kalaburagi l Monday l February 10, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l city EDITION Trump says he spoke with Putin about ending war in Ukraine US President Donald Trump said he spoke to his Russian counterpart to try to negotiate an end to the war ahead of its third anniversary Donald Trump Vladimir Putin Putin wants to end conflict, says Don Trump told the New York Post he believes Vladimir Putin “does care” about battlefield deaths. “All those dead people. They’re like your kids, two million of them – and for no reason,” Trump said, adding Putin too wants to “see people stop dying”. Asked how many times he has spoken to Putin after taking office on January 20, Trump said he better not say Feb 24 Kremlin refuses to confirm or deny talks ■ ■ It is not clear when the two leaders spoke. The Kremlin has neither confirmed nor denied the talks were held. Last week, Russia said contacts with the US have “intensified” since Trump took office Trump campaigned on a promise to end the war. He said he has a concrete plan on how to do it. But it’s not clear if Russia is on board marks three years since Russian forces invaded ukraine in 2022 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 Lucky escape 20 unhurt as tourist bus catches fire E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Mysuru A private tourist bus, which was running on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway caught fire , and was gutted completely near Hosa Budhanuru village in Mandya around 2 am on Sunday . The police said the bus, belonging to Ashoka Travel Agency was ferrying around 20 pas, sengers from Bengaluru to Kannur in Kerala when the incident took place. As a tyre of the speeding bus burst, the vehicle hit the road divider. The aler t driver immediately brought the bus to a halt. As he noticed some smoke in the vehicle, he immediately asked the passengers to deboard with their belongings. Within minutes of the passengers getting down, the fire engulfed the entire vehicle and was gutted. Though fire tenders rushed immediately, the bus was completely gutted by the time they reached the spot. Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh 31 Maoists, 2 cops resigns hours after meeting Shah killed in gunbattle Speaker Satyabrata Singh, minister Y Khemchand among front-runners to be the next CM P r a s a nta M a z u m d a r & Rajesh Kumar Thakur @ Guwahati / New Delhi MANIPUR Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh resigned on Sunday a day before , the start of the crucial Assembly session in which he was to face a no-confidence motion. Singh submitted his resignation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Imphal on Sunday evening, shortly after returning from Delhi where he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The governor asked him to continue in office till alternative arrangements are made, the Raj Bhavan said. The names of Assembly speaker T Satyabrata Singh and senior minister Y Khemchand are doing the rounds as Singh’s possible successor. According to sources, it is BJP’s internal politics that forced Biren Singh to resign nearly two years after the state Biren Singh hands over his resignation to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, in the presence of BJP’s Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra and other leaders | ANI was torn by an ethnic conflict between Meiteis and Kukis that left over 250 people dead and 60,000 others displaced. Before his Delhi trip on Saturday evening, Singh had called a meeting with NDA MLAs. Only 20 of the 46 MLAs turned up. The 60-member House now has an effective strength of 59. Singh wanted to see how many MLAs were with him given that many of the BJP’s 37 legislators, including five who defected from JD(U), were demanding a leadership change. Two days ago, the Congress announced its plan to move a no-confidence motion against the government. The Congress, which has five MLAs, was hoping to get the support of the BJP rebels to take the number beyond 10 as required for the no-trust motion to stand. Sources said the BJP’s central leadership did not want to risk an embarrassing situation where the disgruntled MLAs might side with the Congress, and so it asked Singh to quit. The ‘leaked audio tapes’, in which a person taking credit for the ethnic violence, may also have worked against Singh as a forensic an analysis showed a 93% probability that voice samples were Singh’s. The matter is in the Supreme Court. The BJP was under tremendous pressure from the party’s Manipur MLAs to remove Singh. His resignation appears to be a calculated decision to avert further instability . Sources said the party leadership was growing impatient with Singh as the ethnic violence had begun to dent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image of good governance. express read Railways explores N-power option to cut fossil fuel usage New Delhi: The day is not far off when Indian Railways will power its trains with nuclear energy. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and the Ministry of Power both have been approached to explore this possibility | P7 Inclusive AI focal point at Paris summit today New Delhi: The AI Action Summit — set to be hosted by France on Monday and Tuesday and co-chaired by President Emmanuel Macron and PM Narendra Modi — will aim to tackle critical challenges in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence | P7 30 held in J&K in a year for procuring SIMs for terrorists Srinagar: In a major crackdown, The J&K police have arrested at least 30 people in a year for procuring SIM cards in their names and giving them to militants. POlice have ramped up efforts to curb misuse of SIM cards by militants and criminal elements | P8 in Chhattisgarh E JAZ k a i s e r @ Raipur AT least 31 Maoists, including 11 women, were killed in a fierce gun battle with security forces in the Indravati National Park region of Bijapur in Chhattisgarh on Sunday. The encounter, which took place 450 km south of Raipur, resulted in the deaths of two security personnel and injured two others. Bastar range IG Sunderraj P said troops recovered 31 bodies, which are yet to identifed. The injured personnel were airlifted to Raipur, where doctors reported signs of bullet injuries and fractures. Doctors said they’ll have to wait for 24 hours for further updates. The operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs, with a joint team of security forces comprising the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF) and Bastar Fighters, all units of the state police, tracking real-time locations of the Maoists for more than five days. Security forces crossed hilly terrain before launching a massive offensive from different directions, surrounding the Maoists in the Annapur forest in the core national park, some 90 km away from the Bijapur district headquarters, on Sunday . Security forces recovered AK-47 rifles, self-loading rifles, reds neutralised this year in hotbed Date Jan 3 Jan 5 Jan 9 Jan 12 Place Casualties Gariaband 1 Narayanpur 5 Sukma 3 Bijapur 5 BijapurJan 16 Sukma border 12 Jan 21 Gariaband 16 Feb 1 Bijapur 8 Feb 9 Bijapur 31 INSAS assault rifles and grenade launchers from the encounter scene. This year, 81 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh. “In the last 13 months, 282 Maoists have been neutralised, 1033 arrested and 925 have surrendered in Chhattisgarh”, said chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai. The series of encounters against left-wing extremists is a part of a renewed strategy to free Chhattisgarh from the clutch of Maoists. Shortly after the encounter, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took to X and announced, “...Before March 31, 2026, we will completely eradicate Naxalism from the country Shah .” also condoled the death of two security personnel. Delhi govt to be sworn in after PM returns from US Aero India, a platform to showcase India’s defence might, says Rajnath RAJ E SH KU M AR T HAKUR @ New Delhi The BJP government in Delhi will be sworn in once Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his visit to France and the United States. Modi will leave for France on Monday, and from there, he will travel to the US, where he is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump. Modi will return to India on Thursday . Sources indicated that the swearing-in ceremony will be a grand event aimed at showcasing the unity within the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The chief ministers of all BJP and NDA-ruled states are expected to attend. On Sunday BJP president J P , Nadda met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to expedite the government formation process. Speculation is rife regarding the next Delhi chief minister. Several names are being discussed, including Delhi MLA Parvesh Verma, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, and party leaders such as Vijender Gupta, Rekha Gupta, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Satish Upadhyay, Manoj Tiwari, and Mohan Singh Bisht. Verma and Rekha Gupta are considered to be the frontrunners. Modi held consultations at the BJP headquarters on Saturday, following his victory speech. With the BJP making impressive gains across various regions and communities, Atishi resigns as chief minister New Delhi: Lt Governor V K Saxena on Sunday ordered the dissolution of the Delhi Assembly after Chief Minister Atishi submitted her resignation. Atishi handed over her resignation to Lt Governor V K Saxena on Sunday, a day after her Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faced a crushing defeat in the assembly polls. The L-G’s office said that Saxena has asked the outgoing CM to continue in the post till formation of a new government the party now has a broad pool of potential chief ministerial candidates. Political observers believe that broader political messaging often influences the party’s choice when selecting chief ministers, and Delhi is likely to follow this trend. “You never know… The national leadership could present an entirely fresh face who fits the bill and is capable of fulfilling the high expectations of the people in Delhi,” said a BJP worker. Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has written to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, requesting an appointment to meet with the 48 newly elected party MLAs. “I, along with the BJP MPs from Delhi and our newly elected 48 MLAs, wish to meet you at your earliest convenience,” he wrote. india vs england E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru Calling Aero India an important platform to showcase India’s strength and vision of becoming a self-reliant and secure nation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Sunday that the event will promote global partnerships and align with India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives. He was speaking at a press conference on the eve of the event. Themed around ‘The Runway to a Billion Opportunities’, Aero India 2025, set to begin on Monday and last till February 15, will highlight India’s latest aerospace advancements, indigenous innovations and new products from global aerospace companies. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the curtain raiser for Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru on Sunday | Nagaraja Gadekal “Aero India 2025 has surpassed all expectations, with over 900 exhibitors, including 150 international companies, and participation from more than 90 countries,” Singh pointed out. The presence of defence ministers from 30 countries and air chiefs from 43 nations shows the importance of the event for both India and the global defence community, he added. This year, the event will cover 42,000 square metres (up from 35,000 sqm last edition 2023) and feature over 70 flying displays and 30 static displays. “One of the biggest attractions will be the participation of two advanced fifth-generation fighter jets -- Russia’s Su-57 and the US’ F-35 Lightning II. This is the first time these jets will be displayed together, offering a unique chance to compare Eastern and Western fighter technology,” he said. Busk goes bust Floodlight glitch stops ODI for 35 mins Cops pull plug on Ed Sheeran’s street performance M a h i m a N a g a r a j u @ Bengaluru G o me s h S & Ta nm ay D a s @ Cuttack Rohit Sharma and Saqib Mahmood were in the middle of the Barabati Stadium, Cuttack along with the on-field umpires. The rest of the England team had already started walking off the field. For the second time in five minutes, one of the floodlights at the venue had malfunctioned leading to a stoppage of play during the seventh over of India’s 305-run chase against England in the second ODI on Sunday . First, the lights went off from 6.15 PM till 6.20 PM, and just when Mahmood ran in, the lights went off again. This time, it did not turn back on till 6.45 PM, leading to a cumulative stoppage of almost 35 minutes. It is understood that the generator that supplies power to the particular floodlight mal- The floodlight behind the clock tower at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack went off on Sunday | pti functioned. “The generator attached to the floodlight malfunctioned, so the lights were off on that particular stand behind the clock tower. Now we have got the back-up generator on. It took time to change the connection from one generator to the other, which caused the delay said an OCA official. ,” The Barabati Stadium is one of the oldest in the country having been established in 1958. Once a Test venue, the stadium has lost its charm and is in desperate need of renovation. Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, acting president of Odisha Cricket Association, had told this daily on Saturday that the association is in talks with the Odisha gover nment for the stadium renovation. Full story: newindianexpress.com THE city was abuzz with energy and excitement this weekend with British singer Ed Sheeran performing two shows as a part of his Mathematics world tour. In the midst of this, the superstar decided to drop by Church Street on Sunday morning to give a surprise performance. However, just as the singer began to croon out the first few lines of Shape of You, a policeperson pulled the plug citing a lack of permission by the singer’s team. Recalling her excitement at a regular work day turn into a once-in-a-lifetime moment, Deha A, a 21-year-old cafeteria employee, said, “We had no idea Ed Sheeran would come even though we were watching people set up. In about 30 minutes, the whole street was crowded. It was my first time watching a live performance like this and my hands were shaking!” Sheeran’s performance being cut short has sparked a social media storm with some expressing disappointment at losing out on his live performance and others insisting that procedures must be followed. Prasith RV, a student, said the situation could have been dealt with more grace. “He’s an international artiste who has come here to perform and when officials like this are rude, it brings down the reputation of Indians. There are better ways to communicate this – he could’ve politely gone up to the manager or PR team, or asked Ed to stop after a song. It was just disappointing to see my favourite artiste’s performance being cut short.” Others, including Church Street Resident Welfare Association President, Sanjay Kumar Pal, are staunchly opposed to street performances, regard- less of how big the star is. “As per the law, nobody is allowed to block the footpath. The organisers should have informed the police to get a proper location for the performance. The police did the right thing as footpaths are for pedestrians; it’s not a stage for performance,” said Pal, who mentions that they are forced to ‘chase away’ buskers on a daily basis. Shopkeeper Naveen Gowda takes a similar stance, citing crowd-control issues. “He started performing while his team was still talking with the police about permissions. It becomes a big issue if the crowd goes out of control or if someone files a complaint about traffic issues – the policemen have to report to higher-ups too,” he said. While busking, with musicians performing openly on the streets, is a common sight in many countries, it’s still uncommon in India. Musician Ed Shreeran performs at Church Street, Bengaluru, on Sunday before the police stopped his gig