Briefly

FRANCE

600 arrests made, 200 officers hurt in clashes

Protesters erected barricades, lit fires and shot fireworks at police in French streets overnight as tensions grew over the deadly police shooting of a 17-year-old that has shocked the nation. More than 600 people were arrested and at least 200 police officers injured, as the government struggled to restore order on a third night of unrest. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 667 people had been arrested in what he described as a night of "rare violence". French President Emmanuel Macron was scheduled later on Friday to chair a new crisis meeting of ministers.

MEXICO

Extreme heat kills 112 in only two weeks

At least 112 people have died over the past two weeks in Mexico due to heat-related causes as temperatures climbed close to 50 C in parts of the country, the Health Ministry said on Thursday. A three-week-long heat wave this month strained the energy grid with record demand, forced authorities to suspend classes in some areas and left many Mexicans sweltering. Nearly all the deaths were attributed to heat stroke, with a handful from dehydration.

UNITED STATES

Virgin Galactic takes customers to space

Virgin Galactic successfully flew its first paying customers to the final frontier on Thursday, a long-awaited achievement that puts it back on track in the emerging private spaceflight sector. Italian Air Force officers unfurled their nation's flag and peered out windows at the curve of Earth, while enjoying a few minutes of weightlessness at 85.1 kilometers above sea level. The flight came almost two years after Virgin Galactic's founder Richard Branson flew to space in a test flight meant to usher in a new era of lucrative space tourism.

Agencies - Xinhua