The 10 most important things in the world right now

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REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza

A student protester gestures as a jet of water is released from a riot police water cannon during a demonstration to demand changes in the education system, in Santiago city.

Hello! Here's what you need to know for Wednesday.

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1. Israel launched airstrikes in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday after a rocket was fired at southern Israel, in the first airstrikes since last summer's ceasefire.

2. At least 800 people have died in a major heatwave sweeping across India.

3. Iraq has formally launched an operation to drive Islamic State militants out of the western Anbar province, where the group captured the provincial capital earlier this month.

4. Massive rainstorms in Texas, Oklahoma, and northern Mexico have killed at least 22 people, while dozens more are missing.

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5. Several top officials of FIFA, soccer's global governing body, were arrested early Wednesday in Zurich with plans to extradite them to the US on federal corruption charges that include wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering.

6. Russia has reportedly abandoned its €1.2 billion (£84 million, $1.3 billion) deal for two Mistral-class helicopter carriers with France.

7. Gunmen tried to assassinated Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinn on Tuesday as he was on his way on his way to the airport in the eastern city of Tobruk.

8. The European Commission will unveil on Wednesday its latest plan to force EU member states to more evenly share the burden of taking in migrants who land in Italy, Greece, and Malta.

9. The US Air Force has certified serial entrepreneur Elon Musk's privately held SpaceX to launch military and spy satellites.

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10. The pipeline that leaked thousands of gallons of oil into waters off the California coast is the states only major pipeline not to have an auto shut-off valve, which environmentalists say could have minimised the leak.

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