About 60 People Feared Dead in Stampede at India Religious Event

A picture taken with a slow shutter speed effect shows a man sheltering under an umbrella as he walks in the street, during a rainy day in Kolkata, Eastern India, 02 July 2024. Heavy rain disrupted daily life in the city.  EPA/PIYAL ADHIKARY
A picture taken with a slow shutter speed effect shows a man sheltering under an umbrella as he walks in the street, during a rainy day in Kolkata, Eastern India, 02 July 2024. Heavy rain disrupted daily life in the city. EPA/PIYAL ADHIKARY
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About 60 People Feared Dead in Stampede at India Religious Event

A picture taken with a slow shutter speed effect shows a man sheltering under an umbrella as he walks in the street, during a rainy day in Kolkata, Eastern India, 02 July 2024. Heavy rain disrupted daily life in the city.  EPA/PIYAL ADHIKARY
A picture taken with a slow shutter speed effect shows a man sheltering under an umbrella as he walks in the street, during a rainy day in Kolkata, Eastern India, 02 July 2024. Heavy rain disrupted daily life in the city. EPA/PIYAL ADHIKARY

About 60 people were feared dead in a stampede at a religious event in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, authorities said.
The stampede happened in a village in Hathras district, about 200 km southeast of the national capital New Delhi.
"I can't give the exact toll at the moment, but it is approximately 60 ... There is a possibility that the toll may go up," Manish Chikara, a district police spokesperson, told Reuters by phone.
Unverified videos on social media showed bodies piled up on the ground outside a local hospital. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.
State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered an investigation into the incident.
"Instructions have been given to the concerned officials to conduct relief and rescue operations on war footing and to provide proper treatment to the injured," he wrote on X.



China Allows Visa-free Entry for 5 Latin American Nations to Boost Ties

FILE PHOTO: Tourists use their phones as they visit the Forbidden City in Beijing, China February 21, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tourists use their phones as they visit the Forbidden City in Beijing, China February 21, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo
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China Allows Visa-free Entry for 5 Latin American Nations to Boost Ties

FILE PHOTO: Tourists use their phones as they visit the Forbidden City in Beijing, China February 21, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tourists use their phones as they visit the Forbidden City in Beijing, China February 21, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo

China will allow visa-free entry for nationals of five Latin American countries for one year to boost closer connections with the region.

Starting June 1, citizens of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay will be allowed to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, China's Foreign Ministry announced Thursday. The trial program will be in effect for one year.

“We welcome more foreign friends to visit China, to experience the colorful and vibrant China,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a daily briefing.

Beijing hosted the China-CELAC, or Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Forum earlier this week, aiming at strengthening its alliances in the region as a counterweight to US influence.

China has been opening up to dozens of countries including most of the European nations, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia to boost the economy after strict pandemic travel measures. China and Uzbekistan will also begin mutual visa-free entry for up to 30 days starting June 1, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.