Vol. 68 No. 75 | Monday, December 30, 2024 | 28 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in NATION Punjab ‘bandh’ today; ‘Kisan mahapanchayat’ at Khanauri border on January 4 EDITIONS: MUMBAI INDORE PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK KONKAN GAMES Lower order steers Australia to 333-run lead after Bumrah, Siraj run through top order E-paper Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (Jan to June 2024) Cinema Shreyas talks about bringing Pushpa’s voice to life Edit Of Accidental PM, Finance Minister and Reformer CRIPPLED | Early theories suggest a bird hit could have caused the jet's landing gear to malfunction, but experts doubt it could cause the loss of an airplane Puzzling ‘bird hit’ crash Hyung-Jin Kim And Kim Tong-Hyung SEOUL (SOUTH KOREA) ne woman empowers and mobilises Dharavi's women against abuse and to be financially independent. Read about her on Mumbai page O fp Briefs Youth dies at Sunburn fest A 26-year-old from Delhi, who fell unconscious during the Sunburn electronic dance music festival in Goa, died on Sunday in a hospital in Mapusa. He was identified as Karan Kashyap from Rohini in Delhi; he had been admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital. “It is learnt that he attended the Sunburn party on Saturday at Dhargal, Pernem. At approximately 9.45 pm, the deceased became unconscious during the event. He was immediately transported to Vision Hospital, Mapusa, by ambulance for medical treatment. Despite undergoing treatment, he passed away.” North Goa SP Akshat Kaushal said in a statement. A passenger plane burst into flames on Sunday after it landed on its belly off a runway at a South Korean airport and slammed into a concrete fence, killing 179 people on board, in one of the country's worst aviation disasters. The plane’s front landing gear apparently failed to deploy. The airport control tower had issued a bird strike warning to the plane shortly before it intended to land. The bird is believed to have caused the jet's landing gear to malfunction. A news agency reported a passenger even sent a text message to a relative saying a bird was stuck in the wing. The heartbreaking final message read: 'Should I say my last words?' But experts have raised doubts about the theory with Australian airline safety expert Geoffrey Dell telling Daily Mail: ‘‘I've never seen a bird strike prevent the landing gear from being extended.’’ Airline News editor Geoffrey Thomas aid bird strikes happen ‘‘far more often, but typically they don't cause the loss of an airplane by themselves.’’   Miraculously, two crew members - a man and a woman - were pulled alive from the burning wreckage and have been taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. According to authorities, the youngest passenger was a threeyear-old boy and the oldest was a 78-year-old. Five of the dead were children under the age of 10, authorities said, citing the passenger manifest. Grieving families screamed and wept in the arrivals hall as the names of those confirmed dead were read out by a medic.  One woman was carried away on a stretcher, apparently having passed out from shock. FPJ News Service Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused Russia of firing at an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet before it crashed and of initially trying to cover up the cause of the fatal disaster, demanding that Moscow admit guilt. Aliyev made the accusation in an interview to state media at Baku airport four days after the AZAL plane crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38of the 67 people on board. Aliyev's unusually forthright accusation of his country's traditional ally came a day after he spoke on phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin. A Kremlin statement on the phone call gave no indication that Putin had claimed responsibility for the crash. (The plane, it will be recalled, was shot down by the forces manned by a Russian warlord; 4Contd on | nation China’s high speed train A prototype of the CR450 EMU high-speed train, China's latest bullet train model, debuted in Beijing on Sunday. When operational, it is expected to reach a speed of 400 km per hour, making it the fastest high-speed train in the world, according to the country's railway operator. Currently, the high-speed trains operate at a maximum speed of 350 km per hour. China's high-speed rail network exceeds 46,000 km. HOW MANY SUCH BOEINGS?: Jeju Air plane that crashed was a Boeing 737-800, a model that is used widely around the world. There are about 28,000 passenger planes in service globally, according to Cirium, an aviation data provider. About 15 percent, or 4,400, are Boeing 737-800s. The plane is popular in Asia, Europe and North America, and Boeing has delivered about 5,000 to customers since 1998. PIC: ANI Bumrah 2nd fastest to bag 200 wickets Shivling under Yogi’s house? Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday claimed there was a 'Shivling' beneath the official residence of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in Lucknow, and it should be excavated. Addressing reporters in Lucknow, Yadav said, "There is a Shivling under the Chief Minister's residence in Lucknow. It should also be excavated." His remark came amid heightened political tension over recent archaeological surveys in Uttar Pradesh. critical role in boosting regional connectivity and economic growth, easing the The touchdown of the first pressure on the city’s sole incommercial flight at the Navi ternational gateway while Mumbai International Airport strengthening Mumbai’s posi(NMIA) on Sunday marks a pi- tion as a global hub. votal moment for the Vijay Singhal, ManagMumbai Metropoliing Director of tan Region (MMR). CIDCO, emphasized This achievement, the importance of following a successthis milestone, statful validation flight, ing, “The successful SPECIAL represents a key landing of a commilestone toward the mercial flight today not airport's full-scale operonly underscores the readation, slated for inauguration iness of NMIA's infrastructure on April 17, 2025. but also marks a major step toDeveloped at a cost of Rs ward operationalization. This 18,000 crore, the new airport is airport is not just a transportaset to significantly alleviate tion hub; it’s a key enabler for congestion at the already over- the region's growth.” crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji As a public-private partnerMaharaj International Airport ship between Adani Airports (CSMIA), which has been oper- Holdings Limited and CIDCO, ating at full capacity, handling NMIA promises to be a catalyst 52.8 million passengers this fis- for the local economy. cal year alone. 4Contd on | nation NMIA is poised to play a Ajay Awtaney NAVI MUMBAI FPJ 4Contd on | nation Baku blames Putin for downing its aircraft BAKU 179 Dead 2 Survive NAVI MUMBAI GETS WINGS Haridev Pushparaj MUMBAI Jasprit Bumrah produced another magical spell on Sunday to demolish Australia’s top order and give India a fighting chance of pulling off a special Boxing Day Test win. The pacer had Australia crawling at any abysmal 4-11 in 21 balls. With that, he has become the joint second fastest Indian to bag 200 wickets in Test cricket and the first bowler ever to get to the landmark with a sub-20 average. The Boxing Day Test is tantalisingly poised and India is likely to be set a target 330 plus runs; the task looks challenging but achievable thanks to the iconic Bumrah, after the exploits of Nitish Kumar Reddy with the bat. The Indian pace spearhead scalped his 200th victim when he saw the back of Travis Head caught by Nitish for 1. What has made the Ahmedabad man’s milestone moment extra special is the fact that he has also become the first bowler with a sub-20 average as he reached 200 Test wickets with an average of 19.56. Bumrah will also be the fastest Indian pace bowler to achieve the feat, going past the legendary Kapil Dev, who reached the milestone in 50 Test matches. 4Contd on | nation Encore for Indian chess India’s Koneru Humpy created an encore for Indian chess as she clinched the FIDE Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship. This was Humpy’s second title after she had won it in 2019 in Georgia; the India No 1 is only the second player after China’s Ju Wenjun to clinch the title more than once. The triumph capped a brilliant year for the Indian chess fraternity after the sensational win by D Gukesh in the classical format. BOY, 10, HANGS Fishing trawler ‘hit’ by SELF IN MALVANI Chinese vessel, sinks Megha Kuchik MUMBAI A 10-year-old boy was found hanging in a madrasa in Malvani on Saturday evening, in what the police suspect to be a case of suicide. His body was discovered around 5:30 PM, near the bathroom, suspended by his shirt from a ceiling hook. Preliminary investigations suggest the boy may have been deeply affected by frequent arguments between his parents, possibly leading to emotional distress. Police ruled out foul play and registered the incident as an accidental death, though no suicide note was found. The boy, a resident of Malvani, attended the madrasa in Malad with his elder brother. According to accounts, while other students went out to play on Saturday, the boy stayed behind. He reportedly locked the room attached to the bathroom from the inside before taking his life. When the students returned, they found the bathroom door locked. Peering through a gap, they saw the boy hanging. Teachers rushed him to Shatabdi Hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival. 4Contd on | nation Dharmesh Thakkar MUMBAI A fishing trawler, which sank off the Mumbai Coast early on Sunday after being hit by a Chinese vessel, was subsequently rescued, without any casualties. The vessel belonged to a Madh Koliwada resident, Hemdeep Harishchandra Tipri. The Chinese cargo vessel, Zhu Cheng Xin Zhou, had left Nhava Sheva on Saturday evening for Mundra Port when the collision occurred off the Versova coast in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.  According to the information shared by the Maharashtra Coastal Police, the cargo vessel struck the fishing trawler, Tisai – from Madh Koliwada, Malad – off the Versova coast in Mumbai around midnight. Fishing vessels in the vicinity rushed to the rescue of the trawler on getting its distress call. The rescue team managed to salvage the sinking trawler and tow it back to Madh Koliwada. “Eight fishing boats of the Savti Group rescued the drowning crew of the fishing trawler Tisai and managed to salvage and tow the sinking vessel back to Talpasa port at Madh. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the collision,” said the general secretary of Maharashtra Macchimar Kruti Samiti, Kiran Koli. The MMKS is the apex body of all the Koli fishermen in the state. Earlier this month, a speeding naval craft carrying out a test drive, hit a passenger ferry – taking tourists from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves – killing 15, including a naval rating and two engineering executives.  Prashant Kishor booked for Patna student unrest Dheeraj Kumar PATNA Patna erupted in chaos on Sunday as police arrested Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor for allegedly instigating thousands of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants protesting against irregularities in the 70th Combined Competitive Preliminary Examination. The protest, marked by roadblocks, scuffles, and a heavy police crackdown, saw aspirants marching towards the Chief Minister’s residence demanding a full re-test. The demonstration began at Gandhi Maidan, where Kishor called a ‘Chhatra Sansad’ (Students’ Parliament) to galvanize support. Aspirants accused the BPSC of failing to ensure a fair examination, citing leaked question papers, torn answer sheets, and delayed distribution of materials during the December 13 exam. The BPSC has announced a re-test for 12,000 affected candidates at one centre, but aspirants are demanding a complete reexamination. As the protest escalated, demonstrators breached two police barricades near JP roundabout and clashed with security personnel. Police responded with a baton charge and water cannons to disperse the crowd, leading to chaotic scenes in the state capital. 4Contd on | nation Tailpiece comment Bangladesh forgets 1971 pangs to embrace tormentor Taliban ban on windows K S Tomar Bangladesh’s recent decision to sign a pact with Pakistan for military training marks a startling and controversial shift in its foreign policy, one that has left both historians and strategists baffled. This could be attributed to India’s defective foreign policy of putting all eggs in one basket i.e. patronising the unceremoniously ousted leader of that country, Sheikh Hasina, thereby alienating other political forces therein. Scheduled to commence in February 2025, this agreement will see Pakistani military trainers operating across four cantonments in Bangladesh. For a nation that endured one of the most horrific genocides at the hands of the Pakistani army in 1971, this move is not only a betrayal of its own history but also a troubling sign of shifting regional dynamics. The shadow of 1971 looms large over this development. The Pakistani military’s campaign of atrocities during the Liberation War, which left three million dead and countless others displaced, is etched in the collective memory of Bangladesh. Yet, this decision to collaborate with the very institution responsible for those horrors signals a troubling erosion of historical accountability. Pakistan has never issued a formal apology for its actions, let alone made reparation, and its persistent denial of the genocide remains a source of anguish for many Bangladeshis. By engaging with Pakistan in this manner, Dhaka risks alienating its citizens and opening old wounds that were thought to be long healed. Beyond the moral and historical implications, this agreement is poised to have significant strategic consequences, particularly for India. Mohammad Yunus’s efforts to warm up ties with Islamabad threaten to undermine the robust relationship India and Bangladesh have cultivated over the past decade. 4Contd on | nation looking at women areas T he Taliban's supreme leader in Afghanistan has banned the construction of windows in residential buildings that overlook areas frequented by women. The Taliban government's spokesman said in a statement that new buildings shouldn't have windows through which "the courtyard, kitchen, neighbour's well and other places usually used by women" are visible. The Taliban government's spokesman, Zabihullah Muja- hid, said in a post on X that seeing women working in kitchens, in courtyards or collecting water from wells can lead to obscene acts. According to the Taliban government, municipal authorities and other relevant departments would have to monitor construction sites to ensure that the view towards the neighbour's house is blocked in residential buildings, reported AFP. 4Contd on | nation