Parliament panel LIVE Updates: Parliament panel adopts reports on criminal laws

15:53 (IST)

MP Elections War LIVE Updates

INDIA alliance stuck in Congress quagmire, says Shivraj

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, asked "clarification" from Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the head of the Congress party, on Monday, alleging that the party has become a "daldal" (quagmire) and that the INDIA coalition is mired in it.

Chouhan's remarks coincide with a falling out between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Kamal Nath over the unsuccessful Madhya Pradesh electoral alliance.

Yadav had claimed the day before that Congress had previously blocked the Mandal Commission report's implementation and the caste census. 

15:46 (IST)

Nepal Earthquake LIVE Updates

Dalai Lama writes to Nepal PM, condoles loss of lives in earthquake

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has written to Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to express his condolence over the loss of lives in the earthquake that recently struck western Nepal.

He also said he would like to make a donation for the relief and rescue operations in the quake-hit country.

I offer my condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones, he wrote, and pray for all those affected by this tragedy."

I understand that everything is being done by your government, as well as related agencies, to provide necessary help and support to the people affected by this calamity," read Dalai Lama's letter shared by his office.

15:32 (IST)

Israel-Hamas War LIVE Updates

Pope urges two-state solution to end Israel-Palestine conflict

In addition to calling for Jerusalem to have a special status, Pope Francis stated on Wednesday that a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine was necessary to end conflicts like the one that is currently raging.

During an interview with the TG1 news channel on Italian state television RAI, Francis expressed his hope that the conflict, which started when Hamas militants entered Israel and killed about 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, could not escalate regionally. About 230 Israelis were taken hostage by the militants.

Read More

15:11 (IST)

Parliament panel LIVE Updates

Parliament panel adopts reports on criminal laws

Three reports on legislation to replace the current criminal laws were endorsed by a parliamentary committee on home affairs on Monday, according to sources. Several opposition members submitted dissent notes.

The BJP member Brij Lal is the chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs. The committee convened on Monday, almost ten days after members requested more time to review the draught reports that were sent at the end of last month.

According to parliamentary sources, a few opposition members have already turned in their dissent notes to the reports on the three bills, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, that would replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

14:53 (IST)

Israel-Hamas War LIVE Updates

Israel steps up war as Hamas says Gaza deaths near 10,000

Israeli forces pushed on with intense strikes targeting Palestinian militants in Gaza on Monday as the war neared one month and the Hamas-run health ministry's death toll approached 10,000 inside the besieged territory.

Determined to destroy Hamas whose October 7 attack left 1,400 dead in Israel and saw over 240 hostages taken, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed no letup despite mounting international calls for a ceasefire.

14:47 (IST)

Israel-Hamas War LIVE Updates

UK minister says 100 British nationals have left Gaza

Around 100 British nationals have left Gaza for Egypt via the Rafah border crossing and 14 UK citizens have died in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, a UK government minister said on Monday.

There were also "three British nationals who are unaccounted for", said Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho, adding that it did not "necessarily mean that they're hostages, but at the moment we're not sure where they are".

14:31 (IST)

Delhi High Court LIVE Updates

HC stays court summons to Arvind Kejriwal's wife over name in two voter lists

Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was served with a summons by a lower court on Monday, but the Delhi High Court delayed the summons because she had allegedly broken the law by registering herself on the voter rolls of two assembly seats.

In response to Sunita Kejriwal's plea contesting the trial court judgement, Justice Amit Bansal sent notice to both the State and the complainant, requesting that she appear before it on November 18 in relation to the accusation.

14:15 (IST)

NewsClick row LIVE Updates

SC defers hearing on pleas of portal founder, HR head against arrest under UAPA

The Supreme Court on Monday deferred post Diwali vacation hearing on pleas of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and its HR head Amit Chakravarty against their arrest under anti-terror law UAPA.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Prashant Kumar Mishra told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for both the accused, that it will take up the pleas after the vacation.

Sibal said the matter is covered by the recent judgement of the apex court under which it was held that grounds of arrest has to be immediately shared with the accused but in this case, nothing was shared.

14:04 (IST)

Udhayanidhi Stalin LIVE Updates

Udhayanidhi Stalin says he stands by comments on Sanatana, even as High Court cautions

Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin who has come under heat for his controversial "Sanatana Dharma" statement said that he will not back down from his statement and his statement is in line with what BR Ambedkar and Periyar have advocated.

"I stood strong with my statement on Sanatana Dharma. I won't back down from my statement. I will face it legally. I didn't speak more than what Ambedkar and Periyar have spoken," Udhayanidhi Stalin said at a press conference speaking on the Madras High Court Judge Justice G Jayachandran's observation on the case.

Udhayanidhi said that party positions or positions in the government do not matter much to him and it is important to be "human" first.

14:00 (IST)

Iran LIVE Updates

Iran says US 'encouraging' Israel to kill Palestinians

Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran, charged on Monday that the US was "encouraging" Israel to execute and commit "cruel acts" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

On October 7, gunmen belonging to the Palestinian Islamist organisation Hamas broke across Gaza's border with Israel, murdering about 1,400 people—mostly civilians—and kidnapping over 240 more. These events were reported by Israeli officials.

Since then, Israel has been bombing Gaza nonstop and sending in ground forces; according to the health ministry in the region controlled by Hamas, over 9,700 people have died, the most of them civilians.

13:47 (IST)

Israel-Hamas war LIVE Updates

Hamas-run health ministry says over 200 dead in Israeli strikes on Gaza

Over 200 individuals were killed by intense Israeli attacks overnight in the Gaza Strip, according to a Monday statement from the Hamas-run health ministry in the embattled Palestinian region.

"More than 200 martyrs were reported in the overnight massacres," the ministry said in a statement, adding the death toll only covered Gaza City and the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

As soldiers engaged Hamas fighters in combat on Monday, Israel launched what it called "significant" strikes into Gaza, defying pleas for a truce from UN relief organisations who denounced the conflict's rising toll of civilian casualties.

13:45 (IST)

Rajasthan Assembly Polls LIVE Updates

Ashok Gehlot files nomination papers from Sardarpura seat

On Monday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot submitted his candidature papers from the Jodhpur district's Sardarpura seat.

Since 1998, Sardarpura has been a Congress stronghold, with Gehlot emerging victorious in every election. In the 2018 assembly elections, he garnered 63% of the vote.

When the chief minister filed his candidature papers, his son Vaibhav Gehlot and wife Sunita Gehlot accompanied him. Taking his sister's blessings, the CM filed his nomination.

Also planned on Monday at Umaid Singh Stadium in this city is a public gathering that party president Mallikarjun Kharge is anticipated to attend.

13:15 (IST)

Ukraine LIVE Updates

Ukraine says Russia attacked overnight with missiles, 22 drones

On Monday, Ukraine said that throughout the course of the night, Russian forces fired four missiles and about a dozen attack drones from areas of the nation that they had taken over in the south.

"Fifteen Shaheds and one Kh-59 air guided missile were shot down," the Ukrainian air force said, referring to the Iranian-designed kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicle.

13:06 (IST)

Israel-Hamas war LIVE Updates

Gaza loses communications again as Israeli troops set to enter Hamas-ruled enclave

Prior to an anticipated push into the coastal enclave run by Hamas, Israeli soldiers split up Gaza into its northern and southern halves. On Monday, communications within the region were disrupted for the third time since the conflict began. In the next 48 hours, the forces are expected to reach Gaza City, according to Israeli media.

The events followed Sunday's Israeli bombings on two refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip, which left several people dead, according to health officials. To yet, Israel has disregarded American recommendations that it halt its ceaseless bombardment of Gaza in light of the growing number of civilian casualties.

13:00 (IST)

Israel-Hamas war LIVE Updates

Israeli soldier stabbed in east Jerusalem, attacker killed: police

A female Israeli soldier was "seriously" wounded Monday in a knife attack in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem before the assailant was killed, police said.

"A terrorist armed with a knife arrived at Shalem police station and stabbed a female soldier... border police forces neutralised the terrorist by shooting," police said in a statement.

12:34 (IST)

India GDP LIVE Updates

Fitch raises India's GDP growth estimate by 70 bps to 6.2%

Fitch increased India's GDP growth projection by 70 basis points to 6.2% on Monday, noting an improvement in the labor-force participation rate and a moderate increase in the working-age population.

12:21 (IST)

Pakistan LIVE Updates

Pak deports over 6,500 more Afghans; total repatriated to Afghanistan touches 1,70,000: Official

According to border authorities, more than 6,500 Afghan people departed Pakistan via the Torkham border on Sunday, bringing the total number of returned Afghans to more than 1,70,000.

The voluntary exodus has been ongoing since the government issued an ultimatum to all unregistered foreign nationals to leave Pakistan by November 1, or face legal action.

According to authorities, a total of 1,74,358 Afghan citizens have gone for Afghanistan since September 17, with voluntary repatriation still ongoing, although the number is decreasing with each passing day, according to the Dawn daily.

12:16 (IST)

Telangana polls LIVE Updates

Gajwel Assembly seat to witness high profile contest between KCR and Rajender

In the November 30 Assembly elections in Telangana, the Gajwel assembly constituency will see a high-voltage duel between BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao and his erstwhile colleague and BJP MLA Etala Rajender.

The Congress Party has nominated Thumkunta Narsa Reddy to challenge KCR, who is expected to file his candidature on November 9 for two seats, namely Gajwel and Kamareddy.

Rajender left BRS (formerly TRS) in June 2021 following a disagreement with the senior command and joined the BJP. Later, in following by-elections, he won from the Huzurabad segment.

The BJP member has already stated that he will run against Rao in Gajwel and beat him.

12:06 (IST)

Supreme Court LIVE Updates

SC seeks updated status report on Punjab govt's plea against guv's delay in nod to bills

The Supreme Court on Monday instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to provide an updated status report on the action done by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on the measures enacted by the Assembly, observing that governors need to do some soul-searching.

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ruled that governors must act on laws even before they come before the Supreme Court.

Solicitor General Mehta, standing for the Punjab Governor, said the bench that the governor had taken action on legislation presented to him and that the Punjab government's appeal was frivolous.

12:04 (IST)

Israel LIVE Updates

Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi arrested for 'inciting terrorism': Israeli army

The Israeli army said Monday that it has detained popular Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi, 22, during a raid in the occupied West Bank.

An army spokesperson told AFP that "Ahed Tamimi was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence and terrorist activities in the town of Nabi Salih" near Ramallah. "Tamimi was transferred to Israeli security forces for further questioning."

11:40 (IST)

Supreme Court LIVE Updates

SC adjourns to December 5 hearing on validity of Citizenship Act's Section 6A

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will commence hearing on December 5 to examine the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act relating to illegal immigrants in Assam.

Section 6A in the Citizenship Act was inserted as a special provision to deal with the citizenship of people covered by the Assam Accord.

The provision provides that those who have come to Assam on or after January 1, 1966 but before March 25, 1971 from specified territories, including Bangladesh, as per the Citizenship Act amended in 1985, and since then are residents of Assam must register themselves under section 18 for citizenship.

As a result, the provision fixes March 25, 1971 as the cut-off date for granting citizenship to Bangladeshi migrants in Assam.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud deferred the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter.

11:19 (IST)

INDIA Bloc LIVE Updates

INDIA bloc formed to unseat 'dictatorial regime' at Centre, politics in states different: Sena (UBT)

Amid rumblings in the opposition INDIA alliance, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday said the coalition has been formed to unseat the dictatorial regime at the Centre while politics in states is different.

An editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' also said the assembly polls scheduled this month in five states is a "dress rehearsal" for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

It said the Congress is a major party in all the five poll-bound states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.

11:04 (IST)

Kerala LIVE Updates

Widespread rains likely in Kerala during next 5 days: IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted widespread rainfall in Kerala during the next five days due to a cyclonic circulation prevailing over northern Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas.

As a result of the same, widespread moderate to medium rainfall is likely in Kerala during the next five days, the IMD said.

It also said that heavy rains were likely at isolated places in the state between November 6 and 9.

In the last month, most parts of Kerala received normal rainfall with a few receiving much more than that.

10:55 (IST)

China LIVE Updates

China urges Myanmar to 'cooperate' on border stability

After armed groups battling the junta captured a vital trading outpost, a top Chinese envoy encouraged Myanmar to "cooperate" in maintaining security on their shared border, Beijing said Monday.

According to Beijing, Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong visited Myanmar from Friday to Sunday, meeting with senior junta officials about hostilities that had pushed 23,000 people from their homes, according to the UN.

10:46 (IST)

President Droupadi Murmu LIVE Updates

President Droupadi Murmu administers the Oath of Office to Heeralal Samariya

President Droupadi Murmu administers the Oath of Office to Heeralal Samariya, the Chief Information Commissioner at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu administers the Oath of Office to Heeralal Samariya, the Chief Information Commissioner at Rashtrapati Bhavan. pic.twitter.com/tPaDthy1qn— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2023

10:35 (IST)

Israel-Hamas War LIVE Updates

UN says 88 staff members killed in Gaza, highest ever in single conflict

The UN stressed that 88 of its staff members have been killed in Gaza, “the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict.”

The staff members were from its Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA and the casualties were reported since the start of Israel-Hamas war on October 7.

Read More

10:32 (IST)

Israel LIVE Updates

US, Israel coordinated Jordan's airdrop of medical aid into Gaza

According to The Times of Israel, while Jordan airdropped medical assistance into Gaza, a US official stated that it was coordinating with the US and Israel.

The airdrop, which occurred around Sunday midnight, delivered medical supplies and medications to a Jordanian field hospital in Gaza.

10:15 (IST)

Israel LIVE Updates

Israel intensifies Gaza strikes despite ceasefire calls

Israel blasted Gaza with "significant" strikes on Monday, with soldiers battling Hamas fighters in the beleaguered region, disregarding truce demands from UN relief organisations, who denounced the month-long conflict's rising civilian casualties.

Israeli army and Hamas fighters engaged in house-to-house fighting in densely populated Gaza, where the war has forced 1.5 million civilians to evacuate to other areas of the Strip in search of safety.

10:09 (IST)

Delhi LIVE Updates

Air quality in Delhi has been the best in the last 8 years: AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar

VIDEO | "In the Economic Survey 2022-23, the central government said that the air quality in Delhi has been the best in the last eight years. CAQM data also shows that there is a reduction in stubble burning in Punjab by 50 to 67 per cent," says AAP spokesperson @PKakkar_ at a… pic.twitter.com/NjRKfFXFtC— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 6, 2023

10:06 (IST)

Rajasthan Assembly Elections LIVE Updates

Aam Aadmi Party releases fifth list of 2 candidates

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) releases fifth list of 2 candidates for Rajasthan Assembly Elections pic.twitter.com/0EnUOI0Is9— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2023

09:45 (IST)

Delhi Air Pollution LIVE Updates

Stricter curbs under Centre's GRAP-IV stage of pollution control plan. Here are the rules:

To prevent further worsening of air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) resolved on Sunday to immediately activate Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the whole National Capital Region (NCR).

• Truck traffic is prohibited from entering Delhi (save for vehicles delivering critical commodities or providing essential services, as well as all LNG/ CNG/ electric trucks).
• Other than EVs / CNG / BS-u diesel, do not let LCVs registered outside Delhi to enter Delhi, unless they are carrying critical goods or delivering important services.
• The use of Delhi-registered diesel-powered Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) in Delhi is prohibited, save for those transporting vital commodities or delivering essential services.
• C&D operations should be prohibited in linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, electricity transmission, pipelines and so on.
• The NCR State Governments and GNCTD may decide to discontinue physical courses, even for grades VI-IX and XI, and instead conduct sessions online.
• NCR State Governments / GNCTD to make a decision on enabling governmental, municipal, and commercial workplaces to operate at half capacity and the remainder to work from home.
• The Central Government may make an acceptable choice on allowing employees in central government offices to work from home.
• State governments may adopt extra emergency measures such as closing colleges/educational institutions and prohibiting non-emergency commercial activity, allowing automobiles to be registered on an odd-even basis, and so on.

09:30 (IST)

Haryana LIVE Updates

BJP-JJP alliance is a must for Haryana to have stable govt, says Dushyant Chautala

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala Sunday said the alliance between his Jannayak Janta Party and the BJP is a must for Haryana to have a stable government.

His comments came almost a month after BJP leader Birender Singh threatened to quit the party if it did not sever ties with the JJP, which he had accused of indulging in rampant corruption in the state.

"I am not hearing such things for the first time," Chautala replied when reporters asked him to comment on Singh's threat. "I don't think anyone saying so will have an impact on the government working."

09:20 (IST)

Israel LIVE Updates

Israel minister suspended over Gaza nuclear comment

The Israeli government on Sunday drew ire after Minister Amichai Eliyahu suggested that dropping nuclear weapons on Gaza is “one of the options” and that no aid should be transferred to Gaza.

Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, an ultranationalist politician part of Netnayahu’s ruling coalition, told Israel’s Kol Barama radio he was not entirely satisfied with the scale of Israel’s retaliation in the Palestinian territory after Hamas fighters carried out a deadly attack on October 7 inside southern Israel.

Read More

09:16 (IST)

Israel-Hamas Conflict LIVE Updates

Israeli warplanes hit refugee camps in Gaza while UN agencies call siege an 'outrage'

On Sunday, Israeli bombings killed scores of Palestinians in two refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip, according to health officials. The raids come as the US continues to urge Israel to cease its unrelenting bombardment of Gaza, which has resulted in growing civilian casualties.

According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, the Palestinian dead toll in the Israel-Hamas conflict has topped 9,700, with over 4,000 of them being children and minors. More than 140 Palestinians have been killed in unrest and Israeli incursions in the occupied West Bank.

09:08 (IST)

Chhattisgarh Elections LIVE Updates

Three-layered security cover for over 600 polling booths in Bastar

More than 600 voting stations in dangerous regions of Naxal-hit Bastar division, which will vote in the first round of Chhattisgarh assembly elections on Tuesday, will be protected by three layers of security, according to police.

Around 60,000 security troops, 40,000 from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and 20,000 from the state police, have been deployed to ensure the peaceful conduct of elections in the Bastar division, which has 12 assembly seats, they added.

Members of the elite anti-Naxal unit CoBRA, as well as women commandos, will be part of the security apparatus, according to the police.

According to them, 149 voting locations in the division's five assembly seats have been relocated to the nearest police station and security camps for security considerations.

09:06 (IST)

Elon Musk LIVE Updates

Elon Musk debuts 'rebellious' Grok AI bot to challenge OpenAI's ChatGPT

Elon Musk unveiled his own artificial intelligence bot to compete with ChatGPT, stating that the prototype is already superior to ChatGPT 3.5 across a variety of metrics. 

Grok is Musk's first product, and it is now being tested with a small number of US consumers. According to the company's website, Grok is being built with data from Musk's X, previously Twitter, and is thus more up to date on the current advances than other bots with static datasets. According to the statement, it's also intended to respond "with a bit of wit and a rebellious streak."

Musk was one of the signatories to a petition earlier this year calling for a pause in the advancement of AI models to allow for the creation of common safety measures.

08:41 (IST)

Australia LIVE Updates

Australian court asks former Indian envoy to pay compensation to former employee

According to Australian media sources, a court in Australia has ordered India's ex-high commissioner to Canberra, Navdeep Singh Suri, to pay a former domestic employee thousands of dollars in compensation after she accused him of unfair working conditions.

According to those acquainted with the case in New Delhi, it was an ex-parte process in the Australian court, and the employer's filing of the complaint was a "afterthought."

According to ABC News, federal court Justice Elizabeth Raper ordered Suri to pay Seema Sherghill more than 136,000 dollars with interest within 60 days.

Sherghill arrived in Australia in April 2015 and worked for Suri at his Canberra home for almost a year, according to the report.

08:39 (IST)

Uttar Pradesh LIVE Updates

Two dead in motorcycle-bus collision in Sultanpur

According to police, two men were killed after their motorbike was hit by a roads bus on an overbridge near the market in the kotwali police station area here on Monday.

According to police, a bus from the Sultanpur depot collided with an incoming motorbike on Sunday evening. Sandeep Sharma (32) and Santosh Sharma (26) died on the spot while riding on the motorbike.

The bodies have been taken to be examined post-mortem. According to police, the bus driver fled the scene and abandoned the bus after the crash.

They stated that the dead were returning home from a family celebration.

08:27 (IST)

Rajasthan Polls LIVE Updates

BJP announces names of candidates for 18 remaining seats

The BJP presented two lists of 18 candidates for the forthcoming Rajasthan elections on Sunday, completing the process of naming candidates for all 200 assembly seats.

There are several new faces on the lists, including a journalist and a businessman.

Dharmnarayan Joshi, the incumbent MLA from Mawli (Udaipur), was replaced by K G Paliwal.

08:19 (IST)

Delhi LIVE Updates

Severe or worse air quality in Delhi for 4th day on trot

Pollution levels in Delhi-NCR were seven to eight times higher than the government's permissible limit on Monday morning, as a poisonous cloud hung over the region for the seventh consecutive day.

Stringent restrictions, including a ban on the entrance of polluting vehicles, went into place in Delhi on Sunday, as the city's air quality fell into the'severe plus' category for the second time in three days due to adverse wind conditions and an increase in agricultural fires throughout north India.

The 24-hour average Air Quality Index fell from 415 on Saturday to 454 on Sunday, leading the Centre to undertake all emergency measures needed by Stage IV of its air pollution management strategy, known as the Graded Response Action strategy.

08:15 (IST)

Rajasthan Polls LIVE Updates

Bahujan Samaj Party releases a list of 26 candidates

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) releases a list of 26 candidates for the upcoming #RajasthanElection2023 pic.twitter.com/tLe1mAe4xx— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2023

08:10 (IST)

Chhattisgarh LIVE Updates 

BSF jawan on poll duty killed after accidental grenade explosion in Dantewada

Police stated on Sunday that a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan on election duty in Chhattisgarh was killed after a grenade in his hands accidently detonated in Dantewada district.

Balbeer Chand, a Himachal Pradesh native, was identified as the deceased BSF official.

"A BSF company was stationed for the assembly elections near Dantewada district police station. The company had decided to go out for a patrol search when suddenly a hand grenade kept in the pouch worn by Head Constable Balbir Chand exploded," an official said.

07:58 (IST)

Israel LIVE Updates

'Gaza Strip cut into two', says Israeli military amid 'significant strikes'

According to Al Jazeera, the Israeli Army announced on Sunday that "significant strikes" are being carried out and that the Gaza Strip has been "cut in half."

According to army spokesman Daniel Hagari, Israeli soldiers "have encircled Gaza City" and "there is now a south Gaza and a north Gaza."

"Troops reached the coastline and are holding it", he added. "There are now widespread strikes on terror infrastructure - below ground and above it," Al Jazeera quoted Hagari as saying.