visakhapatnam l wednesday l june 25, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION five hundreds to india, 1st test match to England Despite Indian batters scoring five hundreds in the two innings, they lost the first Test against England by five wickets at Leeds Ben Duckett (left) and Joe Root help England beat India on Tuesday | AP Duckett, Root guide England home India prefer batting depth to bowling As he ever so often does, Ben Duckett came to the fore for England with a sensational second innings hundred. He smashed a stellar 149 and, along with Zak Crawley, set up the chase before Joe Root took over. Even as wickets kept falling at other end, Root held fort (53 n.o from 84 balls) to take England over 371-run target with five wickets in hand ■ ■ In what was one of the driest springs in England, India’s team management decided to go with Shardul Thakur as their fifth bowler instead of adding one more spinner — Kuldeep Yadav It backfired and India did not use Thakur enough in both the innings. The second Test will be begin on June 2 | More on P11 Seven india have now lost seven of their last nine test matches CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Clarify TG’s concerns From July, rail fares may go up on Banakacharla proj, Naidu tells Ministers r a j e s h k u m a r t h a k u r @ New Delhi S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is learnt to have instructed his Cabinet colleagues to clarify Telangana’s concerns regarding the Polavaram-Banakacharla project. According to sources, after the conclusion of the Cabinet meeting at the State Secretariat on Tuesday the Chief Minister , held a discussion with the Ministers on the recent political developments. Asser ting that Andhra Pradesh will only be diverting the floodwaters of Godavari from Polavaram to Banakacharla without harming the interests of Telangana, Naidu said some forces in the neighbouring state were unnecessarily politicising the issue. “All parties in Telangana are talking about the PolavaramBanakacharla project, and they even discussed it in their Cabinet meeting yesterday (Monday). We too should present our arguments,” sources said, quoting Naidu. Noting that several projects have been constructed and more are underway on the Godavari in Telangana without All parties in Telangana are talking about the Polavaram-Banakacharla project. We too should present our arguments CM Chandrababu Naidu obtaining necessary approvals, the Chief Minister said he had never opposed those projects. “However, despite Andhra Pradesh being the lower riparian state, some leaders in Telangana are raising objections to the Polavaram-Banakacharla project for political reasons,” Naidu said. Reiterating that AP government will only divert flood water to Banakacharla, the Chief Minister wanted the Ministers and public representatives to explain about the facts of the P4 project to the people.  No ‘sindoor’ immunity, says SC in dowry case E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi Noting that serving in ‘Operation Sindoor’ does not give him immunity, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed a Black Cat Commando to surrender in a case relating to dowry death linked to the killing of wife over 20 years ago. He was convicted in the case under Section 304B of the IPC (dowry death) and had approached the court with an exemption plea that he had served in Operation Sindoor and worked as a commando for the last 20 years. A division bench was hearing a petition filed against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that had dismissed the convict’s appeal and upheld the sentence of rigorous imprisonment of 10 years. When the petitioner said, “I am a participant of Operation Sindoor. For the past 20 years I am a commando posted in Rashtriya Rifles,” the bench retorted, “That doesn’t give you immunity from committing atrocity at home. This goes to show how physically fit you are, and the manner in which alone you could have killed your wife, strangulated your wife.” express read Land pooling for Amaravati gets nod ‘Adulterated ghee for top AP temples’ Vijayawada: The Cabinet meeting, chaired by CM N Chandrababu Naidu, decided to take up another round of land pooling for the development of Amaravati capital city. Speaking after the meeting, I&PR Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said the Cabinet had resolved to proceed with land pooling without giving scope for any controversies | P4 Vijayawada: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday informed the AP High Court that adulterated ghee, misrepresented as cow ghee, was supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), and other major temples, including Kanipakam, Srisailam, Srikalahasti, Vijayawada Kanaka Durga, Dwaraka Tirumala during the YSRCP regime | P4 THE Railway Ministry is considering increasing fares of non-AC class in Mail/Express trains by 1 paisa and AC classes by 2 paise per kilometre from July 1, 2025, officials said on Tuesday . There is no fare hike being planned for suburban trains and monthly season tickets in the interest of daily commuters. “There is a strong chance of no fare hike for ordinary second class tickets for journeys up to 500 km... after crossing 500 km, the railways may charge half-paisa per km,” a well-placed source said. He added that the slight in- crease of 1 paisa per kilometre being considered for non-AC classes, and 2 paisa per kilometre for all AC classes is being done keeping in mind passenger interests. This hike, if implemented, would be the first since the pandemic and could generate additional annual revenue of around `10,000 to `12,000 crore. According to sources, the hike is being planned to ensure it does not cause a burden to passengers. “The revision for the slightest addition in the fare is likely to come as part of the Railways’ ongoing efforts to manage operation- al costs without burdening passengers, especially re gular commuters and those travelling short distance,” said the senior official, suggesting an formal notification may be issued soon. On average, 2.5 crore passengers travel daily on more than 13,000 trains, including 4,111 Mail and Express trains, covering 69,000 kilometres, managed under 17 zones and 69 divisions. “Railways is leaving no stone unturned to provide infrastructure, safety and comfort. For all these, the revenue rise is needed,” said a source. Explosions in Tehran as Israel hits radar station Trump bristles at violation of peace pact Shaky start to Trump ceasefire as Iran, Israel hold off for now Agencies The dramatic ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday got off to a rocky start as both Iran and Israel continued air strikes and accused each other of flouting the truce pact. Trump later claimed the ceasefire became fully operational. T r ump’s unilateral announcement came a day after Iran fired a handful of interceptable missiles at a US military base in Qatar, without harming anyone or damaging anything, in retaliation for the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday . Shortly after Trump announced the peace deal through his social media platfor m Truth Social, Israel’s air defence systems were activated to intercept missiles from Iran. The Israel Defense Forces said two missiles were shot at the country’s north around 10.30 am, over three hours after the ceasefire ought to have begun. Israel retaliated by striking an Iranian radar installation near Tehran but backed out from further attacks after Trump expressed displeasure at the ceasefire violation. An angry Trump used an expletive on live television when reporters asked him about the fresh flare-ups. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing,” he said during a press gaggle at the White House before leaving for The Hague to attend the NATO summit. Castigating both Iran and Israel for violating the ceasefire, Trump said he is even more unhappy with Israel for its reckless behaviour. Later, he spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin I’ve got to get Israel to calm down... as soon as we made the deal, Israel dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before Israel “refrained” from further strikes after a call between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu If the Zionist regime (Israel) does not violate the ceasefire, then Iran will not violate the peace agreement either US President Donald Trump Netanyahu’s office Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian Israeli soldiers from the Home Front Command unit work at the site struck by an Iranian missile, in Beersheba on Tuesday | ap Netanyahu to ask him to fall in line. Following this, Trump stated: “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home... Nobody will be hurt.” As for Israel, Netanyahu said all of his country’s war goals have been achieved. These include removing the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, taking out Iran’s military leadership, and having control over Tehran’s skies. He categorically added that Israel will “respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire”. Rejecting Israel’s accusa- tions, Iran said it did not launch any attack after the ceasefire was announced, adding that it will stand down as long as Tel Aviv respects the peace pact. Iranian officials said their immediately priority is rebuilding the residential areas and public infrastructure damaged in the air strikes. “We witnessed attacks on residential areas, as well as on scientific centres, research institutes, healthcare facilities and civilians... We are facing a major task ahead in terms of reconstruction,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told state TV . Meanwhile, there are concerns that the ceasefire may not hold for long due to trust deficit between Tehran and Tel Aviv. It took hours for Israel and Iran to even acknowledge they had accepted the ceasefire that Trump claimed to have brokered. Also, Israel has only promised to scale down their air strikes against Iran, not wind up the operation. Trump said he is not interested in toppling the regime in Iran. “Regime change takes chaos and ideally we don’t want to see chaos,” he told reporters on board Air Force One heading to the NATO summit. P9 No alternative to talks, India ready to play its part: Govt J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi India on Tuesday welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, expressing deep concern over recent hostilities and reiterating its readiness to “play its part” in promoting dialogue and long-term stability in the region. Acknowledging the role of the US and Qatar in securing the truce, the External Affairs Ministry emphasised that diplomacy remains the only viable solution to the multiple conflicts that confront West Asia. “We have been following developments overnight relating to the conflict between Iran and Israel, including the US action against Iran’s nuclear facilities and Iranian retaliation against US military bases in Qatar,” a statement issued by the MEA said. “While we remain deeply concerned about the prospects for overall and sustained regional security and stability we , welcome reports of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel and the role played by the US and Qatar in bringing it about,” it added. India also stressed the importance of diplomatic engagement over military escalation. “We wish to reiterate that there is no alternative to dialogue and diplomacy in order to address and resolve the multiple conflicts in the region.” Meanwhile, 594 Indian nationals have been safely evacuated from Israel so far under Operation Sindhu, amid escalating tensions in the region. Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft played a key role in the evacuation ef forts, transporting stranded citizens via Jordan and Egypt. These Indian nationals had crossed over from Israel into these neighbouring countries by land before being airlifted. Two flights from Iran too landed in Delhi today . Narakoduru set for digital makeover Factors contributing to mango farmers’ distress under Natl Smart Village Pilot proj The struggle is real d S u r e n d r a K u m a r @ Nellore Mango farmers in Chittoor and Nellore districts are reeling under a severe crisis this season, despite a bumper harvest. A combination of factors including crashing market prices, delayed procurement, unseasonal rains and pest infestations, has turned what should have been a profitable season into a nightmare for thousands of growers, particularly those cultivating the Totapuri variety . The state government had declared a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of `12 per kg for Chittoor district Collector Sumit Kumar and director of horticulture and sericulture Dr K Srinivasulu interacting with mango farmers | Express Totapuri mangoes along with a `4/kg subsidy to stabilize incomes. However, in reality mangoes , are being bought for as little as `4-5/kg. Traders and pulp units blame market saturation and competition from neighbouring Karnataka for ignoring MSP norms. “Last year, we earned up to `30,000 per tonne. This time, we’re forced to sell for as little as `4,000. We’re not just losing profits - we’re sinking in debt,” saaid Kesavulu, a mango farmer from Chittoor district, standing beside crates of unsold P4 fruit.  B a n d h a v i A n n a m @ Guntur In a major step toward rural transformation, Narakoduru village in Chebrolu mandal, Guntur district, has been selected for the Central Government’s prestigious Smart Village pilot project. It is one of the three villages chosen across India-alongside c o u n t e r p a r t s i n M a d hya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh-for this ambitious initiative aimed at delivering modern public services through digital governance, infrastructure development, and citizen-centric innovation. A Central team visited Narakoduru in Guntur district, which was selected for the smart village pilot project | Express The Union Ministry of Telecommunications has been tasked with implementing the project and evaluating its feasibility on a national scale. Chebrolu Tahsildar Srinivasa Sharma confirmed that central teams have already visited Narakoduru twice, interacted with locals, and collected feedback through a detailed questionnaire. “An awareness video was screened for villagers, and inputs from the community will shape the project’s rollout,” he told TNIE. The selection of Narakoduru is credited largely to the efforts of Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communication Dr Pemmasani Chandrasekhar and Ponnur MLA Dhulipalla NarenP4 dra Kumar.