3 killed and a dozen others hospitalized after crowd surge at eastern India Hindu festival
NEW DELHI (AP) — Three people were killed and more than a dozen hospitalized Sunday following a sudden crowd surge and stampede at a popular Hindu festival in eastern India, local authorities said.
'There was a sudden crowd surge of devotees for having a glimpse of the Hindu deities during which a few people either fainted, felt suffocated or complained of breathlessness,' said Siddharth Shankar Swain, the top government official in Puri.
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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Hong Kong's security net extends beyond arrests as small businesses pressured
HONG KONG (AP) — It's been years since mass arrests all but silenced pro-democracy activism in Hong Kong. But a crackdown on dissent in the semiautonomous Chinese city is still expanding, hitting restaurants, bookstores and other small businesses. Shops and eateries owned by people once associated with the largely subdued pro-democracy movement are feeling a tightening grip through increased official inspections, anonymous complaint letters and other regulatory checks. Those critical of the city's political changes say it's a less visible side of a push to silence dissent that began five years ago when Beijing imposed a national security law to crush challenges to its rule, under which opposition politicians were jailed and pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily was shuttered. China said the law was necessary for the city's stability following anti-government protests in 2019. In 2024, the city passed its own national security law, which has been used to jail people for actions like writing pro-independence messages on the back of bus seats and wearing a T-shirt carrying a protest slogan that authorities deemed could imply the separation of Hong Kong from China, a red line for Beijing. In recent weeks, food authorities sent letters to restaurants warning that their business licenses could be revoked if the government deems them to be endangering national security or public interest. Frequent inspections Leticia Wong, a former pro-democracy district councilor who now runs a bookstore, says her shop is frequently visited by food and hygiene inspectors, the fire department or other authorities over complaints about issues like hosting events without a license. It happens most often around June 4, the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Her records show government authorities took measures against her shop some 92 times between July 2022 and June 2025, including inspecting her shop, conspicuously patrolling outside, or sending letters warning her of violations. She has been studying regulations to protect herself from accidentally breaking them. 'Some areas look trivial — and they really are — but they still have the power to make you face consequences,' she said. In an emailed reply to The Associated Press, the fire department said it conducted checks at Wong's business following multiple complaints this year. Wong's bookstore passed most of them but still faces enforcement action for failing to provide valid certificates for two fire extinguishers and its emergency lighting system, it said. Other small business owners described similar experiences. A bakery that put up pro-democracy decorations during the 2019 protests saw food authorities' inspections jump from quarterly to monthly over the past one to two years, mostly over labeling complaints. Its owner, who asked to remain anonymous fearing government retribution, said the frequent inspections made running the business a struggle. A restaurant owner who received the notice of the newly added terms on possible license revocation over national security violations said he doesn't know what could be considered a violation and fears one wrong move could cost his staff their jobs. He spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing potential impact on his business partners and employees. Food authorities said inspections follow the law, information and public complaints. They maintained that the new national security conditions for food business licenses were clearly defined and would not affect law-abiding operators. The Hong Kong Chief Executive's office has not immediately commented. Anonymous denunciations Others say they have lost opportunities after anonymous letters were sent to employers or business partners. Wong said an anonymous letter sent to an organization that had planned an event at her shop prompted them to cancel the booking. Separately, she lost a freelance job after a funder demanded that a social enterprise not hire her without a specific reason. Her landlord also received an anonymous letter warning them not to rent the space to her. 'I feel that this society is working very hard — that is, within the system, under the official system, working very hard to reject me, or to make my life difficult,' Wong said. Chan Kim-kam, another former district councilor, says she lost both a part-time job and a role in a play after the people she worked for were pressured. A school where she taught sociology part-time asked her to leave after it received a letter claiming that she made a student uncomfortable. The letter, which was written in the simplified Chinese characters used in mainland China but less prominently in Hong Kong, included links to news reports about her arrest under the homegrown national security law last year, though she was never charged. Meanwhile, the city's Leisure and Cultural Services Department told her drama group to replace her or lose their venue, she said. 'I think it's really such a pity. When the culture of reporting people has become so intense, it destroys the trust between people,' she said. Cultural authorities, declining to discuss specific bookings, said all their venue bookings were managed under established procedures. Rule of law in question Hong Kong leader John Lee has said the security law upholds the rule of law principle and only an extremely small portion of people were targeted. He noted 332 people have been arrested for offenses related to national security, about 66 each year on average, or 0.2% of the police's annual arrest figures. Still, he warned of persisting soft resistance, saying 'the streets are full of petty people.' Local broadcaster i-Cable News said national security guidelines would be issued to government workers. Secretary for Security Chris Tang told the broadcaster that even a cleaner should report words endangering national security, if any are found during their job. But Eric Lai, a research fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said Hong Kong is using regulatory powers to monitor and regulate dissent without checks and balances. Local courts were unable to check the powers granted to the government under the security laws, he said. It fits a common pattern among undemocratic governments like mainland China, he said. In many cases across the border, law enforcement officers frequently harass and surveil dissenters without formal charges. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'It tells the world that the so-called rule of law in Hong Kong is only a facade of rule by men,' he said. Outside a court on Jun. 12, members of the pro-democracy party League of Social Democrats protested against their convictions over street booth activities with a banner that says 'rule of law in name, silencing voices in reality.' They were fined for collecting money without a permit and displaying posters without approval. The judge said freedom of expression was not absolute and restrictions could be imposed to maintain public order. On Sunday, the party announced it had dissolved, citing immense political pressure and consideration of consequences for its members, months after the city's biggest pro-democracy party announced to move toward disbandment. Its chairperson Chan Po-ying wiped away tears at the news conference. 'In the past, the government said it focused on a small portion of people. Now, it includes various kinds of people in Hong Kong, ordinary residents,' she said.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jury due to begin deliberating in Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors are set to start deliberating Monday in Sean 'Diddy' Combs ' sex trafficking case, weighing charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life. After receiving legal instructions from federal Judge Arun Subramanian, the jury of eight men and four women will head behind closed doors to deliberate. They'll sift through seven weeks of sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about the rap, fashion and reality TV impresario 's propensity for violence and his sexual predilections, including drug-fueled sex marathons dubbed ' freak-offs ' or 'hotel nights.' Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking — relating to two of his ex-girlfriends — and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for allegedly arranging to fly sex workers across state lines. In closing arguments last week, federal prosecutors and Combs' defense team took their last shots at convincing jurors to convict or acquit the Grammy Award-winning founder of Bad Boy Records. 'The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said. 'He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law.' Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo countered, 'This isn't about crime. It's about money.' He noted that one of Combs' accusers in the criminal case also sued him in civil court. In all, 34 witnesses testified, headlined by Combs' former girlfriends Cassie — the R&B singer born Casandra Ventura — and ' Jane,' who testified under a pseudonym. Both women said he often was violent toward them and forced them into hundreds of sexual encounters with paid male sex workers. Jurors also saw now-infamous security camera video of Combs beating, kicking and dragging Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 and clips from videos of sexual encounters. Combs chose not to testify, and his lawyers didn't call any witnesses in their defense case. His attorneys elected instead to challenge the accusers' credibility during lengthy cross-examination questioning. The defense has acknowledged that Combs veered into violence, but his lawyers maintain that the sex acts were consensual. They contend that prosecutors are intruding in Combs' personal life and that he's done nothing to warrant the charges against him.
Edmonton Journal
8 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Pistons free-agent Beasley facing probe over NBA gambling allegations: Source
Published Jun 29, 2025 • 2 minute read FILE - Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley reacts during the second half of Game 1 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, April 19, 2025, in New York. Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP DETROIT — NBA free-agent Malik Beasley is under investigation by the U.S. District Attorney's office regarding gambling allegations tied to league games, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Sunday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on the matter. 'We are co-operating with the federal prosecutors' investigation,' NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement released to the AP and other outlets on Sunday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors ESPN was the first to report on the investigation. 'There have been no charges against Malik,' Steve Haney, Beasley's attorney, told the AP. 'It's just an investigation at this point. We hope people reserve judgement until he's charged — or if he's charged. It's not uncommon for there to be a federal investigation.' Read More The probe into Beasley comes 14 months after the NBA banned Toronto's Jontay Porter, who was linked to a prop bet investigation and eventually pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud. This past season, the Wall Street Journal was first to report that Terry Rozier — then of the Charlotte Hornets — was under investigation for activity related to unusual betting patterns surrounding him in a March 2023 game. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again Rozier, now of the Miami Heat, has not been charged with any crime, nor has he faced any sanction from the NBA. Porter's ban came after a similar investigation into his performance and 'prop bets' — wagers where bettors can choose whether a player will reach a certain statistical standard or not during a game. The Porter investigation started once the league learned from 'licensed sports betting operators and an organization that monitors legal betting markets' about unusual gambling patterns surrounding Porter's performance in a game on March 20, 2024, against Sacramento. The league determined that Porter gave a bettor information about his health status prior that game and said that another individual — known to be an NBA bettor — placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would not hit the numbers set for him in parlays through an online sports book. That bet would have won $1.1 million. Beasley signed last year with the Pistons, taking a one-year contract for $6 million in the hopes of cashing in this summer as a free agent. A second person, speaking to AP on condition of anonymity because no deal was announced, said Detroit was 'very interested' in re-signing Beasley to a multi-year contract this summer. Those talks might be in jeopardy, given the uncertainty regarding the federal probe. He made a single-season, franchise-record 319 3-pointers in the regular season. He helped Detroit make the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and end an NBA-record 15-game postseason losing streak in the first round against the New York Knicks. Beasley averaged 16.3 points last season and has averaged 11.7 points over his career with Denver, Minnesota, Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee and Detroit. He scored a career-high 19.6 points a game during the 2020-21 season with the Timberwolves. The Atlanta native played at Florida State and the Nuggets drafted him No. 19 overall in 2016. — AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report. Cult of Hockey Cult of Hockey Local News Edmonton Oilers Local News
