HAPPY VASU BARAS Friday, October 17, 2025 | Vol. 69 No. 11 | 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 THE BIG STOP | Trump says ‘significant step’ to happen ‘in a short period of time’ PIC: SALMAN ANSARI ‘Modi assured me today he will no longer buy oil from Russia’ Delhi denies phone Russia plays cost bat to call with US prez Vidhi Santosh Mehta MUMBAI US President Donald Trump that PM Narendra Modi has assured him on Wednesday that India will no longer buy oil from Russia “within a short period of time”. Trump declared, “And he assured me today (Wednesday) that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop.” Calling it a significant step, he said: “Now I've got to get China to do the same thing.” Trump called Modi “a friend” and said they had a “great relationship”. “It started. You know, you can’t do it immediately. It’s a little bit of a process. But the process is going to be over with soon,” Trump said. “I thought we had a deal two months ago. Who would think I created peace in the Middle East and can’t get the two guys to settle? But I think we’ll get them. But if India doesn’t buy oil, it makes it much easier. And they’re not going to buy it. They assured me they will.” 4Contd on | nation SC upholds stay on hiked T’gana quota oil googly Ashwin Ahmad NEW DELHI PTI I think they were great. He reported to me that you’re great. He’s a great man, you know. Modi is a great man. That he loves Trump. Now, I don’t know if the word love, I don’t want you to take that any different. I don’t want to destroy his political career, okay? Every single year, you’d have a new leader (In India), and my friend has been there now for a long time, I don't know, maybe that's a breaking story. Donald Trump US President India once again took it upon itself to factcheck President Trump,  with MEA’s Randhir Jaiswal stating that “no telephone conversation took place between PM Modi and President Trump yesterday.” The statement, which came at an MEA media briefing, comes after President Trump’s remarks at a White House briefing on Wednesday night, where he claimed that Prime Minister Modi had personally assured him that New Delhi would stop buying Russian oil.   The MEA had also put out a statement soon after Trump’s statement early on Thursday morning, Indian time. The statement stated that India’s priority remained safeguarding the “interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario” by “broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet mar- Pilot’s dad in plea for judicial probe NEW DELHI ket conditions.” Coming to the United States, the statement added that India had sought to expand its “energy procurement” from Washington for many years.  “This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” the statement said. Scan & watch Russia on Thursday said its energy cooperation with India is fully in line with New Delhi’s national interests, hours after Trump’s remarks. Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov said Russian crude remains the most cost-effective option on the global market and that Russia has consistently fulfilled its commitments while adapting to new challenges. “Russian energy remains the most cost-effective option on the global market, and Russia has consistently honoured its commitments while showing flexibility in developing alternative logistics and payment systems in the face of attempts to disrupt this cooperation,” he said. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Trump now sets CIA on Venezuela FPJ News Service Agencies NEW DELHI WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the Telangana government’s plea challenging a HC order that had stayed the state’s decision to raise reservation for OBCs in local bodies to 42%. The state’s move, made ahead of elections to municipalities and panchayats, had effectively taken the total reservations, including those for SCs and STs, to 67%. A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to interfere with the HC’s Oct 9 interim order halting the implementation of the hiked quota. It said local polls could continue without applying the proposed OBC reservation hike, Bar & Bench reported. “You may continue with your elections (state's appeal) dismissed, the order shall not affect the HC in deciding the case on its own merits,” the SC said. headed by a retired SC judge, with aviation and technical experts as members. It has made the Civil Aviation ministry, DGCA, and the Director General of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) respondents. It is likely to be listed after the Diwali vacation. On September 22, the SC had observed that certain aspects of AAIB’s preliminary report indicated lapses by pilots and had issued notices to the Centre and DGCA on another plea seeking a fair probe. US President Trump on Wednesday confirmed that he has authorised the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, in what marks a major escalation in tensions between Washington and Caracas. He also said his administration was considering landbased military operations inside the country, following a series of deadly US missile strikes on Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks. The New York Times had earlier reported that Trump had signed a classified directive allowing the CIA to conduct lethal operations in Venezuela and across the Caribbean. The report said the Trump administration’s Venezuela strategy aimed to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation AI171 CRASH PTI NEW DELHI Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of deceased Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, along with the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), has approached the Supreme Court seeking a judicially monitored probe into the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives. The petition, filed on October 10, urges the top court to set up an independent inquiry offgrid In a first, Australia’s rainforests transform into carbon emitters FPJ News Service MUMBAI Australia’s tropical rainforests, long seen as a natural bulwark against global warming, have crossed an alarming threshold — they are now emitting more carbon than they absorb. The startling finding, published in Nature, marks the first recorded instance of any tropical forest on Earth switching from a carbon sink to a carbon source. The study, led by Western Sydney University’s Dr Hannah Carle, analysed nearly five decades of data from 20 forest sites across Queensland. It found that extreme heat, prolonged droughts, and more frequent cyclones have pushed tree mortality rates A new study finds Queensland’s tropical forests releasing more carbon than they absorb — a worrying global climate warning above growth levels. In effect, the forests’ trunks and branches, known as woody biomass, have flipped roles: from storing carbon to releasing it. “Forests help curb the worst effects of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels,” Dr Carle said. 4Contd on | nation Surge in superhot days y the end of this century, Earth could experience nearly two extra months of dangerously hot days each year, according to a new global study by Climate Central and World Weather Attribution, AP reports. If countries meet their current climate pledges, the planet is projected to warm by 2.6°C above preindustrial levels by 2100 — adding 57 “superhot” days annually. But if emissions continue unchecked, reaching 4°C of warming, that figure would double, the study warned. “There will be pain and suffering because of climate change,” said Kristina Dahl of Climate Central. “But the progress since the Paris Agreement has made a real difference — without it, things would be far worse.” Superhot days are defined as those hotter than 90% of similar dates between 1991 and 2020. Since 2015, Earth has already added 11 such days on average. The report found that heat waves, like the one that scorched southern Europe in 2023, are now 70% more likely and 0.6°C hotter than a decade ago. By 2100, similar events could be up to 3°C hotter. Co-author Friederike Otto warned: “Tens of thousands — even millions — could die from these heat extremes if action lags.” B Winners of FPJ’s Eco Ganesha BMC Awards 2025 were felicitated on Thursday for championing eco-friendly celebrations. (Middle row, from left) Abhishek Karnani, President, Free Press Journal; Prashant Sapkale, Dy Municipal Commissioner, BMC; Deepshikha Deshmukh, film producer; Sonali Kulkarni, film actor; Rajiv Mishra, principal, Sir JJ College of Architecture; and Sanjay Bhuskute, PRO, MPCB were present on the occasion. K’taka curbs on RSS events Vinay Madhava Gowda BENGALURU The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to prohibit organisations, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), from conducting public programmes without prior government approval. The move follows a state-wide RSS parade that reportedly sparked sharp criticism within the cabinet. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said the cabinet resolved to introduce restrictions similar to those imposed by the Tamil Nadu government, which had banned RSS activities in public places. “It is not just about parks and streets. We are also considering restrictions on such events in schools and private premises,” Patil told reporters after the meeting. “Once the Home Department studies the Tamil Nadu order, it will issue suitable guidelines,” he added. 4Contd on | nation