THE SUNDAY WO R L D L IO N DAY Vol. 36 No. 46 | Sunday, August 10, 2025 29 Pages | `5 & for State `6 | Reg. No. MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 46955/1988 M.p.c.s. office Mumbai-400001 FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation PLAY AND PAUSE Weekend A peek into how NRIs celebrate I-Day across the globe CLAIM NO. 36: I HELPED TO END IT FPJ News Service WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump on Friday used the signing of a peace accord between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House to again highlight his role in settling conflicts around the world, including, for the 36th time, his claim that he helped end tensions between India and Pakistan. Speaking alongside Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Trump called his “highest aspiration” bringing “peace and stability to the world.” He described the Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement as “historic” and said it could pave the way for lasting peace after decades of disputes over Nagorno-Karabakh. Both leaders pledged to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump linked the signing to what he called earlier diplomatic successes, citing India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and Thailand and Cambodia. 4Contd on | Nation Sunday Read Did you know Sholay had a sequel? NUMBERS GAME | Air Chief Amar Preet Singh praises performance of Russian S-400 missile defence system as the ‘game changer’ It’s official: 6 Pakistani aircraft were downed Vidhi Santosh Mehta NON-STOP WAR ROOM VIGIL MUMBAI Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh on Saturday confirmed the downing of at least five Pakistani fighter aircraft and a large reconnaissance plane, possibly an ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) aircraft or an AEW&C(Airborne Early Warning & Control) aircraft during Operation Sindoor. The large aircraft was downed from a staggering distance of around 300 kilometres. Alongside, a significant number of UAVs, drones, and missiles were also neutralised, some of which fell within Indian territory. Delivering the keynote address of the 16th Air Chief Marshal L.M. Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru, the Air Chief said the deployment of the S-400 Surface to Air Missile (SAM) defence system had been a “game changer.” His comments praising the Russian weapon come even as Washington piles up pressure through punitive tariffs to wean New Delhi away from Russian arms purchases and oil. He said that the operation had been meticulously planned and executed throughout the 88 to 90 hours it lasted, targeting high-value terrorist and military installations across the border. He said all scenarios had been factored in: Weather conditions, patterns of enemy movement, and possible escalation scenarios, before the decision to strike on the night of the 6th and 7th. The aim had been to hit nine hardened targets in a single coordinated wave, using long-range, precision-guided weapons that could bypass enemy air de- Putin-Trump meet in Alaska on Aug 15 Agencies WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. The summit is scheduled for August 15, marking the first US–Russia meeting of this level since 2021. Trump revealed the plan on social media, calling it a “highly anticipated meeting.” The Kremlin has not confirmed all the details but called Alaska a “logical” location due to its proximity to Russia. Earlier, the meeting was supposed to take place in the UAE. The meeting comes more than three years after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and left Moscow and Kyiv far apart on peace terms. Trump has suggested that any agreement could involve a “swapping of territories” between the two countries, though he did not share specifics. Reports from US media, citing sources, indicate the White House is discussing a possible arrangement in which Russia would take full control of the F&B Frozen across borders Sunil Shanbagh brings Julius Hay’s The Horse to India New Delhi endorsement The Ministry of External affairs has welcomed the “ understanding reached between the United States and the Russian Federation for a meeting in Alaska.” It said, “ This meeting holds the promise of bringing to an end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and opening up the prospects for peace. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said on several occasions, "This is not an era of war”. It said it stood ready to support these efforts. Donbas region and keep Crimea, while giving up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected any territorial concessions, stating that Ukraine’s Constitution does not allow giving up land. “Any solutions that are without Ukraine are solutions against peace,” Zelensky said, while adding he was ready to work with Trump and other partners for a “lasting peace.” The war continues to rage along a 1,000-kilometre front. Ukrainian commanders say Russia is not interested in negotiating and that defeating Moscow on the battlefield is the only option. Russian forces hold about 20% of Ukrainian territory. 4Contd on | Nation 4See also | World fences while ensuring minimal civilian casualties. Intelligence pinpointed key structures in Bahawalpur, including residential buildings of senior leadership, other operative quarters, and the main complex where training and congregations were held. These were marked as DMPI (Designated Mean Point of Impact) and were struck with accuracy, as satellite imagery and local media later confirmed. 4Contd on | Nation IAF Chief Amar Preet Singh recalled how close coordination between the Air Headquarters and Command Headquarters felt like a dream come true. But the intense period left no room for routine. Meetings could be called at any time, and Singh could rush home only once a day to change before returning to his vigil. At one point, he even arranged to sleep in his office. During a night meeting, dressed in his overalls, he ended up staying in the same attire for the next 48 hours. He never went home, unwilling to leave his post for even a minute as critical decisions unfolded. When hostilities were finally called off, Singh returned home after two straight days on duty. INDIGENOUS ARSENAL POWERED SINDOOR FPJ News Service MUMBAI US Treasury Secretary plays down BRICS Ashwin Ahmad India’s recent military strike, Operation Sindoor, was as much a demonstration of technological self-reliance as it was a decisive counter to terrorism, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman Samir V Kamat said on Saturday. Speaking at the 14th convocation of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) in Pune, Kamat revealed that the May 7 operation — mounted in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives — was executed with a homegrown arsenal. “When it comes to offensive weapons, BrahMos was the primary system used, launched from our Sukhoi Mk 1 platform. DRDO chief hails BrahMos, Akashteer in India’s precision strike on May 7 4Contd on | Nation NEW DELHI US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has dismissed any possible moves by BRICS nations to come together to counter the recently imposed tariffs issued on them by President Trump. In an interview with  Fox News, Bessent described the recent meetings and phone calls between BRICS as “performative.” “They can meet, but everyone wants access to the US market. What we have seen thus far is that, apart from a brief retaliation by China, there’s been no retaliation from anyone else. The US has held negotiations with 18 foreign trading partners, and we have substantial deals with two-thirds of them.”   Bessent’s remarks come just after Prime Minister Modi spoke on the phone with President Lula on August 7 in an hour-long conversation. After the conversation, the prime minister wrote on X that India remained committed “to deepening our Strategic Partnership in sectors such as trade, energy, tech, defence and health and more. A strong, people-centric partnership between Global South Scott Bessent dismisses calls between Prime Minister Modi and Brazilian President Lula as “performative”. nations benefits everyone.” Brazil and India face 50% tariffs from Trump, the highest; he has insisted on major concessions should they wish the tariffs to be removed. In response Lula said that he would reach out to BRICS nations to devise a common strategy against the tariffs. “Tomorrow I am going to call Prime Minister Modi. Then I will call President Xi Jinping. Then I will call the other presidents. 4Contd on | Nation Modi honours Kakori and Quit India martyrs FPJ News Service MUMBAI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday marked the centenary of the Kakori Rail Conspiracy, hailing it as a defining moment in India’s freedom struggle. In a post on X, Modi said, “On this day, a hundred years ago, the courage shown by patriotic Indians at Kakori highlighted the resentment against colonial rule. Their valour will always be remembered, and we will keep working to fulfil their dreams for a strong and prosperous India.” The Kakori Rail Conspiracy, often termed the Kakori train robbery, took place on August 9, 1925, when members of the Hindustan Republican Association — including Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad, Rajendra Lahiri, and Roshan Singh — stopped the 8-Down train near Kakori in Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister pays tribute to 1925 Kakori martyrs and Quit India fighters, recalling their courage and sacrifice. Seizing government treasury funds meant for colonial administration, they intended to finance the independence struggle and send a defiant political message. The British crackdown was swift and harsh. Bismil, Khan, Lahiri, and Singh were executed in 1927, others were jailed for long terms, while Azad evaded capture until his death in 1931. The Prime Minister also paid tributes on the 83rd anniversary of the Quit India Movement, recalling the courage of those who, under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership, united the nation against British rule. 4Contd on | Nation Two soldiers die on day 9 of Kulgam encounter M Saleem Pandit KULGAM The encounter between security forces and terrorists in Akhal village of Devsar, Kulgam, entered its ninth day on Saturday, claiming the lives of two Army jawans and leaving two others injured during intense overnight exchanges of fire. Officials said heavy gunfire erupted late Friday night, with automatic weapons and blasts echoing through the area. The injured soldiers were evacuated for treatment, but later succumbed to their injuries. Sources said Saturday night saw intense explosions and in- termittent firing as forces narrowed the cordon around suspected hideouts. Drones and additional troops have been deployed to cover the difficult forest terrain. The duration of the operation, officials said, indicates the presence of multiple terrorists offering strong resistance. Security forces have tightened the cordon around the encounter site and deployed advanced surveillance systems to track movement in the dense terrain. Authorities have urged residents to stay indoors and report any suspicious activity. 4Contd on | Nation Security personnel during the ninth day of one of the longest anti-terror operations in the valley in J&K’s Kulgam on Saturday. – PTI offgrid When the sky drops something older than Earth FPJ News Service MUMBAI On June 26, an unsuspecting Georgia homeowner received a house call from deep space — in the form of a meteorite that’s older than Earth itself. The rock blazed across the midday sky at supersonic speed, punched through the roof, ripped through HVAC ductwork, dented the floor, and scattered space dust like cosmic confetti. Weeks later, the shaken resident is still sweeping up reminders of the day history dropped in unannounced. Planetary geologist Scott A meteorite, much older than our planet, crashed through a roof at supersonic speed — and left scientists starstruck. Harris of the University of Georgia examined 23 grams of the meteorite’s fragments, recovered from what was originally a cherry tomato– sized rock. His findings stunned even seasoned scientists: the meteorite formed 4.56 billion years ago — about 20 million years before Earth came into being. “This meteorite comes from a group of asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter,” Harris explained. It is linked to the breakup of a much larger asteroid roughly 470 million years ago. One splinter eventually slipped into an Earthcrossing orbit — and, millions of years later, into a Georgia living room. The space rock has been christened the McDonough Meteorite, after the city where it landed. Classified as a Low Metal (L) ordinary chondrite, it may be modest in size, but it struck with the force of a bullet. Neighbours likened the noise to a closerange gunshot, with the impact sending vibrations through the house. Scientists at the University of Georgia and Arizona State University are now submitting the find to the Meteoritical Society’s Nomenclature Committee for official recognition. 4Contd on | Nation