Udupi: Four tourists from Kerala, including a woman, had to spend their whole night on the St. Mary's Island in Malpe on November 23 after missing the last boat.

Residents of Cochin in Kerala, Justin (34), Sheeja (33), Josh (28) and Harish (17) were rescued from St. Mary's Island at around 7:30 am on November 24. Malpe police conducted their inquiry and sent them to Kerala safely.

It was revealed from the inquiry that the tourists had reached St. Mary's Island at around 12:30 PM on November 23 by Malpe Development Committee boat. They then moved to another nearby Island. But they were unable to return from that Island as the water level had increased. Subsequently, they stayed there. Meanwhile, the last boat from St. Mary's Island to Malpe returned at around 6:45.  

All the four returned to the St. Mary's Island after the water level had decreased. But they learnt that they had missed the last boat and spent whole night on the Island.

Other tourists who came to the Island this morning were surprised to find the Kerala tourists on the Island and they took the formers to Malpe and informed the police. The police took them to the police station and conducted the inquiry as staying at the St. Mary's Island is not allowed. The police checked their boat tickets, railway tickets and identity cards and later sent them to Kerala safely, sources said.

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Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.

The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.

At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.

According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.

An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.

“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.

The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.

Police have since launched a search for the suspects.

South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.

The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.

According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.