USA: two black men shot by police
A black man has been shot dead by police in Minnesota as protests continued over the police killing of a black man in Louisiana. Philando Castile's girlfriend live-streamed the aftermath, showing him covered in blood with a police officer pointing his gun at him. He was shot as he reached for his driving licence, she said. It follows the death of Alton Sterling, who was shot dead by police during an incident in Baton Rouge on Tuesday. Hundreds of people have protested for two nights over Mr Sterling's killing. The deaths follow a long line of high-profile incidents involving African-Americans at the hands of the police, igniting a national debate about the lethal use of force. See:
Stop press: last night in Dallas five policemen were killed, and others wounded, by snipers at a protest meeting.
Nigeria: evangelical pastor hacked to death
A pastor has been hacked to death by armed Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria's central state of Nasarawa, according to World Watch Monitor (WWM). Rev Joseph Kurah, with the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Obi town, was reportedly killed on 30 June after going to his farm at around 7pm to cut down trees for roofing wood. There had been a dispute with a local Muslim earlier over ownership of the land, according to members of the church. Many local Christians suspect that the Muslim hired the Fulani herdsmen to carry out the murder. A man who identified himself as Kurah's nephew posted graphic photos on Twitter, saying, 'They attacked him on his farm, cut off his arms and legs; then they chopped his head with a machete. All I want is justice to be done. Nasarawa State and the federal government must find the killers of my uncle.' Kurah has left behind a wife and seven children.
Massive floods in China, typhoon expected
Already nearly 200 people have died and and at least 1.4 million have been displaced, while at least 56,000 houses have collapsed, due to unprecedentedly widespread floods across 26 provinces in central and southern China. Transport links and water and power supplies have been severely disrupted, and rescue efforts have been stepped up. The Chinese prime minister has called upon local authorities to be prepared for further rain in the wake of a typhoon which is due to hit the country tomorrow. The typhoon, with winds reaching up to 150 mph, has already battered the Philippines and Taiwan, but is losing strength gradually.
US sanctions Kim Jong-un
The US has sanctioned North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the first time, accusing him of human rights abuses. A statement from the US Treasury named him as directly responsible for violations in his country. Ten other top North Korean officials have also been blacklisted. There has been no response yet from the North Korean government. The measures freeze any property the individuals have in the US and prevent US citizens doing business with them. North Korea is already under an extensive sanctions regime for its nuclear activities, but analysts see the latest move as an escalation of US efforts to isolate the nation. 'Under Kim Jong-un, North Korea continues to inflict intolerable cruelty and hardship on millions of its own people, including extrajudicial killings, forced labour, and torture,' the Treasury statement said. The sanctions were announced to coincide with a State Department report documenting abuses in North Korea. It estimates that between 80,000 and 120,000 prisoners are being held in North Korean prison camps where torture, sexual assault and executions are routine.
