Asian Games declared open, Indians march on SAMBALPUR l sunday l september 20, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l CITY EDITION The Indian contingent, led by double Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker (centre right) and Asiad gold medallist Kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat (centre left), march on during the Opening Ceremony of the 20th Asian Games at Mizoho Sports Park in Nagoya, Japan on Saturday. India’s medal hunt begins on Sunday in teqball | P11 PIC: PTI 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 7 of family killed after car swept away in MP nullah All the victims belong to Bhubaneswar. They were visiting temples and pilgrimage sites in Madhya Pradesh S u d a r s a n M a h a r a n a /A n u r a a g S i n g h @ Bhubaneswar/Bhopal WITH THIS ISSUE Essay The Republic of the Plate PLUS 12 P AGES Seven members of an extended family from Bhubaneswar were killed after the car they were travelling in was swept away in a rain-swollen nullah near Maa Baglamukhi temple in Agar Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh late Friday night. The driver of the car too died in the mishap. The victims included three children and two women. The family was returning to Ujjain after a visit to the temple near Nalkheda, around 180 km from Bhopal, when the vehicle was reportedly caught in the strong current. The mishap occurred at around 12.30 am. The car was spotted after water receded on Saturday morning. The victims were from Jayadev Vihar area of Bhubaneswar and included family members of hotel owner Banamali Behera. They were identified as Siba Prasad Behera (42), Ritarani Behera (38), Radharani Behera (35), Gyanendra Behera (41), Sai Swastik (10), Sai Swayamprabha (6) and Shri Krishna Rajveer (13). The car driver was a local. The incident came to light when local residents spotted the Maruti SPresso vehicle in the nullah at around 9.30 am after flood water receded. They immediately informed the local police, who rushed to the spot and retrieved the car locked from inside with all eight bodies. “The family from Odisha, after offering prayers at Goddess Baglamukhi Temple, was returning to Ujjain where they had hired the vehicle to Nalkheda. Due to around 1.5 hours of heavy Submerged car (circled)in the nullah. (Inset)Salvaged remains The mishap in Agar Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, is extremely painful. I extend my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones Narendra Modi, Prime Minister rains, the nullah near the temple was flooded. The car driver unable to sense the danger, possibly swerved the vehicle, plunging it into the flooded nullah after which the vehicle was lost,” Agar-Malwa SP Dilip Soni told TNIE. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media platform ‘X’ to extend condolences to the bereaved families stated, “The mishap in Agar Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, is extremely painful. I extend my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones.” He announced an ex gratia of `2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also expressed deep grief over the incident and announced ex gratia of `5 lakh each for the next of kin of the Continued on P5 victims.  Trump signs Russia curbs Act; India firm on securing interests D i pa k M o n d a l @ New Delhi US President Donald Trump late Friday (US time) signed the controversial ‘Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026’, authorising US to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the five largest foreign buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, putting India and China at direct risk of penalties. The Act provides for property-blocking sanctions on foreign vessels that knowingly transport certain Russian-origin products, including crude oil, uranium and coal. The US Senate passed the Bill on August 7, while the House of Representatives approved it on September 16. The law will take effect within 30 days. During this period, the US Trade Representative will identify countries to be targeted and recommend tariff rates. The law provides a chance to countries to reduce Russian An extension of the energy purchases within 180 days 2025 Proclamation will continue to and negotiate with US for a lower tariff. Apart from China and In- protect the economic dia, Turkiye, EU and Myanmar and national security interests of the are other three top importers of United States Russian crude. India, which sourced around Donald Trump 30% of its crude oil imports from Russia in FY2026 — $40.8 billion out of total crude imports of $134.7 billion — now faces the risk of tariffs of up to 100% on its exports to the US. India has maintained it will take necessary measures to protect its economic interests. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier said the law could affect bilateral ties and international energy market. “The Indian side has made clear its determination to take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests,” MEA said Trade and geopolitical analysts said India should negotiate with US to limit the law’s impact. US visa fee faces legal wrangles J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi US President Donald Trump has extended the measure requiring a $100,000 fee on employers for new H-1B visa applications by another year, the White House said. Trump, who has intensified his immigration crackdown, has repeatedly attacked the H-1B programme and pushed to make the $100,000 fee permanent, up from the existing $2,000– $5,000 range. The move, however, has also been caught in legal tangles. “The restrictions enacted by the 2025 Proclamation have proven to be highly effective. It is in the interests of US to extend the 2025 Proclamation for an additional 12 months, until 12:00 am eastern daylight time on September 21, 2027, ” the proclamation said. The policy is particularly consequential for Indian professionals. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services data shows 71% of approved H-1B petitions in fiscal 2024 involved beneficiaries born in India, compared with 11.7% born in China.The H-1B programme, created by Congress in 1990, enables US employers to temporarily employ foreign professionals in specialised occupations. It is heavily used by technology companies and has become an important mode for recruiting workers from India and China. The extension comes amid legal challenges. A federal judge blocked the $100,000 requirement in June 2026 and ruled that the administration lacked authority to impose the payment, according to Reuters.