BELAGAVI l sunday l october 18, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l LATE city EDITION FSSAI proposes ban on fructose, sucrose in infant food products The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India proposed a ban on adding fructose and sucrose in food products for infants up to six months old Aim is to curb early exposure to sugar Currently used as carbohydrate source According to a statement from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, emphasis is on minimising exposure to added sugars during the earliest stages of life. “The proposed restriction seeks to ensure that infant nutrition products meet the nutritional needs of this age group without unnecessary addition of sucrose and fructose,” the ministry observed ■ ■ Under the current provisions, lactose and glucose polymers are the preferred sources of carbohydrates. Sucrose and/or fructose could be added only when required as a carbohydrate source Multiple studies have shown that early exposure to sugar creates a preference for sweetened food, leading to health issues later in life 60 days The draft notification is open for public scrutiny 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 Trump waives 17 killed in pandal stampede Russia-related curbs on India Heavy rain in Kolkata leads to human crush after pandal gates give away; several injured s u b h en d u m a i t i @ Kolkata But US retains the right to withdraw waiver 1 Pu s h p i ta De y @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE Grain of Truth PLUS 12 P AGES Dipke granted conditional bail, Neha Bora freed The US has waived punitive tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil, temporarily relieving India of the threat of additional duties of up to 100% over its purchases of Russian crude. In an executive order signed on October 16, President Donald Trump invoked national interests to waive key tariff penalties under the new Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The waiver suspends the additional duties days before they were scheduled to take effect on October 18. The move provides temporary relief to India, one of the largest buyers of Russian crude, but the threat of tariffs remains as Washington retains the authority to withdraw the waiver. Trump’s move comes days after he announced that the US would import diesel from Russia, in a bid to bring down domestic fuel prices ahead of the November midterms. The US administration would continue to monitor imports of Russian-origin crude oil and natural gas by other countries and keep the President informed. The US House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by 262 votes to 159 on September 16. The legislation empowers the President to impose additional tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas. India and China, both major buyers of Russian crude, would have been among the countries most exposed to the proposed tariffs. India is particularly vulnerable because it imports more than 88% of its crude oil requirements. Russia emerged as its largest supplier ever since the war in Ukraine began. This newspaper had on Friday reported that India was confident it would remain protected from US sanctions over its purchases of Russian oil and gas, with government officials indicating that Washington is unlikely to penalise New Delhi. They said India was in regular discussions with the US administration. “From what we sense, the US government will not put sanctions on India. We have been in touch with the US team and India’s standpoint has already been conveyed regarding the challenges that could arise because of that,” an official had said.  Yo-yo diesel diplomacy: P12 2 I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States Donald Trump, US President Temporary relief The US, however, retains the power to impose additional duties of up to 100% on goods from major buyers of Russian energy 500% levy provision The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 also provides for a 500% tariff increase on Russian goods 3 arrangement Railway official attaches spl coach to & fro Jaipur to ferry household goods A m i t S U pa d h y e @Hubballi In a case of blatant misuse of power, a senior railway official from South Western Railway in Hubballi attached an inspection carriage to a passenger train going to Jaipur in Rajasthan to transport his household items, including a fridge and a washing machine, to Hubballi. The officer got the approval to use the saloon for 4,000 km and reached Hubballi with household items two days ago. The officer, who heads the vigilance department that monitors the misuse of railway properties, committed this act himself. Manoj Kumar, Senior Deputy General Manager and Chief Vigilance Officer, allegedly used the government inspection carriage to transport his household goods from Jaipur to Hubballi un- The goods carrier at the VIP section platform in Hubballi railway station taking Manoj Kumar’s household items der the pretext of official work. An IRS officer, Manoj Kumar, who was Chief Vigilance Officer, North Western Railway in Jaipur, was transferred to SWR in Hubballi in April 2026. Though he was entitled to shift household goods in a railway parcel coach, he used a railway inspection carriage that is strictly meant for official inspections. “The SWR E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Bengaluru French rage Flames ravage Lyon’s tourism office after it was set on fire by a mob during a protest against the “high cost of living” in France, on Saturday as part of a nationwide call for mobilisation of students, climate activists, farmers and others | AFP | P11 Man gets death for kidnap, rape, murder of minor girl in Mysuru E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Mysuru inspection car riage was booked in Manoj Kumar’s name under the pretext of vigilance work at Jaipur. The saloon left Hubballi station on October 6. Jaipur is about 1,952 km from Hubballi. According to the rules, the saloon must be used by officials from the nearest jurisdiction, not for such long-haul journeys,” said a source.  P7 As CJI Surya Kant attends, 105 students skip NLSIU convocation U D AYA N KISHOR E @ New Delhi All India Students’ Association (AISA) leader Neha Bora was released from detention on Saturday morning, while Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was granted conditional bail later in the day by a local court, after he signed a peace bond. Both were detained by the Delhi Police on Friday ahead of the Lehra do Tiranga protest at Connaught Place. Dipke was arrested in a fresh case for violating a peace bond furnished by him on October 10. He was produced before a special executive magistrate court, which imposed various conditions on him while granting him relief. On October 10, he was detained inside a flight at Delhi airport along with CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. A case for breach of peace was registered. Dipke was released after signing a bond undertaking not to disturb peace for one year. He was made to sign another peace bond on Saturday . Bora was released after completing formalities related to her detention under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act. “I was detained at Mandi House and kept here (at the police station) the whole night, until 5 am. Why are you (police) carrying out these illegal detentions,” she said. 1. Footwear scattered at the stampede site in Kolkata; 2. Kin of victims at the Calcutta Medical College; 3. A patient being stretchered into the hospital | special seventeen people were feared dead and many others injured after a downpour led to a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal on Saturday evening in Central Kolkata near Mahajati Sadan. Police authorities are yet to confirm the casualties. The tragedy occurred inside the Chorbagan Puja pandal around 7 pm. As it started raining, the crowd waiting outside the Puja pandal rushed forward, and some of them fell on the road, leading to the stampede-like situation, a police officer said. “At least 25 people were taken to the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital in serious condition,” he said. A television report said 17 people were declared dead on arrival at Calcutta Medical Col- lege in Bowbazar police station area, while more than 30 others were admitted. West Bengal ch i e f m i n i s t e r S u ve n d u Adhikari and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal have reached the Calcutta Medical College to take stock. This is perhaps the first incident of stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in West Bengal. Health Minister Saradwat Mukherjee and senior officials also rushed to the hospital. Disaster management personnel have been deployed at the site. “Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the stampede at the Chorbagan puja pandal. I pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured and for strength and courage for their families during this difficult time,” former chief minister Mamata Banerjee said. A whopping 105 regular graduates from the the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bengaluru’s 2026 batch received their degrees in absentia on Saturday, compared to mere 17 absentees at the 2025 convocation. The 2026 convocation, temporarily cancelled by the university following a petition filed by the graduating class of 2026 and other students (present and past) of the university against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant’s attendance, was conducted at the Jnana Jyoti auditorium. NLSIU’s convocation this year was uncertain to begin with. On October 7, it became apparent that CJI Surya Kant would preside over the convocation ceremony after official correspondence from the university confirming his attendance, along with actor Arundhati Nag. The university’s graduating students had opposed his attendance at the convocation following students of NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad taking a similar stand against his attendance. The students had decided to oppose CJI Kant’s attendance, following his infamous “cockroach” remark. Following the protests, NLSIU had initially cancelled the ceremony on August 17, sending an internal circular citing “unavoidable circumstances”. The Fast Track Special POCSO court sentenced Karthik (32) to death for the kidnap, rape and murder of a nineyear-old girl near Dasara Exhibition Grounds during the last Dasara festival in Mysuru. Judge Anand P Hogade of the Mysur u POCSO pronounced the death sentence, while Public Prosecutor KB Jayanthi argued for the state. Advocate Naveen, appointed by the District Legal Services Aut h o r i t y, r e p r e s e n t e d t h e accused. The court declared him guilty on Thursday, while sentencing was on Saturday . The girl had come to Mysuru from Kalaburagi with her family to sell balloons during Dasara. They were staying in a temporary shed on an open ground in front of the Dasara Exhibition Grounds that was located near a brick kiln. Her body was found next to the shed. On the night of October 8, 2025, eight members of the family were sleeping in a shed. The girl went missing and her body was found early in the morning the next day, besides the shed. The girl’s parents, in their police complaint, stated that the girl had been kidnapped, raped and murdered. The jurisdictional Nazarbad police registered a case. Based on CCTV footage and technical evidence, the accused, Karthik, was arrested from Kollegal within 24 hours of the crime. Public Prosecutor Jayanthi said digital evidence played a crucial role in proving Karthik guilty. The Mysuru POCSO Court delivered a landmark verdict, concluding the case within a year, she said. P7 C H I L D M O D E call Children have fundamental right to internet access, rules Supreme Court s u c h i t r a k a lyan m o h an t y @ New Delhi DEclaring that access to and use of the internet is a ‘fundamental right’ for every individual, including children, the Supreme Court has directed the Central government to create a national database for detection and removal of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on digital platforms. Crackdown on subscription-based sexual content The Supreme Court has taken serious note of lapses by social media platforms in curbing sexually explicit visual content depicting minors and directed that every intermediary must ensure no such material is offered, hosted, uploaded or promoted through a paywall or subscription, either directly or indirectly A bench comprising justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran suggested introducing “child mode” for social media accounts, with greater emphasis on parental consent and oversight. “We have no hesitation in saying that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right of every individual under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a) of the Con- stitution. Our children, irrespective of their age, enjoy the same rights ... the safety of our children and their freedom are not at odds with each other.” The bench made these obser- vations while hearing a plea by Just Rights for Children Alliance (JCRA). The bench acknowledged that the internet is far from safe for children but held that keeping children away because of the failures of intermediaries to detect and remove harmful material would amount to mistaking the victim for the problem. “Children do not cease to use the internet merely because the law prohibits them from do- ing so, and they continue to use the same,” the bench said. The bench also directed that National Hash & URL List Database be set up for detection and removal of CSEAM, and said any entry in the database should be made after multiple tiers of verification, with the final screening being done by at least three trained human analysts who independently determine whether the material constitutes CSEAM.