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Bengaluru, July 1: Putting an end to days of speculation, the Congress high command on Monday ruled out any immediate leadership change in Karnataka, reaffirming Siddaramaiah's position as Chief Minister. Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, who was dispatched to Bengaluru to calm the storm within the ruling party, made the announcement with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar seated beside him.

"There is no plan to replace the Chief Minister," Surjewala told reporters, in what appeared to be a show of unity. However, the optics did little to mask the growing friction within the party.

Sources in the Congress leadership stressed that the high command is focused on governance, not leadership changes. They admitted, however, that discussions are underway on a possible cabinet reshuffle and key changes in the state unit. Siddaramaiah is reportedly in favour of a cabinet rejig to consolidate his position for the remainder of the government’s term, which ends in 2028. Shivakumar, on the other hand, is said to be resisting the move.

Fueling the internal churn, Shivakumar loyalist and MLA Iqbal Hussain claimed that 100 out of 138 Congress MLAs support the Deputy CM. In a sharp warning, he said that without a change in leadership, the Congress may struggle to retain power in the 2028 assembly polls.

Amid the buzz, Siddaramaiah downplayed the crisis, asserting that the Congress government in Karnataka is "as solid as a rock." Speaking in Mysuru with Shivakumar at his side, he said, “This government will be as strong as a ‘bande’ (rock) for five years.” The term ‘bande’ is often used by Siddaramaiah’s supporters to describe his strongman image.

When asked about his rapport with Shivakumar, the Chief Minister held his deputy’s hand and said, “We are on good terms,” adding that they are unfazed by attempts to drive a wedge between them.

The current turbulence harks back to the 2023 Karnataka election, when Congress stormed to power. Shivakumar, widely credited for the victory, was a strong contender for the CM post. Eventually, he accepted the Deputy CM and KPCC chief roles, amid unconfirmed reports of a rotational CM deal between him and Siddaramaiah.

Now, with murmurs of discontent growing louder in the DKS camp, the party finds itself once again trying to balance power — and egos — within.

Dubai, June 27: HDFC Bank, India’s largest private lender, is under scrutiny in the UAE over allegations it sold high-risk Credit Suisse AT1 bonds to retail investors in violation of regulatory norms.

The bonds — complex instruments meant only for experienced or high-net-worth clients — were wiped out in March 2023 during Credit Suisse’s emergency merger with UBS. Several investors claim HDFC Bank relationship managers misrepresented these as safe, forged financial documents to meet eligibility criteria, and failed to disclose crucial risks.

Dubai resident Varun Mahajan says he lost $300,000 in savings and alleges the bank inflated his net worth to bypass DFSA rules. Another investor, NS from the Philippines, claimed he was sold AT1 bonds using a leverage loan he never applied for. Others, including Indian national Pankaj Sinha and South Africa-based AT, described similar misrepresentation, unauthorized document changes, and manipulation of KYC data.

Legal complaints have been filed in India, the UAE, Bahrain, and DIFC. Investors accuse the bank of misleading them and exposing them to losses running into millions of dollars.

In response, HDFC Bank denied any wrongdoing, stating it follows strict processes and takes action against malpractice. The DFSA has declined to comment due to legal confidentiality.

Internal sources say several HDFC executives have recently resigned, and the Dubai offshore head has been replaced, raising questions about accountability.

Experts say the case exposes regulatory gaps across jurisdictions and may prompt closer scrutiny of how banks operate across borders.

Tel Aviv, June 27: Israel's war minister (known as "defence" minister), Israel Katz, said on Thursday that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was marked for assassination during the recent 12-day conflict, but evaded elimination by going underground. 

“If Khamenei had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Katz told Kan public television, adding that the Iranian leader “went very deep underground and broke off contacts with commanders,” making a strike “not realistic”, according media reports.

Speaking in a round of televised interviews, Katz reiterated that Israel actively searched for Khamenei throughout the war. “We searched a lot,” he told Channel 13, explaining that Israel’s goal was not regime change but to destabilise Iran’s leadership and apply pressure mid-conflict.

The war, which began on June 13 and concluded with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 25, saw Israel launch airstrikes that killed several top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists. Katz said Israel maintained aerial superiority and enforced what he described as a policy of “enforcement actions against Iran,” designed to prevent the country from rebuilding its nuclear and missile capabilities, as per the Times of Israel.

Asked if Israel had sought US approval to target Khamenei, Katz told Channel 13, “We don’t need permission for these things.” 

He also compared Khamenei to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed last year, advising the Iranian leader to remain in hiding, “I wouldn’t recommend that he stay tranquil,” Katz told Kan.

“He should learn from the late Nasrallah… I recommend that he do the same thing. ”US President Donald Trump had also threatened Khamenei’s life during the conflict. On June 17, Trump wrote on social media: “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding… We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.” 

However, days later, Trump walked back the statement, saying regime change was not advisable. Despite his earlier stance, Trump ordered the launch of Operation Midnight Hammer, a series of precision strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the strikes were a “total obliteration” and successfully degraded Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. 

“It was a total success… Not only does our own intelligence say that, but even the Iranian foreign minister and the United Nations agreed,” she said at a briefing Leavitt also confirmed that the Trump administration remains focused on diplomacy and peace, with US and Iranian officials set to hold talks next week. She said the US is in close communication with intermediaries like Qatar to explore pathways for Iran to adopt a “non-enrichment civil nuclear program.”

The ceasefire has shifted priorities. Katz said Israel will no longer pursue Khamenei's life post-ceasefire but warned that any future provocations would be met with force. “There’s a difference, before the ceasefire, after the ceasefire,” he said. He also acknowledged that while Israel destroyed Iran’s enrichment capabilities, it does not know the location of all enriched uranium. However, Katz claimed that the strikes have delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions “by long years” and vowed that “we won’t let that happen.”