Modi departs on three-nation Africa tour
New Delhi, July 23 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday left for Rwanda on the first leg of his five-day, three-nation tour of Africa that will also take him to Uganda and South Africa.
"Embarking on a momentous journey to strengthen our historical bond with Africa," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweetetd.
This will be the first ever prime ministerial visit from India to Rwanda.
From Rwanda, Modi will reach Uganda on July 24 in what will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to that country in 21 years.
From Uganda, the Prime Minister will reach South Africa on July 25 where he will attend this year's Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) Summit.
"India shares close, warm and friendly relations with Africa which are cemented by robust development partnership and a large presence of the Indian diaspora," the Prime Minister's Office said in a pre-departure statement.
"A number of agreements and MoUs in the areas of defence, trade, culture, agriculture and dairy cooperation are scheduled to be signed during the visit," it stated.
This is Modi's second official visit to mainland Africa after he visited Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya in 2016.
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Death toll from Israeli strikes in northeast Lebanon rises from 8 to 24, Lebanese news agency says
Deir al-Balah, Nov 1: Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 24 people in northeastern Lebanon, the country's news agency said, raising the death toll from eight there.
It was the latest deadly toll in the area since the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah escalated last month.
Israel's military has said that its operation in Lebanon is targeting Hezbollah's military infrastructure.
Lebanon's state National news Agency reported four airstrikes in different villages across country's northeast, saying rescuers were still searching for survivors in Younine, a town in the Bekaa Valley, from the rubble of a targeted house.
Hussein Haj Hassan, a Lebanese lawmaker representing the region in Baalbek-Hermel region, said that 60,000 people have already fled their homes in the area due to Israeli bombardment.
