thursdAY Govt set to roll out annual FASTag passes for pvt vehicles from Aug 15 19 Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, Nitin Gadkari, on Wednesday said the move is aimed at making highway travel hassle-free june, 2025 200 trips on national highways for `3,000 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard d i p l o m at EU pulls up Russia envoy over attack The EU has summoned Russia’s envoy to Brussels for an explanation after one of the bloc’s officials was attacked in city of Vladivostok last month. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Page 9 l New Delhi in int’l services The airline said international services using widebody aircraft will be reduced to ensure operational stability and minimise inconvenience to passengers, following the plane crash in Ahmedabad last week | P10 J ayanth J aco b @ New Delhi Kashmiri students wait to board a flight to India under an evacuation operation facilitated by Govt of India, at Yerevan Int’l Airport in Armenia on Wednesday | pti Operation Sindhu starts, first evacuation flight to land in New Delhi today in Sheraz University I am wor. ried about his safety especially , @ New Delhi / Srinagar / Lucknow after hearing news that a hostel came under Isreali strike,” said INDIA has launched Operation Srinag ar resident Shabir Sindhu to evacuate its nation- Ahmed. als from conflict-torn Iran, Nasir Khuehami, national which has come under heavy convenor of J&K Students AsIsraeli aerial bombardment. sociation, said 250 more stuThe first evacuation dents have been shiftflight is expected to ed to safer location of ‘Iran will not land in New Delhi on Qom. They will be surrender’ Thursday . evacuated to ArmeIran’s supreme A total of 110 Indinia and then airlifted leader Ayatollah an students boarded a to Delhi. Ali Khamenei on special flight from Meanwhile, the Wednesday Yerevan in Armenia families of those rejected US on Wednesday. The working in Israel are President Donald flight is scheduled to e q u a l l y wo r r i e d . land in New Delhi Trump’s ultimatum Workers from around around 2:00 am on to surrender. “Wise 70 families from Baraindividuals who Thursday Around 90 . banki, Lucknow and know Iran, its of these students are other districts are people, and its from Jammu and employed in various Kashmir. There are history never speak factories in Israel. around 1,300 J&K stu- to this nation with Ram Singh, a weldthe language of dents in Iran. er from Malihabad, threats,” he said The Iranian EmLucknow, shared his bassy in Delhi said experiences with his five Indian students were in- family through a video call, exjured during a strike on a medi- plaining that mobile alerts cal students’ dormitory on Ke- come 10 minutes before a misshavarz Street in Tehran on sile attack, followed by loud siSunday. Sources said the stu- rens five minutes ahead. dents were safely evacuated “The moment the siren and nobody sustained any seri- sounds, there’s panic all ous injury . around. Everyone runs for the “My ward is studying MBBS bunkers,” he told his family . J AYA N T H J A C O B , F aya z W ani & N amita Bajpai Sending a clear and firm message to Washington, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US President Donald Trump that India has never accepted—and will never accept—third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Modi made it unequivocally clear during their 35-minute phone call on Tuesday . The call — their second direct engagement since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam — came against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor. Misri said “India’s response was measured, precise, and limited to terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir,” underscoring New Delhi’s commitment to strategic restraint without compromising on national security . IN a big step towards mending strained ties, India and Canada have agreed to reinstate High Commissioners in each other’s capitals and restart stalled trade negotiations, following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit early on Wednesday . Modi and Carney agreed to take steps to restore stability to the relationship with the return of top diplomats marking the first formal gesture of renewed engagement. “Diplomatic steps will follow in due course,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The meeting set in motion the resumption of dialogues on trade, connectivity, and public engagement. Trade talks, previously paused, will also be revived, with both leaders instructing their officials to restart negotiations soon. Shah-led panel okays `2K cr for Himachal reconstruction projects Posters, banners removed from 327 metro sites, FIR registered ED has questioned and recorded statements of cricketers and celebrities, including Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina and Urvashi Rautela, in connection with alleged illegal online betting apps case, sources said on Wednesday. They allegedly promoted banned online betting app platforms like 1xBet. This newspaper first did a story on September 12, 2022 in this case. | P7 In a move aimed at rebuilding disaster-hit regions in Himachal Pradesh, a committee, chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah, on Wednesday approved `2006.40 crore as Central assistance to the state. The financial help is given for recovery and reconstruction activities in the wake of the devastating floods, landslides, and cloudbursts that struck the state in 2023. | P4 Acting on the instructions of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Delhi Metro has filed an FIR against 53 individuals and organisations. So far, 327 sites across the metro network have been cleared of illegal posters and banners as a step toward giving the capital a cleaner and dignified look. Legal action is being initiated under the Anti-Defacement Act 2007 against those responsible. | P4 Mining engineer held from J’khand in KYC fraud verification. In one such incident, a Delhi-based complainant was duped by Ajay Kumar Mandal, who gained access to her mobile device using a remote access application. After obtaining access, the accused transferred `8.10 lakh from the victim’s account. He purchased seven high-end Apple iPhones and a MacBook online using that money often by redeem, ing digital vouchers to evade detection, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam said. The fraudsters deployed a network of IP addresses and mobile numbers registered un- der fake or proxy identities to obscure their digital trail. However, despite multiple layers of digital obfuscation, the police were able to trace IP logs, SIM usage, and IMEI data and identify the accused. Through digital surveillance, two suspicious mobile numbers were detected operating from the same location in Giridih at the same time. Later, the accused, Mandal, was arrested. One iPhone purchased with stolen money was recovered from his possession. Mandal holds a diploma in mining engineering and serves as the primary executor of the cyber fraud module, the DCP added. The conversation also sought to clarify India’s position on recent claims by President Trump, who had repeatedly talked about playing a role in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Modi directly addressed this, saying there were “no discussions on a trade deal between India and the US or about a mediation between India and Pakistan” at any point during the four days of military confrontation. The ceasefire talks, he said, were conducted exclusively between India and Pakistan, without external involvement. President Trump suggested a stopover meeting in the US during Modi’s return from Canada, but the prime minister declined due to prior commitments. Both agreed to find another opportunity for an in-person meeting soon. J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi ED grills cricketers, cine stars for ad on illegal online betting apps The police on Wednesday arrested a mining engineer from Jharkhand who allegedly impersonated a bank official and duped people on the pretext of KYC verification after illegally gaining access to the victims’ mobile devices. They recovered many high-end Apple devices purchased with the cheated amount from the accused. According to the police, a cyber fraud module operated by the accused involved impersonation of bank officials. The fraudsters would contact people under the pretext of KYC PAGES 12 `15 Narendra Modi Donald Trump Hours later, Trump reiterated that he intervened to prevent a military conflict between India and Pakistan in May after the Pahalgam terror attack. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a fantastic man” and expressed optimism about a forthcoming trade deal between the US and India. “Well, I stopped the war… I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a India and Canada reset ties, agree to reinstate envoys express read E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi l Prime minister says India has always been against third-party mediation on Kashmir issue M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi Air India announces 15% cut J8.00 Will be the Average cost of crossing a toll plaza for annual pass holders | P7 Modi calls out Trump on mediation. Don reiterates role in defusing clash ED raids 37 locations in classroom scam case The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted raids under provisions of the Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMLA) at multiple locations in the city in connection with its probe into an alleged `2,000 crore classroom construction scam, which allegedly took place during the previous AAP government. The ED’s action has come after it recently registered a case under criminal provisions of PMLA after taking cognisance of an Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) FIR with regard to the alleged scam. At least 37 premises of private entities linked to the case have been raided by the ED officials. In its FIR on April 30, ACB has named former ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain and a few AAP leaders. The FIR alleged that financial irregularities worth `2,000 crore were done in the construction of over 12,000 classrooms in gover nment schools between 2015-16 and 2022-23. The sources said the ED in its Enforcement Case Infor mation Report (ECIR), equivalent to a police FIR, has also named the same persons. AAP accused the BJP was using the ACB as a “tool” to target its leaders. Sisodia had held the finance and education portfolios in the AAP government and Jain was in-charge of PWD and some other departments. l The pass will be valid for one year from the date of activation, or 200 trips, whichever comes first. Users may re-purchase the pass once the 200-trip limit is exhausted, even if the one-year validity period has not yet ended. The pass—valid only at NHAIoperated toll plazas—is designed exclusively for noncommercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps & vans Modus operandi Impersonating bank officials, fraudsters would contact people under pretext of KYC verification Using a remote access application, the cybercrime module would gain access to mobile devices Deployed a network of IP addresses and mobile numbers registered under fake, proxy IDs to obscure digital trail Proceeds of crime went into purchase of Apple iPhones, often by redeeming digital vouchers to evade detection Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Canadian PM Mark Carney on the sidelines of G7 Summit at Kananaskis, Canada | PTI Collaboration on global challenges and emerging technologies formed a key part of the discussion, with both sides agreeing to deepen cooperation in clean energy, AI, digital infrastructure, food security and , critical minerals. After the meeting, PM Modi said, “Had an excellent meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney Complimented him and the . Canadian Government for successfully hosting the G7 Summit. India and Canada are connected by a strong belief in democracy freedom and rule of , law. PM Carney and I look forward to working closely to add momentum to the India-Canada friendship. Areas like trade, energy, space, clean energy, critical minerals, fertilisers and more offer immense potential in this regard.” This marks Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to Canada since the diplomatic fallout following allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The controversy triggered diplomatic expulsions and the suspension of key dialogues. A statement from Carney’s office reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties “based on mutual respect, the rule of law, and a commitment to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity”. Coming, rules to mandate IST for time sovereignty lites for precise and synchronised time. The downside is it Did you know that the Indian can be vulnerable to manipulaStandard Time (IST) we all are tion in critical sectors such as familiar with is derived from finance, telecommunications, the Coordinated Universal and defence. Time (UTC) with an offset of For context, the time stand+5.30 hours? It is a ard used for the resuccessor to the cent four-day OperaGreenwich Mean tion Sindoor against Time (GMT). Pakistan was not The upcoming Years after Prime linked to the GPS to notification of the Minister Narendra keep it away from the Legal Metrology Modi made a ‘One Naprying eyes of the (IST) Rules, 2025. tion, One Time’ pitch, enemy . marks India’s the Department of The gover nment strategic shift Consumer Affairs, in has now directed that towards time sovereignty, collaboration with all legal, commercial, technological CSIR-NPL and ISRO, and administrative independence and is set to notify a bunch activities be synchrodigital resilience of rules for synchronised with IST. under the guiding nisation of all activi- vision of ‘One Nation, The use of alternaties with IST. tive time references One Time’ It may not appear will be prohibited unGovt official to be a big deal for the less it is specifically aam aadmi, but synauthorised. Establishing a domestic chronisation would make their digital transactions more se- source of time standard is cure, add accuracy to utility critical for various sectors like telecom, railways, finance, billing and reduce risks of SEBI, power, electronics, and cybercrime. Currently, Indian industries stock exchanges, where even depend on the Global Position- nanoseconds can make a siging System (GPS) of US satel- nificant difference. J iten d ra C hou b ey @ New Delhi fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We’re going to make a trade deal with Modi of India. But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India,” President Trump said. Addressing speculation around a potential White House meeting with Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, Trump credited Munir with playing a key role in de-escalating the crisis. “This man was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side,” Trump said, referring to Munir. “Modi, from the India side, and others — they were going at it, and they’re both nuclear countries. I got it stopped.” Trump also questioned media coverage of his claims, stating, “I don’t think I had one story Did I have one story writ. ten…” | P7 ‘thug life’ Will ensure security if film released in state, K’taka tells SC S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi The Karnataka government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that if Kamal Haasan’s movie ‘Thug Life’ is released in the state, it would take all the necessary steps to maintain law and order, and provide security to all people concerned and other stakeholders. A day after it was pulled up by the SC, the Karnataka government said in its affidavit, “In the event the producers of the film decide to release the movie in Karnataka, the state government is duty bound and will give protection and security for such release and for the people connected therewith, including the cast, director, producers, the exhibitors, and the audience.” The SC was hearing a PIL filed by Beng aluru resident M Mahesh Reddy, which stated that the film, despite having a valid censor certificate, was effectively banned in Karnataka due to the alleged threats by fringe outfits and the inaction of the state authorities. The case is expected to be heard on Thursday by a two-judge vacation bench. The state government said the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, the apex body of Kannada film industry, has issued a letter on May 30 to the lead actor of the movie expressing its displeasure to certain statements made by him at a promotional event and has sought his apology . The government also pointed out that the producers of the movie filed a writ petition before the Karnataka HC for security for exhibition of the movie. filth flouting rules order of the day This newspaper visits the Ghazipur poultry wholesale market to find out that hardly anyone cares for rules and regulations. | P3