Thursday, January 22, 2026 HAPPY MAGHI GANPATI | Vol. 69 No. 93 | 31 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation GAMES NATION Rahul Gandhi gets grandpa Feroze’s driving licence in Raebareli visit TRICKY TIES AHEAD | By way of abundant caution ahead of possibly bloody polls in Bangladesh, MEA plans safe passage India primes diplomat families’ evacuations actions and inputs from various agencies to New Delhi, which would then be studied by the Joint Secretary (Personnel), who is responsible for the security of India’s missions. This JS provides ICC warns Dhaka: Play in India or be replaced Haridev Pushparaj MUMBAI recommendations, and then the matter is then taken up at the secretarial and ministerial level before a decision is reached. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation The reported classification of Bangladesh as a ‘non-family’ posting appears to be unprecedented, since such decisions are taken only in extreme cases: Yemen in 2015 and Afghanistan in 2021, after an outbreak of civil war and an absence of government. This is not the case in poll-bound Bangladesh. would normally follow a careful assessment of the situation by the mission in Dhaka. The protocol is that the Indian High Commissioner provides a report with inputs based on assessment following inter- Edit What India needs desperately currently is a law on torts The standoff between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup escalated sharply on Wednesday, with the ICC board voting that Bangladesh will be replaced if they refuse to travel to India for the biennial tournament. According to sources, the ICC has asked the BCB to formally apprise the Bangladesh government of its decision. Bangladesh have been given an additional day to review their position on playing their four group matches in India— three scheduled in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. Failure to reverse their stance will result in Bangladesh being replaced by Scotland in Group C. Scotland, it may be recalled, had failed to qualify for the marquee event after finishing behind the Netherlands, Italy and Jersey at the European Qualifier. Their inclusion would come purely as a replacement, triggered by Bangladesh’s withdrawal. Ashwin Ahmad NEW DELHI India’s classification of Bangladesh as a “non-family” posting, reported in a section of the media, has surprised members of the diplomatic community in New Delhi. These reports have not been denied. This means that families of the diplomats are to leave Bangladesh, a drawdown of sorts. While bilateral ties have worsened after PM Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh, the removal of the families of diplomats from that country, which is yet to be confirmed by the MEA, would make for an unprecedented action. Senior diplomats told FPJ that the Indian government declares a nation a “non-family posting” only in extreme cases, and examples have included Yemen in 2015 and Afghanistan in 2021. These were necessitated by an outbreak of civil war and an absence of government. This is not the case in Bangladesh, which is heading to elections on February 12, albeit under a transitional government. Diplomats told FPJ on background that the move Cinema Aamir Khan opens up with us on his crazy golf lessons Rohit Sharma feels watching T20 WC from the sidelines will be a strange experience ‘SUBMISSION TO SENATE CONFIRMS FIP FACTS’ S Balakrishnan & Dhairya Gajara Whistleblower report flags earlier electrical fire to US Senate AI-171 CRASH MUMBAI FPJ EXCLUSIVE Rachel Chitra A whistle blower's report to the U.S senate sub-committee on the Air India Boeing 787-8 flight AI-171 which crashed seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12 last year, has confirmed what the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) and the family of Capt Sumeet Sabharwal have been saying from day one. The FPJ had front-paged the whistle blower's report on HC quashes TN police’s Malviya FIR FPJ News Service MUMBAI The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on January 20 quashed the 2023 FIR registered by Tiruchi city police against BJP leader Amit Malviya for allegedly “distorting” remarks made by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatana Dharma, holding that continuing criminal proceedings against Malviya would amount to an abuse of the process of law. Udhayanidhi Stalin’s 2023 speech on Santana Dharma amounted to hate speech, says Madras High Court Allowing Malviya’s petition, Justice S. Srimathy made sharp observations on the contents of Udhayanidhi Stalin’s 2023 speech, ruling that the minister’s remarks amounted to hate speech. Justice Srimathy went further, observing that the minister’s speech could even imply genocide or culturicide. 4Contd on | nation CHENNAI Jan 21, 2026 Wednesday. President of FIP Capt C.S. Randhawa told FPJ that the submission made before the U.S. Senate's subcommittee only confirmed the facts presented by the pilot's body. ``We have written to the Di- A whistleblower report submitted to the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) shows the Air India Boeing 787-8 AI-171 that crashed 32 seconds after 260 people, had a long history of electrical and computingsystem faults, including a major electrical fire in 2022 and subsequent replacements of coresystem components. The Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS), which presented the material to PSI on January 12, told it that VT-ANB’s (VT being the registration code rectotate General of Civil Aviation, Air India and other other conceivable authorities stating that the fleet of Boeing 797-8 had several electrical malfunctions which need to be rectified. But no one listened to us." Former Air India is Indian and ANB the unique identification of the aircraft) problems began “the very first day” the aircraft arrived in India on February 1, 2014, and continued through its 11-year life. Boeing has a real-time, live transmission of faults under its Aircraft Health Management transmitted via satellite by providers like Inmarsat and SITA to The submission to the Senate describes a “wide variety” of issues, including repeated circuit-breaker trips, avionics and software faults, wire damage, smoke and fumes, short circuits, loss of electrical current, electrical surges, burning, and overheating of power-distribution components — “including a very serious fire.” official KVJ Rao alleged that Capt Sabherwal was being made a scapegoat with a view to take Boeing off the hook. `` The SC should fast track the hearing so that the truth emerges." He further alleged that a politician was interfer- Rupee plunges to record low PTI MUMBAI The rupee plunged 68 paise to close at an alltime low of 91.65 against the US dollar on Wednesday, weighed down by persistent foreign fund outflows, heightened geopolitical uncertainty and a risk-off mood in global markets. The local unit had earlier touched its previous record low of 91.14 on December 16, 2025. So far this month, the rupee has declined by 1.50 per cent, forex traders said, attributing the weakness largely to rising global uncertainties. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 91.05 against the greenback. It soon lost ground and touched an intraday low of 91.74 before settling at 91.65, marking its steepest single-day fall since November 21 last year, when the currency had dropped 98 paise. On Tuesday, the rupee had depreciated 7 paise to close at 90.97. Traders said rising tensions over the Greenland issue, the possibility of fresh tariffs and a negative trend in domestic equities further dampened investor sentiment. “Emerging economies like India are facing pressure from volatile capital flows,” Abhishek Bisen, Head Fixed Income, Kotak Mahindra AMC, said. He added that concerns over control of Venezuela’s oil re- ing in the probe. Air India has left it to the investigative agency to ascertain the truth behind the crash. The Federation has already filed a petition in the Supreme Court along with Pushkar Raj, the 92-year-old father of Capt Sabherwal, seeking an independent and in depth probe into the horrific crash in which 260 persons were killed. Incidentally, Pushkar Raj, a Powai resident is a former official of the DGCA. 4Contd on | nation MNS FLIPS SIDES FAST IN KDMC Danish Azmi Trump plumps for talks over force Wednesday evening, Trump insisted that diplomacy—not coercion—would guide his apIn typical signs of flip-flop US proach, even as he argued that President Donald Trump only the United States was casought to lower the tempera- pable of guaranteeing Greenture around his controversial land’s long-term security. push for Greenland, declaring “People thought I would use that Washingforce. I don’t ton has no inGREENLAND GAMBIT have to use tention of force. I don’t using military force while sim- want to use force. I won’t use ultaneously pressing for im- force,” Trump told a packed mediate talks with Denmark conference hall during a speech on the future of the vast Arctic that ran for over an hour. territory. Speaking at the an4Contd on | nation nual meeting of the World 4See also | world Economic Forum in Davos on Agencies DAVOS serves by the US, are creating ripple effects. Bisen said the pending trade agreement between India and the US remains a key stabilising factor. “Until the geopolitical risk eases and the trade deal materialises, the rupee is likely to remain vulnerable to external shocks. However, given the strong forex reserves, the RBI can manage the situation as the depreciation has made INR relatively cheaper on a REER basis, which shall help shore up exports,” he said. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Trump praised PM Modi, striking a warm personal note while signalling confidence that India and the US would eventually clinch a trade deal. Speaking to Moneycontrol on the sidelines of WEF in Davos, Trump called Modi a close friend, and said he had “great respect” for him. He described Modi as “a fantastic man and a friend of mine.” Asked about the prospects of a trade deal, Trump said: “We are going to have a good deal.” EU DEAL ON ICE: The EU has frozen work on a US trade deal “indefinitely” following threats by US President Trump over Greenland and tariffs. A bloc of lawmakers in the European Parliament on Wednesday stalled a vote to ratify the transatlantic trade pact, citing fresh tensions triggered by Trump’s remarks. The freeze was confirmed by Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, who wrote on X: “EU–US deal on ice indefinitely!” Carney mans up, calls spade a spade solving are under threat. As a result, many countries are drawing the same conclusions that they must develop greater strategic autonomy, in energy, food, critical minerals, in finance and supply chains”, Carney said. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Agencies Canadian PM Mark Carney on Tuesday warned that the old global order is “not coming back” and urged middle powers to act together, as geopolitical tensions sharpen ahead of US President Donald Trump’s address at the WEF in Davos. Speaking to political and business leaders at WEF, Carney said the world was “in the midst of a rupture, not a transition”, marked by intensifying rivalry among major powers and the fading of the rulesbased international system. “Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” he said. “The multilateral institutions on which the middle powers have relied – WTO, UN, COP – the architecture, the very architecture of collective problem Middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu. Mark Carney Canadian PM 80-year-old widow’s eviction a sham: HC Urvi Mahajani MUMBAI Terming the case a “shocking” example of how an elderly widow had been deprived of her rights for decades, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday held that there was not a single valid document to show that a trespasser was lawfully conferred tenancy rights in a BDD Chawl tenement. A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Aarti Sath was hearing a petition filed by Laxmi Nivruti Kamble, 80, who had been “knocking the doors of authorities and courts for more than 25 years” challenging her eviction. The court noted that her eviction appeared to be a sham. “There is no valid document whatsoever which shows that a trespasser or encroacher in the BDD Chawl tenement could ‘Living in a lie’ Carney began his speech with an anecdote: In 1978, the Czech dissident Václav Havel, later president, wrote an essay called The Power of the Powerless, and in it, he asked: how did the communist system sustain itself? His answer began with a greengrocer. Every morning, this man places a sign in his window: ‘Workers of the world unite’. He doesn’t believe it, no-one does, but he places a sign to avoid trouble. Because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persist – not through violence alone, but through the participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false. DAVOS KALYAN Political opportunism, wrapped in the language of development and lubricated by brotherly pragmatism, appears to have once again driven the Thackeray cousins to redraw their lines. Just few weeks after extending support to Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, Raj Thackeray’s MNS has thrown its weight behind arch-rival Eknath Shinde in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. The volte-face comes close on the heels of a brief bonhomie between the two estranged brothers ahead of the BMC polls, when a shared fear of marginalisation pushed them into the same corner. ‘Good India deal ahead’ Appoints court receiver to take possession of permanent accommodation Goyal to step down as CEO of Eternal group Agencies NEW DELHI/MUMBAI have been legitimately conferred tenancy,” the bench said, questioning the basis on which the authorities recognised the tenancy of the father of respondent no. 5, Prashant Namdeo Shinde. During the hearing, the court asked Shinde to produce documents to show that Kamble's deceased husband had surrendered or given up his tenancy rights. Shinde’s advocate submitted that records were unavailable as the case dated back to 1975. Eternal Ltd on We d n e s d ay said founder Deepinder Goyal will step down as Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, with Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa set to succeed him as Group CEO from February 1. In a letter to shareholders, Goyal said he is stepping down to pursue new ideas and will transition to the role of Vice Chairman. Eternal informed stock exchanges that Goyal’s appointment as Vice Chairman and Director on the board will be effective upon shareholders’ approval for a five-year term. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation offgrid Sunita Williams retires: 2nd highest number of days in space PTI NEW DELHI Sunita Williams, one of NASA’s most accomplished astronauts, has retired from the US space agency, bringing to an end a remarkable 27-year career that included three missions to the ISS, multiple spaceflight records, and leadership roles that helped shape the future of human space exploration. Williams logged a total of 608 days in space. She ranks sixth among Americans for the longest single spaceflight and is tied with astronaut Butch Wilmore, with both spending 286 days in space during NASA’s Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions In a statement, NASA said Williams retired effective December 27, 2025. “After 27 years of service, NASA astronaut Suni Williams retired from the agency. Williams completed three missions aboard the International Space Station, setting numerous human spaceflight records throughout her career,” the agency said. Williams, 60, is currently visiting India and on Tuesday participated in an interactive session at the American Center in New Delhi. Posters at the venue identified her as “NASA Astronaut, Ret. and US Navy Captain, Ret.” During the interaction, she spoke about her long association with spaceflight and recalled a mission that was initially planned for just eight days but became one of the most demanding experiences of her life after technical issues with Boeing’s spacecraft extended her stay in orbit to more than nine months. 4Contd on | nation