Schools, colleges to remain shut on July 1 as rain wreaks havoc in Dakshina Kannada

New Delhi, Sept 11: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday began a state visit to India, after participating in the G20 Summit over the weekend, to review bilateral ties and cooperation in areas ranging from energy to security.
 
The de facto Saudi ruler, who also holds the post of prime minister, will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the day-long visit.

Saud Al-Sati, the Saudi deputy minister for political and economic affairs, travelled to New Delhi last month to review preparations for the visit by Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS as he is popularly known. Al-Sati, who earlier served as the ambassador to India, met Ausaf Sayeed, secretary (overseas Indian affairs) in the external affairs ministry, and reviewed the gamut of bilateral relations.

The current Saudi ambassador, Saleh Eid Alhusseini, also met external affairs minister S Jaishankar last Tuesday. “Look forward to the further development and progress of the India-Saudi Arabia relationship across all domains,” Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting.

Modi and MBS had a phone conversation in June when they reviewed bilateral cooperation and discussed ways to bolster ties in connectivity, energy, defence, trade and investment. This was the first contact between the leadership of the two countries since China brokered a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of India’s key partners in West Asia in recent years, especially in defence, security and energy. Saudi Arabia is also home to 2.6 million Indians, one of the largest concentrations of expatriates in the region.

MBS last visited India in February 2019, and this was followed by a visit to Saudi Arabia by Modi in October the same year, when the two countries created the Strategic Partnership Council. This body has two pillars – a political, security, social and cultural committee headed by the foreign ministers, and a committee on economy and investments led by the Indian commerce minister and the Saudi energy minister.

Kasaragod, Sept 19: The negligence on part of authorities, who failed to understand the consequence of potholes on Kasaragod – Chandragiri state highway has claimed the life of a future doctor. 

The victim is Shivani Baliga (20), who was pursuing her MBBS studies at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal. She is the daughter of Mahesh Chandra Baliga who was the former president of Kannur Chamber of Commerce, and resided near St. Michael's School, Kannur.

The girl lost her life when her scooter went out of control due to a potohole near Chandragiripalam between Kasrargod and Kanhangad on Sunday, September 17 night. 

Shivani sustained serious injuries in the accident and was rushed to a private hospital, where she breathed her last the very next day. She is survived by her father, mother Anupama, and her brother Rajat Baliga, who is employed as an engineer in Bengaluru. Kasargod police have initiated an investigation into the incident.

Unheard pleas

Local residents and motorists had been urging the authorities at least to temporarily fill the potholes on the road to avert tragedies. The residents reiterated their demand when a 20-year old Ajit Kurup suffered severe injuries in an accident and landed in Mangaluru hospital a few days ago the same road. Had their demand been met at least temporarily, this major tragedy would not have happened.

According to reports at least eight two-wheelers were involved in accidents just two days (September 17 and 18) on the same road injuring many people including women and children. 

The road through Chandragiripalam is full of potholes. Three huge potholes near Pulikun Junction pose major threat. Most of the potholes were at the end of the interlocked section between Chandrigiri Bridge and Chandragiri Junction and at a distance of 5 meters from there to the bridge. It is almost impossible for two-wheeler riders to escape these potholes. 

After the major tragedy, the authorities took steps to fill some of the potholes temporarily with jelly stones without tar. However, due to rain and passing of cargo vehicles the some of the potholes have already reappeared.

Even though various organizations and drivers had repeatedly urged the authorities to take up the repair work before the commencement of the rainy season, no action was taken. Due to the construction work of the national highway, long-distance buses and goods vehicles ply on this road. The officials of the maintenance department on the other hand claim that the rains have hindered the pothole filling work. 

Morocco finds itself reeling from the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that struck the country last Friday. The disaster has left a trail of destruction, with at least 2,901 lives lost and 5,530 individuals injured.

The earthquake’s impact has been most acutely felt in the form of collapsed buildings, which have claimed the lives of many victims. The Moroccan government has reported that a significant number of the deceased were trapped under the rubble, adding to the scale of the tragedy.

According to reports, the rural communities lining with the valleys and peaks of the Atlas Mountains, situated in close proximity to Marrakesh, are the most affected.

The village of Tafeghaghte, located approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Marrakesh, has borne the brunt of this seismic catastrophe. Virtually every structure in this mountainous village has been razed to the ground as a result of the earthquake’s destructive force. In the aftermath of the disaster, both survivors and the bodies of the deceased are being actively sought by civilian volunteers and Moroccan military personnel, reflecting a collective effort to respond to this tragedy.

In response to the crisis, an international effort has been mobilized to aid in search and rescue operations. Teams from countries including Britain, Spain, and Qatar have joined forces with the Moroccan military in a race against time.

The earthquake occured at 03:41:01 (UTC+05:30) at a depth of 18.5 km. The magnitude of the earthquake caused pulses to travel from Sidi Ifni in the south to Rabat in the north and beyond.

Residents are being cautioned by authorities to remain vigilant in the coming days as the area continues to experience aftershocks, with a 4.2 magnitude tremor occurring on Sunday.