Briefly

INDIA

Dust storms and lightning kill 96

Dust storms, heavy rain and lightning damaged homes and other structures and killed at least 96 people in northern India, officials said on Thursday. The storms also injured more than 50 people as they swept across several districts late on Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state. Officials said some deaths were caused by falling trees, collapsing structures and lightning. Police and disaster response teams used chain saws and cranes to clear fallen trees from roads and railway tracks in several districts.

UNITED KINGDOM

Minister quits, set to challenge Starmer

British Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from the government on Thursday, deepening the political crisis facing Prime Minister Keir Starmer following Labour's heavy losses in last week's local elections and a wave of ministerial resignations. In a resignation letter posted on X, Streeting said he had "lost confidence" in Starmer's leadership and could no longer remain in government "honorably and on principle". British media reported earlier this week that Streeting was considering a formal leadership challenge.

Agencies - Xinhua