KOLLAM l wednesday l November 20, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION In a first, Kyiv fires LONG-RANGE u.s. missiles into Russian region Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that Ukraine fired six US-made missiles into Bryansk, five of which were shot down and one damaged Ukraine yet to confirm the escalation Putin lowers nuclear use threshold Fragments from a missile fell on an unspecified military facility, the Russian ministry said, adding that the falling debris sparked a fire but didn’t inflict any damage or casualties. The announcement comes shortly after Washington lifted curbs on Ukraine using US-made longer-range missiles to strike Russia. Ukraine didn’t immediately confirm the news | P9 ■ ■ Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday lowered Russia’s threshold for using nuclear weapons. According to the revised nuclear doctrine, a conventional attack on Russia by any adversary nation that is supported by a nuclear power, will be considered a joint attack And, such an attack could trigger a nuclear response from Russia 300 km range of the ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) used against Russia 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: Set new finance goal on climate justice S V Krishna Chaitanya EXPRESS IN BAKU W ith COP29 negotiations reaching a critical stage, India on Tuesday demanded clear answers from developed countries on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate finance. Delivering the national statement, Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, said all NCQG decisions for climate finance must reflect the principles of climate justice and equity . He called for ambitious and unambiguous outcomes that address the evolving needs of developing countries, including adaptation, mitigation, and loss-and-damage funding. Singh reminded developed nations of their responsibility under the Paris Agreement to provide suf ficient financial resources to enable the Global South to meet its development goals while addressing climate challenges. The next round of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is due in 2025.  Continued on: P9 Visa relaxation, resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra on the cards India, China look to resume direct flights, dialogue Y e s h i Se l i @ New Delhi BUILDING on the recent progress made on de-escalating border tension, India and China on Tuesday sought to stabilise the relationship and take it to the next level. T h re e m a j o r d e c i s i o n s emerged during the meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio, Brazil: to resume special representativelevel talks on boundary issues, direct flights between India and China, and the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The other steps discussed include data sharing on trans-border rivers and media exchanges. The meeting was the first high-level engagement between India and China after the completion of the disengagement process in Depsang and Demchok along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh last month. According to the MEA, Jaishankar and Wang agreed that the disengagement in border areas contributed to peace and tranquility. “The discussions focused on the next steps in India-China relations,” it said. In the meeting, Jaishankar told Wang that India is against unilateral approaches to establish dominance and it does not view its relationships through the prism of other nations. “On the global situation, the external affairs minister noted that India and China have both differences and convergences,” MEA said. For his part, Wang proposed visa relaxation to encourage people-to-people interaction. Noting that the next year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two Asian giants, the Chinese minister said both countries should plan commemorative activities and encourage visits in various fields and at different levels. Direct India-China flights and the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic. The 22nd round of special representative-level talks were held in New Delhi on December 21, 2019. India’s representative for the dialogue is NSA Ajit Doval while the Chinese side is headed by Wang. P R a m d a s @ Kochi External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with China’s foreign minister Wang Yi | PTI India, UK to resume FTA talks in 2025 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said trade talks with India will relaunch, following his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit. The UK will seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a trade agreement and cooperation in various areas Modi, Albanese meet in Rio, hold talks Modi met Australian PM Anthony Albanese in Rio. “PM Albanese has accepted India’s invitation to attend the Quad summit next year. We spoke about partnership in defence, critical minerals, space. PM Albanese has assured us in protecting interests of our students in Australia,” Modi said Poll ready 3 days and counting AI flight leaves flyers stranded in Phuket E x pre s s Ne w s Serv i c e @ New Delhi OVER 100 Delhi-bound Air India passengers faced a harrowing three-day ordeal in Phuket after the flight, originally scheduled to depart on November 16, was cancelled due to operational and technical setbacks. The disruption left travellers stranded, sparking outrage and criticism. The trouble began when the crew exceeded their flight duty time limitations on November 16, leading to the flight’s cancellation. Efforts to resume operations the next day with another crew failed when the Airbus A320 experienced technical issues midflight, forcing it to return to Phuket after two-and-a-half hours in the air. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has since demanded a detailed report from Air India. Meanwhile, 80% of the stranded passengers have reportedly been flown back to India on alternative flights on November 17 and 18, airline sources said. The remaining 31 passengers are also scheduled to depart. Many passengers shared their frustration on social media over delays. Initially, passengers were informed of a six-hour delay on November 16. They boarded the flight after prolonged waiting, only to be deboarded later. The same aircraft was prepared for departure the next day, but glitches persisted. “Air India regrets the inconvenience to passengers of Flight AI377... While our staff made effort to minimise their inconvenience, providing all on-ground assistance including hotel accommodations and meals, some guests were also re-accommodated on available flights. Passengers were also offered options for full refunds,” said an airline official. The Cochin Devaswom Board (CDB) has told the Kerala High Court that certain actions of the Thiruvambady Devaswom during the Thrissur pooram had given rise to suspicions that they were aimed at aiding certain political parties to influence the Lok Sabha elections. Giving credence to the CPI’s claim of a concerted effort to disrupt the pooram, the CDB, in a report submitted to the HC, said a series of incidents that occurred during a oneyear period ahead of the prestigious event supported the allegation of a conspiracy to undermine the festival. “The Thiruvambady Devaswom’s dubious actions included disrupting the pooram by involving in discussions individuals who had no connection to it or the festival. The involvement of BJP leaders B Gopalakrishnan and district president K K Anishkumar and RSS leader from Kannur Valsan Thillankeri has further strengthened these suspicions,” the report said. Adding to the controversy, Suresh Gopi, who was then BJP’s candidate from Thrissur, openly intervened in the issue. “Despite it being a notraffic zone, he broke the law by using a Sewa Bharathi ambulance, allegedly to provoke anger that could force a stop to the festival midway which , could further his electoral interests. He also spread false information through channels and social media, claiming that the pooram was in disarray, the report said. It also stated that Gopi had spread the news that issues had been settled following his intervention. Public accusations and counter-allegations aired on channels and in newspapers by o f f i c e - b e a r e r s h ave brought disgrace to the public discourse. “These incidents confirm suspicions about the Thrissur Pooram conspiracy,” stated the report. According to the CDB report, one glaring example of the conspiracy is the delay of the fireworks display, which was scheduled for 3 am but was postponed until 7.15 ● More on P4 am.  all-party meeting on November 24 Ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament, the Centre has scheduled an all-party meeting on Nov 24. Some Opposition parties are reportedly unlikely to attend | P7 Security personnel deployed to maintain law and order amid curfew, in Imphal | PTI PC post gives Biren Day before poll, Tawade in cash row ammo to rap Cong Su d h i r Surya w a n s h i @ Mumbai Officials return after collecting election materials from Government Victoria College, Palakkad, on the eve of assembly by-election on Tuesday | Express Thiruvambady Devaswom’s actions during Pooram suspicious, CDB in HC A day before polling in Maharashtra, a purported video of BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawade at a five-star hotel went viral on Tuesday amid allegations by the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) that he was distributing `5 crore in cash among his party leaders and workers at Nalasopara (Virar) to buy votes. The police registered two FIRs against Tawde and others in connection with the incident. The first FIR named them for assembling at a hotel in violation of the poll code, while the second one accuses them of luring voters by offering inducements. Tawade refuted the allegation saying he was in the hotel to guide party workers about election procedures. He said he was on his way from Wada in Palghar district to Mumbai when a BJP leader called him for tea at the hotel at Nalasopara where this incident took place. Polls 2024 “I am ready for any probe. The Election Commission of India can conduct the probe and find out the truth. The Opposition must understand facts before making allegations,” Tawade said. For its part, the poll body said it recovered `9 lakh from the hotel, not `5 crore. The matter came in light after BVA workers barged in the hotel, claiming they got a tipoff that Tawade was with BJP leaders to distribute `5 crore to buy the votes in the area. “Our workers not only caught Tawade with a bundle of cash but also seized two diaries with entries on whom the money was given to buy votes. We hope that the poll body and police would conduct a fair probe,” BVA head Hitendra Thakur said. His party is contesting three seats in Palghar and Vasai-Virar. P r a s a n ta M a z u m d a r @ Guwahati A social media post by Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday gave embattled Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh some ammunition to blame the grand old party for the ongoing crisis in the state. The Congress distanced itself from Chidambaram’s post on X, now deleted, calling it his personal remarks. Chidambaram said, “Rushing 5,000 MORE central armed police jawans is not the answer to Manipur crisis. ...It is more understanding: that Meitei, the Kuki-Zo and the Naga can live together in one State only if they have genuine regional autonomy .” Singh wasted no time in hitting back. “He (Chidambaram) is the root cause of Manipur Pinarayi fires fresh salvo at Thangal on bypoll eve E x pre s s Ne w s Serv i c e @T’Puram/Kollam In an evident political move ahead of the crucial assembly by-election in Palakkad, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asserted that the IUML has warmed up towards the SDPI and Jamat-e-Isami after Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal assumed the office of the party’s state president. Firing a fresh salvo at the Muslim League president, Pinarayi said there has been many Thangals from the Panakkad family, but he has criticised only Sadiq Ali. The CM said he criticised Sadiq Ali for his role as IUML president. “Aren’t you responsible for taking a pro-SDPI and pro-Ja- mat-e-Islami stance?” Pinarayi asked Thangal. “We are naturally bound to state our opinion. But the League says we should not do so. This is the language of ter rorists. No League worker should approach us speaking such a language,” the CM said during the inauguration of the CPM area committee office at Nedu- vathur in Kollam on Tuesday. He also targeted the Congress, accusing the party of compromising its secular credentials ahead of the by-elections. “The Congress cannot reject SDPI’s votes in Wayanad. While the CPM has always taken a firm stance against communalism, the Congress seems to be pandering to communal forces for mere electoral gains, said ● More on P4 Pinarayi.  crisis and the Congress is the creator of what we are seeing in the state today When he was the . Union home minister during the then Congress government and O Ibobi was the CM here, they brought a Myanmarese foreigner Thanglianpau Guite, who himself admitted in one of the interviews that he contested an MP election in Myanmar. That person is the chairman of Zomi Revolutionary Ar my, which is banned in Myanmar,” Singh said. Worried over Chidambaram’s statement, Ibobi said he spoke to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. “I told Kharge Ji it could be his personal views but this will create a lot of misunderstanding. After Kharge Ji spoke to Chidambaram Ji, he deleted the post,” Ibobi said. E XPR E SS R E A D Missing woman’s body found buried Alappuzha: The police on Tuesday retrieved the body of a woman, who was allegedly killed and buried by her male friend, from a vacant plot at Karoor in Alappuzha. She had been missing since November 6. Police said the accused, Jayachandran, watched the film ‘Drishyam’ multiple times for ideas to destroy evidence. P5 L2.25cr compensation sought Fruit bats destroy Rudraksha yield, farmer sues forest dept M a n o j V i s w a n at h a n @ Kochi Fruit bats causing damage to crops is nothing new. But a farmer suing the forest department seeking a huge compensation for the loss he incurred owing to the flying mammals is not something common. C D Adarsh Kumar, whose main source of income were two Rudraksha trees in his orchard, was a successful farmer until recently He said earned a . handsome `1 crore per year from his four-acre land until a few years back. He used to sell quality Rudraksha beads from the two trees. However, a colony of bats that feed on unripe fruits have left him devastated. The resident of Kallekulam, Poonjar, has been unable to earn a penny from the farmland in the past three years, and landed in a debt trap. Facing recovery proceedings from banks, Adarsh has moved A Rudraksha tree in the farmland of Adarsh Kumar the Pala sub-court seeking a compensation of `2.25 crore from the forest department. However, can the forest department be held responsible for the crop loss caused by fruit bats? Adarsh says the custodian of forest is responsible for the loss caused by protected wild animals that intrude into farmlands outside the forest. “I developed a biodiversity park on my four-acre farmland over the past 35 years, where I grow rare and exotic fruit trees. The fruit bats started attacking the trees since 2015-16, and I have not been able to earn even a penny in the past three years. I had to sell some trees to meet my family’s expenses in the past couple of years. The Poonjar Cooperative Bank and Kerala Bank have initiated recovery proceedings against me for loan default,” Adarsh said in his petition filed on November 14. Adarsh said he got beads having anywhere from four to 20 faces from the two huge ● More on P4 Rudraksha trees.