Modi conferred Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour

Mangaluru, Jun 19: A repatriation flight from Doha brought 178 passengers to Mangaluru today. This is the first flight operated from Qatar to Mangaluru under the Vande Bharat Mission. 

The Air India Express flight, which took off from Hamad International Airport in Doha at 12 noon (Qatar time) landed at Mangaluru International Airport around 6.30 pm IST.

Indian embassy had prepared the list of passengers to be flown in the flight. Stranded people who were in need of emergency repatriation such as pregnant women, senior citizens and those in need of emergency medical treatment were given priority while finalising the list of passengers. 

Kannadiga organisations in Qatar such as Karnataka Sangha, Tulu Kuta Qatar, Karnataka Muslim Welfare Association, Mangalore Cricket Club, Bunts Qatar, Mangalore Cultural Association, South Canara Muslim Welfare Association, Qatar Billawas had been striving for the repatriation of stranded Kannadigas by exerting pressure on the elected representatives to operate flights. 

Kannadigas in Qatar have thanked former Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Jayaprakash Hegde for persuading the authorities concerned to facilitate the repatriation. 

Mangaluru, Jan 9: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner has lodged a complaint with the Police alleging that his signature was forged in a holiday circular for schools and colleges in the district during National General Strike called by Trade Unions.

It may be recalled that the district administration had declared a holiday for all educational institutions on December 20 and 21 in the backdrop of the December 19 violence.

A few miscreants had forged this order and circulated it on social media stating that a holiday had been declared for schools and colleges in the district on January 8.

Dubai, Apr 18: A 47-year-old Indian worker has allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the third floor of a building here, according to a media report.

Ashokan Purushotaman, a native of Kollam in Kerala, cut the arteries in his legs and jumped from the third floor of a building in the city's Jebel Ali area on Friday, the Gulf News reported.

Purushotaman succumbed to his injuries in Rashid Hospital.

Meanwhile, Dubai Police has rejected reports that Purushotaman killed himself because he had coronavirus. Personal reasons were cited as the cause for suicide.

“His suicide is not related to COVID-19. The building is clean and there are no infection cases there. He committed suicide due to personal reasons,” director of Jebel Ali police station Brigaider Adel Al Suwaidi told the Gulf News.

Consul-General of India Vipul confirmed Purushotaman's death. “We are yet to get more information. Considering the death was of unnatural circumstances, authorities will conduct due forensic tests and provide us with more details," Vipul told the daily.