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 ■ ■ visakhapatnam l tuesday l april 22, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION LGBTQ+ part of his outreach Allowed women vote at Vatican 3-day state mourning Francis made it easier for married Catholics to get an annulment, allowed priests to absolve women who had had abortions and let priests bless samesex couples He let women vote alongside bishops in some Vatican meetings. It was a revolutionary change. However, he had a ‘closed door’ policy on women’s ordination The Indian govt declared a three-day State mourning till Wednesday. An additional day of mourning will be observed on the day of the Pope’s funeral adieu, progressive pope P N IC O L E WI N F I E L D @ Vatican City Gold hits 1 lakh per 10gm in B’luru, 99K in Delhi Gold of 99.5 purity in Bengaluru cost `1,02,000 per 10 grams Gold of 99.9% purity in New Delhi: `99,800 per 10 grams So far this year, the yellow metal’s prices have risen `20,850, or 26.41% per 10 grams There has been increased buying among ETF investors, while upcoming festive demand is fueling additional support Globally, gold futures breached the Pranav Mer, V-P, psychological USD 3,400-mark for the first time JM Financial ever, rising USD 80 per ounce, or 2.4 per cent. Services murshidabad violence: two arrested Two key accused for killing a father and son in Murshidabad during violence over Waqf Act were arrested in Jharsuguda in Odisha on Monday | P8 D ec embe r 17, 1 93 6 -A p r i l 2 1 , 2 0 2 5 ope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, passed away on Monday He was 88. . “At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, who takes charge after a pontiff ’s death. Francis had a cerebral stroke that led to coma and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican said. In his condolence message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Deeply pained by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In this hour of grief and rem e m b r a n c e, my h e a r t f e l t condolences to the global Catholic community .” Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease, was hospitalised on February 14 for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalisation of his 12-year papacy . He made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday — a day before his death — to bless thousands of people in St Peter’s Square, drawing wild cheers and applause. From his first greeting that night — a remarkably normal “Buonasera” (“Good evening”) — to his embrace of refugees and the downtrodden, Francis signaled a very different tone for the papacy stressing hu, mility over hubris for a Catholic Church beset by scandal and accusations of indifference. The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought a breath of fresh air into a 2,000year-old institution that had seen its influence wane during the tenure of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis’ election. But Francis soon invited troubles of his own, and conservatives grew increasingly upset with his progressive bent, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and crackdown on traditionalists. His greatest test came in 2018 when he botched a notorious case of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, and the scandal that festered under his predecessors erupted anew. Four Indians with voting right to elect successor Kochi: Four Indian cardinals, including two Keralites, are part of the 120-strong College of Cardinals who will attend a secret conclave to choose the next pope. The Indian cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave are Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, 72, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman and Patriarch of the East Indies; Thiruvananthapuram-based Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, 64, the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church; Cardinal Anthony Poola, 63, Archbishop of Hyderabad and the first Dalit cardinal in history; and Changanassery native Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, 51, who had been coordinating Pope Francis’ foreign trips since 2021 —ENS 1 2 3 4 Cardinal Anthony Poola Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad Francis’ death sets off a weekslong process of allowing the faithful to pay their final respects, first for Vatican officials in the Santa Marta chapel and then in St. Peter’s for the general public, followed by a funeral and a conclave to elect a new pope. Francis was elected on a mandate to reform the Vatican bu- reaucracy and finances but went further in shaking up the church without changing its core doctrine. “Who am I to judge?” he replied when asked about a purportedly gay priest. The comment sent a message of welcome to the LGBTQ+ community and those who felt shunned by a church that had stressed sexual Modi, Vance hail progress in trade talks capital restart: J aya n t h J a c ob @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice President J D Vance on Monday hailed the significant progress in the ongoing talks for a fair and forward-looking bilateral trade agreement. They also acknowledged the growing cooperation between the two nations in key sectors such as energy defence, , advanced technologies, and other strategic areas, during a meeting marked by personal warmth and a shared commitment to strengthening the India-US partnership. The meeting took place on the first day of Vice President Vance’s four-day visit to India, with Second Lady Usha Vance, their three children, senior members of the US administration, and top Indian officials in attendance. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with US Vice President J D Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance and their children, in New Delhi on Monday | PTI Reflecting on his January visit to Washington, Prime Minister Modi recalled his “fruitful discussions” with President Donald Trump, which laid the foundation for a close and growing partnership between the two nations. Modi IAF officer alleges assault in Bengaluru; biker held has been booked for causing hurt by using dangerous weapons or means (118 BNS). IN a shocking case of road rage, The incident came to light afan Indian Air Force wing com- ter Wg Cdr Bose shared two mander was allegedly attacked videos on social media. “After by a biker at Byappanahalli in seeing the DRDO stickers on the city on Monday morning. the car, the biker continued to The incident took place abuse me and my wife. I could around 6.30 am while Wing not bear it. When I stepped out Commander Shiladitof my car, he took his ya Bose and his wife bike keys and hit me Squadron Leader Madon my forehead. When humitha Dutta were I tried to stop, he hit on their way to the bus my head with the stop near Gopalan stone,” Wg Cdr Bose Mall on Old Madras said. Road in their car. However, CCTV footWg Cdr Bose was age shows him chargWg Cdr Bose supposed to fly to ing at Vikas, assaultKolkata to admit his ing and kicking him, father to a hospital. He assault- which he claimed that he did in ed the biker in “self defence”. “self defence”. Police have arrested the biker Wg Cdr Bose admitted to havbased on a complaint by Sqn ing hit the biker and pushing Ldr Dutta. him. “The biker also bit my finThe couple lives in DRDO ger,” he said and claimed that Colony in CV Raman Nagar. he lost his phone and keys. PoThe biker was identified as Vi- lice said the biker has not filed kas, 20, from Babusaab Palya. any complaints and they are He works in a call centre. He questioning him. e x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ Bengaluru The pope will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage - Narendra Modi, prime minister emphasised that the shared visions of “Make America Great Again” and “Viksit Bharat 2047” would continue to drive bilateral cooperation forward. An official readout of the meeting said: “The leaders welcomed the significant progress in the negotiations for a mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement focused on the welfare of the people of the two countries. They also acknowledged the continued efforts to enhance cooperation in energy defence, strategic tech, nologies, and other areas.” Prime Minister Modi also conveyed his warm greetings to President Donald Trump and expressed his eagerness to host him in India sometime later this year. During their meeting, both leaders exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They agreed that dialogue and diplomacy should remain central to resolving international challenges. “The two leaders also exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward,” the readout of the meeting said. express read Eight Maoists gunned down in Jharkhand modi to launch `1 lakh cr works S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate projects worth nearly `1 lakh crore during his visit to Amaravati on May 2, officials confirmed on Monday . The coalition government has finalised contractors for major projects, including the Secretariat, Assembly and High Court buildings, and is preparing to commence work immediately after the formal relaunch by the PM. . A Cabinet sub-committee comprising Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav, Municipal Minister Ponguru Narayana, and Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar reviewed the preparations in Vijayawada on Monday . Speaking on the occasion, Payyavula Keshav urged officials from all departments to coordinate to make and ensure that PM’s visit a grand success. Calling Amaravati a ‘selffinancing project’, he said it would not cause an additional burden on the State’s exchequer. He emphasised the importance of ensuring food, drinking water and other basic facilities for attendees and instructed officials to upgrade the roads leading to the event venue. Narayana instructed officials to take steps to prevent traffic congestion. Referring to past incidents during the PM’s visits to Chilakaluripet and Visakhapatnam, he called for stringent safety precautions. Manohar said all political leaders will be invited to attend the public meeting scheduled between 4 pm and 5 pm, which is expected to draw a crowd of around P4 5 lakh.  Ranchi: As part of the ongoing anti-Maoist offensive, security forces on Monday gunned down at least eight cadres of the banned militant outfit, including Central Committee Member Vivek having a bounty of `1 crore on his head, in an encounter conducted in Lugu Pahar area of Jharkhand’s Bokaro. Plot to attack Shah busted, two arrested Chandigarh: After alleged screenshots of a WhatsApp group conversation in support of jailed pro-Khalistan leader and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh was leaked on social media, the Punjab Police on Monday registered a case and arrested two persons. The group reportedly discussed plans to target Union home minister Amit Shah. The Cabinet Sub-committee comprising Ministers Payyavula Keshav, Ponguru Narayana and Nadendla Manohar discuss arrangements for PM’s visit | EXPRESS propriety over unconditional love. “Being homosexual is not a crime,” he said in 2023. Francis changed the church’s position on the death penalty, calling it inadmissible in all circumstances. He also declared the possession of nuclear weapons, not just their use, was immoral. In other firsts, he approved an agreement with China over bishop nominations that had vexed the Vatican for decades, met the Russian patriarch and charted new relations with the Muslim world by visiting the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq. He reaffirmed the all-male, celibate priesthood and upheld the church’s opposition to abortion, equating it to “hiring a hit man to solve a problem”. But he added women to important decision-making roles and allowed them to serve as lectors and acolytes in parishes. He let women vote alongside bishops in periodic Vatican meetings, following long-standing complaints that women do much of the church’s work but are barred from power. Still, a note of criticism came from the Women’s Ordination Conference, which had been frustrated by Francis’ unwillingness to push for the ordination of women.  AP Cong laments PM’s visit to Amaravati S G u r u S r i k a n t h @ Vijayawada Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Amaravati on May 2 to relaunch construction of the capital city, dissenting voices are growing louder, questioning the necessity of his physical presence and the associated public expense. “He already laid the foundation stone nine years ago, for which the State government spent nearly `500 crore o f t a x p aye r s ’ m o n e y, ” claimed Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) vice-president and Krishna Delta Parirakshana Samithi c o nve n e r Ko l a n a ko n d a Shivaji. “Now again, the government is mobilising lakhs of people during a heatwave. Is this extravagance needed just to restart a long-delayed project the Centre has ignored for almost a decade?” he questioned. Speaking to TNIE, Shivaji recalled Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to Amaravati, during which he brought a pot of soil and water but alle gedly failed to follow through on his promise to build a world-class capital. “ H e s a i d i t wo u l d b e better than Delhi, but Amaravati was never mentioned in any budget or forum after P4 that.” SIT takes Raj Kesi Reddy into custody in liquor scam case E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Special Investigation Team (SIT) took Raj Kesi Reddy (Rajasekhar Reddy Kesi), into custody on Monday evening. He was prime accused in the AP liquor scam case. He was apprehended at Shamshabad airport upon arrival from Goa on an Indigo flight, having travelled to Goa from Dubai. According to sources, SIT officials took him into custody outside the airport terminal amid suspicions that he was attempting to flee the country . Though Kesi Reddy reportedly told the police that he would appear for questioning on Tuesday the SIT chose to de, tain him immediately, citing doubts about his compliance. He is being shifted to Vijayawada for further investigation. Earlier in the day Kesi Reddy , had released an audio message announcing his intention to appear before the SIT on Tuesday between 11 am and 12 noon. He had also filed for anticipatory bail in the High Court, which was heard on Monday However, . the court did not grant interim protection, adjourning the matter for a week. In a twist, sources revealed that Kesi Reddy allegedly tried to escape under the alias Rajasekhar Reddy using a fake ID, fearing arrest in Goa. His travel to Hyderabad was reportedly part of a plan to flee abroad, which was thwarted by the SIT’s timely action. Kesi Reddy had earlier reacted to statements made by former MP Vijayasai Reddy during his SIT questioning, stating in an audio message that he would refrain from public comments as his bail plea was pending. Despite receiving notices from the SIT four times, Raj Kesi Reddy had failed to appear before investigators till now. Raj Kesi Reddy the prime ac, cused in the AP liquor scam during the previous YSRCP regime, allegedly used film production as a front to launder P4 black money  .