kollam l sunday l January 11, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l city EDITION protesters will be declared ‘enemy of God’, warns Iran Iran’s attorney general Mohammad Movahedi Azad warned on Saturday those taking part in protests will be considered ‘enemy of God’ new mass rallies grip major cities Activists warn of intensifying crackdown “Prosecutors must carefully and without delay prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who seek foreign domination over the country,” a statement read. ‘Enemy of God’ is a death penalty charge in Iran. The two-week-old protests showed no signs of slowing, with major cities hit by new mass rallies on Saturday ■ The toll has gone up to 65, according to the US-based Human ■ Rights Activists News Agency. Activists said they fear the authorities are intensifying their suppression under cover of internet blackout The attorney general’s statement comes a day after the US reiterated its warning against violent crackdown on protesters | P9 2,300 the number of people detained by iranian forces as per U.S. sources 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 Unsustainable Don wants to cap credit card rate at 10% from Jan 20 Banks say it would cut credit access to retail customers in a big way B e n n K o c h u v e e d a n @ Mumbai WITH THIS ISSUE A Sobering Effect i Nationa str lM ha em Jai Jawan Jai Kisan orial Trust l Bahadur La S PLUS 12 P AGES Amid plunging popularity ratings, US President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered a cap on interest rates on credit card dues at 10% for a year. The new rate will be effective from January 20, which coincides with completion of Trump’s one year as president. Making the announcement, the president said he will no longer let Americans be “ripped off ” by credit card companies, which charge about 20-30% annually on credit card debts. While economists and analysts globally called it unsustainable, banks said it would lead to massive pullback of credit access to retail customers. US hedge fund manager Bill Ackman said: “My concern about capping rates at 10% is that doing so will inevitably cause millions of Americans to have their cards cancelled as credit card companies lose the ability to adequately price subprime credit risk. Consumers denied credit cards will be forced to turn to loan sharks whose rates and terms will be vastly worse for borrowers.” The move comes amid rising household debt in the US, which jumped by by $197 billion to reach $18.59 trillion in the third quarter. As for credit card balances , they rose by $24 billion from the previous quarter and stood at $1.23 trillion. Though no Indian card issuer chose to react, analysts this newspaper spoke to rubbished the idea as “a wild call that strikes at the very root of free markets and markets-driven interest rate regime”. In India, credit cards charge anywhere from 36-40% annually “If you don’t charge a risk premium on a . completely risky loan/unsecured product like credit card, how can a bank continue to be in business? Even in the US, the effective interest rate is around 7% now and with addition of staff cost, interest cost on money being lent through credit card, a pricing of 10% is simply not sustainable,” an analyst said. ``JAI JAWAN JAI KISAN " Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi pays homage to the 2nd Prime Minister of India Bharat Ratna Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri (October 02, 1904 - January 11, 1966) on his 60th Punyatithi Can’t be blamed for systemic failures: Thantri counters SIT V a r s h a S o m a r a j @ T’Puram Questioning the logic and reasons behind his arrest in the Sabarimala gold theft case, Thanthri Kandararu Rajeevaru has contested the findings of the special investigation team (SIT). Mounting a detailed legal defence, Rajeevaru asserted that he cannot be blamed for systemic and administrative failures within the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Going by the TDB office manual, the thantri has no administrative powers, he pointed out. In his bail application before the Kollam Vigilance Court, Rajeevaru claimed that no statutory duty is vested in him From Apartheid-era township to top of tree G o m e s h S @ Paarl Just about 25km North of Durban, KwaMashu township holds a historical significance in South Africa. It was established under Apartheid to house relocated Black South Africans from Cato Manor. A neighbourhood that is steeped in history — the Mahatma Gandhi House is close by — and houses close to 175,000 people (2011 census) who continue to struggle with poverty, unemployment and crime. For the last few weeks, the local- ED goes to SC against Didi on I-PAC, WB files caveat express news service @ New Delhi/Kolkata THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday moved the Supreme Court against the West Bengal government in the I-PAC money laundering case. Alleging that its series of raids for the probe was obstructed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the ED sought a CBI probe into the incident, claiming its “right to conduct a fair and independent investigation has been curtailed by the state machinery”. In a swift counter-move, the West Bengal government filed a caveat in the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking to ensure that , no order is passed without giving it an opportunity to be heard. The ED on Thursday raided the premises of IPAC and its director Pratik Jain in Kolkata as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged coal pilferage scam. Mamata has accused the ED of overreach. The ED on Friday had approached the Calcutta High Court, alleging that the CM took away incriminating documents from the agency’s custody. Amid high courtroom drama, the HC adjourned the case to January 14. E X P R ESS R EA D "The basic idea of governance, as I see it, is to hold the society together so that it can develop and march towards certain goals" Lal Bahadur Shastri ^^esjh le> ls ç'kklu dk ewy fopkj ;g gS fd lekt dks ,dtqV j[kk tk;s rkfd og fodkl dj lds vkSj vius y{;ksa dh rjQ c<+ lds** yky cgknqj 'kkL=h LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, DELHI Plot No. 11/7, Sector - 11, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110075 Phone : 011-25307700 | Email : director@Lbsim.ac.in www.Lbsim.ac.in under the manual regarding the custody , upkeep or administrative handling of temple artefacts. He stated that his role as thantri is strictly limited to performing rituals and granting spiritual sanction in accordance with sasthras. As per the manual, thantris may be consulted in matters related to the devaswom only when their opinion is considered necessary The manual states that than. tris are not competent to interfere in any administrative matter in temples under the control of TDB. Their primary responsibility is to attend rituals and important festivals. Failure to do so alone can attract action from Board, the plea stated. ● More on P5 Shafi poised to be KPCC prez-in-charge Palakkad: In a significant strategic move ahead of the Kerala assembly elections, highly placed sources within the KPCC said Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil is all, but certain to be appointed KPCC president-in-charge immediately before the formal announcement of the poll schedule. P5 ity has been cherishing a rare mo- dream seemed impossible. “Buying ment of joy. One of their sons — cricket gear was difficult. My sisNqobani Mokoena — has turned ters were assisting me, and they into a symbol of hope not just for were too expensive,” Princess rethe locality but the whole councalls. “Kids in the township try Raised by a single mother, . don’t focus on school, don’t foPrincess Mokoena, with help cus on their talent, and don’t from a joint family the 19-year, respect their family .” old pacer has lit up the ongoThe teenager found a ing SA20 for Paarl Royals. new life through It was not easy as a child. cricket. Only in its fourth year, just Princess worked as an aslike IPL, SA20 is sistant in a firm and strugmaking cricket gled to make ends meet a viable career and at times supporting Nqobani Mokoena P11 option. Nqobani’s cricketing Owaisi: India will one day have hijab clad as PM AIMIM chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi said a hijab-clad woman would one day become India’s PM, as the Constitution accords equal status to every citizen, unlike in Pakistan where members of only one religion can reach top posts