News18 Afternoon Digest: Trump Cuts Short G7 Summit Visit, Iran's Top Commander Killed & Other Top Stories
Last Updated:
We are also covering London-bound Air India flight cancelled In Ahmedabad, ICC to introduce 4-day test in next WTC Cycle and other top stories.
In today's News18 afternoon digest, we bring to you the latest updates on escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, Trump leaving G7 Summit early and other top stories.
Iran's War-Time Chief Of Staff Ali Shadmani Killed In Israeli Airstrike In Tehran, IDF Confirms
Ali Shadmani, Iran's wartime Chief of Staff, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran, the Israeli Defence Forces confirmed on Tuesday. Shadmani was also the Iranian regime's top military commander and its senior-most military official. Read more
London-Bound Air India Flight Cancelled In Ahmedabad Due To Technical Glitch
An Air India flight, scheduled to depart for London from Ahmedabad, was cancelled on Tuesday due to technical issues. According to the details, the Air India flight AI 159 had arrived from New Delhi to Ahmedabad and was scheduled to take off to London. Read more
Donald Trump on Tuesday said that the possible ceasefire between Israel and Iran is not the reason behind his early departure from the G7 Summit in Canada; in fact, there is something 'much bigger than that". He also reacted to the French President's comment on his G7 exit and said, 'Emmanuel Macron always gets it wrong". Read more
Karisma Kapoor, once engaged to Abhishek Bachchan in 2002, was poised to become the Bachchan family's bahu. But their highly publicised engagement ended just months later. In 2003, Karisma tied the knot with Delhi-based industrialist Sunjay Kapur. The marriage, however, did not stand the test of time and ended in a bitter and prolonged legal battle. While the couple was parents to two children, their divorce, finalised in 2016, became a talking point in the media due to the serious allegations involved. Karisma accused Sunjay of domestic abuse, while Sunjay alleged that she had married him only for money. Read more
ICC To Introduce 4-Day Test In Next WTC Cycle; IND, ENG And AUS Could Still Play 5-Day Games
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly open to allow four-day Tests to be played from the 2027-29 ICC World Test Championship cycle. The move is aimed at enabling smaller teams to play more Tests and host longer series. As per the current WTC cycle, which got underway today, 27 Test series will be played of which 17 will comprise just two matches. There will be six three-Test series while the likes of India, Australia and England are scheduled to play five-match series against each other. Read more
First Published:
June 17, 2025, 13:57 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- Indian Express
G7 can have another shot at being relevant. It needs to fill a vacuum in the international system
The G7 summit hosted by Canada in Alberta is taking place against the backdrop of geopolitical turbulence. Conflicts continue to rage in Ukraine and Gaza; the Israeli action against Iran has the potential to set the Middle East aflame. While the interim trade pact between US and China must be welcomed, it resembles more a temporary truce than a permanent deal. While a ceasefire is in effect between India and Pakistan, the Indo-Pacific remains on the knife edge, as evidenced by the recent manoeuvres of China in both the South and East China Sea. All major theatres of the world are experiencing turbulence of varying intensity and complexity. The G7 in its heyday was an extremely powerful grouping on account of its overwhelming share of the global GDP. For instance, in the 1980s, the G7's share of global GDP was almost 70 per cent. The share in 2024 is barely above 30 per cent. The main reason for this is that the economic centre of gravity has shifted from the West to the East, led by China but also because of countries like India. China is not part of G7. Neither is Russia. This does bestow some leverage on India, which practices strategic autonomy, follows an independent foreign policy and more broadly, represents the Global South. Until recently, the G7 was dismissed as 'yesterday's club', especially after the formation of the G20. But a combination of geopolitical factors means G7 can have another shot at being relevant. This also has to do with the UN Security Council's increasing powerlessness, the gradual irrelevance of WTO and America's decision to pull out of the WHO and the Paris Climate Accord. The G20 (after an impressive showing by India under its presidency) is mired in difficulty for a variety of reasons. The G7 could fill a vacuum in the international relations system. Canada has set three broad goals for the Alberta Summit. First, strengthening peace and security and countering foreign interference and transnational crime. Second, building energy security and accelerating the digital transition which includes fortifying supply chains of critical minerals and using AI and quantum to unleash economic growth. Third, catalysing private investment to build stronger infrastructure and creating higher-paying jobs. The G7 Chair (Canada) is responsible, inter alia, in setting the agenda for the year and for speaking on behalf of the G7. One can see its imprint in all the three agenda items. If Canada can take everyone else along, a good Leaders' Declaration could emanate from the Alberta Summit. If that happens, the G7 would have delivered where other fora have failed. This is a singular opportunity for Canada to make a difference. The invitation to India to attend the summit was a non-issue. It is hard to believe India, which has been part of 12 G7 Summits, could have been overlooked. In response to odd voices in Canada arguing against an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the newly minted Canadian premier put it well: 'As chair of the G7, it is important to invite the most important countries to attend to talk about issues such as energy, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and India is really at the very centre of global supply chains.' PM Modi can bring his experience of attending five G7 Summits to the Alberta meetings. His bilateral meetings with the Canadian PM and other leaders will also be closely watched. It is also the first time PM Modi will be meeting world leaders after 'Operation Sindoor' and he will get an opportunity to influence and gauge global opinion in this regard. On Indo-Canadian ties, the fact of the matter is that India took the first steps to initiate a rapprochement with Canada. When Mark Carney was elected as Canada's Premier, PM Modi made it a point to reach out and congratulate him. The foreign ministers of India and Canada spoke over the phone and committed themselves to improving bilateral relations. It is hoped by many well-wishers that PM Modi and PM Carney can hit it off when they sit together for a bilateral meeting in Alberta. The best possible and immediate outcome would be the quick reinstatement of high commissioners in both Delhi and Ottawa with substantial restoration of the strength of both diplomatic missions. Canada and India have too much at stake in the relationship to allow it to be derailed. The geopolitical uncertainty along with strategic turbulence means that both countries stand to gain enormously by not just restoring their ties to status quo ante, but also to chart a clear trajectory for taking the relationship to the next level. Kumar is a former Indian Ambassador to France and currently dean/professor at O P Jindal Global University. Views are personal
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Viral videos show Tehran's highways jammed as Iranians flee after Trump's urgent evacuation call; ‘Many fear the…'
Amid Iran and Israel's escalating tensions, videos of crowded highways that have been making the rounds on social media suggest many Iranians fled Tehran on Monday. The videos come as President Donald Trump posted an urgent warning on Truth Social on Monday, saying, "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" His alert seemingly prompted the departure. 'Iran should have signed the 'deal' I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again,' he added. '#Iran: thousands and thousands of Iranians are fleeing #Tehran tonight following a post by Trump calling on residents to evacuate the capital,' read a post by Freelance journalist Thomas van Linge. 'Many fear the US will join the Israeli attacks on the country, which would be another extremely dangerous escalation,' he added. Meanwhile, one X user claimed that he spoke to his mother and his family is leaving Tehran. 'Spoke to my mom minutes ago. They're leaving Tehran. Everyone is trying to leave Tehran. Whether they will be able to is a different question. The roads are packed to the point of literal non-movement,' Kev Joon stated. Also Read: Deadly fungus in US threatens lives as infection rates rise in These seven states It comes after Israel and Iran's confrontations sharply escalated. Israel started a flurry of airstrikes against Iran last week, aiming to hit key nuclear sites, scientists, and the military and intelligence leadership of the nation. The fighting has resulted in several deaths and injuries on both sides. There are almost 10 million people living in Tehran, which is equal to the total population of Israel. Residents have been leaving the city since the start of the fighting. Images and videos shared on social media depict heavy traffic on a highway leaving Tehran and minimal traffic entering the capital. Israel said that its surprise attacks on Iran on Friday were required to stop its enemy from obtaining nuclear weapons. Israel has often accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a claim that Tehran has always denied. Iran's counterattacks have so far left at least 500 people wounded and 24 dead in Israel, while Israel's missiles have taken lives of at least 224 people since Friday.
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tulsi Gabbard vs Donald Trump on Iran Nuclear weapon: US President trashes National Intelligence Director's testimony in United States Congress
Live Events FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran's nuclear weapon details revealed by National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard . Back in March, Gabbard told lawmakers in the United States Congress that spy agencies have assessed that 'Iran is not building a nuclear weapon' and the country's supreme leader 'has not authorised the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003'. President Trump insisted that Tehran was 'very close' to building a nuclear weapon despite congressional testimony from his top intelligence adviser earlier this year, AP dismissed Gabbard's testimony while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during an overnight flight back to Washington after leaving the G7 summit early. 'I don't care what she said,' Trump said. 'I think they were very close to having it.''Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, it's very simple,' Trump told reporters on Air Force One during his overnight flight back to accused Iranian leaders of being unwilling to reach an agreement over their nuclear programme, and suggested he was now less interested in talking with President Donald Trump in about eight hours Monday went from suggesting a nuclear deal with Iran remained 'achievable' to urging Tehran's 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut short his visit to an international summit to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security arrived at the White House early on Tuesday at a moment of choosing in his presidency. Israel, with five days of missile strikes, has done considerable damage to Iran and believes it can now deal a permanent blow to Tehran's nuclear program — particularly if it gets a little more help from the Republican president.A1. National Intelligence Director is Tulsi Gabbard.A1. President of USA is Donald Trump.
