HAMAS OKS CEASE-FIRE

Gaza’s militant JERUSALEM

Hamas rulers said Saturday they had accepted a cease-fire ending a massive Israeli onslaught on militant positions after a soldier was shot dead, once again pulling the sides back from the brink of a full-fledged war.

Israel and Hamas have fought three such wars in the past decade, and Hamas agreed to the second such cease-fire in a week under heavy Egyptian and international pressure.

Even after last week’s cease-fire ended the fiercest exchange of rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes since the 2014 war, incendiary kites and balloons continued to float from Gaza into Israel setting off damaging fires to farmlands. Israel has increased strikes since then to signal its new threshold for engagement after months of largely refraining to act.

Investigators raid home of Macron’s ex-bodyguard. » French in

PARIS vestigators on Saturday raided the house of one of French President Emmanuel Macron’s former top security aides, a man who was caught on camera beating a young protester in May. Alexandre Benalla’s involvement in the beating and questions about the government’s handling of the affair is turning into Macron’s biggest political crisis since he took office last year.

Benalla was identified this week by the Le Monde newspaper for beating a young protester during May Day protests while wearing a police helmet.

Chinese leader arrives for Africa visit.

DAKAR,

Chinese Presi

SENEGAL

dent Xi Jinping arrived in Africa on Saturday on a four-nation visit seeking deeper military and economic ties. This is Xi’s first trip abroad since he was appointed to a second term in March with term limits removed, allowing him to rule for as long as he wants. China is Africa’s largest trading partner, and it opened its first military base on the continent last year in Djibouti, which this month launched a China-backed free trade zone it calls the largest in Africa. — The Associated Press

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