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Teen shot and buses torched in Manhattan after historic NBA win for Knicks
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One casualty every 23 minutes: Civilians fatalities mount as Ukraine war intensifies
22 minutes agoAlys DaviesReutersA teenager was shot and buses destroyed during chaotic scenes in New York City that marred jubilant celebrations for the Knicks' historic NBA championship win.The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94–90 in game five on Saturday to clinch the title for the first time in more than half a century.The game was in Texas, but New Yorkers took to their hometown streets in droves to toast the milestone for fans and the city.As crowds swelled into the early hours, gunfire rang out near Times Square, a 17-year-old was wounded and school buses that had transported World Cup fans were torched. It is unclear if anyone was hurt in that incident.Knicks owner James Dolan had called for restraint following his team's victory against the Spurs in San Antonio on Saturday night."We need to tell everybody in New York that we know that they're celebrating, we want them to have a great time," said Dolan, interrupting Knicks player Josh Hart's news conference. "Please be safe. Don't get hurt, don't hurt anybody."But celebrations turned violent as fans spilling out of bars and viewing parties clashed with officers in Midtown Manhattan.In a statement to the BBC, the NYPD said crowds became "increasingly destructive" with "many incidents of incredibly reckless and dangerous behaviour".Five yellow school buses were set alight or destroyed with bats and people jumping on them, the force said. They had been used to shuttle World Cup football fans back to Times Square following a match between Brazil and Morocco.Revellers were photographed swarming and climbing on to the roofs of the buses, with some also getting inside the vehicles and posing for photos.Bystanders gathered around one of the buses, some taking pictures and videos, as it was engulfed in flames.Getty ImagesGetty ImagesPolice cars were also targeted, the NYPD said, with some people using bats to damage them and jumping on top of them, shattering windshields.Gunshots were reported near 42nd Street and Broadway at around 02:00 EDT (06:00 GMT) on Sunday, prompting people to run for cover.A 17-year-old boy was shot in the foot, officials said. Preliminary reports indicated no fatalities. The victim was transported to hospital in an NYPD vehicle as an ambulance couldn't access 43rd Street because of the crowds, police said.Three people of interest were taken into custody and a firearm recovered from the scene.Police said other disorder included four slashings/stabbings, destruction of private vehicles, people lighting fireworks in large crowds, brawls and crowds refusing to disperse.Sixty-three people were arrested, the NYPD said. Charges included assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and obstruction of governmental administration.ReutersReutersA large number of police officers were deployed in Manhattan, including some on horseback, who were tasked with dispersing crowds later in the night.Some of those out on the streets threw objects, including street cones and bottles, at police officers.Ten police officers were injured overnight, the force said, including one member of the NYPD who was punched in the face and another who was struck with a glass bottle.Earlier a party atmosphere had taken hold across the city.Emergency service workers shouted "Let's go Knicks" through loudspeakers, while strangers hugged and shook hands, and drivers honked their horns."Oh my God. It's like New Year's Eve times 20," Carol Marino, who had watched the game in a bar, told Reuters news agency."I'm so overwhelmed. I'm so happy," added Mathieu Ogno, who spoke to the Associated Press news agency at a watch party in Central Park following the Knicks' win.Official celebrations will take place in the city on Thursday with a parade and a city hall ceremony, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office announced.Getty ImagesGetty ImagesGetty Images
Just nowVitaly Shevchenko,Russia editor, BBC Monitoring, KyivandToby MannReutersAn apartment building in Dnipro was also hit in seperate Russian strikes days agoAt least four people have been killed and dozens have been injured in Ukraine after Russia launched a major overnight attack.The four dead were in Dnipro and included a 73-year-old woman. Dozens have been injured altogether in Dnipro, Kyiv and Kharkiv following Russian strikes, local officials said in the early hours of Tuesday.Thousands of people took shelter in Kyiv as large plumes of smoke rose from the city's centre. Air raid warnings were in place across most of Ukraine.Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has urged people to stay in shelters. The head of Kyiv's City Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said: "The enemy is striking with ballistic missiles".Klitschko said two high-rise apartment buildings had been hit and there are fears people are trapped under rubble.As the Russian attacks hit Kyiv through the early morning dark, the buzz of drones could be heard between more than a dozen loud explosions as strikes made impact.Blackouts and fires have also been reported across the city and the wider extent of damage is not yet clear.An industrial facility has also been attacked in Zaporizhzhia.The attacks come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday reiterated warnings of a possible massive Russian strike and urged residents to pay special attention to air raid alerts."Intelligence warnings regarding Russian strikes remain in effect. A massive strike is possible, they have prepared one," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.Last week Russia said it would target military and decision-making centres in Kyiv, and urged foreigners to leave the city.In a statement, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said it did carry out an attack near Starobilsk on the night of 21-22 May but maintains that it struck a Russian military unit.
Just nowPatrick JacksonReutersThe cave system, which extends deep underground, is also extremely narrow, with some chambers measuring only about 50cm (20in) wide, rescuers sayRescuers in Laos have found five villagers alive inside a flooded cave after they were trapped for a week following heavy rain and landslides.Two other villagers who were with them are missing, Lao and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation said.The seven were part of a group of villagers from the central province of Xaysomboun who had gone into the cave on Wednesday last week in search of gold deposits and wildlife, but could not get out as the cave's entrance was blocked.Footage shared by the rescuers showed cave divers crawling through narrow, muddy passageways that were almost completely flooded.Bounkham Luanglath of the Lao organisation Rescue Volunteer for People told the Associated Press the search for the missing would continue."I'm still shaking," he said in a voice message. "Our team made it happen."The cave system, which extends deep underground, is also extremely narrow, with some chambers measuring only about 50cm (20in) wide, rescuers say."We've found five people alive and all safe," Laotian rescue group Rescue Volunteer for People said in a social media post."There are still two people we are searching for."Thai rescuer Kengkach Bangkawong said on Facebook that the villagers had been found at 16:30 local time (09:30 GMT).Kengkach was part of the team that helped bring 12 young Thai boys and their football coach to safety after they were trapped for two weeks inside a flooded cave underneath a mountain in Thailand's Chiang Rai province in 2018.The extraordinary rescue involved more than 10,000 experts from around the world and drew intense global attention.Several films and documentaries have been made based on it, including the feature film Thirteen Lives and the documentary The Rescue.
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