‘India-Saudi relations reaching new heights’: Dr Suhel Ajaz Khan

News Network
March 4, 2023

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Riyadh: Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, asserted that the bilateral relationship between two countries is strong and fast enhancing to its height. 

He was addressing the Indian diaspora at a function organized by the Indian community at Hotel Crown Plaza (old Riyadh Palace) in Riyadh-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia last week. He was given felicitation and accorded with the warm welcome by the Indian community.  

“In terms of trade and commerce, the KSA is the 4th largest partner of India; the KSA has been a traditionally strongest strategic partner in the energy… As a bilateral partner, there was a worth more than US$ 42 billion trades in 2021-2022; our export to the KSA has been constantly increasing & it's expected to increase by 25% in one year between 2021-22 & 2022-23; there has been a rapid leap in the relation between India & KSA with regard to the defense sector too..." he elucidated. 

The Ambassador said that he was appointed as a head of the Indian Embassy-KSA at an exciting time when the Indo-Saudi relationship is being augmented. 

Dr Khan asserted that the Kingdom is swiftly being transformed to a new pinnacle in line with the Vision-2030, a brainchild conceived by the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister for the overall development of the KSA. 

India and the Kingdom reached a great milestone in their strategic partnership. Trade, commerce, education, technology, health, investment & energy are some of the sectors where the two countries partnered to the next level of positive growth and development. 

Further, he stated that a cultural bridge has also been built to open up an ambience enabling Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Amitha Bachan & other cine stars to make their debut appearances on the stage in the KSA.  

Dr Khan voiced his immense appreciations for the contributions of the Indian community, who comprised of more than 2.5 million, towards the progressive development of the KSA. He also expressed his earnest pleasure and gratification for the wholehearted gestures the Saudi Arabian leaderships offered to India.  

Dr Khan resumed his office in Riyadh in January this year. Earlier, he was serving as the Indian Ambassador to Lebanon. 

There were more than 300 Indian invitees, who attended in the 'Welcoming Ceremony'. Various organizations like Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra, Bihar, Associations, Tamil Sangam represented by Ahmed Imtiyaz, AMU Alumni Association etc, Social/community workers & known individuals in the KSA have welcomed & applauded him by garlanding, offering shawls, presenting boutiques on the occasion.

Karanataka represented by Santosh Shetty, Dr Vanishree Santosh Shetty, Dr Anwar Kurshid, Nelson D'Souza, Usman Gulvadi, Dr P A Hameed Padubidri, Francis Kota, Rajesh Kumar, Pavitra Shetty, Ashraf Kozi (JDS), Dr Kyzer, Viraj Shetty, Jagdish Belchada, Shahul Hameed in Riyadh were present on the occasion to welcome the Ambassador. 

Mohammad Zaigham Khan Convener of All India Steering Committee, Shihab Kottukad, Satish and other heads of the various organizations were also there to witness the program. Saleem Tamil Nadu, Mehamoona Abbas and other duos were there to read out the names of the bouquet presenters on the occasion.

(With inputs from Dr P A Hameed Padubidri)

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israeli forces have pushed over the Syrian frontier, erecting a checkpoint and stopping vehicles in the southwestern city of Quneitra, in yet another breach of the Arab country’s sovereignty.

The violation took place on Sunday, when the troops made their way across the border, setting up the outpost near the Ain al-Bayda junction in northern Quneitra, Syrian outlets reported.

According to the al-Ikhbariya paper, an Israeli detachment positioned itself at the junction, halting cars and conducting searches.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that three Israeli military vehicles then moved further into the northern countryside, deploying between the town of Jubata al-Khashab and the villages of Ofaniya and Ain al-Bayda. The agency added that a separate Israeli unit mounted a new incursion in the central region, approaching the villages of Umm Batina and al-Ajraf.

Residents said such activities have surged in recent months, pointing to Israeli advances onto farmland, leveling of extensive forested areas, arrests, and spread of mobile checkpoints.

The Israeli regime began markedly increasing its military aggression against Syria last year.

The escalation coincided with increasingly ferocious onslaughts throughout the country by the so-called Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Takfiri terrorist group, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad had confined to northwestern Syria. The HTS, however, managed to overthrow the government as the Israeli attacks would pummel the country’s civilian and defensive infrastructure.

Various reports have shown that, during the escalation, the regime conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes on the Syrian territory and over 400 ground raids into the south.

Following the collapse of the Assad government, Tel Aviv also widened its grip over the occupied Golan Heights by taking control of a demilitarized buffer zone, in defiance of a 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Earlier this month, senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visited the buffer zone, prompting expressions of alarm on the part of the United Nations.

The United States, the regime’s biggest ally, has, meanwhile, been fraternizing the HTS head Abu Mohammed al-Jolani amid the widely reported prospect of rapprochement with Tel Aviv.

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News Network
November 22,2025

The Karnataka government has announced a 50% rebate on pending traffic and transport fines. The discount is available from November 21 to December 12.

The rebate applies to all traffic e-challans and violation cases booked by the RTO between 1991–92 and 2019–20. Officials clarified that the offer is not applicable to pending tax dues and is restricted only to traffic-violation fines.

Across Karnataka, more than 4 lakh RTO cases remain pending, including those involving transport vehicles. While thousands of vehicle owners have already cleared their dues, the department expects to generate substantial revenue through this limited-period rebate.

How to Pay and Avail the Discount

There are three ways to check and pay your pending fines:

1. Through Mobile Apps
Available on both Play Store and App Store:
•    Karnataka State Police (KSP) app
•    KarnatakaOne app
•    ASTraM app

Steps:
•    Enter your vehicle number in any of the above apps
•    Verify the photo/details of your vehicle
•    Pay the fine with the 50% discount applied

2. Visit a Traffic Police Station

You can pay your pending fine at any nearby traffic police station.

3. Visit the Traffic Management Centre (TMC)

•    Location: First Floor, Infantry Road, near Indian Express, Bengaluru

Transport Commissioner Yogeesh A M said, “We don't issue e-challans, so there's no online payment system.”

The department estimates ₹52 crore in pending RTO fines up to March 2020. “With the 50% rebate, we expect to collect around ₹25 crore if all dues are cleared,” he added.

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