Mangaluru: Youth turns crime fighter, catches chain snatcher after chase

Bengaluru, Mar 13: Amid coronavirus outbreak, all universities, malls, and clubs will remain closed for a week in Karnataka. Karnataka CM Yediyurappa has said no one should travel unless it's an emergency. "All malls, cinema halls, pubs, wedding ceremonies and other large gatherings in the Karnataka have been banned for another one week," Chief Minister Yediyurappa said. This comes hours after the Uttar Pradesh government had decided that all schools, colleges situated in the state will be closed till 31st March 2020.

Following the decision, the Karnataka government on Friday asked doctors and other health staff to work on public holidays also till the spread of coronavirus is contained. Leaves and all week off of state health ministry workers have also been canceled. The government issued a circular stating that certain emergency measures are being taken to control the spread of coronavirus is some parts of the State.

"To manage things in a result-oriented manner, doctors, office personnel, paramedical staff and other permanent and contract employees in hospitals coming under the Health Department have been instructed to work on all public holidays." the government order read.

The decision comes after 76-year-old man in Karnataka's Kalaburagi died of coronavirus and became India's first COVID-19 victim. 46 people in Kalaburagui have been kept under coronavirus quarantine since then. Out of 46, 31 have been put under the "high risk" category. The high-risk persons were shifted to ESIC hospital. Officials said four family members of the man have displayed flu symptoms and their swab samples have been sent for testing in Bengaluru.

Earlier on Friday, an employee of Google's Bengaluru office tested positive for n-coronavirus, taking the total COVID-19 positive cases in Bengaluru to 5. India's total coronavirus positive count rose to 75. Several other states including capital Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh invoked various sections of the epidemic disease act. Meanwhile, the Indian Army has also called off all recruitment drive in wake of coronavirus outbreak.

Dubai, Jul 8: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has revoked landing permits issued to UAE-based private jets flying Indian expats who are willing to fly back to UAE. With this the operation of private jets from India to the UAE has stopped.

The development comes days after DGCA stopped UAE airlines from chartering repatriation flights to India. 

The DGCA’s decision has come as a huge disappointment for desperate expats who are trying every means possible to return to the UAE, and were shelling out up to Dh15,000 per ticket.
 
All charter flights were operating with the appropriate permissions and clearances for the specific mission, route and destination, said the charterers.

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim, the only integrated VIP handling and hangar facility in DWC, said in an official statement: "As a result of the DGCA suspension of flights into India, our Challenger 604 aircraft which was scheduled to land in Dubai today has been affected."

Afi Ahmed, managing director of Smart Travels, said he has received news from official sources that all approvals for operation of private jets have been barred until July 10.

"Even the flights that had been given approvals stand cancelled. Some flights organised on July 9 have also been grounded," said Ahmed, who was also stranded in Kochi, Kerala, till July 4 but returned home in the UAE on-board Global 6,000, the largest business jet, organised by a Dubai-based aviation company.

Ganesh Rayapudi, a UAE-based businessman who has been trying to organise flights from India to UAE, said: "The government has kept on hold all charters. At least 52 passengers were desperately waiting to come back from Hyderabad on these flights and were willing to collectively cough up Dh400,000."

He added: "I agree that it is unfair to those who cannot afford these prices. However, UAE residents have commitments here; they were tired of waiting and willing to go any lengths, including taking the expensive route."

On July 3, India's DGCA announced via an official circular that scheduled international flights will remain suspended till month-end and only those on a case-to-case basis will be allowed to operate. These flights were suspended on March 22 due to the ongoing pandemic.

Mangaluru, Mar 1: A youth lost his life in a lift crash at a wedding hall at Kallapu near Thokkottu on the outskirts of the city today. 

The deceased has been identified as Hamzah (30), a resident near Thumbay, who was part of the catering team hired for the marriage ceremony. 

The tragedy occurred at around 2 p.m. when Hamzah was getting ready to bring utensils and other things by lift from the third floor of the hall. All of a sudden, the lift’s ropes came loose and Hamzah lost his balance and got trapped inside.

He was pulled out and rushed to a hospital in Deralakatte, but he breathed his last on the way. He is survived by his wife and three children.