LOS ANGELES -- SpaceX's giant new rocket Starship on Saturday blasted off on its second test flight but failed with the booster and the spaceship exploding after separation, according to media reports.

The spacecraft was designed to send astronauts to the Moon, Mars and beyond. (SpaceX-Starship-Failure)

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GAZA -- A Palestinian medical source said on Saturday that at least 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded after Israel bombed a school housing displaced people in the northern Gaza Strip.

The source, who requires anonymity, told Xinhua that the bodies of at least 100 people were transferred to the Indonesian Hospital following intense Israeli strikes on Al-Fakhoura School in Jabalia refugee camp. (Israeli Bombing-Gaza School-Casualty)

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DHAKA -- Seven people died in Bangladesh due to the impact of cyclone Midhili, which has lashed the South Asian country with heavy rain and strong wind.

The cyclone left a trail of destruction in the coastal Bangladeshi districts after making landfall on Friday afternoon. (Bangladesh-Cyclone)

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TOKYO -- The average number of influenza patients per regularly monitored medical institution in Japan this week came to 17.35, down by 3.78 from a week earlier, marking its first week-on-week decline in about three months, the health ministry has said.

About 5,000 such designated facilities across the country reported 85,766 cases in the week through Sunday, with the per-institution count dropping week on week for the first time since the week starting Aug. 14, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases said on Friday. (Japan-Influenza)