At least six people have been killed and several others injured in a shooting at a school in the Philippines.

Local reports said a gunman opened fire at Banga National High School in South Cotabato on Friday afternoon before taking his own life.

The attack comes after two other deadly gun-related incidents at Philippine schools since June, an alarming development in a country where school shootings have historically been uncommon.

Banga mayor Albert Palencia said at least 17 people were wounded, including four in critical condition. All of the victims were students between the ages of 14 and 17, he said.

“The suspect supposedly sat beside his friends and told them to go home ‘because after lunch, I will be executing my plan,’” Palencia told Reuters. “His friends laughed because the shooter was a known joker.”

“After lunch, he started shooting students. He hit 10 students before killing himself,” Palencia added.

While local media initially reported conflicting figures, the Department of Social Welfare and Development confirmed the death toll. The agency said it had sent social workers to assist victims and provide psychological support.

In a statement, the Department of Education said it was “deeply concerned by the reported shooting incident.”

‘Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our learners, teachers and school personnel,’ the statement said, adding it was coordinating with authorities to verify the incident and provide necessary support.

‘We urge everyone to remain calm and refrain from sharing unverified information as authorities continue their investigation,’ the department added. 

Footage on social media showed injured students being carried out of classrooms, while police footage showed the school’s floors covered in blood as officers evacuated the building. 

A separate video showed terrified children reuniting with their families.

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Officials have not given details on the identity of the shooter, but one image published by local media purports to show the gunman lying dead on the ground. 

Lessons have been suspended while police remain at the scene as they investigate the shooting.  

It is the country’s third deadly school incident since June. 

Philippines has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region.

Last month, a student live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student in a classroom in Zamboanga in the country’s south before taking ‌his own life.

In June, at least three students were killed and about 20 others injured in an attack at a public high school in Tacloban, where two classmates opened fire on campus.

The Philippines has relatively strict gun ownership regulations, including background checks and psychological evaluation requirements, although illegal firearms remain in circulation.

The Friday shooting also follows a high-profile incident in Thailand in August, where a student went on a shooting rampage at a school on the outskirts of the capital Bangkok.

South Cotabato governor Reynaldo Tamayo urged parents to ensure guns were kept out of reach of minors.

‘We need to be responsible in storing firearms. Gun owners, in particular, must make sure that minors do not have access to them,’ Tamayo told Reuters by phone.

‘We cannot expect a handful of security personnel to monitor thousands of students. We need to work together because otherwise this will be very difficult for us to address.’

This is a breaking news story, more to follow.  

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said Thursday that he supports Russia after appearing in a video promoting President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party before the country’s parliamentary elections.

“I’m Russian. I support my country.”

Ovechkin made the remarks during Capitals media day when asked about his role in the video, which also included Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Hockey Hall of Famer Viacheslav Fetisov.

The star forward said he intends to move back to Russia with his family when his NHL playing career is over, while describing Washington, D.C., as his second home. Ovechkin said:

I’m Russian. As soon as I’m done playing hockey, I’m probably going to stay there. I’m going to live there; my kids are going to live there, family. I’m for peace and love. I hope everything’s going to be okay. My home is Russia; D.C. is my second home. I have lots of friends; I grew up here as a person, and I love D.C.; I’d say it’s my second home. I hope everything’s going to be okay, and peace and love for everybody.

The Capitals said Ovechkin was approached about taking part in the video while he was in Russia during the offseason.

“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement,” team spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said Tuesday in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “As the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, D.C., and a pillar of the community, his focus and ours is on the season ahead and the continued impact he makes on the ice and in our city.”

Ovechkin has voiced support for Putin previously. His Instagram profile photo depicts him with the Russian president, and he created the “Putin Team” movement ahead of Russia’s 2018 presidential election. At that time, he said, “I just support my country.”

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Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Ovechkin called for the war to end.

“Please, no more war,” he said, adding that “we have to live in peace and a great world.”

When asked then about Putin, Ovechkin said, “He’s my president, but I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete.”

Ovechkin turned 41 on Thursday and is preparing for his 22nd NHL season. He signed a one-year contract with Washington in July but has not said whether he will continue playing beyond the 2026-27 season.

Ovechkin’s comments drew criticism online, with users questioning his claim that he supports peace.

Australians have seized on plans to stage Brisbane 2032 Olympic events on a river known for its crocodile population, turning the venue decision into a flood of online jokes.

Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River has been cleared to host rowing and canoe sprint competitions at the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games after receiving approval through an independent technical assessment.

But the proposed Olympic waterway is also believed to be home to roughly 500 saltwater crocodiles, a detail that quickly sparked ridicule — including from three-time Olympic rowing gold medallist Drew Ginn.

‘Personally, I’m not fearful of the Australian animals, but I’ve never had a crocodile near me,’ he said.

‘I’m sure I’d row faster. I’m sure all the athletes would row faster. That’s on the list of concerns. I don’t think it’s the highest priority in concerns, but it was certainly cited very early on.’

Social media users were equally quick to join the debate, with one person suggesting the crocodile-filled Fitzroy River could lead to ‘many records being broken’ at the Brisbane Olympics.

Another commenter wondered whether Olympic officials may need to add an entirely new classification to the sporting rulebook.

‘In athletics, we have “wind assisted” run times. Are we about to have “crocodile assisted” swim/row times?’

Others focused on the entertainment potential.

‘I think the added crocodile element would improve the sport enormously from a spectator perspective,’ one commenter said.

Another reached for Australia’s most talked-about performance at the Paris Olympics, writing: ‘They had to top Raygun somehow.’

Others took a darker approach to joking about rowers sharing the river with crocs. 

‘Some lucky competitors may get to compete in both the Olympics and the Paralympics,’ one wrote.

‘All rowing events should involve 500 crocodiles being released,’ another added. 

Rockhampton Mayor Tony Williams told Daily Mail rowing had been held on the river for over 100 years without a single crocodile attack. 

‘Rowing has been held on the river for over a century and never had any attacks,’ he said.

‘People blow it up a bit more than what it needs to be

‘There’s risk associated with everything you do, whether you swim in the ocean and there’s sharks or whether you jump in the car and drive around the streets.

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‘You manage that and people are familiar with being croc-wise. Those areas are monitored by Queensland Parks and Wildlife.

‘So I don’t see that as a massive negative.’

‘There’s actually a regatta on [right now], the State School Field championships this weekend. So the kids are on the water now.’

Behind the jokes, debate continues over whether the Fitzroy is the right place to stage Olympic rowing. 

The independent assessment examined course performance under different conditions, including weather patterns, water levels and flood risk. It did not assess crocodiles.

The river already hosts rowing competitions and training camps, with contingency plans in place at events when crocodiles are spotted.

World Rowing and Paddle Worldwide endorsed the course after reviewing the technical work.

‘Based on the extensive analysis undertaken, we now know that the Fitzroy River is capable of providing fair competition conditions during the period of the Games, consistent with the requirements of Olympic and Paralympic Rowing,’ World Rowing president Jean-Christophe Rolland said.

For Ginn, the possibility of uneven racing conditions and the distance from Brisbane remain major concerns.

‘Even just the idea of being at a venue where you could have your race decided by half a second and it could show it’s different in lanes by two or three seconds,’ he said.

‘And, while I’m thinking Rockhampton is a great town, I just don’t think it’s right for the Olympic Games to spread the venues out in such a way that jeopardises the experience for the athletes and spectators.’

Ginn was among 542 rowers who signed an open letter asking the Queensland government to locate the rowing venue in southeast Queensland.

British, New Zealand and German rowing federations also reportedly raised concerns about fairness, safety and sustainability at a recent World Rowing congress.

Critics have questioned whether flooding and silt would require repeated dredging and repairs.

But deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie said the analysis showed there would be ‘no widening, no dredging needed’, with sufficient space for eight lanes and start and finish areas along a 2.7km section.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli celebrated the approval in parliament on Thursday.

‘The Fitzroy has passed with flying colours,’ he said. 

‘It’s official, signed, sealed and delivered.’

Detailed planning, design and construction will now proceed.

A British holidaymaker is in a fight for survival in Spain after suffering a seizure and sustaining a serious head injury during a family trip.

Paul Grant, 43, had developed seizures earlier this year following a violent mugging. After what his family described as a difficult year, he had planned the Lanzarote break as a chance to treat his loved ones.

However, tragedy struck on the family’s first night at their all-inclusive hotel. Mr Grant’s mother awoke to discover him covered in blood after he reportedly struck his head on a wall while having a seizure.

He was taken urgently to hospital and placed into a medically induced coma after his liver and kidneys began to fail.

Mr Grant was later airlifted to a hospital on Gran Canaria, where he is receiving intensive care treatment.

His sister, Kimberly Sharp, said doctors found dangerous pressure on his brain and carried out emergency surgery, removing the right side of his skull to relieve it.

While Mr Grant remains sedated in hospital, his relatives say they have already spent more than £1,500 on travel and accommodation as they try to remain by his bedside in Spain.

Ms Sharp has launched a GoFundMe appeal to support the family with those expenses, with donations now exceeding £5,000.

‘He just wanted to make some nice family memories and have a good time,’ Ms Sharp, from Windsor, Berkshire, said. 

‘A couple of months ago he got beaten up in Newcastle and had a seizure.

‘He was jumped for his wallet and his phone, he was put into hospital and hasn’t been the same since.

‘That’s why this family holiday was so important to him,’ she added. 

‘It was all-inclusive for a week in Lanzarote. We had a good first day, hung out by the pool and had a bit of dinner.

‘I woke up to my mum banging on my door at 5am because Paul had a seizure and had fallen and banged his head in the hotel room.

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‘He was covered in blood, it was in the hallway, we think he banged it on the wall.

‘My mum did everything she could. She woke up to the noises he was making, she tried to put him on his side so he didn’t swallow his tongue.

‘He was bleeding from his head and his nose and still having a fit. We went down to the reception to get an ambulance.

‘He kind of came to and he was really confused, he had no idea what was going on.

‘He was talking like he had had a stroke, my mum went in the ambulance with him to the hospital.

‘My mum was told to wait and at about 9am they told her he was in intensive care.

‘A doctor said their hospital wasn’t equipped to deal with his injuries, he has a bleed on the brain, [and] he was going to have to be airlifted to Gran Canaria.

‘At about 5pm my mum received a call saying they needed to do the surgery to try and save his life [as] the pressure on his brain was too much.

‘[They said] if they didn’t do the surgery he would die. They rang for permission and did it then and there.’

Despite Mr Grant’s surgery having no complications, his sister said he’s ‘not out of the danger zone yet’.

‘Half his skull was removed on his right-hand side. He’s not quite out of the danger zone yet, a part of his brain is severely damaged.

‘He was put into a medically induced coma because his liver and kidneys were failing. He’s not awake now, I’m devastated,’ she said. 

‘He’s still highly sedated but he can hear us. He is connected to all the tubes but not on life support, which is a good thing.’

London Fashion Week saw a dramatic interruption on Thursday evening when PETA activists entered the H&M runway during the brand’s high-profile show, in front of an audience packed with famous faces.

Cruz Beckham was among the guests attending H&M’s launch of its new collaboration with Nick Knight and ShowStudio, a presentation examining the links between fashion, technology and human connection.

Ahead of the event, PETA campaigners had gathered outside wearing fake blood across their faces and holding placards that read: ‘Sheep beaten, kicked and killed for wool. Don’t buy it.’

Video posted on X later showed three activists separately making their way along the catwalk while carrying the signs.

Guests appeared startled by the disruption, but security staff calmly asked the protesters to step off the runway before escorting them from the venue. 

The response differed sharply from a recent incident at New York Fashion Week, where Steven Kolb, chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), was filmed physically restraining an activist during the Cos show.

Kolb was subsequently placed on leave by the CFDA and later issued an apology for his conduct in an Instagram post. 

He wrote: ‘As I review the videos, I understand the reaction they have generated.

‘Frankly, I don’t recognise that person. As a result, I am taking a voluntary leave from work and meeting with a professional to ensure it never happens again.’

The CFDA said in a statement they were ‘committed to working with dissenting voices to find commonality and is engaged in efforts to move the American fashion industry forward while upholding the values of our membership, including respectful engagement with differing viewpoints’.

Cruz was among the stars that were seen posing for snaps ahead of the fashion show, dressed in a smart grey trench coat and a red jumper.

The back-to-back protests are part of PETA’s campaign urging the H&M Group to drop wool following a recently released PETA Asia investigation into a NATIVA-certified South African wool operation tied to H&M Group’s supply chain. 

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‘How much more evidence showing sheep kicked, struck, and left bleeding in shearing sheds will it take for H&M to take responsibility?’ PETA’s Vice President Elisa Allen said.

‘H&M must kick wool cruelty off its catwalks and out of its collections, and PETA reminds consumers that choosing vegan clothing is the only way to guarantee that no animals were harmed.’

PETA’s appearances at Fashion Weeks across the globe are far from a rarity, with the animal rights charity regularly campaigning outside shows.

H&M’s show featured an interactive display created by AI technology that turned photos into moving fashion paintings.

As the models moved down the runway, the walls behind them would follow their movements, offering the audience a living sketch of time. 

Historical tales and figures such as Wuthering Heights and Marie Antoinette inspired ribboned satin jackets with braided lace-up embellishments, while the collection also featured Western influences with dark-wash denim and cowboy boots. 

Speaking ahead of the show, H&M’s global head of design Ann-Sofie Johansson said: ‘With this show, we can actually also show what AI can make that is not this scary thing – it can also be part of an immersive experience and something new, maybe, that we haven’t seen before.’

London Fashion Week takes place from the 17th to September 21, and will conclude with its annual star-studded Burberry show on Monday.