visakhapatnam l sunday l september 27, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION U.s., China decide on $30 billion reciprocal tariff cut; ai talks China said on Saturday that it had agreed with the US on a $30 billion reciprocal tariff-cut arrangement and on launching a dialogue on AI discussing investment opportunities next round of dialogue in november The two countries reached consensus on recommendations for a more favourable tariff treatment for $30 billion of non-sensitive goods in each direction, the White House said. The two countries established the Board of Investment to discuss investment opportunities and impediments, and to provide a channel to address investment-related issues ■ ■ On artificial intelligence, the leaders agreed to establish a China-US AI dialogue to exchange views on AI-related risks and benefits, with the next round to be held in November, the White House said The two leaders agreed to use the term “super intelligence” rather than “artificial intelligence” to describe emerging technologies $495 bn is the bilateral trade between U.S. and China annually, as per ustr 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 EC announces doorstep verification for voters facing notice, greater use of online hearings SIR eased, experts to review ECINET system Sept 30 INDIA bloc meeting to intensify stir against CEC Pa r v e z Su lta n & Sub h en d u M a i t i @ New Delhi/ Kolkata m u k e s h r a n j a n @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE The New OTT Stars Binge Brigade PLUS 12 P AGES INSIDE US president rejects Iran offer, attacks may resume after midterms | P9 THE Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced a series of measures to streamline the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, including doorstep verification for voters facing notices, greater use of online hearings and special assistance for vulnerable sections. It has also announced a review of its ECINET system and clarified on a letter written to the Cabinet Secretary . After a meeting attended by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr S S Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, the EC announced a complete relook of its ECINET system, adding that an expert committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT will review the system. Noting that several upgrades to ECINET have already been made on the basis of inputs received from State Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), the EC said, “Flexibility or changes required by field officials will also be considered and future initiatives relating to IT modules and portals will be dis- PD orders sans cogent reasons untenable: HC E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Andhra Pradesh High Court has held that preventive detention (PD) orders issued without recording cogent reasons and considering bail conditions imposed in criminal cases are legally unsustainable.    The court also clarified that the detaining authority can consider cases registered outside its territorial jurisdiction, but must specifically record how the incidents could adversely affect public order within its jurisdiction. A division bench, comprising Justice Ravinath Tilhari and Justice Chintalapudi Pu- rushotham Kumar, recently gave the ruling while allowing a habeas corpus petition filed by Devalla Divya, wife of Devalla Jayaprakash of Vedayapalem in Nellore district. The Nellore Collector had issued a detention order against Jayaprakash on December 2, 2025, under Sections 3(1) and 3(2) of the Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986, treating him as an antisocial element. Cases registered at Chillakuru, Gudur Rural and Vedayapalem police stations were cited in the order.   The General Administration Department subsequently issued a GO on February 2, 2026, confirming the detention.  P4 cussed by the Committee of Officers before being placed for the Commission’s approval.” On the legal framework governing SIR, the Commission said the declaration attached to Form 6 for the exercise has been upheld by the Supreme Court. “For periods outside SIR, applications will continue to be processed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960,” it said. The EC also sought to clarify concerns surrounding a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary, saying it was not related to any policy matter concerning either the Commission or its IT division. According to the EC, the communication “concer ned the functioning of an officer on deputation to the Commission”. “The work-reallocation orders issued by the officer were not implemented after directions from two Commissioners and that oversight of the IT division by the Deputy Election Commissioner was never withdrawn,” EC said. It added Booth Level Officers will visit homes to upload documents for unmapped persons or those with logical discrepancies. Authorised family members can also attend on the elector’s behalf, the EC said. CEC Gyanesh Kumar with Election Commissioners Dr S S Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi at a meeting on Saturday | PTI The order for SIR starting with Bihar, followed by West Bengal and 30 States/UTs was issued with unanimous approval of EC Election Commission of India Extends deadline The EC extended deadlines for filing claims in two states. In Delhi, claims and objections can be filed till Oct 30, while all claims have to be disposed by Nov 30. In Maharashtra, Oct 12 and Nov10 are the 2 deadlines, respectively THE INDIA bloc is expected to go into a huddle on September 30 at the Constitution Club in Delhi to deliberate and strategise a joint programme aimed at cornering the Centre on the issue of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, amid concerns over special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The decision to hold the meeting was taken after the top leadership of INDIA bloc parties touched base on Saturday Leader of . the disputed Trinamool Mamata Banerjee spoke at length over the phone to Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and CPM general secre- NDA allies tary MA Baby to discuss clear the air the course of action against the BJP and CEC, Hours after EC’s clarification on sources said. Besides Rahul, Con- SIR, NDA allies gress chief Mallikarjun TDP, LJP (RV) Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Shiv Sena Mamata, her nephew Ab- (Shinde) came hishek Banerjee, SP out in support of chief Akhilesh Yadav, the poll panel. Andhra Pradesh Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, and CM N ChandBaby are expected to at- rababu Naidu said EC’s tend the meeting. Sources said INDIA statement “puts bloc leaders are likely to to rest all chalk out a roadmap for misconceptions.” pan-India protests seeking removal of Kumar and an independent inquiry into the EC’s decisions. Discussion will focus on three core agenda items, including impeachment motion against Kumar, nationwide stir in poll-bound states including UP Punjab and Uttarakhand. , Speaking in Sreerampur in West Bengal’s Hooghly Mamata on Saturday said, “I sent , a message to Rahul Gandhi, and told him we must sit together.” CPI (Marxist-Lenin) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya termed the controversy as “major national crisis”, and called all Opposition parties to come together. For Rahman visit, Dhaka wants new water-share treaty J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Bangladesh is seeking a new agreement on sharing the Ganga’s waters rather than merely renewing the 1996 treaty as Dhaka presses India for what it describes as its “dues” as a lower-riparian state and seeks assurances against political activities by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from Indian soil. These two issues are emerging as important elements as both sides look at a possible November visit to India by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. A high-level meeting in Dhaka on September 17 discussed various aspects of the ties, diplomatic sources said. India and Bangladesh have since “remained engaged” at senior levels as they work towards finalising the visit, which is being looked at for the latter half of November. Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam who Dhaka is sending as its next High Commissioner to India is expected to arrive in the first week of November, sources said. Dhaka’s new water demand comes in the wake of the expiry of the 30-year Ganga Water Sharing Treaty on December 12. It now wants a fresh treaty rather than a “straightforward extension” of the existing arrangement, arguing that a new framework should better reflect its requirements as the Tarique Rahman Joint Rivers Commission dealing with the matter The water issues are now being handled within the broader framework of the IndiaBangladesh Joint Rivers Commission, which deals with the two countries’ shared rivers. India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers downstream country . Bangladesh minister Forhad Hossain Azad had said Dhaka will seek a higher share of the Ganga, including a stronger guarantee for flows during the dry season. For India, however, the question is not merely a bilateral renewal. Consultations have been held with Indian stakeholders, including West Bengal, on water requirements. Alongside water, Dhaka is seeking assurances regarding Hasina, who remains in India. Bangladesh has objected to what it describes as political activities and public statements by Hasina and the Awami League from Indian territory, which is being flagged as a potential irritant in ties. India’s call for de-escalation of conflicts In his UNGA address, EAM Jaishankar called for de-escalation in multiple conflicts and stronger action against terrorism | P7 golden ticket out of poverty Indraneel Das Express @ asian games Nagoya v ADA Pav! No, that’s not Aslam Inamdar’s favourite food. At 14, that was literally the only item on the menu he could afford, the food that kept him alive. When developing athletes his age were building their physique with protein shakes and health food, all Inamdar had — could have — was vada pav, rotis or anything he could lay his hands on. This was a time when he slept without a roof over his head; his full-time job was washing utensils in a tea shop or in a nearby juice shop. But now, after India’s kabaddi Kabaddi player Aslam Inamdar | pti team defended their gold medal against Iran on Saturday, he’s a two-time Asian gold medallist. There is nothing quite like sport when it comes to throwing up gripping, inspirational stories. “Kya kya nehi kiya maine (What all did I not do),” he says, while sitting on a bench, after his team’s gold winning performance. He lost his father when he was young and the focus quickly turned on survival. Washing utensils, cleaning toilets, working in juice bars, tea shops — name any menial job and he has done it. That was when he was a child. “I worked at tea stalls, juice bars, cleaned washrooms and utensils. I even used to work in farm fields too,” he says. “I even gathered scrap bottles to sell to dealers’ just to buy food.” Kabaddi found him around this time and gave him an extra source of food — leftovers from tournaments. “I survived on vada pav or free food, and food saved from tournaments. I used to take whatever I could in my bag to eat later, even if it was spoiled.” He was around 14 then and was playing in age group com| P11 petitions. Blissful moment Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking the blessings of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi during an event held as part of the spiritual leader’s 73rd birthday celebrations at Amritapuri in Kollam on Saturday. In his address, Shah hailed Mata Amritanandamayi Devi for not only institutionalising her spirit of service but transforming it into a global movement | B P DEEPu | P5 Crop inundation affects 69,258 farmers in State Union Minister inaugurates State’s first Aviation Academy in Kurnool Y B r a h m a j i @ Vijayawada As many as 69,258 farmers across 1,216 villages in 185 mandals of the State have been affected by crop inundation following torrential downpour under the influence of deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, according to the preliminary report of the Agriculture Department. However, unofficial reports from North Andhra indicate extensive crop damage, flooding and road connectivity disruptions in several areas. The damaged papaya plantation in Srikakulam district | express The department has estimated that 43,802.83 hectares of agricultural crops have been inundated across the downpour affected areas. Paddy accounts for the bulk of the affected crop area, followed by maize, blackgram and cotton. According to the preliminary assessment, 40,923 hectares of paddy crop, 1,360.2 hectares of maize, 844 hectares of blackgram, and 666.4 hectares of cotton have been inundated. The affected paddy crop is at various stages, ranging from nursery and transplanting to tillering, panicle emergence or booting, flowering, grain filling and maturity or harvesting. Maize crop has been affected from the vegetative and silking stages to harvesting, while cotton has been inundated from squaring and flowering to boll development, boll bursting and P4 maturity . E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kurnool Andhra Pradesh took a significant step toward developing a comprehensive aviation ecosystem with the launch of the State’s first Flight Training Organisation (FTO) at Kurnool Airport on Saturday . Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, who inaugurated Orient Flights Aviation Academy, s a i d d eve l o p i n g A n d h r a Pradesh into an aviation hub was the vision of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and Kurnool is being developed as a key centre for aviation and drones. He termed the launch of the FTO a “historic development” for AP, and stressed the need to expand flight training facilities beyond major cities to rural and remote areas. The Centre had taken measures to increase the number of FTOs across the country he said. , “India has currently 36 FTOs, which are not sufficient to meet the growing demand for pilots. With orders for new aircraft touching nearly 1,600, the country requires 25,000 to 30,000 pilots over the next 10 to 15 years. Hence, the Centre is encouraging setting up of FTOs in the P4 country he explained. ,”