BHUBANESWAR l wednesday l march 18, 2026 l `9.00 l PaGes 12 l late cIty edItIOn Ladakh ‘ladakh protests only to seek dialogue’ In his first remarks after release from jail, activist Sonam Wangchuk said he is looking forward to a ‘meaningful dialogue’ with Centre on Ladakh ‘won’t resume agitation if talks happen’ Wangchuk, who was arrested last year following violent protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and inclusion under Sixth Schedule of Constitution, said the protests were only to seek dialogue. He noted that any negotiation means both sides will have to make some adjustments. “We were sure of a victory in court, but a win was not enough. I wanted a win-win,” he said rElEAsE froM DEtENtioN A wiN-wiN, cENtrE opEN to tAlks: wANgcHUk ■ ■ ■ Wangchuk described govt’s move to release him as an “extending of hand to build trust and to facilitate meaningful, constructive dialogue” “They have offered a constructive, meaningful dialogue. This is what we have wanted, and we had to struggle so much, sit on fast” He said he would not return to agitation if “meaningful talks” happen Sep 26, 2025 wHEN wANgcHUk, 59, wAs DEtAiNED UNDEr tHE striNgENt NsA CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI De facto Iran leaDer ‘kIlleD’ Israel claims it eliminated Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani; Tehran yet to confirm or deny the claims A g E N c i E s @ Jersusalem/Tehran/Dubai ISRAeL said on Tuesday that it has killed Ali Larijani, Iran’s powerful national security chief and de facto leader overseeing the country’s decision making. Tel Aviv also claimed to have killed Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, in a strike in Tehran. Iran did not immediately confirm or reject Israel’s claims. Larijani, 68, was last seen in public on Friday at a Quds Day march in Tehran. “This morning we day eliminated Ali Larijani, the boss of the Revolutionary Guards, which is the gang of gangsters that actually runs Iran,” Israeli Prime Minister 18 1 2 maternity leave criteria nixed by supreme court Balanced ideological loyalty with pragmatic statecraft, led nuclear policy and strategic diplomacy be a blow to Iran, which is facing the brunt of a war launched by the US and Israel seeking a regime change in Tehran. Despite the perceived setback, Iran on Tuesday launched a fresh wave of attacks in its Modi, UAE President stress secure Strait of Hormuz | P9 Mexico offers to host Iran’s first-round matches at the 2026 World Cup if needed NATO refuses to police the Hormuz, US President Donald Trump calls it foolish neighbourhood, targeting Kuwait’s Ali al-Salem Air Base, UAe’s Fujairah, and Iraq’s erbil. The US-Israeli war on Iran is now in its third week, killing 2,000 people in the region and Naveen asks Health minister to quit as SCB blaze toll rises to 12 ExprEss NEws sErvicE @ Bhubaneswar/Cuttack E x p r E s s N E w s s E r v i c E @New Delhi paternity leave Paternity leave helps dismantle gendered roles, encourages father’s active role in child care, fosters a balanced understanding of parenting, and promotes gender equality, the Supreme Court said in its verdict 3 Benjamin Netanyahu said. According to the IDF, Larijani led the political-security coordination of the Iranian regime. his death, if confirmed, would adoption verdict The impugned classification overlooks the emotional, psychological, and practical adjustments required of the adoptive parents and the adopted child - SC verdict Second LPG tanker arrives from the troubled Strait Larijani led the political-security coordination of the regime, says Israel military Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani OBSeRvING that adoption is part of the right to reproductive autonomy, the Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a law which said a woman would be eligible for maternity leave only if she legally adopts a child below the age of three months, saying it is discriminatory . The court also urged the Centre to come up with a law recognising paternity leave as a social security benefit, noting that parenthood is not a solitary function, adding while the mother is central to a child’s development, it would be unjust to overlook the role of the father. Ruling that age-based classification under Section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security 2020 was violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, a bench comprising justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan held that an adoptive mother should be entitled to maternity leave of 12 weeks, irrespective of the age of the adopted child. “The distinction drawn by sub-section (4) of Section 60 does not have a rational nexus with the object of the 2020 Code. The object of maternity benefit is not associated with the process of childbirth but with the process of motherhood...The purpose of maternity protection does not vary with the manner in which the child is brought into the life of the beneficiary mother... Women who adopt a child aged three months or above are similarly situated to women who adopt a child below the age of three months.” The death toll in the SCB Medical College and hospital ICU fire mishap rose to 12 on Tuesday with two more patients succumbing to their injuries. The victims were Pabitra Tisari (20) of Andasuguda in Koraput’s Bariguma and Suman Kumar Sahoo (30) of Banda under Banarapal police limits in Angul district. Pabitra died on on Monday night while Suman succumbed in the early hours of Tuesday, hospital sources said. Pabitra, who had sustained leg injury in an accident, was admitted to trauma care ICU on March 13. After the fire broke out at ICU in the wee hours of Monday, he was rescued and shifted to ICU in orthopedic department, where he succumbed. Suman had sustained head injury in an accident and was admitted to trauma care ICU on February 26. he was shifted to ICU in neurosurgery department after being rescued from the fire. Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik stepped up his attack on the government for the lapses which led to the casualties in the oldest and largest medi- These were patients who came to the hospital with the hope of recovery, only to meet a horrific end due to administrative negligence. Therefore, I demand resignation of the Health minister – Naveen Patnaik, LoP cal college and hospital of Odisha and demanded immediate resignation health and Family Welfare minister Mukesh Mahaling. Naveen, who had visited the hospital following the incident on Monday evening, raised the issue during the zero hour in the Assembly he said it was not just a tragic . accident, but a stark reminder of the crumbling safety standards in the state’s premier healthcare institution. “These were patients who came to the hospital with the hope of recovery, only to meet a horrific end due to administrative negligence,” he alleged. Stating that the health depart- 40% of young graduates can’t find work: report pA D M i N i D H r U v A r A J @ Bengaluru NeARLY 40% of young graduates in India are unemployed, a figure that has remained largely unchanged for four decades, according to the State of Working India 2026 report by Azim Premji University . The report—which defines youth as those between 15 and 29 years— shows that unemployment among young graduates remains persistently high, with 40% of those between 15-25 years and 20% of 25-29 years un- setting off repercussions across the globe due to disruption in supply of oil and gas through the Strait of hormuz, which is under Iran’s control. Meanwhile, a top US counterterrorism official resigned on Tuesday saying the Iran war is absolutely unnecessary . Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, announced his resignation saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the war. In a social media post, Kent said that Iran “posed no imminent threat” to the US and that “it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel” he urged US President Donald Trump to “reverse course”. National Counterterrorism Centre is tasked with analysing and detecting terrorist threats. hormuz: modi, uae prez discuss safe navigation IDF claims Larijani was de facto leader after supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed able to find work. This is not a new trend. The report, which draws from nationally representative labour force surveys, administrative databases, and primary surveys, states that graduate unemployment has “remained more or less unchanged between 35% and 40%” from 1983 to 2023, even as the number of graduates has increased significantly over time. even when work is found, stable employment is uncommon. Tracking young graduate men over a year, the report finds about half can find some form of work, but few secure permanent salaried employment. “Among graduates, only about 7% find permanent salaried employment within a year,” the report states. This gap between education and employment comes at a critical time as India’s demographic advantage, driven by its large young population, is nearing its peak. The report estimates that the share of working-age population in the country will begin to decline after 2030. ment cannot hide behind the inquiries while families of the deceased mourn, the former chief minister said a judicial inquiry is welcome, but it does not absolve the political leadership of its responsibility “Therefore, I demand . the immediate resignation of the health minister. he must take moral responsibility for this catastrophic lapse in safety oversight,” he said. Naveen also said the ex gratia of `25 lakh announced by the state government was inadequate and demanded `50 lakh for the families of each deceased victim. Later, speaking to mediapersons outside the Assembly, Naveen said when the BJD was in power, the then health minister resigned due to an accident at a private hospital. The current health minister should follow such example and resign, he added. Leader of Congress legislature party Ramachandra Kadam also demanded the resignation o f M a h a l i n g . “ e x p re s s i n g condolences does not end the responsibility of the government. It must be accountable for the safety of the people, particularly the patients in a hospital,” he Continued on P5 stated. Youth leaving studies to suPPort familY The report also flags the financial pressures affecting education patterns. The share of young men in education has declined from 38% in 2017 to 34% in late 2024, and a growing number of youngsters are leaving studies to support their families. The report highlights that this reason increased from 58% in 2017 to 72% in 2023 among young men aged 15-24 years DMk IntIMIDatIon charge ‘Jailor’ takes no prisoners, calls out TVK leader’s slander E x p r E s s N E w s s E r v i c E @ Chennai AN attempt to airbrush actorturned-politician vijay’s image as gutsy in poll-bound Tamil Nadu by juxtaposing it with Rajinikanth, spectacularly bombed, as the superstar called out the slander, adding “time waits and responds.” In 2020, Rajini had toyed with the idea of taking the political plunge in the state, but in the end chose not to bite the bullet citing health issues. Rajini’s loads of blockbusters include Jailer. Commenting on the decision at a recent rally, Aadhav Arjuna, senior leader of vi- Rajinikanth Aadhav Arjuna jay’s Tamilaga vettri Kazhagam (TvK), attributed it to the DMK’s intimidation and not ill-health. In contrast, vijay had the courage to withstand pressure, he claimed. The allegation drew a volley of protests from fans and netas alike, curiously putting traditional Dravidian rivals, the BJP and the PMK on the same page. From AIADMK general secretary edappadi K Palaniswami to Tamil Nadu minister S Regupathy (DMK), vCK president Thol Tirumavalavan, BJP leaders Nainar Nagenthran, L Murugan, K Annamalai and Arjunamurthy, and PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, all panned Arjuna. In a signed statement, Rajini thanked all who condemned the “defamatory remark”. DMK’s S Regupathy said, “Rajinikanth yields only to affection, not to in- timidation.” The NDA going after Arjuna could signal the end of its attempts to woo the TvK into its fold. Assembly elections 52 women in trinamool list for Bengal i p8 BLow To NDA IN AssAm As UPPL exITs i P8 rS croSS-votIng congress suspends 3 mlas, moves for their disqualification E x p r E s s N E w s s E r v i c E @ Bhubaneswar CONGReSS on Tuesday suspended three party MLAs, Sofia Firdous (Cuttack-Barabati), Dasarathi Gomango (Mohana) and Ramesh Jena (Sanakhemundi), and also initiated proceedings for disqualification from the Assembly for defying the party whip and cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election in favour of BJPbacked Independent candidate Dilip Ray . Sofia Firdous “voting in favour of the BJP-sponsored candidate is treated as a gross violation of party discipline, which caused damage to the interest of Congress,” the suspension order issued by chairman of the OPCC disciplinary action committee Sujit Kumar Padhi stated. Congress legislature party (CLP) Dasarathi Gomango leader Ramachandra Kadam also wrote to Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy stating that their action was in blatant violation of the party whip and amounted to defection under the provisions of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India. Ramesh Jena Stating that their conduct not only undermined party discipline but also went against the democratic mandate under which they were elected, Kadam petitioned the Speaker to take cognisance of the matter and initiate appropriate proceedings for disqualification of the three from the Assembly under the provisions of the Anti-Defection Law. In a separate petition, Kadam requested a change in seating arrangement for the three suspended Continued on P5 MLAs.