Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 30 Pages | `5 & for State (+4 pages) `6 Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL HAPPY MAHAVIR JAYANTI Vol. 68 No. 160 | Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) GAMES NATION WB school teachers protesting job loss clash with police in Kolkata, face lathi charge Briefs Builder shot in Chembur A 50-year-old builder, Sadruddin Khan from Belapur, was critically injured after two unidentified men on a motorcycle shot him near Diamond Garden signal, Chembur, around 9:50 PM Wednesday. Khan was en route to Panvel via the Sion-Panvel Highway when 4–5 rounds were fired. He was rushed to Zen Hospital and is currently stable. Chembur Police have registered a case and are scanning CCTV footage to identify the assailants. A manhunt has been launched, though the motive remains unclear. Zone 6 DCP Navnath Dhavale confirmed the incident and said further investigation is underway. SEE CITY Employers can specify court The Supreme Court has ruled that private employers may include a clause in appointment letters specifying that employment-related disputes must be resolved in a particular court or jurisdiction. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan said a contract is legally binding, regardless of the strength or status of the parties involved. "The right to legal adjudication cannot be taken away, but can be limited to specific courts for the parties’ convenience," it observed. Ram Darbar at Ayodhya The Ram temple in Ayodhya will soon feature a 'Ram Darbar', open to devotees from June 6. However, it will not be a consecration ceremony, clarified temple construction committee chief Nripendra Mishra. The event will mark the completion of the temple’s first phase, which began in 2020. Nod to `4,800 crore projects The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a set of development projects, including the modernisation of irrigation under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (2025–26), with a ₹1,600 crore outlay. Court raps Centre delay The SC pulled up the Centre for failing to implement a cashless medical treatment scheme for motor accident victims, despite its January 8 order. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said the March 15 deadline was missed and summoned the Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport, to appear via video. Cinema Who really is Iulia Vantur? Stephen Fleming happy with the improved success of Chennai Super Kings top order Edit SC upholds Constitution MARKETS SOAR | Dow up 2500 points, Nasdaq jumps 10.30% after Don announces a 90-day tariff pause for 90 countries, including India; China reels at 125% hike and allies scramble as the US President targets Beijing Mercurial Trump says ‘Be Cool’ after blinking first in tariff war Ketan Narottam Tanna MUMBAI Markets soared, China reeled, and U.S. allies scrambled after President Donald Trump abruptly paused tariffs on most nations for 90 days— while slamming China with a punishing 125% hike, reigniting fears of a full-blown trade war. In classic Trumpian fashion— bombastic, erratic, and unapologetically brash—the U.S. president triggered another global tremor on Wednesday. His two-pronged announcement offered a sudden tariff reprieve to over 75 nations, including India, alongside a dramatic escalation of duties on Chinese imports. Global markets responded with immediate relief. Stocks rallied as investors read the move as a partial retreat from Trump’s earlier hardline stance. But the reprieve came with a catch: China was excluded from any mercy. “Based on China’s utter disregard for global markets,” Trump declared on TruthSocial, “I’m raising tariffs to 125%. The era of ripping off America is over.” The announcement marked a sharp pivot. Just a day earlier, Trump’s sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" had come into effect, sending markets into a tailspin and triggering warnings of a global economic backlash. Now, most trading partners get a 90day window during which the U.S. will impose a uniform 10% tariff—a carrot for cooperation. But for China, it’s all stick. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the rollback for compliant nations, calling it a step toward “fairer trade.” Treasury Secretary Bessent defended the about-face, framing it as proof that Trump sought “bespoke trade deals” with friendly nations and was “goading bad actors into exposing themselves.” That bad actor, unmistakably, was China. Hours before his announcement, Trump, at a Republican fundraiser, flaunted his trademark bravado. “Other nations are calling, kissing my ass… They’re begging to cut deals,” he told donors, mimicking foreign leaders and mocking Republican dissenters. “You don’t negotiate like I negotiate.” 4Contd on | nation FPJ News Service MUMBAI PAYBACK TIME N ot all countries are taking the economic assault lying down. China’s response was immediate and severe. Beijing announced additional tariffs on imports from the United States, for a total levy of 84 per cent, to go into effect within hours. The European Union, often more diplomatic, adopted its first measures hitting back at President Donald FROM PLOTTER TO PRISONER 26/11 mastermind Rana to land in Delhi today WHO IS TAHAWWUR? Ashish Singh MUMBAI Seventeen years after Mumbai’s darkest days, a key figure accused of helping orchestrate the 26/11 terror attacks is finally being brought to Indian soil. Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian national, is expected to land in New Delhi early Thursday morning, escorted by a multiagency Indian team aboard a special aircraft that departed the United States earlier this week. Sources say the plane will make a discreet halt at an undisclosed location en route—a reflection of the high-security 4Contd on | nation The full impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping reciprocal tariffs is yet to be seen, but India’s response is clear: finalise a bilateral trade agreement with Washington by the fall of this year, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Wednesday. In his first detailed response to the new U.S. tariff regime, Jaishankar noted that India is perhaps the only country to have reached a mutual understanding with Washington on negotiating a trade pact since Trump assumed office for a second term. His comments came just hours after President Trump’s fresh wave of tariffs—targeting around five countries, including India— officially came into force, sparking widespread trade disruptions and renewed fears of a global economic slowdown. India has opted for a cau- FPJ News Service Indian exporters, particularly from the apparel sector, had long urged the government to withdraw the transshipment facility extended to Bangladesh, citing increased freight costs and congestion at key cargo terminals. The facility, introduced in June 2020, had enabled Bangladesh to export goods to third countries—such as Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar—via Indian ports and airports, using Indian Land Customs Stations (LCSs). It ensured seamless movement of cargo through Indian territory, notably benefitting Bangladesh’s textile and apparel exports. Urvi Mahajani MUMBAI CHEAPER: Home, auto & personal loans ahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, is a Pakistan-born Canadian national and a childhood friend of David Coleman Headley, a key conspirator in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Born in Chichawatni, Punjab (Pakistan), Rana studied medicine, served in the Pakistan Army’s medical corps, and later migrated to Canada. He became a citizen, moved to the US, and set up However, in a circular dated April 8, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) announced the immediate withdrawal of this arrangement. "It has been decided to rescind... circular...dated June 29, 2020, as amended, with immediate effect. Cargo already entered into India may be allowed to exit the Indian Banks may cut fixed deposit (FD) rates Pensioners may earn less on FDs ■ EMIs may reduce for new borrowers ■ Bad news for savers— returns on savings may shrink ■ Existing fixed-rate loans won’t benefit ■ Floating-rate loan holders may benefit—slowly ■ Good for those planning bigticket purchases ■ Spending power may increase if inflation stays low ■ Banks may take time to pass on rate cuts 4See full story | money The Bombay High Court has imposed a cost of ₹2 lakh on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the "high-handed and arbitrary" demolition of a structure run by a charitable firm offering food and shelter to cancer patients undergoing treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital. Justice Gauri Godse pulled up the civic body for acting “in unholy haste” and without informing the occupants or following due legal process. The court was hearing a petition filed by M/s Mehta & Co, whose premises adjacent to Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel were razed on January 4. The petitioner pointed out that the territory as per the procedure given in that circular," the CBIC noted. The decision comes at a time when global trade tensions are high, with the United States having imposed sweeping tariffs on several countries, including both India and Bangladesh. crore Rafale deal MUMBAI Air India just can’t seem to catch a break—or keep things dry. In yet another boggling mid-air episode, a male passenger allegedly let loose—literally—on a fellow traveller while aboard a flight from Delhi to Bangkok on Wednesday. Yes, you read that right. Not turbulence, not delayed meals—but a full-blown urination incident, airborne and unsolicited. Sources say the unfortunate victim was minding their own business when their neighbour, clearly thinking he was in a personal lavatory and not a pressurised public cabin, relieved himself with reckless abandon. One can only assume this wasn’t the in-flight entertainment they had in mind. Air India has filed a report with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which, by now, probably has a separate folder marked "Pee Incidents – Ongoing." Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, while attending a presumably more fragrant event in the capi- tal, issued a measured response: “If there is any wrongdoing, we will take necessary action.” Now, Minister, forgive us for the impertinence, but how much more “wrong” does it get than golden showers at 30,000 feet? This unfortunate episode comes not too long after another infamous Air India incident in 2022, when a similarly spirited passenger urinated on a woman during a New York-Delhi flight. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation INDIA FLAGS MINORITY ATTACKS, TO B’DESH FPJ News Service 4Contd on | nation Pee-senger blues in Air-India at 30,000 feet demolition occurred even as a plea challenging the action was pending before a civil court. “The corporation’s officers have shown a complete lack of sensitivity while proceeding with the demolition of the structure which the plaintiff used for providing food and shelter to cancer patients,” Justice Godse observed in the April 4 order, a copy of which was made available on Wednesday. She further noted, “In a city like Mumbai, it is very difficult to find temporary shelter. I have no doubt in holding that the demolition not only deprived the plaintiff of his rights but also denied cancer patients a critical support system during treatment.” MUMBAI offgrid Ketan Narottam Tanna 4Contd on | nation illegal demolition India halts key transshipment for B’desh CCS clears `64K MUMBAI tious, calculated approach in response to what many see as a potentially seismic shift in global trade policy. Officials say New Delhi remains actively engaged with the Trump administration on finalising a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). “I don't think it's possible to speculate on the exact impact of the tariffs just yet, because we simply don’t know,” Jaishankar said at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit. “But what is our strategy? REPO RATE CUT HC slams BMC over 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation duties on steel and aluminium. And yet, Trump’s calculus is clear: escalate first, negotiate later — if at all. In India, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, speaking hours after Trump’s comments, said the tariff war would have “negative implications for net exports and macroeconomic stability globally.” But such warnings barely register with a White House intent on disruption. Trump's tariff onslaught, targeting more than 20 billion Euros of US products including soybeans, motorcycles and beauty products, the European Commission said. "These countermeasures can be suspended at any time, should the US agree to a fair and balanced negotiated outcome," a commission statement said. The levies are retaliation for previous US T and political sensitivity surrounding Rana’s extradition, which comes after more than a decade of legal wrangling, diplomatic manoeuvres, and backchannel negotiations. New Delhi eyeing trade pact with US: S Jaishankar FPJ News Service MUMBAI The government is understood to have cleared the procurement of 26 naval variants of Rafale fighter jets from France at an estimated cost of ₹64,000 crore, according to defence establishment sources. The high-value defence acquisition was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In July 2023, the Ministry of Defence had already granted initial approval for the purchase of 26 Rafale Marine (Rafale M) jets, intended primarily for deployment on the indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. At the time, the ministry had also approved the procurement of three additional Scorpene-class submarines from France. However, final clearance for both deals had been pending before the CCS until now. The Rafale M jets, along with associated equipment such as weapon systems and spares, will be acquired through an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) between India and France. Under the Indian Navy's Project 75, six Scorpene submarines have already been built at Mumbai’s Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in collaboration with the French Naval Group. India conveyed strong concerns over attacks on minorities and growing radicalisation in Bangladesh during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with the neighbouring country’s interim head Muhammad Yunus last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday. Speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, Jaishankar also reaffirmed India’s call for fresh elections in Bangladesh. “As a country with a democratic tradition, democracies require elections. That’s how mandates are given and renewed,” he said. Modi and Yunus met in Bangkok for the first time since the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year following widespread antigovernment protests. 4Contd on | nation