WEDNESDAY 19 MARCH, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard STUDY SAYS LAHAUL SPITI MOST VULNERABLE TO AVALANCHES GERMANY HOUSE BACKS PLAN ON DEFENCE SPEND Would-be next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, won lawmakers’ approval on Tuesday for plans to loosen the nation’s debt rules for higher defence spending. PAGE 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI HOPE AND DESPAIR What’s happening in Ukraine is not good, but we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace. And I think we’ll be able to do it US President Donald Trump Even if the other side makes a gesture of some sort... you can expect them to find another way or putting pressure or putting a spoke in our wheel RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin on Monday agreed to pause strikes on energy targets in Ukraine for 30 days, Kremlin said. The commitment came during an extensive discussion over phone with US President Donald Trump. However, there was no agreement on a fullscale ceasefire as Putin set some conditions for the same. “President Trump and President Putin spoke about the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace. They also stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people,” a White House statement read. “The leaders agreed the movement to peace will begin with energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace. These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East,” it said. Trump and Putin agreed that a future with an improved US President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (File photos) | AFP Lack of clarity as Ayushman rollout put off A S H I S H S R I V A S TA V A @ New Delhi RESIDENTS of Delhi will have to wait a little longer for Ayushman Bharat health insurance. The signing of the MoU between the Centre and the Delhi government for the scheme, slated for March 18, has been pushed to the next month. The new date for signing of the MoU is either April 5 or 10. Sources have said incomplete documentation, lack of identification of beneficiaries and ambiguity in budgetary provisions from the Delhi government were behind the delay . The Centre had planned a mega event at Vigyan Bhavan on March 18 to include Delhi in the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Due to Holi and the long weekend, the required paperwork couldn’t be completed. The event was supposed to include the signing of MoUs for both Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, which supports mohalla clinics.  PAGES 12 A democratic country must not function like police state, says SC @ New Delhi Russian President Vladimir Putin bilateral relationship between the US and Russia has huge upside, the statement added. The talks lasted for over two hours, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. This is the second time Trump and Putin have spoken over the phone since the former took office in January . Tuesday’s call comes after Ukrainian officials last week agreed to the American proposal during talks in Saudi Arabia led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, remains sceptical that Putin is ready for peace as Russian forces continue to pound Ukraine. Earlier in the day, Trump had said he expected to discuss with Putin land and power plants that have been seized during the grinding three-year war. “It’s a bad situation in Russia, and it’s a bad situation in Ukraine,” he told reporters on Monday . In preparation for the TrumpPutin call, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff met last week with Putin in Moscow to discuss the proposal. And, Rubio persuaded Ukrainian officials to agree to the ceasefire. Putin earlier said he agreed in principle with the US proposal, but sought guarantees on Ukraine’s actions. J8.00 S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y Deal on Ukraine energy, infra targets truce done J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi  An injured man being taken to the Al-Ahli hospital following overnight airstrikes by Israel across the Gaza Strip | AP Ceasefire in the bin as Israeli airstrikes kill over 400 in Gaza GAZA STRIP: Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday killing at least 413 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and shattered a ceasefire in place since January with its deadliest bombardment in a 17-month asymmetrical war with Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions. The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza, including much of the northern town of Beit Hanoun and other communities further south, and head toward the centre of the territory indi- Hamas calls , cating that Israel could soon re- out the US new ground operations. “Israel Hamas leader will, from now on, act against Sami Abu Zuhri Hamas with increasing military told AFP the strength,” it said. strikes were an The attack during Ramzan attempt to could signal the full resumption force the of a war that has already killed group’s tens of thousands of Palestini“surrender”, ans across Gaza. It also raised and called the concerns about the fate of the United States roughly two dozen Israeli hos“complicit” in tages held by Hamas believed to the escalation still be alive. After two months of relative calm during the ceasefire, stunned Palestinians found themselves once again digging loved ones out of rubble and holding funeral prayers over the dead at hospital morgues. “Nobody wants to fight,” Palestinian resident Nidal Alzaanin told AP over phone. Gaza war mediator Qatar denounced Israel’s onslaught. It warned that the attack will ultimately ignite the region and undermine its security and stability, leading to a full-fledged war. Hamas said the head of its government in the Gaza Strip, Essam al-Dalis, was among top officials killed in the strikes, along with interior ministry head Mahmud Abu Watfa and Bahjat Abu Sultan, the director-general of the internal security service in Gaza Strip. AP & AFP THE HOMECOMING Jhulasan daughter reclaims her space en route to earth tions about her return: “I may look happy but I am scared. We , THE ancestral Gujarat village want her to return to Earth in of Indian-origin American as- good health.” tronaut Sunita Williams eagerRawal talks endearingly ly awaits her return to Earth. about his world-famous cousin: Her homecoming has sparked “Sunita is my uncle’s daughter. joy worldwide, more so in the Ours is a small, close-knit famsmall village of Jhuily. Before she left, I lasan in Kadi, Mehtravelled to America sana, where her famto see her.” ily is celebrating her What did they talk anticipated arrival. about before her deHowever, there’s parture? “We spent some anxiety too. Af, three-four days toter all, it has been gether, and I asked nine months since her, ‘Why are you goSunita went up in i n g ? W h a t ’s t h e space. Their joy inneed?’ She was detertwines with ter mined — she MODI’S LETTER prayers for her safe wanted to contribute homecoming. something to the world. That’s Her cousin, Dinesh Rawal, why she made the decision.” says that he will find peace only Anyway, it’s time to see her when she safely touches down. again, and in Jhulasan, schoolAs anticipation builds, Suni- children hope for her safe reta’s family and the entire vil- turn, while temples resonate lage continue to pray for her with bhajans and kirtans, echosafe return. ing the community’s collective Rawal shared mixed emo- prayers for her safe return. DILIP SINGH KSHATRIYA @ Ahmedabad Joy, prayers in Gujarat village Homecoming of Sunita Williams has sparked joy in small village of Jhulasan in Kadi, Mehsana, where her family is celebrating her anticipated arrival. It has been 9 months since Sunita went up in space. Their joy intertwines with prayers for her safe return. P9 A study of 11 Western Himalayan districts shows that many parts of Himachal Pradesh are most vulnerable to avalanches, followed by Uttarakhand. The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), based in Bhopal, has analysed the Indian Western Himalayas (IWH) and indicates that man-made activities, including the rapid construction of roads, dams, tunnels and the regular movement of heavy vehicles, are the reasons behind increasing incidents of avalanches. Bail matters in cases triable by magistrates are being brought before SC... People are not getting bail when they should... The system is being burdened Justice Abhay Oka EXPRESSING dismay over the habit of trial courts and high courts denying bail even in minor cases despite completion of investigation, the Supreme Court said that the practice is unacceptable in a democratic country and that it creates unnecessary strain on the higher judiciary . “A democratic country must not function like a police state, where law enforcement agencies exercise arbitrary powers to detain individuals without genuine necessity,” a bench of Bail, not jail, is the norm The Supreme Court has on numerous times urged lower courts to adopt a more liberal stance in granting bail, particularly in cases of minor infractions justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said on Monday while granting bail to an accused who had been in custody for over two years in a cheating case. The accused had moved top court after his bail plea was mechanically rejected by both the trial court and the Gujarat High Court, despite the investigation being completed and a chargesheet filed. The SC has time and again held bail, not jail, is the rule. Questioning the repeated rejection of bail pleas by lower courts, the SC observed that two decades ago, bail pleas in smaller cases rarely reached the high courts, let alone the apex court. Now, bail matters that should have been disposed of by magistrates are being brought before the SC, it said. “It is shocking that the Supreme Court is adjudicating bail pleas in cases that should be disposed of at the trial court level. The system is being burdened unnecessarily,” Justice Oka said. Kin in HC, seek action against diplomat son Plea against MEA, school The alleged incident took place in August last year, with an FIR lodged on Sept 18 at the Greater Kailash police station against son of a Kenyan diplomat. SHEKHAR SINGH & IFRAH MUFTI @ New Delhi THE parents of the five-yearold girl, who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a Class 12 student, son of a Kenyan diplomat, have approached the Delhi High Court, demanding action against the accused, including his designation as Persona Non Grata (PNG). The petition seeks to strip him of diplomatic immunity, allowing Indian au- thorities to prosecute him un- an FIR lodged on September 18 der local laws. under Section 75(2) of the Filed against multiple re- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita spondents, including Minis(sexual harassment) and try of External Affairs, Section 10 of the POCSO Delhi Police, the school Act at the Greater KaiTMS administration of K R lash police station. IMPACT Mangalam, and the DelThe petitioners argue hi government, the plea that since then, the MEA seeks to underscore syshas failed to take decisive temic lapses that allegedly steps to facilitate the probe hindered the investigation. or clarify whether the accused The alleged incident oc- enjoys diplomatic immunity . curred in August last year, with CONTINUED ON P4