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Watch: Chaos as Gazans rush for airdropped aid; shots fired to control crowd

Watch: Chaos as Gazans rush for airdropped aid; shots fired to control crowd

Time of India5 days ago
Al-Zawayda displacement camp, central Gaza Strip (Credit: X/AFP)
Heart Wrenching visuals from Gaza emerged as people scrambled to collect airdropped aid near Al-Zawayda displacement camp in the Gaza Strip.
Gunshots were fired in air to disperse the large crowd that had gathered to collect aid, as people outnumbered aid supplies, leading to chaos as seen in video shared by AFP.
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'What was dropped was not enough. There are people who did not get anything', said Ahmad Al-Quraan from Al-Zawayda shelter camp.
This comes despite Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Sunday announcing a 'tactical pause' in military activity in parts of Gaza, amid growing international concern over the humanitarian situation.
Meanwhile, Jordan and the UAE parachuted 25 tonnes of aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Humanitarian toll keeps mounting as dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, according to the Gaza health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave.
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Activists plan Aug 15 flag-hoisting to save shut-down BMC school in Mahim
Activists plan Aug 15 flag-hoisting to save shut-down BMC school in Mahim

Hindustan Times

time42 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Activists plan Aug 15 flag-hoisting to save shut-down BMC school in Mahim

Mumbai: Parents, alumni and local activists have come together to save a BMC-run school on New Mahim Road, which was vacated in June after the civic body declared the building unsafe. Concerned that the school could be demolished and never rebuilt, the group has decided to host a flag-hoisting ceremony on its premises on August 15 to raise awareness and send a message to the authorities. Mumbai, India - June 23, 2025:New Mahim Municipal English Primary School at Mahim, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, June 23, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) Local activist Pranali Raut, who is leading the 'Save School' campaign, said the decision was taken at a meeting held on Saturday. 'Around 20 to 25 parents, former students and local residents joined the meeting,' she said. 'We will organise a flag-hoisting ceremony on Independence Day in the school premises with students present. This is not just a symbolic act. We want to show the BMC that this school matters to our community.' The school, which has served the Mahim area for over 50 years, was last repaired in 2017. In July 2024, it was marked as C-2 grade—unsafe but repairable. But in January 2025, the same building was suddenly reclassified as C-1, meaning completely unsafe and ready for demolition. This quick change in classification has raised doubts among parents and activists. According to documents received by activists, BMC officials had recommended repairs on the third floor in November 2024 and even advised a second structural audit for confirmation. Despite this, the BMC education department decided to close the school and shift students to nearby schools. Activists say that no new school has been built nearby, and the Mori Road BMC school—which was demolished in 2019—also remains unreconstructed. Earlier BMC reports stated that the New Mahim school would only be demolished after the Mori Road school was rebuilt. One document from December 2024 also mentioned that relocating six schools in the Mahim area was not possible due to the lack of space in nearby schools. Deepak Pawar, founder of the language advocacy group Marathi Abhyas Kendra, questioned the BMC's handling of the issue. 'There is confusion in the reports,' he said. 'Some say the building can be repaired and others call it dilapidated. We are now demanding a fresh structural audit and want the school to be restarted.' Parents and community members worry that once the school is demolished, the area will permanently lose a much-needed educational space. Despite repeated attempts, BMC education officials remained unavailable for comment.

From dawn to dusk, Gaza family focuses on one thing: finding food
From dawn to dusk, Gaza family focuses on one thing: finding food

News18

time21 hours ago

  • News18

From dawn to dusk, Gaza family focuses on one thing: finding food

Deir Al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Aug 2 (AP) Every morning, Abeer and Fadi Sobh wake up in their tent in the Gaza Strip to the same question: How will they find food for themselves and their six young children? The couple has three options: Maybe a charity kitchen will be open, and they can get a pot of watery lentils. Or they can try jostling through crowds to get some flour from a passing aid truck. The last resort is begging. If all else fails, they simply don't eat. It happens more and more these days, as hunger saps their energy, strength and hope. The predicament of the Sobhs, who live in a seaside refugee camp west of Gaza City after being displaced multiple times, is the same for families throughout the war-ravaged territory. Hunger has grown throughout the past 22 months of war because of aid restrictions, humanitarian workers say. But food experts warned earlier this week that the 'worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza." Israel enforced a complete blockade on food and other supplies for 2½ months beginning in March. It said its objective was to increase pressure on Hamas to release dozens of hostages it has held since its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Though the flow of aid resumed in May, the amount is a fraction of what aid organisations say is needed. A breakdown of law and order has also made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food. Much of the aid that does get in is hoarded or sold in markets at exorbitant prices. Here is a look at a day in the life of the Sobh family: A morning seawater bath The family wakes up in their tent, which Fadi Sobh, a 30-year-old street vendor, says is unbearably hot in the summer. With fresh water hard to come by, his wife Abeer, 29, fetches water from the sea. One by one, the children stand in a metal basin and scrub themselves as their mother pours the saltwater over their heads. Nine-month-old Hala cries as it stings her eyes. The other children are more stoic. Abeer then rolls up the bedding and sweeps the dust and sand from the tent floor. With no food left over from the day before, she heads out to beg for something for her family's breakfast. Sometimes, neighbours or passersby give her lentils. Sometimes she gets nothing. Abeer gives Hala water from a baby bottle. When she's lucky, she has lentils that she grinds into powder to mix into the water. 'One day feels like 100 days, because of the summer heat, hunger and the distress," she said. A trip to the soup kitchen Fadi heads to a nearby soup kitchen. Sometimes one of the children goes with him. 'But food is rarely available there," he said. The kitchen opens roughly once a week and never has enough for the crowds. Most often, he said, he waits all day but returns to his family with nothing, and the kids sleep hungry, without eating." Fadi used to go to an area in northern Gaza where aid trucks arrive from Israel. There, giant crowds of equally desperate people swarm over the trucks and strip away the cargo of food. Often, Israeli troops nearby open fire, witnesses say. Israel says it only fires warning shots, and others in the crowd often have knives or pistols to steal boxes. Fadi, who also has epilepsy, was shot in the leg last month. That has weakened him too much to scramble for the trucks, so he's left with trying the kitchens. Meanwhile, Abeer and her three eldest children — 10-year-old Youssef, 9-year-old Mohammed and 7-year-old Malak — head out with plastic jerrycans to fill up from a truck that brings freshwater from central Gaza's desalination plant. The kids struggle with the heavy jerrycans. Youssef loads one onto his back, while Mohammed half-drags his, his little body bent sideways as he tries to keep it out of the dust of the street. A scramble for aid Abeer sometimes heads to Zikim herself, alone or with Youssef. Most of the crowd are men — faster and stronger than she is. 'Sometimes I manage to get food, and in many cases, I return empty-handed," she said. If she's unsuccessful, she appeals to the sense of charity of those who succeeded. 'You survived death thanks to God. Please give me anything," she tells them. Many answered her plea, and she got a small bag of flour to bake for the children, she said. She and her son have become familiar faces. One man who regularly waits for the trucks, Youssef Abu Saleh, said he often sees Abeer struggling to grab food, so he gives her some of his. 'They're poor people and her husband is sick," he said. 'We're all hungry and we all need to eat." During the hottest part of the day, the six children stay in or around the tent. Their parents prefer the children to sleep during the heat — it stops them from running around, using up energy and getting hungry and thirsty. Foraging and begging in the afternoon As the heat eases, the children head out. Sometimes Abeer sends them to beg for food from their neighbours. Otherwise, they scour Gaza's bombed-out streets, foraging through the rubble and trash for anything to fuel the family's makeshift stove. They've become good at recognising what might burn. Scraps of paper or wood are best, but hardest to find. The bar is low: plastic bottles, plastic bags, an old shoe — anything will do. One of the boys came across a pot in the trash one day — it's what Abeer now uses to cook. The family has been displaced so many times, they have few belongings left. 'I have to manage to get by," Abeer said. 'What can I do? We are eight people." If they're lucky, lentil stew for dinner After a day spent searching for the absolute basics to sustain life — food, water, fuel to cook — the family sometimes has enough of all three for Abeer to make a meal. Usually, it's a thin lentil soup. But often there is nothing, and they all go to bed hungry. Abeer said she's grown weak and often feels dizzy when she's out searching for food or water. 'I am tired. I am no longer able," she said. 'If the war goes on, I am thinking of taking my life. I no longer have any strength or power." (AP) SKS NSA NSA (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 02, 2025, 12:15 IST News agency-feeds From dawn to dusk, Gaza family focuses on one thing: finding food Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Did Russia's Kamchatka earthquake cause damage to nuclear submarine base?
Did Russia's Kamchatka earthquake cause damage to nuclear submarine base?

First Post

time2 days ago

  • First Post

Did Russia's Kamchatka earthquake cause damage to nuclear submarine base?

The massive earthquake in Russia's Kamchatka region caused panic across the world. However, there are concerns that the earthquake may have damaged a Russian naval base and the nuclear submarines it houses. Here's what we know read more Tsunami waves flood an area after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, in Severo-Kurilsk, Sakhalin Region, Russia. Reuters The earthquake in Russia, one of the most powerful ever recorded in modern history, sent alarm bells ringing across the world. However, there are concerns that t he earthquake may have damaged a nuclear submarine base, and possibly the vessels inside. That's what some are worried about in the aftermath of the 8.8 magnitude quake that struck the Kamchatka region in Russia's far east. But what happened? What do we know? Let's take a closer look. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What happened? The tsunami waves triggered by the massive quake seem to have damaged Russia's Rybachiy base, according to satellite images of the region. The base in Avacha Bay, located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, is home to almost the entire fleet of nuclear submarines that Russia has stationed in the Pacific. Russia's Navy's new Borei-class and Soviet-era Delta-class nuclear submarines are housed here. Russia's Yasen-M and Oscar-class guided missile submarines are also said to be stationed there. The K-329 Belgorod, the world's longest submarine, is also believed to be docked or operating in the area. This is just over a hundred kilometers from the location where the quake struck. Remember, the Russian quake is among the ten strongest tremors in recorded history. It sent tsunami waves all the way across the Pacific — to Hawaii, Alaska, and the west coast of America—traveling at the speed of a jet airplane. Images show that a section of one pier has twisted out of its original position. This was revealed by images captured by the Umbra Space satellite, which uses synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to peer through the clouds. Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to launch a nuclear-powered submarine project in Murmansk on March 27. AFP Thankfully, the images do not show a submarine at the pier at the time of the impact. Photos taken earlier in July show at least one submarine docked along the pier. The Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky naval base, as well as separate missile-loading and shipyard facilities, are also nearby. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Severo-Kurilsk Port, which is twice as far from the epicenter of the quake as Avacha Bay, has been heavily damaged. Images on social media also showed damage to other buildings in Kamchatka. The earthquake is said to have struck at a depth of around 20 kilometers, approximately 120 kilometers off the coast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The regional capital is home to around 180,000 people. Despite its intensity, there have been no reports of deaths. What is Russia saying? Authorities have called the latest quake a 'remarkable event.' However, they have downplayed reports about any damage. The Russian Defence Ministry has said that the 'situation remains under control' and that 'no damage' has been reported at any of its military installations. This includes naval bases. A retired Russian Navy officer has said there was zero information about 'critical damage to the Russian Navy's naval bases in Kamchatka.' He added that these bases were designed to withstand a nuclear attack. Experts say there is no real evidence that the nuclear submarines themselves have been damaged. It also remains unclear whether any submarines were docked at the pier at the time the earthquake struck. They say the bay's natural geography may have protected the submarines and limited potential damage. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But this hasn't stopped experts from expressing concern. They say submarines undergoing major maintenance would have been left extremely vulnerable. Even a minor wave could cause a submarine to hit its mooring, they explain. Tom Sharpe, a retired Royal Navy commander, told The Telegraph that the pier was left at a 'terrible angle.' 'If the base assumption is that a wave got in there and bent that jetty, then yes—what else did it do?' Sharpe wondered. He was among the experts questioning the wisdom of concentrating all such nuclear assets at a single base. 'This is why having multiple bases is a good idea—because you never know when you're going to get rogered by something you haven't seen coming,' Sharpe added. With inputs from agencies

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