OPEC+ CONCURS TO KEEP NOVEMBER OIL OUTPUT TARGETS STEADY MONDAY 05 OPEC+ has agreed to keep oil production targets steady for November, in line with market cues that policy shifts are unlikely until next year OCTOBER, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard YEMEN OPS DECLARED AGAINST HOUTHIS Yemen announced on Sunday a new military operation to retake all territory held by the Houthis, even as the group made fresh gains on the ground PAGE 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 Exports at 60-80% of normal levels CORE MEMBERS OF BROADER OPEC+ ALLIANCE OF OIL EXPORTING COUNTRIES ARE SAUDI ARABIA, RUSSIA, IRAQ, KUWAIT, ALGERIA, KAZAKHSTAN AND OMAN. GULF OPEC+ PRODUCERS HAVE BEEN PUMPING WELL BELOW OUTPUT TARGETS IN THE FACE OF CONTINUING EXPORT DISRUPTIONS FROM THE US-ISRAEL WAR ON IRAN, WITH EXPORTS FLUCTUATING AT 60% TO 80% OF NORMAL LEVELS, REUTERS REPORTED Deeper US shift affecting global order: Jaishankar Some changes linked to current administration, others are long-term J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday the US is undergoing deeper structural changes that extend beyond the policies of any one administration. He said the decline of US underwriting of the existing global order was creating new gaps and responsibilities for other major powers. He also stressed that India’s long relationship with Russia remains important even as New Delhi continues to push for dialogue and diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine. Speaking at the Munich Leader’s Meeting in Delhi, Jaishankar said some of the changes in US policy could be temporary or linked to the current administration, but others reflected longer-term shifts. “It is important here to distinguish the more structural trends from the behavioral ones and take both of them seriously .” Looking at the continuity of some policies across administrations, Jaishankar noted several initiatives associated with US President Donald Trump’s first administration continued under President Joe Biden. Indian change on Russia-Ukraine conflict visible India has moved beyond advocacy in trying to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war by becoming more actively involved in discussions to address issues arising from the war, including the safety of shipping in the Black Sea. “We have had talks with Russia and Ukraine,” said minister S Jaishankar “Many policies which President Trump initiated in his first administration continued under Biden,” he said and cited the emergence of a US industrial policy as one example. On India’s relationship with Russia, Jaishankar said the Flydubai co-pilot may have acted on his own, say Israel investigators still being explored, according to an early investigation by THE Omani co-pilot accused of Israel. attacking his colleague on Authorities in the UAE had board the Flydubai flight to Is- shared with Israel a list of pasrael and trying to seize the con- sengers and crew ahead of the trols most likely acted FlyDubai flight, realone, Israeli sources gional officials said told CNN on Sunday . on Sunday but Israel , Another Israeli had not raised red source said that, at flags on any passenthe moment, Israel ger or member of the does not know of any crew before the flight link to a group or govtook off. Aus police ernment. The co-pilot F lydubai fl i g h t to probe in in custody in the FZ1073 avoided disaslocal links UAE. ter on its journey from Israel and UAE are A counterterrorism Dubai on Wednesday, both probing the inci- unit in Australia is plummeting 16,000 dent. Saudi Arabia, probing local links feet in 30 seconds after where the plane made of the Omani pilot the attack on the of FZ1073. an emergency landplane’s captain. Deing, is also conduct- According to media spite being wounded, ing its own investiga- reports, the Omani pilot Captain Smit national studied tions. The co-pilot Machchhar unlocked at a university has been identified the cockpit door and in Melbourne by multiple media signal his distress to outlets as Hamam alpassengers and crew, H a m m a m i , a n O m a n i who rushed into the cockpit to national. regain control. CBS News reported that the The Wall Street Journal realleged attempted hijacking ported on Friday that Omani was likely a lone-wolf attack, authorities had barred the pilot and the investigation is still in from flying over suspicions he full swing, and all avenues are had adopted radical ideology . A G E N C I E S @ Tel Aviv ties had deep historical roots and expanded beyond their traditional focus on defence and security. He said Russia stood by India at critical moments when its security and territorial integrity were under threat. “That history is not forgotten,” he said, adding that the relationship today encompasses defence, nuclear cooperation, space, trade, investment, energy and resources. At the same time, he described the Russia-Ukraine war as “an unfortunate conflict” and reiterated India’s position it should end through dialogue and diplomacy “There has to be . negotiations in this regard,” Jaishankar said, noting that India had advocated this position for years and had in recent months become more directly involved in efforts to address some of the issues arising from the conflict. “We have conversations with both Russia and Ukraine in this regard,” he said. India has sought to contribute to discussions on the safety of shipping in the Black Sea as well as concerns involving grain exports, energy exports and “non-attack possibilities,” he added. OUTRAGE IN THE CAPITAL IS ON ADRENALINE MODE Ever since Gen Z hit the road with CJP, Delhi hasn’t stopped protesting. Since then, every grievance led to Jantar Mantar, but dialogue dies in a narrow street | P4 New Delhi Mumbai (L) Police detain protesters demanding resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi on Sunday. (R) Uddhav Thackeray leads the Mumbai protest | PARVEEN NEGI/PTI Anti-CEC protests become bigger as thousands hit streets in Mumbai, Delhi S U D H I R S U R YAWA N S H I & U DAYA N K I S H O R E @ Mumbai /New Delhi PROTESTS demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged election irregularities continued on Sunday, with opposition parties taking to the streets in Mumbai and student groups agitating in New Delhi. In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, the MNS chief Raj Thackeray, NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, with thousands of people, participated in the ‘Virat Garjana Morcha’ which culminated in a rally Uddhav . said the country is fighting its second independence battle against the tyranny and authoritarian conduct of the people in power. “We are fighting to get real freedom to India that has been muzzled by the BJP through the Election Commission of India and other independent institutions that are no longer free and fair... 13 crore voters were denied the right to vote just so the BJP could win state elections in Maharashtra, West Bengal comfortably even , though there is palpable an- ger against the incumbent government,” he alleged, referring to deletions in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. MNS chief Raj Thackeray said the SIR should be cancelled and voting done by ballot papers only . In the capital, members of Congress, AAP, various student organisations, and civil society groups held multiple protests seeking Kumar’s resignation, even as police fortified central Delhi to prevent them from reaching Jantar Mantar. Scores of activists, including AISA national president Neha Bora, and AAP’s Delhi chief Saurabh Bhardwaj were detained and later released. AISA members protested for the third consecutive day, with a brief clash with police occuring as they tried to cross barricades at Shangri-La hexagon. Bora attempted to climb over a barricade while police tried to stop her. She was detained in a police car amid stiff resistance from the protesters, with many lying in front of the car, and several women climbing atop the vehicle to prevent it from moving forward. Police were forced to drive the car in reverse and take Bora away P3 . A GAMES TO REMEMBER Members of the Indian contingent waving the tricolour and walking during the Asian Games Closing Ceremony in Nagoya on Sunday. India finished fourth in the medal tally with 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals (85 medals). Athletics brought 24 medals (1 gold) while boxers (3 gold), archers (5 gold) and shooters (3 gold) stole the show with stellar performances. India will look to build on the momentum and shift the focus to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles | PTI | P11 Senior citizens define leisure-spiritual segment Senior citizens are also becoming an important segment of the travel market in Keralam. Many are combining leisure travel with spiritual and pilgrimage tourism, while some travellers specifically choose spiritual destinations as the primary purpose of their journeys. This has created significant opportunities for specialised spiritual tourism products. ed taking at least one same-day trip, well above the national average of around 65%. Urban Keralam, too, was on the move, with 72.1% of households reporting such an outing, against the all-India average of 46.2%. The overall figure for Behaviour of this kind cannot be normalised... Journalists must be allowed to work freely, without fear Press Club of India statement SCORES of journalists sat in protest in front of Parliament Street Police Station here on Sunday demanding registration of an FIR on sexual harassment complaints of three women scribes against Delhi police personnel. The police finally transferred the plaints to its Crime Branch for “impartial enquiry”. Members of Congress, AAP and CJP joined in the journalists’ protest after the women said they were sexually harassed by cops during detention of protesters at Jantar Mantar at Saturday’s agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. They alleged no women personnel had been present at the spot. One complainant claimed an Assistant Commissioner of Police had sexually assaulted her. “I asked ACP Vivek Bhagat of the Delhi Police about the absence of women police personnel, following which he sexually assaulted me and pushed me back,” she said. The New Delhi district police in a statement said the complaints were transferred to the Crime Branch which would will examine the allegations. The Press Club of India condemned the delay, pointing out journalists had spent hours at the police station on Saturday night to get an FIR registered. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi questioned the delay and raised concerns about safety of women. H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh 86% of Keralam families can’t sit at home, finds NSO survey IF Keralam were a person, it would be the friend who always has a bag half-packed by the door. Travel appears to be becoming part of everyday life in the state, with nearly nine in 10 rural households reporting at least one same-day trip in the preceding month, according to the National Statistics Office’s (NSO) latest Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey 2025–26. As many as 85.9% of rural households in the state report- Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a Vigilance probe into a 2006 project and the death of a Malaysian engineer linked to it. CEC Gyanesh Kumar was the PWD secy in the state at the time | P5 U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi Singapore-inspired world class convention centre to come up in Gurugram: CM T R AV E L B U G R A J E S H R A V I @ Kochi VIGILANCE PROBE IN KERALAM Police transfer women journos’ sexual assault plaints to Crime Branch the state stood at 78.7%, underscoring a strong appetite for travel. The aggregate national average came in at 58.2%. The survey, conducted between July 2025 and June 2026, captures travel patterns across India, covering both overnight journeys and same-day trips. However, not every trip is a holiday; travel may also be driven by social visits, medical care, shopping, business or religious purposes. Industry players say Keralam’s travel market is changing, with people increasingly seeking experiences beyond conventional sightseeing. “The travel and tourism landscape in the state has undergone significant changes following the Covid pandemic,” feels Madhu Gopalan, managing director of NB4 Holidays Pvt Ltd. “Keralam’s tourism market is becoming more experience-driven and diverse. Travellers are increasingly looking beyond sightseeing for personalised holidays, spiritual journeys, unique destinations and memorable experiences. Social media has also become a major influence, helping lesserknown destinations reach a wider audience,” he said. THE Haryana government has decided to develop a world-class convention centre over an area of about 25 acres in Gurugram, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Sunday . During his recent visit to Singapore, Saini undertook a detailed study of the Suntec City and gathered information about the facilities at its convention centre, construction techniques, modern engineering and operational systems. The proposed convention centre in Gurugram will be equipped with modern engineering to facilitate major international conferences, business meetings, exhibitions and other global-level events. He said that the development of a world-class convention centre would strengthen Gurugram’s international identity and promote investment and Suntec City in Singapore | FILE PHOTO business activities in the state. This would have a positive impact on the state’s economy . The CM also highlighted the development plans for the Manesar region. He said that his government will develop state-of-the-art infrastructure in Manesar along with a large and aesthetically designed park. This will accelerate the overall development of the area and provide people with better civic amenities as well as a green environment. EXPRESS READ Bengal govt to introduce UCC within six months Citing instances of the BJP-ruled states of Uttarakhand and Gujarat, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said that his government too plans to implement a Union Civil Code (UCC) law in the state within the next six months. P8 Pink Saheli card must for free bus travel of women The Delhi government has said that women can avail free travel on DTC and cluster buses only through the Pink Saheli Smart Card. However, they will have the option to purchase a ticket. P3