coimbatore l sunday l september 29, 2024 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION southwest monsoon rainfall in June-Sept period above normal 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 Delayed Retreat of monson rains 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 rains. Curiously, the Gangetic plains had deficient rainfall while arid regions received excess rainfall. Monsoon retreat began on Sept 23 as against the Sept 17 normal 8% SKYMET blames it on Climate change ■ Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar recorded deficient rains. Arid regions such as West Rajasthan, Saurashtra and Kutch received excess rainfall during the season ■ Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather says, “It is a clear sign of the impact of climate change which has been shifting the rainfall trend” More rainfall recorded in the entire country during the season 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 Another son-rise in DMK, Udhaya named Deputy CM Hassan Nasrallah Lebanon Beirut Israel West Bank An orange ball of flame rises up in the air after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut | AP Hezbollah head Nasrallah killed, Khamenei shifted to safe place Agencies 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 report, ed. 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. Meanwhile, the UN refugee chief said on Saturday that 50,000 people fled to Syria amid escalating Israeli air strikes on Lebanon. “More than 50,000 Lebanese and Syrians living in Lebanon have now crossed into Syria fleeing Israeli air strikes,” Filippo Grandi said on X, adding that “well over 200,000 people are displaced inside Lebanon”. Israelis welcomed Nasrallah’s elimination. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel one day after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel last October 7, which triggered Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza with Hamas. Hezbollah said it was acting in support of Hamas. P9 Lebanon announced three days of mourning for Nasrallah’s death. Flags to fly at halfmast 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 Senthil Balaji & Nasar get back cabinet berths along with two new faces; 3 ministers dropped A release from the Raj Bhavan said that the Governor has The much-anticipated eleva- accepted the recommendations tion of DMK scion Udhayani- of Chief Minister M K Stalin dhi Stalin as Deputy Chief regarding the cabinet changes. Minister and the cabinet re- The swearing-in ceremony of shuffle was announced on Sat- the four minister-designates urday night. Apart from being will happen on Sunday at 3.30 the Deputy Chief Minister, pm, the release said. Sports and Youth Welfare MinThe reshuffle also involved ister Udhayanidhi will addi- major portfolio changes. The tionally handle the portfolio of Higher portfolios of Planning Education has been and Development. taken away from K As part of the CabiPonmudy. He will be net reshuffle, former the Minister of Forministers V Senthil ests. Forests Minister Balaji, who recently M Mathiventhan has got bail after probeen assigned the longed incarceration portfolio of Adi DraviUdhaya gets dar and Tribal Welin a money laundernew portfolio fare, which is presenting case, and S M Nasar, who was dropped Apart from being ly being held by N from the cabinet last the Deputy CM, Kayalvizhi Selvaraj. year, are being rein- Youth Welfare Selvaraj will now handucted. Govi Chezhi- Minister Udhaya dle the portfolios of an, the MLA of Thiru- will additionally Human Resources v i d a i m a r u d u r handle the Management (HRM) reserved constituency portfolios of , and ex-servicemen who is also the chief Planning and Welfare. government whip in Development Thangam Thennarthe Assembly, and R asu, who is presently Rajendran, who is the Salem holding HRM along with FiNorth MLA, have been named nance, will handle Environnew ministers. ment, Pollution Control Board They two are being inducted and Climate Change in addiafter dropping Milk and Dairy tion to Finance and ArchaeolDevelopment Minister Mano ogy subjects, the release said. Thangaraj, Minorities Welfare R S Rajakannappan, who is and Non-Resident Tamils Wel- handling Backward Classes fare Minister Gingee K S Welfare, will be the new minMasthan, and Minister for ister for Milk and Dairy DevelTourism K Ramachandran opment, Khadi and Village Infrom the cabinet. dustries. P5 E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai Jaishankar tears into Pak, says only issue left is vacating PoK Relevance of the U.N. Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran presenting a framed photograph of late chief minister M Karunanidhi with J R D Tata to CM Stalin at Panappakkam, Ranipet, on Saturday | dinesh s Tata Motors breaks ground, TN plant to make JLR cars ing Ranipet district for the project, which is expected to generate 5,000 Six months after signing of memo- jobs, the CM urged Tata Sons Chairrandum of understanding with man N Chandrasekaran to expedite Tata Motors, Chief Minister M K the project work and also take part Stalin on Saturday laid the founda- in its opening ceremony . tion stone for the company’s `9,000“The MoU for the project was crore green production fasigned in March this year, cility for next-generation and the foundation cerevehicles for Tata Motors mony is taking place just and Jaguar Land Rover at six months later. This demTN is a leading Panapakkam in Ranipet onstrates the Dravidian industrial state district. model government’s comwith progressive T he inter nationally mitment to Tamil Nadu’s policies and an benchmarked plant will cagrowth and the upliftment established ter to the requirements of of TN youth,” Stalin said. automotive hub both domestic and internaHe also urged Tata Mowith a qualified, tional markets. talented workforce tors to invest more in the The facility has been destate. “This is not my state N Chandrasekaran, signed for an annual proor yours, it is our state,” duction capacity of over chairman, Tata Sons the CM said while high2,50,000 vehicles. Produclighting the roots of the tion will begin in a phased manner Tata Sons chairman, who hails and progressively increase to reach from Namakkal district. its full capacity over the next 5-7 During his address, Chandrasekayears. The plant will manufacture ran said, “We are pleased to make for three brands: Jaguar Land Rov- Panapakkam as the home of our er, Tata Motors, and Tata EV . next-gen cars and SUVs, including Thanking Tata Motors for select- electric and luxury vehicles.” P5 E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai “The world has changed profoundly and so have its concerns and opportunities. To address both and strengthen the order, it is essential that the UN be the central platform for finding common ground and that it certainly cannot be by remaining anachronistic,’’ Jaishankar said. “By coming together, sharing experiences, pooling resources and strengthening our resolve, we can change the world” Y e s h i S e l i @ New Delhi External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday lit into Pakistan for making cross-border terror part of its state policy and said the only issue left to be resolved is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan. “Countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control but some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences a premier example is our neighbour Pakistan,’’ said Jaishankar while addressing the UN General Assembly in New York. Jaishankar said that the misdeeds of countries like Pakistan affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood when its policy instills such fanaticism among its people that its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalisation and its exports in the form of terrorism. “Today we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society It can’t . blame it on the world; this is one karma,’’ he quipped. A dysfunctional nation (Pa- kistan) on coveting the lands of others must be exposed and must be countered. “I heard some bizarre assertions at this very forum yesterday so let me make India’s position perfectly clear. Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism policy will never succeed and it can have no expectation of impunity On the contrary actions . will certainly have consequences. The issue to be resolved between us now is only the vacation of the illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan and of course the abandonment of Pakistan’s long standing attachment to terrorism,’’ Jaishankar said. He also spoke about the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and reforms in the UN, which began with 51 members and now has 193. FM booked for ‘extortion’ via electoral bonds E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Bengaluru A first information report (FIR) was registered against Union Finance Minister Nir mala Sitharaman, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and others by the Tilaknagar police in the city’s southeast division on Saturday . The FIR was based on a private complaint filed by Adarsh R Iyer, co-president ofthe Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath (JSP), alleging extortion by Nirmala and others through now-scrapped electoral bonds. Iyer stated in his complaint that the accused extorted corporates and money bags to the tune of `8,000 crore. It was registered after directions from the 42 Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) of the Special Court for People’s Representatives that had passed the order on Friday . Nirmala has been named accused number 1, former BJP state president Naleen Kumar as accused number 4 and Vijayendra as accused number 5. BJP state and national officebearers too have been named as other accused. The police invoked Sections 384 (extortion) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). WITH THIS ISSUE Gen Z-Kashmir A New Tide PLUS 12 PAGES testing times T’gana min’s son takes hawala route to buy watches Siddharth Prabhakar cpi(m) Successor to Yechury The Central Commitee of the party will meet today to decide the successor for the late general secretary Sitaram Yechury @ Chennai P Harsha Reddy, son of Telangana revenue minister Srinivasa Reddy, personally collected four high-end luxury watches from an intermediary in Macau in January this year after payments for them were made by his accountant P Subramanyam using USDT (cryptocurrency) and through hawala transactions, sources said citing evidence available with central agencies including Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED on Friday searched at least 16 places linked to the minister and his son, who is a director of the family-owned Raghava Constructions, across Telangana. Harsha has been identified as the buyer of the watches, sources said. Mohammed Faherdeen Mubeen, a Chennai-based intermediary had been allegedly , tasked with buying seven luxury watches totally worth `5 crore from a shop in Hong Kong by another intermediary and Vijaywada native Alokam Naveen Kumar on behalf of Harsha Reddy, intelligence sources said P Harsha Reddy citing evidence in the ongoing investigation. Harsha had allegedly bought the watches to be given as gifts in a family wedding, sources said. The watches he wanted were Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and Rolex. Legal import of these watches attracts a customs duty in excess of 40%. Mubeen was in the business of buying such luxury watches from a specific shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, a tourist hub in Hong Kong. He would later sell these watches, which are not available in India, to high- net-worth individuals, sources said. The accountant Subramanyam allegedly made payments to the tune of `5 crore through USDT and hawala money routed through Hyderabad and Mumbai for buying the watches, sources said. Sources said Mubeen travelled from Hong Kong to Macau and handed over the four watches on January 25 to Harsha Reddy who was there on a , holiday with friends and relatives. There is digital evidence available to establish this, sources said, without divulging further details.
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