WEDNESDAY EL NINO TO HIT 12 STATES SEVERELY, GOVT CALLS FOR CONTINGENCY PLAN JUNE, 2026 The impact of El Nino weather phenomenon, linked with a weaker monsoon in India, is likely to be “severe” in 12 states, including UP and TN | P5 epaper.morningstandard.in El Nino is a climate phenomenon linked to weaker monsoons. As per IMD, El Nino conditions are present over the Pacific Ocean and expected to strengthen during the southwest monsoon season. Other states likely to be impacted are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, MP, Jharkhand and Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan directed states to identify vulnerable districts and prepare crop-wise contingency plans Chouhan said the govt’s priority is to ensure farmers receive reliable messages based on scientific inputs 17 facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard ZIMBABWE TRAIN HITS BUS AT LEVEL CROSSING A freight train struck a bus at a level crossing in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, killing at least nine people, including two children, police and rail authorities said. PAGE 9 G7 SUMMIT Israel’s war on Lebanon has gone too far, says Trump A G E N C I E S @ Evian-les-Bains (France) A day after the US and Iran announced an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday panned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his aggressive military campaign in Lebanon causing civilian casualties, urging him to be “more responsible” in the way he fights Hezbollah. “You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody There are lots of . people in those apartments… and they’re not all Hezbollah,” he said. Speaking to reporters in France at the G7 Summit, Trump said Israel’s war with Hezbollah has gone too far and “too many people are being killed.” Without the According to United Iran, the peace States, there deal includes would be no Israel. Israel’s exit from Lebanon. Without me, there would Israel’s contin- be no Israel, ued attacks on because Lebanon could no other jeopardise the president pact, which is was willing to do what scheduled to be I did signed in Switz e r l a n d o n Donald Trump Friday . Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday said Israel’s continued occupation of southern Lebanon would violate the deal. Netanyahu, who is under tremendous pressure ahead of elections in October, has rejected the peace deal saying Israel is not part of it. Cautioning Netanyahu against defying his directions, Trump said: “Without me, there would be no Israel… no other president was willing to do what I did. Israel would have been blown up a long time ago, had I not gotten involved.” Terming Hezbollah threat ‘minor’, Trump described the Iran-backed militant outfit in Lebanon as “the little pinprick out there that constantly rears its head”. Israel invaded southern Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles during the first week of the war. Since then, it has been striking targets deep inside Beirut. P9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS A 27-year-old Delhi woman who had travelled to Uttarakhand with her husband for a vacation was found dead under suspicious circumstances at a homestay near Mussoorie on Tuesday. The couple, who were recently married, had checked into the homestay on the Mussoorie-Dhanaulti road late June 14. The incident came to light on the following morning when the husband allegedly found her lying unconscious on the floor of their room. “The couple had left Delhi on June 13 for a trip to Uttarakhand. After spending some time in Rishikesh, they reached Mussoorie late June 14 and checked into the homestay  J8.00 PAGES 12  PM plain speak NCR to get four big greenfield cities on trust deficit, Balancing urbanisation 15 lack of respect 30 for global law PA R V E Z S U LTA N @ New Delhi J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told G7 leaders that global partnerships can succeed only when they are founded on trust, stressing that the world today suffers not from a shortage of resources but from a shortage of trust. Calling for renewed international solidarity in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, Modi said mutual trust is the most important strategic asset and warned that disregard for international law remains the biggest obstacle to building global cooperation. He highlighted that dialogue and diplomacy must be prioritised to ensure peace, stability and stronger international partnerships. The remarks came shortly after Modi was seen exchanging a handshake and a brief conversation with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the summit. The interaction, ahead of a scheduled bilateral meeting between the two leaders on Wednesday, drew attention amid ongoing discussions on trade, technology , security and geopolitical challenges. Addressing the Outreach Session on “Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity ,” Modi, seated next to Trump, said that while global interdependence has increased, confidence among nations has eroded. “In a world that is getting more interconnected and interdependent than ever before, this subject becomes all the more vital. But partnerships can succeed only when they are founded on trust,” Modi said. A major focus of Modi’s address was the need to redefine engagement with developing countries and the Global South. He said nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America were looking for equal partnerships rather than traditional aid arrangements. “The Global South has immense expectations from the world. More than support, it seeks partnership. We must move beyond the donor-recipient mindset and work as equal partners. We must walk together and not merely alongside one another. Partnerships must be linked to dignity not dependency he said. P7 , ,” Protect seafarers Modi said it’s important that sea lanes are kept safe and seafarers are able to perform their duties without any fear. “It is our responsibility to protect the seafarers,” he said while welcoming progress in the peace talks Indian lives lost “Due to this conflict, our friendly countries in West Asia have suffered loss of life and property. The world economy was damaged... Many Indian civilians had to lose their lives,” the prime minister said FOUR new cities branded as “Namo Nodes” will be built across the National Capital Region as authorities prepare for a future in which the region’s population is likely to double, even as planners reject calls to shrink the boundaries or dilute environmental safeguards. The NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) on Tuesday approved plans to develop four greenfield cities, one each in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, as part of a major effort to manage the region’s explosive population growth. The Centre has earmarked `5,000 crore for the initiative over the next five years. Announcing the decision after a meeting in Delhi, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal said, “Four new big cities ‘Namo NCR Planning Board retains Natural Conservation Zone limits to protect Aravalli landscape NCR DIVIDED INTO 3 ZONES Core zone between KundliGhaziabad-Palwal and KundliManesar-Palwal expressways Decisions of SC and NGT on environment to be honoured Nodes’ along with the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) have been planned. Every state will have at least one big city. The states have been asked to bring three proposals. The city will be selected through a challenge mode. In Delhi, there will be a subcity. The name of the new ‘Namo’ cities will be in line with the name of the RRTS train Namo Bharat.” The decision comes as the year-old vehicles to be phased out of NCR towns % value of new vehicles to be given as govt incentives NCR’s population, currently estimated at 7.5 crore, is projected to reach 15 crore over the next 15 years. The proposed cities are expected to be built with modern infrastructure, affordable housing, efficient transport networks and sustainability-focused planning. Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma and Rajasthan Urban Telegram app banned till NEET-UG re-exam to curb cheating, rumours R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi THE government on Tuesday temporarily restricted access to the Telegram messaging app ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on June 21, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) saying the measure was aimed at tackling cheating rackets and misinformation. Interestingly, the government has directed Apple and Google to remove the messaging app from their app stores rather than merely disable it. This means users will not be able to download Telegram from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store until further orders. Indians top users of app Founded by Pavel and Nikolai Durov in 2013 and headquartered in Dubai, Telegram is used by roughly 40 million Indians, accounting for about 10.4% of the platform’s global user base NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said the restriction on Telegram till June 22 was part of efforts to ensure that the June 21 re-test is conducted without malpractice. “We will not let anything go wrong,” Singh told PTI. According to NTA, some channel administrators allegedly misused the message-editing feature and inserted actual question papers while retaining the original timestamp, thereby creating misleading “evidence” of pre-exam paper leaks. On ‘X’, Telegram founder Pavel Durov said Telegram removed hundreds of channels sharing leaked exam material in India. “We are also making the edit label more visible to prevent backdating scams. Banning it even temporarily is a mistake,” he said. P4, P7 Development Minister Jhabar Singh Kharra attended the meeting called to approve the NCR Regional Plan 2041. “After the discussion, a consensus was made on all these issues in the regional plan 2041. After two months, this plan will be declared as final,” Khattar said. Uttar Pradesh pitched five possible locations—Jewar, Dadri, Khurja, Bulandshahr and Noida—for the proposed Greenfield cities, offering to absorb some of the pressure of Delhi’s urban expansion. Rajasthan said it would assess the potential of smaller towns before finalising its proposals. The board rejected demands to shrink the NCR’s geographical boundaries. “After a thorough discussion, it was decided that the NCR area should remain as it is. There will be no change in it,” Khattar said. EXPRESS READ Shah roadmap for rehab of slum settlements Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday directed authorities to expedite the rehabilitation of slum dwellers in the city and announced that the Delhi Slum and JJ Cluster Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2026 has been finalised and the same should be notified by the Delhi government at the earliest. P3 Phased restoration of 8 heritage structures The MCD will begin a phased restoration of eight Grade-I heritage structures under its jurisdiction, with conservation work expected to begin next month, officials said on Tuesday. The Grade-I category denotes monuments classified as being of the highest historical importance, the officials added. P3 Accused planned network bigger than IM: Intel S U M I T K U M A R S I N G H @ New Delhi HOWDY TRUMP Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with US President Donald Trump before the plenary session at the G7 summit in France on Tuesday | AP Homestay horror: ‘Found wife lying unconscious’ N A R E N D R A S E T H I @ Dehradun NEW DELHI  around 11.30 pm,” Police said. Investigators quoted the husband as saying the couple went to sleep around 3.30 am. “When he woke up in the morning, he found his wife lying on the floor in an unconscious state. There was bleeding from her mouth and nose. He alerted the homestay management and cops,” police said, adding that a doctor declared her dead after examination. Police found blood stains on the bedsheet and recovered two empty liquor bottles from the room. Police said the woman was employed in Gurugram, while her husband works in Pune. As news spread, the woman’s inlaws arrived in Mussoorie while her parents would reach from Visakhapatnam. INTELLIGENCE agencies unravelling the Red Fort blast on November 10, 2025, have uncovered the accused’s plan to establish a nationwide terror outfit aimed to surpass the operational capabilities of the banned Indian Mujahideen, sources said on Tuesday . Umar Un Nabi, the prime accused in the Delhi blast, was killed in the explosion. These findings have emerged after six months of interrogation, technical analysis and extensive investigations. In its probe, the NIA has TIE, TIE... LET’S GO: BIG UPSETS DRAW ATTENTION This World Cup has thrown quite a few early surprises with lower ranked teams showing more resistance and spunk than their more illustrious counterparts. Through 5 days and 16 matches of football until June 16 morning, underdogs are the flavour of the week. Here are a look at some talking points... 0-0 2-2 1-1 The biggest win (figuratively) of all saw Cape Verde managing to thwart Spanish attack and secure 0-0 draw. Spain are ranked 2 and are considered as one of the favourites while Cape Verde are ranked No 67 New Zealand, at No 85, are the lowestranked team out of the 48 qualifiers, but they held No 20 Iran to a draw 4 Bhatkal module The Indian Mujahideen came into prominence after a series of bomb blasts across cities between 2005 and 2013. A large number of IM’s founding members hailed from the coastal Karnataka town of Bhatkal, which gave rise to the widely used term “Bhatkal module”. linked the accused in the chargesheet filed before the court with the offshoot of global terrorist outfit al-Qaida. The federal probing agency found that the accused had also made rocket-improvised RONALDO IN ACTION Cristiano Ronaldo will be in action, his sixth World Cup, late on Wednesday when Portugal take on Democratic Republic of Congo. They are in Group K along with Colombia and Uzbekistan. England, one of the favourites, will open campaign against Croatia No 61 Saudi Arabia held No 16 Uruguay 1-1 No 29 Egypt tied No 9 Belgium 1-1 All four matches on Monday/Tuesday (India time) ended in draws— the most in a single day of men’s WC play since 1958 TODAY’S MATCHES (IST): Group L: England vs Croatia (1:30AM); Ghana vs Panama (4:30AM). Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo (10:30 PM); Uzbekistan vs Colombia (7:30AM). New Zealand players celebrate with teammates after scoring the team’s second goal during Group G match against Iran at Los Angeles Stadium explosive devices (IEDs) and complex structure involving tested them in the Qazigund individuals from diverse eduforest in J&K’s Anantnag dis- cational and professional trict. These findings are part backgrounds, including docof a 7,500-page chargesheet tors and engineers,” said intelfiled by the NIA on May 14 in ligence sleuths, adding, “The connection with the high-infocus appeared to be on sustensity vehicle-borne IED tainability There were ref. RED blast that rocked the naerences to recruitment FORT tional capital on Novempipelines, ideological inBLAST doctrination, fundraising ber 10 last year. During follow-up invesmechanisms and technotigations, the intelligence logical capabilities.” agencies have found that the The agency said that IM “highly educated accused” emerged in the early 2000s as were in the process of making one of the country’s homegarmed drones and had planned rown terror outfits. It evolved attacks across the country . from radical elements associ“The probe has unravelled a ated with the banned SIMI. Doc’s prescription now must for cough syrups K A V I TA B A J E L I - D AT T @ New Delhi THE Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has amended rules to prohibit sale of cough syrups without a doctor’s prescription. The decision comes months after contaminated cough syrups caused deaths in India and abroad. “The measure is expected to promote responsible distribution and sale of cough syrups while ensuring greater compliance with regulatory standards,” officials said. Welcoming the government’s decision, Dr Kuldeep Kumar Grover, associate director, pulmonology and critical care at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, said: “A cough can be a symptom of other serious conditions, such as infections, asthma and allergies. Prescriptionbased access encourages proper Cough syrups will no longer be sold over the counter | P RAVIKUMAR evaluation, accurate treatment and safer medication use.” Dr Mohsin Wali, head of preventive cardiology at Pacific One Health, said some African countries reported deaths due to cough syrups from India. “This brought a bad name to our country he said. ,” Dr Meena J, senior consultant, paediatrics at Aakash Healthcare, Delhi said the decision will encourage parents to consult a doctor before giving their children medicines.