hyderabad l sunday l june 01, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l late city EDITION Monsoon fury kills 24 in n.e., leads to despair in maha, kerala Flash floods and landslides due to monsoon led to the death of 24 people in Northeast, and threw life off gear in Maharashtra and Kerala kerala gets 6 times more rain this week odisha dole for crop, house damage IMD data shows Kerala received nearly 40 cm of rain between May 24- 30, 6 times the normal average of 7 cm for this period. In Karnataka, minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced a compensation of `5 lakh each to the families of those killed in rain-related incidents. In Andhra Pradesh, minister P Narayana asked officials to address risks of urban floods ■ ■ Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari said on Saturday the government will provide financial assistance for crop and house damage due to unseasonal rain between May 27 and 30 In the wake of continuous and heavy downpour, several states in the Northeast have advised people to avoid unnecessary travel 500 tourists stranded in Sikkim as main road blocked by landslides 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 Forces rectified tactical mistakes and hit Pak; Islamabad’s claim of downing 6 Indian jets rubbish Suffered initial losses during Op Sindoor: CDS M AYANK S IN G H @ New Delhi State-of-the-art cow shelters in TG soon: CM Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday directed the formation of a dedicated committee to oversee the establishment of state-ofthe-art cow shelters, including provisions for infrastructure, staffing and healthcare. He asked officials to draft an action plan within a stipulated timeframe | P4 Gen Anil Chauhan, CHIEF of Defence Staff who took part in Operation Sindoor returned home safely . The operation was jointly conducted by the Indian Air Force and the Army to destroy terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied kashmir. During the limited war, both countries deployed a large numbers of drones and missiles. “Indian Army destroyed more than 600 drones using multi-layered air defence systems”, said a source. “The Akashteer Command and Control System increased efficiency as it was able to detect, track and inform about the enemy drones, missiles and aircraft,” the source added. On US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire claim, the CDS said it was ‘far-fetched’. Thailand’s Opal Suchata crowned Miss World S h r e ya V e r o n i c a @ Hyderabad Watched by millions of viewers around the globe, Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand was crowned the 72nd Miss World at a grand finale held in Hyderabad on Saturday . Opal Suchata was crowned by outgoing Miss World Krystyna Pyszkova in the presence of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Miss World Organisation Chairperson Julia Morley and thousands of guests at a glittering function at the HITEX exhibition centre. The question that helped Opal Suchata edge past the other finalists — Miss Martinique in fourth place, Miss Poland third and Miss Ethiopia second — was by actor Sonu Sood: “What has this journey taught you about truth and the personal responsibility of shaping how stories are told?” She responded, “One big thing we can do is be the kind of person others look up to.” Miss India Nandini Gupta made it to the top 20 finalists. Earlier in the question round, Miss Ethiopia was asked by Rana Daggubati about the purpose of Miss World. She said the title represents hope and the ability to make a difference, even for those who may feel invisible. Namrata Shirodkar posed a question to Miss Poland, asking what truth about Telangana she would share beyond headlines and rumours. The finalist highlighted the state’s hospitality, recalling her interaction with a local boy who recognised Polish athletes, calling it a reflection of cultural connection. Former Miss World Manushi Chhillar posed her question to Miss Martinique, Aurelie Joachim. Following the Q&A, Krystyna Pyszkova took the stage in a golden gown and the iconic blue crown, reflecting on her reign. “I’m full of emotions. I’ve learnt two things — dream without limits and find your purpose. India will always have a special place in my heart,” she said. The star-studded evening also featured several performances, including one by actor Ishaan Khatter.  continued on P2 “There is a lot of space between conduct of conventional operations and the nuclear threshold,” he added. He said channels of communication with Pakistan “were always open” to control the situation. He also ascertained that there were “more sub-ladders which can be exploited for settling out our issues” without needing to resort to nuclear weapons. On the issue of disinformation, the CDS said: ““Combating fake news was a constant effort. Our communication strategy was deliberate; we chose to be measured, not reactive... India has always built its narratives on solid ground, even if we have sometimes been slow to present them.” E x p r e ss n e w s s e r v i c e @ New Delhi COlombia has withdrawn its statement offering condolences to Pakistan for the loss of lives following India’s military strikes in response to the Pahalgam attack after an Indian parliamentary delegation explained Islamabad’s relentless support to cross-border terrorism. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading the all-party delegation to the South American country, said he was ‘very pleased’ to confirm Bogota’s withdrawal of the controversial statement after meeting Vice Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio. At a press briefing on Shashi Tharoor Thursday, Tharoor had voiced his ‘disappointment’ over Bogota’s pro-Pak stance. The delegation has held a series of meetings with Colombia’s political brass, apprising India’s retaliatory strikes against Pak terror infrastructure following the Pahalgam attack. Other delegation members inc l u d e Te j a s v i S u r y a ( B J P ) , Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Shambhavi (LJP), GM Harish Balayogi (TDP) and former ambassador of India to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu. HC trashes shoddy probe, acquits colonel of raping friend’s daughter T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad Outgoing Miss World Krystyna Pyszkova crowns Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand the new Miss World, at HITEX in Hyderabad on Saturday | Vinay Madapu Crown is an opportunity to make a mark: Winner M iss World 2025 Opal Suchata Chuangsri speaks exclusively to TNIE’s Shreya Veronica amid the celebrations Tell us about the moment you received the crown It felt unreal... I’m still processing it. After waiting 72 years for our first crown, it’s an incredible honour to bring it home. I know everyone back home is thrilled. I now have the opportunity as Miss World to travel and support important projects around the world. I’m excited to make an impact. What were those final moments like before the announcement? From the moment the top 20 were announced, I was excited. That excitement only grew as announcements continued. I was cheering for contestants from all continents. When it came down to the final two, it was the most intense moment, yet I felt calm. I knew my people were proud of me for reaching that far. It felt like a dream. What do you plan to do as the 72nd Miss World? I stood on stage with my own purpose. Now, I see this as a chance to work for the purposes of others as well. All the contestants had meaningful goals. As Miss World, I want to help bring those to life too. What was running through your mind during the finale? I had hoped to be asked about my “Beauty with a Purpose” project, which focuses on breast cancer awareness. That cause is close to my heart. I would have loved to speak about it on stage. Now, I can highlight it any time. I want to encourage everyone to speak up for their purpose, crown or no crown. If you believe in your purpose, you’re already extraordinary . How would you describe your time in Telangana? It’s been energising. The colours, sounds and people here make me feel alive. The Miss World platform recognised my values and showed me that I’m not alone in this journey, there’s real support behind me. What kept you motivated throughout the journey? I wanted to make my people proud. And getting to know the other contestants kept me going. How do you define success? When I first started, I wasn’t sure what success meant. I believe it changes over time, depending on where we are in life. But I once read a quote: “To live a life where you make one person breathe easier—that is to succeed.” That’s a definition I connect with deeply . In a dramatic turn, the Telangana High Court has acquitted Colonel Rishi Sharma, overturning his conviction in a 2017 rape case that had drawn wide attention. The bench of Justice P Sam Koshy and Justice N Tukaramji delivered a sharply worded judgment, pointing to critical flaws in the prosecution’s case, including contradictory witness accounts and a complete lack of medical substantiation. Colonel Sharma had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a special fast-track court, accused of raping the daughter of a close friend, then a minor under his guardianship, while her mother was reportedly away on official travel in January 2017. The case came to light months later, when the girl’s pregnancy was allegedly discovered. The court, however, was unconvinced. “The prosecution has failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” the bench declared. The judges underscored glaring inconsistencies in the victim’s narrative, particularly around the timeline of her mother’s travel, details which the judges pointed out were central to the accusation but never properly corroborated. More damaging to the prosecution was the absence of proof regarding the alleged pregnancy and abortion. The bench noted that no reliable medical records had been produced. In a move that turned the case on its head, the defence presented a sterilisation certificate showing that Colonel Sharma had undergone a vasectomy as early as 2005. This detail, the judges observed, raised “serious and unanswered questions about paternity”. The court’s criticism extended beyond the courtroom. It delivered a stinging indictment of the police investigation, describing it as a “grand failure” marred by procedural lapses, shoddy evidence collection, and an absence of expert testimony . “Investigations must not proceed with tunnel vision,” the judges remarked, adding that such lapses risk both punishing the innocent and allowing the guilty to go free.  continued on P5 WITH THIS ISSUE E x p r e s s Re a d CHIEF of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan on Saturday acknowledged aircraft losses during Operation Sindoor, but rubbished Islamabad’s claim of downing six Indian fighter jets, including four Rafale fighters, as “absolutely incorrect”. The CDS’ comments on Operation Sindoor came during an interaction with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of ShangriLa Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday When asked whether . Pakistan downed Indian jets, the CDS said: “What is important is not the jet being downed, but why they were being downed, what mistakes were made—that is important.” Without going into the details, he said: “The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range.” Earlier this month, Air Marshal A K Bharti, the DG Air Operations had noted that “losses are a part of combat” while stressing that all IAF pilots What is important is not the jet being downed, but why they were being downed, what mistakes were made—that is important Colombia sheds pro-Pak stance, supports India dark ai The Black Hole PLUS 12 P AGES Indian-origin MIT student Megha Vemuri barred from graduation commencement for her pro-Palestine speech Trump to double steel, alu tariffs DIPAK M ONDAL @ New Delhi THE Trump administration in the US is planning to double down its efforts to curb metal imports as it is planning to increase tariffs on steel and aluminium from 25% to 50% citing security reasons. “We’re going to bring it from 25% to 50% — the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States,” US President Donald Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania. This could come as a double whammy for the Indian Steel industry, which is already facing risk of ‘dumping’ from China. The US government raised the tariff on steel and aluminium to 25% in February this year. When the US announced retaliatory tariffs on imports from around 60 countries in April, it had kept steel and aluminium out of its purview. For India, the consequences are direct, says Ajay Srivastava, founder, GTRI. India exported $4.56 billion worth of iron, steel, and aluminium products to the US in FY25. “These exports are now exposed to sharply higher US tariffs, threatening the profitability of Indian producers and exporters,” he said. The economic impact would be significant for the US as well. It is expected to push US prices to about $1,180, squeezing US industries such as automotive, construction, that depend on steel and aluminium as key inputs.