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Riyadh, June 24: Thousands of expatriates who managed to return to their home countries from Saudi Arabia during covid-19 lockdown are now in a dilemma as the Kingdom has clarified that it will not allow their re-entry till the end of the corona crisis. 

The Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat) announced on Tuesday that the mechanism to resume extension of the exit and re-entry visas for expatriates who are outside the Kingdom will be announced only after the end of the pandemic crisis.

The Jawazat stated this on its Twitter account while responding to queries from a number of expatriates who are currently outside the Kingdom and whose exit and re-entry visas have expired.

They inquired about the possibility of returning to the Kingdom after the resumption of international flight service. 

The Jawazat reiterated that the return of expatriates who left Saudi Arabia will be only after the end of the pandemic and in accordance with the process to obtain a valid re-entry visa.

The directorate said that in the event of any new decisions or instructions in this regard, they will be announced through the official channels.

It is noteworthy that the Jawazat had previously confirmed that its electronic services are continuing through the Absher and Muqeem online portals of the Ministry of Interior and that the service for messages and requests is still available and continuing through Absher for all the beneficiaries of its services.

Kochi, Apr 18: The Centre on Friday informed the Kerala High Court that there was no immediate plan to bring back the Indian citizens stranded in the Gulf countries due to the novel coronavirus outbreak and that the expatriates had been granted visa extension.

The counsel for the central government made the submission before a division bench comprising justices Rajavijayaraghavan and T R Ravi during the hearing of a plea seeking a direction to bring back Indians stranded in the UAE.

Permission of the Gulf countries was required to send medical teams there to carry out medical examination of the stranded Indians, the counsel said when the court sought to know the Centre's view on Kerala government sending medical teams to the Gulf countries to deal with the issue of COVID-19 disease among Malayalees there.

The court posted the plea for April 21 for consideration after the Central government informed that a similar petition is under consideration of the Supreme Court.

In its plea, Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) in Dubai, the organisation for non-resident Indians from Kerala, sought directions to the Ministries of External Affairs and Civil Aviation to provide exemptions in the international air travel ban to bring back Indians stranded in the UAE.

The petitioners noted that those who return could be kept in quarantine as per the protocol of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Bengaluru, Jun 5: The much awaited Southwest Monsoon entered Karnataka with widespread rain in coastal and central regions of the southern state, an official said on Friday. Rain and thundershowers are likely to occur at most places over coastal areas and at a few places over the interior parts over the next 24-48 hours.

"The southwest monsoon entered the state on Thursday as predicted from Kerala and the Arabian Sea, with moderate to heavy rainfall in the coastal districts and central or Malnad region of the state," Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre Director Srinivas Reddy told media here.

Though the monsoon has set in on time in the state, Reddy said its progress was likely to be slow in the next three days, as cyclone Nisarga induced high-speed winds took away rain-bearing clouds from the southern peninsula.

According to the regional meteorological office, Karwar in Uttar Kannada district received a whopping 15cm rainfall on Thursday, followed by 11cm each at Kundapur in Udupi district and Shivamogga in Malnad region.

Kadra and Gersoppa in Uttara Kannada and Kottigehara in Chikkamagaluru district had 10cm rainfall, followed by 8cm at Virajpet in Kodagu district and 7cm each at Shirali and Gokarana in Uttara Kannda.

Isolated to scattered rainfall also occurred in many places across the north and south interior regions of the state.

"The monsoon will advance in the state to south and north interior areas after June 8 as there is lull in its movement due to lack of rain-bearing clouds and winds to carry them," said Reddy.

Noting that the four-month monsoon from June to September, crucial to the rain-dependent state would be normal this year, Reddy said its progress and spread, however, would depend on various factors like cloud formations and wind movements.

"Conditions are likely to become favourable for monsoon advancement in the state over the next 2-3 days," asserted Reddy.