Heightened surveillance for monkey fever in Dakshina Kannada amidst Nipah concerns

Mangaluru, June 15: Incessant rains continued to batter Dakshina Kannada on Sunday, triggering multiple landslides and causing widespread disruption to traffic and daily life across the district.

A significant landslide occurred adjacent to National Highway 169 at Kethikal in Thiruvail village near Vamanjoor, depositing a large volume of soil on the right side of the highway. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) promptly deployed teams to the site. Cleanup operations are currently underway, and precautionary traffic diversions have been put in place to maintain vehicular movement. Fortunately, no major damage or injuries were reported.

The Kethikal area has previously been identified as vulnerable, with similar incidents reported during last year’s monsoon. In response, the authorities had initiated soil-nailing measures and planned the construction of a gabion wall to stabilize the slope and prevent future landslides. Despite these efforts, the recurrence has raised fresh concerns about long-term solutions.

Meanwhile, another landslide affected the Jokatte–Padil section of the railway line, leading to slower train movement in the region as a precautionary measure.

In Kankanady's Naguri area, a minor landslide impacted residential zones, threatening at least 12 houses. Authorities evacuated the affected families to safer locations. Dramatic CCTV footage capturing the collapse of a massive compound wall at Suvarna Lane in Kankanady quickly went viral on social media, amplifying public concern.

Flash flooding was also reported in Pandeshwara’s Shivanagara 4th Cross, where residents struggled through knee-deep water, adding to the growing list of monsoon-related woes.

The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) recorded alarming rainfall figures over a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 AM on Sunday:

Pudu Gram Panchayat (Mangaluru taluk): 189.5 mm

Neerumarga: 180.5 mm

Meramajalu: 174 mm

Bala Gram Panchayat: 165.5 mm

Patrame: 162.5 mm

Amtadi: 159.5 mm

Badagabelluru: 150 mm

Officials are closely monitoring vulnerable areas, and emergency teams remain on alert as forecasts predict continued rainfall in the coming days.

Mangaluru, June 20: A shocking case of alleged investment fraud has come to light in Mangaluru, highlighting the urgent need for public awareness about financial scams, especially those targeting retirees and their families.

A local makeup artist has filed a complaint with Kavoor police, accusing a woman from Mumbai of cheating her out of nearly ₹29.8 lakh under the pretense of investment returns. According to the complaint, the artist’s husband—who served in the Railways—took voluntary retirement on March 18, 2024. Around this time, the accused reportedly grew close to him and persuaded him to invest in her businesses, assuring lucrative profits.

Between 2022 and November 14, 2024, the complainant’s husband transferred a total of ₹29.8 lakh into the woman’s bank accounts through multiple transactions. However, no returns were ever received. The complainant alleges that the funds were never invested but instead used for personal gains by the accused.

Tragically, the husband passed away on June 29, 2024. After his death, the complainant contacted the woman to request a refund. In response, she received partial repayments—₹50,000 on July 17 and another ₹50,000 on July 18, 2024, followed by ₹75,000 in January this year. Despite repeated follow-ups, the remaining amount was not returned. When the complainant tried reaching her again, she found her number had been blocked.

A case has been registered, and police are investigating the matter.

Public Advisory:

This incident serves as a cautionary tale for families dealing with retirement funds or large savings. Always verify investment opportunities, avoid transferring large sums without documented agreements, and remain cautious of individuals offering unusually high returns. If in doubt, consult a legal or financial advisor before proceeding.

Tehran, June 17: Sahar Imani, one of the most prominent anchors with the Iranian state television, is being praised widely on social media for returning to broadcast immediately after an Israeli strike on the studio last evening. Dramatic footage showed the organisation's building on fire in Tehran as Israeli attacks grew amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

The Israeli regime targeted one of the buildings of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Tehran on Monday, June 16.  The attack, involving at least four bombs, struck the central building housing IRIB’s news department, while a live news broadcast was underway.

The transmission was briefly interrupted before Hassan Abedini, IRIB’s news director and deputy for political affairs, appeared on air to condemn the terrorist crime.

At the time of the attack, news anchor Sahar Emami was presenting the news. Despite the building trembling under the first strike, she stood her ground and continued the broadcast.

“Allahu Akbar” (God is Great), she proclaimed, drawing global attention to the heinous war crime committed by the Zionist regime against Iran’s national broadcaster.

Moments later, another blast filled the studio with smoke and dust, forcing her to evacuate. She returned shortly after to join Abedini and share her harrowing experience.

“If I die, others will take my place and expose your crimes to the world,” she declared, looking straight into the camera with resolute courage and composure.

Social media posts from regime supporters lauded Imani's strength and courage, and her image was shared alongside senior leaders of the Shia-Iranian axis.

"She is the face of Iranian women's courage," read one of the posts. With her image alongside Nasrallah, another was captioned: "You cannot destroy an idea by killing."

Going viral is her gesture of pointing her finger while targeting Israel on television, just before the strike filled the studio with smoke. Her gesture has found her place in online posters alongside Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, making similar gestures.

Iran's Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, Zahra Behramzadeh Azar, also praised Imani in a post, calling her a symbol of Iranian women's courage and stating that she has become "the voice of all Iranian citizens in the face of aggression."

Who is Sahar Imani?

Sahar Imani is one of Iran's most famous news anchors. Trained in food engineering, she entered the media field with an anchoring role in 2010. Soon, she gained national prominence by presenting on Iran's official news channel.

She is married and has a child.

Following Monday's events, Arabic-language media praised her "calm demeanor and confident presence". Their coverage also noted her "simplicity and avoidance of heavy makeup."

Israeli war crime

While the number of casualties remains unconfirmed, insiders report that several journalists inside the building were injured in the bombing.

Israel’s war ministry promptly claimed responsibility for the attack.

Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the aggression on the state broadcaster as a “war crime” and called on the United Nations to take immediate action against the Zionist regime.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denounced the attack and urged the international community to hold the regime accountable for its assault on the media.

“The world is watching: targeting Iran’s news agency #IRIB’s office during a live broadcast is a wicked act of war crime,” Baghaei wrote on X.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also condemned the bombing of the IRIB news building, labeling it “inhuman, criminal, and a terrorist act.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “appalled by Israel’s bombing of Iran’s state TV channel while live on air.”

“Israel’s killing, with impunity, of almost 200 journalists in Gaza has emboldened it to target media elsewhere in the region,” Sara Qudah, the West Asia representative for CPJ, said in a statement after the attack on an IRIB building. 

The Israeli regime has a documented history of targeting journalists globally. Since October 2023, it has killed over 250 Palestinian journalists in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The regime launched its aggression against the Islamic Republic, including Tehran, early on Friday, leading to the assassination of several high-ranking military officials, nuclear scientists, and civilians, including women and children.

In response, Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones late Friday night, followed by more retaliatory operations on Saturday and Sunday as part of True Promise III.