tirupati l thursday l october 23, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION Gold records worst single-day plunge since 2013, falls over 6% After record rally of more than 70% so far this year, the yellow metal fell 6.3% on Tuesday, its biggest single-day fall in more than 12 years Profit booking, trade talks behind slump ANALYSTS WARN OF SHORT-TERM VOLATILITY The sharp fall in prices is attributed primarily to profit booking and a slew of positive news flows which have shaved the sheen off the safe-haven metal. A key factor is the upcoming meeting of US president Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping to iron out their trade differences. Other factors are a strong dollar and the likelihood of US shutdown ending | P10 ■ ■ Silver too registered a sharp fall of 7.8%—its worst since 2011—on Tuesday as the historic squeeze in the London market began to ease Analysts warn of more volatility in the short term as the market is likely to correct further. On whether the price of gold will fall below `1 lakh per 10 grams soon, one analyst said, it is difficult to predict `1,32,294 per 10 grams—the record price peak gold touched last Friday 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 nuances stance on India’s Russian oil buy Only joint secy, DGP can order removal of social media content D IPA K MO N D AL @ New Delhi US prez says Modi isn’t going to buy much J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi war with Pakistan and India. That was a very, very good US President Donald Trump thing,” Trump said. has softened his earlier asserThe Diwali call, initiated by tion that India would complete- Trump, was their third publicly ly stop buying Russian crude known conversation since midoil, saying after a Diwali phone September and comes amid oncall with Prime Minister Naren- going tensions in US–India reladra Modi that India tions, particularly “is not going to buy over Washington’s much oil from Rusdecision to impose sia”. It reflects a nusteep tariffs on key anced shift from his Indian exports. This previous claim that includes a 25% levy Modi had promised a linked to India’s confull halt to Russian tinued purchase of Modi unlikely imports, which Russian crude as to travel to was not corroborated Trump seeks to presMalaysia by the Indian sure Moscow amid Prime Minister Modi is government. unlikely to participate the ongoing conflict Speaking to reportin Ukraine. in the ASEAN Summit ers after the call, In his Oval Office in Malaysia scheduled Trump added that he for Oct 26–28, which is remarks, Trump dialso spoke about expected to be attended aled back his earlier “let’s not have no by US President Donald stance: “He’s not gowars with Pakistan,” ing to buy much oil Trump, according to a claim refuted sourc- sources. While an official from Russia. He es here in Delhi. wants to see that war word on the level of India’s participation Sources said “Pakiend as much as I do. is awaited, the prime stan was not disSo they’ve cut it way cussed during the minister may address the back, and they’re phone conversation” summit virtually. India is continuing to cut it between the two lead- typically represented at way back.” ers. “I just spoke to the India-ASEAN Summit Modi, in a post on by the prime minister, X responded warmly your prime minister . but there have been today. Had a great “Thank you, Presiexceptions conversation. We dent Trump, for your talked about trade... phone call and warm He’s very interested in that. Al- Diwali greetings. On this festithough we did talk a little while val of lights, may our two great ago about let’s have no wars democracies continue to illumiwith Pakistan. The fact that nate the world with hope and trade was involved, I was able to stand united against terrorism talk about that. And we have no in all its forms.” steps of faith President Droupadi Murmu climbs the 18 holy steps at Sabarimala temple on Wednesday — only the second Indian President to visit the hill shrine | pti To curb deepfakes, the IT ministry has proposed embedded markers and labelling to help social media users identify AI-generated content ers of the content. The new provisions, introduced through the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2025, aim to make the removal process more transparent, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said. m u ke s h r a nj a n @ New Delhi IN the first sign of a thaw, leaders of Ladakh, where four people died in police firing during the recent pro-statehood protests, met with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday for subcommittee level talks. A nine‑member Ladakh delegation comprising three members each from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), along with Ladakh MP Mohd Haneefa Jan, met MHA officials for over two hours. Jan said discussions primarily revolved around four major issues—statehood, Sixth Schedule inclusion, reservation, and the revocation of the National E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e ‘issue can’t be resolved in one or two meetings’ KDA member Sajjad Hussain Kargili said their demand for the past six years has been democracy in Ladakh. “This issue cannot be resolved in one or two meetings. We discussed the implementation of a reservation policy in Ladakh. among other things” Security Act (NSA) invoked against climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. The activist is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail. The NSA empowers the Centre and states to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner “prejudicial to the defence of India”. The maximum detention period under the stringent law is File photo 12 months, though it can be revoked earlier. Jan described the atmosphere as “positive and constructive,” with both sides agreeing to sustain engagement to secure Ladakh’s identity and equitable representation. The delegation reiterated that statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards were vital to protect the region’s land, jobs, and cultural rights. On the reservation front, both sides decided to hold further deliberations to evolve a fair framework for all communities. KDA member Sajjad Hussain Kargili said another round of meetings would be held within two weeks. “Our demand for democracy in Ladakh continues. Statehood is the ultimate solution,” he said. Talks between the Centre, LAB and KDA had broken down after four protesters were killed and several injured in widespread violence in Leh on September 24. The invitation for the talks were made by the Centre on September 20. The last round of talks between the two sides was held in May . Come and explore investment opportunities in AP, Naidu invites Dubai industry giants E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada @ Nellore/Tirupati/Kadapa/Vijayawada A flooded road in Tirupati following incessant rains (below) The damaged paddy crop in Kadapa | madhav K/ express 55 km/h are lashing coastal areas, prompting advisories for fisher men to remain ashore until Saturday . In Tirupati, the district witnessed its heaviest rainfall in three months, flooding roads and uprooting trees. A f a l l e n t re e o n S r i First notified in February 2021 and amended in 2022 and 2023, the IT rules lay down obligations for intermediaries to ensure online safety and accountability. Under Rule 3(1) (d), they must remove unlawful information upon receiving a court order or a government notification. The ministry has also proposed new rules to regulate deepfakes and AI-generated content. The draft rules propose a new clause defining synthetically generated information as any content artificially created or modified in a manner that appears authentic. Such content could be treated as unlawful and taken down. Talks with govt constructive: Leh team incessant rains disrupt normal life in 5 districts A well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal has unleashed torrential rainfall across southern Andhra Pradesh, severely impacting Nellore, Tirupati, Chittoor, Kadapa and Annamayya districts for three consecutive days. The lowpressure system, now moving northwest toward the Tamil Nadu-PuducherryAndhra coast, has intensified monsoon activity prompting , emergency responses and disrupting normal life. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, by Wednesday evening, Marrappadu (Nellore) received 89.2 mm rainfall, Mogilicherla (Nellore) 79 mm, Bhavadevarapalli (Krishna) 75 mm, Umareddypalle (Prakasam) 62.2 mm, and Duggirala (Guntur) 61.5 mm. The IMD has forecast very heavy rainfall in Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, and Tirupati on Thursday with statewide , showers and thunderstorms expected over the next five days. Gale-force winds of 35– Starting November 1, only senior officials of the rank of joint secretaries or directors general of police can issue orders to social media platforms to remove unlawful content. Besides, every such takedown order will be subject to a monthly review by a secretarylevel officer to ensure the actions remain lawful, necessary , and proportionate. These provisions are part of the amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, notified on Wednesday Under the amended rules, . all takedown requests must include clear legal basis, specific statutory provisions, and details such as URLs or identifi- Labels for deepfakes, AI-generated content Venkateswara University Road blocked traffic, while eastern neighbourhoods like Leela Mahal Circle, Govind Dham Circle, and Korlagunta were inundated. Swarnamukhi overflowed into villages such as Ragigunta and Bramhanapalle, displacing residents. Crop damage is extensive, with paddy and groundnut fields submerged in KVB Puram, Srikalahasti, Yer pedu and Satyavedu mandals. However, waterfalls like Kapila Theertham and Malwadi Gundam are flowing robustly , and Seshachalam forests appear lush and vibrant.  P4 Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu participated in oneto-one meetings with several industry giants on the first day of his three-day visit to the UAE to promote Brand AP and attract investments. He held discussions with Sobha Group founder PNC Menon at first, and informed him about the development of Amaravati as a world class capital. He also explained opportunities for investments in tourism, CM Chandrababu Naidu visits the Museum of the Future in Dubai | Express real estate and hospitality sectors in Andhra Pradesh. Naidu urged Menon to visit Amaravati to see the ongoing infrastructure development works, and invited him to the CII Partnership Summit to be held in Vizag on November 14 and 15. “AP is the best destination for investments,” Naidu said.  P4 ASI’s nod to restore Padala Mandapam D S u r end r a K u m a r @ Nellore The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has given its nod for the restoration of the historic Padala Mandapam at Alipiri, Tirupati — a heritage structure dating back to the Vijayanagara period. The Lord Venkateswara Charitable and Religious Trust, Pune, will undertake the restoration of Padala Mandapam under the guidance of ASI. According to ASI officials, an 8-step scientific process will be followed for the restoration of Padala Mandapam. It includes documentation, drawing preparation, HD photo and video recording, careful dismantling, systematic stacking, foundation reinforcement, resetting, and water-tightening using traP4 ditional methods.  human vs machine 6 lakh Amazon jobs on the line as robots step in E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai Amazon.com plans to replace more than 6,00,000 employees with robots over the next decade in the US, The New York Times reported on Tuesday citing internal documents. , The company is one of the largest employers in the US, with nearly 1.2 million hires. Referring to interviews with staff and internal documents, the NYT reported that the company’s ultimate plan is to automate 75% of its operations and expects to increase sales by a factor of two by 2033 compared to now through automation. Automation would help Amazon avoid hiring 1,60,000 employees by the end of 2027, resulting in savings of $12.5 billion over the next two years, the report said. At the Amazon facility in Shreveport, Louisiana, which is built with automation in mind, a thousand robots already do much of the packing and shipping work, allowing Amazon to employ 25% fewer employees. In 2026, the Louisiana facility would employ only half of the staff compared to what it would have without the deployment of robots. The operation of the Shreveport facility will be replicated in nearly 40 facilities by the end of 2027. As for Amazon India, sources said there are no immediate plans to deploy robots in the country .