SATURDAY Hamas on Friday threw up a surprise, saying it will disarm and accept a deal announced by US President Trump to end its war with Israel 01 AUGUST, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in Complete disarmament by Hamas is a critical step toward a new government in Gaza facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard INDIA-UK MODI, BURNHAM TALK BETTER TIES Donald Trump PM Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Andy Burnham agreed to take IndiaUK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to ‘new heights’ A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 NEW DELHI   J8.00  HAMAS AGREES TO DISARM, ACCEPTS TRUMP’S PEACE PLAN FOR GAZA PAGES 12 Sources said there will be no withdrawal of Israeli forces from their current lines until the disarmament is genuine EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, “A lot needs to fall in place for this to work” | P9 2020 DELHI RIOTS Lifer for Hussain, four others in IB officer’s murder SPAIN Strait of Gibralter CEUTA MOROCCO Not in rarest of rare category, says judge Was with rioters As per the prosecution, Hussain was part of an armed unlawful gang involved in rioting, arson and loot during the riots and that brutally murdered Sharma File picture of ex-AAP councillor Tahir Hussain Set to move High Court “Insaaf High Court se milega (Justice will come from the High Court),” former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain said on Friday while being escorted out of a Delhi court after he was sentenced to life imprisonment in Ankit Sharma murder case. Tahir Hussain said, “The match was fixed from the beginning.” U D AYA N K I S H O R E @New Delhi A trial court in Delhi on Friday awarded life imprisonment to former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four others accused for killing Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots. Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh awarded the minimum punishment prescribed for murder under law, saying the prosecution was not able to prove that the convicts were not beyond reformation. The judge said the case did not fall within the “rarest of rare” category warranting the death penalty . “I find myself unable to agree with the SPP (special public prosecutor) that the convicts are beyond reformation, or have such a fiendish character that their continued existence, even in prison, will be a menace to society Judge Praveen ,” Singh said. Hussain and other convicts – Nazim, Kashim, Anas, and Javed – were present before the court while the order was pronounced. The convicts were brought before the court under tight security The judge said the State had . not brought anything on record to establish that any of the convicts had any violent disposition or propensity to crime. “The final test that law requires me to undertake before I conclude that this case invites capital punishment is whether the convicts are beyond redemption and there being no chance of reformation, it is now firmly established in our criminal jurisprudence that death penalty is of the last absorption,” the judge said. The convicts had urged the court to show mercy claiming that the offence did not fall under the , category of “rarest of rare”. Police had opposed the submission, saying that those who were asking for mercy should have shown mercy themselves. Police had submitted that Sharma was brutally killed and was not shown any mercy by the convicts, so they should not be given any leniency . Sharma, who was posted with the Intelligence Bureau, was killed by the accused persons on February 25, 2020. Sharma’s body was recovered from Chand Bagh drain later. There were several injuries on the body prima-facie caused by sharp , weapons. The body was taken to GTB Hospital for post mortem, and an FIR was lodged. P3 Indian students in Canada face deportation risk H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh HUNDREDS of international students, mainly from Punjab, are facing deportation risk from Canada as their Post G r a d u a t e Wo rk Pe r m i t s (PGWP) have been rejected by the government. These students completed the programmes that some colleges allegedly marketed as eligible for the permit, but immigration authorities later deemed them ineligible. At the students’ request, the Punjab BJP has urged the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the issue with Canada. The affected students are protesting in Edmonton and Surrey cities, urging the Canadian government to issue them PGWPs. Many of them who graduated from Portage College in Alberta said they were told that their courses did not qualify them for a post-graduation work permit. When they enrolled two years ago, they were assured of a work permit through the courses. The students met Canadian Member of Parliament of Indian origin Sukh Dhaliwal in Surrey and explained the challenges being faced by them. Dhaliwal assured them of his support, they added. MOROCCO Algeria Mauritania Mali MIGRANT TSUNAMI Over 48,000 migrants returned to Morocco from Spain’s Ceuta after an estimated 60,000 of them crossed the frontier into its north African enclave in recent days. At least 43 migrants died during the crossing. The influx came after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that migrants stopped at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish exclave, cannot be summarily returned to Morocco | PTI | P9 Mega allocation for offshore oil & gas exploration R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi IN a bid to increase domestic oil and gas production, the Centre on Friday approved the `84,000-crore Samudra Manthan scheme to accelerate deep-sea exploration. According to the petroleum ministry, the scheme will add 600 million tonnes of oil equivalent (MTOE) to India’s hydrocarbon reserves. It is also projected to enhance the annual domestic oil and gas produc- tion by 10-15 MTOE. The biggest share of the scheme—`43,200 crore—has been earmarked to support the drilling of 60 deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploration wells. The government will provide financial support to state-run ONGC and Oil India as well as private exploration firms to encourage drilling in deepwater areas where exploration is expensive and risky . The support comes after the government opened 99% of the `5,070 CRORE FLOATING SOLAR SCHEME To boost India’s solar power generation, the government approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana, a `5,070-crore scheme to set up 5,000 MW (5GW) of floating solar power projects over the next five years. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India currently has 0.7 GW of installed floating solar capacity offshore areas earlier classified as ‘no-go’ zones due to defence and space-related curbs. Another `28,500 crore has been allocated for large-scale 2D and 3D offshore seismic surveys and advanced data processing using technologies such as artificial intelligence. The surveys will help create detailed maps of the seabed and find locations for drilling. The scheme also provides `10,000 crore to build common Want to forgive Gen Z for hurling expletives at me during protests: PM RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi ‘Kids should contribute to nation-building’ As part of his Instagram outreach with Gen Z and his followers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his post on Friday night about his desire to help those who have transformed into misguided children, to help them become aware of reality and contribute to nation-building rather than remain misled. IN another late night video message to Gen Z, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he wanted to forgive students who recently hurled expletives against him. After the Jantar Mantar showdown, “some naughty children hurled abuse at me and my late mother,” he said. Describing it as unpleasant and disturbing, he said that those who had resorted to such language required guidance rather than condemnation, as they were misguided. Modi said it was a “cultural shock” to witness such conduct from Gen Z. However, he added that he did not want them to become entangled in legal complications. Instead, he wanted to forgive them and help reform them so that they could change their mindset. “Mai maf karna chahata hun” (I want to forgive them), the PM said, adding it is everyone’s duty to show the right path to the misguided children. Modi also appealed for restraint and forgiveness following the abusive slogans di- rected at him during student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. He urged the society to guide, rather than punish, those who had gone astray and abused him. “What happened at Jantar Mantar has been seen by the country and the world,” he said. “Some misguided youngsters used language that has no place in any civilised society he said. ,” “Let’s guide the misguided. Let’s work together. Let’s work for Bharat...I live for your future”, he told the youth and the Gen Z population. P4 DU professor sent into compulsory retirement for sexual harassment I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi A faculty member of Delhi University’s Department of Political Science has been compulsorily retired after the university’s Executive Council (EC) accepted recommendations of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in a sexual harassment case, officials said on Friday . The decision was approved at the EC meeting held on Thursday “Following an ICC recom. mendation, the professor’s penalty was compulsory retirement. The original complaint pertained to a PhD scholar allegedly being harassed,” a Bharati College case In the earlier case, Dr Amit Kumar of Bharati College was accused by students in 2018 of sending sexually explicit messages. The ICC found the allegations credible and recommended strict action. university official said. According to the official, the complaint is more than a year old but was taken up this year. The ICC completed its inquiry and submitted its report, which was accepted by the EC. “The university has a zerotolerance policy towards sexual harassment and will continue to implement measures aimed at ensuring a safe and secure environment for students and staff,” the official added. Under the University Grants Commission regulations and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, the ICCs are empowered to investigate complaints of sexual harassment and recommend action. This is the second such instance of a Delhi University faculty member being compulsorily retired. HISTORIC GOLD RUSH Asmita Dey celebrates her gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Friday. Coming from a humble background, the judoka from a small town in Tripura became India’s first gold medallist. Later, Harsh Singh added another gold to tally | PTI | P11 Omar, Payal ‘embraced freedom’, will dissolve marriage: SC S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi PUTTING a lid on a long legal chapter of matrimonial dispute spanning over 16 years, the Supreme Court on Friday agreed to dissolve the marriage of J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Payal Abdullah after noting their joint position that they have “embraced freedom”. “We will make it a part of our order and will dispose it of in terms of that ... will pass a formal order later,” said a bench of justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the National Conference leader, on Friday informed the bench that an application under Article 142 of the Constitution, seeking dissolution was filed as the matter was “settled between the parties.” “Both of them have embraced freedom. It’s all settled. (Article) 142 has been filed in the case. Your lordships may grant divorce,” he contended before the court. Sibal added that all other matters will be withdrawn as it was set out in the application. The court was hearing two petitions, including Omar’s plea seeking divorce A ‘dead’ union The Supreme Court had asked the couple to resolve their disputes. Presenting the case for divorce, Sibal submitted that the marriage was “dead” as they have been living separately for 15 years on grounds of cruelty The cou. ple had got married on September 1, 1994. In July 2024, the court sought Payal’s response to Omar’s challenge to a Delhi High Court order that dismissed his appeal and upheld the 2016 family court decision denying divorce. After his plea was dismissed by Delhi HC, Omar moved the apex court. Before the HC passed the order, the family court on August 30, 2016 had dismissed the plea, ruling that Omar failed to prove cruelty or desertion. His petition claimed the marriage was irretrievably broken, with no conjugal relationship since 2007 and separation since 2009. offshore infrastructure for developing stranded discoveries in basins such as Mahanadi and Kutch, where high evacuation costs have made projects commercially unviable. In addition, `2,000 crore has been allocated to set up an Oil and Gas Manufacturing and Services Zone to promote domestic manufacturing of oilfield equipment and services. The Centre expects the move to cut imports and strengthen the domestic supply chain. WEAK MONSOON IMD forecasts deficient rains in Aug-Sept J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi THE India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday forecast below-normal rains during the second half of the southwest monsoon season (AugustSeptember), raising concerns about the prospects of kharif crops, which heavily depend on rainfall for their water needs. The first half of the monsoon season (June-July) recorded 13% deficit of the long-period average rainfall, leading to a 5% fall in kharif crop sowing. The IMD estimates that August and September will receive 422.8 mm of rainfall, which is considered below normal. However, parts of eastern Peninsular India, some areas of northwest and central India, and isolated regions in the east and northeast could receive normal rains. In its monthly forecast released on Friday, the IMD said rainfall in the next two months is estimated to be less than 94% of the long period average (LPA). It cited the presence of El Niño in the eastern Pacific Ocean, which it said could strengthen in the second half of the monsoon season leading to above-normal daytime and night-time temperatures. El Niño is a phenomenon characterised by the warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean, which is associated with a weaker monsoon in India. EXPRESS READ Pak surveillance drone shot down by Army A suspected Chinese-made Pakistani surveillance drone found hovering over Khour sector near Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu district was shot down by the Army on Friday. The recovered drone has been sent for forensic analysis. Sources said that a drone which had come from PoK was found hovering over the Chakla area in Khour sector close to LoC in Akhnoor in Jammu district, after which jawans deployed in the area opened fire. P8