Five detained in RAF base counterterror operation

British law enforcement personnel were questioning five men on Monday on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offenses after they were detained near an air base that has been used by the US to attack Iran.

Officers detained the three men in the early hours of Sunday after they received a tip-off that three large white vans had been seen heading to the military airfield of RAF Fairford in the west of England.

US President Donald Trump said the suspects had been looking to do “big damage” and had been under investigation by British and US authorities. However, a local farmer said she had tipped off police after seeing a group of “hooded and masked men” running into the fields.

British counterterrorism officials have not yet publicly said who they believed was involved but a source familiar with the investigation said an Iranian-linked motive was considered the most likely, while a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot were being evaluated as possibilities.

UK Secretary of State for Defence Wes Streeting said in an interview that he would not speculate about motives of a live investigation.

He added on the general Iranian threat to the country: “We know that Iran and their proxies wish to do us harm. We know that they hate our democracy, and we know that we regularly have to thwart Iranian attempts to threaten either our interests or indeed our allies.”

Iran has repeatedly denied involvement in attacks or plots in the UK and elsewhere.

The British government had given authorization to the US to use bombers based at Fairford to strike at Iranian missile sites that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The government has said British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is being regularly updated on the incident and he canceled attending at least two events at his Labour Party’s annual conference on Sunday.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had warned Britain in July not to allow US bombers to fly from Fairford, saying any base used to launch attacks would be a legitimate target.

Security was increased at other US bases in Britain.

Several areas of Thailand’s capital city Bangkok were inundated by continuous rain from Thursday afternoon to yesterday morning that has disrupted traffic and forced some residents to evacuate. Major canals in Bangkok filled with accumulated rainfall exceeding 20cm, officials said yesterday. Floodwaters spread across the city, particularly in the central and eastern parts, blocking roads and stopping traffic. The Thai Meteorological Department warned that the heavy rain would continue in most parts of the country through today, citing a strong low-pressure system over the central region and strengthening southwest monsoon conditions.

More than 84,000 people in 21 provinces nationwide were

BAD TIMING: The disclosure of the incident, which is under investigation by at least two congressional committees, comes as Xi was to meet with Trump The Pentagon is investigating how parts of the US’ most advanced fighter jet ended up in Hong Kong, with a news outlet on Wednesday reporting that China has obtained the F-35 equipment. The F-35 Joint Program Office said in a statement that it and the US Department of Defense are aware of “a shipment issue” with F-35 components.

“We are actively working with US authorities and industry partners to retrieve these components, investigate the incident and place safeguards to avoid a future occurrence,” the office said. UPS was shipping a cockpit canopy and weapons-bay door from an Australian military F-35 that was being

Yemen’s Saudi-led coalition early yesterday said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by the Iran-backed Houthis toward the kingdom. The coalition said in posts on social media that the missiles were headed towards Khamis Mushait and the drones toward the capital, Riyadh, adding that it was monitoring the missile threat and drones launched at the kingdom, without providing further details.

The Saudi Civil Defense had sent alerts overnight for Khamis Mushait and Abha, but not for Riyadh. The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks

ON RIGHT TRACK: There have been positive results in exchanges of delegations, political work, and education and training, Vietnam’s deputy defense minister said Vietnam and North Korea will deepen their defense cooperation after some recent “positive results,” Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence said after talks between the countries’ deputy ministers of defense in Hanoi this week. Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Nguyen Truong Thang held talks on Thursday with his North Korean counterpart, Ryo Chol-ung, who was part of a visiting defense delegation, the ministry said in a statement issued late on Thursday.

“Within the overall framework of the traditional friendship between Vietnam and the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea], defence cooperation has always been a key area receiving attention and active promotion