BHUBANESWAR  WEDNESDAY  MAY 07, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION TIME TO LOOK FOR THE HOLY SMOKE FROM VATICAN’S SISTINE CHAPEL All 133 Catholic cardinals to vote for a new pope arrived in Rome a day before the process to elect the next head of the 1.4 billion Catholics begins HUGE STAKES ON FUTURE OF CATHOLIC CHURCH PHONE SIGNALS TO BE CUT DURING VOTING Hailing from 70 countries across five continents, the group summoned following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 is the largest and the most international ever. At stake is the direction of the Catholic Church, a 2,000-year-old institution with huge influence but which is struggling to recover its reputation after allegations of child sex abuse by priests ■ ■ The 133 cardinals who will vote — all those aged under 80, minus two absent for health reasons — will gather on Wednesday afternoon under the frescoed splendour at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel The Vatican announced that it would cut phone signals within the tiny city-state for the duration of the conclave for security reasons 12 years DURATION OF FRANCIS’ PAPACY BEFORE HIS DEATH ON APRIL 21 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 gets strategic partner amid conflict with Pak Up to 99% of exports to be exempt from tariffs India, UK seal free trade pact, script strategic partnership J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA and the UK finalised a long-anticipated free trade agreement (FTA) on Tuesday amid New Delhi’s efforts to strengthen global partnerships in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and the recent tariff tensions triggered by US President Donald Trump, which pushed both nations to accelerate trade negotiations. Sealed after three years of stop-start talks, the deal targets a $34 billion trade boost by 2040 through easier market access and fewer trade barriers. After speaking on phone with his British counterpart Keir Starmer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the pact is ‘ambitious and mutually beneficial’. “Along with a Double Contribution Convention, these landmark agreements will deepen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and catalyse trade, investment, growth, job creation, and innovation in both our economies,” Modi wrote on X. Under the Double Contribution Convention, Indian workers temporarily in the UK and their employers will be exempt from paying UK social security contributions for three years—a move that could yield significant financial savings for Indian service providers, boost their competitiveness in the UK, and create new job opportunities for Indians working there. Starmer hailed the FTA as a step toward stronger alliance and lower trade barriers in a ‘new era for trade.’ Turning to the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the British PM reiterated his “deep condolences at the tragic and senseless loss of life”. The deal cuts tariffs on goods such as advanced manufacturing components and food products, while setting mutual quotas for auto imports. It opens Indian markets to more British firms and allows Indian professionals to work in the UK without altering its points-based immigration system. An Indian government release said 99% of Indian exports will benefit from zero-duty access. The deal unlocks major export potential for India’s labour-intensive sectors—textiles, leather, marine products, footwear, sports goods, toys, and gems & jewellery—and key industries such as engineering goods, auto parts, engines, and organic chemicals. UK’s Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal in London last Tuesday, where they resolved most of the remaining issues. The pact also delivers a significant boost to trade in services, including IT/ITeS, finance, professional and business services, and education. Britain, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has not always supported India on security matters. The FTA with India marks a significant step forward, setting the tone for India’s upcoming FTAs with the US and the European Union. For the UK, the deal is a post-Brexit milestone in asserting trade independence; for India, it counters the perception of being a relucP10 tant free trade negotiator. THE BIG DEAL India-UK FTA to double the trade between the two countries to India will cut duties on 90% of tariff lines, with 85% becoming duty-free in 10 years Scotch whisky, gin, cars, aerospace parts, and food items from the UK will be cheaper in India Whisky and gin tariffs will be halved from 150% to 75%, and finally to 40% by year 10 of the deal TARIFFS AND THE POWER OF SECTOR Automotive tariffs will drop from over 100% to 10% under a quota system `4,000 cr Competitiveness boost to India companies in UK through social security exemption India will gain from tariff elimination on 99% of the tariff lines ZERO Animal products Vegetable/Oil products Processed food @ Bhubaneswar CHIEF Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday wrote to his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee requesting her to reconsider the use of Jagannath Dham for the newlyinaugurated temple at Digha. Expressing deep concern over naming of the Digha temple as Jagannath Dham, Majhi said Shree Jagannath temple at Puri is one of the ‘Char Dhams’ of Hinduism and holds unparalleled religious, spiritual and cultural significance, not just for people of Odisha but also millions of devotees across the country and world. “T he name ‘Ja g annath Dham’ holds a unique and sacrosant identity linked to Puri, and its usage in reference to any other temple or location hurts sentiments and emotions of millions of pilgrims besides diluting heritage of Shree Jagannath Dham, Puri,” he wrote. The CM said while Odisha acknowledges the devotion of the people of West Bengal towards Lord Jagannath, the use of Dham in official and promo- I sincerely hope the government of West Bengal will uphold the spirit of inter-state respect and cultural sensitivity and take necessary steps to address our concerns Mohan Charan Majhi, CM tional context for the Digha temple is likely to cause confusion among devotees, dilute the historical identity of Puri as the original and revered abode of the Lord. Majhi requested the government of West Bengal to reconsider the usage of Jagannath Dham in its official naming, communication and promotional materials. “I sincerely hope the government of West Bengal will uphold the spirit of inter-state respect and cultural sensitivity in this matter and take necessary steps to address our concerns,” Majhi wrote. On the other hand, even as Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth in Puri Swami Nischalananda Saraswati Maharaj is yet to react to the controversy, BY 2030 covering almost 100% of the trade value Indian professionals in the UK will be exempt from social security payments for up to three years, reducing employment costs Dairy products, apples, cheese excluded from duty concession to protect Indian farmers AGRI AND PROCESSED FOODS *DUTY RANGE UNDER FTA Up to 20% Up to 20% Up to 70% 99.3% Tariff lines at zero duty 99.8% Tariff lines at zero duty 99.7% Tariff lines at zero duty INDUSTRIAL GOODS UNDER FTA — FROM 18% MAX TO 0 Headgear/ Up to 12% Transport Up to 18% /Auto Minerals Up to 8% Glass/Ceramic Gems & Up to 4% Instruments Up to 6% Chemicals Up to 8% jewellery /Clocks Plastic/ Up to 6% Base metals Up to 10% Arms/ Up to 2% Rubber Ammunition Leather Up to 16% Mechanical Up to 8% machinery Furniture/ Up to 4% Wood/Paper Up to 10% Electrical Up to 14% Sports goods Textile Up to 12% machinery (*Existing duty range) SECTOR *DUTY RANGE Majhi writes to Mamata, requests her to remove Dham from Digha temple name EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE $120 BN his counterpart in Jyotirmath at Uttarakhand Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said only Puri Jagannath temple can be called a Dham. Avimukteshwaranand on Tuesday said a Dham can only be in one place and it is not right to call Digha temple as such. Meanwhile, within hours of BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya claiming that the Jagannath Dham signage has been removed from Digha due to protests, the temple authorities have reinstalled a new per manent signage at the same spot. Purba Medinipur Police in West Bengal called the signage removal claims as ‘false propaganda by people with vested interests’. This comes a day after state Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said Odisha government will explore legal options if West Bengal does not drop the word. Puri king Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb also urged Digha temple authorities not to associate Dham with it. Indian professionals to get better access to UK job market UNSC poses tough questions to Pak on Pahalgam massacre nent member of the UNSC. “Pakistan was questioned about the cross-border linkagAMID rising tensions between es, the terror groups active on India and Pakistan, the United its soil and the way many of Nations Security Council them have been operating with (UNSC) held a closed-door impunity. Despite trying hard meeting at Pakistan’s request, Pakistan couldn’t muster which ended without concrete enough support to come out resolutions. However, members with a statement,” well-placed raised questions for Islamabad sources said. about the Pahalgam terror atSources said that another tack, expressing concerns over point of discussion was Pakithe targeting of tourists stan’s “missile tests and based on their religion. nuclear rhetoric,” which Greece’s Permanent several members deemed Representative to the UN Pakistan was “escalatory”. While Paand current Security questioned kistan presented the misCouncil President, sile tests as routine drills, about the Evangelos Sekeris, de- cross-border they raised international scribed the meeting as linkages to alarm about the Pahalgam “productive and helpful”, growing instaand terror though he acknowledged bility in the that no “specific out- groups active region. on its soil comes” were achieved. UN Assistant “The Security Council is Secretary-GenSources always helpful in such eferal for Middle forts to de-escalate. It is the re- East, Asia, and the Pacifsponsibility of the Council,” he ic Khaled Mohamed Khiari, said. who briefed the Council, later During the meeting held in a told reporters that all members consultations room rather than expressed the desire for dethe main UNSC chamber, Paki- escalation. stan was questioned about the Pakistan’s Permanent Repreinvolvement of Lashkar-e-Toi- sentative to the UN Asim Iftba (LeT) in the Pahalgam at- ikhar Ahmad, said the consultack, with some members re- tations aimed at allowing j e c t i n g t h e “ f a l s e f l a g ” Council members to discuss narrative, sources said. Paki- the security environment and stan currently is a non-perma- rising tensions in the region. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi PM axed J&K trip after intel alert: Kharge MUKESH RANJAN AND RAJESH K U M A R T H A K U R @ Ranchi/New Delhi CONGRESS president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday charged that an intelligence report was sent to Prime Miniter Narendra Modi three days ahead of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, following which he cancelled his Kashmir visit. “If the prime minister could change his plans, why were tourists left exposed?” Kharge wondered. He was addressing a ‘Samvidhan Mallikarjun Bachao Rally’ Kharge in Ranchi. The BJP in its pushback called it an irresponsible statement, adding Kharge could not have made a more reckless comment at a time of rising tensions with Pakistan. “What kind of comments is he making? On the one hand, he says at the (all-party) meeting that they are standing with the country, on the other, he is trying to weaken the country,” former Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Terming the Pahalgam attack an intelligence failure, Kharge said that the government had accepted the fact and assured to address it. CIVIL DEFENCE MOCK DRILL TO TAKE PLACE IN 12 ODISHA DISTS FROM TODAY Bhubaneswar: Amid growing tension between India and Pakistan over Pahalgam terror attack, the state government is set to conduct a full-scale civil defence mock drill across 12 districts from Wednesday as part of a nationwide exercise to boost civilian preparedness against air strike or similar hostile incidents. Officials said the seven-day long exercise simulating wartime civilian preparedness will be conducted in Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Kendrapara, Koraput, Puri, Sambalpur and Sundargarh | P3 CJI walks the talk as judges’ declare assets S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi IN a significant move to enhance transparency in the judiciary, 21 Supreme Court judges, including Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, declared their assets, including those of their spouses, in the public domain. The decision was made in accordance with a full-court resolution passed on April 1. The declarations are now available on the Supreme Court’s website. CJI Sanjiv Khanna, who will demit office on May 13, has a threebedroom DDA flat in South Delhi, a four-bedroom flat in Commonwealth Games Village, Delhi, and a share in a four-bedroom flat in Gurugram. He has fixed deposits and bank accounts worth `55.75 lakh and `1.06 crore in PPF, among other assets. Justice B R Gavai, the CJI-designate, has a house in Amravati, a residential apartment in Mumbai, and another in New Delhi. Justice Surya Kant declared properties in Chandigarh, Gurugram, and New Delhi, including agricultural land and houses. Justice A S Oka, set to retire on May 24, has `92.35 lakh in PPF and `21.76 lakh in fixed deposits. Justice K V Viswanathan, a successful advocate before he was inducted into the Supreme Court three years ago, has investments worth `120 crore. Twelve judges are yet to declare their assets. They are justices B V Nagarathna, J K Maheshwari, Dipankar Datta, Manoj Misra, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, Prashant K Mishra, Satish Chandra Sharma, Prasanna B Varale, N Kotiswar Singh, R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi.