madurai l thursday l september 11, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l late city EDITION Nasa finds strongest clue yet of potential ancient life on mars NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance has uncovered rocks in a dry river channel that may hold potential signs of ancient microscopic life signs of microbial activity on rocks The Perseverance rover uncovered colourful, speckled rocks in a dried Martian riverbed that contains iron phosphate and iron sulphide, chemical compounds that can be produced when microorganisms chomp down on organic matter. Lead researcher Joel Hurowitz of Stony Brook University said it is the best candidate yet in the rover’s search for signs of life ■ 30 Earth-based analysis needed: Scientists ■ Scientists cautioned that non-biological explanations are possible for the findings, and Earth-based analysis is needed to confirm the ancient life theory. The samples are expected to reach Earth in 2040 The sample was collected from reddish, clay-rich mudstones in Neretva Vallis, a channel that once carried water into Jezero Crater rock samples collected so far by perseverance rover 45180/12 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 puts trade Ex-CJ Karki leads interim PM race talks back on track Express News Service @ New Delhi Says there is no difficulty in sealing a deal PUS H PITA DEY & DIPAK MO N DAL @ New Delhi INDIA-US trade talks, which were stalled amid diplomatic friction arising out of Washington’s punitive tariff action on New Delhi, are likely to resume soon with US President Donald Trump sounding conciliatory towards India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reciprocating positively . Late on Tuesday, Trump announced that India and the US were trying to address trade barriers through negotiations. “I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our great countries,” he said. In response, Modi stated: “India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negoEU team coming tiations will pave the way for unlocking for trade talks the limitless potential of the India-US European Trade partnership. Our teams are working to Commissioner conclude these discussions at the earliMaros Sefcovic est. I am also looking forward to speaking will visit India on with President Trump.” Thursday for Government sources said the talks will India-EU FTA talks resume soon, with ministries from tariffaffected sectors claiming they have been assured by the commerce ministry that a favourable deal is on the horizon. Confirming the development, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that India is in talks with the US and other trade partners. “We are in active dialogue with the United States of America and with New Zealand. With Qatar, we will be finalising the terms of reference by the first week of October,” Goyal said at an event in Delhi. CPR may take oath on Friday RAJESH KUMAR T H AKUR @ New Delhi Vice President-elect C P Radhakrishnan is expected to take the oath of office on Friday, sources said. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place at 9.30 am at Rashtrapati Bhavan, with President Droupadi Murmu administering the oath, sources within the gover nment and the BJP said. However, an official confirmation is awaited. Radhakrishnan, 67, was elected Vice President on Tuesday, defeating the joint opposition nominee B Sudershan Reddy by a margin of 152 votes. Radhakrishnan is currently the gover nor of Maharashtra. There is a buzz that he may res i g n f r o m t h i s p o s t by Thursday . Armed soldiers patrolled empty streets and guarded key buildings in Nepal’s capital on Wednesday, enforcing a strict curfew amid uneasy calm following days of violent anti-corruption protests that forced Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to resign. Hopes are rising for a political resolution as youth protest leaders signal readiness for talks, even as nearly 700 air passengers, including Indian pilgrims, remain stranded at the Kathmandu airport that reopened in the evening. The Nepal Army , now effectively in control of secuSushila Karki rity, said the Some of the prisoners who escaped during the protests, being escorted back to a jail in Kathmandu | PTI situation remained tense but “under watch”, and extended a nationwide curfew until at least 6 am Thursday . The leaderless protest movement, primarily made up of students and young professionals, has proposed for mer Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime `5,000 crore worth Mous to be sealed in hosur on Thursday About `5,000 crore worth MoUs, primarily in the logistics and warehousing sectors, are expected to be signed at the second edition of the TN Rising Summit in Hosur on Thursday. The projects may generate 1,850 jobs, strengthening the local economy | P4 After kidney controversy, TN overhauls organ donation panels S i n d u j a J a n e @ Chennai After recent incidents of alleged sale of kidneys in Namakkal, the Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department has reconstituted the State-level Authorisation Committee (SAC) and District-level Authorisation Committees (DACs) for scrutinising and granting approvals for live organ donations across the state. After the complaints of illegal organ transplants sparked legal and political troubles for the state government, licences granted to two hospitals for kidney transplantation were cancelled by the authorities. The government order issued this week by health secretary P Senthilkumar, however, did not cite that as the reason for the reconstitution of the panels. It instead pointed to letters sent by the Director of Medical Education and Research (DME) in April 2023, October 2023, and in February 2024 on the need for these panels to be “reformed to make them more accountable and efficient”. The new order has been issued one-and-half years after the acceptance of a proposal sent by the DME. The new government order constituted four zonal-level DACs, one each for northern, western, southern, and central districts. The order said the DACs will be headed by Deans of Madras Medical College (Norther n DAC), Thanjavur Medical College (Central DAC), Coimbatore Medical College (Western DAC), and Madurai Medical College (Southern DAC).  p5 State-panel to check requests of foreigners, outsiders State-level panel will scrutinise applications from all foreign nationals or people from other states admitted in any registered hospital in TN for organ transplants. Deans of govt medical colleges will head the district-level committees in four zones across the state Modi condemns Israeli airstrikes on Qatar J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday condemned the recent Israeli strikes in Doha during a phone conversation with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, calling the attacks a violation o f Q a t a r i sovereignty . “ S p o ke w i t h Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and expressed deep concern at the attacks in Doha,” Modi posted on X. “India condemns the violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly State of Qatar.” A readout from the External Affairs Ministry said “PM expressed deep concern over the attacks in Doha and condemned the violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar. PM appreciated the role being played by Qatar in promoting regional peace and stability in, cluding its mediation efforts in Gaza to achieve ceasefire and release of all hostages.” Modi reiterated support for resolution of all issues through dialogue and diplomacy and the need to avoid escalation. He highlighted that India stands firmly in support of peace and stability in the region, and against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Sheikh Tamim Sheikh Tamim thanked Modi for the expression of solidarity with the people and the state of Qatar. minister. At 73, Karki is seen as a rare figure of integrity in a political landscape dominated by patronage. Despite the violence, signs of civic resolve were visible in Kathmandu. Small groups of young people some wearing masks and carrying bin liners were seen cl e a n i n g s t re e t s o u t s i d e charred buildings.  P10 Other names to head govt Apart from former chief justice Sushila Karki, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah and former EB CEO Kulman Ghising were being considered to lead an interim govt. on september 15 PM to flag off TN’s first Amrit Bharat B A N BUSELVA N @ Chennai Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off a new Amrit Bharat weekly express between Erode and Jogbani in Bihar, close to the Nepal border, on September 15, according to official sources. The train, to be maintained at Erode, will be Southern Railway’s first Amrit Bharat service — a non-air-conditioned train offering Vande Bharat-like facilities aimed at long-distance travellers. The launch comes ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. Indian Railways is also preparing to introduce sleeper version of the Vande Bharat Express shortly which is , expected to connect one of Bihar’s major stations. Significantly this will be the first Amrit , Bharat express to be hauled by WAP-5 locomotives at both ends in push-pull mode, enabling it to clock speeds of up to 130 kmph on cleared stretches.  p5