Fatal drug overdoses dropped in 2018 for the first time in nearly 30 years, and cancer-related deaths also declined
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Thursday, January 30, 2020
Bengaluru man who kidnapped boy outside school arrested hours after making ransom call
The kidnapped allegedly knew that the boy was picked up from school every day around 4 pm.
Police in Bengaluru arrested a 21-year-old man on Tuesday for allegedly kidnapping an 11-year-old boy. According to police, he had demanded a ransom of Rs 5 lakh from the boy's parents and was inspired by a Hindi crime TV series, reported Deccan Herald. The police identified the accused as Chirag R Mehta, who was a resident of Basavanagudi’s Bull Temple Road. According to reports, a joint team of Cottonpet and Chamrajpet Police Station were able to nab the accused within just five hours of him making the ransom call. Police said that he had committed the crime as he wanted to make some money quickly to fund his betting and gambling habit, according to The Times of India. Reports said Chirag knew that the boy was usually picked up by an employee of his father, who is a businessman, around 4 pm from his school. He made sure that on Tuesday, he reached the school around 3 pm and met the boy. The accused allegedly convinced the child that he was his father’s friend and took him pillion on a rented bike. Meanwhile, the boy’s mother was informed by the man who usually picks him up from school that somebody else had taken the boy. After speaking to the child, Chirag acquired the phone number of the boy’s father and allegedly made the ransom call, with a warning not to approach the police. The ransom call came when the boy’s father was already on his way to the police station. Without paying any heed to the warning, the businessman approached Cottonpet police who, in turn, formed teams to identify the accused. The Cottonpet Police inspector-led team started going through CCTV footage of the school area, while the team led by the Chamrajpet Inspector started tracking the location of the caller. Soon the police were able to track the accused’s location to a hotel on St Mark’s Road near Lavelle Road. Upon reaching the location, police found the boy alone at the Traffic Police Park. The boy led him to the accused, who had tried to flee the police.
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2% cess on property tax: Bengaluru Mayor defers decision a day after passing resolution
The decision to defer the move came in light of protests by opposition corporators— mainly the Congress and JD(S) who threatened to stall the BBMP council’s proceedings on Wednesday.
In what comes as a temporary relief to property owners in the city, Bengaluru Mayor M Goutham Kumar on Wednesday deferred the decision to impose an additional 2% ‘road transport cess’ on property tax following protests. A final decision on the cess would be taken after detailed deliberations, he said on the floor of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council. The decision to defer the move came in light of protests by opposition corporators— mainly the Congress and JD(S) who threatened to stall the council’s proceedings over the Mayor's decision to unilaterally pass the resolution without discussing it with other members of the council. Residents in the city criticised the proposal and said it would be a burden to those who already pay their taxes properly. TNM had earlier reported that the cess has to be approved by the Urban Development Department of the state government after BBMP council approval. The BJP enjoys a comfortable majority in the council and is also in power in the state. The cess, which was earlier proposed by the Congress-JD(S)-led council as well, was planned to be used for road, street and drain maintenance with the Mayor pegging the cess amount to be around Rs 150 crore for the entire city. However, in the last two years, after the Congress mayors had proposed it, the opposition had come from BJP corporators. Tuesday’s decision to impose the new cess was not well received by the residents either who targeted the BBMP over its failure to collect the existing property tax itself and for imposing additional burden. Over the last four fiscal years, BBMP has failed to meet even 90% of its property tax collection target, with the FY 2016-17 being the most successful with 86% collection. In the last two years, the BBMP has managed to collect only around 82% of its target for property tax. Even this year, with just two months to go for the financial year to end, BBMP has collected only Rs 2425.3 crore (up till January 15) out of the targeted amount of Rs 3,500 crore. In what comes as a temporary relief to property owners in the city, Bengaluru Mayor M Goutham Kumar on Wednesday deferred the decision to impose an additional 2% ‘road transport cess’ on property tax following protests. A final decision on the cess would be taken after detailed deliberations, he said on the floor of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council. The decision to defer the move came in light of protests by opposition corporators— mainly the Congress and JD(S) who threatened to stall the council’s proceedings over the Mayor's decision to unilaterally pass the resolution without discussing it with other members of the council. Residents in the city criticised the proposal and said it would be a burden to those who already pay their taxes properly. TNM had earlier reported that the cess has to be approved by the Urban Development Department of the state government after BBMP council approval. The BJP enjoys a comfortable majority in the council and is also in power in the state. The cess, which was earlier proposed by the Congress-JD(S)-led council as well, was planned to be used for road, street and drain maintenance with the Mayor pegging the cess amount to be around Rs 150 crore for the entire city. However, in the last two years, after the Congress mayors had proposed it, the opposition had come from BJP corporators. Tuesday’s decision to impose the new cess was not well received by the residents either who targeted the BBMP over its failure to collect the existing property tax itself and for imposing additional burden. Over the last four fiscal years, BBMP has failed to meet even 90% of its property tax collection target, with the FY 2016-17 being the most successful with 86% collection. In the last two years, the BBMP has managed to collect only around 82% of its target for property tax. Even this year, with just two months to go for the financial year to end, BBMP has collected only Rs 2425.3 crore (up till January 15) out of the targeted amount of Rs 3,500 crore.
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Wednesday, January 29, 2020
‘Block grants’ no more: Trump's Medicaid overhaul has new name, same goals
New details on the forthcoming plan show the Trump administration is also trying to protect the policy in the courts.
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AH Vishwanath, rebel who lost bye-election, seeks Karnataka ministerial position
While 12 BJP candidates won in the December bye-election, Vishwanath was among the rebel leaders who were defeated.
AH Vishwanath, who was defeated in the bye-election from the Hunasuru Assembly constituency, appealed to the state BJP leadership to make him a Minister when the cabinet expansion takes place. The expansion of the Karnataka cabinet is expected to be announced after Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's visit to New Delhi on January 30. Speaking to reporters, Vishwanath said, "Yediyurappa had told me not to contest bye-elections. But I had to try to retain my constituency. Winning and losing is a part of elections. I am asking them to make me a minister." "I am asking them to make me a minister. I am not asking them to make me the Deputy Chief Minister. Those who have lost have been made Deputy Chief Minister. Who is (Laxman) Savadi? When someone like Savadi who lost has been made Deputy Chief Minister, why are you denying me? I cannot be denied and I have suffered a loss because of you people (BJP)," Vishwanath said. He further added that the BJP should keep its promise made to rebel leaders who paved the way for the party to take power from the HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in Karnataka. "Because of my seniority, experience and sacrifice I must be given a chance. Just because I lost, I should not be denied the opportunity. It is not about winning or losing but about keeping promises," he added. The former JD(S) leader had earlier revealed that he planned to write a book about ‘Operation Kamala’ - a moniker for the Karnataka BJP’s plan of poaching leaders from the ruling party to bring down the government in a bid to clinch power. Vishwanath, who was earlier in the JD(S), resigned as the MLA of Hunasuru constituency and jumped ship to the BJP in 2019. Vishwanath had told TNM that BJP MP V Srinivas Prasad approached him with an offer of leaving the JD(S) and joining the BJP. While 12 BJP candidates won the bye-elections to 15 constituencies in December, Vishwanath, Saravana and MTB Nagaraj were among the rebel leaders who were defeated. Currently there are 18 Ministers, including the Chief Minister in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34. Sixteen positions in the cabinet are vacant. In all, 17 leaders from the Congress and JD(S) jumped ship and helped the BJP form the state government in Karnataka.
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Trouble in Karnataka BJP: Belagavi MLAs skip program with CM Yediyurappa
The decision to skip the event with the CM comes at a time when the Karnataka cabinet expansion is being discussed.
Newly elected BJP MLAs from Karnataka’s Belagavi – Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumatahalli and Srimanth Patil seem to be distancing themselves from Chief Minister Yediyurappa. The three, who had rebelled against the Congress-JD(S) government, did not show up for the event where Yediyurappa inaugurated the Belagavi Smart City Limited’s integrated command and control centre on Wednesday. Their absence in addition to Yediyurappa’s close aide, Umesh Katti’s late arrival to the event has raised several eyebrows. Sources close to Ramesh Jarkiholi say that the three MLAs were expected to travel from Bengaluru to Belagavi along with the CM but they refrained from doing so in order to show their dissatisfaction with the BJP leaders, who are trying to curb them from becoming ministers. When Yediyurappa was asked what he is planning to do to pacify the leaders from Belagavi, he said, “I will go to New Delhi tomorrow (Thursday) and meet with the national leaders and discuss the issue of cabinet expansion. All those who won the bye-polls from Belagavi will be made ministers. Even Umesh Katti (MLA from Hukkeri who was kept out of the cabinet) will be made a minister,” Yediyurappa said. The Karnataka cabinet expansion has put Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in a rather awkward fix. Yediyurappa, who had promised to induct all 11 rebels, who won the bye-polls, into the cabinet is now facing their ire. This, after the high command suggested that only six to seven of the rebels be given ministerial berths instead of all 11. The fallout: MLAs from Belagavi – Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumatahalli and Srimanth Patil are distancing themselves from Yediyurappa. “Initially all (former rebels) were together and demanding that they all get ministerial berths. Once the infighting began, they began lobbying only for themselves. It is only leaders from Belagavi who are trying to stick together and show that their support is crucial for the BJP as they even managed to ensure that other BJP MLAs Anand (Saundatti), Mahadevappa Yedawad (Ramdurg) and Balachandra Jarkiholi (Arabhavi) did not attend the function today (Wednesday),” the BJP source added. On Tuesday, speculation was rife that the BJP’s national leaders were opposed to appointing all 11 newly elected MLAs as ministers, especially all those who won from Belagavi and Bengaluru districts. This is a bitter pill for them to swallow as they resigned from their posts as MLAs, were cooped up at a hotel in Mumbai, faced the censure of their constituents, all for achieving one goal – to bring down the Congress-JD(S) coalition. The 17 rebels had in July 2019 resigned on the promise from the BJP that they would be made ministers if they won the bye-polls. Although this seemed like a done deal in the past, pressure began building within the BJP as many party loyalists demanded that they be rewarded with ministerial berths as well. In order to quell the discontent, the high command has proposed that six or seven of the 11 rebels, who won, be given ministries. On Tuesday, Jarkiholi and two other leaders from Belagavi met Yediyurappa and expressed their dissatisfaction. Yediyurappa, sources said, is hoping to convince the high command that the new MLAs be accommodated by openly making proclamations that all will be made ministers.
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Coronavirus outbreak: IndiGo suspends flights on Delhi-Chengdu, Bengaluru-Hong Kong routes
Indigo said it will continue to operate the Kolkata-Guangzhou flight which it is "monitoring on a daily basis".
Representational image
IndiGo airlines said on Wednesday that due to the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, it has decided to suspend its flights on the Bengaluru-Hong Kong route from February 1 and on the Delhi-Chengdu route from February 1 to 20. The low-cost carrier said for now, it will continue to operate the Kolkata-Guangzhou flight which it is "monitoring on a daily basis". "And for our operating crew, we are ensuring that they return to India on the inbound flights without any layover in China," the airline said in a statement. Moreover, according to a source, India's largest airline has also told its crew members who are working on flights connecting India with East Asian countries like Thailand and Singapore to wear N95 masks at all times when they are on ground. "However, these crew members have been asked not to wear the mask when they are flying. They have also been told to avoid public places, meat from unverified sources and uncooked meat in East Asian cities. They have also been told to wash their hands frequently," the source added. According to an Air India official, all crew members working on flights between India and South East Asia have been asked to wear N95 masks. In India, many people are under observation in hospitals for suspected coronavirus infection including in Maharashtra, Goa, Odisha and the national capital. People returning to the country after visiting China are being regularly screened for the deadly virus at airports across the country. Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes. The virus, which has killed 132 people and affected at least 6,000 others in China, is a novel strain not seen before. In its statement, IndiGo said on Wednesday, "After carefully assessing the current coronavirus situation in China, IndiGo is taking some safety measures for its customers, crew and staff. Due to China travel restrictions, we have seen a high number of cancellations from China on our Delhi-Chengdu route and vice versa." "Therefore, we are suspending our flights between Delhi and Chengdu from February 1 until February 20. We are also suspending our Bengaluru- Hong Kong flight effective February 1," it added. The low-cost carrier stated that these are purely temporary and precautionary measures. "We understand that these measures will cause inconvenience to our customers and we will be refunding the full amount to the impacted passengers," it clarified. IndiGo added that it is in "close touch" with the "relevant government authorities" and "we thank them and our partners in China for all the help and support that they have extended so far". Air India has kept a 423-seater jumbo plane ready in Mumbai to airlift Indian citizens from Wuhan city in China in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Wuhan is the capital of China's Hubei province. As India started the preparations to evacuate over 250 Indians, mostly students, stuck in the Hubei province, its embassy in Beijing said these nationals will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine on their return.
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