New Delhi has invited eight South Asian countries, including neighboring Bangladesh, to an event organized to mark the 150th anniversary of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

This information was given in a report by Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) on Friday (January 10).

The report said that the Indian government has taken such an initiative for the first time to overcome differences and celebrate the history of the Indian subcontinent in a united manner.

India has also invited Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal to participate in the event. Apart from the Indian subcontinent, invitations have also been sent to officials from several countries in the Middle East, Central and Southwest Asia.

The PTI report said that Pakistan has already confirmed its participation in the event in New Delhi. However, Bangladesh has not yet said anything about participating in the meeting.

A devastating cyclone in 1864 reduced Kolkata to rubble. Then, in 1866 and 1871, two devastating floods failed to predict, leading to famine across Bengal.

Later, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) was established in 1875 during the British colonial period. The Indian Meteorological Department will complete 150 years of its establishment on January 15.

Since its establishment in 1875, the IMD has been headquartered in Kolkata. Later, in 1905, the headquarters of the agency was shifted to Shimla, then to Pune in 1928 and finally to New Delhi in 1944. Since then, the headquarters of the agency has been in Delhi.

A senior official of the Indian Meteorological Department told PTI that Dhaka should ensure its participation in the event. It will be a historic moment. We wanted officials from all the countries that were part of undivided India when the IMD was established to participate in the celebrations.

More than 40 civilians, including children, have been killed in a military airstrike on Kyuknimao village in Ramri township, controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), in Myanmar's western Rakhine state. The death toll is expected to rise.

The attack was carried out on Wednesday (January 8), the AP news agency reported.

Local authorities said that at least 20 residents were injured in the Kyuknimao area in the airstrike. In addition, at least 500 houses were destroyed in the north-south and Manchaliya areas. Among the injured are children, women and the elderly.

Residents said that the fire caused by the bombing quickly spread to densely populated surrounding areas, burning down hundreds of houses. Most people have taken refuge in the Kyuknimao area due to clashes between the Arakan Army and the junta in the township.

A resident of Kyaw Knymaw told The Irrawaddy on Thursday, "The number of people injured in this attack is higher than the number of people killed. But there is no medical equipment to treat them. The death toll could rise."

The AA took control of Ramri Township, an island off Myanmar's west coast, on March 11 last year. Although there was no war, the junta has carried out airstrikes in the area for several days.

Myanmar's 2021 military coup toppled the civilian government led by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking a nationwide anti-junta insurgency.

Arakan Army spokesman Khaing Thu Kha told AFP that military aircraft bombed Kyaw Knymaw township on Ramri Island in Rakhine state at around 1:20 p.m. on Wednesday, setting off a fire that burned more than 500 houses.

He called the attack "cowardly" and said "launching deadly airstrikes on civilians is a brutal war crime."

At least two people were killed in a wildfire in the US state of California, Los Angeles. Los Angeles is one of the country's major industrial, commercial and financial centers.

The BBC reported this news on Wednesday (January 8) citing the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Fire Chief Anthony Marone said that the Palisades Fire has burned more than 5,000 acres of land and the fire is growing. He also said that about 1,000 structures have been destroyed in the fire.

The head of the Los Angeles County Fire Department told a news conference on Wednesday that two people have died and several others have been injured in the Eaton Fire near Pasadena.

The latest fire has now almost doubled in size to 2,227 acres.

Like other wildfires that have spread across Southern California, it has not been able to be contained to zero percent. The fire department says they are dealing with terrain and strong winds.

700 firefighters are working to contain the fire, with local officials saying it is burning dangerously in both the east and west directions. 

Unprecedented rains and severe flooding have occurred in the desert country of Saudi Arabia. The country's meteorological department, the National Center for Meteorology (NCM), has already issued a red alert in the two holy cities of Makkah and Medina due to the flooding.

This information was published in a report by the Anadolu Agency on Wednesday (January 9).

The report said that severe flooding has begun in Saudi Arabia due to continuous heavy rains over the past few days. As a result, roads and residential areas in several cities in the country have been severely damaged.

According to the Saudi Meteorological Department's forecast, this weather depression may continue for several more days.

A red alert has been issued for the two holy cities of Makkah and Medina and some areas in the eastern region. In addition, a low-level orange alert has been issued in the capital Riyadh, the central region and the southwestern provinces of Asir and Jazan. However, citizens have been asked to be careful there too.

The Saudi Disaster Management Authority and the International Humanitarian Aid Organization Red Crescent said in a statement that all preparations have been completed to rescue those trapped in the floods. Several photos and videos of the floods in Saudi Arabia have been published on social media. The photos and videos show cars being swept away by floodwaters. The water is rising due to heavy rain and thunderstorms, which is a rare sight in Saudi Arabia.