Gaza, Jan 11: Israeli airstrikes claimed the lives of at least 22 Palestinians, including a journalist, as fuel shortages threaten to plunge Gaza into a communications blackout, officials warned.

The Civil Defence in Gaza reported eight fatalities and several injuries from an airstrike targeting a group of people and a house in the Shuja’iyya neighbourhood of Gaza City. Later, an airstrike on the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed seven people.

In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, medical officials at Nasser Hospital said that four bodies were recovered after aerial and artillery attacks struck multiple locations in the city. In Al-Nuseirat, central Gaza, Al-Awda Hospital reported three deaths, including journalist Sa’ed Nabhan of Al-Ghad TV, and six injuries from artillery shelling and drone strikes.

With the death of Nabhan, the number of journalists killed since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, has risen to 203, according to the government media office in Gaza. Meanwhile, Gaza’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Abdul Razzaq Al-Natsha, warned that communication services, including internet and landlines, could be cut off by Friday night due to fuel shortages. The lack of fuel, exacerbated by Israel’s blockade of humanitarian supplies, threatens to disrupt emergency services and worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis, he said.

The ongoing conflict, now surpassing 460 days, began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left over 1,200 Israelis dead and roughly 250 hostages taken. Israel’s large-scale military response in Gaza has caused over 46,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza health authorities.

In another incident, Five people were killed and four others injured on Friday in an Israeli airstrike targeting Tayr Debba, a municipality in southern Lebanon’s Tyre district, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported.

According to the official National News Agency, an Israeli drone targeted a car in Tayr Debba, killing five and wounding four more, all of whom have been transferred to hospitals in Tyre.

Separately, the General Directorate of Civil Defence on Friday announced the recovery of five bodies it said were killed during recent Israeli strikes on the Lebanese town of Khiam, east of southern Lebanon.

Despite a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, which took effect on November 27, 2024, Israel has conducted intermittent strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, some of which have caused casualties.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Friday that Israeli aircraft struck a vehicle loaded with weapons belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

The airstrike was launched after the IDF found several militants loading weapons onto the truck, according to the statement.

Earlier in the day, the IDF said in a separate statement that during searching operations in a southern Lebanese village, Israeli soldiers discovered a multi-barrel rocket launcher, hundreds of mortar shells, explosive devices, and RPG rifles inside a structure. It added that anti-tank fire positions and hidden weapons were also located nearby.

During another operation, Israeli troops found a weapons storage facility containing dozens of shoulder-launched missiles, explosive charges, and extensive military equipment, the IDF said, adding that all the weapons were either confiscated or dismantled.

Los Angeles: The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed 10 people so far and burned at least 10,000 homes, buildings and other structures, officials said Thursday as they urged more people to heed evacuation orders after a new blaze ignited and quickly grew.

The fast-moving Kenneth Fire started in the late afternoon in the San Fernando Valley just 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from a school serving as a shelter for fire evacuees and then moved into neighbouring Ventura County by the evening.

Only hours earlier officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region’s devastating wildfires that have killed 10 people so far.

“We are expecting this fire to rapidly spread due to high winds,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, echoing the forecast that called for winds to strengthen Thursday evening through Friday morning.

Bhubaneswar, Jan 9: Spotlighting the country’s march towards becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sought the participation of the diaspora in making India a developed nation by 2047.

“India got independence in 1947 and our diaspora played a big role in this. They contributed towards the freedom of India while living abroad. Now we have a target of making India a developed nation by 2047,” said Prime Minister Modi while speaking at the inaugural session of 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.

Praising the Indian diaspora for its contribution in India’s growth, the PM said that it is due to their hard work that the country has become number one in the world in terms of remittances.

Asserting that India is not limited to big cities only, he mentioned that a large part of the population resides in tier-2, tier-3 cities and villages and the diaspora should promote ‘heritage tourism’ of India in the countries they are residing.

“There’s a lot of Indian culture there. We have to connect the world with this heritage,” stated PM Modi.

He appealed to the diaspora to visit the amazing tourist destinations located in small towns, villages of India and later share their experiences with friends and ensure they also visit India.

“You have to come forward to let the people of the country you are living in know the real history of India. Today’s generation in those countries does not know our prosperity in the past, the long periods of subjugation and our struggles. You all can let the world know the true history of India,” the PM said.

PM Modi noted that India is following the mantra of development along with heritage. He said that the Indian government during the G-20 event organised various meetings in every nook and corner of the country so that the world could get a first-hand experience of India’s diversity. He informed the gathering that the Indian government has decided to establish Thiruvalluvar Culture Centres to propagate the thoughts of Saint Thiruvalluvar.

Referring to the collection and digitisation of documents related to some people of Gujarati origin who settled in Oman centuries back, PM Modi said “the history of the Indian diaspora has spread across the world, the stories of how they reached that country and made their mark there is a significant legacy of India. You also have so many interesting and inspiring stories. It needs to be shown, heard and cherished. This is our shared legacy, shared heritage.”

In his address, the Prime Minister also urged the diaspora to popularise the local products produced in India in the countries they are living.

“You also have a big role in making India’s local products global. You must buy Made in India food packets, Made in India clothes and any such thing,” the PM appealed.

Calling the diaspora members as ambassadors of India, he assured them that the current government has always stood by them in times of crisis.

“Your safety and welfare are a top priority. We consider it our responsibility to help our diaspora during crisis situations, no matter where they are. This is one of the guiding principles of India’s foreign policy today,” said the PM.

Highlighting Odisha’s heritage, PM Modi said, “This land reflects India’s rich legacy, with sites like the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves, the Konark Temple, and ancient ports such as Tamralipti and Manikpatna. These treasures evoke immense pride.”