visakhapatnam l sunday l january 25, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION 400 and counting: Djokovic creates another history heat is on at Oz Open as Sinner struggles On dramatic Saturday, Jannik Sinner survives heat to advance while Serb former World No 1 becomes first man to win 400 Grand Slam matches Jannik Sinner, the two-time and defending champion, visibly wilted before heat protocols were enforced. With the summer in full flow, the Italian, who has suffered previously, had already lost a set and was down a break when the roof was forced because of soaring mercury. Post the break, he came back to beat Elliot Spizzirri 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Major, saw off Netherlands’ Botic van Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) in the evening. The 10-time winner at Melbourne Park hasn’t won a Slam since 2023 but he’s feeling fresh and injury free. Having revamped his coaching staff, he believes he has the chance to break the Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz duopoly in men’s game 81 38-year-old advances to fourth round The Australian Open is the 81st Major of his career 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 Goes after collegium SC judge criticises executive influence in judge’s transfer s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n t y @ New Delhi Nat’l ranking 2 AP Discoms notch up ‘B’ grade from ‘C’ E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh’s power distribution companies have achieved a significant improvement in national performance benchmarks as reflected in the 14th Annual Integrated Rating and Ranking of Power Distribution Utilities released by the Government of India through Power Finance Corporation (PFC). The nationwide assessment, which rated power distribution utilities across the country on financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and governance parameters, has highlighted a clear improvement of Andhra P r a d e s h ’ s Discoms. As per the report, Central Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh Limited (APCPDCL) and Southern Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh Limited (APSPDCL) have improved their rating by moving from ‘C’ to ‘B’ grade, reflecting strengthened financial and operational performance. The report has also highlighted substantial improvements in key efficiency indicators for Andhra Pradesh Discoms. Collection efficiency has increased from 94.91% to 99.26%, marking an improvement of over 2 percentage points. Aggregate Technical & Commercial losses have declined sharply from 12% to 7.9%, indicating effective loss-reduction measures, and improved system perP4 formance.  A sitting judge of the Supreme Court publicly criticising its collegium that appoints and transfers judges to the higher judiciary is decidedly rare. However, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Saturday stuck his neck out by questioning a decision of the collegium to transfer a high court judge at the request of the Central government. Observing that the executive has absolutely no say in the matter of transfer and postings of judges, Justice Bhuyan made the larger point that judges should not be seen as bending over backwards to justify denial of liberty or human rights. He warned that “if we lose our credibility, nothing will be left of the judiciary .” Justice Bhuyan made the point while delivering the G V Pandit memorial lecture on “Constitutional Morality and Democratic Governance” at ILS Law College, Pune. “When the collegium records that the transfer of a high court judge was being made at the request of the Central government, it reveals a striking intrusion of executive influence into what is constitutionally supposed to be an independent process,” he asserted. In October last year, the collegium headed by the then Chief Justice of India B R Gavai had revised its initial proposal to transfer Justice Atul Sreedharan from the Madhya Pradesh High Court to the Chhattisgarh High Court, recommending instead his transfer to the Allahabad High Court. The collegium said the change was made following a government request. In Chhattisgarh, Justice Sreedharan would have joined the High Court collegium, whereas in Allahabad his seniority would be much lower. The decision drew criticism due to his reputation as an independent judge. Earlier, Justice Sreedharan had taken suo motu action against a Madhya Pradesh minister for remarks against a serving female Colonel. Justice Bhuyan, without naming Justice Sreedharan questioned the reason for his transfer from one HC to another, just because he had passed certain inconvenient orders against the government. “Does it not affect the independence of the judiciary?” he asked. The Central government can have no say in the matter of transfer and posting of High Court Judges... It is within the exclusive domain of the judiciary Justice Ujjal Bhuyan Autonomy must for Collegium Justice Bhuyan emphasised that the collegium system must remain completely independent. If collegium members are getting swayed by executive influence, they are drifting away from the original purpose of the collegium system, Justice Bhuyan said Path open to lift 25% tariff: US Russian oil import down, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sees possibility of easing levy P u s h p i ta D e y @ New Delhi A couple of booster shots have arrived just before the Union Budget, which could possibly lift the sentiments of the Indian economy further. Even as the country is all set to sign a free trade deal with the European Union, which both sides see as the ‘mother of all deals’, the US hinted at a diplomatic path to lift the 25% additional import duty it levied on Indian goods after a “marked decline in India’s imports of Russian oil in recent months”. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted during a media interaction that the US administration could consider reducing the 50% tariff imposed on several sectors of Indian exports, as there has been a significant fall in imports of Russian oil in recent months. The indication is being seen as hints of a potential easing of We put 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. And Indian purchases of Russian oil have collapsed. I would imagine there is a path to take them off Scott Bessent Relief for exporters Cuts to US tariffs and the FTA with EU will bring much respite to Indian exporters India votes against UN resolution condemning crackdown in Iran j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi INDIA voted against a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) condemning Iran’s violent crackdown on recent protests and extending international investigative mandates. The resolution was adopted at the Council’s 39th special session with 25 votes in favour, seven against and 14 abstentions. Besides India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia and Iraq voted a g ainst the measure. European Union members led the support, joined by the UK and Iceland, along with several Latin American countries. The resolution expressed concern over what it said were “widespread and systematic” violations following protests that began on December 28, 2025, citing reports of thousands of deaths, i n cl u d i n g ch i l d re n , mass arrests and injuries to civilians. India’s vote comes amid sensitive diplomatic and strategic considerations. New Delhi is Development of Capital Amaravati as world-class city unstoppable: Naidu Ne t h a j i K u m a r a m a n g a l a m @ Tirupati Making it clear that Amaravati will remain as the capital of Andhra Pradesh forever, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said it will be developed as a world-class capital. Naidu affirmed that the development of Capital Amaravati is unstoppable, and no one can obstruct it. He alleged that during the previous YSRCP regime, Amaravati was ter med a cremation ground and a desert. Even now, he said false allegations of ‘credit theft’ are being made. Participating in the Swarna Andhra - Swachh Andhra programme at Nagari in Chittoor district on Saturday the Chief Minis, ter felt that encouraging bad elements in politics harms society , and people should be more careful and encourage only good leaders. He alleged that large-scale cor- ruption had taken place in sand, liquor and mining during the previous regime. “The adulteration of ghee used in Lord Venkateswara Swamy prasadam was a clear reflection of the decay in governance during that period,” he said. Responding to criticism from YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Naidu said the public are closely watching the conduct of political leaders. “Those who indulged in blackmail politics are now talking about values,” he remarked. The irrigation system was badly damaged during the previous YSRCP regime, and his government has laid emphasis on fasttracking the works of major projects. Emphasis has been laid on development of all the regions in the State through decentralisation, he said. Naidu said land is an emotional issue for people, and alleged that the previous government harassed people through Land Titling Act. A whopping `700 crore of public money was misused merely for printing photos of Jagan on survey stones and passbooks, he said. The Chief Minister laid the foundation for solid waste management projects, and inaugurated Swachh Raths meant for waste collection. Waste-to-energy plants will be taken up in Kurnool, Rajahmundry Kadapa and Nellore under the , PPP model next month. Proposals are also made for similar plants in Vijayawada and Tirupati, he said. big decision It’s official: Bangladesh out, Scotland in for T20 WC E x p r e s s Ne w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai AND just like that, the Asian bloc, the most powerful bloc in international cricket seems to be in tatters, at least for the time being. But there was no way out once Bangladesh stood their ground of not travelling to India so close to the T20 World Cup beginning from February 7. Though there have been withdrawals in the past, because of the passion involved in the subcontinent, this seems more high profile and talked-about. On Satu rd ay, B a n g l a d e s h c a r r i e d through its threat of not travelling for the T20 World Cup in India. The end result? The International Cricket Council (ICC) gave their spot to Scotland. The European outfit, who fell during the qualifiers, will now be in Group C with Italy, England, Nepal and West Indies. Bangladesh may have the option of going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport trade headwinds at a crucial juncture. Coming just a week ahead of the Union Budget 2026, the development has raised hopes of improved export prospects, stronger bilateral trade sentiment, and a more supportive global backdrop for India’s growth narrative. During his interaction with an American news outlet Politico at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bessent said: “We put 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. And the Indian purchases, by their refineries, of Russian oil have collapsed. That is a success.” Bessent assured that the administration will be open to discussions to ease them. “The tariffs are still on. I would imagine there is a path to take them off.” US President Donald Trump announced a total of 50% tariff (including a 25% tariff due to imports of crude oil from Rus- (CAS) but the events of the last three and a bit weeks will take years to repair, if at all. In the 90s, when Bangladesh, regarded as one of the game’s lesser nations, were fighting for Test status, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) believed in them. When Jagmohan Dalmiya was in charge of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Bangladesh finally became a full-member. A few months later, a full-strength India team travelled to Dhaka for Bangladesh’s first ever Test. One can argue that Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) made this issue more political than it ought to have been as well. The ICC, on the other hand, maintained that there was no issue of security threat in India and it is safe for Bangladesh but to no avail. There will be a major financial implication too. In any case, the team would be losing at least $250,000 from T20 WC participation fee. currently in talks with the United States over an extended sanctions waiver for the Chabahar port project in Iran, which expires in April 2026. Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, welcomed New Delhi’s stance. “I extend my sincere gratitude to India for its principled and firm support of Iran at the UNHRC, including opposing an unjust and politically motivated resolution,” he said in a social media post. Month Russia US Dec 2024 Jan 2025 Feb 2025 March 2025 Apr 2025 May 2025 June 2025 July 2025 Aug 2025 Sept 2025 Oct 2025 Nov 2025 Dec 2025 1,482 1,674 1,476 1,868 1,924 1,851 2,089 1,591 1,689 1,614 1,619 1,836 1,146 67 293 145 289 337 298 303 364 230 207 568 451 330 India’s Crude imports KBD: 1,000 barrel per day sia) on several Indian exports, including textile, apparel, carpets, gems and jewelleries from August-end. This additional tariff came as a penalty for buying Russian oil. According to Bessent, the tactic of pressuring India has worked as the import of crude oil from Russia has come down considerably in the last few months. WITH THIS ISSUE Our Republic of Rare Rituals PLUS 12 P AGES express read State to get 13 more dialysis centres soon Vijayawada: Minister for Health and Family Welfare Satya Kumar Yadav has said steps are being taken to set up 13 more dialysis centres in secondary hospitals across the State | P3