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  • Police arrest 14 activists at London protest marking Palestine Action ban

    Police arrest 14 activists at London protest marking Palestine Action ban

    On Saturday, 14 political activists were taken into custody by Metropolitan Police officers in central London following a provocative demonstration marking the first anniversary of the official ban of pro-Palestinian advocacy group Palestine Action. The protest, organized by the grassroots civil disobedience network Defend Our Juries, was staged directly outside New Scotland Yard — the Metropolitan Police’s central headquarters — where demonstrators distributed public leaflets that actively called on serving police officers to become members of the now-proscribed Palestine Action.

    Unlike previous police responses to similar demonstrations by Defend Our Juries, which primarily relied on Section 13 of the UK Terrorism Act (an offense covering the display of symbols that raise reasonable suspicion of support for a banned group), Saturday’s arrests were carried out under the more severe Section 12 of the legislation. This section explicitly criminalizes any act that invites public support for a proscribed organization, and carries a maximum custodial sentence of 14 years behind bars. This shift in policing marks a clear escalation of official crackdowns on the year-long campaign against the ban of Palestine Action.

    Among those detained was 83-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt, an Anglican priest and decades-long peace campaigner who has been a consistent fixture in UK anti-war and pro-Palestine movements.

    Defend Our Juries confirmed the protest was held to also mark 12 months since the group launched its “Saving Lives is Not Terrorism” campaign, a direct challenge to the UK government’s 2024 ban on Palestine Action. Since the campaign launched, the group reports that more than 3,500 activists have been arrested under counter-terrorism legislation for participating in acts of civil disobedience supporting the proscribed group.

    In an official statement following the arrests, a spokesperson for Defend Our Juries framed the invitation to police officers as a deliberate, if lighthearted, act of provocation — one that authorities responded to with disproportionate force. “It may seem tongue-in-cheek to invite the police to join Palestine Action, but the police haven’t seen the funny side. They have arrested everyone under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act. Fourteen years in prison is no joke,” the spokesperson said.

    The group called on British law enforcement to redirect its resources away from targeting peaceful pro-Palestine protesters, and instead prioritize investigating the UK operations of Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense manufacturer that Defend Our Juries identifies as a key drone supplier to the Israeli military.

    “The ongoing attempt to silence peaceful opposition to genocide will continue to backfire,” the spokesperson added. “Britain is a country full of decent people, appalled by Israel’s crimes against humanity. The more the Labour government uses repression to mask its complicity, the faster the resistance movement grows.”

    Saturday’s demonstration is the latest action in a sustained 12-month campaign by Defend Our Juries, which has organized repeated acts of public civil disobedience to challenge the ban on Palestine Action, encouraging supporters to openly defy the legislation and accept arrest as part of their protest. At the time of this report, the Metropolitan Police has not issued any official statement in response to requests for comment on the arrests.

  • Israel eyes return to Gaza war within months, Channel 12 reports

    Israel eyes return to Gaza war within months, Channel 12 reports

    A new assessment from senior Israeli officials indicates that active hostilities could return to Gaza within the next 60 days, a timeline that would place renewed conflict before Israel’s scheduled October national elections, according to an exclusive report published Saturday by Israel’s prominent broadcaster Channel 12. Citing anonymous official sources, the outlet laid out a clear pathway that could lead Israel back to large-scale military operations in parts of Gaza it does not currently control, centered on the U.S.-led framework known as the Board of Peace.

    Under the terms of the existing ceasefire agreement that paused major fighting, the Board of Peace — established in January 2025 on the initiative of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who chairs the body — is tasked with monitoring compliance from all parties. Israeli officials told Channel 12 that the board is on track to rule within two to three months that Hamas has violated the terms of the ceasefire by failing to meet its requirement to disarm. Such a formal finding would create diplomatic cover for Israel to restart military raids across the strip.

    Channel 12 also obtained new details from a senior Israeli political source about previous delays to this process. The source confirmed that the board’s director-general, Nikolay Mladenov, was prepared to formally announce that Hamas was in breach of the agreement as early as two months ago, but ultimately held off on the declaration at the request of international mediators working to preserve the fragile ceasefire. The source added that unless a major shift in Hamas’s position occurs in the coming 90 days, Mladenov will move forward with the finding that the group has failed to uphold its end of the deal.

    The current ceasefire was first reached the previous October, after two years of sustained Israeli military operations in Gaza that left nearly 72,000 Palestinians dead, reduced much of the densely populated territory to rubble, and created what is widely recognized as one of the world’s most severe ongoing humanitarian catastrophes. While the ceasefire halted large-scale ground operations, the report notes that violations of the truce have been ongoing on the Israeli side: since the ceasefire took effect, more than 1,000 additional Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, the Israeli military has expanded its controversial buffer zone inside Gaza, and the country has maintained harsh restrictions on the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid into the blockaded territory.

    For its part, Hamas has repeatedly stated that it will not enter negotiations on disarmament until Israel fully meets all of its own obligations laid out in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, including easing the aid blockade and withdrawing from occupied areas of the strip.

    This reporting comes from Middle East Eye, a media outlet that produces independent, in-depth coverage of political and humanitarian developments across the Middle East, North Africa, and surrounding regions.

  • Pogacar gifts victory to teammate Del Toro on 2nd stage of Tour de France, Vingegaard keeps lead

    Pogacar gifts victory to teammate Del Toro on 2nd stage of Tour de France, Vingegaard keeps lead

    The 2024 Tour de France’s second stage delivered one of the most memorable acts of sportsmanship in recent cycling memory on Sunday, as defending champion Tadej Pogacar handed a surprise maiden stage victory to his 22-year-old UAE Emirates-XRG teammate Isaac Del Toro on a hilly route through Catalonia, while overall race leader Jonas Vingegaard clung to his slim early advantage.

    The 168.5-kilometer stage began in the coastal Catalonian city of Tarragona, winding through rolling terrain to Barcelona, where riders climbed three times to the iconic 17th-century Montjuïc castle before the 700-meter uphill sprint to the finish line. Early breakaway attempts from Dutch rider Alex Molenaar and German competitor Felix Engelhardt were reeled in by the main peloton with roughly 30 kilometers remaining, setting the stage for a tense showdown between the race’s top general classification contenders.

    As the pace of the peloton climbed in the final kilometers, Vingegaard and Pogacar — the two pre-race favorites for the overall title — positioned themselves near the front of the pack to avoid the high risk of late crashes that have derailed many Tour campaigns. Vingegaard, closely marking the three-time Tour winner, stayed on Pogacar’s wheel through the final climbs to counter any of the Slovenian’s signature sudden attacks. The intense speed ultimately proved too much for one-day classics star Mathieu van der Poel, who was dropped from the leading group before the finish.

    When Del Toro launched a late attack up the final climb to the line, the young Mexican rider put Pogacar in prime position to contest the sprint for a stage win. In an unexpected show of team generosity, however, Pogacar slowed in the final meters, resting a hand on Del Toro’s shoulder to encourage the 22-year-old across the finish line first. A shocked Del Toro, who had never before claimed a Tour de France stage win, stared open-mouthed in disbelief at the gesture from his team leader, who is currently chasing a historic fifth overall Tour title and third consecutive victory. After crossing the line, an exhausted Del Toro collapsed on the ground to catch his breath in the summer heat; moments later, Pogacar approached to share a warm, tight hug with his emotional young teammate.

    Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel crossed the line in third place, just one spot ahead of Vingegaard in fourth. All four riders finished with the identical official time of 3 hours, 40 minutes and 1 second, but time bonuses for the top three finishers cut Vingegaard’s overall lead over Pogacar from 12 seconds after the opening stage to just six seconds heading into the third stage.

    Vingegaard, the 2022 and 2023 Tour champion, claimed the race’s coveted yellow jersey on Saturday after leading his Visma-Lease a Bike team to victory in the opening-day team time trial around Barcelona. The Danish rider is now chasing his third consecutive overall Tour de France title, locked in a tight early battle with Pogacar for the 2024 crown.

  • Man shot dead in County Dublin

    Man shot dead in County Dublin

    A fatal shooting that has left a tight-knit suburban Dublin community reeling has claimed the life of a man in his 40s, in an incident that unfolded early Sunday morning in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin.

    According to official and local reports, the shooting took place at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time at Patrician Park, located off Kill Avenue. Irish national broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed that the victim’s body has already been transported from the crime scene for further processing.

    The Gardaí, Ireland’s national police service, has announced that a post-mortem examination, which will determine the official cause of death and other critical forensic details, will be scheduled at an appropriate upcoming time. Law enforcement has issued a public appeal, urging any members of the public who were in the area around the time of the incident, or who hold any information that could assist the investigation, to contact authorities immediately.

    In response to the ongoing investigation, multiple road closures have been put in place across the area, affecting key routes including Kill Avenue and Glenageary Road Upper. Local transportation officials have implemented detour routes to redirect vehicle traffic away from the restricted crime scene zone.

    Local elected representatives and residents have spoken of their deep shock at the violent incident, which is unprecedented in the quiet, community-focused area. Thomas Joseph, a local councillor with the Irish Labour Party, described the mood among residents as one of widespread fear and disbelief in comments to RTÉ.

    “It’s quite unfortunate. I haven’t seen anything like this before, and people are shocked and scared,” Joseph said. “People are living very peacefully, and especially in this area, [there are] very community-oriented people talking to each other, but obviously, this is my first time hearing something like this it’s a big shock.”

    The sentiment of stunned surprise was echoed by local resident Anthony Byrne, who told reporters that the shooting was entirely out of character for the neighborhood. “It’s very strange. I can’t remember anything like this before, first time I’ve seen anything like this,” Byrne said.

    As of Monday morning, the Gardaí have not released any further details about potential suspects, the motive for the shooting, or updates on the progress of the investigation.

  • Thousand welcome home Cape Verde footballers after stunning World Cup run

    Thousand welcome home Cape Verde footballers after stunning World Cup run

    The small West African island nation of Cape Verde is celebrating two milestones this weekend: 51 years of independence from Portuguese colonial rule, and the unprecedented World Cup campaign that captured global football fans’ hearts. Tens of thousands of jubilant supporters packed the grounds of Praia’s international airport on Sunday to welcome home their beloved Blue Sharks, the lowest-ranked and second-smallest nation ever to compete at the men’s World Cup, after a historic run that ended just short of the knockout stage.

    Cape Verde, ranked 67th in the world heading into the tournament, defied every pre-tournament prediction to hold its own against global powerhouses. The side earned three draws across group stage play, including a stunning 0-0 shutout of European champions Spain in their opening World Cup match ever. Those results set up a dramatic final group clash with defending champions Argentina, where the underdog Blue Sharks pushed the heavily favored side to extra time before a late cruel deflection knocked them out of contention.

    In that thrilling match, Lionel Messi put Argentina ahead early, but Cape Verde equalized to level the score at 1-1 by full time. A second Argentina goal put them ahead once again in extra time, only for a stunning strike from Sidny Lopes Cabral to level the match for a second time. The game ended 2-2, but a deflection off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges from Cristian Romero’s late header sealed Argentina’s progression to the knockout round, ending Cape Verde’s dream run.

    Despite the heartbreaking exit, the mood back home was nothing short of celebratory when the team touched down in Praia. The entire airport area was transformed into a spontaneous carnival, with fans dancing, beating drums, chanting player names, and waving the national blue flag, turning the venue into a solid sea of the country’s signature color. Fans called out for star players including standout goalkeeper Vozinha — whose sharp performances drew global attention — and defender Pico Lopes, who notched several key plays across the tournament. Players, including captain Ryan Mendes, spent hours signing autographs and posing for photos with supporters who lined the arrival area for hours.

    Speaking to reporters after arriving, Vozinha, whose full name is Josimar José Évora Dias, said that while the team had hoped to advance further than the group stage, the moment of celebration with fans was not diminished. “We wanted something bigger but we didn’t go to the next stage. Now we just enjoy the moment and celebrate with our people,” he said, wearing a white tee printed with Cape Verde’s name.

    One local supporter who joined the homecoming crowd explained that she came to honor the team for what they achieved against far more highly ranked opponents. The Blue Sharks proved that even the second-smallest nation at the tournament, a side making their World Cup debut, could compete with the sport’s biggest names, including Spain and Uruguay, holding their own across 270 minutes of group play.
    Head coach Pedro Leitão Brito, widely known by his nickname Bubista, shared that pride, noting the team came within 10 minutes of forcing Argentina into a penalty shootout that could have produced the biggest upset in World Cup history. “We showed that we may be a small country but we can play against the best teams in the world,” he said. “That’s a reason for pride. We made history for our country. They can be proud for representing our country.”

    The timing of the homecoming, overlapping with Cape Verde’s annual independence day celebrations, added an extra layer of national pride to the event, turning a regular homecoming into a landmark moment of unity and national celebration for the island nation.

  • Australia probes mystery space balls that washed up on beach

    Australia probes mystery space balls that washed up on beach

    Over the weekend, six large solid silver spheres washed ashore on Forrest Beach, a quiet coastal stretch north of Townsville in northern Queensland, Australia, triggering an official investigation into their unknown origins. Australian emergency services and space agencies have moved quickly to secure the site, amid growing speculation that the unusual objects are pieces of space debris.

    Queensland Fire Department issued an urgent public warning shortly after the discovery, labeling the spheres potentially hazardous. A 50-meter exclusion zone remains in effect around the area where the objects were found, with police guarding the site while specialized crews in full hazmat suits transferred the spheres into sealed hazardous material containers. Authorities have urged local residents and visitors who encounter any additional suspicious objects in the region not to touch, move, or examine them, instead advising immediate evacuation from the area and a call to emergency services.

    The Australian Space Agency (ASA) is leading the ongoing probe to pinpoint where the spheres originated and what they were used for, and the BBC has reached out to the agency for further updates on the investigation. Online space enthusiasts and commentators have widely theorized that the objects are propellant tanks from orbital rocket launches. If this hypothesis holds, the spheres could still hold residual amounts of highly flammable, reactive propellant that poses a significant public safety risk. As of yet, no entity has come forward to claim the debris, and the specific launch vehicle or space operator connected to the spheres remains unconfirmed.

    For locals in the normally quiet Forrest Beach area, the unusual discovery has stirred up unexpected curiosity and excitement. Lisa Scobie, owner of Forrest Beach Takeaway, told Australia’s public broadcaster ABC that the surge in emergency service and investigator activity has injected a rare jolt of energy into the small community. “It’s very quiet, not a lot happens here. So having a lot of extra activity… that definitely created a little bit of excitement,” Scobie said, adding that most locals are eager to learn the true origin of the mystery objects.

    This latest discovery is not an isolated incident: unusual space-related debris has washed up on Australian shores before. In 2023, a large metal dome that landed on a beach near Perth, Western Australia, was eventually confirmed by Indian space authorities to be a discarded component from one of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV). Similar spherical debris has also been found far beyond Australia: in 2011, a matching object was discovered in a remote grassland in Namibia, southern Africa. Experts who analyzed that find concluded it was almost certainly a rocket fuel tank that once carried hydrazine, a highly volatile and toxic propellant used in many unmanned orbital rockets.

    The incident comes as global space agencies increasingly turn their attention to the growing problem of uncontrolled space debris re-entry. With the rapid expansion of commercial and government orbital launches around the world, discarded rocket components and spacecraft parts re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on a regular basis, and while most burn up completely during descent, larger solid components often survive to reach the surface, most often falling into remote ocean areas but occasionally washing up on populated coastlines.

  • Hundreds of firefighters battle a wildfire in Portugal, while Greek authorities warn of toxic smoke

    Hundreds of firefighters battle a wildfire in Portugal, while Greek authorities warn of toxic smoke

    Southern Europe is facing a fresh wave of destructive wildfire emergencies this weekend, with hundreds of first responders struggling to contain large blazes across Portugal and Greece, while neighboring countries step in with emergency support to boost containment efforts.

    In central Portugal’s Vouzela region, the most massive blaze has been burning out of control for more than three days after igniting last Thursday. As of Sunday, data from the European Union’s Copernicus satellite mapping service confirms the fire has already scorched 12,000 hectares—an area equal to 120 square kilometers, or 46 square miles—of land. More than 1,200 Portuguese firefighters, supported by a fleet of nearly 400 ground vehicles and 15 aerial firefighting aircraft, have been assigned to bring the blaze under control, according to Portugal’s national Civil Protection authority.

    To address the scale of the emergency, the European Union has coordinated cross-border reinforcements: Spain dispatched 120 additional firefighters and 45 support vehicles to Portugal on Friday, and three extra water-bombing aircraft from both Italy and Spain have also been deployed to assist with containment.

    Across the Iberian border in northern Greece, a separate fast-moving wildfire has triggered urgent public safety warnings near Thessaloniki, the country’s second-largest urban center. The blaze ignited Saturday evening on the city’s outskirts, quickly engulfing a local recycling plant and sending toxic plumes of smoke into adjacent residential neighborhoods. Strong gusty winds fanned the spread of flames, prompting immediate evacuation orders for three suburban communities and a care facility that houses 157 people with disabilities.

    Around 160 Greek firefighters worked through the night to hold the fire line, waiting for daylight to allow water-dropping aircraft to begin aerial operations. Oraiokastro mayor Pandelis Tsakiris told Greece’s state-run public broadcaster ERT that multiple private businesses and residential properties have already sustained damage, though a full damage assessment is still pending. Greek fire department officials have taken a 76-year-old local man into custody on suspicion of negligence, alleging that sparks from his vehicle caught nearby roadside vegetation on fire to start the blaze. He is scheduled to appear before a public prosecutor for processing on Sunday.

    This blaze comes only days after another nearby wildfire killed a 12-year-old boy and his father, underscoring the deadly risk the annual wildfire season poses to Greek communities. Fire department spokesperson Brigadier Ioannis Artopoios told ERT Sunday that an estimated 85% of all wildfires in Greece are caused by preventable human negligence. Common causes include sparks from agricultural equipment, carelessly discarded cigarette butts, and unregulated outdoor grilling, he explained, noting that “this means most of them could have been avoided.”

    Greece has long faced frequent, devastating wildfire outbreaks during its hot, dry summer months, a risk that has grown steadily more severe as climate change amplifies drought and high temperatures. The 2018 wildfire east of Athens claimed more than 100 lives, and a 2023 blaze that burned through a remote northeastern Greek nature reserve remains the largest single wildfire ever recorded in the European Union. In response to the growing threat, the Greek government has increasingly turned to satellite technology to improve early detection and monitoring: four new wildfire-monitoring satellites launched into low Earth orbit in May are currently being integrated into the country’s national wildfire response system.

    While Greece has so far avoided the extreme, record-breaking heatwaves that have scorched much of Western Europe over recent weeks, dozens of smaller wildfires have still broken out across the Greek mainland and its popular island chains this summer, stretching response resources thin.

  • Three men die in separate weekend crashes in the Republic

    Three men die in separate weekend crashes in the Republic

    Three people have lost their lives in three distinct road traffic incidents that unfolded across three counties in the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, Irish national police service Gardaí has confirmed. All three fatal crashes occurred within a 10-hour window across the country’s northern, southern and central regions.

    The first fatal collision was reported at 10:45 local time in Killick, Kilcock, County Kildare. A motorcyclist in his 50s was killed when his vehicle crashed alone, with no other vehicles involved in the incident.

    Shortly before 20:00 local time, a second fatal crash took place on the N20 roadway at Castlewrixon near Ballyhea, County Cork. In this incident, a motorcyclist in his 30s collided head-on with a jeep. The 80-year-old man operating the jeep was transported to a local hospital for medical assessment, though officials confirmed his injuries are not considered life-threatening.

    The third fatal accident occurred just over an hour later at 21:10 local time at Kinnego Cross in Ballymagan, County Donegal. This crash involved two passenger cars, and one driver, a man in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Three other people involved in the collision – another man in his 20s, a teenage boy and a teenage girl – were transferred to Letterkenny University Hospital for care. Gardaí confirmed none of the three sustained injuries that are expected to be fatal.

    In a public statement following the incidents, Gardaí confirmed that coroners have been formally notified of all three deaths, in line with standard Irish protocol for fatal road incidents. Law enforcement has now launched an investigation into the circumstances of each crash, and is asking members of the public who may have information that could assist inquiries to come forward.

    Specifically, Gardaí is appealing to any road users who were in the area of any of the three collisions at the relevant times, who may have witnessed the events unfold, or who holds dash-camera footage captured from their vehicles around the time and location of each incident to contact local police. Investigators note that even small pieces of witness testimony or short clips of dash-cam footage can provide critical context to help determine the cause of each crash.

  • Nigeria says 2 nationals were killed during anti-migrant violence in South Africa

    Nigeria says 2 nationals were killed during anti-migrant violence in South Africa

    In a formal announcement made public on Sunday, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the deaths of two Nigerian nationals killed last month in South Africa, amid a wave of violent anti-immigrant demonstrations targeting migrant workers from across the African continent. The two citizens were killed on June 28, just 48 hours before the expiration of an unofficial ultimatum issued by anti-immigrant protesters demanding all foreign nationals leave South African territory, according to the statement. Of the two fatalities, one Nigerian was allegedly killed by serving South African police officers, while the second was murdered by a group of unidentified attackers. The Associated Press confirmed that South African police services have not yet issued any formal response to requests for comment on the killings. The current wave of anti-immigrant unrest first erupted across South Africa in April and May, with demonstrators blaming foreign-born residents for the country’s persistently high national unemployment rate, rising violent crime rates, and growing strain on overstretched public infrastructure and social services. The outbreaks of violence targeting African migrants have already prompted diplomatic pushback from several affected nations: Nigeria, Ghana and Malawi have all organized repatriation operations to bring their vulnerable citizens home, and each nation has summoned South Africa’s senior diplomatic envoys to formally protest the attacks. In an official statement accompanying the announcement of the deaths, Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa emphasized the disturbing context of the two killings. “These two killings come at a time when foreigners are being unduly targeted in South Africa. This raises questions about deliberate attempt by some elements to wrongfully generalise and tag well-meaning, hard-working, and respectable Nigerians as criminals,” Ebienfa said. South Africa has a long, troubling history of xenophobic violence driven by public resentment toward migrant communities. The deadliest recorded outbreak occurred in 2008, when coordinated attacks on foreign residents left more than 60 people dead, a wave of violence that international human rights organizations universally labeled as targeted xenophobic attacks.

  • Heavy rains leave 5 dead in China’s north while Tropical Storm Maysak hits the south and Vietnam

    Heavy rains leave 5 dead in China’s north while Tropical Storm Maysak hits the south and Vietnam

    Extreme weather events have swept across multiple regions of East Asia over the weekend, leaving at least five people dead and triggering widespread flooding and infrastructure damage in northern China and southern coastal areas, Chinese state media confirmed Sunday. The double weather disasters separated by hundreds of kilometers unfolded within a 24-hour window, forcing mass evacuations of at-risk residents and leaving local emergency response teams stretched thin.

    In northern China, two consecutive torrential downpours triggered fatal flash floods and urban inundation. On Saturday evening, a sudden mountain flash flood swept through a rural area in the eastern section of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, killing two local villagers, according to official Xinhua News Agency. Local authorities confirmed the pair were moving their cattle herds away from the rising floodwaters when the incident occurred: one drowned while herding livestock, and the other fell into rushing floodwaters while driving the herd to higher ground.

    Just 240 miles southeast of Inner Mongolia, in Fushun City of neighboring Liaoning Province, three more residents died from weather-related incidents on the same day, Xinhua reported, though full details of the fatalities have not yet been released. Fushun was battered by hours of extreme early-morning rainfall Saturday, with one local monitoring site recording a total accumulation of up to 13 inches of rain. Viral footage posted to social media showed major city streets transformed into rushing, waist-deep waterways, displacing thousands of local residents. As of Sunday, approximately 3,600 Fushun residents had been relocated to designated emergency safe shelters.

    While northern China grappled with deadly rain-triggered floods, southern coastal regions faced the impact of Tropical Storm Maysak, which made its second regional landfall over the weekend. After dumping heavy rain across China’s Hainan Island last week, the storm crossed the Gulf of Tonkin and made landfall Saturday night in Vietnam’s Quang Ninh Province, packing maximum sustained winds of 63 miles per hour. As it moved inland, the system gradually weakened from severe tropical storm intensity to standard tropical storm status before tracking northward into China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Sunday.

    In Fangchenggang, a port city in southern Guangxi, storm-driven rainfall pushed local rivers past their banks, triggering severe flooding that submerged passenger vehicles up to their rooflines, footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed. Local residents told China News Service that the flooding is the worst the region has seen in two decades. Emergency rescue teams deployed inflatable boats to navigate submerged neighborhoods and extract residents trapped in their homes and vehicles. The storm also knocked over mature trees in Dongxing, a Guangxi border city that sits directly adjacent to Vietnam.

    Across the border in Vietnam’s Mong Cai Town, the storm’s strong winds downed trees and tore metal roofing off residential and commercial buildings Saturday evening, Vietnamese state media reported. After wind speeds eased, municipal work crews used chainsaws and heavy construction equipment to clear fallen debris from roadways and reopen blocked transport routes.

    As of Sunday, there has been no update on additional missing persons or the full scale of property damage from either the northern rain events or southern Tropical Storm Maysak.