Karnataka announces Rajyotsava Awards lists for 2024
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government has announced the winners of this year’s Kannada Rajyotsava Awards, with Kannada and Culture Minister Shivraj S. Thangadagi revealing the list at a press conference on Wednesday.
Minister Thangadagi shared that the government received a total of 1,575 physical applications and an additional 7,438 nominations through the Seva Sindhu portal, covering 1,309 candidates. After thorough review, the committee selected 69 achievers for the prestigious award, ensuring representation from each district and maintaining social justice principles.
In recognition of the Golden Jubilee Year of Karnataka’s formation, a special "Suvarna Sambhram-50 Suvarna Mahotsav" award will also be conferred. This special category honors 50 distinguished men and 50 women, bringing the total awards to 169 this year.
Additionally, over 20 individuals who have made significant contributions to society have been recognized and awarded, even if they did not formally submit applications.
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Hezbollah leader vows not to disarm, criticises Lebanese government’s move
Beirut: Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Kassem on Friday (August 15, 2025) vowed that the Iran-backed group would not lay down its weapons, criticising the Lebanese government’s recent decision to disarm the group by the end of the year, according to a report published by The Hindu. Speaking during a televised address marking a Shiite religious event, Kassem said the move “serves Israel’s interests” and endangers the lives of “resistance fighters and their families.”
Kassem argued that the government should instead have “spread its authority and evicted Israel from Lebanon,” adding that it is “serving the Israeli project.” He warned that if the ongoing crisis escalates into internal conflict, the government would be responsible. While Hezbollah and its Shiite ally, the Amal movement, have not yet called for street protests, Kassem cautioned that if such a decision is made, demonstrators “will be all over Lebanon and head to the U.S. embassy.”
Last week, the Lebanese government approved a U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah and implement a ceasefire with Israel, a move urged by the international community following the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war that ended in November.
Kassem insisted that Hezbollah will only discuss a national defence strategy concerning its weapons once Israel withdraws and halts near-daily airstrikes, which have killed many of its members since the war. “The resistance will not hand over its weapons as the aggression continues and occupation remains,” he said, adding that the group is prepared for a prolonged battle if necessary.
The war has weakened Hezbollah, causing significant loss of life among its leadership, displacing over 1 million people in Lebanon, and inflicting reconstruction costs estimated at $11 billion by the World Bank.
