Mandatory implementation of FASTag from today; hybrids lanes to remain operational till Feb 15

At least 68 Indian nationals have been confirmed dead during this year's Hajj pilgrimage, according to a diplomat in Saudi Arabia. Several Indians are reported missing too. This comes amid record-high temperatures in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, and the deaths of 550 pilgrims this year.

"We have confirmed around 68 dead... Some are because of natural causes and we had many old-aged pilgrims. And some are due to the weather conditions, that's what we assume," the diplomat told news agency AFP about the death of Indians on the condition of anonymity.

The diplomat also said that many Indian nationals are also reported missing, but he declined to give their exact numbers.

"This is a recurring occurrence every year," he stated, informing us that the situation is similar to previous years, with further details expected soon.

The Hajj pilgrimage, a central part of Islam, brings millions annually to Makkah, during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. Each Muslim has to fulfil this religious obligation at least once in their lifetime.

This year's pilgrimage also saw intense heat and rising temperatures, which are the highest in recent decades.

A Saudi study even revealed how the temperatures in the pilgrimage area have increased by 0.4 degrees Celsius per decade. In 2023, over 200 pilgrims died during Hajj, and over 2,000 people suffered from heat-related stress as temperatures touched as high as 48 degrees Celsius.

Deaths have been reported of other nationals as well: Iran, Indonesia, Tunisia, Senegal, and Iraq's Kurdistan region. There have been no comments on the deaths by the authorities of these countries.

Expelled Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam on Tuesday claimed that attempts are being made within the Congress party to diminish Priyanka Gandhi's stature by giving her a ticket to Lok Sabha in the by-elections. 

His comment came a day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest the bypoll from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat and Rahul Gandhi will retain Rae Bareli. 

"Priyanka Gandhi is the most popular face in Congress. She should have been made the Congress president... By giving her a ticket to Lok Sabha in by-elections, attempts are being made to diminish the stature of Priyanka Gandhi," he said. 

Krishnam further trained his guns at the Congress and claimed the grand old party has proven that it "does not trust Hindus" by fielding Priyanka from Wayanad. 

While wishing Priyanka good luck, Acharya Krishnam said, "But Congress has proven one thing by making Priyanka Gandhi contest from Wayanad, that Congress doesn't trust Hindus. Had they trusted Hindus, she would have been made to contest from elsewhere."

Not only Acharya Pramod Krishnam, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also attacked the Congress over its decision to field Priyanka Gandhi from Wayanad, stating this decision proves that the Congress is not a party but a "family business."

Priyanka Gandhi on contesting from Wayanad

After Kharge's announcement that she will contest from Wayanad in the upcoming by-poll, Priyanka Gandhi said that she was happy to be able to represent Wayanad. She added that she would not let the people of Wayanad feel her brother's absence. 

"I will work hard and I will try my best to make everyone happy and be a good representative. I have a very old relationship with Raebareli and Amethi and it cannot be broken. I will also help my brother in Raebareli. We will both be present in Raebareli and Wayanad," she said. 

In the Lok Sabha elections 2024, Rahul Gandhi contested and won from both Raebareli and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats. Rahul Gandhi won the Raebareli Lol Sabha seat by a margin of more than 3.90 lakh votes whereas he clinched Wayanad by a margin of more than 3.64 lakh votes. 

The Yemeni Armed Forces say they have conducted new operations against Israel-linked ships in the nearby waters in support of Palestinian people and in retaliation for the US-British aggression against the country.

Spokesman for the Yemeni army, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, made the announcement in a Sunday statement.

“The naval forces of our Armed Forces carried out a second targeting operation against the ship Transworld Navigator in the Red Sea, using an uncrewed surface boat, which led to a direct hit against the ship,” he said.

Transworld Navigator had been already attacked by Yemeni forces in the Arabian Sea with a number of ballistic missiles on Saturday.

“The missile force of our Armed Forces carried out an operation targeting the ship Stolt Sequoia in the Indian Ocean with a number of cruise missiles, and the operation has successfully achieved its objectives,” Saree added in his statement.

He noted that the two ships were targeted after the companies owning them decided to violate the ban enforced by the Yemeni Armed Forces on the entry of ships to the ports in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The new operations came after earlier on Saturday, the Yemeni forces carried out a host of attacks targeting American and Israel-linked vessels, including the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower, which was hit for the second time.

In his Sunday statement, Saree said, “As part of retaliation for the American-British aggression against our country, the operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces forced the American aircraft carrier Eisenhower to leave the Red Sea.”

He once again warned all maritime companies to avoid doing business with the occupying regime of Israel, adding that “their ships will be directly targeted in the operation zone of the Yemeni Armed Forces regardless of their destination.”

He concluded by saying that operations carried out by the Yemeni Armed Forces will continue until the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip stops and the siege of the Palestinian territory is lifted.

Yemen’s Armed Forces have been carrying out countless operations against Israel-linked ships or those heading towards ports in the occupied Palestinian territories since October 7, 2023 when the Tel Aviv regime began its genocidal war on Gaza.

Nearly 37,600 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and over 86,000 others sustained injuries in the brutal Israeli military onslaught against the coastal sliver.

The Yemeni forces have also conducted many operations against American and British vessels in response to deadly attacks by the United States and the UK against their country, which have been seeking to stop the forces’ pro-Palestinian operations.