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Rescuers pull 4 from flooded cave in Laos, 2 still missing

Rescuers pulled four people from a flooded cave in Laos on Saturday, Thai volunteer rescuers said, hours after another man was brought out late on Friday. The five are among seven Lao nationals who had entered the cave in Xaisomboun province to prospect for gold, but were trapped for more than a week when rising water blocked their exit. Two others remain missing. Kengkard Bongkawong, a Thai cave diver involved in the mission, said in a Facebook post on Saturday that all four of the trapped people had emerged from the cave. Video footage from the volunteers showed rescuers bringing four Laotian men out of the cave with flashlights strapped to their heads and with muddy clothes. They had joyful expressions on their faces, and some were crying with relief. The five rescued people were found by rescuers on Wednesday, but had remained trapped. Rescue officials said they would continue searching for the two missing people. A team of volu...
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US, South Korea in talks over commander's remarks that drew sharp criticism from China

South Korea and the United States are in talks over recent public remarks by the commander of US Forces Korea (USFK), Seoul’s presidential office said on Saturday, after the comments drew sharp criticism from China. In a recent podcast interview, Xavier Brunson described South Korea as “the dagger in the heart of Asia” from China’s east coast, prompting the Chinese embassy in Seoul to say this week that he had “truly crossed the line”. The interview came amid growing speculation that Washington may seek to expand the role of USFK in countering the growing regional influence of China, a key ally of North Korea and Russia. Brunson last year also underscored South Korea’s strategic value in the broader Indo-Pacific, describing the US ally as a “fixed aircraft carrier” in the region, Yonhap reported. South Korea’s presidential Blue House said on Saturday that it was “aware of Commander Brunson’s recent series of public remarks” and that Seoul and Washington “have been maintaining co...
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The shrinkage of Pakistan’s aid chart

Measles in the US, a cholera outbreak in the DRC, TB patient registration drops in Cambodia, Kenya, and Mozambique and closer to home, HIV outbreaks in children have all been linked to what doctors have warned are cuts to programmes and disastrous policy changes. Global funding has shrunk for healthcare across countries that need it the most which is why experts in Pakistan are really getting worried. The effects are immediately clear on the ground. In the busy streets of Lyari, Karachi, Amna Sualeh once navigated confidently through her community as a health worker with the Greenstar Social Marketing’s Sitara Baji (star sister) programme. Women trusted her to provide affordable intrauterine devices (IUDs), counselling on how to space out their children, and basic reproductive health services. “Before, with donor support, we could perform IUD insertions for just Rs500,” she says. “Now it costs up to Rs10,000 in private clinics. Many simply can’t afford it anymore.” Her clients, most...
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Nato chief vows 'absolute solidarity' with Romania after Russian drone crash injures 2

Nato chief Mark Rutte said on Friday he had assured Romania’s president of the alliance’s “absolute solidarity” as he slammed Russia for a drone crash in the country bordering Ukraine. Nato member Romania said that a drone injured two people in a southeastern city during an overnight Russian attack on Ukraine , the first time in the war that a drone had hit a densely populated area in Romania and caused injuries. The incident in Romania, also a member of the European Union, was likely to increase tensions on Nato’s eastern flank at a time when Ukraine’s allies are worried about Russia’s war on its neighbour spilling over its borders. “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” Rutte wrote on social media after a call with President Nicusor Dan. “I affirmed that Nato stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory.” The drone hit the roof of a 10-storey block of flats in Galati and caused an explosion, the Romanian aut...
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President Zardari calls for strengthening country, bringing positive economic change

President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday called for concerted efforts to strengthen the federation, affirming that the government wanted Pakistan to make economic progress. He made the remarks at a public gathering in Naushahro Feroze district’s Moro city, where he interacted with local notables and elected members, and visited the residence of Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar. “We will together strengthen the hands of the establishment, strengthen our own hands, and strengthen the country,” the president said. Zardari said the country must ensure food self-sufficiency and strengthen its economy to become more stable and stronger. He reaffirmed the government’s aim to improve agriculture, raise per-acre yield, increase incomes and uplift people’s living standards. The president said the government was aware of public difficulties and was working to address them with a focus on long-term benefits for future generations. He noted that d...
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Pentagon says US military personnel reportedly being targeted using location data

US forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials, an illustration of how the global surveillance economy is shaping the battlefield. In a letter shared with Reuters by US Senator Ron Wyden — an Oregon Democrat — US Central Command (Centcom) said it had received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil US personnel in theatre. The message, sent on April 14, offered no further specifics, but Centcom’s area of responsibility includes the Gulf, where US forces are facing off against the Iranian military over the Strait of Hormuz. A US soldier drives a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to a refueling station in the Middle East, in this photo released on May 22, 2026. — X/@CENTCOM The disclosure was the first official confirmation that US forces had been targeted in an active war zone, ...
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