Nine dead, 53 wounded in bloody holiday weekend in Chicago

July 8, 2014

Chicago BloodyChicago, Jul 8: The Fourth of July holiday weekend brought an explosion of gunfire to Chicago, with more than 50 people shot and nine killed, authorities said on Monday.

The violence was widespread in the nation's third-largest city from Thursday evening through Sunday midnight, police said. There were 50 separate shooting incidents that left 53 wounded and nine dead, police said.

Many more people were shot in the early hours of Monday, bringing the number of wounded to more than 80 and the body count to 14, according to the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

At a news conference Monday morning, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy called the violence "unacceptable," blaming it in part on a "proliferation of firearms."

Police said five people were shot by officers, and at least two of them were killed.

In three of the incidents, the victims had pointed weapons at officers when they were shot, the Chicago Police Department said in a statement. A fourth man was shot and seriously wounded by police after he told them he had a weapon, police said.

There were 21 shooting incidents just on Sunday, police said.

McCarthy said gangs and repeated criminal offenders cherish their weapons and are more likely to engage in gun battles with police than discard their guns because of lax state and federal laws. McCarthy has repeatedly called for mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes.

"There is more of a sanction from their gangs for losing a weapon than there is to get arrested with an illegal firearm," McCarthy said at the press conference Monday. "Something's got to change."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has also called for tighter controls on firearms, condemned the shootings.

"This violence is unacceptable wherever it occurs in our city and all of us need to take a stand," he said in a statement on Monday, saying that solutions must go beyond policing.

Earlier this year, Emanuel announced a "summer safety" plan that called for 300 extra police officers to patrol over the Fourth of July weekend.

McCarthy said despite the wave of violence over the weekend, shooting deaths were down year over year through Sunday, with 185 so far this year compared with 196 through the same period in 2013.

Multiple shootings were reported around the United States over the holiday weekend. Police in Houston said on Monday that four people were shot at a dance early Saturday, including a 16-year-old boy who was critically wounded.

In St. Louis, at least seven people were shot, three of them fatally, over the weekend, according to police.

And in Indiana, an Indianapolis police officer was killed in a late-night shootout on Saturday, in one among multiple shootings reported across Indianapolis over the weekend, according to law enforcement officials.

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News Network
July 1,2020

Tehran, Jul 1 As many as 19 people have been killed in an explosion and fire at a medical facility in Tehran.

A total of 19 people, including 15 men and 4 women, were killed in the explosion, the emergency services confirmed, RT reported citing KhabarOnline website.

According to a regional official, a gas leak caused the incident. Sputnik quoted a deputy head of Tehran police as saying to YJC news outlet that oxygen tanks exploded in the semi-basement of the clinic.

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News Network
June 29,2020

Karachi, Jun 29: Four heavily-armed militants attacked the busy Pakistan Stock Exchange on Monday morning, killing four security guards and a police sub-inspector before being shot dead in an exchange of fire, media reports said.

The unidentified militants opened indiscriminate fire and lobbed hand grenades at the main gate of the building as they tried to storm it, Geo News reported.

Police said that all the terrorists have been killed while five persons injured in the attack.

Four security guards and a police sub-inspector were also killed in the attack.

"An unfortunate incident took place at the Pakistan Stock Exchange. They made their way from our parking area and opened fire on everyone," said Abid Ali Habib, Director of Pakistan Stock Exchange.

The firing by militants caused panic among the people in the building.

Sindh province Governor Imran Ismail condemned the incident.

"Strongly condemn the attack on PSX aimed at tarnishing our relentless war on terror. Have instructed the IG & security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are caught alive & their handlers are accorded exemplary punishments. We shall protect Sindh at all costs," he said on Twitter.

Police and rangers have arrived on the spot and surrounded the area.

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Agencies
January 16,2020

Moscow, Jan 16: Russia's government resigned in a shock announcement on Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin proposed a series of constitutional reforms.

In a televised meeting with the Russian president, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the proposals would make significant changes to the country's balance of power and so "the government in its current form has resigned".

"We should provide the president of our country with the possibility to take all the necessary measures" to carry out the changes, Medvedev said.

"All further decisions will be taken by the president." Putin asked Medvedev, his longtime ally, to continue as head of government until a new government has been appointed.

"I want to thank you for everything that has been done, to express satisfaction with the results that have been achieved," Putin said.

"Not everything worked out, but everything never works out." He also proposed creating the post of deputy head of the Security Council, suggesting that Medvedev take on the position.

Earlier Wednesday Putin proposed a referendum on a package of reforms to Russia's constitution that would strengthen the role of parliament.

The changes would include giving parliament the power to choose the prime minister and senior cabinet members, instead of the president as in the current system.

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