Russian soldiers tell BBC they saw fellow troops executed on commanders’ orders

Russian soldiers tell BBC they saw fellow troops executed on commanders' orders4 hours agoShareSaveBen Steele,Mike RadfordandGeorge WrightShareSave”Anyone who runs is shot”: Russian soldiers tell BBC they saw commanders order fellow troops' killingWarning: This story contains details of extreme violence and reference to suicide.
Four Russian soldiers have exposed the horror and brutality of conditions on their side of the front lines in Ukraine, with two men telling the BBC they saw soldiers being executed on the spot for refusing orders.
One man told a documentary team he saw a soldier executed on the order of his commander, who was made a “Hero of Russia” in 2024.
“I see it – just two metres, three metres… click, clack, bang,” he said.
Another soldier, from a different unit, says he saw his commander shoot four men himself.
“I knew them,” he says of the soldiers executed. “I remember one of them screaming 'Don't shoot, I'll do anything!'”
One of them a..

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Mexico sends thousands of soldiers to stop violence after death of drug lord

Mexico sends thousands of soldiers to stop violence after death of drug lord13 hours agoShareSaveJack BurgessShareSaveGetty ImagesA member of Mexico's National Guard stands near the charred wreckage of a bus that appears to have been set on fire by organised crime groups in Jalisco state on SundayMexico has deployed thousands of soldiers to bolster security, the country's security minister has said, after a wave of violence erupted following the death of a powerful drug lord.
Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla said an extra 2,500 soldiers had been sent to western Mexico on Monday, with the government saying about 9,500 troops have been deployed overall since Sunday.
At least 20 states have seen unrest since Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes – better known as “El Mencho” – died in custody on Sunday shortly after being captured by Mexican special forces in Jalisco state.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is one of Mexico's most feared criminal organisations and its leader ..

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‘My one and only’: Why Tulsi Gabbard’s dashing husband is such a rarity in American politics

Tulsi Gabbard marked her husband Abraham Williams’ birthday with a message that read less like a routine social media greeting and more like a private vow made briefly visible to the world. “Happy birthday to my one and only,” she wrote, before adding a line that carried the quiet cadence of a promise: “Over and over again, I do.”The tone was unmistakably intimate. It was also entirely characteristic.Because in the theatre of American politics, where spouses are often displayed as carefully managed public assets, Abraham Williams occupies a very different role. He is not a campaign surrogate, not a television presence, not a familiar political spouse. In fact, most Americans encounter his name only when Gabbard herself chooses to mention him. He appears briefly through her words and then slips back into the anonymity he seems to prefer.The reaction to that birthday post captured how unusual their pairing feels. One user replied with a mix of admiration and mock envy: “Two good looking,..

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UAE announces 4-day Eid Al Fitr holiday for public sector; Will private sector get an extra day?

UAE announces 4-day Eid Al Fitr holiday for public sector, 3 days for private sector/Representative Image As Ramadan begins, the UAE has confirmed the official Eid Al Fitr holiday schedule for both federal government employees and the private sector, giving workers and businesses clarity well in advance of the break.The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation jointly announced that employees in federal government entities will observe the Eid Al Fitr holiday from Thursday, 19 March 2026, through Sunday, 22 March 2026. Official working hours will resume on Monday, 23 March 2026.For private sector employees, the holiday will begin on Thursday, 19 March 2026, and continue until Saturday, 21 March 2026. However, authorities confirmed that if the holy month of Ramadan completes 30 days, the private sector break will be extended to include Sunday, 22 March 2026.The announcement applies across the UAE and follows the established f..

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‘Sportcation’ gains popularity among China youth, transforms romantic getaway into athletic hub

AdvertisementTrending in ChinaPeople & CultureTrending in China‘Sportcation’ gains popularity among China youth, transforms romantic getaway into athletic hubIndonesian island renowned for parties and chilling turns holiday spot for fitness-mad travellers who seek ‘military-style’ boot camps
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPYating Yangin BeijingPublished: 6:00pm, 23 Feb 2026Fitness-friendly young Chinese travellers are turning to a new trend known as “sportcation” which blends physical health with leisure.
Health conscious tourists are spending 20,000 yuan (US$2,800) not to relax, but to endure military-style tennis camps, turning the romantic island of Bali into a gruelling Indonesian sporting getaway.
In the trend, which as the name suggests blends sport and holiday, physical activity becomes the central focus of travel.
A Chinese woman prepares to serve during a tennis match. So-called boot camps involving the sport are growing in popularity. Photo: ZhihuInstead of sights..

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Poland accuses Hungary of ‘shocking lack of solidarity’ for Kyiv on eve of war anniversary

Zelensky warns Putin has started WW IIIPoland's foreign minister accused Hungary of showing a shocking lack of solidarity for Ukraine on Monday, and said he believed the Hungarian government was creating a climate of hostility towards Kyiv to use in an upcoming election campaign.
“I would have expected a much greater feeling of solidarity from Hungary for Ukraine,” Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters in Brussels, as Budapest looked poised to block proposed EU sanctions on Russia on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the war.
“And instead, with the help of state propaganda…the ruling party managed to create a climate of hostility towards the victim of aggression. And now it's trying to exploit that in the general election. It's quite shocking.”
EU leaders have voiced frustration over Hungary’s longstanding opposition to supporting neighbouring Ukraine. Budapest said it will block a 90 billion euro loan for Kyiv until Ukraine resumes oil shipments.
It comes as Ukrainian p..

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Xi Jinping expresses hope China can open ‘new chapter’ in relations with North Korea

AdvertisementChina-North Korea relationsChinaDiplomacyXi Jinping expresses hope China can open ‘new chapter’ in relations with North KoreaChinese leader sends message of ‘high trust and wholehearted support’ to Kim Jong-un after major party event
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPYuanyue Dangin BeijingPublished: 5:57pm, 23 Feb 2026Updated: 5:59pm, 23 Feb 2026Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after he cemented his leadership at the latest congress of the country’s ruling party.Xi said Kim’s reselection as general secretary of the Workers Party of North Korea on Monday reflected the “high trust and wholehearted support” of the country’s “party, government and people”, according to state news agency Xinhua.Xi said he was ready to work with Kim to “open a new chapter in China-DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] friendship, serve the cause of socialist development in both countries, and enhance the well-being and friendship of ..

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The reason people in Ghana are embracing items of traditional clothing

On a bustling street in central Accra, Clement Azaabire meticulously hangs fugu smocks, their striped, multi-coloured fabrics swaying in the breeze.
For 15 years, Azaabire has proudly sold this garment, deeply associated with his community in northern Ghana, but it is now experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity across the nation.
More Ghanaians are embracing the vibrant traditional outfit with pride, a trend unexpectedly triggered by online mockery.
When Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama wore a fugu during a visit to Zambia in early February, some social media users ridiculed his attire. This prompted a strong defence from Ghanaians, who rallied to protect what they considered a rich cultural heritage.
open image in galleryClement Azaabire hangs traditional fugu garments under a tree on display for sale along a street in Accra, Ghana (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie took this national sentiment a step f..

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Four years into its full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia is feeling the effects

Four years into its full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia is feeling the effects4 hours agoShareSaveSteve RosenbergRussia editor, in LipetskShareSaveBBCPosters offering large sums of money for joining the army are everywhere in RussiaAt first glance, Yelets in winter looks like something from a Russian fairy tale.
From the embankment I spy the golden domes of Orthodox churches and, down below, ice fishermen dotted along the frozen river.
But in this town, 350km (217 miles) south of Moscow, the fairy tale feeling is transient.
On the riverbank I spot an army recruitment billboard. It promises a one-off sum equivalent to £15,000 to anyone who'll sign up to fight in Ukraine.
Close by there's a poster of a Russian soldier taking aim with a Kalashnikov.
“We're there where we need to be,” the accompanying slogan declares.
The Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Outside Russia it was widely seen as an attempt to force Kyiv back into Moscow'..

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Zelensky tells BBC Putin has started WW3 and must be stopped

Zelensky tells BBC Putin has started WW3 and must be stopped12 hours agoShareSaveJeremy BowenInternational editor, KyivShareSave'Will we lose? Of course not' – Zelensky tells BBCUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to send out a firm message of defiance.
When we met this weekend in the government headquarters in Kyiv, he said that far from losing, Ukraine would end the war victorious. He was firmly against paying the price for a ceasefire deal demanded by President Vladimir Putin, which is withdrawing from strategic ground that Russia has failed to capture despite sacrificing tens of thousands of soldiers.
Putin, Zelensky told me, has already started World War Three, and the only answer was intense military and economic pressure to force him to step back.
“I believe that Putin has already started it. The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him… Russia wants to impose on the world a different way of life and change the li..

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