The Free Press Journal
No fuel shortage: Fadnavis
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday sought to allay fears over a possible fuel crisis in Maharashtra, asserting that the state has adequate stocks of petrol and diesel and urging citizens not to indulge in panic buying. Addressing growing...
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Maha pivot to clean energy
In one of the biggest clean energy investment commitments in the state’s history, Maharashtra on Tuesday signed Mous worth Rs 6.5 lakh crore with four major companies to develop nuclear energy projects with a combined proposed generation capacity of...
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₹70,000 CRORE SURGE LIKELY ON FERTILISER SUBSIDY BILL
Driven by the ongoing crisis in West Asia, India’s fertiliser subsidy bill for the 2026-27 fiscal year (FY27) is projected to surge by up to 70,000 crore, potentially pushing the total expenditure to 2.41 lakh crore. Aparna S. Sharma, Additional...
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Drone strike triggers fire near UAE N-plant
A drone strike targeted the UAE’S sole nuclear power plant on Sunday, sparking a fire on its perimeter and raising new concerns over a potential new regional escalation amid a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US. Authorities in Abu Dhabi said...
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‘Jihadi drug’ haul worth ₹182 cr
The Narcotics Control Bureau has busted an international drug syndicate involved in the trafficking of Captagon and seized approximately 227.7 kg of the “jihadi drug” worth Rs 182 crore, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Saturday. The...
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‘Flight 171 captain had both hands on steering handle’
For nearly a year, the world was told a devastatingly simple story about Air India 171: that veteran Boeing 787 Capt Sumeet Sabharwal may have intentionally crashed his aircraft a few seconds after take-off on June 12, 2025. But now, confidential...
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Wholesale inflation soars to 8.3%
From the restless shores of Kanyakumari to the crowded valleys beneath Kashmir’s mountains, a familiar unease is once again beginning to move silently through Indian homes. It comes not with pandemic sirens or televised lockdown orders, but through...
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PM drives change by example
In a striking departure from the high-octane optics of VVIP movement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday performed a symbolic act of leading from the front: the PM travelled to a Union Cabinet meeting in the capital accompanied by just a single...
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Governance Drives Wealth: Raamdeo Agrawal
Veteran investor and Motilal Oswal Financial Services Chairman Raamdeo Agrawal said strong corporate governance, ethical leadership, and transparency remain the foundation of long-term wealth creation, as he addressed business leaders and investors at...
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‘Austerity plea a proof of failure’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday led the charge against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plea for austerity in view of the West Asia conflict by terming the appeals as “proofs of failure”. At the same time, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav...
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Extinct since 1800, bluebuck set for return
A genetic engineering company based in Dallas, Colossal Biosciences, has announced plans to bring back the extinct bluebuck. This antelope, known for its distinct silvery slate-blue coat and curved black horns that grew up to 22 inches (56.5 cm), once...
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Suvendu takes oath
The city that once mocked the BJP as a political outsider from the Hindi heartland transformed into a roaring sea of saffron on Saturday as Suvendu Adhikari took oath as West Bengal’s first BJP chief minister, scripting one of the most dramatic...
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Pass percentage 92, drop of 2%
In a move that could alter property ownership in Maharashtra and cut court disputes, the state government is working on a law that promises to turn property holders from “occupants” to legally recognised owners. The proposed Maharashtra Land Titling...
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‘Steadfast as ever against terror’
PM Narendra Modi on Thursday marked the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor by describing it as a defining moment in India’s uncompromising fight against terrorism and a powerful assertion of the country’s national security doctrine. Paying tribute...
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After Bharat Jodo, Cong’s INDIA todo
In a development that signalled not just the cracking of the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu but also the likely formation of the state’s first coalition government, Congress on Wednesday snapped ties with DMK to join forces with actor C Joseph Vijay’s TVK to...
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‘Did not lose, won’t quit’
A day after suffering a crushing defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo on Tuesday refused to step down as Chief Minister, claiming that her party had been “defeated by conspiracy” and had, in fact, “won...
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Vijay stuns, Didi out, Kerala flips
The Bharatiya Janata Party wrested control of West Bengal from the Trinamool Congress, while the Congress-led United Democratic Front defeated the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala. The surprise result of the Assembly elections to...
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Veil will lift today on people’s choice
Counting of votes on Monday in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will mark a moment of political reckoning across regions that reflect sharply different electoral currents. After a high-voltage campaign, the results are expected to...
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Iran attack clock reset by five days
In a move aimed at sidestepping the War Powers Act, US President Donald J Trump officially notified Congress on Friday that hostilities with Iran have “terminated”, even as he publicly mulled a second, more devastating phase of military action. The...
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COMMERCIAL GAS CYLINDER PRICES SOAR TO RECORD HIGH
The relative calm of India’s energy markets, maintained with precision during a highstakes election season, fractured on Friday as state-owned oil marketing companies announced the steepest increase in commercial gas prices in the country’s history....
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Rats eat bribe cash? SC sees bigger loss
India failed to persuade Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) and (Middle East and North Africa) MENA members to reach a consensus on the Us-israel war against Iran. At the conclusion of the BRICS-MENA meeting at the deputy foreign...
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Trump speeds strait demining
In a day of rapid-fire escalations that laid bare the internal fractures of the American defence establishment, President Trump on Thursday ordered the US Navy to “shoot and kill” any Iranian vessel attempting to mine the Strait of Hormuz. The...
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Trump’s U-turn steers Hormuz into limbo
In a sudden reversal that momentarily quieted the drums of a looming regional war, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had indefinitely extended a ceasefire with Iran. The decision, delivered with characteristic bluntness via social...
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What’s in a name? Quite a lot in fact, if you’re a tourist town
We in India have developed a new political interest and hobby: renaming places. Bombay became Mumbai; Madras became Chennai; Calcutta became Kolkata; Allahabad became Prayagraj; and Faizabad district became Ayodhya. Some changes carried linguistic...
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Disarray after US seizes Iran ship
A high-stakes diplomatic effort to extend a fragile ceasefire, due to expire in less than 48 hours, between the United States and Iran teetered on the brink of collapse on Monday after the U.S. Navy forcibly seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of...
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‘Open & shut’ case: Iran asserts strait gap
An Indian-flagged crude tanker safely transited the Strait of Hormuz, even as two other vessels were forced to turn back after coming under fire. The crude oil tanker Desh Garima, with 31 Indian seafarers on board, crossed the waterway on April 18 and...
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Court FIR order against Rahul recalled
Only 24 hours after Tehran declared the Hormuz Strait “completely open” following a Lebanese ceasefire, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reasserted what it calls “strict management,” effectively shuttering the passage to international...
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MEA skirts ‘Pakistan’ hurdle on ceasefire
Randhir Jaiswal chose his words carefully when describing India’s reaction to the Usiran ceasefire. While the MEA spokesperson said India welcomed it, he did not comment when asked on Pakistan’s role to help broker it. “We welcome the ceasefire and...
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Tightrope walk with high stakes and thin numbers
The Narendra Modi government has chosen to walk a political tightrope with the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill on women’s reservation, pushing ahead despite lacking the comfortable arithmetic required for a constitutional amendment in Parliament....
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PEACE AGREEMENT BEFORE MONTH-END?
US President Donald J Trump signalled on Wednesday that the two-month-old conflict with Iran has entered its final chapter. In a series of interviews, the President suggested that a definitive peace deal could be reached before the month is out. The...
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5 ships clear Hormuz test
At least five vessels, including two Washington-sanctioned tankers, have entered the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the first full day of the US blockade on ships calling at Iranian ports, according to shipping data. The blockade,...
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Double blockade, triple shocks
The long-simmering war in the Persian Gulf shifted into a volatile new phase on Monday as the United States began the formal execution of a naval blockade against Iranian ports. The move, coming in the wake of a collapsed diplomatic summit in...
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Gill, Jos Buttler, Prasidh Krishna power GT to victory against Lucknow Super Giants Abhi na jao chhod kar: Asha lives on
“Woh hanske mile humse, hum pyar samajh baithe...” — this line, penned by SH Bihari for an OP Nayyar-created song from the film Baharein Phir Bhi Aayengi, succinctly sums up Asha Bhosle’s 92-year-long life. The evergreen singer passed away on Sunday,...
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FACE-TO-FACE MEET
In a historic departure from years of indirect diplomacy, high-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran transitioned into direct, face-to-face talks on Saturday evening at the heavily fortified Serena Hotel in Islamabad. The move to...
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Rubio India visit in May
The MEA released a statement on Friday condoling the large number of “civilian casualties” in Lebanon. Released a day after Israel unleashed one the deadliest bombing campaigns on the Arab nation, it said India was “deeply concerned by reports of a...
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Why hearing ‘Waterman’ Rajendra Singh matters in ecological crisis
Hours before the Iranian team was to head for Islamabad for the direct talks with the United States, to land at Nur Khan Airbase, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and the man slated to lead the delegation against US Vice...
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India greets truce, hopes for peace
The MEA released a statement in reaction to the recent ceasefire announced between the United States and Iran welcoming the ceasefire and hoping that it would lead to lasting peace in West Asia. “The conflict has already caused immense suffering to...
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TRUMP READIES TO WIPE OUT PERSIAN CIVILISATION
The deadline is set for 8 pm in Washington—5.30 am IST— and if the digital ticking of a Truth Social post is to be believed, the cradle of the Persian world has only hours of light remaining. At approximately 8.15 am ET (5.45 pm IST) on Tuesday, Trump...
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Trump warns Iran of sweeping strikes
President Donald Trump on Monday night renewed his threat of sweeping strikes on Iran, warning that “the entire country can be taken out in one night,” even as diplomatic efforts showed tentative movement. Speaking at a White House news conference,...
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US airman rescued in daring op: Trump
The second crew member of a downed American F-15E fighter jet was rescued overnight by US commandos, bringing an end to a tense twoday search after the warplane crashed in southwest Iran, President Donald Trump said. The crew member, identified as a...
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IRAN CLAIMS STRIKES ON ITS PETRO FACILITIES, N-PLANT
Co-ordinated strikes hit the perimeter of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and a critical petrochemical hub in the country's southwest on Saturday. The strike on Bushehr, which occurred between 6 am and 8 am local time damaging an auxiliary support...
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Petulant Trump shifts focus of war to civil infrastructure
THE BIGGEST BRIDGE IN IRAN COMES TUMBLING DOWN, NEVER TO BE USED AGAIN — MUCH MORE TO FOLLOW!" The declaration, posted on Truth Social by Donald Trump late on Thursday night, served as the formal eulogy for the B1 Bridge in Karaj. The $400 million...
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Budget Session to reconvene for key bills
The Budget Session of Parliament will reconvene on April 16 after a brief recess to pass bills to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 so that the women's reservation law can be implemented at the earliest, in what is expected to be...
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‘Iran job to be finished in 2-3 weeks’ Shield all from war heat: PM
US President Donald Trump has said that US military action in Iran could end as soon as “two or three weeks”, with or without a deal brokered between the two sides. “We’ll be leaving very soon,” he told reporters on Tuesday. The US has achieved its...
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Arab allies to foot Trump’s war bill
The White House has revealed plans to pressure regional Arab allies into funding the Us-led military campaign in Iran. During a press briefing on Monday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the administration is looking to shift the...
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‘New deal should remove Iran’s path to nukes’
US president Donald Trump drastically escalated his rhetoric on the crisis with Iran on Monday, taking to social media to threaten the complete obliteration of the country's oil and electrical infrastructure if a deal isn't reached with what he called...
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Clock ticks on ground ops amid talks
A senior Iranian official has warned the US against launching a ground invasion, saying American troops would be set “on fire,” even as the Pentagon prepares for weeks-long, limited ground operations that could include raids on Kharg Island and coastal...
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Houthis fire missile, enter war
After a month of calculated restraint, Yemen’s Houthi militia officially entered the sprawling conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran on Saturday, launching a barrage of ballistic missiles at southern Israel and threatening to plunge...
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GR issued for illegal houses on govt land
Seven people were killed and five others injured after multiple avalanches hit the Srinagar-leh national highway on Friday, officials said. The avalanches hit the stretch between Zero Point and Minimarg in the afternoon, leaving several vehicles...
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India gets safe Hormuz passage Iran navy chief killed: Israel
Iran has allowed India and some other “friendly nations”, including China and Russia, to use the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said. Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually...
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15-point commandment to Tehran
The Trump administration is believed to have delivered a sweeping 15-point proposal to Tehran intended to halt the four-week-old war in West Asia, signaling a high-stakes diplomatic "off-ramp" even as American paratroopers begin a fresh deployment to...
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SC status only for Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs: Top court
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld an Andhra Pradesh High Court order holding that a person who converts to Christianity and actively professes and practises the religion cannot be regarded as a member of the Scheduled Caste community and cannot...
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Brace for impact like COVID, PM Modi says amid West Asia crisis
Drawing parallels with the COVID-19 crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged citizens to remain “prepared and united” as India confronts the fallout of the West Asia conflict, warning that the situation could persist for long even as the...
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Escalation, not winding down
A day after signalling a possible wind-down of military operations, US President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Iran: reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face the destruction of its energy infrastructure, sharply escalating an...
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War without edges
An Iranian missile struck Jerusalem on Eid al-fitr, landing just a few hundred metres from the Al-aqsa Mosque, as hundreds of Muslim worshippers were forced to offer prayers outside the sealed gates of the Old City — barred from entry for the first...
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Iran puts global tourist hotspots in crosshairs
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its spokesperson and deputy public relations chief, was killed in US and Israeli strikes, according to Iranian state television. Naini “was martyred in the criminal cowardly terrorist attack by the...
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Domestic LPG users come first, says govt
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday the government’s priority would remain on Indian consumers when it came to LPG. Speaking at a weekly media briefing, Jaiswal said, “Energy supply is a matter of concern, and...
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Govt admits Pune land scam
Amid the Iran war, US envoy Sergio Gor met NSA Ajit Doval on Wednesday. “Just wrapped up an extremely fruitful meeting with NSA Ajit Doval,” Gor said on X. “Covered critical security and geopolitical issues. Strategic cooperation between the US and...
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Iran de facto leader killed: Israel
In a dramatic escalation of a widening West Asian war, Israel on Tuesday claimed it had killed Ali Larijani, one of Iran’s most powerful political and security figures, in an overnight strike on Tehran. The reported killing, if confirmed, would mark...
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‘No blanket arrangement with Iran on safe passage’
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in an interview with the Financial Times, said there was no “blanket arrangement” with Iran for Indian-flagged ships and that “every ship movement is an individual happening”. Jaishankar also denied that...
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VOTING IN APRIL, VERDICT ON MAY 4
The stage is set for a high-voltage political showdown across five states, with the Election Commission on Sunday announcing Assembly election dates for Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The fiercely contested battles will test...
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US BOMBS OIL NERVE CENTRE
The United States carried out airstrikes on Iran’s Kharg Island on March 13, targeting military facilities on the strategically vital oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, according to reports from Reuters, The Washington Post and The...
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LPG supply concerns flagged by Centre
Acknowledging that the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz in West Asia — through which a significant share of India’s LPG imports passes — is an “issue of concern”, the Centre on Friday said it has increased domestic LPG production by 30 per cent...
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2 more ships struck, Iraq stops oil ops
Iraq has reportedly suspended oil terminal operations after two tankers were hit by explosive-laden boats in Iraqi waters. Al-fartousi told Iraq’s state news agency that oil ports have stopped all operations since the attacks, while commercial ports...
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25-day booking gap for LPG now
The Centre on Wednesday said it has increased the minimum gap between LPG cylinder bookings for domestic households from 21 days to 25 days in view of the gas shortage triggered by the West Asia crisis. The government also said domestic LPG production...
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Oppn moves to impeach CEC
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...
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Party time: Bihar sees a beta launch
The CBI has registered yet another FIR against industrialist Anil Ambani, Reliance Communications Ltd, and others on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct for allegedly defrauding PNB of Rs 1,085 crore. This is the third CBI...
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Pezeshkian apologises
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has apologised to neighbouring countries for missile and drone attacks carried out during the ongoing war with the United States and Israel, while warning that Tehran would still retaliate if those countries allowed...
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Lanka grapples with war fallout at its door
U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out sending American ground forces into Iran, calling such a move unnecessary even as the United States and Israel intensify their military campaign against Tehran. “A ground invasion would be a waste of time,”...
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