Five people have been killed after two suicide bombers launched an attack on the headquarters of Pakistan’s Federal Constabulary in Peshawar early Monday. At least a dozen others, including civilians, were injured.

According to security officials, the attackers approached the entrance of the paramilitary force’s complex armed and detonated their explosives after opening fire. The facility is located in one of Peshawar’s most heavily fortified zones, making the breach notable given the multiple layers of security typically in place.

Explosions were heard shortly after 8:00am local time, prompting an immediate lockdown of the area. Emergency responders arrived at the scene to evacuate the wounded and secure the premises.

Officials said the assailants were stopped at the gate and prevented from entering the main compound, describing the incident as a thwarted attempt at a larger-scale attack.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault and called for an urgent investigation to identify those involved and bring them to justice.

The Federal Constabulary, previously known as the Frontier Constabulary, handles security operations that exceed the capacity of regular police forces, including tribal clashes and organised criminal activity.

Peshawar, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, has long faced militant violence. The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, is active in the region and has carried out similar attacks in the past, though no group has claimed responsibility for the latest incident.

The prime minister has touched down in Johannesburg, where global leaders are gathering for this year’s G20 summit.

Despite the event drawing representatives from the world’s major economies, Donald Trump will not be present, citing widely debunked assertions that white citizens in South Africa are facing persecution.

Sir Keir Starmer — often mocked by opponents as “never here Keir” due to his frequent diplomatic travel — has argued that these international engagements help champion opportunities for British industries overseas.

Officials say the trip will also serve as a platform to coordinate with partners on bolstering backing for Ukraine.

Ahead of the summit, Sir Keir joined French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which they reviewed a peace proposal supported by the United States.

On X, Zelensky wrote: “We value the efforts of the United States, President Trump, and his team aimed at ending this war. We are working on the document prepared by the American side. This must be a plan that ensures a real and dignified peace.”

He added that the leaders were “coordinating closely to make sure that the principled stances are taken into account”.

However, growing anxiety surrounds parts of the proposal, which seem to align closely with several demands put forward by Russia.

According to details circulating widely, the draft agreement would require Ukraine to surrender key areas of Donetsk still under its control, reduce the size of its military, and forgo any plans to join NATO — concessions Ukrainian officials have long rejected.

Before the summit begins, Sir Keir will tour a rail depot in Johannesburg where trains manufactured in Derby are in service, and he is expected to unveil a new partnership under which the UK will “provide strategic advice and consultancy services” to the South African rail sector.

The project will be executed by a government-owned organisation called Crossrail International.

A similar arrangement has also been reached with Vietnam.

Government aides say Africa represents a significant commercial opportunity for Britain, noting that half of the continent’s population is under 20 and that it is projected to account for more than a quarter of the world’s population by 2050.

“I will focus on the deals we can do, the business we can do, with our partner countries and make sure that the work we do internationally is impacting directly at home,” he told reporters during the flight.

“If you want to deal with the cost of living and make people better off with good secure jobs, investment from G20 partners and allies is really important,” he added.

Trump plans to boycott the summit, having labelled it a “total disgrace” online while repeating his claim that white Afrikaners are being targeted.

His administration has already made white South Africans eligible for refugee status in the United States and granted them priority over other applicants.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to the US absence by saying it was “their loss” and commented that “boycott politics doesn’t work”.

No political party in South Africa — including those representing Afrikaners or the wider white population — has alleged that genocide is taking place in the country.

At least 41 people have died in central Vietnam following days of relentless rainfall and severe flooding, authorities confirmed, as rescue teams continue searching for nine individuals who remain missing.

The flooding, which began over the weekend, has submerged more than 52,000 homes and left roughly half a million households and businesses without electricity. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate as water levels rose rapidly across several provinces.

Officials said rainfall in parts of central Vietnam exceeded 1.5m over three days, surpassing records set during the country’s infamous 1993 floods.

Vietnam has endured a string of extreme weather events in recent months, including two destructive typhoons that caused significant loss of life and widespread damage. Government estimates indicate that natural disasters have caused more than $2 billion in losses between January and October this year.

Some of the worst-affected locations include Hoi An, Nha Trang, and key coffee-producing areas in the central highlands, where farmers have already struggled with a disrupted harvest due to recent storms. In Dak Lak, the country’s largest coffee-growing region, tens of thousands of homes were inundated.

Vietnam is a major exporter of robusta coffee, and prolonged flooding could intensify global supply concerns.

Weather authorities warn that heavy rainfall is expected to persist at least until Sunday. Military and police personnel have been deployed across impacted areas to set up emergency shelters, evacuate residents, and clear blocked roads.

Several regions have declared a state of emergency as landslides and erosion cut off major routes. A section of the Mimosa Pass — a key entry road to the tourist city of Da Lat — collapsed into a ravine, halting traffic. A bus reportedly escaped the collapse by only a few metres.

Images shared locally show residents standing on rooftops as floodwaters consumed their homes. In Lam Dong province, a video showed a suspension bridge ripping away from its anchors under the force of rushing water.

Business owners in Nha Trang described the floods as overwhelming. One restaurant owner said nearly a metre of water filled his shops. “I can’t protect anything,” he said. “The rain hasn’t stopped, and the water isn’t receding.”

Earlier this month, Typhoon Kalmaegi caused multiple deaths and severe structural damage along Vietnam’s central coast. The storm had already killed more than a hundred people in the Philippines before making landfall in Vietnam. In September, Typhoon Bualoi struck the central and northern regions, leaving at least 11 people dead.

Experts warn that climate change is amplifying extreme weather patterns, leading to more frequent and more powerful storms in the region.