ECSTASY&AGONY WEDNESDAY 08 JULY, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard PRINCE HARRY LOSES FINAL LEGAL BATTLE Prince Harry ’s final lawsuit aimed at taming the tabloids ended in defeat on Tuesday as a judge said he failed to prove his privacy invasion claims. PAGE 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS India, Indonesia expand strategic partnership Jakarta to procure two batteries of BrahMos cruise missile system, Astra air-to-air missile J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA and Indonesia on Tuesday significantly expanded their strategic partnership, with Jakarta agreeing to procure two batteries of India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system in a deal worth about $200 million, alongside Astra air-to-air missile systems, as the two countries unveiled an ambitious roadmap covering defence, maritime security, critical minerals, technology digital connectivity and , resilient supply chains. The agreements were announced after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta during the first leg of Modi’s three-nation Indo-Pacific tour, which will also take him to Australia and New Zealand. The defence component marks another milestone in India’s push to become a major exporter of indigenous military hardware. A BrahMos battery typically comprises four launchers and 12 ready-to-fire missiles, along with commandand-control systems, support equipment and specialised vehicles, though configurations vary depending on whether the system is deployed for land attack or coastal defence. Sources said Indonesia has also decided to procure India’s Astra beyond-visual-range airto-air missiles following their operational performance during Operation Sindoor. The agreements also envisage wider collaboration in defence manufacturing and technology transfers, reflecting a shift from a buyerseller relationship towards long- DMK drops petition after SC pushback on Karur stampede S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi CLEARING the decks for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s visit to Karur on July 10, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a petition filed by the DMK that sought directions to restrain the CM and others from making public comments on the stampede or meeting the families of the victims. The plea, which was later withdrawn by the DMK, alleged that such visits could interfere with the investigation. “How can the Supreme Court implead a political opponent in a case? Is this a well-thoughtout petition? Instead of fighting it out outside, you are turning the court into a political arena,” Justices KV Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe said. The DMK’s petition referred to reports that the CM is scheduled to visit Karur to distribute government orders on compassionate appointments and other benefits to the families of the deceased and injured victims.The bench asked DMK—represented by senior advocate Ranjit Kumar—how visiting victims amounted to influencing witnesses, and questioned the party as to how could the court regulate the visit of the executive head. PIC: PTI  NEW DELHI Trailing 0-2, Messi leads great escape vs resilient Egypt S W A R O O P S W A M I N AT H A N @ Bengaluru THE world has never seen anything like him. The world will never see anything like him ever again. So, honestly, even if you have never supported him, it’s never too late. For the vast majority of the last 20 years, it has been an utter privilege to be wowed by the magic of Lionel Andres Messi. There is no saying how much longer  PAGES 12  J8.00 he has in the world game. It could end in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. It very nearly ended in the last 16 in a fever dream of a game against Egypt in Atlanta. On an increasingly fraught afternoon for the world champs in Atlanta, The Pharaohs were up 2-0 and coasting to one of the great shocks in the history of the tournament before the 39-yearold dragged the team to his level. First was an assist, a clipped cross from the righthand side which was headed home by Cristian Romero. In the 83rd minute, all that tension among the masses had evaporated in an outpouring of joy as Messi drilled a firsttime left-foot shot home from close range. Inside 300 seconds, one of football’s greatest created as well as scored for yet more records. But talk about milestones can wait for another day. With their tails up, Argentina threw men forward as they had the momentum. And the game’s winning goal promptly came thanks to a blistering counter; Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez combining to create it for Enzo Fer nandez to score what turned out to be the winner in injury time. The Africans contributed immensely to this game and will feel aggrieved that the VAR denied them a two-goal advantage early in the second half. It was a breath-taking goal with Mo Salah combining with Mostafa Ziko. However, the VAR had ruled that there was a foul just before the move started. P11 After 3 years, DCPCR finally gets new chair Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred Indonesia’s highest civilian honour by President Prabowo Subianto term industrial ties. Addressing a joint media interaction, Modi described the outcomes as a golden chapter in bilateral ties. “The growing trust between our two countries has strengthened cooperation in defence, security and the maritime domain,” he said. The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open and rules-based IndoPacific. President Prabowo echoed the sentiment. A major economic outcome was an agreement to deepen cooperation in critical minerals, with India set to invest in Indonesia’s steel, nickel and rare earth magnet manufacturing ecosystems, as New Delhi seeks to diversify strategic mineral supply chains. The two countries also agreed to jointly develop the strategically located Sabang Port near the Strait of Malacca and expand cooperation in the blue economy and maritime infrastructure. Modi said that IIM Bangalore would establish a campus in Indonesia, while UPI will be integrated with Indonesia’s payment system to facilitate cross-border transactions. P7 EXPRESS READ NTA extends NEET-UG refund portal deadline With only 10,28,223 candidates applying for fee refund of the NEET-UG exam conducted on May 3, NTA has extended the last date for updating bank details to July 14. A total of 22 lakh students had taken the entrance examination. The previous deadline set by the agency was till July 7. Meta blog on child abuse after govt slaps notice Meta on Tuesday published a detailed blog outlining measures it has taken to combat child sexual abuse material across its apps, after the government slapped a notice on it over reports of Instagram ads promoting such content. Terming child abuse a horrific crime, Meta said it works aggressively every day to fight this on and off its platforms | P10 Child rights, welfare I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi ADVOCATE and former Child The DCPCR is a statutory body Welfare Committee chairper- responsible for examining son Om Prakash Vyas has been safeguards available to children appointed the new chair of the under laws, inquiring into Delhi Commission for Protec- violations of child rights, and tion of Child Rights (DCPCR). recommending steps for their The government also appointed protection and welfare. four members while reconstituting the Commission. The Government of Delhi. He has members are Rahul Gautam, also been a resource person on Kundan Kanskar, Swati Gupta human rights in India and and Monika Sharma. abroad and served as Joint RegThis newspaper was the istrar (Law) in charge of legal first to report, seven months matters at the National Human ago, that Vyas was one of the Rights Commission. frontrunners for the post. This newspaper reported on Vyas emerged as the final the prolonged vacancy, includchoice over senior IAS officer ing concerns raised before SB Shashank, former secretary courts over the absence of a of the Women and Child Devel- functional leadership structure Home Minister Amit Shah, CM Rekha Gupta and others during a plantation opment (WCD) department. when the panel was expected to drive at Central Ridge on Tuesday. Shah also flagged off 300 electric buses. | PTI | P4 The DCPCR had remained address complaints of child headless for over three years rights vio- lations, oversee after the tenure of its previous protection mechachairman Anurag person nisms and monichair Three tankers, including a Kundu ended on tor the implemenDCPCR es emerge Race for m Qatari LNG vessel were July 2, 2023. bour law: HC intensifies, 2 na tation of child la struck in the Strait of Hormuz Vyas ar for welfare laws. ry no b previously ala on Tuesday, with peace High sserved as chairpermediator Doha denouncing son of the Bench of TMS reported an Iranian attack. | P9 Magistrates, Child on Dec 14, 2025 Welfare Committee, m CLEAN CAPITAL MAx Min 0 24 C 0 10 C st HORMUZ 3 SHIPS STRUCK IN FLARE-UP IN a tragic incident that has s p a rk e d o u t r a g e a c r o s s Jharkhand, a 75-year-old ailing man died after being repeatedly denied access to his own pension money due to pending KYC formalities at a rural bank. 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The t maj PATNA AAP MP ific atio n on IX in Delhur The AA allegati said, AKhA India’s nex hub, ss D Kat gy ing and - VIS ing clar failing Cla cted the g as were beDelhi ents i- reje them mislead cation Min - emerginic and technolor chairschools f t i @ New r stud ernment National Inst ing ah Mu hi edu nom sity , founde cate him - ifr Min iste hi gov ted to the “The Del ds to edu gation eco G M Rao hra Univer up (NIOS). mon ng cat ion Sat urd ay cheated k acister nee t. The alle failed Dr of the And ing shif Open Schooli isand gro on Lh I edu of the min of ted in self firs ents who into man i Association R Group, 0 crore ited to the ban in De ish Soo d to the presen osed tute `1.1 GM sity bas ed Ash ording indicated cred t data Delhi that stud e pushed cs Alumn an of the exp Univer ey was of an NG O The ace @ New med tha ha had isti 9 wer rt- Acc the reply ents chairm the Andhra t 2025 on servic Class sh stat d clai Rajya Sab ed as the sho nt ter, des h. ker stud to to poli gical. 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Bih eo call log ica l pre nsf er the Prades from achal city ’s d Googpsycho him to tra from him . he cite 15-bilforc ing , police said ealed that USD eta rev unt le’s amo a cengations iance–M upDevellion dat , the Rel Delhi Investi Child the i e s @ New , and all its project en and ag e n c t’s Womhas directed are not tre a ecosystemuram Interna es ernmen dat GM R gap hi gov artment king employe ing Bho t by the wth The Del (WCD) dep t women nor mal wor ss- com Air por ers of gro tha stre ond city driv tion al opmentes to ensure ce bey stances, unt. g the as key in offi able circum nch itionin c o n o m i c Group amo bra pos e d to stay are par k, the devoid that are r i s i n g require ept in una and dignity wee rs, exc r safety the ier this to ensure safe a s a ouse. er hou ed earl ds t thei y are erh that und ndrabing tha advisory issubranch hea es if the a pow Rao said N Cha iste r Dr In an instructed employe t providing e ip of CM Min tha nt cor women leadersh du and IT apatnam partme rtation for . It reiterated ment is a akh Nai d transpod to work late work environ all times. ing abu Lokesh, Vis recedente at g require and enablin department ations requir u- Nara nessing unp g an ena reg atin secure ibility of the ed that situ ce beyond rds, is wit tum, cre t for Andhra men not in offi r safe gua respons ironmen into a gloisory so mo remain The adv loyees to erned by clea oversight, - bling env to evolve itution. ct sity per emp inst gov by Univer and stri risk while women rs must be petitive nded at ibility bally com t was atte rty, RS lar hou ed respons loyee is put e The mee Sudha Mu transemploye structurwoman emp st ut the ies. woman office ef gue that no official dut that no remain in tely chi who spoke abo education cted olu er of een forming hereby dire expected to ess abs stanc- MP, ative pow g bond betw rs unl er. d or um “It is form endurin require cer king hou onal circ alma mat the shall be nor mal wor h excepti reporting offi her and ni and their suc g alum beyond able. In all nch head or for ensurin unavoid cer ned braresponsible con es, the personally isory said. shall be rn,” the adv safe retu NDARD DAY STA THE SUN NEW DEL terion ased cri pay-b ct, junks cipal fun tes Ac ir prin remains l Dispu se. The ed, rative sen Court not Industria nical ope tion, the and tech under skilled raft. rkmen the t ine’s con airc as wo Cour the airl uld be extion of qualify o in ecting sho re ifrah Mufti atna ‘Visakhap India’s ised as po ic model ec om educationjects claims next noongy hub’ ets AAP tech lo re Sood targ IX data, party erly man over Class rest: Eld d Digital ar `1.16cr, 3 nabbe duped of HC upholds death for 38 in Ahmedabad serial blasts case D I L I P S I N G H K S H AT R I YA @ Ahmedabad THE Gujarat High Court on Tuesday upheld the Ahmedabad Sessions Court’s ruling in the 2008 serial bomb blasts case, confirming the death sentence for 38 members of the banned Indian Mujahideen and life imprisonment for 11 others. A division bench of Justices A Y Kogje and Samir Dave rejected the appeals filed by the convicts against the capital punishment awarded by the lower court in February 2022. The HC directed the Gujarat government to pay `10 lakh to the family of every deceased victim, `5 lakh to each seriously injured survivor, and `1 lakh to those who suffered minor injuries. The compensation must be paid before March 31, 2027. The verdict comes 18 years after 21 coordinated blasts at 20 NNECT DAILY ‘National security over personal CO liberty’ CLAS SIFIE DS The Delhi High Court on Tuesday denied bail to an alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative and thge head of its media cell, Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy, in the 2008 Delhi serial blasts case, holding that national security takes precedence over personal liberty. P4 locations ripped through Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, killing 56 and injuring more than 200 people. The case remains one of India’s biggest criminal prosecutions. Out of 78 accused who faced trial, the trial court convicted 49 persons, acquitted 29, sentenced 38 to death, and awarded life imprisonment till natural death to 11 convicts. The probe into the serial blasts was unprecedented in scale. The police registered 35 FIRs, filed 548 chargesheets, produced around 6,000 documentary and material exhibits, and examined 1,163 witnesses. The Sessions Court’s verdict ran into 7,000 pages, while the complete paper book exceeded 7.88 lakh pages, making it one of the largest criminal case records in the country . Speaking after the verdict, state counsel Amit Patel said that the prosecution had placed extensive evidence before the HC establishing the larger conspiracy behind the coordinated terror strikes. Lawyers representing the accused said that they would challenge the HC’s decision in the Supreme Court after reviewing the full judgment. J’khand bank’s KYC delay kills 75-yr-old pensioner M U K E S H R A N J A N @ Ranchi ForecA Dense Fog in ndard orningsta epaper.m city r Weathe branch of Jharkhand Gramin Bank. The money, primarily his government pension, was needed for urgent medical treatment. His family maintained Lakra had been making repeated trips to the bank for three months at the manager’s insistence to complete the KYC process. Even after he was brought to the branch in an auto-rickshaw, officials allegedly turned them away His daughter-in-law, . Phoolmani Lakra, said that on one occasion, the manager ordered a peon to drag them out. “My father-in-law was ill and could not get the required treatment because the bank didn’t give him his own money she said. ,” Hear tbroken family members and villagers staged a protest by placing Lakra’s body at the rural bank’s en- trance, refusing to cremate him until action was taken. Chief Minister Hemant Soren promptly ordered an investigation. In a post on X, he directed the Garhwa Deputy Commissioner to “promptly investigate the matter, take strict action, and inform.” DC Pashupati Nath Mishra directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate to conduct a detailed probe, and warned of action against those found guilty . STAKE SALE BY CENTRE g late sittin Govt bars employee EXPEDITED en for wom The government will raise `2,000 crore following its 5% minority stake sale in Cochin Shipyard. It’s the latest disinvestment es to process jab hopthe current ped Pun for land ash-strap by selling unused C cr financial year | P10 get `3K ors, and cor rid ssion transmi jects. anded pro e dem edih power ons hav Chandigar imm j wa @ al The uni ernment e e t Ba gov propos govthat the hdraw the ate and Punjab edi ding apped y wit cash-str se outstancrore atel nin g of imm The the tests.. t, who war lakh de pro a meeting of of ernmen ched `3.98 r, hopes to statewi t tou r this yea ugh rces said com mit tee Secdeb Sou obe re thro ere d Chief on till Oct te `3,000 cro em pow , chaired by was held land genera ation. sed elop OUVGL P Sinha, uss dev nue monetis identified unube develry KA e- reta rsday to disc net reve set to It has the thre Thu that are s and the osal of land parcels sold under m Utilisament cost from disp Bathinda, d , ly oped and d Optimu ern men t ere expecte in Patiala s-ol and Jadecade Vac ant Gov ‘Will sevmise to fulcels phia na ) Scheme giving par rits ar, Lud of these pro compro ns’ tion of inAm pla e of (OUVGL The sale agencies Lands -poll promis honorarifuture by landhar. lth and loyees owned fil its pre per month the state. erties g PSP CL, hea m e n t s , The emp ers of 00 en in the an `1,1 part and offic er all wom ths left for fi- clu dins p o r t d e jab Ma ndi um to 14 mon tions, the the pow have T r a n FeD, Pun Industries ion o With only mbly elec pened. MA RK Punjab Agr jab Khadi corporatto launch state asse is has dee belong to Pun rd, ded rd is Boa cris s deci against ation and ies Boa nancial of these land Cor poraCorpor age Industr te `2,789 a protestof power Most Power thus, the State and Villted to genera ); the sale land and Punjab ited (PSPCL s of the d estima the state. sector cer also hel as it will for d to tion Lim es and offi were site assets, rely decide ent crore sions 2-acre employe n have seve Discus ring a 57.8 atio Forest movem or ise cor por a pro test transfer i from the develer sect comprom on Mohal the urban lau nch the sale of pow will sefuture in in to as it n of inst . artment ity expansio , such aga d and assets, mis e fut ure a- Dep ent author infra lan com pro ica l infr opm critical tations, ver ely ion of crit stations, as subs sion exp ans e such as sub transmis and s, structur corridor ects. proj power harpr RONALDO’S WC CHAPTER ENDS Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the pitch after his final World Cup match for Portugal with a stoic look on his face and only the slightest hint of emotion. There was a brief wave to acknowledge cheering fans, and the same feeling he has had after past losses. The sixth and final World Cup for the 41-year-old ended with a 0-1 loss to Spain on Monday. DRIVER HELD Scooter rider killed in Merc hit-and-run N I T I N R A W AT @ New Delhi A 45-year-old man was killed after a speeding Mercedes allegedly rammed his scooter in northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri. The driver of the luxury car has been arrested, officials said MAJOR CASES on Tuesday . O n S u n d ay June: SUV kills morning, the Ja- staff of an event hangirpuri po- management on lice station got a motorcycle in PCR call regard- Vasant Kunj ing a road accident near the Feb: SUV driven footover bridge, by a youth kills J a h a n g i r p u r i motorcycle rider, b u s s t a n d , a injured a cab senior police of- driver in Dwarka ficer said. Sept, 2025: When the po- BMW car hits lice rushed to and kills a senior the spot, they finance ministry f o u n d t h a t a official in scooter rider had Dhaula Kuan been hit by a Mercedes and was severely injured. The rider was later declared brought dead at the Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital. The caller informed the police that the car had a Haryana registration and fled the scene after the accident. The vehicle was traced, and a notice under Section 133 MV Act was served to the owner, the officer said. The deceased was identified as Deepak, a resident of Mangolpuri. One Ansh Pratap Singh was driving the vehicle at the time of the incident. A case was registered under relevant sections at the Jahangirpuri police station, and the accused has been arrested. Landslide at Wayanad tunnel road site kills 3 L E S LY J O S E P H @ Meppadi A landslip at the twin-tunnel road project near Kalladi Meenakshi Bridge in Wayanad on Tuesday claimed three lives, left at least seven people missing, and ignited a political and legal storm. While heavy monsoon rains triggered the initial slope instability, residents and local representatives termed it a “man-made disaster”, blaming corporate negligence and a failure of regulatory oversight. The victims have been identified as Chandra Ban, from Madhya Pradesh; Bikash Kumar, from Bihar; and Anmol, a worker from Jharkhand. The collapse occurred around 11 am, sending a massive torrent of liquefied mud, rocks and construction debris crashing onto the Meppadi-Chooralmala road. The deluge buried the Meenakshi Bridge, engulfed a private bus and flattened a roadside eatery where workers had gathered. Nine labourers were pulled from the sludge A bus stuck in debris after falling into a rivulet near the Meppadi tunnel project site in Wayanad, where the massive landslide struck | VINCENT PULICKAL and rushed to hospital. At the heart of the growing outrage is the dumping of excavated earth by the tunnel project’s contractor, Dilip Buildcon, operating under the supervision of the Konkan Railway Corporation. Chief Minister V D Satheesan said warnings issued more than a fortnight before the landslip went unheeded. But Dilip Buildcon said the project complied with safety protocols.