Six people are dead and several others injured after a man went on a stabbing rampage in a shopping mall in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday afternoon local time, one of the country’s worst mass killings in recent years. The suspect was shot dead. Eyewitnesses described “pandemonium” as they fled from the attack, with many forced to hide in shops. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack was “beyond words and understanding,” but amid the “shocking violence,” there were glimmers of heroism. New South Wales police commissioner Karen Webb said four women and a man died at the shopping mall, while a fifth woman later died at the hospital. Webb added that eight additional people are being treated for injuries at hospitals in Sydney. A nine-month-old baby is confirmed to be among the injured and has been in surgery, Webb said. Australian media outlets have reported that the baby’s mother had died, but Webb could not confirm the reports. A police inspector shot the attacker dead on the scene. Police believe the suspect was a 40-year-old man who acted alone, but could not provide further identification details. Early indications suggest the attack was not terror-related. The police officer who shot the suspect is being hailed as a “hero,” with Albanese saying, “There is no doubt that she saved lives through her action.” The officer was nearby when the violence unfolded and shot the attacker when he raised his knife at her, police said. Eyewitnesses described panic and “pandemonium” as fleeing shoppers fell over each other and hid in shops. One woman, Crystal Wang, told CNN she hid in a clothing store for over an hour with other shoppers. Another man told Australia’s state broadcaster ABC that the attacker was stabbing people “indiscriminately.” The attack has shocked Australia, a country where mass casualty events are rare. The deadliest in its history was an April 1996 mass shooting in the town of Port Arthur, Tasmania, that killed 35 people and became known as the Port Arthur massacre. More recently, at least four people were killed and one injured in a mass shooting in the northern city of Darwin in 2019.   Source: CNN

The police said the victims of the shooting incident in the city of Vantaa were children, one of whom was later confirmed to have died. The suspect, also a minor, was later arrested. Three 12-year-olds were injured in a school shooting incident in Finland early on Tuesday, Finnish police said, adding that the suspect, also a minor, was later arrested. "All those involved in the shooting incident are minors," the police said. They were all 12 years old, the police later specified. What do we know about the shooting incident? The shooting occurred at the Viertola school in the city of Vantaa, north of the capital Helsinki. The school has some 800 students. "The immediate danger is over," the Viertola school's principal Sari Laasila told the Reuters news agency. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the incident was "deeply shocking," adding that he was closely following the situation and awaiting updates. "The day started in a horrifying way. There has been a shooting incident at the Viertola school in Vantaa. I can only imagine the pain and worry that many families are experiencing at the moment. The suspected perpetrator has been caught," Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said on X, formerly Twitter. Finland's gun policies in focus Finland's population of around 5.5 million includes some 430,000 gun license holders, with over 1.5 licensed firearms in the country of hunters and gun enthusiasts, ministry figures showed. The country tightened its gun legislation in 2010, following two back-to-back school shootings in 2007 and 2008 which, combined, left nearly 20 killed, including students. The amended legislation introduced an aptitude test for all firearms license applicants and increased the age limit for applicants from 18 to 20.

Local transportation authority says bus was carrying people to attend Easter weekend church service. A bus carrying 46 people crashed over a bridge in South Africa, killing everyone on board except an 8-year-old girl, local officials said Thursday.  The accident happened on the Mma Matlakala Bridge between Marken and Mokopane, in the northern province of Limpopo, roughly 320 kilometres north of Johannesburg.  The Limpopo Department of Transportation and Community Safety said, in a statement posted on Facebook, the bus was believed to be carrying people who were travelling to attend an Easter weekend church service in the town of Moira.  According to the statement, it's believe the bus lost control and went over the side of the bridge and plummeted 50 metres below onto a rocky surface and caught on fire.  The child who survived the accident was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated, but details of her condition are unclear. The bus was registered in the neighbouring country of Botswana, the department said, and officials are working to confirm the citizenship of the victims.  The statement went on to say "some bodies were burned beyond recognition," while others were either trapped in wreckage or scattered nearby.   Source: CBC

At least seven people were killed in a collision between a bus and a auto-rickshaw. The accident took place in the Parerhat area of Pirojpur around 12:30pm. The incident took place at Jhautala bus stand are on Friday (March 8). The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. Pirojpur Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Kamruzzaman confirmed the matter to the reporters. He said that the incident took place at Jhautala area of Parerhat road at noon. The fire service recovered seven dead bodies so far and sent them to the hospital. The death toll in the accident may increase.

The dead bodies of 43 people who lost their lives at Green Cozy Cottage on Bailey Road in the capital have been handed over to their relatives. Two bodies are still lying in the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and one at Sheikh Hasina Burn Institute. Additional district magistrate AKM Hedayetul Islam of the Dhaka district administration confirmed the information on Saturday afternoon (March 2). Earlier on March 1, the relatives received the bodies of 40 people. The identities of the two bodies currently in Dhaka Medical College Hospital have not been identified yet. On the other hand, the process of handing over the body of journalist Abhishruti Shastri pending due to identity complications. Earlier, The fire broke out at a multi-storey building on Bailey Road in the capital around 9:50pm on Thursday ( Feb 29 ).  

Apfel was known for her love of colors and prints and created collections for HSN, H&M and more. Fashion icon Iris Apfel has died at age 102 on Friday, a statement published on her Instagram page confirmed. Stu Loeser, a spokesman for Apfel's estate, also confirmed her death to the New York Times. She died at her home in Palm Beach, Fla. Apfel celebrated her iconic 100th birthday in 2021, telling PEOPLE that she considers herself to be an Energizer Bunny who simply loves to work — which she did for her entire life. "At 100, what else is there to do except sit around? I don't play bridge. I don't play golf. I love to work, and I really enjoy what I do," she shared. Among those projects were a clothing collection with H&M and a beauty collection with Ciáte London, both in 2022. Both gave the creative an outlet to channel her love of colors and patterns. "The world can be a gray place, so colors, patterns and textures are a way to bring some fun to life. Same with makeup — I want my lipsticks to be as bright and bold as possible," she told in August 2022. Apfel has become known over the years for her love of colors — and her oversize black-framed glasses. The style icon never set out to be known for her glasses, though. It was purely happenstance. "I always thought eyeglass frames were very stylish accessories," she told PEOPLE in 2015, adding that she liked to pick up unique frames at flea markets. "People would say to me, 'why are they so large?' and I would say because they are good to see you," she said, adding, "And that would shut them up." Though Apfel became a fashion giant in her twilight years, she spent her early years as an interior designer and textile expert. After marrying husband Carl Apfel in 1947, the two started Old World Weavers, a textile company that called the likes of Greta Garbo, Estée Lauder and Marjorie Merriweather Post their clients in the 1950s, according to The New York Times. Source: People

The ferry carrying daily wage laborers sank in the River Nile near Cairo. Rescue teams searched for hours to recover the bodies. The five who survived the accident were taken to hospital before later being discharged. A ferry carrying 15 people sank in the Nile river near Cairo on Sunday, killing at least 10 of them, authorities said Monday. All the passengers on board were day laborers who were on their way to work at a local construction company. Search operation lasted hours Rescue teams had to search for hours to recover bodies, according to local media. The rescue operation was live-streamed on social media as the villagers stood on the banks of Nile and watched. The five who survived the accident were taken to hospital and were later discharged, the Ministry of Manpower said in a statement. Egypt's Labor Ministry has announced a compensation of 200,000 Egyptian pounds ($6,462, €5,957) to each of the family of the deceased and 20,000 pounds to each of the five injured. While local media reported that the cause of the accident was overcrowding on the boat, there has been no immediate official confirmation. Riverway accidents are quite frequent in Egypt mainly due to lack of implementation of safety regulations.

The Prominent songwriter Shinsadong Tiger in the Korean pop (K-Pop) music industry, has been found dead in Seoul. Police found his dead body on Friday (February 23). The death was reported by the semi-official Yonhap News Agency. Police have not yet confirmed where, when or how Shinsadong died. Shinsadong Tiger, whose real name was Lee Ho-yan, lost consciousness at his workplace in Seoul, according to music industry sources quoted by Yonhap News.

Armed men have shot dead a traditional ruler, and kidnapped his wife plus one other person in south-western Nigeria, authorities say. The attackers stormed the palace of Segun Aremu - a retired army general and monarch whose official title is the Olukoro of Koro - on Thursday night. It is not clear who the gunmen were or whether they are demanding a ransom.   This latest killing and abduction comes days after campaigners demanded a state of emergency to deal with the issue. Some 50 civil society groups want President Bola Tinubu to make that declaration, saying more than 1,800 people had been abducted since he took office last May. But the true number of abductions during that time could be more than double that figure, at almost 4,000 people, says Nigerian risk consultancy SBM Intelligence.   No matter how desperate the circumstances, Nigerian law prohibits the payment of ransom money. However, many victims pay up because they do not trust authorities or their track record.   Condemning the killing of the Olukoro of Koro in Kwara state, as "reckless, shocking, and abominable", Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has vowed that the authorities would catch those responsible.   Police say a manhunt is under way. They have also promised the local community they will set up a police outpost. Nigeria is home to hundreds of traditional rulers, who have no constitutional role but are a respected presence in community life. They are often called upon to settle disputes between local people, and lead cultural activities.

Thirteen people have died in a school dormitory fire in central China's Henan province, the official Xinhua news agency reported Saturday (Jan 20). The blaze at the Yingcai School in Henan's Yanshanpu village was reported to the local fire department at 11 p.m. (1500 GMT) Friday night, Xinhua said. Thirteen people have been confirmed dead, the news agency said, adding that one person was injured. "Rescuers arrived at the scene quickly and the flames were extinguished at 11"38 p.m.," Xinhua said.   The injured survivor "is currently receiving treatment at the hospital and is in stable condition," according to Xinhua. Xinhua did not say if any of the dead were children. However, a report in the Hebai Daily said a teacher confirmed that all the victims were students from the same third-grade class of nine- and 10-year-olds. Local authorities are investigating the fire's cause, and at least one person linked to the school has been detained, Xinhua said.   Online anger Yanshanpu village lies on the outskirts of Nanyang, a city of nearly 10 million. Little information about the boarding school is publicly available, though social media videos published earlier showed young children including kindergarteners wearing smocks with the school's logo as well as older children learning calligraphy. Chinese social media users on Saturday expressed outrage about the fire and called for any safety lapses to be punished. "It's too scary, 13 children from 13 families, all gone in an instant. ... if there is no severe punishment their souls will not rest in peace," one commenter on the Weibo social media site wrote.   Fires and other deadly accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement. In November, 26 people died and dozens were sent to hospital after a fire at a coal company office in northern China's Shanxi province. In July, 11 people died after the roof of a school gym collapsed in the country's northeast.   The month before, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China left 31 dead and prompted official pledges of a nationwide campaign to promote workplace safety. In April, a hospital fire in Beijing killed 29 people and forced desperate survivors to jump out of windows to escape. After the coal company fire in November, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the country to "conduct in-depth investigations of hidden risks in key industries, improve emergency plans and prevention measures."