Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: Lebanon state news agency reports Israeli raid on southern Beirut

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has outlined his party’s approach to potential alliances in Maharashtra.

“State (Maharashtra) president of Samajwadi Party will decide – at first we will try to be in alliance. But, if they (MahaVikasAghadi) won’t keep us in the alliance, we will contest on those seats where we will get votes or we have our organisation working there. We will contest on those seats which will not harm the alliance. But, in politics, there is no place for sacrifice,” said Yadav.

Lucknow: Authorities have initiated a formal investigation following a custodial death in Chinhat.

“We have registered a case against the names mentioned in the written complaint registered by the deceased’s mother. The process of Panchayat Nama is being done. Post mortem of the dead body will be done. Investigation is going on in the matter,” said ACP Vibhutikhand Radha Raman Singh.

The case will be closely monitored as officials work to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The air quality deteriorated in the national capital on Sunday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) being recorded at 352, in the ‘very poor’ category, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). This is worse than the average AQI recorded at 255 on Saturday, categorized as ‘poor’.

Moreover, AQI in Anand Vihar area crossed the 400 mark, being recorded as 405 at 7 AM, categorized as ‘severe’, worse than the AQI of 367 recorded on Saturday.

AQI at the Akshardham Temple deteriorated 261, whereas IGI airport recorded an AQI of 324, both categorized as ‘very poor.’

A layer of thick smog enveloped certain parts of the city.

After Odisha reported no casualty while it faced severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday, expressed gratitude to the people who played a vital role in this.

“The people of Odisha survived Cyclone Dana by the grace of Lord Jagannath. I thank all the ministers, MLAs, MPs and government officials of the state for the teamwork that played a vital role in achieving the zero casualty target. Everyone worked day and night to protect the people and provide them with essential services,” CM Majhi said.

Amid the ongoing property dispute with her brother YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief YS Sharmila accused the former Chief Minister of doing ‘injustice’ to her and her children.

The Andhra Pradesh Congress President broke down while speaking about the comments made by YSRCP MP YV Subba Reddy.

Sharmila said she extended her full support to YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh, but Jagan has dragged her to court. She also claimed that for the last five years, she has been confined within walls.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a statement posted to X, gave his condolences to the families of the four people, all with the military air defense, killed in srael’s first-ever open attack on Iran early Saturday. The president also warned against future attacks.

“Enemies of Iran should know these brave people are standing fearlessly in defense of their land and will respond to any stupidity with tact and intelligence,” Pezeshkian wrote.

Israel eases rest rictions in parts of north amid rocket fire from Lebanon.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Tehran on Saturday against responding to Israel’s strikes on military sites in Iran and said he stressed in a call to his Israeli counterpart the opportunities to de-escalate tensions in the region.

“Iran should not make the mistake of responding to Israel’s strikes, which should mark the end of this exchange,” Austin said in a statement.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, stressed the importance of ‘Hindu unity’ for the society and public welfare while cautioning people against the efforts to divide the Hindu community on the lines of caste and ideology.

Referring to the situation in Bangladesh, Hosabale said the Hindus living there should not migrate to India, but also emphasised the need to ensure their protection.

The two-day Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal Baithak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) held at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh concluded on Saturday.

Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman urged the G7 and G20 nations to intensify their support for the African countries and highlighted India’s commitment to the continent, particularly in areas such as infrastructure development and healthcare.

The Finance Minister participated in the G7 African Ministerial Roundtable on Saturday (local time), the Ministry of Finance stated.

During her address at the meet on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings 2024, Sitharaman highlighted the “deep-rooted partnership between India and Africa, which has been redefined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through 10 guiding principles” that aim to support Africa’s growth by focusing on capacity-building, enhancing public services, and addressing climate change, the Ministry added.

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, JP Nadda, on Saturday met Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to discuss the availability of DAP (Di-ammonium Phosphate) fertilizer for Punjab’s ongoing agricultural season.

The Chief Minister highlighted Punjab’s need for DAP supplies during this critical time. Following this, JP Nadda assured him of the centre’s commitment and ensuring sufficient supplies of DAP for Punjab.

Besides Mann, the meeting was also attended by the Secretary (Fertilizers), Chief Secretary of Punjab, and Additional Chief Secretary (Punjab).

Israeli forces withdrew from a hospital complex in northern Gaza on Saturday, one day after storming it, and the Palestinian enclave’s health ministry said the troops had detained dozens of male medical staffers and some of the patients.

Later on Saturday, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA said at least 30 people were killed in Israeli strikes on several houses in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya. There was no official confirmation from the health ministry on the death toll.

The Israeli military said it had carried out “a precise strike using precise munitions on Hamas terrorists within a structure in the area of Beit Lahiya in the Gaza Strip. A number of terrorists have been hit in the strike.”

Israel attacked military targets in Iran with pre-dawn airstrikes Saturday in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired on Israel earlier this month. It was the first time Israel’s military has openly attacked Iran.

The Israeli military said its aircraft targeted facilities that Iran used to make the missiles fired at Israel as well as surface-to-air missile sites.

Crucially, there was no indication that Iran’s oil or nuclear sites were struck. Iran insisted the strikes caused only “limited damage,” and Iranian state-run media downplayed them. Taken together, the moves suggested at least for now that both countries are trying to avoid a more serious escalation.

Still, the strikes risk pushing the archenemies closer to all-out war at a time of spiraling violence across the Middle East, where militant groups backed by Iran — including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon — are already at war with Israel.

On the campaign trail this weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump briefly addressed Israel’s airstrikes on Iran military sites.

“Israel is attacking — we’ve got a war going on and she’s out partying,” Trump said at a rally in Michigan on Friday as Harris was holding an event with Beyoncé in Texas.

Meanwhile, Harris on Saturday called for “de-escalation and not an escalation of activities in that region.”

“I feel very strongly, we as the United States feel very strongly that Iran must stop what it is doing in terms of the threat that it presents to the region and we will always defend Israel against any attacks by Iran in that way,” she told reporters in Michigan.

Lebanon’s state news agency on Sunday reported an Israeli raid on southern Beirut, after Israel’s army issued a fresh evacuation call.

The official National News Agency said shortly after midnight that Israel had “targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut”.

The Israeli army had earlier urged residents of two neighbourhoods in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital to evacuate their homes.

“You are located near Hezbollah facilities and interests, against which the IDF will operate in the near future,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on social media platform X, using an acronym for the Israeli army.