tadepalligudem l monday l june 22, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Germany enter knockouts, historic point for Curacao Germany become third side to officially qualify for the World Cup Round of 32 while debutants Curacao hold Ecuador to a goalless draw. A look... Germany players celebrate Deniz Undav’s (L) second goal on Saturday | ap Deniz the menace at toronto stadium A point to remember for debutants Substitute Deniz Undav was the standout as Germany beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto. Undav scored the equaliser in the 68th-minute before going on to score a dramatic injury-time winner. The result marks the first time since 2014 that Germany have reached the knockout rounds after back-toback first-round eliminations in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. ■ ■ Goalkeeper Eloy Room was the hero, keeping out a record 15 shots as Curacao secured their first ever World Cuo point. Lionel Messi will once again be in focus when Argentina face Austria today as he looks to become all-time leading goalscorer in WC history — he currently shares the top spot with Miroslav Klose (16 goals) | P11 Today's matches Group J: Argentina vs Austria (10:30 PM), Jordan vs Algeria (8:30 AM*). Group I: France vs Iraq (2:30 AM*), Norway vs Senegal (5:30 AM*). *IST Tuesday | Live on United8 Sports & ZEE5 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 NEET-UG retest done, Physics stumps many No slip-ups this time; questions far more difficult, say experts Express news service @ New Delhi A collective sigh of relief was evident across the country on Sunday evening after the NEET-UG retest concluded without any slip-ups. For a majority of the 20 lakh-odd medical aspirants across India who sat for the re-examination on Sunday, nearly six weeks after the original test was scrapped following a paper leak that triggered widespread protests and put the government on the defensive, the question paper appeared much tougher than the earlier one. The National Testing Agency (NTA) said candidates appeared at 5,440 centres in India and 14 abroad, with the exam conducted in 13 languages. Around seven lakh officials — including police personnel, observers and examination staff — were deployed to oversee the exercise, completed in what the agency described as a record 37 days. “This was not the NTA acting alone. It was Team Bharat — a chain of people across the country who showed up so that, for each candidate, the only thing that mattered that morning was the paper in front of them,” Director General of NTA, Abhishek Singh, said in a statement. NTA announced the results would be released earlier than expected. Security was visibly tightened at examination centres, with Aadhaar-based biometric authentication, CCTV surveillance, signal jammers and a mandatory two-layer frisking deployed. Impersonation attempts and forged admit cards were detected at a few locations, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh confirmed. “There have been a few instances of the usage of fake admit cards as well as fake Aadhaar cards by a few who tried to write the exam for others. They could not succeed in their objective,” Singh said. A candidate being frisked ahead of NEET-UG retest in Nagpur Sunday | PTI NTA is especially grateful to the experts from academic institutions across the country who gave their personal time to help prepare multiple sets of question papers — National Testing Agency CJP protest to continue on Monday, farmers invited The Cockroach Janta Party on Sunday invited farmer groups to join its protests over alleged exam irregularities and the NEET paper leak, with founder Abhijeet Dipke saying the protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar will continue on Monday. On the second day of the protest, Dipke sought support from farmer unions and reiterated the demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. He also alleged that Delhi Police personnel were seeking Aadhaar details and addresses of people donating water and food to the protesters PM Modi delays travel back home in view of retest Preventing standard security-related traffic restrictions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delayed his departure from Delhi Airport by around 45 minutes on Sunday to avoid traffic disruptions for NEETUG re-examination candidates. Arriving at Delhi’s IGI airport from Kolkata at 1.15 pm, PM Modi learned that the NEET-UG exam was slated to start at 2 pm and there were several exam centres along his route to Lok Kalyan Marg, his residence. The PM chose to hold his convoy until most students reached their centres, officials said A male candidate who attempted to hide a SIM card and an old question paper in his undergar ments was caught, said a PTI report. Students though appeared flummoxed by the difficulty level of the Physics segment of the test. Students told this paper that the question paper was much tougher than the cancelled May 3 exam. Deepak Kumar, who was making his fifth attempt, said, “Biology Govt constitutes SIT to probe Sai Krishna case P h a n i n d r a Pa pa s a n i @ Vijayawada In a major development in the sensational disappearance of rowdy-sheeter Gade Sai Krishna from the Krishna Lanka police station, the State government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an Inspector General of Police (IGP) rank officer to probe the mystery behind the incident. According to an order issued on Sunday, IG rank officer M Ravi Prakash has been appointed as the head of Special Investigation Team, and West Godavari Superintendent of Police Adnan Nayeem Asmi, Alluri Sitarama Raju district SP Amit Bardar, and Bapatla Additional SP L Sudhakar as members. The four-member Special Investigation Team has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive probe into disappearance of Sai Krishna. P4 was easy but Physics is what I would call tough. Let me see how much I can score.” A good number of candidates across the country missed the exam by turning up late and were denied entry after 1.30 pm for re-exam. Leading coaching centre Akash Educational Services Limited said this NEET was calculation-heavy and rigorous and the cut-off is slated to correct below 600. Two workers dead, 62 hospitalised after ammonia gas leak at plant near Chennai R a j a l a k s h m i S a m pat h @ Chennai Two women workers from Odisha died and 62 others were hospitalised after an ammonia gas leak from a seafood export unit at Kannigaipair near Periyapalayam (around 40km from Chennai) in Tiruvallur district on Sunday morning. The deceased were identified as Jumani Juang (19) and Malati (20). The condition of seven workers is critical, sources said. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered a probe by a high-level committee and a solatium of `2 lakh each to kin of the deceased. Police registered a case and are questioning the unit’s owners. The workers, most of them young women aged 19-20 and hailing from Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam and West Bengal, were off-duty and resting in their hostel rooms about 50m from the unit’s ammonia plant when the leak occurred around 11 am. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, roped in by the Tamil Nadu government to carry out rescue operations, said the gas had spread to the workers’ accommodation, caus- Workers being treated at a government hospital in Chennai on Sunday (left); NDRF personnel clearing the dormitory | Express hours that followed the leak 1 The ammonia gas leak took place around 11 am on Sunday at the seafood export unit, spreading to the workers’ accommodation 2 Health Minister K G Arunraj said that experts had reported a high level of ammonia, around 300 ppm, in the air at the plant ing them breathing difficulties and discomfort. According to Health Minister K G Arunraj, one of the deceased was brought to the hospital dead. Of the 62 hospitalised, 58 are women and four are men. An NDRF official told TNIE that the unit’s main ammonia About 130 unaffected workers, hailing from Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam and West Bengal, were sent to a wedding hall nearby storage was on the ground floor. The leak is suspected to have been from a nozzle on a pipeline carrying the gas to the first floor. “We suspect this caused the incident, but the exact cause will be known only after a detailed technical investigation,” he said. Yoga Mandirams will be constructed in wards to promote wellness: CM S G u r u S r i k a n t h @ Vijayawada Building on the record-breaking success of the Yogandhra initiative, the government is set to institutionalise wellness by constructing permanent Yoga Mandirams in every Swarna Grama and Ward Secretariat across the State. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced it during the Yogandhra 2026 celebrations held in Vijayawada on Sunday . Furthermore, the Sanjeevani project, which integrates yoga and holistic wellness into the healthcare system, is set for a statewide launch on August 15. Emphasising that the future of AP lies in the fusion of technol- CM Chandrababu Naidu takes part in the Yoga Day celebrations, along with Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev at the IGMC Stadium in Vijayawada on Sunday | Express ogy and spirituality, Naidu said, “When technology is paired with spirituality a soci, ety becomes ‘unstoppable.’ We want to build a healthy wealthy , , and happy Andhra Pradesh.” This major vision was unveiled during the International Yoga Day celebrations, marking a historic display of unity . The State-level event at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium saw the Chief Minister perform yoga alongside Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna.  P4 4 Police registered a case under sections 105 and 125(a) of the BNS. Unit owners, Mohan and Joseph, were detained by police for inquiry Briefing reporters after visiting the victims at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Gover nment Stanley Medical College Hospital, Arunraj said experts had reported a high level of ammonia, around 300 ppm, in the air at the plant. Over 1.07 cr people take part in yoga at 1.33 lakh centres Yogandhra 2026 initiative has received further global acclaim, securing a place in the prestigious World Book of Records, London. Dr Ullaji Eliazer, Joint Secretary for the South Region, presented the international certification to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who dedicated the honour to Ayush Department and collective effort of State. The initiative surpassed its target of 1.05 crore, with 1.07 crore citizens registering. This massive mobilisation was supported by a network of 7,745 master trainers, 2.61 lakh yoga trainers, and 511 experts. Infrastructure was scaled to accommodate 1.45 crore participants across 1,32,183 centres Entire AMMA executive panel quits Tariffs for Bhogapuram airport approved, Vizag flight ops to end soon EX P RESS NEWS SERVICE @ Kochi Shwetha Menon, the first woman president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), and the entire executive committee on Sunday stepped down amid mounting internal rifts and controversies. The dramatic resignations followed the annual g eneral body meeting in Kochi, which witnessed heated arguments over the annual report and statement of accounts. Several senior members alleged financial discrepancies when the accounts were presented. Shwetha said Sunday’s incidents were part of an agenda. “I feel efforts were going on to hand over the association to persons against whom allegations had been raised. I am not willing to act as a puppet for such people. There is a conspiracy,” she said, adding she has also resigned as a member of the association. Following the development, the general body appointed an ad-hoc committee headed by Ramesh Pisharody to manage the association’s affairs for the next four months. Speaking to re por ters, Baburaj, a former joint secretary, alleged financial discrepancies in connection with `67 lakh spent for a family event organised by the association. Shwetha said accounts relating to a particular period could not be produced as the association’s treasurer, Unni Shivapal, was unavailable. She claimed the rest of the financial details provided were in order. s e l f - r e l i a n c e pu s h 3 indigenous ships join Navy in boost for India’s maritime power E x p r e s s n e w s s e r v i c e @ Kolkata Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday commissioned three indigenously designed and built naval vessels, INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray, at the Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata, highlighting the country’s push for maritime strength and defence self-reliance under the Make in India initiative. “Nobody can ignore the im- 3 Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a memento from Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan during the tri-commissioning ceremony in Kolkata on Sunday | PTI portance of maritime power. No nation can become a great power without it,” Modi said, pointing to the growing strategic significance of sea routes, undersea data networks, critical minerals and emerging energy resources. Referring to INS Vikrant, India’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, he said, “When we presented INS Vikrant to the nation, we announced India’s selfsufficiency in maritime power to the world. Today, INS Duna- giri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray add speed to that journey Modi stressed India must .” move beyond being a buyer. “India no longer wants to be a buyer. India wants to be a manufacturer. The day we become a manufacturer, we will also be the decider,” he said. INS Dunagiri is a stealth frigate, while INS Sanshodhak is a survey vessel and INS Agray is an anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft. Domestic passengers departing from Bhogapuram will pay a Commercial flight opera- User Development Fee (UDF) tions currently being handled of `835, while arriving passenat the Visakhapatnam Airport gers will be charged `355. within the Naval Airfield will For international passengers, cease once the upcoming Bhog- the UDF has been fixed at `1,255 apuram International Airport for departure and `545 for arbecomes operational, rival. AERA noted that with all civilian air AERA ad hoc the Bhogapuram Intraffic proposed to be ternational Airport is tariff order shifted to the new fabeing developed as a cility according to the The AERA order greenfield airport with , approves an latest tariff order isan initial passenger ad hoc tariff sued by the Airports handling capacity of 6 structure that Economic Regulatory million passengers per will come into Authority of India annum. effect from the (AERA). The airport is exCommercial The order, issued for pected to serve as the Operation Date GMR Visakhapatnam primary commercial International Airport of the airport and aviation gateway for remain in force Limited (GVIAL), apNorth Coastal Andhra until regular proves an ad hoc tariff Pradesh after the tranaeronautical structure that will sition of civilian flight tariffs are come into effect from operations from determined the Commercial OpVisakhapatnam. eration Date (COD) of The order also specithe Bhogapuram airport and fies charges payable by airlines remain in force until regular for using airport infrastruca e r o n a u t i c a l t a r i f f s a r e ture. Domestic carriers will be determined. charged landing fees of `1,400 The tariff framework pro- per metric tonne (MT) of an vides details of charges that aircraft’s maximum take-off will be levied on both passen- weight, while international airP gers and airlines using airport. lines will pay `1,975 per MT.  4 U s h a P e r i @ Visakhapatnam