The New Indian Express Wishes its readers a tirupati l thursday l march 19, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addresses a meet on cabinet decisions related to infrastructure and development initiatives, in New Delhi | PTI Our offices and press will remain closed today and there will be no issue of the paper on Friday 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 Gulf oil sites on edge as Iran’s gas field hit Israeli strike prompts Tehran to warn UAE, Saudi, Qatar; Brent prices rise to $108 per barrel A g en c ie s @Tehran /Tel Aviv/Dubai/ Washington in a major escalation in the ongoing war in West Asia, Israel on Wednesday bombed Iran’s huge South Pars natural gas field, prompting an angry Tehran to threaten to retaliate by striking the energy assets in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar “in the coming hours”. The strike on South Pars has the potential to set off a chain reaction that could stifle the entire Gulf region’s economic lifeline amid disruption in oil production and movement. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson ter med the strike—carried out by Israel with the concurrence of the US—a “dangerous and irresponsible” escalation that put global energy security at risk. Iran’s Tasnim news agency, quoting Iranian officials, said Tehran would strike Saudi Arabia’s Samref refinery and Ju- Smoke rises from a building following an Israeli strike in central Beirut, Lebanon | AP bail petrochemical complex, UAE’s Al Hosn gasfield, and Qatar’s Ras Laffan refinery and Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Company . South Pars, located off the coast of southern Iran’s Bushehr province, is the world’s largest natural gas deposit, which Iran shares with Qatar. Targeting Iran’s energy in- frastructure is seen as a major escalation as the US and Israel have till now held back on any move that could invite an Iranian retaliation against other producers in the region, which could set oil prices on fire. On Wednesday, Brent prices hovered over $108 per barrel— up from $70 just weeks ago. Israel on Wednesday said it also eliminated Iran’s intelligence minister Esmail Khatib in overnight strikes. On Tuesday, Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani was killed in a targeted Israeli strike. In a first, Israel publicly stated that all senior Iranian officials would be its military’s targets from now on. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have authorised the Israel Defense Forces to target any senior Iranian official for whom an intelligence and operational opportunity arises, without the need for additional approval,” Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said. Meanwhile, in a body blow to US President Donald Trump’s justification for starting the war with Iran, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said that Iran was not trying to rebuild its nuclear enrichment capacities that were destroyed in a June 2025 US-Israeli attack, under Operation Midnight Hammer. No extra fee for 60% of seats on domestic routes S L alit h a @ New Delhi Amid complaints about airlines levying high additional charges for allocating seats on flights, the Union civil aviation ministry on Wednesday directed that a minimum of 60% of seats on all domestic flights be allocated free of charge. In another passenger-friendly measure, the ministry asked airlines to ensure that passengers traveling on the same PNR (Passenger Name Record) are seated together. “Passengers travelling on the same PNR are to be seated together, preferably in adjacent seats,” the ministry said in a release. The airlines were also directed to bring out clear, transparent policies for carrying pets on board. Besides, they must ensure that carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments on board are facilitated in a transparent and passenger-friendly manner without compromising on applicable safety and operational regulations. Additionally all airlines must strictly adhere to the pas, senger rights framework, particularly in cases of delays, cancellations, and denial of boarding. The rights of passengers must be prominently displayed across the airline’s websites, mobile applications, booking platforms, and airport counters, the ministry said. “60 per cent seats free of charge, assured seating together for families, and clear, transparent norms for carriage of sports equipment, musical instruments & pets,” Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said in a post on X. srivari temple to get chemical coat The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has taken a major initiative to preserve the Sri Venkateswara temple through a comprehensive scientific chemical treatment of the entire structure | P4 express read CM launches Divyang Shakti travel scheme Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu launched the Divyang Shakti free travel scheme for specially abled people in RTC bus services on Wednesday as Ugadi gift. The initiative is designed to remove mobility barriers, enhance accessibility and foster confidence and independence among the people with disabilities | P4 Today’s issue includes a 4-page pullout on Ugadi Panchangam