BHUBANESWAR  WEDNESDAY  MARCH 19, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION HOPE AND DESPAIR What’s happening in Ukraine is not good, but we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace. And I think we’ll be able to do it Even if the other side makes a gesture of some sort... you can expect them to find another way or putting pressure or putting a spoke in our wheel US President Donald Trump Russian President Vladimir Putin Deal on Ukraine energy, infra targets truce done J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin on Monday agreed to stop striking energy targets in Ukraine for 30 days, Kremlin said. The commitment came during an extensive discussion over phone with US President Donald Trump. However, there was no agreement on a fullscale ceasefire as Putin set some conditions for the same. “President Trump and President Putin spoke about the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace. They also stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people,” a White House statement read. It added that the two leaders agreed the movement to peace will begin with energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace. “These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East,” the statement read. Trump and Putin also agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the US and Russia has huge upside, the statement added. The talks lasted for over two hours, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. This is the second time Trump and Putin have spoken over the phone since the former took office in January . Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in New Delhi that Kyiv would not be an obstacle for a peace deal with Russia. Ukraine is waiting for clarity to emerge on the peace process after the conversation between Trump and Putin, he added. Earlier in the day, Trump said he expected to discuss with Putin ‘land and power plants’ that have been seized during the grinding three-year war. However, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s aide Andriy Yermak said Kyiv “will never recognise any occupied territory as Russian”. In preparation for the TrumpPutin call, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff met last week with Putin in Moscow, while Rubio persuaded Ukraine to agree to the ceasefire deal. Putin earlier said he agreed in principle with the US proposal, but sought guarantees on Ukraine’s actions. US President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (File photos) | AFP An injured man being taken to the Al-Ahli hospital following overnight airstrikes by Israel across the Gaza Strip | AP Ceasefire in the bin as Israeli airstrikes kill over 400 in Gaza A G E N C I E S @ Gaza Strip ISRAEL launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday killing at least 413 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and shattered a ceasefire in place since January with its deadliest bombardment in a 17-month asymmetrical war with Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza, including much of the northern town of Beit Hanoun and other communities further south, and head toward the centre of the Hamas calls territory, indicating that Israel out the US could soon renew ground operaHamas leader tions. “Israel will, from now on, Sami Abu Zuhri act against Hamas with increastold AFP the ing military strength,” it said. strikes were an The attack during Ramzan attempt to could signal the full resumption force the of a war that has already killed group’s tens of thousands across Gaza. “surrender”, It also raised concerns about the and called the fate of two dozen Israeli hostagUnited States es held by Hamas believed to “complicit” in still be alive. After two months the escalation of calm, stunned Palestinians found themselves once again digging loved ones out of rubble and holding funeral prayers at morgues. “Nobody wants to fight,” Palestinian Nidal Alzaanin said. Gaza war mediator Qatar denounced Israel’s onslaught. It warned that the attack will ignite the region. Hamas said the head of its government in Gaza, Essam al-Dalis, was among top officials killed in the strikes, along with interior ministry head Mahmud Abu Watfa and Bahjat Abu Sultan, Gaza’s internal security chief. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions. US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel. A democratic country must not function like a police state: SC after his bail plea was mechanically rejected by both the trial court and the GuEXPRESSING dismay over the habit of jarat High Court, despite the investigatrial courts and high courts detion being completed and a nying bail in minor cases de- Bail, not jail, chargesheet filed. spite completion of investigaThe Supreme Court has time is the norm tion, the Supreme Court said and again held that bail, not jail, The Supreme that the practice is unacceptable is the rule. Court has on in a democratic country and Questioning the repeated renumerous that it creates unnecessary jection of bail pleas by lower times urged strain on the higher judiciary . courts, the SC observed that two “A democratic country must lower courts to decades ago, bail pleas in smalladopt a more not function like a police state, er cases rarely reached the high liberal stance where law enforcement agencies courts, let alone the apex court. exercise arbitrary powers to de- in granting bail, Now, bail matters that should particularly in tain individuals without genuhave been disposed of by magisine necessity,” a bench of jus- cases of minor trates are being brought before infractions tices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal the SC, it said. Bhuyan said on Monday while “It is shocking that the Sugranting bail to an accused who had been preme Court is adjudicating bail pleas in in custody for over two years in a cheat- cases that should be disposed of at the ing case. trial court level. The system is being burThe accused had moved the top court dened unnecessarily,” Justice Oka said. S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi EXPRESS READ Cuttack city to be included in metro rail CB restarts probe into Naba Das murder case Father, son among 3 murdered in Ganjam Bhubaneswar: The state government is all set to revise the detailed project report (DPR) of the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project to extend the service beyond Trisulia to Cuttack city, Housing and Urban Development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra told mediapersons on Tuesday | P2 Bhubaneswar/Jharsuguda: In a significant development, the state Crime Branch has restarted its investigation into the murder of former Health minister and senior BJD leader Naba Kishore Das. A two-member team of the CB visited the residence of Das to record the statements of his family members | P3 Berhampur: Three persons including a father-son duo were hacked to death in a sorceryrelated group clash at Kharpali village within Badagada police limits in Ganjam district on Tuesday evening. The deceased were identified as Khadala Behera, his son Ratnakar Behera and one Ramesh Behera | P4 NASA’s two stuck astronauts are headed back to Earth on Tuesday to close out a dramatic marathon mission that began with a bungled Boeing test flight more than nine months ago THE HOMECOMING Butch Wilmore and Indian-origin Sunita Williams bid farewell to the International Space Station, their home since last spring departing aboard a SpaceX capsule alongside two other astronauts The mission took an unexpected turn in January when Trump asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to accelerate their return The capsule undocked shortly after 10.30 am IST and aimed for a splashdown off the Florida coast five hours later | P9 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 ■ ■