FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 69 | BHOPAL | THURSDAY | AUGUST 28, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports ASHWIN BOWS OUT OF IPL P.12 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN MONEY PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Dhaka should steer a neutral course P.6 World shares mixed, US futures flat Cinema Kubbra joins reality show P.14 TRADE STRAIN | Centre plans 40-nation outreach programme with focus on textile and other exports. PM Modi heads to Japan Prosecute Soros: Trump Trump-ing tariff: Expand export U markets, boost local demand Online Report IANS NEW DELHI / WASHINGTON The additional 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on India for its purchases of Russian oil came into effect Wednesday, bringing the total amount of levies imposed on New Delhi to 50 per cent. ing to a senior official. Other nations include the Netherlands, Poland, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Belgium, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. India's merchandise exports are facing pressure amid geopolitical tensions and the 50 per cent punitive OUTREACH INITIATIVES IN 40 COUNTRIES As part of the stepped up drive to push exports amid the US tariff turmoil, India will launch outreach initiatives in 40 countries, with priority markets in Europe such as the UK, Spain, France, Germany, and Italy. These efforts will include trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, and sector-specific promotional campaigns, accord- fp Briefs Taylor Swift engaged to Travis Kelce hike in US tariffs that kicked in on Wednesday. PUSH TO DIVERSIFY INDIA'S EXPORT BASKET The Commerce Ministry is set to hold a series of consultations with exporters this week as part of this renewed push to diversify India's export basket and strengthen its presence in global markets, a senior official confirmed. The meetings will bring together industry representatives from key sectors including textiles, chemicals and gems and jewellery, sources said. 4Continued on | P8 PTI NEW YORK/WASHINGTON Describing the India-US relationship as "very complicated", US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday hoped that "at the end of the day, we will come together." "This is a very complicated relationship. President (Donald) Trump or Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi have very good relationships at that level. And it's not just over the Russian oil," Bessent said in an interview with Fox Business. Stressing that India is the world's largest democracy and the US is the world's largest economy, he said, "I think at the end of the day, we will come together." His comments came hours after the additional 25 per cent tariff imposed by Trump on India for its purchases of Russian oil came into effect, bringing the total amount of levies imposed on New Delhi to 50 per cent. On Monday, Prime Minister Modi asserted he can't compromise on the interests of farmers, cattle-rearers, small-scale industries, cautioning "pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it". Numbers won’t win wars anymore: Singh calls for tech-driven readiness Highlights Sudarshan Chakra Mission, warns future wars will be shaped by AI, drones and space power FP News/Agencies Rajnath Singh addresses gathering during the RAN SAMWAD 2025, at Army War College, in Mhow noting that modern battles have extended beyond land, sea and air into outer space and cyberspace. He cautioned that wars have become sudden and unpredictable: “It is very difficult to predict when any war will end. We must be prepared if any war stretches two months, a year, even five years.” Stressing India’s defensive doctrine, Singh said, “We do not want anyone’s land, but we are ready to go to any extent to protect our land.” Drawing from the Mahabharat, he reflected on the name of the conclave itself: “Ran evokes battle and Samwad evokes dialogue. come the cornerstone of success in any conflict,” he said, 4Continued on | P8 4Theatre commands | P5 RAN SAMVAD-2025 MHOW Singer Taylor Swift and American footballer Travis Kelce announced their engagement in a dreamy post on Instagram on Monday. The post with 23 million likes and 1.5 million reposts got everyone overjoyed. Swifties, as Taylor's fans fondly call themselves, and non-Swifties expressed their happiness for the IT couple on their social media pages. ‘AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WILL COME TOGETHER’ India has never been a nation that seeks war, but if challenged, it will respond with strength, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declared on Wednesday, stressing that sheer numbers of soldiers or weapon stockpiles are no longer enough to guarantee victory in future conflicts. Addressing the Ran-Samwad 2025 Tri-Service Seminar at the Army War College in Mhow, Singh underlined that cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, drones and satellitebased surveillance are now defining the wars of tomorrow. “Precision-guided weapons, real-time intelligence and datadriven information have be- Govt launches country’s first Nat’l Biofoundry Network IANS India has issued fresh flood risk alerts to Pakistan, warning of a "high probability" of flooding in the Tawi river after heavy and continuous rainfall in the north prompted the release of excess water from major dams in the region, sources told news agency PTI on Wednesday. As per the report, citing officials, the alerts sent through the Ministry of External Affairs were shared on "humanitarian grounds". India’s bioeconomy sector is set to grow to reach $300 billion by 2030, said Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, on Wednesday, even as he launched the country's first National Biofoundry Network. The BioE3 Challenge for Youth -- the country’s first National Biofoundry Network -was launched by Singh at an event in the national capital to mark one year of the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy. The MoS called it a step towards making biotechnology a driver of India’s economy, environment, and employment. Cabinet approves 2030 Commonwealth Games bid IANS NEW DELHI The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports for submission of a bid to host the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2030. The cabinet also gave its approval to sign the Host Collaboration Agreement (HCA) along with the required Guarantees from concerned ministries, departments and authorities and sanction of the required grantin-aid to Gujarat Government, in case the bid gets accepted. A Tradition lives on ‘Bhopal Ke Raja’ marks 78th year at Peepal Chowk in Bhopal on Wednesday ing "horrific." Three people were dead and 20 injured, a US Justice Department official said. The shooter was among those killed, the official told media. Children were at a morning mass when shooting began, per local media. Walz said on social media that he had been briefed on the shooting. "I'm praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence," Walz wrote on X. life trace Alien life on distant ‘Water World’? Online Report A stronomers may be on the verge of one of the most extraordinary discoveries in history: the detection of possible life beyond our solar system. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers have detected chemical traces in the atmosphere of a distant world known The recent procurement of moong (green gram) at Minimum Support Price (MSP) has added significant pressure on Madhya Pradesh’s already stretched state finances, officials said. Following intense pressure from farmers, the state procured 7.5 lakh tonnes of moong against the Centre’s approved target of 3.5 lakh tonnes, leaving 4 lakh tonnes beyond the quota. The Centre has refused to accept the excess, forcing the state to bear the entire cost from its budget, adding an estimated Rs 1,500 crore burden. Moong was procured at Rs 8,682 per quintal. Initially, the state government had expressed reluctance, citing health risks from heavy pes- as K2-18b, a planet nearly 124 light years away. The telescope identified dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS), gases that on Earth are almost exclusively produced by living microbes such as algae. K2-18b, about 2.5 times the size of Earth, sits in its star's "habitable zone", the orbital distance where liquid water could exist at the surface. That, combined with the detection of these gases, suggests the possibility that the planet could host a thriving biosphere, perhaps even global oceans. "This is the strongest evidence yet there is possibly life out there. I can realistically say that we can confirm this signal ticide use in moong cultivation. However, the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) pressed the government to procure the produce at MSP. Requests to the Centre to increase the procurement quota were denied. The state, already borrowing heavily to fund welfare schemes, now faces additional financial strain. “The excess procurement beyond the Centre’s target is the state’s responsibility,” a senior official said. He added that efforts will be made to auction the surplus moong to recover as much of the expenditure as possible as state struggles to navigate the challenge of balancing farmers’ interests with fiscal responsibility. Collector warned Kushwah against ‘plundering’; MLA calls Shrivastava ‘the biggest thief’ Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL/BHIND BJP’s Bhind MLA Narendra Singh Kushwah and collector Sanjeev Kumar Shrivastava engaged in a heated exchange on Wednesday during a protest outside the collector’s residence. In a fit of rage, Kushwah raised his hand in an act to slap the collector, leading to high drama at the spot. The confrontation erupted when the collector accused the MLA of advocating in favour of illegal sand miners. The confrontation erupted during a protest over alleged fertiliser shortage, but quickly turned personal, triggering a political storm that echoed all the way to Bhopal. Kushwah was leading a farmers' dharna outside the Collector’s residence, demanding action over the alleged fertiliser crisis. Initially, the collector refused to meet protesters. When he later stepped out, the situation turned tense. Eyewitnesses said Kushwah used abusive language, to which Shrivastava responded in kind. In a fit of rage, Kushwah raised his hand in an apparent attempt to slap the collector, prompting security personnel to intervene immediately. The face-off intensified with both accusing each other of corruption. The collector warned Kushwah against “plundering,” believed to be a reference to illegal sand mining, while the MLA retaliated by calling him “the biggest thief.” 4Continued on | P8 Firing during mass at US School: 3, including shooter dead shooting occurred Wednesday morning at a Minneapolis Catholic school. Governor Tim Walz called the shoot- Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Bhind MLA raises hand to slap collector amid fiery face-off Highest rainfall in Jammu since 1910, over 40 dead PTI Online Report State buys 7.5 lakh tonnes against Centre’s 3.5L-tonne quota. Will have to cover excess from its coffers NEW DELHI NEW DELHI India issues fresh flood alerts to Pak S President Donald Trump has called for criminal charges to be brought against billionaire George Soros and his “Radical Left” son for their “support of violent protests, and much more, all throughout the United States of America.” The Hungarian-American investor has long supported various civil movements through his NGOs and has repeatedly been linked to protests in the US and other countries. In a post on his Truth Social account on Wednesday, Trump claimed that Soros and his son, Alexander, should be prosecuted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a US federal law typically used to charge members of criminal groups. The Soros family’s support for “violent protests” and other actions across the US amounted to grounds for such charges, Trump claimed, declaring that the billionaire would no longer be allowed to “rip apart America.” He added that the speculator and his “group of psychopaths” and “crazy, west coast friends” had caused “great damage” to the US. MP bears `1.5k cr burden in moong procurement within one to two years," said Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist from Cambridge University leading the study. He noted the team detected concentrations of the gases thousands of times higher than those found on Earth, raising the tantalising possibility of an alien ocean teeming with microbial life. JAMMU/SRINAGAR After record rains wreaked havoc in Jammu and Kashmir over the past two days, the death toll in related incidents rose to 41, most of them victims of the landslide on a Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route, while there was some let-up in the showers on Wednesday, allowing relief efforts to pick up pace. Jammu has recorded 380 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours ending at 8.30 AM on Wednesday, which is the highest for a 24-hour period since 1910 when the observatory was set up in the winter capital. The water level in the swollen rivers across Jammu showed signs of receding from 11 AM, but the flood alert mark was breached by the Jhelum in Anantnag and Srinagar. 4Continued on | P8 SAND MINING ANGLE ources told Free Press that the protest may have been a smokescreen. According to local officials, Kushwah initially approached the collector regarding action on sand mining. When denied support, the MLA allegedly shifted focus to the fertiliser crisis. Officials also denied any shortage of fertiliser in the district. S COLLECTOR MULLS ACTION hind collector Sanjeev Kumar Saxena told Free Press that MLA Narendra Singh Kushwah had wanted him not to act tough against illegal sand miners in the area. When he refused to bow to the demand, the MLA cleverly shifted the issue to fertilizers, the collector said, adding that he is considering appropriate action in the matter. B MPPSC withdraws SC affidavit on 27% OBC reservation Seeks apology for error in plea against 13% hold candidates Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) on Wednesday filed an application in the Supreme Court to withdraw its earlier affidavit, dated August 19, in which it had sought rejection of petitions filed by 13% hold candidates in the case related to 27% OBC reservation. The application, filed by MPPSC, seeks permission to withdraw the previous counter affidavit due to discrepancies. The commission has submitted that an error had occurred in the affidavit filed on August 19, and it now intends to correct the record and file a revised affidavit. It also offered an uncon- ditional apology for the earlier mistake. MPPSC said that the present request became necessary because of certain errors in the previously submitted document, and it now seeks the court’s permission to file a corrected counter affidavit along with the new application. Senior advocate Rameshwar Thakur said that the commission, being a recruitment agency, should not have filed such an affidavit in the first place. The original affidavit had demanded dismissal of petitions filed by OBC hold candidates, who are yet to be appointed under the 27 per cent quota.A significant hearing in the matter is scheduled for September 22.