Naxals blow up police vehicle; 7 policemen killed

The media office in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli regime has been waging a genocidal war since last October, says as many as 188 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the onset of the brutal military onslaught.

The office provided the figure on Saturday, naming four journalists as the most recent victims of the onslaught.

It identified the foursome as Zahraa Mohammad Abu Sukheil, Ahmad Mohammad Abu Sukheil, Mustafa Khadr Bahar, and Abdel Rahman Khadr Bahar.

The office said it “strongly condemns the targeting, killing, and assassination of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli occupation and holds it fully responsible for committing this heinous crime.”

“We call on the international community, international organizations, and those involved in journalistic work worldwide to take action against the occupation, pursue it in international courts for its ongoing crimes, and pressure it to halt the genocide and the targeted killings of Palestinian journalists,” it said.

Earlier in the day, the office said the Israeli regime had bombed the tents sheltering journalists and displaced persons at the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza for the ninth consecutive time.

The atrocity that claimed the lives of two people and injured 26 others came as part of “the genocidal crimes committed by the Israeli occupation army against hospitals, civilians, and displaced persons,” it said.

The media office held the regime and the United States, its biggest ally, as well as other countries aiding the genocide fully responsible for such systematic crimes.

At least 43,552 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and 102,765 others wounded since the launch of the war that followed a retaliatory operation by Gaza’s resistance groups.

The fatalities include 44 people, who were killed across the coastal sliver, in the most recent phase of the military onslaught.

As many as 24 of the victims were killed in the northern part of the territory, where the regime has markedly intensified its deadly attacks for weeks.

They included an eight-year-old child and a five-year-old one, who lost their lives after Israeli warplanes targeted a group of minors filling up jerry cans with water alongside their mother at the Jabalia Refugee camp.

Gaza’s heath ministry, meanwhile, said a number of victims remained under the rubble and in the streets following Israeli airstrikes, saying ambulances and civil defense teams could not reach them due to the sheer extent of the destruction caused by the raids and obstruction caused by the regime.

Also on Saturday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, a United Nations-backed assessment, warned that famine was looming in northern Gaza amid escalated Israeli aggression and the regime’s near-total siege of the targeted areas.

The alert from the Famine Review Committee warned of "an imminent and substantial likelihood of famine occurring, due to the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip."

On October 17, the body projected that the number of people in Gaza facing "catastrophic" food insecurity between November and April 2025 would reach 345,000, or 16 percent of the population.

The IPC report classified that figure as Phase 5 -- a situation when "starvation, death, destitution, and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels are evident."

The Israeli military, however, questioned the report's credibility.

"To date, all assessments by the IPC have proven incorrect and inconsistent with the situation on the ground," the army said in a statement, denouncing "partial, biased data and superficial sources with vested interests."

Kasargod, Oct 29: At least 154 people have been injured in a fireworks accident at the Anjootambalam Veererkavu Temple in Kerala's Kasaragod district. Among the injured, eight individuals are reported to be in serious condition, with one person in extremely critical condition. The tragic incident occurred just after midnight on Monday during the traditional Theyyam festival, which drew over 1,500 attendees to the temple.

Eyewitnesses stated that the accident was triggered when sparks from firecrackers ignited additional fireworks stored in a nearby room. As panic ensued, a stampede followed, leading to further injuries. Local authorities confirmed that 97 individuals have been admitted to various hospitals in Kasargod, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Mangalore for treatment.

A young girl present during the incident recounted, "The accident took place after sparks from crackers fell into a room where other fireworks were stored. Soon, we were all running away, and I fell down and got injured. My sister escaped unhurt."

Safety Protocols Ignored: Police Detain Temple Officials

Authorities have attributed the cause of the fire to negligence on the part of the temple officials. The police have taken two members of the temple committee into custody for questioning. According to local officials, the temple had stored low-intensity fireworks worth around Rs 25,000 for the festival, which concludes on Tuesday night.

Kasargod district Superintendent of Police (SP) D. Shilpa emphasized that the temple authorities failed to comply with safety protocols, noting that they did not secure the mandatory licenses required for the bursting of firecrackers. District Collector K. Inbasekar confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway, with forensic samples collected from the accident site.

Local CPI(M) MLA M. Rajagopal expressed his condolences, calling the incident "very unfortunate" and reinforcing that safety measures must be strictly adhered to during such celebrations. Kasargod MP Rajmohan Unnithan echoed these sentiments, pointing out the serious lapses on the part of officials responsible for ensuring safety during the festival.

Bengaluru: Following allegations by a section of farmers from Vijayapura district that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, Karnataka Chief Minister Sidddaramaiah on Tuesday said none of them will be evicted, and notices issued to them will be withdrawn.

"No farmer will be evicted from their land. Yesterday Revenue Minister (Krishna Byre Gowda), M B Patil (Industries and Vijayapura district in-charge Minister) and Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan have jointly said that no farmer from Vijayapura will be evicted from their land," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said in case notices have been issued to farmers, they will be withdrawn.

Responding to a question that similar notices have been issued to farmers in Yadgir and Dharwad districts too, the CM said: "I will ask the Revenue Minister to look into it, nowhere farmers will be evicted."

Seeking to clarify "confusion" over 1,200 acres in Honavada of Tikota taluk being marked as Waqf property, M B Patil had recently said it was due to an “error” in the gazette notification.

He also had said only 11 acres out of the 1,200 acres are Waqf properties, and a task force headed by the Deputy Commissioner will be formed to resolve the issues.