belagavi l saturday l september 12, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION SC seeks timeline for FSSAI’s food warning label rollout Supreme Court has asked FSSAI to come up with more clarifications on its planned labels of nutrients of concern — fat, sugar and salt ‘clarify threshold levels of nutrients’ sc for nutritional literacy in schools Food Safety and Standards Authority of India proposed phased implementation of front-of-package labelling (FoPL) on packaged foods high in added saturated fat, added sugar and salt. The bench asked FSSAI how it proposed to identify sweetened beverages which fall under Phase I; and what are threshold levels of the specific nutrients for such beverages ■ ■ A bench of justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran also asked the Centre how it plans to increase nutritional literacy in schools while flagging that children are under risk of unhealthy eating behaviours The bench said FSSAI should revisit its design of the FoPL labelling keeping in mind consumer behaviour and online sale of food products 10 days time granted to fssai to file its affidavit on the sc’s queries 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 1 Modi suggests study to remove the bloc’s top 10 trade barriers, supporting 100 startups a year to expand into other BRICS markets and creating 1,000 new business partnerships annually 2 3 Maritime security mandatory for expanding global trade, says PM, warning economic growth and supply-chain resilience could not be separated from the security of shipping routes Putin highlights BRICS’ growing economic weight relative to G7, saying the former accounted for over 40% of global GDP over the past five years, compared with 29% for the G7 4 Modi holding Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s hand and walking side-by-side along with other global leaders showed not just solidarity, it sent a loaded message to the US Big PM push for BRICS trade integration PUSHPITA D E Y @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called for a three-pillar strategy to deepen trade within the expanded BRICS grouping, while stressing that stronger economic integration would depend on secure sea lanes, open supply routes and the safety of seafarers as geopolitical conflicts increasingly disrupt global commerce. Addressing the BRICS Business Forum here, Modi urged the BRICS Business Council to identify and remove the bloc’s top 10 trade barriers, support 100 startups every year to expand into other BRICS markets and create 1,000 new business partnerships annually, with progress reviewed every year. “As BRICS enters its third decade, I would like to urge the BRICS Business Council: Can you prepare a report on removing the top 10 trade barriers among BRICS nations? Can we support 100 BRICS startups annually to scale up in other BRICS markets? Can we forge a thousand new partnerships among our businesses? We should review our progress on these three parameters every year,” Modi said. Modi placed maritime security at the heart of his vision for expanding global trade, warning that economic growth and supply-chain resilience could not be separated from the security of shipping routes. This carries significance as conflicts on p9 in West Asia and the Black Sea have disrupted shipping routes, raised freight and insurance costs and exposed the vulnerability of global supply chains. Modi’s proposals came against a broader backdrop of rising protectionism, sanctions and geopolitical fragmentation, with emerging economies seeking to build more resilient trade and investment links within the Global South. His pitch was to move BRICS towards measurable economic integration. “The economic strength of BRICS has grown at nearly twice the pace of the rest of the world,” Modi said. The economic agenda unfolded alongside a sharper geopolitical message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who criticised sanctions and what he described as coercive economic pressure. Putin also sought to highlight BRICS’ growing economic weight relative to the Western-led G7. “Over the last five years, more than 40% of the world GDP has been produced by the BRICS countries, whereas the contribution of the so-called G7, the Group of Seven—I don’t know why they call that the Group of Seven— stands at only 29%,” he said. Putin stressed that Russia is not working against anyone. “What we are doing is not against anyone. We are in favour of our interests,” he said while calling for greater cooperation in infrastructure, logistics, finance and technology . Xi jinping’s first bilateral trip in seven years today Security, peace, minerals widen ties with Russia jayan t h ja c o b @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi walks hand-in-hand with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian along the red carpet of the BRICS Business Forum. Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also seen in the picture | PTI India, Iran seek long-term ties J AYA N TH J A COB @ New Delhi INDIA and Iran have agreed to pursue a long-term, ‘win-win’ approach to their bilateral relationship as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held talks against the backdrop of an escalating conflict in West Asia. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, was the second interaction between the two leaders in two weeks. They had met on the India lines up 15 bilateral engagements in three days Min Jarkiholi has 40% stake in Congo gold mining firm, says ED after raids E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru Senior Congress leader and PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi “has acquired nearly 40 percent stakes in ‘Magnitude Star SARL, Congo, which is into gold mining. Besides, his daughter and MP Chikkodi, Priyanka, his son , Rahul and sister Mahadevi Manjunath who is wife of Joint Commissioner, State Excise, YD Manjunath, have acquired shareholding in multiple foreign entities such as Eldorado Mining Resources, Congo, Nava Aurum Mining Ltd, Zambia etc,” charged the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in an official release on Friday a day after it , concluded its two-day search on premises linked to Jarkiholi, his E x p r e s s Re a d SC to hear state’s plea on Cauvery on Sept 14 Mandya: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Karnataka’s appeal against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu on Monday, said Irrigation Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy on Friday. He said the state has to continue releasing water to TN till the hearing based on legal advice | P7 Kin of elderly, ailing can appear for SIR hearing Bengaluru: Senior citizens, people with disabilities, ailing, overseas and travelling electors need not physically appear for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing. Instead, anyone from their family can stand in, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said | P6 Unaccounted for cash seized by ED during raids on PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi kin and some of his associates. “Documents of various other foreign entities owning mining assets in Africa were also found and seized. The searches also revealed evidences related to irregularities in the PWD and several incriminating materials/documents including dig- I have declared a turnover of Rs 2,000 crore this year and what great significance is Rs 2 crore seized here. Nowadays, even small traders have Rs 5 lakh in their pocket Satish Jarkiholi, PWD Minister ital devices related to collection of bribe money from contractors like Bharat Vanijya Eastern Pvt Ltd (BVEPL) etc in the entities and accounts of various influential persons including in the accounts of entity controlled and managed by Manjunath,” charged ED.  P4 After 37 years, student polls back, order issued E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Bengaluru The state government issued an official order on Thursday to conduct student union elections across Karnataka’s colleges and universities. This is the first time in 37 years, since the Veerendra Patil-led government banned student elections back in 1990, that the state government is reviving them. In the first phase, the elections will be held at government, aided and private colleges falling under the jurisdiction of the Department of Collegiate Education. The union ex- sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek on August 31. “From Bishkek to Delhi, the productive discussions continue,” Modi said after the meeting. He said the two sides discussed the India-Iran friendship and agreed on the need to take the relationship forward with a long-term perspective. The escalating situation in West Asia figured prominently in the discussions. “The prevailing situation in the region was also discussed. India remains steadfast in its commit- ecutive committee will have six members, of whom two should be reserved for female members in co-educational institutions. The committee will have one president, two vice-presidents (one woman), two general secretaries and two joint secretaries (one woman). Elections will be held for the two vice-presidential posts. The candidate securing the highest number of votes will be selected the first vice-president and the candidate who comes second will be selected for the second position. At co-ed colleges, one vice-president post must be reserved for a female student. P7 ment to the pursuit of enduring peace,” Modi said. Speaking at the BRICS Business Forum, Pezeshkian called for greater use of national currencies in trade among BRICS members. “One of the most important steps is to expand the use of national currencies in trade among the members,” he said, stressing that the move should be accompanied by mechanisms for managing currency risks and enabling reciprocal settlements. Modi gifts Putin a Russian translation of Thirukkural ‘not prohibited’ Gauhati HC upholds talaq-e-hassan, says valid form of divorce e x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ Guwahati THE Gauhati High Court has ruled that talaq-e-hassan is a valid form of divorce and is not prohibited in India. Justice Arun Dev Choudhury passed the order on September 8 after hearing a petitioner, Rakibul Bhuyan, who sought registration of his divorce pronounced through talaq-e-hassan, where a husband pronounces the word talaq once a month over three straight months. According to the petitioner, he got married in 2016 but his wife left him and returned to her parental home in 2018 following differences with him. Despite efforts by the petitioner, she did not return to her husband’s house. Later, the man pronounced talaq-e-hassan on three different days in March, April and May this year in the presence of witnesses. The petitioner argued that following the pronouncement of the third talaq-e-hassan, the marriage had become void. However, the state government submitted that since t h e 1935 Act for divorce registration had been repealed and the post of Registrar of Muslim Marriages and Divorce consequently abolished, the petitioner’s divorce could not be registered under the repealed law. The government further submitted that the petitioner could approach the jurisdictional marriage and divorce registrar. The court held that if the petitioner satisfies the requirements under Section 12 of the Act of 2024 and its proviso, the jurisdictional registrar will record the divorce in the divorce register and if it is refused, he may seek recourse under Section 17 of the Act. The court said the wife, who was not present, was free to challenge the talaq-ehassan before an appropriate forum. PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said “dialogue and diplomacy” remained the way forward to resolve conflicts as he and Russian President Vladimir Putin reviewed an expanding India-Russia agenda spanning maritime security critical miner, als, industrial partnerships and civil nuclear cooperation. Modi said India was ready to assist in peace efforts. In a post on X after the meeting, Modi said the two leaders discussed closer trade ties, including implementation of the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030, as well as cooperation in infrastructure, energy technology defence and culture. , , India-Russia According to the official readout, the leaders economic “shared perspectives on key regional and global partnership issues of mutual interest, including the conflicts gathers in West Asia and the Black Sea region which have momentum. President Putin impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers.” and I The talks also covered the broader India-Russia participated in INNOPROM, strategic partnership. The two leaders “agreed to bringing remain engaged ... to further strengthen the Spetogether cial and Privileged Strategic Partnership between companies from the two countries”, which they said continued to both countries show “significant growth”. Trade and economic diversification are expected to shape the next Narendra Modi, Prime Minister phase of the relationship. India and Russia are working towards a $100 billion bilateral trade target by 2030, even as the sharp increase in Russian energy imports has widened the trade imbalance. The economic agenda is moving beyond oil and defence. Rail and tunnelling cooperation is being explored as part of an industrial push. Critical minerals is another strategic priority Officials said the . two sides are looking at cooperation across exploration, processing and recycling. Both countries are also examining a potential steel value-chain partnership, spanning raw materials to finished products. Civil nuclear cooperation remains another key pillar. Discussions also covered nuclear fuel-cycle cooperation. unified digital payment system call for the bloc Russia exploring services, pharma import from India