Hostile Vehicle Mitigation barriers, and many other security measures that you may not be able to see to make sure the event runs safely.” He urged members of the public to support the security operation by remaining vigilant. “The public plays a critical role to support us so we encourage them to report any suspicious activity or anything that does not seem quite right by calling 101 or speaking to one of our officers. If there is an immediate threat or emergency, then call 999,” Hall added. Road closures and parking restrictions will take effect from Tuesday, March 17, with possible temporary disruption to roads in and around Windsor during the visit. Thames Valley Police said it was being supported by the Civil Aviation Authority and National Air Traffic Services to enforce the flight restrictions. Persons with legitimate reasons for drone flying were directed to email TVPAirspaceRequests@thamesvalley.police.uk

Iran Strikes Israel, Gulf Nations as Oil Prices Fluctuate

March 11, 2026 by admin

Iran unleashed a wave of attacks against Israel and Gulf nations on Wednesday, including targeting a Saudi oilfield, as reports of a proposed record release of oil reserves helped calm markets and prices. The war sparked by United States-Israeli strikes on Iran has spread across the region and beyond, causing spiking energy costs, fuel rationing and even school closures. G7 leaders will meet by video conference later on Wednesday to discuss the war’s economic consequences, particularly the “energy situation,” the French presidency said. The International Energy Agency will decide on a proposal for its largest-ever oil reserve release, the Wall Street Journal reported. The United States on Tuesday said it was hitting Iranian ships capable of mining the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial passageway for oil that has been effectively closed by Iranian threats. The US military posted video footage of Iranian boats blasted apart, saying it had destroyed 16 minelayers near the strait, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes. “If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before,” President Donald Trump wrote on social media. Trump faces mounting political risks over the surging cost of oil, months before US elections. Crude prices spiked five per cent late Tuesday before turning lower on Wednesday after the reserve release report. Trump said the US military could accompany tankers through the strait, but his administration acknowledged that a post by the energy secretary announcing a first such escort was untrue. Early on Wednesday, the UK maritime agency said a container ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates had been hit by an “unknown projectile,” illustrating the ongoing risks to transport through the region. With an eye on jittery markets, Trump on Monday said the war would be short, although his Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, said Tehran would be hit by unprecedented fire on Tuesday. **’Not seeking ceasefire’** The Israeli-US attacks came weeks after Iranian authorities ruthlessly crushed mass protests, although the United States and Israel said they were not necessarily seeking to topple the Islamic republic. Iranian authorities warned against dissent at home, with the country’s police chief saying protesters would be viewed and dealt with as “enemies.” “All our forces are also ready, with their hands on the trigger, prepared to defend their revolution,” national police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said in comments aired by IRIB. Tehran also intensified its assault on targets in the region, with the government announcing it carried out its own “most intense and heaviest” salvo, firing missiles for three hours at cities across Israel. AFP journalists heard air raid sirens and explosions in Jerusalem. Emergency services reported no immediate injuries, although Channel 12 said several people were hurt in Tel Aviv. New salvos were reported early on Wednesday, with no reports of injuries. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they also fired on Bahrain and Iraqi Kurdistan, both of which have a heavy US military presence, and also targeted a US air base in Kuwait, Iranian media said. Kuwait said it had downed eight drones, without offering further details. Drones and ballistic missiles were also intercepted elsewhere in the Gulf, including multiple drones heading to the Shaybah oilfield in Saudi Arabia, its defence ministry said. Earlier, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former top commander in the elite Revolutionary Guards, said in an English-language post on X: “Certainly we aren’t seeking a ceasefire.” “We believe the aggressor must be punished and taught a lesson that will deter them from attacking Iran again,” he added. Seven US military personnel have been killed and about 140 injured since the start of the war, according to the Pentagon. **Fright in Tehran** The United States and Israel launched the war on February 28 with an attack that killed Iran’s veteran leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been named his successor, though he has yet to appear in public. In Tehran, one woman in her 40s said she found some reassurance in her impression that the bombings “don’t target ordinary buildings.” “The noise of the bombings is extremely disturbing,” she said. Iran’s health ministry said on March 8 that more than 1,200 people had been killed and over 10,000 civilians injured. The conflict has spread as far as Sri Lanka, where US forces torpedoed an Iranian ship, and Australia, which said on Wednesday it had granted asylum to two more members of the Iranian women’s football team. Iraq and Lebanon, both home to Iran-backed fighters, have become proxy battlegrounds in the war. In Iraq, Iranian-linked groups said on Tuesday that five of their fighters died in strikes they blamed on the United States. In Lebanon, hundreds of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes following Israeli air strikes and ground operations targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah. New Israeli strikes were reported in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday, with the health ministry saying another five people had been killed in the southern town of Qana. An Israeli strike also hit a central Beirut neighbourhood on Wednesday morning, state media reported. Iran complained to the United Nations that four of its diplomats died in a strike on a seafront hotel in central Beirut on Sunday, which Israel said was aimed at “key commanders” from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. The effects of the war are being felt globally, with the UN trade and development agency warning of rising costs for essentials such as fuel and food hitting the world’s most vulnerable people. In Egypt, which increased the cost of fuels by up to 30 per cent, mother-of-six Om Mohamed fretted about the future. “We were barely getting by as it is. I don’t know how people will manage,” she told AFP at a Cairo market. AFP