NO LIVES LOST AFTER BIPARJOY LANDFALL IN GUJARAT: NDRF

No lives were lost after Cyclone Biparjoy made a landfall in Gujarat, however, 23 people were injured and electricity supply was disrupted in about 1,000 villages in the state, National Disaster Response Force Director General (DG) Atul Karwal said on Friday. The Arabian Sea cyclone ripped through Kutch and parts of Saurashtra region of Gujarat on Thursday leaving a trail of destruction.

Heavy rains lashed the entire Kutch district since the cyclone started making landfall near Jakhau Port from 6.30 pm on Thursday and the process continued till 2.30 am, according to officials.

Karwal told reporters in Delhi that while two lives were "tragically" lost before the landfall of the cyclone, not a single human life was lost post the landfall in Gujarat. This is because of the in-depth and coordinated efforts undertaken by the Gujarat administration and other agencies that worked to ensure that the loss of life and property is minimum, he added.

About 40 per cent of these villages facing power cuts are in Kutch district that bore the maximum brunt of the cyclone, he said.

About 500 'kutcha' houses or huts have been damaged, 'puckka' or permanent house that suffered damage are in single digits while about 800 trees have been uprooted or hit, and our teams and those from the state disaster response force (SDRF) are working to normalise the situation and help those affected, Karwal said.

The DG said the road network in the state was by and large clear and the cellphone network was "still intact".

Except Rajkot, no place in Gujarat is experiencing heavy rains and the winds are barrelling at a speed of about 90-100 kilometres per hour in Kutch. In the rest of the regions of the state, this speed is about 40-70 kms per hour, he said. The cyclone is losing its power as it travels in the land and is now moving towards southern Rajasthan, he said.

NEHRU MEMORIAL NOW PM MUSEUM

The premier research institute, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), housed in the Capital’s Teen Murti Complex, which served as the residence of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, has been renamed as Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library — a move that Congress and BJP to hurl “pettiness” barbs at each other.

After Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the BJP for “trying to erase history”, BJP chief JP Nadda retorted by saying the grand old party was unable to accept that leaders beyond one dynasty had built India.

The proposal to rename the NMML Society (which managed the NMML) as PMs’ Museum and Society was adopted at a special meeting of the NMML Society chaired by its vice-president, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Thursday. The renaming follows the April 21, 2022, inauguration of Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, a museum of all Prime Ministers, at Teen Murti Complex.

Amid the row, the Culture Ministry today explained that once Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya came up, the NMML Executive Council felt that the name of the NMML Society should reflect the spirit of PM Sangrahalaya depicting the collective journey of democracy and the contribution of each PM in nation-building.

A livid Congress chief slammed the “malicious attempt”, saying “it cannot belittle the personality of Pt Nehru, the architect of modern India and a fearless guardian of democracy”. "This shows the low mentality and dictatorial attitude of the BJP-RSS. The government’s small thinking can’t reduce the huge contributions of Jawahar of Hind towards India!” Kharge said.

Nadda retorted by saying, “This is a classic example of political indigestion....PM Sangrahalaya was an apolitical effort and the Congress lacks the vision to realise this. In PM Sangrahalaya, every PM has received respect. The section on Pandit Nehru hasn’t been altered. On the contrary, its prestige has been enhanced. For a party, which ruled India for more than 50 years, its pettiness is really tragic. It’s also the reason people are rejecting them.”

WEST BENGAL POLL PANEL, GOVT TO MOVE SC AGAINST HC ORDER ON DEPLOYMENT OF CENTRAL FORCES

Two days after the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central paramilitary forces in the state for the panchayat polls, the West Bengal State Election Commission and the state government have decided to move the Supreme Court against the directive.

The decision was taken after senior officials of the State Election Commission and the government attended a meeting with the state’s legal advisors on Friday.

The Calcutta High Court had on Thursday directed the poll panel to send a requisition to the Centre for the deployment of forces within 48 hours.

Hearing a PIL filed by BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition in Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, the Division Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Uday Kumar in its June 13 order had stated that the earmarking of sensitive areas and deployment of central forces has not been followed and no “appreciable steps” have been taken in this regard.

The court observed that there is a “slackness” on the part of the administration in identifying sensitive areas and added that the SEC did not take “any proactive and diligent steps” to implement its June 13 directions. It also warned the SEC of contempt action for failing to implement the previous order. “You are trying to make the order unworkable, that is very very clear. If you (SEC) are aggrieved, you may prefer an appeal. But if you think you will make the order unworkable, then we cannot stay silent,” the Chief Justice said during the hearing.

TN GOVERNOR VS GOVT SAGA NOW OVER ARRESTED MINISTER

The impasse over Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi rejecting Chief Minister M K Stalin’s recommendation to reassign the portfolios of V Senthil Balaji continued till late on Friday. While the Governor accepted part of the CM’s recommendation, the sticking point — retention of the arrested minister in the Cabinet — remains.

Ravi and Stalin, who have had a series of face-offs, locked horns again over Thursday and Friday, after the Governor rejected the CM’s recommendation that the portfolios of Balaji be assigned to someone else. The Minister for Electricity, Excise and Prohibition, Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday in an alleged cash-for-jobs case. The disagreement intensified after the state government Thursday night fielded Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy to deliver a detailed counter to the Governor’s statement.

Ravi first returned the state’s letter, proposing the reallocation of Balaji’s portfolios to Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu and Housing Minister S Muthusamy. He also contested Stalin’s proposal to retain Balaji in the Cabinet without any portfolio. The Governor also questioned the rationale cited by the DMK government for the reallocation, “health reasons”, calling the same “misleading and incorrect”.

Ponmudy accused the Governor of selectively leaking the news of his May 31 letter to Stalin, urging him to remove Balaji from the Cabinet, and suppressing the CM’s June 1 response, which detailed his constitutional right to appoint or dismiss a minister, and underlined that the Governor had no authority in such matters. Ponmudy said that in his letter, Stalin had given the Governor the example of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had been retained while in the Gujarat Cabinet, even when facing several cases.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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RUSSIAN GROUP BREACHES US GOVT AGENCIES’ DATA

A Russian ransomware group gained access to data from federal agencies, including the US energy department, in an attack that exploited file transfer software to steal and sell back users’ data, American officials said on Thursday. Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, described the breach as largely “opportunistic” and neither focused on “specific high-valuable information” nor as damaging as previous cyberattacks on US agencies.

The energy department said on Thursday that records from two entities within the department had been compromised. According to an assessment by CISA and FBI investigators, Easterly said, the breach was part of a larger ransomware operation carried out by Clop, a Russian ransomware gang that exploited a vulnerability in the software MOVEit and attacked an array of local governments, universities and corporations.

PAK BLAMES GEOPOLITICS FOR STALLED IMF BAILOUT

Cash-strapped Pakistan has blamed geopolitics for the IMF’s reluctance to revive a stalled bailout programme, alleging that global institutions wanted the country to default on its sovereign debt, like Sri Lanka, and then enter into talks with the global lender.

Addressing a parliamentary committee on finance and revenue, Pakistan finance minister Ishaq Darsaid the IMF’s demand for a $6 billion guarantee on external resources was unjustified and that the IMF’s delaying plan apparently suggested a political agenda. “Geopolitics is behind a halted loan programme so that Pakistan defaults. Foreign hostile elements want Pakistan to turn into another Sri Lanka and then the IMF negotiates with Islamabad,” Dar said.

Responding to the IMF objection to the tax exemptions given in the recently unveiled budget, the minister said Pakistan is a sovereign country and cannot accept everything from the IMF. “The IMF wants us not to give tax concessions in any sector,” he added. He said no reason had been given by the IMF for the “unnecessary delay” behind the ninth (current) review, which has been pending since last November. “IMF or no IMF, Pakistan will not default,” he added.

THE REST

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UNION MINISTER’S HOUSE SET ABLAZE IN MANIPUR, MHA RUSHES CRPF DG

Despite claims by the Centre of putting in all-out efforts to restore normalcy in strife-torn Manipur through various initiatives, the situation in the state continues to be volatile.

A mob on Thursday night set afire the Imphal house of Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh. However, officials engaged in security operations in the state said the armed guards and firefighters managed to control the situation and saved the house from being gutted. The development came hours after the burning of two houses and clashes between Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel and a mob in the heart of Imphal town on Thursday afternoon.

Forces are said to be finding it tough to remove blockades due to lack of women contingents to handle women protesters

Expressing anguish, the minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said the “law and order situation in Manipur has totally failed”.

Around 30,000 central security personnel are deployed in Manipur for law and order duties, besides state police forces.

5 FOREIGN MILITANTS KILLED IN J&K AS MAJOR INFILTRATION BID FOILED

Five foreign militants trained in guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan-Pakistan theatre have been killed in an ambush laid by security forces near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, officials said on Friday. It is said to be the biggest infiltration bid foiled since 2021 when India and Pakistan effected a ceasefire.

The encounter started in the wee hours of Friday after the Army and the police launched a joint operation in Jumagund area of Keran sector following specific inputs.

“On being intercepted, the terrorists attacked the ambush parties. The attack was retaliated, resulting in the neutralisation of the militants. All five bodies and arms have been recovered,” officials said.

BIPARJOY: 200 TEAMS IN GIR, KUTCH TO PROTECT WILDLIFE; 2 LION CUBS RESCUED

The Gujarat government had deployed more than 200 teams in Gir forest and Kutch district to respond to emergencies related to Asiatic lions and other wildlife during the landfall of cyclone Biparjoy, an official said on Friday.

As per the last wildlife census conducted in 2020, Gir forest in Saurashtra region is home to 674 lions and many other carnivorous and herbivorous animals.

The forest department had also set up 58 control rooms at different locations in the Asiatic lion zone to receive SOS messages from people about any wildlife emergency during the cyclone. Satellite technology was used to keep watch on the movement of lions during the cyclone, and some radio-collared lions were tracked through satellite signals.

PCB BOSS SAYS GOVT WILL DECIDE IF PAK PLAYS ODI WC IN INDIA

Pakistan Cricket Board's chairman Najam Sethi on Friday cast fresh doubts over their participation in the ODI World Cup in India, saying it is "subject to government approval", putting the ICC in a bind before the schedule for the mega event is finalised.

Sethi's comments came after every stakeholder, including Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Jay Shah, agreed to organise the upcoming Asia Cup in a hybrid model, as proposed by the PCB chief.

"As far as India and Pakistan go, neither the PCB or the BCCI can take decisions. The respective governments only can take decisions," Sethi said during a press conference. "It's our government who has to decide, just like when it comes to India, it's their government that decides when they go to play. There is no point asking us if we will play in Ahmedabad. "When the time comes, first it will be decided whether we are going or not, then the government decides where we will go. Our decision will rest on these two important conditions," he added.

The hybrid model was proposed as the Indian cricket board (BCCI) had made it clear that it won't send its team to Pakistan due to the longstanding geo-political tensions between the two countries.

The approval of the Asia Cup's schedule also meant that Pakistan would travel to India for the ODI World Cup in October-November.

ARIHA CASE: GERMAN COURT REJECTS INDIAN PARENTS CUSTODY PLEAS, HANDS OVER CHILD TO LOCAL AGENCY

A district court in Pankow, Germany, has denied the custody of Ariha Shah — the 28-month-old Indian — to her biological parents and handed her over to Jugendamt, the German youth services.

Rejecting the application of Dhara and Bhavesh Shah to return the child to them directly or at least hand her over to a third party, the Indian Welfare Services, the court awarded Ariha’s custody to Jugendamt and ruled that “the parents are no longer authorised to decide on the whereabouts of their child”.

While denying custody to Ariha’s parents or the Indian Welfare Services, the court relied on two injuries that she had suffered — a head and back injury in April 2021 that happened while she was being bathed and a genital injury in September 2021. The court reasoned that parental care was to be denied so as to “avert the existing danger to the child”. The court noted that it had come to the conviction “that the mother and/or father (had) intentionally caused the serious genital injuries of the child” and that the parents were unable to “explain the events in question in a sufficiently consistent manner”.

MOVIETIME: ADIPURUSH TRENDS, NOT FOR ALL RIGHT REASONS

While many were seen praising the star-studded divine tale for its cinematography and Prabha’s iconic acting, others went on bashing the movie for its mediocre storyline, cringe VFX, and unrealistic portal of many characters of the Hindu epic Ramayana.

After all the excitement, buzz, and expectations, Prabhas starrer Adipurush finally hit the big screens yesterday.

While many praised the star-studded divine tale for its cinematography and Prabha’s iconic acting, others went on bashing the movie for its mediocre storyline, some cringe inducing dialogues, and unrealistic portrayal of many characters of the Hindu epic Ramayana.

After receiving brutal trolling by furious netizens, the mega movie, made on a mammoth budget of 500 crore ended up becoming meme material on the very first day of its release. Netizens were seen mercilessly trolling the movie with one after another Adipurush meme being shared by the public all over the internet

ASHES KICKS OFF WITH A BREATHLESS FIRST DAY IN EDGBASTON

A superb century from Joe Root, his first against Australia since 2015, helped England race to 393-8 before declaring on the opening day of the first Ashes Test, a move that did not bear fruit as the tourists held firm to finish on 14-0 at stumps.

In a move typical of the unconventional, attacking approach adopted by skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, England gave themselves four overs to bowl at Australia on Friday, without any success.

As has been the case for many years, Root steadied the ship, putting together a partnership of 121 with fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow, who eventually fell for 78, to save his country in the hour of need again.

Root pulled out some outrageous shots in an incredible innings, with his century greeted with raucous applause by an Edgbaston crowd, with their former skipper raising home hopes of a first Ashes series win in eight years, finishing unbeaten on 118.

England did all they could to take a wicket before close of play, with Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson steaming in from either end, but David Warner and Usman Khawaja stood firm.

PRANNOY, SATWIK-CHIRAG IN SEMIS; SRIKANTH OUT

India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty shocked top seed Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto to sail into the men’s doubles semifinals before HS Prannoy entered the last-four stag e of men’s singles at the Indonesia Open in Jakarta on Friday.

Prannoy defeated Kodai Naraoka of Japan. However, Kidambi Srikanth bowed out of the men’s singles competition after going down 14-21, 21-14, 12-21  to China’s Li Shi Feng in the quarterfinals.

The seventh seeded duo of Satwik and Chirag then displayed a flawless game to outwit Indonesia’s Alfian and Adrianto 21-13, 21-13 in 41 minutes.

In the final Indian match of the day, seventh seed Prannoy prevailed over Naraoka, seeded third, 21-18 21-6 to book his semifinal berth.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

There was a time when we expected nothing of our children but obedience, as opposed to the present, when we expect everything of them but obedience. - Anatole Broyard

OFF TRACK

A researcher conducted a simple experiment on a group of married Indian men and women.

All the participants were told to translate the English phrase "I love you too" in to Hindi.

99% Women said "Main bhi tumko pyar karti hoon"

99% men said "Main tumko bhi pyar karta hoon".