At least 12 people were injured, including two critically, in a mass shooting near a community festival in Toledo, Ohio, on Saturday evening, prompting a major police manhunt and renewed concerns over gun violence in the United States.

The shooting occurred near the popular Old West End Festival, a two-day community event featuring live music, food stalls, shopping and historic house tours.

Officers from the Toledo Police Department responded to reports of gunfire around 5:37 pm local time and found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds. All injured individuals were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Toledo deputy police chief Joe Heffernan said preliminary investigations suggest the violence may have stemmed from an exchange of gunfire between rival individuals.

“It appears there were at least two people who were probably shooting at each other,” Heffernan said, adding that investigators are still searching for the suspects and have urged residents to avoid the area.

Authorities have not yet released details about the victims or announced any arrests. Police are examining evidence from the scene and reviewing surveillance footage as part of the investigation.

The shooting is the latest in a string of gun-related incidents across the United States. Earlier this week, a teenager was killed and three others were wounded in a shooting outside a high school graduation ceremony in California.

The Toledo incident has once again highlighted concerns about public safety at community gatherings, with investigators working to determine what triggered the exchange of gunfire and whether additional suspects were involved.

Police have appealed to witnesses and anyone with information to come forward as the search for those responsible continues.

With IANS inputs

The death toll from a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China’s Shanxi province has risen sharply to 90 according to Reuters (some outlets report the figure as 82), citing state broadcaster CCTV reporting as much on Saturday, 23 May.

The blast occurred late on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, where 247 workers were on duty underground at the time, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged authorities to “spare no effort” in treating the injured and carrying out search and rescue operations. He also called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and for strict accountability in accordance with the law, Xinhua reported.

Premier Li Qiang echoed the call, stressing the need for prompt and accurate disclosure of information and rigorous accountability.

Rescue operations were continuing, while authorities in Qinyuan said the cause of the explosion remained under investigation. The incident is among the deadliest mining disasters reported in China in the past decade.

China has significantly reduced fatalities in its coal mining sector since the early 2000s through tighter regulations and improved safety practices. However, accidents linked to gas explosions, flooding and other hazards continue to occur.

Executives of the company operating the mine, Shen Liao Shanxi Coal Mining Co Ltd, have been detained, according to Xinhua.

Earlier on Saturday, Xinhua had reported only eight deaths and said more than 200 miners had been safely brought to the surface. It did not explain the subsequent jump in the death toll.

With agency inputs

Iran has warned that Israel’s expanding military campaign in Lebanon and the continuing war in Gaza could jeopardise its fragile ceasefire negotiations with the United States, raising fears of a wider regional confrontation.

Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Monday accused Israel of violating the ceasefire framework by intensifying attacks in Lebanon while the US maintains pressure on Iranian shipping and ports.

“The ceasefire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Araghchi wrote on X.

“Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation.”

His remarks were echoed by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator, who described Israel’s military operations in Lebanon and the US naval blockade as evidence of Washington’s failure to honour the ceasefire.

“Every choice has a price, and the bill comes due,” Ghalibaf wrote. “It will all fall into place.”

The warnings came as Israel deepened its ground offensive in southern Lebanon and threatened renewed large-scale strikes on Beirut. Shortly after the Iranian statements, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for parts of Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh and launched fresh strikes. Israeli forces are reported to have reached their deepest point inside Lebanon in more than two decades.

US President Donald Trump, however, sought to project optimism, saying he had intervened to prevent further escalation.

“There will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way, have already been turned back,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after what he described as a productive call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump also claimed that representatives linked to Hezbollah had agreed to halt attacks, though it remains unclear who he spoke to. Any direct contact between a US president and Hezbollah would mark a significant departure from longstanding American policy.

Meanwhile, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran has suspended exchanges of negotiating texts with Washington through intermediaries until Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon cease.

According to the report, Iranian negotiators have demanded an immediate halt to Israeli military actions and a full withdrawal from Lebanese territory before talks can resume.

In a further escalation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that “new fronts” could be opened and threatened continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz if Israeli operations persist.

“Iran considers crossing the red lines in Lebanon and Gaza to mean direct war,” state television quoted the IRGC intelligence organisation as saying.

The developments underscore Tehran’s insistence that Lebanon and Gaza be included in any broader agreement with Washington, even as the Trump administration attempts to keep those conflicts separate from negotiations over Iran. Despite the mounting tensions, Trump maintained that Tehran remains interested in reaching a deal.

“Iran wants to make a deal,” he wrote. “Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end.”

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday expressed serious concern over the continued sale and use of Chinese manjha — kite strings made of nylon and coated with metal or glass particles — and asked the Uttar Pradesh government to explain the concrete steps being taken to eliminate the practice.

Hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate M.L. Yadav, a bench comprising Justices Rajan Roy and Manjive Shukla questioned the state on its strategy to prevent the manufacture, sale and use of the hazardous kite strings, which have been linked to fatal accidents and injuries.

In response, the state government informed the court that it was in the process of drafting legislation to prohibit the use of such manjha. It also said a six-member committee had already been constituted to prepare the framework for the proposed law.

Taking note of the submission, the bench directed the secretaries of the Home and Environment departments — or officers not below the rank of secretary — to appear through video conferencing at the next hearing scheduled for 13 July.

During the proceedings, counsel representing the central government told the court that nylon and lead-coated Chinese manjha had already been prohibited under orders issued by the National Green Tribunal.

The bench, however, observed that imposing a ban alone was insufficient unless accompanied by effective enforcement measures. The judges said it was the responsibility of the state authorities to ensure strict compliance with the ban and identify locations where the prohibited kite strings were being manufactured or sold.

Meanwhile, the city’s kite association moved an intervention application before the court, alleging that police and local authorities were harassing its members under the guise of taking action against Chinese manjha.

Addressing the concern, the court observed that members of the kite-flying community should also cooperate with efforts to curb the use of banned strings. It further directed the state government to ensure that innocent individuals were not subjected to unnecessary harassment during enforcement drives.

With PTI inputs

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the death of 33-year-old Noida resident Twisha Sharma in Bhopal and sought a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) from the Madhya Pradesh government within seven days, even as Bhopal Police said they had no objection to the deceased woman's family's demand for a second post-mortem examination.

Twisha was found dead on the night of 12 May at her marital home in Bhopal's Katara Hills area, less than five months after her marriage. Police have registered a case against her husband, advocate Samarth Singh, and her mother-in-law, retired judge Giribala Singh, under provisions related to dowry death and harassment.

Bhopal Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar said the deceased woman's family had approached him seeking support for a second autopsy.

“The family members of the deceased came to me and submitted an application. I told them police have no objection to another post-mortem,” Kumar told PTI.

He said the application had been attached to the case diary and that permission for a second autopsy rested with the court.

“Police are not averse to it. If a second post-mortem takes place, we have no objection. We have carried out our investigation and examined the evidence. These things take some time,” he said.

A Judicial Magistrate First Class court was scheduled to examine the case diary on Wednesday after Twisha's family moved an application seeking a fresh post-mortem examination at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), Delhi.

According to the plea, the family has alleged lapses in the investigation and pointed out that the FIR (First Information Report) was registered three days after Twisha was found dead. The application also claimed that the short post-mortem report recorded that investigators had not provided the ligature allegedly used in the hanging during the autopsy process.

Advocate Ankur Pandey, appearing for the family, had earlier said a second post-mortem was being sought at AIIMS Delhi.

NCW seeks details of investigation

The NCW said it had taken cognisance of media reports concerning the circumstances surrounding Twisha's death and allegations made by her family regarding dowry harassment, mental harassment and physical abuse.

In a post on X, the Commission said Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar had written to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary and Director General of Police directing them to ensure an immediate, fair and time-bound investigation.

“The Commission has asked for a detailed ATR to be submitted within seven days,” it said.

The NCW has sought details relating to the FIR, the arrest and interrogation status of the accused, efforts to apprehend Samarth Singh, passport impoundment proceedings, CCTV footage, call records, forensic and electronic evidence, post-mortem findings and action taken on any prior complaints.

It also directed authorities to ensure protection for the victim's family from threats, pressure or attempts at character assassination to facilitate a fair investigation.

Condemning the incident, the Commission said negligence or misuse of influence in cases involving alleged dowry harassment and domestic violence would not be tolerated and strict action should be taken against those found guilty.

Husband absconding, SIT probing case

Police said teams have been constituted to arrest Samarth Singh, who remains absconding. Authorities have announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for information leading to his arrest.

Twisha and Samarth Singh were married in December 2025.

The deceased woman's family has repeatedly demanded a second autopsy, alleging that injury marks on her body were not reflected in the initial post-mortem report.

Pandey has also alleged that because Giribala Singh's sister is a surgeon based in Bhopal, the family fears she could influence any subsequent autopsy conducted in the city. He further claimed that the surgeon was seen near AIIMS Bhopal when the first post-mortem examination was carried out.

During a press conference on Monday, Giribala Singh said she had visited the mortuary where members of Twisha's family allegedly confronted her.

In a statement issued the same day, Twisha's family questioned why there was “hesitation or silence” over an independent second medical examination by AIIMS Delhi if the accused believed in complete transparency.

The family said it was seeking “truth, scientific clarity and an investigation free from doubt”, adding that an independent review would strengthen public confidence in the investigation and help dispel concerns surrounding the case.

A SIT (Special Investigation Team) is currently probing allegations of dowry harassment, physical assault and destruction of evidence in connection with the death.

India’s economy is expected to remain resilient during 2026-27 despite a challenging global environment marked by elevated energy prices, geopolitical tensions, volatile financial markets and uncertainty over international trade policies, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s annual report released on Friday.

The central bank said India’s growth outlook continues to be supported by strong macroeconomic fundamentals, robust domestic demand and relatively limited dependence on exports as a primary growth driver. A stable policy framework, healthy corporate and banking sector balance sheets, and sustained government investment in infrastructure are also expected to support economic expansion.

The report projected real GDP growth of 6.9 per cent for 2026-27, while cautioning that risks remain tilted to the downside, particularly if the conflict in West Asia escalates or persists for an extended period.

According to the RBI, the implementation of trade agreements with key partners is likely to provide additional momentum to economic activity. At the same time, initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 are expected to strengthen growth across several sectors.

The report highlighted seven strategic industries — electronics, semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals, rare earths, chemicals, textiles and capital goods — as areas receiving focused policy support to boost domestic manufacturing capabilities. Government schemes aimed at promoting green technologies, energy security and industrial self-reliance are also expected to contribute to long-term growth.

Infrastructure investments in freight corridors, waterways, coastal shipping and last-mile connectivity are projected to improve regional integration and support industrial development across the country.

On the agricultural front, the RBI noted that prospects remain closely tied to the progress of the south-west monsoon. While the possibility of El Niño conditions poses risks to farm output, the expected emergence of positive Indian Ocean Dipole conditions later in the season could help offset some adverse effects.

The report observed that Indian agriculture has become less vulnerable to rainfall fluctuations over time due to increased irrigation coverage, better crop management practices and technological improvements. Government efforts to ensure the availability of fertilisers and other critical inputs are also expected to support the sector.

The RBI further said labour market conditions are likely to strengthen with the implementation of the four labour codes, alongside rising domestic demand and productivity gains.

On inflation, the central bank projected consumer price inflation at 4.6 per cent in 2026-27, broadly aligned with its target range. Adequate foodgrain stocks, healthy reservoir levels and stable agricultural prospects are expected to help contain price pressures.

However, the report warned that inflation risks remain tilted to the upside due to the possibility of higher global fuel and commodity prices, geopolitical disruptions, rising input costs and exchange-rate volatility.

The RBI also pointed to continued fiscal consolidation by the Centre, with the fiscal deficit projected at 4.3 per cent of GDP in 2026-27. Direct tax collections are budgeted at 6.9 per cent of GDP, the highest level in more than a decade. The recently created Economic Stabilisation Fund is expected to provide additional fiscal flexibility in the event of external shocks.

For states, the fiscal outlook remains favourable, with their combined fiscal deficit budgeted at 3 per cent of gross state domestic product, the report noted.

Overall, the RBI said India remains well positioned to navigate external challenges, provided global geopolitical risks remain contained and domestic demand continues to support growth momentum.

With IANS inputs

Americans are facing mounting financial pressure as the cost of fuel, groceries and housing continues to rise, with economists warning that geopolitical tensions and energy market disruptions are fuelling a renewed surge in inflation across the United States.

Latest figures released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to April, marking the fastest annual inflation rate since 2023.

Inflation increased by 0.6 per cent during April alone, driven largely by sharp rises in energy and food prices. Economists say disruptions to oil supplies linked to instability in the West Asia and concerns over shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz have significantly pushed up fuel costs.

According to the data, the energy index climbed 17.9 per cent over the year to April, while petrol prices surged 28.4 per cent. Energy costs accounted for more than 40 per cent of the monthly increase in inflation during April.

National average petrol prices have now risen above 4.50 US dollars per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.

Analysts noted that higher fuel prices tend to affect the broader economy, as increased transportation and shipping costs are often passed on to consumers through higher prices for goods and services.

Food prices have also continued to climb, adding further strain to household finances. The index tracking grocery inflation rose 0.7 per cent in April, with noticeable increases recorded in the prices of beef, coffee, fruits and vegetables.

For many lower- and middle-income families, rising grocery costs are proving particularly difficult, as food accounts for a larger share of household spending.

Housing costs also remained elevated. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said both rent and owners’ equivalent rent rose by 0.5 per cent during April, continuing a trend of persistent increases in shelter expenses.

Economists are increasingly concerned that wages are no longer keeping pace with inflation. Real average hourly earnings fell 0.5 per cent between March and April and were down 0.3 per cent compared with the same period last year, indicating a decline in consumer purchasing power despite nominal wage growth.

As living costs rise faster than incomes, households are increasingly cutting discretionary spending, relying more heavily on credit cards and delaying major purchases.

Residents across the country say the impact is being felt in everyday life. Maxi Baker, a mother of two from Glendale, said the cost of almost everything had risen sharply, while Los Angeles retail worker Denise Cohn said household budgets were becoming increasingly difficult to manage as “money doesn’t stretch as far”.

With IANS inputs

An engineer from IIT-Bombay, Himanshu Thakkar is currently the coordinator of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People (SANDRP) and the editor of Dams, Rivers & People. He has been associated with the water and environment sector for more than 25 years and has worked closely with the World Commission on Dams, the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the Centre for Science and Environment. Rashme Sehgal draws him out on India’s ill-conceived river-linking projects:

Prime Minister Modi says interlinking the Ken river (in Madhya Pradesh) to the Betwa (in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh) will help irrigate 1.06 million hectares, provide drinking water to 6.2 million people and generate 130 MW of hydropower and solar energy. Are these valid claims?

The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) that PM Modi laid the foundation for in December 2024 does not have (valid) forest or wildlife clearances. Let me clarify. Both clearances were on the condition that the hydropower component would be taken out of the protected area. But it hasn’t been done.

The hydrological figures remain a state secret and have not been peer reviewed or put out in the public domain. There is absolutely no basis to conclude that Ken has surplus water and Betwa is water-deficient. Worse, the project documents do not even look at far cheaper, quicker, less destructive alternatives. To paraphrase what PM Modi said in the context of the Polavaram dam, politicians think of dams as ATMs.

The environmental impact assessment of the project is so shoddy it hasn’t even properly studied the impact on the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR). When the MoEF (ministry of environment and forests) expert appraisal committee (EAC) on river valley projects refused to clear the project after four meetings, Uma Bharati (then Union water resources minister) threatened a dharna.

The ministry then reconstituted the EAC, with S.K. Jain as chairman, and cleared the Ken-Betwa project in its very first meeting in December 2016, overruling the reasons for refusal. The same S.K. Jain went on to become director-general of the project.

The forest advisory committee (FAC) and the Supreme Court-appointed central empowered committee (CEC) argued forcefully against the project, but the CEC report was not even considered by the apex court!

Senior foresters had warned against building a dam on the Ken and a connecting canal between the two rivers. The Betwa already has seven dams on it and none provide the amount of irrigation water being claimed by the irrigation department.

The official minutes of the FAC meeting note that the project will involve felling 46 lakh trees (each of a girth greater than 20 cm) from the forest area alone. This will have a huge hydrological impact, besides adversely impacting the environment, biodiversity and climate of this entire region. But none of these impacts have been properly assessed.

The FAC and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) had recommended the height of the dam be reduced, and all inflows into the dam be released as environment flows in non-monsoon months. It wanted an independent assessment of the claim that there is no alternative for Bundelkhand. The CEC report had conclusively proved that this claim was false.

The project was sold with one USP: that it would solve Bundelkhand’s water problem. But from the very beginning, the detailed project report (DPR) showed that the key objective of the project was to facilitate water transport to the upper Betwa basin areas like Raisen and Vidisha. So, the Ken-Betwa project will in fact facilitate export of water out of drought-prone Bundelkhand!

The project lays down a plan to irrigate 6.35 lakh hectares of farmland in six districts (three each in MP and UP) at a cost of Rs 45,000 crore, besides providing jobs in construction and tourism.

There is no hydrological justification for spending Rs 45,000 crore. The ground reality is that this interlinking is not about helping the tribal people of this region or even those living in the downstream areas of UP’s Banda district. Most of Bundelkhand has an average annual rainfall of over 900 mm, which if harvested can solve Bundelkhand’s water problems.

Far better alternatives exist. Four decades ago, Bundelkhand was not known for water stress. It was a region of dense forests and good local water systems. Continuous neglect has led to the present situation and the project will end up destroying the hydrological backbone of the Ken.

Recent studies show that the gap between the so-called surplus and deficit basins has narrowed, which further negates the justification for ILR (inter-linking of rivers).

Studies have also shown that ILR projects can adversely impact the thermal and temperature gradient in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, thereby impacting our monsoons, but the government has chosen to ignore all this data.

But the government is planning river-linking at scale — in Punjab, Kerala, Telangana... Is it even feasible?

The ILR concept is flawed. The suggestion that floods indicate water surplus and drought means water deficit is flawed. By that logic, parts of Rajasthan are water surplus these days, as they have excess rainfall, and parts of Meghalaya, the home of rain-clouds, are water-deficit.

Water-intensive crops like sugarcane and paddy can turn any area drought-prone. So, the [ILR] concept itself is flawed. As [flawed as] the notion that water flowing into the sea is a waste. Rivers are supposed to flow to the sea, and estuaries, where the river meets the sea, are the most fertile and biodiverse areas.

All states are ready to accept water from another state, but no state wants to give water to another state — the party in power would consider it suicidal.

The Ken-Betwa project will submerge 6,017 ha. of forest land in the heart of the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR). The Ken Gharial Sanctuary is also endangered.

The adverse impact of the project on the PTR is well documented even in the official CEC report. PTR is home to tigers, leopards, sloth bears, chinkara, chausinga, wolves, the mugger crocodile, the long-snouted gharial, mahseer fish and several species of raptors. Striped hyenas, civet cats, jackals, foxes, nilgai, chital, sambar, wild pigs, langurs and rhesus monkeys are also found in the area.

The massive dam is bound to isolate the upstream aquatic fauna, directly impacting the breeding habits of the aquatic life forms both upstream and downstream of the dam.

What is not so well known is that the project will also destroy some of the geological wonders of India. Raneh Falls, just downstream from the proposed dam site is described as India’s mini Grand Canyon and mini-Niagara. This wonderful geological site is likely to be permanently destroyed.

You’ve been vocal on the urgent need for an overhaul of the institu-tional architecture of our water sector, on disbanding the Central Water Commission.

The CWC has a large number of conflicting functions and responsibilities and its record is very poor — in areas like hydrology, geomorphology, rivers, dam safety and design, flood forecasting, flood management and early warning systems, which are supposed to be its core competency areas. The CWC functions more like a lobby for large dams with practically no accountability.

The state of our water resources is worrisome. We have meandered along using groundwater as our back-up. Groundwater is our water lifeline.

Ninety per cent of the additional water India has used in the past 50 years was groundwater — where the CWC has no role. In the shadow of the CWC’s dam advocacy, our local water systems, rivers, wetlands have been completely neglected and destroyed. This has had a hugely adverse impact on groundwater recharge, which is fast approaching an ICU-like situation.

What kind of local water management solutions should we go for?

Local, participatory management has to be the backbone of water governance. It must extend to all aspects of monitoring, managing, developing water resources, including groundwater, rivers, local water systems as also rainfall monitoring and sand mining. Rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, water budgeting and selection of appropriate crops are all best left to local communities.

Tension gripped parts of West Bengal’s North 24-Parganas district on Thursday after a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was shot dead, prompting heightened security measures and political recriminations just days after the assembly election results.

Police deployed additional personnel across Madhyamgram, Doharia and adjoining areas following protests by BJP supporters demanding the swift arrest of those responsible for the killing.

Senior officers appealed for calm, saying security had been reinforced in sensitive pockets to prevent any escalation.

“We are maintaining strict surveillance in vulnerable areas and have deployed extra forces. People should not pay attention to rumours,” a senior West Bengal Police officer said.

The victim, identified as Chandranath Rath, was gunned down on Wednesday night in what BJP leaders described as a “targeted assassination”.

According to preliminary police findings, Rath was travelling near Doltala in Madhyamgram at around 10.30 pm when motorcycle-borne attackers allegedly intercepted his vehicle, forced it to halt and opened fire before escaping.

The incident triggered outrage among BJP workers, who accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of fostering a climate of political violence in the aftermath of the fiercely contested polls.

“We want the killers arrested immediately. Rath was travelling in a vehicle linked to the Leader of the Opposition and was deliberately targeted. People are living in fear,” a local BJP worker said.

Another supporter called for a central agency investigation, alleging that criminals were operating unchecked in the state.

Police said raids were being conducted at several locations and CCTV footage from nearby areas was being scrutinised to identify the assailants.

“No one involved will be spared. The investigation is being treated as a priority,” an officer said.

The killing, which came two days after the declaration of the assembly election results, has intensified the political confrontation between the BJP and the TMC. While the BJP accused the ruling party of unleashing retaliatory attacks on opposition workers, the TMC countered by alleging that its own supporters had also been targeted in violence across several districts.

With PTI inputs