At least 36 people have been killed and dozens injured during a stampede at a rally for actor-turned-politician Vijay – a huge star in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Ma Subramanian, the state’s health minister, said at least 40 people were injured at the event.

The official added that those who died included eight children, and that the 36 were dead by the time they were taken to hospital.

Indian media reports, quoting local officials, said the stampede was triggered when a group of Vijay’s supporters and fans fell while trying to get close to his bus.

Stampedes are relatively common in India when large crowds gather.

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US President Donald Trump said he was directing Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to send troops to Portland, Oregon and to protect federal immigration facilities against “domestic terrorists”, saying he was authorising them to use “full force, if necessary”.

A deployment in Portland – the largest city in Oregon – would follow similar moves by the Republican president to mobilize troops against the wishes of local Democratic leadership in Los Angeles and Washington DC.

It also comes as Mr Trump launches an assault against left-wing activists in the wake of several deadly attacks, which the president and his allies claim are evidence of a “domestic terrorist” network.

Mr Trump said in a social media post that he was directing Mr Hegseth “to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists”.

The move follows on from Wednesday, when a gunman who wrote “ANTI-ICE” on an unused bullet killed two detainees and wounded another when he fired on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas from a nearby rooftop before taking his own life.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, responding to Mr Trump’s order today, said: “The number of necessary troops is zero, in Portland and any other American city.

“The president will not find lawlessness or violence here unless he plans to perpetrate it.”

In a press conference yesterday, Mr Wilson and other local leaders urged calm in the face of an apparent influx of federal officers that the mayor said did not come at the request of the city.

“This may be a show of force, but that’s all it is. It’s just a big show,” he said.

US Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, wrote on X that Mr Trump “may be replaying the 2020 playbook and surging into Portland with the goal of provoking conflict and violence”.

In 2020, protests erupted in downtown Portland, the Pacific Northwest enclave with a reputation as a liberal city, following the killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd.

The protests dragged on for months and some civic leaders at the time said they were spurred rather than quelled by Mr Trump’s deployment of federal troops.

Trump focuses on crime and ‘Antifa’

On Thursday, Mr Trump told reporters that “crazy people” were trying to burn buildings in Portland.

“They’re professional agitators and anarchists,” he said, without providing evidence,” he said.

Mr Trump last week signed an executive order that declares the anti-fascist Antifa movement a domestic “terrorist organisation” as part of a crackdown on what he claims is left-wing sponsored political violence.

According to US law enforcement, there has never been a terrorist incident in the United States connected to Antifa.

Mr Trump first sought to designate the movement as a domestic terror organisation during the nationwide George Floyd protests.

The most notorious episode involving the movement occurred in Portland in August 2020, when Michael Reinoehl, a self-identified Antifa supporter, shot and killed Aaron “Jay” Danielson, a member of the far-right group Patriot Prayer.

Mr Reinoehl was killed by federal and local law enforcement officers during an attempt to arrest him.

The US president has made crime a major focus of his administration even as violent crime rates have fallen in many US cities.

His crackdown on municipalities led by Democrats including Los Angeles and Washington has spurred legal challenges and protests.

The Trump administration’s goal of deporting record numbers of immigrants living in the US illegally has framed the push around criminals, but it has arrested many people without criminal records.

Residents in New York, Chicago, Washington and other Democrat-leaning metropolitan areas have pushed back in recent months.

In the Chicago suburb of Broadview yesterday, ICE used tear gas, less-lethal rounds and pepper balls to quell protests outside an immigration detention center.

Protests have also occurred outside other detention centers around the country, including in Portland.

Ellie Kildunne scored a wonder try as England banished their World Cup demons to be crowned champions by crushing Canada 33-13 at Twickenham Allianz Stadium.

Kildunne produced the individual highlight of the match with a thrilling solo score in the ninth minute, but it was the magnificent Red Roses pack that made victory possible in front of a record 81,885 crowd.

Four of England’s five tries were supplied by the forwards, including two for number 8 Alex Matthews, and there was the familiar sight of their scrum and maul grinding the opposition into submission.

And in defence they were responsible for shutting down Canada at a key stage in the second half when the tournament’s form team were taking advantage of a yellow card for Hannah Botterman to stage a fightback.

It was as England were defending their line at 26-13 ahead, with Asia Hogan-Rochester having run in her second try for the Canadians, that fears of another World Cup failure were at their strongest.

The Red Roses had reached the last six finals yet won only once, but on this occasion they held their nerve with their forwards facing down the uprising when it was at its fiercest.

How England would deal with their World Cup final gremlins was the great unknown heading to Twickenham, but it quickly became clear that it was Canada who were struggling with the occasion and overall the underdogs were disappointing.

Apart from scoring a brilliantly worked try through Hogan-Rochester, they had little to celebrate from a one-sided first half littered with errors and indiscipline.

England lost a line-out on their own throw to allow Hogan-Rochester to score, but that was the only mistake from their set-piece, which directly led to scores for forwards Amy Cokayne and Matthews.

‘Another worldy from Kildunne’ – England go ahead after a stunning try from star winger Ellie Kildunne #RTERugby #RTESport
Watch live 📺: https://t.co/XnOP6grVqF Follow updates: https://t.co/kTCkG2V7JI pic.twitter.com/rGf89gcwjC

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 27, 2025

It was the early touch down by Kildunne that truly lit up the first half, however, as she burst through Canada’s defence with a show of strength before using her footwork and pace to race over.

It was a try scored when there appeared nothing on for England, although the trail of red shirts left in her wake was also the result of soft tackling.

A Sophie de Goede penalty was all Canada could muster from a sustained attack on the Red Roses line and they looked dazed upon conceding another maul try, although this one was ruled out for offside.

England score try number five through Alex Matthews and have one hand on the trophy with a 33-13 lead #RTERugby #rtesport
Watch live 📺: https://t.co/XnOP6grVqF Follow updates: https://t.co/kTCkG2V7JI pic.twitter.com/zlMcckqkSY

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 27, 2025

England’s assault continued into the second half with prop Botterman continuing to cause havoc up front, and Abbie Ward was the next over after a series of forward drives.

Botterman was shown a yellow card for a tip tackle on Karen Paquin and Canada exploited the advantage almost immediately by sending Hogan-Rochester over for her second.

The Red Roses’ defence faced enormous pressure but the underdogs just could not make the decisive run or pass, and it was the scrum that came to the hosts’ rescue on successive occasions.

Canada had the momentum but England finally escaped their half and showed their class by ending waves of forward-led attacks with a second try for Matthews, bringing the fightback to a halt and enabling them to lift the World Cup for the third time in the nation’s history.

The #RTERugby panel of Lindsay Peat, Darren Cave and Niamh Briggs react to England’s 33-13 win over Canada in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final #RTESport #WRWC2025 pic.twitter.com/x1Ia9lx1zd

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 27, 2025