K'taka govt to fund education of children whose parents died in house collapse: CM Bommai
Bhatkal, Aug 3: The Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the State government would take care of education of children who lost their parents and relatives in a landslide in Muttalli village in Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district.
We have given relief amount to the next of kin of four people who were killed in house collapse. The government will take care of the education of the children, be it hostel fees or education fees. If they don't have a house, I have told the deputy commissioner to build a house for them, Bommai told reporters after inspecting the spot where four members of a family were buried alive under the house which collapsed following landslide in a nearby hillock on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister said Muttalli and surrounding places in Bhatkal town witnessed so much of rains, which had never occurred in the past.
It was like a cloudburst in which 515 mm rainfall occurred in an area of six to seven-km radius causing immense loss, especially those living beneath the hillock in the low-lying areas where the landslide occurred leading to house collapse killing four people of a family, Bommai said.
This incident should not have happened. Because of laterite mining, the soil has become loose. Prima facie the heavy downpour led to the incident. We will get the geological study of the area done, identify the houses which may be in danger and shift the residents to safer places, the Chief Minister said.
According to him, in just one day, there was a loss of Rs 38 crore to Rs 40 crore.
Bommai said he has instructed the deputy commissioner of Uttara Kannada district to submit a preliminary report on the rain-related damages, including crop loss, infrastructure loss, damage to houses, shops and shipping boats, so that the relief amount can be given quickly.
He said at least 14 districts affecting 115 villages suffered rain-related losses in which 600 houses were completely damaged, 2,312 houses severely damaged and 14,578 houses partially damaged.
Bommai added that crop in 21,431 hectares of land was damaged.
The figures may go up also, so a joint survey is needed to give relief, he said.
The Chief Minister said the State government has already released Rs 500 crore to repair infrastructure which bore the brunt of heavy downpour and floods.
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
