Monday, July 7, 2025 | 30 Pages | `5 & for State (+4 pages) `6 Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Vol. 68 No. 235 | Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) NATION Citing Khemka murder, Rahul says BJP and Nitish Kumar have made Bihar ‘crime capital of India’ GAMES Cinema Raftaar & Mukesh Chhabra support Uorfi over Apoorva? Teenage sensation Vaibhav wants to emulate Gill’s ability to score daddy hundreds Edit Even film plots more believable than Operation Sindoor playback CALL FOR CHANGE | Modi bats for reforms in global bodies, says 21st-century software can’t be run by 20th-century typewriters ‘Global South victim of double standards’ FPJ News Service PM: Pahalgam direct attack on India’s soul MUMBAI A t Sukoon Nilaya, Dr Eric Borges is transforming palliative care in India. Turn to the Mumbai page to find out how. SEE CITY Briefs WWIII with Xi and Putin invasions? Nato chief Mark Rutte has chillingly warned that World War III will start with simultaneous invasions from Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Secretary-general Rutte suggested the combined attacks from the Chinese and Russian leaders could trigger a World War nightmare and bring the planet to the brink of Armageddon. According to the NATO chief, China would start by seeking to grab Taiwan — while ensuring the Kremlin dictator simultaneously attacks a Nato territory, amid fears Putin is anyway eyeing the Baltic republics Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, formerly part of the USSR. Dems target Hegseth Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, unilaterally halted an agreed shipment of military aid to Ukraine due to baseless concerns that US stockpiles of weapons have run too low, it has been reported. A batch of air defence missiles and other precision munitions were due to be sent to Ukraine to aid it in its ongoing war with Russia, which launched a fullscale invasion of its neighbour in 2022. The aid was promised by the US during Joe Biden’s administration last year. But the Pentagon halted the shipment, with NBC reporting that a decision to do so was made solely by Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s top defence official and a former Fox News weekend host who has previously come under pressure for sharing plans of a military strike in two group chats on the messaging app Signal, one of which accidentally included a journalist. Hegseth has now halted US military supplies to Ukraine on three occasions, the NBC reported. The Brics remains a powerful force for economic cooperation and global good, PM Narendra Modi said on Sunday, as he underscored the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in global institutions to address the marginalisation of the Global South. Global South has often been a victim of "double standards", he said, highlighting the systemic inequalities and inefficiencies that the Global South faced. The interests of the region have never been "prioritised", he asserted. As several top leaders of the member nations converged in Rio de Janeiro, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin skipped the meeting. "The Global South has often been a victim of double standards. Whether it is development, distribution of resources, or security-related issues, the interests of the Global South have not been prioritised. On issues like climate finance, sustainable development, and technology access, D the Global South has often received nothing but token gestures," he stated. Pointing to the historical neglect of two-thirds of humanity in 20th-centuryformed institutions, Modi argued that countries with significant contributions to the global economy remain under-represented at decision-making tables, undermining the credibility and effectiveness of these bodies. "This is not just a question of representation but also of credibility and effectiveness. Without the Global South, these institutions seem like a mobile with a SIM card but no network. These institutions are unable to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. Whether it is the ongoing conflicts in different parts of the world, the pandemic, the economic crisis, or newly emerging challenges in cyber and space, these institutions have no solutions," he stated. 4Contd on | nation uring a session on peace and security, Modi said victims and supporters of terrorism cannot be weighed on the same scale and there should be no hesitation in imposing sanctions against terrorists. He said the “cowardly” Pahalgam terror attack was a direct strike on the “soul, identity and dignity” of India. “This attack was a blow not only on India but on the entire humanity,” he said: “Condemning terrorism should be our principle, not just a convenience.” Modi underlined that there should be no difference between words and actions regarding terrorism. “If we cannot do this, then the question naturally arises whether we are serious about the fight against terrorism or not,” the prime minister added. India script history Haridev Pushparaj MUMBAI History was created by a young and inspired Indian team that broke the convention to register India’s first-ever Test victory at Edgbaston in Birmingham, and in the process captain Shubman Gill recorded his maiden Test win. India also became the first Asian nation to win a Test at Edgbaston while the 336-run victory margin ensured it was the country’s biggest win in an away Test match. When Team India set sail for the stern examination in England in a new era under the stewardship of skipper Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, the prospects appeared bleak with a relatively young and inexperienced side in the mix. After England bazballed their way to victory in Leeds despite a lion-hearted fight from the visitors, the cynics predicted a whitewash in the offing. However, as they say, a week is a long time in politics and so it is in professional sport. The 25-year-old Gill produced a brilliant display of batting in the Test, slamming 430 runs, the highest by any Indian batter in his debut series as captain, and marshalled his resources with alacrity as the team stunned England by 336 runs to level the five-match series 1-1. 4Contd on | nation No change in Bihar Global power play colours Dalai Lama b’day poll roll revision: EC clears confusion Agencies DHARAMSHALA A heavy rain on Sunday morning did little to dampen the spirits of the thousands who gathered in the main courtyard of Tsuglagkhang, the Dalai Lama’s temple, to celebrate the Tibetan spiritual leader’s 90th birthday — even as the thunder of geopolitics echoed in the background. The celebrations came on the heels of the Dalai Lama’s announcement targeted at Dheeraj Kumar PATNA The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday made it clear that there was no change in instructions for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, and asserted that the review was being implemented smoothly at the ground level. The EC on June 24 issued instructions to carry out an SIR in Bihar for erasing names of fake voters from the electoral rolls and ensuring inclusion of only eligible citizens in them. EC's clarification came after several social media posts, including one by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, referred to an EC advertisement published in a newspaper claiming "now only forms are to be filled. There is no need to submit documents". The office of the state Chief Electoral Officer said on Sunday, "SIR in Bihar is progressing as per ECI's order dated 24 June 2025. As per that order, the draft electoral rolls that will be issued on 1 August 2025 will contain the names of the existing electors whose enumeration forms are received". 4Contd on | nation RJD, TMC MPs knock on SC door RJD MP Manoj Jha and Mahua Moitra of Trinamool Congress have moved the Supreme Court challenging the EC's decision to on revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. Jha contended that the process was “not only hasty and ill-timed, but has the effect of disenfranchising crores of voters, thereby robbing them of their constitutional right to vote”. "Later, they will target Bengal, where elections are due in 2026," Moitra said. BJP MLA and leader of opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, however, demanded such an exercise by the poll panel in the state too. SEE NATION China last week, which decisively ended speculation over the future of the Dalai Lama institution. “The reincarnation of Dalai Lamas neither began from him nor will end due to him," China's envoy to India, Xu Feihong, wrote on X on Sunday, adding that the current Dalai Lama is only one part of a longstanding religious tradition spanning over 700 years. While Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Arunachal Pradesh CM Kamal Mishra MUMBAI An alarming 922 accidental deaths of local train commuters were reported in the Mumbai suburban railway network between January 1 and May 31, 2025, according to data obtained through a Right to Information reply from the Mumbai Railway Police commissionerate. The data shows that 597 fatalities occurred on the Central Railway (CR) suburban section and 325 on the Western Railway (WR). Among the total, 210 passengers died after falling from moving trains, highlighting persistent safety lapses in a system that carries over 7 million commuters daily and is often de- Agencies We live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom. —Elon Musk Day – in which he asked whether respondents “want independence from the twoparty (some would say uniparty) system” that has 4Contd on | nation Track tragedy Agencies NEW DELHI WASHINGTON freedom and challenge what he called the nation’s “one-party system”. He cited a poll, uploaded on Friday – the US’s Independence Pema Khandu, Sikkim minister Sonam Lama addressed the gathering, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a message saying Washington remains "firmly committed to promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of Tibetans." In a sign of solidarity, Taiwan's president Lai Chingte, former US presidents George W Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama sent greetings via video messages. 210 TRAIN FALL DEATHS Reuters gets X relief IN MUMBAI TILL MAY 31 after govt intervenes Total accidental deaths 922 CR 597 WR 325 Deaths from falling off trains dominated US politics for some two centuries. The yes-or-no survey earned more than 1.2 million responses. “By a factor of 2 to 1, you 4Contd on | nation Former CJIs endorse ONOE Bungalow row: Ex-CJI cites daughters’ ‘special needs’ CR 150 WR 60 scribed as Mumbai’s lifeline. Of the fall-related deaths, 150 were recorded on CR and 60 on WR, making it one of the leading causes of commuter fatalities . Railway activists and commuter associations have long want a new political party and you shall have it!” Musk wrote. “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” he declared. The move comes amid a worsening of the feud between the world’s richest man and Trump over the new budget law, which the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said would bankrupt the US. 4Contd on | nation Sources said a demand for blocking of Reuters’ X account alongside several hundreds of other accounts was made during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan-based terrorist in May after the Pahalgam attack. While several accounts were blocked from accessing in India, Reuters handle was not. Elon Musk-owned X seems to have now acted on that request and blocked Reuters’ X handle in India. And since the issue is not relevant now, the government has asked X to explain the blocking and lift the embargo. International news agency Reuters X account was withheld in India for a few hours but restored later on Sunday after the government intervened to say it had not sought the blocking of the handle. Reuters account was blocked from being accessed in India overnight, leading to speculations. "There is no requirement from the government of India to withhold Reuters and we are continuously working with X to resolve the problem," the government spokesperson said on Sunday. 210 Party launched, Musk in political orbit The dispute between Republican President Donald Trump and his main campaign financier Elon Musk took another fractious turn when the space and automotive billionaire announced the formation of a new political party, saying Trump's "big, beautiful" tax bill would bankrupt America. Musk in a post on X on Saturday declared the formation of the “America Party", to “give back” the people of the US their Birmingham blitz: (JANUARY 1–MAY 31, 2025) flagged issues such as chronic overcrowding, inadequate number of coaches, and poor platform safety measures as systemic problems that continue to put lives at risk. Agencies Agencies NEW DELHI NEW DELHI Former Chief Justices of India, who have conveyed their views to a parliamentary committee on the bill proposing simultaneous polls, have endorsed the constitutionality of the "one nation, one election" concept but have raised concerns over its various aspects, including the power given to the Election Commission, and offered suggestions. Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Sunday cited family reasons for his extended stay at the official CJI residence on Krishna Menon Marg, stating that he has “two daughters with special needs.” His response came as the Supreme Court administration, in an unprecedented move, wrote to the Centre for vacating the bungalow, noting 4Contd on | nation 4Continued on | P13 that Chandrachud has stayed beyond the permissible period. Explaining the situation, the Chandrachud said that Sanjiv Khanna, who succeeded him as CJI, allowed him an extension until April and, after that, he sought another extension due to “special needs" for his elder daughter, for whom an “ICUlike setup" has been created at the existing residence. 4Contd on | nation