Jeju Island is South Korea’s idyllic honeymoon destination.

Its dramatic volcanic landscapes, maze-like cave systems and stunning waterfalls offer so much for lovers to explore – but then the bodies started appearing.

In just three days, four people who had been reported missing on Jeju turned up dead, police said.

Authorities have not linked the deaths or found evidence of widespread foul play.

But the discoveries followed revelations that one police officer allegedly faked speaking to the missing person and prematurely closed their case.

Hundreds of people have vanished on the island, prompting questions about how many bodies are out there.

Jang Mi-ran’s boyfriend reported the 37-year-old missing after she vanished from Jeju City, early on May 13.

He was allegedly told by a police detective named Bu that she had told him she was leaving and didn’t want to see him anymore.

The case was quickly closed amid an attitude that no real crimes happen on the 700sq mile rocky island.

But investigators found no phone records supporting his claim that the officer had spoken to her – and nearby CCTV had been reportedly deleted.

The officer reported to the police emergency call center that Jang had refused to meet him and requested her location not be disclosed to the person who reported her missing.

More than 100 days passed, her weary parents launched another missing persons probe and Jang was found hanging from a palm tree less than a 10-minute walk from where she was last seen.

Officers told her family that she had killed herself based on the position and location of the body, but her boyfriend remains sceptical.

Jang’s boyfriend told local TV station Chosun he could not make sense of the discovery. ‘She said she found that place frightening whenever she passed by, so I can’t understand why she was found there,’ he said.

A Jeju local said the farm was densely planted with Canary Island date palms, which are covered in sharp, hard spines.

‘Even for a man, it would be nearly impossible to hang a rope from one of those trees – they don’t have branches like ordinary trees, and you’d get stabbed just getting close,’ they added.

Investigators found no phone records supporting Bu’s claim that he had spoken with Jang before closing her case, while nearby surveillance footage had already been deleted.

Police also allege Bu similarly closed the case of a man in his 60s, who was later found dead.

The same day Jang’s remains were discovered, another person previously reported missing was discovered dead near a valley in Aewol-eup.

The following day, a fisherman spotted the body of a man in his 70s floating in the waves loved by surfers.

Bu, whose full identity has not been released, was perp-walked to a court hearing where Jang’s family attacked him on live television.

He has denied any wrongdoing and insists he did contact the missing people.

But nearly 300 missing persons cases are to be reviewed with ten being examined for possible improper closure.

Whether the case truly involved no crime, as the police currently believe, but have said they will forensically reconstruct the scene to assess if there had been any third party involvement.

The suspected botched investigations and lack of official explanations has created a feeling of mystery over the volcanic island.

Now people are cancelling their trips to Jeju after unfounded claims a serial killer could be on the loose with online sleuths drawing up maps where the bodies are being found.

A recent Instagram post by Hong Hye-geol, a television personality who has lived on the island for seven years, read, ‘When I cycle around Jeju, I often come across deserted roads in villages without even venturing deep into Hallasan.

‘Stray just a little from a trail, and you can find yourself somewhere no one would hear you scream.

‘I wouldn’t recommend either women or men going around here alone, even in broad daylight or on paved roads.’

Jeju, one of South Korea’s most popular tourist destinations, drew 1.2 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2026, according to the Jeju Tourism Association.

More than ⁠70,000 such ​reports have been filed annually since 2022, though the vast majority were solved ​within 30 days, police say.

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EXCLUSIVE: New figures show the Home Office has not accommodated any asylum seekers in seven council areas, while Glasgow is home to over 3,000.

The Home Office is still not housing asylum seekers in major council areas, fuelling fears Glasgow is being used as a “dumping ground”.

Areas as vast as the Highlands are recorded as not housing anyone fleeing persecution as part of a national dispersal programme.

Private firm Mears is paid by the Home Office to find accommodation for asylum seekers across the UK.

Solutions include providing housing in the community and putting people up in hotels, the latter of which is being phased out.

Glasgow was for years the only council area north of the border to house asylum seekers, but dispersal has been extended amid concerns about the burden placed on one city.

However, official figures for the end of March show that no asylum seekers are housed in Argyll and Bute, Highland, Moray, Na h-Eileanan Siar, Orkney, East Renfrewshire and Shetland.

The number of asylum seekers in “dispered” (community] accommodation in Glasgow stood at 3,489 while for the Edinburgh council area it was 49 and in Dundee 38.

Dumfries and Galloway was listed as having no asylum seekers as part of the dispersal programme, but there is a hotel used in the region.

The numbers also show how many asylum seekers are housed by the Home Office for every 10,000 people in each council area.

In Glasgow, the figure was 57.3, while in the Capital it was 2.6 and 2.5 in Dundee.

The number per 10,000 people is fewer than 10 in over twenty nine local authority areas.

The figure for Scotland overall is 11.4, lower than the 25.9 in the North East of England, 24.7 in the North West and 18.8 in the West Midlands.

Critics have also said liberal SNP Government homeless laws have created additional pressures for Glasgow, which has seen a wave of racist protests.

The abolition of the ‘priority need’ test means male asylum seekers in Glasgow who become refugees can access homeless assistance in the city.

A row broke out earlier this year over plans to house up to 300 male asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks in Inverness, but after an outcry it was reported that the proposal was dropped.

Susan Aitken, the outgoing SNP leader of Glasgow council, said: “Full dispersal has been UK Government policy for a number of years now – but, in Scotland, there has been relatively little progress made on extending provision beyond Glasgow.

“The council has called on both governments to work with CoSLA to develop a national dispersal strategy, so that responsibility for asylum and refugee support is shared across the country.”

Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid, who is a member of Westminster’s Home Affairs committee, criticised the SNP Government: “Glasgow has a proud history of welcoming people fleeing persecution. Generosity towards those who need sanctuary is part of the city’s character.

“But the SNP are abusing that goodwill and Home Office attempts at getting to grips with the issue are too slow. These figures show Glasgow being used as a dumping ground, with more than 3,000 asylum seekers in the city while whole parts of Scotland take none.

“That is deeply unfair on Glasgow and reckless at a time when Reform is looking for grievances to exploit. Keep loading pressure onto the same communities and resentment will grow. The SNP are putting at risk the very tradition of welcome they are so quick to celebrate.

“Asylum seekers are being failed too. Many have fled war, persecution or serious trauma. They need to be housed responsibly, with access to proper support, rather than concentrated in communities already under pressure.

“Glasgow’s generosity should never have been treated as limitless. If we want to protect what makes the city proud, the responsibility has to be shared across Scotland.”

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Tory MSP Meghan Gallacher said: “Scotland’s major cities are buckling under housing pressure, yet Glasgow is being left to shoulder a hugely disproportionate share of asylum accommodation.

“With more than 3,000 asylum seekers in dispersed accommodation in Glasgow, this uneven distribution is putting further strain on already stretched housing services.

“Years of SNP failure, from scrapping the local connection rule to removing priority need, have only made matters worse.

“The SNP must get a grip, ensure the pressure is shared fairly and put local people first.”

A spokesperson for Mears said: “Mears provides accommodation for asylum seekers in the majority of local authority areas across Scotland and works to ensure that dispersal is as fair and equitable as possible.

“We prioritise procuring suitable accommodation that meets Home Office contract requirements, including access to key public services and welfare support, along with considerations around value for money for the taxpayer, which does make procurement more complex in some rural or remote areas.”

SNP Equalities Minister Simita Kumar said: “The Scottish Government firmly believes the UK Government must deliver a more effective and humane asylum system that treats people fleeing conflict and persecution with dignity and respect.

“The Home Office is responsible for the provision of asylum accommodation. All local authorities in Scotland have committed to receiving and supporting people seeking asylum but decisions about asylum dispersal are made by the Home Office. This includes plans to reduce the number of people seeking asylum that are accommodated in Glasgow.

“Cost of living increases and successive UK Governments’ mismanagement of the asylum system are creating serious pressures for local authorities, especially Glasgow.”

By RICHARD MARSDEN and JOHN KELLY

Published: 17:26 BST, 26 August 2026 | Updated: 04:31 BST, 27 August 2026

A former girlfriend of soap actor David Kennedy escaped a prison sentence after a bizarre campaign of abuse against him.

Lindsay Cullen, 45, repeatedly threatened to ‘expose’ the star by forwarding sexual pictures and private messages to friends, colleagues and even a newspaper, a court heard.

She was already on bail for harassment when she committed even more offences which left former Hollyoaks and EastEnders actor Mr Kennedy, 62, fearing for his career if she went ahead with her threats.

Sarah McInerney, prosecuting, told Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday afternoon that the actor and Cullen had been in an on-off relationship for several years.

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Ms McInerney said: ‘She was jealous of other women in his life, people he worked with and knew, and that is why she threatened to expose sexual information about him.’

She said she made repeated phone calls and left voicemails for the actor including one that lasted 47 minutes and one day alone she rang him 61 times.

Ms McInerney added: ‘Many of them were drunken ramblings where she threatened to expose private messages and pictures.

‘The victim faced a barrage of abuse in which she said she would make his life hell while she also threatened to kill herself.

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Lindsay Cullen, 45, left actor David Kennedy with ‘stress and anxiety’ about what she would do

David Kennedy pictured in character as Dirk Savage in soap Hollyoaks in 2014

‘Although he says he is not frightened of her physically she has left him suffering from stress and anxiety and living in fear of what she might do next.’

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In a personal statement Mr Kennedy – who played the Hollyoaks character Dirk Savage between 2011 and 2018 and was not in court – said: ‘She has caused me unimaginable stress thinking my career was at risk because of her.

‘I need something in place that will ensure she will not be able to continue.’

Mr Kennedy also appeared briefly in BBC soap EastEnders as Dave Roberts in 2002 and was also in a string of television shows including Ashes to Ashes, Trial & Retribution, The Bill, London’s Burning and Holby City.

Cullen, of Liverpool, pleaded guilty to two breaches of a non-molestation order, two charges of stalking and one charge of harassment.

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All the offences took place in April and May this year, the court was told.

Katie Bennett, defending, said her client had spent the last three weeks in prison on remand for abusing bail conditions set after her first appearance on harassment charges.

Ms Bennett said: ‘She realises in hindsight her behaviour was wrong but they were empty threats and caused by alcohol which she had been using as a coping mechanism.

‘Her three weeks in custody have been a massive wake-up call. 

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‘Custody has given her a chance to reflect and she wants to put this behind her and move on with her life.’

Judge James Clarke said Cullen’s offences would have justified a prison sentence.

Imposing an 18-month community order, he told her: ‘These were particularly nasty and rambling messages.’

Cullen was also given a nine-month alcohol treatment order, a five-year restraining order which included banning her from anywhere near his home, a three-month tagging order to monitor her movements. She must also pay £199 costs.

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s police said Thursday they were seeking indictments of seven transport ministry officials over the 2024 Jeju Air crash that killed all but two of the 181 people on board.

The Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air skidded off the runaway at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames.

Authorities have found traces of bird strike in the plane’s engines and the plane’s two black boxes stopped recording about four minutes before the crash. Many experts say the concrete structure, which housed a set of antennas called a localizer that guides aircraft during landings, must be blamed for the crash as well, as they should have been built with more easily breakable materials.

Police said Thursday the seven officials were involved in the production of media statements that stated the localizers were installed in accordance with relevant domestic and international regulations, though that was not true.

Police said they referred the cases to prosecutors, asking for the seven officials to be indicted on a criminal charge of falsifying official documents. The penalty upon conviction could be up to seven years in prison. The Transport Ministry said it had no comment on the police announcement.

Police said they were investigating nearly 70 other people, including those involved in installation of the localizers or operations of the Muan airport.

The crash was South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster since 1997. But no exact, formal cause of the crash has been announced and no one has been legally prosecuted yet.

Last year, the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board had planned to announce initial investigation results showing both of the plane’s engines sustained bird strikes and the pilots turned off the less-damaged one just before the crash-landing. The initial finding, which implied human errors, drew vehement protests from bereaved families and fellow pilots who accused authorities of trying to shift responsibility to the dead pilots. The investigation board later canceled the announcement.

The first time I encountered Harry Potter was around the turn of the millennium. I was on an aeroplane and couldn’t believe my eyes when a grown woman beside me pulled out what appeared to be a children’s book and barely looked up from its pages for the rest of the transatlantic flight.

After that, each new title was greeted by great queues of both adults and children snaking around bookshops overnight, followed by huge containers of the charming volumes in supermarkets.

Three decades, 600 million sales, eight blockbuster films, seven flagship shops, four theme parks and a multi-billion-dollar franchise later, the boy wizard from Little Whinging has played a major role in my life, mainly through my children.

My oldest daughter grew up as much in the Potterverse as she did in the real world, reading the entire collection – about 4,000 pages in all – seven times, and saving the films until she completed each one. She had the cloak, the hat, the wand and even a book of spells.

Her siblings were also keen. So under normal circumstances, my family would be as delighted as the rest of Britain at the brand-new HBO TV adaptation, due to be released on Christmas Day. The plan is to completely reshoot the series with a new cast over the coming years.

Only we can no longer bring ourselves to watch it. To understand how the magic was ruined, one need look no further than Nicholas Hoult withdrawing from the part of the flamboyant fraud Gilderoy Lockhart, ostensibly owing to a scheduling clash. Happily, he has been replaced by the excellent Kit Harington (Jon Snow in Game Of Thrones).

Nick Frost who plays Hagrid declared that his views and those of the author ‘don’t align in any way’

Hoult’s departure came after a major online backlash from the actor’s fans over his decision to take the role. Typical was a comment by a fan account named Hoult-Daily, which said on X: ‘Nicholas Hoult do better, so many of your fans are hurt.’ Another declared that his decision to join the production was ‘disappointing’ and ‘anti-LGBT’.

The furore is over JK Rowling’s controversial views, which include – shock horror – that the only humans with penises are men, and that those born male who say they are female should be prevented from sharing single- sex bathrooms, prisons and refuges with biological women.

That’s right: what used to be called common sense – and a view still held by most Britons – is now so toxic to the luvvie class that they are trashing a much-loved literary creation with their own cultural politics.

Did the gender row drive Hoult’s decision to withdraw? He would hardly be the first industry figure to distance themselves from the series for which JK Rowling is an executive producer. When Black Mirror director Ally Pankiw was asked if she’d be interested in working on the series, she responded: ‘Absolutely f*****g not!’ She added later that ‘it simply is this easy to say no to funding transphobia’.

Director Kate Herron bragged that she’d been approached ‘twice’ and ‘had to explain my answer is never going to change from a “no” ‘. The two shared these messages in public and engaged in a sort of love-in online.

Clearly, they feel that getting involved with Harry Potter comes with a personal and professional cost, while trumpeting your opposition to the fantasy franchise in public wins huge adulation among the denizens of la-la land.

Indeed, the pro-trans mob – which can muster eye-popping levels of intolerance in the name of tolerance – is orchestrating a campaign against the upcoming series. In January, radical group Defund Transphobes protested outside a performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at London’s Palace Theatre, while pro-trans Reddit message boards are saturated with activists pledging to boycott the new series.

What I find extraordinary is that actors and actresses who have taken leading roles have still chosen to speak out against the woman who created Harry Potter.

John Lithgow, who is Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the series, has agonised publicly over taking the part. ‘I find it ironic and somewhat inexplicable that Rowling has expressed such views,’ he declared loftily, adding that the backlash to his decision to join the series ‘upsets me’.

Other actors, including Bel Powley (due to play the Muggle Petunia Dursley), Nick Frost (half-giant Hagrid) and Paapa Essiedu (complex baddie Snape), have assumed the bizarre position of publicly distancing themselves from JK Rowling’s stance on gender while continuing to bring her fictional world alive.

‘I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect,’ preened Powley this month. Frost declared that ‘she [JK Rowling] is allowed her opinion, and I’m allowed mine. They just don’t align in any way’. Essiedu signed an open letter declaring he stood ‘in solidarity with the trans, non-binary and intersex communities…’

 Paapa Essiedu who plays Snape signed an open letter declaring he stood ‘in solidarity with the trans, non-binary and intersex communities’

The author has responded with generosity. ‘I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series, and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did,’ she has said of Essiedu. ‘I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.’ But then, Rowling has become accustomed to her own actors biting the hand that feeds them.

The stars of the original films, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), who were gifted global fame and fortune through the power of Rowling’s imagination, repaid her with a venomous campaign against her good sense.

In 2022, Watson made a dig at Rowling during a Bafta ceremony – ‘I’m here for all the witches’, she famously declared, a remark universally interpreted as a statement of support for the trans community – while the author was, by her own account, receiving death and rape threats.

Radcliffe responded to JK’s stance on transgender by saying: ‘Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional healthcare associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo [Rowling] or I.’

Grint, set to reprise his role as Ron Weasley on stage in New York next year, also made clear his position in a statement that he ‘firmly stands with the transgender community’. He later wrote supportively of JK Rowling: ‘I don’t necessarily agree with everything my “auntie” says but she’s still my “auntie”.’

At least the original trio had signed up for the roles before the controversy erupted, I suppose. For the new crop, there can be no such excuse. But such is the bubble in which these people exist that they are unlikely ever to see their own posturing for what it is.

What is most remarkable about the arts these days is its drab uniformity of opinion. Almost everybody seems to support the latest trendy causes, from Gaza to trans rights. Do none of them think for themselves? If they do, they seem to keep quiet.

Small wonder, perhaps: last month, when Boy George released We Will Dance Again, a song supportive of the Middle East’s only democracy in its war against jihadism, he was roundly condemned and forced to withdraw from his role in Jesus Christ Superstar at The London Palladium. How many performers have the courage to face such a backlash?

With so much online bile poured on to JK Rowling, how many would even dare pull out a Harry Potter book on an aeroplane today for fear of social opprobrium?

As for the new TV series, populated by stars who felt they just had to tell us their views on transgender rights, well, I think my family will stick to the books.

Actor Ben Miller has provided a further update regarding his popular Cambridge-based detective show, following its recent comeback to UK screens

Death in Paradise star Ben Miller has shared an update on his popular ITV series, Professor T.

On Wednesday (August 26), the 60-year-old appeared on ITV’s This Morning to share details regarding the show’s comeback with presenters Rylan Clark and Josie Gibson.

Providing an update on what viewers can expect from highly anticipated series four, which is set and filmed in Cambridge, Ben also shared that there will be plenty more to come.

Wanting to learn more about filming schedules, Rylan asked, “We know it’s been so popular. Am I right in saying the next two seasons have been filmed now?” Ben confirmed, “Yes.”

Rylan added, “Because we’re a bit ahead in America, right?”

Ben replied: “We’re a bit ahead in America and catching up here. It’s just the way it’s fallen here, we’ve ended up falling a little bit behind. So I suppose the good side is, if you find a show and you enjoy a show, you know there’s more coming.”

After a lengthy wait, Professor T Series four finally returned to screens last Wednesday with Ben Miller’s protagonist taking centre stage.

The new series arrives more than two years after the third instalment finished airing in the UK. However, viewers in the US have already had the chance to watch the latest episodes, following their run on PBS last year.

Earlier this month, Ben also shared that series five will be available to viewers in the United States. He said on Instagram: “On Sunday, August 9th, all 6 episodes of Professor T Season 5 will be available early to stream in the US with PBS Passport and PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video, ahead of the broadcast premiere on Sunday, October 18th.”

But this led to complaints from fans in the comment section, who, at the time, had not seen or heard anything about a release date for series four.

Upset fans said at the time: “Just found out we are a year behind the States, and I’m not happy. Should have seen S4 already over here. I have been wondering why it’s taken so long. Love you, Ben, and what a wonderful show, hence my comment.”

Another said: “And yet in the UK we still haven’t had series four, which premiered a year ago elsewhere. Good news though!” Another fan also said: “Yes, but what about the UK? This long wait is ridiculous.”

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1.

For decades, discussions about Latin America’s cocaine trade have tended to focus on the same places. Colombia and Peru produce much of the world’s coca, while Mexico’s cartels dominate trafficking into the US. But between these known parts of the supply chain, another country has quietly become important: Ecuador.

Ecuador is not a major cocaine producer. Instead, its location between Colombia and Peru, combined with ports such as Guayaquil and Posorja on the Pacific Ocean, have turned Ecuador into a crucial transit and export hub connecting South American cocaine production with global markets.

A recent US investigation shows how sophisticated these connections have become. On August 20, the US Treasury sanctioned an Ecuador-based trafficking network accused of moving thousands of kilograms of cocaine each month through the eastern Pacific to Mexico and on to the US.

Eight individuals, seven companies and ten vessels were targeted, with alleged connections to Ecuador’s Los Choneros and Los Lobos crime groups and Mexico’s Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels.

Some of the vessels identified by US authorities were linked to apparently legitimate fishing businesses around the coastal city of Manta. Ecuador has a large fishing and aquaculture export industry. Larger vessels allegedly provided fuel and supplies to smaller high-speed boats, which carry cocaine northwards.

We often imagine a clear boundary between criminal and legitimate economies. But, in reality, they overlap. Fishing vessels, exporters, containers and commercial ports can all serve legitimate purposes while also being exploited by trafficking networks.

The banana industry offers another striking example of how the same international trade that is vital to Ecuador’s legitimate economy has created opportunities for organised crime. Ecuador is the world’s largest banana exporter, sending large volumes of produce through its ports in refrigerated containers. Inspecting every container is practically impossible without disrupting legitimate commerce.

In early August, Ecuadorian authorities discovered around 1.2 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a banana shipment leaving Guayaquil for Málaga in Spain. A few months earlier, a Europol investigation also found that fruit-exporting companies were being used as fronts for cocaine shipments from Ecuador to Europe.

This shows that organised crime does not need to construct an alternative global trading system. It can exploit the one that already exists. Cocaine can be produced in Colombia, moved into Ecuador, handled by local groups, transported through a commercial port and eventually distributed thousands of miles away on different continents.

The organisations involved do not need to belong to one criminal empire. Instead, they cooperate when it is profitable. A 2023 report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found that trafficking organisations increasingly specialise in particular stages and functions, with brokers and other groups facilitating transportation, finance and logistics.

War on drugs

Ecuador’s emergence as a major cocaine hub illustrates a longstanding weakness of the global US-led war on drugs: enforcement can disrupt trafficking without necessarily dismantling the market behind it.

In January 2026, the UK government described Ecuador as a “platform country” for cocaine produced elsewhere in Latin America. It stated that the majority of cocaine reaching Britain transits through Ecuadorian ports, and that up to 80% of cocaine arriving in Europe passes through the country.

The profits help explain the trade’s resilience. According to the UK government’s own estimates, a kilogram of cocaine valued at around £1,600 at the start of its journey in Latin America can be worth more than £28,000 by the time it reaches the UK. This represents an increase of more than 1,600%.

Europe has become a particularly important destination for South American cocaine. UNODC data shows that cocaine seizures in western and central Europe have exceeded those in North America for several consecutive years.

And Bob Van den Berghe, deputy head of the UNODC’s passenger and cargo border team, said in 2024 that “of 220 tonnes of cocaine seized last year by authorities in Latin America and the Caribbean, 84% was bound for Europe”.

European demand is a key part of the economic system sustaining Ecuador’s crisis. Yet while Europe demonstrates the demand pulling cocaine across the Atlantic, the US response demonstrates the other side of the drug war: an attempt to attack the organisations supplying it.

Washington has designated Los Choneros and Los Lobos, alongside various other Latin American criminal groups, as foreign terrorist organisations. Drug traffickers are framed not simply as organised criminals but as “narco-terrorists” and national security threats.

Defining organised crime primarily through the lens of terrorism makes aggressive and militarised responses easier to justify. This is already visible in US counter-narcotics policy. Over the past year, the US has deployed warships and military aircraft to the Caribbean and has carried out lethal strikes against suspected drug-trafficking boats.

However, cocaine trafficking does not behave like a conventional military enemy. A criminal network does not necessarily need to defeat the state, it just needs to make money. Destroying boats or arresting gang leaders may disrupt operations, but they do not reduce demand for drugs or the profits that allow networks to regenerate.

Ecuador is a great example of how organised crime has adapted to globalisation. Its ports, legitimate trade and strategic location connect South American cocaine production with consumers in Europe and North America.

Unless policy addresses this wider system, governments risk winning battles against individual criminal groups while leaving the profitable market that continually replaces them intact.

At least 160 people have been killed and hundreds of foreign tourists remain missing after flash floods tore through villages on the border between Nepal and the Tibet region.

Thirty-three British tourists are believed to be among those missing, including a 13-year-old girl.

In an update on Wednesday evening, Nepal police said 157 bodies had been recovered and more than 40 people were injured and receiving treatment in hospital. China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported 265 missing in the Tibet region’s Gyirong County near the border, and at least three dead, bringing the death toll up to 160 in total.

The Nepal Tourist Board said the number of missing people had risen from 384 to 403. Among the 341 foreign nationals unaccounted for, 47 are from the US, 34 from Australia, and 24 from Canada.

According to the tourist board, 203 of the missing are male and 200 female.

Dramatic video footage showed a wall of water crashing through river banks, bringing down bridges, homes and other infrastructure in villages along the Bhotekoshi River.

Experts said an avalanche from a glacier was the likely cause in the warming Himalaya region.

Officials issued warnings to residents of several of Nepal’s districts and asked them to stay away from the banks of Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers.

Countries express alarm over missing citizens

South Korean government officials said nine citizens working on building a hydropower plant in Nepal were among those reported missing.

Malaysia’s foreign ministry said its embassy received reports from travel agencies that they had lost contact with 11 Malaysians believed to be in Rasuwa district.

Russia’s embassy in Nepal said four citizens reportedly in the affected area were missing.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah and offered help.

“India is prepared to provide Nepal with all possible types of humanitarian assistance. Our teams are closely coordinating on rescue and relief efforts,” Modi said on social media.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain27 August 2026 00:00

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Missing Indian tourists were on pilgrimage in Tibet

Sunil Sharma, a tourism board spokesman, said 133 of those missing were from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet – a sacred site for Hindus.

Also among the missing were 47 people from the US, 34 from Australia, and 24 from Canada, he added.

Joe Middleton26 August 2026 22:53

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China’s Gyirong port affected

China’s official Xinhua news agency said the mudslide hit the Gyirong port, cutting ⁠roads, communications and power links in the Shigatse region near the border.

A rescuer interviewed by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said they had been trying to establish contact with the Gyirong border port but “so far there haven’t been any results”.

All roads leading to the border crossing had been “completely destroyed” after a preliminary inspection with a drone, the rescuer added.

With the deluge of muddy water sweeping down from an estimated nearly 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) ‌above sea level, flood alerts were issued in the populous northern ​Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which border Nepal and where several rivers flow down the ‌mountains into the plains.

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Authorities in Bihar said they had evacuated about 5,000 people from six districts and planned to evacuate a total of 10,000 to 12,000 people.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 21:45

Watch: Horror moment wall of water wipes out Nepal border crossing

Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 21:15

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Security footage on camera shows people fleeing

Security footage captured on the Chinese side of the Nepal-Tibet border showed many people fleeing before a torrent of rock, mud and water destroyed buildings and vehicles and took many lives.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences said there was a 4.4-magnitude quake approximately seven `minutes before the time shown on the security footage time-stamp.

Locals from the affected areas of Nuwakot and Dhading were seen gathering outside a Nepali army training centre — the base for helicopter rescue operations — seeking information about missing family members.

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Police were recording the names of the missing just outside the barracks gate, using mobile phone flashlights as their only source of light as the area remained without electricity due to damaged hydropower infrastructure.

In the affected areas, houses, trees and vehicles were submerged or buried in mudslides. Helicopters hovered overhead all day in the area bringing in survivors.

An initial study of Planet Labs satellite imagery indicated that a landslide of ice and rock triggered a debris-laden flood in the Lhende River, about 20 km (12 miles) northeast of the Nepal-China Rasuwagadhi border crossing, Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said on X.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 20:45

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At least 160 dead following tragic flash floods in Nepal

Massive flash floods in a border area of Nepal and China on Wednesday killed at least 160 people and left hundreds of tourists, workers and others missing after sweeping through communities and bringing travel in some areas to a halt.

Experts said an avalanche from a glacier was the likely cause in the warming Himalaya region.

Police in Nepal reported at least 157 dead. China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported at least three dead and 265 missing in the Tibet region’s Gyirong County near the border.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 20:10

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What caused the fatal flash floods in Nepal?

Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said an avalanche from a glacier likely caused Wednesday’s flash flood.

“Hydrological observations indicate the exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave,” they said in an emailed statement, noting that water levels at one point on the Trishuli river rose by as much as nine meters (27 feet) over half an hour.

The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, had maximum flooding, they said.

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“The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months, this time triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” said Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the climate research group.

He noted the importance of early warnings in “a warming Himalaya.”

The region saw similar flash floods in August last year, when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed because of high temperatures.

Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged.

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Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 20:00

Missing Indian tourists were on pilgrimage in Tibet

Sunil Sharma, a tourism board spokesman, said 133 of those missing were from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet – a sacred site for Hindus.

Also among the missing were 47 people from the US, 34 from Australia, and 24 from Canada, he added.

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Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 19:30

157 bodies recovered following flash floods, Nepal police says

In an update on Wednesday evening, Nepal police said 157 bodies had been recovered and more than 40 people were injured and receiving treatment in hospital.

The Nepal Tourist Board said the number of missing people had risen from 384 to 403, with 33 UK citizens among 341 foreign nationals unaccounted for.

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According to the tourist board, 203 of the missing are male and 200 female.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 19:08

Andy Burnham: UK will do ‘everything we can’ to support British nationals in Nepal

Andy Burnham said the government will do “everything we can” to support British nationals in Nepal following the floods.

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In a statement, the prime minister said: “These scenes emerging from along the Nepal-China border are devastating.

“My thoughts are with all those affected, including the families and loved ones of British nationals missing in this tragedy.

“We will do everything we can to support British nationals impacted in the region and are in touch with the relevant authorities to offer support.

“I urge British nationals in the region to follow guidance from the local authorities and follow our travel advice.”

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Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 August 2026 19:00

Popeyes UK, known for its Louisiana-inspired menu and viral Chicken Sandwich, has now officially confirmed that it is set to open a new restaurant at 4/5 Church Street.

Tom Crowley, CEO of Popeyes UK, said: “York, we’ve heard you loud and clear. We’re buzzing to bring our famous New Orleans flavours to the city.

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“Every new restaurant opens with such incredible energy from our fans, and we can’t wait for York to join the fun.

“Get ready for warm Louisiana hospitality, big flavours and that unmistakable Popeyes crunch.”

The chain, which has grown rapidly since opening its first UK store in 2021, has over 3700 restaurants worldwide and is famed for its fried Louisiana style chicken.

The new York branch will offer Popeyes’ full menu, including its hand-marinated chicken and signature buttermilk biscuits, all prepared fresh daily.

Fans will also be able to enjoy the Popeyes Brekkie Menu, which includes breakfast rolls, muffins, biscuits, and Cajun hash browns.

The opening is part of the brand’s wider plan to bring a “taste of Louisiana” to cities across the UK and will create 70 new jobs.

An exact opening date has not yet been announced, but we have contacted Popeyes for further details.