Muslim techie washed away in cauvery while taking selfie; Hindu friend sacrifices his life in rescue
Bengaluru, July 16: In spite of warnings from the concerned authorities against taking selfies in dangerous spots, selfie mania claimed two precious lives in the state on Sunday. While taking selfies, two software engineers from Bengaluru swept away in Cauvery river at Mekedatu in Ramanagara district on Sunday.
The deceased have been identified as Sameer Rahman (29) and Bhavani Shankar (29) of Bannerghatta Road in Bengaluru. They hailed from Bidar. As it was holiday, both of them along with two other friends- Amit and Srikanth- went to Sangama at Mekedatu on two motor bikes. While taking a selfie, Sameer slipped and fell into the water at around 11.30 am. Suddenly, in a bid to save his friend Sameer, Bhavani Shankar plunged into the water. But he also drowned. Both of them washed away in the river and still their bodies were not yet traced.
The police who were informed by the local people rushed to the spot. Both police and fire brigade and emergency service started their search operation. But they have failed to trace the bodies on Sunday as it was dusk and called off their search operation. The search operation was resumed on Monday morning with the help of the locals. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was also summoned to take up search operation in the river.
Meanwhile, police sources said that following the heavy inflow into the KRS dam, the authorities have opened 12 gates to release the water to the river from the reservoir. This has increased water level in the river suddenly by 60-70 ft than usual level, sources added.
Sathanur police have informed the families of the victims about the incident.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses defence minister in surprise announcement
Jerusalem, Nov 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the Hamas group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
