SATURDAY 10 MAY, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard TRUMP PLANS TO CUT TARIFFS ON CHINA US President on Friday floated cutting tariffs on China from 145% to 80% ahead of a meeting among top US and Chinese trade officials. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 11 DONALD TRUMP WANTS QUICK DE-ESCALATION: WHITE HOUSE US President Donald Trump wants to see the conflict between India and Pakistan de-escalate as quickly as possible, the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said NSA AND SECY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO INVOLVED IN IT  NEW DELHI  J8.00 HEARTLESS PAKISTAN MILITARY PUT CIVILIAN FLIERS IN HARM’S WAY On May 7, the day India took on Pak’s terror infra, the neighbour did not close its civil airspace while trying to attack Indian installations with drones and missiles. Else, it knew the strikes would draw a swift Indian response. In effect, it used its civil airliners as a shield. The defence ministry shared screenshots of flight movement on the website flightradar24 to prove its point (see map) DRONE OF WAR DEAFENS BORDER AGAIN ON DAY 2 Three injured in Punjab as debris falls on house; bid to attack Srinagar, Jammu airports foiled; air defence systems take out most of the projectiles fired from across the border PAGES 14  TURKISH FINGERPRINT SEEN IN DOWNED DRONES During the intervening night of May 8 and 9, Pakistan carried out strikes using 300-400 drones against India at 36 locations along the western borders from Leh in the north to Sir Creek in Gujarat Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said preliminary examination of downed drones showed they were Turkey’s Asisguard Songars 1 The Songar has five variants, including a noncombat one. Can be used “effectively in any kind of day/ night military and security operations”. It has a range of about 10 km, with a load carrying capacity of 45 kg, an option for asymmetric threats 2 PoK DAY 3 FAYA Z W A N I , H A R P R E E T B A J W A , R A J E S H A S N A N I & M AYA N K S I N G H @ Srinagar / Chandigarh/ Jaipur / New Delhi DASHING hopes of an immediate de-escalation in tensions, Pakistan on Friday launched another wave of drone attacks targeting key Indian locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan. The drones specifically targeted army bases in Srinagar and Awantipora and the Jammu airport, which also houses the Indian Air Force station. Multiple explosions were heard near Srinagar airport as the air defence systems engaged the drones. “Drones have been sighted at 26 locations ranging from the Baramulla in the North to Bhuj in the South, along both the International Border and the Line of Control with Pakistan. These include suspected armed drones posing potential threats to civilian and military targets,” the Ar my said in a statement. The locations include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala, it added. Indian defence systems intercepted and neutralised all drones. However, in Punjab, a CHINA Baramulla Srinagar Avantipura Nagrota Jammu Pathankot Ferozpur Fazilka PAKISTAN Lalgarh Jatta Jaisalmer INDIA Barmer Bhuj View of the blackout enforced in Amritsar city in Punjab on Friday | PTI drone exploded as it was being neutralised and fell on a house, causing burn injuries to three persons. The condition of one person is said to be serious. “There was heavy drone attack at Khai Pheme Ki village near Ferozepur. One of the drones that was neutralised fell down like a ball of fire on to a house, injuring three. One lady who was cooking suffered extensive burn injuries. A CNG car parked outside the house caused a blast and the house caught fire,” an official told this newspaper. Sources said the village is situated close to the Army cantonment, which may have been the original target. In J&K, red streaks were seen and several loud explosions heard in Jammu city and its adjoining areas as the air defence systems neutralised the kamikaze drones launched from across the border. Sirens were sounded and there was a complete blackout in Jammu in the evening. The authorities also snapped electricity to major parts of the region to enforce the blackout. There were no immediate reports of any casualty or damage in the drone attack in Jammu and Kashmir. In Rajasthan, blackouts were enforced in Jaisalmer, Barmer and Sri Ganganagar districts, and residents were urged to stay indoors. MORE REPORTS ON P3, 5, 6, 7, 9 & 10 SOME OF THE CITIES TARGETED ON FRIDAY Map not to scale Don’t panic, stay indoors, says Army Citizens, especially those in border areas, must stay indoors, limit unnecessary movement, and follow safety instructions issued by local authorities, the army said in an advisory. While there is no need for panic, heightened vigilance and precaution are essential, it added. “Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high state of alert, and all such aerial threats are being tracked and engaged using counter-drone systems. The situation is under constant watch, and prompt action is being taken wherever necessary,” it said PM meets defence brass amid fresh Pak escalation RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR AND M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi AMID fresh escalations from Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a crucial high-level meeting with the chiefs of all three armed services—Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh were also there at the meeting held at the PM’s residence on Friday evening. The meeting came in the backdrop of Pakistan’s att e m p t s t o l a u n ch drone and missile strikes in Jammu, Punjab and other parts of the country on Thursday night. During the meeting that lasted more than an hour, Modi commended the success of the armed forces in repelling Pakistan’s provocations, it is learnt. “Full details were shared with the PM who in turn asked the service chiefs to do the needful to teach a lesson to the enemies,” a source said. Earlier in the day, Rajnath Singh had held a detailed meeting with the three service chiefs to take stock of the evolving situation and a comprehensive national security assessment. Before his meeting with the three service chiefs, Prime Minister Modi met armed forces veterans at his residence. “There was an extensive inter- action with ex-servicemen who have experience in handling such situations in the past. PM Modi carefully listened to their suggestions,” a source said, adding that the veterans included former chiefs of Air Force, Army and Navy . According to sources, NSA Ajit Doval stayed back after the meeting with the service chiefs was over, to have a one-on-one with Modi. Later, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reached the PM’s residence to brief him about the diplomatic measures taken to deal with the India-Pakistan tension. Developed by Asisguard, an Ankara-based firm, Songar is a low-altitude, quadrotor, UAV that was developed for the Turkish armed forces. Has been in use since 2020 for battlefield operations as well as internal security duties 3 SONGAR has an autonomous take-off and landing capability. It is integrated with a machine gun and grenade launcher. With the capability of real-time image transmission, it can detect target area, neutralise threat and damage detection 4 Pakistan’s drone inventory includes those made by China (CH-4) and Turkey (Bayraktar Akinci). Pakistan also has its own drones and loitering munitions 5 9 KG Payload 25 MIN Max. flight time Turkey’s Asisguard Songar INDIA ABSTAINS FROM IMF VOTE ON LOAN TO PAKISTAN India abstained from the IMF vote on Pakistan’s loan programmes on Friday, stating its concerns over its funds being misused for state sponsored crossborder terrorism. “Rewarding continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism sends a dangerous message to the global community, exposes funding agencies and donors to reputational risks, and makes a mockery of global values,” India said. The IMF took note of the abstention Whopping 400 UAV incursions in one long night M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi OPERATIONAL details shared by the government on Friday showed the massive scale of Pakistan’s incursion the previous night, as it deployed 300-400 drones across 36 locations from Leh in the North to the Sir Creek region in Gujarat. While the UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) attempted to target the military infrastructure, Indian forces neutralised many of them using kinetic (blowing them away) and nonkinetic (jamming) means, a defence ministry spokesperson said. An armed drone strike on Bhatinda in Punjab was also thwarted. India retaliated by launching drone strikes on four Pakistani air defence sites, destroying a radar. Apart from the aerial attacks, Pakistan resorted to heavy artillery fire across the Line of Control (LoC), resulting in Indian Army casualties. India gave a fitting response, the government shared. In an official briefing, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said that Pakistan’s shelling using heavy-calibre artillery guns and armed drones caused some losses and injuries to Indian Army personnel. Besides, Pakistan showed scant respect for civilians as it kept its civil airspace open dur- Possibly meant to test defence systems The possible purpose of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence. Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones ing its counter-assault on May 7, the day India took out the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, said the spokesperson. Pakistan apparently used the civilian fliers as a shield to ward off India’s fierce response. The officer caustically said, “Pakistan is using civil airliners as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response. This is not safe for the unsuspecting civil airliners, including the international flights which were flying near the International Border between India and Pakistan.” Sharing a screenshot of flight movement on the website flightradar24, the officer underscored that the IAF demonstrated considerable restraint in its response, ensuring safety of the international flights. BCCI SUSPENDS IPL GAMES FOR A WEEK G O M E S H S @ Chennai WITH military operations escalating in the India and Pakistan border, the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been suspended for one week. The BCCI made the decision public after a meeting with all stakeholders including the franchises on Friday morning. “Further updates regarding the new schedule and venues of the tournament will be announced in due course after a comprehensive assessment of the situation in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders,” the BCCI said in a statement. This looked inevitable after the match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings was called off midway because of security reasons. With conflict between the two neighbours escalating and some of the matches to be held in Delhi, Chandigarh and Jaipur, BCCI was left with little choice. The Punjab and Delhi teams were brought to New Delhi on a special Vande Bharat train from Jalandhar while the other franchises have returned to their bases with the players either going home both in India and overseas. Meanwhile, the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, which was scheduled to be held on May 24 in Bengaluru, was postponed as well. The pontiff who once walked the soil of Kerala! DND flyway to remain toll-free as SC A N U K U R U V I L L A @ Kochi THE joy of the Catholic Church in Kerala knew no bounds when the name of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the new pope by Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The reason behind the exaltation is the close bond Fr Robert Francis Prevost — long before he became Pope Leo XIV — shares with the Church in Kerala. He is being hailed as the pontiff who once walked the soil of Kerala! As the Prior General of the Order of St Augustine (OSA), Fr Robert Francis Prevost visited Kochi in 2004 and 2006 — on the first occasion for the priesthood ordination ceremony of six OSA deacons and then for a meeting of the OSA superiors of the Asia Pacific region. Speaking about the Pope, Archbishop of Verapoly Joseph Kalathiparambil said the new pontiff has a close relationship with Kerala. “We offer him our heartfelt and prayerful wishes. The years that he spent as a missionary reflect in the simplicity of his life,” he said. About Fr Robert Francis Prevost’s visit to Kerala, the archbishop said: “The pontiff, who was then the Prior General of the OSA, had come for the priest- hood ordination ceremony of six deacons who were the members of the OSA under the Varapuzha archdiocese in Aluva.” He also participated in the Holy Mass at the St Francis Xavier’s Church, Kaloor. During Fr Robert Francis Prevost’s visit in 2006, he came to the archdiocese headquarters and the historic Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Joseph, Varapuzha, a spiritual landmark in the archdiocese of Verapoly . rejects plea seeking review of verdict S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi IN a relief to the daily commuters using the DelhiNoida-Direct (DND) flyway, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking review of its earlier decision, which declared the flyway toll-free. A two-judge bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh dismissed the plea filed by the Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL), a private fir m operating the DND flyway, seeking review of its December 20, 2024, verdict. “We are dismissing the review plea as we did not find any merit in it,” the bench said. Referring to the CAG report relied upon by the SC, the firm said that it had some positive remarks on the company, which the order did not reflect and thereby sought a review of the December 20, 2024 order. Last year, the top court upheld the Allahabad HC verdict, making the DND flyway tollfree. It castigated the Noida authority, the Uttar Pradesh and Delhi governments over their “blatant misuse of power and breach of public trust”.