WORLD IN BRIEF: UK probes airbase plot, US newspaper executive killed, Zambia targets 7% growth and other stories

British counter terrorism police are investigating whether individuals acting for a foreign state were involved in an apparent plot to attack RAF Fairford, a British airbase used by the United States, after five men were arrested and later released on bail.

The five suspects, all British nationals from London and in their early 20s, were detained on Sunday after a local farmer reported three white vans travelling towards the base. RAF Fairford houses US bombers that have flown missions against Iran, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in July that the facility was a legitimate target.

Laurence Taylor, head of Britain’s counter terrorism policing, said the men were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and preparing an act of terrorism. They were released under stringent bail conditions on Monday as investigators pursue several lines of inquiry.

Taylor stressed that the releases did not mean the investigation had ended. Police are examining whether the suspects acted independently or had links to a foreign state as part of a wider investigation into the suspected plot.

Jonathan McKinsey, a 40 year old New York Times executive, was fatally shot in California, with police arresting his elderly parents-in-law on suspicion of murder.

McKinsey, who was the newspaper’s director of engineering for games player experience, was found with multiple gunshot wounds in a car park outside the Dublin Sports Grounds, about 56 kilometres east of San Francisco. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His parents-in-law, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, were arrested minutes after the shooting by a police officer passing the scene. They are facing charges including first degree murder and are expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots and seeing the couple walk away from the scene before their arrest. Police have not disclosed a possible motive, while it remains unclear whether the suspects have legal representation.

A 10 year old child and two women in their 30s died after a small boat carrying 105 people encountered difficulties while attempting to cross the English Channel from northern France to Britain.

French authorities said emergency teams responded to a distress call after the boat departed from Blériot Plage in Sangatte on Monday morning. Three passengers were treated on board before being pronounced dead by a medical team brought in by helicopter.

Initial findings indicated that the deaths may have resulted from trampling, although authorities have opened an investigation to establish the exact circumstances. Nine of the other passengers were treated by emergency services after arriving in Calais.

The deaths bring the number of migrants who have died in the Channel crossing route this year to 20, according to the Pas de Calais prefecture. The route remains one of Europe’s busiest and most dangerous migration corridors, with arrivals increasing during the warmer summer months.

Sébastien Lecornu, France’s Prime Minister has warned against further escalation in nationwide student protests after police arrested 164 people on Monday amid demonstrations over conditions in secondary schools.

The protests began around Paris last week, with students blocking schools over issues including overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages. Demonstrations have since spread to other regions, including Marseille, Lille and the Ardennes.

Laurent Nuñez, the Interior minister said 12 security officers, 12 students and three school staff were injured on Monday, while about 180 schools were affected. Authorities also reported incidents involving fireworks, fires and violence near some schools.

Student unions have defended the demonstrations as a response to poor conditions in schools. Lecornu, however, said violence and the use of fireworks near schools were unacceptable and warned that further escalation would put students, teachers and police officers at risk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Russia is preparing to receive another 10,000 North Korean troops, as military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang continues to deepen.

Zelenskiy said more than 8,000 North Korean troops are already on Russian territory and that additional personnel are being selected for training before deployment. He cited what he described as new intelligence on the movement of the troops.

The Ukrainian president had previously warned that up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers could eventually be sent to support Russia. He has also urged South Korea to provide additional support for Ukraine’s air defence.

South Korea announced a $100 million aid package for Ukraine in July, although the assistance excluded lethal weapons. The deployment of North Korean troops has added another international dimension to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

A senior member of Congo’s ruling party was beaten to death in North Kivu after appearing on a radio programme to promote measures to prevent the spread of Ebola, according to his party.

Marie Celestin Karondwa, acting president of the UDPS federal executive committee in Butembo, was attacked by residents in his neighbourhood on Sunday after the broadcast. His party said the attackers beat him, looted his belongings and set his house on fire.

Karondwa later died from his injuries, the party said, although the identities and number of attackers and their motive remain unclear. The incident highlights the mistrust facing health workers and Ebola response teams in parts of eastern Congo.

Congo’s health authorities said on Monday that the outbreak had infected 8,067 people and killed 3,901. The government has described the outbreak as the largest and deadliest in the country’s history, surpassing the 2018 to 2020 epidemic.

More than 50 members of Niger’s security forces have been killed in two attacks in the west of the country, according to two security sources, as jihadist violence continues to challenge the military led government.

A convoy of gendarmes was ambushed near Abala Filingue last Wednesday, while a separate attack in Birni N’Konni killed more than 30 soldiers on Saturday, the sources said. The attacks were attributed to terrorists, although the sources provided few details.

The Islamic State Sahel Province claimed responsibility for both attacks in statements released on Sunday, according to SITE Intelligence Group. The group has also targeted military and civilian facilities in Niger’s capital, Niamey.

The latest attacks come amid continuing security difficulties for the government that seized power in a 2023 coup. Niger has increasingly relied on Russian backed Africa Corps forces as it reduces security cooperation with Western countries.

Ethiopian government forces and allied militias have captured Alamata, a strategic town in the Tigray region, according to a pro government militia and diplomatic sources, following renewed fighting between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

The Tigrai Peace Force said government forces had taken control of the town, about 120 kilometres south of Tigray’s capital, Mekelle. Reuters verified video showing soldiers moving through Alamata with Ethiopian flags.

Two diplomatic sources also confirmed that the town had fallen, while a source linked to opposition forces said fighters were retreating and expected the federal military to take full control shortly.

The fighting marks another escalation between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and the TPLF, which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before Abiy took office in 2018. The sides previously fought a devastating war that ended with a 2022 peace agreement.

Confirmed Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo have risen above 8,000, making the latest outbreak the largest and deadliest in the country’s recorded history, according to government data.

The public health institute reported 8,067 cases and 3,901 deaths as of Monday. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, a strain that has previously been detected in central Africa.

The scale of the outbreak has now surpassed Congo’s 2018 to 2020 epidemic, which was previously the country’s largest. Health authorities are continuing to respond as the disease spreads in areas where mistrust of Ebola response efforts remains a major challenge.

The Congo outbreak is now second only to the 2014 to 2016 West African Ebola epidemic, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed over 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Zambia is targeting average economic growth of about 7 percent over the next three years as the government seeks to move from debt stabilisation towards stronger investment, exports and job creation.

The finance ministry’s medium term framework projects growth of 6 percent in 2027, 7.5 percent in 2028 and 7.1 percent in 2029. The projections are more ambitious than the International Monetary Fund’s forecast of 4.3 percent growth for Zambia this year.

Situmbeko Musokotwane, the Finance Minister, said the government would focus on mining, energy and agriculture to attract investment, expand exports and create jobs. Zambia has made progress in restructuring its external debt after defaulting during the COVID 19 pandemic.

The government hopes to negotiate a new IMF programme before the end of the year after its previous $1.7 billion arrangement ended in January. The growth target will depend partly on continued debt restructuring and stronger performance in key productive sectors, particularly mining.