CENTRE OPEN TO TALKS, SAYS SONAM WANGCHUK In his first remarks after release from jail, activist Sonam Wangchuk said he is looking forward to a ‘meaningful dialogue’ with Centre on Ladakh. 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 VIJAYAWADA  WEDNESDAY  MARCH 18, 2026  `9.00  PAGES 14  LATE CITY EDITION 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 SC rules leave criteria for adoptive moms biased EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @New Delhi 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 court observed. De facto Iran leader ‘killed’ Tel Aviv claims it eliminated security chief Ali Larijani; US counterterrorism chief resigns over war 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 eliminated Ali Larijani, the boss of the Revolutionary Guards, which is the gang of gangsters that actually runs Iran,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. According to the IDF, Larijani led the political-security coordination of the Iranian regime. His death, if confirmed, would be a blow to Iran, which is facing the brunt of a war launched by IDF claims Larijani was de facto leader after supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed Hormuz: Modi, UAE prez discuss safe navigation Larijani led the political-security coordination of the regime, says Israel military Second LPG tanker arrives from the troubled Strait 1 Modi, UAE President stress secure Strait of Hormuz | P9 2 Balanced ideological loyalty with pragmatic statecraft, led nuclear policy and strategic diplomacy 3 Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani the US and Israel seeking a rehe r gime change in Tehran. Despite the perceived setback, Iran on Tuesday launched a fresh DAY wave of attacks in its 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 18 EXPRESS READ One-time 50% waiver on property tax interest Naidu to launch Divyang Shakti scheme today Vijayawada: The AP government announced a one-time 50% waiver on interest for property tax arrears for 2025-26. Taxpayers must clear full principal and remaining interest in one payment by March 31, 2026. The scheme aims to boost ULB revenues and improve urban services. No extension will be given, officials said | P3 Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will launch ‘Divyang Shakti’ on Wednesday, offering free RTC bus travel to persons with disabilities. Timed for Ugadi, the scheme will benefit over 12.76 lakh people. Leaders will join beneficiaries in bus travel. The programme expands welfare focus to disability inclusion with statewide rollout | P4 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 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. 20L JOBS, TOP AGENDA OF AP: LOKESH IT & HRD Minister Nara Lokesh says creating 20 lakh jobs must be AP’s top priority, stressing focus on grounding investments and boosting industrial growth | P4 40% of young grads 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 unem- ployment among young graduates remains persistently high, with 40% of those between 1525 years and 20% of 25-29 years unable 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. 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 the share of workingage population will begin to decline after 2030.