GAZA –  At least 30 people have been killed and over 100 injured in an Israeli airstrike on a school in Deir-al Balah, central Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

The Israeli military it had launched the strike in order to destroy a Hamas command and control center inside the compound. Most of the victims from the school arriving to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the aftermath of the attack were women and children, according to Dr. Khalil Al-Daqran, a spokesperson for the hospital. More than 4,000 displaced people were housed in the school, the Palestinian Civil Defense said.

The strike came soon after Israeli’s military issued fresh evacuation orders further south, in the city of Khan Younis, where Israel launched a fresh offensive earlier in the week which has killed dozens of Palestinians.  Residents in southern neighborhoods were told to leave after being warned that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would “forcefully operate” in the area.

Fighting has been ongoing on Gaza for months, and the renewed offensive shows Israel’s challenges in achieving its goal of eliminating Hamas. Israel said that about 100 militants had been killed during recent fighting.  The United Nations estimated that about 150,000 people fled Khan Younis on Monday alone, intensifying pressure on meager supplies of food and water, and places to seek shelter.

Signaling another campaign was imminent, the IDF wrote on Telegram it was “about to forcefully operate against the terrorist organizations and therefore calls on the remaining population left in the southern neighborhoods of Khan Yunis to temporarily evacuate to the adjusted Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi.”

The statement said the move was in retaliation to “significant terrorist activity and rocket fire” emanating from southern Khan Younis. It added that the location previously defined as a humanitarian area “will be adjusted.” Al-Mawasi has come under repeated Israeli attacks, including a strike on July 14 which reportedly killed 90 people and injured 300 more. An eyewitness in Khan Younis told CNN that she was “woken up by the screams” of people as they fled the area following the evacuation order, saying she heard explosions and saw flares in the sky. (CNN) …[+]

PARIS – Christians including Elon Musk have slammed the Paris Olympics opening ceremony for an apparent parody of the Last Supper as technical hitches and rain-drenched performers meant only Canadian singer Celine Dion could save it.

With critics branding the four-hour show as the ‘worst ever’, viewers reported poor audio caused by the near-torrential rain and even joked online that organisers needed to ‘stop the boats’. Hundreds of thousands of spectators watched 6,800 athletes covered in plastic ponchos attempted to keep spirits high as they travelled down the river Seine in a huge flotilla of 85 boats.

Performances from Lady Gaga and approximately 3,000 dancers, acrobats and actors were hard to hear over the sound of rain, with viewers slamming it as ‘the worst Olympic opening ceremony in memory’. Gaffes with country names, the mounting of the Olympic flag and bizarre scenes which saw as headless Marie Antoinette singing peppered the display last night as sport begins in earnest this morning.

But among the various artistic tableaus, named after French values such as freedom, fraternity and equality, it was the last supper-style performance in ‘festivité’ – or party – scene which caused the most controversy. Complete with models, dancers, fashion icons and drag queens from the host nation, the performance took place on a bridge over the capital’s river around a table, which also doubled as a catwalk. At the centre was a woman in front of DJ equipment with a golden halo-style crown, surrounded by several drag queens and dozens of dancers and performers.

A fashion show which showcased clothing designed by some of France’s most promising young designers took centre stage, as those seated on either side performed slick choreography. Among those present was Drag Race icon Nicky Doll, who has appeared on the French franchise, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World and now hosts France’s own version. (Dailymail.co) …[+]

PARAMARIBO – Jose B. who worked as a cashier at a local bank recently appeared in court on a theft charge. He denied having stolen any money. A colleague of Jose B. who took the witness stand claimed that she did not know much about this case but that the other colleagues could share more information with the court.

She told the court that the defendant had worked at the bank for more than 6 years and that he was in charge of handling the money at his cash register. The problems started went € 110,000 and $ 30,000 went missing from the defendant’s cash register. The defense team wants to take a look at the security footage. The defendant and a number of witnesses are scheduled to appear in court in October…[+]

PARAMARIBO – The children who live in the Amerindian village of Tapoeripa have not attended classes since the start of this school year because the school that is located in their village has not been opened due to the fact that no teachers were sent there. This means that the children from this village have not received any education this school year.

 The parents were told to send their children to the schools located in Wageningen. The chief of Tapoeripa, Sabajo, has already notified the director of the Directorate for Sustainable Development of the Indigenous, Melissa Frederick, of this problem. The village chief explained that the parents have these children do not have the means to send their children to school in Wageningen. “They do not have any relatives in Wageningen so their children have no place to stay there. Education is vital to each child. It is regrettable that very little is being done to make sure that these children can also receive an education.”…[+]