GAZA, May 3, 2025 – Several Palestinians, including children, were killed on Saturday evening in an Israeli drone strike that targeted a group of civilians in the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza.

Medical sources confirmed that the drone strike hit a gathering of people in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Rafah, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries.

Meanwhile, a displaced Palestinian woman was killed and five others were injured when Israeli warplanes bombed a tent sheltering families in the Al-Baraka area of Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza.

In a separate incident, a child was wounded after an Israeli quadcopter drone opened fire on the Al-Huda displacement camp in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.

Israeli warplanes also targeted land near the Al-Rahma displacement camp in the Al-Maslakh area, west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 52,495 documented Palestinian fatalities, with over 118,366 others injured.

WAFA

GAZA, May 3 – Two sisters were killed Saturday afternoon in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a home in the town of Al-Fukhari, located southeast of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Local sources confirmed that the airstrike completely destroyed the house, killing the two women instantly and causing damage to nearby homes.

In a separate incident, three Palestinian fishermen were injured after Israeli naval forces opened fire on fishing boats off the coast of northern Gaza City.

Additionally, Israeli artillery shelled the area of Qizan al-Najjar, also located south of Khan Younis, further intensifying attacks on civilian zones across southern Gaza.

WAFA

KHARTOUM – At least 300 people were killed in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Al-Nuhood city in West Kordofan State in southwestern Sudan, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday.

XINHUA

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Sulawesi region on Saturday, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency reported on the X platform, adding that there was no potential for a tsunami.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) estimated the earthquake at magnitude 5.9, at a depth of 109 km (68 miles).

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

REUTERS

ADEN, Yemen – A Houthi assault on military positions in Yemen’s oil-rich Marib province killed three pro-government soldiers and wounded eight others on Saturday, a military official told Xinhua.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Houthi fighters launched a coordinated offensive on army sites in Harib district in the south of the mostly government-held province.

“Fierce clashes broke out and continued for several hours as government troops mounted a strong defense,” the official said.

The wounded were transferred to medical facilities in neighboring Shabwa province, he added.

In a separate statement, the Southern Giants Brigades, a pro-government force, said it had repelled the attack and inflicted heavy casualties, claiming “dozens” of Houthi fighters were killed or wounded in the fighting.

Elsewhere in the country, Yemeni government forces shelled Houthi positions near the Hadd Yafea front in southern Lahj province in what officials described as retaliation for recent Houthi artillery strikes.

The renewed violence comes two days after clashes in Lahj left two government soldiers dead and five wounded. Government sources said they killed four Houthi fighters and injured 13 others in that confrontation.

The Houthi group has not issued any statement regarding the recent clashes. It rarely discloses details of its engagements with pro-government forces. The group, which seized control of the capital Sanaa in 2014, has been battling the internationally recognized government for over a decade.

Military analysts say the intensifying clashes could signal the government’s preparations for a broader offensive aimed at reclaiming Houthi-held areas in northern Yemen. The campaign, they suggest, may receive support from regional allies and the United States, which stepped up airstrikes on Houthi-controlled territory in recent days.

XINHUA

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan test fired a ballistic missile Saturday as tensions with India spiked over last month’s deadly attack on tourists in the disputed Kashmir region.

The surface-to-surface missile has a range of 450 kilometers (about 280 miles), the Pakistani military said. There was no immediate comment about the launch from India, which blames Pakistan for the April 22 gun massacre in the resort town of Pahalgam, a charge Pakistan denies.

Pakistan’s military said the launch of the Abdali Weapon System was aimed at ensuring the “operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters,” including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced maneuverability features.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated those behind the successful test. Missiles are not fired toward the border area with India; they are normally fired into the Arabian Sea or the deserts of southwest Balochistan province.

Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali said Saturday’s missile was named after a prominent Muslim conqueror of India, underlining its symbolic significance.

“The timing of this launch is critical in the current geopolitical context,” Ali told The Associated Press. He said the test was intended as a strategic signal to India after it had threatened to suspend a crucial water-sharing treaty.

India’s navy said on April 27 that its vessels had successfully undertaken anti-ship firings to “revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems and crew for long-range precision offensive strike.”

Ashok Malik, a former policy advisor in India’s Foreign Ministry, said there was anger across the country following the gun attack. The 26 victims came from 13 different states.

“Internationally, there is enormous sympathy for India and little patience with Pakistan,” said Malik. “I don’t believe anybody in India wants a full-fledged war. Even so, there is domestic pressure and diplomatic space for a sharp, targeted, and limited response.”

The ongoing “muscle flexing” by both countries’ troops was reflective of the tense mood and also apparent in the “unremitting hostilities” on the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Kashmir, he said.

Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety.

They have fought two of their three wars over the stunning Himalayan region and their ties have been shaped by conflict, aggressive diplomacy and mutual suspicion, mostly due to their competing claims over Kashmir.

The latest flare-up led the two countries to expel each other’s diplomats and nationals, as well as the shuttering of airspace.

On Saturday, India suspended the exchange of all mail from Pakistan through air and surface routes and slapped an immediate ban on the direct and indirect import of all goods from its neighbor.

India has also banned Pakistani-flagged ships from entering its ports and prohibited Indian-flagged vessels from visiting Pakistani ports.

India’s military said Saturday that Pakistani troops had fired at positions across the border for a ninth consecutive night. The statement called the firing unprovoked and said Indian troops “responded promptly and proportionately.”

Pakistan did not confirm the exchange of fire at the Line of Control.

The incident could not be independently verified. In the past, each side has accused the other of starting border skirmishes.

AP

JUBA, South Sudan – Doctors Without Borders said Saturday that its facility in a remote part of South Sudan was targeted in an aerial bombardment that resulted in some casualties.

The hospital is located in a northern town known as Old Fangak, some 475 kilometers (295 miles) outside of Juba, the capital.

The medical charity, known by its French initials, MSF, released a statement on X condemning the attack on its hospital, said to be the only source of medical care for 40,000 residents, including many people displaced by flooding.

It called the attack “a clear violation of international law.”

Fangak County Commissioner, Biel Butros Biel, told The Associated Press that at least four people were killed in the aerial attack, including a 9-month-old child. He added that at least 25 people were wounded, though an assessment of the damage was ongoing.

It was not immediately clear why the facility was targeted, apparently by government troops. A spokesman for South Sudan’s military could not be reached for comment.

A spokesperson for MSF said their hospital in Old Fangak was hit by airstrikes shortly after 4 a.m. on Saturday. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the press.

The attack caused significant damage to the hospital’s pharmacy, destroying all medical supplies. There was no definitive word on casualties.

Additional strikes occurred hours later near the Old Fangak market, causing widespread panic and displacement of civilians, according to several eyewitnesses.

Old Fangak is one of several major towns in Fangak county, an ethnically Nuer part of the country that has been historically associated with the opposition party loyal to Riek Machar, South Sudan’s first vice president, who is now under house arrest for alleged subversion.

The town has been ravaged since 2019 by flooding that has left few options for people to escape the fighting. One eyewitness, Thomas Mot, said that some left by boat, while others fled on foot into flood waters.

The attack on the hospital is the latest escalation in a government-led assault on opposition groups across the country.

Since March, government troops backed by soldiers from Uganda have conducted dozens of airstrikes targeting areas in neighboring Upper Nile State.

AP

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Two female employees of a Southern California technical college were shot on campus Friday and taken to the hospital in an incident that authorities attributed to workplace violence.

The shooting occurred around 4 p.m. in an office at the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology campus in Inglewood, where Mayor James Butts said the suspect was believed to be a former employee.

Aerial TV video showed a heavy police presence outside the campus in the city, which abuts Los Angeles to the southwest.

One of the victims was in critical condition, Butts said. The Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed on the social platform X that two people were taken to the hospital.

A person was taken into custody after initially leaving the scene, Butts said.

The Los Angeles Police Department said officers detained a male subject from a car matching the description of a vehicle linked to the shooting, which had been sent to local law enforcement agencies by the Inglewood Police Department. The Inglewood police did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

AP

ADEN, Yemen – Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak submitted his resignation to the Presidential Leadership Council on Saturday, citing constitutional limitations and obstructions that hindered his work, according to an official statement.

XINHUA

ATHENS – A 38-year woman was killed after an explosion in northern Greek city of Thessaloniki early on Saturday, police officials said, adding that a criminal investigation is under way.

“It appears that she was carrying an explosive device and planned to plant it a bank’s ATM,” a senior police official told Reuters.

“Something went wrong and exploded in her hands,” the official added.

REUTERS

NEW DELHI – India said it has banned the import of goods originating from or transiting via Pakistan as diplomatic tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations flared in the wake of a deadly attack on tourists in disputed Kashmir region.

India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade in a notification said the ban will take effect immediately.

“This restriction is imposed in the interest of national security and public policy,” it said.

Suspected militants killed at least 26 tourists in last week’s attack on a mountain destination in the Pahalgam area of the Kashmir valley.

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region is claimed by both India and Pakistan, and has been the site of multiple wars, insurgency and diplomatic standoffs.

India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, which Islamabad denies. Pakistan said it has “credible intelligence” that India intends to launch military action.

Pakistan also announced retaliatory measures that have included halting all border trade, closing its airspace to Indian carriers and expelling Indian diplomats.

It has also warned that any attempt to prevent the flow of river water promised under a decades-old treaty between the two nations would be considered an act of war.

Trade between the two nations has dwindled over the last few years.

REUTERS

NEW DELHI – At least six people were killed and 55 were injured in a stampede at an Indian temple in the western coastal state of Goa where hundreds of devout Hindus had assembled, police official said on Saturday.

The stampede occurred on Friday night during the annual Shri Lairai Zatra festival in Shirgao village, which is popular for its events including fire-walking.

“Devotees were witnessing a religious ceremony and the frenzy caused during the rituals triggered a stampede,” said V.S. Chadonkar, a police officer in Goa’s state capital Panjim.

“Six people lost their lives and at least eight were critically injured,” he said.

Stampedes during large Hindu religious gatherings are routinely reported in India, as huge crowds gather in tight spaces often ignoring safety protocol.

REUTERS

SAN FRANCISCO – Five Chinese citizens were killed and eight others injured in a traffic accident near Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. state of Idaho Thursday evening, the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco confirmed on Friday.

The accident occurred on a highway near Henry’s Lake State Park, about 26 km west of Yellowstone National Park, the Idaho State Police said in a press release.

A pickup truck and a tour van collided and burst into fire, the police said.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, the consulate told Xinhua.

The consulate expressed deep condolences for the dead and sincere sympathy to the injured and the families of those affected.

It has promptly activated its consular protection emergency response mechanism to provide assistance and support to the injured and the families of the deceased.

The consulate is also working to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured and to help the families of the victims with follow-up arrangements. It pledged to continue doing its utmost in handling the aftermath of the incident.

The consulate has requested the U.S. authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, verify the situation, and formally report the findings to the Chinese side.

The Idaho State Police said the driver of the pickup truck died and there were casualties among the passengers in the tour van.

XINHUA

KABUL – At least five commuters were killed and seven others injured in a traffic accident in eastern Afghanistan’s Wardak province, state-run Bakhtar news agency reported Saturday.

Two vehicles collided in Wardak’s Saidabad district along the highway linking the capital Kabul with the southern Kandahar province on Friday evening, the report said.

According to the report, the injured, including women and children, have been taken to the provincial hospital for treatment, some of them in critical condition.

XINHUA

NANJING – One person was killed and four others were injured after a helicopter crashed on Friday in the city of Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, local authorities said Saturday.

At around 5 p.m., the Robinson R44 II helicopter crashed from a height of about 10 meters when returning from a flight, according to the local emergency management bureau.

One person on the ground was killed, while four personnel on board were injured. The injured personnel have been hospitalized, with none currently in life-threatening condition.

XINHUA

DAMASCUS – Israeli air activity intensified across Syria on Friday, with warplane strikes reported in capital Damascus as well as central and western provinces, and drone activities observed in several regions, according to Syrian media and a monitor group.

In rural Damascus, a drone strike attributed to the Israeli military killed four people in the town of Kanaker on Friday afternoon, Syrian newspaper Al-Watan reported.

Besides, at least 10 airstrikes targeted the area surrounding the eastern suburb of Harasta, including a military post near the Harasta Military Hospital, Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Syria’s state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariyah reported that the airstrikes caused significant material damage but no confirmed fatalities as of Friday evening, and that ambulance and civil defense teams were dispatched to the scene.

In southern Syria, Israeli airstrikes hit the outskirts of the towns of Mothbeen and Izraa in Daraa province. In central Syria, an Israeli airstrike targeted the outskirts of the village of Shahta, in the western countryside of Hama province, on Friday night, injuring four, local media reported.

Israeli reconnaissance aircraft also reportedly hovered over southern and central parts of Syria, including the provinces of Daraa, Homs, and Hama, in what appeared to be part of a coordinated campaign.

Israel’s national broadcaster KAN reported Friday that the Israeli government had approved additional targets in Syria, including military installations and sites affiliated with the new Syrian authorities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly authorized the new targets.

XINHUA

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of State has approved the possible sale of AIM-9X Block II Tactical Missiles to Norway for an estimated $370.9 million, the Pentagon said on Friday.

The principal contractor is RTX Corp, the Pentagon said in a statement.

REUTERS

NEW DELHI – At least four people died and one was injured when a huge tree fell on their house as heavy rains and thunderstorm hit the Indian capital city and its nearby areas on Friday.

The tree fell on the one-room house of the family in the southwest Kharkhadi Nahar village. The house was situated in an agriculture field. The deceased included a 28-year-old woman and her three children. The woman’s husband was injured and admitted to a local hospital.

The thunderstorm coupled with heavy rains caused water-logging and traffic disruptions due to falling trees in many parts of Delhi and other affected areas.

XINHUA