wednesdAY five hundreds to india, 1st test match to England 25 Despite Indian batters scoring five hundreds in the two innings, they lost the first Test against England by five wickets at Leeds june, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard ukraine Russian attacks kill 24 civilians Duckett, Root guide England home Russian drones, missiles and artillery killed at least 24 civilians and injured over more than 200 others in Ukraine, officials said on Tuesday. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Page 9 l New Delhi l J8.00 l As he ever so often does, Ben Duckett came to the fore for England with a sensational second innings hundred. He smashed a stellar 149 and, along with Zak Crawley set up the chase before Joe Root took over. Even as wickets kept falling at other end, Root held fort (53 n.o from 84 balls) to take England over 371-run target with five wickets in hand | P11 PAGES 12 ACB to probe AAP’s From July, rail fares may go up Bharadwaj & Jain in multi-crore hosp scam r a j e s h k uma r t h a k u r @ New Delhi A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi IN a fresh trouble for former ministers and AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain, the Union Home Ministry has given the nod to the AntiCorruption Branch (ACB) for an investigation against them in the alleged thousands crore ‘hospitals scam’. Lieutenant-Gover nor VK Saxena had recommended an inquiry against the former health ministers. The AAP, however, refuted the allegations against its leaders. In August 2024, BJP MLA Vijender Gupta alleged irregularities in the execution of healthcare infrastructure projects worth over `1,000 crore. The ir re gularities flagged by Gupta include 24 hospital projects—11 greenfield and 13 brownfield—sanctioned at `5,590 crore in 2018-19, are yet mired in inexplicable delays. Seven ICU hospitals sanctioned at a cost of `1,125 crore for construction within six months from September, 2021 still await completion. Accordingly, the ACB referred the matter to Vigilance The case In 2018-19, 24 hospital projects sanctioned at ` 5,590 cr are still mired in ‘inexplicable’ delays 7 hospitals with ICU facilities at `1,125 cr still await completion LNJP hosp new block project cost at `465.52 cr has almost trebled to `1,125 cr in 4 years Of 94 polyclinics at `168.52 cr, only 52 built at escalated cost of `220 cr Department for approval to probe the two, which forwarded the request to relevant departments. The AAP, however, said the BJP and the L-G have turned governance into a “laughing stock” by weaponising routine project delays as alleged corruption. Drawing a stark contrast with the Centre’s record, AAP questioned why no CBI inquiries have been launched into the 10-year delay of the Bullet Train project or the fact that 53% of Central government infrastructure projects face delays exceeding three years and massive cost overruns. japanon 1st missile test its own territory Army announced Tuesday that it conducted a missile test for the first time on Japanese territory, as the country accelerates its military buildup to deter assertive China | P9 No ‘sindoor’ immunity, says SC in dowry case E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi Noting that serving in ‘Operation Sindoor’ does not give him immunity, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed a Black Cat Commando to surrender in a case relating to dowry death linked to the killing of wife over 20 years ago. He was convicted in the case under Section 304B of the IPC (dowry death) and had approached the court with an exemption plea that he had served in Operation Sindoor and worked as a commando for the last 20 years. A division bench was hearing a petition filed against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that had dismissed the convict’s appeal and upheld the sentence of rigorous imprisonment of 10 years. When the petitioner said, “I am a participant of Operation Sindoor. For the past 20 years I am a commando posted in Rashtriya Rifles,” the bench retorted, “That doesn’t give you immunity from committing atrocity at home. This goes to show how physically fit you are, and the manner in which alone you could have killed your wife, strangulated your wife.” THE Railway Ministry is considering increasing fares of non-AC class in Mail/Express trains by 1 paisa and AC classes by 2 paise per kilometre from July 1, 2025, officials said on Tuesday . There is no fare hike being planned for suburban trains and monthly season tickets in the interest of daily commuters. “There is a strong chance of no fare hike for ordinary second class tickets for journeys up to 500 km... after crossing 500 km, the railways may charge half-paisa per km,” a well-placed source said. He added that the slight in- crease of 1 paisa per kilometre being considered for non-AC classes, and 2 paisa per kilometre for all AC classes is being done keeping in mind passenger interests. This hike, if implemented, would be the first since the pandemic and could generate additional annual revenue of around `10,000 to `12,000 crore. According to sources, the hike is being planned to ensure it does not cause a burden to passengers. “The revision for the slightest addition in the fare is likely to come as part of the Railways’ ongoing efforts to manage operation- al costs without burdening passengers, especially re gular commuters and those travelling short distance,” said the senior official, suggesting an formal notification may be issued soon. On average, 2.5 crore passengers travel daily on more than 13,000 trains, including 4,111 Mail and Express trains, covering 69,000 kilometres, managed under 17 zones and 69 divisions. “Railways is leaving no stone unturned to provide infrastructure, safety and comfort. For all these, the revenue rise is needed,” said a source. Explosions in Tehran as Israel hits radar station Trump bristles at violation of peace pact Shaky start to Trump ceasefire as Iran, Israel hold off for now A g en c i e s The dramatic ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday got off to a rocky start as both Iran and Israel continued air strikes and accused each other of flouting the truce pact. Trump later claimed the ceasefire became fully operational. T r ump’s unilateral announcement came a day after Iran fired a handful of interceptable missiles at a US military base in Qatar, without harming anyone or damaging anything, in retaliation for the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday . Shortly after Trump announced the peace deal through his social media platfor m Truth Social, Israel’s air defence systems were activated to intercept missiles from Iran. The Israel Defense Forces said two missiles were shot at the country’s north around 10.30 am, over three hours after the ceasefire ought to have begun. Israel retaliated by striking an Iranian radar installation near Tehran but backed out from further attacks after Trump expressed displeasure at the ceasefire violation. An angry Trump used an expletive on live television when reporters asked him about the fresh flare-ups. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing,” he said during a press gaggle at the White House before leaving for The Hague to attend the NATO summit. Castigating both Iran and Israel for violating the ceasefire, Trump said he is even more unhappy with Israel for its reckless behaviour. Later, he spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin I’ve got to get Israel to calm down... as soon as we made the deal, Israel dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before Israel “refrained” from further strikes after a call between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu If the Zionist regime (Israel) does not violate the ceasefire, then Iran will not violate the peace agreement either US President Donald Trump Netanyahu’s office Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian Israeli soldiers from the Home Front Command unit work at the site struck by an Iranian missile, in Beersheba on Tuesday | ap Netanyahu to ask him to fall in line. Following this, Trump stated: “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home... Nobody will be hurt.” As for Israel, Netanyahu said all of his country’s war goals have been achieved. These include removing the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, taking out Iran’s military leadership, and having control over Tehran’s skies. He categorically added that Israel will “respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire”. Rejecting Israel’s accusa- tions, Iran said it did not launch any attack after the ceasefire was announced, adding that it will stand down as long as Tel Aviv respects the peace pact. Iranian officials said their immediately priority is rebuilding the residential areas and public infrastructure damaged in the air strikes. “We witnessed attacks on residential areas, as well as on scientific centres, research institutes, healthcare facilities and civilians... We are facing a major task ahead in terms of reconstruction,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told state TV . Meanwhile, there are concerns that the ceasefire may not hold for long due to trust deficit between Tehran and Tel Aviv. It took hours for Israel and Iran to even acknowledge they had accepted the ceasefire that Trump claimed to have brokered. Also, Israel has only promised to scale down their air strikes against Iran, not wind up the operation. Trump said he is not interested in toppling the regime in Iran. “Regime change takes chaos and ideally we don’t want to see chaos,” he told reporters on board Air Force One heading to the NATO summit. P9 No alternative to talks, India ready to play its part: Govt Jayan t h Ja c o b @ New Delhi India on Tuesday welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, expressing deep concern over recent hostilities and reiterating its readiness to “play its part” in promoting dialogue and long-term stability in the region. Acknowledging the role of the US and Qatar in securing the truce, the External Affairs Ministry emphasised that diplomacy remains the only viable solution to the multiple conflicts that confront West Asia. “We have been following developments overnight relating to the conflict between Iran and Israel, including the US action against Iran’s nuclear facilities and Iranian retaliation against US military bases in Qatar,” a statement issued by the MEA said. “While we remain deeply concerned about the prospects for overall and sustained regional security and stability we , welcome reports of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel and the role played by the US and Qatar in bringing it about,” it added. India also stressed the importance of diplomatic engagement over military escalation. “We wish to reiterate that there is no alternative to dialogue and diplomacy in order to address and resolve the multiple conflicts in the region.” Meanwhile, 594 Indian nationals have been safely evacuated from Israel so far under Operation Sindhu, amid escalating tensions in the region. Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft played a key role in the evacuation ef forts, transporting stranded citizens via Jordan and Egypt. These Indian nationals had crossed over from Israel into these neighbouring countries by land before being airlifted. Two flights from Iran too landed in Delhi today . Express read joint operation Wanted gangster killed in encounter at Delhi border A gangster, wanted in several murder cases in Haryana and arms cases in Delhi, was shot dead on Tuesday morning near DelhiHaryana border, police said. The operation was carried out by Special Cell and Haryana Police STF. Two police officers were also injured during the encounter. The criminal, Romil Vohra, was the main accused in the sensational murder case in Kurukshetra and a triple murder in Yamunanagar, said Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwah. Vohra was carrying a reward of `3 lakh. ahead of polls Marriage halls in all panchayats for poor women in Bihar: CM Ahead of the crucial Bihar Assembly elections, the Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday decided to construct marriage halls in all panchayats across the state to facilitate wedding of poor women. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of cabinet chaired by Kumar. The cabinet also decided to reduce the price of meals provided at ‘Didi Ki Rasoi’ canteens at all government medical colleges, hospitals and institutions. The cabinet approved a budgetary allocation of `4,026 core for the construction of marriage halls, the CM said. Maha move `20K cr, 802-km Shakti Peeth e-way project gets nod The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved the 802-km Shakti Peeth expressway project worth `20,787 crore to connect 18 pilgrimage sites across 12 districts of the state. Apart from giving a boost to religious tourism,the move will develop rural areas. Around 7,500 hectares of land will be acquired for the project, which will be implemented by the Maharashtra Road Development Corporation. The Opposition, however, opposed the project, saying that it will not only take away fertile agriculture land, but also destroy fragile ecology. special guests nagina mp shockwaves in raj PhD scholar files sexual harassment charge against Azad French tourist raped in Udaipur, accused absconding The Centre will invite 100 rehabilitated bonded labours, along with their spouses, as guests to the Independence Day ceremony at Red Fort. According to a letter from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has been asked to coordinate with state governments to compile a list of 100 rescued and rehabilitated labourers for this purpose. In line with the government’s 15-year plan established in 2016, plans are in place to identify 1.84 crore bonded labourers and facilitate their rescue by 2030. | P7 Bhim Army chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad has landed in a soup when a PhD scholar, Rohini Ghavari, lodged a sexual harassment complaint with National Commission for Women (NCW) against him. Ghavari has accused Azad of false promises, mental harassment, and sexual exploitation. The NCW registered the case on Monday. Ghavari is the daughter of a sanitation worker at BIMA Hospital in Indore. In 2019, she went to Switzerland for higher studies on a state government scholarship. Azad chose to remain mum over the allegations. A tourist from France was raped late Monday evening in Udaipur, sending shockwaves across Rajasthan. The accused met the tourist at ‘The Greek Farm Café and Resto’ in the Tiger Hill area, partied with her, taken her to his rented accommodation under the pretext of showing her around and committed the crime, police said. The tourist had arrived in Udaipur from Delhi on June 22. Police said the survivor admitted herself to a hospital, which informed cops and an FIR was lodged. The survivor accused a man working for an event company of raping her. | P8 100 rescued bonded labourers to be at I-Day function much-delayed Axiom-4 mission likely to finally lift off today The Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is finally expected to lift off at 2.31 am ET (12.01 IST) on Wednesday. Announcing this on Tuesday, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said a backup opportunity will be available at 2.09 am ET (11.39 am IST) on Thursday. The targeted docking for the satellite to the ISS is scheduled for 7 am ET (4.30 pm IST) on Thursday. NASA, ISRO, Axiom Space and SpaceX are involved in the 14-day manned mission. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS. | P5