KALABURAGI l sunday l october 26, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l city EDITION RoKo show: Duo prove their worth in final match of series Century for Rohit, unbeaten fifty for Kohli 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. After the game, Kohli spoke of his relief in making his first runs after being dismissed for zero in last two innings Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli wound back the clock with a match-winning 2nd-wicket partnership to help India win against Australia ■ 168 Life left in us, says Rohit after game ■ Though this could be their last appearance Down Under, in a special interview of the two with the broadcaster after the match, Rohit said there’s still some life left in the pair | Report on P13 Kohli got a standing ovation at the Sydney Cricket Ground when he came out to bat, a gesture that was in show in the two earlier games They put on an unbroken 168-run stand off 170 legal deliveries 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 conditions, national interests, and domestic requirements,” a source familiar with the issue said. India’s attention is on US sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil, which supply most of its Russian oil, and the possible ripple effects of secondary sanc- 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. The fineprint is awaited. Germany recently took temporary control of three Rosneft subsidiaries to secure its own energy 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– Litterbugs watch out, Oz women cricketers waste to be dumped ‘stalked, molested’ at your doorstep 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 . 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 “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 arrested man has been accused in 10 cases of theft, robbery, drug peddling and attempt to mur- M o h a mm e d Ya c o o b @Bengaluru The accused at the police station after the arrest | express der from 2012 to 2024. “Protocols for the team’s security were set following a meeting between all stakeholders, including the BCCI and MPCA officials and the Indore Police Commissionerate. Despite that, the incident happened. We will analyse and find out the shortcomings,” Dandotiya added. Importantly, the incident with the two players took place a day after the Aussies beat England. The team has been staying at the same hotel and have been visiting the popular café as well. The Aussie cricketers resisted to ‘protect their privacy’. 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 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. Sources believe this diversification would help off- indore shocker A n u r a a g S i n g h @ Bhopal Had a fruitful discussion with Deputy Secretary James Danly on the energy security partnership 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. BSWML has brought down the number of black spots across the city from 869 to 150 after a tireless campaign, said BSWML Chief Executive Officer Karee Gowda. WITH THIS ISSUE Star Trek PLUS 12 P AGES e x p r ess r e a d Mobile phone cargo in bus may have intensified 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 set tarif f pressures and strengthen the foundation for an energy-focused component in the trade pact. 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. They added that Washington is unlikely to push sanctions to the point of triggering a price surge, given the potential impact on global markets, particularly on supplies to China and India. Crude prices rallied sharply on Friday with Brent at $66.42, , after Washington sanctioned Rosneft, Lukoil, and Sovcomflot, removing nearly 4.5 million barrels per day from global markets. On October 23, Trump announced sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, giving companies until November 21 to wind down transactions. Earlier, on October 9, Washington imposed sanctions on Serbia’s Russianowned oil company NIS, one of Russia’s last remaining energy assets in Europe. Aland election fraud ‘Call centre’ was set up for voter theft: Sources people from vulnerable sections of society “from across The investigation into the al- the country to create login IDs leged voter theft in Aland con- for the 6,018 applications. The stituency in Kalaburagi district investigation is looking at loophas gained momentum. holes, which were used According to informed to create login IDs with sources, the setup with single one-time passaround five computer words (OTPs.) How did sets which was handled the perpetrators get Ashfaque by four alleged suspects these 75 mobile phone (alleged – Akram, Ashfaque, numbers? There has to suspect) left Nadeem and Mushtaq for Dubai after be a network of people -- was reportedly set up helping them with lobeing “for the purpose of filgistics. Each login was questioned in the same case ing online fraudulent created using an OTP. in 2023 by the 6,018 Form 7 applicaHow did they manage Kalaburagi tions on the Election to get them? Did they police, which Commission website hack the 75 mobile was initially for deletion of names,” p h o n e s, ” s a i d t h e investigating said sources on condi- the case based sources. tion of anonymity . The SIT has queson an FIR “Of the four accused, tioned Akram, Nadeem registered in Aland one is an online politiand Mushtaq and is cal surveyor/manipunow planning to bring A source lator, one a data operaback Ashfaque, who is tor and two others are said to be in Dubai, for well versed in filing online ap- questioning. plications and providing logi“Ashfaque left for Dubai after c a l s u p p o r t , ” a d d e d t h e being questioned in the same sources. case in 2023 by the Kalaburagi The Special Investigation police, which was initially inTeam (SIT), which is investi- vestigating the case based on gating the alleged voter theft, an FIR registered in Aland,” has also unravelled that the added the sources. The FIR was perpetrators had allegedly used registered based on a complaint 75 mobile phone numbers of filed by the ECI. P4 B a l a C h a u h a n @Bengaluru