KOLLAM l thursday l December 04, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Specialist team from UK examines ailing Khaleda Zia Will help chart advanced treatment plan The UK specialists led by Dr Richard Beale of King’s College London reviewed 80-year-old Zia’s condition and assessed the treatment by the local medical team. The foreign doctors will work with the local team to help formulate an advanced treatment plan. Zia was admitted to a private hospital in Dhaka on November 23 with infections of heart and lungs | p9 A four-member UK specialist medical team arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday to assist in the treatment of the former prime minister Chiefs of three forces pay rare joint visit ■ ■ In a rare joint public visit, the chiefs of Bangladesh’s three armed services visited the ailing former prime minister at the hospital The interim government directed Army and Air Force helicopters to conduct test landings near the hospital on Thursday as part of a Special Security Force protocol, which it said was for Zia’s protection Three The number of times Zia has taken oath as Bangladesh Prime Minister 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 Veterans want Rahul out, but divided over timing Fresh case against MLA T’Puram: The Crime Branch has registered a new rape case against Rahul Mamkootathil based on the complaint forwarded by KPCC president Sunny Joseph. Meanwhile, the Thiruvananthapuram Principal Sessions Court on Wednesday posted the MLA’s anticipatory bail plea to Thursday for further hearing | P5 Show of STRENGTH Navy personnel stage a high-intensity rescue and combat demonstration off Shankhumukham beach in Thiruvananthapuram as part of Navy Day celebrations on Wednesday. It was the first time Kerala was playing host to the marquee event, which offers a glimpse into the multi-domain combat capabilities and battle-readiness of the Indian Navy | B P Deepu | P2 Re in free fall, slumps below the 90-mark B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai The rupee’s freefall deepened on Wednesday , breaching the 90-per-dollar mark for the first time, hitting a new low of 90.29 in the morning trade after opening flat at 89.96. It closed the day’s session at an all-time low of 90.15. Wednesday marks the sixth consecutive day of fall for the rupee as traders bet the subdued trade and portfolio flows will keep Asia’s worst performing currency under pressure, while analysts project the next level for rupee at 92-93. However, Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran sought to downplay the currency slide, saying the weakness has had no impact on inflation and the currency will recover in 2026. “Right now, it’s not hurting our exports or inflation. I am not losing my sleep over it. If it has to depreciate now probably is the right time,” he said at an event in Mumbai. With Wednesday’s fall, the rupee’s value eroded 5.7% so far this year, putting it on track for its steepest annual decline since 2022, and making it the worst-performing Asian currency The fall also underscores a divergence . in the domestic and external macroeconomic position of the nation. While GDP growth has been stronger-than-expected, punitive US tariffs and weak capital flows have piled pressure on the rupee. “Every day that we do not have a trade deal, the forex demand from trade deficit and outflows keep pushing the dollar, while forex supply is relatively thin and inconsistent,” HSBC said in a note. “We had one month of net inflows in October, but without any more trade deal headlines since then, net flows have become flat.” Now, it’s not hurting exports or inflation. I am not losing my sleep over it — Anantha Nageswaran Massive chaos as over 200 IndiGo flights cancelled Insiders attribute it to Emirates’ hiring spree La l i tha S @ New Delhi Thousands of fliers across airports in the country on Wednesday had a harrowing time as crew shortage at IndiGo resulted in cancellation of at least 200 flights besides delaying many others. This was the second consecutive day that IndiGo failed to operate a large number of flights. A massive recruitment drive by an international airline at Delhi and Mumbai this week is a key reason for it, said multiple sources. IndiGo attributed the disruption to multiple reasons, including unforeseen operational challenges. The shortage is of both the cockpit and cabin crew, the sources stressed. At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport alone, 67 flights were cancelled, of which 37 were departures. Flights to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Srinagar were among those that were nixed. Over 70 flights were cancelled from Mumbai and Bengaluru air por t until Wednesday evening. The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad witnessed irate scenes after 13 flights were cancelled to various cities apart from 18 incoming flights. Airline sources said, “Emirates has been having a recruitment roadshow in Mumbai and Govt blinks, rolls back Sanchar Saathi order A RS H A D K H A N @ New Delhi The government on Wednesday withdrew its order directing phone makers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app, following strong backlash from opposition parties, digital rights activists, and manufacturers including Apple and Google. The reversal came a day after the telecom ministry clarified that the state-run cybersecurity app is not mandatory and that users may activate or deactivate it. “Given Sanchar Saathi’s increasing acceptance, Government has decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers,” a statement by the ministry read. Sources said this is the first time phone makers have been asked to pre-install a government-owned app. The mandate also meant operational difficulties for phone makers. Earlier in the day, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia sought to dispel privacy concerns saying the Sanchar Saathi app neither enables nor allows snooping. Russia’s MAX Russia is the only country where phone makers need to pre-install a state-run app. MAX, a state-backed messaging service, must be installed by default on all phones and tablets Irate fliers at the Delhi airport | X Delhi the last two days and IndiGo crew have been making a beeline for it.” An aviation source blamed it on IndiGo mismanagement, which, however, attributed part of the problem to the DGCA’s revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) that kicked in from November 1. Increased weekly rest for pilots from 36 hours to 48 hours and limiting night landings by pilots to two instead of six are part of the revised FDTL mandate. Later in the day, the DGCA said IndiGo had cancelled 1,232 flights in November, of which 755 were due to the FDTL, adding it is probing the current cancellations. The Federation of Indian Pilots blamed the ongoing disruption on “IndiGo’s prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy across departments, particularly in flight operations.” EXPRESS READ Guv’s residence is now ‘Lok Bhavan Kerala’ T’Puram: The governor’s residence on Wednesday unveiled the name board reading ‘Lok Bhavan Kerala’, marking the official shift from Raj Bhavan in line with the Centre’s directive to rename governors’ residences across the country | P5 HC sets aside order sacking WB teachers Kolkata: In a relief for the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, a Calcutta HC division bench on Wednesday set aside a single-judge order that cancelled the appointment of 32,000 primary school teachers. ‘MLA can’t be Sexual predator’ Calling Rahul Mamkootathil a sexual predator, Congress leader Shama Mohamed also demanded the MLA’s expulsion from the party. “The Congress Party in Kerala should expel Mamkootathil. An MLA of the Congress cannot be a sexual predator, she said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). K S SR E E J I T H @T’Puram The developments in the Rahul Mamkootathil issue have left the Congress state unit divided. Despite mounting pressure, the leadership remains split on the timing of any action a g ainst the Palakkad MLA. While senior leaders including V M Sudheeran and K Muraleedharan have called for Rahul’s immediate expulsion from the party , veterans including Ramesh Chennithala say the leadership would take a call after the court’s verdict in the case. For its part, the AICC leadership has passed the buck to the state unit. Besides the former KPCC presidents, senior leaders Ajay Tharayil and former MLA Shanimol Usman have openly sought Rahul’s expulsion. “The issue concerns both legal and political morality,” said Sudheeran. “The situation has become serious. Rahul has lost the right to continue in the Congress. He should be ex- pelled. He also has no right to continue as MLA. I hope the leadership will take stern action,” he said. Emphasising that it is time for severe action, Muraleedharan said those entrusted with the responsibility of serving people must act morally . However, Chennithala, two KPCC working presidents and UDF convenor Adoor Prakash argued the court ruling should precede a final decision. “We took disciplinary action against Rahul, even before a complaint was registered against him. Now, the matter is before the court. Let law take its own course. The party will take a decision after the court delivers its verdict,” Chennithala said. Meanwhile, the AICC instructed the state leadership to take appropriate measures. Deepa Dasmunsi, the AICC general secretary in-charge of Kerala, has briefed the national leadership on the current political situation ● More on P5 in the state.  Informed Shafi about Rahul, faced ridicule, says YC leader E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i ce @Kozhikode Lending a new dimension to the Rahul Mamkootathil issue, Youth Congress leader M A Shahanas on Wednesday said she had informed Shafi Parambil about an embarrassing incident involving Rahul when the Vadakara MP was Youth Congress president, but was met with ridicule and contempt. Shahanas told reporters that during the farmers’ agitation a few years ago, Rahul had messaged her when he came to know about her journey to Delhi to participate in the stir, and said they could have travelled together. “I gave my reply there itself,” she said in Kozhikode. Shahanas, who is also the leader of the Congress’ cultural wing, said she messaged Shafi about the incident, but he never cared to respond. She said she was adamant that Rahul should not have been made Youth Congress president, asserting that women would feel unsafe under his leadership. “I told Shafi clearly that people like Rahul should not be made president. But my words had no value. Instead, I faced ridicule and con● More on P5 tempt,” she said.