tadepalligudem l thursday l december 18, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Homebound in Oscar shortlist for best international feature The much acclaimed Bollywood drama by Neeraj Ghaywan is among 15 films shortlisted in the best international feature category at the Oscars 4th Indian Film to Compete in This Category final five Nominations on january 22 Homebound will compete alongside films like Argentina’s Bel’n, Brazil’s The Secret Agent and French drama It Was Just an Accident. The film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor. The award for best international feature has so far eluded India. Only three films—Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan—have received nominations so far ■ ■ After a film is shortlisted, it competes for a place among the final five official nominees, which will be announced on January 22 Homebound, which portrays the childhood friendship between a Muslim and a Dalit as they pursue a police job, counts Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese among its executive producers Mar 15, 2026 when The award ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre in L.A. 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 CM directs Collectors to focus on ‘speed of delivering governance’ VB-G RAM G Bill today Lok Sabha clears nuclear bill amid Oppn walkout PREETHA NAIR @ New Delhi THE Lok Sabha on Wednesday cleared the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill to open up the nuclear sector for private players. The bill was passed by voice vote amid a walkout by the Opposition members, who raised the issues of public safety and liability in case of a nuclear disaster. Dramatic scenes are likely on Thursday as well, when the contentious VB-G RAM G Bill is expected to be taken up for passage in the House. The SHANTI Bill was passed after a four-hour debate, setting the stage for opening up the tightly controlled civil nuclear sector for private participation. Opposition MPs, barring those from the Trinamool Congress, staged a walkout during the bill’s passage after the government refused to refer it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a Standing Committee. While replying to the discussion on the SHANTI Bill, Union minister Jitendra Singh said the tough provisions of India’s nuclear liability laws led to “silent phobia” in the industry prompting the govern, ment to bring a new comprehensive bill to address concerns. Congress MP Manish Tewari said by removing nuclear equipment suppliers’ liability the govern, ment was putting citizens in harm’s way . “The government will deal only with the operator; it is upon the operator to deal with the supplier,” said Singh, Minister of State in the PMO, who oversees the Department of Atomic Energy . He said the operator’s liability has been rationalised through graded caps linked to reactor size. Meanwhile, a heated midnight debate set the stage for the passage of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill on Thursday Moving the bill on Wednesday Union . , Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said it will ensure all-around development of villages and make them poverty-free. Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh said the new bill will break the back of states like Kerala. S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Security oversight Safety norms, security controls over fissile material, spent fuel and heavy water, and inspections will remain under govt oversight, govt said Misstep, says Cong Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the bill is a “dangerous leap into privatised nuclear expansion” with no respect for public safety Insurance FDI 100% The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to raise FDI in insurance to 100% from the current 74%. LS had passed it on Tuesday Lucknow AQI @ 400, 4th T20I Fogged out India all-rounder Hardik Pandya wearing a mask during training for the fourth T20I versus South Africa at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday. The match was delayed for two hours due to “excessive fog” with the Air Quality Index at 400 + (hazardous). Eventually the match was called off at 9.30 pm without a ball being bowled. Ticket holders will get full refund | pti Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu emphasized that improving public satisfaction with government services must be the top priority to strengthen people’s confidence and trust in the administration. Speaking at the fifth Collectors’ Conference held at the State Secretariat on Wednesday, the Chief Minister urged district collectors to focus on the ‘speed of delivering governance’. He stressed that collectors should take concrete steps at the field level to enhance citizen satisfaction, particularly through prompt service delivery and effective grievance redressal. He also asked collectors to handle political governance as it is important and bring a good image to the gover nment with their performance. Describing district collectors as the government’s ambassa- E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi Pakistan’s most powerful military chief in decades is facing a critical test of his newly consolidated authority as the US is pressing it to contribute troops to a proposed international stabilisation force in Gaza, a move analysts say could trigger strong domestic backlash, Reuters reported. Field Marshal Asim Munir is expected to travel to Washington in the coming weeks to meet US President Donald Trump, Reuters said. The meeting would be Munir’s third in six months and is likely to centre on Washington’s push for Pakistan’s participation in the Gaza force. The proposed deployment is a key pillar of Trump’s 20point Gaza peace plan, which calls for an international force to oversee a transition period focused on reconstruction and economic recovery in the Palestinian territory, devastated by more than two years of war. Under the first phase of the plan, a fragile ceasefire took effect on October 10, with Hamas releasing hostages and Israel freeing detained Palestinians. The US officials view the stabilisation force as central to moving the plan Airspace ban for Indian flights extended Pakistan on Wednesday extended its airspace ban for Indian aircraft by another month till Jan 23. Islamabad closed its airspace in April after the Pahalgam terror attack. The previous extension was to expire on Dec 24. India too imposed a similar ban on Pakistan flights. State food testing lab to be operational Lokayukta, SHRC to stay in Kurnool Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government informed the High Court that Lokayukta and SHRC offices will continue in Kurnool, despite a PIL challenging the decision. Government counsel reiterated the decision | P4 VHP opposes govt’s land allotment Visakhapatnam: VHP opposed allottment of temple lands in the name of development. 150 acres of Simhachalam temple land, reportedly allotted to Google. VHP demands cancellation of GO. Security personnel stand behind barricades to stop protesters marching towards the Indian Mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Wednesday | PTI B’desh envoy summoned amid worry over mission’s security J aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi India on Wednesday summoned Bangladesh’s High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah and lodged a strong protest over what it described as plans by extremist elements to create a security situation around the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Hamidullah was called to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and served a formal demarche expressing India’s “serious concerns” over the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh. It came after certain groups announced plans to stage protests near the Indian mission in the Bangladesh capital. In a statement, the MEA said India “completely rejects the false narrative sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh”. Hamidullah was summoned by B Shyam, Joint Secretary in charge of the Bangladesh-Myanmar division at the MEA, and was specifically apprised of concerns over threats to Indian diplomatic premises. “His attention was drawn, in particular, to the activities of some extremist elements who have announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian Mission in Dhaka,” the MEA said. People familiar with the developments said one trigger for the summons was a controversial speech earlier this week by National Citizen Party leader Hasnat Abdullah, who claimed Bangladesh could shelter separatist forces from India and potentially sever its seven northeastern states. India expects interim govt to ensure safety of missions — MEA Visa centre shut Indian Visa Application Centre in Dhaka was closed on Wednesday due to security concerns digi Rythu Bazar Fresh vegetables & fruits delivered to your doorstep Dharmendra Regana @ Visakhapatnam For the first time in Andhra Pradesh, the state gover nment’s Marketing Department has launched a pilot project ‘Digi Rythu Bazaar’ at the Visakhapatnam MVP Rythu Bazaar to deliver fresh vegetables and fruits brought by farmers directly to homes. This initiative aims to com- pete with private apps by offering similar home delivery services. In an interview with TNIE, Ramchand Nallanthighal, Vice President of Human Resources at Machint Solutions Ltd., stated that vegetables and fruits can be ordered through the website https://digirythubazaarap.com. Once the customer places an order, they can get all types of dors, he said their performance directly reflects the government’s credibility. Expressing satisfaction over achieving a 92 percent approval rating in pension distribution, the Chief Minister added that Andhra Pradesh should be recognized nationwide for its best practices and successful implementation of welfare schemes. The Chief Minister opined that there should be a competitive spirit among collectors over best performance as performance is the criteria of the NDA government. Citing the example of commitment of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan in sanctioning a road to a remote village on the spot over the request of a newly recruited police constable, the Chief Minister said that such speedy redressal of grievances will win more public satisfaction. The Chief Minister said focus should be made on datadriven decision making in governance to achieve best results. There should be responsibility and accountability among offiP4 cials. Munir in pickle as Don wants Pak troops in Gaza express read Visakhapatnam: AP’s food testing laboratory in Vizag is set to be operational from Jan 2026. The lab, established at a cost of `4.77 crore and inaugurated by PM Modi on Feb 25, 2024, has remained non-functional | P3 CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu, deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and other ministers during the 5th Collectors Conference at Secretariat in Velagapudi on Wednesday I Express fresh vegetables and fruits brought by far mers to the Rythu Bazaar will be delivered directly to their homes. The service currently covers a 5-kilometer radius around the MVP Rythu Bazaar, ensuring timely and efficient delivery . The customer can get the vegetables & fruits at Rythu Bazaar prices to their home with free delivery, Ramchand P4 added. G Satyanarayana into its next phase. For Munir, analysts say, the decision carries significant political risks. Any deployment of troops to Gaza could provoke public uprising in a country where support for Palestinians is strong and overseas military commitments remain politically sensitive. “Not contributing could annoy Trump, which is no small matter for a Pakistani state that appears quite keen to remain in his good graces — in great part to secure US investment and security aid,” said Michael Kugelman, senior fellow for South Asia at the Atlantic Council. 260+ve wada Dope test results India tops for 3rd yr in a row NADA tested 7,113 samples, including 537 of that of blood, in 2024 and reported 260 adverse analytical findings (AAFs) at 3.6% Page 11