Expatriates Urge Resumption of Mangaluru–Muscat Flights: ‘Thousands Hit by Sudden Halt’

coastaldigest.com news network
October 8, 2025

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Mangaluru: The suspension of direct flights between Mangaluru and Muscat has sparked widespread concern among expatriates, who say the move has caused major inconvenience to passengers and families on both ends. Several community associations have now written to the government, political leaders, and airlines, urging immediate restoration of the service.

In a letter addressed to various stakeholders — including Air India Express (AIE), which operated the route — Shashidhar Shetty Mallar, representing the coastal Karnataka and Kasaragod community in Oman, said the decision to withdraw direct flights has brought “immense hardship” to thousands of travelers.

“The worst affected are pregnant women, mothers with infants, and elderly dependents, who now face long and stressful transits through Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, or Kannur,” Mallar wrote. “Families travelling for medical or emergency reasons also require direct connectivity. We urge the airline to reinstate Muscat–Mangaluru direct flights at the earliest.”

Mallar noted that Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta has already taken up the issue with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, while Gopal Chinayya Shetty, a Mumbai-based former MP and Mangaluru native, has assured to discuss the matter with Tata Group officials, who own Air India Express.

“We have received a positive response regarding the resumption of services and are hopeful that direct flights will restart soon,” Mallar said.

He added that Air India Express had operated direct Muscat–Mangaluru flights for over 15 years, during which they enjoyed high occupancy and consistent demand. “The service was discontinued abruptly, likely due to a miscalculated assessment. Even two weekly flights would greatly ease the burden on passengers,” he said.

The stoppage has also affected professional groups and event travelers. Loyd Rego, a member of a brass band troupe scheduled to perform in Oman, said that his 20-member team now faces six-hour layovers in Mumbai on both legs of the journey. “With direct flights, we could have saved not just money but also valuable time,” he said.

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News Network
November 22,2025

Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H has warned of strict action against individuals spreading rumours and attempting to create insecurity within the Muslim community and fuel hatred between Hindus and Muslims through social media.

Referring to a recent social media post alleging that police personnel had entered a masjid premises to check whether beef was being cooked, the commissioner said miscreants were attempting to push their communal agenda. 

“A group of people, both from Mangaluru and abroad, are trying hard to spread rumours. For the past 10 days, they have been attempting to rake up old issues, highlight routine matters as controversies, or fabricate news altogether,” he said.

He reiterated that any such attempts to disturb communal harmony would invite legal action. “Cases will be registered and the accused will be brought to book,” he stated.

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News Network
November 21,2025

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Local authorities say the Israeli military has expanded the so-called “yellow line” truce demarcation in Gaza City and repositioned its forces deeper into the territory in violation of a ceasefire agreement that came into force on October 10, besieging dozens of Palestinian families.

Gaza’s Government Media Office announced in a statement on Thursday that Israeli forces widened the boundary by shifting the markers, and advanced roughly 300 meters (984 feet) into the neighborhoods of Ash-Shaaf, An-Nazzaz and Baghdad Street.

The move pushed further into civilian areas, trapping families who were unable to flee as tanks rolled forward, it added.

“The fate of many of these families remains unknown amidst the shelling that targeted the area,” the office said, adding that the expansion of the yellow line shows a “blatant disregard” for the ceasefire deal.

On Friday, sources said the Israeli military carried out continued air and artillery strikes inside the so-called “yellow line” east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to the reports, Israeli warplanes and tanks targeted areas within the zone. One Palestinian was reported killed and several others wounded in the strikes, the sources said.

The fresh aggression came only a day after 25 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City and Khan Younis on Wednesday.

The media office reported that Israel has consistently violated the truce deal since its implementation last month, with near-daily attacks by air, artillery and direct shootings.

The office said over 400 violations have been documented. These breaches have resulted in the deaths of more than 300 Palestinians and left hundreds injured.

The Government Media Office in Gaza urged the guarantors of the ceasefire — the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — to take swift action to halt the ongoing violations and facilitate the delivery of food, shelter materials, medical aid, and infrastructure equipment.

The so-called “yellow line,” set out in the agreement between Israel and Hamas resistance movement, refers to a non-physical partition where the Israeli military repositioned itself when the truce deal took effect.

It has allowed Israel, which routinely fires at Palestinians who approach the line, to retain control over more than half of the Gaza Strip.

International bodies, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, and other rights groups, have concluded that the Israeli war on Gaza amounts to genocide.

In the attacks in Gaza since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 69,546 people and injured 170,833 others, leveling large swaths of the territory and displacing almost all of the population. 

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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