Asian Games declared open, Indians march on The Indian contingent, led by double Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker (centre right) and Asiad gold medallist Kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat (centre left), march on during the Opening Ceremony of the 20th Asian Games at Mizoho Sports Park in Nagoya, Japan on Saturday. India’s medal hunt begins on Sunday in teqball | P13 HUBBALLI l sunday l september 20, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l CITY EDITION PIC: PTI 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 Trump signs Russia curbs Act, extends H-1B visa fee Legislation authorises US prez to slap up to 100% tariff on India D i pa k M o nd a l @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE Essay The Republic of the Plate PLUS 12 P AGES Legal wrangles ahead for US visa fee rule US President Donald Trump late Friday (US time) signed the controversial ‘Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026’, authorising US to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the five largest foreign buyers J aya nt h J a c o b @ New Delhi of Russian crude oil and natural gas, putting India and China at direct risk of penalties. US President Donald Trump has extended the The Act provides for property-blocking sancmeasure requiring a $100,000 fee on employers tions on foreign vessels that knowingly transfor new H-1B visa applications by another year, port certain Russian-origin products, including the White House said. crude oil, uranium and coal. Trump, who has intensified his immigration The US Senate passed the Bill on Aucrackdown, has repeatedly attacked gust 7, while the House of Representathe H-1B programme and pushed to tives approved it on September 16. The make the $100,000 fee permanent, up law will take effect within 30 days. Durfrom the existing $2,000–$5,000 range. ing this period, the US Trade RepreThe move, however, has also been sentative will identify countries to be caught in legal tangles. targeted and recommend tariff rates. “The restrictions enacted by the 2025 The law provides a chance to countries Proclamation have proven to be highly to reduce Russian energy purchases effective. It is in the interests of US to within 180 days and negotiate with US extend the 2025 Proclamation for an adfor a lower tariff. Apart from China and ditional 12 months, until 12:00 am eastIndia, Turkiye, EU and Myanmar are ern daylight time on September 21, other three top importers of Russian An extension of the 2027, ” the proclamation said. crude. The policy is particularly conse2025 Proclamation India, which sourced around 30% of quential for Indian professionals. The will continue to its crude oil imports from Russia in protect the economic US Citizenship and Immigration ServFY2026 — $40.8 billion out of total and national security ices data shows 71% of approved H-1B interests of the crude imports of $134.7 billion — now petitions in fiscal 2024 involved benefiUnited States faces the risk of tariffs of up to 100% ciaries born in India, compared with on its exports to the US. 11.7% born in China.The H-1B proDonald Trump India has maintained it will take necgramme, created by Congress in 1990, essary measures to protect its economic interenables US employers to temporarily employ ests. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) foreign professionals in specialised occupahad earlier said the law could affect bilateral tions. It is heavily used by technology compaties and international energy market. nies and has become an important mode for “The Indian side has made clear its determirecruiting workers from India and China. nation to take all necessary measures to protect The extension comes amid legal challenges. its trade and economic interests,” MEA said A federal judge blocked the $100,000 requireTrade and geopolitical analysts said India ment in June 2026 and ruled that the adminisshould negotiate with US to limit the law’s tration lacked authority to impose the payment, impact. according to Reuters. ‘System’ is suppressing youth: Rahul P r eet h a n a i r @ Indore Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the ‘system’ is suppressing students and does not want them to raise questions about unemployment and examination irregularities. Addressing a huge gathering of students at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Indore, Rahul said the very institutions created to support students and protect universities and colleges are now working against them. “The system has captured the entire country It does not want students . to raise questions,” he said. “Students are asking questions about the system, including about certain industrialists, but the Andhbhakts oppose them. Only students can wipe out violence and hatred from the country, not Andhbhakts.” He said nearly 10 lakh teaching posts were vacant across the country and this reflected the government’s failure to protect the future of the youth. “The students are the foundation of the country. Students make the country And as I said earlier, edu. cation is not a luxury. Education is not a favour. Education is the right of every student in India,” he said. He charged that the system does not want the judiciary, the bureaucracy, the Election Commission and other institutions to function independently. He claimed that the six people who run the system are Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. HC stays circulars suspending notification revising min wages E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Bengaluru The Karnataka High Court stayed circulars issued by some state government departments, keeping in abeyance a state government notification dated May 22, 2026, revising the minimum wages for outsourced, daily-wage and contract employees. Justice HT Narendra Prasad passed the interim order, staying the circulars dated July 29, 2026 and August 10, 2026, allegedly issued on the ‘verbal instructions’ of the finance department, till the next date of hearing, and issued a notice to the state government. The order followed the hearing of a batch of petitions filed by the All-India Trade Union Congress, Karnataka Rajya Sarkari Khayamayetharara Noukarara Okkuta and Others and All-India Central Council of Trade Unions and others, challenging the circulars issued by the principal director of Karnataka State Audit and Accounts Department, director of municipal administration and other departments. The government issued a notification dated May 22, 2026 under Section 5(1)(a) and 5(1)(b) of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, revising the minimum wages in respect of 83 scheduled employments in the state. But the circulars kept it in abeyance for outsourced, daily-wage and contract employees. CONTINUED ON: P7