KOLLAM l wednesday l November 11, 2026 l `10.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION ‘The End of Everything’ by John Harrison wins Booker A satirical, dystopian novel themed on catastrophe by British author M John Harrison won the Booker Prize for fiction, 2026 first sci-fi to grab the prestigious prize politics of now seen through the future It’s the first work of science fiction to take the prestigious 50,000 pound ($67,000) literary award, but 81-year-old Harrison said he doesn’t want to be hemmed in by the sci-fi label. Harrison beat five other finalists including previous winners Douglas Stuart and Marlon James, the oddsmakers’ favourites, and Pulitzer Prize laureate Elizabeth Strout ■ ■ The novel is set on England’s Channel coast in the future, after an unspecified calamity shatters society and brings an influx of enigmatic alien entities that can imitate humans Historian Mary Beard, who chaired the judging panel, said the book is “the politics of now seen through the lens of the future” 1969 when booker, open to english novels in u.k., ireland, was founded 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 Rahul had premonition on Some relief as crude rate down to $89 Rajiv assassination: Sonia RA K E S H K U M AR & AR S HAD K HAN @ New Delhi Memoir says his warning came 2 months before the murder in 1991 P R E E T HA NAIR @ New Delhi TWO months before Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, Rahul Gandhi had warned Sonia Gandhi about the inadequate security of the for mer prime minister. This is one of the most poignant revelations in Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love, released on Tuesday . In the memoir, Sonia opens up about some of the most contentious chapters of her personal and political life including the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the 2002 Gujarat violence, her strained relationship with Maneka Gandhi, and the decision to turn down the prime minister’s post in 2004. Rahul’s eerie premonition about his father’s security came two months before Rajiv’s assassination on May 21, 1991. Sonia writes that as her world came crashing down when Rajiv was killed in an explosion in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, the warning by her son echoed in her mind. “If something isn’t done about Pa’s security, I know I’ll soon have to come back for his funeral,” Rahul had told his mother just two months earlier while on a tour with Rajiv. The final attempt on Rajiv’s life came a little over a year after his Special Protection Group (SPG) cover was withdrawn by the V P Singh government without conducting a fresh threat assessment. A committee had recommended that the SPG cover must continue “unless a change was warranted by some fresh threat assessment”, Sonia writes. She learnt about Rajiv’s assassination when Priyanka informed her about a phone call, a bomb explosion, people dying, and urging her to get ready fresh violence B’desh warns Hasina of execution on return e x p r ess n e w s se r v i c e @ New Delhi File picture of Rajiv Gandhi comforting son Rahul at the funeral of Indira Gandhi after her assassination in New Delhi in 1984. to go to Tamil Nadu. Rahul was in the US. “A friend had called Rahul to say, ‘It’s bad news, and he’d replied immediately, ‘Papa is dead, isn’t he?’ Sonia recalls. The memoir revisits the tumultuous days following the anti-Sikh violence that followed and the political controversies that dogged Rajiv’s tenure. Sonia also reflects on one of her most challenging personal assignments of bringing the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam into the alliance in 2004. “Though I spoke no Tamil and he did not speak English, his response was cordial. We went on to meet and go through all the steps of joining forces.” Opening up about her decision to decline the prime ministership in 2004, Sonia recounts how Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee hinted at his “long-held desire” to become prime minister during a conversation with her in 2010. She also recalls that there were occasional embarrassing instances, such as Rajiv Gandhi s public sacking of a senior official. NCP merger bid amid family turf war S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai WHILE the proposed merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party factions has gathered momentum, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar remains reluctant to surrender control of the party founded by her late husband Ajit Pawar. At the centre of the political drama is Sharad Pawar, who is keen to reunite the party he founded in 1999. Sources said the BJP wants to secure the support of Sharad Pawar and his nine Lok Sabha MPs to strengthen its position in Parliament and weaken the giving a shot in the arm to Indian markets, international oil benchmark Brent crude fell below $90 a barrel on Tuesday for the first time since August as US President Donald Trump signalled that the West Asia war may be coming to a close. Brent, the price gauge for around 80% of global crude, hit a low of $89.03 per barrel in morning trade in London. Crude oil is a big burden on India’s imports bill, with the country sourcing 85% of its requirements from overseas. Falling prices could translate into lower transport costs and lower prices of goods and services, thus improving the pur- chasing power of households. The fall in crude prices will likely bring cheers to equities, bonds and the rupee, and if the price sustains it may prompt RBI to rethink its pace in the battle against inflation. “Pullback in crude oil prices definitely augurs well sentimentally for domestic equities,” said Sunny Agrawal, head – fundamental research at SBI Securities. On Monday the BSE Sensex , added 107.25 points, or 0.13%, to close at 81,106.65, while the Nifty50 closed 58.25 points, or 0.23%, higher at 25,044.65. On Tuesday the markets remained , closed on account of DiwaliBalipratipada. The rupee has weakened nearly 4% against the dollar Sunetra Pawar with Parth | File pic Congress-led Opposition. A video of NCP working president Praful Patel’s interaction with him at hospital, indicating they would meet after Tuesday, fuelled speculation. However, Sunetra and her son Parth are against the merger. At a recent meeting of NCP leaders with Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, the BJP urged them to expedite the merger. Sunetra’s exclusion from the meet hinted BJP could explore its plan without her. Sunetra and Parth have questioned if Sharad Pawar, given his secular ideology, would be comfortable working with BJP . Sources said Sharad Pawar is keeping his options open. One of his priorities is to secure a key role for his daughter, Supriya Sule. An NCP (SP) leader quipped: “If BJP believes it can rely on the political calculations of an 86-year-old leader at such a crucial and uncertain juncture, good luck to them.” BANGLADESH’s political crisis has entered a fresh phase, with authorities warning that ousted PM Sheikh Hasina faces execution if she returns from India, even as a wave of arson attacks and clashes across the country, which continued Tuesday, heightened tensions ahead of her proposed December homecoming. Md Aminul Islam, prosecutor who secured Hasina’s death sentence for crimes against humanity over the 2024 crackdown on protesters, said on Tuesday that the she had exhausted all legal options. “Sheikh Hasina has no option but to face execution of the verdict,” Islam told reporters, adding that the statutory deadline for filing an appeal had expired. Hasina, 79, whose 15-year rule ended in August 2024 following a mass uprising, has repeatedly expressed her intention to return to Bangladesh The latest political uncertainty has been accompanied by fresh violence. One person was killed and at least eight vehicles were set ablaze in separate incidents overnight, police said on Tuesday. In southwestern Faridpur, a bus driver died of smoke inhalation after a parked bus caught fire while he was asleep. Police blamed activists of the banned Awami League and its affiliated organisations for the attacks. In Shariatpur, hundreds of party supporters reportedly staged a demonstration near the Padma Bridge toll plaza, detonated crude bombs and vandalised vehicles, temporarily disrupting traffic. 8k cases A year, 201 staff Forensic lab overburdened, case backlog crosses 10k S h a n A S @T’Puram Every major crime these days has a digital element. Gadgets like mobile phones, laptops, tablets, even drones, form a chunk of the material evidence seized during a probe, and unlocking these devices and analysing the data becomes a vital aspect of the investigation as well as prosecution. In Keralam, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) under the police department mostly shoulders this burden. However, manpower crunch, surge in cases and rising use of high-end gadgets in crimes have overburdened it. As a result, the backlog has crossed 10,000 cases, some of them several years old. Each year, the FSL, which has a state unit in Thiruvananthapuram, regional units in Kochi, Kannur and Thrissur and 14 district units, receives gadgets linked to nearly 8,000 cases. Despite its staff working overtime, sometimes up to 12 hours a day for six days a week, the , FSL is able to generate reports in only about 2,500-3,000 cases. The primary issue is the shortage of hands, say sources privy to FSL’s working. “The FSL has a sanctioned strength of 201 staff, of which 59 posts were added just two years back. It is not enough,” said a source. “The state registers the Time for urgent update? The FSL has a sanctioned strength of 201 employees Each year, the lab receives devices linked to nearly 8,000 cases for analysis. The staff are able to clear only 2,500-3,000 cases a year highest number of cases in the country It registered 5.5 lakh cases . in 2025, of which nearly two lakh were criminal cases. Most have a digital element and hence, the FSL is stretched thin.” Insiders said FSL provided re- ports in nearly 250 cases in September. “For this, it examined more than 1,000 devices. This comes to an average of four gadgets per case. In sensational cases, the number grows to 20-25 gadgets, a tough ask for the lab with insufficient staff,” said a source. Sources said though they rely on cutting-edge tools, they at times struggle with sophisticated gadgets. While devices made in China are easily decrypted, latest Apple and Samsung phones pose a headache. “Since these companies regularly release new models, our tools at times become obsolete. Cracking passwords of such gadgets takes time,” said a source. Price correction The fall in oil prices came after US President Donald Trump said he would hold off on fresh strikes against Iran. Hopes of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine also supported the fall in prices this year, despite gaining some ground in recent weeks. Analysts, however, aren’t willing to uncork the bubbly early They said the fall in pric. es may not last long as global oil supplies remain tight and countries will need to replenish their strategic reserves. “Global reserves, particularly in OECD countries and China, have come down considerably and have been drawn upon during the disruption,” said Prashant Vasisht, senior vice-President and co-group head, corporate sector, ICRA. Vasisht said countries would need to rebuild their strategic petroleum reserves. Pronab Sen, former chief statistician of India, said the fall in crude prices is positive, but the situation remains uncomfortable compared with the assumptions made in the Union Budget for FY27. Power minister left powerless; GNA deal exposes rift in UDF Differing views Sunny Joseph favoured power from Himachal Chief secretary introduced GNA in file as alternative CM defended GNA deal citing projected savings GNA seen as cost-effective Sources said the GNA alternative was considered on the grounds that it was seen as more cost-effective. The CM had cited projected savings of I2,232 crore S O V I V IDYADHARAN @ T’Puram The controversy over the proposed power purchase from GNA Energy has exposed growing faultlines within the sixmonth-old UDF government. Power Minister Sunny Joseph is reportedly peeved over the manner in which a major decision concerning his department was handled, leaving him to bear the political fallout. Meanwhile, it has emerged that Chief Secretary Biswanath Sinha introduced the GNA proposal into a file originally initiated to procure power from Himachal Pradesh, despite Sunny favouring the latter option. The Himachal proposal was pursued after KSEB failed to secure adequate power through six rounds of tendering. It was intended to address the anticipated supply deficit during the coming months, with the department seeking the necessary government-level clearances. Sunny had favoured the Himachal arrangement and approved the proposal before the file was forwarded to Chief Minister V D Satheesan. The CM referred it to Sinha for remarks. A senior official familiar with the file movement said Sinha introduced the GNA proposal while processing the file. The official said the file was originally sent to the government seeking a direction under Section 108 of the Electricity Act and action under Regulation 78(5) for the proposed procurement from Himachal. “The chief secretary directly introduced the GNA proposal as alternative,” ● More on P4 the official said.