FRIDAY FRENCH PRESIDENT MACRON DIALS PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI 22 AUGUST, 2025 The two leaders on Thursday discussed efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine and Gaza conflict, apart from bilateral relations epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard B E N J A M I N N E TA N YA H U POISED TO EXPAND GAZA OFFENSIVE The Israeli Prime Minister was expected to give final approval for plans to take over Gaza City, an operation that could start within days. PAGE 9 REVIEW OF INDO-FRENCH BILATERAL TIES A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 The two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation, including in trade, defence, civil nuclear cooperation, technology and energy. “They reaffirmed joint commitment to strengthen India-France Strategic partnership and mark 2026 as ‘Year of Innovation’ in a befitting manner,” the PMO said. The call was initiated by the French side China firmly with India on New police chief day after attack on CM Don’s unfair trade squeeze MUKESH RANJAN AND N I T I N R A W AT @ New Delhi Ambassador Xu Feihong says silence only emboldens the ‘US bully’ J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi IN a striking show of solidarity, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong on Thursday condemned the United States’ recent tariff hike on Indian goods, calling it “bullying” and pledging that China “will firmly stand with India” against what he described as unfair trade practices. Speaking in New Delhi, Xu said Beijing “fully opposes” the US move, noting that tariffs on Indian goods could soar to 50% if Washington follows through on its 25% penalty for importing Russian oil and further escalation could still be on the table. “… the US has long benefited greatly from free trade but now uses tariffs as bargain chips to demand exorbitant prices from various countries. The US imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India, and has even threatened for more. China firmly opposes it. In the face of such acts, silence only emboldens the bully . China will firmly stand with India to uphold the multilateral trading system with the world trade,” he said. Xu’s unusually direct comments come at a time of heightened global trade tensions and just weeks ahead of Prime MinXu Feihong, Chinese envoy ister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit. The Chinese envoy framed the US-India tariff row as an opportunity for Beijing and New Delhi to close ranks, urging both Asian powers to move beyond competition and build “strategic mutual trust.” “India and China are not rivals, we are partners. We must manage our differences through dialogue and strengthen cooperation,” Xu said. Pointing to the global implications of their relationship, Xu added: “India and China are the double engines of economic growth in Asia. Our unity benefits not only Asia, but the world at large.” He also emphasised the need for both countries to play a leading role in shaping a more equitable global order. “As major developing countries, India and China have a responsibility to promote a multipolar world. Unity and cooperation are the only way forward,” he said. NO RATIONALE BEHIND PENALTY LEVY: JAISHANKAR J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi IN a pointed diplomatic signal amid escalating US pressure, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, reinforcing India’s strategic ties with Moscow even as Washington doubles down on tariffs and warnings over New Delhi’s energy trade with Russia. The high-level meeting, part of a broader effort to finalise President Putin’s visit to India year-end came hours after Jaishankar held wide-ranging discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The talks focused heavily on boosting bilateral trade and shielding their energy partnership from potential US penalty . At a joint press briefing with Lavrov, Jaishankar publicly questioned the rationale behind reS Jaishankar, foreign minister cent US tariffs and criticism targeting India’s oil purchases from Russia. “We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil; that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG; that is the European Union. We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022; I think there are some countries to the South,” he said. The US recently imposed a punitive 25% reciprocal tariff on Indian goods, along with an additional 25% duty specifically targeting India’s Russian oil purchases. “We have done everything asked of us in the past to stabilise the global energy market, including buying oil from Russia,” Jaishankar noted, pointing out that India also imports significant volumes of oil from the US. “We believe that relations between India and Russia have been among the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War,” Jaishankar said. JD(U), TDP cagey on bills to remove arrested CMs, ministers Ministers’ panel supports GST rejig plan but seeks solution to revenue loss P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi THE National Democratic Alliance allies Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) appear to be treading cautiously on the three bills that seek to remove prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers under arrest for 30 consecutive days on serious charges. The bills have been sent to a Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) comprising 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha for further scrutiny . When asked about the party’s stand on the bills, JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha said, “The party is yet to discuss the issue. I cannot give an official statement now,” he said. Another JD(U) leader said that the party will discuss the issue as it has been referred to the JPC. While the Opposition parties allege that the bill is to keep allies Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu in check, the TDP dismissed such claims. When asked about the bill, TDP leader and Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the bill will be studied at the JPC and the concerns will be addressed, if there are any . The Rajya Sabha on Thursday adopted a motion to concur with the LS’s decision to send the three bills providing a legal framework for the removal of arrested ministers to a JPC. During introduction of the bills in the LS on Wednesday, Congress member K C Venugopal said that the intent is to target allies. P7 THE Group of Ministers (GoM) on rate rationalisation on Thursday accepted the Centre’s proposal to simplify the GST into a two-slab structure of 5% and 18%. However, it sought ways to make up for the revenue loss from the GST rejig. “When states lose revenue, that ultimately affects the common people,” said West Bengal’s finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who addressed the GoM, stressed the need for rationalisation to provide relief to the common man. The GoM is chaired by Bihar deputy CM Samrat Choudhary and has members from UP Rajas- Nirmala , than, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Kerala. Sitharaman, FM Under the revamp plan, essential goods will attract 5% GST and most of the rest the standard 18% rate. “A 40% GST on luxury and sin goods has been proposed. But it’s too early to say anything about revenue loss,” said Suresh Kumar Khanna, finance minister of Uttar Pradesh. The next GST Council meeting, expected to be held in September, will take up the proposal for GST overhaul. The GoM on insurance that met on Wednesday proposed exempting health and life insurance premiums from GST. THE Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday appointed 1992-batch IPS officer Satish Golcha of the AGMUT cadre as the new full-time Commissioner of Delhi Police. The decision comes a day after CM Rekha Gupta was attacked during a public hearing at her official residence. Following the incident, her security was handed over to the CRPF, and she is now under ‘Z’ category protection, having earlier been guarded by Delhi Police personnel. Sources said that the MHA acted quickly after an initial probe suggested major security lapses by Delhi Police during the attack. Gupta was attacked by a 41-year-old man who came from Rajkot, and entered pos- SATISH GOLCHA Tihar Jail Director General since May 2024 Special CP (Law & Order) during 2020 NE riots Earlier roles include Special CP (Intelligence), head of Crime Branch ing as a complainant. The accused, Rajeshbhai Khimjibhai Sakriya, an auto driver in Rajkot, was overpowered by the CM’s security team and others present there. Golcha, currently posted as Director General of Tihar Jail since May 2024, will take over from 1988-batch AGMUT officer SBK Singh, who has been officiating as Delhi Police Commissioner since July 31, 2025, after the retirement of Sanjay Arora. In recent years, the post had been held by officers from outside the AGMUT cadre, including Arora (Tamil Nadu cadre) and Rakesh Asthana (Gujarat cadre), continuing a practice initiated in 1999 under the NDA government. Singh’s brief time in office was marked by critical law and order incidents, including the recent assault on Gupta and the chain-snatching of a Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu in Accused wanted to speak to CM on stray dogs as probe widens EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi SHOW OF STRENGTH Around 2.5 lakh people attended actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s second state conference in Madurai on Thursday | EXPRESS | P5 EXPRESS READ SC to hear EC case on Bihar SIR row today As per the SC directions, EC has filed an affidavit after publishing a list of 65 lakh voters excluded from Bihar rolls following the SIR. The two-judge bench is scheduled to hear the case on Friday. India will set up own space station: Shux India is considering establishing its own Bharat Antariksh Space Station, modelled after the International Space Station, astronaut Captain Subhanshu Shukla said on Thursday | P7 Kerala Youth Cong chief quits over indecent act In a major embarrassment to the Congress ahead of local body and Kerala Assembly elections, Rahul Mamkootathil MLA on Thursday stepped down as the state chief of Youth Congress following harassment allegations | P5 SC order on capture of stray dogs in city today S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi A three-judge special bench of the Supreme Court is set to pronounce on Friday its order on a batch of pleas seeking a stay on the August 11 directions issued by another bench for the rounding up and shifting of all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelter homes. This comes after the SC on Thursday refused urgent listing of a plea challenging a notification issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in this regard. The special bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria, had reserved its order in the matter on August 14 after hearing the submissions of the petitioners, the Centre and the Del- hi gover nment. Senior advocates, including Kapil Sibal and Abishek Manu Singhvi, had appeared for the petitioners. Arguing against the August 11 order passed by a two-judge bench, comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, Sibal called into question the efficiency of the MCD in tackling the issue. Singhvi said the August 11 order ignored earlier directions against such rounding up of stray dogs. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Delhi government, stressed the need to isolate stray canines for public safety noting that over 37 lakh , dog bites were reported across the country in a year. During the hearing, the SC had chided the local authorities for failing to contain the menace. P4 Opposition V-P poll candidate Sudershan Reddy files papers P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi B Sudershan Reddy files his nomination papers in Delhi on Thursday as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar look on | PTI the high-security Chanakyapuri area on August 4. Golcha brings extensive experience to the role. He is known for his no-nonsense approach and decisive leadership, which he displayed during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots— which left 53 dead and over 700 injured—where he served as the Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order). He has also been Special Commissioner (Intelligence), head of Crime Branch and the DGP of Arunachal Pradesh from February 2022 to June 2023. In the early part of his career, Golcha worked with the CBI on high-profile cases such as the Ruchika molestation, the Rizwanur Rahman murder, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and the 2009 Shopian rape, which was later found to be a conspiracy orchestrated by Pakistan’s ISI. THE battle lines for the upcoming Vice Presidential election were drawn on Thursday when the Opposition’s pick former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy filed his nomination papers. In a show of strength, several top Opposition leaders, including Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, SP leader Ramgopal Yadav, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, TMC’s Satabdi Roy, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut and CPI(M)’s John Brittas accompanied Reddy during the filing of nomination papers. The elections will be held on September 9, where Reddy will face NDA candidate Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan. After filing his papers, the retired judge said if elected, he would discharge the role with impartiality, dignity, and a steadfast commitment to dialogue and decorum. Later in the evening, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal called on Reddy at his Delhi residence and said his party will support his candidature. The electoral college for the vice presidential election comprises members of both Houses of Parliament. Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha can also cast their votes. The effective strength of the electoral college is 781 and the majority mark is 391. Justice Reddy’s judicial career is very inspiring... such a person will be helpful for the vice-president’s post, and I request everyone to vote for him, keeping party affiliations aside —Arvind Kejriwal, AAP THE Delhi Police has widened its probe into the attack on Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and is checking the social media accounts of the accused, apart from his movements from Rajkot to Delhi, including his travel routes and the places he visited before reaching the national capital. Gupta was attacked on Wednesday morning during a ‘Jan Sunwai’ programme at her official residence in Civil Lines. The accused, Rajesh- ‘Z’ security bhai Khimjib- to Gupta hai Sakariya The MHA has (41), an auto- accorded ‘Z’ r i c k s h a w security cover of driver from the CRPF to CM Rajkot, was Rekha Gupta, a caught at the day after she spot and tak- was attacked en to the po- during a public lice station. hearing. Earlier, So far, it the Delhi Police has come out was providing that Sakariya security to her. wanted to meet the CM about the lives of three lakh stray dogs in the city This is be. ing verified, and investigators are looking into whether there was any conspiracy behind the attack. He is said to keep several dogs in his village. Photos and videos on his phone suggest that he visited Ayodhya in May. It has also been found that he staged a protest earlier this year in Rajkot in support of stray animals. Police said they are in touch with their Rajkot counterparts. Central agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau, are also questioning Sakariya. His phone and online activity are being examined. He may be taken back to his village in Gujarat for further inquiries. P3 TEEN’S MURDER SPARKS GUJARAT UNREST The killing of a 15-year-old student outside his school in Ahmedabad has ignited widespread public outrage, mass protests, clashes with police, and a near-total shutdown— called by the VHP and NSUI—across several neighbourhoods of the city on Thursday | P8