Global Turmoil: Protests, Tragedies, and Conflicts Shaping the World

A summary of recent global news highlights significant incidents including violent protests in Kenya, a deadly stampede in India, military offensives in Gaza, humanitarian crises in Ukraine, hurricane threats in Jamaica, and political movements in France. Each event underscores ongoing global challenges and regional conflicts.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Kenyan activists rethink strategy after protests turn violent

Activists behind Kenya's anti-government protests are rethinking their strategy after demonstrations on Tuesday were marred by violence and looting that they fear could undermine the movement and its efforts to push President William Ruto to resign. The activists say the violence was the work of "goons" hired by politicians to either discredit legitimate demonstrators or advance their own agendas. Some called on social media for the next planned demonstration on Thursday not to go ahead.

India stampede killed 121 in wake of massive overcrowding, police say

More than three times the permitted number of people attended a Hindu religious event in north India that culminated in a stampede, killing at least 121 people, authorities said on Wednesday, adding that most of the victims were women. About 250,000 people gathered for Tuesday's event in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh state, about 200 km (125 miles) from the Indian capital, New Delhi, despite permission being granted only for 80,000, an initial police report showed.

Israel conducts new strikes in Gaza, families seek shelter after evacuation order

Many Palestinians were seeking shelter on Wednesday after fleeing their homes in southern Gaza and complained of water shortages as Israel pressed on with its military offensive in the densely populated enclave. Israeli forces carried out new military strikes in the southern city of Rafah amid fierce fighting with Palestinian militants overnight, residents said. At least 12 people were killed in new strikes in central and northern Gaza, health officials said.

At field hospital in Ukraine's battered east, the wounded keep coming

When the first casualty is wheeled into a brightly lit makeshift field hospital on a stretcher, Ukrainian medic Osmach quickly checks to see if he is conscious. The wounded soldier confirms that he is, and is transferred to a bed at this medical stabilisation point located close to the eastern Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar, scene of fierce clashes with advancing Russian forces.

Czech military aid to Ukraine from army stores reaches $288 million, defence ministry says

The Czech Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that the country donated equipment from its army storage, including aircraft and ammunition, worth 6.75 billion crowns ($288.42 million) to Ukraine as of the end of May. It said the Czechs have so far sent eight aircraft, including two this year. Supplies also included 94,860 artillery ammunition, including 10,000 this year.

Russian air strike kills five in Dnipro, Ukraine says

A Russian missile and drone strike killed at least five people and wounded 34 more in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, urging the West to supply more air defences and long-range weapons. Footage filmed by a scared onlooker and published by Zelenskiy on his Telegram messaging app showed a large explosion in the sky followed by a fireball shooting off towards the ground.

Far-right majority can be avoided, French PM says

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, said he believed a cross-party bid to deprive Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally of a majority in next Sunday's parliamentary run-off could succeed. However, he dismissed suggestions that Macron's centrists could look to form a cross-party government in the event of a hung parliament, proposing that moderates in the assembly work together to pass legislation on a case-by-case basis instead.

One person killed in stabbing attack in Israeli mall

One person was killed and another wounded in a stabbing attack in an Israeli mall on Wednesday in which the assailant was also shot dead, Israeli police and medics said. Police said it was a suspected terror attack.

Hurricane Beryl, churning toward Jamaica, threatens Haiti and Dominican Republic

Hurricane Beryl barreled toward Jamaica as a powerful Category 4 storm on Wednesday, after flattening homes and devastating agriculture on smaller islands in the eastern Caribbean, killing at least three people. At around 0500 EDT (0900 GMT), the hurricane was about 185 miles (300 km) east-southeast of the Jamaican capital of Kingston, according the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), packing maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour (230 kph).

Some Israeli hostages have attempted suicide, Islamic Jihad armed wing says

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement's armed wing, Al Quds Brigades, said on Wednesday some Israeli hostages have attempted suicide after it started treating them the same way Israel treated Palestinian prisoners. "Some enemy prisoners have attempted suicide as a result of the extreme frustration they are feeling due to their government's neglect of their cause," Al Quds Brigades spokesperson Abu Hamza said in a post on Telegram.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)