COIMBATORE l saturday l october 03, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE CITY EDITION Centre marks 28 strategic Ladakh sites on official map The Centre on Friday formally identified 28 strategic places and geographical features in Ladakh on the official map of India LAC friction points among sites identified The government said in a statement that formally identifying them on the Survey of India map of Ladakh will help streamline official cartography, facilitate accurate recognition and promote greater public awareness. Gogra and Hot Spring, key friction points during the 2020 India-China military standoff, are among the strategic locations identified on the map ■ 10 Comes after similar action in Arunachal ■ The list includes Alisha Giri, Brangsa, Chapchingal Pass, Kanishka Peak, Karun Pir mountain, Kuksel, Martand Giri, Parpik glacier, Skamri Glacier, Shachmirik Pass, Shkorga Valley and Zorawar Peak It comes nearly two months after the government identified a total of 27 places and features located in Arunachal Pradesh peaks and three mountains among the 28 places/features identified 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 Was terror attack on G7 to release 100 mn barrels Flydubai, says UAE Vijay launches expanded free bus ride scheme for women E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ Chennai Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday launched the expanded ‘Vettri Payanam’ scheme, under which women and transgender persons can travel free of cost on a broader network of government buses across Tamil Nadu. Vijay formally launched the scheme by distributing free tickets to women passengers seated inside buses at the Koyambedu bus terminus. The gesture marked the commencement of the expanded free-travel facility which is expected to , benefit around 84.32 lakh women every day, entailing an annual expenditure of approximately `6,000 crore. Under the expanded initiative, the free ride facility — previously restricted to ordinary city and town buses and up to 40 km in hilly regions — has been extended to cover Express, Limited Stop Services (LSS), Deluxe, Suburban Ordinary (Mofussil Ordinary), and Ghat Ordinary services running over 40 km operated by the state’s seven State Transport Corporations (STCs). A total of 12,692 government buses have been brought under the expanded scheme. This accounts for 69% of the 18,413 scheduled buses operated by the STCs across Tamil Nadu.  P5 Presidential adviser cautions against conspiracy theories E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi RAK E SH KUMAR @ New Delhi UAE Presidential adviser Anwar Gargash on Friday described the cockpit attack aboard a Flydubai plane from Dubai to Tel Aviv as a “dangerous terrorist act”, and praised Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his role in preventing a potentially catastrophic outcome. Gargash said Machchhar “deserves every bit of appreciation” for demonstrating exemplary courage after he was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot during Flydubai Flight FZ1073 on Wednesday . He also cautioned against speculation, saying that “vigilance and caution remain essential in confronting the risks of extremism and terrorism. Gargash, a former UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, praised Machchhar for preserving the safety of those aboard the His (Smit) aircraft during the professionalism emergency . and moral sense in The flight, carry- the darkest of ing 174 people, in- circumstances cluding 27 children, make him a hero was travelling from Anwar Gargash, Dubai to Tel Aviv Presidential adviser, when the incident UAE occurred. According to reports, the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar with a knife inside the cockpit, causing the aircraft to plunge nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Other crew members and passengers intervened and overpowered the attacker, restoring control over the aircraft. The plane was subsequently diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed safely in Tabuk. The co-pilot, identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, was arrested after the landing. Gargash also hit out at conspiracy theories surrounding the incident. “Modern aircraft are not merely traditional control devices, but fully digital environments of surveillance.” AS diesel shortages have hit supplies and pushed up fuel prices, the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations on Friday announced the release of up to 100 million barrels of crude oil and diesel from their emergency reserves to ease soaring prices. Following the announcement, oil prices fell by $2. Brent was down $1.80, or 1.76%, at $100.50 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate dropped $2.02, or 2.18%, to $90.85 a barrel. The move is also expected to help calm the Indian stock market, which has recorded its longest losing streak in 25 years amid pressure from high Election crude oil prices. issue The decision came after US PresiSoaring diesel dent Donald Trump urged European price has allies, particularly Germany and become a France, to immediately release emersource of gency diesel reserves or face a potenconcern for tial US diesel export ban. Trump as it Trump is under pressure to adcould affect dress surging prices ahead of Novoters ahead of vember’s midterm elections. the November The G7 said the reserves would be midterm polls released immediately over four months. The release will be coordinated through the International Energy Agency . Diesel and crude oil prices have been on the rise amid the deepening US-Iran conflict. Diesel shortage has also been linked to Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil-processing facilities. Subsequently, Russia imposed strict restrictions on diesel exports. Captain Smit Machchaar speaks in a video call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from the UAE | PTI PM to pilot: You showed spirit of non-violence r a j e s h k u m a r t h a k u r @ New Delhi “I was doing it for my own life but at the same time I also knew that I cannot let him kill all of them,” said Captain Smit Machchaar, who foiled an attempt by his co-pilot on Wednesday to crash an Israel-bound Flydubai flight. Machchaar was speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in a video call from a hospital in the UAE. “Today is Gandhi Jayanti; you have demonstrated the true essence of nonviolence by living it,” Modi said. Hailing Machchaar’s grit, Modi added, “We Indians are not people who take lives, we are people who save lives,” he said. He told the pilot that prayers were being offered across India for his recovery, and that he had already spoken to the pilot’s mother and wife, adding he remained “just a phone call away India was waiting to .” welcome him, PM Modi told the pilot. Machchaar, who has flown for 17 years, said he opened the cockpit door when he realised the aircraft was going down. “I knew that it’s one last push,” he said, adding that he acted with whatever energy was left in him while lying injured in the cockpit. 2 suspended over Hindi signage row, text erased E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Thoothukudi Heat on poll panel Thousands, including members of CJP, SFI and AISA, took to the streets in New Delhi and Mumbai on Friday demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner. In the capital, police detained around 700 people | AP The Tamil Nadu State Highways Department suspended two officials on Friday after a major political controversy erupted over a newly installed direction board on State Highway 93 (SH93) near Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district. The signboard placed on the AlwarthirunagariValliyoor highway featured destination names written in Tamil, English, and Hindi, prompting allegations of violation of the state’s two-language policy of use of only Tamil and English on signage. Following backlash on social media and condemnation from opposition leaders, authorities erased the Hindi letters overnight. Former CM MK Stalin urged the TVK government not to play with TN’s twin-language policy . PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna later said the policy brought by Perarignar Anna (former CM CN Annadurai) is one of TVK’s fundamental principles. P5 ASIAN GAMES S Gold rush: India smash massive six IX gold in a day — this is by far the best day for India at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. If India were struggling to win gold medals in the first 10 days, the last three days have been quite productive. The day however, belonged , to the boxers and women’s hockey team. If three boxers secured a top of the podium finish, sending the country into a celebratory frenzy, the icing on the cake came later in the day on the hockey field. For the first time in 44 years, the women’s team rose from the lows of Paris 2024 to beat China 1-0 and clinch of oil reserves Indraneel Das Express @ asian games Nagoya gold at the Asian Games. In the process, they also sealed their berth for the LA 2028 Olympics on Friday Lalremsiami landed . the first strike in the tenth minute but from thereon, it was goalkeeper Bichu Devi’s heroics and a defence that ensured India a historic gold medal. Meanwhile, archers created history by winning India’s first-ever recurve gold. Sujeet Kalkal in wrestling was also Indian women’s hockey team celebrate their gold medal | PTI unstoppable. The three boxers, who stood on the top of the podium, were Lovlina Borgohain in the morning and two youngsters – Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal. With this, India have climbed to fifth place in the medals tally with 16 golds. 2 more gold in the offing On Saturday, India have a chance to add at least two more gold to the tally in men’s hockey and cricket team events. E x p r e s s Rea d CM roadshow in 35 Madurantakam villages Chennai: TVK chief and CM C Joseph Vijay returned to Madurantakam for a second round of bypoll campaigning on Friday and held a roadshow travelling through 35 villages, covering over 50 km in five hours. He drove a tractor, sipped tea and interacted with the voters | P4 3 men die of suffocation inside septic tank Ariyalur: Three construction workers died of suffocation after collapsing inside a newly built septic tank at a house under construction near Sendurai in Ariyalur on Friday. As the tank had been closed for many days, there may not have been enough oxygen inside, police said | P2 INSIDE CM Vijay distributes a ticket to a woman passenger at Koyambedu | express Another poll, the same old problems in Dharapuram | P4 Rape, murder of minor: HC commutes death penalty to life term | P2