KOZHIKODE l saturday l august 16, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION high-stakes Trump-Putin meet kicks off in Alaska zelenskyy’s exclusion a body blow to europe The exclusion of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already dealt a heavy blow to the West’s policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” For Putin, the summit with Trump is an opportunity to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia’s gains, block Kyiv’s bid to join NATO alliance and eventually pull Ukraine into Moscow’s orbit The summit in Alaska on Friday could determine the fate of European security as well as the war in Ukraine 25% alaska summit a validation for putin ■ By bringing Vladimir Putin onto US soil, president Donald Trump is giving Russia’s leader the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago ■ Trump has warned of “very severe consequences” for Russia if Putin does not agree to end the war after a deal is clinched | P9 chance that the summit could fail, donald trump said in an interview 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’s own iron dome PM announced Mission Sudarshan Chakra, a national security initiative to build a comprehensive, indigenous defence shield by 2035. It is designed to protect both strategic and civilian infrastructure praise FOR ‘GLORIOUS’ RSS Showering praise on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Modi hailed 100 years of RSS as a “very proud and glorious” journey of the “world’s biggest NGO” and lauded all its volunteers for their dedicated service to the nation Nari shakti in every sector Modi said every sector now “proudly acknowledges” the strength of nari shakti. “From start-ups to the space sector, from the playing fields to the armed forces, our daughters are making their mark” 10x nuclear energy by 2047 PM said India is rapidly building 10 new nuclear reactors and the plan is to raise nuclear energy capacity tenfold by 2047. Opening it to the private sector will increase the share of green energy in the electricity generation capacities, he added Study soon on alteration of demographic fabric: Modi R A J E S H KU M A R T H A KUR @ New Delhi Amid concerns over the economic fallout of US President Donald Trump’s 50% tariff on India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday signalled that the country would not succumb to pressure to open up its agriculture sector. Delivering his address on the 79th Independence Day from Red Fort, Modi sent a strong message that his government would not do anything that goes against the interests of farmers and fishermen. “India will always protect the interest of its farmers, livestock-keepers, and fishermen unmindful of what may come. The farmers of my country have a huge contribution to the economy of India. The hard work of the farmers of India is paying off,” he said. Although Modi did not directly refer to the US tariff, his strong message came amid Trump’s latest threat the he would jack up tariffs on India if his proposed meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war does not yield favourable outcomes. Modi also flagged attempts to alter the demographic fabric of the country by ‘infiltrators’, adding that a ‘demographic mission’ will be set up to study dramatic changes in population. “When demographic changes take place, especially in the border areas, a national security crisis emerges,” he said. In his record 103-minute address, he cautioned: “Under a well-thought out conspiracy the demography of the coun, try is being changed. Seeds of a new crisis are being sown. These infiltrators and intruders are snatching the livelihood of the youth...” Modi also sent a strong message to Pakistan, warning it against any further acts of terrorism. He said Operation Sindoor gave a befitting reply to the Pahalgam terror attack carried out by Pak-backed elements. Just two slabs in next-gen GST reforms by Diwali P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the GST rates would be brought down by ushering in the ‘next-generation GST reforms’ by Diwali. Confirming the move, sources said GST regime will move away from its multiple-rate structure to a simplified one with just two rates—a lower ‘standard’ slab of 5% and a higher ‘merit’ slab of 18%. Plus, there will be a category for ‘sin goods’ such as tobacco, which is likely to be fixed at 40%. Under the new regime, 99% of the items currently taxed at 12% will move to the 5% slab. Finance ministry officials said the Centre has adopted a three-pillar approach— addressing inverted duty structures, rationalising rates to eliminate multiple tax slabs, and simplifying compliance, particularly for small and medium businesses. “Most aspirational goods like televisions and refrigerators may now fall under the 5% or 18% slabs. The restructuring is designed to benefit the middle class,” an official said. The finance ministry said the reform will boost core sectors such as agriculture, textiles, renewable energy healthcare, and in, surance. Lower GST on health and life insurance is expected to expand coverage for vulnerable groups, while reduced rates on medicines and medical products aim to strengthen the public health system. That generation sacrificed itself for ‘Swatantra Bharat’. This generation should dedicate itself to ‘Samriddh Bharat’ - Narendra Modi, Prime Minister A jubilant Shwetha Menon greets mediapersons and members of AMMA after taking oath as president | A Sanesh Woman power at AMMA HELM; shwetha elected president A N N A J O S E @Kochi The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) made history on Friday, electing Shwetha Menon the first woman president in the organisation’s 30-year history Three other women also made . it to key posts. The winds of change comes against the backdrop of mounting criticism and pressure on AMMA to give women greater representation, particularly in the wake of the Hema Committee report and the persistent demands of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC). Kukku Parameswaran clinched the general secretary post, marking another first for a woman. Jayan Cherthala and Lakshmi Priya were elected vice-presidents. Ansiba Hassan was last month elected Kukku Parameswaran (gen secretary) Lakshmi Priya (vice-prez) Ansiba Hassan (joint secy) Women members in executive committee Anjali NairAsha Aravind Sarayu Mohan Neena Kurup joint secretary unopposed. Unni Shivpal is the new treasurer. “Now AMMA has an ‘amma’,” Shwetha told reporters after the results were announced. “It is a responsibility and we will work col, lectively. Mammootty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi are our patrons, and we plan to go ahead with their blessings. Issues in the association will be solved through discussions,” she said. Shwetha’s election follows the resignation of the committee led by Mohanlal last August, soon after the Hema panel’s findings on workplace safety and gender parity in the Malayalam film industry were made public. Since then, AMMA has faced pointed criticism for the absence of women in top positions. The WCC, which has been vocal about the lack of female voices in decision-making, has consistently called for more women in the executive committee and leadership roles, arguing that meaningful change in the industry requires ● More on P2 women at the helm.  EXPRESS READ Misuse of UAPA draws flak at CPI meet Girl dies of fever, prelim autopsy points to meningitis India yet to fulfil freedom fighters’ dream, says CM Pathanamthitta: In a strong critique of the state home department, the district conference of CPI in Pathanamthitta has raised concerns over the misuse of UAPA and the provision of “lenient conditions” for high-profile jail convicts, including Kodi Suni. P4 Kozhikode: The nine-year-old girl from Thamarassery who died in the hospital on Thursday following high fever was suffering from meningitis, her preliminary postmortem report said, even as her father accused the hospital management of negligence. T’Puram: The country is yet to achieve the dreams of the freedom fighters, who envisioned an India free from caste discrimination, communalism, poverty and child labour, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his Independence Day message during the flag-hoisting ceremony in T’Puram on Friday. P5 J&K cloudburst toll Amid deep divisions, plastic treaty bombs 60, at least 80 others missing; rescue on TNIE in Switzerland S V Krishna Chaitanya @ geneva faya z wan i @ Srinagar BRAVING intermittent rains, rescuers intensified their search for survivors in a cloudburst-hit village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Friday even as Chief Minister , Omar Abdullah put the death toll at 60, with 80 people still missing. Over 100 people have been injured. Among the dead are mostly pilgrims, local residents and two CISF personnel, who were on duty at the site. An official said the condition of 37 people, among the injured, is critical. Disaster struck Chisoti, the last motorable village on the way to the Machail Mata temple, around 12.25 pm on Thursday leaving a trail of death and , destruction. Rescuers pulled out 46 bodies on Thursday. Thirty bodies have been identified and handed over to the victims’ families. A large number of people had gathered in Chisoti for the annual Machail Mata pilgrimage that began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5. The 8.5-km trek to the 9,500-foot shrine begins from Chisoti, which is located about 90 km from Kishtwar town. The Wreckage of damaged structures at Chisoti in Kishtwar on Friday | PTI yatra remained suspended for a second day on Friday . A local resident said the disaster struck during lunch time when yatris were having lunch at a langar setup for Machail Mata Yatra pilgrims. “The langar was full of people. About 300-400 people were present at the langar camp when the cloudburst struck. Nothing is known about those trapped in the debris,” he said. Rescue-and-relief operation was suspended late on Thursday night. It resumed on Friday with with the rescuers — from police, Army NDRF, SDRF and , local volunteers — sifting through the rubble to find survivors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the CM and J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday and assured them of all help. AFTER three years of negotiations, the United Nations’ effort to craft the world’s first legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution ended in a “no agreement” here on Friday. Nearly 180 countries failed to agree on a draft text during the final week of talks, with deep divisions over the treaty’s scope, how decisions should be made, and whether the deal should target plastic production itself. The collapse followed nightlong consultations and a chaotic closing plenary stretching into early hours of Friday The . Chair’s revised draft in the morning lacked consensus. By dawn, weary delegates conceded there was no deal. The fault lines had been visible all week. More than 100 members of the ‘High Ambition Coalition’ — including the EU and Africa nations— pushed for binding measures to cut plastic production, phase out single-use plastic and adopt reuse and recycling. They also demanded a provision for majority voting at the future Conference of the Parties (COP), arguing that without it the treaty risked being paralysed by a small minority . Oil-producing states — led by Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia (Like-Minded Group) — rejected these demands. They insisted the treaty focus on plastic waste management rather than upstream production, and that all decisions must be by consensus. India backed this bloc. Neelesh Kumar Sah, joint secretary in Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and part of India’s delegation, spelt out New Delhi’s stance at the plenary “The in. strument we are negotiating has very wide scope. We must ensure the mandate is drawn from the UNEA 5/14 resolution. The scope of the new instrument should be limited to plastic pollution, without overlapping with other environmental continued on: p5 pacts.”  legal route mulled for limited culling of stray dogs Facing mounting public anger over stray dog attacks, the Kerala government is seeking legal opinion on whether limited culling of aggressive and rabid dogs can be allowed | P5 m o u n t i n g arrears `1,246 cr in traffic fines slapped since 2023, over 63% unpaid M an i s h a V C S @ Kochi Is a penalty only realised as a punishment when paid? Kerala has slapped motorists with traffic fines worth a staggering `1,246.38 crore since 2023 — but more than 63% of that is still unpaid. In two-and-a-half years, the state has managed to collect only `435.95 crore, leaving a massive `792.43 crore in arrears, exposing glaring gaps in enforcement follow-up. The state has issued a total of 1.40 crore challans since 2023. As per official records, around 91.59 lakh challans are pending disposal. Significantly, Kerala under watch 91.6 1.4 cr challans issued for traffic offences in state since 2023 ranks third in the country for the number of e-challans issued for traffic violations, behind only Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, each with over seven crore e-challans. Kerala lakh of the total challans issued are pending disposal, as per official records currently has around 1.85 crore registered vehicles. Since 2015, over 3.64 crore traffic fines have been issued in the state, bringing in `1,148 crore in revenue. The transport department has issued 1,53,68,075 challans, with traffic police sending out 2,10,41,589 challans in this period. However, when it comes to actual revenue collection, Kerala slips to seventh place nationally Enforcement surged in . 2023 after artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cameras and other electronic surveillance tools were fully integrated into traffic monitoring. The average fine per challan in Kerala is around `890. ccording to the motor vehicle department, several factors slow down fine recovery “Many . people miss the challan SMS, often because they change their mobile numbers without updating them in the system, or simply ignore messages. Sometimes, the number on record belongs to a vehicle agent or a previous owner. There’s also confusion over whether the notice is real or fake,” said Transport Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam. “Challans left unpaid for 30 days are sent to a virtual court, requiring formal legal proceedings instead of a quick fine payment,” he added. Yet, experts say the numbers don’t necessarily translate into ● More on P4 safer roads.