Khartoum, Sep 5: At least 26 people were killed and dozens injured in two separate attacks in Sudan’s South Kordofan State, multiple sources have said.

The Sudan Doctors Network, a volunteer group, said in a statement on Friday (local time) that more than 21 people, including women and children, were killed and others injured on Thursday afternoon in an attack by forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), an ally of paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), on Debi and Luwairi, south and west of Kauda.

In a separate incident early Friday, five people, including a child, were killed and others injured in artillery shelling by SPLM-N forces that struck the city of Dilling, the network said in a separate statement.

The network condemned the attack on Debi and Luwairi as a violation of a ceasefire agreement reached in late August and accused SPLM-N of targeting civilians, reports Xinhua news agency.

A medical source at a rural hospital in Debi told Xinhua that more than 20 bodies and 11 injured had arrived at the facility, with civilians fleeing the area amid fears of worsening humanitarian conditions.

In Dilling, an eyewitness told Xinhua that artillery hit residential neighbourhoods, killing about five civilians and injuring more than seven.

SPLM-N has not commented on the allegations.

SPLM-N, established in 2011, controls parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile State.

Sudan’s Kordofan states have witnessed fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on one side and the RSF and SPLM-N on the other, as part of a broader conflict that began in April 2023.

Now in its fourth year, the conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions inside and outside the country.

Kathmandu, Sep 5: The death toll from last week’s devastating floods in Nepal has crossed 1,300, as piles of dead bodies collected in different districts continue to pile up.

According to the latest data released by the Nepal Police, as many as 1,344 bodies swept away by the Bhote Koshi River had been recovered as of 8 a.m. Saturday.

The death toll could rise further, as 4,886 people, including 606 foreigners, remain out of contact following the floods that swept all before it, causing huge damage to lives and property of people across the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridor in central Nepal.

A large number of those out of contact are believed to be trapped inside tunnels of 11 hydropower projects along the two river corridors as rescue efforts are underway.

On Friday, two people were rescued alive from the tunnel of the 60MW Upper Trishuli 3A project in Rasuwa district.

The Nepali government said that rescue efforts are underway to find people still out of contact, while authorities are working on body recovery, identification, and relief operations as well.

Security agencies have intensified search and rescue operations in the flood-affected areas. So far, police say 8,962 people have been rescued, including 1552 foreigners.

Authorities are also stepping up efforts to identify the recovered bodies. DNA samples have been collected from 1,260 deceased people and 1,012 relatives of the deceased, bringing the total number of samples collected to 2,272, according to the police.

Nepal Police has deployed 7,912 personnel for search, rescue and relief operations. Sixty-five police personnel have themselves been affected by the disaster, while 25 remain out of contact.

The floods have also caused extensive damage to physical infrastructure and private property along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems.

Nepal has sought international support for the restoration process of the affected areas once the phases of rescue and relief are over.

Rome, Sep 4: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his wishes on her government becoming the longest-serving in the history of the Italian Republic and said that the ties between the two nations are right now stronger than ever before.

The Italian PM expressed confidence that India and Italy will continue to strengthen the bond between the two continents and work together to develop the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

Meloni’s response came after PM Modi congratulated her on becoming the longest-serving Prime Minister in Italy’s postwar history.

“Thank you, dear Narendra Modi, for your words and for your friendship. The relationship between Italy and India is today stronger than ever. The Special Strategic Partnership that we launched during our last meeting is the recognition of the importance of this bond and of the will to unite the expertise of our Nations to create new opportunities for growth, seizing the extraordinary opportunities for collaboration that we have before us,” Meloni posted on X while replying to PM Modi.

“I am certain that Italy and India, together, will continue to strengthen the bond between our Continents as well, working side by side also to develop the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor,” she added.

Earlier in the day, while extending wishes to Meloni, PM Modi said that the milestone reflected the trust and confidence of people of Italy in her leadership and wished her continued success in the years ahead.

PM Modi appreciated Meloni’s efforts in strengthening the Special Strategic Partnership between the two nations. He expressed readiness to continue close cooperation to build a prosperous future for the people of the two nations.

“Congratulations to my friend Prime Minister Meloni on becoming the longest continuously serving Prime Minister in Italy’s postwar history. This milestone is a reflection of the trust and confidence of the Italian people in her leadership,” PM Modi posted on X.

“Her friendship has also been instrumental in strengthening the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership and I look forward to continuing our close cooperation to build a prosperous future for the people of our countries. My best wishes for her continued success in the years ahead,” he added.

Notably, Meloni-led government became the longest-serving government in the postwar history of the Italian Republic, after surpassing the tenure of former PM Silvio Berlusconi.

Meloni assumed office as Italy’s first woman Prime Minister on October 22, 2022, and her government on Friday completed 1,413 days in office.

Earlier in July, Meloni had congratulated PM Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving elected PM and expressed readiness to work with him in creating new opportunities for the people of the two nations.

In May, PM Modi made a two-day official visit to Italy, where he held talks with both Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella.

During their meeting, PM Modi and Meloni decided to elevate bilateral ties to the level of a Special Strategic Partnership. The two leaders welcomed the “strong momentum” of high-level exchanges and agreed to hold annual meetings of leaders, including on the sidelines of multilateral events, as well as regular ministerial and institutional-level meetings.