HYDERABAD  WEDNESDAY  FEBRUARY 19, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 16  LATE CITY EDITION RUSSIA, U.S. TO NAME NEGOTIATORS TO END UKRAINE WAR, SANS KYIV Russia and the United States will name teams to negotiate a path to ending the war in Ukraine, leaders of both nations said on Tuesday in Riyadh US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (right) at the meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Tuesday | AFP WON’T ACCEPT OUTCOME OF TALKS: ZELENSKYY NEED CONCESSIONS FROM ALL SIDES, SAYS U.S. No Ukrainian officials were present at the meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed his nation’s exclusion from the Riyadh gathering, which lasted more than four hours. He said that any talks aimed at ending the Ukraine war should be “fair” and involve European countries, including Turkey — which had offered to host negotiations ■ ■ Beyond Ukraine, the meeting attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov focussed on improving relations between the two superpowers | P9 Rubio said ending Russia’s war in Ukraine would need concessions from all sides and that Europe would be a part of the talks $52 bn THE SIZE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION’S MILITARY ASSISTANCE FOR UKRAINE 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 After Modi, Amir talks, Qatar ties in strategic zone J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA and Qatar elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership on Tuesday, agreeing to double their annual trade from $14 billion in five years and focusing on enhancing cooperation in energy, investments and the technology sector following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Both sides signed agreements and five memorandums of understanding (MOUs), including a revised double taxation avoidance pact. India already has strategic ties with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “Had a very productive meeting with my brother, Amir of Qatar H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, earlier today . Under his leadership, Qatar has scaled new heights of progress. He is also committed to a strong India-Qatar friendship. This visit is even more special because we have elevated our ties to a Strategic Part- CM vows to make Telangana the most cyber-secure state in India EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad ASSERTING that his government aimed to make the state a cyber-secure business hub, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday stated that all required assistance and resources were being provided to cyber experts and IT companies to create an ecosystem for developing cybersecurity solutions. Addressing SHIELD-2025, a conclave on cybersecurity organised at the HICC by the Telangana Cybersecurity Bureau, Cyberabad Police and the Society for Cyberabad Security Council, the chief minister reiterated that his government was committed to making Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy interacts with delegates at SHIELD-2025, a conclave on cybersecurity at HICC in Hyderabad on Tuesday the No. 1 state in the country in terms of cybersecurity . Stating that cybercriminals stole `22,812 crore across the country in the last year. “Cybercrime poses a huge threat to the country’s economy as well as citizens,” Revanth stated, adding that fake news was another major threat these days. “Misinformation on social media is creating chaos in society,” he CONTINUED ON P3 said. Rahul, Tharoor thaw on TNIE col Extradited middleman in PIC: SHEKHAR YADAV Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugs Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday nership,” Modi said on X. “Trade, investment and energy were among the major topics of discussion between the two leaders today,” said Arun Chatterjee, Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. Qatar is also a major investor in India, with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) holding around $1.5 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) across sectors like retail, power, IT, education, healthcare and affordable housing. Both leaders identified a number of areas in which the QIA can increase investments. PREETHA NAIR & K S SREEJITH @ New Delhi / T’Puram AMID the row over Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s recent column in this newspaper backing the CPM-led Kerala government’s development initiatives, senior leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday held a 30-minute oneon-one meeting with the fourtime MP from Thiruvananthapuram, who has come under fire from the party’s state unit. Sources said the Congress’ top leadership has decided to stand with Tharoor, who managed to convince Rahul about the facts in his column. Both leaders also agreed to meet more frequently . This is the first such meeting between Rahul and Tharoor in about three years and is seen as Rahul Gandhi Shashi Tharoor a reconciliatory effort on the part of the central leadership. “Tharoor has been trying for an appointment with Rahul ever since the latter contested for Congress president in 2022. It required a n article for that to happen,’’ a close confidant of Tharoor said in half jest. However, the development is seen as a blow to the state leadership. Leader of Opposition V D Satheeshan, his predecessor Ramesh Chennithala, and senior leader K Muralidharan had buried their differences and united to condemn Tharoor. Sources said Tharoor raised the issues of non-cooperation from the Kerala leadership and lack of inclusiveness in discussions at the national level. Speaking to reporters later, AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Veugopal said all is well in the party and that Tharoor shares the party’s views. Tharoor declined to comment on his meeting with Rahul Gandhi. “It was a longpending request I had made for a meeting to discuss various issues. Since it was a meeting where only the two of us were present throughout, it would not be appropriate for me to say anything more,” he said. Westland case gets bail S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to alleged middleman Christian Michel James in the `3,600-crore AgustaWestland case being probed by the CBI. A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed James was in custody for the past six years while the investigation in the matter by CBI was still underway . James, however, cannot walk out of jail as he faces another money laundering case in the Delhi High Court. “The petitioner was extradited in 2018 and has been in custody for more than 6 years. Acc o rd i n g t o t h e C B I . . . t h e investigation is still on. We are inclined to grant bail,” said the bench. It said given the speed, the trial would not conclude in 25 years. The scam relates to irregularities in purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland. James is one among three middlemen in the case. Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa are the other two. The CBI chargesheet alleged a loss of `2,666 crore to the exchequer due to the deal signed on February 8, 2010.