An air strike destroyed several buildings in Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday as Iran launched counterattacks against the attacks by the United States and Israel.
One of the Iranian missiles fell on a residential and commercial area in downtown Tel Aviv, destroying several buildings in the area.
Israeli authorities have strengthened security and controlled personnel movement in the area after the strike. Death and injuries tolls are not fully known.
Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly across the city earlier on the day as Iran started to launch missile attacks at Israel. Many residents in Tel Aviv moved to underground spaces for safety.
Despite multiple sirens, there was no visible panic as residents followed instructions to remain under cover until the all-clear signal was given.
The U.S.-Israeli attacks on Saturday affected at least 24 of Iran's 31 provinces, the Iranian Red Crescent Society reported, adding that at least 201 people were killed and 747 injured.
The attacks also killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some senior officials of Iran's defense leadership, according to Israel Defense Forces on Saturday night.
Iranian strike destroys buildings in Tel Aviv
Iranian strike destroys buildings in Tel Aviv
Researchers at China's Chongqing University recently announced that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.
The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.
Photos taken in space show the emerged butterfly moving inside the capsule, resting on leaves, and fluttering its wings, demonstrating notable adaptation to microgravity.
In order to witness the emergence of butterflies from their chrysalises in space, Professor Xie Gengxin of Chongqing University led a research team to conduct multiple rounds of screening and ultimately selected Swallowtail butterflies as the test subjects.
The selected butterfly species take approximately one to two weeks to transition from larvae to pupae and then to adult butterflies, which aligns with the duration of this on-orbit experiment. Additionally, the chrysalis's structure must withstand the various shocks encountered before and during launch.
"On the day of the launch, there will be intense vibrations. Therefore, when selecting the animals, we had to choose a species capable of enduring the two-week period of darkness and stillness before the launch while also being able to withstand the impact. In the end, we discovered that butterfly chrysalises were a relatively ideal target," said Qiu Dan, deputy chief engineer of the butterfly experiment payload.
The research team's payload, "Shennong Kaichu 2," serves as the "space home" for the butterfly chrysalises. It has a total mass of 8.3 kilograms and an internal usable space of 14.2 liters. In addition to the butterfly chrysalises, the research team also placed a chili plant, soil, water, and other materials inside the payload.
"With leaves on the chili plant, when sunlight shines in, it can carry out photosynthesis and produce oxygen for the little butterfly. We also introduced some microorganisms into the soil. On one hand, they help improve the soil; on the other hand, they can regulate oxygen and carbon dioxide levels while also purifying the air," said Xie, who is also the chief engineer of the butterfly experiment payload.
Data frameshifted back from the space show that technical indicators inside the sealed cabin of the "Shennong Kaiwu-2" payload, including pressure, temperature, and humidity, have remained stable and normal.
The successful hatching and flight of the butterfly in a microgravity environment not only verified the resilience of life on Earth but also provided important reference for life-support technologies in future long-term deep-space exploration.
Chinese space experiment sees butterfly emerge from in orbit
Chinese space experiment sees butterfly emerge from in orbit
