HYDERABAD l sunday l august 30, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l LATE CITY EDITION deal with Venezuela to take control of oil reserves: don President Donald Trump said the US has entered a deal with Venezuela to take control of 65 billion barrels oil reserves of the country 9 months after maduro’s capture Trump in a social media post announced the agreement he said was negotiated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez. The announcement of the deal comes nearly nine months after the US armed forces captured Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro ■ 1% will lower gas prices in u.s.: rubio ■ Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world, with an estimated 303 billion barrels of crude oil. That’s about 17 per cent of the world’s supply, according to the US Energy Administration Rubio said on X the agreement would usher in $100 billion in private investment into Venezuela and lead to lower gas prices in US of world’s oil output comes off venezuela despite vast reserves 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 26 from state still untraced in Nepal Extend SIR deadline, protect genuine TG votes: CM to ECI ENS @ Hyderabad Express News Service As many as 26 people from Telangana remain untraced in Nepal, days after the devastating flash flood that hit the region. Five are from Hyderabad, while 21 are Telangana-origin NRIs based in the city One traveller . with roots in the state was confirmed safe on Saturday . The five Hyderabad residents reported missing are Arushi Gupta, Dhanpal Reddy Sridhar , Avvari, Deepthi Avvari and Abhinav Avvari. Alli Ilesha, who was reported missing, was found safe and is undergoing treatment, state government authorities said. Several people of Indian origin who are citizens or permanent residents of the US, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the UK and Germany had travelled to the region for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through private tour operators. Communication links were disrupted by the floods, leaving many families with little information about their relatives. Among those still unaccounted for are 44-year-old Kandimalla Suhasini Reddy, a New Zealand citizen from Hyderabad, and 49-year-old Vandana Chand, a US citizen originally from Hyderabad. Suhasini was travelling with a private Kailash Journeys group, while Vandana was part of an Isha Foundation pilgrimage contingent of 79 members.  continued on p5 WITH THIS ISSUE Private Eye PLUS 12 P AGES @ Hyderabad Residents carry their belongings salvaged from their flood-hit homes in Nepal’s Devighat area on Saturday | AP Toll 675, India steps up rescue, forensic support 88 Indians rescued in Nepal so far; 128 PIOs reported missing E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi India on Saturday stepped up rescue and relief assistance to Nepal following the devastating flash floods, with 88 Indian nationals rescued so far while 287 remained uncontactable. Four Indian nationals were rescued from a hydropower project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district and are expected to reach Kathmandu shortly , the External Affairs Ministry said. Besides, 128 persons of Indian origin (PIOs) are missing. As many as 120 Indian nationals crossed into Nepal from China on Saturday the , MEA said. India is also deploying specialised expertise to support Nepal’s search and identification efforts. Six forensic expert teams from India are expected to reach Kathmandu to assist Nepalese authorities in analysing DNA samples and identifying mortal remains. “Forensic expert teams from India (six) are expected to reach Kathmandu today to assist in analysis of DNA samples for identification of mortal remains,” the MEA said. India has also moved to bolster tunnel-rescue operations in the floodhit areas. An Indian technical team for tunnel-rescue reconnaissance reached Kathmandu on Friday Based . on its assessment, a specialised tunnel-rescue team equipped with necessary equipment is in Nepal. The Indian assistance comes as Nepal m o u n t s a m a s s ive search and rescue operation across the worst-affected districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Relief supplies being Dhading and Chitwan. delivered by drone at Nepal Foreign Minis- Devighat in Nepal | PTI ter Shisir Khanal said the government had mobilised all available resources following the August 26 flash floods. “Our immediate priority remains clear: to save lives, locate missing persons, rescue them, provide urgent relief to survivors,” Khanal said. So far, 675 bodies — 246 from Chitwan, 165 from Nawalparasi East, 63 from Nawalparasi West, 57 from Gorkha, 45 from Dhading, 51 from Nuwakot, 35 from Tanahu and 13 from Rasuwa district — have been recovered and around 2,400 people remain uncontactable, while more than 4,450 people, including over 187 foreign nationals, have been rescued. Khanal said the figures could change as search and verification operations continue. 10 bodies from Nepal recovered in UP’s Gandak N a m i ta B a j pa i @ Lucknow At least 10 bodies have been recovered from river Gandak in eastern UP in Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts over the past two days, with authorities yet to identify the deceased or trace their families. Originating from Nepal, Gandak flows into India. Official sources said all 10 were natives of Nepal and were adults. The bodies were bloated and in an advanced state of decomposition. They were taken to mortuaries in Maharajganj and Kushinagar, where they would be kept for 72 hours, said the district administration River brings in authorities. vehicles, drums The details of jewelGandak is also lery and other belongbringing other items, ings found on the bodincluding vehicles, ies were recorded along household goods, with distinctive physigas cylinders, cal features such as tatdrums, toos and other identifyfurniture, logs ing marks. Photographs and other of the deceased have debris also been circulated in apparently nearby areas. from Nepal. According to ADM Villagers were seen Maharajganj, four of gathering along the the bodies — three river to retrieve the women and a young articles being washed man — had been found ashore in the district. “If no one comes forward during the next 72-hour period, further action will be taken in accordance with government guidelines,” Kumar said. In Kushinagar, six bodies — three men and three women— were recovered from Gandak. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and the flood battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary are working alongside the district administration and police in the affected areas of Maharajganj and Kushinagar. However, as per official sources, immediate flood threat has eased as water levels have receded. However, residents were advised to stay away from rivers and low-lying areas for now. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to extend the September 16 deadline for filing claims and objections under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by a few weeks and extend the deadline for publishing the final rolls. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday Revanth said , 73.39 lakh entries were currently under the Absentee, Shifted Dead and Duplicate (ASDD) category raising con, cer ns that voters who had temporarily moved could be treated as permanently shifted and deleted from the rolls. “Some 73.39 lakh entries have been placed under the ASDD heads. Out of the 2.65 crore enumeration forms digitised so far, 60.5 lakh stand flagged for anomalies and 32.36 lakh for want of a link to the earlier roll. The two sets are distinct and do not overlap, they add up to 92.86 lakh and each of those electors is to be put on notice,” the chief minister said. He urged the ECI to facilitate enrolment at new addresses where necessary and allow each elector at least three to four weeks to respond to notices and produce documents establishing eligibility As . no election is due in Telangana in the near future, he said, the extension could be considered. Re v a n t h a l s o proposed ECI helpdesks, particularly in urban districts, public altercation Cong fires Kerala leader who blocked CM’s convoy to assist electors in responding to notices and stressed that no eligible voter should be inadvertently deleted. He sought additional manpower at the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) level. “I would request that Additional Electoral Registration Officers be sanctioned in sufficient strength and that hearings be permitted at decentralised points below the ERO level with staggered dates and times printed on the notice itself, particularly across Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Rangareddy districts, which carry the greater part of the state’s electoral base,” Revanth said. He assured the ECI of his government’s cooperation, including opening helpdesks, mobilising the administration to convene gram sabha and ward committee meetings, disseminating information and providing all other logistical support. Day before exam, NEET-PG aspirant ends life Express News Service @ Hyderabad Express News Service @ Thiruvananthapuram The Congress on Saturday expelled Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee leader Anil Kumar alias Chenthi Ani from the party’s primary membership, hours after he was booked for blocking Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s motorcade. On Saturday mor ning, Sreekaryam Police arrested Ani for blocking the CM’s convoy and misbehaving with him for refusing to attend the Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi celebrations at Chenthi the previous night. Satheesan was on his way to Chempazhanthy to attend the event. On the way a , group of people organising another Sree Narayana Guru event at Chenthi signalled the CM’s vehicle to stop, police said. Satheesan stepped out of the vehicle following their request and was seen in television visuals arguing with Ani. After a few minutes at the spot, Satheesan returned to his vehicle and left, police said. Police said no event at Chenthi was listed in the CM’s sched- Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee (DCC) leader Anil Kumar alias Chenthi Ani | ANI ule, and filed an FIR against Ani. “The accused confronted the CM in an aggressive manner. When asked to refrain from being aggressive, the accused allegedly threatened, ‘What will you do if I get angry?’, insulting the CM and obstructing the official duties of police personnel accompanying the convoy the FIR said. ,” A court sent Ani to 14 days in custody Police said he had been . accused earlier in multiple cases of attacking people at Sreekaryam, Thumba and Medical College. KPCC president Sunny Joseph said the party’s stance is clear through the disciplinary action. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to address diaspora at Madison Square The event titled ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’, is an invite-based gathering which will have more than 5,000 attendees A 26-year-old NEET-PG aspirant allegedly died by suicide after consuming an unknown poisonous substance at a private hostel at RTC X Roads on Saturday morning, a day before the entrance examination. The victim was identified as Bandi Yashwitha, a native of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. Her father, Rammohan Reddy, is a businessman in the state. Chikkadapally police said Yashwitha had reportedly been suffering from depression since her Intermediate days and was undergoing treatment. After completing her undergraduate studies, she had been preparing for the PG entrance examination for the past few months. She was staying alone in a room at a private hostel in Chikkadapally . Police said she left a suicide note in which she stated that she had been suffering from depression for several years and had been unable to overcome it. Chikkadapally Inspector L Madhu Babu said Yashwitha spoke to her father over the phone around 8.30 am on Saturday When he called her again . around 9.30 am, she did not answer despite several attempts. Suspecting something wrong, he alerted the hostel staff. The staff went to her room and found her unconscious. They alerted the police, who shifted her to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. suicide PREVENTION helpline (24x7) Tele MANAS counsellors at: 14416 (OR) 1800-89-14416 HC orders inquiry into allegations HDFC boss on way out, won’t seek reappointment of custodial torture by KPHB police B e n n K o c h u v e e d a n @ Mumbai T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad The Telangana High Court has directed the Cyberabad Police Commissioner to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into allegations of custodial torture, illegal detention and false implication in connection with a minor girl’s disappearance case at KPHB Police Station. Justice T Madhavi Devi issued the directions while hearing a petition by a 40-year-old physiotherapist, who alleged that police unlawfully detained him and subjected him to severe physical and mental harassment. The petitioner said his detention followed the disappearance of a minor domestic helper from his former employer’s residence. He denied involvement, saying his only contact with the girl was a 90-second phone call in which she allegedly sought financial assistance, which he declined. He alleged that he was kept in custody for more than 24 hours without a warrant or prior notice, beaten, forcibly given unidentified tablets, assaulted and subjected to chemical burns. The petitioner alleged that his belongings were seized and that the police threatened to implicate him under the NDPS and POCSO Acts if he disclosed details of the detention. The petitioner relied on Gandhi Hospital medical records documenting multiple external injuries and swelling, as well as photographs.  continued on p5 SASHIdhar Jagdishan, chief executive and managing director of HDFC Bank, who was handpicked by the bank’s founding CEO Aditya Puri to succeed him in 2020, has decided not to seek reappointment when his current term ends in October, bringing to an end his nearly three-decade career with the country’s largest private sector bank. “Despite persuasion, Jagdishan reiterated his decision to not seek reappointment when his term ends on October 26, 2026. The board deeply appreciates his commitment, leadership, contribution to the growth and stability of the bank and his role in the successful completion of one of the largest mergers in corporate India,” the bank informed the stock exchanges on Saturday . The board has now fasttracked the process of finding his successor, it added. J a g d i s h a n’s b i g g e s t achievement at the bank was arguably the merger of parent Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) with HDFC Bank in July 2023. Valued at around $44 bil- Difference of opinion Several people familiar with the matter of resignation of non-executive chairman Atanu Chakraborty’s decision attributed it to ‘differences’ with Jagdishan over the extent of the chairman’s role in the bank’s functioning. lion, the transaction was one of the largest M&A deals in corporate India. However, the merger also brought a host of challenges, particularly on the asset-liability and margin fronts. The bank also faced several other issues during Jagdis- han’s tenure, the most significant of which was in March 2026 when non-executive chairman Atanu Chakraborty resigned citing concerns over the bank’s functioning. The bank also faced allegations of mis-selling low-investment-grade bonds to NRIs through its Dubai branch, with customers allegedly promised higher returns that were not received. In a separate case involving the alleged mis-selling of Additional Tier-1 (AT1) bonds issued by failed Swiss lender Credit Suisse, American investors reportedly threatened to initiate a class-action lawsuit against the bank.