At least 22 people are reported to have been found dead at a nightclub in South Africa.
Emergency services were called in the early hours of Sunday to the Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park, on the edge of East London, Eastern Cape province, according to the Daily Dispatch news site.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana told the Newzroom Africa rolling news channel in the country that young people were among the dead.
Reuters reported him saying they were aged between 18 and 20, but there are also reports they may have been younger, with AP saying they were reportedly attending a party to celebrate the end of winter school exams.
Siyanda Manana, a spokesperson for the Eastern Cape provincial health department, told Reuters: "We are going to immediately be embarking on autopsies so we can know the probable cause of death. We are talking 22 bodies right now."
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AP said police were investigating the deaths of at least 20 but reporters at the Daily Dispatch newspaper had earlier said the death toll could be as high as 22.
Another five people have been taken to hospital, according to local broadcaster eNCA.
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The Daily Dispatch added that there was speculation those who died were exposed to some kind of poison or died during a stampede.
Mr Manana said the bodies had been taken to state mortuaries.
The government minister in charge of police, Bheki Cele, was on Sunday morning expected to visit the scene.
The club's owner, Siyakhangela Ndevu, told eNCA he had been called to the scene early Sunday morning.
He said: "I am still uncertain about what really happened, but when I was called in the morning I was told the place was too full and that some people were trying to force their way into the tavern."
"However, we will hear what the police say about the cause of death," Mr Ndevu added.
Zulu-language newspaper the Isolezwe News says eyewitnesses told them that "bodies were everywhere" with no signs of injury.
A suspected gunman charged over a deadly mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Norway's capital Oslo is believed to be a radicalised Islamist with a history of mental illness, according to the country's intelligence service.
The attack, which killed two people and wounded more than 20, has led the PST security agency to raise its terror alert to "extraordinary" - the highest level.
It came as people flocked to the scene of the incident to pay tribute to those killed and hurt, by laying a colourful carpet of flowers and LGBT+ flags, including Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway and members of the government.
Image:People taking part in a spontaneous Pride parade arrive at the London Pub
Norwegian police, who are not normally armed, will now carry guns until further notice as a precaution, national chief Benedicte Bjoernland said.
The organisers of Oslo Pride cancelled Saturday's parade following police advice.
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The suspect, identified as a 42-year-old Norwegian citizen originally from Iran, who has not named by police, is said to have been been known to the authorities since 2015.
The men who died were in their 50s and 60s, according to broadcaster NRK.
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Acting PST chief Roger Berg described the rampage as an "extreme Islamist terror act."
He said the man, who was detained shortly after the attack, had a "long history of violence and threats" as well as mental health issues.
Police lawyer Christian Hatlo said the suspect's criminal record included a narcotics offence and a weapons offence for carrying a knife.
"Our overall assessment is that there are grounds to believe that he wanted to cause grave fear in the population," he added.
The shooting started at about 1am local time, with victims gunned down inside and outside the London Pub, a popular bar among the LGBT+ community, as well as in the surrounding streets and at another city centre bar.
Image:Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere visit the scene of the shooting
'People were very, very scared'
Bili Blum-Jansen, who was in the London Pub, said he fled to the basement to escape the hail of bullets and hid there along with up to 100 other people.
"Many called their partners and family, it felt almost as if they were saying goodbye. Others helped calm down those who were extremely terrified," he told Norwegian TV.
"I had a bit of panic and thought that if the shooter or shooters were to arrive, we'd all be dead. There was no way out."
Police said the suspect was arrested in a nearby street a few minutes later and is believed to have acted alone.
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'There was a lot of screaming'
Two weapons, including a fully automatic gun, were found at the scene, they added.
Marcus Nybakken, 46, who had left the bar shortly before the shooting and returned later to help, said: "Many people were crying and screaming, the injured were screaming, people were distressed and scared - very, very scared.
"My first thought was that Pride was the target, so that's frightening."
Journalist Olav Roenneberg of public broadcaster NRK said he was in the area at the time and saw a man arrive with a bag, take out a gun and start to shoot.
"Then I saw windows breaking and understood that I had to take cover," he added.
Image: Two weapons were found at the scene
'We must stand together'
The organisers of Oslo Pride said: "We will soon be proud and visible again, but today we will mark Pride celebrations at home."
However, several thousand people began a spontaneous march in the city centre, waving rainbow flags.
Some of those who took part in the march, which converged on the London pub, chanted in English: "We're here, we're queer, we won't disappear."
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described the attack as "a cruel and deeply shocking on innocent people".
King Harald of Norway said he and the royal family were devastated by the attack.
"We must stand together and defend our values: freedom, diversity and respect for each other," the 85-year-old monarch said.
The Nordic country of 5.4 million people has lower crime rates than many Western countries, though it has seen hate-motivated shootings, including when far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in 2011.
A shooting at a nightclub in Norway's capital Oslo which killed two people and wounded 14 is being investigated as an act of terrorism, police say.
A gunman opened fire at about 1am local time in number of places near the London Pub, a popular gay bar and nightclub in the city centre, police said.
Those caught up in the shooting fled panicking into the streets or tried to hide.
According to public broadcaster NRK, there are at least three crime scenes.
Police said that the suspect, identified as a 42-year-old Norwegian citizen originally from Iran, was arrested in a nearby street a few minutes later.
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A spokesperson for the Oslo force said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terror.
The arrested man is not co-operating with officers but his home has been searched, NRK added.
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Officers, who recovered two weapons from the crime scene including a fully automatic gun, added that they believe he acted alone.
Journalist Olav Roenneberg, from NRK, said: "I saw a man arrive with a bag, he picked up a gun and started to shoot.
"First I thought it was an air gun, then the glass of the bar next door was shattered and I understood I had to run for cover."
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described the attack as "a cruel and deeply shocking on innocent people".
The suspect is being held on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and terrorism, according to police lawyer Christian Hatlo, who added that the suspect's mental health was also being investigated.
The suspect was known to police, as well as Norway's security police, but not for any major violent crimes, investigators said.
His criminal record included a narcotics offence and a weapons offence for carrying a knife, Mr Hatlo said.
Image:Tore Barstad
Police to assess possible 'connection' to Pride
Oslo was due to hold its annual Pride parade later on Saturday but police spokesman Tore Barstad said it was not known whether this was connected to the shooting.
"Police are in contact with the organisers of the Pride event this Saturday," he said.
"There will be a continuous assessment of what measures police should take to protect that event and whether this incident has a connection to Pride at all."
Organisers of the Oslo Pride festival said there were cancelling a parade set to take place on Saturday, following advice from police.
In a post on the official Facebook page for the event, they wrote: "Oslo Pride therefore urges everyone who planned to participate or watch the parade to not show up.
"All events in connection with Oslo Pride are cancelled."
A shooting at a nightclub in Norway's capital Oslo which killed two people and wounded 14 is being investigated as an act of terrorism, police say.
People were shot at a number of places near the London Pub, a popular gay bar and nightclub in the city centre.
According to public broadcaster NRK, there are at least three crime scenes.
Police said that the suspect was arrested in a nearby street a few minutes later.
A spokesperson for Oslo police said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terror.
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The arrested man is not co-operating with officers but his home has been searched, the broadcaster added.
Journalist Olav Roenneberg, from NRK, said: "I saw a man arrive with a bag, he picked up a gun and started to shoot.
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"First I thought it was an air gun, then the glass of the bar next door was shattered and I understood I had to run for cover."
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described the attack as "a cruel and deeply shocking on innocent people".
Image:Tore Barstad
Police to assess possible 'connection' to Pride
Oslo is due to hold its annual Pride parade later on Saturday but police spokesman Tore Barstad said it was not known whether this was connected to the shooting.
"Police are in contact with the organisers of the Pride event this Saturday," he said.
"There will be a continuous assessment of what measures police should take to protect that event and whether this incident has a connection to Pride at all."
Organisers of the Oslo Pride festival said there were cancelling a parade set to take place on Saturday, following advice from police.
In a post on the official Facebook page for the event, they wrote: "Oslo Pride therefore urges everyone who planned to participate or watch the parade to not show up.
"All events in connection with Oslo Pride are cancelled."
Ukraine has ordered its troops to withdraw from the embattled city of Severodonetsk, the main focus of Russia’s assault in the east of the country, after withstanding months of relentless attack and artillery bombardment.
Serhiy Hayday, regional governor of the eastern Luhansk region, said Ukrainian forces had received “a command to withdraw to new positions, to new fortified regions, and from there to conduct normal battle operations”. In televised comments on Friday, he added: “Unfortunately . . . it will be necessary to withdraw.”
Senior officials had no immediate comment on the decision to pull back from Severodonetsk, the provincial capital of Luhansk region, which is already more than 90 per cent occupied by Russian forces. Alongside the nearby town Lysychansk, it is the only remaining city in the province not yet controlled by Russian troops.
The setback contrasts with Kyiv’s progress off the battlefield. On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrated “victory” after the EU gave Ukraine membership candidate status. The US also announced another $450mm of military aid, taking its total security assistance to Ukraine this year to more than $6bn.
The fall of Severodonetsk caps months of heavy artillery-led fighting and underlines Russia’s slow but steady advance in the eastern Donbas region where Moscow has refocused its military efforts following a near routing of its troops in their attempt to take the capital in the early days of the war.
Outgunned by Russian artillery at a ratio of 10:1, according to Kyiv, Ukrainian troops in the Donbas were taking heavy casualties, with about 100 troops killed in action daily, and morale was suffering as they were encircled and pounded by Russian shells.
Still, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War commented that while the loss of Severodonetsk represented a loss of terrain for Ukraine, it was not a “major turning point in the war” nor a “decisive Russian victory”.
“Ukrainian troops have succeeded for weeks in drawing substantial quantities of Russian personnel, weapons and equipment into the area and have likely degraded Russian forces’ overall capabilities,” they said.
Russian forces, which analysts say have improved on early tactical mistakes with better combined arms operations and air defence, now control about a fifth of Ukrainian territory in total, with the Kremlin believing it can grind down the country and that western political support will also eventually fade.
Western defence officials and analysts concur, however, that Russia lacks sufficient troops to mount a sustained offensive and will soon have to pause even as Ukraine is reinforced by hefty supplies of long-range western heavy weaponry that could tilt the military balance in its favour.
Mobilising more Russian troops remains a problem, while Ukraine has also recently launched a daring series of behind-the-lines attacks on Russian infrastructure, including a drone strike this week on an oil refinery. There are also unconfirmed reports of growing activity by Ukrainian insurgents in Russian-occupied areas, such as the southern city of Kherson.
Hayday, the regional governor, did not say whether Ukrainian forces would retreat to Lysychansk, a move that has been anticipated given the city’s higher ground and the dividing Siversky Donets river. He said Russian troops were gaining territory from the south towards their positions.
“Nobody will abandon our boys. Nobody will let them get surrounded,” Hayday said.
“We now have a situation where holding on to destroyed positions for many months just to be there makes no sense. Because with each passing day, the number of deaths in unsecured positions can grow proportionally,” he added.
Describing the scene in Severodonetsk, from where most civilians have been evacuated, Hayday said more than 90 per cent of buildings had been bombed out after months of battles and “all infrastructure is completely destroyed”. Before the war, it had a population of about 100,000.
Yuriy Butusov, a reporter embedded with the Ukrainian military in the city, said the unit he was with withdrew from the industrial zone of the city on Thursday night. Most of the defenders were holed up in the Azot industrial plant.
In an intelligence update on Thursday, the UK defence ministry said Russian forces had been putting the Lysychansk-Severodonetsk pocket “under increasing pressure . . . However, its efforts to achieve a deeper encirclement to take western Donetsk Oblast remain stalled.”
The Luhansk and Donetsk regions have been fought over since 2014 when Russia fomented a proxy separatist war after occupying Crimea.
Ukrainian forces have since then battled Russia-backed separatists who controlled swaths of the region in a smouldering conflict that claimed about 14,000 lives. Ukraine continues four months into Russia’s full-scale invasion to control large cities in western regions of Donbas including Bakhmut, Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.
EU solidarity will come under severe strain this winter if Russian gas supplies are cut off, the head of German utility RWE has warned, saying there will be “chaos” across the continent unless the bloc acts now to establish rules on energy sharing.
“The real fear I have is that European solidarity will come under significant stress if we don’t sort it out before the situation happens,” Markus Krebber said. He added that countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, which will import gas via carrier ships, could be accused of hoarding the fuel if companies and households were not treated equally across member states.
“I’m not so much concerned that we cannot find agreement, but it is better to discuss emergency proceedings when you still have time and not when the house is on fire,” Krebber told the Financial Times on Wednesday.
“If you don’t operationalise it then you end up in chaos.”
Germany’s biggest power supplier has been among the utility providers hit by a drastic reduction in gas deliveries from Russia’s Gazprom, which has forced Berlin to implement an emergency plan under which mothballed coal-fired power plants will be revived to bridge the gap. RWE is currently receiving just 40 per cent of the gas it has contracted from Russia.
Krebber’s comments illustrate the fears in the EU that gas supplies may need to be rationed this winter. The International Energy Agency warned this week that Europe must prepare for a complete cessation of Russian gas as Moscow retaliates against sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
On Thursday Germany moved a step closer to rationing, triggering stage two of its emergency gas plan and warning it would struggle to fill storage needed to meet peak winter demand if Russian supplies are not restored.
A pan-European “solidarity plan” for gas deliveries is due to be drawn up by the European Commission, and diplomats in Brussels expect it to be ready by the end of July.
However, plans to ration gas supply to companies this winter, and to encourage households to limit their consumption, are being worked out on a national level by Germany’s Federal Network Agency.
A Europe-wide framework would need to be in place to ensure supplies reached countries such as the Czech Republic and Hungary, Krebber said, while ensuring fairness over how each country defined priority customers.
“Otherwise, transmission system operators do not know on what basis to make its decision,” he added. “How much gas to keep, and how much gas to send to other countries.”
Krebber said rules needed to be formalised across EU states over what should take priority in the event of a severe gas shortage. The industry fears a political crisis if countries have different limits on heating for public buildings or criteria for prioritising gas supplies in a crisis.
“You need a unified definition of protected customers,” he said. “You need decision making procedures and it starts from information gathering. Without the relevant information you cannot make the correct decisions.”
Italy introduced caps on heating and cooling demands in April, with public buildings not allowed to be heated above 19C in winter or cooled with air conditioning below 25C in summer. The majority of EU countries are yet to introduce such restrictions, but they are seen as more likely if Russian gas supplies are completely cut off.
There have been legal battles in the past over the right of member states to define protected customers such as homes, hospitals and schools.
James Waddell, an analyst at Energy Aspects, said there was the potential for a huge political fallout if countries feel they are being treated unfairly.
“The free movement of energy is one of the key pillars of the EU,” he added. “But in a crisis the potential for the system to come under severe political strain is very real, with countries trying to prioritise their own citizens first.”
Andrei Ilaș, co-founder of Romanian energy business nrgi.ai, warned, however, against trying to create a “command and control” economy for energy supplies.
“They are afraid of chaos and political bickering, but top-down control will not work,” Ilaș said. “To effectively shut down the market would be very dangerous, as you need price signals to tell you where the energy needs to move.”
Krebber cautioned that Germany would not be able to fully replace Russian gas deliveries with alternatives such as liquefied natural gas shipments or wind and solar power generation until the winter of 2024/25.
“Probably we have a more normalised situation after the winter of 2023/24 . . . and then full replacement of the volumes one winter later.”
Krebber defended Germany’s decision to continue with the decommissioning of its last three nuclear power plants, which are due to close before the end of the year, saying the technical and safety challenges could not be overcome before this winter. He argued that the 3GW of capacity they represent was not large enough to justify the effort.
“These plants have been running for a decade, they were technically, commercially optimised until the end of this year. Refuelling takes more than three months. It takes 12 to 15 months.
“It’s not a question of does it [nuclear] help on the gas supply side — there coal does the trick.”
The US Senate has passed a rare bipartisan package of gun safety legislation, sending it to the House of Representatives for further approval.
The bill, seen as the first significant gun control legislation to pass in three decades, was passed by 65 votes to 33.
Fifteen Republican senators joined all 50 Democrats in voting for the bill.
The measures include tougher background checks for younger would-be gun owners, measures to keep guns away from more domestic violence offenders, and red flag laws that will make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people judged to be dangerous.
The $13bn package will also fund programmes about school safety, mental health, and violence prevention.
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But compromise could not be reached on broader measures, such as banning assault-style rifles or high-capacity magazines, and so these have been left out of the legislation.
They were among more than 20,800 people who have been killed in gun violence in the US this year, including through homicide and suicide, according to non-profit research group Gun Violence Archive.
Before the vote, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said: "This is not a cure-all for the ways gun violence affects our nation, but it is a long overdue step in the right direction".
The bill is expected to pass in the Democrat-controlled House, before it is signed into law by US President Joe Biden.
Mr Biden said on Thursday night: "Tonight, after 28 years of inaction, bipartisan members of Congress came together to heed the call of families across the country and passed legislation to address the scourge of gun violence in our communities.
"Families in Uvalde and Buffalo - and too many tragic shootings before - have demanded action.
"And tonight, we acted.
"This bipartisan legislation will help protect Americans. Kids in schools and communities will be safer because of it.
"The House of Representatives should promptly vote on this bipartisan bill and send it to my desk."
The court's conservative majority struck down New York state's limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home, ruling that it violated a person's right to "keep and bear arms", under the US Constitution's Second Amendment.
