AI Image bengaluru l sunday l october 18, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 30 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 18 killed in pandal stampede Russia-related curbs on India Sudden downpour results in human crush after pandal gates collapse; several injured s u b h e n d u m a i t i @ Kolkata But US retains the right to withdraw waiver 1 P u s h p i ta D e y @ New Delhi 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 WITH THIS ISSUE Grain of Truth PLUS 12 P AGES Conditional bail for Dipke, Neha freed U D AYAN 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. 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 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: P18 2 3 E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @Bengaluru 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 at the 2025 convocation. press Intake Sting op row: Kumaraswamy takes out padayatra | P4 Veteran music composer Deva passes away at 75 | P7 No diversion of sugar for ethanol fuel blending, says govt | P11 A m i t S U pa d h y e @Hubballi The officer, who heads the vigilance department that monitors the misuse of railway properties, committed this act himself.  P7 The goods carrier at the VIP section platform in Hubballi railway station taking Manoj Kumar’s household items Kids have right to internet access, rules SC s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n 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. 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 in- dividual under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. 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 observations 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 doing 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. arrangement CJI in, 105 students skip NLSIU convocation Rly official attaches spl coach to & fro Jaipur to ferry household goods In a case of blatant misuse of power, a senior railway official from South Western Railway (SWR) 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. 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 At least 18 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. Eye-witnesses said many revellers on the lane outside rushed to take shelter inside the pandal after it began pouring. Those inside the pandal could not come out. As a result, people tumbled on top of each other on a makeshift staircase, leading to the stampede. Hospital and police sources said the deceased included four men, 13 women and one child. All 18 were declared dead on arrival at Calcutta Medical Col- Crackdown on subscriptionbased 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 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 NLSIU against Chief Justice of India 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 the CJI would preside over the convocation after official correspondence from the university confirming his attendance, along with actor Arundhati Nag.  P7 lege, while more than 30 others are admitted. This is perhaps the first incident of stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in West Bengal. West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal visited Calcutta Medical College. BJP MLA Bijoy Ojha from Jorashanko constituency is the chairman of the pandal committee while Debdeep Adhikari, CM’s nephew, is a member. PM Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and announced an ex gratia of `2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and `50,000 for the injured. “Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the stampede. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and for strength for their families during this difficult time,” former CM Mamata Banerjee said. e x p r ess r e a d Man gets death for rape, murder of girl in Mysuru Mysuru: The Fast Track Special POCSO court sentenced Karthik (32) to death for the kidnap, rape and murder of a nine-yearold girl near Dasara exhibition grounds during the last Dasara festival in Mysuru P5