hyderabad l Thursday l march 05, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION nepal general elections today, hopes to usher in positive change In a big moment for the Himalayan nation, millions will turn out to vote in the first election to be held after the deadly Gen Z protests rapper turned politician balen runs for P.M. Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP) led by Ravi Lamichhane and senior leader Balendra Shah and reformed Nepali Congress (Gagan Thapa) are voicing for issues raised by the Gen Z. CPN-UML led by K P Oli and Nepali Communist Party are known as the traditional forces. RSP has projected former Kathmandu Mayor and popular rapper Shah as PM candidate ■ 275 millions will cast vote on Thursday ■ More than 18.9 million eligible Nepalese will exercise their franchise to elect 275 member House of Representatives (HoR) from among 3,406 candidates for 165 seats Apart from the HoR polls, 110 seats will be decided through proportionate voting. As many as 3,135 candidates are in the race the number of members in house of representatives 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 U.S. looks to arm Kurdish militias to join conflict R — estimates suggest roughly 80 to 90 metres beneath rock — precisely to withstand bombing campaigns. Iran has also accumulated significant stocks of enriched uranium. According to reporting by the International Atomic Energy Agency, some material has been enriched to levels approaching 60 per cent purity — still short of weapons-grade but far closer to it than ordinary civilian enrichment. Such material could potentially be enriched further if facilities survived or were rebuilt. As former IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei once remarked when discussing nuclear proliferation, “you cannot bomb knowledge.” History offers a revealing precedent. After the Gulf War, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the UN Special Commission began one of the most intrusive disarmament operations ever attempted. Teams spent years tracking down and dismantling Iraq’s nuclear infrastructure. Facilities missed during the bombing campaign were gradually uncovered through inspections, document seizures and interviews with Iraqi scientists.  Continued on: P9 too close for comfort VIZAG IRIS Dena 180 87 61 32 Total crew Bodies Still sailors retrieved missing rescued Overtorpedoeskilled 100 Iran frigate as U.S. sub Day’s developments Attack 40 km south of Lanka’s Galle at dawn KOCHI Senior journalist based in London, author of Nuclear Rivals in the Middle East Shyam Bhatia eports from Washington indicate that American officials are discussing the possibility of supporting Kurdish militias and other Iranian opposition groups as tensions with Tehran intensify Accord. ing to reporting by CNN and The Wall Street Journal, US officials have explored contacts with Kurdish leaders operating near the Iranian border. The idea — reportedly under discussion within the CIA and the White House — would involve backing Kurdish forces along the mountainous frontier between Iraq and western Iran. The discussion points to a deeper dilemma confronting American planners. Air strikes can damage nuclear facilities, but eliminating a nuclear programme entirely is far more difficult. Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was deliberately designed after the Iraq experience to be dispersed, hardened and difficult to destroy from the air. Facilities such as the Natanz Nuclear Facility and the deeply buried Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant form part of a network intended to survive aerial attack. Some enrichment facilities, including Fordow, were constructed deep inside mountains IRIS Dena had participated in Indian Navy’s International Fleet Review and multinational Exercise Milan off Vizag in mid-Feb This was the first torpedo attack in decades GALLE Was scheduled to halt at Kochi for refuelling before heading to Persian Gulf Trump says US Navy ready to escort oil tankers, adding America would offer shippers insurance US Senate to vote on first resolution aimed at curbing Trump’s authority to continue military strikes on Iran Tanker traffic through Strait of Hormuz down 90%, says Kpler Number of ballistic missiles fired by Iran down 86% from Day 1 of conflict, drone launches too dip, says US Lankan healthcare workers carry the bodies of Iranian sailors who died in the attack | AFP Videograb shows periscope footage of a US submarine firing on and sinking IRIS Dena | AFP MEA sets up control room The MEA has established a dedicated control room in Delhi to assist distressed Indian nationals across the Gulf region and neighbouring countries. A look Delhi control room numbers: 9 am to 9 pm 1800118797 (Toll Free) +91 11 2301 2113 +91 11 2301 4104 +91 11 2301 7905 Embassy emergency contacts Bahrain: +973 39418071 Iran: +989128109115 / +989128109102 / +989128109109 / +989932179359 Iraq: +964 771 651 1185 / +964 770444 4899 Israel: +972 54 7520711 / +972 54 2428378 Jordan: +962 770 422 276 Kuwait: +965 65501946 Lebanon: +961 76860128 Oman: +968 98282270 (WhatsApp) / 80071234 (Toll Free) Qatar: +974 55647502 Ramallah, Palestine: +970 592916418 Saudi Arabia (Riyadh): +966 11 4884697 / 800 247 1234 (Toll Free) Saudi Arabia (Jeddah): +966 126648660 / +966 12 2614093 United Arab Emirates: +971 543090571 (WhatsApp) / 800 46342 (Toll Free) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral due on Wednesday evening postponed Spain PM refuses to let the US use its bases for war against Iran; relents after Trump threatens to cut off bilateral trade Canada PM Mark Carney says US-Israeli strikes on Iran inconsistent with international law Iran ballistic missile heading toward Turkish airspace via Iraq and Syria destroyed by NATO air defence systems J a v a r i a Ra n a @ New Delhi An Iranian Navy frigate that had participated in the Indian Navy’s International Fleet Review and the multinational Exercise Milan in Visakhapatnam in mid-February was struck by a torpedo fired by a US Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine in the Indian Ocean Region early Wednesday amid the , escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. “Yesterday, in the Indian Ocean, an American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo, quiet death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II (sic),” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday Torpedos were in . play during the Falklands War in 1982 and the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The vessel, IRIS Dena, issued a distress call south of Sri Lanka soon after the strike, triggering a search and rescue operation in which 32 injured sailors were evacuated out of a crew of 180. The frigate was on its return voyage to Iran after participating in the naval engagements hosted by India when it reported the emergency at dawn. It is learnt the vessel was scheduled to halt at Kochi for refuelling before beginning its onward passage westward towards the Persian Gulf. The vessel was about 40 nautical miles south of Galle, just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, when it issued the distress call. The Sri Lanka Navy dispatched ships and aircraft, while the Sri Lanka Air Force joined the rescue effort to evacuate sailors from the vessel. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that the injured sailors were transported to various hospitals. Lankan Navy spokesperson, Buddhika Sampath further said the response was under the country’s international maritime obligations. “We responded to the distress call under our international obligations as this falls within Sri Lanka’s Search and Rescue Area in the Indian Ocean,” he said. Responding to a query from The New Indian Express earlier, the US Embassy spokesperson in New Delhi had said the US Navy destroyer USS Pinckney, an Arleigh Burkeclass warship slated to participate in the International Fleet Review and Exercise Milan, did not attend the events due to emergent operational requirements. The US Navy instead deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft for the engagements. The destroyer had departed Singapore on February 11 after repairs. The Chief of the Iranian Navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, had also travelled to Vizag for the engagements, attending the International Fleet Review, the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium Conclave of Chiefs and Exercise Milan hosted by the Indian Navy . Big buzz over Nitish shifting RS polls: Cong to Rajya Sabha keeps names under wraps OTs in KMC super speciality CM briefs Shah on success against hospital shut for 18 months Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) boss Nitish Kumar, who ruled the state for more than 20 years, may be nominated to the Rajya Sabha, paving the way for the BJP to finally have its own CM in the state. That could open the door for the appointment of Nitish’s son Nishant Kumar, whose entry into politics was announced on Tuesday as the deputy CM. , The buzz is that nomination papers for Nitish’s Rajya Sabha bid are ready with only his sig, nature pending. He is expected to file his papers around 11 am on Thursday the last day for do, ing so. JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha discussed it with Nitish at the latter’s official residence in Patna for nearly three hours. He was reportedly persuading him to move to the Rajya Sabha. Senior JD(U) leader and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh is expected to reach Patna from Delhi on Thursday morning. All NDA legislators have also been asked to reach Patna by Thursday. Nitish could be rewarded with a major ministry in the Union Cabinet if he goes to the Upper House. If the switch happens, deputy CM and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary could be elevated as the new chief minister. It is believed that the next CM will be of Nitish’s choice as the BJP would not like to send any wrong message or create a perception that it had any role in persuading him to move to the Rajya Sabha. @ Hyderabad Ra m a s h a n k a r @ Patna Express News Service M a tt e r s o f s t a t e Maoists, seeks more IPS officers Express News Service @ Hyderabad Well into Wednesday night, the Congress preferred to keep the names of its candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections under wraps, allowing speculation to continue. Thursday is the last day for filing nominations. The presence of Abhishek Manu Singhvi in Hyderabad fuelled speculation that his nomination had been cleared. According to party sources, the front-runner for the second seat remained Vem Narender Reddy . Well-placed sources told TNIE that the party leadership had indicated to the two leaders to be ready with the documents required for filing their nominations. Informing that as many as 591 Maoists have surrendered in the state over the past two years and joined the mainstream, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday urged the Union government to allocate more IPS officers to the state and raise the sanctioned strength to 103 from the 83 at present. In the backdrop of the recent surrender of top Maoists before the Telangana police, the chief minister met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. Highlighting the breakthrough in the fight against LeftWing Extrem- ism (LWE) during the meeting, the chief minister explained to Shah the operations carried out by the Telangana police and the strategy adopted. According to a release from the CMO, the Union home minister appreciated the Telangana government for encouraging Maoists to join the mainstream and for cooperating in Operation Kagar. Shah also asked the state to continue extending cooperation until Operation Kagar ends. Sources said that the chief minister also conveyed to the Union home minister the matters raised by the surrendered Maoists with him, including granting permission for them to set up a political entity . The chief minister briefed Shah on the state government’s rehabilitation measures and support systems being extended to surrendered cadres to ensure their smooth reintegration into society . Revanth also requested Shah to increase the allocation of IPS officers to Telangana in line with the state’s growing requirements. He pointed out that after the bifurcation of the state, the first cadre review was conducted in 2016. The subsequent review, which was due in 2021, was significantly delayed and eventually conducted in 2025, he said, adding that even during that review, only seven IPS officers were allotted to Telangana.  continued on P4 U Ma h e s h @ Warangal Six operation theatres at the Super Speciality Hospital in Kakatiya Medical College (KMC), Warangal, have remained closed for more than one and a half years, forcing doctors to refer many patients elsewhere for surgery The reason for the closure ap. pears to be comparatively trivial — damage to the air-conditioner pipeline. The Super Speciality Hospital was built on the KMC campus under the `150 crore Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). Of the total cost, the Union government provided `120 crore and the state government `30 crore. The facility was completed about six years ago to provide advanced treatment. While the Super Speciality Hospital functions as a speciality wing, KMC is primarily attached to the 1,450-bed Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital for tertiary care. Hospital sources said damage to the air-conditioning pipelines in all six operation theatres has left the theatres non-functional. As a result, no major surgeries are being conducted in the facility . Issues such as shortage of equipment and inadequate diagnostic support have also affected services. The hospital handles around 800–900 outpatients daily and has inpatient facilities with about 250 beds. However, in the absence of functional operation theatres, doctors are referring many patients requiring procedures to other hospitals, including NIMS and Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.  continued on P4 T20 World Cup Mumbai high: Upbeat India set for tactically sound England challenge g o m e s h s @ Mumbai India head coach Gautam Gambhir in Mumbai on Wednesday | Debadatta mallick The moment one turns towards the Anshuman Gaekwad gate of the Wankhede Stadium f ro m M a r i n e D r ive, o n e can witness relentless hustle. Cars were lined up as fans standing in groups were enquiring about availability of tickets. Excitement was palpable. And rightly so, two sides with considerable pedigree and history would be locking horns for a coveted place in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand on Sunday . As expected, the semifinal between India and England is drawing a lot of attention. Such is the enormity of the occasion and India are looking beyond practice to win that match, even if it required invoking the divine. Nothing can be left to chance. The team even postponed practice by an hour on Tuesday so that they do not train during the inauspicious moments of Lunar Eclipse. Bowling coach Morne Morkel confirmed it. And when they did come out to train on Tuesday each individual put in that extra effort to chisel those rough edges. Three hours of intense rituals and the entire house was in attendance — Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Washington Sundar. In fact, Pandya batted for more than two hours straight and well past 10 pm. E n g l a n d wo rk t h ro u g h stealth and guile. They exhibited the trait in Sri Lanka where tactics mattered more than slam-bang batting. Their skipper Harry Brook is in good knick and is ably supported by the likes of Will Jacks, Sam Curran and the ilk. Going by the current form and trend, the Gautam Gambhir-coached side cannot put a foot wrong. The first semifinal in Kolkata was one-sided as New Zealand whacked South Africa out of WC. Hopefully the , second will be a cracker.  P11