kannur l friday l september 12, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city edition Trump ally shot at utah college ceremony, dies shortly after Charlie Kirk, who played a huge role in rallying young Republicans, was assassinated while speaking at a campus early on Thursday utah governor: a political assassination Kirk was speaking on gun violence Authorities say Kirk was killed with a single shot from a rooftop. The killer then slipped away amid the hubhub of screams at Utah Valley University campus. “This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah governor Spencer Cox. “I want to be very clear, this is a political assassination.” Authorities did not immediately identify a motive ■ ■ Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions from an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence Trump announced he’ll posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk, co-founder and CEO of Turning Point; while blaming the rhetoric of the ‘radical left’ for the killing | P9 3,000 people were in attendance at the university when kirk was shot 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 HC gives nod to Global Ayyappa Sangamam E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Kochi In a morale booster for the state government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the Kerala High Court on Thursday gave its nod to holding the Global Ayyappa Sangamam on the banks of the Pampa. The court directed the government and TDB to maintain clear, detailed and transparent accounts, reflecting the total estimated cost of the event, including accommodation and travel expenses, together with the contributions received from sponsors. Such accounts shall be subject to audit, and a copy of that shall be furnished to the Special Commissioner within 45 days of the event, for submitting before the High Court along with a report, it said. A division bench comprising Justice V Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K V Jayakumar issued the order while dismissing a batch of pe- titions challenging the event— scheduled to be held on September 20. The bench directed the TDB to ensure that no event is conducted on the banks of the Pampa in any manner that compromises its sanctity, whether by erecting permanent or temporary structures. During the days of the conclave and throughout the preparatory works, the Travancore Devaswom Board shall ensure that none of the rituals, ceremonies, or related functions are disturbed or diminished to the detriment of the devotees. Any temporary structure proposed for the event shall be strictly minimal, least intrusive and specifically designed to prevent environmental degradation or disturbance to the sacred precincts. The court said all necessary steps should be taken to ensure that no plastic bottles, cups, or other non-biodegradable waste ● More on P4 are generated. Road rage 10 IAF officer, gig worker bury the hatchet Naxals killed in ENCOUNTER express news service @ Bengaluru THE Karnataka High Court on Thursday quashed criminal proceedings against an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and a food delivery worker, after both arrived at a mutual settlement in a road rage case on April 21 this year. The two had clashed when the officer’s wife was going to drop him to a bus stop near Gopalan Mall on Old Madras Road in Bengaluru. Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum quashed the proceedings in a case filed by Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose’s wife Madhumita Dutta against biker Vikas Kumar SJ, and a case filed by Vikas Kumar against the officer. Although Bose f aced charges under Section 109 of BNS (non-compoundable), complainant Kumar was present in court to give a statement that no injuries were sustained, and that he was willing to give a quietus to the dispute. Dutta said the incident was verbal, and settled with well-wishers’ intervention. The court deemed continuing the case as futile, and let off both parties with a warning. EXPRESS READ P P Thankachan, former speaker, dies Kochi: Former Kerala speaker and KPCC president P P Thankachan, 87, passed away on Thursday. Thankachan, who had been undergoing treatment at Rajagiri Hospital in Aluva, breathed his last at 4.30pm. P4 Protesters outside Nepal’s army headquarters during a curfew in Kathmandu on Thursday | AFP Nepal talks stuck on new govt head Gen Z wants Karki, Army favours pro-monarchy Prasai C urfew remains in effect Opposition seems to be coming primaacross much of Nepal, par- rily from the Army which reportedly , ticularly in the Kathmandu favours Durga Prasai, a pro-monarchy Valley as the Gen Z protests figure. The President also appears to , enters the fourth day Life is prefer another candidate from among . becoming increasingly dif- the current parliamentarians rather ficult for ordinary citizens, than Sushila Karki. This push to nomiespecially those who depend on daily nate someone from the existing parliawages to sustain themselves. “We are ment, rather than Karki, is causing leaderless at the moment, but we are friction with Gen Z. not without a country. As long as we A press release signed by the Presihave our Constitution, we are dent stated that he is seeking secure,” Tanuja Pandey, a a solution based on constituGen Z protester, told this retional provisions and urged porter. She explained that citizens to remain calm and multiple reasons had been patient, emphasising respect presented ag ainst their for the current Constitution. choice of Sushila Karki as Meanwhile, under repeated prime minister of the Interpressure from Army Chief im Government. However, to propose a new candidate, Gen Z had united in support Namrata Sharma Gen Z may now hold another of Karki because of her corvirtual discussion. Senior journalist and women rights advocate. ruption-free reputation. One potential alternative Pandey added that Gen Z Sharma can be reached at being considered is Santosh had repeatedly requested the namrata1964@yahoo.com Pariyar, Chief Whip of the @NamrataSharmaP Army to facilitate a meeting Rastriya Swatantra Party with President Ram Chandra (RSP) and a proportional Poudyal, though so far, all representative from the Dalit meetings have been conducted only category elected in 2022. with the Chief of Army Ashok Raj An excellent choice, nonetheless, the Sigdel. majority of Gen Z remains united in The determination of Gen Z to estab- supporting Sushila Karki, preferring lish the Interim Government with Su- a leader outside of existing political shila Karki as PM is growing stronger parties to guide the Interim Governby the day Karki agreed and received ment and oversee elections under the . widespread support from the public. current constitution.  Continued on: P7 However, some backlash has emerged.  SC, banks to resume functioning Visa power for foreign nationals Nepal’s Supreme Court and banks are set to open in Kathmandu with the relaxation in curfew for a few hours Foreigners with valid visas up to Sept 8 and who want to depart shall be granted exit nod without more fee, the govt said p u r u s h o t h a m an c u t s a g l o b a l pa t h Profession: Coconut picker. Passion: Travelling J i t h u l N a r aya n a n @ Kannur Purushothaman T V a resident , of Velloor in Payyannur, has turned his humble livelihood of coconut plucking into a ticket to see the world. With the firm belief ‘thengu chadikkilla’ (coconut tree never cheats), the 62-year-old built his life around the trade, and in return, coconuts rewarded him with opportunities he never imagined. Once convinced that he would never step beyond the country, Purushothaman has now travelled to countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and several Arab nations. His journey stands as a testament to how dedication and faith in one’s work can open doors to experiences far beyond expectations. Cur- Purushothaman and wife Sarojini during a desert safari in Dubai rently, he is preparing for his next trip, to Vietnam. “I have always had a passion for travelling and exploring new places,” Purushothaman tells TNIE. “But during my childhood, financial limitations stood in the way. And being the eldest of three children, I had to start working at a young age, which also affected my education.” His travels began with visits to temples like Sabarimala and Kollur Mookambika. “I often visit these temples multiple times a year. Accompanying other devotees on these trips gave me the chance to explore not only the temples but also the places around them. These experiences brought me immense joy not , just in exploring new places but also in meeting and interacting with new people,” he says. For Purushothaman, coconut palms are more than just a livelihood, they are a way of ● More on P4 life. Ten Naxalites, including a top operative of the outlawed movement carrying a reward of B1 cr on his head, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband dist on Thursday Voter list entry Protocol violation E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi PREE T HA NAIR @ New Delhi A Delhi court on Thursday rejected a petition that sought directions to initiate a probe against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over her inclusion in electoral rolls prior to becoming an Indian citizen in 1983. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia dismissed the plea saying the court has no jurisdiction over matters of citizenship and electoral rolls. “The authority to determine the eligibility of a person to be included in or excluded from the electoral roll… is vested solely in the Election Commission of India,” the court said, adding that it was not empow- Sonia Gandhi ered to adjudicate upon questions relating to citizenship, which fall within the domain of the Central government. The complaint, filed by advocate Vikas Tripathi, claimed Gandhi’s name was added to the New Delhi constituency voter list in January 1980, three years before she officially became an Indian citizen. During the hearing, the complainant’s counsel senior advocate Pavan Narang pointed out that Gandhi’s name was deleted in 1982 and reentered in 1983, coinciding with her acquiring Indian citizenship. He argued that the Election Commission must have detected an anomaly that prompted the deletion. This, he argued, merited a detailed investigation. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has written to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi about security protocol violations during his travel within India and outside. The letter, also addressed to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, drew a sharp reaction from the Congress, which questioned the timing of the communication and wondered whether it was a ‘veiled attempt’ to intimidate its leader who just announced ‘another imminent disclosure’ on the alleged ‘vote theft’. In the letter, the VIP security unit of the paramilitary force Rahul Gandhi flagged several instances of Gandhi’s “unscheduled movements without intimation” during his travel. The letter also referred to his trips to Italy Vi, etnam, Dubai, Qatar, London, and Malaysia. An official said the CRPF had sent similar letters to Gandhi in the past too. The official added that the politician violated the protocols mentioned in the Yellow Book of the CRPF. The CRPF VIP security wing provides the top category Z plus (ASL) armed protection to Gandhi, while 10-12 armed commandos give proximate security cover during his travel. The force carries out reconnaissance of the locations to be visited by Gandhi, but his unannounced movements pose a risk to his security , official sources said. Court junks CRPF mail on plea for probe Rahul security against Sonia annoys Cong