tirupati l tuesday l january 06, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION COAI flags concerns over Prasar Bharati’s direct-to-mobile Test The public broadcaster did not involve telecom operators and mobile device companies for the test, the telecom industry body said on Monday iit Kanpur Test rules out harmful effects Prasar Bharati had roped in IIT Kanpur in 2019 to verify concerns over interference of direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcast service with telecom services and heating of mobile devices. IIT Kanpur conducted the test in collaboration with technology partners Aracion Technology and Tejas Networks. Its report refuted the concern raised by some stakeholders terrestrial broadcast towers without an active internet connection or a SIM card. It has significant implications for spectrum usage ■ COAI has sought a fresh D2M test by taking on board all stakeholders including telcos, whose spectrum resources are directly impacted | P10 COAI Industry body demands fresh evaluation ■ D2M broadcasting allows smartphones to receive live TV directly from Claims d2m could IMPACT the spectrum bands for existing and future 5G use 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 Can raise tariffs on India very quickly, warns Trump Naidu lays emphasis on AP-TG unity for growth Claims Modi knew he wasn’t happy over India’s Russian oil purchase E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has stressed the need for unity between both Telugu States on water sharing and river interlinking, stating that political differences should not lead to hostility. Speaking at the 3rd World Telugu Conference in Guntur on Monday, he emphasised the need for cooperation between AP and Telangana for the progress of both the States, Telugu language and people. Interlinking of rivers will enable us to better make use of huge quantities of Godavari and Krishna river water, which is going waste into the sea, he said. Naidu said AP never objected to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme taken up by Telangana as he is of the view that the State will still get enough Godavari water. He felt that the water issues of the nation could be addressed by interlinking Ganga and Cauvery rivers. At the same time, all the major rivers in Andhra Pradesh should be interlinked to make use of the available water effectively, the Chief Minister said. “As it is not a political platform, I am not speaking about all the issues, and only focused on the unity among Telugu people. Be it water or any other issue, all the Telugus should stand united,” Naidu asserted. Renewing his pressure tactics on India over its trade with Russia, US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could raise tariffs on New Delhi “very quickly”. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while flying from Florida to Washington DC on Sunday (local time), Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is aware of his displeasure over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. “They (India) wanted to make me happy, basically. Modi is a very good man; he is a good guy . He knew I was not happy and it , was important to make me happy. They do trade and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly It would be very bad for . them,” Trump said. Trump’s remarks came during a press briefing on the US’s future plans for Venezuela after capturing its president Nicolas Maduro in a military operation on Saturday. India on Sunday reacted cautiously to the development, urging dialogue but The initiative, aimed at strengthening cleanliness systems, will aid cities in Swachh Survekshan 2026, while ensuring effective implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 | P3 Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro taken to the Manhattan Courthouse in New York City for his first appearance in a narco-terrorism case | X | P9 Khalid, Imam fail to get SC bail, barred from appeal for a yr UAPA into play the bench said. , 43D(5) mandates that an accused cannot be released if The Supreme Court on Mon- there are reasonable grounds day refused to grant bail to ac- to believe prima facie that the tivists Umar Khalid and Shar- charges are true. jeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi “The expression “prima facie riots case, noting that the mate- true”, which lies at the heart of rial against them atSection 43D(5), does tracted a prima facie not invite a detailed excase under the Unlawamination of evidence, ful Activities (Prevennor does it require the tion) Act. They were Court to assess the also barred from filing probability of convica fresh petition for bail tion. Equally, it does for a year. not reduce the judicial Khalid and Imam role to a mechanical Umar Khalid stand on different footacceptance of the prosing as compared to the ecution’s assertions. other five who had The statutory standard sought bail, which contemplates a threshcan’t be ignored in old inquiry of limited terms of “parity and but real content,” the culpability”, the bench verdict said. comprising justices It went on to observe Aravind Kumar and N that “Article 21 occuSharjeel Imam V Anjaria ruled. The pies a central space in other five — Gulfisha the constitutional Fatima, Meera Haider, Shifa Ur scheme. Pre trial incarceration Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan cannot be assumed to have the and Shadab Ahmed — were character of punishment.” It granted conditional bail. further said the Constitution did The charges against Khalid not conceive liberty as an isoand Imam suggest a central and lated or absolute entitlement, formative role in the violence, detached from the security of which brings Section 43D(5) of the society in which it operates. S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi Missing woman case: Man hacked to death in front of police station E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Anantapur Panic gripped Tanakallu after a 40-year-old man was brutally murdered right in front of the local police station in the early hours of Monday . Kadiri Rural Circle Inspector P Nagendra said the victim, identified as Eswarappa of Markuri Vandlapalli village, was attacked with hunting sickles near the entrance of Tanakallu police station around 3.30 am. Police said the murder was linked to an ongoing probe into a missing woman case. On December 31, 2025, Yerri Hari of Raginepalli village lodged a complaint with police stating that his 21-year-old wife Naga Sirisha had gone missing. During investigation, police traced her at Gudur in Tirupati district with Eswarappa. Police brought Sirisha and Eswarappa to Tanakallu police station to present them before the tahsildar later. Hari was summoned for identification. Reports suggest that Hari informed his brother Chinnappa about the arrival of Sirisha and Eswarappa. As the police team entered the station premises, the accused launched a surprise attack on Eswarappa, killing him instantaneously. Sri Sathya Sai District SP S Satish Kumar has ordered a thorough probe into the murder. Narendra Modi Donald Trump without explicitly naming the US or condemning its action. South Carolina Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who was also present in Air Force One press gaggle, said the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration were the “chief reason” India is now buying less Russian oil. Graham has been the driving force behind a proposed tariff bill that seeks to impose up to 500% tariffs on imports from countries that continue to buy Russian oil. Linking energy trade directly to the Ukraine war, Graham claimed the conflict can only be ended by targeting Russia’s customers. “Pressure must be put on President Vladimir Putin’s customers,” he said and added that India and China express read Strengthen varsities, Lokesh urges V-Cs Vijayawada: Stating that universities play a pivotal role in building a knowledge-based society, HRD Minister Nara Lokesh urged Vice-Chancellors to act as ambassadors of reforms in higher education. The V-Cs should focus on five key aspects to strengthen universities, he said | P4 TTD to hold Harathi prog in Amaravati Tirumala: TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal has instructed officials to take necessary steps to conduct the sacred Harathi programme in Capital Amaravati. He asked them to set up a committee to prepare a report on the Harathi programme after conducting a study | P3 Tranquilizer dart for maneater hits Guj forest spotter, kills him HOW IT HAPPENED D i l i p S i n g h K s hat r i ya @ Ahmedabad Tragedy struck twice within 24 hours in Gujarat’s Junagadh district after a tranquilizer dart meant for a maneater lioness accidentally hit a forest tracker who was part of a team to trap the animal, killing him on Monday Earlier on Sunday, . the animal mauled a fouryear-old boy to death on the ourskirts of Nani Monpari village of Visavadar taluka. It all happened in a flash. When a cage was being set up in a field in the village on Sunday the lioness suddenly , jumped onto it taking all by surprise. In the resultant melee, a tranquilizer gun was fired with the dart hitting the left hand of tracker Ashraf Alarkhan instead of the beast. Since the dart had thrice the amount ofsedative than is safe for humans, Ashraf passed out. He was hospitalised but could not be saved. The lioness continues to be on the loose. “This is probably the first incident in history where a forest staffer died due to a misfired tranquilizer gun,” an official admitted, calling it a “dark and shocking day” for the department. 1 Lioness kills boy, 4, on the outskirts of a village in Junagadh district on Sunday morning. By afternoon, a team from Sasan Gir arrives, armed with cages and tranquilizer guns. “She became aggressive and was hiding in nearby agri lands. A quick capture was critical,” a senior forest official said Ashraf Alarkhan 2 By 4 pm, lioness spotted in a field near the village. Over 30 forest officials reach the spot to set up a cage, sedate the animal. While positioning the cage, the lioness suddenly climbs onto it. In the melee, a tranquilizer gun goes off with the dart piercing tracker Ashraf Alarkhan’s left hand 3 Ashraf collapses almost immediately as the sedative quantity was safe for the beast but not humans. Colleagues abandon operation, rush Ashraf to the Visavadar Civil Hospital and later to the Junagadh Civil Hospital, where he succumbs to the sedative overdose around 7 am on Monday MANDAR PARDIKAR PMUs in 46 ULBs to boost Swachh Survekshan Maduro in court play a decisive role in sustaining Moscow’s war effort. Trump echoed this positioning and said that US sanctions were “hurting Russia very badly before specifically mention,” ing India. Referring to his recent engagement with Indian officials, Graham said: “I was at the Indian Ambassador’s house about a month ago, and all he wanted to talk about was how they are buying less Russian oil.” According to Graham, the Indian envoy had urged him: “Would you tell the President to relieve the tariff ?” There were no immediate comments from Indian officials on Trump’s statement. Last month, Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra hosted several US senators at India House in Washington DC, including Graham, as New Delhi sought to press its case against punitive tariffs. According to data analytics firm Kpler, India’s crude imports from Russia fell to 1.2 mn barrels per day (bpd) in December 1.84 mn bpd in November. Blowout at ONGC well in Konaseema triggers panic; people of several villages evacuated E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kakinada A major gas leak followed by a fire at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) Mori-5 well in Irusumanda village of Malikipuram mandal in BR Ambedkar Konaseema district, triggered widespread panic on Monday morning, forcing the evacuation of people from nearby villages. The incident occurred during repair operations being carried out by Deep Industries Ltd, ONGC’s Production Enhancement Contractor (PEC). According to officials, the blowout occurred while drilling work was underway releas, ing large volumes of gas mixed with crude oil. The gas spread across the site in a thick, foglike cloud, initially mistaken for mist by workers. Soon after, the leaked gas ignited, producing towering flames and dense smoke that engulfed parts of the village and surrounding fields. District Collector Mahesh Kumar Ravirala, Superintendent of Police Rahul Meena, and other senior officials rushed to the site. Acting on the Collector’s instructions, revenue authorities took up the evacuation of people from Irusumanda, Lakkavaram, Chintalapudi and Bathilanka villages. Rehabilitation centres were set up to A blowout at ONGC’s Mori-5 well in Irusumanda village of BR Ambedkar Konaseema district on Monday | EXPRESS provide food and shelter to the evacuated families. The exact number of evacuees has not yet been confirmed. Around 10 fire tenders were deployed to battle the blaze, while disaster management teams worked to contain the situation. Videos circulating on social media showed police and workers fleeing as flames rose amid paddy fields and coconut groves, with thick smoke visible across the Godavari delta. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the situation with ministers K Atchannaidu and Vasamsetti Subhash, directing officials to intensify relief measures and ensure villagers were shifted to safer lo- cations without inconvenience. He stressed the importance of continuous coordination between the district administration and ONGC authorities to bring the flames under control swiftly . ONGC confirmed the blowout in a press release, stating that the well is located in a remote area with no habitation within a 500-600 metre radius. The affected zone has been cordoned off and cooling operations have begun. Crisis Management Teams (CMT and RCMT) have been mobilised, and preparatory work is underway to regain well control and, if necessary, cap the well, P4 ONGC said.