HUBBALLI  WEDNESDAY  OCTOBER 30, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 14  CITY EDITION AFTER INDIA, NOW BRAZIL OPTS OUT OF CHINA’S BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE Brazil has decided not to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), becoming the 2nd BRICS member after India to opt out of the project WILL COOPERATE IN OTHER WAYS, SAYS OFFICIAL REALPOLITIK, TRUMP FACTOR IN PLAY Brazil, headed by President Lula da Silva, will instead seek alternative ways to collaborate with Chinese investors. Brazil wants to ‘take the relationship with China to a new level, without having to sign an accession contract’, Celso Amorim, special presidential adviser for international affairs, told Brazilian newspaper O Globo. India was the first BRICS country to publicly oppose BRI ■ ■ Explaining that Brazil does not want to take Chinese projects as ‘an insurance policy’, the official said, “We are not entering into a treaty” The prevailing opinion in Brazil is that joining the project would not only fail to bring any tangible benefits for Brazil in the short term but could also make relations with a potential Trump administration more difficult Nov 20 CHINA HAD HOPED TO BRING BRAZIL ON BOARD DURING PREZ XI JINPING’S VISIT 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 Charles, Camilla on secret B’luru trip for treatment SUBHASH CHANDRA NS & R I S H I TA K H A N N A @Bengaluru KING Charles III is on his first secret visit to Bengaluru after his coronation as king of the United Kingdom on May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey, London. He arrived in Bengaluru on October 27 and will be at the Soukya International Holistic Health Centre (SIHHC) in Whitefield for wellness treatment till Wednesday night, when he is expected to fly to London. Sources privy to his secret visit informed this newspaper that King Charles arrived in Bengalu- ru directly from Samoa where he attended the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from October 21-26. His visit to Bengaluru was strictly kept under wraps and he was directly taken to SIHHC where he was also joined by his wife Queen Camilla. According to sources, the couple’s day begins with a morning yoga session, followed by breakfast and rejuvenation treatment before lunch. After a brief rest, a second round of therapies follows, ending with a meditation session before dinner and lights out by 9 pm. They have 102 hurt in blast during Kerala temple fireworks display Charles and Camilla on one of their previous visits for wellness treatment | SOURCE: SIHHC been enjoying long walks around the campus, visiting the organic farm and cattle shed. Considering the high-profile secret visit, a high-security ring was thrown around SIHHC. The health centre, founded by Dr Issac Mathai, is located in Sam- ethanahalli, Whitefield, on Bengaluru’s outskirts. This integrative medical facility combines traditional systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, Homeopathy , Yoga, and Naturopathy, along with over 30 complementary therapies like Reflexology, Acupres- sure, Acupuncture and Dietetics. Although this is his first visit as a monarch, Charles has visited the centre on nine earlier occasions, and celebrated Deepavali on three occasions there. The royal couple has earlier taken wellness treatments, including antia g i n g , d e t ox i f i c at i o n a n d rejuvenation. On November 14, 2019, the couple celebrated the then Prince Charles’ 71st birthday at SIHHC, an event which attracted a lot of publicity unlike this visit. Formerly the Prince of Wales, Charles became King after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022. India to slap penalties on GE over fighter jet engines delay Delivery schedule running late by two years; first batch expected by March 2025 WAY PAST DEADLINE Air Force ordered 83 LCA Tejas Mk1As from HAL for B46,000 crore in 2021; delivery was to start in March 2024 but delayed due to non-receipt of engines from GE STRICTER NORMS The government is working on a new procurement system under which sensitive information about the arms and equipment could be safeguarded M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi THE Centre has decided to impose penalties on US manufacturer GE Aerospace for delays in the delivery of jet engines for Indian Air Force’s indigenous light combat aircraft, Tejas Mk-1A. The government is also tightening the procurement norms to safeguard the sensitive details of defence contracts, highly placed sources told this newspaper. The penalty clause against GE Aerospace has been invoked for the delay in the supply of GE-404 engines contracted by India for the Mk-1A series. All defence contracts carry a penalty clause to make the contractor follow a fixed timeline; in case of breach of this timeline, they will have to pay a reasonable compensation. Sources said GE Aerospace shifted delivery schedule multiple times, cumulatively leading to a delay of two years. The delivery was supposed to start in 2023; it has now been pushed back to March 2025, going by the GE’s latest schedule. GE has been contracted to manufacture and deliver 99 jet engines (GE-404) and not even one has been delivered, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) sources told this newspaper. The deal, signed between HAL and GE Aerospace in 2021, was worth $716 million. Flagging the inordinate delays, Chief of Air Staff A P Singh said in October: “It is a known fact that Tejas has been delayed. There is no doubt. There is also a promise that the production rate will be increased to 24 aircraft per year. If that promise is kept, the delays can be caught up with. The first aim is not to let our aircraft strength go down.” Sources in the know said the delays are purely a logistics matter involving GE Aerospace, which is facing some issues with its suppliers, and that HAL could not be faulted for this. The delays were also flagged at the highest levels with Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising the issue during his visit to the US in September. The government is also working on a new procurement system to protect sensitive information. “We are working to get hold of a model so that we are not hauled to courts and asked to reveal national secrets,” a senior official told this newspaper. Drug syndicate with Mexican links busted U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi THE Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Special Cell of Delhi Police, in a joint operation, on Tuesday dismantled a meth manufacturing lab being run clandestinely in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida and arrested four persons, including a former warden of Tihar Jail, a Delhi-based businessman and a Mumbai-based chemist. The crackdown has revealed scintillating details of the syndicate, such as the lab’s links with notorious Mexican drug cartel, Cartel De Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). The meth manufactured at the Noida lab was tested by a member of the Mexican cartel in Delhi. CJNG is considered one of the most dangerous criminal networks in Mexico and the second-most powerful after the Sinaloa Cartel. It is heavily militarised, has its own ‘Special Operation Group’ that travels in armoured vehicles. Cannibalism of a victim is one of the ways the cartel trains its new recruits. Acting on a tip-off, the sleuths on October 25 raided the factory in Kasna Industrial Area of Noida. “We found about 95 kg of methamphetamine in solid and liquid forms,” Deputy Director General (NCB) Gyaneshwar Singh said. The value of seized drugs is estimated to be around `100 crore. Preliminary probe revealed that the Delhi-based businessman, who was found inside the factory at the time of the raid along with the former Tihar Jail warden, were instrumental in setting up of the illegal factory procuring chemicals required to , produce meth and importing the machinery . MONEY MATTERS Under pressure, CM sets `10K cr monthly tax collection target E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Kasaragod REVELRY gave way to horror on Tuesday after an explosion during a fireworks display at a temple in Kerala’s Kasaragod district left 102 people injured, seven of them critically The in. jured have been admitted in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode and Mangaluru hospitals. Sources said the firecrackers had been kept near the temple compound. The Nileshwar police booked eight persons, including seven temple committee members. Three have been arrested. District Police Chief Shilpa D said permission had not been obtained for bursting the crackers. “There were no safety measures, including fire extinguishers,” she said. The incident occurred around midnight during the ‘Theyyam Mahotsavam’ at the Anjoottambalam Veerarkavu temple in Nileshwar. A large number of people from across the district had turned up for the event, as it was the first theyyam performance to be held this year in a temple in the north Malabar region. During the fireworks display sparks flew into , the storage room nearby where more firecrackers were kept, resulting in the explosion. “It was around midnight. The theyyam performance was on, and a huge crowd, including women and children, had come to the temple to witness it. Many people were standing near the storage shed for a better view. Crackers were being burst at the time,” said Gopi, 59, an eyewitness. Suddenly, sparks from the fireworks fell into the shed where firecrackers for the day’s programme were kept, he said. “There was a loud sound. Many people got trapped inside the shed as a wall behind them prevented their escape,” Gopi said. Two days’ celebrations had been planned for the ‘mahotsavam’. Following the mishap, all the celebrations were cancelled. Amid the Waqf row, CM Siddaramaiah clarified that no farmer will be evicted and the notices issued to them will be withdrawn P4 E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bengaluru KARNATAKA CHIEF Minister Siddaramaiah, who has been under pressure to shore up revenues, on Tuesday tasked the officials with meeting the state’s commercial tax collection targets. At a review meeting in Bengaluru, the Chief Minister underscored the need for achieving the targets to support the development goals of the state. The meeting focused on the progress of tax collection towards achieving the annual target of Rs 1,10,000 crore for the financial year 2024-25. As of October end, collections stand at Rs 58,773 crore, marking 53.5% of the target. This includes GST of Rs 44,783 crore, Karnataka Sales Tax of Rs13,193 crore and Professional Tax of Rs 797 crore. Collections have increased by Rs 5,957 crore compared to the same period last year. To meet the yearly goal by March, an average monthly collection of Rs 10,200 crore has to be achieved for the remaining five months, he said. Siddaramaiah called for enhanced coordination among various departments and said, “Achieving the target is essential for the state’s development.” He committed to conducting monthly review meetings and said the officials who fail to meet their targets will be held accountable. The Karasamadhana scheme is expected to add Rs 2,000 crore more to the state’s revenue. The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary LK Atheeq, Commercial Tax Commissioner CA Shikha and other senior officials. DIWALI IN WHITE HOUSE US President Joe Biden speaks at a reception in celebration of Diwali, in the East Room of the White House | AFP EXPRESS READ 2 more terrorists killed in Jammu encounter Jammu: Security forces on Tuesday morning gunned down two terrorists holed up in a forest area near a village in the Akhnoor sector in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the number of militants killed in the two-day-long operation near the Line of Control to three, officials said. | P10 Madras HC revives DA case against ex-TN CM Chennai: The Madras High Court on Tuesday revived the 2006 disproportionate assets case against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his family members by setting aside the trial court order that allowed the prosecution to withdraw the case and subsequently discharge them | P5 HC order on Darshan’s interim bail plea today Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday will pass the order on the interim bail sought by actor Darshan, an accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, on medical grounds. Senior Counsel CV Nagesh, arguing on behalf of Darshan, said that doctors have suggested that the actor undergo physiotherapy or surgery immediately for a spinal problem Rising gold prices fail to dampen festive spirit, sales see 10% uptick PTI Smoke seen at Anjoottambalam Veerarkavu temple in Nileshwar, Kasaragod, following the blast | EXPRESS CM: No farmer will be evicted B O S K Y K H A N N A @ Bengaluru INCREASING gold and silver prices haven’t dampened the spirits of buyers, especially the youth, this Dhanteras festival. Members of the Karnataka and Bengaluru Jewellers’ Association said that people this year invested more in gold schemes and bonds compared to the previous year. This festival, sales of jewellery — more of antique and temple — have been on the rise compared to gold and silver coins, as had been the practice,” said Chetan Kumar Mehta, president of the association. Compared to the previous year, there has been a 10% rise in sales. Bengaluru saw most of the sales. The demand was more for earrings and ‘kadaas’ compared to sets, in Bengaluru city Last year, Bengaluru saw . jewellery sales of around Rs 400 crore.“I am aware of the rising cost and global crises. But this is the right time to invest in gold as its prices will not drop. They will only go up. I also have to start planning and saving for my future. I shifted my monthly savings to gold bonds and it helped me this festive season,” said Jyothika Reddy an IT pro, fessional. Raveena L, a software professional, who was looking at making purchases not just as an investment, but for her wedding, expressed similar views. “I have to purchase jewellery again for my wedding. The gold rates are high and there is a probability of increasing further. Dhanteras is an auspicious day to purchase and invest in gold,” she said. Association members said the trend this time is reselling jewellery, which saw a 15-20% appreciation.