FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR Manmohan govt hit back after 26/11, isolated Pakistan: Khera PERSPECTIVE PAGE Mayawati’s rally draws lakhs, seen as BSP’s comeback push BRIEFLY Body of one missing soldier recovered: Jammu: The body of one of the two missing soldiers of the Indian Army’s Special Forces was recovered on Thursday afternoon in the upper reaches of Kokernag in South Kashmir. Two soldiers had gone missing after a snowstorm on Monday in the dense Gadol forests of Kokernag, where they were engaged in a search operation. Security forces have intensified the search operation to trace the other soldier from the 5 Para (Special Forces) unit who went missing after a snowstorm on the intervening night of 6-7 October. Sources said that the body of one paratrooper with his rucksack and weapon has been recovered. His death was apparently due to an avalanche or a snowstorm during the anti-terror operation. Hundreds of Army troops, CRPF, and Police personnel, assisted by sniffer dogs, are engaged in search operations. The Army has also pressed helicopters and drones into service to trace missing commandos.Page3 When corruption crosses borders Page 5 Page 4 Friday, 10 October 2025 SPORTS NATION NATION | Women’s WC: Richa’s brilliant 94 lifts India to 251 against SA Page 12 Page 7 India, UK PMs endorse pacts to deepen ties STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The path-breaking India-UK CETA will create new job opportunities for youth, expand trade and benefit both our industries as well as consumers. Mumbai, 9 October P rime Minister Narendra Modi hosted his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, on Thursday at the Mumbai Raj Bhavan, where they held discussions on trade, education, defence co-operation as well as regional stability. The two countries have agreed to establish an India-UK connectivity and innovation centre and a joint centre for AI, and form a critical minerals industry guild to bolster supply chains and promote green technologies, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting. They also announced joint investment in a climate technology startup fund and set up new collaborations on health and renewable energy, an offshore wind task force, and a health research partnership, among other things. The agreements are expected to accelerate bilateral trade growth, support the establishment of UK university campuses NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer greet during the Global Fintech Fest at Jio World Centre, in Mumbai on Thursday. AGENCIES across India, and reinforce cooperation in harnessing frontier technologies to drive inclusive economic growth and strengthen national security. “The path-breaking India-UK CETA (comprehensive economic and trade agreement) will create new job opportunities for youth, expand trade and benefit both our industries as well as consumers. In this context, PM Starmer and I discussed trade linkages and economic ties between our nations in the times to come,” PM Modi said after the meeting. Earlier extending a warm welcome to the visiting UK PM, Mr Modi took a walk with him around the colonial era Raj Bhavan lawns overlooking the Arabian Sea without any aides for a few minutes before they sat down for delegation level talks. Union Minister Piyush Goyal, NSA Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri were also present as part of the Indian delegation at the high-level meeting held at the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Maharashtra Governor. Both the PMs addressed a joint press conference at the Raj Bhavan, where Mr Modi said that the partnership between India and the UK is driven by “trustworthiness, talent, and technology”. He said: “India's dynamism and the UK's expertise combine to create a unique synergy. Our partnership is trustworthy, and it is driven by talent and technology”. Significantly, the UK PM pitched for India to be included in the UNSC as a permanent member, which has been a long-standing Indian demand."We sit together in the Commonwealth, G20 and we want to see India taking its rightful place in the UN Security Council," Mr Starmer said. Calling Indo-UK economic relations the “jewel in the crown”, he said: “We want to be partners. That journey and my visit this week are about doubling down on the potential of our trade deal for the benefit of all of us. So, I brought a record 126 British businesses with me to India this week. We had to get a bigger aircraft to travel over here than the one we planned, but this delegation has some of our biggest, most iconic businesses and smaller and medium sized businesses, but also leaders from education”. • More Reports: Page 10 Terror and talks can’t go together: Rajnath STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 9 October Israel, Hamas agree to part of Trump’s Gaza peace plan A forgotten chapter: CJI Prime Minister Narendra Gavai on object-throwing AGENCIES Modi today welcomed the agreement between Israel attempt in apex court Israel and Hamas agreed and Hamas on the first phase Washington, 9 October AGENCIES New Delhi, 9 October Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai, on Wednesday, broke his silence on the recent incident in which a lawyer attempted to throw an object at the bench led by him, stating that he and his fellow judge were "very shocked" at the time but have since treated the matter as "a forgotten chapter". “My learned brother and I were very shocked with what happened on Monday. For us, it is a forgotten chapter,” CJI Gavai said. His remarks came during a discussion when senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan recalled a similar incident from ten years ago. “Something similar happened 10 years ago in the neighbouring court. The two judges there had taken a different view on what procedure should be followed while invoking contempt powers," Mr Sankaranarayanan said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the second-highest law officer of the Centre, said that the advocate’s act was "completely unpardonable", adding that he was let off only because of the CJI Gavai’s "magnanimity". Wednesday to pause fighting in Gaza so that the remaining hostages there can be freed in the coming days in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, accepting elements of a plan put forward by the Trump administration that would represent the biggest breakthrough in months in the devastating two-year-old war. “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” President Donald Trump wrote on social media in trumpeting the agreement. “All Parties will be treated fairly!” Israel and Hamas separately confirmed the contours of Tainted cough syrups not exported from India: CDSCO to WHO MUSKAN BHATIA New Delhi, 9 October The World Health Organization (WHO), the global health watchdog, in a press statement on Thursday said that it is closely monitoring the health situation in India following sporadic cases of illness and deaths among children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The agency said that on 8 October, the agency received confirmation from the Indian Drug Regulatory Authority — Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation of India (CDSCO) that Diethylene Glycol (DEG) had been detected in at least three oral syrup medicines. These medicines were among those consumed by children in the reported cluster of cases. However, none of the contaminated cough syrups that led to deaths of children were exported from India to other countries, CDSCO informed WHO. The response came after the WHO sought clarification from India whether the tainted cough syrup linked to over 20 child deaths in the country has been exported to other countries. The Indian drug regulatory authority further noted that contaminated products include Coldrif, Respifresh TR and ReLife, adulterated with 48.6 per cent DEG, 1.342 per cent DEG, and 0.616 per cent DEG, respectively. The CDSCO informed WHO that the above products have been recalled and that the identified manufacturers have been ordered to stop production of all medical products. However, till Thursday WHO has not received any official information as to the source of the DEG contamination or if contaminated pharmaceutical material has been identified, the statement said. The global health agency has extended its support to the Indian national authorities in investigating and responding to these tragic events, the statement added. their deal, which drew celebratory gatherings from hostage families in Tel Aviv and cautious optimism from some in Gaza. Hamas intends to release all 20 living hostages in a matter of days, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Uncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects of Trump’s proposal ~ such as whether and how Hamas will disarm, and who will govern Gaza ~ but the sides appear closer than they have been in several months to ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed most of Gaza and triggered other armed conflicts across the Middle East. The war, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, has sparked worldwide protests and brought allegations of genocide that Israel denies. Modi welcomes Israel-Hamas agreement: of US President Trump's peace plan, citing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's strong leadership as a key factor in the development. In a post on the 'X' platform, PM Modi stated: "We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump's peace plan. This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu. We hop e the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace." The agreement, announced by Trump on Truth Social, aims to bring an end to the two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas. • More Reports: Page 09 India and Australia have signed three key agreements pertaining to Information Sharing, Submarine Search and Rescue Cooperation and Terms of Reference on the establishment of Joint Staff Talks. The agreements and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s official visit to Canberra, Australia, today. Mr Singh held a wide-ranging bilateral meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence of Australia, Richard Marles. The meeting marked five years of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with both sides reaffirming their shared commitment to deepening defence cooperation across a wide spectrum, including military exercises, maritime security, defence industry collaboration and joint research in science and technology. In a statement issued here, the Ministry of Defence stated that Mr Singh underlined the deep-rooted culturaltiesandshareddemocratic values that underpin India-Australia relations, noting that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has witnessed significant expansion in defence cooperation aligned with the overall trajectory of bilateral relations. Reiterating India’s stand with regard to the threat of terrorism, the defence minister said: “Terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together and water and blood cannot flow together.” He also urged the international community to come together against all forms of terrorism. Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, lauded India’s remarkable economic progress, particularly in the fields of Defence, cybersecurity, and IT. He also commended India’s success in lifting millions out of poverty and expressed enthusiasm for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the coming years. A Joint Statement was issued following the meeting, underscoring the growing depth and mutual trust that define the India-Australia Defence partnership. Art in the midst of terror gets Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai Lit. Nobel AGENCIES Stockholm, 9 October The 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature was on Thursday awarded to the Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai "for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art." Herscht 07769 by this year's literature laureate, Krasznahorkai, has been described as a great contemporary German novel, on account of its accuracy in portraying the country's social unrest. "In Herscht 07769 we find ourselves in not a feverish nightmare in the Carpathians but rather a credible portrayal of a contemporary small town in Thuringen, Germany, which is nevertheless also afflicted by social anarchy, murder and arson. At the same time, the terror of the novel plays out against the backdrop of Johann Sebastian Bach's powerful legacy. It is a book, written in a single breath, about violence and beauty 'impossibly' conjoined," the Swedish Academy said in a statement. Krasznahorkai was born in 1954 in the small town of Gyula in southeast Hungary, near the Romanian border. A similar remote rural area is the scene of Krasznahorkai's first novel Satantango, published in 1985, which was a literary sensation in Hungary. Krasznahorkai is a great epic writer in the Central European tradition, which extends from Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, and is characterised by absurdism and grotesque excess, the Swedish Academy said in its announcement. He drew inspiration from Asia - particularly Mongolia and China - for books like The Prisoner of Urga, and Destruction and Sorrow Beneath the Heavens. According to a CNN report, the late American essayist Susan Sontag dubbed the "contemporary master of the apocalypse," Krasznahorkai's novels ~ often set in shivering Central European villages ~ depict townsfolk searching for meaning in symbols scattered across a godless world. The Nobel Prize in Literature is often seen as the literary world's highest honour, bringing global attention to voices that challenge, console, and provoke, offering a rare moment when books dominate global headlines. The Nobel Prize has been awarded 117 times to 121 laureates between 1901 and 2024, with writings in over 20 languages, including Bengali.