bengaluru l Wednesday l June 18, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 26 l late city EDITION Modi reaches Canada for G7 Summit, to hold key bilateral meetings Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Kananaskis, Canada on Tuesday, to attend the G7 Summit, marking his first visit to the country in a decade Talks with Carney, Zelenskyy on the cards Modi is on a four-day, three-nation tour to Cyprus, Canada and Croatia. He reached Canada from Cyprus. On the summit’s second day on June 17, Modi is likely to hold important one-on-one meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni | P9 ■ Modi’s talks with Zelenskyy could centre on Russia-Ukraine conflict 6th India eyes Reset in relations with canada ■ The Modi-Carney meeting could pave the way for renewed cooperation in trade, counterterrorism, and diaspora engagement ■ Meetings with German and Italian leaders will likely focus on deepening partnerships in defence, clean tech, and innovation This is the sixth consecutive participation by Modi at G7 summit CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI 110 students safely shifted to Armenia; over 1,000 people from Uttar Pradesh stranded in Iran India ramps up evacuation efforts as distress calls pour in from Iran Panic grips Kannadigas in Israel as war intensifies ‘Can’t allow mob rule’, SC orders release of ‘Thug Life’ in K’taka JAYANTH JACO B & NA M ITA B AJPAI @ New Delhi / Lucknow Vincent D’Souza @ Mangaluru SUCHITRA K ALYAN M OHANT Y As military tensions between Iran and Israel escalate, India has launched a wide-scale evacuation mission, deploying several buses to transport its citizens from the Iranian cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Gorgan, and Kermanshah to safer zones near the Armenia border. So far, 110 Indian students have been safely evacuated to Armenia, with a special flight to Delhi scheduled for Wednesday . Over 1,000 people from Uttar Pradesh are also among those stranded in Iran. Sources said many of them are pilgrims visiting Shia holy sites in Iran. Shias in UP routinely visit Iran’s key religious cities including Mashhad, Qom, and Tehran. Mashhad is home to the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam Hazrat Ali Raza, while Qom houses the shrine of Bibi Fatima, daughter of Imam Musa al-Kazim. Both cities are considered religious capitals for Shia Muslims and host thousands of international pilgrims and students each year. The relatives of families hailing from Lucknow said their kin are stuck in Qom after their return flight was cancelled. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said all 110 students—90 are from J&K—who crossed into Armenia have been accommodated in hotels in Yerevan. More evacuations are expected in the coming days as the Indian government monitors the volatile situation closely . Meanwhile, calls for help continued to pour in from those stranded with communication networks remaining patchy and fear of war deepening. In Kerman, Faizan Nabi, a 21-year-old student and the Iran coordinator for the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, said: “The situation is not as bad here as in Tehran. But there is still fear. We are hoping we will be relocated to some safe location soon.” On Monday, Indian students in Tehran—spread across three Hundreds of Kannadigas working in Israel are living in fear with the conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran escalating with each passing day . The situation now is more intense than the Israel-Hamas conflict a few months ago, according to many Mangaloreans living there. “We are really feeling unsafe. During the IsraelHamas conflict, we did not feel so threatened. But now, it’s raining missiles day and night,” Roshan Veigas from Kulshekar in Mangaluru, who works as a caregiver in Tel Aviv, said. His wife has stopped working to take care of their two children. They constantly monitor alerts on their phones. “ soon As as we get an alert, we rush to the nearest bunker,” Roshan said. On Sunday a missile hit a de, fence facility just 2 km from their home. “Earlier, attacks were mostly at night. Now, even daytime isn’t safe,” he said. Despite this situation, returning to India is not an option for many “We’ve taken loans up to . Rs 30 lakh to come here. Returning home will lead us to a financial crisis,” Roshan said. Janet Lobo, who hails from Kankanady in Mangaluru, echoed similar concerns. In Israel for over two decades, she now runs a general store in Tel Aviv, with a loan of nearly Rs 50 lakh. Though her family in Mangaluru wants her to return, she said, “I cannot afford to. This store is everything for me.” Due to the conflict, she closes her store early and stays in a fortified “safety room” in her home. While those working in the formal sector receive salaries despite the conflict, those in the informal sector are in distress. Many like Roshan continue to risk their lives commuting over 30 km daily by bus to keep their jobs. “The real problem starts by month-end when bills are due. Food is available, thanks to community support. But what about rent, loans and other essentials?,” said another Mangalurean working as a guard. Coming down heavily on the Karnataka government over actor Kamal Haasan’s film Thug Life not being allowed to be released in the state, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that the film be screened in the state, and noted that mobs and vigilante groups cannot be allowed to take over the streets. The apex court gave the Karnataka gover nment one day’s time to file a response by June 18. A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan said the rule of law ought to be established and guns cannot be put to people’s heads to stop them from watching the movie. The judges also clarified that Karnataka High Court had no business to seek ‘apology or regret’ from Kamal Haasan for his remark saying that “Kannada language originated Map not to scale Armenia Iraq Israel Iran Afghanistan Saudi Arabia Smoke billows from an oil refinery in the city of Haifa, following a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles | afp ‘Nuclear site damaged’ The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Tuesday Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s Natanz enrichment site damaged the underground centrifuge halls major universities—were moved to Qom, a city deemed relatively safer. “There is fear all around. We’ve had trouble contacting our families due to weak internet,” said Ehreen Zaffar, an MBBS student at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Huzaif Malik, a student at Urmia University of Medical Sciences, said, “Luckily we were in Urmia, which was safe. We have reached Armenia.” But many others, like Ajmal Mohmed who travelled to Lar for a medical exhibition, remain stuck there. Back in India, families wait in fear. Shuja Hasan from J&K, whose daughter is now sheltering in Qom, said his daughter and other students are stuck in their hotels, unable to leave. “We just want them to return safely. Their funds are depleting,” said a relative of Maulana Nusrat from Lucknow, who is on a religious sojourn to Iran. Evac routes Pakistan india UAE Don threatens Khamenei, seeks Tehran’s ‘surrender’ Age n c i es @ Jerusalem / Dubai / Washington As the Israel-Iran war entered the fifth day on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump waded into the conflict, threatening to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei unless Tehran stops further attacks and surrender forthwith. “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there -- We are not going to take him out, at least not for now,” Trump said on Truth Social. “But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added, later posting another message that said: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” The series of posts came hours after he asked the 10 million residents of Tehran to “evacuate immediately”. Earlier in the day Trump had , said the US was not looking for a ceasefire but a “real end” to the conflict, without elaborating what he meant by that. On Tuesday both Iran and Is, rael continued to launch air strikes, deepening worries of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the region and beyond. So far, over 450 people have reportedly been killed in Iran since the Israeli offensive began last Friday while the toll in , Israel has stood at 24. Israel’s military said it launched ‘extensive strikes’ targeting missile and drone sites in western Iran on Tuesday. Reports said explosions were heard in Iran’s western city of Tabriz, which houses a major air force base. In Israel, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv came under attack. Sirens sounded in some cities including Dimona town, home to a nuclear power plant. Israel said it intercepted the missiles.  P15 @ New Delhi Welcome showers People visit Kartavya Path amid rain on Tuesday. The showers brought down the temperature in Delhi, which was reeling under scorching heat | Parveen Negi Sandur man nabbed for 13 AI Dreamliner flights cancelled in a day keeping 13K women’s pics to blackmail them E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi/ Ahmedabad K i r a n B a l a n n a n a v a r @ Ballari The Maharashtra police, with the help of their counterparts in Ballari, arrested a 25 yearold man in Sandur town for keeping obscene photographs and videos of over 13,000 women and blackmailing them with the threat of putting up the images on social media. After a girl filed a police complaint in Mumbai about someone trying to blackmail her using a fake social media account, the Maharashtra cyber police started the investigation. After gathering technical evidence and tracing the location of the blackmailer, they rushed to Sandur and arrested Shubham Kumar Manojprasad Singh. The police seized four smartphones and computers from Shubham, who works in a private company. They also traced over 20 fake accounts and 100 email IDs that he used to threaten and blackmail women. The police stated that the complaint was filed in January in Mumbai and the girl had stated that Shubham had threatened to upload her nude photos and had also shared some images. A senior Ballari police officer said Shubham was arrested by the Maharashtra police recently, under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Information Technology Act. “After the arrest, over 13,500 nude and obscene photos and videos of women and girls were found in his phone. We also found 20 fake social media accounts which he used to blackmail women, seeking money and sexual favours. We also traced 100 email IDs, which he used to upload obscene photos and videos on social media. Shubham holds a certificate in computer science,” he added. After the arrest (of Shubham Kumar), over 13,500 nude and obscene photos and videos of women and girls were found in his phone. We also found 20 fake social media accounts which he used to blackmail women , seeking money and sexual favours — Ballari police officer Troubled airliner Air India cancelled 13 of its Dreamliner flights on Tuesday due to various reasons, DGCA said. The highest number of cancellations in a day was 14 on Sunday In all, Air India cancelled . 66 B787 Dreamliner flights since the horrific June 12 air crash that killed 241 on board. The DGCA also said the recent enhanced surveillance on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet did express read ED summons DK Suresh in Aishwarya Gowda case Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate has summoned former Congress MP DK Suresh in a case related to conwoman Aishwarya Gowda, who has swindled many posing as his sister. Suresh said he will appear before ED on Monday. “I had no business dealings with Aishwarya Gowda. I don’t even know why they have summoned me,” he added. The summons sparked a political storm, with senior Congress leaders accusing the central agency of operating with political motives ahead of key electoral battles | P4 not reveal any major safety concer ns, adding maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards. One of the cancelled flights on Tuesday was AI 159 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London. Its earlier call sign AI 171 was retired following the Ahmedabad aircrash. “Flight AI 159 has been cancelled due to the unavailability of aircraft, resulting from airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks, lead- ing to longer than usual turnaround of aircraft, and not due to any technical snag,” an AI spokesperson said. DGCA’s fiat to AI on enhanced checks of its Dreamliner fleet created the temporary shortage. Another aircraft failed its pre-flight check. It delayed the the Delhi-Paris AI 143’s takeoff. “In view of the AI 143 coming under restrictions on night operations at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, the flight was cancelled,” the spokesperson added. Also, AI 142 from Paris to Delhi was cancelled. An AI Express Boeing IX 1113 from Delhi to Ranchi with over 150 flyers developed a technical issue midair and had to return to the Indira Gandhi International Airport. IX 1113 took off at 4.40 pm and was scheduled to reach Birsa Munda airport at 6.20 pm. However, it returned to Delhi. Ground checks were done and the flight took off at 7.30 pm. Also, an AI flight from Bengaluru to London was cancelled on Tuesday. Dismissed cop invested crores in bitcoins Yat h i r a j u @Bengaluru THE preliminary investigation by the Karnataka Lokayukta police into the case involving certain IPS officers has made a startling revelation that the dismissed head constable G Ningappa had allegedly invested crores of r upees in 438 bitcoins. Ningappa was arrested by the Lokayukta police for allegedly extorting government officials by blackmailing about possible raids against them after obtaining information from his ‘sources’ within Karnataka Lokayukta. After tracing the total investment in 438 bitcoins in various cryptocurrency exchanges, as of now, and conducting the mahazar, the Lokayukta police have created a ‘Police Wallet’ in a cryptocurrency exchange and have started the process of transferring 438 bitcoins, of which 78 bitcoins have been transferred successfully The value of the same . is being ascertained. The investments are made by Ningappa in his name, his wife’s name (Chandrakala) and others, including a certain IPS officers. from Tamil”. The bench said SC and HCs are custodian of rule of law and rights and cited earlier court intervention for staging of a play on Nathuram Godse. The judges directed the case pending before the Kar nataka HC be transferred to the apex court. “We can’t allow mobs and vigilantes to take over the streets. The rule of law must prevail. If somebody has made a statement, counter it with a statement. If somebody has written something, you can c o u n t e r i t by some writing,” said Justice Bhuyan. Advocate A Velam, appearing for the petitioner M Mahesh Reddy who had moved the SC saying that the film was effectively banned in Karnataka due to threats from fringe organisations and inaction of state authorities, said the state hadn’t filed complaints against those issuing threats. The Lokayukta police gathered the investment details by writing to over 25 cryptocurrency exchange firms. This was ascertained after the cyber crime wing of the CID facilitated the data. The cyber crime wing analysed the data found in Ningappa’s mobile phone and also did mirror imaging following a request by the Lokayukta police. Sources in Lokayukta said the investment in bitcoins came to light after analysing the data found in two mobile phones of Ningappa.  P7 Centre denies nod to Priyank to visit US E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru The Centre is said to have denied clearance for Karnataka IT /B T M i n i s t e r P r i ya n k Kharge’s visit to the United States to attend the ongoing Boston Bio 2025 convention in Boston, and other official events. Kharge, who is currently in Paris on an official visit, said he will speak about the issue and seek an explanation from the Union government after returning to India. “I’m holding back on making any public statements for now. Once I’m back in Bengaluru, I will seek a clear explanation from the Government of India regarding this denial,” the minister stated, taking to social media platform X. Kharge was scheduled to attend the Bio International Convention in Boston and Design Automation Conference in San Francisco. Sources said MEA clearance is required to attend official events. No reason was given for denying clearance for his visit, sources said. The minister was scheduled to travel directly from Paris to the US, but will now return to Bengaluru on Wednesday night, sources said.  CONTINUED ON P7