kalaburagi l friday l may 29, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Iran, U.S. reach tentative plan to extend ceasefire & start n-talks Iran, US negotiators have reached an agreement to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and launch talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, reports said Trump yet to sign off on the agreement... The proposed deal will move forward if and when US President Donald Trump gives his final approval, Axios reported quoting two US officials and a regional source involved in the mediation efforts. Iran is yet to confirm its acceptance, the report added. The tentative agreement worked out by the two sides comes at a time the fragile ceasefire seems to be wavering ■ 60 days ...wants ‘couple of days to think about it’ ■ US officials said terms of the deal have been mostly agreed to by the negotiators but both sides need approval from senior leadership US negotiators briefed Trump on the details of the final deal, but he did not immediately sign off saying he wants “a couple of days to think about it”, Axios said. Iran’s leadership is ready to sign the MoU Proposed extension of ceasefire, during which n-talks will be held 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 Siddu resigns as CM for DKS; to After NEET leak, IAF option on remain active in state politics table to airlift retest questions Says ‘No’ to RS seat, national role; CLP meet, DKS’ oath only after Guv accepts resignation DKS wants Siddu’s son to be DCM as ‘insurance’? A s h w i n i M S r i pa d & D e v a r a j B Hirehalli @ Bengaluru Ending six months of speculation over leadership change in Karnataka, a teary-eyed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced his decision to resign from the post to make way for Deputy CM DK Shivakumar to take over as new chief minister. The announcement followed hectic parleys the party high command held with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in New Delhi on Tuesday, after which Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asked Siddaramaiah to step down and offered him a Rajya Sabha seat to play a “larger role” at the national level. After announcing his resignation, Siddaramaiah informed the media that he refused to move to the Rajya Sabha and will continue in active politics in Karnataka. Earlier, Siddaramaiah made the announcement at a breakfast meeting with his cabinet colleagues that included Shivakumar, where many ministers turned emotional. Later at 3 pm, he went to Lok Bhavan and tendered his resignation to Special Secretary to the Governor, Prabhu Shankar, as Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had flown to Indore on Wednesday night following a medical emergency involving a family member. The Governor returned to Bengaluru late Thursday evening, but after Siddaramaiah left for New Delhi to meet the party high command. He is expected to return on Friday. The resignation would be accepted only when Siddaramaiah presents himself before the Governor. Shivakumar will take oath at a time and date to be decided only after the Governor accepts Siddaramaiah’s resignation. D eva ra j B H i r e h a l l i @ Bengaluru Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar greets Chief Minister Siddaramaiah before a breakfast meeting at the CM’s residence in Bengaluru on Thursday | Express CM heads for delhi lands in jaipur New Delhi: Outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s flight from Bengaluru was diverted to Jaipur due to heavy rain at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday evening. An airport source said the non-scheduled flight landed at the airport in Jaipur at 7.55 pm. “It had not taken off till 9.35 pm. Since VIPs are involved, no chances will be taken. The wait is on till the weather in Delhi airport is clear.” Siddaramaiah was on board a chartered Embraer plane along with five other top party leaders, said airport sources. “The resignation has been submitted. But it has to be presented in person to the Governor. Only after the Governor accepts it, will the resignation become official. Until then, Siddaramaiah will continue as chief minister,” official Lok Bhavan sources told The New Indian Express. If the resignation is accepted on Friday, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) is likely to be convened on Saturday or Sunday, followed by Shivakumar’s oath-taking. The swearing-in ceremony could also take place on Monday depending on , Shivakumar finding an auspicious time in consultation with his astrologer, sources said. If the Congress high command approves a full-fledged In-law in CBI custody in Twisha death case EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhopal THE Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested retired judge Giribala Singh in connection with the alleged dowry death of her daughter-in-law Twisha Sharma. CBI sleuths took her into custody from her Bhopal residence after 5 hours of questioning in the highprofile case. Sources said the CBI has informed the Bhopal District and Sessions Judge Manoj Srivastava about the arrest. The ex-judge will be produced before the court on Friday . The arrest of the 63-year-old former judge came a day after the Madhya Pradesh High Court quashed the anticipatory bail granted to her by a sessions court. Giribala’s son and Twisha’s husband Samarth Singh is already in CBI custody Officials . said the CBI will interrogate the mother-son duo together. Two CBI teams were at Giribala’s house on Thursday. While the first team, comprising technical and forensic experts arrived for crime scene mapping and forensic analysis at around 10.30 am, the second team comprising women sleuths arrived at around 12.30 pm. T he 33-year-old model-actor Twisha Sharma was allegedly found hanging on May 12, six months after her marriage with Bhopal-based advocate Samarth. The local police lodged a case of dowry death, harassment and cruelty against Samarth and Giribala on May 15. An SIT was subsequently formed by Bhopal police commissioner Sanjay Kumar to probe the high-profile case. On May 23, the state government recommended a CBI probe, based on the demand by Twisha’s parents. The CBI took over the probe on May 25. E x p r e ss R e a d Infection scare in Gir; 4 cubs dead, 17 lions isolated Ahmedabad: After four Asiatic lion cubs died due to suspected infection in Gujarat’s Gir forest, 17 lions have been isolated under intensive monitoring. The forest teams have also launched a massive surveillance and disease-control operation across Gir, Amreli and Bhavnagar to prevent any possible spread. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel convened a review meeting on Wednesday, where senior forest officials presented a detailed ground report on the sudden deaths. P8 cabinet, the swearing-in is likely to be held on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha – a legacy associated with former chief ministers Ramakrishna Hegde and SM Krishna, which Shivakumar is keen to continue. However, with the Rajya Sabha polls on June 18, the high command is also considering a partial cabinet expansion, keeping some berths vacant. Political analysts say a full cabinet formation could trigger dissidence among disappointed aspirants, giving the opposition an opportunity to woo disgruntled MLAs ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls. If only a partial cabinet is sworn in, the ceremony is likely to be held at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan.  P4, 5 As outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah left for Delhi on Thursday evening to express gratitude to the Congress high command, including Leader of Opposition Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the CM-in-waiting DK Shivakumar too followed him, sparking speculation. Sources said Shivakumar is planning to convince both Siddaramaiah and the party high command to induct the latter’s MLC son Dr Yathindra as deputy chief minister into his new cabinet to ensure stability to the new government, more like an “insurance” ag ainst those angered by Siddaramaiah’s resignation as CM. Siddaramaiah, who rejected the party high command’s offer for him to move to Rajya Sabha, had his own reservations when Rahul offered the DCM post to his son. But now, he may accept the deal, which could placate his supporters – especially the Kuruba community – who could not digest their leader handing over power, sources said. Before the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are likely to complete the cabinet formation plans with the approval of the party high command.  P5 Exceptional heat in next 5 yrs: UN body 1.3°C-1.9°C Annual global mean near-surface temperatures during 2026–2030 predicted to be 1.3°C-1.9°C above the 1850-1900 average 91% J a v a r i a R a n a @ New Delhi The Centre is assessing to draft in the military, with the Indian Air Force set to transport question papers for the upcoming NEET-UG re-examination after the paper leak controversy forced the cancellation of the May 3 test, sources in the defence establishment said following a high-level meeting on Thursday . The nearly 40-minute meeting was held at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence and attended by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, NTA Director General Pradeep Singh Kharola and senior representatives from the education ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office, sources told this daily . They added that the discussions focused on strengthening security protocols across the entire exam cycle, including Sources said the PMO is closely overseeing preparations, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being regularly briefed on developments related to the examination and the security arrangements being put in place Rajnath Singh paper setting, printing, storage, transport and coordination at centres across India. “The Air Force is expected to assist in the secure and timebound movement of question papers to minimise risks during transit, which investigators believe was a major vulnerability in the earlier process,” a source said, adding that contingency plans and inter-agency coordination mechanisms were also reviewed as part of a “multi-layered security architecture” being put in place for the examination. WFI moves SC against HC’s Phogat fiat The Wrestling Federation of India has challenging in the SC the Delhi HC’s order that allowed Vinesh Phogat to participate in the selection trials for the 2026 Asian Games, scheduled for Saturday | P7 Global temperature crossed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time in 2024 Arctic temperatures over the next five extended northern hemisphere winters (November-March) predicted to be 2.8°C above normal chance of global mean near-surface temperature exceeding 1.5°C above the 1850-1900 average for at least a year between 2026 and 2030 The arrival of the most-awaited South West Monsoon has been delayed. Reason: The parameters that decide the onset have not met the required criteria. Officials at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the wind pattern is not satisfactory and so is the outgoing long-wave radiation. The prolonged hot and dry spells and the break in pre-monsoon rain pattern have also affected the arrival of monsoon. IMD-Bengaluru Director-incharge, N Puviarasan said the westerly winds need to reach a height of 4 km, but at present, they are around 1.5 km. It is raining in Kerala, but it is the premonsoon showers, he added. “Based on the long period average assessment, the ideal date of onset of monsoon is June 1. But this year, it was forecast that the monsoon would arrive on May 26-27. But it has been delayed now. In the wake of the present scenario, the conditions are not favourable for the onset of monsoon even on June 1,” he said. Weathermen said as this is the El Nino year, the monsoon will be weak. The cross-equatorial winds are also not very Jyotiraditya Scindia The move is part of a wider framework being built around the June 21 re-test, which will be conducted for more than 22 lakh aspirants. Investigations into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak continue across Rajasthan and Maharashtra, with the CBI probing allegations that portions of the question paper circulated before the exam through guess papers and encrypted messaging platforms. Queries sent to the defence ministry on the meet did not elicit a formal response till the filing of this report. express Illustration P U SHPI TA DEY @ New Delhi INDIA, along with more than 30 countries, is working to build an alternative supply chain for critical minerals used in electric vehicles, smartphones and defence equipment, as governments seek to reduce heavy dependence on China after Beijing tightened exports of key minerals, sources said. “India, along with 30-40 other countries, is trying to create an alternative market and supply chain for critical minerals to reduce import dependence on China,” an official aware of the matter said. India is in talks with Chile, Canada, Japan, Australia and others to bring them on board for creating a resilient critical minerals supply chain. Recently India, Australia, Ja, pan and the US—the Quad partners—set an ambitious target of mobilising up to $20 billion in government and private-sector support to build secure critical minerals supply chains, reduce dependence on dominant suppliers and strengthen regional industry . “India does have reserves, but these are mostly used for very specific projects, such as those in ISRO. For mass-market needs like smartphones and vehicles, the industry is still importing from China,” another official said. The biggest challenge lies in convincing Indian industry to source from alternative markets, as China continues to enjoy a strong competitive edge in critical mineral Monsoon delayed, may not arrive even on June 1 Bosky Khanna @Bengaluru Dharmendra Pradhan India among over 30 nations working to build non-China supply chain Global average temperatures likely to continue at or near record levels in the next five years, says new report from the World Meteorological Organization El Niño predicted for the end of 2026, which increases the chances of the following year, 2027, being the next record-breaking year — Dr Leon Hermanson, lead author of the report PMO oversees prep strong for the monsoon to set in. Had the winds been strong, by this time the entire equatorial region and southern west coast would be experiencing rain. But the winds are weak now, they added. IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the south-west monsoon has covered Andaman Nicobar Islands, Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and surrounding areas. It is yet to hit the mainland. The forecast is that it will advance in the next two days. Its arrival on the mainland cannot be said at the moment. However, pre-monsoon showers are gradually expanding over the entire country. A dip in maximum temperatures and rain over most parts of the country has been forecast from May 28-31 as part of the premonsoon showers. What are critical minerals? Critical minerals include copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, aluminium, manganese, silicon, and silver, rare earth elements, among others. These are essential for national security as they are vital for defence, aerospace, nuclear, and space applications exports, sources said adding that pricing is a big concern. “The challenge lies in matching prices and convincing industry to buy from India and partner countries that are working together,” the official said. India is seeking to position itself as a trusted partner in emerging mineral alliances. “Countries need confidence in our systems before they open up sensitive technologies,” the official said. Indian agencies are also exploring partnerships with research institutions in Australia to gain expertise in mineral extraction and processing. WB man beaten, stripped in B’luru P r a v e e n Kum a r @ B e n g a l u r u A 10-member gang assaulted a 25-year-old man from Darjeeling after stripping him and tying his hands and legs at a men’s paying guest (PG) facility in Indiranagar on Tuesday around 1.30 am. The gang assaulted him with cables and leather belts, suspecting him of stealing two mobile phones, according to police sources. The victim is S Suraj Rai of Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Luxury Gents Paying Guest facility near Dharmaraya Temple in Mottappanapalya.  P5