tirupati l monday l september 29, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION new trade arrangements will emerge in time, says Jaishankar External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the world will need a global workforce, while stressing India’s growing ties with S America and Caribbean S Jaishankar Howard Lutnick answer lies in capacity building, says eam Need to ‘fix’ India, says U.S. COMMERCE SECY Speaking at an Observer Research Foundation (ORF) panel on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly session in New York, the EAM said it is important to build capacities for greater self-reliance, in this turbulent atmosphere. Jaishankar’s remarks come amid recent moves by the US to raise new H-1B visa fees and impose unilateral tariffs on India to ‘fix’ countries like Brazil and India, asserting that “these nations need to open markets and refrain from harming American interests” ■ Lutnick said these countries have to understand that if “they want to sell to the US consumers, they’ve got to play ball with US President” ■ US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said that the US will have 50% is the tariff that indian goods now face upon entry into the u.s. 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 Oppn questions govt, police deny lapses; TVK approaches HC for independent probe blame game begins as Karur toll rises to 40 India’s Kuldeep Yadav (second right) celebrates the wicket of Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi during the Asia Cup final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, on Sunday | ap Barricades, banners, flags and slippers left behind in the chaos of Saturday evening in Velusamypuram (left); Family members of one of the stampede victims wracked with grief as they received the body on Sunday | m k ashok kumar e x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ Karur/Chennai A day after the stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s campaign rally at Velusamypuram in Karur, located 82km from Tiruchy the death toll rose to 40 , with the death of a 17-year-old boy on Sunday. Of the deceased, 17 were women and 10 were children, the youngest being only two years old. The bodies were released to the families and laid to rest. As the dust settled, the opposition parties, AIADMK and BJP, questioned the Tamil Nadu police and Karur administration, alleging more police should have been posted at the spot given the crowds that throng the rallies of Vijay, Kollywood’s biggest superstar, and president of the fledgling TVK. While Chief Minister M K Stalin visited the survivors and bereaved at the Karur Medical College Hospital in the wee hours of Sunday , Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin visited later in the day, both opting not to “talk politics”. Vijay who returned , to Chennai Saturday night, took to social media on Sunday to announce financial assistance of `20 lakh each to kin of the deceased and `2 lakh each to the injured. “I know this is not a big amount in the face of such loss. Yet at this time, it is my duty as one of your own to stand with you in spirit,” he said. Meanwhile, ADGP (Law & Order) S Davidson Devasirvatham cited overcrowding, heat stress and a sudden surge of people eager to see Vjiay, No matter the force size, when 10,000 to 20,000 people push against the police, it becomes uncontrollable S Davidson Devasirvatham, ADGP (Law & Order) who arrived at the site three hours late, as reasons behind the stampede. Stating 500 police personnel were posted at the venue, he pushed back against criticism that police had denied permission for the event to be held at a larger site, claiming the original choice was a “high-risk” location. “No matter the force size, when 10,000 to 20,000 people push against the police, it becomes uncontrollable,” he said. For its part, the TVK has approached the Madras High Court seeking an independent probe. Raising doubts over the root cause of the tragedy and calling to preserve CCTV footage, it asked Justice M Dhandapani to take up a suo motu case. The judge, who will be sitting in the vacation court at the Madurai bench, agreed to hear the petition on Monday if filing for malities are completed. ap’s swift act Four Kakinada fishers released from Jaffna jail E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Four fishermen from Kakinada, who were detained in Sri Lanka’s Jaffna jail for over seven weeks, have been released, and are on their way back home, thanks to the swift intervention of the Andhra Pradesh government. The fishermen, identified as K Srinu Venkateshwar, Karrinokaraj Borriya, Chanda Nageswara Rao, and Brahmanandam, are expected to reach Kakinada by September 30. The fishermen set out from Kakinada on August 3, 2025 to purchase a boat in Nagapattinam. During their return journey a navigation error led their , vessel into Sri Lankan waters near the Jaffna coast. On August 4, they were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy, and handed over to the Jaffna police, resulting in their detention for 52 days. The AP government, through its officials at AP Bhavan in New Delhi, acted promptly to P4 secure their release.  Lord Malayappa Swamy blesses devotees from Garuda Vahanam at Tirumala on Sunday | Express 4 lakh witness Garuda Seva E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Tirumala Nearly 4 lakh pilgrims from across India converged at Tirumala on Sunday for the Garuda Seva, the highlight of the nineday annual Brahmotsavams, transforming the Seven Hills into a vibrant sea of devotion. Chants of ‘Garuda Vahana Govinda Govinda...’ echoed across the hill as the curtains were raised at the Vahana Mand ap a m . L o rd M a l aya p p a Swamy adorned with precious , jewellery, including Sahasranama Kasula Mala, Chaturbhuja Lakshmi Haram, and Makarakanti, which are adorned to Mula Virat, appeared on His favoured Garuda carrier, enthralling the faithful. By 1 pm, the TTD reported 1.5 lakh attendees, with numbers swelling to 2.4 lakh by 3 pm, filling all galleries along the Four Mada Streets. Despite intermittent rain, the pilgrim count reached nearly 4 lakh by the time the procesP4 sion reached its peak.  Robust security Anticipating the rush, TTD implemented robust security measures, 24/7 Annaprasadam, refreshments, and drinking water supply across 120-plus galleries with a capacity of 2 lakh pilgrims Modi lauds RSS for its selfless service, discipline r A J E SH t HAKUR @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday showered praise on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for its selfless service and discipline, brushing aside speculations about a rift between the ruling party and the Sangh. In his Mann Ki Baat address, Modi said the Sangh operates with the guiding principle of ‘nation first’ and its volunteers have been working tirelessly towards this goal. Noting that the RSS was founded with the aim of freeing the country from intellectual subjugation, Modi said the organisation’s journey since its inception in 1925 has been deeply inspiring. Modi’s latest commendation comes three days before the RSS completes 100 years on October 2. This is the third time in the recent past that Modi has lauded the RSS and its leadership. In his Independence Day address, he termed the organisation as the world’s biggest NGO that shapes citizens. On September 11, Modi commended the intellectual depth and empathetic leadership of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. In his latest Mann Ki Baat address, the PM also said the government is working towards getting Chhath festival included in the UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Chhath is largely celebrated in poll-bound Bihar. Whenever a natural disaster strikes anywhere in the country, RSS volunteers are the first to reach there. This spirit of ‘nation first’ remains paramount in every action and every endeavour of millions of volunteers Narendra Modi, PM iNDIAN SPINNERS COME TO THE FORE IN CRUNCH CLASH e x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai FOR a brief period, the Pakistan batters seemed to have a measure of the Indian bowlers under the Dubai lights. Fakhar Zaman and, especially Sahibza, da Farhan, had taken the attack to India’s powerplay bowlers. It didn’t come off but they were heading towards an imposing score in a ground where you don’t necessarily need an imposing score to defend a target. That’s when India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who had dismissed this contest as a rivalry because of the skewed recent record, turned full-time to his spinners. Luckily for him, Varun Chakravarthy Axar Patel and Kuldeep , Yadav bent the final of the Asia Cup, the first time the summit clash has featured these two nations in the over 40year history of the tournament, towards India. The openers had put on 84 in 9.2 overs when Farhan holed out in the deep off Varun. Sensing this was a good strip, the Pakistani batters kept going for their shots rather than maintaining a modicum of discipline. What makes Kuldeep, Axar and Varun so difficult to hit through the line is their ability to play with pace, angles and get some dip on their deliveries. No two deliveries are the same in a six-ball stretch. The end result? A seemingly below par score of 146 for Pakistan. Sexual assault accused godman in 5-day custody P r a b h at s h u k l a @ New Delhi A Delhi court on Sunday remanded self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati to five days in police custody in an alleged sexual harassment case involving 17 women students at a southwest Delhi management institute he once headed. The prosecution highlighted CCTV cameras installed in bathrooms to monitor students and threats issued to victims. Despite defence claims of health issues, the court allowed custodial interrogation of the 62-yearold, who was arrested from Agra, to verify testimonies and digital evidence. Financial irregularities of `8 crore were also uncovered.