HYDERABAD l saturday l august 08, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l LATE CITY EDITION Sweeping russia sanctions bill clears senate by a big margin The bipartisan legislation would penalise countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports to deprive Putin of revenues outcome of a year-long campaign china, india could pay heavy tariffs The punishing Russian sanctions package, passed 86-11 by the Senate, was the result of a year-long campaign by the late Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal to reinforce US support for Ukraine and to try and control Putin. “Today we say to the people of Ukraine: You are not alone. And to Putin: You will not conquer,” Blumenthal said | P11 ■ ■ The bipartisan package that carries Graham’s name allows the president to impose humongous tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, including China and India The bill heads to the House of Representatives, where a vote will not take place until at least early Sept due to the congressional recess 100% levy is what Trump can impose on purchasers of Russian oil and gas 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 Nato-style Pak-Saudi-Turkey pact India says it is closely monitoring the trilateral defence agreement signed in Mecca today EXPRE S S NEW S S ERV I CE @ New Delhi AMID escalating tensions in West Asia due to the lingering Iran war, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on Friday signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a NATO-style pact under which an attack against one will be treated as an attack against all three. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the trilateral agreement in the holy city of Mecca early on Friday . India said it is closely monitoring it. “This is a development that we are closely following, and we shall keep you updated,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, in response to questions at a media briefing. When asked about reports of a separate defence cooperation agreement between Pakistan and Somalia, Jaiswal said: “We continue to follow the develop- Buzz back on Akali-BJP pact ahead of Punjab polls as Badal meets Modi H a r p r e e t B a j w a @ Chandigarh SHIROMANI Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his office in the Parliament House complex, triggering speculation that the Punjab-based party may revive its alliance with the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections less than six months away . However, Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon sought to downplay its implications. “The PM is for everyone; anybody can meet him,” he said in Chandigarh. And sources close to Badal described the interaction as informal. The SAD walked out of the NDA in 2020 over the three farm laws, ending more than two decades as one of the alliance’s oldest constituents. The laws were later withdrawn. Observers believe state-specifKejriwal’s ic issues such as deterioratposer ing law and orThe first to take der, recurring note of the paper leaks, meeting was AAP drug menace national convenor and other chalArvind Kejriwal, lenges may who asked if an have figured alliance between in the talks. A SAD and BJP was few days earliin the works. ”Are er, Badal met the two parties coming together?” Haryana Chief he posted on X Minister Nayab Singh Saini at the latter’s residence, where it is believed the meeting with PM was discussed. With elections due in Punjab in six months, both parties face internal pressures. In the BJP’s Punjab unit, senior leaders have publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the state leadership. The SAD, too, is battling factionalism, with several leaders having joined the SAD (Punar Surjit), and the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) of jailed MP Amritpal Singh seeking to expand in rural areas. Sources said the present situation could favour an alliance, given infighting in the Congress and the AAP government’s poor record. Yet both sides have repeatedly ruled out a tie-up. In June, BJP national president Nitin Nabin said the party would contest all 117 seats independently Badal has likewise said the . SAD will go it alone. From left: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sign a trilateral defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Friday | Saudi Press Agency via AP Paper agreement does not offer security, says Iran The trilateral defence agreement was signed a day after Iran said it was in the final stages of an agreement with Oman on a framework for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei said the trilateral “paper agreement” will not bring security ments between Somalia and the other country mentioned.” The trilateral pact brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia, nuclear-armed Pakistan and Turkey which has NATO’s sec, ond-largest military and a rapidly growing defence industry . Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the pact is aimed at strengthening security. “The Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all. It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three States.” Saudi Arabia, which is bracing for attacks from the Tehranbacked Houthis, said the pact would not affect the kingdom’s existing partnerships. “The agreement does not represent any orientation toward building a military axis or sectarian/religious bloc, and it is not linked to nuclear endeavors or an arms race, but rather to building sustainable self-reliant capabilities,” its statement read. A Turkish government official described the agreement as “purely defensive in nature” . The pact comes amid heightened instability in West Asia and follows Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify its security partnerships after attacks on its critical infrastructure. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already have a bilateral defence pact, under which an attack on one country would be treated as aggression against both. Stronger foundation will ensure poll victories, Nabin tells Telangana BJP I r e d dy S r i n i vas R e d dy @ Hyderabad With municipal elections on the horizon and the contest for Telangana Assembly already in view, the message from the BJP’s central leadership that met leaders from the state was that organisation would precede ambition. After all, in politics, a house is built from the foundation, not the roof. BJP national president Nitin Nabin met the party’s state president N Ramchander Rao, MPs, MLAs and state in-charges Abhay Patil and Chandrashekhar Tiwari in New Delhi. While the formal meeting reviewed the party’s position in the state, a subsequent discussion with Ramchander Rao and the in-charges turned to organisational strategy and the political roadmap ahead. According to sources, the leadership left little doubt about its objective of bringing the BJP to power in the next Telangana Assembly elections. But before looking that far ahead, leaders were asked to keep their eyes on the nearer milestones. The upcoming elections to the Greater Hyderabad, Malkajgiri, Cyberabad, Khammam and Warangal municipal corporations, along with the two Graduate MLC constituencies represented by BJP MPs, were identified as the next political tests. The target, sources said, is to secure a majority of municipal divisions and retain both MLC seats to keep the party’s momentum intact. The discussions also touched upon the prospect of legislators India assigns names to 27 Arunachal places m u k e sh r a n ja n @ New Delhi Amid multiple attempts by China to rename several places in Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre has assigned standard names to 27 locations and geographical features in the border state located along the Line of Actual Control. Officials said the decision is “a riposte to China’s efforts to rename dozens of locations in Arunachal Pradesh in recent years”. The newly designated names have been incorporated into the maps of the Survey of India, providing uniform legal, administrative and cartographic recognition to the places. “It is expected to improve ad- ministrative coordination, infrastructure planning, disaster management and public service delivery by establishing a uniform reference for all government agencies,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said, adding that it eliminate ambiguities in geographical references. The 27 locations inc l u d e s e t t l e m e n t s, mountain passes, water bodies and memorials. The notified geographical features include the strategically significant mountain passes of Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La and Thag La, and Sambho Sarovar, a lake, and the Sher-e-Thapa Memorial, which commemorates India’s military history in the region. E x p r e s s Re a d Gig workers call off indefinite strike Hyderabad: Gig and platform workers on Friday withdrew their planned indefinite strike, scheduled to begin across Telangana on Saturday, after the state government assured to take up their major demands concerning welfare measures and social security. The decision came after Labour Minister G Vivek Venkatswamy met representatives of gig and platform workers’ unions at the Secretariat and assured them that the government was committed to safeguarding their rights. from other parties joining the BJP. Sources said Nabin made it clear that while the party remained open to political expansion, any sitting MLA seeking to join would first have to resign from the Assembly and seek a fresh mandate through a byelection. The message, insiders said, was that political growth should not come at the cost of electoral legitimacy . Equally, the leadership sought to keep internal equations in check. MPs and MLAs were instructed to work in coordination and resolve differences through the party leadership rather than allowing them to spill into the public domain. As the saying goes, loose threads can unravel an entire fabric. Addressing the media later, Ramchander Rao said the meeting had underlined the need for collective leadership and organisational discipline. CONTINUED ON P4 Opposition can’t dictate who will speak in Parl Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said Oppn “won’t be able to digest” when Amit Shah speaks in Parliament | P9 AI, tips & trade CM, economist talk booster shots for state revenue CM to perform Varuna Yagam for rains Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has decided to perform a ‘Varuna Yagam’ for timely and adequate rains during the current monsoon season in the state. Priests, Vedic scholars and astrologers from the famous Yadagirigutta temple have fixed August 10 as the auspicious date for conducting the Yagam. Revanth Reddy will participate in the ‘purnahuti’, marking the completion of the ritual on the same day. E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held a detailed discussion with noted economist Arvind Subramanian here on Friday on ways to augment the state’s revenues. The discussions focused on improving GST collections amid Telangana’s rapidly growing economy Revanth and Subrama. nian decided to leverage Artificial Intelligence to strengthen revenue mobilisation. They also discussed reforms in the GST and Excise sectors. A simplified, AI-based system will be developed to improve GST collections while ensuring that businesses do not face any difficulties. Subramanian said technology would be used to enhance Telangana’s ease of doing business rankings. He suggested using AI primarily to plug revenue leakages in the building and construction materials sectors. He stressed the need for coordination among the Municipal Administration, RERA, Panchayat Raj, Energy Finance and , Commercial Taxes departments through AI-based systems. The chief minister said that, apart from tax data, information from schemes and services such as Arogyasri, MeeSeva and the CM’s Relief Fund should also be integrated with AI to help the administration function more effectively . Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju, Adviser to the CM K Ramakrishna Rao were also present. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy with former chief economic adviser to the Government of India Arvind Subramanian in Hyderabad on Friday TG HC judge flags financial stress on state from schemes T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad Questioning the sustainability of extending benefits to almost the entire population, the Telangana High Court on Friday voiced concern over the state’s financial position, observing that welfare schemes should be confined to “needy and eligible persons”. Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka made the observations while hearing a contempt case filed by J Ramakrishna, former member of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board, over the alleged non-remittance of pending surcharge on stamp duty collected for the Board. Principal Finance Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania appeared before the court and informed it that `25 crore had been remitted to the Cantonment Board on May 16, 2026 towards the pending surcharge on stamp duty and that the balance would be paid in three instalments. During the hearing, Justice Bheemapaka observed that there were more than 100 contempt cases pending against Sultania and remarked that if punishment were imposed in every case, the officer could spend the remainder of his service in jail. The judge also questioned what an officer could do when the state itself had limited financial resources. The judge observed that while welfare schemes were necessary benefits should be restrict, ed to those who genuinely needed them. Referring to Rythu Bharosa, he noted that wealthy landlords were also receiving benefits.  continued on P5 Vande Mataram to make Red Fort debut as I-day itinerary J a v a r i a R a n a @ New Delhi VANDE Mataram will be played at the Red Fort on August 15, marking the first time the national song will feature as a scheduled item in the Independence Day programme, a defence ministry official said. The national song will be rendered immediately before the national anthem at the close of the Prime Minister’s address. The addition comes just over a week after Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending to Vande Mataram the protection the 1971 law affords to the national anthem. Introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 24, the bill makes intentionally preventing the singing of the national song or disturbing an assembly engaged in it punishable with imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both, with a minimum one-year jail term for a second conviction. The legislation now awaits presidential assent. The full Red Fort programme is yet to be released. The government has already invoked an Independence Day precedent for the song. Replying during the parliamentary debate, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that on August 15, 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had asked Pandit Omkarnath Thakur to render the complete Vande Mataram on All India Radio at 6.30 am to mark the beginning of India’s first Independence Day His reference . to the complete rendition assumes significance because the government has not indicated whether the Red Fort ceremony will feature only the two stanzas in national use or a longer version. l a te s t t w i s t CM Vijay’s wife withdraws divorce petition E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s wife Sankgeetha on Friday withdrew her divorce petition filed before the Chengalpattu Family Court. Appearing before the court through video conference, Sankgeetha informed Judge D Sujatha that she did not wish to pursue the matter. Recording that the counsel for the respondent (Vijay) had no objection, the court permitted her to withdraw the case with liberty to initiate fresh proceedings if required. Sankgeetha, in her divorce petition filed in February this Court stamp: Grants liberty for fresh proceedings Recording that the counsel for the respondent (Vijay) had no objection to it after being served a notice, the court permitted her to withdraw the case with liberty to initiate fresh proceedings if required year, had sought dissolution of the marriage and sought permanent alimony and the right to continue residing at the couple’s Neelankarai residence. She had alleged that Vijay was in an extramarital relationship with his female co-star, and this has been causing her emotional and mental suffering. She further stated that repeated attempts at rec- onciliation between 2021 and 2025 through legal counsel and personal discussions failed due to her husband’s continued association with the co-star, which she said was a “violation and betrayal” of marital trust. Rumours of the couple’s separation began surfacing after Sankgeetha’s absence from Vijay’s film events. Their relationship has largely stayed private throughout their marriage, despite Vijay’s public profile. Sankgeetha’s divorce plea became a huge talking point in the state elections earlier this year. Social media was divided in its support for her, as some thought it was politically motivated, while others stood by her in solidarity . Vijay, in a speech before the elections, asked his cadres not to indulge in the conversation, as it was his personal issue. Nevertheless, the conspicuous absence of Sangkeetha and their children, Jason Sanjay and Divya Sasha, in TVK events remained a subject of debate across social media platforms.