Coimbatore l Monday l July 13, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Monsoon activity subdued in large parts of India representational image dry spells in northwest, central, south The IMD forecast weak rainfall activity in northwest, west central and over south Peninsular India in the next 6-7 days. For Uttarakhand, the IMD issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall. On Sunday, heavy rainfall triggered landslides across Uttarakhand. Himachal continued to be under a wet spell as light to moderate rains lashed parts of the state. Monsoon activity was subdued in large parts of India Sunday, with rain confined to Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and Northeast below normal rain for uttar pradesh ■ The southwest monsoon has remained below normal across UP so far, with the state recording 158.8 mm of cumulative rainfall between June 1 and July 12 against a normal of 190.9 mm ■ The Met department, however, said that an active monsoon will bring heavy rainfall over some districts of West Bengal till July 14 3 °C more than the average temperature in delhi: imd 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 Iran shuts Strait of Hormuz again, US retaliates with more attacks England vs Norway There was controversy surrounding the England equaliser as well as the decision to chalk off a Norway goal. England manager Thomas Tuchel even admitted his team was lucky Fate of ceasefire deal hangs in balance as Iran & US trade barbs over control of waterway India deplores attack on ship, urges restraint A G E N C I E S @ Tehran / Dubai IRAN said the Strait of Hormuz was closed on Sunday while the United States insisted it remained open, after the confrontation over the vital waterway again sparked US and Iranian strikes. The strait, essential to global oil and gas supplies, has become a central point of contention between the two foes, repeatedly leading to exchanges of fire despite an agreement aimed at ending the Middle East war that was struck last month. The latest exchange on Sunday was prompted by another Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the waterway whose crew was forced to abandon it after it went up in flames. Before the war began with surprise US-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, there was free passage through Hormuz, but Tehran now insists that it will control the strait, while Washington is adamant it cannot. “Following this incident... the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of American interventions in this region,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Sunday . The US military’s Central Command countered on X that the strait was “open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway”. It said US forces were “positioned and prepared to ensure” freedom of navigation, adding: “Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing.” Iran said it had targeted two ships in Hormuz, accusing them of ignoring instructions to use an approved transit corridor or “violating regulations”, IRNA said. The attacks prompted a barrage of US strikes across Iran in response, with the US j ayanth j ac o b @ New Delhi The Cyprus-flagged container ship that was hit by Iran and suffered “significant engineroom damage” according to the US | X military saying it had hit 140 targets this week.Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask and on Qeshm Island, as well as in Khuzestan province, with one soldier reported killed in the southern city of Jask. US President Donald Trump told CNN that the Iranian attack had come despite the two sides being close to a deal on Saturday. “They were giving up everything, and then two hours after that they hit a ship with a drone,” he said. Iran’s response to the US strikes came quickly with sirens and explo, sions heard in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, AFP journalists and local authorities reported. Qatar said three people were injured by Iranian attacks, while Jordan said three Iranian missiles fell inside the kingdom. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they also hit Oman, which has rarely been targeted. They claimed to have destroyed “the logistical support centres for naval vessels and the refuelling facilities for US aircraft carriers at the port of Duqm”.  P9 Oman protests Iranian attack Oman on Sunday issued a formal protest to the Iranian ambassador following an attack on the country, state media reported, in a rare instance of it publicly accusing Tehran of targeting its territory United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait US CENTCOM INDIA on Sunday strongly condemned the attack on the merchant vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman, calling for an immediate end to attacks on commercial shipping and urging de-escalation amid rising tensions in West Asia. The Ministry of External Affairs External Affairs (MEA) said 10 of 11 Indian nationals on board the Cyprus-flagged container were rescued; one Indian remains missing. “Our Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation. We thank Omani authorities for their support,” MEA said in a statement. Describing the repeated attacks on commercial vessels in the region as “deeply worrisome”, India reiterated its call for restraint and a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. “We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return,” the MEA said. The ministry also stressed the importance of safeguarding international shipping lanes. “The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end,” MEA said. Annamalai says party will bring change in 2031 Argentina, England entered the semis on Saturday. However, officials inside the (Video Assistant Referee) VAR booth played a decisive role in the on-field outcomes. A quick glance... Switzerland shot themselves in the foot when Breel Embolo, who had been booked in the first half, threw himself to the ground and was dismissed following a VAR check All-party meet on July 19; Opposition plans showdown P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi THE government has called an all-party meeting on July 19, a day before the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. In the meet, the government is expected to outline its legislative agenda while the opposition parties are likely to spell out the issues they intend to raise during the session. The monsoon session is expected to be stormy as the government may take up crucial constitutional amendment bills, including the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill, which seeks to automatically remove the prime minister, ministers, or chief ministers on the 31st day of their detention if they don’t step down. The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill is expected to adopt its report on July 17 before submitting it to Parliament. Sources said the panel has recommended that the PM, Union ministers, and chief ministers be suspended rather than permanently removed from their posts if they are detained for 30 consecutive days on charges of serious offenses. The panel has also proposed an automatic reversal clause if such persons are acquitted or the prosecution does not proceed within a specified period. Most opposition parties had opted out of the joint committee, as they termed the Bill a tool to destabilise governments they run. In its report, the panel defines “serious criminal offenses”, saying the term should refer to offenses punishable with jail term of 5 years or more. To pass Constitutional amendment bills, the government needs the support of twothirds of members present and voting in both Houses. NDA will need 360 to get a two-thirds majority. While NDA has 293 members, its strength could rise to 319 if the 20 rebel TMC MPs and six rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) extend support. B I N I TA J A I S W A L @ Chennai Government arts and science colleges in Tamil Nadu have witnessed a sharp decline in undergraduate admissions this academic year, with only 83,276 of the 1,26,959 total seats filled across 181 institutions as of Saturday (July 11), translating to an enrolment of 65.59%, according to data from the higher education department. In comparison, 78.8% of the available seats across government arts and science colleges were filled during the corresponding time period in the 2025-26 academic year. While admissions will remain open until September, officials are expecting only a modest increase. “There may be a 5% to 7% rise in admissions as students appearing for supplementary examinations join later,” said a senior official in the Directorate of Collegiate Education (DCE). Academicians have ex pressed concerns over the decline in enrolment, attributing it to poor infrastructure, acute faculty shortages, and delays in the admission process. Tamil Nadu Government College Teachers’ Association general secretary S Suresh said, “There are over 7,000 teaching vacancies in government colleges. P5 e x p r e ss r e a d Velu returns from S’pore, says ready to face probe Chennai: DMK leader E V Velu on Sunday said he is ready to appear before the DVAC for questioning, while dismissing claims that he had travelled to Singapore to evade the probe into alleged irregularities in road projects. He said he had been undergoing treatment at the Singapore hospital since 2016 | P4 When Manmohan Singh told former CEC Quraishi ‘I will commit suicide’ E xpress N ews S ervice @ Coimbatore Former BJP Tamil Nadu president and chief mentor of We The Leaders K Annamalai on Sunday said his party would usher in a change of government in the state in 2031, hinting that it would only enter electoral politics in the next Assembly elections. Speaking at the first conference of We The Leaders themed on ‘Drug-Free Tamil Nadu’ in Pollachi in Coimbatore district, Annamalai said that 54% of the people who had joined the party are below the age of 40. “It is these people, who view society differently, that brought about a change in government in Tamil Nadu in 2026. They are going to bring about another change in government in 2031,” he said. Announcing the launch of a trade union forum called En Mann, En Makkal, he said 1.5 lakh people will be trained at the APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Ethics and Politics in Coimbatore by October 2027. “Since the organisation was launched on June 5, 19 lakh people have joined in 38 days... Just by seeing so many come here without any invitation, it is clear that there are good people in TN waiting for an opportunity. When those joining us reach 50 lakh, it will mean the people of TN are calling us,” he said. Of the 19 lakh, he said 83% are men, and 17% women. Clarifying the organisation’s position, he said, “We The Leaders is going to be a healthy political party It’ll be there before . the people of TN in 2031.” P5 Argentina vs Switzerland No takers for one-third seats in govt arts & science colleges EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi Tearful farewell S Janaki’s granddaughter Apsara Vydyula performing the legendary playback singer’s last rites in accordance with the family’s traditions in the presence of relatives, friends, officials, and hundreds of admirers in Mysuru on Sunday | Udayashankar S FORMER prime minister Manmohan Singh was deeply upset by the face-off between some of his ministers and the then chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi during the 2012 Uttar Pradesh elections. Divulging the details in his forthcoming book ‘India and I: A Hundred Memories, Not a Memoir’, Quraishi recalls that during a poll rally in January 2012, then Union minister Salman Khurshid said the Congress would raise the job quota for Muslims from 4.5% to 9%. at an event, he conveyed his The BJP approached the EC, concerns. The next day he got a , flagging violation of poll code. call from Singh, asking: ‘Qurai“We censured Khurshid, the shi ji, can I see you urgently?’ strongest action availWhen they met the able under the Code,” PM’s residence, Singh Quraishi recalls. said: ‘Harish told me The decision drew what you said. If that sharp criticism from is what you think, I some Congress leadwill commit suicide.’ ers, who said the EC Quraishi writes that had become ‘arrogant’. he was speechless. “My “Criticism never both- Manmohan Singh remark was about ers me; innuendo does. some ministers’ conThis loose talk was not accept- duct, not about him.” Singh able,” he writes in the book. then told him he was unaware When Quraishi met PM’s of the ministers’ comments press secretary Harish Khare and expressed deep regret. at chennai corpn schools Graduate sanitation workers double as stopgap teachers K E E R T H A N A C H R I S @ Chennai Every morning, Vijaya* walks into a Chennai corporation school with the qualifications to teach but holding the job of a sanitation worker. A B.Ed graduate, who has cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) Paper-II, she begins her work dusting off the school’s corridors instead of the blackboards. At times when a teacher takes a leave of absence, she gets to do the job she had trained for, without the pay designation, or , recognition of a teacher. Vijaya is one of around 1,700 sanitation workers employed in the corporation’s 420 schools — primary, middle, high and higher secondary — spread across the city and its extended limits, and her situation is not unique. Many sanitation workers employed on a contractual basis through the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in corporation schools are graduates, several of them first-generation learners. After years of toil for a college degree, they now work six days a week for around `19,000 a month, with- out access to government social security benefits or health insurance. Sweepers said they routinely perform duties outside their job description, including distributing textbooks, loading and unloading heavy school equipment, serving mid-day meals, and washing utensils. Some said they were even asked to take classes in the teachers’ absence. Kanchana*, a BCom graduate who earlier worked as an administrative staff member at a private firm, is now employed as a sanitation worker at a Chennai Corporation primary school. She clocks in at 8 am, marks wher attendance on the GCC application, sweeps the school premises, and signs off at 5 pm. However, during a visit to the school, TNIE found her teaching Tamil to Class 2 students in the absence of their regular teacher. Kanchana said subject teachers sometimes call her to explain what lessons to cover, adding that the school’s headmaster is aware of the arrangement but does not intervene. “I take classes for the lower grades because our school does not have permanent staff members, and an SMC (School Management Committee) teacher is yet to be appointed.” P5 zverev takes first lead in wimbledon final Alexander Zverev pipped the defending champion Jannik Sinner in the first set 7-6 (7) to take lead in the ongoing men’s final of the Wimbledon championship in London on Sunday