Reuters

At least 42 people were killed in Israeli attacks on districts of Gaza City in the north of the Palestinian enclave on Saturday, the director of the Hamas-run government media office said.

One Israeli strike on houses in Al-Shati, one of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps, killed 24 people, Ismail Al-Thawabta told Reuters. Another 18 Palestinians were killed in a strike on houses in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood.

The Israeli military released a brief statement saying: “A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck two Hamas military infrastructure sites in the area of Gaza City.”

It said more details would be released soon.

Can Keir Starmer give Britain the change it desperately wants?

CNN

As Britain edges closer toward its general election on July 4, the polls tell the same story they have for most of the past three years: This is a country screaming out for change.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer arrives at a campaign event in Halesowen on June 13 after unveiling Labour’s manifesto in Manchester for the upcoming general election.

The situation has been dire for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak since he took office in late 2022. His governing Conservative Party – whose 14 years in power have been defined by the political gambles of austerity, Brexit and radical economics – fell behind the opposition Labour Party in the polls around November 2021, and the gap has only widened since.

Barring a major shock, Labour leader Keir Starmer will be the person walking through the famous black door of 10 Downing Street in less than three weeks’ time.

New Caledonia independence activist to be detained in France

DW

Christian Tein’s lawyer says the pro-independence leader from the French Pacific territory will be sent to pre-trial detention in France, along with three other activists.

Christian Tein will be sent to Mulhouse, a city in eastern France near GermanyImage: Delphine Mayeur/AFP

Christian Tein, head of the CCAT (Cellule de Coordination des Actions de Terrain), attends the first general assembly of the organization held at the Azareu tribe in Bourail, France’s Pacific territory of New Caledonia. Christian Tein, head of the pro-independence CCAT group in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, will be held in France after being charged Saturday over deadly riots last month, his lawyer said.

China dispatches working team to assist flood-hit province

CGTN

China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has dispatched a working team to flood-hit Hunan Province to provide disaster relief instructions, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Saturday.

Rescuers evacuate people from flooding in Xianning City, central China’s Hubei Province, June 22, 2024. /CFP

The ministry urged efforts to promptly restore roads damaged by flooding and to make proper arrangements for resettling those affected by the disaster. Meanwhile, the ministry dispatched more rescue personnel and equipment to Guangxi and Anhui.

China launches new astronomical satellite developed in cooperation with France

CGTN

China on Saturday launched an astronomical satellite, the result of nearly 20 years of hard work between Chinese and French scientists, to capture gamma-ray bursts which flicker like fireworks in the farthest reaches of the universe.

The satellite, the Space-based Multi-band Variable Object Monitor (SVOM), was launched by a Long March-2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, according to the China National Space Administration.

Four scientific instruments are installed on the satellite, two of which have been developed by China and two by France. The four instruments can realize a large field of view and high-precision observation.

M4.9 earthquake hits coast of Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture

CGTN

A magnitude-4.9 earthquake hit the coast of Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture on Sunday at a depth of 50 km, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported.

There was no immediate report on damage or casualties.