RoKo show: Duo prove worth in final match of series Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli wound back the clock with a match-winning 2nd-wicket partnership to help India win against Australia. After an iffy start in Perth, Rohit has grown into the series. After a streaky 50 in Adelaide, he was at his best notching up his 33rd ODI 100 in trademark fashion. While Rohit played the aggressor, Kohli was equally solid during his unbeaten 74. | P13 HUBBALLI l sunday l october 26, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l city EDITION 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 India waits for clear US signals on how Russian oil curbs will play out Trade pact talks stay the course; need more clarity on crude oil sanctions, say officials J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi As trade pact negotiations gain traction, India is pressing for a fair deal and clearer signals from Washington on sanctions related to Russian oil. In a key meeting India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, met US Deputy Secretary of Energy James Danly to review the India–US energy security partnership and recent trends in bilateral energy trade. Sources said the talks also touched on how impending US sanctions could affect global oil flows, even as supplies remain stable. “These are early days and we need more clarity on the sanctions — that’s part of the ongoing conversation with the US. Our energy security is paramount and guided by market condi- Kwatra meets Lockheed CEO Ambassador Kwatra also met Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet an had a ‘productive’ discussion on bilateral defence industrial collaboration and opportunities under India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative tions, national interests, and domestic requirements,” a source familiar with the issue said. India’s attention is on US sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil, count doubles indore shocker Oz women cricketers ‘stalked, molested’ A n u r a a g S i n g h @ Bhopal In a shocking incident, two Australian women’s cricket team members were allegedly stalked and sexually harassed by a motorcycle-borne man in Indore on Thursday. The incident took place in broad day light, 11 am to be precise, when the two players were walking from the Radisson Blu hotel (where the team was staying since October 17) to a popular café close by . The accused stalked the two players who were jogging to the café from the hotel. He followed the cricketers and first tried to grab one of them and drove off. Later, he came from behind again and molested the other woman cricketer. A case was registered on the complaint of the team’s security manager Danny Simmons at Indore’s MIG police station on October 23 night. The accused, identified as Aqeel Khan, was arrested the next day and booked for stalking and outraging a woman’s modesty, under BNS Sections 74 and 78. This was confirmed by additional DCP (ADCP-Crime) Rajesh Dandotiya who added that it was done based on the complaint filed by the Australian team management’s security in-charge Simmons, about The accused at the police station after the arrest | express “inappropriate behaviour” with the team’s players. “Intensive strategic operation was carried out by multiple teams of five police stations, resulting in the tracing and arrest of the accused within six hours of lodging of the case,” Dandotiya told this newspaper. The Aussie cricketers resisted. One of the cricketers sent a distress signal to the team’s security manager Simmons over phone through the live location. A local resident also came to the rescue and noted the motorcycle number that led to nabbing the accused. P13 —Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Indian envoy to the US which supply most of its Russian oil, and the possible ripple effects of secondary sanctions. The fine-print is awaited. Germany recently took temporary control of three Rosneft subsidiaries to secure its own energy The highly endangered snow leopard population in Himachal has almost doubled, increasing from 44 individuals in 2021 to 83, according to a survey | P10 Snow leopard Had a fruitful discussion with Deputy Secretary James Danly on the energy security partnership B’luru litterbugs watch out, waste will soon be dumped at your doorstep M o h a mm e d Ya c o o b @Bengaluru Litterbugs, watch out. A load of garbage will be dumped right in front of your homes if you continue to throw garbage on roadsides and other non-designated spots creating eyesores across the city After exploring multiple options . to stop indiscriminate disposal of garbage, which is chipping away at the image Brand Bengaluru, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) now wants to teach a fit lesson to such litterers. Marshals first record videos of those dumping garbage and then trace their residences. Soon, a load of garbage will land at their doorsteps. The Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) has been creating awareness, carrying out massive drives and slapping fines on litterbugs to reduce black spots, but the menace has not stopped. This latest solution will make litterbugs feel how it is to have a load of garbage right at their doorsteps. Also, dumping of garbage will be videographed and shared on social media to name and shame such litterbugs, officials said. “Recording of videos of litterbugs indiscriminately dumping mixed waste in plastic carry bags, gunny bags and boxes is already on for the last one week. Marshals, along with ward engineers and jurisdictional police will also reach their homes and dump garbage at their doorsteps,” said a senior official. WITH THIS ISSUE Star Trek PLUS 12 P AGES e x p ress re a d Mobile phone cargo in bus may have spread fire Techie held for Maharashtra doctor rape, cop on the run Reliance, Facebook to invest `885 cr in AI venture Kurnool: Crucial details have emerged in the probe into Friday’s Kurnool bus fire which claimed 19 lives. The investigation revealed that the bus was carrying a consignment of 234 brand new mobile phones beneath the rear seats. The lithium-ion batteries of the mobile phones exploded due to extreme heat, intensifying the fire | P7 Mumbai: Police on Saturday arrested a software engineer in connection with the 26-year-old woman doctor’s suicide case in Maharashtra’s Satara district, while the main accused, suspended police sub-inspector Gopal Badane, is absconding. Prashant Bankar, son of the woman doctor’s landlord, was arrested from Pune, police said | P10 New Delhi: Meta Platforms, Inc.’s Facebook Overseas will hold 30% interest in the AI venture floated by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd. Reliance Intelligence will hold the remaining 70% in Reliance Enterprise Intelligence Ltd. Reliance Intelligence, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RIL, and Facebook will jointly invest an initial amount of `855 crore | P12 supplies -- a move that underscores the lack of a uniform Western approach to Russian oil sanctions. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s renewed sanctions on Moscow are being viewed as a pressure tactic as well. Sources said a Russia– Ukraine ceasefire would represent the best-case scenario for India, potentially paving the way for lifting the additional 25% tariff on Russian crude imposed by the US. With fears of secondary sanctions looming, India’s imports of Russian oil are expected to come down gradually, a shift that could push New Delhi to source more energy from the US as well. While Nayara Energy maintains a term contract for Russian crude, most of India’s Russian oil purchases are spot deals. Sources noted that while sufficient alternative supply exists, Russia remains a key partner. ‘Call centre’ was set up for voter theft: Sources B a l a C h a u h a n @Bengaluru The investigation into the alleged voter theft in Aland constituency in Kalaburagi district has gained momentum. According to informed sources, the setup with around five computer sets which was handled by four alleged suspects – Akram, Ashfaque, Nadeem and Mushtaq -- was reportedly set up “for the purpose of filing online fraudulent 6,018 Form 7 applications on the Election Commission website for deletion of names,” said sources on condition of anonymity . “Of the four accused, one is an online political surveyor/ manipulator, one a data operator and two others are well versed in filing online applications and providing logical support,” added the sources. The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is investigating the alleged voter theft, has also unravelled that the perpetrators had allegedly used 75 mobile phone numbers of people from vulnerable sections of society “from across the country to create login IDs for the 6,018 applications. The investigation is looking at loopholes, which were used to create login IDs with single one-time passwords (OTPs.) How did the perpetrators get these 75 mobile phone numbers? There has to be a network of people helping them with logistics. Each login was created using an OTP. How did they manage to get them? Did they hack the 75 mobile phones,” said the sources. The SIT has questioned Akram, Nadeem and Mushtaq and is now planning to bring back Ashfaque, who is said to be in Dubai, for questioning. “Ashfaque left for Dubai after being questioned in the same case in 2023 by the Kalaburagi police, which was initially investigating the case based on an FIR registered in Aland,” added the sources. The FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by the ECI.  P4