World News Rroundup: China coal mine accident kills at least 10, prompts safety checks; Ukraine attacked overnight by 40 Russian missiles, drones- air force and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ukraine attacked overnight by 40 Russian missiles, drones- air force

Ukraine suffered a large Russian missile attack in the early hours of Saturday, while its air defences were able to down a far lower proportion of them than usual. According to Ukraine's air force, Russia launched 37 missiles and three drones. Eight missiles were downed, it said in a statement on social media.

Israel presses on with Gaza offensive approaching 100 days of war

Israel kept up bombardments in the Gaza Strip on Saturday as its deadly war on the enclave's Hamas rulers approached 100 days with no end in sight. In the southern city of Rafah, an Israeli airstrike on a house sheltering two displaced families killed 10 people, the Gaza health ministry said.

China coal mine accident kills at least 10, prompts safety checks

At least 10 people have died and six are missing after a coal mine accident in the city of Pingdingshan, in central China, the local emergency management agency said on Saturday, vowing to continue rescue operations and launch city-wide safety checks. A safety inspection campaign in coal-rich Pingdingshan, in Henan province, could disrupt coal production there and strain coal supplies.

Tibetan issues not in focus, but repression persists - exiled former leader

The plight of Tibet has become less discussed internationally but repression continues and China is applying what it did there to other regions, a former head of the Tibetan government-in-exile said on Saturday. China seized control of Tibet in 1950 in what it describes as a "peaceful liberation" from feudalistic serfdom. International human rights groups and exiles routinely condemn what they call China's oppressive rule in Tibetan areas.

Explainer-Did Biden break the law by ordering Yemen airstrikes?

Some members of the U.S. Congress have charged that President Joe Biden violated the Constitution by authorizing overnight strikes on Yemen. But provisions in U.S. law give the White House the authority to launch limited foreign military action, experts say. "There's not actually a strong case to prevent Biden from this kind of action," said Michael O'Hanlon, director of research in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution.

North Korea halts radio broadcasts, curbs exchanges with South -Yonhap

North Korea stopped operating a radio station used to send coded messages to its agents in South Korea, the Yonhap news agency said on Saturday, the latest sign the isolated country is shaking up the way it handles relations with Seoul. North Korea has been stepping up pressure on Seoul in recent weeks, declaring it the "principal enemy", saying the North will never reunite with the South and vowing to enhance its ability to deliver a nuclear strike on the U.S. and America's allies in the Pacific.

US carries out new strike in Yemen, Houthis vow response

The Houthi movement threatened a "strong and effective response" after the United States carried out another strike in Yemen overnight, further ratcheting up tensions as Washington vows to protect shipping from attacks by the Iran-aligned group.

The strikes have added to concerns about the escalation of the conflict that has spread through the region since the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel went to war, with Iran's allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.

New Zealand ex-Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern weds longtime partner

New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern married her longtime partner Clarke Gayford in a private ceremony on Saturday, finally tying the knot after cancelling ceremonies during strict COVID-19 controls she imposed on the country. Ardern, 43, and Gayford, 47, got engaged in May 2019 and were meant to be married in early 2022, but the ceremony was cancelled due to her “go hard, go early” approach to the pandemic, which allowed New Zealand to keep deaths from the virus low.

Taiwan voters rebuff China and give ruling party third presidential term

Taiwanese voters swept the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te into power on Saturday in an explicit rejection of China's warnings not to vote for him in an election Beijing framed as a choice between war and peace. Current Vice President Lai's DPP, which champions Taiwan's separate identity and rejects China's territorial claims, was seeking a third term, unprecedented under Taiwan's current electoral system.

Analysis-Did the US just get lured into war with the Houthis?

U.S. President Joe Biden's blistering strikes on Yemen followed weeks of warnings to the Houthis to stop attacking Red Sea shipping - or else. Yet the Houthis continued firing drones and missiles, seemingly goading the United States to follow through on its threats. That has raised a question for some experts: Did the Houthis want a war with America? And if so, why?

(With inputs from agencies.)