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Udupi, July 7: In yet another instance of targeted cyber fraud, a 25-year-old student from Udupi, currently pursuing his master’s degree in Dublin, Ireland, and his father lost over ₹1 lakh to a scamster impersonating an Indian Embassy official.

The victim, Sandesh, who has been studying in Ireland since 2024, received a call on June 30 around 6:05 PM from an unknown person claiming to be an official from the Indian Embassy. The caller warned Sandesh that his Irish Residence Permit (IRP) application had a discrepancy in his date of birth. He further threatened that unless corrected immediately, his passport would be placed under the "Yellow group," leading to potential legal consequences.

Panicked and trusting the caller, Sandesh shared scanned copies of his Aadhaar card, birth certificate, and voter ID to an email address provided by the fraudster. The caller then instructed him to transfer money in phases for "verification purposes," assuring him it would be refunded.

Sandesh transferred ₹58,533 from his own Paytm account. When he hit his transaction limit, he contacted his father, Srikant (66), who resides in Kinnimulki, Udupi. Without suspecting foul play, Srikant transferred ₹33,588.10 via Paytm and ₹67,075.60 via Google Pay — bringing the total amount lost to ₹1,00,663.70.

The family became suspicious when the caller demanded more money. Realizing they had been scammed, they lodged a complaint at Udupi Town Police Station, which has now registered a case under Section 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.

Police and cybersecurity experts are urging Indian students abroad and their families to be cautious when dealing with unsolicited calls, especially those that demand urgent payments or sensitive personal data.

Mangaluru, July 17: M. M. Abdul Rahman, a respected businessman and former political figure originally from Moodigere, passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 78. He breathed his last at a private hospital in Mangaluru, where he had been residing for several years.

Abdul Rahman was not only known for his business acumen but also for his active involvement in public life. A loyal worker of the Indian National Congress, he dedicated many years to the party's grassroots work in the Moodigere region and had also served as the President of the Moodigere Town Panchayat.

He is survived by his wife, a daughter, and two sons—Nasir Mohideen and Yasir Rahman— Chairman and Managing Director of Westline Builders Pvt Ltd, a well-known real estate firm based in Mangaluru. His family, friends, and the wider community remember him as a warm, dedicated, and principled individual.

His funeral is scheduled to take place later today, Thursday, July 17, following the Asr prayer, at the premises of Ahsanul Masjid in Bikkarnakatte, Mangaluru.

News of his demise has drawn condolences from numerous community leaders, political figures, and well-wishers across the region, many of whom have acknowledged his contributions both in public service and as a guiding figure in business.

Gaza, July 4: As the humanitarian crisis deepens in the besieged Gaza Strip, Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed nearly 50 Palestinians—including civilians seeking food at aid distribution centers—according to medical sources.

In one of the most lethal events of the day, 15 individuals lost their lives and 90 others sustained injuries while waiting for humanitarian aid near the al-Tahlia roundabout in eastern Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

Eight Palestinians, including women and children, were killed when Israeli forces targeted a tent housing displaced individuals near Tiba Towers in al-Mawasi, located to the west of Khan Yunis.

The majority of the victims were individuals from the same family whose residence was directly struck near the Tiba Towers, as reported by eyewitnesses. Additionally, several others were injured during the attack.

In a separate nearby attack, three more individuals, among them two children, lost their lives close to the British field hospital.

Airstrikes also targeted two tents on the Khan Yunis beachfront, resulting in the deaths of four civilians, primarily women and children.

The official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported that Israeli artillery targeted tents accommodating displaced civilians in al-Mawasi, Rafah, in southern Gaza, causing further casualties.

In the central region of Gaza, four individuals lost their lives in the al-Bureij refugee camp as a family's residence was struck during a nighttime offensive.

In the meantime, three more people lost their lives in southern Gaza City as a result of a strike on a family residence located in the al-Sabra neighborhood.

Israeli forces also targeted a school that was providing shelter for displaced individuals; though, there were no immediate reports about the number of possible casualties.

Separately, eyewitnesses stated that Israeli forces razed multiple residential buildings in the northern flank of Khan Younis.

The latest attacks come as the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory said on Thursday that Israel is “responsible for one of the cruelest genocides in modern history.”

Francesca Albanese made the remarks at the UN Human Rights Council as he presented her latest report, condemning the Tel Aviv regime over weaponizing Gaza as a testing ground and calling for sweeping international action.

“The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is apocalyptic,” she said. “In Gaza, Palestinians continue to endure suffering beyond imagination. Israel is responsible for one of the cruelest genocides in modern history.”

Albanese stated that official statistics indicate more than 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured; however, prominent health experts believe that “the true toll is far higher.” 

She criticized the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – Israel's newly established aid system in Gaza, which has been linked to hundreds of deaths thus far – labeling it as “a death trap – engineered to kill or force the flight of a starved, bombarded, emaciated population marked for.”

Albanese noted that arms manufacturers have garnered substantial profits by providing Israel with munitions used in the bombardment of Gaza.

“Arms companies have turned near-record profits by equipping Israel with cutting-edge weaponry to unleash 85,000 tons of explosives – six times the power of Hiroshima – to destroy Gaza,” she said.

The senior UN official denounced Israel over using the Gaza war to “test new weapons, customized surveillance, lethal drones, (and) radar systems,” warning that Palestine’s defenselessness had made it “an ideal laboratory for the Israeli military-industrial complex.”

She also called on businesses to act, stressing, “Corporate entities must urgently cease all business activities and terminate relationships directly linked with, contributing to, and causing human rights violations and international crimes against the Palestinian people.”

Albanese said she no longer believed ignorance or ideology were sufficient explanations for global inaction. “In the face of genocide – so visible, so livestreamed – these explanations fall short.”

She concluded with a call for civil society to play its part, saying, “Trade unions, lawyers, civil society groups, and ordinary citizens should encourage such behavioral change from the side of businesses and governments by pressing for boycotts, divestments, sanctions, and accountability. What comes next depends on all of us.”