hubballi l thursday l july 10, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION India buoyed by Bumrah’s inclusion in third Test India, after a pulsating win in the second Test, are high on confidence and are buoyed by the inclusion of pacer Jasprit Bumrah at Lord’s Archer recalled, Gill form key for visitors The hosts, as is customary these days, named the XI for the Lord’s game. They opted to recall Jofra Archer, whose last Test was in 2021. For India, Shubman Gill is the star performer so far. With three 100s in four outings to the crease, he has compiled over 570 runs. If he continues the dream run, India will have a good chance to make further inroads into a fragile England bowling unit lord’s Pitch could have more life in it ■ ■ The first two Tests have not had a lot in it for the seamers but the strip at Lord’s may assist seamers. The wicket did sport some live grass on it a day before the game An unusually dry start to the summer is set to continue this week as well with temperatures set to hit 30°C | More on p13 Three matches India have won at Lord’s so far out of the 19 played 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 Moving cars, trucks plunge into river on day of accidents 11 dead as 40-yr-old Guj bridge collapses Vedika Padhiyar and Naitaik @ Ahmedabad Padhiyar—hailing from Dariyapura village. The others inAT least 11 people were killed clude Vakhatsinh Jadav from and five others injured when Kahanva, Hasmukh Parmar their vehicles plunged into the from Harshadpura, Rajesh Mahisagar River after a dilapi- Chavda, Kanji Machi, Jashu dated-but-operational 40-year- Bhai from Anklav, and Pravin old Gambhira Bridge collapsed Jadav from Undel. in Gujarat’s Vadodara district “I was in the pickup van on Wednesday morning. when the bridge suddenly colVisuals from the site showed lapsed. The driver shouted ‘get that a big chunk of the slab be- down’ and we jumped just in tween two piers gave way caus- time,” said Razakbhai from , ing a number of cars, vans, and Borsad, who survived. trucks that were passAshok Chavda, who ing through the bridge lives near the bridge, to plunge into the river. said: “We rescued four Gujarat Chief Minispersons. We also helped ter Bhupendra Patel di- Loss of lives due retrieve five bodies.” rected an immediate in- to the collapse Eyewitness Rajubvestigation into the of the bridge is hai Athiya from Dwardeeply bridge collapse. ka said, “Two or three saddening The Gambhira Bridge trucks were on the at Mujpur in Padra talubridge when it colNarendra Modi ka was a critical lifeline lapsed. I somehow linking central Gujarat swam to safety but my , to Saurashtra and connecting colleague is still missing.” key regions including VadoPrime Minister Narendra dara, Anand, Bharuch, and Modi and Union Home MinisAnkleshwar. ter Amit Shah expressed deep The tragedy reignited con- sorrow over the incident. cerns over administrative negMeanwhile, the Congress ligence with the Opposition termed it a failure of governslamming the state govern- ance. “Gujarat has several old, ment for ignoring repeated damaged bridges. But the state warnings about the bridge’s government is not taking any poor condition. Built in 1985, concrete steps to repair them,” the bridge had long shown said Congress MLA Amit Chavsigns of deterioration. da. He said the tragedy reflects Among those killed are three the corruption behind the Guof a family—Ramesh Padhiyar, jarat Model. key link between Central Guj, Saurashtra cut off Jaguar on training mission crashes in Raj, two IAF pilots killed D ILIP SI N G H K S H ATRI YA RAJES H AS N A N I @ Jaipur Rescue operation underway after a portion of the Gambhira Bridge in Vadodara district collapsed on Wednesday. Inset: A truck stranded on a dislocated slab | pti Bridge won’t last: Official said in 2022 A video clip of August 22, 2022, between Vadodara-based social activist Lakhan Darbar and a Roads & Buildings Dept officer has now gone viral. In the clip, the officer is heard saying the Gambhira Bridge was structurally weak and “would not last long” | P10 A Jaguar trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed during a routine sortie near Bhanuda village in Rajasthan’s Churu district on Wednesday, marking the third Jaguar crash in the last five months and raising fresh concerns over the ageing fleet and recurring technical failures. According to preliminary information, the Jaguar had taken off from the Suratgarh Airbase in Sri Ganganagar and was on a training mission. Sources said a technical malfunction appeared to have prevented the pilot and co-pilot from ejecting out of the jet. While the exact reason is yet to be officially determined, initial reports indicate a likely technical fault as the cause of the crash. Officials said more details will be shared after thorough investigation. The IAF said a court of inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident. “An IAF Jaguar trainer aircraft met with an accident during a routine training mission and crashed near Churu in Rajasthan today Both pilots . sustained fatal injuries in the accident. No damage to any civil property has been reported,” its statement read. Churu SP Jay Yadav said the aircraft went down in Bhanuda Smoke billows out after IAF’s Jaguar crashed near Churu in Rajasthan | pti village under the jurisdiction of Rajaldesar police station. “Two bodies, badly mutilated, have been recovered from the wreckage,” he said. The loud crash triggered panic in Bhanuda and nearby villages. Local authorities rushed to the spot, cordoned off the area, and asked residents not to approach the crash site to ensure smooth rescue and investigation operations. The Jaguar is a BritishFrench supersonic jet designed for low-altitude ground attack and maritime strike missions and was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1979. Leadership change on table? CM, DCM may meet Rahul today D e v a r a j B H i r e h a l l i @ Bengaluru However, both have sought appointments with Rahul for oneon-one talks. Siddaramaiah told reporters that he will meet Rahul if he gets an appointment. “Randeep Singh Surjewala (AICC general secretary Karnataka in-charge) , will arrive in New Delhi. We will discuss the nomination to four MLC seats and appointments to boards and corporations.” The CM said he has also sought an appointment with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday | express With both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar eager to meet Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday, the issue of change in guard is likely to come up for discussion. But both leaders have maintained that their visit to Delhi is to pursue the state’s development projects. Not heart attack, ‘cardiac phobia’ filling up hospitals Day before SC hearing, Rahul sees ECI’s bid for ‘Maha rerun’ in Bihar R i s h i ta K h a nn a @ Bengaluru R a m a s h a nk a r @ Patna With growing cases of cardiac arrest among the youth, hospitals in Bengaluru and other places in Karnataka are witnessing a rise in cases of “cardiac phobia,” where individuals seek medical or psychiatric help for the fear that they might suffer a heart attack. Doctors said that many such individuals have no underlying heart issues, but are increasingly anxious, assuming that what is happening to others could happen to them. Experts attributed this to growing health anxiety among people, triggered by frequent reports of sudden deaths due to cardiac arrest. Dr Sanjay Bhat, senior consultant, interventional cardiology, Aster CMI Hospital, told TNIE that there is a growing number of individuals in their late 20s and 40s arriving with symptoms like chest pain, palpitations or breathlessness, convinced that they are suffering a heart attack. Yet, after thorough cardiac evaluations, their hearts are found to be normal. CONTINUED ON P5 A day before the Supreme Court is slated to hear a batch of petitions challenging the special poll roll revision in Bihar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was trying to replicate the Maharashtra model in Bihar by tampering with the electoral rolls ahead of the assembly polls due in October-November. Addressing workers of the opposition INDIA bloc near the Vidhan Sabha gate here on Wednesday, Rahul warned the ECI that it would face legal consequences if it attempted to repeat the ‘Maharashtra episode’ in Bihar. He said though the ECI had wide powers, it was not above the law. Accompanied by INDIA bloc leaders, including RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, CPI (ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI’s D Raja, CPI (M)’s M A Baby and VIP’s Mukesh Sahani, Rahul participated in a chakka jam agitation against Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. Attacked the ruling alliance, Rahul said, “In Maharashtra, the mandate was stolen, now in Bihar, the target is the right to vote — a new method to deprive the poor of their right to franchise. We will expose these antiConstitutional forces.” He blamed the alleged manipulation of the voter list for the landslide victory of the BJP-led coalition in Maharashtra. “INDIA bloc got the majority in the Lok Sabha election in Maharashtra, but after a few months in the assembly election, the bloc suffered a defeat. When we analysed the outcome, we found that one crore additional voters were added to the rolls in the assembly election,” he alleged. Tejashwi echoed Rahul, saying, “The Election Commission of India has become a puppet of the BJP. With the Election Commission’s support, the BJP government will first cut the votes of the poor and then end their ration, pension and quota.” PM Narendra Modi to take up state issues. Shivakumar spoke along the same lines and mentioned that the nomination of four MLCs will be done ahead of the next Assembly session. He said, “I have not met Sonia Gandhi, but I have sought time,” he said. Rahul arrived in Delhi on Wednesday evening and there are indications that he would meet both the leaders. “No discussion on cabinet reshuffle. We have come here to discuss developmental works as some road-widening projects in Bengaluru need Defence land,” Shivakumar maintained. Randeep Singh Surjewala will arrive in New Delhi. We will discuss the nomination to four MLC seats and appointments to boards and corporations — Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister The duo, along with their cabinet colleagues including KJ George, MB Patil and Byrathi Suresh and senior leader TB Jayachandra, met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday requesting permission for an air show during Mysuru Dasara. Shivakumar reportedly met Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at Sonia Gandhi’s residence on Wednesday morning, adding fuel to speculation. P4 Woman gang-raped in friend’s house, 4 held Express News Service @ Bengaluru A 34-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by four men at her male friend’s house near Sai Layout in Doddanagamangala, in Parappana Agrahara police station limits on Monday night. Police on Wednesday arrested the accused, who had also allegedly robbed the victims. The accused are Raghu alias Appu (23), Kenchegowda (26), Madesha (27) and Shashikumar (24), who are blue-collar workers in the city . According to police, the victim had gone to her friend Nagesh’s house in Sai Layo u t o n M o n d ay n i g h t . “Nagesh invited Raghu to his home. However, Raghu arrived with three others and allegedly barged into Nagesh’s house. They threatened Nagesh and the woman and assaulted both. They raped the woman and demanded that money be transferred to an online gaming application. The woman transferred Rs 12,000, while her friend Nagesh transferred Rs 8,000. The accused then called a mini goods vehicle and took away household items, including a television, refrigerator and washing machine, along with two mobile phones, before fleeing. The accused also threatened the duo against approaching police,” the police said. The survivor filed a complaint on Monday night. Based on CCTV footage and other evidence, the four accused were arrested. During questioning, it was learnt that Raghu was in financial trouble, and decided to rob Nagesh and the woman. A case was registered related to gang rape, robbery and criminal intimidation. The accused will be produced before court on Thursday. The statements of the goods vehicle driver and Nagesh have also been recorded. ISRO conducts successful tests for Gaganyaan mission Express News Service @Bengaluru As Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first astronaut and Gaganyatri, is gaining first hand knowledge of manned space missions onboard the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) team is also working over time to be on schedule for the launch of the Gaganyaan mission -- the first indigenous manned space mission. Hot test of Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System being conducted | X ISRO on Wednesday shared details of the successful completion of two hot tests of the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System. The tests were conducted for a 30 sec- onds and 100 seconds to validate the test article configuration. The ISRO team stated that all parameters and performance of the propulsion system during these hot tests were as per the pre-test indicators and normal. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the team has planned to launch the Gaganyaan mission in March 2027. “For success in the first attempt, a series of tests and preparations are important and they are being done step by step.” Uproar over assault by shinde sena’s MLA The Maharashtra legislative council witnessed uproar over Shinde Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad assaulting canteen staffers for serving stale food | P10 Not a big, beautiful Act: US visa fee to take 2.5x hike J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi The United States has introduced a new $250 “Visa Integrity Fee” for non-immigrant visa applicants under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, effective from fiscal year 2026. It applies to nearly all non-immigrant visa categories, including B1/B-2 (tourist/business), F and M (students), H-1B (workers), and J (exchange visitors). Only diplomatic applicants in categories A and G are exempt. Described in the legislation calendar year.” as a recurring surcharge, the While the fee may be refundamount is indexed to inflation ed, reimbursement is condiand will adjust annually based tional. Applicants must demonon the Consumer Price Instrate lawful compliance dex. “During fiscal year with visa conditions and 2026, and during each provide sufficient docusubsequent fiscal year, mentation such as timethe amount… shall be ly departure. VISA equal to the sum of… the In addition, the bill inmost recently concluded troduces a suite of nonfiscal year [amount] and… waivable travel-related surthe percentage… by which the charges. These include a $24 I-94 Consumer Price Index… ex- fee, a $13 Electronic System for ceeds [that of] the preceding Travel Authorization (ESTA) fee for Visa Waiver Program travelers, and a $30 Electronic Visa Update System fee for Chinese nationals with 10-year B-1/B-2 visas. This will make the visa fees go up. For example, a US tourist or business visa (B-1/B-2) for Indian nationals costs around $185. With the new surcharges—$250 Visa Integrity Fee, $24 I-94 fee, and $13 ESTA fee, the total cost is projected to rise to $472, nearly 2.5 times the current amount.