WEDNESDAY 09 JULY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR PUSHING BACK WHY DIDN’T SEBI ACT SOONER AGAINST JANE STREET: CONGRESS P8 SENSEX 83,712.51 p270.01 P6 NIFTY 25,522.50 p61.20 ` vs $ 85.74 Generally Cloudy sky with a few spells of light to moderate rain/ thundershower very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 089.6 mm TEMPERATURE SUN SETS 18:25 hrs MOON SETS 02:20 hrs Full Moon on 11 July THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 JULY U Indian nurse on death row in Yemen could be executed on 16 July: Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse who is on death row after being convicted for the murder of a Yemeni national, is to be executed next week on 16 July, several media outlets have reported. nited States President Donald Trump said on Monday (local time) that Washington is close to reaching a trade deal with New Delhi. His remarks came even as he announced tariffs on 14 nations that will go into effect on 1 August. Some Indian media outlets, meanwhile, quoted government sources in New Delhi as saying that a ‘mini deal’ with the USA could be announced “in a day or two”. However, the sources also said that India will not push ahead if the deal specifics do not suit the country. The sources have also said that India is ready for a “no deal” situation especially when it comes to dairy and agricultural, as well as labour intensive products. India has proposed a ‘fair deal’ that would assist its domestic industries ~ in particular those reliant on exports such as textiles and leather, the sources were quoted as saying. The Trump administration on Monday announced new tariffs for 14 nations, including Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, South Korea, and Japan, that will take effect on 1 August. Mr Trump shared the letters sent by his administration to the 14 countries on his social media platform, Truth Social. The higher tariffs were supposed to start on 9 July, but were earlier put on hold while US officials tried to make trade agreements. Speaking to reporters as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, CM slams NRC notice to Cooch Behar man STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SILIGURI, 8 JULY has issued an NRC notice to Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, a Rajbanshi, resident of Dinhata in Cooch Behar for over 50 years. Despite furnishing valid identity documents, he is being harassed on suspicion of being a ‘foreigner/illegal migrant.’ The chief minister described this development as a “systematic assault on democracy and proof that the ruling BJP dispensation in Assam was attempting to implement NRC in Bengal”. “A premeditated attempt is being made to intimidate, disenfranchise, and target marginalised communities. This unconstitutional overreach is anti-people, and exposes BJP's dangerous agenda of bulldozing democratic safeguards and erasing the identity of Bengal's people,” Miss Banerjee added. In her message, Miss Banerjee also gave a call to all non-BJP parties to unite over such developments. "This alarming situation calls for urgent unity among all Opposition parties to stand up against the BJP's divisive and oppressive machinery. Bengal will not stand by as the constitutional fabric of India is torn apart," the Chief Minister said. The Trinamul Congress held a massive anti-NRC rally from Sitalkuchi to Cooch Behar. District president Abhijit De Bhowmik led the rally, while senior leader Partha Pratim Roy said: “BJP’s NRC agenda will never be accepted in Bengal.” IMRAN MOJIB With an eye on the upcoming assembly polls, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has decided to implement a domicile policy for women of Bihar, offering them 35 per cent reservation in all government jobs, and to set up a state Youth Commission. The cabinet decisions are seen as an attempt to hijack two major agendas of the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal, whose Tejashwi Yadav recently promised to implement a 100 per cent domicile policy and to set up a Youth Commission in Bihar. Mr Kumar has over the years created a dedicated vote-bank by implementing several women-centric schemes, including 50 per cent reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions. The move to implement a domicile policy for female job seekers is expected to further consolidate his position among women voters. The Bihar Youth Commission is intended to ensure the maximum employment opportunities for local youth, monitoring, among others, whether they are getting priority in private sector employment within the state. Mr Trump said: “Now we've made a deal with the UK. We've made a deal with China. We're close to making a deal with India. Others we met with and we don't think we're going to be able to make a deal. So we just send them a letter.” He added: “If you want to play ball, this is what you have to pay. As far as I'm concerned, we're done. We're sending out letters to various countries telling them how much tariffs they have to pay. We're not going to be unfair about it and actually, it's a small fraction compared to what we should be getting.” Mr Trump, speaking later in the day, said the BRICS bloc was created “to hurt us” and “degenerate our dollar” and threatened to impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on BRICS nations. Healso said he wanted to hit pharmaceutical imports with tariffs “at a very, very high rate, like 200 per cent.” According to the letters that Mr Trump shared on social media, Myanmar and Laos will face a 40 per cent tariff on their goods exported to the USA, Thailand and Cambodia will face a tariff of 36 per cent while Bangladesh and Serbia will be hit with 35 per cent. Indonesia will face a tariff of 32 per cent, South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 per cent, and Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Japan and South Korea a 25 per cent tariff from 1 August. Air India crash: AAIB submits preliminary probe report NEW DELHI, 8 JULY The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has submitted the preliminary report of its investigation into the Air India AI-171 plane crash of 12 June to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other authorities. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, hitting a hostel building and killing 241 of the 242 people on board, and 19 persons on the ground. The investigators are said to have looked into whether a dual-engine failure could have resulted in the crash. According to sources, the crash protection module (CPM) from one of the black boxes was retrieved, and the data was successfully downloaded on 25 June at the AAIB Lab in Delhi. SNS Brazil: PM Modi receives grand welcome in Brasília STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 JULY Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a grand welcome with military honours in Brasilia, Brazil, as he arrived for a state visit to the country. The ceremonial welcome was also marked by a vibrant performance of Brazil's iconic Samba Reggae dance, paired with the powerful 'Shiv Tandava' - a hallmark of Indian cultural heritage. Upon arrival, PM Modi was received by Brazilian Defense PARWINDER SANDHU NEW DELHI, 8 JULY the country’s political leadership for the crash of an Indian aircraft.” The account also posted an image of a forged letter dated 7 July, which claimed that the premature repatriation of the naval officer was carried out on administrative grounds arising from his public remarks at Universitas Pertahanan, Jakarta on 10 June 2025. The Fact Check team of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, stated that the letter was fake and the officer is still posted at the embassy. “A #fake letter falsely attributed to the Ministry of Home Affairs, claiming the recall of Captain (Indian Navy) Shiv Kumar, Defence Attaché at the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, is circulating on social media,” said a statement issued by the PIB. “The letter is part of a misinformation campaign by Pakistani propaganda accounts. Captain Shiv Kumar continues to serve as the Defence Attaché in Jakarta. Postings of Indian Navy officers of the rank of Captain fall under the jurisdiction of the Integrated HQ of MoD (Navy),” it said in a post on X. It also clarified that the “Ministry of Home Affairs has no role in the appointment or recall of Defence Attachés”. In 1973; The Statesman instituted three prizes for excellence in rural reporting to encourage a better awareness of the social, political and economic challenges taking place in our villages Three prizes are now 25,000; 15,000 and 10,000 We invite journalists to send in their investigative articles and reports concerning rural India, in English or any regional language (with or without translations into English), and published during 2024 in any newspaper or periodical in the country. Entries will be evaluated on the criteria of social relevance, factual accuracy, professional dedication and stylistic merit. The competition is open to Indian journalists. All entries should be marked “Rural Reporting” and sent in the form of original clippings (photocopies will not be accepted) clearly showing the date and name of the publication to the address given below. THE CUSHROW IRANI PRIZE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING The C R Irani Foundation, a not for-profit body involved in improvement of journalistic standards, in 2011 setup an annual prize of 25,000 for environmental reporting, We invite journalists to send in their investigative articles and reports concerning the environment in English or any regional language (with or without translations in English), and published during 2024 in any newspaper or periodical in the country. Entries will be on the basis of content, accuracy, professional standards and quality of research. The competition is open to Indian journalists. All entries should be marked “Environmental Reporting” and sent in the form of original clippings (photocopies will not be accepted) clearly showing the date and name of the publication to the address given below. No order to block Reuters’ X accounts: Govt NEW DELHI, 8 JULY The government on Tuesday denied issuing any fresh order to block the X accounts of certain international news networks, including Reuters. This follows a claim by the microblogging platform that it was ordered on 3 July to block 2,355 accounts in India, including those of news outlets like Reuters. Denying issuing any fresh blocking order, a government statement said that when Reuters and Reuters World were blocked in India, the government wrote to X to unblock them. X unnecessarily exploited technicalities to delay unblocking the accounts till 6 July, it said. SNS Minister Jose Mucio Monteiro Filho at the airport. The welcome was made delightfully musical by the traditional Brazilian Samba Reggae performance, which showcased the rich cultural association between India and Brazil. The visit marks a significant milestone in India’s efforts to deepen engagement with Latin America. PM Modi will hold bilateral discussions with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to broaden the Strategic Partnership between the two nations. AWARDS FOR RURAL REPORTING Captain Shiv Kumar not recalled: Govt busts misinformation campaign The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has debunked a fake report claiming that a Defence Attaché posted at the Indian Embassy in Jakarta has been recalled. The ministry has clarified that Captain Shiv Kumar continues to serve as the Defence Attaché in Jakarta. The fake letter, claimed to have been issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has gone viral on X. Sharing the fabricated image, an X user, Muhammad Aslam posted: “The price of speaking the truth. In Jakarta, Indian Defence Attaché Captain Shiv Kumar Singh (Indian Navy) was recalled to India prematurely and asked to report to Indian Navy Intelligence for further investigation. Captain Shiv had blamed BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 67.00 PATNA, 8 JULY Max: 27.1˚C (-5.4) Min: 25.0˚C (-1.8) A fresh controversy over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has erupted after Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, a 50-year-old resident of Dinhata in Cooch Behar, received a notice from the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam, asking him to prove his citizenship by 15 July. Despite being a Rajbanshi by birth and a lifelong resident of West Bengal, Brajabasi now faces the threat of being labelled an “illegal immigrant.” The notice has triggered panic in border villages and turned into a major political issue, with the Trinamul Congress (TMC) accusing the BJP of trying to push NRC into Bengal through the backdoor. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, reacting sharply to the development wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “I am shocked and deeply disturbed to learn that the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam SILVER `1,10,000 GOLD `99,820 ‘US close to reaching trade deal with India’ Min. 93% Sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik creates a sand art marking the return of Lord Jagannath to Jagannath Temple after the annual Rath Yatra, in Puri on Tuesday. nANI P16 Nitish hijacks RJD’s agenda; offers 35 pc job quota for women RELATIVE HUMIDITY SUN RISES 04:58 hrs MOON RISES 16:30 hrs DJOKOVIC STORMS INTO WIMBLEDON QUARTER-FINALS P9 Mini-trade deal could be announced ‘in a day or two’: Indian govt sources WEATHER Max. 98% STAKES THAT GO WELL BEYOND RELIGION IMPORTANT Journalists wishing to submit the same report(s) for both prizes are requested to send separate entries. Last Date for the 2024 awards is 10 August 2025 THE AWARDS COMMITTEE Statesman House, 4 Chowringhee Square, Kolkata 700 001 For any query please write to statesmanrra2025@gmail.com