Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, said on Monday that China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should adhere to the goal of delivering benefits to the people and enhance the level of practical cooperation.

A loud sound of explosion was heard in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Monday, with the country's air defense systems activated, shooting down a "hostile" drone over Tehran.

Researchers in Australia have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of detecting smuggled marine wildlife products, including shark fins, dried seahorses and sea cucumbers, in airport luggage scans.

Sound of explosions heard in Tehran

JERUSALEM, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said Iran fired two more missile salvos targeting northern and central Israel on Monday amid the most serious escalation in the region since an April ceasefire.Sirens were activated at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv, the country's main international gateway. Video footage circulating on social media showed passengers being evacuated from a plane of Israel's flagship airline El Al as it was about to depart.The Israeli military said it had intercepted the missiles. Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said no injuries had been reported since Iran fired the first missiles on Sunday night.Israel and Iran exchanged strikes on Monday in their most serious escalation since a ceasefire was announced in April. The latest hostilities were triggered by Israeli airstrikes in Beirut on Sunday that killed at least two people. Iran responded with missile attacks on northern and central Israel.

TEHRAN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said its aerospace forces on Monday morning targeted two important and strategic Israeli air bases in retaliation for Israel's attacks earlier in the day against the Gulf country.In a statement on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said that it struck Israel's Nevatim and Tel Nof airbases in response to Israel's missile strikes on a number of radar sites in three Iranian locations.All its combat and operational units are fully ready to carry out operations on all fronts, the IRGC added.Explosions were heard in Iran's capital Tehran and in two other provinces early Monday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.Citing local sources, the report said one explosion was heard west of Tehran, two in the central province of Isfahan, and one near Tabriz, the capital of the northwestern East Azarbaijan province.The Israel Defense Forces said on Telegram that the Israeli Air Force struck military targets in western and central Iran on Monday morning.On Sunday, the IRGC said in a statement that it had launched ballistic missiles against the Ramat David Air Base in northern Israel in response to Israel's widespread crimes in southern Lebanon, including the killing and displacement of civilians.The statement said the Israeli air base carried out the attacks in Lebanon.Also on Sunday, Ali Abdollahi, chief commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned that Israel would face more crushing and regret-inducing blows if it expanded attacks on southern Lebanon and the southern Beirut suburb of Dahieh.