FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 266 | BHOPAL | MONDAY | MARCH 10, 2025 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN WORLD Shikhar reminisces 2013 CT triumph P.10 ESTD-1983 1K dead in Syria violence PUNE INDORE NASHIK Brand Sutra Easy Living P.12 CHAMPIONS AGAIN Agencies In a night of sheer dominance and unshakable determination, skipper Rohit Sharma led Team India to an unprecedented third ICC Champions Trophy title with a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the grand finale on Sunday. Opting to field first after losing his 12th consecutive toss, Rohit’s men showcased a masterclass in spin bowling. Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/45) tightened the noose on New Zealand, restricting them to 251/7 in 50 overs. Chasing 252, Rohit played a captain’s knock, scoring a superb 76 off 83 balls, with Shreyas Iyer (48 off 62) providing steady support. Despite a few tense moments, KL Rahul’s composed 34 off 33 balls* and Hardik Pandya’s quickfire 18 ensured India crossed the finish line with six balls to spare. New Zealand’s fight was led by *Daryl Mitchell (63), Michael Bracewell (53), and Rachin Ravindra (37)**, but India at ICC events fp Briefs NEW DELHI V-P admitted to AIIMS Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar was admitted to the AIIMS here early on Sunday after complaining of uneasiness and chest pain, sources said. Dhankhar (73) was taken to the hospital around 2 am and was admitted to the critical care unit (CCU) under Dr Rajiv Narang, head cardiology at AIIMS Delhi. The vice-president is stable and under observation, a source said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited AIIMS on Sunday afternoon and inquired about Dhankhar's health. NAGARKURNOOL TS tunnel: One body recovered Rescue teams working to extricate the eight trapped men under the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel here for over two weeks on Sunday retrieved the body of one of them from under 10 ft of silt. The body has been sent to the Nagarkurnool civil hospital for post mortem and to follow other procedures, a senior official told PTI. The body could be extricated following "very careful" digging and other efforts for more than 48 hours, he said. It was buried under silt at a depth of about 10 feet. P8 SITAPUR Journalist shot dead in UP A regional reporter for a Hindi daily was shot dead by bike-borne assailants on the Sitapur-Delhi National Highway here on Saturday, police said. The attack occurred on overbridge near the Hempur railway crossing, within the Imalia Sultanpur police station area. 22/23 In the last three whiteball ICC tournaments, India have won 22 of the last 23 matches they have played. Only one defeat, and that too in the ODI World Cup final. The last two campaigns have been unbeaten triumphs. Team India members celebrate after their win against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai, UAE on Sunday PTI India’s all-round brilliance sealed the deal. With this invincible campaign, India becomes the only team to win the Champions Trophy three times (2002, 2013 & 2025), etching their name in history yet again. (Detail on Sports PG) It's been amazing, we wanted to bounce back after a tough Australia tour. Lovely playing with a bunch of amazing youngsters. They're stepping up and taking India in the right direction." Virat Kohli It is very nice. We played some good cricket through the tournament. To have the result our way is a great feeling. Not natural to me, but something I really wanted to do." Rohit Sharma, skipper, India & Player of the Match Agitators enforce shutdown in Manipur PTI IMPHAL/CHURACHANDPUR Normal life was affected in Kuki-dominated areas of Manipur on Sunday as agitators enforced an indefinite shutdown called by Kuki-Zo groups against a "crackdown by security forces". The situation in Kangpokpi district, where at least one person was killed and 40 others were injured in clashes between Kuki demonstrators and security forces on the previous day, remained tense but calm on Sunday. In other Kuki-dominated Security personnel stand guard during an indefinite shutdown by the Kuki Zo Council in Manipur areas in Churachandpur and Tengnoupal districts as well, protesters burnt tyres and blocked roads with boulders, Delimitation: DMK MPs resolve to raise matter in Parliament PTI CHENNAI DMK MPs on Sunday resolved to work towards ensuring Tamil Nadu's rights vis-a-vis the Lok Sabha seats delimitation issue, saying the population-based exercise will affect not just the southern states but also others including Odisha and West Bengal. A meeting of DMK MPs, held under party president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin here, came on the eve of the resumption of the Parliament session on Monday. The meeting passed resolutions, deciding to take up the delimitation issue in the Parliament. Others including Hindi 'imposition' will also be raised. The DMK has been insisting that the population based delimitation of Lok Sabha seats will result in a decline in the existing number of seats for Tamil Nadu and wants the exercise to be done on the basis of the 1971 census. The Centre has not given a "clear response" on the issue and was creating confusion, the MPs resolved and said Stalin has realised that Tamil Nadu and other southern states were being "penalised" for effectively implementing population control measures. "This meeting resolves to support CM Stalin in all his efforts in this issue and take it up in the Parliament and ensure Tamil Nadu does not lose a single Lok Sabha seat." 4Continued on | P8 which the security forces were seen clearing. However, no fresh violence has been reported so far. Water quality during Maha Kumbh fit for bathing: CPCB PTI E-paper Edit Down with intolerance P.6 UNSTOPPABLE, UNBEATABLE, UNMATCHED | India clinches historic third Champions Trophy title DUBAI MUMBAI Business establishments remained closed and few vehicles were seen plying the roads in Kuki-dominated areas in the state. Agitators were seen asking people to remain indoors. Additional security forces have been deployed in Gamghiphai and other parts of the district along the NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur Road) and vehicular patrolling was being conducted to ensure law and order, a district official said. A protester was killed while over 40 others, including 4Continued on | P8 Hindu temple defaced in US with anti-India graffiti PTI NEW YORK/NEW DELHI A prominent Hindu temple in the United States was defaced with anti-India graffiti by unknown individuals, prompting a strong condemnation from India and a demand for "stringent action" against those involved in the incident. Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) said that its Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills city of San Bernardino County faced desecration. Chino Hills borders Los Angeles County. "In the face of another Mandir desecration, this time in Chino Hills, CA, the Hindu community stands steadfast Budget session begins today, MLAs to raise 2,939 questions Our Staff Reporter The budget session of the state assembly is set to commence on Monday, with MLAs slated to raise 2,939 questions for the government to address, officials said on Sunday. The session will open with the Governor’s address at 11 AM and will continue for two weeks, concluding on March 24, with a total of nine sittings, according to an official from the assembly secretariat. Among the 2,939 questions, many pertain to GIS and investments received by the state government. Of these, 1,785 questions were submitted online, while 1,154 were filed offline. The total includes 1,448 starred questions and 1,491 non-starred questions. Moreover, the assembly has received 118 call attention motions, one adjournment motion, 24 private member bills and 13 zero-hour notices. In the wake of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP President Chandrababu Naidu advocating incentives for families to have more children, party MP from Vizianagaram Kalisetti Appala Naidu has offered Rs 50,000 each to women giving birth to a third child. He also announced that a cow would also be presented to the woman if she delivered a boy. The Lok Sabha member said he would pay the cash incentive from his salary.Appa Naidu’s offer is going viral on social media. TDP leaders and activists were re-posting the announcement on their social media accounts. According to the TDP leaders, his offer being hailed by women as revolutionary.Chief Minister Naidu has praised the MP for announcing the offer.The MP made the announcement at a meeting Manvi Siddhika Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL In a tragic incident in Katni district on Sunday morning, four minor girls drowned while bathing in the Narmada canal near Umariyapan village. Two girls lost their lives, one remains missing, and another was rescued. According to Umariyapan police station in-charge Dinesh Tiwari, bodies of Siddhi Patel (12) and Anshika Patel (14) have been recovered. Search operations are underway for Siddhi’s younger sister, Manvi (8), who is still missing. 2 days of clashes in Syria leave more than 1,000 people dead AP organised on Saturday on the occasion of International Women’s Day at Rajiv Sports compound in Vizianagaram. During his visit to Delhi in March, the Chief Minister voiced concern over the declining population in South Anshika The girls reportedly ventured too deep into the water when tragedy struck. Ananya (12), the fourth girl, was saved by a farmer working nearby. Villagers quickly alerted authorities, and a rescue team, assisted by divers, was deployed. Siddhi was a Class 7 student, while her sister Manvi studied in Class 3. They also have a four-year-old younger brother. Their father, Manoj Lodhi, works as a labourer in Mumbai, while their mother was at home when the incident occurred.Anshika, a Class 9 student, and Ananya in Class 6, were also part of the group. Armed man shot by Secret Service near White House AP NEW DELHI WASHINGTON The death toll from two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 1,000, a war monitoring group said Saturday, making it one of the deadliest acts of violence since Syria's conflict began 14 years ago. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in addition to 745 civilians killed, mostly in shootings from close distance, 125 government security force members and 148 militants with armed groups affiliated with Assad were killed. It added that electricity and drinking water were cut off in large areas around the city of Latakia. India, saying its ageing population poses challenges, whereas states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have a younger demographic. He emphasised the need for long-term demographic management rather than population control. "I used to advocate family planning. Now I am changing my views and promoting the population now. India is one country with the biggest advantage in the demographic dividend. If dividual actions" for the rampant violence. Retribution killings between Sunnis and Alawites The revenge killings that started Friday by Sunni Muslim gunmen loyal to the government against members of Assad's minority Alawite sect An armed man believed to be travelling from Indiana was shot by US Secret Service agents near the White House after a confrontation early Sunday, according to authorities. No one else was injured in the shooting that happened around midnight about a block from the White House, according to a Secret Service statement. President Donald Trump was in Florida at the time of the shooting. The Secret Service received information from local police about an alleged "suicidal individual" who was travelling from Indiana and found the man's car and a person matching his description nearby. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Members of security forces loyal to the interim Syrian government at the Mediterranean sea coast The clashes, which erupted Thursday, marked a major escalation in the challenge to the new government in Damascus, three months after insurgents took authority after removing Assad from power. The government has said that they were responding to attacks from remnants of Assad's forces and blamed "in- AP MP offers Rs 50K on birth of 3rd child IANS 4Continued on | P8 2 minor girls drown, one missing in Katni BEIRUT A new report by the Central Pollution Control Board submitted to the National Green Tribunal has said that as per statistical analysis, the water quality during the recentlyconcluded Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj was fit for bathing. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report said the statistical analysis was necessitated because of "variability of data" in the samples collected from the same locations across different dates and on different locations on the same day, because of which these did not reflect the "overall river water quality throughout the river stretch". The report dated February 28 was uploaded on the tribunal's website on March 7. See P7 vail," it said, without providing details of the incident. India on Sunday strongly condemned the incident and called for adequate security to the places of worship in view of the incident. BHOPAL offgrid AMARAVATI against hate. Together with the community in Chino Hills and Southern California, we will never let hate take root," the BAPS Public Affairs posted on X. "Our common humanity and faith will ensure that peace and compassion pre- we can manage demographic dividend for the future, India and Indians will be great. Global communities are depending on us, Indians for global services," he said. Chandrababu Naidu announced on Saturday that maternity leave will be granted for all women employees during child delivery time irrespective of the number of children they have. 4Continued on | P8 Musk threatens Ukraine with Starlink shut down Online Report WASHINGTON Days after calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "evil" for pushing what he called a "forever war" with Russia, American billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday warned that the entire frontline of Kyiv's defence system will collapse if he "turned off" his Starlink satellite internet system, which has been vital in maintaining the military communications. Taking to X, Musk said he is "sickened by" the years of "slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose." "I literally challenged Putin to one on one physical combat over Ukraine and my Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off. What I am sickened by (Th)is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose. Anyone who really cares, really thinks and really understands wants the meat grinder to stop. PEACE NOW," he wrote. 4Continued on | P8