Missiles from Lebanon hit Israel; US warships head to Middle East

It happened while you were sleeping. Here is what the world agencies reported overnight from Sunday to Monday.

• About 30 missiles were fired overnight from Lebanon towards northern Israel. Several of them landed in open areas, and there are no casualties, according to the army, adding that Israel is striking the area from which the rockets were launched. According to the Hezbollah-affiliated site Al Mayadeen, Hezbollah claims responsibility for the attack, stating that its target was a military base.

• The main fire at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was extinguished overnight from Sunday to Monday, the Russian news agency TASS reported, citing the Russian nuclear energy agency Rosatom. Russian forces have occupied the plant for two years.

• US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin ordered a submarine armed with guided ballistic missiles to be sent to the Middle East and accelerated the movement of a group of ships, including the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, to the region, the Pentagon reported on Sunday. The concentration of US forces comes during unprecedented tension in the area. Pentagon spokesman Gen. Pat Ryder said Austin informed Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in a phone call that the United States will "take every possible step to defend Israel," noting the "strengthening of U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions."

• A helicopter crashed and caught fire on Monday on the roof of the Double Tree hotel in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Several people were injured, and about 400 people were evacuated. The aircraft hit the roof of the building, and one of the rotor blades plunged into the hotel pool several floors below.

• IOC President Thomas Bach officially closed the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad at the Stade de France in Paris. The next Games will be held in 2028 in Los Angeles. The flame, which floated in a balloon over the French capital for 16 days of competition, was extinguished. Tom Cruise was the star of the segment, which was dedicated to presenting the host of the next Games. The Hollywood star performed a stunt jump on a line from the stadium roof to the grounds below, high-fiving athletes and taking over the Olympic flag.