Ukraine accuses Russia of war crime after video shows drone attacking vegetable seller in Kherson

Thousands of students and unemployed young people marched toward the state legislature in India’s eastern Jharkhand state on Monday. The protesters were demanding action over alleged irregularities in civil services recruitment examinations. Police used water cannons to disperse the demonstrators as they moved toward the state assembly in the state capital, Ranchi. The protesters accused authorities of failing to ensure transparency in government recruitment exams. They also raised concerns over alleged question paper leaks. The demonstrations began on July 25 and have grown in size in recent days. Thousands of young people had earlier gathered at a stadium in Ranchi as the campaign gained momentum. The protesters are demanding major changes to the state’s examination system. They have also called for the cancellation of certain examinations and a federal investigation into the alleged irregularities. On Monday, demonstrators moved toward the legislature despite heavy security arrangements. Some protesters climbed over police barricades while carrying placards and Indian flags. They chanted slogans and called for action against those responsible for the alleged examination problems. The protests reflect growing frustration among students and unemployed youth in Jharkhand, one of India’s less economically developed states. The state government has held talks with representatives of the protesters. Officials have said that many of their demands have already been accepted. The government has also indicated that it is willing to continue discussions to address the remaining concerns. The demonstrations in Jharkhand come amid wider anger among Indian youth over alleged corruption in recruitment examinations. Similar protests were held in New Delhi in recent weeks. Those demonstrations focused on alleged irregularities and paper leaks involving national-level examinations. The protests eventually contributed to the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last month, following controversy surrounding alleged leaks in a national medical entrance examination. The growing demonstrations have highlighted concerns over unemployment and limited job opportunities for young people. Students and job seekers argue that examination irregularities can damage their career prospects after years of preparation. The protests also reflect broader concerns about transparency in public recruitment and the credibility of competitive examinations.

An anonymous lottery player in southern Italy has successfully retrieved a winning ticket worth €1 million (£857,000) after accidentally discarding the slip into a municipal bin. The mix-up occurred at a local shop in Bitonto when a ticket scanner displayed a “non-payable” notification. Unaware that the message indicated a payout exceeding the shop’s cash limit rather than a losing ticket, the player threw the slip into a rubbish bin. Upon returning home, family members pointed out that the player’s chosen numbers, 2, 4, 8, 10, and 51, had indeed been drawn. After returning to the store, the family discovered that the bin had already been emptied by a municipal collection vehicle operated by local sanitation company SANB. The owner alerted SANB officials, who tracked down the specific bin lorry before its contents were transferred to a compactor or landfilled. “This story is nothing short of miraculous,” said Roberto Nicola Toscano, director of SANB, noting that because the incident occurred on a Sunday, the lorry’s contents had not yet been processed. Sanitation staff escorted the vehicle to a secure facility and spent two days sifting through a massive heap of municipal waste. On Tuesday morning, a refuse worker located the intact winning ticket inside a damaged bag. The lottery winner, who signed a formal agreement to cover the operational costs of the search effort, will receive the full prize sum following official validation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly criticised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of “fomenting hate” and attempting to divide the city’s population. The sharp exchange follows comments by Mamdani asserting that Netanyahu is unwelcome in New York City due to ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) war crimes charges linked to the war in Gaza, and urging federal authorities to execute the court’s arrest warrant when the prime minister attends the United Nations General Assembly in September. Appearing on Fox News Channel, Netanyahu dismissed the ICC charges as “bogus” and claimed the allegations were designed to divert attention from internal misconduct within the prosecutor’s office. He expressed concern over eroding bipartisan support for Israel within the United States, warning that political rhetoric from progressive Democrats risks fueling rising anti-Semitism in major American cities. Despite the mayor’s stance, US President Donald Trump has publicly assured Netanyahu that he will face no risk of arrest during his visits to the United States.

The US Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominees for two positions on the federal labour law enforcement agency on Friday. The move provides Republicans with the necessary votes to overturn several key decisions that previously supported union organising. The Republican-led Senate approved a block of over 70 federal government nominees in a 51–47 vote. Among those confirmed were James Macy and David Prouty to serve on the National Labor Relations Board. James Macy, a Republican, held several roles at the US Department of Labour after spending four decades representing employers in labour disputes. David Prouty, a former union lawyer serving as the board’s sole Democrat, was confirmed for a second term. The five-member board already held a 2–1 Republican majority prior to the confirmation vote. By tradition, the panel maintains two Democrats, two Republicans, and a chair designated by the president. The NLRB investigates complaints from private-sector workers and unions whilst overseeing workplace elections. Formal complaints filed by the general counsel are heard by administrative judges before reaching the full board, whose rulings can be appealed in federal court. This internal process faces ongoing legal challenges from companies such as Amazon and SpaceX, which argue that the framework violates the US Constitution. Under long-standing tradition, the board requires three affirmative votes to overturn established precedent. Existing Republican appointees Scott Mayer and Chairman James Murphy had previously stated they would not break with that practice without a third vote. Trump’s appointees are expected to target policies favoured by trade unions that contributed to a recent surge in organising efforts. Murphy and Mayer have already revived a rule making it harder to hold companies accountable as joint employers of contract workers, whilst relinquishing jurisdiction over a SpaceX case to another federal agency. The board previously lost its quorum and was unable to process cases last year after Trump took the unprecedented step of removing Democratic member Gwynne Wilcox. Her dismissal left hundreds of cases unresolved for nearly a year. Wilcox sued and brief reinstatement was granted before a federal appeals court paused and reversed the decision. In June, the US Supreme Court upheld Trump’s removal of a Democratic Federal Trade Commission member, ruling that statutory protections against removal without cause were invalid. Wilcox’s petition for Supreme Court review regarding an identical protection remains pending.