A flight carrying the first batch of Indians, who were stranded in Israel amid the ongoing war, landed in New Delhi under ‘Operation Ajay’ on Friday morning.

The latest Israel-Palestine war, ignited by a wide-ranging attack by the militant group Hamas on Israel, has already claimed thousands of lives on both sides.

The immediate trigger was Hamas militants firing thousands of rockets and sending fighters — through land, air and sea — into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip during a major Jewish holiday (Simchat Torah) in a deadly offensive branded “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”.

Israel has been responding to Saturday’s attack with a massive bombardment of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “crush and destroy” Hamas.

Palestinians says palastines are paying the price in strikes on Gaza, a small coastal strip of land (140 square miles) packed with 2.3 million residents, which has been blockaded for more than 15 years.

A spokeswoman for Gisha, an Israeli human rights group, warned that the “Israeli decisions to cut electricity, fuel, food and medicine supplies” would severely affect Palestinians.

The conflict is expected to continue to escalate.

Karthyayani Amma, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: One hundred and one-year old Karthyayani Amma, who made history by becoming the oldest learner under the Kerala State Literacy Mission, has died at her residence in coastal Alappuzha district.

She was bedridden for some time after suffering a stroke and died on Tuesday.

She would be cremated on Thursday with state honours, the Alappuzha district administration said.

The Alappuzha ADM visited Karthyayani Amma’s residence in Cheppad village of the district and offered a floral wreath, it said.

Karthyayani Amma had shot to fame not only for being the oldest student, at the age of 96, under the southern state’s literacy mission, but also for scoring the highest marks in the ‘Aksharalaksham’ test, a fourth standard equivalent examination.

The nonagenarian was the oldest among the 43,330 candidates who appeared for the test. She also received the Nari Shakti award from former president Ram Nath Kovind on Women’s Day in March, 2020.

In 2019, she became a Commonwealth of Learning Goodwill Ambassador.

Social media was abuzz today with condolence messages from people from all walks of lives on her demise.

Expressing his condolences, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said Karthyayani Amma inspired many people to learn and continue their education.

“Heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of Smt. Karthyayani Amma, honored with #NariShaktiPuraskar for determination to learn and pass the literacy exam at the age of 96, inspiring many people to learn and to continue their education. May her soul attain mukti,” the Governor said in a Facebook post.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in his condolence message, recalled meeting her after she won the award and indicating her desire to study further and get a job after clearing the 10th standard.

“There was confidence and determination in those words,” Vijayan said in a Facebook post.

He also posted a condolence message on the social media platform X in which the CM said Karthyayani Amma served as an inspiring role model for many through her unwavering determination to pursue education despite challenges.

“Deeply saddened by the passing of Karthyayani Amma, who made history by becoming the oldest learner under the State Literacy Mission. She served as an inspiring role model for many, showing unwavering determination to pursue education despite challenges.

“Her demise is a significant loss to our literacy movement, which helped shape modern Kerala. Heartfelt condolences,” he said.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan also condoled her death and said Karthyayani Amma’s was an example of what one can achieve through determination and will power.

State General Education Minister V Sivankutty too condoled the demise of Karthyayani Amma.

“Amma, who grew up under circumstances where she could not study and became literate at the age of 96, is a symbol of determination,” he said.

Former Leader of Opposition in the state assembly and the MLA from Haripad, Ramesh Chennithala, also expressed grief over her death.

He recalled, in a Facebook post, that in the last Republic Day parade, a float of Karthyayani Amma was also there.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar also took to social media to convey his condolences.

“Saddened to hear about the demise of Smt. Karthyayani Amma, at the age of 101 years. By passing literacy examinations with top marks at the age of 96, she became inspirational to many of the deprived to venture into the world of literacy.

“My condolences to her family and friends. Om Shanti,” he said in a Facebook post.

Karthyayani Amma, a widow and mother of six hailing from Alappuzha’s Haripad municipality in Kerala, swept the streets outside temples in her village to bring up the children.

Indore: A 70-year-old man set a cafe on fire in Indore apparently he was furious after finding girls smoking there, an official said on Wednesday. The senior citizen targeted the recreation venue on Tuesday night when it was closed, the official said.

The accused was taken into custody after he was identified through CCTV footage, said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotia.

Without sharing his details, the official said that the accused had retired from the Department of Telecommunications.

“During initial interrogation, the accused said that he did not like girls smoking in this cafe, hence he got angry and set it on fire,” he said.

Police officials, however, said that the accused is repeatedly changing his statement. The exact reason for the arson can be determined only after the completion of the investigation, they said.

Though the senior citizen set the cafe, located under the jurisdiction of Lasudia police station, on fire when there was nobody inside, it was completely gutted. The owner suffered a loss of nearly Rs 4 lakh due to the arson, Dandotia said.

Dandotia said that a case has been registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc).

Another police official said that the cafe owner told the investigators that the accused had been roaming around his establishment for the last several days.

Bareilly: A 17-year-old girl lost one hand and both her legs after she was hurled before a train here by a youth for objecting to sexual harassment, her family alleged on Wednesday. Her condition is critical, doctors say.

The girl suffered multiple fractures in the incident that took place in the CB Ganj area of Bareilly City on Tuesday, police said.

One person has been arrested and three policemen have been suspended for negligence in connection with the incident, the District Magistrate said.

According to the father of the girl, his daughter was returning from her coaching centre Tuesday evening around 4.30, when one Vijay Maurya of their village stopped her and indulged in indecent talk and harassed her.

The father in his complaint said that Maurya was following his daughter and was seen by another youth.

On the basis of his complaint, Maurya was booked under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 342 (forcibly restraining someone), 504 (intentional insult), 354 D (outraging the modesty of a woman), and 326 (causing grievous hurt by dangerous means) of the IPC and also sections of the POCSO Act, police said.

The girl, who is an intermediate student, ran towards Khadau to save herself but Maurya pushed her in front of a train as a result of which, her legs and one hand got amputated, according to her father’s complaint.

The girl was found in a bloodied state with her legs and one hand amputated near the Khadau railway crossing. She was admitted to a private hospital where she was operated on.

The father said he had raised the matter with Maurya’s family about harassment of his daughter but nothing came out of it.

It was originally alleged that two people threw the girl before the train, but the FIR names only Maurya, while another person has been named as a witness to the incident.

Bareilly District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar told reporters that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had taken cognisance of the matter and an assistance of Rs 5 lakh would be provided to the girl’s family.

Considering the seriousness of her condition, she is being shifted to a higher medical facility. The government will bear the entire cost of her treatment, Kumar said.

Senior officials visited the girl in hospital to enquire about her health.

Hospital Director Dr OP Bhaskar said the girl’s legs were amputated below the knee. She also lost a hand in the incident. Her condition is worrying.

The CB Ganj Police Station Inspector in-charge Ashok Kumar Kamboj, a sub-inspector Nitesh Kumar Sharma, and beat constable Akashdeep were suspended and a departmental inquiry was ordered by Senior Superintendent of Police Chandrabhan.

SP City Rahul Bhati has been directed to probe the case, a senior official said.

The girl’s father alleged that he had complained to the police about the matter but they did not even visit their village to investigate.