From the protests in Belarus, to people in Beirut picking up the pieces after the deadly blast, to the Democratic National Convention held in Delaware in the United States, here are the top images from the week gone by.
Nine days after the death of George Floyd, protesters are still out on the streets of major cities across America, even with curfews now in place. The 46-year-old was killed when a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes while he lay handcuffed and pinned to the ground gasping for breath on May 25. As per latest reports, Floyd, the African-American had tested positive for the coronavirus in April, according to the medical examiner's report. Meanwhile, a Minnesota court has upgraded the charges against former Minneapolis police offcer Derek Chauvin who pressed his knee into George Floyd's neck to second-degree murder and three other officers present during the incident have been charged with aiding and abetting murder. Soon after, Floyd's family issued a statement, saying, "This is a bittersweet moment. We are deeply gratified that @AGEllison took decisive action, arresting & charging ALL the officers involved in George Floyd's death & upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin to felony second-degree murder." Former United States President Barack Obama too held a livestream event in which he urged young people to "stay hopeful" and take action. "Just remember, this country was founded on protest," he said. Raising his voice against the US president, former secretary of defense James Mattis slammed Trump as "the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people," in a forceful rebuke of his former boss. "We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership," he said.
'Today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump - because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult,' Bloomberg said in a statement
Jeyapaul who served as a priest in Crookston township of Minnesota in 2004 and 2005 was arrested in India in 2012 and extradited to the US on charges of sexually abusing two girls in a congregation.
It was an ignominious defeat and perhaps the end of a political career of an Indian American state legislator who at one time held such promise that he was often touted as a future national politician either in the United States House of Representatives of US Senate, with some even arguing that he was gubernatorial material.
Roman Catholic priest Rev Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, facing charges of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Minnesota, was on Tuesday asked by the Archbishop of Madras to return to the United States for further investigations.
Mauni Baba, who had close proximity with veteran political leaders and celebrities and was considered to be the fourth link in the Shirdi Saibaba lineage, passed away due to cardiac arrest at Minnesota University hospital in United States, Baba's ashram sources said on Monday. He was 80.
Floyd died in Minneapolis on Monday after a white police officer pinned him to the ground. Video footage showed the officer kneeling on Floyd's neck as he gasped for breath. His death has triggered nationwide protests.
Holding believes that UK hasn't done enough to weed out racism.
Shruti and young Indians talk about the new temple in Minnesota, US
Rediff.com brings you some of the highlights from the sporting events held last week...
WTA chief promises 'strong reactions' to ban on Russian, Belarusian players
Despite accounting for the largest number of fatalities, the death rate, however, in the US is much lower than other countries.
Five officers were killed in a shooting in Dallas during a protest in response of the tragic deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota.
The 70-year-old leader had a disappointing Super Tuesday that included a third-place finish in her home state of Massachusetts.
'I truly believe that I have to do everything in my power to make sure that kids are protected and safe,' Megan Peterson, who has filed a case against the Ottacamund diocese and Bishop A Amalraj, tells Ritu Jha/Rediff.com
In a rare honour, the United States has named a mountain in Antarctica after eminent Indian-American scientist Akhouri Sinha whose pioneering biological research expedition has provided vital data about animal populations.
India and the United States enjoy excellent relations and these can be further strengthened through extensive trade and business between the two countries, said Senator Satveer Chaudhary of Minnesota state.
After each massacre, survivors and witnesses have echoed the words "no more" - yet mass shootings have continued to plague the United States. In fact, shootings only have continued to increase over the past few years. The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida is the 18th attack in a school in 2018 alone. Below are some of the worst US school shootings in the last 20 years.
Floyd's death has triggered nationwide violent protests with a section of the protesters resorting to looting and rioting across the country, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Chebrolu said she was inspired to find potential cures to viruses after learning about the 1918 flu pandemic and finding out how many people die every year in the US despite annual vaccinations and anti-influenza drugs on the market.
The 2020 race marks Biden's third attempt at running for US president. He first tried in 1988 but dropped out after allegations of plagiarism. He ended his second attempt in 2008 after garnering less than one per cent in the crucial Iowa caucuses.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday dismissed as "premature" the plea challenging a trial court order recommending extradition to the USA of Indian Catholic priest Rev Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in that country during his stay in 2004.
Under mounting pressure from sponsors and Native American rights groups, Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder said on Friday he would consider changing the name of the National Football League team whose roots date back to the 1930s. Snyder, who has previously stated he would not change the name, softened his stance a day after FedEx Corp, which owns the naming rights to the team's Landover, Maryland, stadium, called for the NFL club to be rebranded.
When Vadodara businessman P Radhakrishnan was told he could not get his bag back when he was offloaded from a flight in the US, he asked the ticketing agent a question. The next thing he knew, he was under arrest, accused of 'terrorising.'
The latest Hollywood updates.
Harpreet Singh Khalsa, 33, said he was the victim of racial profiling in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, but police stated that those who called in their concerns did the right thing.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
As we prepare to cruise into the New Year, Rediff.com gives you a glance back, through photos, into all the sporting moments that made the last 12 months memorable.
The mispronunciation outraged a large number of Harris' supporters and her spokesperson Sabrina Singh said, "I'll keep it simple: If you can pronounce 'former' Senator David Perdue, you can pronounce 'future' Vice President Kamala Harris."
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop the entire rule from going into effect.
Considered to be the worst ever civil unrest in the US in decades, the violent protests have engulfed at least 140 cities across America in the days following the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old man who was pinned to the ground in Minneapolis on Monday by a white police officer who kneeled on his neck as he gasped for breath.
Retired English football star David Beckham is considering a proposal to build a sports high school at a new football stadium in Miami as part of his quest to bring a Major League football team to the city.
Imagine a world where too much sugar isn't a bad thing. It exists thanks to a new, immersive exhibit called Candytopia. Candytopia is a sprawling sanctuary of confectionary bliss, tastefully curated by Hollywood Candy Queen Jackie Sorkin, realised by master fabricator Zac Hartog, and brought to life by life-long retailer, John Goodman. The touring candy museum is currently having a run in Minnesota in the United States after turns in Santa Monica, San Francisco, New York, and Atlanta.
The 25-year-old from the District of Columbia is 'the most intelligent contestant in recent memory'!
Former United States President Barack Obama has been free from the pressures of running the nation for two years now. However, while in office and even out of it, Obama has always enjoyed each moment. As he celebrates his 57th birthday (August 4), here are some of his lighter moments enjoying life.
An American teen has been indicted on charges of joining the Islamic State, the terrorist organisation that has captured a large part of Syria and Iraq and has threatened regional peace.
In his first tweet after election results started coming in US President Trump claimed success. "Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!".
While there were no surprises on policy issues from either side, there were far less interruptions and tense moments between Pence, 61, who comes from Indiana and his Democrat challenger Harris, 55, who is from California.
The US became the first country in the world to have more than one million cases of coronavirus. It accounts for nearly one-third of the 3.1 million cases globally.