log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY JANUARY 4, 2026 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 197 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 Ananya Panday sets 2026 fitness goal, shares chin-up challenge on Instagram Veins not in vain The promotion trap Is ‘dry promotion’ is really worth the hype or not? SPORTS »PAGE 8 Siraj returns as India names squad for New Zealand ODIs Ishaan flies to US for Oscar campaign 9 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 This new year, ignite the hunger 2026 and the end of becoming better BCCI asks Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman MAGAZINE MAGAZ No Gobi, but Xacuti: Temple fair menu stirs emotions New Year’s resolutions worldwide The Imlee Jar: Where simple vegetarian meals turn into culinary experiences Subtle poison in Goa’s air: From observation to constitutional concern 11 IN SHORT >> Fake excise licence: Gupta gets 14-day JC PANAJI: The Mapusa Judicial Magistrate First Class court has remanded Ajay Gupta to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with a case registered by Mapusa Police against GS Hospitality Goa Arpora LLP. The case pertains to the alleged forgery of documents to obtain an excise licence for the establishment Birch by Romeo Lane at Arpora. Police are now probing the alleged use of forged documents inorder to secure the licence. Understand chronic venous insufficiency, its causes, symptoms, treatments US attacks Venezuela; captures president, wife in midnight Op MADURO, WIFE DRAGGED FROM BEDROOM BY ELITE US FORCES DURING RAID, FLOWN OUT OF COUNTRY PTI CARACAS The United States hit Venezuela with a large-scale strike early Saturday and said its president had been captured and flown out of the country, after months of intense pressure on Nicolas Maduro’s government, in an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack. The legal authority for the strike and whether Trump consulted Congress beforehand was not immediately clear. The stunning, lightning-fast American military action, which plucked a nation’s sitting leader from office, echoed the US invasion of Panama that led to the surrender and seizure of its leader, Manuel Antonio Noriega, in 1990 exactly 36 years ago. Sources said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were US ‘going to run’ Venezuela until safe transition of power: Trump WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Saturday that US is ‘going to run’ Venezuela until safe transition of power can take place. He claimed the American presence was already in place, though there were no immediate signs that the US was running the country. “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”, Trump said at a Mara-Lago news conference where he boasted that this extremely successful operation should serve as warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives. dragged from their bedroom by elite US forces during the raid. No US service members were killed, though some were injured when a helicopter was hit during the attack, which was carried out under the cover of darkness. Early Saturday, multiple ex- plosions rang out, and low-flying aircraft swept through the Venezuelan capital. Maduro’s government accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations, calling it an imperialist attack and urging citizens to take to the streets. Socorro mishap leaves 2 injured NEW DELHI: A biting chill gripped North India with mercury dipping below freezing point in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, while cold conditions prevailed along the plains, accompanied by dense fog. With Maduro’s whereabouts not known, the vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, would take power under Venezuelan law. There was no confirmation that had happened, though she did issue a statement after the strike. We do not know the where- PTI MOON MARVEL: The first Supermoon of 2026 visible from the Panaji promenade on Saturday. The rare astronomical event saw the Moon appear around 30 per cent brighter. Narayan Pissurlenkar Porvorim chain thief nabbed in U’khand Mercury dips below freezing point in J&K „„MIGRATION: Venezuela was blamed for driving large migrant flows toward the US border. „„DRUGS: The US accused Venezuela of serving as a key cocaine transit route. „„NARCO-TERROR: Maduro and allied groups were alleged to be involved in drug-linked crimes Hindu bizman dies three days after attack in Bangladesh PANAJI: A major road accident involving three cars was reported at Soccor on Saturday. The incident occurred when one of the vehicles, allegedly travelling on the wrong side, crossed a barricade and rammed into two other cars, resulting in a pile-up. The driver of the vehicle that crossed the barricade is suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol. Two persons sustained injuries. PORVORIM: Saligao police has nabbed a 32-year-old man from Uttarakhand in connection with the chain-snatching robbery at a shop in Nova Cidade Enclave in Porvorim. Police received information that the accused was at his home in Uttarakhand where he was nabbed.  >> See pg 5 WHY US STRUCK VENEZUELA 3 months after rains ravaged harvests, govt disburses compensation to ryots THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said all eligible farmers who applied for relief following crop losses due to unseasonal rains have been compensated under the Shetkari Aadhar Nidhi scheme. Speaking at a meet in San- quelim to disburse Rs 3.68 crore to nearly 3,950 beneficiaries, the chief minister said funds have already been credited to several accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), with the remaining payments to be completed by Monday. The disbursement, initially scheduled for December, was delayed due to the election Code of Conduct. “Even if not 100 per cent, the government has ensured that at least 50 per cent of the losses incurred by farmers have been compensated,” Sawant said, adding that not a single eligible farmer has >Continued on P6 DHAKA A Hindu businessman, who was brutally attacked, hacked and set on fire three days ago, died on Saturday in Bangladesh, reports and a minority faith group leader said. This is the fifth death of a person from Hindu community since December and radical groups in Bangladesh are visibly trying to intimidate the minority faiths, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council spokesman Kajol Debnath said. Khokon Das, 50, was assaulted near Keurbhanga Bazar in Damudya in Shariatpur district, about 100 kilometres south of Dhaka, on Wednesday night while returning home after closing his shop. “Das died this morning after battling for life for three days,” Debnath confirmed. Das, who ran a medicine shop and mobile banking business, was travelling in an auto when the attackers intercepted the vehicle and allegedly beat him up, hacked him with sharp weapons and then poured petrol on his head before setting him on fire. abouts of President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, Rodriguez said. We demand proof of life. Maduro, Trump said, has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country. This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement. He set a news conference for later Saturday morning. The attack itself lasted less than 30 minutes, and the explosions at least seven blasts sent people rushing into the streets, while others took to social media to report what they’d seen and heard. United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism and would face US justice. In a post on X she said, ‘Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been >Continued on P6 India tells citizens to avoid travel, exercise caution PTI NEW DELHI India on Saturday night advised its nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela after the US captured the South American country’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a military operation. The Ministry of External Affairs also asked all Indians who are in Venezuela to exercise extreme caution and restrict their movements. US troops have taken Maduro and his wife to an undisclosed place in the US. Venezuela declared a national emergency after the US action. “In view of recent developments in Venezuela, Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela,” the external affairs ministry said. “All Indians who are in Venezuela for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with the Embassy of India in Caracas,” it said. The ministry asked the Indians to get in touch with the embassy through phone num- All Indians who are in Venezuela for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with the Embassy of India in Caracas, MEA said. ber +58-412-9584288 (also for WhatsApp calls) and email ID cons.caracas@mea.gov.in. There are around 50 Non-Resident Indians and 30 Persons of Indian Origin in Venezuela, according to the embassy in Caracas. The US action has triggered political uncertainty in the South American country, with many leading powers, including Russia and China, slamming Washington for the operation and capture of Maduro and his wife. Hours after the operation in Caracas, Trump posted a photo of Maduro aboard the US warship USS Iwo Jima. Maduro has been brought to New York, where he will face charges relating to supporting drug cartels, according to US authorities. FROM FAILURE TO FIX… Can Goa’s 3 main regulators redeem themselves in 2026? Spotlight on PWD, GSPCB and GCZMA AGNELO PEREIRA THE GOAN I MAPUSA From crumbling roads and unchecked noise pollution to controversial coastal clearances, 2025 exposed serious governance gaps in three of Goa’s most critical regulatory bodies – the Public Works Department (PWD), the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA). Together, their failures not only caused public hardship but also raised fundamental questions about accountability, coordination and institutional integrity. As the State steps into a new year, restoring public trust will depend on whether these departments can move beyond routine assurances and demonstrate meaningful reform. PWD: Focus on roads The deteriorating condition of Goa’s roads dominated public discourse last year, GOVERNANCE TEST IN THE NEW YEAR „„The challenges faced by PWD, GSPCB and GCZMA in 2025 point to a deeper issue – weak inter-departmental coordination, inconsistent enforcement and an >> SEE PGS 2 & 3 CHALLENGES THAT LIE AHEAD IN 2026 particularly during the monsoon when large stretches were either washed away or riddled with deep potholes. The impact went beyond inconvenience – several fatal accidents were attributed to poor road conditions across the State. Public complaints surfaced absence of accountability. „„The New Year offers an opportunity to correct course, but only if governance moves from reactive damage control to proactive reform. almost every other day during the rainy season. The annual cycle has become predictable: roads collapse during the monsoon, public anger rises and political assurances follow – usually with promises that repairs will be completed before Chaturthi or Diwali. These assurances have now lost credibility, reduced to fodder for memes and viral videos mocking both governance and political will. PWD engineers concede that unscientific trenching and poor reinstatement of roads are a major factor. >Continued on P6 Shot in the arm for startups, govt New Year day sees fewer mishaps than last year: Data approves seed capital for 8 firms THE GOAN I NETWORK VENTURES RELATE TO HEALTHCARE, AI, TOURISM ETC THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa government has cleared seed capital support for eight startups under its Startup Policy 2025. The approvals came at the 10th meeting of the Empowered Committee chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, convened by the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communication (DITE&C) at the Secretariat in Porvorim. The committee reviewed applications under the Seed Capital Grant Scheme, which offers one-time assistance of up to Rs 10 lakh to startups that have developed a minimum viable product. The meeting, co-chaired by IT Minister Rohan Khaunte along with senior government officials, reviewed 27 applications received by the Startup and IT Promotion Cell. Of these, 16 were shortlisted by an expert committee and placed before the Empowered Committee. After evaluation, eight startups were selected by consensus. Officials informed that the chosen ventures span healthcare, artificial intelligence, construction technology, tourism and digital media among others. “Committee members assessed the startups on feasibility, innovation, scalability, revenue models and long-term sustainability. The selected companies had developed and demonstrated their solutions within Goa,” >Continued on P6 PANAJI ne person was killed in a road accident on New Year’s Day 2026, even as the overall number of accidents reported across Goa declined compared to the same day last year. Traffic police data shows that eight road accidents were recorded across the State on January 1, 2026, down from 12 accidents on January 1, 2025. The lone fatality was reported in a self-accident on the Manohar Parrikar bypass in Canacona. Police identified the deceased as Melari Ningappa Bewawadar (28), a resident of Karnataka who was O ‘Deaths due to road accidents eased in 2025’ PANAJI: Road accidents across Goa declined in the calendar year 2025 compared to 2024, though the number of grievous injuries recorded during the year showed a significant rise. Year-end data shared by the traffic police indicates that a total of 2,370 accidents were reported in 2025, down from 2,682 accidents in 2024 — a reduction of 312 cases. Fatal accidents fell to 256 in 2025 from 271 in travelling on a motorcycle from Margao towards Karwar when he allegedly lost control and rammed into a road divider. He was killed on the spot due to the impact and his bike the previous year, while the number of deaths declined to 267 from 286. However, grievous accidents increased to 237 in 2025, up from 198 in 2024. Correspondingly, the persons injured rose to 293 from 276. Minor accidents remained largely unchanged, with 473 cases recorded in 2025 compared to 478 in 2024, though minor injuries increased to 803, up by 38 cases. dragged for about 20 metres. Of the remaining accidents reported on the day, four were minor crashes that left four persons injured, while three accidents did not result in any injuries. No grievous injuries were recorded on January 1, 2026. In contrast, no fatalities were reported on January 1, 2025. However, four grievous accidents had left four persons seriously injured last year, while three minor accidents resulted in injuries to four others. Five accidents reported on the same day in 2025 did not cause any injuries. “While the overall number of accidents on New Year’s Day has come down compared to last year, the loss of even one life is a matter of serious concern, although it was a self-accident,” a senior traffic police officer said while quickly adding that intensified enforcement, night patrols and preventive checks — particularly against reckless and drunken driving — during the peak tourist season helped improve road discipline.