8 The Editorial Page: The Indo-Pacific is here to stay, with or without Washington WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2026 JOURNALISM of COURAGE AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 24 PAGES ₹5.00 l www.indianexpress.com DA I LY F R O M : A H M E DA B A D , C H A N D I GA R H , D E L H I , J A I P U R , KO L K ATA , L U C K N O W , M U M B A I , N AG P U R , PAT N A , P U N E , VA D O DA R A THEIR FIRST CONVERSATION AFTER IRAN-U.S. MOU PROBE INTO ‘THEFT’ AT RAM TEMPLE Safe Hormuz is key, Modi tells Pezeshkian; extended invite to BRICS summit in India: Tehran Police approach Rai, Mishra for details, another arrest likely President briefs PM on developments in West Asia and the way forward Divya A Under fire, Trust likely to move informal staff to non-cash duties Hope for lasting peace in region, PM tells Iran President New Delhi, June 30 IN HIS first conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian who signed a Memorandum of Understanding with US President Donald Trump on June 17 to end hostilities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday expressed the hope for “lasting peace in the region” and underlined “the impor- Happening today lJAPAN PM SANAE TAKAICHI arrives in Delhi on a three-day visit during which she and PM Narendra Modi will hold the India-Japan Annual Summit. TRACK THIS AND MORE ON WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM After June deficit, below-normal rainfall expected in July too: IMD Amitabh Sinha New Delhi, June 30 WHILE JUNE recorded a 40 per cent rainfall deficit, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said rainfall in the month of July was also expected to be below normal, less than 94 per cent of the long period average. The IMD had predicted 92 per cent rainfall for June, but the month brought in just about 60 per cent of normal rains, making it the fifth driest June since 1901 — the year from which rainfall records are available in India. The shortfall in June has put a question mark over the rainfall prediction for the entire monsoon season. In May, the IMD had said that under the influence of a developing El Nino phase in the Pacific region, the fourmonth monsoon season starting in June was expected to bring less than normal rainfall. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Rainfall deficit in June STATE/UT DEFICIT Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 84% Gujarat 82% Chandigarh 75% Meghalaya 74% Manipur 71% SOURCE: IMD tance of freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, key to India’s energy imports. According to the Iranian readout of the phone conversation, posted on X by its embassy in New Delhi, Prime Minister Modi “formally invited the President of Iran to attend the upcoming BRICS Leaders’ Summit to be hosted by India and expressed hope that the meeting would contribute to further strengthening multilateral cooperation among the member countries”. Modi, the Iranian readout said, “conveyed the condolences and sympathy of the Government and people of India following the martyrdom CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Lucknow, New Delhi, June 30 General Dhiraj Seth (left) takes over as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff from General Upendra Dwivedi, in New Delhi on Tuesday. X/@ADGPI REPORT, PAGE 10 In setback for Trump, Small firms panic over Govt probe US top court upholds at behest of JSW joint venture birthright citizenship Company wants penal duty on suppliers from China, South Korea 6-3 ruling; Trump urges Congress to act, says ‘too bad for our country’ New Delhi, June 30 Andrew Chung Washington, June 30 HANDING PRESIDENT Donald Trump a stinging defeat, the US Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected his attempt to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States — a right long woven into the fabric of American society — scuttling one of his top priorities in his crackdown on immigration. The 6-3 ruling marked the second time this year that the court has invalidated a major Trump initiative, following its February decision to strike down his sweeping global tariffs. The Justices upheld a lower court’s decision that blocked This is the second time the court has invalidated a major Trump initiative; it struck down his sweeping global tariffs in Feb E. EXPLAINED AN ANTI-DUMPING probe initiated by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Cold Rolled Grain Oriented (CRGO) steel, a specialised type of steel, has sparked outrage among MSME transformer manufac- THE BIG PICTURE The impact Ahead of the ruling, experts had estimated that US President Donald Trump’s directive could affect the legal status of as many as 250,000 babies born each year, and could require the families of millions more to prove the citizenship status of their newborns. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 WHAT U.P. WANTS: POSTCARD FROM 5 CITIES — A YEAR BEFORE POLLS PAGE 20 Two European giants out, Paraguay, Morocco win in tense shootouts EXPRESS AT WORLD CUP Sandip G Boston, June 30 GERMANS ARE masters of penalties, especially at World Cups. They had won the last four shootouts before Paraguay’s 6’6” goalkeeper Orlando Gill beat them at their own game. Gill made himself look even bigger to make two crucial saves in the tie-breaker to script a historic South American victory. The Netherlands, blessed Germany lost to Paraguay in the penalty shootout, Monday. REUTERS with incredible attacking prowess and midfield riches, are known to settle matters in open play. Morocco held them 1-1 for more than 120 minutes, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 l MOVE AIMED AT SHIELDING CONTENDERS FROM “PRESSURE TACTICS” OF BJP, ALLEGES PARTY Polls in multi-cr dairy co-op near, Gujarat Cong takes 11 candidates to ‘safer place’ Kamal Saiyed tics” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose candidates are contesting under the TWO WEEKS before the elec- banner of Sahkar Panel. They tions for the Surat-Tapi District alleged that the proposer of a Co-operative Milk Producers' Samithi candidate had been Union Ltd, the Congress- missing since Sunday. backed Pashu Palak The co-operative PAGE 1 Heet Rakshak Samiis popularly known thi (PPHRS) on as Sumul Dairy. Tuesday moved 11 of Even as the BJP its candidates to a “safer place” has already won five seats on outside Gujarat. the dairy’s board of directors Congress leaders said the uncontested, the party faces move was taken to shield the 11 challenges on the remaining 11 individuals from “pressure tac- poll-bound seats. Also, some of Surat, June 30 anchor The BJP has already won five seats on the dairy’s board of directors uncontested. FILE its members, who were denied a mandate earlier, will be fighting for membership with the support of the Congress-backed group. The elections are scheduled for July 15. For the past ten years, BJP-backed individuals have helmed the dairy. According to its annual report for 2024-25, the dairy's total trade turnover for that fiscal was Rs 6,276 crore. Sumul Dairy, which comprises 1,039 primary milk producer co-operative societies, is run by a board of 19 members, 16 of whom are elected. The CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 turers, and also raised fears of a hike in electricity cost for consumers. The investigation, ordered on June 22, is based on an application by one company, JSW JFE Electrical Steel Nashik Private Limited, which is a joint venture between JSW Steel Limited, India’s largest steel producer, and Japan-based JFE By EP UNNY Bhupendra Pandey & Divya A Army gets a new chief Pratyush Deep & Ravi Dutta Mishra Business as Usual Steel Corporation. JSW JFE Electrical Steel is the only producer of CRGO steel in India, and is seen as strategically crucial for the country. It is a key input material in transformers, which forms the backbone of the electricity transmission system. The probe comes in the backdrop of a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 POLICE IN Ayodhya, investigating the alleged theft and embezzlement of funds and valuables donated to the Ram temple, have been seeking details from Champat Rai, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and trustee Anil Mishra on the duties and responsibilities of eight persons arrested so far in the case. Rai and Mishra sent their resignations to the Trust following the registration of an FIR on June 25 and the arrest of Avinash Shukla, Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav and Subhash Srivastav. Tinnu Yadav is Rai’s former driver. All the arrested men are currently in judicial custody. Following court permission, NATION PAGE 17 CONG LEADERS PUT UNDER HOUSE ARREST FOR 24 HRS a police team visited the jail Tuesday to question Avinash Shukla on the role of the private agency hired by the State Bank of India for counting of cash and its dispatch to the bank branch. Shukla, an official said, was recruited by the agency and the bank. It is likely that another arrest will be made soon, an official said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2