Six Indians were among at least 18 people who were killed in a bus accident in Mexico which injured another 23 people. The accident took place in Nayarit state in northwestern Mexico. According to reports the bus was carrying foreign migrants and locals. The bus plummeted into a ravine. Three minors were among the dead. About 40 people were on board when the accident occurred. The bus was travelling from Mexico City to northwestern Tijuana, which borders San Diego. Numerous migrants attempt to seek refuge in the US from there. "Most of the passengers were foreigners and originating from countries such as India, the Dominican Republic and from the African continent," the civil protection agency said.
Australian court junks kirpan ban in schools
A court in Australia’s Queensland state has overturned a law that banned Sikh students to wear a kirpan, a religious article in Sikhism, on campus, calling the legislation “unconstitutional”. The ruling by the state’s highest court came after Kamaljit Kaur Athwal took the state government to court last year, claiming that the ban discriminated against the kirpan - one of five religious symbols that Sikhs are supposed to carry at all times as part of their faith. The Queensland Supreme Court ruled “the ban is unconstitutional under the Racial Discrimination Act,” the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Brazilian man drinking beer while 11-year-old son flies plane
A horrifying video has been surfaced on social media platforms, showing a Brazilian man drinking beer while letting his 11-year-old son fly twinengine Beechcraft Baron 58. He is also seen giving his son instructions on how to operate the aircraft and teaching him about the controls of the plane. According to the media, the video was allegedly shot moments before the father-son duo tragically died in a crash. A researcher Garon Maia, 42, and his son Francisco Maia bodies have been identified. The incident is under investigation and authorities are working to find out if the video was shot before the crash.
Iran shuts down for 2 days to beat heat
Iran declared a two-day public holiday in reaction to "unprecedented" heat, ordering all governmental institutions, financial institutions, and educational institutions to close. This uncommon action was brought on by soaring temperatures that endangered public health and stressed the nation's power grid. Iranian health ministry advised older people, children and those with underlying health conditions to stay indoors because of the risk of heat strokes. Temperatures were well above 40°C in more than a dozen Iranian cities, according to Iran’s meteorological organisation. Iran has not been known to shut down the country because of heat.
Canada PM Justin Trudeau and wife part ways
Canada's PM Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie are separating after 18 years, following "meaningful and difficult conversations". The couple said they would remain "a close family with deep love and respect" in an Instagram post. They married in Montreal in 2005, and now they have three kids. In a statement, Trudeau's office claimed that despite having signed a separation agreement, the couple will continue to appear in public. "They have worked to ensure that all legal and ethical steps with regards to their decision to separate have been taken, and will continue to do so moving forward," the statement said, adding they would be on holiday as a family next week. Sophie will no longer take part in official duties, nor will the government help in arranging her own appearances, Canadian media reports.
2 US navy sailors charged with spying for China
Two US navy sailors were charged with providing sensitive military information to China - including details on wartime exercises, naval operations and critical technical material. The two sailors, both based in California, were charged with similar moves to provide sensitive intelligence to the Chinese. But they were separate cases, and it wasn’t clear if the two were courted or paid by the same Chinese intelligence officer as part of a larger scheme. Federal officials in San Diego declined to specify whether the sailors were aware of each other’s actions. Both men pleaded not guilty. They were ordered to be held until their detention hearings. US officials have for years expressed concern about the espionage threat they say the Chinese government poses.
Another 19 years added to Putin critic's jail term
Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny had an extra 19 years added to his jail term in a criminal case which he and his supporters said was trumped up to keep him behind bars and out of politics for even longer. Navalny, 47, President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest domestic critic, is already serving sentences totalling 11-1/2 years on fraud and other charges that he says are also bogus. His political movement has been outlawed and declared “extremist”. A court at the IK-6 penal colony in Melekhovo, where he is serving his sentences, was trying him on six separate criminal charges, including inciting and financing extremist activity and creating an extremist organisation.
US penalises 20 in Maldives over links to IS
The US penalises 20 Maldivian nationals for their affiliations with the Islamic State terror organization, including one man charged with plotting to kill former president Mohamed Nasheed. Abdulla Ali Manik, who is presently detained in connection with the failed 2021 attack, was connected to many terror schemes in the upscale vacation destination, according to the US Department of Treasury. Additionally, new sanctions revealed Manik to be a close friend of Mohamad Ameen, a well-known IS recruiter who was also penalised by the US in 2019.
Grammy winner Lizzo accused of sexual harassment
Three former dancers have sued Grammy winner Lizzo, accusing her of sexual harassment and claiming that the singer and her production business created a toxic work environment. The civil complaint was brought in the superior court of Los Angeles County. Plaintiffs Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez allege sexual, religious and racial harassment, handicap discrimination, assault, and false imprisonment. The court filing claims that after performing a concert in Amsterdam, Lizzo and her crew attended a sexually themed show at a club in the city’s notorious Red Light District where “Lizzo began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers.”
Man stabs 14 people in a S Korea mall
A man rammed a car onto a sidewalk in South Korea, then stepped out of the vehicle and began stabbing people at a shopping mall. Authorities said at least 14 people were wounded in the country’s second mass stabbing in a month. At least five people were hurt by the car, and nine others were stabbed in the attacks that occurred in a crowded leisure district near a subway station in the city of Seongnam, according to Yoon Sung-hyun, an official from the southern Gyeonggi provincial police department. The head of the National Police Agency described the attack as “virtually an act of terrorism.” Police did not offer any immediate information about a potential motive or about the status of those who were hurt.