Month: June 2025

Stressing the importance of Indian languages as the soul of the nation’s identity, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that the time has come to reclaim India’s linguistic heritage and lead the world with pride in native tongues.

Speaking at the book launch of ‘Main Boond Swayam, Khud Sagar Hoon’, authored by former civil servant, IAS Ashutosh Agnihotri, Shah said, “In this country, those who speak English will soon feel ashamed — the creation of such a society is not far away. Only those who are determined can bring about change. I believe that the languages of our country are the jewels of our culture. Without our languages, we cease to be truly Indian.”

“To understand our country, our culture, our history, and our religion, no foreign language can suffice. The idea of a complete India cannot be imagined through half-baked foreign languages. I am fully aware of how difficult this battle is, but I am also fully confident that Indian society will win it. Once again, with self-respect, we will run our country in our own languages and lead the world too,” he said.

Outlining the ‘Panch Pran’ (five pledges), coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah said that these five pledges have become the resolve of 130 crore people of the country.

“Modi Ji has laid the foundation of the ‘Panch Pran’ (five pledges) for the Amrit Kaal. Achieving the goal of a developed India, getting rid of every trace of slavery, taking pride in our heritage, staying committed to unity and solidarity, and igniting the spirit of duty in every citizen — these five pledges have become the resolve of 130 crore people. That is why by 2047, we will be at the pinnacle, and our languages will play a major role in this journey,” Amit Shah said.

Speaking on the book authored by former civil servant, IAS Ashutosh Agnihotri, the Union Home Minister emphasised that a change is needed in the training of administrative officers.

“A radical change is needed in the training of administrative officers… Rarely are they trained to introduce empathy in our system. Maybe because the British era inspired this training model. I believe that if any ruler or administrator rules without empathy, then they cannot achieve the real objective of governance,” Shah said.

He also praised literature, saying that it is the soul of our society.

“When our country was consumed in an era of pitch black darkness, even then literature kept the lamps of our religion, freedom, and culture lit. When the government changed, no one opposed it. But whenever someone tried to touch our religion, culture and literature, our society stood against them and defeated them. Literature is the soul of our society,” says Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” he said. (ANI)

Voting began for the high-stakes assembly bye-elections in five constituencies across the country on Thursday.

The polling began at 7 am on the Nilambur seat in Kerala, the Ludhiana West seat in Punjab, the Kaliganj seat in West Bengal, and the Visavadar and Kadi seats in Gujarat.

The results will be declared on 23 June.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded M Swaraj, the United Democratic Front (UDF) has fielded Aryadan Shoukath, while the BJP has fielded Adv. Mohan George is a candidate for the Nilambur Assembly constituency.

Earlier, stressing that the Nilambur by-election is the semi-final before the 2026 Assembly polls, Kerala LoP and Congress MLA VD Satheesan said that they will emerge victorious, which will mark the beginning of the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) return to the state.

Speaking to ANI, Satheesan said, “This is a political contest, a direct fight between the UDF and the LDF. It is the semi-final leading up to the 2026 Assembly elections, and we are confident of winning by a significant margin. We see this as an opportunity to hold the Pinarayi government accountable, a government that has been in power for the past nine years.”

On Punjab’s Ludhiana seat, the BJP has fielded Jiwan Gupta as its candidate. The Aam Aadmi Party has chosen Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora from the seat, which fell vacant after the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi.

On West Bengal’s Kaliganj seat, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has fielded Alifa Ahmed, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Ashish Ghosh, and the Congress has fielded Kabil Uddin Shaikh as candidates for the by-elections.

On Gujarat’s Visavadar constituency, the BJP has fielded Kirit Patel, Congress has nominated Nitin Ranpariya, while AAP has placed its former Gujarat president Gopal Italia.

On Kadi seat, the BJP has fielded Rajendra Chavda. Congress has fielded Ramesh Chavda, a former MLA who won the seat in 2012, while AAP has chosen Jagdish Chavda. (ANI)

For the first time ever, Canada’s premier intelligence agency, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) officially acknowledged that Khalistani extremists are using Canadian soil to promote, fundraise, and plan violence in India.

CSIS released its annual report on Wednesday, outlining some key concerns and threats to Canada’s national security.

Canada intelligence agency CSIS report categorically states, “Khalistani extremists continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India.”

India has been raising concerns about Khalistani extremists operating from Canadian soil for years, but Canada had largely turned a blind eye to the issue.

The CSIS report confirmed that Canada has become a safe haven for anti-India elements, validating India’s concerns that have been raised for years.

This comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney “agreed to take calibrated steps to restore stability to the relationship” and decided to restore High Commissioners to each other’s capitals.

At the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and both leaders agreed to designate new high commissioners, with a view to returning to regular services to citizens and businesses in both countries, according to a press release from the Prime Minister of Canada.

The Politically Motivated Violent Extremism (PMVE) threat in Canada has manifested primarily through Canada-based Khalistani extremists (CBKEs) seeking to create an independent nation state called Khalistan, largely within Punjab in India.

The report noted that since the mid-1980s, the PMVE threat in Canada has manifested primarily through CBKEs.

“A small group of individuals are considered Khalistani extremists because they continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India. In particular, real and perceived Khalistani extremism emerging from Canada continues to drive Indian foreign interference activities in Canada,” the report reads.

This revelation, part of CSIS’s latest annual report, has reignited concerns about foreign interference and extremist activity within Canada, particularly in the context of its sensitive diplomatic relationship with India.

Canada’s own intelligence security has confirmed what New Delhi has long maintained — Canada has become a safe haven for anti-India elements.

The report called for sustained vigilance against both external influence campaigns and domestic extremist financing networks

“These activities attempt to steer Canada’s positions into alignment with India’s interests on key issues, particularly with respect to how the Indian government perceives Canada-based supporters of an independent homeland that they call Khalistan,” added the report.

Tensions escalated further when former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that his government had “credible allegations” of India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023.

India has strongly denied the allegations, terming them “absurd” and “motivated,” and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements.

In the aftermath, India recalled six diplomats from Canada after they were declared “persons of interest” by Canadian authorities investigating Nijjar’s killing. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

“Links between the Government of India and the Nijjar murder signals a significant escalation in India’s repression efforts against the Khalistan movement and a clear intent to target individuals in North America, Wednesday’s report read.

“Real and perceived Khalistani extremism emerging from Canada continues to drive Indian foreign interference activities in Canada, the report added.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney faced criticism for inviting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit, with some Sikh advocates and his own MPs expressing disapproval. However, Carney defended his decision, citing India’s significance in global affairs.

Carney emphasized India’s status as the world’s fourth-largest economy and most populous country, making it a crucial player in addressing global challenges. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) hosted Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir at the White House for a lunch meeting, praising Munir for his role in preventing the escalation of the conflict between India and Pakistan.

Trump said, “Reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it…”

The luncheon meeting took place amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, with Trump considering possible US involvement.

South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman pointed out the significance of the meeting in a post on X.

“Senior US officials often engage with Pakistani Army Chiefs, but rarely is one hosted at the White House by the US President. One of many reasons why Munir’s scheduled meeting with Trump is so significant, especially as his administration considers its options regarding the war in Iran,” he posted on X.

“For what it’s worth, the scheduled Trump-Munir meeting shouldn’t only be seen through the lens of the Israel-Iran war. There’s been US-Pak engagement on critical minerals, crypto, and Counter Terrorism. Trump takes a deep personal interest in all of these. And Munir is empowered to talk about it all. Also, Kashmir,” he added.

Meanwhile, Trump once again claimed credit for stopping a “war” between India and Pakistan, while praising both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Army chief General Asim Munir for their roles in de-escalating tensions in May.

“Prime Minister Modi just left a little while ago and we are working a trade deal with India and also with Pakistan… I am so happy. Two very smart people decided not to keep going with the war. Those are two big nuclear powers. I was honoured to meet him today,” said Trump.

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Trump late on Tuesday that the ceasefire was achieved through talks between the Indian and Pakistani militaries and not US mediation, India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri said earlier on Wednesday.

The last Pakistani military leader to meet a sitting U.S. President was General Pervez Musharraf in 2001, who did so as the nation’s head of state during his tenure as a military dictator.

The Trump-Munir meeting comes after reports speculated on the possibility of Pakistan aiding Iran during its ongoing conflict with Israel.

Asim Munir, in a public address in Washington, DC, had declared Pakistan’s “clear and strong” support for Iran in its war with Israel while also backing US efforts to de-escalate the situation.

The Dawn reported that one of the most consequential developments during Munir’s visit, however, has been Pakistan’s strengthened counterterrorism partnership with the United States, particularly against the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) group.

Earlier, overseas Pakistanis protested against Field Marshal Asim Munir outside an event at a hotel in Washington, DC. People shouted slogans “Pakistanio ke Qatil” and “Islamabad ke Qatil” while Munir was being welcomed at the event.

While sharing the video of the protest on X, Pak Tehreek-e-Insaaf (Imran Khan’s party) stated, “Pakistani-Americans in Washington, DC are protesting outside the Four Seasons hotel, reminding General Asim Munir of the crimes he’s committed against the people of Pakistan.”

The video showed a screen which had Asim Munir’s photo along with the message which read, “Mass Murderer Asim Munir”, “Democracy dies when guns speak”, and Asim Munir, your time is up. Pakistan will rise.” (ANI)

N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, has apologised for the Air India AI-171 tragedy that claimed more than 270 lives after the flight crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12 in an exclusive interview with the Group Editor in Chief of Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, Navika Kumar.

Chandrasekaran said, “It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to express to console any of the families of those who died. I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline. And I feel very sorry. All we can do is to be with the families at this time, grieve with them, and we will do everything to support them at this hour and beyond.”

When asked about the reason for the crash and whether Air India is privy to any preliminary findings, Chandrasekaran said one would have to wait for the probe to conclude. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has begun its investigations into the crash, and the DGCA has also appointed a committee.

Chandrasekaran said that it could be a month until some of the preliminary findings are out. He, however, claimed that AI171, the flight that crashed, had a clean history and that no red flags had been raised.

“There are speculations about human error, speculations about airlines, speculations about engines, maintenance, all kinds,” Chandrasekaran said.

“There are a lot of speculations and lot of theories. But the fact that I know so far is this particular aircraft, this specifical tail, AI-171 has a clean history. As for the engines, the right engine was a new engine put in March 2025. The left engine was last serviced in 2023 and due for its next maintenance check in December 2025. Both engine histories are clean. Both pilots were exceptional. Captain Sabharwal had more than 11,500 hours of flying experience, the first officer Clive (Kundar) had more than 3400 hours of flying experience. What I hear from colleagues is that they were excellent pilots and great professionals. So, we can’t jump to any conclusions. I am told by all the experts that the black box and recorders will definitely tell the story. So, we just have to wait for that,” he added.

Group Editor in Chief of Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, Navika Kumar questioned Chanrasekaram about the show-cause notices that had been issued by the DGCA in the recent past to Air India or fines levied on the airline for delays and operational matters. The Tata Sons Chairman said these were not related to the AI-71 aircraft.

“These are different from safety issues. If there is a safety issue, there is no way the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) will allow us to fly. And with respect to this specific aircraft, what I have seen is what I have told you,” said Tata Sons Chairman.

Chandrasekaran also said that none of the 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners that are part of Air India’s fleet are serviced by Turkish Technic, amid questions being raised about any Turkish link to the aircraft that crashed.

“None of them (the 33 Dreamliners) are maintained by Turkish Technic. Most of them are maintained by AIESL (AI Engineering Services Limited) or SIA Engineering Company (whose parent organisation is Singapore Airlines),” he added.

The former Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Praful Patel, has questioned the ‘silence’ of Singapore Airlines, which he said, apart from being a shareholder in Air India, was also responsible for maintaining a significant number of Air India’s wide-body aircraft.

Chandrasekaran, in the interview, responded to Patel’s claims, stating, “Singapore Airlines have been a great partner. And since we took over, they have helped us in many dimensions. Even some of the safety procedures, the best processes, we have taken from Singapore Airlines. We have taken it from Vistara, and many of the processes where we needed best-in-class benchmarks, they have helped us. They have reached out even at this time, their CEO is in constant touch with me. Whether it is customer experience or any other process, they are always available. They have been offering all the help they can.”

Chandrasekaran also rejected Praful Patel’s claim that the current CEO of Air India, Wilson, was a Singapore Airlines nominee:

“No, CEO is not a nominee of Singapore Airlines. In fact, when the CEO was hired by me, he had to quit Singapore Airlines and join Air India as an employee. And that time, Singapore Airlines did not have a stake. We owned 100% of Air India. And then when the Vistara merger happened, with Singapore Airlines, with Air India, then Singapore Airlines got their 25% stake. So he’s not a nominee of Singapore Airlines.”

In fact, Chandrasekaran pointed out that 787s had been purchased as part of Air India’s fleet even as far back as 2013, almost a decade before the airline was acquired by the Tata group.

Chandrasekaran said, “787s were also bought by Air India in 2013. And I think Mr Patel was there at that time. I don’t know when he was the minister. But these are things that happened almost 13 years ago.”

Patel was civil aviation minister between 2004 and 2011, after which he was appointed Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises until 2014.

During the exclusive interview with Navika Kumar, Chandrasekaran was also asked about whistleblowers who had spoken out against Boeing, specifically in the context of the manufacturing processes associated with the production of the 787 Dreamliner.

The Air India Chairman responded by saying, “These are things that are being dealt with by investigative agencies in the US, but overall 787s have been flying for a very long time…we already had 27 787s by the time we bought Air India. And we have not had any red flags in our checks.”

Since the June 12 tragedy, several Air India flights have been cancelled, or faced delays, raising serious concerns among passengers. Chandrasekaran acknowledged Air India needs to do a better job communicating with passengers about these matters.

“There are more than 1100 flights that we fly every day. And in the last six days, there have been in general, anywhere from 5 to 16 or 18 flights, depending on the day, that have been cancelled. Second, what has happened in this period of six days, there are three things at work. The first thing is, we have had to go through the DGCA checks. The moment the accident happened on the 12th, DGCA mandated additional checks to be done on all the 787s. So, we have had to ground many 787s and as a result, we are short of aircraft and we have to cancel those flights. That is one cause. 24 of the 33 aircraft have gone through checks. The second reason is that because of the Iran conflict, the airspace there has got closed. Flights, therefore, have had to be diverted. When the flights are diverted, many of the flights get cancelled. The third is technical issues. And when we do, when we take off and land in any destination, you must know that we will be doing line checks. And every now and then, it is common for the line checks to find some spare part to be changed, for instance. This is not the case on every flight, but it does happen.”

“We’ve got to do a better job at communication. We have put a strategic communications team in the last three days,” he added.

Chandrasekhar has met with senior officials of Boeing following the tragedy. He said: “So I did connect with both Boeing and GE at the highest levels. Parallel to the DGCA checks that we have gone through, I have asked them to check and tell us if there have been issues with any of the aircraft or engines.”

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the video statement of the Air India CEO Campbell Wilson drew plenty of criticism on social media, including allegations of plagiarism and a templated response very similar, if not identical, to that of American Airlines CEO Robert Isom following a crash in Washington, DC earlier this year.

Chandrasekaran, in response, said: “Our focus is on addressing the needs of all those affected. But if you look into the spirit of what he said, we should take at this moment the matter that he has conveyed…..I have heard about this [the templated response], I have not analysed it word by word, but this is something we will look into.”

Chandrasekhar also responded to criticism over the absence of Air India officials at the funerals of the 12 crew members who died.

“That is not true. We discussed it at length on the day before and who should go for the rights for Captain Sabharwal. The chief operating officer of Air India was there, the CHR was there and few more people were there at different levels. And we as a group will do multiple things. It is not about just being visible in one location. There will be a senior person who will be there in all the locations whether it is our crew member or non-crew member. That is why we have created this whole organisation. Some will be in Mumbai, some will be in Gujarat, some will be in other parts of India. But I don’t want to say it for any publicity but we will definitely visit all the families. All the top people will visit all the families.”

During the interview, Chandrasekhar admitted that it would be difficult to console the families at this stage, but added, “So, there are structures we want to put in place. We wish to create an AI 171 trust which will be available to them to look after. But it is not just about financial needs, but other needs too. We have to think through and create the trust and other functioning infrastructure so that we can be with these families.” (ANI)

Amid conflict between Israel and Iran, a flight carrying 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran landed in Delhi under the Operation Sindhu. Students evacuated from Urmia, Iran, thanked the Government of India.

An evacuated student said that the Indian authorities did a good job and all students are being evacuated. He added that the situation in Iran, especially in Tehran is worsening day by day.

“The situation over there is worsening day by day… The situation is particularly very bad in Tehran. Indian students are all being evacuated from there. We are from Urmia University. Indian authorities are doing a good job. All students are being evacuated and taken to a safe place,” the student told reporters.

“We were evacuated from our University and taken to Armenia, after which we were taken to Qatar. From Qatar, we reached India,” he added.

Ghazal, a student evacuated from Iran, told ANI, “We are all very happy that we returned home and the Indian Embassy evacuated us properly. We are very thankful to them… The situation in Urmia, where we lived, was much better than in Tehran.”

Recalling the horrors of the conflict, Yasir Gaffar, an India evacuated from Iran, said that they saw the missiles passing by and the loud sounds at night.

“We saw the missiles passing by and the loud sounds at night… I am happy to reach India… I haven’t given up on my dreams… When the situation improves, we will return to Iran…” he said.

A student evacuated said, “I am happy that I am back in our country. We didn’t see any such thing in Urmia, but in other places across Iran, the situation was bad… The Government of India helped a lot, which is why we are back home.”

Mariam Roz, a student evacuated, said that the Indian Embassy prepared for everything and they did not face any issues.

“The Indian Embassy had already prepared everything for us. We did not face any issues. We are travelling for three days, so we are tired… The situation was not so bad in Urmia when we left. We would see missiles from the windows of our dorm,” Mariam told ANI.

Another student said, “I am a final year MBBS student at Urmia University… We saw drones and missiles. We were scared… We are happy to return to India and are very thankful to the Government of India, especially the Ministry of External Affairs… Our parents were also worried, but now they are happy.”

Student Amaan Azhar criticised the war and said that children are suffering.

“I am very happy. I cannot express in words how happy I am to be finally able to meet my family. The situation in Iran is very bad. The people there are like us; there are small children who are suffering. War is not a good thing. It kills humanity…” he told ANI.

The parents of the students who evacuated also rejoiced and expressed gratitude towards the Indian government.

The mother of a student evacuated from Iran said, “I am very happy my daughter has returned home. I want everyone’s children to come back. Indian government has managed everything so well that our children did not face any trouble anywhere…”

Speaking to ANI, the father of an evacuated student said, “My son is returning via Armenia, on the special plane sent from India. My son was doing MBBS in Iran. I have come to receive him from Kota, Rajasthan. I am happy that my son is returning home… The Government of India has made good efforts.”

He urged the government to also help students stuck in Tehran. He added that his son was in the border area so he has been able to make it out but people stuck in Tehran have not been able to escape the conflict.

“I urge the government to help the students stuck in Tehran. My son was in the border area, and things were not so tense there, and only those living in the border areas have been able to make it out of the country. People stuck in the interior of the country, including in Tehran, have not been able to make it out so far… I want to thank the Indian Embassy in Tehran for their efforts; my son is going to reach here soon,” he told ANI.

The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran in view of the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

In a post on X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote, “India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on 17th June. They departed from Yerevan on a special flight and will arrive in New Delhi in the early hours of 19th June 2025. India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of her nationals abroad.” (ANI)

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s call for an “unconditional surrender,” warning of dire consequences if the United States intervenes militarily in Israel’s escalating war with Iran, according to The New York Times.

“Intelligent people who know Iran, the nation and the history of Iran, will never speak to this nation in the language of threats, because the Iranian nation cannot be surrendered,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a televised address.”The Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage.”

As reported by The New York Times, his statement came shortly after President Trump raised the possibility of assassinating Khamenei, though he clarified he would not pursue that action “at least for now.”

Trump said the US might still consider joining the Israeli military offensive against Iran, stating, “Nobody knows what I’m going to do.”

Despite heightened tensions, both US and Iranian officials issued mixed signals regarding diplomatic engagement. Trump claimed that Iran had reached out for potential talks and reiterated that “nothing’s too late” for a nuclear agreement.

However, Iran’s UN mission rebuffed the possibility, saying, “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House.” The statement further added, “Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance.”

Still, a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official, speaking anonymously, told The New York Times that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would be open to US-brokered ceasefire talks with Israel. Meanwhile, three Iranian government and commercial aircraft were tracked landing in Oman–a country known to mediate between Washington and Tehran–though the passengers remain unidentified.

In parallel, Israel’s military campaign against Iran has intensified. According to The New York Times, Israeli airstrikes have killed multiple senior Iranian military figures and nuclear scientists while targeting missile launch sites and nuclear infrastructure across Iran. Israeli forces reportedly hit over 50 targets in Tehran alone, including a centrifuge facility and enrichment component workshops.

Responding to Israeli attacks, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel. While most were intercepted, the back-and-forth has left citizens on both sides bracing for further escalation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the resilience of Israelis and thanked Trump for his continued support, stating, “We talk continuously, including last night. We had a very warm conversation.”

As tensions soar, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has begun facilitating the evacuation of American citizens from Israel. Despite growing risks, many Israelis expressed support for their government’s military response, citing a unified goal of neutralising Iran’s nuclear threat. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) expressed concern over the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, stating that while he has a plan in place, the outcome remains uncertain.

Trump again refused to say whether he would order a strike on Iran. “I have a plan for everything… anything could happen,” he said.

Trump expressed frustration over Iran’s decision not to make a deal, stating, “They should have made the deal. I had a great deal for them.” Trump mentioned that Iran wanted to meet and come to the White House, but his tone suggests uncertainty about the outcome.

He reflected on past negotiations, expressed regret over Iran’s missed opportunity to strike a deal, and hinted at the possibility of renewed talks. Trump also underscored the severity of the current crisis, mentioning ongoing meetings and the broader impact of the conflict.

“I have a plan for everything, but we will see what happens. They should have made the deal. I had a great deal for them,” Trump said, referring to past negotiations with Iran.

He continued, “We talked about it for 60 days, and in the end, they decided not to do it, and now they wish they had. It’s late to meet, but they want to, and they want to come to the White House. I may do that… Anything could happen…”

Highlighting the gravity of the current developments, Trump added, “I have a meeting in the war room in a while. We are in the midst of something terrible. I hate to see so much death and destruction…”

While not revealing his full strategy, Trump hinted that decisions may be made at the last moment. “I have ideas as to what I could do, but they are not final. I like to finalise one second before it’s due. Things change. Especially with war…”

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities said at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks. In Iran, 585 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the Israeli assault, reported Anadolu Agency, citing Iranian media reports.

The conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its seventh day. As Iran and Israel continue to trade strikes, US President Donald Trump held a situation room meeting on Wednesday to discuss US options, reported CNN.

On Thursday, Israel’s Defence Forces (IDF) said that air force is carrying out a “series of attacks” in Tehran and other parts of Iran. Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said air defence systems had been activated over Tehran. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again reiterated his claim of brokering peace between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and said he stopped “the war between the two nuclear nations”.

He lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, terming him a “fantastic man”.

“Well, I stopped the war between Pakistan. I love Pakistan. I think PM Modi is a fantastic man; I spoke to him last night. We will have a trade deal with PM Modi of India. I stopped the war between Pakistan and India,” Trump stated

He was speaking at a flagpole installation event at the White House’s South Lawn. The US President as asked about his upcoming meeting with Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir.

“This man (Asim Munir) was extremely influential in stopping the war from the Pakistani side. PM Modi from the Indian side and others. And they are going at it. Both are nuclear countries. They’ve got to stop. I stopped a war between two major nuclear nations. I don’t think I had a story written on it….,” Trump stated, according to US Network Pool via Reuters.

Prime Minister Modi and President Trump were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada. However, President Trump had to return to the US early, due to which this meeting could not take place.

After this, at the request of President Trump, both leaders spoke over a phone call and the conversation lasted approximately 35 minutes, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a statement on Wednesday.

Misri said President Trump had expressed his condolences to Prime Minister Modi over a phone call after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. And he also expressed his support against terrorism. Prime Minister Modi spoke in detail about Operation Sindoor with President Trump.

He told President Trump in clear terms that after April 22, India had conveyed its determination to take action against terrorism to the whole world.

The Prime Minister said that on the night of May 6-7, India had only targeted the terrorist camps and hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India’s actions were very measured, precise, and non-escalatory. India had also made it clear that any act of aggression from Pakistan would be met with a stronger response.

On the night of May 9-10, India gave a strong and decisive response to Pakistan’s attack, inflicting significant damage on the Pakistani military. Their military airbases were rendered inoperable. Due to India’s firm action, Pakistan was compelled to request a cessation of military operations.

Misri said that PM Modi clearly conveyed to President Trump that at no point during this entire sequence of events was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US Trade Deal, or any proposal for a mediation by the US between India and Pakistan.

The discussion to cease military action took place directly between India and Pakistan through the existing channels of communication between the two armed forces, and it was initiated at Pakistan’s request.

PM Modi firmly stated that India does not accept mediation and will never accept it. There is complete political consensus in India on this matter.

According to the MEA, President Trump listened carefully to the points conveyed by the Prime Minister and expressed his support towards India’s fight against terrorism, Misri said. Prime Minister Modi also stated that India no longer views terrorism as a proxy war, but as a war itself, and that India’s Operation Sindoor is still ongoing.

Trump has made similar claims earlier, even talking of trade, and India has repeatedly said that the cessation of hostilities with Pakistan did not come about due to any mediation and it happened after Pakistan DGMO called his Indian counterpart.

“The specific date, time and wording of the understanding was worked out between the DGMOs of the two countries at their phone call on May 10, 2025 commencing 1535 hrs,” MEA spokesperson Randhi Jaiswal had said at a media briefing.

“As regards conversations with other nations, the message from India was clear and consistent. And exactly the same message that we were conveying from public platforms was the one conveyed in private conversations,” he added. (ANI)

Actor and football enthusiast John Abraham, accompanied by Mandar Tamhane, CEO of Northeast United FC, called on Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia at Sanchar Bhawan here.

The meeting centred around harnessing the immense sporting potential of the Northeast and nurturing football talent from the region. Emphasising the Modi Government’s priority of youth empowerment through sports, Scindia reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to transforming the Northeast into a thriving hub for sporting excellence, as per the press release.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Scindia has been actively driving efforts to position the Northeast as India’s next sports powerhouse by investing in grassroots development, identifying talent and creating institutional support for young athletes across the region.

One of the eight High-Level Task Forces constituted by the Ministry focuses exclusively on Sports, and is chaired by the Governor of Manipur Amit Kumar Bhalla. Minister Scindia recently participated in a key meeting of the Task Force in Manipur, held in the presence of Chief Ministers and senior officials from participating Northeastern states, to further advance a unified regional sports development strategy, as per the press release.

In his tweet, Scindia appreciated the initiative led by Abraham, focusing on scouting and supporting sports talent from the North Eastern states.

“A pleasure to meet @TheJohnAbraham along with @MandarTamhane1, CEO of Northeast United FC. Always a delight connecting with someone who also shares a deep passion for sports and a drive to scout, shape & support young talent, especially in the Northeast, which is rapidly emerging as India’s sporting powerhouse. John’s indomitable zeal for football and his dream of seeing a Messi or Ronaldo rise from our soil is truly inspiring. Wishing him and the team great success in taking Indian football to new heights.”

A pleasure to meet @TheJohnAbraham along with @MandarTamhane1, CEO of Northeast United FC.

Always a delight connecting with someone who also shares a deep passion for sports and a drive to scout, shape & support young talent, especially in the Northeast, which is rapidly… pic.twitter.com/ibRf07NWM0

— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) June 18, 2025

John Abraham shared his passion for football and his inspiring dream of discovering a “Messi or Ronaldo from India,” adding further thrust to the Government’s relentless efforts in making the Northeast the cradle of India’s next generation of sporting icons. The two also exchanged thoughts on fitness and the importance of fostering a culture of health and athleticism among India’s youth, as per the press release. (ANI)