‘All of us are responsible for poll debacle in Dakshina Kannada; I will not quit post: DK Cong chief

Israel's foreign minister says Palestinians will be ordered to evacuate parts of the northern occupied West Bank, amid unprecedented bloody raids in the area as similar measures have been taken by the regime’s military in the Gaza Strip, which is subjected to a genocidal war since October.

In a post on social media platform X on Wednesday, Israel Katz said the Israeli military is working “intensively” to thwart what he alleged to be “terrorist infrastructures” in the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps, claiming that “an eastern terrorist front” is being established against Israel in the West Bank.

Katz noted that the raids see "temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents" in areas in the northern West Bank in measures akin to those imposed in Gaza.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli army launched raids in the cities of Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas in the northern West Bank, killing at least 11 Palestinians.

Since the start of Israel’s aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip in October, the West Bank has also seen a rise in violence from Israeli forces and settlers that has claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 662 Palestinians were killed and about 5,400 others injured by Israeli fire since October 7, considering the new deaths.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least  40,534 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 93,778 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

In a landmark ruling, the United Nations’ top court said last month Israel’s presence in the 1967- occupied Palestinian territories is “unlawful” and must end.

In a 1967 war, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East al-Quds, which it subsequently annexed.

The 83-page advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice also outlined a wide list of policies that it said violated international law, including the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east al-Quds. 

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar visited Kesavanahalli village in Sakleshpur taluk, Hassan district, on Wednesday to inspect the trial run of the Yettinahole project, particularly near the Kumbaradadi coffee estate.

During his visit, Shivakumar announced, "Today, we have initiated trial runs for five of the eight check dams, lifting around 1,500 cusecs of water. The remaining works will be launched by the Chief Minister at an auspicious time. I will discuss this further with the Chief Minister."

Highlighting the importance of the project, he added, "The Yettinahole project is a key initiative for our government. I commenced the trial run with a 'Ganga puja.' Although officials provided me with documents and videos, I wanted to see the progress firsthand, which is why I visited the site today."

Shivakumar also shared the financial progress of the project, stating that Rs 16.152 crore has been utilized as of July 2024. He outlined plans to prioritize the project's completion by March 31, 2027.

The Yettinahole project aims to supply 24.01 tmc of water for drinking purposes to several districts, including Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Tumakuru, Hassan, and Chikkamagaluru. Approximately 14.056 tmc of water will be distributed to 38 towns and 6,657 villages across 29 drought-affected taluks, benefiting 7.559 million people. Additionally, the project plans to release 9.953 tmc-ft of water to 527 lakes in Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Hassan, and Tumakuru.

Addressing delays, Shivakumar stated, "During my previous visit, I had set a deadline, but the project has been delayed by two to three months. However, we have managed to complete most of the work, except for tasks related to the Forest Department. We will engage with the department to address these pending issues."

Also present at the inspection were Minister D. Sudhakar, MP Shreyas Patel, MLA K.M. Shivalingegowda, Sharat Bachegowda, Additional Principal Secretary of Water Resources Gaurav Gupta, Deputy Commissioner Satyabhama, and other officials.

Bengaluru: Chevron, a global leader in providing energy solutions, on Saturday announced an investment of Rs 8,300 crore to set up its Engineering and Innovation Centre of Excellence here.

The investment was announced during a high-profile meeting attended by the Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development, M B Patil and others.

"Karnataka has been consistently leading the way in promoting economic growth and development. The collaboration between the state government and Chevron company in implementing this Rs 8,300 crore investment is a clear indication of the significant progress in engineering and innovation in Karnataka. The state government is committed to promoting innovation, economic growth and job creation," he said.

Akshay Sahni, Country Head of Chevron India, shared the company's vision for the new centre and said, "It will provide an opportunity for India's exceptional talent to work with the resources and expertise of our global network to provide affordable, reliable clean energy."

According to a statement shared by the Minister's office, the centre will hire 600 engineers by 2025 in engineering and digital services to accelerate energy system technology innovations. The state has taken exemplary steps to promote technological progress through progressive policies that have created an enabling environment for innovation.

The minister noted that Bengaluru is already home to more than 500 Global Competence Centres (GCCs) and accounts for more than 30 per cent of India's GCCs, including finance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing and other sectors.

Chevron Centre of Excellence (ENGINE) will create significant employment opportunities for local professionals. It will allow them to respond to the challenge of meeting current global energy demands and contribute to the production of clean, low-carbon fuels in the future, the statement said.

Patil explained the Chevron team that will be operating here will execute complex global operations and energy projects in collaboration with international stakeholders.

"The establishment of the Chevron Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru will be in line with the Government of Karnataka's priorities for technology, innovation and skill development. This investment reflects the importance of Karnataka as an important destination for global companies," it stated.