He insists that justice must first be served before any funeral arrangements proceed.

Speaking on JoyNews PM Express on Wednesday, he revealed that Ghana has demanded a full investigation into the killing, which officials say was initially treated as a routine criminal incident.

“So the current xenophobic actions that are going on, nobody has lost their lives. The statistics are there; they’ve given it to us,” he said, addressing broader concerns about the safety of Ghanaians in South Africa.

He, however, confirmed a specific case involving a Ghanaian man found dead in East London.

“In fact, there was a story going round about a Ghanaian who had lost his life in East London… we went there yesterday on the instructions of the Foreign Affairs Minister,” he said.

Mr Quarshie disclosed that initial findings showed the victim was killed in a violent robbery.

“We got to find out that the gentleman was stabbed to death by armed robbers, and it happened three weeks ago,” he said. “They just left his body there, and we only got to know after three weeks.”

He said Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has since demanded action. “The Foreign Affairs Minister has officially asked them to open an investigation,” he noted.

According to him, Ghanaian officials moved quickly to prevent what they described as premature disposal of the body.

“In fact, they wanted to mass-bury the gentleman, but the Minister again gave instructions that the gentleman should not be buried until a full investigation is completed,” he said.

He stressed that Ghana’s position is firm: “until we know who killed him, why he was killed, and compensation given to his family.”

Mr Quarshie added that the deceased’s family has been traced in Ghana.

“The family has been identified in Ghana. We’ve spoken to them,” he said, describing the situation as deeply distressing. “It has been a difficult one for them, because this is a breadwinner in the family.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/oeBxpk-F1ow?si=RL_ypcAr4MyE-FwH

He also highlighted the emotional toll of the killing. “When you hear the story as to how they killed him, it’s really, really pathetic,” he said.

The High Commissioner warned that Ghana will no longer tolerate delays or silence in such cases.

“I’m sure that the era of Ghanaians or any other person being killed, and South African authorities just brushing it aside… I think that era is over,” he said.

He pledged to continue pressuring authorities to ensure accountability.

“We will ensure there’s accountability. Will account for every single individual, be it Ghanaian, be it any African person,” he said. “When we get to know it, until justice is done, we will not stop.”

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Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express with Evans Mensah, he said, “So the current xenophobic actions that are going on, nobody has lost their lives.”

His comments come amid heightened tensions and circulating reports online suggesting that foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, have been targeted and killed in parts of South Africa.

Mr Quarshie said official data available to the mission contradicts those claims. “The statistics are there; they’ve given it to us,” he stated.

He addressed a specific viral case involving a Ghanaian man reportedly killed in East London, clarifying the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“In fact, there was a story going round about a Ghanaian who had lost his life in East London… We went there yesterday on the instructions of the Foreign Affairs Minister,” he explained.

According to him, investigations revealed the death was unrelated to xenophobic violence. “We got to find out that the gentleman was stabbed to death by armed robbers, and it happened three weeks ago,” he said.

He disclosed that the case came to the authorities’ attention only weeks later.

“They just left his body there, and we only got to know after three weeks that the citizen had been stabbed to death,” he added.

The envoy said the Ghanaian government has since intervened at the highest level. “The Foreign Affairs Minister has officially asked them to open an investigation,” he noted.

He revealed that steps have been taken to ensure due process, including halting an attempted burial.

“In fact, they wanted to mass-bury the gentleman, but the Minister again gave instructions that the gentleman should not be buried until a full investigation is completed,” he said.

He stressed that authorities are seeking clarity and justice. “Until we know who killed him, why he was killed, and compensation given to his family,” he stated.

Mr Quarshie confirmed that the victim’s family in Ghana has been identified and contacted. “We’ve spoken to them. It has been a difficult one for them, because this is the breadwinner in the family,” he said.

Describing the circumstances of the killing, he added, “When you hear the story as to how they killed him, it’s really, really pathetic.”

Despite the incident, he maintained that it should not be conflated with xenophobic violence.

He also signalled a shift in how such cases are handled.

“But I’m sure that the era of Ghanaians or any other person being killed, and South African authorities just brushing it aside… that era is over,” he said.

He pledged sustained action from Ghana’s diplomatic mission.

“We would ensure there’s accountability. Will account for every single individual, be it Ghanaian, be it any African person,” he stated.

“Until justice is done, we will not stop,” he added.

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The House voted 215-211, with no Democrats supporting it. House Speaker Mike Johnson held the vote open for more than five hours as he worked to ​get enough of his fellow Republicans to embrace the measure.

Some, from farm states, were holding out for a future vote on expanding the sale of gasoline blended with ethanol.

The Senate approved the plan on April ​23. With the House going along, it will be up to Republicans in ​both chambers to put together details of the $70-billion proposal and win passage before sending it to President Donald Trump to sign it into law.

Republicans are hoping to do so in May and will ​use a special, rarely used procedure that allows them to steer the legislation through the Senate without any support from Democrats.

Republicans used the same procedure last year ‌to ⁠ram through around $130 billion in funding for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agencies – a huge boost that Trump requested to carry out his massive migrant deportation campaign.

Republicans have resisted Democrats’ attempts to constrain ICE and Border Patrol ​operations in U.S. cities ​that have triggered ⁠protests, especially after two U.S. citizens were shot dead by federal agents this year in Minneapolis.

By the end of this week, a series of agencies operating under the Department of Homeland Security will run out of funding unless Republicans in Congress reach an agreement on a separate bill for the fiscal year ending on September 30.

The Senate has passed a bill to fund DHS agencies, including the Secret Service, Coast Guard, and Federal Emergency Management Agency, but House Republicans have so far refused to go along.

The aircraft burst into flames at Parafield Airport in Adelaide after it crashed on Wednesday afternoon local time.

South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas wrote on social media that a “number of others” have been injured.

The plane involved was a twin-engine Diamond DA42, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which has launched an investigation into the accident.

According to the manufacturer’s website, each Diamond DA42 aircraft can seat up to four people.

The South Australian police said in a statement that “the immediate area has been evacuated as emergency services deal with the incident”.

A statement posted on Parafield Airport’s social media said a “serious incident” had occurred at the airport and it was “providing full support to the emergency services in their response to this incident”.

Malinauskas wrote on social media that his “thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have passed away, and with everyone affected by this devastating event”.

“The fire in the hangar has now been extinguished, and the airfield has been closed,” he said. “Emergency services remain on the scene and continue to respond with professionalism and urgency.”

Parafield Airport is known to be used by light aircraft and is home to several flight training schools. It’s one of the country’s busiest airports in terms of aircraft movement.

In January, a student pilot escaped unharmed after their plane crashed and caught fire at the airport.

His clarification came at a mining conference in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Henry Dele Alake, who told the gathering: “President Ruto, the people of Nigeria have mandated me to inform and assure you that Nigerians speak good English.”

To much laughter, Ruto took to the stage to explain his comments to Kenyans living in Italy last week were intended to be private and had been “taken out of context”.

“The fact is that I was talking about how we in Africa speak very good English, all of us,” he said.

“In fact, in some countries like Nigeria, if you do not speak excellent English like the one we speak in Kenya, you may need a translator to understand the excellent English of Nigeria. So that was the comparison. But somebody misrepresented the facts.”

President Ruto reminded the audience at the mining development conference that Nigerians were his in-laws – one of his daughters, June, is married to a Nigerian.

“I want to send my regards to my brothers and sisters in Nigeria… my in-laws.”

He told Alake to pass on his greetings to his Nigerian counterpart, Bola Tinubu: “Tell President Tinubu that I said, ‘Hi’. And tell him I said that in good English… so that there will be no consequences.”

Following an explanation about how he felt he had been mispresented, the president ended by saying: “It is as well that we can have this conversation – my in-laws, I hope there will be no consequences for whatever was done,” he said.

The good-natured banter was in sharp contrast to the barrage of criticism President Ruto has faced online.

Last week, he boasted that Kenya’s education system was producing some of the world’s best human capital, with strong English proficiency.

“We speak some of the best English in the world, that is true. If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don’t know what they are saying. You need a translator even when they are speaking English.”

The condemnation that followed was widespread, fuelling an online cyber rivalry between the two nations.

Kenya and Nigeria are both former British colonies and share English as an official language, but have distinct spoken varieties with different phonetic structures.

These differences reflect the influence of indigenous languages – Nigeria has more than 500 languages which shape its cadence and intonation, while Kenya’s Bantu, Nilotic and Cushitic mix give rise to its own accents.

The 45-year-old from South Australia shaved her son’s head and eyebrows, bandaged his head and hands, and medicated him as part of a ruse to trick family and friends into raising thousands of dollars.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in acts likely to cause harm to her son and 10 counts of deception.

At a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, a District Court judge described her actions as “cruel”, “calculated” and “manipulative”.

The woman’s deception started after her son went to see an ophthalmologist, a specialist eye doctor, after an accident, the court heard.

After that appointment, she told her husband, family, friends and her school community that her son had eye cancer.

She forced her son to use a wheelchair and limited his daily activities to make people think he was receiving radiation treatment. She also gave him pain relief and health supplements, local media have reported.

In court, the prosecution said that the mother had “selfishly used her son as a prop to deceive” loved ones and the wider community, then used donations so the family could live “the life of the rich and famous”.

The woman’s lawyer said she had developed a gambling addiction after the Covid-19 pandemic and “capitalised” on her son’s accident, but that she never meant to hurt him or the family.

Rather, the mother-of-two had made a “monumental and grave lapse in judgement to selfishly ease her financial stress”, her lawyer told the court.

They said the woman had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and accepted her wrongdoing by pleading guilty.

“She regrettably spent more than her earnings allowed and was living beyond her means,” her lawyer said, with a “foolish and misguided” belief her family needed “the latest brands”.

Her husband was initially charged, but police later dropped the case against him.

In his victim impact statement, he said his wife had “destroyed me and my children’s lives”.

“I had complete trust in you as my wife, and I never doubted you. I was devoted to our family. Now I feel like a pawn in a chess game.”

Outside the court, the husband told the media that “no sentence can ever justify what has been done to my children”, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The woman was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, but will be eligible for parole next April.

In a speech this week, the North Korean leader said those who “unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack, in order to defend the great honour” were “heroes”.

South Korea estimates at least 15,000 North Koreans have been sent to help Russia recapture parts of western Kursk, and more than 6,000 have been killed so far. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have confirmed the numbers.

Intelligence agencies and defectors have said the soldiers were under Pyongyang’s orders to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner by Ukraine.

“Their self-sacrifice expecting no compensation, and the devotion expecting no reward… This [is] the definition of the height of loyalty of our army,” Kim said in Pyongyang on Monday as he unveiled a memorial for fallen troops, state media KCNA reported.

Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and the speaker of Russia’s parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, were among those who attended the event.

In North Korea, soldiers are taught that being captured is an act of treason.

Earlier this year, South Korean broadcaster MBC aired a programme featuring two North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine, one of whom said on camera he regretted not taking his own life.

“Everyone else blew themselves up. I failed,” the prisoner said.

Seoul’s National Intelligence Service said last year they found memos on deceased North Korean soldiers that point to this extreme practice.

In his speech on Monday, Kim also praised those who died in combat.

“Those who fell in the vanguard of charges and those who writhed in frustration at the failure to fulfill their duties as soldiers who were given orders, rather than in pain in their bodies torn by bullets and shells – they too can be called the party’s faithful warriors and patriots,” Kim said.

In June 2024, Russian President Putin and Kim signed a deal pledging that their countries would help each other in the event of “aggression” against either country. At the time, Kim hailed the treaty as the “strongest ever”.

Besides sending soldiers, North Korea also promised to send thousands of workers to help rebuild Kursk.

Trump had urged ABC – whose parent company is Disney – to pull Kimmel’s show after the comedian joked that Melania Trump had the glow of an “expectant widow”. Kimmel made the remarks days before a gunman fired shots at a gala attended by the Trumps.

In an order on Tuesday, the FCC said it had been investigating Disney’s ABC stations for possible violations, including unlawful discrimination.

A Disney spokesperson told the BBC that ABC and its stations serve the public in accordance with FCC guidelines.

The stations “have a long record of operating in full compliance with FCC rules and serving their local communities with trusted news, emergency information, and public‑interest programming”, the company spokesperson said. “Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate.”

The FCC order directs the company to file licence-renewal applications for all of its licensed TV stations within 30 days.

The agency as part of its renewal review can require Disney to prove that it meets the agency’s public-interest standards. The Disney-owned ABC television station licences were not scheduled for renewal until 2028.

The reviews could lead to the revocation of the stations’ licences to broadcast, an action the commission has not taken in more than 40 years, Reuters reported.

In a statement, Democratic FCC commissioner Anna M Gomez called the FCC’s order “a political stunt”.

“This is unprecedented, unlawful, and going nowhere,” she wrote on X. “Companies should challenge it head-on. The First Amendment is on their side.”

The move comes as the White House has continued to pressure ABC to fire Kimmel. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said on Tuesday that Kimmel should be “shunned for the rest of his life”.

At the start of his show on Monday night, Kimmel had defended his comments about the first lady.

“It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination,” he said.

“I’ve been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence in particular,” Kimmel added.

Earlier on Monday, Trump had called his late-night sketch a “call to violence” and Melania Trump accused Kimmel of deepening “the political sickness within America”.

The US president and his wife were evacuated unharmed from a gala dinner on Saturday night after a gunman opened fire near a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton.

The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was tackled by authorities near a staircase leading down to a ballroom where the White House Correspondents’ dinner was taking place. Hundreds of journalists, officials and public figures attending. The suspect is now charged with trying to assassinate the president.

The FCC’s call for an early licence review is quite rare, said Jeffrey Schneider, a professor at University of Southern California Gould School of Law. He said the agency has ordered early reviews before, but usually based on technical issues or fraudulent conduct.

He said it was highly unlikely that Disney would lose its licences, saying the burden was on the FCC to show “intentional and repeated violations” of regulations.

“In my opinion, it is a purely political act meant to assuage the administration’s supporters,” he said.

Kimmel was taken off air last September after he made comments about the fatal shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

In a monologue, Kimmel had said the “Maga gang” – a reference to Trump’s followers – was trying to “score political points” from the murder of Kirk. His show was reinstated a week later.

The FCC, created in 1934, was originally tasked with authorising then-scarce radio – and later TV – broadcasting frequencies. The commission sets rules for disclosing sponsors, emergency broadcasts, and content regarding obscenity and decency.

Trump has previously suggested that TV networks that give him “bad publicity” should be stripped of their licences, raising questions about the administration’s authority to do so.

Last year, FCC chairman Brendan Carr sent a letter to Disney notifying the firm it was opening an investigation into Disney’s diversity and inclusion practices, saying there were concerns the company was promoting diversity “in a manner that does not comply” with government regulation.

First reported by Fox News, the passports will be released as part of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence in July.

An administration official has confirmed to the BBC that the new designs will be available to “any American citizen” who applies for a passport when the rollout kicks off, and will continue as long as availability lasts.

The passports will also only be available at the Washington Passport Agency.

In a rendering of the passport released by the US State Department, an image of Trump is seen surrounded by the text of the Declaration of Independence and the American flag, along with the president’s signature in gold.

“President Trump’s new patriotic passport design provides yet another great way Americans can join in the spectacular celebrations for America’s 250th birthday,” a spokesperson for the White House told the BBC.

“Between the UFC250 Fight, the Great American State Fair, Freedom250 Grand Prix, and this new passport celebrating our freedom, President Trump continues to proudly lead a renewal of national pride and patriotism during our historic semiquincentennial celebration,” they added.

Current US passports depict scenes from the country’s history, such as the Moon landing, along with American symbols like the Statue of Liberty.

It is not clear whether US citizens will be able to opt out of the special edition.

The commemorative passport is the latest move by the administration to associate Trump’s name and likeness with various government programmes and public buildings.

The US Mint has recently announced plans for a commemorative gold coin featuring Trump as past of the 250th anniversary, and the president is also set to become the first sitting US president to have his signature on US banknotes.

The board of the Kennedy Center voted to rename the performing arts centre the Trump-Kennedy Center in honour of the president, which was denounced by members of the late President John F Kennedy’s family.

In early April, the White House unveiled the plans for the gold-accented giant victory arch, dubbed the “Arc de Trump”. A federal panel has given preliminary approval for the 250ft (76m) in Washington DC, despite overwhelmingly negative feedback from members of the public and preservationist groups.

The president has also left a permanent mark on the White House itself, demolishing the East Wing to build a ballroom.

The White House has since been sued by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which alleges that construction began before plans were filed with the National Capital Planning Commission.

This is according to a news report by the international news portal, Reuters.

The deal, the report noted, was part of Washington’s broader “America First Global Health Strategy,” a policy framework introduced under the Trump administration aimed at restructuring foreign aid and encouraging recipient countries to assume a larger share of funding and responsibility for disease control programmes, including HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and polio.

According to the source, the negotiations, first initiated in November 2025, would have provided about $109 million in U.S. health assistance to Ghana over five years.

However, discussions stalled after Accra objected to provisions requiring the sharing of sensitive national health data, which Ghanaian officials considered unacceptable.

“They were pretty normal dealings and negotiations in the beginning, and then increasingly there was a lot more pressure, especially at the end,” the source said, adding that Washington had set an April 24 deadline for finalising the agreement.

The breakdown in talks marks a setback for the U.S. strategy to reconfigure its global health partnerships, which also follows similar disputes elsewhere.

A comparable issue derailed negotiations with Zimbabwe earlier this year, while a Kenyan agreement was temporarily suspended by a court pending a legal challenge from a consumer protection group.

Ghana has not publicly commented on the matter. Spokespersons for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government did not respond to requests for comment.

The U.S. State Department, meanwhile, said it does not disclose details of bilateral negotiations but reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to continued cooperation with Accra.

“We continue to look for ways to strengthen the bilateral partnership between our two countries,” a spokesperson said.

The United States has already disbursed about $219 million in foreign assistance to Ghana in 2024, including $96 million earmarked for health programmes, according to official foreign aid data. Under the proposed agreement, Ghana would have received $109 million in health funding over five years, though it remains unclear what financial commitments would have been required from Accra.

The U.S. Agency for International Development was dismantled earlier this year as part of the administration’s broader restructuring of foreign aid delivery.

As of Monday, the State Department said 32 agreements had been signed under the new global health strategy, representing $20.6 billion in funding, including $12.8 billion from the United States and $7.8 billion in co-investment from recipient countries. Washington expects additional agreements to be finalised in the coming months.

The warning follows reports and viral videos of xenophobic incidents targeting foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, in parts of the country.

In a statement issued on behalf of the High Commissioner, Benjamin Anani Quashie, the mission urged Ghanaian nationals to prioritise their safety.

“I urge everyone to continue exercising heightened vigilance and to place the highest priority on personal safety during this period,” the statement said.

The High Commission also advised Ghanaian shop owners to temporarily close their businesses and avoid protest areas.

“Shop owners are strongly encouraged to close their businesses for the day and avoid areas where protests or demonstrations are taking place,” it noted.

Ghanaians were further cautioned against participating in any gatherings that could turn confrontational.

“Please refrain from participating in public gatherings that could escalate into confrontation,” the statement added.

It also encouraged nationals to keep a low profile and act with discretion, both in public and online, including avoiding the sharing of content that could be seen as provocative.

The High Commission said it will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as developments unfold.

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Officials have sent a team to the crash site for investigations, but initial reports suggested the aircraft may have come down “due to adverse weather conditions, particularly low visibility”, the SSCAA added in a statement.

The plane crashed about 20km (12 miles) south-west of the capital, Juba, on Monday morning. It took off from Yei at 09:15 local time ( 07:15 GMT), and air traffic control lost contact about 30 minutes into the flight to the capital.

Among the 15 on board – the pilot and 14 passengers – were 13 South Sudanese and two Kenyans, the manifest says.

The plane, a Cessna 208 Caravan, was operated by CityLink Aviation Ltd.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has a poorly developed transport network, and its aviation industry has a poor safety record.

More than 55 planes crashed in the country, resulting in dozens of fatalities, in the decade following independence in 2011.

Accidents are sometimes due to old aircraft and weak regulatory compliance. Overloading, poor weather and pilot errors are also blamed.

In January 2025, 20 oil workers died after their aircraft, which was headed for Juba, came down three minutes after take-off near the oil fields of Unity state in the north.

The worst plane crash occurred in November 2015, when an Antonov plane crashed near Juba airport, killing 41 people.

Announced in late December, Meta said the deal – estimated to be worth around $2bn (£1.48bn) at the time – would see Manus’ agents used to boost its own AI across its platforms.

But reports on Monday said Beijing’s National Development and Reform Commission had prohibited foreign investment in the deal, requiring “the parties involved to withdraw the acquisition transaction”.

A Meta spokesperson told the BBC, “The transaction complied fully with applicable law”.

“We anticipate an appropriate resolution to the inquiry,” they added.

It comes after months of scrutiny by Chinese regulators of Meta’s acquisition of Manus.

Manus has sought to set itself apart from rival AI developers with what it claims can be a “truly autonomous” agent.

Unlike many chatbots, which require repeated prompting before a user can get their desired response, the company says its service can plan, execute, and complete tasks independently in accordance with instructions.

Analysts described the deal at the time as a “natural fit” for Meta, with founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg spurring the firm’s AI development.

It recently told staff it would cut thousands of jobs amid increased spending on AI.

Tech tensions

While Manus is now based in Singapore, it was founded and previously based in China, and as such has come under the country’s regulators.

China has a number of strict laws and regulations around its tech, including controls on their export or sale to foreign firms.

Such regulations, for instance, meant Beijing’s approval was needed to secure President Donald Trump’s deal to keep TikTok available in the US after its sale by Chinese parent company ByteDance.

It was reported in March that Manus’ two co-founders had been prevented from leaving the country amid a review of Meta’s acquisition.

“The outstanding team at Manus is now deeply integrated into Meta, running, improving and growing the Manus service and will continue to make it available to the millions of people who enjoy it,” a Meta spokesperson told the BBC at the time.

Any requirement to unwind the acquisition may, as a result, cause difficulty for Meta.

It also comes amid tensions between the US and China, which have loomed large over the tech industry.

The White House said on Friday it would work more closely with US AI firms to combat “industrial-scale campaigns” to steal advances in the technology – saying new information showed “foreign entities, principally based in China” were copying US models.

A representative of China’s US embassy in Washington DC took issue with “the unjustified suppression of Chinese companies by the US” in response to the memo.

“China is not only the world’s factory but is also becoming the world’s innovation lab,” the representative added.

The first lady called Kimmel’s remarks “hateful and violent”, urging his network, ABC, to take action against his “atrocious behaviour”.

A gunman opened fire at Saturday’s dinner, an attack authorities say may have targeted members of the Trump administration. The joke aired on Thursday, as Kimmel parodied the dinner in advance.

“Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,” Kimmel said.

In a post on X on Monday, Melania Trump said “people like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate”, and urged ABC to “take a stand”.

“His monologue about my family isn’t comedy – his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America,” she said. “How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”

President Trump also weighed in on the issue.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday afternoon, Trump said he appreciated that so many were “incensed by Kimmel’s” remarks, claiming they were a “call to violence”.

“[T]his is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC,” he wrote.

The BBC has contacted ABC for comment.

Kimmel was taken off air last September after he made comments about the shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

In a monologue, Kimmel said the “Maga gang” – a reference to Trump’s followers – was trying to “score political points” from the murder of Kirk. His show was reinstated a week later.

After returning to the show, Kimmel said he accepted that some people felt his remarks about Kirk’s death had been “ill-timed or unclear or maybe both”, adding: “I get why you’re upset.”

In the latest incident, a resurfaced clip of Kimmel’s Thursday joke sparked backlash on social media after the shooting, with critics accusing the comedian of encouraging political violence. Several conservative social media users called for Kimmel to be taken off air.

At a news conference on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also criticised Kimmel’s remarks.

“This kind of rhetoric about the president, the first lady and his supporters is completely deranged,” she said.

Trump and Melania were evacuated unharmed from the gala dinner on Saturday night after a gunman opened fire near a security checkpoint at the event, held at the Washington Hilton.

Trump told reporters that the dinner was “a rather traumatic experience” for his wife.

The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was tackled by agents near a staircase leading down to a ballroom where the dinner was taking place, with hundreds of journalists, officials and public figures attending.

Allen appeared in court on Monday where he was charged with attempting to assassinate the president.

He was also charged with weapon offences relating to the incident. He did not enter a plea.

In a statement issued on Sunday, April 27, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed solidarity with the Government and people of Mali following the deadly assaults on multiple military installations, including locations in the capital, Bamako.

“Violent extremism must have no place in our world, and we must step up collective efforts to end this horror,” the statement noted.

The attacks, which targeted several strategic sites, are reported to have resulted in multiple casualties, including senior military officials and civilians. General Sadio Camara, a key figure in Mali’s military leadership, is said to be among those killed.

The incident marks one of the most significant security developments in the Sahel in recent months, where extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS continue to operate amid ongoing political instability.

In response to the deteriorating situation, the Foreign Ministry has advised Ghanaian traders and transport operators who ply the Mali route to suspend their activities temporarily.

“As the Government of Mali takes necessary actions to control the situation, Ghanaian traders and drivers who ply the route for trading activities are advised to suspend movements until further notice,” the statement added.

The Ministry also urged Ghanaians currently residing in Mali to exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel, and remain in close contact with Ghana’s diplomatic mission in Bamako.

It further indicated that authorities are closely monitoring developments and working with relevant stakeholders to ensure the safety of Ghanaian nationals.

The Government reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of citizens abroad, stressing that their security and well-being remain a top priority, while assuring that updates will be provided as the situation evolves.

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The firing prompted the evacuation of Trump, along with the members of his cabinet, from the media gala, being held at the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening. The president later called the incident an attack by a “would-be assassin”.

Security personnel shot at the suspect after he forced his way through a checkpoint just outside the hotel ballroom, where the president, First Lady Melania Trump, top officials and hundreds of formally dressed guests were assembled.

The man, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen in US media reports, was arrested at the scene. Official confirmation has yet to be released.

People dived under tables in chaotic scenes as Secret Service teams swarmed into the glitzy WHCA dinner, held annually at the Washington Hilton in the US capital.

“A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service,” Trump told a news conference at the White House shortly after the incident.

“They seem to think he was a lone wolf, and I feel that too,” he said, after posting video of the suspect sprinting past security as guards drew their weapons.

So, what do we know about the suspect, and where is he now?

Who is the suspected attacker?

Law enforcement officials, who have not released the suspect’s name, say he lives in Torrance, California, a coastal city in the South Bay region near Los Angeles along Santa Monica Bay.

The chief of Washington, DC’s police department said investigators think the suspect was staying as a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the annual dinner was held, though they have not yet established a motive.

Facebook posts appearing to be linked to Allen indicate he was recognised as “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024 by the Torrance branch of C2 Education, a national private tutoring and test-preparation company for college-bound students.

A LinkedIn profile under the suspect’s name describes him as a “mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth”.

Allen contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political action committee in support of Kamala Harris for president in 2024, according to federal campaign finance records.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Trump said it was unlikely the shooting was linked to the US-Israel war on Iran.

“It’s not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran. I don’t know if that had anything to do with it, I really don’t think so, based on what we know,” Trump told reporters.

What do we know about the security measures at the hotel?
The interim chief for the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, Jeffery Carroll, told reporters on Saturday that investigators believe the suspect was staying in the hotel, and that is how he apparently entered it at the time of the event.

The hotel was closed to the public beginning at 2pm (18:00 GMT) on Saturday in anticipation of the dinner, which began at 8pm (00:00 GMT). Outside, dozens of protesters gathered in the rain, mostly directing their criticism at the media attending the event.

Access to the hotel was restricted to hotel guests, people with tickets to the dinner, an invitation to one of the receptions held at the hotel before or after the dinner, or documents from the WHCA indicating affiliation with the dinner.

The 2,300 guests at the event in the hotel’s cavernous subterranean ballroom had to pass through several additional checks to enter the room, including showing tickets to association volunteers and hotel staff and passing through magnetometers crewed by the Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration.

Security camera footage released by Trump on social media shortly after the incident shows the suspect running past security officers who appear to be disassembling the metal detectors.

Once the president was seated in the ballroom, additional attendees were not permitted to enter the secured area, which is why they were taking them down.

“It shows that our multilayered protection works,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran said. His comments were echoed by Carroll, who said the security plan for the evening was developed by the Secret Service and “that security plan did work this evening”.

However, Richard Gaisford, reporting for Al Jazeera from Washington, DC, said, “All eyes will now be on whether there was enough security in place.”

“This isn’t the first time that someone has tried to kill the president if that was the main aim of this evening’s attack,” he said.

“The man is being held, and we’re told, will be asked these questions. And certainly, we’ll get a clearer picture of the intent and more details of what happened tomorrow.”

What do we know about past attacks on Trump?

Trump has been the target of several assassination attempts and numerous death threats during both his presidency and his campaigns.

The most serious incident occurred in July 2024 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman reached a rooftop overlooking the stage where the then-candidate was speaking. A spectator was killed, Trump was wounded in the ear, and Secret Service agents shot dead the attacker, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.

A few months later, in September, authorities said an armed man lay in wait near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, intending to kill him.

Prosecutors said the suspect, Ryan Routh, spent weeks planning the attack and aimed a rifle through bushes as Trump played golf, but a Secret Service agent spotted him before he could shoot, and he was arrested shortly afterwards. Routh was convicted last year of attempting to kill the president and received a life sentence in February.

The same month, 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin was shot dead after entering Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida with a shotgun; Trump was not on the property at the time.

Brent, the global benchmark, rose by 2.2% to $107.70 (£79.66) a barrel, while US-traded crude was up by 2.1% at $96.40.

It comes after US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington had cancelled plans to send a team to Pakistan for negotiations with their Iranian counterparts.

Global energy supplies have been under intense pressure since the start of the Iran war, as the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway was effectively closed after Iran threatened to attack ships in retaliation for US and Israeli airstrikes on the country.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that “important discussions on bilateral matters and regional developments” are ongoing with Oman, its neighbour along the strait.

He posted on social media: “Our focus included ways to ensure safe transit that is to the benefit of all dear neighbours and the world. Our neighbours are our priority.”

Around a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) usually passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday that there was “too much time wasted on travelling” and “too much work” in sending US representatives to Islamabad.

The president added that “there is tremendous infighting and confusion” within Tehran’s leadership.

“Nobody knows who is in charge, including them,” he said. “Also, we have all the cards; they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”

Brent crude has risen by more than 10% since Trump announced last week that he would extend a ceasefire with Tehran to give its leadership a chance to present a “unified proposal”.

The royal visitors, arriving on Monday, were already facing a diplomatic challenge with political tensions between the US and the UK.

But the shooting incident in Washington DC at the weekend, at an event attended by President Trump, added another layer of security concerns.

The UK ambassador said the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, had spoken to President Trump on Sunday, and that the trip would be going ahead largely as planned.

King Charles and Queen Camilla had privately reached out to the Trumps to give their sympathies after the attack.

After US and UK talks over security, it was decided the trip should continue, with only a few modifications to minimise risks.

The four-day state visit will begin in Washington DC, with the King and Queen being greeted at the White House by President Trump and the First Lady, Melania Trump.

There are British and US flags flying in the streets around the White House, ahead of what will be several days of political theatre.

It will be a charm offensive by the UK, with attendance at ceremonial events in Washington and a symbolic show of solidarity at the 9/11 Memorial in New York.

For President Trump, it will also be a chance to be seen on the world stage next to royalty and might be a welcome diversion from his own political battles. And he told the BBC that he thought the visit could help repair relations with the UK, saying: “Absolutely, the answer is yes.”

Sir Christian said the royal visit would emphasise the “shared history, shared sacrifice and common values” of the two countries and would show that the partnership meant both peoples were “safer, richer and happier”.

It’s understood that diplomats no longer use the phrase the “special relationship”, but this visit comes at an unusually difficult time for the US and UK partnership.

President Trump has criticised Sir Keir Starmer over not supporting the US in its conflict with Iran and there have been disagreements between the two allies.

The state visit, which will include events in Washington DC, New York and Virginia, will show that the “partnership ranges well beyond the government of the day”, said the ambassador.

Following the event at the White House on Monday, during which the King and Queen will have tea with the Trumps, they will then attend a garden party with guests who have connections to the US and the UK.

State visits are carried out on behalf of the government and Sir Christian identified three strategic priorities – investment, military co-operation and encouraging “people to people” connections, including tourism and education.

But this visit has faced critics, including Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, who called for it to be cancelled, describing the US president as “unreliable”.

The diplomatic centrepiece will be the King’s speech to the US Congress on Tuesday, in which the King will have to strike a balance between asserting the UK government’s positions and maintaining friendly relations with President Trump.

President Trump will make his own remarks at a state dinner at the White House.

The US president has remained an enthusiastic fan of the monarchy, and in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, he praised King Charles: “He’s really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative.”

The UK government will be hoping that some of that warmth will translate into a stronger political relationship.

In a statement issued on Sunday, April 26, the regional bloc described the coordinated assaults as heinous, warning that they highlight the growing threat posed by extremist groups to peace, security, and stability across West Africa.

Reports indicate that Mali’s Defence Minister, General Sadio Camara, was among those killed during the attacks on military installations nationwide.

ECOWAS expressed grave concern over the persistent insecurity in the region, stressing that instability in Mali has wider implications for neighbouring countries.

“These heinous acts demonstrate once again the barbaric nature of the perpetrators who continue to threaten peace, security, and stability in the West African sub-region as a whole,” the statement said.

The organisation called for urgent and coordinated action, urging member states, security agencies, and citizens across the sub-region to unite in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

“ECOWAS calls on all states, security forces, regional mechanisms, and populations of West Africa to unite and mobilise in a coordinated effort to combat this scourge,” it added.

The bloc also extended condolences to the families of victims and expressed solidarity with the people and government of Mali.

Mali has faced prolonged insecurity since 2012, with terrorist activities persisting despite interventions by international forces, including the United Nations peacekeeping mission and French-led operations.

ECOWAS reaffirmed its commitment to working with Mali and other member states to pursue lasting solutions to the region’s security challenges.

In a post shared on X, the Minister explained that the e-Visa regime will apply to travellers visiting Ghana for business and tourism purposes.

He noted that the policy is aimed at positioning Ghana as a more welcoming destination, particularly at a time when some countries are tightening travel restrictions.

“When others make you feel unwelcome, Ghana says this is your home to invest and to enjoy the beauty of nature,” he stated.

Mr Ablakwa also referenced President John Dramani Mahama’s declaration at his inauguration that “Ghana is open for business again,” stressing that the new policy reinforces that commitment.

According to him, the introduction of the e-Visa system forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s image as one of Africa’s most peaceful, stable, and business-friendly destinations, while leveraging technology to improve efficiency and convenience for travellers.

He added that the system will be backed by a robust security vetting framework to ensure national safety is not compromised.

The Minister further indicated that the reform aligns with the government’s wider agenda of “resetting Ghana” across key sectors of development.

Cabinet has approved our new e-Visa policy.

The e-Visa regime covers those traveling to Ghana for business and tourism.

When others make you feel unwelcome, Ghana says this is your home to invest and to enjoy the beauty of nature.

As President Mahama declared at his…

— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) April 25, 2026

The man suspected of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night worked as a teacher and video game developer from Southern California, according to public records, reported CNN.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, has been identified by law enforcement as the armed man subdued near the dinner where President Trump and other officials had gathered, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer reports that the shooting occurred on the floor above where the dinner was being held. Blitzer said he was very close to the gunman and that a police officer threw him to the ground in an effort to protect him.

“A guy with a very, very serious weapon starts shooting. I happened to be a few feet away from him,” Blitzer said, adding that the shooter was shooting randomly.

“I’m guessing I heard at least half a dozen gunshots. … They were so loud,” he said.

Authorities said the shooter fired shots inside the hotel before being apprehended by the Secret Service.

“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

The president gave additional details about the shooter at a press conference at the White House.

The ship, Honour 25, was overrun late on Wednesday by six gunmen when it was approximately 30 nautical miles offshore, the officials said.

Until three years ago, piracy had almost disappeared in this stretch of the Indian Ocean, once notorious for hijackings, but it has since made a comeback, with fishing trawlers or container ships targeted.

The seizure of a tanker headed for the Somali capital, Mogadishu, is likely to increase anxiety in the city where petrol prices have already tripled since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran.

It was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil, security officials from Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region told the BBC.

The hijacked ship departed the port of Berbera, in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, on 20 February and arrived near the coast of the United Arab Emirates shortly after the conflict began, according to the ShipAtlas website.

The shipping map then shows it circling in the waters close to the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz before turning around on 2 April and making its way towards Mogadishu.

Under the control of the pirates, the vessel, carrying 17 crew – 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan and one from Myanmar, has anchored close to the Somali shore between the fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla.

Five more armed men have since boarded the Honour 25, sources said.

Officials believe the hijackers set off from a remote area near Bander Beyla. It is unclear how they were able to intercept and take control of the oil tanker.

Neither the Somali authorities nor the European Naval Force, which oversees anti-piracy operations in Somali waters, has release a statement on the hijacking.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, April 25, Mr Quashie revealed that he had been summoned by South African officials who assured him of their commitment to addressing the situation.

“Yesterday, I was summoned by the South African authorities, and they told us they know the people behind these acts, and they will go to great lengths against them,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, confirmed that the South African government has expressed regret over the incidents and pledged to investigate the attacks.

According to him, the assurance followed diplomatic engagements after viral videos surfaced showing harassment involving Ghanaian nationals.

Mr Ablakwa noted that Ghana has strongly condemned the attacks and continues to engage South African authorities to ensure the safety of its citizens.

He added that discussions with his South African counterpart underscored the need for swift action to prevent a recurrence, stressing that Ghana expects firm measures to protect the rights and dignity of foreign nationals.

Zambian journalist and digital creator Lilian Chipeso and Ghanaian content creator Goshers captured attention during the widely discussed Ghana–Zambia fufu saga.

What started as lighthearted banter about food and culture quickly gained traction across social media, drawing in audiences from both countries and beyond.

For Lilian, a communications professional and storyteller, the journey to Ghana became more than just a visit it was an opportunity to experience firsthand the culture she had been engaging with online. Her arrival in Accra was met with excitement, reflecting the strong connection she had built with audiences even before setting foot in the country.

Goshers, whose influence helped shape the narrative, emphasized the intention behind the viral moment:

“Everything started during the Ghana–Zambia fufu saga… But when the banter started heading towards division, I knew I had to find a way to bring people together and remind everyone that, after all, it was just banter . we are still one people.”

That message has become the defining theme of their story turning what could have divided into something that unites.

During her stay in Ghana, Lilian was hosted at the Groove Essipong Hotel, where she experienced a blend of comfort and hospitality that complemented her cultural journey.

The hotel’s serene environment and attentive service provided the perfect space for rest and reflection amidst a busy schedule of media appearances and engagements. It also offered a quiet reminder of Ghana’s growing appeal as a destination for both leisure and cultural exchange.

Her time in Ghana, from media tours to cultural immersion, further strengthened the bond between her and Goshers moving their connection beyond screens into a shared real-life experience that resonated with many.

Their story, now amplified on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning, goes beyond viral fame. It highlights how digital platforms can foster meaningful connections, reshape narratives, and promote unity across borders.

In a time when differences are often amplified, Lilian Chipeso and Goshers have offered a refreshing perspective, one that celebrates shared identity, mutual respect, and the simple truth that, despite it all, we remain one people.

Local officials reported that the gunmen arrived at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time (15:00 GMT/Ghana time) and operated with near impunity for several hours. The assault marks a significant escalation in the 17-year insurgency that continues to destabilise Africa’s most populous nation. Despite numerous military campaigns, extremist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) remain capable of overwhelming local defences.

Lethal Incursion in Pubagu

The village of Pubagu, situated in the Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, suffered the highest casualty count with 11 residents confirmed dead. For many, the violence was a shocking departure from the community’s history of relative peace. Mwada Saidu Uba, the local council chairman, noted the unexpected nature of the violence. “Pubagu is one of the locations in our council area that had never suffered such an attack until yesterday,” he stated following the funerals of those killed.

Eyewitnesses in Pubagu detailed a relentless onslaught that lasted over an hour. One survivor, speaking on the condition of anonymity, described the indiscriminate nature of the violence. “Yesterday evening, the terrorists stormed our community in Pubagu. They shot sporadically for hours, burning houses and shops. They killed both men and women after operating for over one hour,” the source said. Usman Rumirgo, a local ward official, confirmed that assailants set several houses ablaze before fleeing, leaving two survivors critically injured.

Assault on Mayo-Ladde

Simultaneously, the attackers crossed into Adamawa State to strike the community of Mayo-Ladde in the Hong Local Government Area. In this secondary location, nine people were killed as the gunmen exploited the porous border between the two states. Like the raid in Borno, the militants focused on the destruction of infrastructure and the seizure of vital resources.

The humanitarian impact of the raid was immediate and devastating. In addition to the loss of life, the militants engaged in systematic destruction of property and essential resources, including the looting of food supplies. Mada Saidu, the chairman of Askira-Uba district, provided a grim assessment of the total scale of the tragedy. “In total, we have 20 deaths, 11 from Askira Uba in Borno, nine from Hong Local Government Area, Adamawa,” Saidu confirmed.

Condemnation and Allegations of War Crimes

The international community has reacted with sharp condemnation to the scale of the atrocities. Amnesty International released a statement strongly condemning the “vicious and unlawful attack,” noting that in addition to the loss of life, Boko Haram militants targeted places of worship and private residences. The organisation emphasised that the deliberate killing of non-combatants represents a grave violation of international law.

“Such horrific killing of civilians by Boko Haram once again demonstrates its brazen disregard for life,” the human rights group stated. “These killings specifically targeting civilians amount to war crimes, and perpetrators must be swiftly brought to justice.” Amnesty further asserted that the consistent targeting of civilians is “unacceptable and must end,” calling for a shift in accountability for the insurgent group’s 17-year campaign of terror.

Military Counter-Offensive and Recent Gains

Following the raids on Pubagu and Mayo-Ladde, the Nigerian military launched a series of high-stakes counter-offensives. In the early hours of April 23, 2026, troops from Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) successfully repelled a major terrorist assault at the Kukareta location. Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force, reported that the engagement lasted three hours and resulted in a “disorderly withdrawal” of the insurgent forces.

The military reported that 24 terrorists were neutralised during the encounter. Troops also recovered a significant cache of weaponry, including 18 AK-47 rifles, multiple machine guns, anti-aircraft guns, and mortar tubes. While two personnel were wounded and an armoured tank sustained damage, the military characterised the operation as a decisive success. “This successful operation highlights the resilience, combat readiness and fire superiority of OPHK troops in denying terrorists freedom of action,” Uba stated, adding that exploitation operations are ongoing to recover additional equipment along withdrawal routes marked by blood trails.

Federal Government and Military Response

In response to the surge in violence, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated the State House commiserated with the people of Borno and Adamawa. The President characterised the raids as “final, desperate, and frantic attempts” by terrorist elements to spread fear in the face of sustained military pressure. “We will continue to intensify our efforts against all criminal elements, wherever they may be,” Tinubu stated, noting that he has directed security chiefs to move to the region to take direct charge of the situation.

The Nigerian Armed Forces have signalled a simultaneous escalation in counter-terrorism operations, deploying additional troops to the Askira-Uba axis. A spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters confirmed that the army is currently conducting intelligence-led missions to locate the motorcycle-mounted units responsible for the raids. To sustain this momentum, the federal government announced the approval of advanced equipment and operational support to enhance the capabilities of frontline troops stationed in these high-risk “theatres” of conflict.

Despite these strategic gains, the vulnerability of remote hubs remains a critical concern. Mada Saidu noted that when the initial attacks began, local security groups were quickly outmatched. “I later went there together with the army. Initially, it was local security that was there, that is, hunters and vigilantes. But they were overpowered by the terrorists,” Saidu said. This pattern highlights the ongoing difficulty the Nigerian government faces in securing vast rural landscapes against mobile, highly motivated insurgent cells that expertly exploit security gaps.

Regional Instability and Emerging Threats

This latest wave of violence is emblematic of a broader surge in extremist activity across the northeast. Just days prior, on April 16, Boko Haram militants killed four soldiers and a civilian woman in the Mussa community in Askira Uba, highlighting the persistent danger to both military personnel and civilians. Beyond the established presence of Boko Haram and ISWAP, the region now faces emerging threats from the IS-linked Lakurawa and various bandit ggroups specialisingin kidnapping and illegal mining. “Vulnerable rural communities regularly come under fire from Islamic extremists and bandits who take advantage of Nigeria’s vast rural areas and security gaps,” officials observed.

Humanitarian Crisis and Strategic Outlook

The long-standing conflict has claimed thousands of lives and displaced at least 2 million people, creating a humanitarian crisis that aid organisations struggle to contain. As the two critically injured victims from the recent raids receive treatment at a nearby hospital, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the limitations of local vigilante groups against well-armed insurgents. The recurring violence underscores a complex security dilemma where the state must balance the protection of remote agricultural hubs with the pursuit of highly mobile militant factions. To prevent further erosion of authority, a more robust and proactive presence is required to shield these isolated border communities from the shifting frontlines of the 17-year conflict.

The criticism comes after a recent altercation involving Burna Boy and DJ Tunez at a club in Lagos, which also sparked an online feud between Burna Boy and Wizkid.

Reacting to the controversy, some Nigerians accused Burna Boy of frequently getting into physical confrontations and described him as arrogant.

However, speaking in an interview with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu on Channels TV, Bose Ogulu dismissed the criticism, stating that she does not mind being perceived that way.

When asked about the perception of her son, she said if knowing his worth and carrying himself accordingly is seen as arrogance, then it is not a bad thing.

“And I can’t apologise for that,” she added.

Ebuka asked: “Do you mind that Burna Boy is seen as arrogant? Do you mind that you are seen as arrogant in the way you run the Burna brand?”

She responded: “I don’t mind, honestly, I don’t mind at all. I mean, any adjective they want to attach to you is okay. The thing is, who are you? If knowing your worth and carrying yourself as such is arrogant, then it is a good thing. And I can’t apologise for that.

“Because I think we were born into a world where we were expected to put our heads down.

“First is the colour of your skin, the colour of your passport, and for me, my gender. So, I don’t understand the concept of that life. I understand that if I know something, I know it, and I expect you to realise that I know it. And if you don’t realise that I know it, then put me to the test,” she said.

ALSO READ:

• Wizkid slams Burna Boy over alleged assault on DJ Tunez

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The trains were travelling early on Thursday on a line linking the towns of Hillerød and Kagerup in the North Zealand area of north-east Denmark, with a total of 37 people on board, according to police.

Tim Ole Simonsen of the Greater Copenhagen fire department was unable to say what led to the crash, but told Danish TV that all the injured had been taken to the hospital by air or by ambulance.

Local mayor Trine Egetved said she was deeply shaken by the accident.

Public broadcaster DR showed images of two yellow and grey trains, both with visible front-end damage, facing each other in a wooded area.

Officials said the trains collided at 06:29 local time (05:29 BST) on Thursday, and fire and rescue teams were alerted immediately.

Egetved, who is the mayor of the Gribskov municipality, said those with critical injuries had been flown to the National Hospital in Copenhagen.

“The local track is used by many Gribskov residents, workers and students,” she wrote on Facebook.

She told public broadcaster DR that it was shocking that two trains could collide head-on, “and we must ensure it never happens again”.

In a statement to government-owned station TV2, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was “very concerned by the terrible train accident”.

Denmark’s Accident Investigation Board arrived at the scene during the morning, and Inspector Morten Pedersen of North Zealand police said they would be working together to find out what had happened.

Pedersen told reporters it was far too early to know the cause of the crash.

The board’s railway unit manager, Klaus Jensen, told broadcaster TV2 that investigators are looking at “all hypotheses”, including “a failure in the signalling system, or whether there may have been a failure due to human factors”.

Claus Pedersson, safety director at Lokaltog – which operates the train line – told public broadcaster DR that several members of staff have been injured.

He described the collision as “one of the worst we can imagine in the railway industry”, adding that “right now we are collecting data” to understand the causes of the incident.

“We see accidents like this happen from time to time, and the most important thing is that we learn from it,” he added.

In a separate interview with broadcaster TV2, Pedersson said initial reports suggest one of the train drivers pulled the brakes and then helped evacuate passengers.

He also reassured passengers, telling them that “very competent” people drive and monitor the trains.

Rail accidents are rare in Denmark, and one expert suggested one of the train drivers had ended up on the wrong line by overriding a stop signal as the train left a local station. The Gribskov line is not thought to have been updated with an automated safety system.

When asked in a phone interview with the BBC whether the visit could help repair the relationship, Trump said: “Absolutely. He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely, the answer is yes.”

“I know him well, I’ve known him for years,” he said. “He’s a brave man, and he’s a great man. They would absolutely be a positive.”

The president also spoke about his relationship with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who he said could only “recover” if he changed course on immigration.

The King and Queen will travel to the US for a four-day visit beginning on Monday, and will meet with Trump at the White House.

The King will have a private meeting with the president and also deliver an address to Congress.

After two days in Washington DC, they will travel to New York, Virginia and Bermuda before returning to the UK.

The Foreign Office said the trip would mark the 250th anniversary of US independence, and would celebrate a partnership of “shared prosperity, security and history”.

In the five-minute interview on Thursday, Trump was also asked about his relationship with Sir Keir.

The two leaders have appeared at odds over the war in Iran, and the prime minister has faced mounting pressure over his decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said Lord Mandelson was “a really bad pick” but the prime minister had “plenty of time to recover”.

When asked what he meant by that post, Trump said: “If he opened the North Sea and if his immigration policies became strong, which right now they’re not, he can recover, but if he doesn’t, I don’t think he has a chance.”

Trump has repeatedly called on the UK to increase oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.

“I make my decisions based on what’s in the British national interest and not what other people say or do,” Sir Keir said while talking to broadcasters about the president’s comments on Thursday.

“That is why I took the decision that we would not be dragged into the war in Iran,” he said. “I’m not going to be diverted or deflected from that by what anybody else says.”

Trump has also criticised the UK government and other allies over their response to the Iran war. He has said he is “not happy” with the level of support offered by the UK, while Sir Keir has repeatedly said the country will not be drawn into a wider conflict.

When the president was asked why he needed allies such as the UK to get involved, he told the BBC: “I didn’t need them at all but they should’ve been there. I didn’t need them, obviously.”

“We’ve wiped Iran’s military out,” he added. “I didn’t need anybody.”

“I wanted to see whether or not they would be involved,” Trump said, describing his calls for support from allies as “more of a test”.

Trump was also asked whether his threat, made earlier this month, that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” unless Iran agreed to a deal was about nuclear weapons. The comment was widely condemned, including by the Pope, the head of the UN and Sir Keir.

“The other side is dying to make a deal,” Trump said. “So whatever I’m saying or whatever I’m doing, it seems to be working very well.”

Towards the end of the phone interview, the president also referenced his multi-billion dollar defamation lawsuit against the BBC.

He is suing over the way a Panorama documentary edited together different sections of a speech he gave before the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.

Trump said the BBC had to be “very careful” or it could “destroy” its reputation.

The BBC has previously apologised to Trump over the Panorama edit, but rejected his demands for compensation. It has said there is no basis for a defamation claim and filed to dismiss the lawsuit.

“We have said throughout we will robustly defend the case against us,” a BBC spokesperson said on Thursday.

The company told employees in a memo on Thursday that it planned to cut 10% of its workforce – roughly 8,000 staff. It said it would also not fill thousands more open jobs it had been hiring for.

A key reason for the layoffs is Meta’s increased spending in other areas of the company, including AI, for which it will spend $135bn (£100bn) this year. This is roughly equal to the amount it has spent on AI over the previous three years, according to a person who viewed the memo.

A spokesman for Meta confirmed the planned job cuts but declined to comment further.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s co-founder and chief executive, made public comments in January that essentially telegraphed the company would be cutting jobs again this year.

The Meta boss said he had seen how much more productive workers who relied heavily on AI tools had become, noting a single person could now complete projects that would have previously required a large team.

“I think that 2026 is going to be the year that AI starts to dramatically change the way that we work,” Zuckerberg said.

Last week, Reuters reported that Meta was planning to cut more than 10,000 employees this year. The memo to employees on Thursday was first reported by Bloomberg.

While Meta has already cut around 2,000 workers in two smaller rounds of layoffs already this year, employees had been braced for weeks for a much deeper cut, as the BBC previously reported.

Meta’s spending and internal focus had shifted heavily in recent months toward catching up on the development of AI models and tools.

The company just this week informed employees that it would begin tracking and logging their interactions with work computers in order to help train and improve its AI models, a move one employee called “dystopian” given the looming layoffs.

“This company has become obsessed with AI,” they told the BBC.

Since 2022, Meta has enacted several rounds of job cuts, shedding tens of thousands of workers.

But it had started hiring again, and last year its overall number of employees looked to be at around the same level it had been at before its initial layoff.

The upcoming jobs cuts will be Meta’s largest layoff since 2023.

A number of other tech firms, most of which are also spending huge sums on building tools and infrastructure for AI technology, have also enacted swathes of job cuts this year.

Amazon has laid off more than 30,000 workers. Oracle laid off more than 10,000 workers.

Block, which is among the smaller tech companies, laid off nearly half of its staff totaling more than 4,000 workers. And Snap, another smaller tech company, has laid off around 1,000.

Also on Thursday, Microsoft told employees that it would offer voluntary buyouts to thousands of workers with longer tenure at the firm.

Nearly all of the companies have cited the growing capabilities of, or increased investment in, AI technology as a factor in executives’ perceived need for fewer employees.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged Gannon Ken Van Dyke after he allegedly made trades on Polymarket, a crypto-powered platform, based on classified information.

“That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law,” Justice Department officials said.

Van Dyke, an active-duty soldier in the US Army stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, won more than $409,000 (£303,702) as a result of his bets.

US forces seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their compound in Caracas in a dramatic, nighttime raid on 3 January, and brought them to New York to face allegations of weapon and drug offences, which they deny.

Van Dyke allegedly placed bets on the timing and outcome of the operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, “all to turn a profit”, the Justice Department said in a statement on Thursday.

The DOJ alleges that on or about 26 December 2025, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account and began trading on Maduro and Venezuela-related markets.

He is accused of making bets of more than $33,000 (£24,500) while in possession of classified nonpublic information about Operation Absolute Resolve.

In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, Polymarket said: “When we identified a user trading on classified government information, we referred the matter to the DOJ & cooperated with their investigation.”

The company added: “Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today’s arrest is proof the system works.”

Van Dyke has been charged with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction, according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday.

“Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information in order to accomplish their mission as safely and effectively as possible, and are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain,” said acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply.”

US Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York, where the case will proceed, added that prediction markets “are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain”.

The justice department officials said that as a soldier Van Dyke signed nondisclosure agreements in which he promised to “‘never divulge, publish, or reveal by writing, words, conduct, or otherwise . . . any classified or sensitive information’ relating to military operations”.

Federal prosecutors allege that starting from 8 December 2025 until at least 6 January 2026, Van Dyke was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve and had access to sensitive, nonpublic, classified information about that operation.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), an independent US federal agency, said it had also filed a complaint against Van Dyke accusing him of engaging in insider trading.

Asked about the alleged betting during an unrelated event on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he had not heard about it but would look into it.

When asked about concerns that prediction markets could lead to insider trading, the president said he is “not happy with any of that stuff”.

“The whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino, and you look at what’s going on all over the world, in Europe and every place, they’re doing these betting things,” he said. “I was never much in favour of it.”

The Acting High Commissioner was invited by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to formally convey Ghana’s strong concern over alleged intimidation and harassment targeting foreigners, including Ghanaians, as captured in widely circulated social media videos.

In a press release issued on April 23, the Minister cited a specific incident in KwaZulu-Natal Province, where a Ghanaian resident was reportedly confronted, asked to produce proof of legal status, and told to leave South Africa and “fix his country.” He described such actions as conduct that undermines the dignity and rights of law-abiding individuals.

The statement further noted that although no fatalities or injuries have been recorded in the current incidents, similar occurrences in the past have led to loss of lives and property, underscoring the need for swift intervention to prevent escalation.

Mr Ablakwa also highlighted the long-standing relationship between Ghana and South Africa, recalling Ghana’s support during South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle as a symbol of enduring solidarity.

“Unprovoked harassment of foreign nationals is contrary to the principles of African unity and peaceful coexistence,” he stressed.

The government has since lodged a formal protest, calling for urgent measures to ensure the protection of Ghanaian nationals, prevent further incidents, and guarantee that such situations do not recur.

In response, Mr Dthamba assured that the South African government is taking the matter seriously and has initiated steps to restore calm.

He added that law enforcement agencies are closely monitoring the situation to prevent violence and ensure accountability.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Ghanaians abroad, indicating that diplomatic engagements with South African authorities will continue.

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However, commission chairman Mohamed Chande Othman did not say who was responsible for the deaths and recommended further investigations.

Opposition parties and human rights groups had previously accused the security forces of unleashing a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the 29 October poll with 98% of the vote – which the opposition described as a “mockery” of democracy.

At the time, the president said the election was fair and transparent and blamed foreigners for the violence saying it was part of a plot to overthrow her.

International observers, however, last year raised concerns over the lack of transparency in the vote, with the African Union and the southern Africa bloc Sadc saying the election had fallen short of democratic standards.

Last year, the BBC verified multiple videos of police shooting towards groups of protesters. Footage posted online showed that demonstrators were confronted by heavily armed police units blocking their progress and firing tear gas to disperse crowds. In many of the videos, gunfire can clearly be heard as people scatter in the ensuing chaos.

The scale of Tanzania’s election violence was shocking for a nation that had cultivated an image of calm, consensus and order for nearly six decades.

Speaking after receiving the report on the violence, Samia said it “shook our nation” and the government would take lessons from it.

She also defended the actions of the security agencies, saying they had prevented the state from sliding into anarchy.

“We have learnt. The commission has told us that all the violence was planned coordinated, financed and executed by people who were trained and given equipment for committing crimes,” she said.

She believed that the objective of those involved was “to create a leadership vacuum” and make the country “ungovernable”, adding that they would be held accountable.

The main opposition party, Chadema, told the AFP news agency that the report was a “cover-up” and described it as “an attempt to whitewash the regime’s crimes”.

This is the first time the authorities have said how many people died.

Among the 518 dead, 490 were male, 21 were children and 16 were security officers, Othman said, adding that 197 had died from shotgun wounds.

But he explained that the death toll could be higher as some victims had been buried without the authorities being told.

More than 2,000 people were injured, including 120 security officers, he added.

Opposition and religious groups had said thousands of people were killed, with reports of bodies being taken from hospitals and some allegedly buried in mass graves.

Othman said the claims of the existence of mass graves “could not be substantiated”, alleging that AI was used to manipulate some images.

The commission identified several underlying causes of the violence, citing economic, political and social issues, including demands for political reforms, unemployment and “lack of patriotism”.

It said politicians and activists used these issues to persuade citizens to take part in protests. It added that the demonstrations were neither peaceful nor lawful and would not qualify for legal protection.

After the nine‑member commission was appointed by President Samia, opposition parties had raised concerns.

They said the inquiry “cannot be independent or impartial, especially in a situation where the government is the primary suspect in the crimes being investigated”.

The commission had a mandate to determine the root causes of the violence, who was involved and for what purpose.

It was also tasked with examining the consequences of the unrest, the response to it and make recommendations on the way forward.

It collected evidence from across the country from ordinary citizens, victims, political leaders and security agencies. Some of its sessions were held in private.

The protests started in Dar es Salaam on 29 October and spread across the country over the following days.

The demonstrations were largely organised by young people angered by what they saw as a political system dominated by one party since Tanzania gained independence in the 1960s.

The two main opposition leaders were blocked from contesting the poll. Tundu Lissu is still in detention on treason charges, which he denies, while Luhaga Mpina’s candidacy was rejected on technical grounds.

The commission made several recommendations including free medical treatment and psychosocial support for victims and that a national day of mourning be set aside in honour of those who died.

It also proposed setting up a commission of criminal inquiry to determine who is to be held accountable.

Besides, it recommends that a new constitution should be in place by 2028, before the next general election, as well as a new commission to foster reconciliation.

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Speaking on Badwam on Adom TV, he urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to summon the South African High Commissioner in Ghana.

According to him, the situation requires urgent attention at the diplomatic level to address concerns surrounding the treatment of Africans, including Ghanaians, in South Africa.

“With immediate effect, the South African High Commissioner in Ghana should be summoned by the Foreign Minister to address this issue,” he insisted.

He stressed that engaging the High Commissioner would provide an opportunity for Ghana to formally register its concerns, seek clarification on the matter, and find solutions to the issue.

Collins Adomako-Mensah added that swift action by the Foreign Ministry would demonstrate Ghana’s commitment to protecting its citizens and ensuring mutual respect among African nations.

Janet Fordham, 69, suffered fatal injuries in the collision on 14 February 2023 after coming to the country to marry a Ghanaian man she met online, who claimed he could help her get the money back.

Mrs Fordham had fallen victim to several online scams during a five-year period that saw her lose her home and life savings, estimated to be up to £1m, Devon Coroner’s Court heard.

When she travelled to Ghana, the retired housekeeper was living in a caravan at the home of her son, Martin, and daughter-in-law, Melanie Fordham, in Honiton, Devon.

She started using online dating websites in 2017 and met a man who claimed to be a British Army sergeant major working in Syria and needed her help to get gold bars to the UK.

Mrs Fordham told her family that they were in love and that he was retiring to return to the UK, with the couple wanting to buy a house together, her daughter-in-law said, adding that she warned her the man would be asking for money.

Melanie Fordham added: “I told her categorically not to send him any. Janet had been sending money to him, but we didn’t find out about this until years later. I believe she gave him around £150,000.”

Mrs Fordham later learned she had been defrauded again by a “diplomat” after her UK bank accounts were frozen, but her family said they don’t know how she transitioned from one fraud to the next.

Melanie Fordham said her mother-in-law “transferred money by several means, including bank transfers, wire transfers at the post office, and potentially a travel agent”, but the banks and post office stopped her mother-in-law from using their services because they recognised it was fraud.

Third man promised to help recover funds

The inquest heard another man, named Kofi, contacted Mrs Fordham, claiming he was a doctor in Ghana who worked part-time at a friend’s mobile phone repair shop, where he supposedly found a phone containing messages to and from Mrs Fordham.

Kofi claimed he contacted Mrs Fordham because he believed she had been scammed and wanted to help get her money back, Melanie Fordham said.

Police spoke to Mrs Fordham about Kofi, but officers could not further the investigation as she failed to respond.

Detective Sergeant Ben Smith, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said officers contacted Mrs Fordham about allegations of fraud in 2017, 2020 and 2022 and tried to persuade her “not to have any contact with the criminals and not to hand over money”, but she was making these decisions of her own free will.

Mrs Fordham continued to transfer money abroad using Bitcoin and ATMs, causing her daughter-in-law to contact the police again.

“Whether she was in so deep, she couldn’t accept it was all gone, she had to keep piling money in the hope of getting something back,” Melanie Fordham said.

“Whether she genuinely believed what she was being told, we will never know.”

Apart from using her savings and home, Mrs Fordham also borrowed money from other family members, totalling around £140,000, was in arrears on loans and credit cards and even cashed in her pension, withdrawing the maximum £500 a day.

Flying to Ghana for marriage

In October 2022, Mrs Fordham flew to Ghana to meet Kofi, with whom she was romantically linked.

“As a family, we tried everything to stop her, but she was adamant,” Melanie Fordham said. “I spoke to her doctor, sought legal advice, but because she was of sound mind, albeit brainwashed, she was deemed to have capacity and there was nothing we could do.”

In Ghana, Mrs Fordham and Kofi were driving from Accra to the Oti region “to get approval from a family member for marriage” when their car left the road and crashed, fatally injuring Mrs Fordham, Mr Smith told the inquest.

He said that there was no third-party involved in the smash.

Kofi later pleaded guilty to driving offences and was handed a suspended prison sentence and a fine.

Philip Spinney, senior coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, said at the end of the hearing: “I conclude that Janet Fordham died as a consequence of a head injury that was probably sustained in a road traffic collision.”

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The demonstration, scheduled to take place between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., is being organised by local South Africans who claim that foreigners are taking over jobs meant for citizens.

Chairman of the Ghanaian community in Mthatha, Yirenyi Gyekye Darko, said he has been in touch with local police, who have assured him that the protest will be peaceful and well monitored.

“I spoke to one of the station commanders, and he confirmed that there will be a peaceful demonstration. The police are taking precautionary measures to ensure everything remains under control,” he said in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM.

Despite these assurances, Dr. Darko has advised members of the Ghanaian community to remain cautious and prioritise their safety.

“We have asked our people to stay indoors and not open their shops until about midday, when the situation is expected to normalise,” he stated.

He explained that the protest is being driven by demands for the South African government to prioritise employment for its citizens, amid claims that foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, Nigerians, and Zimbabweans, are taking up local jobs.

“The demonstrators are calling for priority to be given to South Africans. Their main concern is that foreigners have taken their jobs,” he added.

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From Wednesday, British pet owners are no longer able to travel with their animals using the EU pet passport scheme and must instead obtain a new animal health certificate each time they go abroad.

Responding to the changes, a number of owners have told the BBC they are now facing steep bills to get the new documents in place, with new costs incurred for each trip.

Some pet owners have also complained about a lack of communication with the legislation, leaving them unable to take holidays which have already been paid for.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) said anyone planning to travel to the EU with their pet should check guidance on GOV.UK, and the entry rules for their destination.

In guidance put on its website, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: “GB residents should no longer use EU pet passports to travel into the EU.

“EU pet passports may now only be issued to people whose main home is in the EU and should not be used by people who have holiday homes in the EU or visit seasonally.”

The guidance also states that pet passports issued before Wednesday are also no longer valid.

But a number of owners said they had only become aware of the new laws this week.

The issue is also set to affect assistance dogs.

In a statement to the BBC, Guide Dogs for the Blind said the new rules “underline the importance of the UK rejoining the pet passport scheme”.

“The cost and complexity of obtaining an Animal Health Certificate for every journey has prevented many guide dog owners from being able to work, attend important events and travel independently. “

‘Majorly out of pocket’

Jane Keles had been due to travel to France next week to stay at a mobile home she owns with her husband in Picardy, in northern France.

Having found out about the rule change on Monday, the EU pet passport she has for her two Dachshunds, Otto and Lola, is now invalid, and the trip has been cancelled.

“We made arrangements in terms of time off work. We’ve got a cat sitter sorted and everything else,” the 63-year-old told the BBC.

“We find out a couple of days ago that our EU pet passports are not valid documents anymore.

“We’ve costed it all up, and it’s going to cost us all another £500 to change the booking and go [in June].”

Jane said she and her husband make regular trips to France but are now considering selling their mobile home because of the recurring costs of obtaining animal health certificates each time.

The EU pet passport, which is still valid for EU residents, is issued by a vet, valid for the life of the animal, and contains details of a dog, cat, or ferret’s microchip or health records (such as rabies vaccinations). It also contains contact details for the owner and the vet who issued the passport.

Jane said the cost of obtaining the animal health certificates would mean spending £80 on rabies jabs for each of her dogs, and an additional £155 for the certificates.

“We’re going to be majorly out of pocket,” she added.

Mike Walton, the owner of two Bichon Frisés from near Manchester, faces a similar problem.

Despite being an Irish passport holder and spending part of the year in Portugal, he can no longer travel with an EU pet passport because he is a UK resident.

The 77-year-old told the BBC that the EU pet passport, which his dogs currently have, contains much of the same information as an animal health certificate.

“I spoke to my vet, and they told me we don’t do health certificates,” he said.

“The other vets who have said they will only do them for their own clients. I’ve been with my existing vet for 10 years, and they know my dogs. Changing vets is not something I really want to do.”

He said he had been quoted about £300 for his two dogs for the new animal health certificates, with £85 each for the new rabies vaccinations required to obtain the certification.

A number of other owners also contacted the BBC with a similar issue, and confusion about travel plans.

One owner questioned whether the rule would be enforced at the border and said they intended to travel through the Eurotunnel on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the APHA said: “From 22 April, new EU rules change how GB residents travel to the EU with their pets, but holidays with your pets are still possible.”

“To avoid delays and ensure a smooth journey, pet owners residing in Great Britain should get an Animal Health Certificate if they’re travelling from Great Britain to an EU country.”

In a post on X on Wednesday, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the “violations” include the US naval blockade of Iranian ports – which he said amounted to taking the global economy “hostage” – and “warmongering” by Israel “on all fronts”.

Iran remains open to negotiations, said Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian, but he added, “breach of commitments, blockade and threats are main obstacles to genuine negotiations”.

It appeared early Tuesday that the US and Iran would hold new peace talks in Pakistan this week – but they have yet to begin.

Vice-President JD Vance – due to lead the US delegation in those talks – remains in the US.

On Tuesday night, US President Donald Trump announced an extension to the US-Iran ceasefire that was due to expire on Wednesday.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that Trump’s extension is open-ended, and has no new deadline. She added that Trump is “satisfied” with the ongoing US naval blockade against Iran, and “understands Iran is in a very weak position”.

“The cards are in President Trump’s hands right now,” she said.

Asked by reporters when the war would end, Leavitt said that it’s up to Trump to decide, “and he will do so when he feels it’s in the best interests of the United States and the American people”.

The Iranian negotiator’s latest comment comes as clashes continue in the dangerous waterway and vital global shipping route, with Iran announcing that it had “seized” two ships in the strait.

On Wednesday morning, Iran said two cargo ships were taken in the Strait of Hormuz for “inspection”. The announcement follows reports of attacks on three cargo ships in the strait.

Euphoria, one of the three container ships attacked earlier in the Strait of Hormuz, appears to have dropped anchor near a port in the United Arab Emirates, according to MarineTraffic tracking data analysed by BBC Verify.

UAE-owned Euphoria was attacked eight nautical miles west of Iran, according to the maritime security firm Vanguard. No damage to the ship or injuries to crew was reported.

Iran has not commented on Euphoria, but has said it seized the other two vessels – MSC Francesca and Epaminondas – both of which reported damage resulting from the attacks.

A statement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) Navy said that the ships were “operating without authorisation” and committed “repeated violations”, accusing them of trying to leave the Strait of Hormuz “in secret” and tampering with navigation systems.

It also warned that it is “monitoring” movements through the strait and has vowed “firm” action against the “violators”.

Iranian news outlet Tasnim, which is affiliated with the IRGC, later posted dramatic footage of Iranian commandos raiding the two ships.

Their most recent broadcast positions indicate neither has moved far since the attacks occurred.

However, MarineTraffic data indicates Euphoria returned to sailing southwards after the reported time it was attacked, ending up about 13 nautical miles from the port of Khor Fakkan at around 14:00 BST.

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis later confirmed that the Epaminondas, a Greek-owned ship, had been attacked.

“I can confirm that there was an attack against the Greek cargo ship, but I cannot confirm that this has been seized by the Iranians,” Gerapetritis told CNN.

Also on Wednesday, the US Defense Department announced that the US Secretary of the Navy would depart his post “effective immediately”.

No reason was given for John Phelan’s ouster. It comes just weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Randy George to step down from his post. Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao will serve as acting secretary.

The White House lack of a timeline – either for a return to negotiations in Pakistan or to kinetic strikes against Iran – is likely strategic. It gives the Trump administration significant flexibility to let the blockade and the economic stranglehold on Iran bite.

Leavitt said this will allow “pragmatists” in Iran to come up with a peace proposal without pushback from hardliners.

At the same time, it allows Trump to avoid a return to full-scale military action that many Americans are weary of, and that could upset already nervous global markets.

“The strategic disadvantage at the moment is that Iran has decided that the measure of victory has become control of the Strait of Hormuz,” said Andrew Peek, a former State Department deputy assistant secretary.

The “bright side”, he told the BBC is that “President Trump has managed the stock market effectively, though gas prices have ticked up about a dollar in some places.”

In her remarks to reporters at the White House, Leavitt also said that the US does not consider Iran’s seizure of two ships in the Strait of Hormuz to be a violation of the ceasefire.

“These were not US ships, these were not Israeli ships,” she said.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, Mr Ablakwa said he initiated a telephone conversation with the South African Minister for International Relations and Cooperation to address the disturbing incidents and coordinate an official response.

“I called him on the trending videos about Ghanaians coming under extremely disturbing xenophobic attacks in South Africa,” he stated.

According to Mr Ablakwa, the South African government has expressed concern and assured Ghana of swift action.

“The South African Foreign Minister has expressed his empathy with the victims and promised full-scale investigations into the depressing incidents,” he said.

He further disclosed that authorities in South Africa are expected to brief African ambassadors as part of efforts to address the situation and reassure affected countries.

Mr Ablakwa also confirmed that he has been in constant communication with Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quarshie, to coordinate Ghana’s response.

“I am also able to confirm that since yesterday, I have been in constant contact with Ghana’s High Commissioner in South Africa… coordinating our response,” he noted.

He revealed that Ghana’s diplomatic mission has already located one of the victims captured in the viral footage and is providing consular support.

“I am gladdened that so far, colleagues in our diplomatic mission have located the main victim in the viral video and are offering consular assistance. He is doing very well,” he added.

The Minister assured that no Ghanaian fatalities have been recorded in connection with the incident and urged the public to remain calm.

“No Ghanaian life has been lost. We urge calm and confidence in our collective capacity to protect Ghanaians,” he said.

Reaffirming government’s commitment, Mr Ablakwa stressed that the administration remains resolute in protecting the welfare and safety of Ghanaians both at home and abroad.

He also called for unity across the continent, cautioning against actions that could undermine Pan-African solidarity.

“May these regrettable incidents never quench our Pan-African love and solidarity… we shall not be divided by the hatred of a few fringe elements,” he added.

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The engagement follows renewed efforts by both nations to establish a framework for long-term collaboration, including a proposed parliamentary cooperation arrangement aimed at delivering mutual economic benefits.

A delegation from the Government of Sierra Leone is currently in Ghana for the discussions, which bring together officials from both countries to explore opportunities across key sectors.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khadija Iddrisu, welcomed the Sierra Leonean delegation and urged the joint committee to produce practical and impactful outcomes.

She emphasised the importance of the engagement, encouraging members to ensure their deliberations result in strong, actionable recommendations that will benefit both countries.

The formation of the joint committee stems from recent high-level engagements between President John Dramani Mahama and his Sierra Leonean counterpart, during which both leaders signalled their commitment to establishing permanent cooperation.

As part of the proposed collaboration, Ghana is expected to offer expertise in the cocoa sector, while Sierra Leone will contribute its strengths in other areas of the economy.

The Sierra Leonean delegation, led by Alance Logan from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, expressed optimism about the partnership.

He commended Ghana for its economic progress and noted that the collaboration would create opportunities for shared growth.

“We are happy to partner with Ghana. With Ghana’s rich experience in the cocoa sector and other areas, we believe this cooperation will be mutually beneficial,” he said.

The ongoing discussions are expected to lay the groundwork for a stronger economic partnership between the two West African nations.

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Robert Albon, who calls himself Joe Donor and advertises on Facebook and Instagram, offers sperm donation in several unlicensed ways.

He made a declaration of parentage application to the Family Court after discovering a couple he donated sperm to had named the mother’s partner as the father on the baby’s birth certificate.

The Family Court’s top judge, Sir Andrew McFarlane, dismissed Albon’s application and said: “The facts of this case are extreme”.

It is agreed that Albon, who is originally from the United States and in his 50s, is the child’s biological father.

The child’s mother was in a lesbian relationship at the time of conception, but not married.

The couple paid Albon £100 in cash and a £150 Amazon gift card before she got pregnant via artificial insemination.

By the time the child was born, the mother’s partner had begun identifying as a trans man and was registered on the birth certificate as the father.

The pair never wanted Albon to play any part in the child’s life, but said they would eventually explain the child’s roots in an age-appropriate way.

It is extremely rare for a parent in a Family Court case to be publicly named in order to protect children from being identified.

However, BBC Wales successfully applied to lift the restriction on naming Albon, citing public interest.

He advertises openly on Facebook and Instagram and has spoken extensively about his experiences in media interviews and TV programmes.

In 2024, he told The Sun he had his own “sperm factory” and women paid him hundreds of pounds for his sperm.

Albon, who is adopted, made the point in court documents that not knowing the identity of his birth parents – and having what he considers an incorrect birth certificate himself – had “eroded his sense of self”.

He said he wanted to guard against the same thing happening to this child and was not seeking any responsibility or looking to spend time with the child.

However, Sir Andrew said it was likely that Albon might “seek to assert himself as an active parent” as he had done on a previous occasion.

He added: “The impetus for doing so would be entirely self-driven by Mr Albon’s views, and not moderated by any insight towards, or empathy for, the mother.”

A court report said the proceedings had caused the child’s mother “considerable anxiety” and it had been the “hardest experience of her life”.

In the judgment, Sir Andrew said: “I fully accept that ‘vulnerable’ is, sadly, an apt description of her position, both in terms of her internal resources and the situation in which she finds herself with respect to Mr Albon.”

He said Albon’s application was dismissed “on the ground that to grant it would be manifestly contrary to public policy”.

This is the third judgement from the Family Courts concerning the legal parentage of children involving sperm donated by Albon.

A judgment made in 2023, published in February 2025, said Albon had applied to be named on the birth certificate of another child and wanted its surname changed to match his.

Jonathan Furness KC rejected the case, saying it was not in the best interests of the child. He published the outcome to “protect women from the potential consequences of unregulated sperm donorship generally, but also from Joe Donor himself”, he added.

At the fact-finding hearing, Furness said Albon had initiated legal proceedings to support his immigration position to stay in the UK.

In May 2025 another judgment was published where Albon’s application for custody of two children was turned down. Mr Justice Poole said: “He seeks to control others to prove that he is right, to secure recognition, to get his own way and to serve his own ends.”

Sir Andrew said his recent judgment did not mean that all future applications by unregulated sperm donors to be recognised as fathers would be dismissed.

The way Albon donates sperm is unregulated, as it is not done through a licensed clinic.

There are no health checks, legal safeguards preventing the donor from claiming parental rights or limits on the number of children a donor’s sperm could be used to conceive.

UK regulations say that in licensed clinics, sperm from a single donor can only be used to create a maximum of 10 families.

In previous media interviews, Albon has said he donated because he wanted to help create life.

He claimed not to make any money from it and said he was lucky to break even on travel expenses.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority strongly recommends treatment at a licensed clinic where there are laws and guidance in place to protect and support all patients and donors.

“Using donor sperm from social media groups, websites or apps can have serious risks for the patient, donor and any children born,” it says.

Trump read from 2 Chronicles on Tuesday night, as part of the “America Reads the Bible” event at the Museum of the Bible in Washington.

The passage is often invoked by Christian conservatives in the US, and is interpreted to be a call for citizens to repent and for God to bless the nation.

Numerous public figures are participating in the week-long continuous reading of the entire Bible that started 18 April.

The US Constitution bars the government from establishing a national religion; however, the Trump administration has embraced a movement in the country to see Christianity as a key part of the founding of the US and for leaders to follow the Bible. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, for example, cites passages in his press briefings and also leads prayers in his department.

During the week-long reading event, which is timed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of US independence, other prominent conservatives and members of the administration, including Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are sharing passages.

The organisers say it will encourage a “return to the spiritual foundation that has shaped our country”.

Trump’s section was taped in the White House’s Oval Office earlier, and was filmed on two cameras that were edited together.

The passage he read includes the line: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

The reading comes as Trump quarrels with Pope Leo XIV, who has criticised the US for waging war on Iran.

On Friday, Trump told reporters that he has “a right to disagree with the Pope.”

Trump’s comment came one day after the Pope criticised those who “manipulate religion” while he was on an official visit to Cameroon.

“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” the Pope said.

Trump’s reading also comes days after he was criticised by some of his religious supporters for posting an AI-generated image that appears to depict him as a Jesus-like figure healing the sick.

Trump later took down the post, saying that he thought it was meant to show him as a doctor.

He later posted a second AI image that showed Jesus embracing Trump with the caption: “The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!!”

Karex CEO Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters on Tuesday that the company may be forced to raise prices at least 20% to 30%, depending on how long the disruption lasts. Global supply chains have been impacted by the war since the end of February and the chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off some of the materials used in condom production.

“The situation is definitely very fragile, prices are expensive,” Goh told Reuters. “We ​have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to ⁠the customers.”

Based in Malaysia, Karex produces condoms, personal lubricants, gloves, medical catheters and probe covers. The company manufactures male latex condoms including ONE, Trustex, Carex and Pasante, and it can produce over 5 billion condoms annually. Karex also exports to more than 130 countries, according to its website.

Goh told Reuters that along with higher costs for manufacturing and packaging condoms, there are delays in shipping.

“We’re seeing a lot more condoms actually sitting on vessels that have not ⁠arrived ​at their destination but are highly required,” Goh said.

CNN has reached out to Karex to see when the price hikes might take place. Meanwhile, Goh told Reuters that the company has enough supply to last a few months.

As gas prices have surged since the Iran war, oil and gas have gotten the bulk of the attention. Economists fear that rising prices could soon lead to a pull-back in consumer spending and oil shortages could stymie production. That’s particularly true in Asia, which relies heavily on Middle Eastern oil for fuel.

But the war has also hurt production of so-called feedstocks – petroleum byproducts that are used to make plastics and other materials. Among them: naphtha, which is used to make packaging materials, and silicon oil and ammonia, which are key ingredients in condom production.

“You hear a lot about crude oil and the impacts to diesel and gasoline – but feedstocks and petrochemicals are in short supply, too,” said Angie Gildea, KPMG global head of oil and gas, in a separate interview.

For example, 41% of Asia’s naphtha comes from the Middle East, Gildea noted. If the countries that make the stuff we purchase – including Malaysia – can’t access raw materials, they have to raise prices to compensate.

But raw materials aren’t the only problem.

Some countries, including Myanmar and Cambodia, have begun rationing fuel. Some schools in southeast Asia, including in Vietnam, have given stay-at-home orders as commutes have become too expensive for students. Industry analysts fear that is also hurting factory workers’ ability to get to manufacturing facilities, potentially slowing production of key products set for delivery overseas – including to the United States.

Taiwo Oyedele, previously minister of state ​for finance, replaced Wale ​Edun as minister of finance ‌and ⁠coordinating minister of the economy.

Housing and urban development minister Ahmed Musa Dangiwa ​also ​exited ⁠the cabinet, with Muttaqha Rabe Darma ​named ministerial nominee for ​the ⁠role, the statement said.

The school board of the nation’s second-largest school district approved the measure by a 6-0 vote, with one recusal, making the Los Angeles Unified School District among the first in the nation to create systemwide, grade-by-grade limits on classroom screen time.

“Along ​with the cellphone ban the L.A. Unified School District passed in ⁠2024, we hope to be a national leader on these matters,” said ​board member Nick Melvoin, who sponsored the measure, through a spokesperson.

Proponents said ​the policy was meant to strike a balance between instructional needs and growing concerns that excessive screen exposure is harming students’ attention and social development.

The district, which serves about half ​a million students, has relied heavily on laptops and tablets since the ​coronavirus pandemic of 2020 accelerated digital learning.

“While access to and developing skills in technology are ‌critical ⁠in a digital world, excessive screen time can be associated with vision problems, increased anxiety and depression, addictive behaviour, reduced attention span, difficulty managing emotions, lower academic achievement and weaker cognition, according to the American Academy of ​Paediatrics,” the resolution said.

The ​measure cited research ⁠indicating that children 8 to 11 years old who exceed screen time recommendations are at higher risk for ​obesity and score lower on cognitive assessments.

The resolution does not ​immediately ban ⁠devices or mandate a uniform time limit. Instead, it calls on district staff to develop age-appropriate guidelines with input from educators, families and public health ⁠experts. Until ​then, existing school-level rules will remain in ​place.

Sceptics cautioned that screen limits must be implemented carefully to avoid harming students with disabilities who ​rely on technology.

Several hours later, Air Force Two hadn’t taken off, and the negotiations were postponed. President Donald Trump announced that he would extend the ceasefire with Iran, set to expire on Wednesday evening, to allow the regime more time to create a “unified proposal” to end the war.

In between, Trump weighed his options as the world waited to see if the countries were any closer to ending the war. Trump’s decision marked the second time in as many weeks that he has backed off a threat to escalate the war, buying himself more time to wind down a conflict as it approaches the two-month mark.

Vance never officially announced the Islamabad trip, leaving Washington guessing. And Iran never officially committed to attending the talks, leaving the White House in a difficult position to decide whether to send Vance, with no assurance that Tehran would even come to the table.

As the day wore on, signs of a postponement emerged. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, senior members of the US negotiating team led by Vance, flew to Washington from Miami instead of heading straight to Islamabad. Soon after, Vance made his way to the White House for “policy meetings” as the president and his senior advisers debated what to do next.

In the end, Trump announced the ceasefire extension on Truth Social, his preferred means for war updates since it began in late February. The president said he made the decision at the request of Pakistan, which has mediated talks between Tehran and Washington.

“We have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump said.

Notably, Trump this time did not specify how long the ceasefire might last. Earlier this month, he set a two-week deadline for the first ceasefire. That came after conflicting comments in press interviews, during which he said the talks were going well but also warned that he would consider resuming the war if Iran refused to negotiate.

“There is no clear formula” for ending wars, James Jeffrey, a former US ambassador to Iraq and Turkey, told the BBC.

Trump isn’t the first US president to “threaten significant military escalation,” Jeffrey added, “while also putting a good deal on the table.”

Trump’s open-ended statement on Tuesday was more measured than his past social media attacks on Iran. That may signal Trump’s desire to end a war that has roiled the global economy and is unpopular with anti-interventionist supporters in Trump’s Maga base.

“This is a pragmatic decision based on what are quite obvious fractures in the current leadership of the Iranian government,” said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

But Katulis said Trump’s decision also created more uncertainty about how long the war will last.

“This move begs the question though for Trump about how he can deal with the economic pain that Americans are experiencing and the political pain he’s experiencing from his base,” Katulis said. “He hasn’t answered the questions that are still driving this crisis.”

With the ceasefire extension, the US and Iran now have more time to make a durable peace deal. But major questions remain.

Iran has said that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is an act of war. While Trump chose not to restart the war immediately, he gave no indication he would end the blockade, which the US hoped would pressure Tehran to back down. So far that hasn’t happened, leaving Trump with fewer options other than ramping up the military campaign.

Iran, meanwhile, has not signalled interest in ending its nuclear program or support for proxy groups in the Middle East — two so-called “red lines” that Trump has demanded be included in any final peace deal.

Trump bought himself more time. But a quick resolution to the war, for now, seems as elusive as ever.

The King warned, in a message recorded at Balmoral earlier this month, that his mother would have disapproved of the current state of the world.

“Much about the times we now live in, I suspect, may have troubled her deeply,” said the King, without revealing any specific concerns, domestic or international.

On Tuesday, which marks the centenary of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the final design of a traditional bronze statue of the late Queen will be shown to King Charles and Queen Camilla.

The statue, to be sculpted by Martin Jennings, shows the late Queen in her younger years, in the ceremonial robes of the Order of Garter.

The image, which will be 9.84ft (3m) tall, standing on a 11.15ft (3.4m) plinth in St James’s Park, is inspired by the 1955 painting of the late Queen by Pietro Annigoni.

It’s being unveiled 100 years after her birth, on 21 April 1926, when the then Princess Elizabeth was born in a townhouse in Bruton Street in Mayfair.

Lord Janvrin, chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, said the image showed her in her public role; if the statue had shown her on horseback, as had been discussed, it would have been more about her personal hobby.

The memorial committee had to decide how to represent the late Queen to future generations and Lord Janvrin said they had wanted to show her “very strong sense of duty” and sense of public service.

In his video message, the King said the late Queen lived through “remarkable change and yet, through each passing decade, through every transformation, she remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served”.

The memorial project in St James’s Park, designed by a team headed by architect Lord Foster, also includes a bust of the Queen in later years and a bronze statue of Prince Philip.

A bridge across the park will be rebuilt, with a glass balustrade that will evoke a royal tiara.

It’s expected that these memorials, in the central London park near to Buckingham Palace, will be completed in about two years.

As well as the statues in London, there will be a digital section of the memorial project, with a website that will invite people to send in their own memories of the late Queen.

The website Queenelizabeth.com had belonged to the shipping company, Cunard, but has now been donated to the Queen Elizabeth II memorial.

It will build a historical archive of memories, a social history of royal events, and will be supplemented by a digitised version of the “court circular”, which records the working lives of the Royal Family.

There will also be a nationwide memorial scheme, in which a newly created Queen Elizabeth Trust will support local community projects, intended to bring people together.

The King, who will be going on a state visit to meet US President Donald Trump next week, spoke of the late Queen’s legacy of optimism that “goodness will always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon”.

The King called for a “happier tomorrow” to be “rooted in peace, justice, prosperity and security”.

He also recalled how many might remember the late Queen from “a fleeting personal encounter, a smile, a kind word that lifted spirits … or for that marvellous twinkle of the eye when sharing a marmalade sandwich with Paddington Bear in the final months of her life”.

The blockade, which began a week ago, is “absolutely destroying Iran”, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, adding his country was winning the conflict “by a lot”.

His comments come with the temporary US-Iran ceasefire set to end on Wednesday, but with no certainty over whether a second round of peace talks will go ahead in Pakistan.

There is tightened security in Pakistan’s capital in anticipation of a meeting. But US Vice President JD Vance, set to lead the US delegation, has not yet left Washington, while Iran says it has not yet decided whether to attend.

Since the blockade began, US forces have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port, according to US Central Command (Centcom).

The US also intercepted and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship for the first time in the conflict, after it tried to get through the blockade on Sunday.

Videos shared by Centcom were said to show the ship being warned before troops repelled onto the vessel.

Tehran deemed it an “act of piracy” and a violation of the fragile ceasefire between the two countries.

Iran has maintained its own blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route, for nearly two months, causing global energy prices to soar.

It was briefly reopened on Saturday but quickly closed again, following reports of vessels in or near the strait, including a tanker, being targeted by Tehran.

Trump said Iran had “decided to fire bullets” and called it a “total violation” to the ceasefire agreement.

Iran said it would keep the route shut until the US stopped the blockade of its ports.

There are indications a second round of peace talks between the US and Iran will go ahead, despite Tehran refusing to confirm whether it will send a delegation.

Following the first round of talks earlier this month US Vice-President J D Vance said the US “could not get to a situation where the Iranians were willing to accept our terms”, and Iran’s foreign ministry urged Washington to refrain from “excessive demands and unlawful requests”.

The potential second round comes at a crucial moment. Sources told the BBC on Monday afternoon that the US delegation would be leaving “soon” but did not specify a time, while officials told the New York Times that they would depart on Tuesday.

Later on Monday, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said that, “so far”, Tehran had “no plans” to attend.

Vance is expected to be joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, as in the previous round of talks.

It is not clear who – if anyone – from Iran’s side will be showing up.

However, in Islamabad, there are signs of preparation for the talks.

Guests at the city’s Serena Hotel, where the previous round was held, have been told to leave in preparation for meetings, while police announced the closure of key roads due to the arrival of foreign delegations.

A senior government official told Reuters news agency that Pakistan was confident it could get Iran to attend the talks.

Speaking to Radio 4’s PM programme, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet, who is in Tehran, said that although the situation was unpredictable, there was a better chance the talks would happen.

“There is one rule in diplomacy, which is, you don’t want to be the one blamed for something breaking down.

“If JD Vance is going to be in Islamabad, it will be really hard for the Iranians to not show up.

“And I think the telephone lines are burning with the Pakistanis trying to ensure that both sides get there, because the venue is ready, the security is in place, they are just waiting for teams to arrive.”

The data from fuel theft recovery company Pay My Fuel comes as petrol and diesel retailers say their staff have also faced a jump in abuse because of high fuel prices caused by the US-Israel war with Iran.

Since the conflict began, the cost of filling a typical family car with petrol has risen by £14, while a typical tank of diesel has gone up by about £27.

The government said fuel thieves “must face the full force of the law,” while police said forces were taking a proactive approach to the issue.

Josh, a petrol retailer with five garages in the south of England, said he was experiencing about five drive-offs a week now at each garage, whereas it was previously one or two.

He shared CCTV footage with the BBC, which shows drive-offs at all hours of the day and at varying costs to his business.

One evening a motorbike carrying two people pulls up. Footage shows the two remaining on the bike as the driver puts £14.97 worth of fuel in the tank before driving off.

In another video, the driver of a white van fills up with £151.53 worth of fuel before driving away during the morning rush hour. In a third incident, the driver of a white Porsche SUV puts £75.15 of fuel into her vehicle in the middle of the afternoon and fails to pay.

While some of the drive-offs were people with no means to pay, Josh said most were just “pure theft”.

“There just seems to be a sort of public acceptance now that theft is okay,” said Josh, who did not want us to use his surname because of the abuse he said forecourt staff had been facing.

“I’m sure there is a percentage of people that are doing it out of desperation, but the large majority is organised, pre-planned.”

According to data from Pay My Fuel. The number of drive-offs experienced by an average forecourt each week has risen from 2.1 in March 2025 to 3.4 in March this year – an increase of roughly 62%.

The firm, which has systems across 1,400 forecourts to help recover stolen funds, said the average value of a drive-off had risen by 46% over the same period.

“It’s a lot worse,” said the firm’s director, Ian Wolfenden.

“An average drive-off for one of our customers used to be £56, and now it’s gone up to £67. So if you consider they’re losing nearly £70 every two days, it’s not insignificant.”

Wolfenden added that the problem was three or four times as bad in less affluent areas, highlighting east and south-east London, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham as particular problem areas for drive-offs.

Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), said the increase in the price of fuel since the war began had led to a “noticeable increase” in fuel theft.

He said some of the theft was “obviously organised crime”, but other instances were people who said they had forgotten their wallet or purse.

“Some of that could be due to the cost of living,” Balmer said.

The head of the National Business Crime Centre, Superintendent Lisa Maslen, said fuel theft continued to “place a significant and unacceptable strain on fuel retailers, impacting businesses financially and placing additional demand on policing resources”.

She said police forces were taking a “proactive approach to tackling this issue, working to identify offenders, disrupt repeat behaviour and ensure those responsible are held to account”.

The police were boosting collaboration with fuel retailers and cost recovery agencies to help identify patterns and target repeat offenders, Maslen added.

A government spokesperson said: “Fuel theft undermines businesses and their workers. These thieves must face the full force of the law.”

They urged anyone who had witnessed such a crime to report it to the police.

Profiteering claims ‘not helpful’

While the price of fuel came down slightly over the weekend, the RAC said the cost of petrol remained 19.2% higher than at the start of the war, and diesel remained 34.5% above pre-war levels.

Balmer said those increases had been particularly tough for forecourts that bought fuel daily and had to reflect the higher cost immediately, which had led to some abuse of staff.

The PRA said the abuse had been fuelled by the government’s “frustrating” accusations of price gouging and profiteering, which Balmer said had not been helpful.

Last month, the government said the competition watchdog was primed to step in if there was evidence of price gouging at the pump.

At the time, retailers hit back at what they said was “inflammatory language”, but Josh said people seemed to “genuinely believe it”.

“Our staff are seeing quite a lot of abuse,” he said. “They’ve had people calling them thieves, shouting at them, it’s quite intimidating for these guys – they don’t come to work to be shouted at.”

More than half of the pump price of fuel (55%) is tax, and Balmer said in reality retailers made a “very slim margin”.

The government said, “Any form of abuse against someone simply going about their day-to-day work is completely unacceptable.”

The children were aged from one year old to 14 years old, the BBC’s US news partner CBS reports.

Officers said the shooting began about 05:00 (10:00 GMT) on Sunday. The suspect shot 10 people before fleeing in a stolen car, Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon said. Police then chased and killed him.

Two adult women, including the mother of the children, are in critical condition.

The suspect has been identified as Shamar Elkins, Shreveport mayor’s communications director Leigh Anne Evensky told the BBC.

The suspect shot a woman on the street before going to a nearby residence where he killed the eight children, “one of whom was not a kin to him”, according to police.

One of the victims ran to a nearby home and called authorities, police said. They said the gunman acted alone. A ninth child jumped from the roof and was in the hospital, Bordelon said.

Speaking earlier on Sunday, Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said: “This is a tragic situation – maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport.

“We have hurting families, we have hurting police officers, and coroners’ personnel.

“This affects the entire community, so we all mourn with these families.”

The incident is the deadliest mass shooting in the US since January 2024, when eight victims were killed in Joliet, Illinois, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a nonprofit that tracks US gun violence.

GVA defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more victims were shot, not including the suspect.

Speaking at a news conference earlier on Sunday, Bordelon said officers attended a home shortly before 06:00 local time and found the children.

“All of the deceased in this case are juveniles,” Bordelon said.

He said officers determined the call was “domestic in nature”.

After the shooting the suspected gunman carjacked a vehicle and attempted to flee, police said.

Police said officers pursued him into another neighbourhood, Bossier Parish, and fired at the suspected gunman, who is now deceased.

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said his heart went out to the entire community.

“I just cannot begin to imagine how such an event can occur,” Smith said.

He added that the investigation was being conducted in coordination with the Louisiana State Police and with assistance from other agencies.

“We are going to be working diligently however long it takes to get some answers to what has taken place,” he said.

Shreveport councilman Grayson Boucher said more than 30% of crimes and 30% of murders in the city were “domestic in relation”, adding: “Now that number has gone up.”

“We’ve more than doubled our homicide in the city of Shreveport because of one act of domestic violence,” he said.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he and his wife were “heartbroken over this horrific situation, and we’re praying for everyone affected”.

“We’re deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” Landry added.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents Louisiana’s Fourth District, has also commented on the “heartbreaking tragedy”.

“We’re holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” he said, adding he was grateful for the quick response of local police.

Police in the eastern region of Burgenland said the poisoned jar of carrot and potato purée had been reported by a customer and that their baby had fortunately not consumed the food.

The jar had apparently been tampered with, police said. Authorities believe at least one more poisoned jar is in circulation and have issued guidance on how to recognise tampered jars.

They have not confirmed that the cases involve an alleged extortion attempt. But the police statement said the warning had come from German investigators and tampered jars had also been seized in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

On Saturday, HiPP recalled its entire range of jarred purées sold in Spar supermarkets in Austria, saying consuming them may be potentially “life-threatening”.

The German-based company said the recall of baby food jars at Spar Austria was “not due to a product or quality defect on our part” – and that jars had left its factory in “perfect condition”.

“The recall is related to a criminal act that is being investigated by the authorities,” it said on its website.

“As part of ongoing criminal investigations, isolated cases of tampered HiPP baby food jars have been seized – as previously reported in Austria, now also in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

“The responsible authorities determined upon examination of these jars that they contained rat poison.”

Spar has also removed the brand’s baby food from its stores in other countries as a precautionary measure.

Austrian authorities have told consumers to look out for damaged or open lids, a missing safety seal, an unusual or spoiled odour, or a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom of the glass jar.

The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety warned parents whose babies had consumed the brand’s food to consult a doctor if their children showed signs of bleeding, extreme weakness or paleness.

Customers have also been asked not to consume HiPP jars purchased at Eurospar, Interspar and Maximarkt, and to return them for a refund.

There are more than 1,500 Spar shops across Austria.

Police previously stressed baby food sold in other shops remained unaffected by the recall.

HiPP’s baby formula was also unaffected.

Retailers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia have also preemptively removed all HiPP baby food jars from sale.

The incident comes just a few months after two other baby brands had to issue wides-scale recalls of infant formula over contamination fears.

In January and February, Nestle and Danone issued recalls of their baby formula brands in more than 60 countries, including in the UK, after babies fell ill.

Specific batches were understood to have been contaminated with toxin cereulide, which can trigger nausea and vomiting when consumed. The toxin is not destroyed by cooking or when making baby milk.

The UK’s Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) said in February that at least 36 infants in Britain had suffered food poisoning due to contaminated baby formula. None of the infants’ conditions were life-threatening, the UKHSA said.