visakhapatnam l MONDAY l JULY 13, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Monsoon activity subdued in large parts of India representational image dry spells in northwest, central, south The IMD forecast weak rainfall activity in northwest, west central and over south Peninsular India in the next 6-7 days. For Uttarakhand, the IMD issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall. On Sunday, heavy rainfall triggered landslides across Uttarakhand. Himachal continued to be under a wet spell as light to moderate rains lashed parts of the state | P7 Monsoon activity was subdued in large parts of India Sunday, with rain confined to Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and Northeast 3 °C below normal rain for uttar pradesh ■ The southwest monsoon has remained below normal across U.P. so far, with the state recording 158.8 mm of cumulative rainfall between June 1 and July 12 against a normal of 190.9 mm ■ The Met department, however, said that an active monsoon will bring heavy rainfall over some districts of West Bengal till July 14 more than the average temperature in delhi: imd 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 Iran shuts Strait of Hormuz again, US retaliates with more attacks England vs Norway There was controversy surrounding the England equaliser as well as the decision to chalk off a Norway goal. England manager Thomas Tuchel even admitted his team was lucky Fate of ceasefire deal hangs in balance as Iran & US trade barbs over control of waterway India deplores attack on ship, urges restraint A G E NCI E S @ Tehran / Dubai IRAN said the Strait of Hormuz was closed on Sunday while the United States insisted it remained open, after the confrontation over the vital waterway again sparked US and Iranian strikes. The strait, essential to global oil and gas supplies, has become a central point of contention between the two foes, repeatedly leading to exchanges of fire despite an agreement aimed at ending the Middle East war that was struck last month. The latest exchange on Sunday was prompted by another Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the waterway whose crew was forced to abandon it after it went up in flames. Before the war began with surprise US-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, there was free passage through Hormuz, but Tehran now insists that it will control the strait, while Washington is adamant it cannot. “Following this incident... the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of American interventions in this region,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Sunday . The US military’s Central Command countered on X that the strait was “open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway”. It said US forces were “positioned and prepared to ensure” freedom of navigation, adding: “Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing.” Iran said it had targeted two ships in Hormuz, accusing them of ignoring instructions to use an approved transit corridor or “violating regulations”, IRNA said. The attacks prompted a barrage of US strikes across Iran in response, with the US j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi The Cyprus-flagged container ship that was hit by Iran and suffered “significant engineroom damage” according to the US | X military saying it had hit 140 targets this week. Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask and on Qeshm Island, as well as in Khuzestan province, with one soldier reported killed in the southern city of Jask. US President Donald Trump told CNN that the Iranian attack had come despite the two sides being close to a deal on Saturday. “They were giving up everything, and then two hours after that they hit a ship with a drone,” he said. Iran’s response to the US strikes came quickly with sirens and explo, sions heard in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, AFP journalists and local authorities reported. Qatar said three people were injured by Iranian attacks, while Jordan said three Iranian missiles fell inside the kingdom. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they also hit Oman, which has rarely been targeted. They claimed to have destroyed “the logistical support centres for naval vessels and the refuelling facilities for US aircraft carriers at the port of Duqm”.  P9 Oman protests Iranian attack Oman on Sunday issued a formal protest to the Iranian ambassador following an attack on the country, state media reported, in a rare instance of it publicly accusing Tehran of targeting its territory United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait US CENTCOM INDIA on Sunday strongly condemned the attack on the merchant vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman, calling for an immediate end to attacks on commercial shipping and urging de-escalation amid rising tensions in West Asia. The Ministry of External Affairs External Affairs (MEA) said 10 of 11 Indian nationals on board the Cyprus-flagged container were rescued; one Indian remains missing. “Our Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation. We thank Omani authorities for their support,” MEA said in a statement. Describing the repeated attacks on commercial vessels in the region as “deeply worrisome”, India reiterated its call for restraint and a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. “We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return,” the MEA said. The ministry also stressed the importance of safeguarding international shipping lanes. “The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end,” MEA said. 4.5-magnitude earthquake jolts Vizag Argentina, England entered the semis on Saturday. However, officials inside the (Video Assistant Referee) VAR booth played a decisive role in the on-field outcomes. A quick glance... Switzerland shot themselves in the foot when Breel Embolo, who had been booked in the first half, threw himself to the ground and was dismissed following a VAR check | P11 All-party meet on Jul 19; Opposition plans showdown PR E E THA NAIR @ New Delhi THE government has called an all-party meeting on July 19, a day before the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. In the meet, the government is expected to outline its legislative agenda while the opposition parties are likely to spell out the issues they intend to raise during the session. The monsoon session is expected to be stormy as the government may take up crucial constitutional amendment bills, including the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill, which seeks to automatically remove the prime minister, ministers, or chief ministers on the 31st day of their detention if they don’t step down. The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill is expected to adopt its report on July 17 before submitting it to Parliament. Sources said the panel has recommended that the PM, Union ministers, and chief ministers be suspended rather than permanently removed from their posts if they are detained for 30 consecutive days on charges of serious offenses. The panel has also proposed an automatic reversal clause if such persons are acquitted or the prosecution does not proceed within a specified period. Most opposition parties had opted out of the joint committee, as they termed the Bill a tool to destabilise governments they run. In its report, the panel defines “serious criminal offenses”, saying the term should refer to offenses punishable with jail term of 5 years or more. To pass Constitutional amendment bills, the government needs the support of twothirds of members present and voting in both Houses. NDA will need 360 to get a two-thirds majority. While NDA has 293 members, its strength could rise to 319 if the 20 rebel TMC MPs and six rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) extend support. E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Centre and the State government have stepped up efforts to bring back the mortal remains of three tourists from Andhra Pradesh, who died in the boat accident near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam on Saturday . In an official statement on Sunday, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said, “We are extending all possible assistance to the bereaved families, and coordinating closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Embassy of India in Vietnam to expedite the repatriation process. The three victims were identified as Ravi Teja from Hindupur, M Sridhar from Kadapa, and Gelli Jayalakshmi from Machilipatnam. “Vietnamese authorities and officials of the Indian Embassy are completing the formalities, including identification, documentation and transport clearances. After the completion of procedures, the mortal remains are expected to be moved to Hanoi and flown to Hyderabad. The Indian Embassy officials are expected to complete airline bookings and documentation procedure by Monday the ,” P4 Union Minister said.  express read Visakhapatnam slowest in SIR digitisation race Vijayawada: With less than 48 hours remaining for the conclusion of the month-long enumeration phase under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Visakhapatnam has emerged as the State’s biggest laggard in digitising voter data, registering only 87.24% of its distributed enumeration forms | P4 When Manmohan Singh told former CEC Quraishi ‘I will commit suicide’ E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Visakhapatnam A 4.5-magnitude earthquake in the Bay of Bengal triggered mild tremors across Visakhapatnam and parts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Sunday, prompting residents in several localities to step out of their homes as a precaution. The earthquake occurred at 5.05.46 am IST, with tremors being felt for a few seconds between 5.06 am and 5.07 am. Residents reported vibrations in several parts of Visakhapatnam, including Madhurawada, Kommadi, Gajuwaka, Mangalapalem, Sagar Nagar, East Point Colony, MVP Colony Peda Waltair, Ar, ilova, Madhavadhara, Muralinagar and Appughar. According to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake measured 4.5 on the Richter scale. The epicentre was located in the Bay of Bengal, at latitude 16.805° N and longitude 84.381° E, at a depth of 10 km beneath the seabed. Besides Visakhapatnam, tremors were also reported from parts of Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, Kakinada and Konaseema districts. Officials said there were no reports of casualties or damage to property There was also no tsunami . threat following the earthquake. North coastal Andhra has experienced mild seismic activity on earlier occasions. Argentina vs Switzerland Bodies of boat mishap victims likely to reach Hyd today E XPR E S S N E W S S E RVIC E @ New Delhi Tearful farewell S Janaki’s granddaughter Apsara Vydyula performing the legendary playback singer’s last rites in accordance with the family’s traditions in the presence of relatives, friends, officials, and hundreds of admirers in Mysuru on Sunday | Udayashankar S FORMER prime minister Manmohan Singh was deeply upset by the face-off between some of his ministers and the then chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi during the 2012 Uttar Pradesh elections. Divulging the details in his forthcoming book India and I: A Hundred Memories, Not a Memoir, Quraishi recalls that during a poll rally in January 2012, then Union minister Salman Khurshid said the Congress would raise the job quota for Muslims from 4.5% to 9%. at an event, he conveyed his The BJP approached the EC, concerns. The next day he got a , flagging violation of poll code. call from Singh, asking: ‘Qurai“We censured Khurshid, the shi ji, can I see you urgently?’ strongest action availWhen they met at able under the Code,” PM’s residence, Singh Quraishi recalls. said: ‘Harish told me The decision drew what you said. If that sharp criticism from is what you think, I some Congress leadwill commit suicide.’ ers, who said the EC Quraishi writes that had become ‘arrogant’. he was speechless. “My “Criticism never both- Manmohan Singh remark was about ers me; innuendo does. some ministers’ conThis loose talk was not accept- duct, not about him.” Singh able,” he writes in the book. then told him he was unaware When Quraishi met PM’s of the ministers’ comments press secretary Harish Khare and expressed deep regret. No need to panic over new Covid cases in Kadapa: Experts S G u r u S r i k a n t h @ Vijayawada The recent confirmation of fresh Covid-19 cases and two related fatalities in Kadapa district has renewed public attention on the virus. However, medical experts emphasise that rather than triggering widespread alarm or reverting to outdated pandemic-era panic, the situation demands a measured, scientifically grounded response focused on protecting vulnerable populations. Local health officials recently confirmed that eight cases were registered alongside two deaths—a 46-year-old individual from Masapeta who was ad- mitted to the GGH on July 4 with a bilateral lung infection, and died on July 7, and a resident of Rajampeta diagnosed during treatment in Tirupati. The disclosure came after Badvel MLA Dr Dasari Sudha and MLC Ramesh Yadav strongly questioned health authorities during Friday’s Zilla Parishad meeting regarding lack of official announcement. While these cases have prompted the district administration, led by District Incharge Minister S Savitha and Collector Sreedhar Cherukuri, to step up surveillance, mandate medical alertness across private and public facilities, and secure buffer stocks of essential medicines, a 24/7 Command and Control Room helpline has also been activated at 9441075150; nevertheless, experts clarify that the public risk profile has fundamentally altered. The core reason why a return to public panic is unwarranted lies in the evolution of the virus itself. Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, Co-Chairman of National IMA Covid-19 Task Force, points out that the lethal variants that characterised the devastating waves of pandemic have long been replaced. He noted that since late No- vember 2021, the original, severe types of Covid variants died out, replaced by distant descendants of the Omicron lineage. While they are highly communicable and spread exceptionally fast, they are not the dangerous, lethal pathogens encountered initially . In healthy individua l s, t h e s e c u r re n t strains generally present as mild, cold-like symptoms, throat pain, or minor digestive distress that rarely require hospitalisation. The critical challenge arises when the virus encounters an individual with severe underlying health conditions, or is elderly . Dr Jayadevan explained that in many modern fatalities, the patient is admitted to the ICU for a severe primary illness, and Covid-19 is detected incidentally during routine screening. In these scenarios, the virus now acts more like a bystander than the primary cause of death it used to be. However, in someone whose immune system is significantly compromised—such as individuals with advanced kidney disease, uncontrolled diabetes, or severe organ damage due to chronic alcoholism—even a mild viral hit can trigger sysP4 temic complications.  sinner seals the deal, defends wimbledon crown World No 1 Jannik Sinner defended his title in London, beating French Open champ Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4 in the summit clash on Sunday | P11