4 Palestinians killed, dozens injured in violent raids by Israeli occupation forces

The pontiff of the Chitradurga Murugharajendra Bruhan Mutt was arrested on Monday, hours after a Court issued a non-bailable warrant in the second Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case pending against him.

The Second Additional Sessions Judge B.K. Komala in Chitradurga issued the non-bailable warrant and ordered the police to produce Shivamurthy Sharana before her by Tuesday.

He was in custody since September 1, 2022, and was granted bail by the High Court on November 8 in the first of the two POCSO cases against him, following which he was released from jail here on November 16. After he was set free, the seer was staying at the Virakta Math in Davangere, from where he was arrested by the Chitradurga police today.

The High Court had imposed several conditions for the bail in one of the two POCSO cases against the pontiff, including that he would not be allowed to enter Chitradurga district till the completion of the investigation in the cases. He was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and two sureties for similar amounts, and warned not to tamper with evidence or influence the witnesses.

The first complaint against the pontiff and four others was filed by the 'Odanadi Seva Samsthe', an NGO, in Mysuru alleging sexual harassment of minor students studying in the mutt's school and staying in its hostel in Chitradurga.

The Nazarabad police in Mysuru had registered a case under POCSO and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The case was transferred to the Chitradurga Rural police station subsequently.

The second case under POCSO was registered after the mother of two minor girls filed a complaint alleging that her two daughters and two other minor girls were sexually assaulted by the seer while they were residing in the hostel in 2019 and 2022.

The complaint also alleged that the junior seer Basavaditya and others including Paramashivaiah, Gangadhar, Mahalinga and Karibasappa were involved. Paramashivaiah's name was dropped from the chargesheet in the second case subsequently.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the UN climate talks in Dubai on December 1 and deliver a national statement highlighting India's climate action, sources said on Friday.

The prime minister will reach the UAE on November 30, deliver India's national statement during the United Nations' World Climate Action Summit on December 1 and return the same day, a source told PTI.

The World Climate Action Summit on December 1-2 will see heads of states and governments, leaders from civil society, business, youth, indigenous peoples' organizations, frontline communities, science and other sectors discussing actions and plans aimed at scaling climate action. 

Modi has been championing Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE movement), urging countries to adopt planet-friendly living practices and move away from deeply consumerist behaviours.

Recognising the criticality of this decade (2021-2030) for climate action, there's a call for rebalancing consumption patterns between the Global North and South.

Differences in historic emissions and contributions to global warming across nations are evident. For instance, while the US accounts for only 4 per cent of the current global population, it contributed 17 per cent of global emissions between 1850 and 2021. In contrast, India, representing 18 per cent of the world's population, has contributed only 5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions to date.

According to Oxfam International, a group of independent charitable organisations, the world's wealthiest 10 per cent were responsible for around half of global emissions in 2015. 

Modi had attended the Glasgow climate talks in 2021 and announced India's strategy to combat climate change.

In August last year, India updated nationally determined contributions or nation action plan to achieve the goals set in the 2015 Paris Agreement, especially the target of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius.    

India's updated NDCs aim to reduce emissions intensity of gross domestic product by 45 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels and achieve 50 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav will also participate in high-level events and roundtables of the 28th session of the annual climate talks (COP28), including on finance for climate goals, emissions reduction, adaptation to climate impacts, and transitioning to a green economy with inclusivity.

COP28, scheduled to take place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, UAE, will see the conclusion of the first-ever 'global stocktake', a periodic review of collective progress to meet the Paris Agreement goals.  This assessment will shape forthcoming climate action plans or NDCs by 2025.

The climate conference may see hectic negotiations on how the fund meant to provide financial support to developing and poor countries for climate impacts should operate, and funding for adaptation. 

The global south would demand the global north to undertake rapid decarbonization and massively scale up finance and technology support to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Discontent among developing countries regarding unfulfilled promises of financial aid, particularly the yet-to-materialize $100 billion pledged by rich countries by 2020, is expected.

Some countries, especially the European Union, are expected to push for a global deal to phase out unabated fossil fuels at COP28.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a body of top climate scientists in the world. 

Global emissions need to drop 43 per cent below 2019 levels by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, caused largely by GHG emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.

In October, Sultan Al Jaber, the president designate of COP28, urged nations to achieve a responsible phase-down of unabated fossil fuels and increase investments in clean energy. 

'Unabated' refers to fossil fuels burned without employing controversial carbon emission capture technologies, allowing for continued burning if countries utilize technologies to reduce resulting emissions.

Bengaluru, Nov 28: The probe into the foeticide racket that recently came to light in Bengaluru has led to shocking revelations as the accused told the police that they had aborted 3,000 female foetuses so far. 

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand told reporters on Tuesday that the investigations have shown that the accused had carried out 3,000 abortions so far and in the last three months itself, 242 female foetuses were killed.

The accused had set a target of 1,000 abortions per year to make money as they charged anywhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per termination of pregnancy. The scam came to light when Byappanahalli police, on October 15, tried to stop a vehicle moving suspiciously. The vehicle’s driver did not stop and had to be chased by the police before being caught.

During interrogation the accused spilled the beans about the abortion racket. The police have arrested nine people till now, including two doctors and three lab technicians for their involvement in the nefarious activity.

Two of the arrested were also found to be involved in a kidnapping case, Commissioner Dayanand stated. Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara has stated that the investigation into the case will be completed soon and everything will come out in the open.

The probe also revealed that abortions were conducted at a jaggery production unit in Mandya district where the accused had set up a lab and related facilities. Mandya Assistant Commissioner Shivamurthy stated that the jaggery production unit has been seized as per the orders of the District Commissioner.

According to police sources, two doctors - Chandan Ballal and Tulasiram - were the prime movers of the foeticide racket. Dr Ballal, who ran Mata hospital in Mysuru, was arrested last Friday last from a farmhouse in KR Pet. Though most of the abortion deals were struck at Mata hospital, the procedures would be performed at an ayurveda hospital nearby. Dr Ballal’s wife Meena Ballal and receptionist are also among the nine arrested. 

The other arrested in the case are Shivalingegowda from Mysuru, Nayan Kumar and Naveen Kumar from Mandya district, and TM Veeresh of Davangere district. The police have also taken Sunanda, wife of Shivalingegowda, into custody. Another prime accused Dr Mallikarjun, and his associate Siddesh were absconding.