Mangaluru, Apr 12: The blessed month of Ramadan has begun in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, as the crescent moon was spotted on the outskirts of the twin districts this evening.
Like previous year, the holy month has begun in many Middles East countries and coastal belt of Karnataka and Kerala on the same day.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that the government of India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a deal to buy Venezuelan oil, as opposed to purchasing it from Iran.
"We've already made that deal, the concept of the deal," he told reporters on Air Force One.
Trump had imposed 25% tariffs on countries buying Venezuelan oil, including India, in March 2025. He had also hit India with tariffs for buying Russian oil, saying it was "funding" President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine.
Trump has said that the US has taken control of the oil-rich Venezuela after capturing former President Nicolas Maduro in January.
A fleet of 18 ships loaded with crude oil bound for refineries in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi in January, the most since December 2024, according to a report by the news agency Bloomberg.
Combined crude deliveries to the US will reach about 2,75,000 barrels a day, more than doubling volumes seen in December last year. Shipments to China, which averaged 4,00,000 barrels a day last year, fell to zero in January.
PM Modi, Venezuelan President Agree To Expand Ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez spoke on Friday and agreed to take the bilateral relations to "new heights" in the years ahead.
It was the first phone call between the two leaders since the capture of Maduro and his wife by the US on January 3.
"Spoke with Acting President of Venezuela, Ms. Delcy Rodriguez. We agreed to further deepen and expand our bilateral partnership in all areas, with a shared vision of taking India-Venezuela relations to new heights in the years ahead," PM Modi said in a post on X.
A statement from Prime Minister Modi's office said the two leaders agreed to further expand and deepen the India-Venezuela partnership in all areas, including trade and investment, energy, digital technology, health, agriculture, and people-to-people ties.
They exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest and underscored the importance of their close cooperation for the Global South, the statement said.
Rodriguez also said that they discussed partnerships in the fields of agriculture, science and technology, mining, and tourism, as well as the pharmaceutical and automotive industries.
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read only three lines from the 122-paragraph address prepared by the Congress-led state government while addressing the joint session of the Legislature on Thursday, effectively bypassing large sections critical of the BJP-led Union government.
The omitted portions of the customary Governor’s address outlined what the state government described as a “suppressive situation in economic and policy matters” under India’s federal framework. The speech also sharply criticised the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly referred to as the VB-GRAM (G) Act.
Governor Gehlot had earlier conveyed his objection to several paragraphs that were explicitly critical of the Union government. On Thursday, he confined himself to the opening lines — “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address this august House” — before jumping directly to the concluding sentence of the final paragraph.
He ended the address by reading the last line of paragraph 122: “Overall, my government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State’s economic, social and physical development. Jai Hind — Jai Karnataka.”
According to the prepared speech, the Karnataka government demanded the scrapping of the VB-GRAM (G) Act, describing it as “contractor-centric” and detrimental to rural livelihoods, and called for the full restoration of MGNREGA. The state government argued that the new law undermines decentralisation, weakens labour protections, and centralises decision-making in violation of constitutional norms.
Key points from the unread sections of the speech:
• Karnataka facing a “suppressive” economic and policy environment within the federal system
• Repeal of MGNREGA described as a blow to rural livelihoods
• VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of protecting corporate and contractor interests
• New law alleged to weaken decentralised governance
• Decision-making said to be imposed by the Centre without consulting states
• Rights of Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities curtailed
• Labourers allegedly placed under contractor control
• States facing mounting fiscal stress due to central policies
• VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of enabling large-scale corruption
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, January 23, indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is aiming to expand its political footprint in Kerala ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled in the coming months.
Speaking at a BJP-organised public meeting, Modi drew parallels between the party’s early electoral gains in Gujarat and its recent victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation. The civic body win, which ended decades of Left control, was cited by the Prime Minister as a possible starting point for the party’s broader ambitions in the state.
Recalling BJP’s political trajectory in Gujarat, Modi said the party was largely insignificant before 1987 and received little media attention. He pointed out that the BJP’s first major breakthrough came with its victory in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation that year.
“Just as our journey in Gujarat began with one city, Kerala’s journey has also started with a single city,” Modi said, suggesting that the party’s municipal-level success could translate into wider electoral acceptance.
The Prime Minister alleged that successive governments led by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) had failed to adequately develop Thiruvananthapuram. He accused both fronts of corruption and neglect, claiming that basic infrastructure and facilities were denied to the capital city for decades.
According to Modi, the BJP’s control of the civic body represents a shift driven by public dissatisfaction with the existing political alternatives. He asserted that the BJP administration in Thiruvananthapuram had begun working towards development, though no specific details or timelines were outlined.
Addressing the gathering at Putharikandam Maidan, Modi said the BJP intended to project Thiruvananthapuram as a “model city,” reiterating his party’s commitment to governance-led change.
The Prime Minister’s visit to Kerala also included the inauguration of several development projects and the flagging off of new train services, as the BJP intensifies its political outreach in the poll-bound state.
Comments
We Muslims believe in One God, perhaps the only community on Earth now having this monotheistic belief. Islam means submitting to the will of One God. Actually, Allah means Al ilah, which means The One God. From day one, when human kept the foot on Earth, Islam was there. From time to time people go away from the will of God to the will of their desires or the will of Satan which later created so many deviated paths. These deviated people once were on the true path, the path of God. From time to time, God "sends" Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them all) to take back human from wrong paths to the right path. These Prophets are righteous people that God chooses among the tribe/nation from time to time in order to guide the deviated tribe or nation. They are given holy books too. We Muslims believe that there were many Prophets sent to humanity from time to time before the last and final Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Since he is the final prophet, his arrival has been mentioned in previous holy books even in Vedas and also in the bible. He is sometimes referred as Anthim Rishi. I request our non-Muslim brothers to research on the Anthim Rishi, Kalki Avathar. Ramadan Mubarak to all.
@pram .... bro plz read vedas.... once you read clearly. you will accept islam soon.... may allah guide you to stright path..
@pram .... bro plz read vedas.... once you read clearly. you will accept islam soon.... may allah guide you to stright path..
Many of our relatives/ known people who were with us last year are not with us this ramadan due to corona. Let us make maximum prayers for them. Lets not waste time in petty political and sunni salafi talks. Let us preach simple living
@#14 Mohammed Saleem, Sharjah,
You have a block in your mind blocked the of evil. Once made a shahadah the evil enters your heart and mind to go to Madrassa.The Madrassas are teaching against Hindus, Christians, and Jews. Are you kidding, Islam
After many messengers were sent... and conveyed the message of ONENESS of God... ALLAH sent MUHAMMED pbuh as the last and final MESSENGER to the people to convey the same one MSG of WORSHIP the creator not his CREATION .. WE should not worship EVEN prophet Muhammd pbuh...
ALLAH Revealed QURAN to Muhammad pbuh as BIBLE for JESUS and TORAH for MoSES...
Mohammed was not the first but he was the last messenger of ALLAH... Hope this might help dear PREM PRASAD unless YOUR HEART is not HONEST to know about the CREATOR who created all that exists.....
BE sincere and honest, ALLAH guides those who truly look for him.
Prem Prasad
If you don't understand something it doesn't mean it not exist.
Islam means Peace aquired by submitting your will to God. .
It exists right from beginning
Prem Prasad.
Islam means Peace aquired by submitting our wills to God.
And it exists from beginning of mankind.
If you don't understand something. It doesn't mean it don't exist
Islam is not just Arabic word. It means submission to God and obey his commands. Adam, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed peace be upon all submitted their will to God. Islam exist from beginning. Don't make God so cheap. He is lord for all from beginning till end. No other like him. Don't make image of God and compare to anything
@#11 Mohammed Saleem, Sharjah
You have to argue without logic in a circular manner. World was unknown to the word Islam Prior to 1400 or prior to 1st century. Why did you threw out the 10 commandments of God from O.T. Where was the Term Allah prior t
The only religion is accepted in front of God is Islam.
Islam means total submission to God.
To live according to commandments of God, which he sent time to time in each area through his messengers.
Islam started from first person in earth prophet Adam PBUH.
What was the name of your God prior to 1st century. The word Islam was not prevalent prior to 1400 years. Name Islam prevailed after Arabic was invented in the 1st century. III caliph Uthman is the editor of Quran. He destroyed all the manuscripts given by so-called Gabriel. To which place you were facing and praying prior to 1400 and had you been fasting prior to 1400 years where there was no month called Ramadan. The last prophet to humanity was Joseph Smith of the Mormons religion. 124000 prophets are illusions including false prophets. Don't tell me to read Quran. No need to read any book if a person is living a righteous life.
@Prem Prasad. Islam was not created 1400 years ago. It is a big mis-conception among many non-Muslims. 1400 years ago it was the final installment of the series of prophets (peace be upon them all) and revelations sent to human being by Almighty God. We b
Dear Brother Ahmadi / Asi...
Please make following Dua, U will understand everything...
O ALLAH, make what you teach me beneficial, teach me what is beneficial, and increase me in knowledge...
Allaahumma-nfanee, bimaa allamtanee, wa allimnee maa yanfaunee, wa zidnee ilmaa (Attirmidi # 3599)
Ramadan is the month in which MUSLIMS all around the WORLD fast for 29/30 days from dawn to dusk.
Fasting is the fourth pillar of ISLAMIC FAITH
The fast is an act of deep personal WORSHIP to get closer to ALLAH (God Almighty)
It is the month in which the QURAN was revealed to Prophet Muhammad pbuh.
QURAN chapter 2 Verse 183 says : O believers! The fast has been prescribed upon YOU just as it was prescribed for the followers of the Prophets BEFORE YOU, So that YOU may attain TAQWA (Piety)
Prophet Muhammad pbuh said, ALLAH said \All the deeds of man are for himself except for FASTING, which is for ME and I shall reward it Myself...
May ALLAH accept our Fasting and reward as he promised... ALLAHU AKBAR...All praise is to ALLAH, the Lord of all that exists.."
ASI DUBAI sawal acha hi but unfortunately till date no one answered for this question from last 10-15 years.
Where the Moon is sighted ???
Arabic was invented in the 1st century. Prior to 1st century to wich place you were facing and praying. Prior to 1400 which book you were reading and what was the name of your God before the 1st century.
Happy Ramadan and may Allah (SU) Bless us all in this Holy Ramadan....
\Allahumma ballighna ramadhaan\"
O allah makes this ramadhan easy for us\"
Join us to say aameen...."
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