News Wrap: Russia pounds Ukraine with heavy shelling as the civilian death toll rises

Amna Nawaz:

Well, police in suburban Indianapolis are looking for answers after the country's latest mass shooting. A man armed with two rifles killed three people in a mall food court last night. Investigators say a bystander legally armed with a handgun then shot and killed the gunman.

We will have more on this and on other mass shootings after the new summary.

A heat wave is scorching the central U.S. with temperatures at dangerous levels. Extreme heat warnings were issued across the West, Midwest and South today. Readings ranged from 100 degrees in Fargo, North Dakota, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, to 110 in Dallas. Officials in Texas warned that power use could break records again this week as customers crank up the air conditioning.

A separate heat wave that's been searing Southern Europe moved north into Britain today. Temperatures topped 100 degrees shutting schools and train lines and closing some airports after runways melted. The heat has also fueled wildfires in France and Spain, displacing thousands of people. And heat-related deaths are in the hundreds. We will return to all of this later in the program.

In Ukraine, Russia continued its campaign of heavy shelling, killing even more civilians. Rescuers scoured the remnants of a residential building in the eastern town of Toretsk after a missile strike there killed at least six people.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, President Putin remained defiant over Western sanctions. He insisted that Russia won't let itself be cut off.

Vladimir Putin, Russian President (through translator):

We cannot develop an isolation from the rest of the world. And it won't be like that. Today, you can't just circle everything with a compass and put up a huge fence around yourself.

Amna Nawaz:

Putin plans to travel to Iran tomorrow. U.S. officials have warned that Tehran plans to supply the Russians with more drones.

The acting president of Sri Lanka today declared a state of emergency, giving himself broad power, even as protesters demand his resignation. He warned that demonstrators may face a tougher response going for toward.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (through translator): In this country today, there's a campaign to violate the law. What we have to do is oppose this and protect law and order. I will not allow fascist to destroy the country's law and order. At the same time, I will accept peaceful protesters.

Amna Nawaz:

Despite the warning, members of trade unions protested outside the main railway terminal in the capital city of Colombo. They insisted they will not back down. The island nation's former president fled the country last week and resigned amid economic collapse and political unrest.

On the pandemic, several large Chinese cities, including Shanghai, are rolling out new mass testing and limited lockdowns, as COVID-19 infections are on the rise. That comes as new subvariants of the virus once again are pushing cases higher around the world. The New York Times reports average daily cases in the U.S. are up 15 percent in the last two weeks. Hospitalizations are up 20 percent.

Meanwhile, Wall Street lost ground after early gains faded. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 215 points to close at 31072. The Nasdaq fell 92 points, and the S&P 500 slipped 32.