Bitcoin’s value tops $1,00,000 after 50% rise in one month Bitcoin crossed the $1,00,000-mark on Thursday amid a massive price rally sparked by the election of Donald Trump as US president Trump names crypto advocate to chair SEC KOCHI l friday l December 06, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE city EDITION Rohit makes bold call, to bat in middle at Adelaide G o m e s h S @ Chennai EXPRESS READ Alappuzha accident toll rises to 6 Kochi: The death toll in the Alappuzha accident that occurred on Monday night rose to six as a 20-year-old medico from Edathua succumbed to injuries on Thursday. Alvin George, who was under treatment in Kochi, died on Thursday evening. P4 16 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express Uproar in LS over charges of Oppn-Soros link P R EE T H A N A I R @ New Delhi LOK SABHA proceedings were on Thursday disrupted after the Opposition and T reasury Benches clashed over the latter’s allegation linking Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other leaders with US-based multi-billionaire George Soros. Chaos erupted during the zero hour after BJP member Nishikant Dubey cited reports in a publication based on findings of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, which had alleged links to Soros. Dubey said an international conspiracy was hatched to derail India’s success story under PM Narendra Modi. He alleged that the Congress had sought to halt Parliament on various issues published by OCCRP including the , Pegasus spying row, questioning the efficacy of Covid vaccines developed in India, and the Hindenburg reports. As the House witnessed massive uproar, the Speaker called Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi to raise the issue of violence in Sambhal. Gogoi tried to counter the allegations levelled by Dubey leading to a ruckus. The House was adjourned for the day after the Speaker adjourned it twice at 2 pm and 3 pm. And there it was. About 24 hours after KL Rahul told the media in Adelaide jokingly that he had been informed about his batting position but asked not to reveal it, captain Rohit Sharma cleared the air by announcing that he will be moving down the order to pave way for the 32-year-old at the top in the second Test against Australia beginning Friday. “Yes, he (Rahul) will be opening the batting. I’ll bat somewhere in the middle,” Sharma told reporters on the eve of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Leaders are known or recognised for the choices they make, especially for them and the team. Sharma acknowledged that it will not be easy in the middle, but for the greater good of the team this was the best solution. “Not easy for me, but it’s the best for the team,” he said. The significance of this call — to have Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top after their success in Perth — cannot be understated, especially in the Indian cricketing context. Barring the occasional tactical moves, captains or top-order batters, have rarely opted to sacrifice their positions. With Rahul and Jaiswal combining into a potent force in the first Test, Sharma did not want to tinker with it. “We want success. Those two guys at the top, just looking at this one Test, they batted brilliantly Sharma said. ,” Fadnavis back as Maharashtra CM Shinde, Pawar take oath as deputy chief ministers S U D H I R S U R YA W A N SH I @ Mumbai Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday took oath as Maharashtra chief minister for the third time, marking the BJP leader’s return to the top post after a gap of five years. Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief ministers. No other ministers were sworn in. The cabinet is likely to be expanded next week, ahead of the winter session of state legislature in Nagpur. Fadnavis said portfolio allocations have been more or less finalised but a few more rounds of consultations with coalition partners are pending. An announcement will be made later, he said. “The posts may have changed among them, but the direction of work will remain the same. We will also hear out the Opposition if they bring the relevant points. The Speaker’s name will be decided on December 9. Maharashtra will have a very stable government in next five years,” Fadnavis said. Before taking the oath, Fadnavis visited the Siddhivinayak temple and also took the blessing of his mother. That Shinde would join the government as deputy CM was confirmed only hours before the swearing-in ceremony amid the protracted political State govt move to compensate TECOM triggers controversy A nu K uru v i l l a @ Kochi The cabinet decision to pay compensation to TECOM Investments for withdrawing from the SmartCity Kochi project has triggered a controversy with the Opposition claiming that several clauses in the original agreement allowed the state government to avoid any payment to the Dubai-based firm that owns 84% stake in the project. Another decision of the state cabinet that has raised eyebrows is the appointment of former SmartCity Kochi MD Baju George in the committee constituted to arrive at a compensation plan for TECOM. “This is inappropriate and raises conflict of interest,” said a source, who worked closely with the government in formulating the initial framework agreement. Sources said the agreement between TECOM and the state government says there is no need to pay compensation if the firm fails in its promise to generate 90,000 jobs or create 8.8 million sq ft space in 10 years. The project, which was launched on June 9, 2012, could only create just over 5,000 jobs by 2022. The clause 7.1.3 in the original agreement that is being cited by the What the pact says Sources said the agreement between TECOM and the state government says there is no need to pay compensation if the firm fails in its promise to generate 90,000 jobs or create 8.8 million sq ft space in 10 years. Opposition says, if TECOM Investment LLC abandons the project, the state government shall acquire the entire 84% shares of the Dubai Holding subsidiary and its permitted affiliate in the SPV at a consideration, which is the same amount as any sums paid to government of Kerala in cash by SPV till the date of such acquisition. “It says about the amount that was paid to the government at the start of the project and doesn’t say anything about compensating for the entire 84% stake,” said a source. According to sources, the project had faced many hiccups right from ● More on P4 the start. Devendra Fadnavis after taking oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister | X drama over his reported reluctance to accept the post. Shinde invoked late Balasaheb Thackeray and his Guru Anand Dighe while taking the oath. Over 42,000 people gathered at Azad Maidan to witness the swearing-in ceremony Prime Minis. ter Narendra Modi and Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, J P Nadda, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan besides chief ministers of various states were present at the ceremony . Also in attendance were cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, and Janhvi Kapoor. From the business world, Mukesh Ambani and Kumar Mangalam Birla attended. Fast-growing new glacier discovered in Uttarakhand N A R E N D R A SE T H I @ Dehradun A group of scientists recently discovered a new glacier in Uttarakhand that was found to be rapidly expanding in size. The glacier is located in the Niti Valley a remote area in the northern, most region of the hilly state, close to the India-Tibet border. Stretching about 10 km in length, the new glacier that is yet to be named lies adjacent to the Randolph and Rekana glaciers and spans approximately 48 sq km. The curious discovery w a s The site of new glacier made by glaciologists Manish Mehta, Vineet Kumar, Ajay Rana, and Gautam Rawat of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun. Their study, Manifestations of a Glacier Surge in Central Himalaya Using Multi-Temporal Satellite Data, was done using satellite data. Their findings show the glacier is currently ‘surging’. “A glacier surge refers to the sudden and rapid increase in the size of a glacier. Satellite data suggests three primary reasons for this phenomenon— hydrological imbalance, thermal contrast and sedimentary terrain,” Dr Mehta, a senior geologist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology said. , Bitcoin surged on Thursday after Trump said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), signalling a lighter regulatory approach to the crypto industry. The current SEC chair Gary Gensler has cracked down on the industry, penalising many firms for violating securities laws 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 ■ ■