WEDNESDAY 15 INDIA SEEKS FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION, UNIMPEDED TRADE IN SOUTH CHINA SEA JULY, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard JOINT LAUNCH NASA CHIEF VISITS RUSSIA LAUNCHPAD India on Tuesday reiterated its support for the 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling that rejected China’s territorial claims over the South China Sea NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Russian crewmates Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. 14 OTHER NATIONS BACK TRIBUNAL RULING A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 HEARING IN 3 WKS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 Turkmenistan Caspian Sea Seafarer killed in Iran strike on UAE SC slaps `3L fine tankers, India lodges strong protest on Raina, Allahbadia Turkey @ New Delhi In a relief to Shah Rukh Khan, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance granted for the construction of an additional two floors on the actor’s residence in Mumbai. TRUMP VOLTE-FACE ON HORMUZ TOLL LEVY The US President said on Tuesday he was scrapping the levy on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz a day after he announced it. | P9 S ea Plea against renovation of SRK house dismissed ed eR EXPRESS READ Th THE Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to expeditiously examine the Muslim parties’ challenge to the Madhya Pradesh High Court verdict declaring the Bhojshala complex in Dhar as a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, but declined to allow namaz inside the disputed site on Fridays. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to the Centre, the Madhya Pradesh government and the Archaeological Survey of India. The court refused to restore the status quo ante under which Muslims were allowed Friday prayers at the site. However, it suggested that an open area adjacent to the premises could be earmarked for the Muslim community to offer prayers on Fridays between 1 pm and 3 pm. The bench described the arrangement as purely ad-hoc, subject to the final outcome of the case and without prejudice to the rights of either party It . also restrained the ASI from carrying out any structural changes to the complex without the court’s permission. Noting the sensitivity of the matter, the Bench said, “We have to be very careful about every expression used.” It added that it did not wish to pass any order that could create tension or law and order problems. The court said it was willing to hear the matter expeditiously and indicated the hearing could begin in three weeks. Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, for the Muslim petitioners, said the arrangement since 2003 — worship by both communities on designated days — should continue till final adjudication. He said the high court order had ousted Muslims from a site where prayers were offered for nearly 800 years. INDIA on Tuesday summoned Iran’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, and lodged a strong protest after Iranian strikes on two UAE-linked commercial tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz killed an Indian seafarer and injured several others, including Indian nationals. The diplomatic protest came amid a sharp escalation in West Asia after Iran targeted commercial shipping in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest energy corridors through which nearly one-fifth of global oil supplies pass. The External Affairs Ministry condemned the attacks and confirmed casualties among Indian crew. “India is deeply concerned by the attacks on two vessels, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz today Both the vessels were car. rying 30 Indian seafarers among their combined crew of 46,” the MEA said. One Indian national onboard MT Al Bahiyah was IRAQ TODAY’S MATCH Third consecutive day of attacks on Iranian targets. Tehran responded with strikes on Bahrain, Jordan and 3 tankers travelling through the strait Bushehr IRAN About 148 seafarers are onboard 7 Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf. Given the current situation, they are not planning to come QATAR out of the region as of now Areas attacked by US SAUDI ARABIA killed while another was injured. On MT Mombasa, nine Indian crew members sustained injuries, including two who are reported to be seriously hurt. “The Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi was summoned this Yemen morning by the Ministry of External Affairs and a strong protest against these attacks was lodged with him,” the statement said. India alsoof Aden for Gulf called an immediate end to attacks on commercial shipping and urged BATTLE FOR SUPREMACY In the second semifinals, England stand between Argentina and another WC final. A look... Bandar Abbas Abu Musa Indian govt official Kane-Bellingham influence Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are two of the most in-form players currently and England are still alive thanks to them. The pair, between them, has registered 12 goals and two assists. Like Messi, they have come up with big moments when needed U.S. STRIKES ALONG IRAN COAST UAE Eyes on Messi It’s impossible to look beyond Argentina games without mentioning the 39-year-old. If they lose, it could easily be his last ever meaningful game for Albiceleste. His eight goals in the tournament have helped in taking defending champions this far | P11 ‘Scope of censorship’: Plea against HC’s ‘right to be forgotten’ order THE Delhi High Court on Tuesday was told that a recent ruling allowing the deletion of accused persons’ names from judicial records and news reports after acquittal or discharge could widen the scope for censorship. The submission was made before a bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia during the hearing of a petition challenging an earlier judgment of the HC that recognised the “right to be forgotten” and laid down a framework for removing the names of accused persons from judicial records in certain cases. The case will be heard on July 21. The challenge relates to the HC’s May 29 verdict, in which the court had held that search engines should not indefinitely display judicial records through name-based searches in cases that are private in nature or have concluded with an acquittal, discharge, quashing of proceedings or settlement. Legal database platform Indian Kanoon filed the petition. It seeks to set aside the order passed by a single-judge bench directing the platform to de-index specific orders and disable its name-based search function for those cases. The petitioner said the ruling undermines the principles of open justice. The petition argued that the order adversely affects the right to information and the principle of open justice. “The verdict has expanded the scope for censorship and laid down an arbitrary standard for de-indexing, i.e., removal of a specific web page or website from a search engine’s database, and disabling name-based searches, which violates the platform’s right to freedom of trade, occupation and profession, granted under Article 19 (1)(g) of the Constitution,” the petitioner said. Freedom of expression A plea has been moved against the recent HC ruling allowing the deletion of accused persons’ names from news reports after acquittal. The plea argued an individual’s wish to erase their litigation history can’t be used to restrict the freedom of speech and expression. POETIC JUSTICE Taslima to return to Kolkata after 19 yrs S U B H E N D U M A I T I @ Kolkata NINETEEN years after she had to flee Kolkata amid violent protests over her controversial writings, exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is gearing up to return to the city next month. Announcing the decision through social media, Nasrin said on Tuesday that she would be in Kolkata on August 1 to participate in an anti-fundamentalism literary event. The development makes a strong political statement for the BJP government in the state, given that she was quietly moved out by the erstwhile Left Front government in 2007 due to press u re f ro m I s l a m i c groups and was not allowed to come back by subsequent governments led by the Tri- TASLIMA NASRIN namool Congress. Sources said C h i e f M i n i s t e r S u ve n d u Adhikari will attend the event and share stage with Nasrin. The writer has been invited by Paschimbangar Jonno, Secular Mission, and the Human Rights and Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Foundation. The organisers said the invitation is in recognition of her long-standing stand against fundamentalism and advocacy of freedom of expression. Konarak Chabahar OMAN all sides to return to dialogue. “We strongly condemn these attacks... We reiterate our deep concern over the resumption of attacks and escalation of hostilities in the West Asian region and call for immediate cessation of violence and a return to dialogue and diplomacy .” The UAE Ministry of Defence said the strikes triggered fires and caused material damage to both vessels, though the blazes were later brought under control. Describing the in- ENGLAND VS ARGENTINA 12.30 AM* *IST THURSDAY U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi Jask There is no politics behind this event. But her security is a major issue. The state govt has offered security arrangements Mohit Roy, Paschimbangar Jonno for flouting orders E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi TRUMP U-TURN ON 20% HORMUZ TOLL US President Donald Trump on Tuesday did a U-turn on plans to charge a 20% toll on cargo going through the Hormuz, saying the West Asia will instead make trade deals with the US. “Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% US Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals,” he said | P9 Pakistan J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi Afghanistan SC declines Syria namaz plea in disputed 10 other mariners hurt, 2 of them serious; MEA summons Tehran’s Deputy Chief of Mission Bhojshala site Israel S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y New Delhi’s remarks came two days after the US, UK and a dozen other countries reminded China about the tribunal’s landmark verdict that its expansive claims on the resource-rich region are illegal. The ruling came on a case filed by the Philippines in 2013 in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague challenging China’s claims and activities in South China Sea | P7 cident as a “serious violation of international law,” the ministry said that the attacks posed a Arabian threat to regional secugrave Sea rity and stability . The attacks came hours after the US carried out strikes on Iran following President Donald Trump’s announcement that Washington was “reinstating” a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hor muz. Iran launched retaliatory attacks targeting Bahrain, Jordan and the two UAE-linked tankers. P7 Samay Raina Ranveer Allahbadia Frame new statute: SC The Supreme Court asked the Centre to consider framing a statute to make derogatory remarks ridiculing persons with disabilities and rare genetic disorders a penal offence on the lines of the SC-ST Act THE Supreme Court on Tuesday slapped a fine of `3 lakh each on comedian Samay Raina and YouTubers Ranveer Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani for not complying with its earlier order in connection with a case on insensitive remarks about persons with disabilities. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana passed the order after learning that Raina had not invited any disabled persons to his show despite directions by the apex court. “Samay Raina has taken the court for a ride. He is in brazen violation of statements/ undertakings given before this court,” the bench said while imposing the costs. The SC was hearing a plea filed by Cure SMA India Foundation alleging that Raina made insensitive remarks over the high cost of treatment for SMA and also allegedly ridiculed a person with such a disability . The CJI remarked that these influencers think sitting outside the country they are beyond jurisdiction. “Let them suffer now. If this is not arrogance, then we have to change the Oxford dictionary also.” The SC had directed the influencers to invite specially abled persons on their podcasts to help generate treatment funds for those suffering from rare diseases. It also highlighted the need for a stringent law to protect the dignity of the disabled.