SATURDAY HIGH-STAKES TRUMP-PUTIN MEET KICKS OFF IN ALASKA 16 AUGUST, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard MONSOON FLOODS KILL 200 IN 24 HOURS IN PAK Landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan have killed at least 199 people in the past 24 hours. PAGE 9 The summit in Alaska on Friday could determine the fate of European security as well as the war in Ukraine ZELENSKYY’S EXCLUSION A BODY BLOW TO EUROPE A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  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 | P9 PAGES 12 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 SAYANTAN GHOSH That generation sacrificed itself for ‘Swatantra Bharat’. This generation should dedicate itself to ‘Samriddh Bharat’ - Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Study soon on alteration of demographic fabric: Modi CM vows Yamuna cleaning, best infra and Atal canteens R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi AMID concerns over the US President Donald Trump’s tariff action on India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday signalled that India would not succumb to pressure to open up its agriculture sector. Delivering his national address on the 79th Independence Day from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort, Modi sent a strong message that his government would not do anything that goes against the interests of farmers. He also called for making India self-reliant in every field while announcing a slew of reforms for ease of doing business, simplifying GST, and a state-of-the-art defence shield. Modi said a task force would be set up to push ‘next-generation reforms’ including revision of GST laws. The task force will complete the work within a set timeframe. He launched the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana to generate 3.5 crore jobs in the next two years. Of these, 1.92 crore beneficiaries will be first timers, entering the workforce. “India will always protect the interest of its farmers, livestock-keepers, and fishermen unmindful of what may come. Farmers have a huge contribution to the economy of India. The hard work of the farmers of India is paying off,” he said. 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. “Under a well-thought out conspiracy, the demography of the country is being changed. Seeds of a new crisis are being sown. These infiltrators are snatching the livelihood of the youth...” P7 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. Conversion racket busted in UP, man who married 12 under fake identity held N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Lucknow A bizarre case of identity swaps and multiple marriages as part of a conversion racket came to light in Varanasi on Wednesday when Sarnath police arrested Sharaf Rizvi from Farrukhabad, posing as Samrat Singh, for establishing a relationship with a woman while promising to marry her. He also extorted money from her while mounting pressure on her to convert to Islam. On the complaint of the woman, Sarnath police arrested him to on Wednesday . As per police sources, the accused had been in the habit of luring women and pressuring them for conversion. He m a r r i e d 1 2 wo m e n across three states, including UP. Records of the girls are now with the police, who are reaching out to the victims. The accused revealed his three-point strategy used to trap girls. He admitted that he used to identify the women from matrimonial portals, extract cash and gifts on the pretext of marriage. Post wedding, he would disclose his Islamic identity to the woman and pressure her into religious conversion. The investigation has also hinted at his alleged links with an Islamic outfit, though the group’s name remains under wraps, the police added. IN her maiden Independence Day speech, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday pledged to rejuvenate the Yamuna river, provide the country’s best infrastructure in Delhi, and set up Atal canteens offering meals at `5 to the needy . Describing Delhi as the heart of the country , and the Yamuna the “soul”, the CM noted that the BJP government was working for the city’s rejuvenation through multiple interventions. “I don’t just promise but pledge to rejuvenate the Yamuna. The Yamuna was neglected for years and no action was taken to fix its pollution. The government has started a time-bound action plan such as installation of decentralised sewage treatment plants to clean Yamu- For the first time, we will ensure job na”, she said. To support women in la- security for the youth who bour-intensive jobs, including contribute to the taxi drivers, the government growth and will set up 500 new centres development of and crèches, she announced. sports in Delhi Announcing that her government will launch the ‘ tal Rekha Gupta, CM A canteens’, scheme on the birth anniversary of late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the CM stated that meals will be provided to the needy for `5. She assured welfare steps for the poor and stated that her government will come up with a welfare board for the gig workers in the city . The CM also highlighted her government’s efforts to provide permanent houses to slum dwellers. Noting that her government was working to repair the city’s roads, Gupta said that the issue of waterlogging during rains was being addressed through the desilting of drains, among other measures. The ceremony unfolded under heavy showers that tested the endurance of participants and spectators. A few members of the marching contingents lost consciousness after the parade and were helped to the stands. P4 EXPRESS READ Protest as Indigo cancels Delhi-Darbhanga flight A section of Indigo passengers of a Delhi-Darbhanga flight staged a sit-in on the airport’s tarmac on Thursday evening after their delayed flight was cancelled. Security staff and the CISF personnel were called to clear the area. Nagaland Governor La Ganesan dies at 80 Nagaland Governor La Ganesan (80) passed away on Friday at Apollo Hospital in Chennai. He had suffered a head injury after a fall at his T Nagar residence on August 8 and was found unconscious. | OBIT P7 TALKS COLLAPSE Amid deep divisions, plastic treaty bombs S V K R I S H N A C H A I TA N YA @ Geneva 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 night- long 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 Con- TNIE in Switzerland S V KRISHNA CHAITANYA @ GENEVA ference 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 produc- tion, 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.” J&K cloudburst toll 60, at least 80 others missing; rescue on FAYA Z WA N I @ Srinagar BRAVING inter mittent rain, 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 8.5km trek to the 9,500-foot shrine begins from Chisoti, which is located about 90 km Rescue work underway in Chisoti village of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday following a cloudburst a day earlier | PTI 6 dead, 5 hurt as dargah near Humayun’s Tomb gives way amid rainfall N I T I N R A W AT @ New Delhi SIX people died and five others were injured on Friday after a portion of rooms at Patte Shah Dargah near Humayun’s Tomb in southeast Delhi collapsed amid heavy rains. Most of the victims were at the dargah for Friday prayers and were seeking shelter from the downpour when the incident happened. According to a senior police officer, they received a PCR call at 3.55 pm re garding the incident. The Station House Officer and locals quickly arrived at the scene. Fire personnel, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and ambulances also reached and launched a rescue operation, with a dog squad. “Eleven people were rescued from the spot. Nine were sent to AIIMS Trauma Centre, while the other two were sent to LNJP and RML hospitals,” the officer stated. Upon arrival, the police found that the incident took place at Patte-Shah dargah, located near Humayun’s Tomb. Two of the rooms within its premises had collapsed due to heavy rains, including their ceiling and one side of their wall. “So far, six people, including from Kishtwar town. The yatra remained suspended for a second day on Friday . A local resident said the disaster struck during the 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. The deluge flattened a makeshift market, a langar site and a security outpost, besides damaging 16 residential houses and government buildings, three temples and a 30-metre bridge apart from vehicles. Rescue-and-relief operation was suspended late on Thursday night. It resumed on Friday with the rescuers —from police, Army NDRF, , SDRF and local volunteers —sifting through the rubble to find survivors. An NDRF official said the rescue operation will be extremely challenging. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Omar Abdullah and J&K L-G Manoj Sinha on Friday and assured them of all help. Rescue operations at the site of collapse in New Delhi, on Friday| EXPRESS three men and as many women, have reportedly died. The DVR of the spot has been seized, and the caretakers of the mosque are being examined,” the DCP said. Vishal Kumar, who works at Humayun’s Tomb, said, “I work at Humayun’s Tomb and heard a loud noise, following which I, along with my supervisor, rushed to the site. Later, we called people and also informed the authorities about the collapse. We took some people out of the debris. There were around 10 to 12 people trapped under it,” he added. The visuals show that the locals were trying to help some people who were trapped in the debris. Yamuna above danger mark, alert sounded P R A B H AT S H U K L A @ New Delhi LARGE volumes of water released upstream have set the Yamuna on an upward course in Delhi, triggering precautionary measures as authorities brace for a possible floodlike situation. At 1 pm on Friday, the river touched 204.65 metres at the Old Railway Bridge (ORB), an official gauge site, breaching the city’s warning threshold of 204.50 metres, officials said. The warning mark for the city is 204.50 metres, a thresholdFriday’s 1 pm reading crossed comfortably . “The reason for the increase in level is mostly due to the high volumes of water released from the Wazirabad and Hathnikund barrage every hour,” an official from the central flood room said. The Hathnikund barrage is releasing around 47,024 cusecs of water, and Wazirabad is releasing 35,130 cusecs of water every hour, the official added. On Thursday, the hourly discharge crossed a seasonal peak of 65,761 cusecs at 3 pm, the highest so far this year. Last week, on August 8, the water level had reached 205.15 meters after discharge from the Hathnikund barrage reached a peak of 561,729 cusecs. Agencies are on alert to monitor vulnerable stretches.