EcsTAsY&AGONY HYDERABAD l Wednesday l July 08, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Messi leads great escape vs Egypt S w a r o o p s w a m i n at h a n @ Bengaluru THE world has never seen anything like him. The world will never see anything like him ever again. So, honestly even if , you have never supported him, it’s never too late. For the vast majority of the last 20 years, it has been an utter privilege to be wowed by the magic of Lionel Andres Messi. There is no saying how much longer he has in the world game. It could end in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. It very nearly ended in the last 16 in a fever dream of a game against Egypt in Atlanta. On an increasingly fraught afternoon for the world champs in Atlanta, The Pharaohs were up 2-0 and coasting to one of the great shocks in the history of the tournament before the 39-year-old dragged the team to his level. First was an assist, a clipped cross from the right-hand side which was headed home by Cristian Romero. In the 83rd minute, all that tension among the masses had evaporated in an outpouring of joy as Messi drilled a first-time left-foot shot home from close range. Inside 300 seconds, one of football’s greatest created as well as scored for yet more records. With their tails up, Argentina threw men forward as they had the momentum. And the game’s winning goal promptly came thanks to a blistering counter; Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez combining to create it for Enzo Fernandez to score the late winner (3-2).  P11 ronaldo’s wc chapter ends in round of 16 Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the pitch after his final World Cup match for Portugal with a stoic look on his face. The sixth and final World Cup for the 41-yearold ended with a 0-1 loss to Spain in a Round of 16 tie. 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 India, Indonesia expand strategic partnership Landslip at Wayanad tunnel road site kills 3 L e s ly J o s e p h @ Meppadi a landslip at the twin-tunnel road project near Kalladi Meenakshi Bridge in Wayanad on Tuesday claimed three lives, left at least seven persons missing, and ignited a political and legal storm. While heavy monsoon rains triggered the initial slope instability, residents and local representatives termed it a “man-made disaster”, blaming corporate negligence and a complete failure of regulatory oversight. The victims have been identified as Chandra Ban, an operator from Madhya Pradesh; Bikash Kumar, a civil foreman from Bihar; and Anmol, a worker from Jharkhand. T he collapse occur red around 11 am, sending a mas- Jakarta to procure two batteries of BrahMos cruise missile system, Astra air-to-air missile Screengrabs from a CCTV footage showing people running for their lives as the landslide strikes Wayanad on Tuesday | Express A bus stuck in debris after falling into a rivulet near the Meppadi tunnel project site at Kalladi in Wayanad, where the massive landslide struck | Vincent Pulickal sive torrent of liquefied mud, rocks and construction debris crashing onto the Meppadi– Chooralmala road. The deluge buried the Meenakshi Bridge, engulfed a private bus and flattened a roadside eatery where workers had gathered. Nine labourers were pulled from the sludge and rushed to “I had a miraculous escape. I saw the soil sliding down and ran for my life,” said local resident Hamsa Manthikkara. Chief Minister V D Satheesan said several official warnings were issued to the contractor but they were ignored. “On June 20, the district collector directed the contractor Ahmedabad blast: HC upholds death for 38 D I L IP SIN G H KSHATRIYA @ Ahmedabad THE Gujarat High Court on Tuesday upheld the Ahmedabad Sessions Court’s ruling in the 2008 serial bomb blasts case, confirming the death sentence for 38 members of the banned Indian Mujahideen and life imprisonment for 11 others. A division bench of Justices A Y Kogje and Samir Dave rejected the appeals filed by the convicts against the capital punishment awarded by the lower court in February 2022. The HC directed the Gujarat government to pay `10 lakh to the family of every deceased victim, `5 lakh to each seriously injured survivor, and `1 lakh to those who suffered minor injuries. The compensation must be paid before March 31, 2027. The verdict comes 18 years after 21 coordinated blasts at 20 locations ripped through Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, killing 56 and injuring more than 200 people. The case remains one of India’s biggest criminal prosecutions. Out of 78 accused who faced trial, the trial court convicted 49 persons, acquitted 29, sentenced 38 to death, and awarded life imprisonment till natural death to 11 convicts. The probe into the serial blasts was unprecedented in scale. Police registered 35 FIRs, filed 548 charge sheets, produced around 6,000 documentary and material exhibits, and examined 1,163 witnesses. The Sessions Court’s judgment ran into nearly 7,000 pages, while the complete paper book exceeded 7.88 lakh pages, making it one of the largest criminal case records in India. Lawyers representing the accused said they would challenge the HC’s decision in the Supreme Court after reviewing the full judgment. hospital. Two of them are in critical condition. At the heart of the growing outrage is the dumping of tens of thousands of tonnes of excavated earth by the tunnel project’s contractor, Dilip Buildcon, operating under the supervision of the Konkan Railway Corporation. to remove the excavated soil. The disaster management authority issued a similar order, and the PWD minister also instructed the contractor to clear the soil,” the CM said. The Konkan Railway Corporation has ordered an inquiry . Dilip Buildcon said all norms were complied with. Will hand over KLIS to KCR but after debate in joint session: CM M a n d a R a v i n d e r R e dd y @ Hyderabad Asserting that his government was ready to convene a joint session of the Assembly and Legislative Council if former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao wrote to the Speaker seeking a debate on the Kaleshwaram project, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday said that he was ready to hand over the barrages — the key components of the scheme to the BRS supremo to restore. “We will request the Speaker and the Council Chairman to conduct a joint session on the Kaleshwaram project. Let us also allow experts into the House with the Speaker’s permission. We are ready for a debate whenever KCR writes to the Speaker. We will also write to the Speaker. Let us discuss facts,” Revanth said. He added: “We will hand over the Medigadda, Annaram and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy speaks during a presentation on irrigation projects, at Praja Bhavan in Hyderabad Sundilla barrages to KCR. Let us see what he will do. Remove L&T and the other contractors, appoint KCR as the main contractor and hand over the entire Kaleshwaram project to him. Ask him to restore it. If KCR gives good suggestions, the government is ready to adopt them.” Questioning why KCR was not willing to debate the issue, Revanth asked: “Don’t you have responsibility? Are you not drawing a salary? Don’t you have the status of Leader of the Opposition?” He alleged that the Kaleshwaram project was executed in haste “to loot thousands of crores” within two to three years and accused the BRS of spreading “misconceptions” about the project. The chief minister made the remarks after attending a PowerPoint presentation titled “The Collapse of Kaleshwaram Project”, delivered by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy at Praja Bhavan. Referring to BRS leaders’ demand that the project be handed over to KCR for a week, Revanth said: “KCR is not directly asking. He is sending half-knowledge persons to make the demand.” Responding to criticism over the government’s decision not to lift water despite inflows, he said: “T he Kaleshwaram project was designed to utilise floodwaters. When El Niño conditions prevail, how will floods come?”  CONTINUED ON P2 Tadicherla-2 coal block allocated to SCCL by Centre, confirms Kishan Express News Service @ Hyderabad Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday announced that the Centre has allocated the Tadicherla-2 Coal Block to the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), describing it as a major step towards strengthening the company’s long-term financial sus- tainability, boosting coal production and generating employment in Telangana. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Kishan said the allocation was made without auction after legal clearance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approval. He said no coal block had been al- Hyderabad pays, and how n Average monthly salary (regular workers): `31,153 (2nd in South, after Bengaluru) n Average daily wage (casual workers): `784 (2nd after Chennai) n Average monthly earnings (selfemployed): `30,075 (4th in South) n Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): 55.5% (3rd in South) n Worker Population Ratio (WPR): 51.7% (4th in South) n Unemployment rate: 6.8% n Services sector employment: Nearly 77% of workforce n Average working hours: 51 hours/week (2nd highest among southern millionplus cities) lotted to any public sector undertaking since 2020, with SCCL being the only exception. Kishan said the block contains about 182 million tonnes (MT) of Grade-8 coal and could produce 6 MT annually for 40-50 years, generating more than `64,000 crore in revenue. Direct allocation wo u l d s ave S C C L around `2,550 crore in auction premiums, while the Telangana government was expected to receive nearly `16,000 crore through royalties and other revenues. The project was also expected to improve SCCL’s financial position, increase production and create around 1,200 jobs. Kishan said the Centre has consistently supported the 137- year-old SCCL over the past 12 years under cooperative federalism. He said the company employs around 41,000 permanent and 31,000 contract workers and operates 39 mines, including 21 underground and 18 opencast. Kishan said the Centre has expedited environmental and forest clearances while helping SCCL address production challenges.  CONTINUED ON P4 J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi India and Indonesia on Tuesday expanded their strategic partnership, with Jakarta agreeing to procure two batteries of India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system in a deal worth about $200 million, alongside Astra air-to-air missile systems, as the two countries unveiled an ambitious roadmap covering defence, maritime security critical min, erals, technology, digital connectivity and supply chains. The agreements were announced after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta during the first leg of Modi’s three-nation Indo-Pacific tour, which will also take him to Australia and New Zealand. The defence component marks another milestone in India’s push to become a major exporter of indigenous military hardware. A BrahMos battery typically comprises four launchers and 12 ready-to-fire missiles, along with commandand-control systems, support equipment and specialised vehicles, though configurations vary depending on whether the system is deployed for land attack or coastal defence. Sources said Indonesia has also decided to procure India’s Astra beyond-visual-range airto-air missiles following their With an average monthly salary of `31,153 for regular wage and salaried employees, Greater Hyderabad has emerged as the second highest-paying metropolitan labour market in southern India after Bengaluru (`34,323), according to the National Statistics Office’s (NSO) latest report on labour market dynamics in India’s 46 millionplus cities. Based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025, the report shows Hyderabad outperforming the average of India’s 46 million-plus cities on several labour market indicators, supported by its IT, services and diversified economy . Among the seven southern million-plus cities covered, Bengaluru topped the rankings in average monthly salary at `34,323, followed by Hyderabad (`31,153), Coimbatore (`29,537), Chennai (`28,955), Visakhapatnam (`28,802), Vijayawada (`22,859) and Madurai (`20,580). Hyderabad also ranked second in daily wages for casual workers at `784, behind Chennai (`802). Self-employed workers earned an average `30,075 a month, placing the city fourth after Bengaluru (`36,314), Coimbatore (`35,912) and Chennai (`30,536). The city recorded a Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of 55.5%, the third highest among the southern cities after Bengaluru (56.3%) and Visakhapat n a m ( 5 6 . 2 % ) . I t s Worker Population Ratio (WPR) stood at 51.7%, ranking fourth behind Bengaluru and Coimbatore (54.7% each) and Visakhapatnam (52.8%). Hyderabad’s unemployment rate was 6.8%, higher than Bengaluru (2.8%), Chennai (4.4%) Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred Indonesia’s highest civilian honour by President Prabowo Subianto operational performance during Operation Sindoor. The agreements also envisage wider collaboration in defence manufacturing and technology transfers, reflecting a shift from a buyerseller relationship towards longterm industrial ties. Addressing a joint media interaction, Modi described the outcomes as a golden chapter in bilateral ties. “The growing trust between our two countries has strengthened cooperation in defence, security and the maritime domain,” he said. The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open and rules-based IndoPacific. President Prabowo echoed the sentiment. The two countries also agreed to jointly develop the strategically located Sabang Port near the Strait of Malacca and expand cooperation in maritime infrastructure. Authorities act, spotlight shifts on Pradeep Constructions E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad Action initiated by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Telangana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TG RERA) on Tuesday has once again turned the spotlight on Pradeep Constructions’ controversial BLISS residential project at Somajiguda, while also raising fresh questions about how the project secured statutory approvals despite official findings that the entire site falls within the Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zone of Hussainsagar. A joint inspection by HYDRAA and the Irrigation Department reportedly found that 7,355.15 sq m of the project’s total extent of 7,640.89 sq m falls within the Hussainsagar FTL, while the remaining 285.74 sq m lies within the mandatory 30-metre buffer zone, leaving no portion legally available for construction. Despite this, permissions were granted for a project comprising two cellar levels, a stilt floor, two 17-storey residential towers and a clubhouse.  CONTINUED ON P5 City No. 2 in salaries among southern metros S i dd h a r d h a G at t i m i @ Hyderabad Pic: PTI and Visakhapatnam (6.0%), but lower than Vijayawada (6.9%) and Madurai (11.6%). The report said nearly 77% of Hyderabad’s workforce was employed in the services sector, reflecting the dominance of IT, financial services, trade and other service industries. Workers in Hyderabad logged an average 51 hours of work per week, the second highest among the southern millionplus cities. Vijayawada led with 51.9 hours, while Coimbatore (49.5), Bengaluru (48.9 hours), Madurai (48.7), Chennai (47.1) and Visakhapatnam (46.2) recorded lower averages. stake sale by centre expedited The government will raise `2,000 crore following its 5% minority stake sale in Cochin Shipyard. 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