SW monsoon rain above normal in June-Sept India received as much as 927.3 mm of rainfall against the normal seasonal rainfall of 861.3 mm despite the absence of the La Nina factor. IMD had earlier predicted that the La Nina factor would come into play during the second half of the monsoon. But there was no show. A scientist said they are yet to figure out the reasons for the bountiful rain. Curiously, the Gangetic plains had deficient rainfall while arid regions received excess rainfall. kozhikode l Sunday l september 29, 2024 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l city edition 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 battle of OARs Karichal Chundan rowed by the Pallathuruthy Boat Club emerges the winner of the 70th Nehru Trophy Boat Race held at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on Saturday | A Sanesh tight finish In an exhilarating final, Karichal beat Veeyapuram Chundan, rowed by Village Boat Club, Kainakari, by microseconds to lift the coveted trophy. Pallathuruthy Boat Club is winning the NTBR for the fifth consecutive year, while Karichal has won 16 titles in the 70-year history of boat race. P2 Hezbollah head Nasrallah killed, Khamenei shifted to safe place Agencies Hassan Nasrallah Lebanon announced three days of mourning for Nasrallah’s death. Flags to fly at half-mast on public buildings. His cousin Hashem Safieddine could be the most likely successor to lead Hezbollah Ayatollah Khamenei Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced five days of national mourning. Iran vice president warned the killing will lead to Israel’s destruction Hezbollah on Saturday confirmed the death of its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli strike, which dealt a body blow to the Iran-backed terror outfit. Israel had bombarded Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut below residential buildings on Friday where Nasrallah was holed up, but took 24 hours to confirm the hit. Nasrallah has joined his fellow martyrs, a statement from Hezbollah said, adding it would continue its war against Israel for Palestine. Following his death, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is said to have been shifted to a secure location inside his country amid high security Reuters re, ported. Khamenei declared five days of mourning for Nasrallah. “I… offer my condolences for the martyrdom of the great Nasrallah and his martyred companions and announce five days of public mourning in Islamic Iran,” he said in a statement. Israel said it carried out the precise airstrike on Friday when the Hezbollah leadership were at their headquarters south of Beirut. Lebanese Health Ministry said six persons were killed and 91 injured in Israeli strike on its HQ. Besides Nasrallah, Abbas Nilforushan, a prominent general of Revolutionary Guard, died in the same airstrike, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency Hashem . Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah, could be the “most likely” successor to Hezbollah, AFP reported. Both the US and Saudi Arabia have put Safieddine, a senior member of Hezbollah’s powerful decision-making Shura Council, on their respective lists as designated “terrorists” in 2017. The UN refugee chief said 50,000 people fled to Syria amid escalating Israeli air strikes on Lebanon. “Over 50,000 Lebanese and Syrians living in Lebanon have crossed into Syria fleeing Israeli air strikes,” Filippo Grandi said on X. Son-rise in DMK, Udhayanidhi named TN Dy CM Swearing-in ceremony to be held today; Senthil Balaji gets back cabinet berth E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai The much anticipated elevation of DMK scion Udhayanidhi Stalin as Deputy Chief Minister and the cabinet reshuffle was announced on Saturday night. Apart from being the deputy CM, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi will additionally handle the portfolios of Planning and Development, which is presently held by Chief Minister M K Stalin. As part of the Cabinet reshuffle, former ministers V Senthil Balaji, who recently got bail after prolonged incarceration in a money laundering case, and SM Nasar, who was dropped from the cabinet l a s t y e a r, a r e b e i n g reinducted. Govi Chezhian, the MLA of Thiruvidaimarudur reserved constituency, who is also the chief government whip in the assembly, and R Rajendran, who is the Salem North MLA, are becoming ministers. The two are being inducted after dropping Milk and Dairy Development Minister Mano Thangaraj and Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Minister Gingee KS Masthan and Minister for Tourism K Ramachandran from the cabinet. A release from the Raj Bhavan said the governor has accepted the recommendations of Chief Minister Stalin regarding the cabinet changes. The swearing-in ceremony of the four minister-designates will happen on Sunday at 3.30pm, the release said. The reshuffle also involved major portfolio changes. The portfolio of Higher Education has been taken away from K Ponmudy. He will be the Minister of Forests. Forests Minister M Mathiventhan has been assigned the portfolio of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, which is presently being held by N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj. Selvaraj will now handle the portfolios of Human Resources Management (HRM) and exservicemen Welfare. Thangam Thennarasu, who is presently holding HRM along with Finance, will handle Environment, Pollution Control Board and Climate Change in addition to Finance and Archaeology subjects, the Raj Bhavan release said. EXPRESS READ Anvar to hold public meeting today Malappuram: Nilambur MLA P V Anvar said he would expose corrupt elements within the police department and the nexus between top political leaders across all parties in the state during a public meeting he plans to hold on Sunday. The meeting will be held at Chandakunnu in Nilambur at 6.30 pm. P5 WITH THIS ISSUE Gen Z-Kashmir A New Tide PLUS 12 P AGES
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