kottayam l friday l april 18, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Astronomers find signs of life on exoplanet off solar system Molecules known to be produced by marine organisms were found on an exoplanet, in a strong evidence of life outside Solar System an enigma that’s 124 light-years away By analysing data from NASA and the European Space Agency’s Webb Space Telescope, researchers led by scientists at the University of Cambridge detected evidence of dimethyl sulphide and dimethyl disulphide in the atmosphere of the planet known as K2-18b. The planet is 124 light-years away; one light-year is equivalent to nearly 6 trillion miles ■ 8 further research needed, say scientists ■ “It is the strongest sign to date of any possibility of biological activity outside the solar system,” Cambridge astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan said during a livestream on Thursday Scientists stressed that further research is needed to rule out any errors or the possibility of other processes to produce compounds times more massive than the size of earth — the new exoplanet 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 Trump wants Fed Chair Jerome Powell sacked, hours after the latter issued a sharp warning on tariff war | P9 China in working-level communication with US on tariff, says person who ‘tied the bell’ should untie it | P9 0.25% Lending rate cut by the European Central Bank to 2.25%, down from 2.50%. This is its seventh cut so far May 2 date set, PM Modi to commission Vizhinjam seaport E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the Vizhinjam International Port on May 2. Kerala Ports Minister V N Vasavan confirmed receiving an official intimation from the Prime Minister’s Office. The function will be held at 11 am at Vizhinjam. The formal inauguration is happening four months after the port launched commercial operations in December 2024. The prime minister’s visit follows the resolution of the dispute between the state and Union gover nments over sharing the Vizhinjam International Port | file pic Viability Gap Fund (VGF) for the project. A formal agreement was signed on April 9 to settle the matter. Under the deal, the Union government will contribute `817.80 crore as its share of the VGF to Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL), the project’s concessionaire. A tripartite agreement was signed between the Centre, AVPPL, and the consortium of banks involved. Additionally the state govern, ment has agreed to share 20% of the port’s revenue with the Union government. In March, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change granted environmental clearance for the second and third phases of the ● More on P4 seaport’s development.  Govt promises status quo on ‘Nuclear missile’: waqfs, buys time from bench V-P swipe on SC Supreme Court sets May 5 for next hearing, possible interim order on the Act Su c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi The Centre on Thursday managed to buy more time from the Supreme Court — which wanted to issue interim orders — to explain its position on the genesis of the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. It agreed to file a preliminary response to the pleas challenging the validity of the Act within a week, adding no appointments would be made to the Central Waqf Council and the Waqf Boards till the next date of hearing, which is May 5. Also, no waqf, including waqf by user, shall be de-notified, nor will their character or status change till May 5, the government assured. “The government will not make any appointments to the Central Wakf Council as per the 2025 Wakf Amendment Act and that properties already declared wakf by user and registered under the original 1995 Act will not be disturbed,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khan- E X P RESS READ ADM death: SC junks plea for CBI probe New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a petition filed by the wife of late ADM Naveen Babu seeking a CBI probe into his death. Refusing to interfere with the Kerala HC order, the SC said no ground was found to transfer the investigation to CBI. India rubbishes K-claim by Pakistan army chief entire region of J&K is an integral part of the country, with a portion India on Thursday firmly rejected currently under illegal occupation Pakistan Army chief General Asim by its neighbour. Munir made his Munir’s statement calling Kashmir comments earlier this week while the country’s “jugular vein”, addressing a group of overdismissing it as baseless and seas Pakistanis. Referring asserting that Pakistan’s to Kashmir, he claimed the only connection to the region region had always been, is its illegal occupation, and would remain, Pakiwhich it must end. stan’s jugular vein. He deIn a strong rebuttal to Muclared that Pakistan would nir’s remarks, External Afnever withdraw its support fairs Ministry spokesperson for the people of Kashmir. General Asim Munir Randhir Jaiswal said: “How He referenced the twocan anything foreign be in a nation theory — the ideojugular vein? This is a Union Terri- logical basis for Pakistan’s formatory of India. Its only relationship tion — saying the country’s founders with Pakistan is the vacation of il- believed Muslims and Hindus diflegally occupied territories by that fered in every aspect: religion, cuscountry.” India maintains that the toms, traditions and aspirations. J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi na and justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanthan, took the assurances on record and asked the petitioners to file their rejoinders five days after the government affidavit. “We clarify that the next hearing (May 5) will be for the preliminary objections and for an interim order,” it said. The CJI is set to retire on May 13. When the hearing began, Mehta urged the bench not to stay the provisions of Act, saying the law was enacted after taking into account many representations and suggestions. “The Union government is answerable to the people of India. The government received lakhs and lakhs of representations... Villages after villages CM Pinarayi to hold talks with Church leaders E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram In a bid to resolve the Munambam land issue, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will hold discussions with leaders of various Christian denominations. According to sources, the discussions, facilitated by the state government’s special representative in New Delhi K V Thomas, will be held after Easter. Confir ming the upcoming meeting to resolve the vexed issue involving over 600 famillies, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kozhikode Varghese Chakkalakal said he would participate in the discussions. The chief minister’s initiative to hold talks with Church leaders comes amid reports of the Christian community’s growing disenchantment with the BJP. Recently, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had said the land dispute troubling Munambam residents could be resolved only through legal recourse. HOLIDAY: Our offices will remain closed today on account of Good Friday. There will be no issue of the paper tomorrow. Historic Vypeen church keeps alive Portugese-era Good Friday traditions The sculpture of the dead Christ kept for veneration at Our Lady of Hope Church in Vypeen, Kochi Overlooking the placid waters of the estuary at the southern tip of Kochi’s Vypeen Island, the majestic Our Lady of Hope Church has carved a historical niche dating back over four centuries. Walk into the church on Good Friday and one is taken back in time with its centuries-old rituals and sacred objects from the colonial Portuguese era. Be it the life-size wooden sculpture of the dead Christ, which is more than 500 years old, unique traditions or the rare tapestry depicting Jesus’ lacerated body , one gets the feel of being in a church in medieval Europe. Steeped in history Our Lady of Hope , Centre’s word on the new law Non-Muslims won’t be appointed to Central Waqf Councils and State Waqf Boards till the next date of hearing. The provision in the Act is contested Any such appointment made in any state in the interregnum will be treated as null and void All waqfs, including waqf by user, whether declared via notification or registration, will not be de-notified till May 5, the next date of hearing RA J E SH K U M AR THA K U R @New Delhi IN a stunning broadside on the judiciary, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday chided the Supreme Court for setting timelines for the President to decide on Bills referred by the Governor. Describing Article 142 (which grants plenary powers to the Supreme Court), Dhankhar said, “Article 142 has become a nuclear missile against democratic forces, available to judiciary 24 x 7.” Dhankhar’s strong words came during his speech to Rajya Sabha interns. “So, we have judges who will legislate, who will perform executive functions, who will act as super Parliament and absolutely have no accountability because the law of the land does not apply to them,” Dhankhar said. “There is a directive to the President by a recent judgment. Where are we heading? What is happening in the country? We have to be extremely sensitive. It is not a question of someone filing a review or not. We never bargained for democracy for this day President being called . Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar speaking to interns on Thursday | PTI upon to decide in a time-bound manner, and if not, becomes law,” Dhankar said. Article 142 of the Constitution gives the Supreme Court the power to issue orders that ensure “complete justice” in any matter before it. “We cannot have a situation where you direct the President of India and on what basis? The only right you have under the Constitution is to interpret it under Article 145(3). There, it has to be five judges or more... Article 142 has become a nuclear missile against democratic forces, available to judiciary 24 x 7”, he said, stressing the need to accept the principle of separation of powers. Munambam centuries-old rituals Renj i t h L een @ Kochi are taken as waqf... It is a considered piece of legislation,” said Mehta. He urged the court not to take the “harsh step” of staying the Act and sought a week to file a preliminary reply along with some documents. The CJI said the court has already observed that there were some positives in the Act, but also does not want the situation prevailing now to change. Hence, a stay on certain provisions would be warranted, Justice Khanna said. “There is a thumb rule that courts won’t stay legislations ordinarily But there is another . thumb rule: when the petition is pending before the court, the situation which is prevailing should not change so that the rights of persons are not affected,” CJI Khanna added. As Mehta persisted, the CJI gave his consent provided that non-Muslim members would not be nominated to the Waqf Boards and Central Waqf Council and that registered waqfs wouldn’t be changed. The court said only five writ petitions would be considered as lead cases. The rest would be as intervening applications. timeline for Prez Church, which comes under the diocese of Cochin, still maintains age-old rituals and traditions during Good Friday, says assistant vicar Fr Paul Palliparambil. He says there are certain traditions dating back to the 1500s that are still zealously preserved by members of the Anglo-Indian community . “On Good Friday the centre of attrac, tion is the 7-ft-long wooden sculpture of the dead Christ. It is really special as it was brought from Portugal,” says Desmond D’costa, president of the Vypeen branch of the All-India Anglo Indian Association. Believed to have been gifted to Franciscan missionaries by King Manuel of Portugal, the sculpture’s head and limbs are moveable. ● More on P4 GET READY TO BEAT THE HEAT Cloud Technology AVAILABLE ON Portable & Versatile Point Anywhere Remote Bladeless Front Grill Anti Bacterial Mesh Filter Powerful, Quiet Cooling & Select Outlets in Major Cities Contact us: E-Mail : customersupport@singerindia.com marketing@singerindia.com Toll Free : 1800 103 3474 www.singerindia.com April 18, 2025