The Hindu Morning Digest: June 14, 2025

The Hindu

a day ago

Air India Ahmedabad plane crash: Grief-stricken kin give DNA samples to identify victims
The air outside Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital hung thick with unspoken grief. Dozens of families sat in rows, some clutching their family members, others staring blankly at the ground or photographs of loved ones on their mobile phones — waiting to give DNA samples that might finally bring their loved ones home. Inside the autopsy rooms, forensic teams moved through their grim work. Charred remains required careful examination; dental records became precious clues. The work continued through the night, matching what remained to names that once belonged to living, breathing people.
Ahmedabad flight crash: Black box recovered from roof of hostel mess building of B.J. Medical College: AAIB
The black box was recovered on Friday from the roof of the hostel mess building of B.J. Medical College where the Air India flight AI171 crashed into on Thursday (June 12, 2025), said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), a division of the Ministry of Aviation. Its analysis could provide vital clues about what triggered the disaster. A black box is a small device that records information about an aircraft during its flight. It helps in investigation of aviation accidents.
Search continues for woman and child missing after Air India flight crash at B.J. Medical College
Twenty-four hours after one of the worst aviation disasters in recent memory, Ravi Thakor stood outside BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, visibly distressed as he continued his search for his mother and toddler daughter. Both were inside the hostel mess into which Air India's Ahmedabad–London flight crashed minutes after take-off on Thursday, killing all but one on board.
Air India Ahmedabad plane crash: DGCA enhances safety audit for Air India's Dreamliner fleet
A day after Air India flight AI-171 crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport, India's aviation safety regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), issued fresh inspection guidelines for the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, which are powered by GEnx engines. These new guidelines will be mandatory from Monday, June 15.
Iran launches new wave of missile attacks; explosions heard over Jerusalem
Sirens and a round of explosions, possibly from Israeli interceptors, could be heard booming in the sky over Jerusalem early Saturday (June 14, 2025) and the Israeli military said another attack was taking place. The Israeli military urged civilians, already rattled by an earlier wave of missiles, to head to shelter. The Iranian outlet Nour News, which has close links with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said a new wave was being launched.
Why Israel struck Iran?
Israel has been preparing for this for years. It opposed the 2015 nuclear deal. It carried out several clandestine attacks inside Iran, including the 2020 assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the father of Iranian nuclear programme. It took the war directly to Iran in April 2024, by bombing the Iranian embassy in Damascus. All while, Israel argued that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes were 'an existential threat' to itself. And on June 13, Israel carried out a massive attack in Iran, targeting the country's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile sites, the residences of its top Generals and more than two dozen nuclear scientists. The Israeli attack, which lasted for hours, is the heaviest military blow to the Islamic Republic since the revolution.
India abstains on Gaza ceasefire resolution in UNGA, just six months after voting for a similar resolution
India abstained from a U.N. General Assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza for the fourth time in three years, indicating a growing trend in the Modi government's policy not to vote on statements critical of Israel's bombardment of Gaza, in which 55,000 have been killed. India had voted in favour of a UNGA resolution for ceasefire in December 2024, making this a significant departure from India's position just six months ago.
Congress asks why Modi continues to be silent even when Trump makes repeated claims about 'stopping' the war
The Congress on Friday (June 13, 2025) asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued to be silent even as U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his claim of 'stopping' a war between India and Pakistan with 'trade' for the 'nth time'.
Assam CM orders shoot-at-sight in restive Dhubri
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday (June 13, 2025) gave a shoot-at-sight order to check communal tension in Dhubri town, about 290 km west of Guwahati. The town, headquarters of the Dhubri district, has been on edge since the severed head of a cow was found in front of a Hanuman Temple on June 8, a day after Id-ul-Azha (Bakrid) was observed.
News that one man survived the Ahmedabad flight crash weighs on some other sole survivors
News of the sole survivor of an Air India plane crash that killed the other 241 people aboard has led to endless online fascination, but it has also stirred up painful feelings for a handful of others who have had similar fates. Tens of thousands of people have searched for details about Vishwashkumar Ramesh since Thursday's (June 12, 2025) crash, according to Google Trends. People have commented on social media that the idea seems unreal, remarkable, a work of divine intervention, and a miracle. But it has happened more than a dozen times before..
Marines seen standing guard at a federal building in Los Angeles
Marines were seen standing guard outside a federal building in Los Angeles on Friday (June 13, 2025) as they started to take over some posts from National Guard members after protests erupted last week over immigration raids and President Donald Trump deployed the troops to the city.
Israel-Iran conflict to impact oil supply to India, increase export costs by 40-50%
Israel's attack on Iran and heightened tensions in the area pose significant risks to India in terms of curtailed supplies of oil and a 40-50% increase in the export costs, according to analysts and trade experts.
World Test Championship final: Markram's century, Bavuma's grit put South Africa on brink of historic win over Australia
Hobbling captain Temba Bavuma and hundred-hitter Aiden Markram pushed South Africa to the brink of a sensational victory over Australia in a gripping World Test Championship final at Lord's on Friday. Bavuma, elevating the drama with a strained left hamstring, and opener Markram capitalized on ideal batting conditions. They partnered for an unbroken 143 runs against one of Australia's greatest bowling attacks to have South Africa 69 runs from an historic triumph.