kottayam l saturday l november 29, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION don vows to freeze migration from ‘third world’ countries US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to suspend migration a day after an Afghan shot two National Guard soldiers new escalation in anti-migration stance Trump’s social media post, which also threatened to reverse “millions” of admissions granted under his predecessor Joe Biden, marks a new escalation in the anti-migration stance. Trump said earlier that Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member deployed in Washington as part of his crackdown on crimes, had died from wounds ■ 1,16,000 19 nations already face restrictions ■ The shooting on Wednesday has brought together three politically explosive issues: Trump’s controversial use of the military at home, immigration, and the legacy of the US war in Afghanistan As per USCIS, 19 countries — including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran and Myanmar — already face US travel curbs under an order | P9 green card holders from afghanistan in the u.s. 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 Gathering momentum 9.7 10 8 6 9.3 9.5 6.9 6 4.8 Y-o-Y growth rates (%) 8.4 8.2 7.4 7.8 6.5 6.4 5.6 4 2 Q2 Q3 2022-23 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 2023-24 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 2024-25 Q4 Q1 Q2 2025-26 At 8.2%, GDP grows at fastest pace in six qtrs 7.8% in Q1. “The confluence of stable inINDIA’s economy grew at 8.2% flation, sustained public capex, in the second quarter of FY26, and reform momentum posibeating all estimates and mark- tions the economy to navigate ing the fastest pace in six quar- risks, as reflected in upward reters. This is a big jump from the visions to FY26 GDP growth 5.6% growth in the same period projections by various agenlast fiscal. Most analysts had ex- cies,” said Chief Economic Adpected the Q2 growth to be in visor V Anantha Nageswaran. the range of 7–7.5%. He added that India beThe strong performcoming a $4 trillion ance is attributed to a economy “as early as boost in manufacturn e x t ye a r ” i s n o t ing, rising rural deunrealistic. mand, and sustained The government has growth of the services highlighted the role resector. Manufacturing ductions in GST rates grew at a robust 9.1% played in lowering the — more than four times cost of goods and servThe 8.2% GDP the 2.2% recorded a ices, supporting congrowth is very year ago. Economists sumption and expandencouraging. It attribute this partly to i n g t h e t a x b a s e. reflects the frontloading of exports However, economists impact of our to the US ahead of the cautioned slower nomipro-growth 50% tariff increase. nal growth could pose policies and Construction also risks. Nominal GDP reforms. It also saw healthy expansion, reflects the hard grew 8.7% in Q2, reachwork and growing at 7.2%. The ing an estimated `85.25 enterprise of services sector continlakh crore. our people ued its positive momen“While the increase tum, clocking 9.2% Narendra Modi, PM in real GDP is encourgrowth in Q2 compared aging, the slower nomito 7.2% a year earlier. nal growth resulting Private consumption re- from a significant decline in inmained strong with 7.9% flation could have adverse imgrowth, compared to 6.4% last plications. For instance, it comyear and 7% in Q1. Gross fixed plicates the achievement of tax capital formation — an indica- targets, which are based on a tor of infrastructure and asset nominal growth assumption of creation — maintained its rise 10.1% for the current fiscal at 7.3% versus 6.7% a year ago, year,” said Dharmakirti Joshi, although slightly lower than the chief economist, Crisil Ltd. Putin visit to boost defence ties M AYAN K S INGH @ New Delhi DEFENCE negotiations will be the key agenda of Russian President Vladmir Putin’s visit to India from December 4 to 5, which is expected to take the strategic bilateral ties to the next level. Announcing the two-day visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday that Putin is coming to hold the annual India-Russia summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit will give an opportunity for the two leaders to review the progress in bilateral relations, set the vision to strengthen the ‘special and privileged strategic partnership’ and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, the MEA said. Terming it a “visit of great importance”, the Kremlin said the current geopolitical issues will also come up in talks. The focus of the summit will be “broader elements of cooperation on defence”, said Defence Secretary R K Singh said while speaking at an event in Delhi on Friday. He said the strategic S-400 air defence systems may be on the table though no announcements are likely. “This meeting will focus on the larger defence partnership and resolving delivery delays,” he said. The S-400 played a crucial role during Operation Sindoor as it successfully targeted multiple Pakistani fighters and aircraft deep inside Pakistan. India has already signed contracts for the S-400 systems with Russia, but deliveries have faced delays. Singh confirmed that Russia has promised to deliver the remaining equipment in the financial year 2026-27. Cyclone located 320 km south of Karaikal red alert for coastal tn high wind warning PU S HPITA D E Y @ New Delhi Tamil Nadu Sri lanka A man wades through floodwater outside his house following heavy rain in Kaduwela on the outskirts of Colombo on Friday | afp With domestic arrivals remaining unusually low despite the onset of the traditional peak season, Kerala’s tourism industry has hit a sour note. According to stakeholders, bookings and o c c u p a n cy h ave plunged by 40%, making this one of the worst Novembers for the sector in recent memory . Munnar, one of the state’s most sought after hill stations year round, mirrors the crisis. Insiders say vacationers are skipping Kerala this season, with occupancy hovering around 40% and picking up only on weekends. In previous years, November occupancy levels ranged from 70-75%, making the current slump particularly alarming as the sector heads into the Christmas-New Year rush. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat remain the key domestic source markets for Kerala. In 2024, Kerala received around 2.2 crore domestic tourists. “I have been in the industry for 25 years, and this is one of the worst seasons ever. Novem- J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi AT least 61 people have died and more than 25 remain missing till Friday evening in Sri Lanka, which is bearing the brunt of massive destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah. With torrential rains, landslides and floods displacing thousands in the island nation, India has launched a swift humanitarian response for the island nation. New Delhi has rushed emer- gency relief under Operation Sagar Bandhu, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveying condolences and stressing India’s commitment to stand by its closest maritime neighbour. By Friday evening, Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said the cyclone had affected 43,991 people. Many regions of the country remain submerged and inaccessible, with officials warning THE Supreme Court has ordered the release of a woman jailed by a lower court for changing her lawyers six times during an appeal in a cheque bounce case, describing the order as “appalling and shocking.” The case involves two dishonoured cheques issued by the woman’s mother, worth `7 lakh and `5.02 lakh respectively The trial court convicted . and sentenced both the mother and daughter. The woman subsequently filed an appeal before the sessions court in Faridabad, which has been pending for eight years, the bench noted. Meanwhile, the sessions court cancelled their bail and ordered their custody. The mother and daughter challenged this decision in the high court and later the Supreme Court. A bench comprising Justices Arvind Kumar and N V Anjaria, in an order dated November Puducherry beach saw rough tides on Friday. Red alert has been issued for Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Villupuram, Chengalpattu and Puducherry for Saturday | sriram r ber is normally the peak, but this year there is a slump in both inbound and outbound arrivals. Last year, over three crore Indians travelled abroad, while only around 93 lakh foreign tourists visited India. This g ap is h u r t in g t ou rism. High airfares are a major reason, and both the Centre and state should take steps to address it,” said Anish Kumar P K, executive committee member, Association of Tourism Trade Organisations, India (ATTOI). Director of Stride Hotels Pvt Ltd Sudhish Nair said Munnar has never witnessed such a steep drop in oc● More on P5 cupancy  . 27, noted that the mother had passed away, but the appellate court had not accepted her death certificate. The sessions court directed the concerned Station House Officer to verify the legitimacy of the certifi- that rising water levels in the Kelani and Attanagalu rivers pose a grave threat to Colombo and the populous Gampaha district. Outages have hit nearly a third of the region, and two major hydropower plants have been shut down. Responding to the escalating crisis, India has so far dispatched 4.5 tonnes of dry rations and 2 tonnes of fresh rations, including staple foods, ready-to-eat meals, dairy products, bakery items and other essential provisions. Additional survival supplies have also been handed over. The relief consignments were delivered by INS Vikrant and INS Udayagiri, both docked in Sri Lanka, an official release said. Ditwah is likely to reach southwest Bay of Bengal near north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh by November 30, IMD said. Ditwah may batter TN Chennai: Cyclonic storm Ditwah, which has intensified over the south-west Bay of Bengal and moved closer to Sri Lankan coast on Friday, is heading towards the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry– South Andhra Pradesh stretch. The system is expected to influence weather over coastal districts from Friday night, bringing bouts of intense rain and strong winds. The IMD has issued a red alert for several TN districts. cops issue lookout notice Rahul booked for rape & forced abortion, seeks pre-arrest bail E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @T’Puram brace! Rosan Kujur (R) scored twice as India defeated Chile 7-0 in the Junior Hockey World Cup on Friday | ashwin prasath | P11 SC frees woman jailed for changing six lawyers u d aya n k i s h o r e @ New Delhi A coastal road chipped away by crashing waves in Rameswaram | express cyCLONE: 61 dEAD IN Sri lanka Domestic dilemma: Not a November to remember for Kerala tourism industry S h a i n u M o h a n @ T’Puram puducherry cate. The bench observed that if the lawyer was not assisting the court, the proper action would have been to appoint an amicus curiae or allow the accused time to arrange alternate counsel — not to jail her. The court ordered the woman’s release on a personal bond of `1 lakh.“It is appalling and shocking that the appellate court insisted on the appellant’s presence on every hearing date, particularly after suspending the sentence already passed,” the bench said. State Congress deeply divided over issue Tightening the noose around Rahul Mamkootathil, the police slapped non-bailable charges including rape and forced termination of pregnancy against him early Friday even as the Congress MLA remained untraceable. The police have issued a lookout notice against Rahul assuming that he might try to escape via airports. Meanwhile, the survivor recorded her secret statement before the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Neyyattinkara. As the writing in the wall became clear, Rahul moved an anticipatory bail petition before the Additional District and Sessions Court here, which is likely to consider the plea on Monday . The FIR in the case was first registered by Valiyamala police and the case was later transferred to the Nemom station. The case will now be investigated by a special team led by District Crime Records Bureau Assistant Commissioner Dinraj. Thiruvananthapuram City Deputy Commissioner Deepak Dhankhar will monitor the probe. According to the FIR, the legislator raped the woman T’Puram: The sexual assault case against Rahul Mamkootathil has left Congress deeply divided, with one faction led by Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan calling for stern action and another, headed by UDF convenor Adoor Prakash, backing Palakkad MLA. After remaining silent for weeks, Satheesan spoke out on Friday after the police issued a lookout notice. He reiterated that his stand is based on his conviction. P5 multiple times, both in Thiruvananthapuram as well as in Palakkad. Rahul also forced the woman to take pills to abort her pregnancy against her will, the FIR said. Joby Joseph, a friend of Rahul, has been arraigned as the second accused for allegedly handing out the pills to the survivor to terminate pregnancy . According to sources, Rahul in his anticipatory bail petition has refuted the charges. The plea said the allegations were frivolous, politically-motivated and a handiwork of the CPM-BJP nexus. As per the plea, he had a consensual physical relationship with the woman, who had contacted him first via social media. He alleged that the husband of the woman is a BJP member and the firm the woman worked for was also politically aligned to BJP which prove , that the allegation was politically-motivated. Rahul raped woman several times: FIR T’Puram: The FIR registered by Valiyamala police accuses Rahul Mamkootathil of raping the survivor multiple times, even after realising that she was pregnant. According to the FIR, Rahul first abused the woman at her flat in Thiruvananthapuram, on March 4, 2025, after assaulting her. On March 17, he visited her again and coerced her into recording her nude video, which was used to blackmail her to maintain silence about their relationship. P5