kottayam l monday l November 18, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION blackouts in Ukraine as Russia launches fiercest attack in months Russia on Sunday launched a massive drone and missile attack targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, killing two civilians and injuring six ‘200 missiles and drones FIREd AT UKRAINE’ Nato member poland mobilises forces Russia launched 120 missiles and 90 drones, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Explosions were heard across the country, including in capital Kyiv, the key southern port of Odesa, as well as the country’s west and central regions, according to local reports. It was the biggest missile and drone attack on Ukraine since August ■ ■ The scale of the attack prompted neighbouring Poland, a NATO member, to scramble fighter jets and mobilise all available forces The strikes caused massive power cuts across the country. The attack came as fears are mounting about Moscow’s intentions to devastate Ukraine’s power generation capacity ahead of the cold winter 1,000 days Will have passed ON Tuesday since Russia INVADED Ukraine ON fEB 22, 2022 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 India in elite club after successful long-range hypersonic missile test Shah holds key meet as Manipur simmers H e m a n t K u m a r R o u t & M aya n k S i n g h @ Bhubaneswar/New Delhi Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday cancelled his campaign in poll-bound Maharashtra and rushed to Delhi to hold a high-level review meeting on the fresh violence in Manipur. Sources said Shah sat down with senior officials to take stock of the situation, and directed them to take all possible measures to bring back normalcy in the strife-torn state. It is learnt that Shah has called another meeting on Monday for a detailed discussion on the state’s law and order situation. Meanwhile, the director-general of the Central Reserve Police Force, Anish Dayal, was sent to Imphal to assess the security situation in the state, which has been witnessing intermittent violent incidents since May 2023 following the ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities. Tensions escalated in Manipur on Saturday following the recovery of the bodies of six individuals, who were reportedly abducted and killed by militants in Jiribam. On Saturday, irate mobs attacked the residences of state In a significant demonstration of India’s growing military prowess, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Saturday successfully flight-tested the country’s first long-range hypersonic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off Odisha coast. The test missile was launched from a ground-based mobile launcher positioned at the launching complex-IV of the Integrated Test Range at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island around 6.55 pm on Saturday . The missile, developed by the laboratories of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex, Hyderabad along with other DRDO laboratories and industry partners, can carry various payloads for ranges greater than 1,500 km, an official readout said. At present, only a few countries like the US, Russia and China, have hypersonic missiles. These missiles can travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound or roughly around 6,200 kmph). With such extreme speed, manoeuvrability, and the ability to fly at lower altitudes than traditional ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles are harder to detect and intercept. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the missile test on Saturday under the country’s first longrange hypersonic mission as a “stupendous” achievement and a “historic moment”. “The flight data obtained from down range ship stations confir med the successful ter minal maneuvers and impact with high degree of accuracy” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. Sources told this newspaper that the test was “a stupendous success as the test missile covered around 1,400 km in its first attempt validating all its subsystems and exhibiting excellent terminal manoeuvres”. Also, it was the first time the DRDO conducted the experimental trial of an indigenously-designed and developed missile after sunset. Test missile being fired from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the Odisha coast | PTi Cancels Maharashtra poll rallies, rushes to Delhi to convene high-level meeting in view of rising tension in the state M u k e s h R a n j a n @ New Delhi Amit Shah ministers and MLAs. The protesters also attempted to storm Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s house, prompting security forces to respond with tear gas to disperse the crowds. The fresh incidents of violence took place on Saturday night even as an indefinite curfew was clamped after people, agitated by the killing of three women and children each by militants in Jiribam district, Mob vandalises BJP MLA’s house in Imphal Imphal: A mob vandalised the ancestral house of BJP MLA Kongkham Robindro in Manipur’s Imphal West district on Sunday evening, police said. The incident occurred a day after a house built by the legislator himself in the same district was attacked. Miscreants also reportedly attacked the BJP, Congress offices in Manipur’s Jiribam district on Sunday Arms race l Russia and China have made significant progress in developing their own hypersonic missiles Ambulances are considered to be life-savers where even seconds count. Sirens blaring and lights flickering, they rush through traffic at insane speeds to save a life, but at times lead to fatal outcomes. According to the State Crime Records Bureau, 29 people died in accidents involving ambulances in 2023 in Kerala. The death toll saw an increase from the previous year — from 23 to 29 — even as the number of accidents dipped from 169 to 150. In the 150 accidents last year, 117 people sustained grave injuries while 63 suffered minor injuries, the data revealed. Speeding, as ambulances are generally exempted from traffic rules in emergency situations, and social media reel craze among young drivers are the lOther countries, including France, Germany, Japan, Iran, and Israel, are also pursuing projects to build hypersonic missiles e x p r e ss r e a d Sandeep Varier receives warm welcome from IUML Malappuram: A day after joining the Congress, Sandeep G Varier visited IUML state president Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal at his residence in Malappuram on Sunday. IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, who was also present there to welcome Varier, said Sandeep’s entry signals Congress’ potential return to power in Kerala and the INDIA bloc’s resurgence nationally. P4 NPP withdraws support to Biren Singh-led govt P R ASAN TA M A Z U M D A R @ Guwahati THE National People’s Party (NPP) on Sunday withdrew its support to the BJP-led government in Manipur saying it has “completely failed” to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy . In a letter addressed to BJP president J P Nadda, NPP chief and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma expressed deep concern over the prevailing law and order situation in Manipur, where innocent lives have been lost and people are going through immense suffering. “…we strongly feel that the Manipur government under the leadership of Shri Biren Singh has completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy Keeping the current . situation in mind, the NPP has decided to withdraw its support to the Biren Singh-led government with immediate effect,” the letter read. 29 died in ambulance accidents in state last yr M S V i d ya n a n d a n @ T’Puram lThe US is in the process of developing a range of hypersonic weapons attacked the residences of three state ministers and six MLAs earlier in the day . The angry mobs torched the houses of PWD Minister Govindas Konthoujam at Ningthoukhong, Hiyanglam’s BJP MLA Y Radheshyam at Langmeidong Bazar, Wangjing Tentha’s BJP MLA Paonam Brojen in Thoubal district and Khundrakpam’s Congress MLA Thokchom Lokeshwar in Imphal East district, according to officials. On Sunday morning, there was a tense calm in all five districts of the Imphal Valley, where the curfew was imposed and internet services were suspended following violent protests after the discovery of the bodies of six people who were allegedly abducted and killed by militants in Jiribam. Last week, Manipur police said it shot dead 10 militants. Stats to ponder Ambulance Type Pvt 2023 2022 No. of accidents 135 152 Deaths Grievously injured Minor injuries 108 2023 2022 9 Govt 2023 2022 Total 2023 2022 7 6 10 150 169 25 18 2 4 2 1 29 23 106 124 6 3 5 9 117 136 55 71 5 4 3 2 63 77 Source: State Crime Records Bureau Since 2018, there have been 820 accidents involving ambulances in Kerala, in which 161 people lost lives and 974 sustained injuries major reasons for most of the accidents, said healthcare professionals. The state has 9,964 ambulances registered with the motor vehicles department (MVD), including 476 under the directorate of health services. But, according to the Kerala Ambulance Drivers and Tech- nicians Association (KADTA), only around 5,000 are operational. Since 2018, there have been 820 accidents involving ambulances, in which 161 people lost their lives and 974 sustained injuries. “It is a misconception that all patients should be taken to the hospital at a high speed,” says Dr Sunil Kumar, superintendent of the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. “In our experience, only 25% of the total people taken on ambulances require critical care. In most cases, ambulance drivers are unnecessarily speeding,” he told TNIE. “Another worrying trend is alcoholism among the drivers. Being an emergency service, police will not stop a running ambulance and subject the driver to alcohol test. Apparently, some drivers are misusing this privilege,” he said. K A D TA t r e a s u r e r M u hammed Jaleel said lack of proper training, especially for newcomers, is another major reason for the accidents. “At least 70% of the accidents happen due to rash and reckless ● More on P4 driving,” he said.  Delhi cabinet minister Kailash Gahlot quits AAP A n u p v e rm a @ New Delhi In a major setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, its senior leader and minister Kailash Gahlot left the party . Sources said his resignation was accepted by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi. Gahlot, in his resignation letter, said “political ambitions have overtaken our commitment towards people, leaving many promises unfulfilled”. He cited the case of Yamuna River, which the party had promised to clean up. “Now the Yamuna is perhaps even more polluted than before,” he said. He also made a mention of the ‘Sheeshmahal’ row over `45 crore renovation of the Chief Minister’s residence, saying such controversies are making the public doubt whether the AAP is still the common man’s party . He alleged that instead of fighting for the rights of the people, the party was busy fighting for its own agenda which has crippled delivery of basic services in Delhi. Meanwhile, AAP sources said Gahlot left the party as a result of multiple investigations launched against him by various Central agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Multiple raids have been conducted on his properties in recent months. “Pressure was created on Gahlot by conducting ED-CBI raids, and now he is speaking as per the script given by the BJP,” AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said. “The Modi washing machine has become active before the Delhi elections. Now many leaders will be inducted into the BJP through this machine,” Singh said. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva welcomed Gahlot’s resignation. “Gahlot stepped down raising the same issues for which the BJP was protesting and fighting against Kejriwal and AAP. His resignation proves that even AAP leaders do not consider Kejriwal an honest politician,” Sachdeva said. Grand Commander Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the certificate of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger received from Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu (R), in Abuja | AFp new projection Avg max temperature to rise 1.50C as early as 2047 if fossil fuel use not cut A k n i s r e e K a rt h i k @ Bengaluru India’s average annual maximum temperature could rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius as soon as 2047, a new report said. As per Climate Change Projections for India (2021-2040) report of Azim Premji University, released on Sunday, the average annual maximum temperature will increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2057,under the ‘Middle of the Road’ emission scenario where society is assumed to take moderate steps to cut emissions. The more extreme ‘Fossil Fuel Development’ (society relying heavily on fossil fuels for energy) emission scenario predicts that the temperature will rise a decade earlier, by 2047. States like Karnataka, Gujarat, parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, including parts of Ladakh, will experience an increase in precipitation by 20 to 60%, according to the report. The new climate data offers critical insights into how climate change will impact the country over the next two decades, revealing key information about India’s climate, detailing how extreme weather events Summer wet bulb temp to hit 310C in 25 districts Twenty-five districts across the coastal states and eastern Himalayas will experience over 31 degrees Celsius summer wet bulb temperature, posing serious threats to human health, the report said could affect communities, agriculture and natural resources. The western part of India will experience a significant increase in precipitation, compared to most of the eastern and northeastern parts, said Prof. Santonu Goswami, Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability, Azim Premji University. Changes in precipitation patterns can have a significant im- pact on Indian agriculture, the report said. The projections examine two Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change scenarios-- SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 (high emissions with heavy fossil fuel reliance). Under the high emissions scenario, 249 districts in India will experience an annual maximum temperature change of one degree Celsius or more. The NPP has seven MLAs. The BJP-led government’s survival will not be threatened by this development as the NDA still has 46 members in the 60-member House. On Sunday, an uneasy calm prevailed in the Imphal valley . As there is an apprehension of further attacks, security has been beefed up outside the houses of the legislators in the Imphal valley. The protestors are demanding the resignation of the elected members for failing to check the escalating violence. Meanwhile, the Congress said Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh should seek an appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so the MLAs of ruling and opposition parties can go and meet him to discuss the situation. “What is the point of being a member of the Assembly if we cannot save Manipur?” Congress leader and former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh said. overtourism Fodor’s travel guide places Kerala on its ‘No List 2025’ A n u K u r u v i l l a @ Kochi Is Kerala falling victim to overtourism? Has the surge in tourism activities aggravated natural disasters, particularly in eco-sensitive areas in the state? If Fodor’s travel guide is anything to go by, it would seem so. Fodor’s, a California-based online tourism information provider, has come out with a ‘No List 2025’ which mentions 15 destinations from across the world, including Kerala, where tourism is placing unsustainable pressures on the land and the local communities. As per Fodor’s, the locations named in the list are popular for a good reason. “They are stunning, intriguing and culturally significant. However, some of these highly coveted tourist spots are collapsing under the burden of t h e i r p ro m i nence,” it says. Kerala has been placed under the head ‘Destinations Beginning to Suf fer’. P l a c ing Kerala on the list, the international travel guide has cited the landslides in Wayanad and the shrinking lakes and backwaters to make its point. The other destinations that have been deemed ‘beginning to suffer’ are Kyoto and Tokyo in Japan, the British Virgin Islands, Agrigento in Italy, Oaxaca in Mexico and Scotland North Coast 500. It quotes environmentalists and experts to highlight how the surge in tourism has aggravated the impact of natural disasters, especially in areas where development has obstructed the natural flow of water, thereby increasing lands l i d e r i s k s . “A n d t h e development is largely unregulated, unsustainable and harmful to the communities and ecosystem of the state,” says the travel guide founded in 1949, ● More on P4 about Kerala.