tirupati l tuesday l july 15, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION Shubhanshu Shukla, Axiom-4 team on return path to earth After an 18-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others set off for return on Monday will splash down off U.S. at 3.01 pm today spacecraft will be exposed to 1,600°C Shukla, the second Indian astronaut to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 odyssey, will board Dragon spacecraft at 2 pm IST and embark on the return journey two hours later. “Undocking from ISS is scheduled for 4.35 pm IST,” Axiom Space said. After a 22.5-hour journey, the crew will splash down off California at 3.01 pm IST on Tuesday ■ ■ Final preparations include detaching the capsule’s trunk and orienting the heat shield ahead of atmospheric entry, which will expose the spacecraft to temperatures nearing 1,600 degrees Celsius Parachutes will deploy in two stages — first stabilising around 5.7 km altitude followed by main parachutes at roughly two km `550 cr was paid by isro for Shukla’s travel to the ISS 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 Time to address de-escalation: EAM to Wang Yi People must know value of freedom of speech: SC S U CHITRA K A LYAN M O HANT Y @ New Delhi Observing that citizens must know the value of freedom of speech and expression, the Supreme Court on Monday said people should observe self-regulation. The bench said it would consider issuing a set of guidelines to regulate offensive posts on social media. “Citizens must know the value of the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression. The state can step in, in case of violations. Nobody wants the state to step in,” said a two-judge bench comprising justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan. The court made these observations after hearing a plea filed by Wazahat Khan, booked in several states, including West Bengal, for his objectionable posts on X against a Hindu deity Justice Nagarathna said . divisive tendencies on social media needs to be curbed, adding it did not mean censorship. “There should be fraternity among citizens,” she said. Khan had filed a police complaint against another social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli for allegedly making communal remarks in a video. On June 23, the court had granted Khan interim protection from coercive action till July 14. The bench on Monday extended the interim protection till the next date of hearing in the case. The court asked Khan’s lawyer to assist in dealing with the larger issue of self-regulation of freedom of speech and expression. Jaishankar meets his Chinese counterpart, urges lifting of restrictive trade practices J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi England players celebrate after India’s final wicket (Mohammed Siraj) falls in the third Test at Lord’s on Monday | PTI oH lORD’S: tail comes good but falls 22 SHORT F i r o z M i r z a @ London Proud the way team played: Shubman IT was as if the final day was on slow burn. It was cooking, but slowly; one run at a time across one over after another. Runs were coming in ones. The boundaries had dried up. Yet, the capacity crowd kept egging the players. This was Test cricket garbed in its finest orb. It was getting increasingly irritating for Ben Stokes and Co as Ravindra Jadeja and Nos. 10 and 11 — Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj — were trying to enact one of modern cricket’s greatest heists. What looked improbable at lunch looked promising by tea. It is not always that a crowd cheers a leave or a forward defensive. Not always do tail-enders play over 80 LONDON: Shubman Gill said he was proud of the way team put up a fight. He felt that one fifty partnership and Rishabh Pant’s first innings run-out made the difference. “Extremely proud it was as close a Test match... I was pretty confident of our chances with plenty of batting left. We needed a couple of 50-run partnerships but we weren’t able to get that,” Gill said | P11 balls. On Monday they just , did that and brought India closer to England’s target of 193. While Bumrah and Siraj were being cheered loudly for their defence, the Bharat Army were chanting ‘Oh Ravi Jadeja’, a song to the tune of the ‘Seven Nation Army’ they have composed for the all-rounder. Jadeja played 181 balls for his unbeaten 61 while Bumrah (5) and Siraj (4) faced 54 and 30 balls. All together, they played 212 legal deliveries. Like the Test, even the end was slow. Siraj blocked a Bashir’s delivery but the revs on the ball took it to the leg stump. A feather touch dislodged one bail. Jadeja looked on helplessly from the other end. The hosts, exhausted and forlorn until then, erupted in joy Just like they had done at . the same venue six years ago when England were crowned world champions by the barest of margins. At the centre of that win was Ben Stokes. The England skipper was the beating heart of this latest win as well. On the evidence of London, Manchester could P11 be another cracker.  Last-ditch efforts on to save Indian nurse j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi AS the execution date of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya draws near, intense efforts are underway to convince the victim’s family to accept blood money , the only legal route to saving her life under Yemeni law. Nimisha Priya, a native of Kerala, is reportedly scheduled to be executed on July 16 for the alleged 2017 murder of her Yemeni business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi. “All efforts are on to save Nimisha Priya,” her lawyer Subhash Chandran told this paper. “In the latest efforts, through express read Govt guarantee for APADCL to get loan Vijayawada: The State government has approved the proposal of AP Airports Development Corporation Limited (APADCL) to provide government guarantee for obtaining `1,000 crore loan to meet expenditure related to land acquisition and external infrastructure development for the new airports | P4 Legendary actor Saroja Devi no more Chennai: Legendary actor B Saroja Devi, the doe-eyed ‘Abhinaya Saraswati’ who held the southern film industries in thrall, passed away at her residence in Bengaluru early on Monday due to age-related health issues. She was 87. In a career spanning seven decades, she acted in more than 200 films the intervention of influential has stepped in personally and Sunni Muslim cleric Kanis making “all possible efforts” thapuram AP Aboobacker to open a channel of reconciliMusliyar, we have reached out ation. He has held talks with to one of the family religious authorities in members, as well as Yemen, who in turn are some local authorities in contact with the vicand religious leaders. tim’s family . We are trying our best “Right now, the only so that the family achope is that the family cepts the blood money accepts the blood monand the Kerala nurse is ey said a source famil,” Nimisha Priya spared from death row,” iar with the develophe said. ments. While there are According to sources close still “grey areas”, the negotiato the negotiations, Musliyar tion team is working with the — who holds the title of Grand understanding that July 16 Mufti and is officially known could be the execution date. as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad — An office has been opened at Musliyar’s headquarters in Kerala to coordinate these efforts. However, there has been no official confirmation from the victim’s family . Earlier today the Centre in, formed the Supreme Court that it has limited diplomatic levers to intervene in the matter. Appearing before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, Attor ney General R Venkataramani said, “the government is trying its best...” The fate of Priya now hinges on the willingness of the victim’s family to accept the blood money offer. In a firm and forward-looking message during talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that that lasting peace along the India-China border remains the bedrock for restoring strategic trust and advancing bilateral relations. Jaishankar, who is China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers meeting, told his Chinese counterpart that that recent progress in resolving border friction and maintaining tranquility helped ease tensions, laying the groundwork for broader normalisation. “We have made good progress in the past nine months for the normalisation of our bilateral relations. It is a result of the resolution of friction along the border and our ability to maintain peace and tranquility there. This is the fundamental basis for mutual strategic trust and for smooth development of bilateral relations,” he said. “It is now incumbent on us to address other aspects related to the border, including de-escalation,” Jaishankar said. “Our bilateral relationship requires that we take a far-seeing approach to our ties,” Jaishankar said. The minister, who is visiting China for the first time after the 2020 border clashes, said over the past year, both sides have made tangible progress toward nor malising ties, thanks to resumed dialogue and increasing high-level engagement. “In recent times, the two of us have had several opportunities to meet at international events and carry out strategic communication. It is our expectation that this will now become a regular feature and take place in each other’s countries,” he said. j&k cm scales burial gate to pay tribute External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi Need to maintain momentum in ties Jaishankar referred to the 2024 meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan, saying “Since then, the relationship has been gradually moving in a positive direction. Our responsibility is to maintain that momentum.” Jaishankar highlighted the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations that the two countries are marking this year. He also acknowledged the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a five-year pause, expressing gratitude to China for its cooperation. Touching on trade and people-to-people engagement, Jaishankar called for the removal of barriers that hinder mutual growth. “Measures towards normalising people-to-people exchanges can foster mutually beneficial cooperation. It is also essential that restrictive trade practices and other roadblocks are avoided,” he said. Certain export control measures have caused unease in India in recent times. recognition Ashok made Goa Governor, Naidu hails appointment S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Senior TDP leader and former Union Minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been appointed as the Governor of Goa. President Draupadi Murmu issued orders to this effect on Monday .   The President also appointed Ashim Kumar Ghosh as the new Governor of Haryana, and Kavinder Gupta as the new Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh. Hailing from the Maharaja family of Vizianagaram, Ashok in his long political career spanning nearly four decades, was elected as an MLA six times on TDP ticket, and served as the Minister for Finance, Revenue and Legislative Affairs in the combined erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. After the State bifurcation, he was elected as an MP in 2014, and served as Union Civil Aviation Minister. After the defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Ashok, who is the TDP Politburo member, did not contest the elections in 2024. Congratulating Ashok on his appointment as the Governor of Goa, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu felt that this is a moment of great pride for the people of Andhra Pradesh. Thanking the President of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Union Cabinet for bestowing upon the honour on Ashok, Naidu wished him a successful and fulfilling tenure in this esteemed role. Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh also congratuP4 lated Ashok.  Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju A defiant Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday scaled the gates of the Naqshband Sahib graveyard to pay tribute to 22 people killed by the Dogra army in 1931, and said he was subjected to “physical grappling” but was not to be stopped or deterred | P8 Boy dies after fight with classmate in Bobbili Stop sale of all substandard liquor brands: CM The boy ran away after hitting Karthik with his hands. Karthik collapsed during the A 14-year-old boy allegedly fight. He died while being shiftdied after a fight with his class- ed to hospital. mate on the school premises in Karthik family members Bobbili on Monday. The de- went into shock after they came ceased was identified as Sun- to know that he was killed in a darada Kar thik of fight on the school Ravu Gari Street in the premises. town. The video of the fight According to the pobetween the two boys lice, Karthik, a 9th got recorded in a nearby class student of AbhyCCTV camera, and the udaya School, used to footage went viral on fight with one of his various social media Karthik classmates on petty platforms. issues. “Karthik succumbed They bore a grudge against to injuries received during the each other. Karthik allegedly fight with his classmate. We teased his classmate in the af- sent the body to Bobbili governternoon, and challenged him ment hospital for postmortem. for a fight with him in the after- A case has been registered and noon. The duo fought near Bob- investigation is on,” Bobbili bili Fort while leaving the Circle Inspector Satish Kumar school. told TNIE. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has made it clear that transparency is paramount in the liquor policy and , there will be no compromise on it. Holding a review meeting with Excise officials at the State Secretariat on Monday, he directed them to stall the sale of all the suspicious liquor brands, and ensure the sale of quality national and international brands only . Maintaining that nothing is more important than public health, he reiterated that liquor that will not have any adverse impact on public health should only be made available in the State. Public health was damaged because of the sale of substandard liquor during the previous YSRCP regime, he said. “Under no circumstances E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vizianagaram E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu holds a review meeting with Excise officials at the State Secretariat in Velagapudi on Monday | Express Liquor that will not have any adverse impact on public health should only be made available in the State. Under no circumstances should non-duty-paid liquor or illicit brews like arrack be allowed N Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister should non-duty-paid liquor or illicit brews like Natu Sara be allowed,” he asserted. Naidu underlined the need for a comparative study of the excise policies implemented during 2014-2019 and 2019-2024, and the findings to be presented to the public. He highlighted that the excise revenue has increased, and cross-border alcohol purchases from neighbouring States have decreased after the announcement of the new liquor policy by the coalition government. Attributing the previous rise in use of ganja and drugs to the easy availability of unregulated ‘J brands’, he said they were promoted in a big way for political and personal gain. “Those fake brands have now disappeared, and the people themselves have taken note of the change,” he said. The officials informed that 68% of the liquor market was once dominated by anonymous brands, but with the new excise policy such products have , been virtually eliminated. All major domestic and international brands are now widely available in the market now, they said. They also informed him that liquor prices in AP have declined for the first time in the history of the Excise Department. Prices have been reduced by `10 to `100 per bottle depending on the brand.  P4