Kanhangad-Kaniyoor railway line: Plea to complete survey

Bengaluru, Feb 23: The sleuths of Custom Department have seized ephedrine worth Rs 5 Crore in courier terminal of Air Cargo complex in Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), the department said on Sunday.

Customs Joint Commissioner M J Chethan, in a statement, said that Central Intelligence Unit, Air Cargo Complex, scanned the package while verifying export consignments and found concealment of some powder. 5.04 kg of Ephedrine worth Rs 5 crore was packed in polythene pouches and concealed between cardboard layers of wedding invitation cards.

Detailed examination of the Wedding cards revealed banned drugs hidden between 43 wedding invitation cards in the package that also contained a few clothes.

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 30: With suicide cases being reported from various parts of the state after liquor sales were stopped in Kerala following the lockdown, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the Excise Department to provide liquor to those with a prescription from a doctor.

The move comes after many reportedly showed acute withdrawal symptoms and suicide cases were reported in the state.

On Saturday, in Kodungaloor in Thrissur district, a youth committed suicide by jumping into the river after suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

In another incident, a 38-year-old man working in a barbershop in Kayamkulam consumed shaving lotion after he didn't get alcohol. Though he was taken to hospital after he developed uneasiness, he died.

The Kerala government has also asked the Excise Department to provide free treatment and admit people with withdrawal symptoms to the de-addiction centres.

The Chief Minister has said the government is also considering the option of online sale of liquor as the sudden unavailability of alcohol may lead to social problems.

Mangaluru, Jun 2: Even as the mosques in Karnataka recieved green signal from state government to reopen for congregational prayers from June 8, a senior Islamic scholar in coastal Karnataka has encouraged Muslims to prefer to offer prayers at homes during covid times. 

Twaqa Ahmed Al-Azhari, the Qadhi of Mangaluru, has welcomed the state government's decision to allow Muslims to offer congregational prayers including Jum'a prayers with certain precautions and conditions.

"Government has upheld our religions sentiments. All the mosques where congregational prayers will be held from June 8 should strictly follow all the guidelines issued by the government," he said. 

He also suggested that if any mosque is not in a position to follow all the guidelines issued by the government then it should refrain from holding congregational prayers. "Muslims can continue offer Fard and Jumá prayers at homes as the cornavirus pandemic is still spreading in the region and across the world," he said.