UAE accuses Iran of tanker attacks in Hormuz Congo's Ebola outbreak reaches a sixth province as toll nears record Ukraine offers Black Sea truce as civilian deaths climb Colombia's quake toll passes 280 as the search window closes Romania shuts Cernavoda as record-low Danube throttles Europe's power US readies unprecedented Iran isolation package as crude slips Israeli troops empty besieged Qusra homes, settlers stay put Orsk refinery out for months as drone strikes hit Russian fuel and grain exports RSF drones strike Khartoum for a second day as paramilitaries claim border town UN says Yemen closest to full-scale war since 2022 as strikes widen At least 44 die as overloaded ferry capsizes on Lake Kariba Poland says it foiled plot to kill Ukrainian American in Warsaw Britain's hottest day of 2026 as fire empties Greek beaches Gaza City police chief killed in Israeli drone strike Taiwan confirms AI-agent attack on government systems Japan protests as Putin makes first visit to disputed Kuril island US imposes 100% tariff on larger drones and components Chinese chipmakers post record quarter as AI demand lifts mature nodes Salvage team boards grounded tanker as Oman oil spill widens UN says Taliban have erased Afghan women from public life in five years Turkey details Mecca pact and says it is no NATO rival OpenAI revenue run rate tops $40bn as senior executives depart Colombia opens its territory to US anti-cartel operations US producer prices flat as S&P 500 closes at record US accuses Chinese exporters of routing goods through more than 40 countries Mekong floods displace tens of thousands in Myanmar and Laos Torrential rain kills several near Tokyo and cuts power to thousands Taipei moves to dissolve pro-Beijing party as China expands joint drills AI data-centre build-out draws new financing and local resistance in the US DeepSeek raises prices with V4 Pro as Alibaba restricts Qwen US bill would let Trump impose 100 percent tariffs on buyers of Russian energy UK growth slows as Iran war pushes up energy prices Europe's gas stores lag before winter as Russian LNG ban nears Tokyo backs faster Bank of Japan rate rise after yen intervention Records show US spying on leftwing and anti-ICE groups Meta removes 756,000 Australian teen accounts under under-16 ban Venezuela's government opens first talks with part of the opposition Lebanon accuses Israel of systematic destruction in the south Zambians vote with economy and Lungu feud on the ballot Study says AI could unlock billions more barrels of oil US enlists private companies in cyber operations Kalshi ordered to halt most operations in Washington state Syria weighs justice for 3,500 regime figures after Assad death sentence Switzerland moves to tighten bank rules after Credit Suisse collapse India drives worldwide jump in planned coal production Erdogan receives DEM delegation in first meeting since framework law Flock adds privacy limits to its US car-tracking camera network US start-ups bet they can still catch China in humanoid robots Explosion and fire hit ammunition plant near Rome Databricks raises $5bn at a $190bn valuation US pressure in Panama widens from ports to AI infrastructure Mexico presses Washington to cut car tariffs as Canadian anger grows Some 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta as Spain rules out sovereignty talks Greenland delays US oil venture as residents line up against drilling Early-onset El Niño takes a toll before its peak Trump orders US carriers back to steam catapults Tributes to Zhu Rongji become mourning for a more open China Three men executed on the same day in the US for the first time in 15 years Hundreds of flights cancelled in Sicily as Etna erupts Uber and Pony AI plan 2,000 robotaxis for Europe France's tax portal hit by cyberattack, ministry confirms Wall Street Journal details North Korean IT workers inside US companies Africa Finance Corporation leads $2.5bn Dangote refinery placement Lebanon abolishes the death penalty Turkey and Egypt hold second joint planning group meeting Bird flu spreads through Australian wildlife Russia rejects pro-war party's candidates after antiwar Yabloko is barred NNPC says deep offshore incentive order will speed investment China publishes new Unit 731 archives ahead of Japan's surrender anniversary UAE accuses Iran of tanker attacks in Hormuz Congo's Ebola outbreak reaches a sixth province as toll nears record Ukraine offers Black Sea truce as civilian deaths climb Colombia's quake toll passes 280 as the search window closes Romania shuts Cernavoda as record-low Danube throttles Europe's power US readies unprecedented Iran isolation package as crude slips Israeli troops empty besieged Qusra homes, settlers stay put Orsk refinery out for months as drone strikes hit Russian fuel and grain exports RSF drones strike Khartoum for a second day as paramilitaries claim border town UN says Yemen closest to full-scale war since 2022 as strikes widen At least 44 die as overloaded ferry capsizes on Lake Kariba Poland says it foiled plot to kill Ukrainian American in Warsaw Britain's hottest day of 2026 as fire empties Greek beaches Gaza City police chief killed in Israeli drone strike Taiwan confirms AI-agent attack on government systems Japan protests as Putin makes first visit to disputed Kuril island US imposes 100% tariff on larger drones and components Chinese chipmakers post record quarter as AI demand lifts mature nodes Salvage team boards grounded tanker as Oman oil spill widens UN says Taliban have erased Afghan women from public life in five years Turkey details Mecca pact and says it is no NATO rival OpenAI revenue run rate tops $40bn as senior executives depart Colombia opens its territory to US anti-cartel operations US producer prices flat as S&P 500 closes at record US accuses Chinese exporters of routing goods through more than 40 countries Mekong floods displace tens of thousands in Myanmar and Laos Torrential rain kills several near Tokyo and cuts power to thousands Taipei moves to dissolve pro-Beijing party as China expands joint drills AI data-centre build-out draws new financing and local resistance in the US DeepSeek raises prices with V4 Pro as Alibaba restricts Qwen US bill would let Trump impose 100 percent tariffs on buyers of Russian energy UK growth slows as Iran war pushes up energy prices Europe's gas stores lag before winter as Russian LNG ban nears Tokyo backs faster Bank of Japan rate rise after yen intervention Records show US spying on leftwing and anti-ICE groups Meta removes 756,000 Australian teen accounts under under-16 ban Venezuela's government opens first talks with part of the opposition Lebanon accuses Israel of systematic destruction in the south Zambians vote with economy and Lungu feud on the ballot Study says AI could unlock billions more barrels of oil US enlists private companies in cyber operations Kalshi ordered to halt most operations in Washington state Syria weighs justice for 3,500 regime figures after Assad death sentence Switzerland moves to tighten bank rules after Credit Suisse collapse India drives worldwide jump in planned coal production Erdogan receives DEM delegation in first meeting since framework law Flock adds privacy limits to its US car-tracking camera network US start-ups bet they can still catch China in humanoid robots Explosion and fire hit ammunition plant near Rome Databricks raises $5bn at a $190bn valuation US pressure in Panama widens from ports to AI infrastructure Mexico presses Washington to cut car tariffs as Canadian anger grows Some 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta as Spain rules out sovereignty talks Greenland delays US oil venture as residents line up against drilling Early-onset El Niño takes a toll before its peak Trump orders US carriers back to steam catapults Tributes to Zhu Rongji become mourning for a more open China Three men executed on the same day in the US for the first time in 15 years Hundreds of flights cancelled in Sicily as Etna erupts Uber and Pony AI plan 2,000 robotaxis for Europe France's tax portal hit by cyberattack, ministry confirms Wall Street Journal details North Korean IT workers inside US companies Africa Finance Corporation leads $2.5bn Dangote refinery placement Lebanon abolishes the death penalty Turkey and Egypt hold second joint planning group meeting Bird flu spreads through Australian wildlife Russia rejects pro-war party's candidates after antiwar Yabloko is barred NNPC says deep offshore incentive order will speed investment China publishes new Unit 731 archives ahead of Japan's surrender anniversary

Symbolic image: Mekong floods displace tens of thousands in Myanmar and Laos

Symbolic image

Mekong floods displace tens of thousands in Myanmar and Laos

1 source

Surging waters along the Mekong have driven tens of thousands from their homes in Myanmar and Laos. Thai farming communities along the river are bracing for more flooding.

Authorities warn that persistent heavy rains may bring further flash floods, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday, 13 August. Aerial footage showed vast tracts of land completely submerged, while flash floods rushing through mountainous terrain ripped up roads and bridges. Unverified images from Laos circulating on Thai television news showed torrents of water spewing over a dam spillway, with residents waiting on rooftops to be rescued. Rescue efforts in the affected areas are hampered by threadbare resources.

Laos short of resources

In Laos, a months-long fuel and inflation crisis has left civil society unable to make up for government rescue teams that are overstretched and under-equipped.

Campaigners point to dams and deforestation

Monsoon rains flood the region every year, but environmental campaigners say the damage is worsened by changing weather patterns and deforestation, as well as the string of dams on the Mekong and its tributaries that alter natural water flow and drainage.