DEMONSTRATORS clashed with police, looted stores and set fires as a man was fatally shot during a second night of protests in the US city of Minneapolis on Wednesday (27) over the killing of a black man by a police officer.
Police fired tear gas and formed a human barricade to keep protesters from climbing a fence surrounding the Third Precinct, where the officers accused of killing George Floyd worked before they were fired on Tuesday.
They pushed protesters back as the crowd grew, a day after firing rubber bullets and more tear gas on thousands of demonstrators angered by the latest death of an African-American at the hands of US law enforcement.
Minnesota state Governor Tim Walz urged people to leave the area around the precinct where several fires were burning, warning of the "extremely dangerous situation" in a tweet late Wednesday.
Outrage has grown across the country at Floyd's death on Monday, fuelled in part by bystander cellphone video which shows him, handcuffed and in the custody of four white police officers, on the ground while one presses his knee into the victim's neck.
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President Donald Trump called Floyd's death "sad and tragic" in a tweet, and all four officers have been fired, as prosecutors said they had called in the FBI to help investigate the case.
But by 10:00 pm (0300 GMT Thursday) an auto parts store across from the precinct had been set alight and a nearby Target was being looted, according to US media.
Police continued to hold the crowds back from scaling a fence into the precinct's parking lot, where their cruisers contain guns.
As the violence escalated, with more businesses looted, a man was shot near the protests and later died, police said. A person has been arrested.
Protesters remained peaceful at two other locations in the city.
At the place where Floyd was first taken into custody, people chanted and carried placards and sent out bouquets were set out as tributes to Floyd.
Calls for justice came from around the country.
"I would like those officers to be charged with murder, because that's exactly what they did," Bridgett Floyd, the victim's sister, said on NBC television.
"They murdered my brother.... They should be in jail for murder."
Protesters marched on downtown Los Angeles and briefly blocked the 101 Freeway.
Some demonstrators smashed the windows of two police highway patrol cruisers, clambering on the hood of one of the vehicles. One of the protesters was injured when they fell off the vehicle as it sped away.
Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said he could not understand why the officer who held his knee to Floyd's neck on a Minneapolis street until the 46-year-old restaurant worker went limp has not been arrested.
"Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail? If you had done it, or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now," Frey said.
The case was seen as the latest example of police brutality against African Americans, which gave rise six years ago to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Floyd had been detained on a minor charge of allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill to make a purchase at a convenience store.
In the video, policemen hold him to the ground while one presses his knee to Floyd's neck.
"Your knee in my neck. I can't breathe.... Mama. Mama," Floyd pleaded.
He grew silent and motionless, unable to move even as the officers told him to "get up and get in the car."
He was taken to hospital where he was later declared dead.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said the FBI needs to thoroughly investigate the case.
"It's a tragic reminder that this was not an isolated incident, but part of an engrained systemic cycle of injustice that still exists in this country," Biden said.
"We have to ensure that the Floyd family receive the justice they are entitled to."
Democratic Senator Kamala Harris called the policeman's using his knee on Floyd's neck "torture."
"This is not new, it has been going on a long time... what our communities have known for generations, which is discriminatory implementation and enforcement of the laws," she said.
"He was begging to be able to breathe," she said. "It was a public execution."
The protests evoked memories of riots in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014 after a policeman shot dead an African American man suspected of robbery, and the case of New Yorker Eric Garner, who was detained by police for illegally selling cigarettes and filmed being held in an illegal chokehold that led to his death.
"How many more of these senseless excessive-force killings from the people who are supposed to protect us can we take in America?" said civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who was retained by Floyd's family
Crump pointed out that the arrest involved a minor, non-violent crime, and there was no sign, as police initially claimed, that Floyd resisted arrest.
"There is no reason to apply this excessive fatal force," Crump said.
"That has to be the tipping point. Everybody deserves justice ... We can't have two justice systems, one for blacks and one for whites."
AT LEAST 45 people have died in Pakistan over the past few days due to flash flooding and heavy rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon season, according to disaster management officials on Sunday.
The highest number of deaths was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. There, 21 people were killed, including 10 children.
According to the disaster management authority, 14 of those deaths occurred in the Swat Valley. Media reports said a flash flood in the valley swept away families who were on a riverbank.
In Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province bordering India, 13 people have died since Wednesday. Among them were eight children who were killed when walls or roofs collapsed during the heavy rainfall. The remaining adults died in flash floods.
Another eleven deaths linked to the monsoon rains were reported in Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
The national meteorological service has warned that the likelihood of heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding will remain high until at least Saturday.
Last month, severe storms led to the deaths of at least 32 people in Pakistan. The country has experienced several extreme weather events in recent months, including strong hailstorms in the spring.
Pakistan, home to around 240 million people, is among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and is witnessing an increasing frequency of extreme weather conditions.
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The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record
Temperatures may hit 34°C in Greater London and Bedfordshire
Amber alert in place across five regions due to health risks
Wimbledon’s opening day to be hottest on record
Risk of wildfires in London labelled “severe”
Scotland and Northern Ireland remain cooler
Hottest June day in years expected as second UK heatwave peaks
The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record, with temperatures expected to reach 34°C on Monday (30 June). The ongoing heatwave, now in its fourth day, is most intense across the South and East of England, particularly in Greater London and Bedfordshire.
Although there is a small chance of temperatures hitting 35°C, they are unlikely to surpass the all-time June record of 35.6°C set in 1976.
Amber health alerts and travel impact
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has kept an amber heat-health alert in place across London, the East of England, the South East, South West and East Midlands. The alert, in effect since Friday, warns of increased strain on health services and a higher risk of death among vulnerable groups.
Yellow alerts have been issued for the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber, where the impact is expected to be less severe.
The high temperatures may cause travel delays, particularly in the areas covered by the amber alert.
Events issue heat guidance
Glastonbury Festival organisers have advised attendees to leave the site before early Monday to avoid the rising heat. Wimbledon is also expected to experience its hottest opening day in the tournament's history.
Night-time temperatures will offer little relief, staying around 20°C into Tuesday in many southern regions.
Wildfire threat in London
The London Fire Brigade has described the wildfire risk as “severe”. Assistant Commissioner Thomas Goodall said the combination of intense heat and low rainfall in recent weeks has created dangerous conditions for fires to spread quickly.
Cooler in Scotland and Northern Ireland
While much of England swelters, Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to remain relatively cool, with temperatures between 17°C and 22°C and rain moving in later on Monday.
This is the UK’s second official heatwave of the year. A heatwave is defined by the Met Office when specific regional temperature thresholds—between 25°C and 28°C—are met for three consecutive days.
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Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
INDIA’s junior civil aviation minister said on Sunday that all possible angles, including sabotage, were being looked into as part of the investigation into the Air India crash.
All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when it crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. Authorities have identified 19 others who died on the ground. However, a police source told AFP after the crash that the death toll on the ground was 38.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told NDTV that the investigation was examining “all angles”, including sabotage, in response to a specific question about the possibility.
“It has never happened before that both engines have shut off together,” Mohol said in the same interview, referring to speculation about a dual-engine failure.
He said it would be premature to draw conclusions before the final report is released.
A team investigating the crash began extracting and analysing data from the plane’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder this week to reconstruct the events leading to the crash.
Air India said the aircraft was “well-maintained” and that the pilots were experienced.
“It (the plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investigation into it... It is being probed from all angles, including any possible sabotage. The CCTV footage is being reviewed and all angles are being assessed... several agencies are working on it,” Mohol told NDTV.
Mohol said the extraction and analysis of the data was underway at a new state-of-the-art laboratory in Delhi.
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Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)
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Police officials visit the site after a stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple, in Puri, Odisha, Sunday, June 29, 2025. (PTI Photo)
AT LEAST three people, including two women, died and around 50 others were injured in a stampede near the Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, Indian, on Sunday (29) morning, according to local officials.
The incident occurred around 4am (local time) as hundreds of devotees gathered to witness the Rath Yatra (chariot festival), Puri district collector Siddharth S Swain confirmed.
The injured were taken to a nearby hospital. Six are in a critical condition, and remain unconscious, hospital officials said.
According to authorities, chaos broke out after two trucks carrying materials for religious rituals entered the densely packed area near the temple chariots of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities. Many devotees had assembled in the early hours to catch a glimpse of the deities when the 'Pahuda' (ceremonial cloth) covering their faces was to be removed.
The victims were identified as Basanti Sahu (36) from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty (80) and Pravati Das (42) from Balipatna.
Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi issued a public apology via social media platform X, seeking forgiveness from devotees for the tragedy.
"Due to the intense eagerness of devotees to see Mahaprabhu (Lord Jagannath), an unfortunate incident occurred amid the jostling and confusion. My government and I apologise to all devotees. We extend our condolences to the bereaved families and pray to Lord Jagannath to give them strength to bear this grief," he posted.
Majhi added that any security lapses would be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible would face strict action.
“This negligence is unpardonable. I have ordered an immediate inquiry and directed officials to take strong, exemplary action against those found guilty,” he said.
Odisha’s law minister, Prithviraj Harichandan, confirmed that the director general of police, Y B Khurania, is leading the investigation. He also said the situation at the Gundicha Temple has returned to normal and devotees are now offering prayers peacefully.
Majhi chaired an emergency meeting with his deputies to assess the situation and review safety measures.
Opposition leader and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik criticised the state government, calling the stampede “a glaring failure of administration.”
“I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the three devotees who lost their lives. This tragedy, coming a day after chaotic scenes during the Rath Yatra in which hundreds were reportedly injured, shows the government’s inability to manage the event,” he wrote on X.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also condemned the incident, blaming it on “negligence and mismanagement.”
“I am deeply saddened by the stampede during the Rath Yatra, which has claimed three lives and left at least 50 injured. This comes after reports that 500 devotees were injured just a day earlier. The failure to ensure crowd safety is inexcusable,” he posted.
Health officials said one critically injured person has been transferred to SCB Medical College in Cuttack, while five others remain in intensive care.
A bereaved husband, whose wife died in the stampede, told reporters that many people fell while rushing to see the deities. “There were no police officers around. An ambulance was parked about a kilometre away, and we had to carry the injured to it ourselves,” he said.
On Saturday (28), the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra had reached the Gundicha Temple, considered the “aunt’s home” of the deities. The chariots had begun their journey from the 12th-century Jagannath Temple, 2.6 km away, as part of the annual festival.
The return journey, known as the 'Bahuda Yatra', is scheduled to take place on July 5.
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)