About 300 people were arrested during a chaotic day of Occupy protests in the US city of Oakland that saw demonstrators break into City Hall and burn an American flag, and police fire tear gas and use flash grenades to disperse the crowds.

Severe thunderstorms packing large hail and tornadoes have rumbled across the United States’ midsection, killing at least eight people and damaging dozens of homes.

Emergency crews and residents began cleaning up today after a series of tornadoes tore across the midwestern US states of Oklahoma and Nebraska, severely damaging more than 100 homes and leaving tons of debris.