hyderabad l monday l june 29, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Terrorist outfits using social media to raise funds, warns FATF Terrorists are increasingly using social media, instant messaging and streaming platforms to raise and move funds, the watchdog warned Digital tools make fundraising easier push for greater collaboration The rapid evolution of social media, messaging and streaming platforms has created new avenues for terror financing, the Financial Action Task Force said. Terrorists are exploiting QR codes and rotating cryptocurrency wallets to receive donations, while using encrypted messaging, disappearing content and coded language to evade law enforcement ■ ■ “No single jurisdiction or authority can address this threat alone, so we need to work together closely to prevent criminals from misusing these platforms,” FATF President Elisa de Anda Madrazo said The watchdog called for more robust risk assessments and greater integration of financial and digital intelligence among other measures 30 countries have included terror financing via social media in their risk assessment 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 Lawyers refuse to defend Ram temple fund scam accused N a m i ta B aj pa i @ Lucknow While the Ayodhya police conducted raids on the houses of eight accused in the Ram temple donations case on Sunday several lawyers in the tem, ple town have refused to represent the accused. Local sources said there is a growing sentiment within the Ayodhya legal fraternity to not take up the case to defend the accused. The issue is expected to be formally discussed, and a final decision will be taken at a general body meeting of the Faizabad Bar Association on Monday . Bar Association president Kalika Mishra said the unanim o u s re fusal to represent the accused would be put before the Bar Association’s general body meeting and a decision would be taken. Sources claimed the legal fraternity is angry over the alleged theft of offerings at the temple and has united in the demand for ster n action against all eight accused. “Stern action should be taken against these accused by adopting the bulldozer policy ,” senior advocate Rajendra Chaudhary said. Bar Association secretary Shailendra Jaiswal said people’s sentiments were hurt by the theft of temple offerings. It may be recalled that a similar decision was taken by the Ayodhya lawyers in 2005, when those accused of a terrorist attack at the makeshift temple of Lord Ram were produced before a Faizabad court. Let’s make Indian Ocean an ocean Iran attacks Bahrain, Kuwait of opportunity: Modi in Seychelles after US strikes West asia flare-up Pacts on security, extradition, maritime cooperation, digital payments, and health signed A g en c i e s @ Dubai The renewed flare-up in the Gulf showed no sign of easing on Sunday with Iran launching drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait hours after United States airstrikes hit the Islamic Republic. Iran and the US have both accused the other of violating their fragile ceasefire, straining negotiations meant to end the war that began on February 28. The US military said it had struck multiple targets in Iran at President Donald Trump’s direction, adding “Iran had a chance to honour the ceasefire agreement” but “elected not to” when its forces attacked the oil tanker Kiku with a one-way drone. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it carried out strikes against Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for US attacks, warning any further aggression would be met with a “crushing response”. The Guards “destroyed eight important US military facilities at the Ali al-Salem base in Kuwait and at the Fifth Fleet naval base in Port Salman in Bahrain,” they said in a statement. Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without Iran’s direct oversight sparked the crossfire now gripping the region and have imperilled negotiations for a lasting ceasefire. A multinational maritime body overseen by the US Navy said Saturday that it would expand a route near Oman for both inbound and outbound traffic. Iran warned any attempt to bypass the Strait of Hormuz routes agreed with the US would “increase tensions”. “Any attempt to adopt new or separate arrangements compared to what is underway by the Islamic Republic, will only lead to more complicated situations and delays in the reopening of the Strait, and will increase the tensions,” Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.  P9 Gulf security framework proposed Iran on Sunday proposed a security framework that includes all countries in the region and without any interference from outside countries A building in Bahrain damaged in Iranian drone attack | X Lebanon attacked Israel renewed its strikes on Lebanon on Sunday, Lebanese state media reported, two days after signing framework deal to end fighting PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India envisions the Indian Ocean as an “ocean of opportunity” where maritime security goes hand-in-hand with economic prosperity, as India and Seychelles elevated their strategic partnership by signing nine agreements, including an extradition treaty . Addressing a joint press meet with Seychelles President Patrick Herminie after the wide-ranging talks, Modi said the Indian Ocean was a shared space whose security and prosperity depended on cooperation based on mutual trust. “Our vision is to make the Indian Ocean an ocean of opportunity,” Modi said, adding that its “security, sustainability and prosperity are our shared responsibility .” He said the approach formed the core of India’s MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision. “The defence and security of India and Seychelles are integral to each other.” bad day for Indian cricket The men’s cricket team suffered a historic T20I series loss to Ireland while the women got knocked out of the T20 WC | P11 No one wants BRS back in power: Revanth CM Revanth Reddy, along with his Cabinet ministers, greets people at a public meeting in Nalgonda on Sunday E x p r e ss N e ws Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the BRS, accusing it of misrule during its 10-year tenure. He described former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao as “Papala Bairavudu” and referred to former ministers T Harish Rao and KT Rama Rao as “wolves.” Addressing a public meeting in Nalgonda, he said, “BRS leaders are saying the Congress government should step down and Papala Bairavudu should return. Why should we step down? Should we resign for undertaking the state’s development? Should we step down for issuing ration cards, sanctioning Indiramma houses and distributing superfine rice?” Terming Harish and KTR as “wolves”, the chief minister said, “Two persons are roaming around Telangana like wolves. They claim that people want the BRS to return to power. No one wants that. Only your family wants it. People have socially boycotted your family. If anyone talks about the BRS, they will only talk about its history, not its future. No one in KCR’s family speaks the truth. No matter how many lies you tell, the people of Telangana will not believe you. They will not forgive you. The Congress will remain in power until 2034.”   continued on p4 No one in KCR’s family speaks the truth. No matter how many lies you tell, the people of Telangana will not believe you. They will not forgive you. The Congress will remain in power until 2034 A Revanth Reddy, chief minister Telangana dream still remains unfulfilled: Nabin E x p r e ss N e ws Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Sunday criticised the Congress government in Telangana, alleging that the party makes promises only to break them and follows a governance model that fails to fulfil the aspirations of the people. He asserted that the dream of Telangana remains unfulfilled because the state continues to be dominated by what he termed corrupt and dynastic political forces. Calling upon booth-level presidents and karyakartas to India extends `1,250 cr credit line to Seychelles J AYA N T H J A CO B @ New Delhi strengthen the BJP at the grassroots level, Nabin said the party’s ultimate goal is to free the state from “corrupt and dynastic politics.” Nabin, who arrived in Hyderabad on Sunday was , accorded a grand welcome by BJP leaders at the Shamshabad airport. Later, he inaugurated the BJP’s Rangareddy district office and virtually inaugurated district offices in Adilabad, Komarambheem Asifabad, Nir mal, Kamareddy, Siddipet, Medak, Wanaparthy and Nagarkurnool. continued on p4 Today's matches Lionel Messi scored for a 7th straight WC game as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 | AP | P11 Brazil vs Japan 10.30 PM; Germany vs Paraguay 2.00 AM*; Netherlands vs Morocco 6.30 AM* *IST Tuesday E x p r e s s Re a d Trainee pilot hit by spinning propeller at Kanpur airport, injured New Delhi: Aviation watchdog DGCA on Sunday derostered an instructor from flying training duties pending investigation and said it is probing an incident of a trainee pilot sustaining injuries after being hit by a running propeller of a trainer aircraft at Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur airport on Friday. The incident occurred after the trainee pilot deboarded the twin-engine Tecnam P2006T aircraft, DGCA said on Sunday. | p8 The two countries signed an umbrella line of credit agreement for `1,250 crore between the Export-Import Bank of India and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, Trade and Investment of Seychelles, according to the Ministry of External Affairs Seychelles seeks Indian advanced light helicopter Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives the ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon’ from Seychelles President Patrick Herminie on Sunday | PMO via PTI Photo During Modi’s visit to the island nation, Seychelles requested India to provide an Advanced Light Helicopter and help establish centres devoted to cyber security and artificial intelligence there, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Sunday The two sides signed nine agreements on security, connectivity, health, agriculture, digital payments, maritime cooperation, space and capacity building. The key pact was an extradition treaty aimed at strengthening cooperation against cross-border crime. On economic cooperation, Modi said both countries would continue exploring new oppor- both countries reaffirming commitment to combating piracy drug trafficking, etc. , Earlier in the day, Modi was conferred Seychelles’ highest honour for a foreign dignitary , the Special Presidential Distinction “Guardian of the Blue Horizon”, in recognition of his leadership on sustainability, the Blue Economy, climate action and ocean governance. tunities for industry and investment while improving connectivity. “Work will also be done to enhance connectivity between India and Seychelles,” he said, adding India would share its successful experience in digital public infrastructure with the island nation. President Her minie said maritime security remained central to bilateral ties, with