tadepalligudem l friday l august 08, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION Trump, Putin likely to meet next week in uae, says kremlin The news of the meeting from Kremlin came on the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress toward ending the war in Ukraine File photo russia mum on having ukraine on table There was no immediate comment on Thursday from the White House and it was unclear how the announcement of the meeting would affect Trump’s Friday deadline for Russia on Ukraine. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov brushed aside the possibility of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joining the meet, something Trump was open to ■ 25% first u.s.-russia summit since 2021 ■ The meeting would be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva. It would be a significant milestone toward Trump’s effort to end the war Since the start of the war, Russia’s relentless pounding of urban areas behind the frontline has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians of ukrainians told gallup poll that they want the war to end 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 Rahul shows 1L ‘vote theft proof’ in K’taka P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi Days after his ‘atom bomb’ barb against the Election Commission of India (ECI), Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged large-scale irregularities in voter rolls, citing an analysis of the Mahadevapura assembly segment poll rolls in Karnataka for the 2024 general elections, where 1 lakh instances of ‘vote theft’ were allegedly found. He said the ‘election was stolen’ through a collusion between the BJP and the EC, adding the judiciary needs to get involved in this because “the democracy that we love so much, does not exist anymore”. Rahul said six months of tedious work on Mahadevapura poll rolls threw up “criminal evidence” of ‘vote theft’, and alleged that the poll body was busy destroying such proof across the country . He alleged that there was ‘theft’ of 1,00,250 votes in the Mah a d ev a p u r a segment, with 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 voters Visakhapatnam LPG explosion at scrap shop: 3 dead, 3 injured D h a r m end r a Re g a n a @ Visakhapatnam A devastating explosion at a scrap and welding shop near the fishing harbor in Visakhapatnam claimed the lives of three persons and severely injured three others on Thursday at 4 pm within the one-town police station limits. The deceased were identified as Ch Mutyalu (27), Ch Ganesh (45), and Srinivas. The injured, T Sanyasi Rao, E Ranga Rao (53), and E Yellaji (46), who suffered major burns, were rushed to King George Hospital (KGH). According to Station Fire Officer AV Ramana, preliminary investigations revealed that the explosion occurred when workers at the scrap shop used a commercial LPG cylinder for welding purposes, leading to a high-pressure explosion. “Using a commercial LPG cylinder for welding purposes is an improper use of the appliance and P4 negligence,” he added.  Explosion occurred when workers used a commercial LPG cylinder for welding purposes | G Satyanarayana with fake and invalid addresses, 10,452 bulk voters or single address voters, 4,132 voters with invalid photos and 33,692 voters misusing Form 6 meant for enrolling new voters. Form 6, he added, was the most misused one. “Normally the new voters’ age varies between 18 to 25 years, but in this category, there were voters with age 98, 97, 85, 75 years and so on. “There is not a single person in the 18-25 age group,” he pointed out. While the EC responded by demanding Rahul’s signed declaration on his claims, he fired back, saying he made the remarks publicly and they can “take it as an oath”. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured 6,58,915 votes in Bangalore Central, winning with a margin of 32,707. In the Mahadevapura assembly segment, the Congress received 1,15,586 votes as against the BJP’s 2,29,632. “The Congress won all Vidhan Sabha segments except Mah a d ev a p u r a , which swung the scales.” Heat on poll body If EC denies machinereadable data on poll rolls for the past 10-15 years and the CCTV footage, they are partaking in the crime, Rahul said It doesn’t matter how senior or junior you are (in EC). One day, the Oppn will come to power. Then you’ll see what we do to you Rahul Gandhi National shame 260 doping positive cases in 2024 In a major embarrassment, 260 positive cases in one year could be the highest in the history of the country | P11 7,466 samples collected in 2024 76 Athletics on top, lifting (43) Sources say no amount of aid can offset the huge losses to affected sectors India Inc SOS to govt as US tariffs kick in D IPAK MO N D AL @ New Delhi WITH the US imposing a massive 50% tariff on Indian products, the affected sectors—primarily textiles, gems & jewellery, and MSMEs—have warned of a possible disruption of critical supply chains, plummeting exports, and thousands of job losses. These sectors have also sought both fiscal and non-fiscal support from the government. However, government officials and industry experts say any support would fall short of offsetting the business losses caused by the high tariffs. On Wednesday the US imposed an additional , 25% tariff over and above the earlier-announced 25% tariff on Indian exports, to penalise India for its continued crude oil imports from Russia. The first 25% tariff took effect on Thursday while the , second levy will kick in on August 27. A senior official from the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) said businesses might have stayed afloat with 25% tariff by absorbing 10-15% of it through margin cuts. “But with a 50% tariff, doing business with the US has become unviable. Many MSMEs will shut shop,” the official said, warning that lakhs of jobs are at risk. The impacted sectors have sought relief measures such as deferment of interest on working capital, permission for SEZs to sell in the domestic market, and shortterm relief packages similar to those introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, insiders say that even if the government steps in, it cannot bridge the cost gap. Indian exports to the US stand around $87 billion, accounting for 20% of its total exports. Estimates suggest that 40-50% of these exports could be affected. India’s top exports to the US include electronics (including smartphones), pharmaceuticals, gems & jewellery textiles, organic chemi, cals, and machinery. While smartphones and pharmaceuticals enjoy zero tariffs now, most other sectors are subject to a 50% or higher duty . The US is the largest market for India’s garment exports, with exports worth $5.33 billion in FY25. The gems and jewellery sector exported goods worth $12 billion to the US in FY25 and now faces a 50% duty “The US is our single largest market,” . said Kirit Bhansali, chairman, GJEPC. The MSME sector is also feeling the heat. “The additional 25% penalty could cut exports by halfMSMEs exporting to the US,” said Anil Bhardwaj, secretary-general, FISME. You can’t act like a crook, SC tells ED s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n t y @ New Delhi India-US trade talks on Despite the tariff action, talks are on between India and the US for a trade deal. A US delegation will travel to India later this month. “We hope to find a middle ground,” said an official Putin to visit India, says Doval Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India soon, said National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Sources said both sides are looking at an early date for the visit ‘Wait for secondary sanctions’ Responding to a question on why India was singled out, US President Donald Trump said a lot more secondary sanctions are on the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferring the maiden ‘M S Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace on Prof Ademola A Adenle, in New Delhi on Thursday | PTI Ready to pay heavy price to protect farmers: PM J i t end r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi On a day the first half of the heavy US tariff on India kicked in, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was willing to bear any significant personal cost to defend the rights of farmers and the dairy sector. “I know that I will personally have to pay a heavy price. But I am ready for it,” Modi stated. “For us, the interests of farmers is the top priority India will never compromise on the . interests of farmers, dairy sector and fishermen,” the prime minister said in his address at the M S Swaminathan Centenary International Conference here. The sticking point in the trade deal with the US is India’s refusal to open up its farming sector. The US wants permission to sell genetically modified crops such as maize and soybean, and full access to India’s dairy market. Modi released a commemorative coin and stamp in the honour of the legendary agricultural scientist, Prof M S Swaminathan. He also established a global award, the ‘M S Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace’. The first edition of the award was conferred on Prof Ademola A Adenle for his efforts in combating hunger in Nigeria. The PM highlighted the achievements of yesteryear scientists in making the country self-sufficient in food and urged young scientists to focus on India’s nutritional security . Lula agrees to scale up ties Brazilian President Luiz In’cio Lula da Silva called up PM Modi. They agreed to boost bilateral ties in trade, tech, energy, defence, agri and health at a time when both nations face 50% US tariff WHILE flagging low conviction rates in cases investigated by the Enforcement Directorate, the Supreme Court on Thursday lambasted the central agency and said it cannot act like a “crook” and has to confine itself within the four corners of law. “You cannot act like a crook. You have to work within the four corners of law. There is a difference between law-enforcing authorities and law-violating bodies,” said a three-judge bench headed by Justice Surya Kant. The bench, also comprising justices Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh, made these observations while hearing submissions on the maintainability of a batch of review petitions filed by Karti P Chidambaram and others challenging the validity of the 2022 Vijay Madanalal Chaudhary (VMC) judgment which upheld various provisions under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) granting ED power of arrest. Slamming ED for its low rate of convictions, Justice Bhuyan, quoting a minister’s reply in Parliament, quipped: “After 5,000 cases, less than 10 convictions. Why? We are equally concerned about the image of the ED.” The bench stressed that there is a difference between law enforcement agencies and those who violate it. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for ED, said one of the reasons for low conviction rates in PMLA cases is that the “rich and powerful use a battery of lawyers and file many applications at different stages to protract the proceedings.” Justice Bhuyan said, “At the end of 5-6 years of judicial custody, if people are acquitted, who will pay for this?” Justice Kant said the solution was dedicated courts akin to TADA and POTA courts for expeditious disposal. The hearing will continue next week. Nethanna Bharosa: CM launches `25k annual assistance scheme for weavers E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Reaffirming that the primary goal of the TDP-led NDA coalition government is to double the income of handloom weavers in the state, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced that under the “Nethanna Bharosa” scheme, each weaver family would receive annual financial assistance of `25,000. The Chief Minister made this announcement while participating in the 11th National Handloom Day celebrations held on Thursday at Mangalagiri in Guntur district. Naidu further visited the CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu during National Handloom Day program at Mangalagiri on Thursday | Express previously established Weaver Shed along with Minister for Education and IT Nara Lokesh, interacted with the handloom artisans, and reviewed their products. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, CM Chandrababu Naidu asserted that the comprehensive welfare package for handloom weavers and backward communities, which includes three sectors, was aimed at reviving the handloom sector and supporting marginalized communities. The welfare scheme includes free electricity for weavers and power loom units, GST reimbursement and subsidies, and a thrift fund of `5 crore for the welfare of weavers. “Starting this month, the government will provide 200 units of free electricity for handlooms and 500 units for power looms. This will benefit 93,000 handloom families and 50,000 power P4 loom families” he said. WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH... A biker braves heavy rainfall as he negotiates a flooded road in Hyderabad, on Thursday | PTI `5 crore bribe demand: ACB catches Tribal Welfare Dept ENC E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths caught the Engineer-In-Chief (EIC) of the Tribal Welfare Department, Sabbavarapu Srinivas, red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakh from a contractor in exchange for an official favor on Thursday . According to ACB officials, Srinivas has two previously registered cases against him low conviction ACB officials nab Tribal Welfare Department ENC Srinivas red handed while accepting `25 lakh | Express under corruption charges. The complainant, Chekuri Krishnamraju, Managing Partner of Sri Satya Sai Constructions, Visakhapatnam, had been executing contract works related to the Tribal Welfare Department. A certain amount was pending from the government in connection with deviation contract works undertaken at various locations in the state, particularly in the districts of Alluri Sitaramaraju, Par- vathipuram Manyam, and Srikakulam. The tainted officer, Srinivas, reportedly demanded a bribe of Rs 5 crores from the contractor to sanction the deviation contract works. When the contractor expressed his unwillingness to pay the officer asked him to pay , Rs 25 lakhs initially Unwilling . to pay the demanded bribe, the contractor complained to the ACB officials in Vijayawada. Based on the complaint, the ACB officials registered a case against Srinivas and caught him red-handed while accepting the bribe amount at his office. During the investigation, it was noticed that Srinivas had several allegations of corruption in the past while serving as an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) in Visakhapatnam. It was also found that he had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of inP4 come.  express read Andhra Premier League Season - 4 begins today Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Premier League (APL) Season 4 kiks off today in Visakhapatnam. The tournament will begin with the inaugural match between Kakinada Kings and Amaravati Royals at 7.30 p.m. The other teams participating in the season include Vijayawada Sun Shiners, Royals of Rayalaseema, Simhadri Vizag Lions, Tungabhadra Warriors, and Bhimavaram Bulls | P3 YSRCP leader booked for assaulting SC Youth Tirupati: A YSRCP leader and supporter of former MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy has been booked for allegedly kidnapping and assulting a Scheduled Caste (SC) youth in Tirupati. According to the Police, the victim, Pavan had rented motorbikes from Anil Kumar Reddy but failed to return them or pay the rent | P3