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Tory MPs urge Rishi Sunak to get asylum returns deal – as Brussels rejects reports that the EU Commission has blocked an agreement A war of words has erupted following claims that the EU has rejected Rishi Sunak’s plea for a post-Brexit asylum seeker returns deal to ease the small boats crisis. It was claimed that a senior European Commission official told the UK’s national security adviser earlier this year that there was no prospect of such an agreement. But an EU Commission spokesperson rubbished reports on Tuesday as “not correct”. A UK government spokeswoman insisted that No 10 remains “open to working with the EU to take forward negotiations on a UK-EU returns deal”. It sparked a row among Tory MPs, as Brexiteers lashed out at the “immoral” EU for failing to help tackle the Channel crossings, while moderate Tories urged Mr Sunak to forge a returns deal so Britain can work more closely with its nearest neighbours. Return agreements are viewed by some as key to solving the migrant crisis and the PM still hopes to strike a deal with the EU Commission that would allow Britain to return people to European countries where they have previously claimed asylum or have links to. FULL STORY

In its first comments on the story, state news agency KCNA says Travis King decided to enter North Korean territory last month, partly because he was "disillusioned at the unequal American society". Detained US soldier Travis King entered North Korea because of "inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US Army", the communist country's state media has claimed. He has also "expressed willingness" to seek refuge in North Korea after crossing the border last month, Pyongyang has said in its first comments on the story. King was "disillusioned at the unequal American society", KCNA claimed. North Korean investigators have concluded that he crossed from South Korea deliberately and illegally, intending to stay in the North or in a third country, KCNA said. King, 23, was reportedly facing disciplinary action by the US military when he crossed over while on a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA) - the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas. He was also said to have been struggling with the death of his young cousin, according to US media reports. He is the first American to be detained in North Korea for almost five years. The US Pentagon said it could not verify King's alleged comments. "The department's priority is to bring Private King home. We are working through all available channels to achieve that outcome," a Pentagon spokesperson said. FULL STORY

In her university room in Bangladesh, Nina, 19, holds her boxing gloves up to her face, staring into the mirror. She is learning to protect herself. She says there is no other way. Nina is one of hundreds of Afghan women who have taken up the offer of an education abroad, despite knowing they may never be able to return home. Nearly 12 months ago, walking through Kabul airport, she says she felt far less strong. She remembers her hands shaking. She knew it was dangerous to flee Afghanistan. When airport officials questioned her, she lied: "The Taliban don't allow women to travel alone so I said my mother was sick in Pakistan." She was relieved when they were convinced, but a harder challenge was yet to come. As Nina stepped onto the plane she stepped away from her home and family. "On the day when I left I was crying that I might never see my mother's face again, it was so hard for me," she says. "It broke my younger sister's heart. When I think about them, it hurts." 'We want to get 1,000 women out' Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan two years ago - in August 2021 - life has drastically changed for women in the country. They lost their right to be educated past the age of 12, their right to wear what they want or travel alone for more than 72km. Nina is among those who was offered a way out - an education through programmes organised by the Asian University for Women (AUW). FULL STORY

After wildfires devastated parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US, officials warned visitors to stay away. But thousands remained and others continued to fly in, angering residents in the wake of the tragedy. At Maui's Wailea Beach on Monday the skies were bright and clear. Luxury hotels lined the beachfront, their guests spread on the sand. Some waded in the ocean, while others sat under umbrellas with white monogrammed towels on their chairs. Inside one of the hotels, beyond a pool, a two-tiered fountain and a glass-walled habitat for the resident parrot, was a wooden-framed screen advertising a relief fund for the resort's employees - the first sign of the destruction in Lahaina, just 30 miles (48km) up the coast. In the wake of the wildfires, the deadliest in modern US history, frustration at tourists who have chosen to carry on with their holidays has grown. Many in Maui say the devastation has highlighted what is known as the "two Hawaiis" - one built for the comfort of visitors and another, harsher Hawaii left to Hawaiians. "It's all butterflies and rainbows when it comes to the tourism industry," said a 21-year-old Maui native and an employee at the hotel who asked to remain anonymous. "But what's really under it is kind of scary." FULL STORY

Running for president of the US is an arduous task even in the best of times. Seeking the White House while facing multiple indictments and the prospect of multiple civil and criminal trials is an almost unimaginable task. That, however, is the reality that Donald Trump currently confronts. A presidential campaign involves near nonstop campaigning and fundraising through a long season of state primaries that determine the party nomination followed by a general election campaign under the intense scrutiny of the national media. There are debates, set-piece policy speeches and the multi-day nominating convention - with its balloon drops, confetti and spectacle, but also its potential for unscripted political drama if things go sideways. While the first presidential nomination contest, in Iowa, isn't until January, the Republican presidential race has already begun in earnest. The party is about to begin holding monthly debates for qualifying candidates. The first takes place next week in Wisconsin. Mr Trump has yet to confirm whether he will attend the debate, but either way the schedule provides an early display of how his legal concerns could factor into his political calculations. The former president will probably have to prepare for an appearance in an Atlanta courthouse by the end of next week, where he will be formally arraigned on charges of interfering in the Georgia 2020 election, while his opponents prepare to take the debate stage. FULL STORY

Former President Trump and a suite of 18 co-conspirators were indicted by a Georgia grand jury Monday on charges tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The charges follow a more than two-year investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) into Trump’s efforts to pressure state officials to intervene to reverse his loss while also organizing a group of 16 Georgians to serve as fake electors and claim the former president had won the state. The indictment also targets several Trump allies accused of aiding in the scheme, naming Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell as co-conspirators. Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows also faces charges, as does Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department lawyer Trump mulled installing as attorney general. In total, the indictment lists charges on 41 counts; it is the fourth criminal case brought against Trump this year. “I make decisions in this office based on the facts in the law,” Willis said at a press conference late Monday night. “The law is completely nonpartisan. That’s how decisions are made in every case to date.” Willis said Trump and the other defendants must voluntarily surrender by Aug. 25 at noon, and that she hopes to schedule a single trial for all the defendants within the next six months. The indictment brings sweeping Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges to weave together actions taken by numerous people involved in the plots, relying on a law crafted to address any criminal “enterprise.” It outlines 161 acts prosecutors allege furthered that conspiracy. FULL STORY

Former President Trump on Monday was indicted on criminal charges for a fourth time since April, adding details and accused co-conspirators out of Georgia to a by-now familiar prosecutorial narrative that upends presidential history and challenges American politics. Trump was charged in Fulton County, Ga., along with 18 alleged accomplices, with leading a criminal enterprise to try to stay in office following his loss in the 2020 elections. He faces 13 felony counts brought by District Attorney Fani Willis, including violations of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, as well as conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree and conspiring to file false documents (The Hill and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). The Georgia indictment alleges a web of conspiracy in multiple states designed to subvert the will of voters to try to keep Trump in office after he lost. ▪ The Hill: Breaking down the Georgia charges. ▪ The Washington Post: Read the full text of the 98-page Georgia indictment. ▪ The Washington Post: The Georgia indictment cites Trump’s online posts to allege evidence of acts in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy.  Among those indicted along with the former president are Rudy Giuliani, once New York’s mayor, and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, a former North Carolina congressman (The Hill).  FULL STORY

Former NFL player Michael Oher, the inspiration behind the 2009 Academy Award-winning film, "The Blind Side," alleged in a petition filed in a Tennessee court on Monday that he was never legally adopted by the family, but rather tricked into a conservatorship that solely benefited the Tuohy family. The filing reveals that Oher discovered he was never legally adopted by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy in February 2023 and alleges that he was tricked into entering a conservatorship after his 18th birthday. "The lie of Michael's adoption is one upon which Co-Conservators Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy have enriched themselves at the expense of their Ward, the undersigned Michael Oher," the document read. "Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the Conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohy's." According to the petition, the Tennessee Department of Human Services took custody of Oher in 1996. His attorneys claim that he was left to "live on the streets" because of a "broken social system." FULL STORY

A supermarket in Austria was evacuated after a spider, whose bite is capable of causing painful erections and even death, was spotted. A PENNY shop in Krems an der Donau, a town located around 45 miles from Vienna, has remained closed since Tuesday, after the four-inch spider was said to have been seen when staffed opened a box of bananas. Descriptions of the spider’s colouring and size led people to believe they were dealing with a Brazilian wandering spider, also known as a “banana spider”. In 2019, scientists at the Federal University of Minas Gerais said the chemicals in its bite could lead to a treatment more effective than Viagra, after they included them in a gel which led to prolonged erections in a study of mice and rats. They found the gel led to a swelling of the penis “lasting about 60 minutes” when applied topically to the genitals. FULL STORY

Former President Trump blasted President Biden’s response to the Maui wildfires as “disgraceful” in a video message posted Monday evening. “When asked about it today, as he was getting into a car, perhaps coming home from the beach, where he has been spending a great deal of time, Crooked Joe Biden, the most incompetent president in the history of our country, with a laugh and a smile said he had no comment on the death and the tragedy,” Trump said in a video message. “To say no comment is oftentimes fine, but to be smiling when you say it, especially again such a tragedy as this, is absolutely horrible and unacceptable,” he continued. “It is a disgraceful thing that Joe Biden refuses to help or comment on the tragedy in Maui, just as he refused to help or comment on the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio for a very, very long time.” The White House faced criticism Monday over Biden being on vacation and offering a “no comment” this weekend during the devastating fires in Maui — which have caused nearly 100 deaths so far. The White House pushed back on the criticism on Monday, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pointing to Biden’s interactions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as evidence of him responding to the wildfires. FULL STORY

British rock star Mick Fleetwood, who has lived in Hawaii for decades, has said the situation in Lahaina is "catastrophic" following deadly wildfires that have killed at least 96 people. The Fleetwood Mac drummer told Sky News that the disaster has been "an incredible shock for everyone" - and described the scene as "complete devastation". Fleetwood revealed he was in LA visiting family when the fires broke out but flew back immediately, bringing supplies with him. "These hills were ablaze and I wasn't there... I was feeling helpless, and switches were going on and off as to what to do." Fleetwood's house was untouched but the town of Lahaina, where he owns a popular restaurant, has been decimated. His restaurant, Fleetwood's on Front St, was about to celebrate its 11th anniversary this week - but it has been destroyed by the blaze, and many of his staff have lost everything. "It's an incredible shock for everyone," he says. "The whole town of Lahaina is no more. That in itself is a statement that leads you immediately to the people who lived there. "Selfishly, I haven't lost a family member. I didn't lose my house. Yeah, it could have happened, but it didn't happen... I'm really lucky. Now, what the hell can I do? "The immediacy is finding people. The immediacy is communicating and knowing who's here and who's safe." The world-renowned musician says he has decided to speak out in order to keep the tragedy at the forefront of people's minds. FULL STORY

RAF Typhoon jets intercepted Russian bombers flying north of Scotland in the early hours of Monday morning, the UK government has said. Typhoon fighters were scrambled to intercept two Russian long-range maritime patrol bombers as they transited near the Shetland Islands within NATO's northern air policing area, the government added. The UK quick reaction alert (QRA) jets were launched from RAF Lossiemouth in northeast Scotland and the two Russian bombers were monitored in international airspace as they flew north of the UK. A Voyager refuelling tanker was also launched and remained airborne for the duration of the mission - not specified by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) - to offer air-to-air refuelling to the Typhoon fighters if needed. Minister for the armed forces, James Heappey, said: "RAF crews at Lossiemouth maintain a constant watch over UK airspace and are always ready to take action at a moment's notice to keep our country safe. "Pilots launched in their Typhoon jets to intercept two Russian long-range bombers this morning, monitoring them as they passed north of the Shetland Islands, ready to counter any potential threat to UK territory." FULL STORY

Earlier, former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan left the courthouse after testifying before the grand jury. And he had strong words for his fellow Republicans. Duncan told reporters he could not speak to the specifics of his testimony, but said "it's important to tell the truth". Duncan later elaborated to the Atlanta Journal Constitution that this was "a pivot point for this country to do something more than just stew on the 2020 election cycle". "We're either gonna as Republicans, take our medicine and realise the election wasn't rigged, Donald Trump was the worst candidate ever in the history of the party [... ] and now we're going to have to pivot from here. "We wanna win an election in 2024, it's gonna have to be somebody else than Donald Trump if we do it." Duncan had a front row seat to Trump's efforts to impact the Georgia election results in 2020 and he harshly criticised the former president and his allies for their actions. Earlier today, Trump had warned in a Truth Social post that Duncan should not testify. FULL STORY

Hawaii wildfires: Crews may find 10 to 20 wildfire victims a day - governor Recovery crews combing through homes and vehicles burned to a cinder in Hawaii are likely to find 10 to 20 more victims per day, the governor has warned. The death toll grew to 96 on Sunday, making this the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. Governor Josh Green told CBS News it could take up to 10 days to learn the full death toll. The number of missing now stands at around 1,300, he said. Nearly the entire town of Lahaina was destroyed in the fire. "There is nothing to see except full devastation," Mr Green told CBS, the BBC's US news partner, on Sunday. All residents of Lahaina - home to 12,000 people - probably escaped or perished in the fire, he added. He said crews would probably discover more victims and that it would take time to identify them. Laser beams and other Hawaii fire conspiracy theories "It's hard to recognise anybody," Mr Green said. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66470121

Nearly half of Britons want a second Brexit referendum in the next 10 years, a new YouGov poll has revealed. More than a quarter of people support a referendum as soon as the end of 2023. In a survey taken between the 8 to 9 August, 46 per cent of people said there should be a referendum in the next 10 years, while 36 per cent of people said there should not. The poll also surveyed how much progress has been made with the Brexit deal, though the results show little satisfaction. Less than a third of people (30 per cent) think Brexit is “done”, while almost half (49 per cent) said it is not complete. However, in an earlier survey conducted between 28 February to 1 March, only 18 per cent thought Brexit was done while 60 per cent said it was not.When asked how they would vote if there was a referendum on joining the EU, half of the participants said they would vote to join. FULL STORY

Donald Trump is already facing 78 criminal charges across three cases - but this week in Georgia, he could be hit with one he has never seen before: racketeering. Local prosecutors in Fulton County have been investigating the efforts to overturn Mr Trump's defeat in the closely-contested state in the 2020 election. US media reports suggest the district attorney's office could be pursuing racketeering charges that implicate several people in a sprawling election subversion conspiracy, with Mr Trump as the alleged ringleader. If it does, it would be indicting a former American president on charges once used to convict mob bosses like John Gotti and Vincent Gigante. All eyes on Georgia for another potential Trump case How big are Donald Trump's legal problems? Organised criminal activity in the US is routinely prosecuted under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (Rico) Act. Rico laws help prosecutors connect the dots between underlings who broke laws and those who gave them marching orders. More than 30 US states have implemented their own versions of the federal government's Rico Act and Georgia's adaptation is broader in scope than most. FULL STORY

At least 30 people are reported missing after a mudslide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar. The mountainous town of Hpakant in the Kachin state is home to the world's biggest and most lucrative jade mines. Many of those affected are believed to be locals digging through the mud along the cliffs, many of whom work and live in abandoned mining pits. Lethal landslides are common in the area when heavy monsoon rain pummels Myanmar between May and October. At least 162 people died in a landslide in the same area in July 2020, while an accident in 2015 left more than 110 dead. Mining operations had been suspended because of the rainy season. However, many of those caught in the accident, which happened at about 15:30 local time on Sunday, were independent scavengers looking to find jade. The intense rain had loosened massive piles of earth more than 150m in height, left over from excavations by mining companies, sending the dirt and debris hurtling down the cliff and sweeping up miners on the way. Survivors have also described a wall of mud, rocks and floodwater overwhelming them as they were digging for jade. The landscape in this part of Myanmar is scarred with hundreds of unregulated mines. These attract huge numbers of migrant workers from other parts of the country who come to search for jade, most of which ends up being sold in China. One rescue worker told the Associated Press than 34 people were missing, while eight were injured and were taken to a hospital on Sunday. FULL STORY

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flipped pork chops in front of the cameras at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, a plane appeared in the broiling blue sky. It was Donald Trump's Boeing 757 private jet. It circled the fairgrounds, and thousands in the crowd looked up and went wild, cheering for the Republican former president. An hour later, Trump arrived in a motorcade from nearby Des Moines airport to a rock-star reception, stealing DeSantis' thunder and reducing his nearest rival for the Republican presidential nomination to a bit-part player at one of the biggest political events on the U.S. political calendar. It was a moment that epitomized the state of the 2024 Republican presidential nominating race: Trump is far ahead in national polling, eclipsing Florida's governor and the rest of the field, who have so far been at a loss over how to narrow that gap. The Iowa State Fair is a political must for aspiring presidential candidates in the Midwestern state that kicks off the Republican nominating contest in January. But with Trump leading DeSantis by 34 percentage points among likely Republican primary voters in an Aug. 3 Reuters/Ipsos poll, and the rest of the field languishing in single digits, the fair this year had the air of a coronation rather than a beauty pageant. Despite Trump's legal problems - he has been indicted three times this year and could be indicted a fourth time in Georgia this week - he holds one of the biggest primary polling leads in U.S. electoral history. No candidate in modern history has had such a big lead in a contested primary and gone on to lose the nomination. Meanwhile, DeSantis has had two staff shake-ups in the past three weeks and has been sinking in the polls as he desperately tries to recalibrate his campaign. As Trump walked from the pork chop tent to the Steer N' Stein bar to make a speech, flocked by supporters chanting, "We love you Trump!," a reporter asked him about DeSantis. "He's doing very, very poorly in the polls. He really should leave the race," Trump said. Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist who opposes Trump's nomination, has been holding focus groups with Republican voters all year. During the last two she held, in the past two weeks, not a single person even mentioned DeSantis. When asked directly about the Florida governor at the recent focus groups, one voter called him "sneaky." Another dismissed him as just "another regular politician." A third said he was part of the "deep state," a term often used by conspiracy theorists to refer to people in government they believe are working clandestinely to manipulate national policy. "DeSantis is in a death spiral," Longwell said. FULL STORY

Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling on Sunday warned of the possibility that former President Trump’s threatening words could lead to lone acts of violence, ahead of a likely fourth indictment expected. In an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Sterling said he does not expect to see any large-scale or organized violence, but he expressed his concern that the violent rhetoric could radicalize individuals who are “probably mentally unstable.” “Obviously, at this point, you never know what’s going to happen,” Sterling said when asked whether he’s concerned that Trump’s rhetoric could lead to violence. Sterling was also asked about an attack ad that Trump’s team is running labeling Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and others the “fraud squad.” “My biggest concern for years now – I’ve said this at election conferences where you get professionals who run elections around this country – is somebody will be motivated by some of these kind of languages at some point and do something stupid,” Sterling continued. “It’s not going to mean organized things. It’s not going to be a bunch of conspirators together. It’s going to be one probably mentally unstable individual who’s going to be radicalized through this process and that’s my biggest concern through this,” he said. FULL STORY

Hunter Biden’s attorney on Sunday criticized Justice Department (DOJ) prosecutors for changing “their decision on the fly” regarding a plea agreement reached between federal prosecutors and the president’s son, a deal that was ultimately put on hold after a hearing last month. Abbe Lowell, who represents Biden, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that there were three possibilities for why both sides didn’t leave a July 26 hearing with a plea deal secured by a judge. “One, they wrote something and weren’t clear what they meant. Two, they knew what they meant and misstated it to counsel. Or third, they change their view as they were standing in court in Delaware,” Lowell said, speaking of the DOJ prosecutors. When pressed further by CBS’s Margaret Brennan on whether he thought the prosecutors were “incompetent,” he wouldn’t use that characterization. He instead said prosecutors “changed their decision on the fly standing up in court.” Hunter Biden’s plea deal involving tax and gun charges was put on hold last month after the judge presiding over the case questioned the parameters of the agreement reached with the Justice Department. President Biden’s son was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay income taxes as part of a deal announced last month with the DOJ, but instead pleaded not guilty after the plea deal was placed on hold. FULL STORY

Across Asia, by far the most popular form of personal transport is the motor scooter. Thailand has 20 million of them, Vietnam 45 million, and Indonesia more than 80 million. They are cheap and convenient - but polluting. To cut emissions, cities need to switch to a clean, electric alternative. But how? One Taiwanese company, which has already built the world’s largest battery-swapping network, says it has the answer. We took the bike for a ride in Taipei to find out how the system works. WATCH VIDEO REPORT

The annual Perseid meteor shower has lit up skies across the world to the delight of those hoping to catch a glimpse of a shooting star. The phenomenon brings up to 100 meteors an hour, as the Earth slams into the debris left behind from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. As the debris hits the Earth's atmosphere it burns up, resulting in the bright flashes known as shooting stars, which can be seen with the naked eye. The natural display happens at a similar time in July and August each year, and this year peaked between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday. Heavy cloud over much of the UK meant many stargazers were disappointed, although some sightings were possible over Yorkshire, north-east England and parts of southern Scotland. Looking ahead to the chances of spotting a shooting star over the coming days, BBC weather forecaster Billy Payne said many should be able to get a glimpse despite less than perfect conditions. "Tonight, we'll see cloud and rain spreading across much of England and Wales, so viewing opportunities will be limited," he said. "East Anglia and the south-east and the far north of England may see some breaks for a time before cloud increases later. "Scotland and Northern Ireland will have a few clear spells overnight but even here there will be some areas of cloud around. "Tomorrow night should offer better conditions as cloud and rain gives way to clearer skies for many. "Rain may drag its heels across northern England though, while the far north and west are likely to see areas of cloud come and go, particularly towards coasts and hills." FULL STORY (more pictures)

Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) has cut ties with its Indonesian franchise after several contestants alleged sexual abuse days before the pageant's crowning ceremony in Jakarta. Contestants said finalists were unexpectedly asked to strip for "a body check for scars and cellulite" and some said they were photographed topless. The US-based MUO said it was clear the franchise had not lived up to its brand standards, ethics, or expectations. Jakarta police are probing the claims. MUO also said it was also cancelling this year's pageant in Malaysia which is run by the same company, PT Capella Swastika Karya. Miss Universe Organisation thanked the women that filed the complaints for their bravery and reiterated "providing a safe place for women " was its priority. It said it was evaluating its policies and procedures to avoid similar occurrences and said there were no measurement or body dimensions requirements to join its pageants worldwide. "In light of what we have learned took place at Miss Universe Indonesia, it has become clear that this franchise has not lived up to our brand standards, ethics, or expectations," MUO posted on Saturday night. Miss Universe, which is now on its 73rd edition, is popular in South-east Asia, especially in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, where winners go on to become celebrities and social media influencers. Its owner Anne Jakrajutatip, a Thai transgender woman and media mogul, has sought to revamp the brand to make it more inclusive by allowing married women, transgender women and single mothers to compete. Poppy Capella, Indonesia's franchise director said on Instagram that she had "never known, ordered, requested or allowed anyone who played a role and participated in the process of organizing Miss Universe Indonesia 2023 to commit violence or sexual harassment through body checking". She also added that she was against "any form of violence or sexual harassment." FULL STORY

A knife darting out in a packed subway car. An assailant, chasing shoppers, stabbing wildly in the street. These nightmares have played out in the minds of many South Koreans following a mass stabbing attack last week - the country's second in as many weeks. On 21 July, a man attacked commuters in the capital, killing one person and stabbing three more at a subway station. He later told police he lived a miserable life and "wanted to make others miserable too". Then, on 3 August, 14 people were injured in Seongnam, south-east of Seoul, when a man rammed his car into pedestrians near a subway stop, and then ran into a department store, where he stabbed nine people. One woman died later from her injuries. The second attacker, Choi Won-jong, 22, was a delivery driver and high-school dropout who had been diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder. Police said he had googled news about the first attack before his own rampage. "What's happening in South Korea these days?" cried citizens online afterwards - dazed by back-to-back stabbings in a nation known otherwise for low rates of violent crime. "Our country used to be one of the safest in the world… but recently I can't say that any more," one commented on YouTube. 'Mudjima' crimes In South Korea, they are known as "Don't Ask Why" or Mudjima crimes - inexplicable acts of violence targeting strangers, driven by no personal link to victims or obvious motive. FULL STORY

A high school in north-eastern Cambodia has been forced to close temporarily after thousands of unexploded munitions were discovered. Cambodia remains one of the world's most heavily mined countries, 48 years after the end of its brutal civil war. At that time, the Queen Kosomak High School in Kratie province was being used as a military station. Photos show tons of rusty explosives neatly stacked in rows, with grenades and anti-tank launchers among them. In total, more than 2,000 pieces of ordnance was discovered over three days - Heng Ratana, director general of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, told AFP news agency. He said the munitions were found when the ground was being cleared to expand a garden, and if the whole school was cleared, more would likely be dug up. "It is a huge stroke of luck for the students. These explosive devices are easy to explode if someone dug into the ground and hit them," Mr Heng said. Students were told to stay away from the school until the clean up was complete, which was expected to take two days. Cambodia's eight-year civil war ended in 1975, however it continue to suffer from the aftermath. Landmines that are scattered across the country have killed more than 64,000 people, while 25,000 amputees have been recorded since 1979, according to The Halo Trust. The Cambodian government has vowed to clear all landmines and unexploded artillery by 2025. FULL STORY