bengaluru l monday l july 20, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION 12 dead in landslides, flash floods in j&k’s rajouri and poonch dists Eight of a family killed in poonch Eight members of a family were killed when a landslide buried their house in Lower Muran village in the worst-hit Surankote tehsil of Poonch district in the early hours of Sunday. The villagers said the cloudburst struck with terrifying force, giving them little time to react. At least 10 died in Poonch and six are missing. In Rajouri, two persons lost their lives in flash floods At least 12 people were killed on Sunday as heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in J&K 8 dead as landslides hit Nagaland’s Mon ■ ■ In another rain-related incident, landslides claimed the lives of at least eight persons in Nagaland’s Mon town on Sunday morning Extensive damage to homes, roads and public infrastructure was reported in Mon, with several areas inundated and major routes blocked by landslides following several hours of heavy rainfall | P8 July 23 moderate to heavy rainfall likely across J&K till Thursday 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 8 bills listed for monsoon session beginning today Opposition likely to seek answers on Ram temple, NEET, ethanol RAJ E S H K UMAR THA K UR @ New Delhi (L) Lionel Messi waves to fans before match; Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martínez saves Spain’s Lamine Yamal shot | ap The biggest of them all Argentina and Spain go up against each other for one last time in the most important match of their lives. With the teams fighting it out in the FIFA World Cup final, a look... England’s best in 60 years Kabini pollution Activist vows legal action against civic authorities Karthik KK @ Mysuru Millions of litres of untreated municipal sewage from HD Kote and Sargur taluks is flowing directly into the Kabini river every day due to the absence of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and underground drainage (UGD) networks, posing a serious threat to drinking water sources, wildlife habitats and public health. The issue has now taken a legal turn with Mysuru-based advocate and Save Kabini Forum member Ravi Kumar issuing a legal notice to the chief secretary urban development depart, ment, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Mysuru deputy commissioner, HD Kote Town Municipal Council and Sargur Town Panchayat, demanding immediate intervention. The notice alleges that both the taluks lack a functional underground drainage system or a public sewage treatment plant, allowing raw sewage to enter the river unchecked. The notice said officials of the Kabini Dam Project had flagged concerns over increasing faecal coliform levels and deteriorating water quality but , no effective remedial measures have been implemented. It said the practice violates provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It also accused the KSPCB of failing to enforce pollution control measures against the two local bodies. Kabini is an important drinking water source for Mysuru and contributes to the Cauvery basin that supplies water to Bengaluru and several other downstream settlements.  P5 A drain carrying untreated sewage to the Kabini river | Express T he list of celebrities attending the biggest standalone sporting event in the world spanned 11 pages. Forget all the roads leading to East Rutherford, it seemed that in the hours before the beginning of the final, it seemed like the entirety of the planet had made a beeline for New York/ New Jersey. After a short Opening Ceremony, Lionel Messi’s Argentina, defending champions and aiming to win it for a fourth time, had led his side past the paint and onto the field of play. Likewise Rodri and his Spanish colleagues aim to win their second trophy. At the time of going to press, the scoreline read 0-0 | P11 England’s third-place finish is their best ever showing at the World Cup since they won in 1966. The four first half goals they scored was full of verve. By the end, Bukayo Saka had scored a hat-trick and Jude Bellingham scored one of the goals of the tournament to round off a fine campaign for him Delhi HC turns down wife’s plea to move Wangchuk to private hospital UDAYA N K I S HOR E @ New Delhi The Delhi High Court on Sunday held that the Centre’s decision to shift Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital was not arbitrary and refused to intervene. The court was hearing an urgent plea from Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of Wangchuk, seeking permission to transfer the activist to a private hospital. Justice Mini Pushkarna refused to pass any interim orders to interfere with his treatment at the Safdarjung Hospital, where he is said to be continuing his hunger strike. The judge held that since Wangchuk had not voluntarily admitted himself to a hospital despite his condition, the government was within its rights A portrait of Sonam Wangchuk is kept on Jantar Mantar protest stage | PTI to intervene and move him to a hospital. The judge also held that contrary to the petitioner’s claims, Wangchuk had “consented” to the administration of electrolytes; therefore, his ‘right to bodily autonomy’ had not been violated. Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said, “He (Wangchuk) is not in detention. There is no case against him. Is a citizen of India not allowed to go to a hospital of his choice?” Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre, cited the July 16 order of the court directing the Union and Delhi governments to monitor Wangchuk’s health on a daily basis. Meanwhile, a health bulletin issued by Safdarjung Hospital and VMMC on Sunday said Wangchuk’s vital parameters were stable and his blood parameters had shown marginal improvement. THE monsoon session of Parliament commencing on Monday is expected to witness a turbulent start, with the Opposition preparing to corner the BJP-led NDA government on a host of contentious issues. Despite the anticipated disruptions, the government has drawn up an extensive legislative agenda for the session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed journalists on Sunday that eight key Bills have been listed for consideration in this session, which will run from July 20 to August 13. The topics expected to dominate proceedings from the outset include the alleged donation theft at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, NEET-UG examination paper leak, and the controversies around ethanol blending. Among the major Bills scheduled for debate is the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which has been allocated four hours for discussion. The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will be debated for three hours in the Lok Sabha. The other important legislative proposals include the Supreme Court (Number of Judg es) Bill on Vande Amendment Bill, 2026; the Mataram Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Union Home Bill, 2026; the Micro, Small Minister Amit Shah and Medium Enterprises is set to introduce Development (Amendthe Prevention ment) Bill, 2026; and the of Insults to Prevention of Insults to National Honour National Honour (Amend(Amendment) Bill, ment) Bill, 2026. in the Rajya Sabha Meanwhile, the Lok on Monday, which Sabha’s Business Advisoproposes a 3-year ry Committee, chaired by jail term, a fine, or the Speaker, met on Sunboth, for insulting day to finalise the allocathe national song tion of time for debates on the Bills listed for the session. The committee earmarked specific durations for discussion on several significant pieces of legislation. The Speaker appealed to all parties to cooperate for a smooth and orderly session so that issues concerning people can be discussed in a productive manner. Before the formal commencement of business, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to deliver his customary address to the media within the Parliament complex. He is likely to appeal to all political parties to extend their cooperation in ensuring the smooth functioning of both Houses.  P7 Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Rajnath Singh and J P Nadda at the all-party meeting on Sunday in New Delhi | PTI Oppn stages walkout from all-party meet RAJ E S H K UMAR THA K UR @ New Delhi OPPOSITION leaders staged a symbolic walkout from the government’s all-party meeting on Sunday, a day before the monsoon session begins, protesting the invitation to rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs who joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The Opposition later returned for the meet, pressing for discussions on the donation theft at Ayodhya, the NEET paper leak, and ethanolpetrol blending — the principal issues raised, as per Congress leader Pramod Tiwari. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Parliament should function smoothly urg, ing the Opposition to “oppose through debate, not by creating chaos and protests.” He cited eight listed Bills and defended inviting the rebel MPs since the NCPI had sought recognition from the Speaker. The protest also centred on Speaker Om Birla’s decisions to allot separate seats to the rebel TMC MPs and approve the Shiv Sena (UBT) merger with Eknath Shinde’s faction. TMC MP Mahua Moitra said the “so-called NCPI” was unrecognised, with 20 disqualification petitions still pending. “On what grounds did the Parliamentary Affairs Minister extend an invitation to these 20 rebel MPs and how are they attending this meeting? We have registered our symbolic protest and walked out,” she said. Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Arvind Sawant cited the same reason for walkout. AAP’s N D Gupta alleged seven Rajya Sabha MPs were “hijacked” by BJP. Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi demanded that Parliament discuss the Ayodhya donation theft, questioning the government’s silence. madhya pradesh Cabinet approves recruitment of 15k teachers set to introduce Uniform Civil Code bill in Assembly, cabinet clears draft The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Sunday approved the draft Uniform Civil Code bill, paving the way for a common civil law that will criminalise triple talaq and ‘nikah halala’, prohibit polygamy, and attract 3-month jail term or `10,000 fine for live-in partners if their relationship is not registered within a month | P8 ENS@ Bengaluru The State Cabinet on Sunday approved the Karnataka Education Services (Department of Public Instruction) (Special Rules for Recruitment to Certain Teaching Posts), 2026, paving the way for direct recruitment of 15,000 teachers across the state. The ‘emergency’ Cabinet meeting accorded post-facto approval to the draft issued on July 14, 2026, which had been released with the approval of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in view of the urgency of filling vacant teaching posts. The cabinet also “ratified” G ove r n o r T h a aw a rch a n d Gehlot’s order suspending Shivashankarappa S Sahukar from the post of Karnataka Public Service Commission chairman on charges of illegally selecting his daughters as industrial extension officers. Sahukar, in his petition in the Kar nataka High Court, has challenged the suspension, questioning whether the Governor acted independently P4 . govt to submit drought report to Centre Bengaluru: With Karnataka facing a severe rainfall deficit, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday directed officials to prepare and submit a comprehensive district-wise drought report within a week, so that the State government can send its assessment to the Centre within the next 15 days. Reviewing the drought situation in the state, the chief minister asked deputy commissioners and zilla panchayat CEOs to function as ‘Team Karnataka’. He cautioned that he would not accept reports that fail to reflect the actual field situation. Shivakumar instructed DCs to visit villages within a week and assess the actual situation. He ordered the appointment of nodal officers at every taluk and hobli to provide regular advice to farmers on the selection of suitable crops, based on the availability of water in reservoirs and crop insurance benefits. P4 historic RETURN E x p r e s s Re a d Sindhu 2.0: Shuttler returns to top with Japan Open crown Boy falls to death in well ‘protected’ by ASI a n m o l g u r u n g @ Chennai BADMINTON great PV Sindhu has created many miracles in her decorated career but not so long ago, it seemed her old magical form deserted the shuttler. For someone used to dictating terms, she was in danger of being reduced to obscurity for a considerable period. Small niggles would constantly frustrate her as her results on the court turned ordinary. Forget titles, getting a victory itself had become a challenge. Despite all the negative energy Sindhu, with the support , system around her, continued to dig deep into her available resources behind the scenes. It was a step-by-step process for her. It was a painful watch but as has been the case throughout her career, she never gave up. On Sunday the 31-year-old fi, nally let out a beaming smile. There was a twinkle in her eyes as she could call herself a winner again. That was after a vintage display against Akane Yamaguchi, whom she beat 2117, 21-17, at the Japan Open final. For India, it was a first in the tournament’s chequered history. For Sindhu, it meant the world. This title had come after 595 days — an indicator of her struggles. “You hear a lot of things happening but more than giving a reply I would just , want to say that I believed in myself. Yes, it had been a long time. This title was very important. It was long-awaited. This gives me a lot of confidence and belief that I can do it and it’s not over yet,” Sindhu said in an interaction facilitated by BAI. Recalling her ordeal, Sindhu admitted that she had entered a phase where she had started to doubt herself but with the help of coaches and other support staff members, she soldiered on.   “When you have an injury you doubt yourself. , Like what is happening? Can I come back stronger? Will this niggle be alright or can I give my 100 per cent. These were the thoughts and emotions that were going on. When you’re injured, you get a lot of thoughts like sometimes you’re emotionally drained or mentally low. These things came to my mind, but at the same time people around me have supported me and motivated me saying, ‘it’s okay, you’ll come back stronger’. For me, it was just about taking one day at a time. Slowly, slowly, I started getting better.” This win is a clear indicator that she is getting better and it’s a timely boost for India ahead of the World Championships in New Delhi.  P11 Hosapete: A nine-year-old boy died after falling into an open well of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected Kalleshwara Temple at Bagali village in Vijayanagara district on Sunday, sparking anger over the absence of safety barricades. P3 Pak terror groups using edu bait to trap women New Delhi: Pakistan-based terror outfits have launched covert training programmes to recruit women for specialised support roles, using vocational and life-skills courses as a cover, an intelligence report said. P7