belagavi l Wednesday l July 15, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l late city EDITION India seeks freedom of navigation, unimpeded trade in South China Sea 14 other nations back tribunal ruling New Delhi’s remarks came two days after the US, UK and a dozen other countries reminded China about the tribunal’s landmark verdict that its expansive claims on the resource-rich region are illegal. The ruling came on a case filed by the Philippines in 2013 in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague challenging China’s claims and activities in South China Sea India on Tuesday reiterated its support for the 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling that rejected China’s territorial claims over the South China Sea Beijing’s ‘nine-dash line’ claims rejected ■ ■ ■ At the centre of the dispute is the ‘nine-dash line’ — a vague depiction by China of its claims over 90% of the South China Sea Several countries in the region including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei, have counterclaims over the disputed resource-rich region India has been pitching for a rules-based maritime order | P9 July 12, 2016 When The Permanent Court of Arbitration released the ruling 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 Turkmenistan Caspian Sea Seafarer killed in Iran strike on UAE Bidadi stir: Attempt tankers, India lodges strong protest to murder case filed Turkey Afghanistan Syria 10 other mariners hurt, 2 of them serious; MEA summons Tehran’s Deputy Chief of Mission J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Iraq Kuwait U.S. strikes along Iran coast Third consecutive day of attacks on Iranian targets. Tehran responded with strikes on Bahrain, Jordan and 3 tankers travelling through the strait Bushehr Areas attacked by US IRAN Bandar Abbas Th India on Tuesday summoned Iran’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, and lodged a strong protest after Iranian strikes on two UAE-linked commercial tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz killed an Indian seafarer and injured several others, including Indian nationals. The diplomatic protest came amid a sharp escalation in West Asia after Iran targeted commercial shipping in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest energy corridors through which nearly one-fifth of global oil supplies pass. The External Affairs Ministry condemned the attacks and confirmed casualties among Indian crew. “India is deeply concerned by the attacks on two vessels, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz today Both the vessels were car. rying 30 Indian seafarers among their combined crew of 46,” the MEA said. One Indian national onboard MT Al Bahiyah was ed eR S ea Taslima to be back in Kolkata after 19 years S U B HEND U MAI T I @ Kolkata Nineteen years after she fled Kolkata amid violent protests over her controversial writings, exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is gearing up to return to the city next month. Announcing the decision through social media, Nasrin said on Tuesday that she would be in Kolkata on August 1 to participate in an anti-fundamentalism literary event. The development makes an strong political statement for the BJP government in the state, given that she was quietly moved out by the erstwhile Left Front government in 2007 due to pressure from Islamic groups and was not allowed to come back by the subsequent Trinamool Congress governments. Sources said Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will attend the programme. The writer has been invited by Paschimbangar Jonno, Secular Mission, and the Human Rights and Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Foundation. The organisers said the invitation is in recognition of Taslima Nasrin’s long-standing stand against fundamentalism and her advocacy of freedom of expression. About 148 seafarers are onboard 7 Indian-flagged qatar vessels in the Persian Gulf. Given the current situation, they are not planning to come out of the region as of now Saudi Arabia Indian govt official killed while another was injured. On MT Mombasa, nine Indian crew members sustained injuries, including two who are reported to be seriously hurt. “The Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi was summoned this Yemen morning by the Ministry of External Affairs and a strong protest against these attacks was lodged with him,” the statement said. India alsoof Aden for Gulf called an immediate end to attacks on commercial shipping and urged Three convicts, lodged at the Central Jail of Kalaburagi, escaped from the prison around 4.30 am on Tuesday Following it, eight . prison officials were suspended pending inquiry for dereliction of duty . The escaped convicts are Mastan of Islampur village in Basavakalyan taluk, Santosh Basappa of Santpur village of Aurad taluk and Sagar Bhimaraya of Bakchoudi village of Bidar taluk. They were serving life imprisonment for different crimes. UAE Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are two of the most in-form players currently and England are still alive thanks to them. The pair, between them, has registered 12 goals and two assists. Like Messi, they have come up with big moments when needed Today’s match Konarak Chabahar Oman all sides to return to dialogue. “We strongly condemn these attacks... We reiterate our deep concern over the resumption of attacks and escalation of hostilities in the West Asian region and call for immediate cessation of violence and a return to dialogue and diplomacy .” The UAE Ministry of Defence said the strikes triggered fires and caused material damage to both vessels, though the blazes were later brought under control. Describing the in- Kane-Bellingham influence battle for supremacy In the second semifinals, England stand between Argentina and another WC final. A look... US President Donald Trump on Tuesday did a U-turn on plans to charge a 20% toll on cargo going through the Hormuz, saying the West Asia will instead make trade deals with the US. “Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% US Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals,” he said | P9 cident as a “serious violation of international law,” the ministry said that the attacks posed a Arabian threat to regional secugrave Sea rity and stability . The attacks came hours after the US carried out strikes on Iran following President Donald Trump’s announcement that Washington was “reinstating” a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hor muz. Iran launched retaliatory attacks targeting Bahrain, Jordan and the two UAE-linked tankers. Eyes on Messi It’s impossible to look beyond Argentina games without mentioning the 39-year-old. If they lose, it could easily be his last ever meaningful game for Albiceleste. His eight goals in the tournament have helped in taking defending champions this far | P13 England vs Argentina 12.30 AM* | IST Thursday FIFA WC: restaurants to stay open till 3.30 am Bengaluru: As football world cup fever grips, hotels, pubs, bars and restaurants in the state capital have been permitted to operate till 3.30 am on the days when semifinals and final matches are held. Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh has issued an order extending the timings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from the usual 1 am to 3.30 am. The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) on Monday submitted a requisition to Singh to permit extension the timings on these three days. Mahadayi stir to complete 11 yrs R a g h o tta m K o p pa r @ G a d a g On July 16, the Mahadayi protest will complete 11 long years, creating a record of sorts for the region. As the demand has not been met yet, the agitation at Naragund Mahadayi Vedike will continue, the protesters said. On July 16, 2015, an agitation by farmers and bandh swept across northern Karnataka, bringing the region to a halt. Many farmer leaders, political representatives and cinema artistes supported the protest. The agitation, centred around Nar- Three lifers escape from Kalaburagi Central Jail Ramakrishna Badseshi @Kalaburagi Abu Musa Jask Trump U-turn on 20% Hormuz toll Pakistan Israel They escaped by jumping over the security wall and the jail staff came to know about it only later on Tuesday morning. The jail staff filed a complaint at Fartabad police station and an FIR has been registered. Kalaburagi Police Commissioner Dr Sharanappa SD, who visited the prison, told TNIE that three teams have been constituted to search and arrest the convicts. DIG Prisons (Belagavi) M Somashekhar visited the jail premises on Tuesday evening and held an inquiry with the prison officials. P7 A file photo of the protest, demanding Mahadayi waters for drinking and agricultural needs at Naragund gund in Gadag district, has sought to secure water for drinking and agricultural needs in Gadag, Dharwad, Bagalkot, and Belagavi districts. P7 Protesters have visited Bengaluru and met successive chief ministers BS Yediyurappa, Jagadish Shettar, Basavaraj Bommai and Siddaramaiah, but have returned only with assurances –Source express read Russia launches Anil Menon to ISS Baikonur: Nasa on Tuesday launched astronaut Anil Menon, an Indian-American, to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. The mission marks Menon’s first journey into space. CM urges PM to assess drought in state Bengaluru: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to depute a central team to assess the drought situation in the state. He said it would provide a first-hand appreciation of the severity of the conditions | P4 Zomato, hotel fined `20K for goof up Shivamogga: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on food delivery platform Zomato and the owner of a local hotel for delivering a non-vegetarian burger, instead of vegetarian, to a customer. | P7 Express News Service @Bengaluru Bidadi police registered two cases against a group of farmers, including one for attempt to murder, for allegedly assaulting and obstructing government officials, including a police officer, during a survey of the land for the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) at Mandalahalli in Bengaluru South district on Monday . According to the complaint filed by Ramanagara Rural Inspector Murali, he was deployed on duty for a land acquisition survey being conducted in the Bhairamangala and Kanchugaranahalli Gram Panchayat limits under the jurisdiction of the Bidadi police station. The survey team, comprising Mahesh (Survey Head), Nishchit (Civil Engineer), Rohini (Forest Department), Manjunath (Horticulture Department) and Keerthana (GMC Head), arrived in two vehicles to conduct the survey of Survey No 3/2 at Mandalahalli village in Bidadi hobli. Around 2.30 pm a group of farmers opposing the land acquisition allegedly gathered at the spot. They were armed hearing in 3 wks SC declines namaz plea in disputed Bhojshala site S U CHI T R A KALYAN MOHAN T Y @ New Delhi A file photo of farmers protesting with brooms against the proposed township project in Bidadi on Monday with brooms and stones and allegedly obstructed the survey, preventing the officials from carrying out their work. The farmers abused the officials in filthy language, threatened them and assaulted the survey staff with stones and brooms, the FIR stated. When Inspector Murali and other police personnel intervened to disperse the crowd and protect the officials, the farmers allegedly threatened to kill him and struck him on the head with a stone, the FIR stated. He alleged that the mob damaged the glass windows of the two official vehicles. Another FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by Mohammed Sameer, a revenue official, who also alleged that the farmers obstructed the survey and assaulted the government officials. P4 The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to expeditiously examine the Muslim parties’ challenge to the Madhya Pradesh High Court verdict declaring the Bhojshala complex in Dhar as a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, but declined to allow namaz inside the disputed site on Fridays. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to the Centre, the Madhya Pradesh government and the Archaeological Survey of India. The court refused to restore the status quo ante under which Muslims were allowed Friday prayers at the site. However, it suggested that an open area adjacent to the premises could be earmarked for the Muslim community to offer prayers on Fridays between 1 pm and 3 pm. The bench described the arrangement as purely ad-hoc, subject to the final outcome of the case.