'Some irregularities have come to light,' says Union Education Minister on NEET scam

Mangaluru: The MLC by-election for the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Local Authorities Constituency commenced at 8 AM on Monday, with voting set to continue until 4 PM. A total of 392 polling booths have been established across the two districts, which form the constituency.

The constituency has 6,032 eligible voters, including 3,127 women. Early reports indicated brisk voting at the Mangaluru City Corporation polling booth, where corporators were seen patiently standing in line in the morning.

In a unique moment, Sharath, a gram panchayat member from Kokkada, cast his vote at Kokkada Gram Panchayat before heading to his wedding ceremony.

The constituency features 53 sensitive polling booths. Eligible voters include members of gram panchayats, corporators from Mangaluru City Corporation, city and town municipal councils, town panchayats, MLAs, MLCs, and Lok Sabha members representing the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

Notably, Byndoor MLA Gururaj Gantihole and MLC Prathap Simha Nayak, who do not represent local bodies, were left out of the voters' list. According to electoral rules, only those MLAs, MLCs, and MPs who represent city corporations, municipalities, town panchayats, taluk panchayats, or zilla panchayats are granted voting rights in the MLC elections for the Local Authorities’ Constituency.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been martyred in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza's Rafah city, a senior Hamas official confirmed.

Khalil Hayya, head of Hamas in Gaza, delivered a statement on Friday, a day after reports of Sinwar's martyrdom. 

"We mourn the great national leader, the Mujahid Martyr Brother Yahya Al-Sinwar (Abu Ibrahim), Head of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Commander of Al-Aqsa Storm Operation," he said.

He remembered Sinwar as "one of the noblest and bravest men, a man who dedicated his life to Palestine and gave his soul for the sake of Allah on the path to its liberation."

"He rose as a heroic martyr, advancing and never retreating, wielding his weapon, engaging and confronting the occupation army at the frontlines. He moved between all combat positions, steadfast and stationed on the honored land of Gaza, defending the land of Palestine and its holy sites, inspiring the spirit of endurance, patience, steadfastness, and resistance."

Referring to the history of Sinwar's struggle against the Israeli regime, Hayya noted that the fallen leader "attained the highest rank and the noblest medal, ascending as a witness and a martyr, content with the jihad and sacrifice he offered."

Naming a host of other resistance leaders assassinated by the Israeli regime in the past years, the Hamas official noted that "these sacrifices will continue to illuminate our path and drive us to more resilience and steadfastness."

"Hamas remains committed to the promise of its founding leaders and martyrs until the aspirations of our people are fully realized: the complete liberation and return, and the establishment of the Palestinian state on the entire national soil with Al-Quds as its capital, by Allah’s will," he said, adding, "This will become a curse upon the invading occupiers who are strangers to this land."

He underlined that the martyrdom of leaders "only strengthens Hamas and our resistance, making us more determined and steadfast in following their path, honoring their blood and sacrifices."

He highlighted that Israeli captives held in Gaza "will not return except with the cessation of aggression on Gaza, its withdrawal, and the release of our heroic prisoners from the occupation’s jails."

The charismatic leader of the Palestinian resistance movement had escaped many assassination attempts before and after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Oct. 7, 2023.

Sinwar, 62, played an instrumental role in coordinating and supervising the landmark operation that jolted the Zionist regime. 

Before becoming the Hamas leader in Gaza in 2017, Sinwar spent 22 years in an Israeli prison. He was released as part of a prisoner swap in 2011.

“Hamas will never abandon the path of resistance… Our resistance will continue until the liberation of all of Palestine,” he declared during a speech in Gaza in late October 2017.

Sinwar had been chosen as the overall Hamas leader after Israel assassinated Ismail Haniyeh in July.

Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, where he was to attend the inauguration ceremony of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Mysuru: K. Marigowda, Chairman of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), resigned on Wednesday, citing health issues and directions from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Marigowda, once considered a close confidant of the Chief Minister, met with Siddaramaiah earlier in the day before submitting his resignation to the Principal Secretary for Urban Development in Bengaluru. While he was unavailable for direct comment, he informed the media that the CM had instructed him to step down. "My health is not good. I’ve suffered two strokes and am unable to carry out my duties effectively," Marigowda said.

His resignation follows an incident on September 27, when he was confronted by Congress party members at Mysuru Airport in Mandakalli during Siddaramaiah's visit. Supporters of the CM, who had gathered in large numbers, accused Marigowda of being responsible for the CM’s recent difficulties. Despite his attempts to explain, they demanded he leave the premises, forcing him to depart under pressure. Marigowda had previously served as president of the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat.

The resignation also comes amid ongoing investigations by the Lokayukta Police. A case was filed on September 27 against Siddaramaiah, his wife B.M. Parvathi, brother-in-law B.M. Mallikarjuna Swamy, and J. Devaraju, following a special court directive to investigate a complaint by Mysuru-based RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.

The case involves a 3.16-acre plot of land in Kesare (Survey No. 464) in Mysuru taluk, which Mallikarjuna Swamy gifted to Parvathi. Parvathi had requested alternative land for this Kesare property, which was developed by MUDA without acquiring it. In return, she received 14 sites in the Third and Fourth Stages of Vijayanagar.

Following the court's order, the Lokayukta Police formed four special teams on September 28. An inspection of both the original Kesare land and the 14 alternative sites in Vijayanagar was conducted in the presence of the petitioner. Mallikarjuna Swamy and Devaraju were questioned on October 10.

Additionally, an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was filed on September 30 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Siddaramaiah and others, based on the Lokayukta FIR.

Subsequently, Parvathi requested MUDA to reclaim the 14 sites. The process began on October 1, when MUDA received a letter from Parvathi via her son, MLC Dr. Yathindra. The sites were officially returned by October 3. The Lokayukta Police investigation continues.