NEW DELHI 12 JULY 2026 SUNDAY `12 PAGES 24  facebook/TheMorningStandard  X.com/TheMornStandard https://epaper.morningstandard.in ‘Shooting for Enola Felt Like Vlogging’ PLUS: 12 PAGES MAGAZINE GAME ON The Banter of the Bench EXCLUSIVE VOICES Watt Women Want The Joy of Doing Nothing Anand Neelakantan Prabhu Chawla Ravi Shankar Shankkar Aiyar Debashis Chatterjee Santwana Bhattacharya Dinesh Singh Of Gods, Demons, and Humans ROMANCE DE LA ROJA Spain ultimately showed their class as they beat Belgium 2-1 to advance to only their second World Cup semifinal. A look... Merino does it again A few days after scoring the winner against Portugal in injury-time, the midfielder, who had only been on the field for three minutes, finished from close range to score the winner in the 88th minute Trade target set at `35,000 crore by 2030 EXPRESS READ S Janaki, ‘Nightingale of South India, dies Renowned playback singer, known as the “Nightingale of South India”, S Janaki passed away in Mysuru on Saturday evening due to age-related ailments. She was 88. Janaki sang more than 48,000 songs in 20 languages. The most number of songs in her career were in Kannada, followed by Malayalam, and was acclaimed as the “Queen of Expression and Modulation”. P4 Man held for wife’s death in U’khand The Uttarakhand police have arrested the husband of software engineer, Parupudi Radha Gayatri (27), who was found dead under suspicious circumstances at a homestay on the Mussoorie-Dhanaulti road last month. The accused, Somayasri Charan, was held from New Delhi following the issuance of a non-bailable warrant by a Mussoorie judicial magistrate. P3 INDIA and New Zealand elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership on Saturday , marking the most significant upgrade in bilateral ties in decades, with the two countries unveiling an ambitious defence, maritime and economic agenda aimed at deepening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Following wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon, the two sides announced 18 outcomes, including 10 agreements spanning defence, maritime security, trade, supply chains and regional cooperation. The two sides launched a Maritime Security Dialogue, a reciprocal logistics support arrangement between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force, a maritime cooperation pact between their defence ministries, and a roadmap to expand bilateral engagement over the next four years. The leaders also set an ambitious target of doubling bilateral trade in goods and services to NZ$7 billion (around `35,000 crore) by 2030, while committing to ensure the early implementation of the recently signed India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. “I am delighted that we are going to take our relationship forward through a Strategic Partnership. This milestone will motivate us to move ahead with greater energy confidence , and determination,” said Modi, the first Indian PM to visit New Zealand in four decades. The agreements underscore A relentless downpour in Uttarakhand on Saturday claimed a government doctor’s life after a damaged retaining wall near the hospital’s residential complex collapsed on him. The monsoon rains also triggered landslides, disrupting traffic on key pilgrimage routes. Authorities have issued warnings of more downpours and thunderstorms until July 17. Dr Naveen Dimri, medical officer in charge of the Primary Health Centre at Narayanbagar in Chamoli district, died while inspecting the rain-damaged wall behind the residential building when it suddenly gave way burying him under the de, Authorities have issued warnings of more downpours until July 17. | PTI bris. Given the severity of his injuries, he was referred to a higher medical centre. However, he died of his injuries while being taken for treatment. A massive landslide disrupted traffic along the RishikeshBadrinath National Highway in the Sirobagar-Khankra land- As soon as the draw was out, the brackets had suggested this and so it has come to pass. Two of the world’s best sides against will face each other in the first semifinal at Dallas for a place in the final. And it promises to be a cracker THE Delhi High Court has expressed concern over women litigants levelling severe charges of sexual misconduct on their in-laws in matrimonial disputes. The court has noted that some women indulge in this unscrupulous practice to force their in-laws into settling cases with money . Justice Girish Kathpalia made the observation while staying a trial court’s proceedings against two men, accused by their brother’s estranged wife of cruelty and rape. “A trend is setting in where the complainants have started alleging such serious charges only to ensure that the in-laws of the complainant are compelled to settle the matrimonial disputes by paying hefty amounts,” the judge noted. After not conceding for almost 11 hours, Spain’s Unai Simon finally conceded a goal, Charles de Ketelaere heading home a cross from the right. But Spain refocused to deliver the finishing touch UN experts flag concern on SIR deletions CAMBODIA PM Narendra Modi with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon at an Indian diaspora event in Auckland | PTI New Zealand’s growing strategic engagement with India as Wellington seeks to diversify partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, while reflecting New Delhi’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with like-minded maritime democracies against the backdrop of China’s expanding regional influence. The joint statement reaffir med both countries’ commitment to a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific, stressing respect for sovereignty territo, rial integrity and the rulesbased international order. Both PMs also reiterated support for freedom of navigation and overflight, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and agreed to institutionalise a maritime security dialogue to enhance coordination, information-sharing and maritime domain awareness. “As two maritime nations, our close cooperation lends new strength to the Indo-Pacific,,” Modi said. slide zone. The highway remained closed for nearly 10 hours after debris and boulders began falling from the hillside around 2 am on Saturday . Continuous rain hampered clearance operations, with fresh debris repeatedly rolling onto the road and posing a risk to workers and heavy machinery. The highway was eventually reopened around noon. Officials said that the stretch from Mini Goa Beach to Khankra was badly hit. Police stopped traffic, resulting in queues extending for nearly 10 kilometres on both sides. Thousands of Char Dham pilgrims, locals and vehicles carrying essential commodities remained stranded for hours. ‘Trend’ of rape charges in matrimonial disputes: HC U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi Simon finally breached Meeting France U’khand hosp wall collapse kills doctor, highway shut N A R E N D R A S E T H I @ Dehradun The Power of a Childlike Approach The Sweet Spot Gets Spicy NZ ties scaled up to strategic partnership J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi SWAMI SUKHABODHANANDA SPEAKS Phu Quoc PHU QUOC ISLAND Gulf of Thailand B A N S Y K A L A P PA @ B’luru/New Delhi VIETNAM The speedboat capsized 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai, an island in the An Thoi archipelago off the coast of Phu Quoc, killing 15 Indian tourists, 10 of whom were from Tamil Nadu AI ENHANCED PIC 15 INDIANS KILLED AS BOAT CAPSIZES OFF VIETNAM J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi AT least 15 Indian tourists, including 13 men and two women, were killed after a tourist boat carrying Indian visitors capsized off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island on Saturday prompting a major , search-and-rescue operation and emergency assistance by Indian diplomatic missions. The vessel, carrying 36 people, 32 Indian tourists, three crew members and one attendant, overturned around 1 pm local time (11.30 am IST) while returning from Hon May Rut Ngoai Island to An Thoi Port amid rough seas and strong winds. Authorities said 21 people were rescued and taken to hospital, with two reported critical. The Embassy of India in Vietnam said it was working closely with Viet- PM assures speedy assistance Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government was extending all possible assistance. “My sincere condolences to families who lost their loved ones. Our Embassy are providing all possible assistance.” namese authorities to establish the exact circumstances of the accident and assist the affected families. “In a tragic incident, a boat carrying several Indian tourists has capsized near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam. Exact details of the incident are being ascertained as search and rescue operations by local authorities are ongoing,” the embassy said in a post on X. The embassy said the Indi- an Ambassador, accompanied by mission officials, was travelling to Phu Quoc to oversee consular assistance, coordinate with Vietnamese authorities and support the affected Indian nationals. Lava Mobiles said some of its employees and channel partners were among those killed in the boat accident. In a statement on X, Lava said, “Our immediate priority is to extend all possible support to those affected and their families. Our teams in both India and Vietnam are in regular contact with the families and are providing all possible assistance.” Sources said around 110 Lava distributors and employees from South India were travelling together on the Vietnam trip, although only a section of them was travelling on the ill-fated boat. P4 THREE United Nations Special Rapporteurs have written to the Indian government expressing concern over allegations that the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls resulted in the deletion of millions of voters, with minority communities allegedly being dispropor tionately affected. In a formal communication to the Centre, the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion/belief said they had received information indicating that the electoral roll revision adversely affected ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, particularly Muslims. The communication focuses primarily on the SIR exercise conducted in West Bengal before the elections in April 2026, while also referring to concerns raised during a similar roll revision in Bihar last year. The UN experts said many of those removed in Bengal allegedly possessed valid identity documents but were disenfranchised. The rapporteurs also cited allegations that Muslim voters were disproportionately affected. In Nandigram Assembly constituency 95 per cent of , deleted names belonged to Muslim voters, the representatives told the Centre. ‘Yamuna Dialogues’ for green and clean Delhi: L-G E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi IN the run-up to the ‘Yamuna Dialogues’, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) organised the first stakeholder consultation workshop on Friday, which is aimed at making Delhi green and clean. The initiative has come after visits undertaken by Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu to the Yamuna floodplains. The ‘Yamuna Dialogues’ has been conceived by the DDA as a platform to bring together national and international experts and institutions to share global and Indian best practices in river restoration and riverfront development. Following Sandhu’s visits, review meetings were held with senior DDA officials, during which he issued directions to them for tackling pollution in the river through a multi-dimensional approach. He emphasised that residents, along with experts and other stakeholders, must be made partners in the river’s rejuvenation, so that the restoration of the Yamuna, especially its floodplains, evolved into a shared civic mission. Sandhu said that the floodplains of the river were openly accessible to the people and the floodplains’ res- toration had to take into account the usage that they were being subjected to. The ‘Yamuna Dialogues’ will culminate in two major dialogue sessions, proposed to be held in September 2026 and January 2027, where the Delhi Yamuna Compact—a comprehensive roadmap outlining agreed priorities, implementation strategies and timelines for the restoration of the Yamuna corridor—will be finalised. TIME FOR INTROSPECTION T20 World Cup champions reeling in English heat EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai ON Saturday afternoon, India captain Shreyas Iyer was supposed to walk out for toss in Southampton for the final T20I against England at 2pm local time. Instead, India were stuck in traffic and the toss had to wait for 45 minutes. That, in essence, sums up India’s tour for the Men in Blue. From the time they landed in Belfast last month, not a single thing has gone their way . With five T20I losses so far and a white-wash looming (till Saturday’s match), captain Iyer is yet to get his first win while coach Gautam Gambhir is feeling the heat too. And, to a large extent, the team management has jnot helped their cause either. In three games, Sanju Samson, player of the T20 Sanju Samson replaced Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Saturday | AFP World Cup, was dropped for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old prodigy After three . matches, Sooryavanshi who did not get big scores was dropped on Saturday for Samson. Not to mention that India have been changing their playing XI every single game. Recurring injuries and poor fielding have added to the woes. “I feel this is the time we need to try what’s the best going forward for us as a team,” Iyer said at toss on Saturday . Which makes one wonder about playing XI of previous games, lack of role clarity and stability in the dressing room. For a team that won the T20 WC seven games ago, that is not a good look. When the dust settles after the England tour (ODI-leg left), the BCCI will have to sit down and take a hard look at the way forward.