BHUBANESWAR 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 below normal rain for uttar pradesh 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 ■ 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 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 intensifies strikes Ceasefire deal hangs in balance as Iran & US trade barbs over Strait control 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 military saying it had hit 140 targets this week. Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi The Cyprus-flagged container ship that was hit by Iran and suffered “significant engine room damage” according to the US | X 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 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 P9 port of Duqm”.  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 retur n,” 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. 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 sinner 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 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 b r e e d i n g su c c e ss Second phase tiger supplementation for Similipal on course, TATR to be source S u d a r s a n M a h a r a n a @ Bhubaneswar The Odisha Wildlife Wing is gearing up to roll out the second phase of the tiger supplementation project by introducing another pair of big cats from Central India into the Similipal landscape. “A male and a female have been planned to be brought to Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in the second phase after necessary approval from the government,” principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) and chief wildlife warden Prem Kumar Jha told TNIE. Jha said a proposal for the same is being prepared for its submission to the state government following tigress Zeenat’s successful litter of four cubs. After getting the goahead, the same will be placed be- fore the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for its approval. Approval from technical committee of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has already been received for the second phase. “Once we get the green signal from the state government, the process will be expedited,” he said. In the first phase, Zeenat and Jamuna were brought from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) as studies showed that the landscape possessed one of the best donor population due to its higher genetic diversity and lowest genetic load, Jha said. Besides, the Tadoba landscape also allowed the state to translocate tigers from its core region. Keeping this in view, TATR will be the preferred choice for supplementation of big cats in the second phase as well, he said. Zeenat, the four-year-old tigress, brought to Similipal in November 2024 gave birth to four cubs in May, marking a major conservation milestone for the state. The birth increased the number of tiger cubs in Similipal from 12 to 16. The tiger supplementation programme for genetic rescue of big cats began in STR in 2024. The original plan envisaged introduction of six tigers - five females and one male - over five years. Apart from Similipal, Jha said the government has also received in-principle approval from the NTCA to resume tiger reintroduction programme in Satkosia and steps in this regard will be initiated after reviewing the measures put in place. When Manmohan Singh told former CEC Quraishi ‘I will commit suicide’ E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi 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%. The BJP approached the EC, flagging violation of poll code. “We censured Khurshid, the strongest action available under the Code,” Quraishi recalls. The decision drew sharp criticism from some Congress leaders, who said the EC had become ‘arrogant’. Manmohan Singh “Criticism never bothers me; innuendo does. This loose talk was not acceptable,” he writes in the book. When Quraishi met PM’s press secretary Harish Khare at an event, he conveyed his concerns. The next day he got a call from Singh, asking: ‘Quraishi ji, can , I see you urgently?’ When they met at PM’s residence, Singh said: ‘Harish told me what you said. If that is what you think, I will commit suicide.’ Quraishi writes that he was speechless. “My remark was about some ministers’ conduct, not about him.” Singh then told him he was unaware of the ministers’ comments and expressed deep regret. All-party meet on Jul 19; Opposition plans showdown P R E E THA NA 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.