MONDAY 09 FEBRUARY, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard N U C L E A R TA L K S IRAN SAYS IT WON’T BEND THE KNEE Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled that Iran would stick to its position that it must be able to enrich uranium—a point of contention with the US President PAGE 9 EXIT POLLS GIVE TAKAICHI BIG WIN IN JAPAN PARLIAMENTARY POLLS WITH MAJORITY VOTES A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI No double standards, no compromise on terror: PM India, Malaysia stress strategic trust, sign agreements in key sectors J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA’s stance on terrorism is uncompromising, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday after holding extensive talks with Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim. “On terrorism, our message is clear: no double standards, no compromise. In the field of security, we will strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, and maritime security We will ex. pand defence cooperation,” Modi said at a joint press briefing with Ibrahim. The joint statement issued after the bilateral talks explicitly condemned cross-border terrorism, signalling both leaders’ shared commitment to tackling threats that cross national boundaries. “The two Prime Ministers unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. They called for zero tolerance of terrorism and for concerted international efforts to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner,” said the joint statement. For India, cross-border terrorism refers to terrorism coming from Pakistan. The mention of cross-border terrorism in the statement signals India’s concern over threats emanating from across its border while reflecting Malaysia’s recognition of India’s counter-terrorism priorities. Modi’s visit also comes amid the diplomatic engagement over the extradition of fugitive preacher Zakir Naik. During Modi’s two-day visit to Kuala Lumpur, a series of agreements were signed to deepen bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors including defence and security tech, nology and trade. , In the press briefing, Modi also highlighted New Delhi’s strategic trust with Kuala Lumpur. “Along with AI and digital technologies, we will further our collaboration in semiconductors, health, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur | PTI PAGES 12  Navy’s marine engine project may get govt nod this week J A V A R I A R A N A @ New Delhi THE Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is likely to approve an indigenous marine engine development programme for the Indian Navy when it meets later this week, this newspaper has learnt. The proposal is expected to be taken up under the Make-I category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, which provides government funding support for indigenous design and development of critical defence technologies. Sources said four prototype engines are planned, with a mini- mum order quantity of 40 engines envisaged initially. The Navy is looking at developing a marine gas turbine in the 24-28 MW power class for main propulsion systems used on large surface combatants such as destroyers and frigates. At present, the Navy’s frontline warships rely on foreign-origin gas turbine-based propulsion systems from Ukraine’s Zorya-Mashproekt and US firm General Electric. Sources said the overall programme would need `4,000-5,000 crore investment, with the government expected to cover up to 70% of prototype development cost. Caste no barrier for successor: Bhagwat ‘Becoming Vishwaguru needs hard work’ @ Mumbai SOME OF THE AGREEMENTS REACHED BETWEEN INDIA AND MALAYSIA DURING PM’S VISIT: KEY PACTS SIGNED Semiconductor cooperation Audio-visual co-production Disaster management cooperation Social security for Indian workers in Malaysia UPI-based digital payments Cooperation in defence, healthcare and medicine, and tourism sectors Dedicated Thiruvalluvar Centre at Universiti Malaya Thiruvalluvar Scholarships for Malaysian nationals Joint measures to counter terrorism The joint statement spelled out a detailed agenda on counter terrorism. Both sides agreed to counter radicalisation and violent extremism, combat financing of terrorism, and prevent misuse of emerging technologies for terror purposes through information sharing, and exchange of best practices India’s rise on the global trade and economic front has provided new momentum for Malaysia-India cooperation — Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysian Prime Minister food security he said. ,” Modi also interacted with Malaysian business leaders. “The CEO Forum has opened up new opportunities. We will chart the way to economic transformation through strategic trust,” he said. Modi highlighted the significance of the Indo-Pacific region, calling it the world’s emerging growth engine. Ibrahim emphasised the steady expansion of India-Malaysia cooperation in trade, investment, and defence. India, Canada to post security liaison officers Teenagers are emerging as a vulnerable lot in a world not of their making | P4 J8.00 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE EXPRESS READ DARKCITYLIGHTS MINDS LOST IN  According to exit polls cited by major broadcasters, Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s party is poised for a decisive victory in lower house parliamentary election on Sunday. Early vote count suggests the Liberal Democratic Party has secured 244 seats needed for a majority in the 465-member chamber | P9 4 Indian students hurt in attack in Russia India and Canada agreed to post security liaison officers in both countries in a step to rebuild security ties after NSA Ajit Doval met Nathalie Drouin, deputy clerk and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Canadian PM. Ministry of External Affairs said that two sides acknowledged progress on steps aimed at supporting the security of their countries. Four Indian medical students were injured, one of them critically, in a stabbing attack inside the hostel premises of Bashkir State Medical University (BSMU) in Russia’s Ufa city on Saturday evening. Indian Consular officials from Kazan on Sunday visited the four students at the hospital where they were taken after the stabbing incident | P7 AT RSS’ centenary programme in Mumbai, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said the organisation follows merit-based advancement without caste quotas, clarifying that while the next Sarsanghchalak must be a Hindu, caste is irrelevant. Belonging to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes is no disqualification, nor is being a Brahmin any qualification for leading the RSS, he said. Speaking at the two-day lecture series ‘100 Years of Sangh Jour ney—New Horizons,’ Bhagwat said visitors from different countries are studying RSS activities to replicate the model for their youth. He emphasised that RSS is apolitical and not opposed to anyone, describing ‘Hindu’ as an adjective encompassing all Indians rather than a noun. The Mumbai lecture saw a RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the lecture series in Mumbai on Sunday | PTI posse of Bollywood bigwigs in attendance, including Ranbir Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Vicky Kaushal, BJP MP Hema Malini, and others. Speaking about the Sangh’s journey, Bhagwat said: “The Sangh has not emerged in competition with any other organistion.The Sangh neither seeks popularity nor power.” In the presence of several Bollywood personalities, Bhagwat also spoke about his age and continuation as the RSS chief. He said that despite completing 75 years of age, the organisation had asked him to continue working. “I have completed 75 years and informed the RSS, but the organisation asked me to continue working. On the run for stealing wheat worth `100, man held after 45 years in MP A N U R A AG S I N G H @ Bhopal AN elderly man in Madhya Pradesh, Salim Sheikh, has learnt the hard way that people seldom escape the long arm of the law. Over 45 years after he and five other youths allegedly stole wheat worth `100 from an agricultural field in southwestern Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district, police nabbed him on Saturday . According to a senior police officer in Khargone district, Sheikh was 20 years old when he committed the theft in the Balasamud Kakad village in 1980. Now 65, Sheikh reportedly let his hair down, thinking the law would not catch up with him. So he was in for a shock when the Khargone district police from the Bagh area of the adjoining Dhar district caught him. He LONG RUN ENDS 1 2 Sheikh was 20 years old when he committed the theft in Khargone in 1980 He was nabbed from Dhar, produced in court, which sent him to judicial custody was subsequently produced in a local court, which denied him bail and sent him to judicial custody. Sheikh and another accused in the case, Salim Mohammad, remained on the run for years and were declared absconders by the court later, and an arrest warrant was issued. It was an intelligence input about Mohammad that eventually led the cops of the Balakwada police station area to Sheikh. The cops were told that they would find Mohammad in Dewas district. However, upon conducting a raid there in connection with the case, the cops learnt that he had already passed away. It was Mohammad’s kin that told the police that Sheikh was still alive and lived in the Bagh area of Dhar district, which is around 90-100 km from the agricultural field in Khargone district where the wheat theft was committed. The police jumped into action and nabbed Sheikh from Dhar. Local media reports in Khargone suggest that Sheikh had kept a low profile since shifting to Dhar district. He was confident that the police had forgotten about the 1980 case. Little did he know that the police would come looking for him even after all these decades. T20 WORLD CUP Pizza maker, physical education teacher, cab driver in Italian mix G O M E S H S @ Kolkata THE Eden Gardens was teeming with the presence of the top brass of the Italian Cricket Federation (FCRI) on Sunday. The federation’s president, vice-president and CEO were set to watch their country’s debut at the T20 World Cup on Monday The occasion isn’t lost . on them so they have flown down three Italian journalists from some of their bigger publications to send cricket-related dispatches back home to ensure news of their achievements reaches the football-mad Today’s Matches 11am: Italy vs Scotland (Kolkata), 3pm: Oman vs Zimbabwe (Colombo), 7pm: Canada vs South Africa (Ahmedabad) public in Italy . Cricket is not new to Italy In . the late 1800s, when AC Milan was founded, cricket had a pride of place at the club but not anymore. Italian forward, Christian Vieiri grew up in Australia and had a fling for Italian team during practice at Eden Gardens on Sunday | AFP cricket. Now, there are no professional players in Italy. In fact, several players have had to pause their day jobs to represent the country . Take the case of Justin Mosca, who teaches physical education at a school in Sydney, and his brother Anthony who teach, es carpentry at a juvenile centre there. Crishan Kalugamage, who moved from Sri Lanka to Italy as a teenager, works as a pizza-maker. Zain Ali, whose doctor dad left Pakistan, is a mechanical engineer. Born in Punjab, Jaspreet Singh, who drove Uber in the UK and trains in Birmingham, has always had to juggle his day job to keep the fire burning. Some players feature in domestic cricket across England, South Africa and Australia. With Italy football team struggling to qualify for World Cup, their captain Wayne Madsen hoped maiden T20 WC would help inspire the football team. BIG NEPAL SCARE FOR ENGLAND IN MUMBAI A stunning late assault from Lokesh Bam did not prove to be enough as England beat Nepal by four runs in their T20 World Cup match. Chasing 185, Nepal ended at 180 for 6 with Lokesh not out on 39 off 20 balls with the help of four boundaries and two sixes. Dipendra Singh Airee scored a 29-ball 44 while captain Rohit Paudel chipped in with 39 off 34 balls. Earlier, England scored 184 for seven batting first. Jacob Bethell (55 off 35 balls) and Harry Brook (53 off 32) contributed handsomely | P11 RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said India should aim to become a Vishwaguru. “Bharat will become a superpower, but it must rise as a Vishwaguru as well. Becoming Vishwaguru requires hard work, including character-building, societal organisation, and not domination. As long as Dharma drives Bharat, it will uplift the world,” he said. Whenever the RSS asks me to step down, I will do so, but retirement from work will never happen,” he said. Bhagwat also stressed that English would never be the medium of communication in RSS functioning, as it is not an Indian language. “Wherever English is necessary we use it. We , are not averse to it,” he added. 3 bodies found in a car near Peeragarhi N I T I N R A W AT @ New Delhi THREE people, including a woman, were found dead inside a car near the Peeragarhi flyover in the western part of the city the police said on Sunday , . The PCR received a call at around 3.50 pm regarding three people lying inside a car near the service lane of Peeragarhi flyover and not responding, a senior police officer said. The deceased have been identified as Randhir (76), Shiv Naresh Singh (47), and Laxmi Devi (40). Police said that the cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem examination is conducted. However, prima facie, it appears to be a case of suspected suicide, they said. According to police, the caller said that one person was seated in the driver’s seat, while the other two were lying unconscious in the back seat. Police immediately reached the spot, forcibly opened the locked car, and pulled the occupants out. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared them dead. Police recovered some documents from the vehicle. Using the car registration number, they contacted the family of one of the deceased, which reached the spot and identified the person in the driver’s seat. The other two bodies were later identified by their family members at the hospital. The crime and forensic teams were called at the spot. The area was cordoned off, the officer said, adding that the investigation is being carried out from all angles.