09072025-TTB-01.qxd 7/9/2025 12:17 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 188 | 18 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI ICC ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR TALIBAN SUPREMO WORLD /thetribunechd TOURISM MEET IN VALLEY BEFITTING REPLY TO TERROR, SAYS L-G J&K INDIA IN TALKS WITH OZ MODI IN BRASÍLIA, TO HOLD TO SOURCE RARE EARTH TALKS WITH PREZ ON TRADE, MINERALS BUSINESS DEFENCE BACK PAGE wednesday | 9 july 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Trump says close to sealing deal, gives India three-week breather from tariffs Agriculture, dairy remain contentious sectors as New Delhi refuses to budge Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 8 President Donald Trump has said the US was close to “making a trade deal” with India, the announcement coming as he issued letters imposing 25 per cent to 45 per cent tariff on 14 countries, including ally Japan. As the tariff deadline has also been extended from July 9 to August 1, India now has a three-week breather to finalise the terms of the bilateral trade agreement with the US. Trump had announced 26 per cent tariffs on Indian imports on April 2, but held off its implementation for 90 days. India was not included in the list of countries that received tariff letters from the Trump administration on Monday. The countries that got these letters were Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand and Tunisia. Questioned by the media in Washington DC, Trump said, Nitish woos native women with 35% job quota, vows youth commission Patna, July 8 The Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday approved over 40 schemes and projects, including the formation of the Bihar Youth Commission, 35 per cent reservation in government jobs for women native to the state and Rs 100 crore diesel subsidy for farmers. The proposals were approved at a cabinet meeting. “The commission will provide more employment opportunities to the youths of Bihar, training them and making them empowered and capable,” the CM said on X. Additional Chief Secretary S Siddhartha said, “Only women native to the state will be allowed 35 per cent horizontal reservation on all posts in direct appointment in all government service cadres of Bihar,” he said. — PTI edit: pre-poll doles Panel probing Air Indiacrashsubmits preliminaryreport New Delhi, July 8 The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has submitted the preliminary report on the AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the authorities concerned, sources said on Tuesday. The report is based on the initial findings of the probe. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the crash protection module from the front black box was retrieved and on June 25, the memory module was accessed and its data downloaded at the AAIB lab. Sources familiar with the process said an identical black box, referred to as a "golden chassis", was used to confirm whether data could be accurately recovered from the black boxes. — TNS US PREZ REITERATES HE STOPPED INDIA-PAK WAR US President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that he stopped the India-Pakistan war. “We stopped a lot of fights. I think the very big one, frankly, a very, very big one, was India and Pakistan. And we stopped that over trade,” he said. PTI BIBI NOMINATES TRUMP FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during a bilateral dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington DC. REUTERS “We are close to making a deal with India. Letters have been sent to those with whom there has been no progress.” India and the US, however, have unresolved issues, with New Delhi drawing “red lines” on giving duty concessions in agriculture and dairy sectors. Agriculture and allied sectors contribute 16 per cent to India’s $3.9 trillion economy and sustain nearly half of the country’s 1.4 billion population. India has not agreed to open agriculture and dairy to European countries and had in the past walked off a deal with New Zealand over the same issue. The US is demanding tariff concessions on automobiles, electric vehicles, petrochemicals, wines, dairy and farm goods. India has been seeking lower duties on labourintensive exports like tex- Leaders of eight parties move top court against Bihar poll roll revision Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 8 Leaders of eight opposition parties have jointly moved the Supreme Court against the Election Commission’s decision to conduct a special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections to be held in OctoberNovember this year. KC Venugopal (Congress), Supriya Sule (NCP-Sharad Pawar), D Raja (CPI), Harinder Malik (Samajwadi Party), Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT), Sarfraz Ahmed (JMM), Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI-Marxist-Leninist) and the DMK have urged the top court to stay the SIR process. Former Bihar MLA Mujahid Alam has also filed a petition in the SC on the issue. Acting on petitions filed by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), RJD MP Manoj Jha, TMC MP Mahua Moitra and activist Yogendra Yadav, the tiles, apparel, gems and jewellery, leather, chemicals, shrimp and horticulture. The two countries had started negotiations on a fullfledged bilateral trade agreement in February. While that is likely to take shape by September–October this year, the focus for now is on securing an interim pact to prevent immediate tariff pain and stabilise relations. Even amid rising trade Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, during a dinner in the White House on Monday, presented Trump with a letter that he had sent to the Nobel Prize Committee nominating the US President for the Nobel Peace Prize. friction, the US remains India’s top trading partner. In 2024–25, the two-way trade reached $131.84 billion, with India enjoying a surplus of $41.18 billion. The US has also invested over $70 billion in India since 2000, with major American firms active in sectors like IT, manufacturing and services. The two sides have set a target of achieving $500 billion trade by 2030. Kerala nurse, on death row in Yemen, set to be executed on July 16 Ubeer Naqushbandi Tribune News Service THE KEJRI WAY SC had on Monday agreed to take up on July 10 petitions challenging the SIR. A Bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi listed the matter for hearing on Thursday after senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Gopal Sankaranarayanan and several other counsel mentioned petitions filed by various NGOs and political parties seeking urgent hearing, apprehending a large number of voters continued on page 10 CUDDALORE (TN): Three school students were killed and two others injured in the district on Tuesday when the van they were travelling in collided with a passenger train. The gatekeeper posted at the level crossing in question has been suspended and arrested, Southern Railway, which apologised for the “unfortunate incident”, said. — PTI 4 from Hyderabad die in US car crash HYDERABAD: Four members of a family — a couple and their two children — from Hyderabad have died in a car crash in Greene County, Alabama, US, their relatives said on Tuesday. A truck speeding in the wrong direction hit their car on Saturday night when the family was returning to Dallas from Atlanta. — PTI HC tohearMajithia’s petition on July 29 CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court today granted three weeks to former minister Bikram Singh Majithia to amend his petition. The SAD leader, who is lodged in Nabha jail, had initially filed a petition against his “illegal arrest and subsequent remand”. The matter will be taken up on July 29 INSIDE Gotorderstoblocknews a/cs, says X; govt denies Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service NEEDED BEFORE EVERY POLL: BJP LEADER IN SC BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay has demanded poll roll revision before every Lok Sabha, Assembly and local body election. As he sought his plea’s hearing on July 10 along with other PILs, the SC asked him to remove procedural defects. “Demography of 200 districts and 1,500 tehsils has changed due to illegal infiltration, deceitful conversions and population explosion. An SIR is must,” Upadhyay said. Securing forgiveness via New Delhi, July 8 blood money last hope Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse who is on death row new visas. As Yemen’s law after being convicted for the bars foreigners from starting murder of a Yemeni national, their own businesses unless will be executed on July 16. they have local partners, Hailing from Kollengode Mahdi is said to have town in Kerala’s Palakkad, helped Priya set up a clinic Priya’s capital punin capital Sanaa. ishment was In 2017, Priya was approved by the found guilty of murYemeni President on dering Mahdi even as December 30 last year. she called it an “act of Sources said the self-defence”. She Ministry of External alleged that Mahdi Affairs (MEA) was had been harassing closely following the her for money and Nimisha Priya on death matter. “We have had even seized her row over the murder of been in regular a Yemeni. COURTESY: X passport. She also touch with the local alleged that he forged authorities and her family her documents to project himmembers and rendered all self as her husband while subpossible assistance,” the jecting her to physical and sources said quoting the MEA. emotional abuse. Married with a daughter, In 2018, Priya was senPriya worked as a nurse in tenced to death by a trial the UAE before moving to court. Her family has since Yemen in 2011 where she been fighting for her release. came in contact with Yemeni They approached the Yemini national Talal Abdo Mahdi. Supreme Court against the Priya’s husband and minor trial court’s order, but their daughter had to return to appeal was turned down in India in 2014 due to financial 2023. As the Yemeni Presiwoes. The same year, Yemen dent also rejected her appeal, was engulfed in civil war and her release now depends on the duo could not return as securing the forgiveness of continued on page 10 the country stopped issuing 3 school kids killed in van-train collision Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and party’s state incharge Manish Sisodia at the launch of a book, “Kejriwal Model”, in Mohali on Tuesday. RAVI KUMAR Two arrested for murder of Punjab bizman killed in shootout, cop hurt Archit Watts & Raj Sadosh WHAT TRIGGERED THE EXCHANGE OF FIRE Tribune News Service Abohar, July 8 A day after the broad daylight murder of leading businessman Sanjay Verma, coowner of renowned men’s tailoring showroom New Wear Well Emporium here, the police shot dead two suspects in an exchange of fire near the Panjpeer shrine on the outskirts of town. ■ DIG, Ferozepur Range, Harman- bir Singh Gill said two suspects — Ram Rattan of Patiala and Jaspreet Singh of Mardanpur village in Patiala — were arrested in connection with Abohar businessman Sanjay Verma’s murder The police termed it an act of self-defence during which a senior constable was also injured. His condition is stated ■ They were taken to the site where the weapons used in the crime were concealed. Their accomplices were already present there and opened fire. In selfdefence, the police retaliated and the arrested men was killed to be out of danger. Sanjay (58) was shot dead by three assailants who were waiting continued on page 10 New Delhi, July 8 A fresh controversy erupted between the government and social media platform X over the temporary blocking of prominent international news accounts, including Reuters and ReutersWorld, with both sides presenting conflicting accounts of the events. In a statement, X claimed it received a government order on July 3, 2025, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, directing the platform to block 2,355 accounts in India. It alleged that the order included global news organisations and was issued with a stern warning of criminal liability for non-compliance. According to X, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) demanded action within an hour without providing any justification. However, following public backlash over the temporary restrictions on accounts like @Reuters and @ReutersWorld, the government reportedly instructed X to reverse the blocks. Dispute erupts after Reuters handles face brief blackout PRESS CENSORSHIP? ❝ We are deeply concerned about ongoing press censorship in India… was exploring legal options but limited by Indian law. X in the statement UNBLOCKING DELAYED exploited ❝ Xdelayed thetechnicalities and unblocking. Despite our repeated followups, it took over 21 hours to unblock Reuters. Govt official “We are deeply concerned about ongoing press censorship in India,” X said in the statement, adding that it was exploring legal options but was limited by Indian law from directly challenging such executive orders. The platform advised the affected users to seek legal remedies through Indian courts. The MeitY, however, denied X’s claims, saying no new blocking orders targeting continued on page 10 Jhajjar villages beam with pride and joy as five youths don olive green Commissioned as Lieutenants after passing out from IMA, Dehradun Ravinder Saini Tribune News Service The newly commissioned Lieutenants at a felicitation event at Jhajjar’s Mandothi village. SUMIT THARAN Rohtak, July 8 In a proud moment for Jhajjar district, five youths from villages have been commissioned as Lieutenants in the Army after passing out from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, recently. The achievement has brought a wave of pride and joy to the region, especially Mandothi, one of the five villages, as it was once known for its criminal past. The success of these young men is Today’s issue is of 18 pages, including four-page Delhi Tribune. c m y b VILLAGE WAS ONCE KNOWN FOR ITS CRIMINAL PAST ■ The achievement has brought ■ The success of these young men a wave of pride to the region, especially Mandothi, one of the five villages, as it was once known for its criminal past is being seen as a sign of transformation of these villages in the Bahadurgarh area and source of inspiration for the local youth being seen as a sign of transformation and source of inspiration for the local youth. Bhanu Pratap Dalal, father of Lieutenant Suryakant and resident of Mandothi, shared his pride while speaking to The Tribune. “This moment has not only filled our hearts with pride but has also changed the way people view our village. These boys have rewritten the narrative,” said Bhanu, who works with the Delhi Police. He said, “This is a historic achievement as it is the first time that five youths from the Dalal gotra — a sub-caste of the Jat community — who belong to villages located close to each other in the Bahadurgarh area have been commissioned together as officers in the Army.” Bhanu Pratap said besides his son Suryakant, four other young men from the Dalal gotra also passed out from the IMA, Dehradun. They are Mayank from Aasoda, Pravar from Rewari Khera, Sahil of Jakhoda and Sushil Dalal from Daboda Kalan village. Vishwadeep Dalal, president continued on page 10