hyderabad l Monday l July 13, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Monsoon activity subdued in large parts of India Monsoon activity was subdued in large parts of India Sunday, with rain confined to Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and Northeast 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 | P7 3 °C Scant rains, gusty winds in Telangana ■ The southwest monsoon has remained below normal across U.P. 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 IMD has forecast drizzles across Telangana over the next three days and issued an advisory for strong surface winds | P3 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 ayan t h 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. Argentina vs Switzerland 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 | P11 Why bail was granted to Shabad butcher E xpress N ews S ervice @ Hyderabad Questions are being raised over how Rajkumar, the accused in a POCSO case who allegedly went on a killing spree in Shabad on Friday, secured anticipatory bail. His victims included the 16-year-old complainant in the POCSO case, her mother, grandmother besides his wife and his two young sons. The killings came about a month after the Special Sessions Judge for Trial and Disposal of Cases under the POCSO Act, LB Nagar, granted him anticipatory bail in a case registered at the Shabad police station under Sections 78 and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 11 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. “Since the petitioner was not taken into custody during the course of the investigation and the material witnesses had already been examined, the petition can be allowed by granting an- Hunt on for accused Police have intensified the hunt for P Rajkumar, the prime accused in the murder of six persons in Shabad mandal, deploying 10 special teams and alerting the Railway Police. The accused, who allegedly confessed to the killings in a phone call to his father, remains absconding | P3 ticipatory bail,” the court observed on June 12. According to the bail order accessed by TNIE, the court directed Rajkumar to surrender before the Judicial First Class Magistrate at Chevella, following which he was to be released on a personal bond of `20,000 with two sureties. It also imposed conditions requiring him to cooperate with the investigation and refrain from contacting the complainant. The anticipatory bail order has triggered widespread criticism, with many questioning how the accused was able to secure relief despite allegations of repeated stalking, intimidation and death threats.Continued on page 3 All-party meet on July 19; Opposition plans showdown P R E E TH 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. At the meeting, 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 gover nments 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. When Manmohan Singh told former CEC Quraishi ‘I will commit suicide’ EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE sinner @ New Delhi seals the deal, defends wimbledon crown World No 1 Jannik Sinner defended his title in London, beating French Open champ Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4 in the summit clash on Sunday | P11 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 ACB ups anti-graft drive, matches 2025 cases in 6 months `3.5 cr Ferrari Roma crashes into apartment gate in Film Nagar E xpress N ews S ervice @ Hyderabad A Ferrari Roma, worth over `3.5 crore, crashed into the gate of an apartment complex under the Film Nagar police station limits in the early hours of Sunday. The occupants of the luxury sports car allegedly fled the scene, abandoning the damaged vehicle before the police arrived. The incident occurred between 4.30 am and 5 am. Police suspect the driver lost control of the car after allegedly mistaking the accelera- tor for the brake, causing the Ferrari to ram into the apartment gate. No injuries or fat a l i t i e s we r e r e p o r t e d , though the gate sustained damage. The Ferrari Roma has an ex-showroom starting price of around `3.5 crore for the standard coupe, while higher-end variants, including the convertible, are priced between approximately `4.5 crore and `6.5 crore. Police said no formal complaint was lodged by the apartment management or owner, and no case has been registered so far. 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 at 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. S i d d h ar d h a G at t imi @ Hyderabad The mangled Ferrari Roma at Film Nagar, Hyderabad, on Sunday. Occupants fled after the accident From triplex villas and luxury cars to stacks of cash, kilos of gold and sprawling landholdings, the Telangana AntiCorruption Bureau’s (ACB) raids this year have exposed the lavish lifestyles of several public servants allegedly living far beyond their known sources of income. Barely six months into 2026, the bureau has nearly matched the number of disproportionate assets (DA) cases it registered during the whole of last year. The ACB registered 15 DA cases and 157 trap cases in 2025. As of July 10 this year, it had already booked 14 DA cases and 86 trap cases. Searches in the DA cases yielded cash, gold ornaments, luxury vehicles, bank deposits and documents relating to extens ive m ovabl e a n d i m m o v a b l e properties. Based on preliminary estimates, the accused officials amassed assets worth more than `83 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income. Investigators, however, believe the current market value of the seized properties could exceed `1,000 crore, as many land parcels and buildings were acquired years ago and have appreciated significantly. In comparison, the ACB detected assets worth `96.13 crore in DA cases during the whole of 2025. The 14 DA cases registered this year span several departments and those booked include senior police officers, engineers, deputy collectors, tahsildars, sub-registrars and excise officials, indicating that the crackdown has reached senior administrative ranks. Among the biggest cases are those against Roads & Buildings Engineer-in-Chief Mohan Naik Jarupla, with alleged disproportionate assets worth `17.94 crore, and Survey and Land Records Deputy Director S Narahari, with `17 crore. Other prominent cases involve Joint Sub-Registrar K Madhusudhan Reddy (`7.8 crore), Additional Collector A Venkat Reddy (`7.7 crore), Deputy Collector Vamsi Mohan (`6.22 crore), Additional SP N Bhujanga Rao (`5.92 crore) and HMWSSB General Manager S Ananta Laxmi Kumar (`5.88 crore). The asset trail is expected to grow further.  Continued on page 2