kozhikode l tuesday l October 08, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION U.S. scientists win nobel medicine prize for discovery of microRNA Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun discovered microRNA, the tiny pieces of genetic material that alter how genes work at the cellular level Victor Ambros Gary Ruvkun A new principle of gene regulation: jury Promising weapon in fight against cancer Though each cell in our body has the same set of instructions, called DNA, some turn into brain cells, while others become muscles. That’s because microRNAs regulate genes at cellular level, acting as a switch that turns genes off or on. “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a new principle of gene regulation essential for multicellular organisms,” the jury said ■ ■ Ambros and Ruvkun discovered microRNAs during their study on two mutant strains of worms. The results of the study was published in 1993 As microRNAs help us control the behaviour of genes, they could help in treating various diseases. In cancer patients, they can be used to cause the mutated gene in the cancer cells to stop its activities | P9 Dec 10 when nobel laureates are invited to receive their awards 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 India extends $400 mn assistance to Maldives, signs a slew of pacts I3,000 cr currency swap deal to address forex shortage; RuPay card launched in Malé Ye s h i Se l i @ New Delhi iNDIA on Monday took a major step in healing the strained ties with the Maldives by enhancing its development assistance to the cash-strapped nation and signing a slew of pacts, including a `3,000 crore currency swap agreement. After the bilateral talks with the visiting Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $400 million support to the island nation to overcome its financial challenges. Announcing the details, the Reserve Bank of India said it has entered into a currency swap agreement with the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework 202427. Under the pact, the MMA is eligible for financing support from the RBI amounting to $400 million under the US Dollar/ Euro Swap Window and `3,000 crore under the INR Swap Win- gold smuggling ‘Community leaders obliged to change people’s perception’ E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @KANNUR CPM state secretary M V Govindan on Monday said that it cannot be stated that gold smuggling is done by members of a particular community alone. “However, the community leaders have an obligation to change the perception that gold smuggling is not a crime,” said Govindan. He was replying to a query on MLA K T Jaleel’s controversial remarks that a majority of those involved in gold smuggling at the Karipur airport are Muslims. Jaleel had also urged Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal to issue a fatwa urging the community to distance itself from the ille gal activities. “There are reports from Kozhikode indicating the involvement of people close to Muslim League leadership in gold smuggling cases. What Jaleel meant was that some people have the perception that gold smuggling is not illegal. That mentality should be changed,” Govindan told reporters in Kannur. On the government action against ADGP M R Ajith Kumar, Govindan said: “Those who know politics will understand why Ajith Kumar has been replaced. The decision was taken at the right time.” PM Narendra Modi and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu virtually inaugurate the new runway at the Hanimaadhoo Int’l Airport, at Hyderabad House in New Delhi | pti dow. The agreement would be valid till June 18, 2027. The SAARC currency swap framework is designed to offer short-term foreign exchange liquidity to member countries experiencing balance of payments stress or foreign exchange shortages. It serves as a temporary solution until more permanent financing arrangements can be made. The bilateral meet saw the signing of several agreements, including the launch of RuPay card in Maldives and enhancing the relationship between the two nations to a Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership. Modi and Muizzu virtually inaugurated the new runway at the Hanimadhoo International airport and witnessed a live transaction using a RuPay payment service card in the Maldives. The airport’s redevelopment under Indian Line of Credit of $132 million aims to provide complete new infrastructure including ATC tower, hangar, cargo facilities, and passenger terminal building. The two leaders agreed to bolster bilateral ties that had hit a rocky patch last year after some Maldivian ministers tried to fan anti-India sentiments. Stressing India’s historic relations with the Maldives, Modi said New Delhi has supported Malé in times of crisis. “India has always been the first responder for Maldives whether it was essential commodities or vaccines,” he added. Muizzu thanked India for the assistance. “We hope to welcome more Indian tourists to Maldives,” he said. Unruly scenes in assembly amid ugly spat between CM, Satheesan E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram In what’s seen as a strategic failure, the Opposition UDF on Monday lost an opportunity to politically corner Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the Malappuram-PR agency row in the assembly despite the govern, ment agreeing to a detailed discussion in the House. The 12th session of the assembly began on a stormy note after the Opposition MLAs ste pped onto the Speaker’s podium, leading to the Watch and Ward pushing back them, forcing an early adjournment for the day The . House witnessed an ugly war of words as the chief minister termed Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan’s behaviour ‘substandard’ while the l at t e r t e r m e d P i n a r ay i ‘corrupt’. The Opposition stepped up its protest despite the government surprisingly agreeing to its demand to discuss, through an adjournment mo- tion, the chief minister’s purported statements on alleged unlawful activities in Malappuram district. With the protests snowballing into a tense standoff between ruling and Opposition MLAs, Speaker A N Shamseer quickly ran through the proceedings and adjourned the House for the day . The Speaker’s sudden adjournment of the House amid the din came as a surprise to the Opposition MLAs whose Guv summons chief secretary, state police chief T’Puram: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has summoned Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan and State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb over the chief minister’s statements in an interview, where he had reportedly said money from hawala and gold smuggling was used for anti-state and anti-national activities. P4 ‘Can’t claim handshake between Muslim woman & a man violates religious beliefs’ E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi The Kerala High Court has declared that no third party can claim that a Muslim woman has violated religious beliefs by shaking hands with an adult male if neither of them has any objection to it. Justice P V Kunhikrishnan said “shaking hands” is a traditional gesture that conveys greeting, respect, courtesy, agreement, deal, friendship, solidarity etc. , The court made the remarks while dismissing a petition filed by Abdul Noushad of Malappuram seeking to quash a case against him. The prosecution allegation was that the accused circulated a video containing his speech through WhatsApp, which stated that the girl had violated Shariat Law by shaking a hand with the then state finance minister, and as such, she, being a grown-up girl, has committed adultery by touching another man. The sequence of her handshake was displayed in the video, stated the police. The young woman, a secondyear law student at Markaz Law College, Kozhikode, got an opportunity to participate in an interactive session with Tho- mas Isaac in her college in 2016. After the session, the students were called up on to the stage to receive gifts. They accepted the gift after giving a handshake to the minister. However, the petitioner shared a video stating that the woman had violated Shariat Law. The woman submitted that the circulation of the WhatsApp video brought disgrace to her and her family. The court said that a brave young Muslim girl came forward and said the circulation of video violated her freedom of religious belief. “In such situations, our Constitution will protect her interest. Moreover, society has to support ● More on P4 her,” the HC said.  express read Jury rejects plea against Nehru trophy final result Alappuzha: The jury of appeal constituted by the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) Society dismissed the complaints of the runners-up challenging the declaration of Karichal Chundan rowed by Pallathuruthy Boat Club as the winner of the finals held on September 28. P4 Heavy rain to continue in southern districts Haunting memories Rotem gets a hug from her husband Yoav after a commemoration marking one year since the Hamas attacks, at the Coral Temple Synagogue in Bucharest, Romania on Monday | AP T’Puram: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall in the southern districts on Tuesday. An orange alert has been issued for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, and yellow alert for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur. K’taka cabinet to discuss caste census on October 18 express news service @ Bengaluru Security personnel stand outside a counting centre in Jammu, a day before the counting of votes for Jammu & Kashmir Assembly polls on Monday | Pti Parties brace for J&K, Haryana verdict today P r eet h a Na i r @ New Delhi With the counting of votes for Haryana and J&K assembly elections on Tuesday, the results would hold significance for all major players, coming as they do three months after the Modi government assumed office for the third consecutive term. While Haryana witnessed the first direct contest between the BJP and the Congress after the Lok Sabha polls, the mood is upbeat in the grand old party as most of the exit polls predicted its smooth win. If the exit poll results are validated in Haryana, it will be a shot in the arm for the Congress and the INDIA bloc in the upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. The party is hoping to keep up the momentum of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where a resurgent Opposition INDIA bloc reduced the ruling BJP to 240 seats. For the Congress, victory in Haryana would indicate a strong support from the farmers and the Dalit community, which constitutes 20% of the state’s population. However, a tussle for the chief minister’s post can mar the glory of a Congress victory with former CM Bhupender Singh Hooda and his bete noire Kumari Selja vying for the top post. Despite the exit poll results, the ruling BJP is confident of retaining power for a third term. Apart from the BJP and the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party INLD-BSP and JJP-Azad , Samaj Party are also in the fray . In the keenly watched J&K polls, some pollsters have given an edge to the Congress-National Conference alliance while others predicted a hung assembly. These polls are the first since the abrogation of Article 370. While the BJP is hoping to form the government in ‘Naya Kashmir’ with the help of Independents, the Congress-NC alliance has also begun backchannel talks with other parties. J&K saw the entry of a large number of Independents and smaller parties like the People’s Conference, Apni Party and Awami Ittehad Party . iPhones top list Theft spree: 34 lose mobile phones during Alan Walker’s Kochi concert T o b y A n t o n y @Kochi The joy of seeing internationally-acclaimed DJ Alan Walker perform live at the Bolgatty Palace in Kochi on Sunday faded for as many as 34 people after they realised that their mobile phones had gone missing. The police suspect an organised group carried out the series of thefts despite the presence of more than 100 police personnel, including two ACPs, at the venue. They are also investigating whether any gang from another state was involved. Norwegian DJ Walker is on an India tour and is performing in various cities. The event was organised by Mumbai-based Sunburn Arena, in association with Ezone Entertainment Kochi on Sunday Over 6,000 peo. ple attended the event which started around 7.30pm. However, even before the event ended, many people approached the police complaining that they had lost their phones. “While a chunk of the theft was reported at the entrance, several who lost their phones while attending the event, also approached us. We have received 34 complaints. We are not ruling out the possibility of more people losing their phones and are expecting more complaints,” said an officer with the Mulavukad station. The Mulavukad police have registered a case on a complaint by Sam Sabu, 28, a native of Kaitharam in North Par- plan was to get the House adjourned briefly before reassembling for the discussion on the adjournment motion at noon. Tension began right from the start of the assembly proceedings during Question Hour at 9am. Satheesan accused the Speaker of acting at the behest of the government by striking down 49 written questions, many of which required answers from the CM. The Speaker cut the microphone of the Opposition when they started asking about the gravity of a senior police officer in charge of Law and Order visiting a top RSS leader. Soon it turned into a war of words between Shamseer ● More on P4 and Satheesan. avoor. Sam lost his iPhone 16 Pro worth around `1.38 lakh. He alleged he lost his phone while entering the venue through the VIP gate around 7.30pm. There was a heavy rush at the gate and someone lifted the new phone from the pocket of his trousers. “Most of the complainants are those who lost iPhones. We suspect a group of people was involved in the thefts. They took advantage of the darkness at the venue. Only the stage where Alan Walker performed was lit,” said the officer. The police checked CCTV cameras to identify the accused, but the improper lighting has not helped. They have took note of a few people who are seen in the footage before ● More on P4 the event started. Amid the growing demand from leaders of Backward Classes (BC) to implement the socio-economic and educational survey report, popularly known as caste census, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said a decision on implementing it will be taken after a discussion at the cabinet meeting on October 18. However, Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries Kumaraswamy said the Congress is talking about the caste census report to divert attention from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority sites allotment case against Siddaramaiah. He dared the Congress to dissolve the Assembly and go for elections with the caste census issue. After a meeting with ministers, legislators and leaders from Backward Classes, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka was the first state in the country to conduct such a survey during his first tenure as chief minister from 2013 to 2018. The survey report was submitted to the state government in February . Siddaramaiah said legislators and leaders from BC communities have urged him to implement the recommendations of the report. However, sources said even after cabinet discussion, a cabinet sub-committee is likely to be formed to look into the report and give its recommendations. Centre Mulls review plea in Safari REtreats case Govt may move Supreme Court seeking a review of its recent verdict allowing commercial real estate firms to claim input tax credit on construction costs for their rental buildings | P10