tirupati l sunday l october 18, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l anantapur EDITION FSSAI proposes ban on fructose, sucrose in infant food products The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India proposed a ban on adding fructose and sucrose in food products for infants up to six months old Aim is to curb early exposure to sugar Currently used as carbohydrate source According to a statement from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, emphasis is on minimising exposure to added sugars during the earliest stages of life. “The proposed restriction seeks to ensure that infant nutrition products meet the nutritional needs of this age group without unnecessary addition of sucrose and fructose,” the ministry observed ■ ■ Under the current provisions, lactose and glucose polymers are the preferred sources of carbohydrates. Sucrose and/or fructose could be added only when required as a carbohydrate source Multiple studies have shown that early exposure to sugar creates a preference for sweetened food, leading to health issues later in life 60 days The draft notification is open for public scrutiny 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 waives 17 killed in pandal stampede Russia-related curbs on India Heavy rain in Kolkata leads to human crush after pandal gates give away; several injured s u b h en d u m a i t i @ Kolkata But US retains the right to withdraw waiver 1 Pu s h p i ta De y @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE Grain of Truth PLUS 12 P AGES Dipke granted conditional bail, Neha Bora freed The US has waived punitive tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil, temporarily relieving India of the threat of additional duties of up to 100% over its purchases of Russian crude. In an executive order signed on October 16, President Donald Trump invoked national interests to waive key tariff penalties under the new Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The waiver suspends the additional duties days before they were scheduled to take effect on October 18. The move provides temporary relief to India, one of the largest buyers of Russian crude, but the threat of tariffs remains as Washington retains the authority to withdraw the waiver. Trump’s move comes days after he announced that the US would import diesel from Russia, in a bid to bring down domestic fuel prices ahead of the November midterms. The US administration would continue to monitor imports of Russian-origin crude oil and natural gas by other countries and keep the President informed. The US House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by 262 votes to 159 on September 16. The legislation empowers the President to impose additional tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas. India and China, both major buyers of Russian crude, would have been among the countries most exposed to the proposed tariffs. India is particularly vulnerable because it imports more than 88% of its crude oil requirements. Russia emerged as its largest supplier ever since the war in Ukraine began. This newspaper had on Friday reported that India was confident it would remain protected from US sanctions over its purchases of Russian oil and gas, with government officials indicating that Washington is unlikely to penalise New Delhi. They said India was in regular discussions with the US administration. “From what we sense, the US government will not put sanctions on India. We have been in touch with the US team and India’s standpoint has already been conveyed regarding the challenges that could arise because of that,” an ofYo-yo diesel diplomacy: P14 ficial had said.  2 I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States Donald Trump, US President Temporary relief The US, however, retains the power to impose additional duties of up to 100% on goods from major buyers of Russian energy 500% levy provision The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 also provides for a 500% tariff increase on Russian goods 3 arrangement Violence mars filing of nominations on 2nd day E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kadapa/Tirupati/Ongole/Guntur For the second consecutive day, nominations for the urban local body elections in Andhra Pradesh were marred by violence and clashes between members of contesting parties - TDP and YSRCP . In Pulivendula, police had to open fire in the air to disperse the volatile mob. A tense situation was reported in Punganur, Rayachoti, Rajampet, Tirupati, Kadapa, Gurazala and Piduguralla in Palanadu, and Darsi of Prakasam district.The escalation of hostilities paralysed normal civic life in these urban centres, forcing top-tier administrative and police leadership to step in directly to restore order. In Pulivendula, the situation reached a boiling point Tension at the municipal corporation office in Tirupati on Saturday I Express when a massive procession of YSRCP supporters, led by MP YS Avinash Reddy, attempted to force their way toward the nomination centre. Confronted by heavy police cordons enforcing strict scheduling and entry restrictions, a fierce confrontation ensued. As angry mobs began hurling stones—dangerously close to District Superintendent of Police Shelke Nachiket Vishwanath—law enforce- ment agencies were compelled to use heavy lathicharge. The situation deteriorated to the extent that police fired over 30 rounds of tear gas shells, and discharged multiple warning rounds into the air, including the deployment of an AK-47, to disperse the volatile crowds. Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen and District Collector Sridhar Cherukuri subsequently rushed to the town to review security protocols, while an overnight arson attack completely gutted a YSRCP-affiliated chicken shop and multiple vehicles. Violence also erupted across Kadapa city, where nomination venues near Mariapuram, Gandhi Nagar School, and Kagitalapenta tur ned into active flashP4 points.  Sravani vs Kalyani: GVMC to get third woman mayor U DAYA N K ISHOR E @ New Delhi All India Students’ Association (AISA) leader Neha Bora was released from detention on Saturday morning, while Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was granted conditional bail later in the day by a local court, after he signed a peace bond. Both were detained by the Delhi Police on Friday ahead of the Lehra do Tiranga protest at Connaught Place. Dipke was arrested in a fresh case for violating a peace bond furnished by him on October 10. He was produced before a special executive magistrate court, which imposed various conditions on him while granting him relief. On October 10, he was detained inside a flight at Delhi airport along with CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. A case for breach of peace was registered. Dipke was released after signing a bond undertaking not to disturb peace for one year. He was made to sign another peace bond on Saturday . Bora was released after completing formalities related to her detention under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act. “I was detained at Mandi House and kept here (at the police station) the whole night, until 5 am. Why are you (police) carrying out these illegal detentions,” she said. 1. Footwear scattered at the stampede site in Kolkata; 2. Kin of victims at the Calcutta Medical College; 3. A patient being stretchered into the hospital | special seventeen people were feared dead and many others injured after a downpour led to a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal on Saturday evening in Central Kolkata near Mahajati Sadan. Police authorities are yet to confirm the casualties. The tragedy occurred inside the Chorbagan Puja pandal around 7 pm. As it started raining, the crowd waiting outside the Puja pandal rushed forward, and some of them fell on the road, leading to the stampede-like situation, a police officer said. “At least 25 people were taken to the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital in serious condition,” he said. A television report said 17 people were declared dead on arrival at Calcutta Medical Col- E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Visakhapatnam French rage Flames ravage Lyon’s tourism office after it was set on fire by a mob during a protest against the “high cost of living” in France, on Saturday as part of a nationwide call for mobilisation of students, climate activists, farmers and others | AFP | P11 The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is set to get its third woman mayor, with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate Mukka Sravani taking on YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) nominee Varudu Kalyani in the October 28 election. If elected, Sravani will become the first woman mayor from the TDP in the corporation. Congress leader Rajana Ramani served as mayor from 2000 to 2005, while YSRCP’s G Hari Venkata Kumari held the post from 2021 to 2025. Sravani, a physiotherapy doctor who is now active in full-time politics, is a former corporator from Ward 26 under erstwhile ward arrangement. She is the daughter of senior TDP leader Mukka Mutyala Naidu, who has been associated with the party since its inception in 1983. Sravani joined the TDP in 2015, and began working actively for the party. She won as a corporator from Ward 26 in the 2021 GVMC elections. Her family has a long association with the party with her , father having earlier served as a corporator. Her mother, Eswari, also contested as a TDP corporator in the 2007 elections but lost by a narrow margin. Her brother, Kishore Kumar, has been involved in politics P4 since 2005.  lege in Bowbazar police station area, while more than 30 others were admitted. West Bengal ch i e f m i n i s t e r S u ve n d u Adhikari and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal have reached the Calcutta Medical College to take stock. This is perhaps the first incident of stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in West Bengal. Health Minister Saradwat Mukherjee and senior officials also rushed to the hospital. Disaster management personnel have been deployed at the site. “Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the stampede at the Chorbagan puja pandal. I pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured and for strength and courage for their families during this difficult time,” former chief minister Mamata Banerjee said. ‘Vizag beach sand contains high natural radionuclides’ U s h a Pe r i @ Visakhapatnam Beach sand samples collected along the Visakhapatnam coast contain concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive elements above global average levels, with relatively higher concentrations recorded in the northern sector of the study area, according to a research paper published by Springer Nature. The study titled ‘Spatial dis, tribution of natural radionuclides and radiological hazard assessment in beach sands of the Visakhapatnam coast, Eastern India’, examined four naturally occurring radionuclides, including uranium-238, radium-226, thorium-232 and potassium-40, and assessed their distribution in beach sands, and the associated ambient radiation levels. T h e p ap e r was authored by B Ramesh, P Padma Savitri, J Sudhakar, R Balaram Kumar, SK Sahoo, IV Saradhi and Vandana Pulhani. The authors are associated with the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Division of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra University, and the Homi Bhabha National Institute in Mumbai. The researchers recorded mean activity concentrations of 167 becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg) for uranium-238, 292 Bq/kg for radium-226, 2,614 Bq/ kg for thorium-232 and 449 Bq/ kg for potassium-40. The concentrations varied considerably between sampling locations, particularly in the case of thorium-232, which ranged from 6.9 to 13,691.7 Bq/kg.  P4 CHILD MODE call Children have fundamental right to internet access, rules Supreme Court s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n t y @ New Delhi DEclaring that access to and use of the internet is a ‘fundamental right’ for every individual, including children, the Supreme Court has directed the Central government to create a national database for detection and removal of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on digital platforms. Crackdown on subscription-based sexual content The Supreme Court has taken serious note of lapses by social media platforms in curbing sexually explicit visual content depicting minors and directed that every intermediary must ensure no such material is offered, hosted, uploaded or promoted through a paywall or subscription, either directly or indirectly A bench comprising justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran suggested introducing “child mode” for social media accounts, with greater emphasis on parental consent and oversight. “We have no hesitation in saying that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right of every individual under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a) of the Con- stitution. Our children, irrespective of their age, enjoy the same rights ... the safety of our children and their freedom are not at odds with each other.” The bench made these obser- vations while hearing a plea by Just Rights for Children Alliance (JCRA). The bench acknowledged that the internet is far from safe for children but held that keeping children away because of the failures of intermediaries to detect and remove harmful material would amount to mistaking the victim for the problem. “Children do not cease to use the internet merely because the law prohibits them from do- ing so, and they continue to use the same,” the bench said. The bench also directed that National Hash & URL List Database be set up for detection and removal of CSEAM, and said any entry in the database should be made after multiple tiers of verification, with the final screening being done by at least three trained human analysts who independently determine whether the material constitutes CSEAM.