pak players penalised for T20 World Cup exit? fined $18,000 each for poor performance According to reports, Pakistan Cricket Board has slapped a fine of 5 million PKR (~$18k) on cricketers part of the campaign KOchi l tuesday l march 03, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Not just the PCB, even some top govt functionaries were apparently unhappy with the team’s performance. If confirmed, this would be the first time a team would face such a penalty for exiting World Cup. Pak lost to India but somehow managed to reach the Super 8s where they succumbed to England after their match against New Zealand was rained off Eyes on the two big semifinals India will play England in the 2nd semifinal in Mumbai on Thursday. South Africa & New Zealand will play the first one on Wednesday. P11 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI aramco oil refinery hit Huge spike in Gas futures Saudi Aramco shut down its Ras Tanura oil refinery near Dammam on Monday after it was hit by Iran. Earlier, debris fell on Kuwait’s Ahmadi oil refinery, injuring two European natural gas futures spiked 42% as Qatar stopped production of LNG after two attacks on Ras Laffan and Mesaieed fields. Qatar snapped ties with Iran u.s. boots on ground not ruled out At least 555 killed in Iran, 11 in Israel as West Asia war rages on; Gulf allies bear the brunt; EU nations try to evacuate their citizens TNIE conclave spotlights AI, ambitions and self-reliance A G E NCI E S @ Tehran, Tel Aviv, Dubai THE war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran spread across West Asia and beyond on Monday, with Lebanon’s Hezbollah entering the fray and a British air base in Cyprus targeted. The Israeli military said it began new strikes on Tehran, as first responders heard explosions ring out on the third day of the US-Israeli joint assault and blasts rocked Lebanon’s capital Beirut. Gulf monarchies threatened to retaliate as a Saudi oil refinery burned, Qatar halted LNG production, tankers were attacked off Oman and energy prices soared. President Donald Trump said he was not ruling out sending US troops into Iran, while admitting that the war could drag on for “four to five weeks, or longer”. The intensity of the attacks and the lack of any exit plan means a prolonged conflict. The chaos became apparent when the US said Kuwait, an ally, had “mistakenly shot down” three American F-15Es. The US said all six pilots ejected safely . It however, confirmed that four of its troops were killed. Black smoke rose from the US embassy complex in Kuwait as Iran pressed on with attacks it launched in retaliation for the US-Israeli hits that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Its top security official Ali Larijani said: “We won’t negotiate with US.” The toll grew on all sides. Ira- (From left) Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, The New Indian Express Editor Santwana Bhattacharya, CEO Lakshmi Menon, Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla (right) and Rajalakshmi Engineering College Vice Chairman Abhay Meganathan during the inauguration of the 14th edition of the ThinkEdu conclave, in Chennai on Monday | P ravikumar E x p r e s s n e w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai Flames and smoke rise from Israeli airstrikes on Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon in Monday | AP/PTI Airspace opens 3 US F-15Es shot in Kuwait in friendly fire Wife of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei too killed Hezbollah faces Lebanon ban after attack on Israel, IDF kills Hezbollah intel chief US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says no timeline to end hostilities First flight from Dubai carrying Indians touches base in New Delhi Trump says US yet to launch its biggest strike nian Red Crescent Society said the US-Israeli hits killed at least 555 people. In Israel, 11 were killed in Iranian hits. Urging restraint, UK PM Keir Star mer said Iran’s P13 approach is “reckless”.  EXPRESS READ Lakhs of women to offer Pongala today T’Puram: Lakhs of women will congregate at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in the state capital on Tuesday for the annual Attukal Pongala. Temple authorities said that at least 40 lakh women will take part in the event. At 9.15am, melsanthi Brahmasree Aneesh Namboothiri will light the pongala hearth inside the temple. 16 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express Policymakers, academicians, industry leaders, artists, and public figures came together to discuss issues ranging from artificial intelligence and semiconductors to diplomacy cul, ture, sustainability, and role of education in India on the first day of the ThinkEdu Conclave 2026 held in Chennai on Monday . Delivering the inaugural address at the event presented by Tata Group and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with Rajalakshmi Group of Institutions as title sponsor, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi underscored the impor- ment must work together in tance of education and AI adop- navigating an increasingly comtion in India’s development jour- plex global order. ney. “AI is a transformative Additional Chief Secretary Sutechnology that empowpriya Sahu and Tata Moers individuals and nators CSO Jyotin Kutty tions,” Ravi said, adding Sastabhavan underthat India must develop scored the role played by its own domain-specific communities, businessAI models. es, and governments in Air Chief Marshal protecting local ecosysRakesh Kumar Singh tems. Welcoming the THINKEDU B h a d a u r i a ( Re t d ) , gathering, Prabhu CONCLAVE for mer Ambassador Chawla, editorial direcManjeev Singh Puri, and tor of TNIE, lauded the Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan (Retd) ThinkEdu Conclave 2026 as a discussed how defence prepar- global hub of ideas since its inP5 edness and diplomatic engage- ception in 2012.  Presents Women entry: TDB to challenge SC order E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram Indicating a shift in the official position, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has decided to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court (SC) opposing the entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala hill shrine. The move comes nearly eight years after the top court lifted the entry ban on women in the 10-50 age group. An SC bench is hearing review and writ petitions related to its 2018 judgment. The board and other stakeholders have been asked to submit their versions before March 14. “The board has decided to contest the order,” TDB president K Jayakumar said, adding the decision stemmed from the statutory obligation to preserve traditional temple practices. “As per the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, it is incumbent on the TDB to uphold traditions of temples. We cannot take a contradictory stand,” he said after Monday’s board meeting. TDB had last submitted an affidavit in 2017. It had upheld the customs and traditions at Sabarimala and opposed lifting the ban on women in 10-50 age group. R a j e s h R a v i @Kochi As a double-edged sword in policy making, subsidies are a convenient political tool and a damaging fiscal policy Across India, states routinely . spend vast sums on free electricity, farm-loan waivers and consumption support to ease the cost of living. Yet Kerala, often labelled a welfare-heavy state, quietly runs one of the leanest subsidy regimes in the country — particularly in electricity — even as it struggles to keep a tight leash on its finances. Finance Commission assessments and state budget documents show that Kerala’s explicit subsidies, measured as a share of gross state domestic product (GSDP), are markedly lower than Subsidy 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 (RE*) as % of Kerala 0.53 0.66 0.58 0.64 0.63 0.57 GSDP those of many large states. The contrast is most visible in the power sector, where Kerala’s subsidy burden is among the lowest in the country . Unlike Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, or Rajasthan — where free or heavily subsidised electricity for agriculture and households forms a major component of public spending — Kerala follows a restrained model. KSEB does not provide blanket free power. Instead, assistance is limited to lifeline tariffs for low-consumption households and a few welfare categories. *Revised Estimate Kerala’s high-wire fiscal balancing act G Madhavankutty, chief economist at Canara Bank, estimates Kerala’s power subsidy at roughly “0.2– 0.5% of GSDP”, far below states offering universal free supply . Lekha Chakraborty, professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, says the 16th Finance Commission’s analysis also places Kerala among the lowest in per-capita electricity subsidy — about `155 on average in recent years, with an absolute subsidy of roughly `842 crore in 2023-24 for a population of ● More on P4 around 3.5 crore.  India & Canada sign $2.6-bn uranium deal JAYAN T H JAC O B @ New Delhi INDIA and Canada on Monday signed a $2.6-billion longterm uranium supply agreement and a pact on critical minerals, marking a significant rebound in bilateral relations after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney . The agreements were part of a broader agenda that includes a new India-Canada Defence Dialogue and a commitment to concluding a comprehensive economic partnership by 2026, aiming to raise bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030. The reset comes after years of strained relations under former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Modi described the day as an “important milestone” and said “since our first meeting, our relationship has been infused with new energy mutual trust, and positivity , .” He highlighted Canada’s $100 billion investment in Indian markets as a strong indicator of confidence in India’s growth trajectory The two leaders also focused on critical . minerals. In defence, both sides agreed to expand cooperation, including maritime domain awareness, military exchanges, and enhanced defence industries.