International

New Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip leave at least 48 dead in the last few hours

At least 48 Palestinians have died in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours from Israeli attacks, bringing the total number of fatalities in the last fifteen months to 45,854, including almost 18,000 children, according to data from the Ministry of Health of the enclave.

On the other hand, the injured are 109,139, after adding the 75 that arrived at the Gaza hospitals on the last day.

In addition, the Ministry controlled by Hamas figures at 11,000 missing under the rubble who have not yet been rescued.

Palestinian medical sources confirmed that they had received six deaths in the hospitals of Jan Yunis, in the southern Strip, as a result of bombings in the nearby city of Rafah, including two children attacked by a quadcopter drone.

Israeli attacks on the Nuseirat refugee camp

Shooting and artillery attacks have also been reported in the last few hours in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in the center of the enclave, where last night a drone attack in the middle of the camp against a meeting of citizens caused 19 injuries who were treated at the Al Awda hospital.

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That same hospital received seven injuries as a result of another attack in the nearby Bureij refugee camp, in which three people from the same family, a child and his parents also died on the spot.

There are also reports of attacks within Gaza City, where a woman and her son were killed by a bombing on the Al Omari mosque in Al Daraj, a neighborhood in downtown Gaza City, where attacks were also recorded in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Radwan, Sabra and Zaytun.

Another baby dies of hypothermia and there are already 8 victims of the cold

The baby Yousef Anwar Klubb, who was only 35 days old, died last night of hypothermia in the fenced Gaza Strip, the eighth fatal victim of the cold in recent weeks, which has already claimed the lives of six other babies and a young man.

The baby died “as a result of harsh weather conditions and extreme cold,” confirmed the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which indicated that the victims due to low temperatures in the enclave have risen to eight.

All these deaths have occurred among displaced people in the Mawasi area, in the south of the Strip, who live in precarious tents, many of them damaged by inclement weather, so they do not protect well from the cold in the area, where many Gazans were forcibly forced to flee in the summer months, so they do not have the appropriate warm clothes to face the winter.

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“We have repeatedly warned about the dangers of imminent climate depressions, the winter season and the frost waves, which coincide with the catastrophic reality that our Palestinian people live, who face murders, genocide, destruction of homes and vital sectors, as well as displacement and forced migration,” denounced the Gaza Government.

The Government warned that in the coming days “heavy rains and frosts” are expected, which poses a real threat to the lives of the displaced who have already been victims of “war crimes”; and demanded that the United States, Great Britain, France and Germany, countries that support Israel, intercede to “stop the genocide”.

The cold and lack of shelter causes the death of newborns

“The cold climate and lack of shelter are causing the death of newborns in Gaza, while 7,700 newborns lack care to save their lives,” the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) denounced today.

The UNRWA also denounced the attacks against the health system of the Strip and recalled that the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia, the largest in the north of the enclave, has been out of service after being assaulted last week by the Israeli Army, which arrested about 200 people including part of the medical staff and its director, Dr. Husam Abu Safiya, who is in unknown.

“Up to 50 attacks in the vicinity of the hospital have been verified since October 2024,” the UN agency said. Israel launched a harsh “slamed earth” military offensive that month throughout the north of the enclave, which has caused at least 3,000 deaths and a thousand missing, although those figures have not been updated for weeks due to the lack of access to rescue services.

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International

Artemis II crew prepares for Earth return and splashdown recovery

Astronauts from the Artemis II mission are expected to be extracted from the Orion spacecraft approximately two hours after splashdown, scheduled for 20:07 UTC this Friday (6:07 p.m. in San Salvador), according to NASA.

Following recovery, a rescue team will transport the crew by aircraft to the USS John P. Murtha. Once onboard, they will undergo medical evaluations before boarding another flight to the Johnson Space Center.

On Thursday, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, continued preparations for their return to Earth.

Their activities include stowing equipment used during the mission, securing cargo and storage compartments, and installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are properly fastened. The crew will also review the latest weather updates, recovery operations status, and reentry timeline, while preparing for post-landing procedures.

At 21:53 UTC (9:53 p.m. in San Salvador), Orion’s thrusters are scheduled to perform a second trajectory correction maneuver, refining the spacecraft’s path back to Earth. During this operation, Hansen will monitor guidance, navigation, and propulsion systems.

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NASA explained that during Friday’s reentry, the service module will separate about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. If necessary, a final trajectory adjustment will fine-tune the flight path before the capsule begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from jettisoned components.

Just before atmospheric interface, Orion will reach a peak speed of approximately 3,800 km/h. As it descends to about 400,000 feet (around 121.9 km), communications will be interrupted for approximately six minutes due to plasma formation around the capsule during peak heating.

NASA expects the crew to experience up to 3.9 G during a nominal reentry profile. After exiting the blackout phase, the capsule will jettison its forward bay cover. Drogue parachutes will deploy at around 22,000 feet (6.7 km), followed by the three main parachutes at approximately 6,000 feet (1.8 km).

Artemis II marks NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon. The mission aims to validate capabilities for deep space human exploration and lay the groundwork for future long-term scientific missions on the lunar surface.

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International

Flooding in Dominican Republic leaves child dead and thousands affected

A two-year-old girl died after a wall of her home collapsed amid severe flooding that struck Dominican Republic on Wednesday. The heavy rains also caused power outages, school closures, and reduced working hours across affected areas.

Authorities issued preventive alerts in 15 of the country’s 31 provinces due to intense rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms that began Tuesday night.

Juan Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations (COE), confirmed the child’s death to the press. The incident occurred in Santo Domingo Oeste, part of the capital region.

According to Red Cross officials, the girl died when a wall in her home collapsed following a landslide triggered by hours of heavy rain.

President Luis Abinader provided an update from the COE, stating that government agencies had been mobilized since early morning, particularly in Greater Santo Domingo, to protect lives and minimize material damage.

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Floodwaters left several vehicles submerged, while others were swept away by strong currents. Authorities estimate that around 250,000 families have been affected by the flooding.

Earlier, Public Administration Minister Sigmund Freund announced reduced working hours, encouraging remote work for those facing transportation difficulties, while maintaining in-person operations for essential services.

International

Bill Gates to testify before Congress over Epstein connections

Bill Gates is set to testify on June 10 before a congressional committee in United States investigating links connected to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Tuesday.

The Microsoft co-founder is among several high-profile figures named in documents released by the Department of Justice, which detail alleged close associations, questionable financial dealings, and private photographs involving Epstein.

According to a spokesperson cited by Politico, Gates “welcomes” the opportunity to appear before the committee. The representative emphasized that Gates “never attended or participated in any illegal activities with Epstein” and is prepared to answer questions to support the investigation.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

In late February, Gates told members of his foundation’s board that his association with Epstein was a “huge mistake.” He has consistently denied any involvement in the financier’s criminal activities. Epstein died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.

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“I did nothing illegal. I saw nothing illegal,” Gates said, according to a recording obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

Gates acknowledged that his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.

A draft email written by Epstein and released by the Department of Justice referenced alleged extramarital relationships involving Gates. The message, which was apparently never sent, claimed that Epstein had helped “Bill” obtain medication related to encounters with Russian women.

Gates admitted to having had two extramarital affairs but denied any involvement with Epstein’s victims.