THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l monday l april 28, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE city EDITION Global Economic Uncertainty Hits New Highs Amid U.S. Tariff International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook warns economic uncertainty has surpassed levels seen during Covid-19 ‘an environment of fear and volatility’ world trade uncertainty index up The report attributes this uncertainty to the unpredictable nature of the US tariff policy under President Trump. Recent tariff hikes, including a significant increase to 145% on Chinese products, have created an environment of fear and volatility in financial markets, said the report released on Sunday in Barcelona ■ ■ IMF’s world trade uncertainty index is seven times higher than in October 2024, with global GDP growth forecasts revised downward to 2.8% for 2025 and 3% for 2026 Financial markets are experiencing instability similar to Covid19, with US bond prices falling as investors begin to sell them 1.2% is the The euro area’s growth forecast figure for 2026 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 heads-up: chief of defence staff meets rajnath singh Navy conducts war drills in arabian sea China calls for restraint, backs an ‘impartial investigation’ NIA takes over probe, forces ready to strike maya n k s i n g h & m u k e s h r a n j a n @ New Delhi IN the wake of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives and the possibility of an Indian retaliation against Pakistan-backed terror groups, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday to brief him on key military decisions taken after the attack. The Indian Navy on Sunday conducted successful multiple anti-ship firings, showcasing its readiness for longrange precision strikes. “Indian Navy stands combat ready , credible, and future-ready in safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests anytime, anywhere, anyhow,” the Navy said in a statement. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have taken a hit, after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met on April 23 followed by India withdrawing its Defence, Navy and Air Ad, visors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, reducing the overall strength of the high commission to 30 from 55. The Indus Waters Treaty, functional since 1960, has been suspended, and the only operational land border crossing at Attari has been shut down. Diplomatic ties with Pakistan have been downgraded, prompting Pakistan to shut its New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday dialled his British counterpart David Lammy and spoke about India’s policy of “zero tolerance” for terrorism while discussing the Pahalgam terror attack, three days after UK PM Keir Starmer spoke to PM Modi tourists return to pahalgam Srinagar: Resilience has triumphed over terror and fear as tourists have begun returning to Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam 5 days after the terror attack. On Sunday, tourists from across the nation arrived in Pahalgam, and tourismrelated activities sprung back to life Navy boats in the Arabian Sea fire anti-ship missiles to demonstrate readiness for long-range strikes | PTI PM vows ‘harshest punishment’ for conspirators, justice for kin of dead r a j e s h k u ma r t h ak u r @ New Delhi prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the families of the victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir will receive justice, and the perpetrators and conspirators will face the harshest response ever imagined. Addressing the nation through his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Modi expressed deep anguish over the attack that claimed the lives of at least 26 civilians, mostly tourists. “The whole world stands with 140 crore Indians in our fight against terrorism,” Modi said, adding that the unity of Police, Cusat tie up to develop drug detector Anu Kuruvilla and A b d u l Na z a r M A @ Kochi Filmmakers nabbed for possession of ganja Faced with the growing challenge of drug abuse, police have partnered with researchers at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) to develop a cost-effective, non-intrusive drug-detection device. The move, led by Kochi Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya, aims to create a device similar to the alcohol breathalyser but for narcotics — easy quick, and affordable. , Vimaladitya told TNIE in an interview that while western countries have developed saliva drug test kits and drug breath analysers, their high cost has kept them out of reach for widespread use in India. “We are collaborating with Cusat researchers to develop affordable and simple drugdetection solutions that can be used easily on the ground,” he said. The plan is to design a quick, hassle-free test that law enforcement officers can use during routine checks, without the need for invasive pro- Kochi: Two Malayalam directors, Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza, were arrested by excise officials with 1.5g of ganja from an apartment in Kochi on Sunday early morning. Another person — Shalif Mujammed — was also taken into custody along with the directors. They were later granted station bail. P5 cedures or long laboratory wait times. The project gained momentum after Cusat’s School of Engineering organised an ‘Idea Pitching Event for Kochi City Police’, where students from various departments presented innovative solutions to policing challenges. Out of the ideas pitched, six were approved, with a particular focus on creating rapid drug-detection devices. “Students are now developing Internet of Things (IoT)based prototypes that can quickly and accurately detect drug use,” said a lecturer involved with the ● More on P5 project. Traders accused of leaving cattle to die for insurance claims J AYA NTH J A COB @ New Delhi A BSF personnel guides Pakistani nationals arriving at Wagah border to cross over to their country | PTI the country and solidarity of its people is the biggest strength in the war against terrorism. He accused the terrorists and their masterminds of trying to push Kashmir back into turmoil, by executing a major conspiracy . “This attack in Pahalgam eleven killed in canada festival after a driver ploughed through a crowd at a Filipino cultural celebration in Vancouver on Sunday, police said while ruling out terrorism as the motive for the incident in the western Canadian city | P9 shows the desperation of the patrons of terrorism; displays their cowardice.” He noted that the attack was a setback to the progress and peace that was returning to Kashmir, where construction work had gained unprecedented pace, democracy was getting stronger, and new opportunities were being created for the youth. The prime minister urged the nation to demonstrate strong willpower in the face of terrorism, and said, “Today the world is watching, after this terrorist attack, the whole country is speaking in one voice. The anger that the people of India feel is also being felt across the whole world.” P o o j a Na i r @ Malappuram Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, China on Sunday urged restraint by both sides. Beijing also backed Islamabad’s demand for an ‘impartial investigation’ into the Pahalgam terror attack, adding that it is ‘closely monitoring’ the situation. “Conflict is not in the fundamental interests of India and Pakistan, or conducive to regional peace and stability… Both countries should exercise restraint, meet each other halfway and promote the cooling of the situation,” Chinese state media quoted Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi as saying during a phone call with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Sunday . During the call, Dar briefed Wang on the latest developments and the latter offered support for Pakistan’s “legitimate security concerns and its efforts to uphold sovereignty and security interests”. Reaffirming Beijing’s support for Islamabad, Wang added, “China has always supported Pakistan in its resolute anti-terrorism actions. As a staunch friend and all-weather strategic partner, China fully understands Pakistan’s reasonable security concerns and supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and security interests.” Pakistan, which is going through an economic crisis amid rising tensions with India and potential global isolation, is looking at China to come to its rescue. According to reports, it has now sought an additional 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) on its Chinese swap line, over and above the existing 30 billion yuan swap line. Meanwhile, sources said the Pakistani military continued its unprovoked firing along the Line of Control for the third consecutive day The Pakistan . military was engaged in similar firing on Thursday and Friday nights as well. “Our troops responded effectively with appropriate small arms fire,” said an official. Every morning, Rajesh N P, a dairy farmer in Edachalam in Kuttippuram, walks along the banks of the Bharathapuzha with a heavy heart. Where healthy cows once grazed and local farmers shared stories are disturbing signs of neglect: Starving animals bound under the sun, too weak to stand. It’s not disease or old age that’s claiming them, but deliberate cruelty, fuelled by greed. A chilling scam has come to light, where a group of unscrupulous cattle traders are allegedly allowing cows to die in agony just to cash in on inflated insurance claims. The practice, described by locals as “murder for money”, has triggered widespread protest and demands for urg ent gover nment intervention. What began as whispers among far mers has now erupted into a full-blown scandal. Allegedly, certain cattle traders have been buying cows for as little as `15,000-20,000, only to insure them for amounts as high as `80,000. But what’s truly horrifying is what follows: the animals are abandoned on the riverside under the guise of grazing, left to suffer without food, water, or shelter. Within weeks, many die of sheer ne- A cow is seen on the sandbed of Bharathapuzha glect. “It’s murder for money says Rajesh, a third-gen,” eration farmer. “They don’t even pretend to look after these animals. You see the same cow today, weak and restrained, and by next month, it’s gone. We know what’s happening. They just wait for them to die and then cash in on the insurance,” he says. The scam, according to farmers and activists, is more than just cruelty: It’s organised exploitation. They allege that some local veterinary officers are turning a blind eye or are even complicit. In several cases, postmortem reports needed for insurance claims are suspected to have been falsified or conducted in a rushed, negligent manner. Sulaiman C P, another dairy farmer, recalls seeing at least six cows perish along a stretch of the river bank last month alone.  ● More on P4 E X P RESS RE A D Man, 63, killed in wild jumbo attack Not barred from meets: Sreemathi Palakkad: A 63-year-old man died on Sunday after being attacked by a wild elephant in the Swarnagadda area of Attappadi. Kali, a resident of Unnathi Chembuvattakavu in Puthoor, was collecting firewood in the forest along with his grandchild, when the elephant attacked him, injuring him severely. He died later in the day at the Palakkad district hospital. P5 T’Puram/Kannur: Senior CPM leader and central committee (CC) member P K Sreemathi has dismissed news reports that she has been barred from attending the party’s state secretariat meetings. Addressing mediapersons in Kannur on Sunday, Sreemathi said she continues to be part of the leadership and will attend meetings whenever she is in the state. P4 Expect more ‘torpedoes’ in Trump’s next 100 days Agencies US President Donald Trump, who completes 100 days in power on April 29, will spend his next 100 days of his presidency to seal trade and peace pacts, media reports quoting White House officials said. After a series of ‘loud’ changes during his first 100 days, including social policy areas such as transgender rights, Trump may deploy some ‘torpedoes in reserve’ over the next three months, reports said quoting officials. This could mean more ‘executive actions’ that have become the hallmarks of Trump’s first 100 days. Sources hinted that the administration was still working on a travel ban for citizens from multiple countries. Since taking office on January 20, Trump has enacted sweeping changes on domestic and foreign policy priorities, upending the world economic order with tariffs, slashing the size of the federal government with job cuts, and scrapping diversity programmes. He is expected to travel to Michigan this week for a rally marking the 100-day milestone. The White House intends to highlight his economic vision, handling of undocumented immigrants, foreign policy changes, and work by billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to purge the federal bureaucracy . ‘purification’ drive K-Smart uncovers 1.4L ‘ghost buildings’, `394 cr tax windfall Ra j e s h Ra v i @Kochi Sniffing out tax dodgers, the innovative K-Smart platform, a game-changer for local self-gover nment services, has unearthed nearly 1.4 lakh buildings in urban local bodies that were playing hooky from revenue records and giving taxmen the slip. This clever sleuthing has the potential to plump up local body coffers by a hefty `394 crore through taxes, arrears and fines. And the plot thickens! With K-Smart now casting its digital net in panchayats, authorities anticipate a significant surge in the regularisation of such ‘ghost buildings’, potentially unlocking a treasure trove of almost `1,000 crore, according to senior government officials. Santhosh Babu, chairman Number game ‘zero tolerance for terrorism’ airspace to Indian airliners and suspend all trade with India. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe into the Pahalgam terror attack, intensifying efforts to collect evidence and identify perpetrators. NIA teams, overseen by an Inspector General of Police, a Deputy Inspector General of Police and a Superintendent of Police, are examining eyewitnesses, analyzing videos, and scrutinizing entry and exit points to piece together the sequence of events. Intelligence agencies have traced the attack’s digital footprints to safe houses i n Muzaffarabad and Karachi, suggesting a clear Pakistan hand, sources said. A local videographer, who was there to film reels for tourists in Baisaran, has now become one of the key witnesses for the NIA, as a senior official said, “The photographer in a bid to save his life climbed a tree, but he continued videographing the incidents that unfolded there.” Meanwhile, Sunday was the last day for Pakistanis having short-term visas in 12 categories to leave India. A long queue of vehicles was seen at the Attari-Wagah border crossing. As many as 537 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats and officials, left India in four days since April 24 after the government announced the visa revocation the previous day officials said. , Animal-cruelty scam? 1,43,101 more buildings added to tax ambit and managing director of the Information Kerala Mission (IKM), the implementing agency of the K-Smart project, told TNIE that the Kerala government initiated a data purification project to include buildings not L393.92 cr total tax arrears to be collected from these buildings L108.92 cr tax amount collected till now L41.48 cr additional tax revenue for 2024-25 previously recorded or taxed in official records. The ‘purification’ drive by the LSGD found that of the 44,85,891 buildings for w h i c h records existed in the 87 municipalities and six city corporations, taxes were collected from only 36,55,124 buildings. Inaccurate data in the old software ‘Sanchaya’ had resulted in 8,30,737 buildings being wrongly classified as non-taxable for years. This was due to various reasons — data duplication, failure to remove demolished buildings from records and junk data. Despite an estimated 90-95% of city buildings being registered, many were found to be operating without tax assessments, even after getting electricity and water con● More on P4 nections.