(1) Fire in Lucknow building: at least 14 killed
At least 14 were killed in a fire that broke out in a three-storey building in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on Monday last week (June 22, 2026). The building housed a pet shop and clinic, an IT office, a gaming centre and a coaching centre on its three floors. Later, it was found that the building did not have authorisation to operate as a commercial building, but had a residential building permit.
A Special Investigative Team formed to probe the incident also found that the building owners did not have proper no-objection certificates for fire safety. Witness accounts after the fire that there was no emergency exits, and only one staircase that functioned as both the entry and exit points. This staircase had quickly filled with smoke, which became fatal to the people stuck inside.
In India, the number of fires reported was over 5,000 in 2024. In this, fires at commercial buildings form a small part. However, the pace of this decrease varies across building types.
The number of fires reported have come down from 2014, but the pace of decline varies by building type. The average rate of decline of fires between 2020 and 2024 for all fire incidents is 11.4%, while for residential building fires, it is 10.6% and for commercial buildings, the rate of decline is just 0.38%. However, it is to be noted that data from the National Crime Records Bureau does not carry explicit information about unauthorised conversion of buildings to commercial operations.
(2) Venezuela earthquake kills at least 1400
At least 1,400 people were killed after two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.5 and 7.2 struck near Venezuela’s coast on <> last week, two of the most severe earthquakes the country has seen in the past century. The quakes were called a ‘doublet’, differing from aftershocks in the sense that both earthquakes were similarly strong, unlike aftershocks which are usually less severe than the main quake.
The quakes struck an area near the country’s capital Caracas, one of the country’s most populated areas.
Map showing location of earthquakes that struck Venezuela
The recent quakes was the country’s most severe. Additionally, the 7.5 magnitude quake was recorded at a 10 km depth as per U.S. Geological Survey, the shallowest for earthquakes of over 7 magnitude.
As of June 29, 2026, at least 1,400 people were reported dead, with rescue efforts ongoing. India has pledged to send humanitarian aid to the disaster-struck country as part of Operation Amistad.
(3) Britain Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigns
Britain’s Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on June 22, 2026, following a series of policy failures, high-profile ministerial resignations and electoral defeats at the local level. The most recent trigger for the step-down was the victory of Andy Burnham, a more popular Labour politician, in a local bye-election to become a Member of Parliament. Burnham is the strongest challenger for Starmer’s former office, with a higher popularity rating among those who know him.
Here is a timeline of developments that track his political career and the building downturn after his Prime Ministerial tenure began in 2024.
(4) FIFA World Cup 2026: Group stage ends
The FIFA World Cup is set to enter the knockout stages from Monday morning with hosts Canada facing South Africa in the opener for the round of 32. The group stages came to an exciting end following the final whistle for what was a scintillating match between Algeria and Austria which ended 3-3, with both the teams scoring in the added time after 90 minutes.
Here are the group standings and the teams that qualified from each group:
The fixtures for the first knockout round between 32 teams were finalised as soon as the match ended. Odds are against debutants Cabo Verde to receive a fairytale ending to their run in this World Cup, as they face the reigning champions Argentina, with Messi already scoring 6 goals in the opening three games.
Here are the fixtures for the round of 32:
(5) Combined water levels in reservoirs that supply water to Mumbai drop to 7%
Last week monsoon had finally arrived in the financial capital, giving a respite from the heat. But the concerns for water supply still remain as the combined water levels in the seven lakes that supply water to Mumbai dropping to around 7%.
With a combined useful capacity of 14,47,363 million litres across the seven lakes, the total storage stood at 1,02,461 million litres as of Sunday (June 28, 2026).
Mumbai receives its water supply from seven lakes; 5 of which are in the neighbouring Thane and Nashik districts, and 2 – Tulsi and Vihar, which are also the two smallest of the seven reservoirs – located within Mumbai.
With delayed monsoons and the daily water demand of the city, water levels in these reservoirs have declined since May 15, 2026, when BMC announced a 10% cut as a precautionary measure.
Published – June 30, 2026 02:41 pm IST