Top news of the day: Modi tells Trump India will never accept mediation on Pakistan; Khamenei warns U.S. against intervening amid Israeli strikes, and more
India never has, never will accept mediation: PM Modi to U.S. President Trump on India-Pakistan issue
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told President Donald Trump on Tuesday (June 17, 2025) that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never do it in future. There is complete political consensus on this issue in India, PM Modi said, according to a media briefing by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Iran's Khamenei says 'never surrender'; warns U.S. of 'irreparable damage' if it intervenes
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday (June 18, 2025) the nation would never surrender as demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump and warned the United States it would face 'irreparable damage' if it intervenes. Israeli warplanes pounded Iran's capital, Tehran, overnight and into Wednesday (June 18, 2025) as Iran launched a small barrage of missiles at Israel with no reports of casualties.
Ahmedabad plane crash survivor discharged from hospital, attends brother's cremation in Diu
Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India plane crash, has been discharged from the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital following his recovery, and he later attended the cremation of his deceased brother, who was flying with him on the same aircraft, officials said on Wednesday (June 18, 2025).
FASTag annual pass for private vehicles to be launched on August 15: Nitin Gadkari
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) said the government will introduce a FASTag-based annual pass for private vehicles, priced at ₹3,000, effective from August 15, in a step towards hassle-free highway travel. In a post on X, Mr. Gadkari said the pass is valid for one year from the date of activation or up to 200 trips, whichever comes first. The pass is designed exclusively for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans.
Air India plane crash: Insurers in a fix as both policyholders and nominees among dead
Insurance companies are facing challenges in settling claims of the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash victims last week, as in many cases the policyholders and nominees both have died in the tragedy. There are instances of an entire family perishing or one of the spouses dying in the horrific June 12 crash of the London-bound plane, which claimed the lives of 241 persons on board and 29 on the ground.
UPSC extends NDA and CDS II 2025 application deadline to June 20
The last date to apply for NDA and NA-II, 2025, and CDS-II, 2025 has been extended up to 11.59 p.m. on June 20, 2025. The earlier deadline to complete the UPSC CDS II 2025 application form was June 17. This year, the UPSC had also extended the last date to apply for the civil services preliminary examination 2025 by a week. The UPSC did not mention the reasons behind extending the date of application deadline for both these exams.
Calcutta HC directs Centre to implement MGNREGA scheme in West Bengal from August 1
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) directed the Centre to implement the MGNREGA scheme prospectively in West Bengal from August 1. The HC said the Centre is empowered to impose special conditions, restrictions and regulations, which have not been imposed in other States of the country, so as to ensure that no illegality or irregularity occurs when the scheme is being implemented in the State.
Delhi spent only one-third of funds received under NCAP to fight air pollution: Govt data
Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in India, has used less than one-third of the funds it received under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), according to government records. Launched in 2019, the NCAP is India's first national plan to set clean air targets. It aims to reduce PM10 pollution by 40% in 130 highly polluted cities by 2026, using 2019-20 as the base year.
Iran will respond firmly if U.S. becomes directly involved in Israeli strikes, says U.N. Ambassador
Iran said it had conveyed to Washington that it will respond firmly to the United States if it becomes directly involved in Israel's military campaign, the Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Wednesday (June 18, 2025). Ali Bahreini, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in Geneva, told reporters that he saw the U.S. as 'complicit in what Israel is doing'.
No 'compulsion' to learn Hindi as third language: Devendra Fadnavis on row over Maharashtra Government Order
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) said the 'compulsion' for students in the State to learn Hindi has been removed in a new Order, and now any Indian language can be chosen as the third language. While English is widely promoted, Indian languages are often neglected, Mr. Fadnavis told reporters in Dehu and maintained that disputes over languages are unnecessary.
Allahabad HC stays passing final judgment in eviction case against Azam Khan
The Allahabad High Court has stayed the passing of any final judgment or order in the consolidated trial of the 2016 forcible eviction case, involving twelve previously separate FIRs against ex-MP Mohammad Azam Khan and several others. Justice Dinesh Pathak issued the order to put up this case as fresh on July 3 but clarified that the trial in the case would go on. However no final order would be passed till July 3, 2025.
England want to have a good surface to hit through the line against India: Leeds curator
The unusually dry weather here, combined with England's aggressive style of play, has increased expectations of a 'good surface' for the opening Test against India beginning on Friday (June 20, 2025), Leeds head of grounds Richard Robinson has said. Leeds usually hosts a Test in the middle of a series but staging of the opening game has attracted a lot more attention.
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The Hindu
19 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Goyal optimistic about signing first tranche of U.S. trade deal before July 9
As the clock ticks towards U.S. President Donald Trump's 'reciprocal tariffs' to kick in on July 9, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has expressed optimism that India and the U.S. could sign a preliminary or early tranche of a larger trade deal before that date, though he stopped short of confirming a deal would be signed. 'We are in continuous dialogue. I have always been an optimist,' Mr Goyal said in an interview with The Hindu on the fringes of a conference organized by the India Global Forum 2025 in London. Also Read | India-U.S. trade deal faces delays, original fall deadline back on the table 'I'm very confident that, given that the US and India are very friendly countries, trusted partners, both wanting to have resilient, reliable, trusted supply chains, both vibrant democracies, we will be able to come up with a win-win for the businesses of both countries,' Mr Goyal added. Failure to sign such a deal would , as things stand, would result in Indian goods entering the U.S. being tariffed at 26% starting in early July. Also Read | What is the significance of the India-U.K. free trade agreement? Mr Goyal did not comment on whether a deal on the sensitive dairy and agricultural goods sectors would form part of the preliminary tranche of the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) under discussion with the U.S. 'I think negotiations are best left to the negotiators and the negotiating table. We will, of course, inform the media at the right time,' he said. Mr. Goyal also did not want to comment on the impact of the U.S.'s Trade Promotion Authority, which is a process in the U.S. Congress to delegate authority to the U.S. President to negotiate trade deals, including deals that offer below Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff rates to some trading partners of the U.S. Earlier, Mr Goyal had participated in a moderated discussion with his U.K. counterpart, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds. The two countries had announced a free trade agreement on May 6. Mr Goyal said the UK and India were successful in concluding a deal because the sides had agreed to be sensitive to one another's concerns, setting aside issues that could not be negotiated easily. On the India-EU trade talks, Mr Goyal said the sides were looking to conclude a trade deal by the end of this calendar year, when asked whether they would announce a full-scale trade deal or an interim agreement first. 'There's that famous English phrase…since we are in Great Britain …'the air is pregnant with possibilities', he said adding he did not know what size and shape the agreement would have. On weather the Trump administration's return to the White House had impacted the speed and direction of India's trade talks with the E.U., Mr Goyal suggested that third parties did not impact bilateral deals. Last week the E.U.'s foreign minister , Kaja Kallas, had said at a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that the E.U. was a 'reliable, predictable and credible partner for India'. Countries have been seeking to recalibrate their relationship with the U.S. since the return of U.S. President Donald Trump and his 'America First' philosophy to the White House. 'I don't think there's any impact of any other situation on a negotiation between two countries, because these negotiations are not a short term arrangement. These are like long-term marriages you are negotiating after crystal-gazing … 25 years, 50 years, into the future,' Mr Goyal said. India wants WTO strengthened On the relevance of the World Trade Organization given the change in the U.S. administration and its retrenchment from multilateralism, Mr Goyal said the world trade body had an 'important' role to play and that India believed 'very strongly' in multilateralism. '[ India ] believes we have to strengthen the WTO over the next few years through dialogue and discussions and will continue to play an increasingly important role to promote multilateralism,' he said. Tata Steel Not Discussed with the UK Mr Goyal also said that India had not made an intervention with the U.K. on behalf of Tata Steel which owns the Port Talbot steel plant in south Wales. The plant has had to import raw material from India and Europe following the closure of its blast furnace last year as it prepares to operationalize an electric-arc furnace in 2027. This may mean it runs afoul of the U.S.'s rules on inputs to qualify for any tariff reductions that the U.K. and U.S. agree to. The Trump administration has threatened to fully or partially maintain tariffs of 25% on British steel unless the U.K. provides guarantees on Tata Steel's inputs, as per a report in the Guardian. 'That, the U.K., has to negotiate with the U.S.,' Mr Goyal said.
The Hindu
19 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Air India to cut 15% of widebody operated international flights
Air India will be cutting down international flights on widebody aircraft that mostly connect long haul and ultra long haul destinations by 15%, the airline said late on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) evening. The decision was taken to mitigate the impact of the compounding circumstances resulting from DGCA-ordered enhanced surveillance for Boeing 787 aircraft, geopolitical tensions in West Asua, night curfew in the airspaces of many countries in Europe and East Asia, and 'the necessary cautious approach being taken by the engineering staff and Air India pilots'. 'The move will ensure stability of our operations, better efficiency and minimise inconvenience to passengers,' Air India said in a statement. A large chunk of widebody aircraft are utilised for flights to the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, and in some cases shorter international routes as well. The cuts will be implemented between now and June 20 and will continue thereafter until at least mid-July. The move will also help the airline to have reserve aircraft availability to take care of any unplanned disruptions. The airline has seen 83 flight cancellations on its Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 aircraft since the crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, which was the first time that a Boeing 787 Dreamliner was involved in an accident any where in the world. The airline offered its apology to passengers for the inconvenience. Passengers will be able to reschedule at no extra cost, or seek full refund. On top of the surveillance order by the DGCA for Boeing 787s, where 26 of the 33 aircraft so far have been inspected, the airline has also decided to undertake enhanced safety checks on its Boeing 777 fleet.
India Today
19 minutes ago
- India Today
Trump to host Pak's Asim Munir after he backed Nobel Peace Prize bid: White House
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hosted Pakistan's military chief, General Asim Munir, at the White House in a rare meeting that followed Munir's call for Trump to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Munir credited Trump with preventing what could have become a nuclear war between India and Pakistan during their brief military standoff in May, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly White House confirmed that the meeting was held in recognition of Munir's remarks lauding Trump's role in halting a potential escalation between the two nuclear-armed hours before the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a 35-minute phone call with Trump to firmly clarify that the ceasefire following the May 7-10 military standoff had been achieved through direct communication between the Indian and Pakistani militaries - not through any external mediation. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said PM Modi reiterated that New Delhi has never accepted third-party involvement in its bilateral issues with Islamabad and never India's assertion, Trump insisted his intervention was decisive. Speaking to reporters ahead of Munir's visit, Trump said both countries were "going at it" and credited his outreach with defusing the crisis. He praised both Prime Minister Modi and General Munir for their roles, calling it a collaborative success, but one shaped significantly by US stopped a war between Pakistan and India. I love Pakistan," Trump said. "Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We are going to make a trade deal with Modi of India."He added, "This man [Munir] was extremely influential in stopping the war from the Pakistani side, and Modi from the Indian side. They were going at it-and they're both nuclear countries. I stopped a war between two major nuclear nations, but I don't think I've seen a single story written about it."The four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in early May was sparked by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people - most of them tourists - were response, India launched retaliatory strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of Operation Sindoor. Pakistan countered with unprovoked attacks targeting civilian areas and military infrastructure, all of which were thwarted by India's air defence has maintained that the de-escalation was the result of existing backchannel military communications. Foreign Secretary Misri also dismissed suggestions of a US-India trade dialogue or any request for mediation during the confirmed that while Trump and PM Modi had planned to meet in person on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, the meeting was called off due to Trump's early departure amid the escalating Middle East reportedly invited the PM to visit the US en route back from Canada, but PM Modi declined due to prior commitments, and instead extended an invitation to Trump to attend the Quad leaders' summit in India later this year - an offer the US President InMust Watch
