Wednesday, March 11, 2026 DAY | Vol. 69 No. 132 | 33 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 l E-paper edition is not a replica of the print edition GAMES MONEY Modi govt eases FDI norms for China, other nations sharing land borders with India Camaraderie among players has negated competition and fuelled team’s success, feels Ishan Kishan Cinema So, what's the reason multiple films are getting delayed? Edit When children are targeted in a war, it is the onset of the end ACTION MODE | PM holds meeting as govt invokes Essential Commodities Act to regulate supplies, prioritise household cooking gas, tighten distribution checks Centre steps in on LPG crisis FPJ News Service QUICK MEASURES MUMBAI India has moved to prioritise household cooking gas supplies and tighten distribution controls after disruptions in energy shipments from West Asia triggered a nationwide shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), government officials said on Tuesday. The crisis follows the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after military escalation involving Iran, Israel and the United States, choking one of the world’s most critical oil and gas shipping lanes and threatening supplies ■ ECA invoked to regulate LPG supply ■ Refineries told to boost LPG output ■ Domestic production up ~10% ■ Household supply prioritised ■ Hospitals given priority to major energy importers, including India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held high-level discussions with Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to assess the impact of the conflict on India’s fuel supply chain and review emergency measures to stabilise LPG availability. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation ■ Gas diverted to CNG, PNG ■ Commercial LPG supply cut ■ Refill gap extended to 25 days ■ Panel monitoring supplies Trump mixes signals on when he will end war FPJ News Service MUMBAI US President Donald Trump gave mixed signals about when the war with Iran might end, even as the US military reported significant progress after 11 days of fighting. The US military said it has struck more than 5,000 targets in Iran so far and damaged or destroyed more than 50 Iranian vessels. In a phone call with CBS News on Monday, Trump said, “The war is very complete.” However, at a later event with Republican lawmakers, he adopted a more open-ended tone and said the US still needed to achieve "ultimate victory". Trump said he was focused on keeping oil supplies flowing amid wild swings in global oil prices that have raised concerns worldwide. "I will not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe's oil supply," he said Monday. "And if Iran does anything to do that, they will get hit at a much, much harder level." 4Contd on | nation 4See also | world WB: SC orders appellate tribunals for exclusions FPJ News Service NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would “not tolerate” attempts to question the integrity of judicial officers deployed for SIR of electoral rolls in West Bengal and directed that appellate tribunals be constituted to hear appeals against exclusions from the voters’ list. A Bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and R Mahadevan said the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Sujoy Paul, may constitute appellate tribunals comprising former High Court Chief Justices and judges to hear appeals arising from the IndiGo CEO quits amid crisis Dhairya Gajara MUMBAI Pieter Elbers (55), CEO of IndiGo, has resigned with immediate effect while the airline was still recovering from a major operational disruption in December. His exit brings to an end a 3½-year tenure that saw IndiGo expand aggressively internationally but conclude amid a bruising operational and regulatory crisis. 4Contd on | nation Your application is premature, and it shows as if you don’t have trust. How did you dare file such applications? No one should dare question the judicial officers. As a CJI, I will not tolerate this. CJI Surya Kant SIR process, Bar & Bench and Live Law report. The Bench took strong exception to applications raising concerns over claims pending before judicial officers conducting the exercise. 4Contd on | nation Breaking bones, but not done yet: Bibi Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said toppling the regime in Tehran is up to the Iranian people, adding that Israel’s actions are helping enable that. “Through the actions taken so far, we are breaking (the regime’s) bones and we are not done yet,” Netanyahu said during a visit to National Health Emergency Operations Center. ‘Iran will end it’ Nobody does it better Apparently reacting to Trump's remarks, a spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guard, Ali Mohammad Naini, said “Iran will determine when the war ends.” Kamal Kharazi, adviser to the supreme leader, said Iran is prepared for a long war. Trump boasted about his leadership style, saying no other US president could do the things he has done. “No, I don’t want to brag, but, you know, they’ve said this about a lot of things. No other president could do some of this sh*t I’m doing. No other president. The things I’m doing, nobody else was going to do it.” IT RULES ON FAKE CONTENT SC lens on Centre’s plea over Bombay HC verdict Agencies NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine the Centre’s plea challenging the Bombay High Court verdict that struck down the 2023 amendments to the Information Technology Rules aimed at regulating fake and false content related to the government on social media. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi 4Contd on | nation MUSLIM PERSONAL LAW MOTION TO REMOVE SPEAKER UCC may provide a solution: Top court Govt, Oppn trade barbs FPJ News Service NEW DELHI The SC on Tuesday suggested that a Uniform Civil Code may be the appropriate solution while hearing a petition challenging provisions of Muslim personal law as discriminatory against women. A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi Justice R Mahadevan said it would be better to defer to legislative wisdom in- stead of creating a legal vacuum by striking down the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, Bar & Bench and Live Law report. “The answer is Uniform Civil Code,” Kant said. The petition challenges provisions governing intestate succession and inheritance under the Shariat law, arguing that they deny Muslim women equal inheritance rights. crore reward given to the women’s team after its ODI World Cup win last year. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation FPJ News Service MUMBAI prize announced for the Rohit Sharma-led team after its T20 World Cup triumph in 2024. The amount highlights the sharp contrast with the Rs 51 Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed sharp exchanges between the Treasury benches and the Opposition during discussions on a resolution moved by the Opposition to remove the Speaker. Congress MP Mohammed Jawed moved the resolutionand the LS agreed to hold a 10hour debate on the motion. Initiating the debate, Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi said the resolution had been brought to “save the Constitution”. He accused the Speaker of “partisan conduct” by not allowing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to speak. Citing instances where Gandhi was prevented from speaking, Gogoi said, “In February, when the LoP wanted to speak on the motion of thanks to the President's address, he was interrupted 20 times by the Speaker, members of the chairpersons’ panel, and senior members of the Treasury benches.” Gender bias in Cup rewards A day after the world celebrated International Women’s Day, the stark disparity in rewards for Indian women and men cricketers came into focus when BCCI announced a massive Rs 131 crore cash prize for the Suryakumar Yadav-led team following its T20 World Cup triumph. It is a record for BCCI and surpasses the Rs 125 crore issued notices to the original petitioners, including stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, the Editors Guild of India, the News Broadcasters and Digital Association, and the Association of Indian Magazines. The court directed the respondents to file counter-affidavits within four weeks and said the matter would be heard by a three-judge bench given the constitutional questions involved. War may shut 60% of Mumbai eateries S Balakrishnan & Sweety Bhagwat Come early, go early: Govt scheme for MMR women Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI MUMBAI Mumbai’s hotel industry is facing a severe crisis due to a shortage of commercial LPG, triggered by the conflict in the Middle East. Of the city’s roughly 16,000 eateries, about 20%—mostly in central Mumbai—have already shut due to a lack of gas supply. Industry representatives warned that the shortage is rapidly disrupting operations. Vijay Shetty, president of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants (AHAR), told The Free Press Journal that the situation is forcing eateries to close. “Already 20% of hotels in Mumbai have shut over the fuel shortage, and another 60% will down shutters in the next couple of days. The crisis caused by the war in Iran is impacting us now,” he said. The common man is already feeling the pinch. Hari Dev, a bachelor who has breakfast daily at Ramnath Snacks in Colaba Causeway, told FPJ: “This morning the outlet had only bun maska and lassi on offer. I had to return with an empty stomach.” Like Hari Dev, thousands of Mumbaikars who depend on restaurants for food were disappointed to find their regular eateries shut. Thousands of hotel employees are also facing the prospect of losing their jobs. Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar on Tuesday announced a “Come Early-Go Early” relaxation for women government employees working in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to ease difficulties faced during peakhour travel. The announcement was made while replying to a special discussion in the Legislative Council held on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Air India hikes surcharges Air India on Tuesday announced a phased rise in fuel surcharges across its domestic and global network, citing a sharp spike in jet fuel prices sparked by the Iran war. It said the revised surcharge will be introduced in three phases, with rates varying by sector and distance. SEE MONEY “I am from Jharkhand and have been working in a hotel in Fort as a dishwasher for the past two years. My employer has told me to be prepared to be sacked,” said Arun Lal. Explaining the decision, Pawar said women employees in the MMR will now be allowed to report to work between 9.15 am to 9.45 am. Those who report earlier within this time window will be permitted to leave the office earlier by the same number of minutes in the evening, providing a relaxation of up to 30 minutes. 4See also | city 4Contd on | nation