THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l monday l march 17, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Trump launches retaliatory strikes on Yemen’s Houthis Biggest U.S. military operation since jan The strike was in response to the group’s attacks against Red Sea shipping. The unfolding strikes—which one US official told Reuters might continue for weeks—represent the biggest US military operation in West Asia since Trump took office in January. The Houthis’ political bureau described the attacks as a “war crime” | P9 US President Donald Trump launched a largescale military strike against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saturday, killing at least 31 people Favoured Houthi spots targeted ■ ■ Residents in Sanaa said the strikes hit a building in a Houthi stronghold and “shook the neighbourhood like an earthquake”. Strikes also targeted Houthi military sites in Yemen’s southwest city of Taiz, and a power station in the town of Dahya, where Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the Houthi leader, often meets his visitors 101 people injured in the strikes, mostly women and children 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 Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a podcast with Lex Fridman, in New Delhi | PTI Pak’s terrorist mindset hurting peace, says Modi The state government’s aggressive campaign to promote entrepreneurship through, micro small, and medium enterprises (MSME) is yielding desired results, with bank lending to the sector set to cross `1 trillion (`1 lakh crore) in the financial year ending March 31, 2025. The total loans outstanding to the MSME sector in Kerala Islamabad must mend ways; disputes with China being worked out; Trump 2.0 stronger Express news service @ New Delhi EVERY noble attempt by India for peace with Pakistan was met with hostility and betrayal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview with American computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman, broadcast on Sunday. “We sincerely hope that wisdom prevails upon them and they choose the path of peace,” Modi said in his three-hour podcast. “Wherever ter ror strikes in the world, the trail somehow leads to Pakistan,” he said, citing the example of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the attack, took refuge in Pakistan, he pointed out. Calling out Pakistan’s ‘terrorist mindset’, he said: “Today it stands as an epi, centre of turmoil not just for India but for the world.” Modi recalled how he had specially invited the then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony in 2014 with the hope that the two countries could turn a new leaf. “Yet, every no- ble attempt at fostering peace was met with hostility and betrayal,” he said. On India’s relations with China, he said differences are natural between two neighbouring countries. “But our focus is to ensure that these differences don’ t tur n into disputes,” he said, adding that India prefers dialogue to sort out differences. Acknowledging the border dispute with China, he said efforts are on to address them through dialogue and consultation. “Slowly but surely trust should , return,” he added. Cooperation between India and China is beneficial not just for the two countries but also for global stability and prosperity, Modi noted. “Since the 21st century is Asia’s century we want India , and China to compete in a healthy way Competition is not . a bad thing, but it shouldn’t turn into conflict,” he said. When asked about his views on US President Donald Trump, Modi said in the second term, Trump seems “far more prepared than before”, adding that he has a clear roadmap in his mind with well-defined steps. stood at `92,175.63 crore as on December 31, 2024, a robust growth of 38% from `66,876 crore in December 31, 2022, as per the data released last week. The growth is significant as it indicates that credit is more accessible to the sector now compared to earlier years. Lending to the MSME sector had shown an anaemic growth of just 1.22%, from `60,880 crore to `61,623 crore, by December 2020 and 2021, respec- Hafiz Saeed’s close aide shot dead in Pakistan H a r p r ee t b a j w a @ Chandigarh A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, wanted by Indian security agencies for several deadly terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, was eliminated by gunmen in Pakistan, officials said on Sunday . Zia-ur-Rehman alias Abu 5 killed in Balochistan Qatal was gunned down in Five persons, the Jhelum area of Punjab on including three Saturday evening. His secuFrontier Corps rity guard was also killed. Considered the lead han(FC) personnel, were killed and dler of LeT founder and 30 injured after 26/11 Mumbai attack mastera paramilitary mind Hafiz Saeed, 43-year-old convoy was Rehman led the LeT strategy attacked by in planning a string of atBaloch militants in tacks in Poonch-Rajouri of Noshki district of J&K. Balochistan Rehman was the architect behind the Dhangri attack of 2023, in which seven people were killed; the Reasi bus attack on June 9, 2024, in which nine pilgrims were killed and over 50 were injured, and the Bhatta-Durian attack on April 20, 2023, in which five Army personnel were killed. Mangled remains of the vehicle that was attacked in Balochistan | X EXPRESS READ Search begins for next top cop, govt contacts 6 officers 2 African women arrested in K’taka’s biggest MDMA haul New freshwater algae species discovered in Western Ghats T’Puram: The government has begun the process to find a replacement for incumbent state police chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who retires on June 30. As a first step, it has sent a communique to six IPS officers, who have completed 30 years of service, seeking their willingness and resume to be considered for inclusion in the list of probables that will be sent to the UPSC | P4 Mangaluru: In the biggest drug haul in Karnataka, 37.87 kg of MDMA worth about J75 crore was seized by Mangaluru City Police in Bengaluru. Two South African women—Bamba Fanta, alias Adonis Jabulile, 31, and Abigali Adonis, alias Odijo Evans, 30—have been arrested. They were staying in India illegally by furnishing fake passport and visa documents | P5 Kochi: Researchers from Mar Athanasius College, Kothamangalam, have identified a new species of freshwater algae in Rosemala, Kollam. The species, Sheathia rosemalayensis—named after the place where it was found—was found by researchers Dr Jayalakshmi P S, assistant professor, Mar Athanasius College, and Fr Dr Jose John, ex-principal of Sacred Heart College, Thevara | P4 T o t h e P o w er o f ‘ H ’ BPCL, CIAL at the wheel of Kerala’s first hydrogen-fuelled bus K r i s h n a K u m a r K E @Kochi In a major step towards promoting sustainable transportation solutions, the first hydrogen-fuelled bus will soon be rolled out in the state, thanks to the collaborative initiative of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), the world’s first fully solar powered airport. A prototype of the bus, which uses green hydrogen—the ‘future fuel’— was displayed at the Global Hydrogen & Renewable Energy Summit held in Kochi on March 12 and 13. The state’s first green hydrogen plant and fuelling station is already under construction near the airport in Nedumbassery . “CIAL plans to deploy the bus as soon as the plant is commissioned. Currently 70% of the work is over. A , few more pieces of equipment need to be installed. We expect the facility to be ready in a month or two,” a BPCL official told TNIE. The bus, which uses hydrogen fuel cells developed by Pune-based firm KPIT Ltd, will be either deployed within the airport or used for providing short-distance airport connectivity Authorities will soon initiate the . registration process. The green hydrogen plant is being set up at an estimated `25 crore. Its initial output will be used to power vehicles within the airport, starting with the hydrogen bus. Under the agreement, BPCL will oversee establishment of the integrated plant and fuelling stations, providing technology and managing the operation. This collaborative effort will result in the world’s first green hydrogen plant and fuelling station located close to an air port setting. Green hydrogen, produced from water using renewable energ y sources, is recognised as a future fuel and aligns with zero-carbon energy strate● More on P4 gies.  Year Dec 2020 Dec 2021 Dec 2022 Dec 2023 Dec 2024 MSME advance C60,880 cr C61,623 cr C66,876 cr C79,470 cr C92,176 cr* Y-o-Y growth — 1.22% 8.52% 19% 16% 10,70,124 accounts *38% growth since 2022 RA J E SH A B RAHAM @Kochi grow chart MSME loans in Kerala poised to cross `1 lakh-crore mark What kind of ideology thrives on bloodshed and the export of terror? We are not the sole victims. Wherever terror strikes in the world, the trail somehow leads to Pakistan tively “We expect the advances . to MSMEs to cross `1 lakh crore by the end of this financial year. Earlier, it was very difficult to get bank loans. We have now seen a big difference in the banks’ approach towards the sector in recent years,” said A Nizarudeen, state president, Kerala State Small Industries Association (KSSIA). MSMEs are considered the engines of employment generation and provide livelihood opportunities to a large section of the population. T h e s t a t e g ove r n m e n t launched the ‘Year of Enterprises’ in 2022-23 to promote entrepreneurship, recognising the important role MSMEs play in socio-economic growth and in creating job opportunities. “We can say this has yielded results. However, most new units have come up in the retail and services sectors. We need to ensure more units come up in manufacturing sector,” he ● More on P4 said.  ‘The atmosphere felt volatile and dangerous’ Fearing for life Srinivasan says she had been blindsided by the entire turn of events. “I’m fearful that even the most low-level political speech ... can turn into this dystopian nightmare where somebody is calling you a terrorist sympathiser and making you, literally, fear for your life and safety” E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi On the morning of March 14, US federal immigration agents arrived at the Columbia University apartment of Indian student Ranjani Srinivasan to detain her. She had recently found out from the US Consulate in Chennai that her student visa had been abruptly revoked by the US State Department. The 37-year-old Srinivasan, a Fulbright scholar pursuing a doctoral degree in urban planning, wasn’t home. The agents didn’t stop coming. The following night, they returned. By then Srinivasan knew what could be in store for her. “The atmosphere felt so volatile and dangerous,” Srinivasan told The New York Times in her first interview since fleeing. “I just made a quick decision.” She packed her belongings, left her cat with a friend, and caught a flight to Canada from LaGuardia Airport. Her roommate was left to face the immigration agents who persisted in their search for Srinivasan. Hours later, Mahmoud Khalil, another Columbia student, was arrested from his apartment by authorities. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Srinivasan had voluntarily self-deported using the Customs and Border Protection Home App. Srinivasan’s ordeal is part of a larger, aggressive crackdown under the Trump administration aimed at pro-Palestinian demonstrators. She is one of several non-citizens at Columbia University who have found themselves targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in recent days. The DHS called Srinivasan a ‘ter rorist Pic: X sympathiser’ and accused her of supporting violence in support of Hamas. Her legal team denied the charges. Srinivasan, who reached the US legally in 2016, is currently in Canada. It is not immediately clear if she plans to return to India soon.