MONDAY 25 CBSE SAYS GLITCH LED TO INCORRECT FEE DEDUCTION MAY, 2026 The board said on Sunday it will issue refunds to students who were overcharged during Class XII post-result process due to technical issues epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR EXPERTS FROM TWO IITS ROPED IN 4 DEAD IN MISSILE ATTACK ON KYIV Russia used the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv on Sunday that killed at least four people PAGE 9 18,57,517 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00 Iran peace deal in sight but not rushing it, says Trump Breakthrough imminent, claims Rubio; Iran yet to publicly commit to giving up its uranium Talking points The pact being negotiated would extend truce by 60 days, creating space to resolve key issues before a final agreement is reached, according to US officials quoted by AP and Axios Strait of Hormuz The US would lift its blockade of Iranian ports Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow free passage for all ships US would allow Iran to resume oil exports through sanctions waivers Tehran would suspend nuclear enrichment and agree to give up highly enriched uranium stockpile The mechanism for Iran surrendering its highly enriched uranium stockpile would be finalised through further talks during the 60-day period Washington and Tehran would negotiate sanctions relief and the release of Iran’s frozen funds worth $100 billion during the 60-day period US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a bilateral meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Sunday | PTI J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi er possess a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said. “The ultimate goal THE US and Iran on Sunday ap- is to make sure Iran could never peared to edge closer to a break- have a nuclear weapon.” through agreement that could According to Axios, CNN and end months of conflict in West The New York Times reports, neAsia, reopening the Strait of gotiators are finalising a 60-day Hormuz and imposing fresh ceasefire arrangement that curbs on Tehran’s nuclear pro- would immediately reopen the gramme, even as differences Strait of Hormuz and create a persisted over uranium enrich- window for broader negotiament and regional control. tions over dismantling parts of US President Donald Trump Iran’s nuclear programme. said negotiations were progressHowever, conflicting messaging in a “constructive es from Iran suggested manner” and insisted major disagreements Tehran “must underremain unresolved. stand” that it cannot de- The negotiations The Iranian Embassy velop a nuclear weapon. are proceeding in in Delhi said Tehran Trump also confirmed has the right to “peacean orderly and the US blockade linked ful use of nuclear sciconstructive manner, and I to the ongoing conflict ence and technology” would remain in place have informed my and that “Iran will nevu n t i l a d e a l w a s representatives er relinquish this lawnot to rush into a reached. ful and internationally deal because The remarks came time is on our side recognised right”. amid hectic parleys inIranian state media Donald Trump, volving the US, Israel also disputed Trump’s US president and Iran after three claim that the Strait months of confrontation would be fully reothat disrupted shipping through pened under the proposed the Strait of Hormuz and rattled arrangement. global markets. I love India and PM Earlier in the day, during a Modi: Trump joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jais- Trump on Sunday made a surhankar in New Delhi, US Secre- prise live video appearance at tary of State Marco Rubio an event in Delhi attended by claimed a breakthrough is im- Rubio, praising Prime Minister minent. “There is the possibility Narendra Modi as a close friend that in the next few hours the and asserting that India-US ties world will get some good news,” had “never been closer”. Speaking on a giant screen installed he said. Rubio said progress had been at the event marking the 250th made over the past 48 hours on anniversary of the US Declaraa framework that could stabilise tion of Independence, Trump described himself as a “big the Strait of Hormuz. The US administration has fan” of the Indian Prime Minrepeatedly maintained that pre- ister. “I love the Prime Minisventing Iran from obtaining a ter. Modi is great. He’s my nuclear weapon remains its friend,” Trump said during the central objective. “Iran can nev- virtual address. P9 We’ve made tremendous progress and I think we’re going to wind up with a trade agreement between the United States and India that’s going to be enduring, beneficial to both sides and sustainable Marco Rubio ‘US, too, has stupid people’ Rubio defended America’s image as a welcoming country when asked about racist remarks targeting Indians in the US, saying such comments reflected the actions of some “stupid people” and not American society at large. “Every country in the world has stupid people… stupid people in US make dumb comments all the time,” he said US pushes trade pact, India flags visa concerns J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA and the US on Sunday sought to project continuity and momentum in their strategic partnership despite unease over trade talks and tightening American visa policies, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raising concerns over difficulties faced by legitimate Indian travellers seeking entry into the US. Addressing a joint press conference in Delhi alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after delegation-level talks, Jaishankar said the two sides had made progress on trade negotiations and remained committed to deepening cooperation in energy , technology mobility and regional security , . “We spoke about the value of concluding at an early date the final text of the interim agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade,” Jaishankar said, and referred to efforts to operationalise the bilateral trade framework envisioned during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington earlier this year. An Indian delegation had recently travelled to the US, he said, while an American team was expected in India soon. Rubio confirmed that both sides were “on the verge” of reaching a durable agreement. Energy security emerged as another major focus of the talks. Jaishankar underscored that India’s priority remained ensuring affordable and accessible supplies. Flagging concerns about delays in US visa processing, the minister said “Peopleto-people ties are at the heart of the relationship... I apprised Secretary Rubio of challenges that legitimate travellers face in respect of visa issuance.” In response, Rubio said the recent visa policy changes were not aimed at India.  PAGES 12 STUDENTS REGISTERED TO APPEAR FOR CLASS XII EXAM, THE CBSE SAID “The expert team will implement focused technological improvements of the systems and technical workflows and will specifically examine portal stability and server performance,” the education ministry said The central board will engage experts from IIT-Madras and IIT-Kanpur to tackle issues in its post-result services portal, the government said | P7 After 12 days and a second autopsy, Twisha laid to rest A N U R A A G S I N G H @ Bhopal A team of doctors from AIIMS Delhi completed the second autopsy of 33-year-old modelactor Twisha Sharma in Bhopal on Sunday. The process lasted three hours. The AIIMS team will submit its report in a sealed envelope to the Special Investigation Team, as directed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Twisha was found hanging at her matrimonial home in Bhopal’s Katara Hills area on May 12, with her family accusing her in-laws of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide. Her in-laws, however, alleged she suffered from drug addiction. Two hours after the second autopsy was completed, and 12 days after she was found dead, Twisha’s body was cremated on Sunday afternoon. Her brother Harshit Sharma, an army officer, performed the last rites, including rendering ‘mukhagni’ to the body at the Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat in Bhopal. Emotions were high. Twisha’s mother and other members of her family were inconsolable as the funeral pyre was lit. Case in SC today The Supreme Court is set hear the Twisha Sharma death case on Monday. The court had taken suo motu cognisance of the case on Saturday. A three-judge bench of the court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, will hear the matter No one from her husband’s family including the ex-judge , mother-in-law Giribala Singh and brother-in-law Siddharth Singh, an Indian Air Force officer, attended the funeral. Meanwhile, sources said Twisha’s husband Samarth Singh is not fully cooperating with the Bhopal Police’s Special Investigation Team. The investigators are not convinced by certain answers he has given. While the focus is on the events of May 12, the SIT is looking into every aspect of Samarth and Twisha’s life, right from the time they became close through a dating app in 2024. It is also trying to determine where Samarth was hiding and what role his mother had played in helping him. Sources said the initial questioning of Samarth has revealed that Twisha wasn’t keen to lead a family life. There was a drastic change in her behaviour after her pregnancy was confirmed on April 17, sources said. On Saturday, Twisha’s father submitted a detailed representation along with a copy of the high court order to the medical board, raising several concerns regarding the first autopsy . Among the concerns raised were alleged blunt force injuries on Twisha’s left arm and forearm, lack of detailed dissection to determine the depth and age of injuries, and absence of radiological examination of the neck and cervical structures. EXPRESS READ Govt issues travel advisory for Ebola The Centre has advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan in view of the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain in parts of the African continent. The advisory comes after the World Health Organisation on May 17 declared the situation a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” under the International Health Regulations, 2005. Minor’s rape and murder creates outrage in J&K 24 DEAD IN PAK BLAST Paramilitary forces and volunteers try to recover victims after a powerful explosion ripped through a shuttle train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Sunday. At least 24 people were killed and dozens injured | AFP | P9 A 12-year-old girl, who was reported missing in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district, was found murdered around 200 metres from her house on Sunday. A police officer said the girl was reported missing on Saturday from the Galwanpora area. “Prima facie it seems to be a case of rape and murder,” Budgam SSP Hariprasad K K said. The incident has sparked an outrage and drawn reactions from CM Omar and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. Prisoners riot in Punjab jail, officials use teargas SUV runs over watchman H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh BJP SWEEPS FALTA RE-POLL BJP candidate Debangshu Panda won West Bengal’s Falta assembly seat on Sunday by 1.09 lakh votes. The Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan slipped to fourth position in the re-poll. With the win, the BJP’s strength in the House rises to 208 | P8 Video recordings of prison violence go viral THREE inmates were injured at the high-security Central Jail in Kapurthala in Punjab after they went on a rampage by brandishing rods and sticks, leading to chaos in Barrack 4 late on Saturday night. The Punjab Police on Sunday claimed that normalcy was restored after it and jail authorities resorted to cane charging and lobbing teargas shells. Sources said that iron rods, sticks, and mobile phones were seized from the inmates who ran amok during the clash. An FIR will be lodged, the officer further said. While two inmates received injuries during the violence, another was hit by a teargas shell. No police personnel or jail staff were injured. Videos of the violence have gone viral on social media. A completely vandalised jail premises, with fires at several The videos of the jail violence have gone viral on social media. A completely vandalised jail premises, with fires at several places and broken walls and boundaries, could be seen in the viral recordings. City SSP said it was a matter of investigation to find out how videos were recorded and uploaded on social media despite the jail having jammers. A videograb of violence in Central Jail, Kapurthala | EXPRESS places and broken walls and boundaries, could be seen in the viral recordings. Though some inmates claimed a jailbreak and shots being fired at them, the police refuted their claims. It took the police and jail administration several hours to restore normalcy at the Kapurthala prison. SSP of Kapurthala, Gaurav Toora, said that all inmates had been brought back to their barracks and the situation was normal and under control. “Three inmates who were injured during a clash at the jail from tear gas shells have been admitted to a hospital and are under treatment,” he added. “The incident occurred last night after a fight broke out between a group of inmates in Barrack 4 of Phase I of the Kapurthala jail, as hardened criminals who have three to five criminal cases against them were lodged in this barrack,” he said on Sunday . “Amid heavy deployment of force the inmates who were on the roof until late were brought back, and deliberations went on till the wee hours,” he said. Toora added that some of the inmates broke the gate and iron grill leading to the rooftop of the barrack. He said there could be rivalry among some inmates, which led to the tussle. Asked how inmates could be seen holding sticks and rods, he said, “Hardened criminals took out iron grill and used them as rods.’’ When questioned how inmates made videos of the incident and shared them on social media despite mobile jammers being installed, Toora said it was a matter of investigation. twice, murder case filed EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi A 60-year-old watchman died after being assaulted by an SUV driver, who ran the vehicle over him twice in the Peeragarhi village on Sunday . Bijender Bharadwaj, a resident of the village, worked as a watchman at a tempo stand where the incident took place. According to a police official, the analysis of CCTV footage indicated that the victim may have been deliberately targeted. A murder case has been registered under Sections 103 and 3 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Paschim Vihar West police station. As per the CCTV footage, the vehicle could be seen waiting in one corner with its headlights on for a few minutes while the victim was sitting on a ch a i r i n t h e o p p o s i t e direction. A man was seen stepping out of the vehicle carrying a large stick and attacking the victim without any apparent provocation. When the victim tried to save himself, the accused returned to the SUV and ran over him once, pushing him towards a corner. While the victim attempted to escape, the accused again drove the vehicle towards him and ran him over a second time before swiftly fleeing the spot. When a PCR call van arrived, the victim was found lying unconscious on the road and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.