Refusal of GST compensation to states is betrayal on part of Centre: Sonia

Udupi: In a significant operation, the Malpe police have arrested seven Bangladeshi nationals who were illegally residing in India using forged Aadhaar cards. Udupi Superintendent of Police, Dr. Arun K, stated that the arrests followed after an immigration incident involving one of the group's members.

Muhammed Manik, one of the arrested individuals, was caught attempting to travel to Dubai via Mangaluru International Airport with a fake passport. Alert immigration officers at the airport detained him and handed him over to the Bajpe police, who registered a case. Following this, the Udupi police, acting on the information provided by the Bajpe police and immigration authorities, conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of the seven individuals in Hoode village, Paduthonse, Udupi.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Hakeem Ali (24), Sujon S K alias Farooq (19), Ismail S K (30), Kareem S K (20), Salam S K (22), Rajikul S K (20), and Mohammed Sojib (20), all hailing from Bangladesh.

The group entered India without any valid documentation and managed to acquire fake Aadhaar cards, which they used to stay in the country illegally. According to police sources, a person named Kajol from Agartala assisted them in obtaining the fraudulent Aadhaar cards, while a Bangladeshi named Usman facilitated their illegal entry into India under the guise of employment. Both Kajol and Usman are currently at large.

The Malpe police have registered cases under several sections, including Sections 19(2), 318(4), 336(2), 336(3), 340(2), and 190 of the BNS, related to fraud and illegal entry. Interrogations are ongoing as the police seek further details in connection with the case.

New Delhi: After the MUDA chairman stepped down from his post on Wednesday, the BJP demanded that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also resign immediately as he is "deeply embroiled" in the land "scam".

Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) chairman K Marigowda resigned from his post amid the row over alleged irregularities in allotment of sites to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi B M.

"MUDA chairman has tendered his resignation... I call upon Siddaramaiah that if you have the slightest morality left in you, you should step down immediately. You should not wait for today's sunset," BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra said at a press conference here.

He said Marigowda's resignation and Siddaramaiah's wife "offering" to return the MUDA sites allocated to her make it clear that the chief minister is "deeply involved in the scam from head to toe".

"There is no doubt about it," Patra said.

Earlier in the day, Marigowda submitted his resignation to the Urban Development Department secretary.

"I have resigned following directions from the CM. Also, as I had health issues, I have resigned... there was no pressure on me, as I had health issues I have resigned," Marigowda told reporters in Bengaluru.

Responding to a question, he said, "The investigation is on, and it will continue...it will be known from the probe whether there were any irregularities." Siddaramaiah is facing probes by the Lokayukta and the Enforcement Directorate into alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA.

The chief minister has denied any wrongdoing and rejected the opposition's calls for his resignation.

The international charity Save the Children has described the conditions in Gaza as akin to the “depths of hell,” saying the aggression on the besieged territory is in fact a “war on children” as nowhere is safe.

The Middle East regional director for Save the Children, Jeremy Stoner, in a statement on Monday said, “What we’re seeing now in Gaza looks like the depths of hell with reports day after day of attacks on children and families. Nowhere is safe.”

The British NGO issued a grave warning about the escalating crisis in Gaza, stating that “evacuation orders” could soon turn into “execution orders” as children face severe deprivation of essential resources for survival.

Stoner made the remarks while explaining about the dire humanitarian situation across Gaza. He noted that in the north of Gaza Strip, a desperate population has been deprived of food for two weeks, trapped in a perilous kill zone while trying to escape relentless bombings and gunfire.

Meanwhile, in the south, where families from the north sought refuge, Israeli airstrikes have ignited a devastating fire that is engulfing Al-Aqsa Hospital and surrounding tents, with reports of rescuers discovering the remains of burned victims.

“Never has it been clearer that this is a war on children, their protection only upheld if they’re deemed a risk to those beyond their borders,” the statement said.

It added that Save the Children begun a second round of polio vaccines for children in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza , as "children face bombs and fire just 500 meter away."

Elsewhere in his remarks, Stoner underlined the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and said that the absence of a ceasefire means that vaccinations for children merely delay their suffering instead of eliminating it.

“Without immediate international action, children and families across the Gaza Strip face a death sentence – today, tomorrow, in a week, in a month, by bombs, bullets, fire, disease or starvation. Anywhere, any time,” he said.

Stoner further raised concerns about humanity's moral compass, arguing those with the power and legal responsibility to intervene in this violence opt to remain passive, regretting that some member states have only responded by supplying weapons used to kill children and burn patients and families in hospitals and tents.

“Gaza is what can happen without the rules of war. Except there are rules – for parties to the conflict, and for the international community – which are not being respected,” the NGO said.

The Israeli aggression against Gaza which began in October last year has so far 42,289 people. Over 98,689 Gazans have also been injured since then.