BHUBANESWAR l monday l july 29, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late CITY EDITION Fears of Israel-lebanon war as 12 killed in israel-held golan Israel on Sunday vowed to ‘hit the enemy hard’ after rocket fire from Lebanon killed 12 youngsters in Israeli-annexed Golan Heights ‘Hezbollah has crossed all red lines’ Call for calm as Israel strikes lebanon A rocket strike Saturday at a football field killed at least 12 children and teens, Israeli authorities said. Israel blamed Hezbollah for the strike, but the Lebanese group said it has nothing to do with the attacks. “There is no doubt Hezbollah has crossed all the red lines here, and the response will reflect that,” Israel Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Israeli media | P9 ■ ■ Israel’s military said on Sunday it had hit Hezbollah targets “both deep inside Lebanese territory and in southern Lebanon” Iran warned Israel of “unforeseen consequences” if it attacks Lebanon. Western powers including France and Britain have called for calm. Those dead in Golan were aged between 10 and 16 22 Israeli soldiers killed near border with lebanon since OCtober last 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 karma, Bhagavad Gita Coaching centre owner and the legend of Manu Bhaker held for student deaths, sent to judicial custody I 5 NE Manu Bhaker is India’s first woman shooting medallist at the Games. It is also India’s first medal in the 10m air pistol event Overall, this is India’s fifth medal in shooting in the history of the Games and first since Gagan Narang in 2012. Others to have won include Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Abhinav Bindra and Vijay Kumar Green signal UltraTech board clears acquisition of India Cements A r s h a d K h a n @ New Delhi THE board of directors of India’s largest cement maker UltraTech Cement on Sunday approved the purchase of 32.72% equity stake held by the promoters and their associates in Chennai-based India Cements Limited (ICL). UltraTech, an Aditya Birla group firm, will pay `3,954 crore at `390 a share to buy the entire 28.42% stake of ICL promoters — Srinivasan N, Chitra Srinivasan, Rupa Gurunath, and S K Asokh Baalaje—and 4.3% stake from Sri Saradha Logistics. This share purchase will trigger a mandatory open offer at `390 a share. The open offer, which will allow UltraTech to add another 26% stake, will be done subsequently after obtaining regulatory approvals. UltraTech had made a financial investment in ICL to acquire 22.77% equity at `268 per share in June 2024. Billionaire investor Radhakishan Damani and his associates had offloaded shares worth `1,889 crore in the deal. “Post this financial investment, the promoter group approached us as they wanted to sell their holding in the company UtraTech said. ,” Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said: “Every investment in a core sector like cement accelerates economic activity and drives progress. These investments have also facilitated India’s nationwide infrastructure upgrade.” New Guvs for eight states and one Union Territory The President, following the recommendations from the Centre, on Saturday night appointed new governors for Telangana, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Punjab and Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry | P7 T is perhaps more than just providence that Manu Bhaker won a medal in the town of Chateauroux, where a river named Indre flows. After all, religion, spirituality and philosophy were all vital ingredients in this story It is difficult to not . be a touch philosophical when talking about the 22-year-old’s bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol final. She had secured a quota in the 25m pistol event and qualified for the 10m event only through trials. On Sunday , she won India’s first shooting Olympic medal since 2012 (London). Fittingly, Manu kept speaking about inspiration after her feat. Much of that inspiration came from that profound book of 700 verses – The Gita. In the final, Manu was calm. There were also occasional glances at Jaspal Rana, her coach sitting among the audience. “One look at him and that gives me courage,” she said. Karma is what she believes about how he knew how to get in, more so after the Tokyo in but not about getting out. Games where public criticism Use your information. Just do caused her to hit the nadir. “I it. Win or you die. So she won,” read a lot of Gita,” she said. Rana said. The training rituals, “One of the famous quotes is according to Manu, was even (Krishna’s advice to Arjuna) more challenging than the ackarma pe dhyan do, aur phal ke tual Olympics. “Perhaps, that chinta mat karo (focus has made me stronger,” on the work but don’t she said. One such ritual inworry about the reward). The same was TNIE @ olympics volves Manu meeting specific targets or payrunning through my ing a fine. “For exammind from last night ple, he sometimes sets a (Saturday). I told mytarget, and if you score self ‘whatever hapthat much, then fine. If pens, I’ll handle it’.” not, for the deficit in Manu and her coach Indraneel Das points (for example, if spoke about several Paris the target is 582 and you motivating parables, score 478), you have to anecdotes and stories. He doesn’t believe in getting an give 40 euros or 400 euros, deexternal psychologist. “My pending on the situation.” They coach is my psychologist,” she donate the entire proceeds or had said earlier. Just before the buy gifts and distribute it. One over, two to follow. She final, the duo were talking about Abhimanyu – Arjuna’s will pair with Sarabjot Singh in son. How he knew how to enter the mixed 10m air pistol event the chakravyuh but did not before the 25m event later on in P11 know how to exit. “So we talked the week.  Bangladesh braces for more youth protests Ye s h i Se l i @ New Delhi Even as the authorities in Bangladesh maintain that the law and order is under control, the country remains tense with the student groups warning that they are preparing to resume protests over the arrests of their leaders who spearheaded the quota agitation. Some analysts have gone as far as suggesting that what began as a student protest is turning into a revolution. Students Against Discrimination, the student group that has led the protests, said on Sunday they would end their week-long protest moratorium. The group is demanding that the police free all student leaders arrested Mobile internet restored The mobile internet connection was restored in Bangladesh on Sunday, 10 days after it was restricted by the authorities across the country to stop the spread of fake news. The mobile internet connectivity was restored at around 3.00 pm local time over protests. However, sources say the police are pressing with covert action against protest leaders. Block raids are reportedly happening on a daily basis and youngsters are being rounded up and put in detention. “The situation is tense even now as on the pretext of ‘block raids’ young people are being rounded up and put under detention in cells,” Professor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, a politi- cal commentator in Bangladesh, told this newspaper. Reports said fully armed police are knocking at the doors in random order to arrest those considered as troublemakers. “For the first time in the history of Bangladesh, there were helicopters used during the protests,’’ Kalimullah said. However, the protesters are staying firm with their demands, one of which is that “visible actions” be taken Govt puts 7 dists on alert as Hirakud dam opens 20 gates E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur The state government on Sunday put seven districts on alert as heavy rains in the upper catchment prompted Hirakud Dam authorities to open 20 gates to release floodwater. Presently, water is being released through 20 sluice gates including 14 gates on the left spillway and six on the right spillway of the dam. Due to opening of the gates, water discharge at Khairmal is expected to be 4.50 lakh cusec by Monday morning. The flow further down at Mundali is likely to reach 5 lakh cusec on Tuesday . Special relief commissioner Satyabrata Sahu instructed collectors of Sambalpur, Sonepur, Nayagarh, Puri, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts to remain alert and urged people to not enter Mahanadi river. He also said collectors have been asked to remain alert and monitor the situation. On the day, the water inflow at Hirakud reservoir stood at 2.9 lakh cusec and outflow was more than 2.50 lakh cusec. The water level was rising in the dam after heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas in the last few days. Chief engineer of Upper Mahanadi Basin Sushil Kumar Be- Further flood management measures will be determined based on the water level, rainfall in the upper catchment, probable inflow into the reservoir and downstream conditions Sushil Kumar Behera, chief engineer of Upper Mahanadi Basin The first floodwater of the season being released from Hirakud dam on Sunday hera said about three lakh cusec of water is currently being released through 20 gates. “Further flood management measures will be determined based on the water level, rainfall in the upper catchment, probable inflow into the reservoir and downstream conditions,” he added. The Water Resources department said there is no flood threat in Odisha as of now. “The peak floodwater will pass through Khairmal on Monday and Mundali a day later. The river bed is empty and there is no risk until the water flow is about 9 lakh cusec,” said an officer of the department. The government is keeping a close watch on the situation as formation of a fresh system is being predicted on July 31. Under its influence, heavy rainfall is forecast in many parts of the state over next four days. Meanwhile, the recent spell of heavy showers has brought down the rainfall deficit in the state which now stands at (-) 8 per cent between June 1 and July 28. against government ministers and police officers responsible for the deaths of protesters. “From being a mere student protest, this is soon turning into a revolution against the government,” Pinaki Bhattacharya, exiled Bangladesh rights activist, told this newspaper. “Our statistics confirm 266 people have died. (The government) is maintaining power through brutal force,” he added. At least 9,000 people have been arrested nationwide since the unrest began, Bangaldesh daily Prothom Alo reported. Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Kha on Sunday said 147 people had been killed in clashes. Bangladesh officials in Delhi did not immediately respond. U J WAL J ALALI @ New Delhi A day after three young IAS aspirants were killed after they got trapped in a pool of water that entered the basement of a civil service coaching centre in central Delhi following heavy rains, the police on Sunday arrested the owner Abhishek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh. The accused were produced before a local court, which sent them to 14 days of judicial custody . The three IAS aspirants who lost their lives in the tragedy are Shreya Yadav of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala. Initial police investigation revealed that the coaching institute was illegally operating a library in the basement area. A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the BNS, including culpable homicide. Police said the owner was at the spot at the time of the incident. DCP (central) M Harsh Vardhan said they received information around 7 pm that the basement of a UPSC coaching institute in Rajender Nagar Students protesting over the deaths of three IAS aspirants, in Delhi | Parveen Negi Couple saves woman from domestic violence, murdered by husband M aya n k B h u s a n Pa n i @ Sambalpur In a gruesome incident, a 55-year-old man hacked a couple to death for allegedly helping his wife find a job outside Odisha without informing him, in Rairakhol police limits late on Saturday . The victims were identified as Abraham Kujur (35) and his wife Kuanri (25). They were asleep in their house at Pandirisila village when Kuanri’s brother-in-law Sirika Kirma murdered them in cold blood. The accused was later ar rested by police. As per the victim’s family, Sirika used to torture his wife Landi who often visited Kuanri and shared her ordeal. Landi told the couple that Sirika used to tie her up with ropes and assault her. She even requested Kuanri and Abraham to find her a job outside Odisha so she could escape the domestic violence. Police said, the couple found Landi a job in Agra and she left around a month back, leaving behind Sirika. However, as she left without informing, Sirika was furious with the couple and even had arguments with them over the issue a few times. had been flooded with the possibility of some students trapped inside. “Immediately the local police reached the spot,” the DCP said. The entire road outside the Rau Coaching Centre was submerged in at least 2 feet deep water. The Fire Brigade was also alerted, which rushed 7 rescue vehicles and began pumping out the water. But as the street was already waterlogged, the basement was getting flooded fast. The NDRF was then intimated which dispatched its divers after which they retrieved the first body of a woman at 10.40 pm, the second at 11.10 pm, and the third around 1 am. Locals said the torrential rains had waterlogged the entire area and gushing waters broke down the airtight gate of the basement after which the water entered the basement at a very high speed. The tragedy left the student community in a state of shock. They staged protests against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the coaching institute’s management for their alleged negligence. Minor scuffles also broke out between police and students. While Sirika nursed a grudge, at around 10:30 pm on Saturday , he entered their house and sneaked into the room where they were sleeping and hacked them to death with a sharp weapon. Though there were five other family members in the house, the accused did not harm anyone else and fled the spot soon after committing the crime. By the time Abraham’s sister in law, Erica Kujur rushed to the room the couple was already dead. “They were sleeping with their two daughters in the room. I woke up after hearing Kuanri screaming. But when I came to check what had happened, I found them in a pool of blood. However, both the children were safe. Rairakhol SDPO Prasanta Kumar Meher said police went to the spot soon after getting information. A scientific team also reached to collect evidence. The bodies were seized and sent for postmortem and the accused arrested during the course of investigation. “Further investigation is underway and we are trying to ascertain the antecedents of the accused,” Meher said. Police are also yet to recover the murder weapon. express read PM Modi’s love for Sambalpuri weave Expressing admiration for the Sambalpuri weave known for its traditional motifs and intricate design, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday heaped praise on weavers and artisans who are engaged in making handlooms popular | P2 Diarrhoea kills 2 in Kashipur After an outbreak in Muniguda, diarrhoea has now spread to Kashipur block in Rayagada district. The outbreak, which began last Tuesday, has resulted in two deaths and affected more than 15 persons, including children, in Lambiri village | P4 CM seeks Odisha cadre officers’ help Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Sunday sought cooperation of Odisha cadre officers in all India services serving in different ministries and Odia officers in central organisations to pursue state’s official businesses for speedy approval | P5