Lead Story
Gunman kills six at a Nonthaburi high school outside Bangkok before turning the weapon on himself
A student opened fire at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in the Bang Kruai district on the outskirts of Bangkok on Friday morning, killing three teachers and three students before he was found dead in a classroom from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, bringing the total death toll to seven. Fifteen others were wounded in the attack, which began around 10 a.m. local time when the gunman, dressed in a purple physical-education uniform, fired dozens of rounds across the school grounds. Volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation were among the first responders after reports of shots fired inside the well-known secondary school. It is one of the deadliest school shootings in Thai history, a country where mass shootings are rare compared with gun violence in other nations, and it has reignited debate over gun access and school security nationwide.
Read more →Lead Story
Gunman kills six at a Nonthaburi high school outside Bangkok before turning the weapon on himself
A student opened fire at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in the Bang Kruai district on the outskirts of Bangkok on Friday morning, killing three teachers and three students before he was found dead in a classroom from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, bringing the total death toll to seven. Fifteen others were wounded in the attack, which began around 10 a.m. local time when the gunman, dressed in a purple physical-education uniform, fired dozens of rounds across the school grounds. Volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation were among the first responders after reports of shots fired inside the well-known secondary school. It is one of the deadliest school shootings in Thai history, a country where mass shootings are rare compared with gun violence in other nations, and it has reignited debate over gun access and school security nationwide.
Iran and Oman finalize a Strait of Hormuz shipping-route deal as oil prices surge on lingering uncertainty over US and Israeli access
Iran and Oman this week agreed on the geographical coordinates of a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, with parts of the inbound and outbound routes running through Iranian waters for the first time, replacing a decades-old system that ran through Omani waters alone. The joint statement, still being finalized, covers technical, legal, security and environmental terms, plus a proposed joint coordination center to manage maritime traffic, but Iran's draft reportedly bars US and Israeli vessels and would require "hostile" nations to pay compensation before transiting, a condition Washington says it will reject. President Trump said Thursday an announcement could come "soon" but warned Iran would be "hit very hard" if it reneges, while Brent crude jumped more than 4% to around $82.80 a barrel on the uncertainty. The strait carries roughly a fifth of global oil supply, and the standoff, stemming from the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran launched in February, has already helped drag global stock markets lower this week amid revived inflation fears.
Read more →Iran and Oman finalize a Strait of Hormuz shipping-route deal as oil prices surge on lingering uncertainty over US and Israeli access
Iran and Oman this week agreed on the geographical coordinates of a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, with parts of the inbound and outbound routes running through Iranian waters for the first time, replacing a decades-old system that ran through Omani waters alone. The joint statement, still being finalized, covers technical, legal, security and environmental terms, plus a proposed joint coordination center to manage maritime traffic, but Iran's draft reportedly bars US and Israeli vessels and would require "hostile" nations to pay compensation before transiting, a condition Washington says it will reject. President Trump said Thursday an announcement could come "soon" but warned Iran would be "hit very hard" if it reneges, while Brent crude jumped more than 4% to around $82.80 a barrel on the uncertainty. The strait carries roughly a fifth of global oil supply, and the standoff, stemming from the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran launched in February, has already helped drag global stock markets lower this week amid revived inflation fears.
Typhoon Dolphin slams into Okinawa as a powerful storm, forcing mass evacuations and canceling hundreds of flights
Typhoon Dolphin, which reintensified to a Category 4-equivalent storm with winds up to 215 km/h (130 mph) earlier this week, made landfall on Okinawa Island on Friday, August 7, delivering the direct hit that forecasters had been tracking for days. Japan's Meteorological Agency issued typhoon warnings across the Ryukyu Islands, and local governments urged the island's 1.4 million residents to secure their homes, avoid coastal areas, and prepare for extended power outages. More than 500 flights were canceled and ferry services suspended as the storm approached, with winds still near 185 km/h (115 mph) as it crossed the island around midday. The storm marks an escalation from Thursday, when it was still approaching, to today's confirmed landfall, raising fresh concern about storm damage and flooding across the prefecture.
Read more →Typhoon Dolphin slams into Okinawa as a powerful storm, forcing mass evacuations and canceling hundreds of flights
Typhoon Dolphin, which reintensified to a Category 4-equivalent storm with winds up to 215 km/h (130 mph) earlier this week, made landfall on Okinawa Island on Friday, August 7, delivering the direct hit that forecasters had been tracking for days. Japan's Meteorological Agency issued typhoon warnings across the Ryukyu Islands, and local governments urged the island's 1.4 million residents to secure their homes, avoid coastal areas, and prepare for extended power outages. More than 500 flights were canceled and ferry services suspended as the storm approached, with winds still near 185 km/h (115 mph) as it crossed the island around midday. The storm marks an escalation from Thursday, when it was still approaching, to today's confirmed landfall, raising fresh concern about storm damage and flooding across the prefecture.
Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome end without a breakthrough on troop withdrawal, days after a booby-trapped house killed two Israeli reservists
The seventh round of US-brokered direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon concluded in Rome on Thursday after three days of talks across military, political, legal and prisoner-related tracks, but negotiators failed to reach a breakthrough on Israel's proposed phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The talks proceeded even after a Wednesday blast in a booby-trapped building killed two IDF reservists, identified as Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, 34, and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, 33, of the 55th Paratroopers Brigade, and wounded four others, the first Israeli military fatalities in Lebanon since June 28. Israel responded with its most intense strikes on Lebanon in several weeks even as the Rome track continued on schedule. Discussions on prisoner exchanges, including involving the International Committee of the Red Cross, were described as positive, but the Israeli delegation is still seeking details on proposed "model areas" for a troop pullout, leaving the core withdrawal question unresolved heading into further talks.
Read more →Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome end without a breakthrough on troop withdrawal, days after a booby-trapped house killed two Israeli reservists
The seventh round of US-brokered direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon concluded in Rome on Thursday after three days of talks across military, political, legal and prisoner-related tracks, but negotiators failed to reach a breakthrough on Israel's proposed phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The talks proceeded even after a Wednesday blast in a booby-trapped building killed two IDF reservists, identified as Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, 34, and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, 33, of the 55th Paratroopers Brigade, and wounded four others, the first Israeli military fatalities in Lebanon since June 28. Israel responded with its most intense strikes on Lebanon in several weeks even as the Rome track continued on schedule. Discussions on prisoner exchanges, including involving the International Committee of the Red Cross, were described as positive, but the Israeli delegation is still seeking details on proposed "model areas" for a troop pullout, leaving the core withdrawal question unresolved heading into further talks.
Zelensky to make his first-ever visit to Serbia, a traditional Russian ally, as Ukraine courts Belgrade toward the EU camp
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Belgrade on August 8 for his first official visit to Serbia since Russia's 2022 invasion, President Aleksandar Vučić confirmed this week. The two leaders are expected to discuss Serbia's stalled path toward EU membership, economic cooperation, and energy security, a notably symbolic overture given Serbia's historically close ties to Moscow and its refusal to join Western sanctions against Russia. Vučić has stressed the visit does not signal any shift in Serbia's official position on sanctions, underscoring the delicate balancing act Belgrade continues to walk between the West and the Kremlin. The trip comes as Ukraine pushes to widen international support beyond its core Western backers, and as Russia's war effort shows growing strain: Ukraine's sustained refinery-strike campaign has knocked out more than 30% of Russia's refining capacity, driving what analysts call Moscow's worst fuel crisis since the Soviet collapse.
Read more →Zelensky to make his first-ever visit to Serbia, a traditional Russian ally, as Ukraine courts Belgrade toward the EU camp
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Belgrade on August 8 for his first official visit to Serbia since Russia's 2022 invasion, President Aleksandar Vučić confirmed this week. The two leaders are expected to discuss Serbia's stalled path toward EU membership, economic cooperation, and energy security, a notably symbolic overture given Serbia's historically close ties to Moscow and its refusal to join Western sanctions against Russia. Vučić has stressed the visit does not signal any shift in Serbia's official position on sanctions, underscoring the delicate balancing act Belgrade continues to walk between the West and the Kremlin. The trip comes as Ukraine pushes to widen international support beyond its core Western backers, and as Russia's war effort shows growing strain: Ukraine's sustained refinery-strike campaign has knocked out more than 30% of Russia's refining capacity, driving what analysts call Moscow's worst fuel crisis since the Soviet collapse.