BHUBANESWAR l sunday l August 30, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late CITY EDITION deal with Venezuela to take control of oil reserves: don President Donald Trump said the US has entered a deal with Venezuela to take control of 65 billion barrels oil reserves of the country 9 months after maduro’s capture will lower gas prices in u.s.: rubio Trump in a social media post announced the agreement he said was negotiated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez. The announcement of the deal comes nearly nine months after the US armed forces captured Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro ■ ■ Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world, with an estimated 303 billion barrels of crude oil. That’s about 17 per cent of the world’s supply, according to the US Energy Administration Rubio said on X the agreement would usher in $100 billion in private investment into Venezuela and lead to lower gas prices in US 1% of world’s oil output comes off venezuela despite vast reserves 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 CM’s 10-point mantra for cops to curb crime, boost security E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Residents carry their belongings salvaged from their flood-hit homes in Nepal’s Devighat area on Saturday | AP Seven tourists from Bhadrak evacuated to safety in Nepal E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Amid devastating flash floods in Nepal, seven tourists from Bhadrak were evacuated to safety after their journey was disrupted by the natural calamity . The tourists were part of a 51-member group travelling with a Kolkata-based tour operator. Around 43 members of the group were from Kerala. According to reports, the group initially took shelter near the Manakamana temple after their onward journey from Kathmandu was disrupted. The tourists were forced to abandon their journey after covering around 70 km and were later shifted to Bhairahawa to facilitate their return. The tour operator is working to ensure their safe return, sources said. Meanwhile, four persons from Odisha are unaccounted for following the flash floods in Nepal. They include two members of a family from Bargarh. WITH THIS ISSUE Private Eye PLUS 12 P AGES Toll 675, India steps up rescue, forensic support 88 Indians rescued in Nepal so far; 128 PIOs reported missing E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi India on Saturday stepped up rescue and relief assistance to Nepal following the devastating flash floods, with 88 Indian nationals rescued so far while 287 remained uncontactable. Four Indian nationals were rescued from a hydropower project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district and are expected to reach Kathmandu shortly , the External Affairs Ministry said. Besides, 128 persons of Indian origin (PIOs) are missing. As many as 120 Indian nationals crossed into Nepal from China on Saturday the , MEA said. India is also deploying specialised expertise to support Nepal’s search and identification efforts. Six forensic expert teams from India are expected to reach Kathmandu to assist Nepalese authorities in analysing DNA samples and identifying mortal remains. “Forensic expert teams from India (six) are expected to reach Kathmandu today to assist in analysis of DNA samples for identification of mortal remains,” the MEA said. India has also moved to bolster tunnel-rescue operations in the floodhit areas. An Indian technical team for tunnel-rescue reconnaissance reached Kathmandu on Friday Based . on its assessment, a specialised tunnel-rescue team equipped with necessary equipment is in Nepal. The Indian assistance comes as Nepal m o u n t s a m a s s ive search and rescue operation across the worst-affected districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Relief supplies being Dhading and Chitwan. delivered by drone at Nepal Foreign Minis- Devighat in Nepal | PTI ter Shisir Khanal said the government had mobilised all available resources following the August 26 flash floods. “Our immediate priority remains clear: to save lives, locate missing persons, rescue them, provide urgent relief to survivors,” Khanal said. So far, 675 bodies — 246 from Chitawan, 165 from Nawalparasi East, 63 from Nawalparasi West, 57 from Gorkha, 45 from Dhading, 51 from Nuwakot, 35 from Tanahu and 13 from Rasuwa district — have been recovered and around 2,400 people remain uncontactable, while more than 4,450 people, including over 187 foreign nationals, have been rescued. Khanal said the figures could change as search and verification operations continue. 10 bodies from Nepal recovered in UP’s Gandak N a m i ta B a j pa i @ Lucknow At least 10 bodies have been recovered from river Gandak in eastern UP in Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts over the past two days, with authorities yet to identify the deceased or trace their families. Originating from Nepal, Gandak flows into India. Official sources said all 10 were natives of Nepal and were adults. The bodies were bloated and in an advanced state of decomposition. They were taken to mortuaries in Maharajganj and Kushinagar, where they would be kept for 72 hours, said the district administration River brings in authorities. vehicles, drums The details of jewelGandak is also lery and other belongbringing other items, ings found on the bodincluding vehicles, ies were recorded along household goods, with distinctive physigas cylinders, cal features such as tatdrums, toos and other identifyfurniture, logs ing marks. Photographs and other of the deceased have debris also been circulated in apparently nearby areas. from Nepal. According ADM MaVillagers were seen harajganj, four of the gathering along the bodies — three women river to retrieve the and a young man — articles being washed had been found in the ashore district. “If no one comes forward during the next 72-hour period, further action will be taken in accordance with government guidelines,” Kumar said. In Kushinagar, six bodies — three men and three women— were recovered from Gandak. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and the flood battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary are working alongside the district administration and police in the affected areas of Maharajganj and Kushinagar. However, as per official sources, immediate flood threat has eased as water levels has receded. However, residents were advised to stay away from rivers and low-lying areas for now. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday issued a 10-point directive to Odisha Police to control crime and strengthen security measures across the state. Addressing the state-level DGP and IGP conference here, Majhi directed the senior officers and SPs to implement a Zero Tolerance policy against crime, especially offences related to women, while making the system citizen-centric and people-friendly . “Police must at all times display polite and sensitive behaviour towards the citizens. A citizen approaching a police station is in some sort of distress and she/he must be treated with empathy and compassion in every step,” he stated. The 10-point directive also includes raising the conviction rate to at least 75 per cent; curbing the drug trade by 2029; strengthening coastal security; enhancing cyber security; monitoring the dark web to check i l l i c i t o n l i n e a c t iv i t i e s ; strengthening intelligence gathering; modernising police stations; taking stringent action against extortion and forced collection of donations during the festive season along with building a corruptionfree, dedicated and citizenfriendly policing system. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi addressing the top cops at the DGP and IGP conference at Lok Seva Bhawan, in Bhubaneswar on Saturday Police must at all times display polite and sensitive behaviour towards the citizens. Those approaching police stations must be treated with empathy and compassion in every step Mohan Charan Majhi, CM Majhi asked senior police officers and SPs to make investigations more professional and technology-driven. He said the police must work towards improving the conviction rate. Though the latest National Crime Records Bureau data has shown improvement to over 40 per cent from an earlier low, much more needs to be done, he said. Setting a target of at least 75 per cent conviction, Majhi called for better investigation, use of technology and stronger prosecution for achieving it. On the drug menace, Majhi Meat shop owner shot dead by employee over unpaid salary in Burla RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to address diaspora at Madison Square The event titled ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’, is an invite-based gathering which will have more than 5,000 attendees SASHIdhar Jagdishan, chief executive and managing director of HDFC Bank, who was handpicked by the bank’s founding CEO Aditya Puri to succeed him in 2020, has decided not to seek reappointment when his current term ends in October, bringing to an end his nearly three-decade career with the country’s largest private sector bank. “Despite persuasion, Jagdishan reiterated his decision to not seek reappointment when Difference of opinion Several people familiar with the matter of resignation of non-executive chairman Atanu Chakraborty’s decision attributed it to ‘differences’ with Jagdishan over the extent of the chairman’s role in the bank’s functioning. his term ends on October 26, 2026. The board deeply appreciates his commitment, leadership, contribution to the growth and stability of the bank and his role in the successful completion of one of the largest mergers in corporate India,” the bank informed the stock exchanges on Saturday . The board has now fast-tracked the process of finding his successor, it added. Jagdishan’s biggest achievement at the bank was arguably the merger of parent Housing Development Finance Cor- p u b l i c a lt e r c at i o n Cong fires Kerala leader who blocked CM’s convoy E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e A 36-year-old meat shop owner was shot dead in broad daylight allegedly by his 28-year-old employee over non-payment of salary at Kirba Chowk under B u rl a p o l i c e l i m i t s o n Saturday . The deceased, Md Anish, was shot three times by accused Raja Swami and succumbed to his injuries on the spot. Swami, a native of Mangal Bazar in Jharsuguda, was arrested later in the evening. Police also seized the firearm allegedly used in the crime. Anish ran a meat shop near PC Bridge Chowk in Burla, where Swami worked as an employee. Preliminary investigation revealed that Anish had allegedly not paid Swami’s salary for the past few months. Repeated demands by Swami for clearance of the pending dues had reportedly led to resentment between the two. On Saturday, following another confrontation over the unpaid salary Swami allegedly , took out a firearm and fired The Congress on Saturday expelled Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee leader Anil Kumar alias Chenthi Ani from the party’s primary membership, hours after he was booked for blocking Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s motorcade. On Saturday mor ning, Sreekaryam Police arrested Ani for blocking the CM’s convoy and misbehaving with him for refusing to attend the Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi celebrations at Chenthi the previous night. Satheesan was on his way to C h e m p - Anil Kumar alias azhanthy to atChenthi Ani tend the event. On the way, a group of people organising another Sree Narayana Guru event at Chenthi signalled the CM’s vehicle to stop, police said. Satheesan stepped out of the vehicle following their request and was seen in television visuals arguing with Ani. After a few minutes at the spot, Satheesan returned to his vehicle and left, police said. Police said no event at Chenthi was listed in the CM’s schedule, and filed an FIR against Ani. “The accused confronted the CM in an aggressive manner. When asked to refrain from being aggressive, the accused allegedly threatened, ‘What will you do if I get angry?’, insulting the CM and obstructing the official duties of police personnel accompanying the convoy the FIR said. ,” A court sent Ani to 14 days in custody. Police said he had been accused earlier in multiple cases of attacking people at Sreekaryam, Thumba and Medical College. @ Sambalpur @ Thiruvananthapuram Md Anish falls down after being shot at by Raja Swami in Burla (video grab) multiple rounds at Anish in full public view. While the exact sequence of events leading to the shooting is yet to be established, police said the scientific team examining the crime scene found that seven rounds had been fired, three of which hit Anish. Police rushed to the spot after the incident and launched an investigation. Additional SP Ajay Mishra said the shooting appeared to have taken place over a personal monetary dispute and that Swami had confessed to the crime. The source of the firearm is yet to be ascertained, he added. HDFC Bank boss on way out, won’t seek reappointment B enn K o c h u v ee d a n @ Mumbai said the Nishamukta Odisha Abhiyan should go beyond seizures and arrests. The police, he said, must dismantle the entire supply chain as well as the financial syndicates behind the narcotics trade. He expressed confidence that crime would decline substantially once drug trafficking is effectively eliminated from the state. Majhi directed the police to maintain strict surveillance on emerging technologies and the dark web as well as conduct widespread public awareness campaigns to prevent the citizens from falling prey to scamsters. He also stressed the need to secure Odisha’s 575-km coastline and directed the police to use the Command and Control Centre in Bhubaneswar and equipment such as drones to monitor the coast and prevent illegal infiltration.  Continued on P5 poration (HDFC) with HDFC Bank in July 2023. Valued at around $44 billion, the transaction was one of the largest M&A deals in corporate India. However, the merger also brought a host of challenges, particularly on the assetl i ab i l i t y a n d m a r g i n fronts. The bank also faced several other issues during Jagdishan’s tenure, the most significant of which was in March 2026 when non-executive chairman At- anu Chakraborty resigned citing concerns over the bank’s functioning. The bank also faced allegations of mis-selling low-investment-grade bonds to NRIs through its Dubai branch, with customers allegedly promised higher returns that were not received. In a separate case involving the alleged mis-selling of Additional Tier-1 (AT1) bonds issued by failed Swiss lender Credit Suisse, American investors reportedly threatened to initiate a class-action lawsuit against the bank.