Watch: At the scene where Bangkok’s deadly bar fire unfolded
The BBC’s South East Asia correspondent visits the site where at least 27 people were killed during a bar fire in Thailand.
Are Messi, Mbappe, Yamal and Kane in the best World Cup semifinals yet?
France, Spain, England and Argentina have the stars for the semifinals, but will the performances match the reputations?
Japan is building a new intelligence agency with help from the West – The Japan Times
- Japan is building a new intelligence agency with help from the West The Japan Times
- Japan Builds Intelligence Agency It Hasn’t Had Since World War II The New York Times
- What is Japan’s new intelligence agency, and why is Tokyo building it? Al Jazeera
- 33,000 Assets, $407 Million Budget: Japan Builds Its First-Ever Spy Agency NDTV
- $407m to end 'spy paradise': Japan enlists Western allies for first intelligence agency in 80 years upday News
Iran launches retaliatory attacks after fresh US strikes – as it happened
This live blog has now closed – you can read our latest report from the Middle East here
Bahrain’s interior ministry instructed residents to take shelter after attacks on the island nation as Iran targets US interests in the Gulf.
The siren has been sounded... citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” the ministry posted on X.
Continue reading...Is the most popular song played on Australian radio stations the product of generative AI?
Josh Fawaz’s song, a cover of Like a Prayer, has raised questions about how generative AI is being used in music and whether it should be declared
An Australian producer has gone from little-known artist to viral sensation in a matter of months, with his hit song catapulting on to global charts and receiving thousands of radio spins.
There’s just one problem: music experts and other musicians are questioning whether he produced it. They claim Josh Fawaz’s most popular song, a cover of Madonna’s Like a Prayer which reached the No 1 spot on the National Radio Airplay chart, could have been made using AI.
Continue reading...Britons give classic round tomato the red card as coloured and vine varieties score
Premium cherry-on-the-vine are poised to take top spot in Britain’s £1bn-a-year tomato market
For a long time the classic round, red tomato has dominated British salads and sandwiches, but its supremacy is coming under threat as sales of rainbow colours and the upmarket rival “cherry on the vine” take off.
“Non-red tomatoes” sales are up 21% this year, a growth rate that far exceeds the overall market, according to Paul Faulkner, of Evesham Vale Growers.
Continue reading...Mastermind of €88m Louvre heist thought they ‘could have taken more’
Alleged thieves in October 2025 robbery damaged a gem-encrusted crown worn in the 19th century by Empress Eugénie
Two men suspected of making off with €88m (£75m) worth of crown jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris last October have reportedly told investigators that the alleged mastermind behind the heist was disappointed by the haul and thought “they could have taken more”.
The French newspaper Le Monde cited transcripts of the alleged thieves’ questioning last month by two investigating judges in charge of the inquiry, offering detailed insights into the burglary that made global headlines and led the museum’s director to resign.
Continue reading...Swedish MEP files police complaint accusing Danish colleague of racist hate speech
Abir Al-Sahlani targeted on social media after condemning anti-immigration chants in European parliament
A Swedish MEP has filed a police complaint accusing a fellow MEP of racist hate speech after she was targeted on social media over her condemnation of far-right, anti-immigration chants in the European parliament.
The complaint, which was filed last week with police in Sweden, relates to the aftermath last month of the decision by some rightwing MEPs to erupt in chants of “send them back” following a vote aimed at increasing deportations across the EU.
Continue reading...Bombs, blood, ambushes – football coaching with the army
From kidnappings to invasions, military training takes football coaches out of their comfort zone as part of the Football Association of Wales' Uefa pro licence course.
Deadly Bangkok pub blaze revives concerns over fire safety lapses
Al Jazeera's Tony Cheng reports from the site where a deadly fire tore through a Bangkok pub around midnight on Monday.
Oil prices jump as US and Iran trade attacks over Strait of Hormuz
Brent crude climbs more than 4 percent as Washington and Tehran clash over control of critical waterway.
Fire bomber planes battle Fontainebleau forest blaze near Paris
Wildfire quickly burnt more than 800 hectares, with villages evacuated, highway partly closed and high-speed rail disrupted
French officials rushed two firefighting planes to the Paris region on Sunday after a “very virulent” fire of “exceptional scale” erupted in the sprawling Fontainebleau forest about 60km (40 miles) south-east of the capital.
The fire began late afternoon in the one-time royal hunting preserve that today is dotted with quiet villages. It raced across 800 hectares (2,000 acres) and was still spreading early on Monday, officials said, causing the partial closure of the A6 highway, the country’s main north-south artery, and disrupting traffic during a busy, heatwave-stricken summer travel weekend.
Continue reading...US launches new wave of strikes against Iran as Tehran says diplomacy has proven ‘futile’
American and Iranian forces exchange heavy missile and drone attacks over control of strait of Hormuz, increasing pressure on truce
The US military has launched a new wave of attacks against Iran amid the escalating standoff over the strait of Hormuz, with Tehran saying the latest strikes had “rendered futile” all the diplomatic efforts of the past few months.
The US military began launching more strikes against Iran at 9pm GMT on Sunday, US Central Command (Centcom) said on X, “to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz”.
Continue reading...Israel releases video of hidden tunnels below Lebanon’s Beaufort Castle
The Israeli Army has released footage of what it says are hidden tunnels under Lebanon’s historic Beaufort Castle.
At least 27 dead as fire engulfs popular Bangkok pub near Chatuchak market
At least 27 people were killed and 63 injured, many critically, after a fire ripped through a popular pub in Bangkok.
Japan’s pet care industry booms as ‘fur babies’ outnumber infants
Japanese baby product manufacturers turn their attention to the pet market amid collapsing birthrate.
Iran Live Updates: After Intense U.S. Strikes, Iran Targets Gulf States and Claims Strait is Closed – The New York Times
- Iran Live Updates: After Intense U.S. Strikes, Iran Targets Gulf States and Claims Strait is Closed The New York Times
- Iran war live: US bombs Iranian cities again as Hormuz standoff intensifies Al Jazeera
- Live updates: Trump orders new round of strikes to "hold Iranian forces accountable," CENTCOM says as two sides exchange threats CBS News
- US Renews Iran Strikes as Both Sides Dispute Hormuz Status Bloomberg.com
- U.S. launches more strikes on Iran as the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz escalates PBS
Can Nigeria’s drone industry deliver Africa’s defence sovereignty
Military manufacturing may be growing, but defence sovereignty depends on far more than production.
Iran launches attacks on Gulf states after heaviest U.S. strikes in months – The Washington Post
US launches more strikes on Iran as Strait of Hormuz standoff deepens
The US has launched a new wave of strikes on Iran targeting Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the strait.