chennai l friday l april 11, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l vellore EDITION White House clarifies tariffs on China are now at 145% The US-China trade war intensified on Thursday, sending the global economy into a tailspin after US said Chinese imports will face 145% taxes e.u. suspends its tariffs on u.s. for 90 days china reaches out to asean, e.u. nations Amid questions over how far Trump is ready to push, the European Union welcomed the US president’s partial row-back on his original threat to impose 20 per cent tariffs against the bloc. The 27-nation grouping suspended for 90 days its proposed tariffs on US goods. “We want to give negotiations a chance,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement ■ ■ Meanwhile, China is reaching out to other nations apart from ASEAN and the EU as the US layers on more tariffs in what appears to be an attempt to form a united front to compel Washington to retreat Chinese Foreign Ministry said they will not sit idly and let legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese people be taken for a ride 1,700 points dip for dow jones after u.s. clarified 145% tariff on china 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, Pak hold flag meet to ease border tensions F aya z W a n i @ Srinagar THE armies of India and Pakistan held a brigade commander-level flag meeting on Thursday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district to ease border tensions even as two anti-militancy operations launched by security forces in Udhampur and Kistwar district of J&K continued for the second day . The flag meet was held at the Chakan-Da-Bagh cross-point in Poonch. “Our side raised the issue of infiltration attempts, planting of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) near the border, using drones to drop weapons and drugs and sniper firing from across the border. We told them clearly that any violation of the border ceasefire will be met with heavy retaliatory action from our side,” they said. Jammu-based defence spokesman said flag meetings are routine on the LoC for border management process in accordance with an understanding between both the sides “Today’s meeting was conducted to discuss routine issues along the LoC,” he said. This is the second flag meeting between Indian and Pakistan army officials at Chakan-DaBagh crossing point in Poonch this month. Earlier, on April 2, the flag meeting was held during which both sides stressed the need to adhere to the November 2003 border ceasefire pact. NIA takes formal custody of 26/11 co-conspirator at Delhi airport Produced before patiala house courts amid watertight security Tahawwur Rana arrives Mukesh Ranjan & Shekhar S i n g h @ New Delhi Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, landed in Delhi on Thursday, ending years of diplomatic and legal effort for his extradition from the US. The 64-year-old Canadian citizen of Pakistani descent arrived aboard a special chartered flight under tight security escorted by a joint team , of Indian investigators. Rana’s extradition marks a significant milestone in India’s pursuit of justice for the 166 lives lost in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, often dubbed as India’s 9/11. As part of the extradition arrangement, India gave broad assurances to US authorities concerning Rana’s treatment while in custody According to . sources, these assurances include guarantees that he would not be subjected to torture, receive adequate protection in prison, and prosecuted solely for the charges on which the extradition is based. Rana provided crucial support to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley by facilitating travel documents and shelter through his Shah in TN will meet allies, and gurumurthy immigration business in Chicago, which was allegedly used as a front for terror planning. The NIA took custody of Rana as soon as he emerged from the aircraft at the Palam technical airport. His medical examination was done at the airport due to security reasons before he was produced before Special NIA judge Chander Jit Singh at the Patiala House courts 20 km away later. A 12-member NIA team led by its director general Sadanand Date was formed to interrogate Rana. The team included two IGs, one DIG, one SP. The Union home ministry has appointed advocate Narender Mann as the Special Public Prosecutor in 26/11 terror conspiracy case. Date, a 1990 batch IPS officer from the Maharashtra cadre was injured during the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He was among the first responders to confront terrorists Kasab and Ismail. Years later, his leadership at the NIA was a key factor in securing US approval for Rana’s extradition. A veteran of the Mumbai Police and the CBI, Date received the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry . P7 THE Allahabad High Court has granted bail to a man accused of raping a postgraduate student of a top private university campus in Noida, stating that the victim had “invited trouble” upon herself. The accused was arrested in December 2024 for allegedly raping the woman twice at a relative’s apartment in Gurgaon after getting her intoxicated . The court said the woman, a post graduate student, was competent enough to understand the “morality and significance of her act” as disclosed by her in the FIR. As per the victim’s version, she, of her own volition, went to a bar in Delhi along with three female friends, where they consumed alcohol. She remained at the bar till 3 am and during her time there, the accused kept on insisting that she should accompany him to his house. As she was in need of rest due to her condition, she agreed to go with him to his house, she said in the FIR. She alleged that the accused, Nischal Chandak, touched her inappropriately on the way and instead of taking her to his home in Noida, he took her to a relative’s flat in Gurgaon and raped her. “Even if the allegation of the victim is accepted as true, it can be concluded that she herself invited trouble and was also responsible for the same. Similar stand has been taken by the victim in her statement. In her medical examination, her hymen was found torn but doctors did not give any opinion about sexual assault,” Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh observed, while allowing the bail plea of Chandak. While the incident took place on September 21, 2024, the victim filed an FIR on September 23 in Gautam Budh Nagar. @ Chennai / Villupuram Rana in NIA custody after landing in Delhi upon his extradition from the US | pti COMMUNICATION WITH HEADLEY Headley visited India 8 times, and remained in touch with Rana, making over 200 calls CALLS DURING VISITS 1st 2nd LOKAYUKTA police, who recently filed a closure report in the MUDA site allotment scam, seem to have “accepted” all explanations given by the accused, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The ‘B’ (closure) report, which has been challenged by the Enforcement Directorate before the court, states that Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy BM, his brother-in-law Mallikarjunaswamy and Devaraju J were asked 76 questions. The Lokayukta police accepted their explanations by stating in the report that they are ‘acceptable’, ‘accepted’ or ‘can be accepted’. There is no mention of cross-questioning as is done in other cases. This has raised eyebrows as they accepted the explanations or contentions of the accused ‘as they are’. 4th 6th 8th Terror footprint TERROR PLANNING Rana helped David Headley obtain an Indian visa by providing fake documents Initial plans included targeting Chabad Houses across India, as ISI suspected they were Mossad bases Established ‘Immigrant Law Centre’ in Mumbai, which served as a front for Headley’s ops and snooping Rent extension of ‘Immigrant Law Centre’ in July 2008 was arranged to support Rana’s India visit, showing coordination with LeT handlers INTEL LINK: Rana was in communication with ISI TN BJP on Thursday invited applications for election to the post of state party president, coinciding with Union Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Chennai. Shah will meet Thuglak editor S Gurumurthy & allies on Friday | P4 rain respite Vellore experienced heavy rains on Thursday evening, after a sweltering hot day when temperature reached 40.6°C | s dinesh express read SC girl forced out of class due to period Coimbatore: A day after a Dalit girl was forced to sit outside her classroom and made to write exam as she was menstruating, the principal of the private school in Coimbatore was suspended on Thursday and booked under SC/ST Act | P2 Around 24 questions were posed to Siddaramaiah, 14 to Parvathy, 16 to Mallikarjunaswamy and 20 to Devaraju and their statements were recorded. Snehamayi Krishna, the complainant, and ED protested against the final report that gave a clean chit to the accused. In the report, the Lokayukta police concluded that the charges were not proved against the accused, but recorded that financial losses were caused to MUDA through allotment of compensatory sites to accused No 2 Parvathy by Natesh, then MUDA commissioner. 3rd 32 23 40 37 33 66 MUDA: Cops accept version of all accused Yat h i r a j u @ Bengaluru and is expected to meet leaders of alliance partners and potential allies on Friday . In a dramatic turn of events PMK, which continues to be for the Pattali Makkal Katchi part of the BJP-led NDA, (PMK), its founder Dr S Rama- fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elecdoss on Thursday announced tion alongside the BJP though to the media at his house in AIADMK quit the bloc in SepVillupuram district that he tember 2023. It was rumoured would take over the post of at that time that Dr Ramadoss party president from was not fully in favour his son and former of BJP alliance. union minister Dr AnOn Thursday the 85, bumani Ramadoss year-old leader said with immediate decisions on future aleffect. liances will be taken He said Dr Anbumafter consultation ani will serve as workwith the party’s leading president and will ership council. “I am continue to play a key taking up the role of role in party’s activiparty president with The decision is ties, especially as the full commitment. This party prepares for the aimed at guiding decision is aimed at the younger 2026 elections. When guiding the younger generation & asked about the reageneration and ensurensuring the sons for the decision ing the party’s victoparty’s victory that has shocked parry he said. ,” Dr S Ramadoss, ty cadres, Dr RamaWhile Dr AnbumaPMK chief doss declined to elaboni did not react, sourcrate and merely said, es close to him said “many reasons”. the move was not valid since The timing is even more such decisions cannot be taken stark as Union Home Minister without convening the party’s and BJP’s chief electoral strat- general council and therefore egist Amit Shah will reach Dr Anbumani will continue to Chennai on Thursday night, act as the president.  P5 Express News Service Victim invited trouble, HC says in rape case n a m i ta b a j pa i @ Lucknow Ramadoss demotes son, takes over PMK reins ‘for poll victory’ Many instances of MUDA developing residential layouts without following land acquisition procedure, causing huge lossesto land owners Closure report in the MUDA site allotment scam