vijayawada l saturday l december 20, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l late city EDITION donald Trump suspends green card lottery programme VISA The the US President blamed the green card lottery programme for allowing the Brown University shootings suspect to enter the US move is certain to invite legal challenge in keeping with anti-immigrant stance The diversity visa programme makes up to 50,000 green cards available each year to people from countries with little representation in the US. The lottery was created by Congress, and the move will invite legal challenges. The decision comes after it was found that the shooting suspect had used the visa to enter the US. He hailed from Portugal ■ ■ Trump has long opposed the diversity visa lottery. While pursuing deportation, Trump had sought to limit avenues to legal immigration Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Friday she is asking the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the programme. “This heinous individual should never have been allowed in US” | P11 20 mn people applied for the 2025 GREEN CARD visa lottery 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 Yunus admin shaken A girl rescues books from a shop near the premises of the Prothom Alo daily newspaper in Dhaka | AP/PTI Student leader’s death roils B’desh Media offices torched in Dhaka; Hindu youth lynched in Mymensingh; Indian mission in Chattogram attacked J AYA N T H J ACO B @ New Delhi Bangladesh has slipped into one of its most volatile moments since the 2024 students-led uprising, with political violence, attacks on the press, and the brutal lynching of a Hindu minority man pushing the country closer to the brink ahead of the national elections set for February 12, 2026. Tensions soared on Thursday night after news broke about the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of the July uprising and a candidate in the upcoming elections. Hadi died in a Singapore hospital, six days after he was shot in the head by masked assailants in Dhaka. In protest, hundreds of mostly young protesters poured into the streets, setting fire to the offices of Prothom Alo, the country’s largest daily, and The Daily Star. Both dailies missed their print editions for the first time in their history Sources . said the papers may have been targeted for being seen as pro-Sheikh Hasina and pro-India, accusations they deny . In another incident on Thursday night, a Hindu man was lynched in Mymensingh city over alleged blasphemy . The victim, identified as 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, a factory worker, was beaten to death by a mob, hanged from a tree and later set on fire. Videos of the gruesome killing circulated Youth kills man after row over `10 to buy liquor E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada In a shocking incident, a youth allegedly murdered a man in the limits of Kothapet police station. According to the police, the accused, identified as Tenneti Durga Prasad (19), discontinued studies after completing SSC. He was addicted to drinking vice. Prasad purchased liquor from an outlet, and consumed it on Thursday evening. Unsatisfied, he wanted to buy another 90 ml liquor bottle. But he fell short of `10. Then he approached Tataji (49), who was sleeping by the roadside, and asked him for `10. When Tataji refused, an argument ensued between the two. During the argument, Tataji allegedly abused and manhandled Prasad. Nursing a grudge, Prasad went to his house, returned to the spot with a kitchen knife, and stabbed Tataji to death, police said. The body was shifted for post-mortem. Prasad was taken into custody. City Circle Inspector Kondal Rao said a case was registered. widely on social media, fuelling fear. The spiralling violence has further shaken the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which has already been under fire for failing to restore order since taking office in August 2024. The Yunus administration dismissed the attacks as the work of “a few fringe elements” and warned against mob violence. “We strongly and unequivocally condemn all acts of violence, intimidation, arson, and destruction of properties,” it said in a statement, adding: “At this critical hour, we call upon every citizen to honour Hadi by rejecting and resisting violence, incitement and hatred.” The interim government also condemned the attacks on the media, calling them “tantamount to an attack on free media” and a major obstacle to democratic progress. As for the lynching of the Hindu youth, it said “the perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared.” The unrest has not been confined to Dhaka. Protesters vandalised the already demolished structure of 32 Dhanmondi, the former home of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and hurled bricks and stones at the residence of the Assistant Indian High Commissioner in Chattogram. Police responded with tear gas and baton charges, detaining 12 protesters.  P11 The fresh violence has shaken the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, which is facing criticism for failing to restore order in the country since taking office in August 2024 Known for anti-India stand Sharif Osman Hadi (pic) was a key figure in the July uprising. Known for his anti-India stand, he circulated some maps showing Indian areas as part of ‘Greater Bangladesh’ Vizag records AQI of 253; PCB steps in E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam’s air quality dipped sharply on Friday, triggering concern among denizens and authorities alike, after the city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 253 at 8.30 am, placing it in the ‘Airpocalypse’ category . The reading was marginally higher than that of the national capital New Delhi, which reported an AQI of 244 at the same time. Over the past few days, the city’s AQI has largely hovered between 220 and 280, marking a sustained decline in air quality . Amid growing public concern, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) convened an urgent review meeting on Friday to assess the sudden deterioration in ambient air quality and initiate im, mediate remedial measures. The meeting, chaired by APPCB Chairperson P Krishnaiah, brought together senior officials from Visakhapatnam and Anakapalle districts. Reviewing data from Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations and manual monitoring points, he noted elevated concentrations of PM P4 10 and PM 2.5.  Extend substantial aid to AP for major projects: CM to FM E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Friday, and sought substantial Central support for a series of strategic development initiatives in Andhra Pradesh. They include the Purvodaya scheme, Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme, horticulture development package for Rayalaseema, and assistance for the Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar Link Project. He explained that Purvodaya funds are essential to improve rural connectivity, modernise irrigation systems, develop infrastructure, expand industrial cor ridors, establish food processing clusters, and enhance healthcare and education facilities. Stressing that these interventions will significantly expand economic opportunities in rural Andhra Pradesh, he urged the Centre to prioritise Statespecific needs, and simplify administrative norms to ensure smooth implementation of Purvodaya projects.   The Chief Minister sought the expeditious release of funds under the SASCI scheme for Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu meets Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Friday | Express several important projects. He requested immediate support for the construction of the Unity Mall in Visakhapatnam, the reconstruction of the historic Havelock Bridge under Akhanda Godavari, the Gandikota Tourism Project, and the completion of working women’s hostels in three districts. He appealed to the Union Finance Minister to allocate `10,054 crore to AP under the SASCI scheme for the current financial year. Learning Malayalam, Priyanka tells Modi at Speaker’s ‘chai pe charcha’ P r eet h a N a i r @ New Delhi No one can stop the democratic progress through threat, terrorist activities or bloodshed —Muhammad Yunus We cannot help but take note of the govt’s relaxed attitude towards the security of news outlets — The Daily Star ISRO’s rocket to launch U.S. satellite on dec 24 ISRO’s rocket will launch a communication satellite of a US-based firm AST SpaceMobile. The BlueBird satellites are designed to deliver 24/7 high-speed broadband directly to smartphones worldwide A light-hearted exchange over ‘Wayanad turmeric’ and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Ethiopia visit figured in the friendly conversation between Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the PM at the customary tea hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday af, ter the conclusion of the Winter Session of Parliament. Priyanka, the Congress MP from Kerala’s Wayanad, is understood to have told Modi that she is learning Malayalam so that it helps while conversing with her constituents. She also asked the PM about his recent three-nation trip to Africa and the Middle East. Modi is learnt to have said that the impression many people have in India about Ethiopia is quite different from the actual position of that country which , is progressing very well socially and economically . The tea party is a customary meeting hosted by the Speaker with leaders of different parties after every session. The Opposition had stayed away from the meeting since the 2024 Monsoon Session alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the tea party | PTI its members were not allowed to speak during debates. Congress sources said the party decided to attend it this time around following a decision by AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge. While the Opposition remains opposed to the bills, they felt the Chair was relatively fair during this session. This, they said, was in contrast to the previous session, when they were not allowed to speak. When SP leader Dharmendra Yadav observed that the Winter Session was one of the shortest, the PM told him in a friendly manner that it was good for his throat as he didn’t have to shout for too many days, inviting laughter from those present, sources said. RSP’s N K Premachandran too complained about the short session, with Speaker Birla reminding him that he had given him ample opportunities to speak on any subject. Priyanka joined in, saying that many MPs like her always look at Premachandran’s conduct in the House and try to learn various aspects of parliamentary proceedings, sources said. Those who attended the tea party included Manickam Tagore, Kumari Selja, Mohd Jawed, Supriya Sule, A Raja, Ram Mohan Naidu, Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Chirag Paswan. polarising juggernaut Dhurandhar past Baahubali, Dangal; eyes `1K cr-club Link with identity Dhurandhar clings to the popular ideas of patriotism, slyly encouraging autocracy. That explains the brutal ‘pushback’ against the critics who panned it. When a movie is so linked with identity, any critique of the film appears like an attack on identity itself. Should we be so insecure about our identity that we allow a film to define it? Even these lines are blurring. Dhurandhar is just the tip of that iceberg.  Naidu further submitted a comprehensive memorandum, seeking a dedicated horticulture development package for Rayalaseema. He informed the Union Finance Minister that Rayalaseema and Prakasam districts collectively cultivate 18 globally demanded horticulture crops, and that 93 horticulture clusters spread across eight districts currently support nearly 33.7 lakh farmers directly and P4 indirectly  . B H H a r s h @ Hyderabad At a time when most films struggle to go beyond a week or two in their theatrical run, Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar has done the seemingly impossible. After earning more than `200 crore in its first week, the film outdid those figures in week two. For small films that sometimes pick up gradually, it’s a great accomplishment. For a big money-g rosser like Dhurandhar, it is almost like spotting a shooting star. The film centred on an Indian intelligence operative (Ranveer Singh as Hamza Ali Mazari), who infiltrates Pakistan’s underworld, has been receiving rave reviews from celebs and fans, even if quite a few critics haven’t taken a shine to it. And the juggernaut is showing no signs of slowing down. After breaching the `500 crore mark in 10 days, Dhurand- har has earned over `700 crore globally and is well on track to , enter the `1,000 crore club. In its run so far, the film has comfortably crossed the domestic collections of landmark films like SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali, Rajinikanth’s 2.0, Aamir Khan’s Dangal, and Prabhas’ Salaar. There is a case to be made about the blurring lines between fact and fiction in Dhurandhar, with the disclaimer saying it is a work of fiction, but it includes audio and visuals from real-life incidents. On the surface, Dhurandhar probably works like a conventional gangster drama, and the apolitical audience members are enjoying it superficially . On the other hand, it frequently scrapes on our real wounds made by turbulent ties with Pakistan. This illusion is what has made the film and its responses a major talking point. Environmental responsibility part of CSR, says SC bench s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a nt y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Friday held that companies cannot claim to be socially responsible while disregarding the protection of wildlife and fragile ecosystems af fected by their operations. A two-judge bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar while hearing submissions in the long-running case on conservation of critically endangered Great Indian Bustard held that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) cannot be divorced from a company’s environmental responsibility “CSR funds are . not acts of philanthropy but instruments to discharge constitutional and fiduciary duties, particularly where corporate activities threaten endangered species,” the bench said. The case was filed in 2019 by environmentalist M K Ranjitsinh seeking urgent measures to prevent the extinction of the Great Indian Bustard, whose populations have declined due to habitat loss and collisions with overhead power lines in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Disposing of the writ petitions, the court ruled that survival of the Great Indian Bustard is non-negotiable, adding fir ms benefiting from natural landscapes must shoulder responsibility for conserving them.