Tuesday, March 10, 2026 | Vol. 69 No. 131 | 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 l E-paper edition is not a replica of the print edition GAMES NATION Indonesia enters into agreement with India to procure BrahMos missile system Cinema Actor Nigel opens up about becoming Sherlock Holmes Suryakumar Yadav savours T20 World Cup title, Gambhir credits players’ bravery Edit Power of the collective: This time the team was the hero IRAN ACTION FALLOUT | Jaishankar says India allowed three Iranian ships to dock at Kochi, that serious supply chain disruptions were expected along with a climate of instability EAM warning: Disruptions, instability Ashwin Ahmad & Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI Amid protests by the Opposition, Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar on Monday read out statements in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha regarding “The Situation in West Asia.” He also warned India should expect “serious supply chain disruptions and a climate of instability.” Jaishan- kar also stated that India had responded to a call by Iranian authorities and had allowed three Iranian ships to dock at its port in Kochi. He said, “Wherever there has been a partial opening of air space, we have approved and undertaken commercial flights, including non-scheduled flights, to enable the return of Indian passengers. Our estimate is that as of yesterday almost 67,000 of our nationals have done so,” Jaishankar said. “I was informed of a handout of information put out by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which tells us of the efforts the government is making; there were 51 inbound flights operated by Indian carriers, which arrived in India on the 7th. On the 8th, there were 49 flights. On the 9th there are 50 flights.” Jaishankar also stated that India had responded to a call by Iranian authorities and had allowed three Iranian ships to dock at its port in Kochi. “Iranian side requested permission on 28 February for three ships in the region to dock at our ports. This was accorded on 1 March. IRIS LAVAN actually docked on 4 March in Kochi. The crew is currently in Indian naval facilities. We believe that this was the right thing to do, and the Iranian Foreign Minister has expressed his country’s thanks for this hu- mane gesture,” he said. Jaishankar added that the US-Iran war was of “special concern” for India. “We are a neighbouring region and understandably, have obvious stakes that West Asia remain stable and peaceful. There are almost one crore Indian citizens who live and work in the Gulf nations. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation FM downplays Oil tops $119 a barrel, highest since ’22 WAR CLOUDS DARKEN MKTS Small price, says US prez inflation fears U on crude shock Agencies WASHINGTON Oil prices surged above $119 a barrel on Monday, reaching their highest level since 2022, as major producers cut supplies and fears of prolonged shipping disruptions gripped global markets amid the expanding US-Israeli war with Iran. Brent crude futures were up $13.02, or 14%, at $105.71 per barrel at 0917 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate Agencies NEW DELHI The impact of the global crude price rise on inflation is not estimated to be substantial at this point, as India’s inflation is near the lower bound, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said the price of both global crude oil and the Indian basket had been on a declining trajectory for the past year until geopolitical clashes commenced in West Asia on February 28. “Between the end of February and until March 2, the Crude Oil FOB Price (Indian Basket) rose from $69.01/barrel to $80.16/barrel. Given that inflation is near the lower bound, the impact on inflation is not estimated to be substantial at this point,” she said. She was replying to a question on whether the government had reviewed the impact Athawale bags Rajya Sabha seat on RPI(A) platform Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI All seven candidates, including NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale, and BJP leader Vinod Tawde, were declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in the biennial elections. A notable feature of the election emerged when Athawale was elected as a nominee of his Republican Party of India (Athawale) — RPI(A) — even though his candidature had initially been announced as an official BJP nominee. According to sources, hectic last-minute developments enabled the RPI leader, who serves as Minister of State for Social Justice, to retain his party identity in the Rajya Sabha. He is believed to have impressed upon senior leaders in Delhi that he should contest as an RPI candidate rather than as a BJP nominee. Accordingly, he submitted his party’s A and B forms, which provide formal party authorisation along with the party symbol. 4Contd on | nation Government says India has 74 days’ stock of crude oil, petroleum products of rising global crude oil prices on inflation in the country. On Monday the Suresh Gopi, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that India has a total capacity for storage of crude oil and petroleum products for 74 days, which can help to tide over disruptions. 4Contd on | nation Not happy, says Trump resident Trump said he was “not happy’ after Mojtaba Khamenei was elevated. “Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. They are wasting their time. He’s going to have to get approval from us. If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” Trump told ABC News. P S President Donald Trump commented on the surge in oil prices in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for USA, and World, Safety and Peace. ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY! President DJT”, Trump wrote. (WTI) crude futures rose $12.16, or 13%, to $103.06, Reuters reported. In volatile trading, Brent earlier touched $119.50 a bar- rel, marking the biggest ever absolute price jump in a single day, while WTI climbed to $119.48 a barrel. Prior to Monday's surge, Brent had already Agencies TEHRAN Iran on Monday named Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader, succeeding his slain father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and signalling that hardliners remain firmly in control of the country’s political system. The 56-year-old Shi’ite cleric has long operated behind the scenes at the centre of Iran’s FPJ News Service power structure, cultivating influence within the security establishment, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Mojtaba was selected on Sunday by the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics tasked with choosing the supreme leader. The clerical body called on Iranians to rally SUPREME COURT TO HEAR PLEA MUMBAI Bengal deletions PTI NEW DELHI the great seat he occupies”. Sources in the main opposition party, Indian National Congress, confirmed that they would support the notice. Other parties in the INDIA bloc are also backing the move, with the draft having been prepared collectively. Opposition MPs will now begin collecting signatures from members of both Houses of Parliament. Under parliamentary rules, the notice requires the signatures of at least 100 MPs from the Lok Sabha and at least 50 MPs from the Rajya Sabha before it can be formally admitted. 4Contd on | nation The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider a fresh plea filed by some persons whose names were deleted from the electoral rolls by the Election Commission during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal. Senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy mentioned the petition before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi and sought an urgent hearing. Guruswamy said the plea pertained to the deletion of erstwhile voters from the rolls. “These are electors. They had voted earlier, and now their documents have not been taken,” the senior lawyer said. Chief Justice Kant, however, wondered if the Supreme Court could sit in appeal over the decisions of the authorities, bypassing the statutory remedies. “But in the scheme of things, we cannot sit on appeal over the decisions of the judicial officers,” the Chief Justice observed. Guruswamy told the court that the appeals were maintainable and said the orders had not been served on the petitioners, depriving them of the available remedies. The bench agreed to list the matter on Tuesday along with other cases related to the SIR exercise in West Bengal. HC notice on CBI plea in Kejri case FPJ News Service NEW DELHI The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 others on a plea filed by CBI challenging their discharge in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma also indicated that the court would stay the adverse observations made by the trial court against CBI and one of its officers in the case. The HC listed the matter for further hearing on March 16 and directed the respondents 4Contd on | nation FPJ News Service MUMBAI India’s benchmark equity indices retreated sharply on Monday as investors sought shelter from the gathering West Asia storm. The BSE Sensex fell 1.71% to close at 77,566.16, marking its second straight day of decline after plunging over 3% during intraday trade. The NSE Nifty slipped 1.73% to settle at 24,028.05, reflecting Mojtaba new Supreme Leader Oppn moves to impeach CEC In an unprecedented move, opposition parties are preparing to submit a notice seeking the removal of Gyanesh Kumar, sources said on Monday. The draft notice has been finalised and is likely to be submitted later this week, according to sources familiar with the development. A senior parliamentarian from All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), who was involved in drafting the impeachment notice, described the exercise as a “100 per cent team effort”. “The drafting and planning have truly been a collective effort by all like-minded parties. The execution in both Houses will also be full teamwork,” the TMC leader told PTI. The leader also launched a sharp attack on the CEC, saying he had “totally degraded risen 28% and WTI 36% over the past week. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes, is virtually shut. The disruption has intensified concerns about global energy supplies. Prices were also supported by the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as Iran's Supreme Leader. to file their replies to CBI’s revision petition challenging the trial court’s February 27 order. The HC further said it would ask the trial court to defer proceedings in the connected money laundering case being investigated by ED until the High Court decides CBI’s plea. Appearing for the CBI, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested the court to stay the “prejudicial” remarks made by the trial court against the investigating agency and its officials. He, however, clarified that the CBI was not seeking a behind him and preserve national unity. Despite his proximity to power, Mojtaba has never held elected office or formally occupied a senior position in the Iranian government. For years, he worked quietly from within his father’s office, building relationships across Iran’s political and security institutions. He is widely believed to have deep ties with senior figures in the Revolutionary Guard, an influential force that wields vast military, economic and political power. Mojtaba was born in 1969 in the north-eastern city of Mashhad and was raised within the clerical and political environment that emerged after Iran’s 1979 revolution. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | world the deepening anxiety gripping the markets. The stock of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd dropped 6.12%, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd tanked 5.05%, and Indian Oil Corporation declined 4.3% on BSE. The rupee crashed to its alltime closing low of 92.21 against the US dollar, losing 39 paise during the session. 4See also | money From Putin, with love ussian President Vladimir Putin sent a message congratulating Mojtaba Khamenei, expressing confidence that he would guide Iran through the current crisis. Putin said he was confident Mojtaba would continue his father’s work “with honour” and unite the Iranian people “in the face of severe trials.” R