Steps taken to check drugs mafia in state: DCM
Mangaluru, August 10: Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwar said that the state government has take steps to identify the drugs sales racket to eradicate drugs menace in the state, for which a campaign was started across the state.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, on his way to Bhatkal, the Deputy Chief Minister said that some African nationals who came to India and settled in Karnataka. But many of them do not have visa and visa of some them were expired. Now, the department has been tracing such persons and trying to get in touch with those countries to send them back home. In the same way, some of the Bangladeshi immigrants do not have valid documents and those people would also be sent home, he said.
Loan waiver to help farmers
It was the responsibility of the state government to avoid the farmers suicide cases and protect their families. In this view, the government has given priority to waive of farm loans. Farmers suicide cases were common in many states. But the central government was not showing interest to waive of the loans availed from nationalized banks. As the state government was not getting the financial assistance from the central government for loan waiver scheme, the state government has to bear the huge financial burden, he said.
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On Shiroor swamiji’s death, Parameshwar said that the investigation is being conducted into the death. But the department would not make any problems for the religious rituals and pooja rituals of the mutt, he clarified.
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Various pro-people programmes like Anna Bhagya, Shadi Bhagya, Ksheera Bhagya and others introduced by the previous Congress government would continue in this coalition government, he said.
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On Siddaramaiah’s letter to the Chief Minister, he said that being a responsible leader, there was nothing wrong in Siddaramaiah writing a letter to the Chief Minister. There was no meaning in blowing this issue out of proportion, he said.
North Karnataka is not neglected
Parameshwar said that the government has reserved funds for the development of North Karnataka in the Budget. The funds were allocated to each district and taluk as per the report of the Dr Nanjundappa Committee, he said.
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The government has recommended the 6th Pay Commission to hike the salaries of police personnel. Around 12,000 back-lag posts were already recruited. According Auradkar Committee report, the government would think of increasing the salary and allowances of the police personnel, he said.
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The investigation into the Gauri Lankesh murder case was come to final stage. Shortly, all details would be disclosed, he added.
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On Congress debacle in the last election, Parameshwar said that the reasons for the humiliating defeat for the Congress despite giving good governance were being discussed internally. In this issue, the statements of other party leaders were not the opinion of the party. Their statements were their personal opinions, Parameshwar said about MLC Bhoje Gowda’s statement.
Former ministers B Ramanath Rai and Pramod Madhwaraj, MLA Harish Kumar, mayor Bhaskar Moily, former MLA JR Lobo, Congress leaders GA Bava, Shahul Hameed and others were present.
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UAE denies Netanyahu secretly visited the country during Iran war
Jerusalem (AP): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-US war with Iran, further strengthening ties with a Gulf nation that normalised relations with Israel in 2020, his office said Wednesday. The UAE denied any secret visit had occurred.
Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a gathering that “resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates", according to the Israeli statement.
THE UAE's official WAM news agency posted an article denying the report about a Netanyahu visit.
According to WAM, the country's relations with Israel “are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements”.
The report also denied any Israeli military delegation was received in the UAE.
Israel's announcement came a day after US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee revealed that Israel had sent Iron Dome air-defence weapons and personnel to operate them to the UAE.
The UAE has faced Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire was reached last month. It has been trying to signal to nervous investors that it remains open for business and safe.
Last week, WAM reported that Netanyahu was among the leaders who called the Emirati president to condemn Iranian attacks and express their solidarity with the Gulf federation.
It was rare public acknowledgment of direct talks between the countries that normalized relations in the 2020 Abraham Accords and have strengthened their ties during the Iran war.
Iran has criticised that agreement and has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the Emirates.
Israeli leaders have made occasional visits to the UAE in recent years after normalising relations.
Iran demands Kuwait release detainees
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Iran's foreign minister accused Kuwait of attempting to “sow discord” by detaining four Iranians that the Gulf Arab country accuses of being Revolutionary Guard operatives.
In a post Wednesday on X, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi demanded the Iranians' immediate release and said Iran reserved the right to respond.
“This illegal act took place near an island used by the US to attack Iran,” Araghchi wrote.
A day earlier, Kuwait said four men were detained and two escaped while trying to infiltrate Bubiyan Island in the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf on May 1.
Bubiyan Island is home to Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, which is under construction as part of a Chinese plan to build infrastructure across the world. It also came under Iranian attack during the war.
Iranian human rights lawyer released
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Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been released from prison more than a month after being detained, a rights group and her daughter said Wednesday.
Sotoudeh, who is known for defending activists, opposition politicians and women prosecuted for removing their headscarves, was detained by Iranian intelligence agents at her house in Tehran in April.
Her release comes as US President Donald Trump arrived in China for a long-anticipated visit that is expected to touch on the war in Iran.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which closely tracks developments in Iran, said that Sotoudeh was released on bail from Tehran's Evin Prison.
Her daughter, Mehraveh Khandan, posted on social media that Sotoudeh was released on temporary custody. Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency also reported Sotoudeh release.
Sotoudeh has been imprisoned multiple times. Her activist husband, Reza Khandan, has been imprisoned in the same prison as his wife.
Nobel Peace laureate needs long-term care
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Doctors who examined Nobel Peace laureate and activist Narges Mohammadi more than a week after she collapsed at a prison in Iran said she needs months of treatment, according to her foundation.
Mohammadi, 53, was urgently transferred from prison to a hospital in northwestern Iran on May 1 after she fell unconscious. She was released on bail nearly 10 days later and transferred to a hospital in Tehran where her specialists examined her.
The doctors said her vascular disease has worsened since she was last checked in 2024 and recommended eight months of treatment.
She was awarded the Nobel in 2023 while in prison and has been jailed repeatedly throughout her career. Her latest imprisonment began in December when she was arrested in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.
