Category: Global

A hospital in Toulouse, France, was partially evacuated after doctors discovered an unexploded World War I artillery shell inside a patient who arrived at the emergency department complaining of severe discomfort.

The patient, identified by French media as a 24-year-old man, was admitted late Saturday night to Rangueil Hospital. Medical staff initially believed he had inserted a foreign object inside, but during emergency surgery, surgeons found a live artillery shell dating back to 1918.

Reports quoted sources that the shell measured approximately eight inches in length and raised immediate safety concerns, prompting hospital authorities to alert bomb disposal experts and the fire brigade. A security perimeter was established, and sections of the hospital were evacuated as a precaution while specialists assessed the risk.

Bomb disposal officials later confirmed that the shell did not pose an immediate threat and safely removed it from the hospital premises. The patient remained hospitalized following the procedure and was reported to be recovering.

Authorities have not disclosed how the man obtained the historical munition, though investigators reportedly suspect it may have been linked to a party stunt. Medical staff told local media that hospitals in the region occasionally treat injuries caused by dangerous personal activities.

Police sources said the man is expected to be questioned, and prosecutors are considering whether charges may be filed for the illegal possession of military-grade ordnance, which is classified under French law as prohibited “category A” munitions.

Artillery shells of this kind were widely used by the Imperial German Army during World War I and continue to be uncovered across France during the annual “Iron Harvest,” when unexploded weapons resurface in fields and construction sites.

This was not the first such incident in France. In 2022, another hospital evacuation occurred in Toulon after an elderly patient arrived with a World War I artillery shell lodged in a similar manner.

Newly released documents from the US Department of Justice have added a peculiar twist to the public’s understanding of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Among millions of pages, 180,000 images, and 2,000 videos released on Friday, one email stood out: a note informing Epstein that a shipment of five Pakistani outfits was on its way in 2017.

The outfits, shalwar kameez ordered from a supplier named Zubair Khan, quickly became the subject of online discussion and ridicule. Users on social media were quick to question the context and significance of the purchase.

Some took a sarcastic approach. “Looool he apparently worked at NADRA as well,” one user wrote, while another joked, “Hope he overcharged for the outfit.” Others mocked the attention given to such mundane details. “Something is seriously wrong with this Bcz why we treating him like a celebrity, and sharing useless details about his life like isn’t an achievement,” read one post.

Speculation about the outfits themselves ranged from cultural commentary to dark humor. “Shalwar Kurta isn’t necessarily a Pakistani dress yes it’s a national dress but it’s prevalent throughout the Indian Subcontinent and Zubair Khan is Indian,” a user noted.

The idea that the email might hide a more sinister meaning also surfaced. “Do you really believe they were actually talking about actual shalwar kameez? These could be code words just like pizza and grape soda,” one user suggested, echoed by another asking, “Are you sure it’s not code word for something more sinister?”

Even the more hilarious angles found a place online. “Devastating: the worst person you know has excellent taste in drip,” read one post, while another questioned, “This chain called Junaid Jamshed is popular in the Middle East?” Some attempted mundane explanations. “He might possibly be attending an Indian wedding or something. This is probably the most mundane email of the bunch.” 

The reaction threads reveal a mix of humor, disbelief, and unease as people parse Epstein’s unusual tastes. The shalwar kameez email has become a microcosm of the public’s fascination and revulsion with the life of one of the world’s most notorious figures.

A woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow in India died by suicide after her husband made derogatory remarks about her in front of her sister, police said. The incident took place on Wednesday in the Takrohi area of Indira Nagar.

The deceased has been identified as Tannu Singh, an aspiring model who had been married to her husband for the past four years. Her husband, an auto-rickshaw driver, reportedly passed the remark during what he described as a joking exchange.

Indira Nagar Station House Officer (SHO) Sunil Tiwari confirmed the incident, stating that the woman was allegedly called a “monkey” by her husband. Police said no written complaint has so far been submitted at the station.

According to the husband, the incident unfolded on Wednesday afternoon when he, his wife, their son, and his sister-in-law Anjali were at home. During light-hearted banter, he allegedly mocked Tannu, following which she became upset and quietly left the room.

Shortly afterward, the husband stepped out to bring food. Upon returning, he asked Anjali to call Tannu. When repeated calls went unanswered, Anjali went to the room and found it locked from inside. Looking through a window, she saw her sister hanging from the ceiling.

Hearing her screams, neighbours and family members rushed to the spot and brought Tannu down from the noose. She was immediately taken to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead. 

A post-mortem examination later confirmed hanging as the cause of death. Police said further legal action would be decided after reviewing the post-mortem report and recording statements from family members.

Indian police have arrested a man in connection with an assault on two Kashmiri shawl sellers from illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir in Uttarakhand’s Vikas Nagar area, following an incident in which one of the victims said the attackers referred to their religious identity.

In a video statement posted on X, Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajay Singh said the main suspect, identified as Sanjay Yadav, had been taken into custody and that further investigation was underway.

The victims, brothers Danish Ganai and Tabish Rashid, are residents of Kupwara district in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Ganai has been travelling to Uttarakhand during the winter season for the past three to four years to sell Kashmiri shawls. This year, Rashid joined him after insisting on contributing to the family’s income.

According to Rashid, the assault occurred on Wednesday evening after the brothers returned from Poanta Saheb in Himachal Pradesh, where they had been selling shawls earlier in the day. While heading back to their accommodation, they stopped at a shop on the outskirts of Vikas Nagar to eat.

Rashid said the shopkeeper objected to them speaking in Kashmiri and told them that Uttarakhand was not Kashmir. “The shopkeeper initially took offence because we were speaking in the Kashmiri language. He said that Uttarakhand is not Kashmir. Then he pushed me and asked us to leave,” he said.

As they stood up, the shopkeeper allegedly picked up their sack containing shawls and other belongings and threw it onto the road. Rashid said the brothers protested, telling him they had done nothing wrong. “We told him we had not committed any mistake to deserve this humiliation,” he said.

The dispute then moved outside the shop, where Rashid alleged the shopkeeper took out a baton and began beating his brother. When Rashid attempted to intervene, another man arrived carrying an iron rod.

“He was speaking as if being a Muslim and a Kashmiri was a crime,” Rashid said. He added that the man pushed him aside and struck him on the head with the iron rod, causing him to lose consciousness.

Before passing out, Rashid said he heard the assailant tell the shopkeeper: “They are Muslims. Let’s finish one first and deal with the other later.”

Mohd Shafiq, another resident of Kupwara who has been assisting the brothers in Uttarakhand, confirmed that the two men were assaulted by the shopkeeper and his associate. He said several local Hindu men and women intervened during the incident and stopped the attack.

Rashid sustained injuries, including a fracture in his arm, while Ganai suffered wounds to his leg. 

Rashid said he regained consciousness at a hospital, where he was surrounded by other Kashmiri shawl sellers and local residents. He later learnt that a Hindu woman who witnessed the incident testified that the brothers were not at fault.

Police at Vikas Nagar registered a case under Sections 117(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, against two persons. Rashid said cash amounting to nearly Rs 21,000, along with their shawls and other belongings, was missing after the assault. “There were 47 shawls worth several thousands in the sack,” he said.

He said his father had arrived in Uttarakhand and would decide the next course of action. “We have been attacked today, it will be someone else’s turn tomorrow,” Rashid said.

A Malaysian court has fined 23-year-old social media influencer Tang Sie Luk RM40,000 ($12,800) for filming and posting an offensive video showing teenage boys giving a homeless man rice mixed with chicken bones.

Tang pleaded guilty to knowingly creating and uploading extremely offensive content with the intent to cause annoyance under Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, according to foreign media reports. 

Judge Sazlina Safie also ordered a four-month prison term if Tang failed to pay the fine. He paid the fine immediately after the verdict.

Instagram Post

The video was first uploaded to the Chinese social media platform Douyin on August 3, 2025, before spreading rapidly to Instagram, where it went viral and drew strong public condemnation.

The video begins with a voiceover stating, “Today we are going to do a kind deed.” It then shows three teenage boys eating fried chicken from a KFC box before saying it would be “a waste” to throw the bones away. They packed the chicken bones with rice and claimed they planned to donate the food.

The boys later handed the food scraps to a homeless man along Jalan Wong Ah Fook in Johor Bahru while recording the interaction.

During mitigation, Tang, who represented himself, requested a minimum fine, expressing remorse and apologising for his actions. He admitted to uploading the video, which was over a minute long.

However, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission deputy public prosecutor Fadhi Ab Wahab urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, saying the act caused real harm to the victim.

“The victim has also said he felt insulted and angry by the accused’s actions. This was not an act of charity. It was a calculated act of exploitation, using human suffering to create social media content for entertainment and public attention,” he told the court.

Award-winning Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda has regained access to her TikTok account, one day after she reported being permanently banned from the platform. Owda, who has 1.4 million followers, said the sudden removal of her account came shortly after TikTok’s US operations were partially acquired by new investors, including Zionist billionaire Larry Ellison.

Owda shared the news on her Instagram and X accounts, saying she believed international media attention and pressure from non-governmental organisations contributed to the reversal. She added that while her account is now accessible, visitors must type her full username to find it, and many of her videos are “ineligible for recommendation.”

TikTok had initially deleted Owda’s account. “TikTok deleted my account. I had 1.4 million followers there, and I have been building that platform for four years,” Owda said in a video from Gaza. “I expected that it will be restricted, like every time, not banned forever.”

The ban and subsequent unbanning prompted strong reactions online. One user wrote, “Displaced yet again, this time digital.” Another questioned, “Why anyone even uses TikTok is beyond me. It is now controlled and censored by Israel.” 

Some linked the ban to broader political motives, with a comment stating, “It is clear now that one of the main reasons that the US gov wanted to control TikTok was to censor pro Palestine voices.”

Other reactions directly referenced the involvement of Larry Ellison, who owns a partial stake in TikTok. “Larry Ellison banned her account!” one user wrote, while another said, “We all had more freedom under China and everyone knows it. Zionists are the most anti-free speech people on earth!”

After the account was restored, users expressed skepticism about TikTok’s motives. “TikTok has backed down, saying the ban on Bisan Owda’s account was a ‘technical error.’ Funny how the ‘error’ fixed itself once people started calling it out,” one comment read. 

Others warned about the platform’s safety for journalists in Gaza. “It is extremely unsafe for journalists in Gaza to be on a site owned by the number one IDF donor and creator of Oracle – the CIA’s primary databasing software. Cannot express more clearly how dangerous this is,” one reaction stated.

Some users urged Owda to distance herself from the platform despite regaining access. “I personally hope she doesn’t return to it and gives them the finger! They’re freaking out not only because of the media attention but the droves of people leaving – we shouldn’t be helping them by using their platforms if we have a choice,” one comment read. 

Another warned, “They’ve only done this so they can track her. She needs to understand this, dump TikTok.”

Iran has warned that it is fully prepared to defend itself as tensions escalate with the United States of America, which continues to signal the possibility of military action despite regional diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a fresh conflict.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to travel to Turkiye on Friday for senior-level discussions, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said. He added that Tehran seeks to “constantly strengthen ties with neighbours based on shared interests”.

The visit is taking place as regional leaders intensify diplomacy in hopes of persuading US to refrain from military action and encouraging both sides to reach some form of compromise. However, the US military buildup in the region continues, with President Donald Trump describing the deployment as an “armada” on Wednesday. The force is led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, now positioned near Iranian waters.

Inside Iran, senior political, military and judicial officials have adopted an increasingly defiant tone, stressing preparedness over negotiations.

“Tehran’s priority is currently not to negotiate with the US, but to have 200 percent readiness to defend our country,” said Kazem Gharibabadi, a senior member of Iran’s negotiating team, according to state media.

Gharibabadi confirmed that messages have recently been exchanged with Washington through intermediaries, but emphasised that even if talks were possible, Iran would remain on high alert. He noted that Iran had previously been attacked first by Israel and then by the US last June, just as negotiations were expected to begin.

Iran has repeatedly highlighted its military capabilities in recent days, following extensive exercises conducted since June’s 12-day war, during which several senior military officials were killed and nuclear facilities were struck.

On Thursday, the Iranian army announced the induction of 1,000 new “strategic” drones into its forces. According to the army, the fleet includes one-way suicide drones as well as combat, reconnaissance and cyberwarfare-capable aircraft designed to strike fixed or mobile targets across land, air and sea.

“Proportionate to the threats facing us, the agenda of the army includes maintaining and improving strategic advantages for fast combat and a decisive response to any aggression,” army commander Amir Hamati said.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also previously claimed it could withstand sustained attacks while continuing to launch ballistic and cruise missiles at Israel and US assets throughout the region if required.

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have moved to boost civilian preparedness in the event of war. President Masoud Pezeshkian has delegated expanded powers to governors in border provinces, enabling them to import essential supplies – particularly food in case of war.

The lack of adequate public shelters has also come under scrutiny. Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani said on Thursday that the municipality plans to construct “underground parking shelters” as a “priority project”. However, he acknowledged that the initiative would take years to complete, leaving residents with limited protection in the event of imminent air strikes.

Another potential consequence of renewed conflict is a return to widespread communications blackouts. Similar shutdowns were imposed during the June war and amid the most recent wave of protests.