FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Pravasi Bharatiya Divas FREE www.freepressjournal.in Palazhi Ashok Kumar MUMBAI Domestic equity markets extended their decline on Thursday as investor sentiment turned markedly riskaverse amid intensifying global trade concerns and sustained foreign institutional investor (FII) selling. Investors suffered a sharp erosion of wealth, with nearly Rs 8 lakh crore wiped off market capitalisation in a single session. The overall market value of BSE-listed companies slipped to below Rs 472.25 lakh crore from about Rs 480.07 lakh crore in the previous session. FIIs remained net sellers, offloading equities worth Rs 3,367 crore during the day, adding to pressure on benchmark indices. In December, foreign investors were net sellers to the tune of $2.6 billion, while domestic institutional investors provided some support with net purchases of $8.9 billion. 4Continued on | P8 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE MONEY Sports 'Just be in it' P.12 Bears tighten grip, Rs 8L cr wiped out PRESS Vol. XLII No. 214 | INDORE | FRIDAY | JANUARY 9, 2026 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 India to ease curbs on Chinese contractors UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK Cinema Emraan leads Taskaree P.14 Don arms himself with 500% tariffs legislation Agencies President Donald Trump has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow the US to impose tariffs of at least 500 percent on countries such as India, China and Brazil for importing Russian oil. The legislation, drafted by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham along with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, is aimed at cutting off funding for Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to reports by UNB. “This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Rus- Poland ‘satisfied’ with oil cut Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has expressed satisfaction over New Delhi reducing dependence on Russian oil. External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar was present in the meeting but did not react to it. “I expressed my satisfaction that India has reduced Russian oil imports because this is fuelling Putin’s war machine,” Sikorski saids sian oil fueling Putin’s war machine,” Graham wrote on X. He added, “This bill would give President Trump tremendous leverage against countries like China, India and Brazil to incentivise them to stop buying the cheap Russian oil that provides the financing for Putin’s bloodbath against Ukraine. I look forward to a strong bipartisan vote, hopefully as early as next week.” Formally titled the Sanctioning of Russia Act 2025 (S 1241), the proposed legislation is designed to pressure Moscow into peace negotiations by severely damaging its economic lifelines, particularly its energy revenues.Under the bill, the US president would be required to assess every 90 days whether Russia is refusing to negotiate a peace deal or has violated any agreement. If Russia is found to be non-compliant, mandatory sanctions would automatically come into effect. 4Continued on | P8 UN projects India’s Shooting coach booked US exits 66 key GDP growth at 6.6% for minor’s sexual assault global bodies IANS NEW DELHI Suspended Rajesh Moudgil A United Nations (UN) report released on Thursday projects India's GDP growth at a robust 6.6 per cent even as it expects the global economic growth to slow down to 2.7 per cent during 2026, due to geopolitical risks and policy uncertainty. "Strong demand in major markets may partially offset the US tariff hike impact on India," the report states. 4Continued on | P8 CHANDIGARH Haryana police have booked national shooting coach Ankush Bhardwaj for allegedly “sexually harassing” a minor athlete. According to information, the incident took place in Faridabad on December 16 after the athlete participated in a national-level shooting competition at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, New Delhi. In her complaint to the po- E-paper Edit Withdrawal suicidal for US P.6 PRESSURE TACTIC | US prez approves bipartisan bill, paving way for tougher action against countries buying Russian oil WASHINGTON MUMBAI lice, the 17-year-old nationallevel shooter alleged that Bhardwaj asked her to meet him at his hotel in Surajkund area of Faridabad, Haryana, saying that her performance required to be evaluated. The coach called the minor athlete to his room when she reached the hotel and subsequently sexually harassed her, she alleged, adding that he also threatened to ruin her sports career if she disclosed the incident to anyone. UN/WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has withdrawn the US from over 60 international organisations, including UN bodies and the IndiaFrance-led International Solar Alliance, calling the institutions "redundant" and "contrary" to America's interests. Trump signed the memorandum on Wednesday titled 'Withdrawing the US from International Organisations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the US'. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Abattoir sealed after cow meat confirmed in seized truck ED rushes to HC after face-off with Mamata Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Bhopal Municipal Corporation on Thursday sealed slaughterhouse at Jinsi Crossing in Jahangirabad after a forensic report confirmed that packets seized from a container were carrying banned cow meat. The incident dates back to December 17 last year, when activists of Hindu organisations led by Chandrashekhar Tiwari and Bhanu Hindu intercepted a container bearing a Meerut registration number near Police Headquarters, under jurisdiction of Jahangirabad police station. Activists alleged container was transporting cow meat and claimed it was being supplied from slaughterhouse to different parts of country and even to foreign countries. Police reached the spot and seized container along with meat packets. Investigation revealed that container was carrying a total of 26.5 tonnes of meat. 4Continued on | P8 Mamata Banerjee with files she retrieved after ED raids FP News Service KOLKATA The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches at the residence of IPAC chief and TMC IT cell head Pratik Jain and at the political consultancy firm’s office in Kolkata in connection with a money laundering probe linked to an alleged coal pilferage scam, triggering high drama. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to Jain’s Loudon Street home along with Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, accusing the central agency of attempting to seize the Trinamool Congress’s internal documents and digital data, and later visited the IPAC office in Salt Lake, even as the ED alleged obstruction of its investigation and subsequently moved the Calcutta High Court seeking protection to carry out the probe without hindrance. The drama began around 67 am as the searches were carried out at about 10 premises, including six in West Bengal and four in Delhi, in the presence of central paramilitary forces. I-PAC’s office and Jain’s residence. 4Continued on | P8 NGT transfers tree-felling case to Delhi Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Central Zone Bench, Bhopal, on Thursday transferred a case on largescale tree felling for development projects to its Principal Bench in New Delhi. The Tribunal also requested the chairperson to frame a pan-India policy addressing ongoing tree cutting in the name of economic development and infrastructure expansion. The order was passed in Nitin Saxena vs National High- ways Authority of India, concerning the proposed Ayodhya Bypass project in Bhopal. The case relates to a 16-kmlong, 10-lane bypass stretching from Asaram Tiraha to Karond and Ratnagiri Tiraha. 4Continued on | P8