tadepalligudem l thursday l october 01, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Centre notifies tighTer, more fuel efficient CAFE-III norms The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy norms for passenger vehicles target a 16.7% improvement in fleet-average over five years Softer targets for lighter vehicles Expect more fuel-saving tech in cars The benchmark for average fuel consumption will tighten from 3.996 litres per 100 km in 2027-28 to 3.327 litres per 100 km in 2031-32, a 16.7% improvement. The reference vehicle weight has been raised to 1,229 kg from 1,082 kg under the existing norms, meaning relatively softer targets for lighter vehicles and greater efficiency requirements for heavier ones | P10 ■ ■ Battery electric and range-extended electric vehicles will get a 3.0 volume multiplier, meaning every vehicle sold will be counted as three, helping carmakers score more efficiency points than fossil fuel cars The number of accepted fuel-saving technologies has risen from 4 to 12. These include start-stop systems, tyre-pressure monitoring etc April 1, 2027 when the new norms will kick in. They will remain in effect till 2032 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 Flight FZ1073 1 5.21 UTC: Flight begins steep descent, followed by a sharp ascent, repeats it, as per Flightradar24 Modi, Trump hold first call since Russia bill’s passage 2 2 1 3 4 J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump agreed to maintain close engagement to advance the India-US strategic partnership in their first conversation since the US passed the Russia sanctions law. The call also came as Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is in the US for talks aimed at advancing a proposed bilateral trade agreement and securing an interim trade arrangement. During the telephone conversation, Modi and Trump reviewed cooperation in trade, defence, energy and critical technologies and other areas of mutual interest, an official release said. They “reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the IndiaUS Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and agreed to maintain close engagement to deepen cooperation,” the statement said. “Had a productive conversation with President Trump,” Modi wrote on X. The call came amid rising trade tensions after the US enactment of the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, allowing the US to slap up to 100% tariffs on buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India. MRPL unit blast Smoke erupts after a massive explosion at the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited oil refinery in Mangaluru, Karnataka on Wednesday | PTI Route of Fly Dubai flight 5.28.48 am: Aircraft begins squawking 7700, a discreet international code to indicate general emergency 3 05:33 am: Aircraft then oscillates around an altitude of about 15,000 feet. Ground speed varies significantly 4 05:35 am: Switches to squawk 7500, another code to indicate unlawful interference. Flight then turns west, briefly entering Jordanian airspace before turning back 180 degrees and heading southwest toward Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. It switches back to squawk 7700 as it approached Tabuk, lands at 6.58 am ‘Pedalaku Pattabhishekam’ Welfare and wealth creation our priorities: CM S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu distributed house pattas with full ownership rights to 26,401 families under the Pedalaku Pattabhishekam programme at the Makineni Basava Punnaiah Stadium in Vijayawada on Wednesday . The land being distributed in Vijayawada alone is valued at `28,112 crore spread across 707 acres. The value of individual plots ranges from `50 lakh to `2 crore. Later addressing a public meeting, he said the NDA government already granted land rights to 28,000 families in Visakhapatnam, and 5,800 families in Mangalagiri. Moved by the hardships faced by poor families for decades, the State government took the decision to grant them ownership rights over their sites, and congratulated public representatives and officials who worked hard to ensure that poor families in NTR and Krishna districts get pattas. Naidu alleged that some vested groups were spreading misinformation through social media platforms. “If beneficiaries themselves share their experiences, the truth about the government’s welfare and development programmes will reach a much Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu takes part in the Pedalaku Pattabhishekam programme in Vijayawada on Wednesday | Express wider audience,” he said. “Our priorities are welfare, development and wealth creation, and we are implementing various programmes to ensure that these continue uninterrupted. We have already spent `1.50 lakh crore on development works,” he highlighted. Referring to land reforms and development initiatives, he alleged that the previous regime had created property disputes in households between 2019 and 2024. During the previous regime, images of political leaders were printed on pattadar passbooks, and the Land Titling Act created P4 difficulties for people.  INFLIGHT TERROR High drama aboard Flydubai Dubai-Tel Aviv flight as co-pilot stabs captain, tries to crash plane; aircraft plunges 17,000 ft; off-duty pilots take control, make emergency landing A g e n c i es @ Dubai/Jerusalem A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport on Wednesday after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain with a knife and tried to intentionally crash the plane with 174 passengers, most of them Israelis. The incident prompted Israel to close its airspace and scramble warplanes over fears that the jet had been hijacked. Flight-tracking data showed the plane suddenly plummeted, losing around 17,000 feet of altitude in the span of a minute. The aircraft subsequently transmitted emergency signals, including a code indicating possible unlawful interference. Following the pandemonium, two off-duty Flydubai pilots who were travelling in the same plane as passengers entered the cockpit and took control of the flight. The knife-wielding copilot was subdued with the help of passengers and the plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia for emergency landing. The off-duty pilots landed the No confirmation Israeli news website Ynet, citing officials, reported that the pilot was Indian and the co-pilot was an Omani national, who was suspected of trying to crash the aircraft. The Indian captain fought with him to prevent the crashing, with Israeli passengers later helping subdue the co-pilot. But there was no independent confirmation of the pilot’s nationality plane safely and the passengers were later flown to Tel Aviv in another aircraft. “The aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty Flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport. All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for,” a Flydubai spokesperson said. Flydubai said the reasons for the fight between the pilots were unknown. “At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation. We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts,” a spokersperson said. The airline said it was cooperating with the relevant authorities and that all passengers were safe. “The captain and copilot were found to have injuries and were transported to hospital,” a statement from the Tabuk airport said. An Israeli official said there may have been an attempt to attack Israelis, and an investigation is ongoing. He said that a “major disaster was narrowly avoided” adding passengers had prevented an ‘Israeli 9/11’ by tying up the assailant. While Flydubai did not disclose the identities of the pi- INDIA to take fight against CEC to streets P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi IN a show of unity, 20 INDIA bloc parties came together here on Wednesday to announce a joint action plan demanding the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a return to ballot papers over EVMs. Kumar has been under Opposition and civil society fire for a week since reports revealed a rift in the functioning of the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. After a three-hour-meeting, the INDIA bloc parties, in a joint press meet, announced country in October and Novemthey would rope in youngsters ber, including one in Delhi on and civil society organisations November 1. and hold ‘Save Democracy’ Congress president Mallikarmarches from October jun Kharge, former 2-8 before district magparty chiefs Sonia istrate offices to press Gandhi and Rahul their charge of ‘vote Gandhi, TMC chief chori’. On October 6, Mamata Baner jee, all opposition MPs will CPM general secretary march to the EC headM A Baby Jammu and , quarters in Delhi. OpKashmir Chief Minisposition leaders will ter Omar Abdullah, Gyanesh Kumar seek an appointment RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav with the President in and NCP (SP) MP Suthe second week of October to priya Sule were among those at submit a representation on the the meeting; Shiv Sena (UBT) matter. The bloc will also hold chief Uddhav Thackeray and five massive rallies across the Jharkhand CM and JMM chief 98 workers rescued from bonded labour in Anantapur charcoal units E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Anantapur As many as 98 migrant workers, including 30 women and 38 children, were rescued from alleged bonded labour at charcoal production units spread across 10 locations in Anantapur district on Wednesday . The workers, belonging to migrant families from Mangaon in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, were re por tedly brought to Andhra Pradesh after being promised employment, and given advances ranging from `5,000 to `1 lakh. Some families said they had been living and working at the charcoal units for periods ranging from two to five years. The rescue operation followed an interstate alert after a worker reportedly escaped from one of the worksites, and approached social workers in The migrant workers rescued from bonded labour in charcoal units of Anantapur district | Express Maharashtra. The information was subsequently shared with authorities in Andhra Pradesh, leading to coordination between the two States, and the joint operation in Anantapur. The Revenue, Labour, Police and Women and Child Development departments participated in the rescue operation. Mandal Revenue Officers, Labour and WCD officials, police personnel, medical staff and social workers were involved. Pregnant women were among those rescued. The administration arranged immediate medical assistance and food for the workers followP4 ing the operation.  B u l l’s e y e S From almost quitting archery to two gold at Asiad: Sahil’s story OME two years ago, Sahil Jadhav wanted to walk away from archery His ca. reer, he thought, was going nowhere. He was living on borrowed time: mother’s jewellery had already been sold to ensure he would get the required paraphernalia to keep the fire of ambition burning. That flame was about to be extinguished when he was forced to compete with borrowed arrows at a selection trial to make it to the Indian team. Over the last two years, though, Sahil has only known big wins. The apogee of his career came on Wednesday Twice in. side the first half of the day at the archery ranges, Sahil occupied the top step of the podium — as part of the mixed team and the men’s side — as Indian archers dominanted the proceedings with three gold medals on Wednesday. The com- Indraneel Das Express @ asian games Nagoya pound archer, whose gold in the mixed team event also gave India a quota at LA2028, said he faced no pressure in the final. In fact, his last shot was a 10. A product of the famed Archery Academy in Satara, Maharashtra, he shifted to the National lots, some Israeli media outlets identified them as Omani and Emirati nationals. Meanwhile, some reports claimed the captain was Indian national Smit Machchhar. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one of the pilots stabbed the other and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft with Israeli passengers on board. He said the pilot who carried out the stabbing had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities. Netanyahu said an Israeli passenger told him that the aircraft went into a spin and began descending, after which the passenger and a crew member managed to break into the cockpit and, together, they overpowered the pilot who had carried out the stabbing while he was attempting to sabotage the aircraft’s systems. He said another crew member then entered the cockpit and helped stabilise the aircraft. “I salute these heroes who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. They prevented a major disaster,” he said. Sahil Jadhav celebrates with his gold after the men’s team event | PTI Centre of Excellence in Kolkata two years ago. Despite their meagre savings, the parents and the coach, Pravin Sawant, kept him in good spirits. “He competed with borrowed arrows during the selection trials and earned a place in the India team,” said his father Rajesh Jadhav. The breakthrough came at the World University Games in 2025 where he came within a whisker of scoring 150 (ended up with 149). Soon, he became the country’s top compound archer. Securing Olympic quota for India was a bonus. “The feeling is great and result of a lot of hard work,” said Sahil, who is still hoping for a Class One job from Maharashtra government. Hard work, determination and no less grit took him from the verge of retirement to the top step of the podium. Next stop? It could well be Los Angeles. Hemant Soren joined online. At the briefing, Kharge said the bloc will appeal to the Supreme Court to expedite the cases related to the SIR and electoral malpractices. Kharge said everyone had agreed that all polls should be conducted on ballot papers and that laws framed by this “chori government” should be annulled. He dubbed Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as real “puppeteers” of EC. Sources said Mamata, during the meeting, called for a broader Opposition mobilisation and urged all leaders to set aside their egos to fight the BJP . ‘Mahasamadhi’ Kalki Bhagavan passes away at the age of 77 E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Tirupati Spiritual leader Vijay Kumar Naidu, widely known as Kalki Bhagavan, passed away on Tuesday following a fortnight of medical treatment. He was 77. Kalki Ashram conveyed the news of his Mahasamadhi to devotees, expressing deep sorrow over his demise. In an official message, the ashram stated that before shedding his physical form, Kalki Bhagavan assured his followers that he would eternally remain connected to them, and respond to p r aye r s i n the form of Paramjyothi whenever remembered. The mortal remains of the spiritual guru have been kept at Ekam Kshetra near Battalavallam in Varadaiahpalem mandal of Tirupati district to allow devotees to pay their last respects. Expecting a massive turnout from Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring States, the ashram appealed for peace and orderly visitation, while the police deployed substantial force P4 for bandobust.