Saudi Arabia stops medical treatment programmes in Canada
Riyadh, Aug 8 : Saudi Arabia has stopped all medical treatment programmes in Canada and is coordinating for the transfer of Saudi patients to medical facilities outside the country, Saudi press agency reported on Wednesday.
The agency cited Dr Fahd bin Ibrahim Al Tamimi, Saudi Health Attache in the US and Canada, as saying that "the mission seeks to ensure the safety of Saudi patients who receive treatment in Canada with their companions, and to complete their treatment elsewhere".
The move came amid an intensifying spat over human rights between the two countries, after Saudi Arabia expelled Canada's Ambassador in Riyadh, recalled its own Ambassador from Ottawa and froze "all new business" with Canada.
The Middle East country also decided to suspend all training and scholarship programmes in Canada by the end of the Islamic calendar year in September, the Cultural Bureau of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education announced on Monday.
The abrupt diplomatic row broke out as Ottawa urged Riyadh to release civil society and women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement issued by Canada's Foreign Office.
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Karnataka: Home Department asks motorists to drive on highways with caution to avoid robbery
Belagavi: The Home Department has advised motorists to stay alert while travelling on national and state highways, warning that gangs involved in robbery and extortion have been active in several stretches. It said people should be extra cautious if anyone tries to stop their vehicle in isolated areas.
Replying to an unstarred question on Thursday, the department said Karnataka has recorded 403 highway robbery cases in the past three years. According to the data, national highways saw 81 extortion and 23 robbery cases in 2023, followed by 66 extortion and 16 robbery cases in 2024. Until November 15 this year, 51 extortion and 14 robbery cases have been reported.
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On state highways, 39 extortion and 17 robberies were reported in 2023, while 2024 saw 35 extortion and 22 robbery cases. In 2025 so far, 20 extortion and 19 robbery cases have taken place. The department noted that curbing highway robberies remains a major challenge for the police.
To tackle the issue, police stations have been directed to set up regular checkpoints on stretches of highways passing through their limits. Suspicious individuals and vehicles are being checked. Two-wheelers have been allocated to every station for night patrol, and staff have been instructed to conduct night rounds using vehicles fitted with sirens and red lights.
