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Tornados tore through the central United States in a series of storms that continued into the weekend, leaving eight people dead and at least a dozen others injured, authorities said.Four people were reported killed in Oklahoma, where the twisters gained strength, and four others died further north in the Midwestern state of Michigan.The Branch County Sheriff's Office said a tornado touched down near Union City in southern Michigan on Friday, killing three people and injuring 12.About 50 miles (80km) west, officials in Cass County said one person was killed and "several injuries" were reported after a tornado hit the area."Our thoughts are with those who have lost family, friends, and property during this incident," the Branch County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.Authorities in Cass County said a number of trees had fallen onto roads and buildings, and more than 500 people were reported to be without power."Emergency Management personnel will be conducting damage assessments in the affected area as required by the State of Michigan," the local sheriff's office said.Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Friday evening that she was activating a state emergency operations centre "to co-ordinate an all-hands-on-deck response to severe weather in southwestern Michigan".In Oklahoma, the extreme weather led to fourth deaths late on Thursday and Friday, and people were waking up Saturday to scenes of destruction and loss in several towns across the state."Severe weather struck Major County last night and tragically claimed the lives of a mother and daughter," Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt posted on X.Okmulgee County Sheriff Eddy Rice said in a statement that two people died in a tornado that hit the town of Beggs on Friday night. 

Iranian ‌Supreme ​Leader ‌Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ‌is ⁠dead, ‌US ‌President ⁠Donald Trump said Saturday. Trump announced this on ‌his Truth ⁠Social platform, ⁠without ⁠elaborating on the source ​of the information.Trump also said that US bombing of Iran will continue as long as needed and that the killing of the country's supreme leader gives Iranians their "greatest chance" for taking power."The country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated. The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective," Trump said.The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — which Iran has not yet confirmed — "is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country," Trump said in the statement.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier told NBC News that Khamenei was alive "as far as I know", adding that "all high-ranking officials are alive".Also asked about Khamenei's health, foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei told the BBC he was "not in a situation to confirm anything", but "the whole system, the whole nation is focused on defending (our) national integrity".Ali Larijani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said: "The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach an unforgettable lesson to the international oppressors."In an earlier video address, Trump told Iranians the "hour of your freedom is at hand", urging them to rise up and "take over your government". 

Palestinian medical sources announced Wednesday that the total number of dead in the Gaza Strip has risen to 68,643, the majority of whom are children and women, since the start of the Israeli occupation offensive on Oct. 7, 2023. The medical sources added that the number of injured has increased to 170,655 since the beginning of the assault. Many victims remain under the rubble, and ambulance and rescue teams are unable to reach them. They indicated that 104 dead (including 46 children and 40 women) and 253 injured (including 78 children and 84 women) arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals. Meanwhile, the total number of dead and injured since the cease-fire agreement on October 11 has reached 211 dead and 597 injured, and 482 bodies have been recovered.

The bodies of four Israeli hostages who died in captivity in Gaza were handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas on Monday."The Red Cross has received two coffins of deceased hostages and are on their way to IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip, where the two additional coffins of deceased hostages, that were received earlier, are located," the military said.Earlier on Monday, Hamas freed all 20 surviving hostages it had been holding since October 7, 2023, as part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump.In return, Israel released 1,968 prisoners and detainees, mostly Palestinians, the prison service said.Hamas still holds the remains of 24 deceased hostages, which it has agreed to return to Israel as part of the ceasefire deal."Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages," the military said.

Local authorities in Taiwan, China, said that Typhoon Ragasa had left 14 dead and 18 injured as of this morning. About 100 people are still trapped and awaiting rescue, according to the island's emergency operations center. Local authorities said that rescue teams are racing to locate the missing persons, hoping to conclude the search at a later date. Typhoon Ragasa's outward air currents continue to batter the eastern, northern, and southern coastal areas of Taiwan, China, causing heavy rains.