PM Modi, Merz pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi TUESDAY Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on Monday morning and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi. After paying tributes to the Father of the Nation at the historic ashram, both the leaders reached Sabarmati Riverfront to inaugurate the International Kite Festival. 13 JANUARY, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard I R A N T U M U LT TEHRAN WANTS TO TALK, SAYS TRUMP US President said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after he threatened to hit the Islamic republic over its crackdown on protesters, killing 572 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Germany’s Friedrich Merz on Monday | PTI Trade talks back, India on Pax Silica: Gor What is Pax Silica and why is India joining now? J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi SIGNALLING an early effort to stabilise India-US ties that have come under strain amid tariff disputes and market jitters, Washington’s new ambassador to New Delhi, Sergio Gor, on Monday said the two sides will take up the outstanding trade issues during a call on Tuesday . In a parallel strategic move, Gor said India will be invited next month to join US-led Pax Silica initiative to secure silicon and critical tech supply chain. Speaking on his first day in office, Gor sought to portray EXPRESS READ Australia puts curbs on Indian students Australia has put Indian students in the highest risk student visa category, along with those from Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Checks will become stringent now. | P7 2 nurses critical after testing +ve for Nipah Two cases of Nipah virus were reported in West Bengal on Monday with two nurses being infected. They are on life support at a private hospital in North 24 Parganas district. Sergio Gor during a press meet at the US Embassy in New Delhi on Monday | PTI Pax Silica is a US-led economic security partnership to protect critical technology supply chains, including AI, semiconductors, minerals, etc. Members include UK, Israel, Japan, and Australia. After a month on the sidelines, India is now set to join, a move widely seen as a diplomatic warm-up current frictions as manageable within a mature partnership. “Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences in the end,” he said. Stressing that talks remain active, Gor said: “The next call on trade will occur tomorrow.” He did not elaborate on the level at which the discussions would take place but noted: “India is the world’s largest nation, so it’s not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there.” Gor also linked trade to a broader recalibration of US diplomacy. Citing Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he said 2026 would be “a year of reciprocity defined by “fair trade, mu,” tual respect, and shared security.” He stressed that while commerce is a key pillar of the relationship, cooperation would continue across security coun, ter-terrorism, energy technolo, gy education and health. , PSLV’s third-stage fails twice in a row 10.18 am. The first two stages went as planned, I S RO ch a i r m a n V THE most-awaited first Narayanan said. Then, commercial satellite during the third-stage launch of 2026 by the separation, there was Indian Space Research a drop in chamber Organisation (ISRO), pressure during enthe PSLV-C62 carrying gine firing, causing EOS-N1 and 15 other the rocket to deviate satellites—failed to from its designated reach its designated path. PSLV-C62 lifts At the space centre, orbit on Monday . off from SDSC on Monday | PTI tension was palpable The rocket lifted off when the computer from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan screens tracking the rocket Space Centre, Sriharikota, at started showing errors. Errors BOSKY KHANNA @ Bengaluru appeared from the 378th second of the launch, and after 425 seconds, the failure was noted. “The performance of the PSLV , up to the third stage, the solid stage, was as expected. During the end of the third stage, we saw disturbances in the vehicle. Deviations from its designated flight path were observed. We are collecting and analysing data,” the ISRO chief said. This the second consecutive failure of the PSLV’s thirdstage. In May last year, the third cryogenic section of the rocket failed. Not responsible for Karur deaths, Vijay tells CBI EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi TAMILAGA Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay on Monday told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that he can’t be held responsible for the crowd crush in Karur that left 41 people dead, and that he had left the venue immediately to avoid further tragedy, agency sources said. Vijay During the sixhour-long interrogation at the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi, Vijay was questioned on matters related to the rally held at Velusamypuram last September, including the delay in his arrival to the venue and his decision to leave the place when the situation worsened. “He was asked to narrate the sequence of events that could have led to the stampede. He was also asked if he was aware of how congested the venue was and expected footfall,” an agency official told this newspaper. The Tamil superstar arrived at the heavily barricaded CBI headquarters at 11.30 am in a black Range Rover. Modi, Merz agree to upgrade bilateral strategic relations announcements across defence, trade, critical minerals and semiconductors. IN a big push amid rising Both sides noted that bilatglobal protectionism, Ger- eral trade in goods and servman Chancellor Friedrich ices crossed $50 billion in Merz on Monday was opti- 2024, amounting to over 25% mistic of sealing a landmark of India’s trade with EU. EU-India free trade agreeThey signed joint declarament by Januarytions of intent on end, with top EU boosting bilateral leaders likely visitdefence industrial ing New Delhi to ties. sign it, following Our growing trade Modi and Merz wide-ranging talks and investment ties etched a bilateral have infused new with Prime Minisdialogue mechaenergy into India ter Narendra Modi nism for the Indoand Germany’s in Ahmedabad. Pacific, besides the relationship Welcoming Merz establishment of Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad, PM Track 1.5 Foreign Modi framed the Policy and Securivisit as historic, coming at a ty Dialogue. Germany also time when India and Ger- announced visa free transit many have completed 25 for Indians. years of strategic partnerFurther, they signed an ship and are commemorat- offtake agreement for green ing 75 years of diplomatic a m m o n i a b e t we e n A M relations. Green (India) and Uniper The talks, accompanied by Global (Germany). Germaa delegation of 23 German ny committed 1.24 billion euCEOs, resulted in the sign- ros for renewable energy ing of 19 MoUs and several projects. P7 D I L I P S I N G H K S H AT R I YA @ Ahmedabad