KOCHI l friday l November 01, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 40 l LATE city EDITION Five days to go, Race for White House remains razor-tight The contest for the White House remained tight with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump holding rallies in key battleground state of Wisconsin Edge for Harris in Wisconsin, Michigan The latest CNN polls showed that Harris has a narrow advantage in Michigan and Wisconsin, while she and Trump remain tied in Pennsylvania. In Michigan, Harris holds a lead over Trump by 48% to 43% among likely voters, the polls said. Harris also leads Trump in Wisconsin, where 51% support her to 45% for Trump, but the race is tied in Pennsylvania, with both having 48% support. P9 ■ November 5 Trump gambles with late-stage trips ■ Trump is travelling to New Mexico and Virginia in the campaign’s final days, taking a risky detour from the 7 battleground states to spend time in places where Republican candidates have not won in decades. The former president, who will campaign in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday and Salem, Virginia, on Saturday. The US presidential election is scheduled for Tuesday 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 Was offered `25 cr to vote for UPA-I: Sebastian Paul hi, while he was alone. They claimed to be the emissaries of C o n g re s s l e a d e r P r a n ab Mukherjee, who had been making all-out efforts behind the scenes to ensure UPA government survived the motion, he says. “As an independent MP, the party whip or expulsion under the Anti-Defection Act did not apply to me. They approached me to give a ‘shock’ to the Left front as I was a CPM-backed independent MP. Mukher- E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @Kochi Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the Ekta Diwas Parade at the Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district on Thursday | PTI PM Modi warns of forces bent to tarnish country In a startling revelation, former MP Sebastian Paul has said he was offered `25 crore to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in the no-confidence motion in 2008 after the Left front withdrew support to the government in protest against the Indo-US nuclear deal. In an authored article published in ‘Samakalika Malayalam’, a sister publication of TNIE, Paul, who was a Left independent MP in UPA-I from 2004-09, said two persons had come to his residence (No 20, Rajendra Prasad Road) in Del- As an independent MP, the party whip or expulsion under AntiDefection Act did not apply to me. They approached me to give a ‘shock’ to Left front — Sebastian Paul in article in ‘Samakalika Malayalam’ Pant, Rahul & Iyer back in auction pool @Ahmedabad Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said certain forces, both domestic and foreign, are trying to destabilise India and tarnish the country’s image. Addressing a grand Rashtriya Ekta Diwas event marking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 149th birth anniversary near the Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, Modi also stressed the need to “identify urban Naxals and unmask them”. “Some forces, some distorted mindsets, both within and outside India, are deeply unsettled by the country’s g rowing strength and unity They aim to . spread instability and anarchy , and are actively working against India’s economic interests. These forces want to send a wrong message to global investors, painting a negative image of India,” Modi said. The same forces are targeting the armed forces with misinformation campaigns, trying to sow division within. They seek to divide India along caste lines, with the singular goal of weakening Indian society and unity They fear a developed In. ‘Can’t compromise on even an inch on borders’ Bhuj: PM Narendra Modi said India cannot compromise on even an “inch” of land on its borders. India’s enemies “see the end of their sinister plans” when they see the Indian armed forces, he said at Sir Creek in Gujarat’s Kutch, as he kept up his tradition of celebrating Diwali with personnel of the armed forces. dia because their politics thrives on a weak, poor India, he said. “For five decades, this dirty and destructive politics worked to weaken the country . We must identify the urban Naxalites. Just as we defeated Naxalism that once thrived in forests... We need to recognise those who dream of breaking India, who work under false masks to destroy the nation, and we must stand fir mly against them,” he said. Inspired by Sardar Patel’s vision for social unity, India is moving towards a uniform civil code — a secular civil code — that will help eliminate discrimination among different social classes, strengthen national unity, and drive the nation to achieve its goals, he said. Kerala Jyothi honour for M K Sanoo E xpress N ews S ervice @T’Puram Veteran author M K Sanoo, 97, has been chosen for the Kerala Jyothi award, the highest honour by the state government. This is the third edition of the award, instituted on the lines of the Padma honours. Writers M T Vasudevan Nair and T Padmanabhan are its past recipients. ISRO chairman S Somanath (science & engineering) and Bhuvaneswari (agriculture) will receive this year’s Kerala Prabha awards, the second-highest civilian honour. Kerala Shri recipients are Kalamandalam Vimalamenon (arts), Dr T K Jayakumar (health), Narayana Bhattathiri (calligraphy), Sanju Viswanath Samson (sports), Shyja Baby (social work) and V K Mathews (business and trade). A jury comprising filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, K Jayakumar and B Ekbal recommended the final nominations to the government. Three captains — Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals), K L Rahul (Lucknow Super Giants) and Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders) — are back in the auction pool, as the deadline for the Indian Premier League player retentions ended on Thursday. Mumbai Indians retained all their five star players, including Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma. They exhausted full retention purse of K75 crore. Punjab Kings have spent just K9.5 cr, the least amount for retention, on two uncapped players Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh. They will go into the auction with highest purse of K110.5 cr. Top Retentions Among those retained, South African Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad) will be highest paid player, at K23 crore. He pipped Virat Kohli (K21 cr) who has been retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Nicholas Pooran stays with LSG for the same price. M S Dhoni has been retained by CSK as an ‘uncapped player’ for K4 cR Other top stars : Jasprit Bumrah (MI): K18 cr Sanju Samson (RR): K18 cr Rashid Khan (GT): K18 cr Pat Cummins (SRH): K18 cr Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): K18 cr report: P11 Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I, who guided the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church amid the onslaught of legal cases that led to the loss of churches and other infrastructure, and set it on the path of revival, passed away on Thursday Mor Baselios Thomas I was . 95. He suffered from age-related ailments and had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kochi for the past six months. In his death, the Jacobite Church has lost a general who was a one-man army . Born on July 22, 1929, as the sixth son of Mathai, of the Cheruvillil family of Vadayambadi, Puthencruz, and Kolencherry Kallunkal Kunjamma, Mor Baselios Thomas I was christened C M Thomas. Life was not a bed of roses for him. His was an aristocratic family, which, by the time of his birth, had fallen on hard times. Frequent bouts of illness during childhood affected his education. Concerned about the sickly child, his devout mother used to take him to Malecruz Dayara where the relics of St Kuriakose, Patriarch St Ignatius Elias III and St Gregorios of Parumala are interred. After one such visit, his mother is believed to have had a vision while praying, which Collector’s statement a lie, says Naveen’s wife Hepatitis A cases surge fivefold in Kerala Pathanamthitta: K Manjusha, wife of late ADM Naveen Babu, has come out against the remarks of Kannur Collector Arun K Vijayan that the ADM had told him that he made a ‘mistake.’ Manjusha said the collector had no friendly relationship with Naveen to disclose such personal matters. P4 Kochi: Multiple outbreaks have resulted in a five-fold rise in Hepatitis A cases in Kerala this year compared to 2023. As many as 6,123 confirmed Hepatitis A cases and 61 deaths have been reported until October 29 this year. In comparison, there were 1,073 and seven deaths in the 12 months of 2023. P5 Bengaluru: The founder of Indian electronics brand BPL Group, T P Gopalan Nambiar, passed away on Thursday at the age of 94, family sources confirmed. Nambiar, affectionately known as TPG, had been unwell for some time and he passed away at his home around 10.15am. P5 40 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express Indian, Chinese troops swap sweets along LAC Troops of India and China exchanged sweets at several border points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including at locations in eastern Ladakh, on the occasion of Diwali on Thursday . The traditional practice was observed a day after both countries completed troop disengagement at the two friction points at Demchok and Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh, bringing a fresh thaw in the Sino-Indian ties. “Sweets exchange between members of the troops of India and China took place at several border points along the LAC on Indian and Chinese Army personnel exchange sweets at a border point along the Line of Actual Control | PTI the occasion of Diwali,” an Army source said. The exchange took place at all the five Border Personnel prompted her to dedicate little Thomas to church service. It is said that right after she made the decision, the boy was cured of his illness. His family’s financial difficulties forced Thomas to end his education in class IV. To support the family, he joined the postal department as a mail runner. However, his spiritual education flourished under the guidance of Njarthunkal Koruthu Malpan, Moosa Saloma Ramban (Mor Chrysostomos) and Kadavil Paul Ramban (Paulose Mar Athanasius). In August 1958, deacon Thomas was ordained ‘kassisso’ (full priest) by Mor Yulius Elias Unnikris h n a n S @T’Puram diwali tradition Meeting (BPM) points along the LAC — Bum La and Wacha/ Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Chushul-Moldo and Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh and Nathu La in Sikkim — among several other locations, sources added. Sweets were also exchanged at Kongk La, KK Pass and Hot Springs (in eastern Ladakh), they said. As a traditional practice, Indian and Chinese troops have in the past exchanged sweets and greetings at several border posts along the LAC, including in eastern Ladakh, to mark festivals and other important occasions. On Wednesday, an Army source said that troops of both 22 july 1929 - 31 october 2024 (patriarchal dele gate to Malankara) at the Majanikkara Dayara. He was never one to sit on the sidelines. When appointed the vicar of Puthencruz St Peter’s Church in 1959, it is said that he worked with the labourers carrying sand and stones needed for the renovation of the church. He later served as the vicar of churches in Vellathooval, Keezhumuri, Fort Kochi, Valamboor, Kolkata and Thrissur. For seven years from 1967, he was the organising secretary of Kolencherry Medical Mission Hospital. He served as the head of the North Indian mission in Bhilai in the 1970s. In 1974, he was named secretary of the Po u r a s t hya S u v i s h e s h a Samajam. He worked among coal-mine labourers and patients suffering from tuberculosis at Varikoli Hospital. During this period, he achieved renown as an orator and theological scholar. On December 8, 1973, Fr Thomas was named a prelate during the Angamaly diocese laity conference at Kothamangalam Valiyapally He was consecrated . metropolitan with the title ‘Mor Dionysius’ by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Yaqub III on February 24, 1974, in Damascus, Syria. On his return to India, he wasn’t allowed to enter certain churches due to the legal ● More on P4 disputes.  Customised weather forecast for Sabarimala pilgrims set for rollout BPL Group founder T P G Nambiar passes away P T I @New Delhi commanded higher ‘value’ as I was a CPM independent MP. That was why the net was cast on me,” he writes. P C Thomas was another independent MP at the time. However, he was not allowed to vote after he was found guilty in an election-related case. The Supreme Court had allowed him to sit in Parliament. “Such opportunities come only once in a lifetime. Nothing happened to those who took Pranab’s bait or fell in his net,” writes Paul, adding that handsome offers were made not just for switching sides but also to those who stayed away from ● More on P4 voting.  Catholicos Mor Baselios Thomas I passes away E X P R E S S R E AD State awards bribes for asking questions in the Parliament. “It’s always better to be on the vigil against hidden cameras in times such as these,” he writes, tongue-incheek. Paul says he realised it was not a sting operation when he met Vayalar Ravi, a Congress MP and then Parliamentary Affairs Minister, at the central hall of Parliament. “Vayalar Ravi, who knew me from my days as a student at Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, told me that my name had been stuck off the list of MPs identified by Mukherjee who could vote against the motion. There were five independent MPs in the Parliament then. I An u K u r u vi l l a @ Kochi At Rashtriya Ekta Diwas event, PM exhorts people to identify & unmask ‘urban Naxals’ D i l ip S in g h K s h at ri ya jee’s emissaries talked to me matter-of-factly. They offered me `25 crore if I voted in the government’s favour,” Paul writes in the weekly which hits , the stands on Friday . He says he did not fall for the offer as the money was unbelievably high, which made him doubt its authenticity. The incident also reminded him of the sting operation by a television channel a few years ago in which 11 MPs were caught taking sides had completed the disengagement at the two friction points and patrolling would commence soon at these points. The verification process after the disengagement was in progress and patrolling modalities were to be decided between ground commanders, the source said then. ‘Talks will continue at the local commander level,” the Army source added. On Thursday, an Ar my source said patrolling was yet to resume. Sources earlier had said the areas and patrolling status were expected to be moved back to pre-April 2020 level. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is set to launch a special weather forecasting service for Sabarimala, starting this Mandala Pooja season, which is just two weeks away. The initiative mirrors forecasting practices used at major pilgrimage sites like Char Dham — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedar nath, and Badrinath. “We will provide a customised forecast for Sabarimala, focusing on key areas such as Sannidhanam, Pampa, and Nilackal. We w i l l a l s o o f f e r ‘nowcast’ weather updates for three hours, which is ideal for pilgrims,” said IMD director (Kerala) Neetha K Gopal. The seven-day forecast aims to assist pilgrims in planning their trips, while the nowcast will enhance preparedness. Sabarimala is especially susceptible to the northeast monsoon, which brings rapid cloud formation and intense rainfall, posing risks to thousands of pilgrims making the trek to the hill shrine, warned weather experts. The home department has requested dedicated weather services for the area this season. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has also suggested that the IMD establish three automatic weather stations (AWSs) in Sannidhanam, Pampa, and Nilackal. To support the new forecasts, the Meteorological Centre in Kerala plans to utilise existing resources, including the Doppler Weather Radar in Kochi, satellite imagery, a n d t h e AW S i n Pathanamthitta. “The proposal is to install AWSs in Sannidhanam, Pampa and Nilackal for future forecasts. The stations require regular upkeep,” said Neetha. The centre has discussed the proposal with its headquarters and approval is pending. M Ravichandran, secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), told TNIE that any proposal for weather forecasting facilities would be considered without delay  ● More on P4 .