Morning Filter: ICC World Cup trophy will begin its travel today

1. PM Modi to visit MP today to flag off five Vande Bharat trains Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a day-long visit to Madhya Pradesh on June 27 during which he will flag off five Vande Bharat trains, his office said on Monday. The PM will flag off the trains after reaching Rani Kamalapati railway station around 10:30 am, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. The five Vande Bharat trains are Bhopal (Rani Kamalapati)-Indore Vande Bharat Express, Bhopal (Rani Kamalapati)-Jabalpur Vande Bharat Express, Ranchi-Patna Vande Bharat Express, Dharwad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express, and Goa (Madgaon)-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express. 2. Telangana CM, cabinet colleagues arrive in Pandharpur in motorcade of 600 vehicles Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his cabinet colleagues arrived in renowned temple town Pandharpur in Maharashtra’s Solapur district on Monday in a motorcade with 600 vehicles, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader said. Mr. Rao will offer prayers at the Lord Vitthal Temple on Tuesday, ahead of Ashadhi Ekadashi on June 29, said Shankar Dhondage, the BRS’ Maharashtra in charge. “Mr. Rao and all his cabinet colleagues arrived in 600 vehicles,” he said. A party functionary said the BRS’ request to allow Rao to shower petals on the palanquins at Pandharpur from a helicopter has been denied by the administration citing security reasons. 3. BJP to organise mass contact programmes in Rajasthan on Tuesday The BJP’s Rajasthan unit will organise mass contact programmes across the state on June 27 to generate awareness about the Centre’s welfare schemes, party state secretary Vijender Poonia said on Monday. The initiative is a part of the BJP’s national campaign to mark the completion of the Modi government’s nine years in office, he said. The programmes will be organised at district and booth levels to inform people about the central government’s schemes for the welfare of the poor and to provide good governance, he said. 4. Himachal flash floods: Hundreds of commuters stranded as Chandigarh-Manali national highway blocked Hundreds of commuters were stranded in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district as the Chandigarh-Manali national highway was blocked following flash floods and landslides, officials said on Monday. The 70-km Mandi-Pandoh-Kullu stretch has been badly affected, they said. A total of 301 roads are closed in the state following heavy rains, while 140 power transformers are disrupted. Flash floods were witnessed in Khotinallah near Aut, about 40 km from Mandi town, on the Pandoh-Kullu stretch due to a heavy downpour and the commuters have been stranded since Sunday evening. 5. MHA to hold final security review for Amarnath Yatra today The Union Home Ministry is expected to undertake a final security review of the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir with all the stakeholders here on Tuesday, official sources said. The meeting will be held in the Ministry of Home Affairs at North Block and will be chaired by Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla. 6. EU auditors fears reaching ambitious climate targets will run into financial problems The European Union’s auditing agency warned on Monday that there might not be sufficient financing available to meet the bloc’s ambitious climate targets. The warning from the Court of Auditors comes as the 27-nation bloc is already struggling to live up to image as the global leader in working toward climate neutrality because of a political fight in the EU legislature to push through environmental protection measures. 7. Rains lash MP; IMD issues orange alert of extremely heavy showers at isolated places The India Meteorological Department on Monday issued an orange alert warning heavy to very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Madhya Pradesh till Tuesday morning even as showers continue to lash several areas in the state. As per IMD, heavy (64.5 mm to 115.5 mm) to very heavy (115.6 mm to 204.4 mm) rainfall with extremely heavy rain (more than 204.5 mm) and thunderstorm accompanied by lightning is very likely to occur at isolated places in east Madhya Pradesh. 8. Key NCP leaders to take call on Ajit’s desire for party role: Sharad Pawar Days after Ajit Pawar appealed that he be assigned a role in the NCP organisation, party president Sharad Pawar on Monday said such a decision cannot be taken by one person and key party leaders will sit to take a call on it. Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who is the nephew of Sharad Pawar, recently appealed to the party leadership to relieve him of the responsibility as Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and assign him any role in the party organisation. 9. Monsoon advances, several parts of Gujarat receive heavy rainfall The advancement of the southwest monsoon saw several parts of Gujarat receiving heavy rainfall on Monday, with more showers expected over the next three days, officials said. In the 36-hour period ending at 6pm, Umargam taluka in Valsad received a massive 262 millimetres of rain, a release from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) said. 10. Defying high prices, Muslim pilgrims head to Mecca for haj Palestinian pilgrim Abu Anas Abu Rahal was hoping to find cheaper lodgings for a week-long stay in Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia, as the minimum cost for the haj pilgrimage climbed to 26,000 riyals ($7,000) this year. His options were limited. The 65-year-old struggled to pay the bill despite choosing the cheapest-offered package, which included travelling to Saudi Arabia by land and sharing hotel rooms with other pilgrims. 11. Cash-strapped Sri Lanka to restructure domestic debt Sri Lankan authorities have declared a five-day closure of financial markets from Thursday ahead of a controversial move to restructure the government’s domestic debt amounting to more than $51 billion. The restructuring affects government bonds in line with an IMF bailout agreed in March, after Sri Lanka defaulted on its foreign debt in April last year and declared bankruptcy. A parliamentary official said lawmakers were expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss holding a special session of the legislature later this week to approve debt restructure plans. 12. Russia tries to show return to order after Wagner mutiny Moscow made an effort on Monday to portray a return to business as usual after a weekend mutiny by mercenary troops threatened to undermine Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s grip on power. Mr. Putin did not personally address the crisis, but made a video speech to a youth forum dubbed the “Engineers of the future” and praised industry for overcoming “severe external challenges”. The Kremlin said that Mr. Putin had spoken to Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi by phone and had received Tehran’s “full support” in connection with the mutiny. 13. ICC World Cup trophy will begin its travel on June 27 The trophy tour will begin on June 27 in India, travel around the globe and then return to the host nation on September 4. In a spectacular first, cricket’s global governing body started the World Cup trophy tour by launching the coveted silverware into the stratosphere, 1,20,000 feet above the earth before it made a stunning landing at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. 14. Wankhede Stadium, Eden Gardens likely to host World Cup semifinals Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and the Eden Gardens in Kolkata --- both iconic venues -- have emerged as the frontrunners to host the two semifinals of the 2023 World Cup. This means the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai -- another venue with a rich legacy -- could lose out on organising one of the biggest games of the ODI showpiece. “Mumbai’s Wankhede and Kolkata’s Eden Gardens are two likely venues for the World Cup semi finals. Earlier, Chennai was also in the race but it seems Eden is slightly ahead now,” a BCCI source told PTI on Monday. [logo] The Morning Filter 27 June 2023 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Morning Filter newsletter, your guide from The Hindu on the major news stories and events to follow today. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Here are the latest updates and the big news stories to follow today 1. PM Modi to visit MP today to flag off five Vande Bharat trains [**EDS: GRAB VIA PTI VIDEO** New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a meeting with senior ministers and officials after his return from state visit to US and Egypt, in New Delhi, Monday, June 26, 2023. (PTI Photo)(PTI06_26_2023_000111B)] Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a day-long visit to Madhya Pradesh on June 27 during which he will flag off five Vande Bharat trains, his office said on Monday. The PM will flag off the trains after reaching Rani Kamalapati railway station around 10:30 am, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. The five Vande Bharat trains are Bhopal (Rani Kamalapati)-Indore Vande Bharat Express, Bhopal (Rani Kamalapati)-Jabalpur Vande Bharat Express, Ranchi-Patna Vande Bharat Express, Dharwad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express, and Goa (Madgaon)-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express. 2. Telangana CM, cabinet colleagues arrive in Pandharpur in motorcade of 600 vehicles Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his cabinet colleagues arrived in renowned temple town Pandharpur in Maharashtra’s Solapur district on Monday in a motorcade with 600 vehicles, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader said. Mr. Rao will offer prayers at the Lord Vitthal Temple on Tuesday, ahead of Ashadhi Ekadashi on June 29, said Shankar Dhondage, the BRS’ Maharashtra in charge. “Mr. Rao and all his cabinet colleagues arrived in 600 vehicles,” he said. A party functionary said the BRS’ request to allow Rao to shower petals on the palanquins at Pandharpur from a helicopter has been denied by the administration citing security reasons. 3. BJP to organise mass contact programmes in Rajasthan on Tuesday The BJP’s Rajasthan unit will organise mass contact programmes across the state on June 27 to generate awareness about the Centre’s welfare schemes, party state secretary Vijender Poonia said on Monday. The initiative is a part of the BJP’s national campaign to mark the completion of the Modi government’s nine years in office, he said. The programmes will be organised at district and booth levels to inform people about the central government’s schemes for the welfare of the poor and to provide good governance, he said. 4. Himachal flash floods: Hundreds of commuters stranded as Chandigarh-Manali national highway blocked Hundreds of commuters were stranded in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district as the Chandigarh-Manali national highway was blocked following flash floods and landslides, officials said on Monday. The 70-km Mandi-Pandoh-Kullu stretch has been badly affected, they said. A total of 301 roads are closed in the state following heavy rains, while 140 power transformers are disrupted. Flash floods were witnessed in Khotinallah near Aut, about 40 km from Mandi town, on the Pandoh-Kullu stretch due to a heavy downpour and the commuters have been stranded since Sunday evening. 5. MHA to hold final security review for Amarnath Yatra today [**EDS: HANDOUT PHOTO MADE AVAILABLE FROM ITBP** Amarnath: Pilgrims during the Amarnath Yatra, after resumption of the pilgrimage from Panjtarni route, in Amarnath, Monday, July 11, 2022. (PTI Photo)(PTI07_11_2022_000035B)] The Union Home Ministry is expected to undertake a final security review of the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir with all the stakeholders here on Tuesday, official sources said. The meeting will be held in the Ministry of Home Affairs at North Block and will be chaired by Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla. 6. EU auditors fears reaching ambitious climate targets will run into financial problems The European Union’s auditing agency warned on Monday that there might not be sufficient financing available to meet the bloc’s ambitious climate targets. The warning from the Court of Auditors comes as the 27-nation bloc is already struggling to live up to image as the global leader in working toward climate neutrality because of a political fight in the EU legislature to push through environmental protection measures. 7. Rains lash MP; IMD issues orange alert of extremely heavy showers at isolated places The India Meteorological Department on Monday issued an orange alert warning heavy to very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Madhya Pradesh till Tuesday morning even as showers continue to lash several areas in the state. As per IMD, heavy (64.5 mm to 115.5 mm) to very heavy (115.6 mm to 204.4 mm) rainfall with extremely heavy rain (more than 204.5 mm) and thunderstorm accompanied by lightning is very likely to occur at isolated places in east Madhya Pradesh. 8. Key NCP leaders to take call on Ajit’s desire for party role: Sharad Pawar [New Delhi, June 10 (ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar addresses during the party's 25th Foundation Day celebrations, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI Photo)] Days after Ajit Pawar appealed that he be assigned a role in the NCP organisation, party president Sharad Pawar on Monday said such a decision cannot be taken by one person and key party leaders will sit to take a call on it. Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who is the nephew of Sharad Pawar, recently appealed to the party leadership to relieve him of the responsibility as Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and assign him any role in the party organisation. 9. Monsoon advances, several parts of Gujarat receive heavy rainfall The advancement of the southwest monsoon saw several parts of Gujarat receiving heavy rainfall on Monday, with more showers expected over the next three days, officials said. In the 36-hour period ending at 6pm, Umargam taluka in Valsad received a massive 262 millimetres of rain, a release from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) said. 10. Defying high prices, Muslim pilgrims head to Mecca for haj [A general view shows tents housing Muslims pilgrims in Mina, near Islam's holy city of Mecca, on June 26, 2023 during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (Photo by Aaref WATAD / AFP)] Palestinian pilgrim Abu Anas Abu Rahal was hoping to find cheaper lodgings for a week-long stay in Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia, as the minimum cost for the haj pilgrimage climbed to 26,000 riyals ($7,000) this year. His options were limited. The 65-year-old struggled to pay the bill despite choosing the cheapest-offered package, which included travelling to Saudi Arabia by land and sharing hotel rooms with other pilgrims. 11. Cash-strapped Sri Lanka to restructure domestic debt Sri Lankan authorities have declared a five-day closure of financial markets from Thursday ahead of a controversial move to restructure the government’s domestic debt amounting to more than $51 billion. The restructuring affects government bonds in line with an IMF bailout agreed in March, after Sri Lanka defaulted on its foreign debt in April last year and declared bankruptcy. A parliamentary official said lawmakers were expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss holding a special session of the legislature later this week to approve debt restructure plans. 12. Russia tries to show return to order after Wagner mutiny Moscow made an effort on Monday to portray a return to business as usual after a weekend mutiny by mercenary troops threatened to undermine Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s grip on power. Mr. Putin did not personally address the crisis, but made a video speech to a youth forum dubbed the “Engineers of the future” and praised industry for overcoming “severe external challenges”. The Kremlin said that Mr. Putin had spoken to Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi by phone and had received Tehran’s “full support” in connection with the mutiny. 13. ICC World Cup trophy will begin its travel on June 27 The trophy tour will begin on June 27 in India, travel around the globe and then return to the host nation on September 4. In a spectacular first, cricket’s global governing body started the World Cup trophy tour by launching the coveted silverware into the stratosphere, 1,20,000 feet above the earth before it made a stunning landing at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. 14. Wankhede Stadium, Eden Gardens likely to host World Cup semifinals [A general view shows tents housing Muslims pilgrims in Mina, near Islam's holy city of Mecca, on June 26, 2023 during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (Photo by Aaref WATAD / AFP)] Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and the Eden Gardens in Kolkata --- both iconic venues -- have emerged as the frontrunners to host the two semifinals of the 2023 World Cup. This means the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai -- another venue with a rich legacy -- could lose out on organising one of the biggest games of the ODI showpiece. “Mumbai’s Wankhede and Kolkata’s Eden Gardens are two likely venues for the World Cup semi finals. Earlier, Chennai was also in the race but it seems Eden is slightly ahead now,” a BCCI source told PTI on Monday. [Sign up for free]( Today’s Best Reads [[Centre will ensure execution of SoO pact with Kuki groups, says Amit Shah] Centre will ensure execution of SoO pact with Kuki groups, says Amit Shah]( [[EPFO extends deadline to apply for higher pension till July 11] EPFO extends deadline to apply for higher pension till July 11]( [[Explained | Understanding the Wagner mutiny] Explained | Understanding the Wagner mutiny]( [[Out of this world: ICC World Cup trophy sent to space] Out of this world: ICC World Cup trophy sent to space]( Copyright @ 2023, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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