Monday, June 16, 2025 | 26 Pages | `5 & for State `6 Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Vol. 68 No. 217 | Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) GAMES NATION Amit Shah hails Yogi government and calls it a transformative moment for UP Cinema Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par stuck at CBFC? Shubman Gill would like to build a team culture where everyone is secure and happy Edit Aviation challenges in India: Birds, buildings & breakdown TWIN TRAGEDIES | Officials blame crowding for Maha disaster, poor weather triggers Uttarakhand accident 4 killed, 38 rescued as old bridge collapses in Pune FPJ News Service Modi, Shah speak to Fadnavis PUNE ormer investment banker Aman Sharma expands higher education access for hearingimpaired students. Turn to the Mumbai page to find out how. SEE CITY F Briefs Trump vetoed plan to kill Khamenei? US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, two US officials informed Reuters. One senior administration official was quoted saying, "Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership." When asked about the report, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment and said, "There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that." "But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we'll do what we need to do. And I think the US knows what is good for the US," Netanyahu added. Shah reviews census prep Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday reviewed the preparation for the forthcoming census with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Registrar General & Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan and other senior officials in New Delhi. India's 16th census with caste enumeration will be carried out in 2027 with the reference date of October 1, 2026 in snow-bound areas like Ladakh and of March 1, 2027 in the rest of the country. The notification to conduct the census will be published in official gazette on Monday, an official statement said. The census will be conducted in two phases. UK fighter jet lands in Kerala A British F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala late Saturday night after experiencing a fuel shortage during a sortie over the Indian Ocean. The IAF confirmed the incident on Sunday, calling it a “normal occurrence of diversion” for flight safety. “IAF was fully aware and facilitated the aircraft for safety reasons. All assistance is being provided, and the IAF is coordinating with all relevant agencies,” it said. The jet is part of the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, which is currently deployed in the IndoPacific region. The task force had recently concluded drills with the Indian Navy. At least four persons were killed and 18 injured after an old iron bridge collapsed over the Indrayani river in Pune’s Maval tehsil on Sunday afternoon, apparently due to crowding by tourists who ignored the warning board at the spot. Two people died during treatment after being rescued, while the bodies of two others were recovered from beneath the collapsed structure, they said. Rescue teams believe one more person may still be trapped under the debris. “Efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the person,” said Talegaon Dabhade police station senior inspector Pradeep Rayannawar. The incident occurred around 3.30 pm in the Kundamala area, where recent heavy rainfall had swollen the river. Although it was not raining at the time, around 100 picnickers were present near or on the bridge when it gave way. Two people died during treatment after being res- Kedarnath copter crash kills all 7; 3 from Maha family Heavy rain batters state, 8 killed At least eight persons were killed, mostly due to lightning strikes, as heavy rain pummelled parts of Maharashtra, officials said on Sunday. The fatalities were reported from Mumbai, Sindhudurg, Dhule, Nashik, Sambhajinagar, cued, while the bodies of two others were recovered from beneath the collapsed structure. Rescue teams believe one more person may still be trapped under the debris. Nandurbar, and Amravati. The weather department has issued a red alert for the coastal districts of Ratnagiri and Raigad and an orange alert for Palghar, Thane, and Sindhudurg, and ghat areas of Pune, Satara and Kolhapur, they said. “Efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the person,” said Talegaon Dabhade police station senior inspector Pradeep Rayannawar. "So far 38 people have been rescued, of which 18 sustained serious injuries and are currently undergoing treatment in three hospitals. 4Contd on | nation PM Narendra Modi dialled Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis from Cyprus on Sunday to inquire about the ongoing rescue operation following the collapse of the bridge over the Indrayani river. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to the CM and enquired about the situation. "Deeply saddened by the tragic incident of the bridge collapse on the Indrayani river in Talegaon, Pune. Spoke with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and inquired about the present situation on the ground. NDRF teams posted nearby quickly rushed to the site, joined the rescue operation, and saved several lives with remarkable promptness," Shah said in a post on X. Biswajeet Banerjee & Dhairya Gajara RUDRAPRAYAG/MUMBAI A helicopter carrying pilgrims from the Kedarnath shrine to Guptkashi crashed early Sunday in a remote forest area near Gaurimai Khark amid poor visibility, killing all seven people on board, including a couple and their two-year-old daughter from Maharashtra's Yavatmal. They were identified as Rajkumar Jaiswal, a transport businessman, his wife Shraddha, and their daughter Kashi. The other victims included the helicopter's pilot Rajveer Singh Chauhan; Vikram Singh Rawat, a member of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee; Vinod Devi (66) and Tushti Singh (19) from UP. Another vic- tim was from Gujarat. This was fifth helicopter accident on the Char Dham yatra route this year since the pilgrimage started on April 30. The Union civil aviation ministry immediatley banned all shuttle helicopter services in the region for Sunday and Monday. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami also chaired a high-level review meeting. "The safety of pilgrims is our utmost priority," he said. Initial reports from the District Disaster Management Office suggest that poor weather conditions may have caused the crash. “The site of the crash is extremely remote,” District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation OIL IS IN THE LINE OF FIRE AS DNA matches confirm ISRAEL, IRAN HIT REFINERIES identities of 47 victims Agencies Tipping Point TEL AVIV Israel and Iran exchanged missile attacks for a third consecutive day even as the Netanyahu administration threatened even greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defences to strike buildings in the heart of the country. Iran said Israel struck two oil refineries, raising the prospect of a broader assault on Iran's heavily sanctioned energy industry that could affect global markets. The Israeli military, in a social media post, warned Iranians to evacuate arms factories, signalling what could be a further widening of the campaign. Around noon local time, explosions were heard again in the Iranian capital, Tehran. US President Donald Trump has expressed full support for HOW THE CONFLICT MAY PAN OUT: US ESCALATION: Iran may target US forces. A single American death could force US involvement despite prior denials. Israel's actions while warning Iran that it can only avoid further destruction by agreeing to a new nuclear deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that if the Israeli strikes on Iran stop, then "our responses will also stop". He said the US "is a partner in these attacks and must take responsibility". Araghchi said Israel had targeted an oil refinery near Tehran and another in the country's Bushehr province on the Persian Gulf. He said Iran had also targeted "economic" sites in Israel, without elaborating. Semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported that an Israeli drone strike had caused a "strong explosion" at an Iranian natural-gas processing plant. Israel's military did not immediately comment. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | world GULF INFERNO: Iran could strike Gulf nations hosting US bases. Retaliation might drag them into war. NUKE TANGLE: Failed Israeli strikes may push Iran to build nuclear weapons faster. CIVIL UNREST: Toppling Iran’s regime could unleash civil war. ECONOMIC FALLOUT: War could spike oil prices, disrupting trade and worsening inflation. Trump’s India-Pak claim, again Bibi postpones son’s wedding S President Trump on Sunday claimed that he could secure a deal between Iran and Israel just as he had done between other arch-rivals, as he repeated his claim that he stopped the war between India and Pakistan last month by "using trade". In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the US to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision." he wedding of Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Avner, has been officially postponed amid nationwide emergency restrictions, the event’s organisers said. The PM on Sunday warned that Iran will pay a "very heavy price" for targeting civilians in Israel. He made the comments while visiting the site of Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam. "We will strike them with overwhelming force," the PM's office quoted him as saying. "We are here because we are in an existential battle one that is now clear to every citizen of Israel. Think about what would happen if Iran had a nuclear weapon to drop on Israel's cities," he said. U T DREAMLINER DISASTER FPJ News Service AHMEDABAD Three days after the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, which has so far claimed 270 lives, hospital authorities confirmed on Sunday the identification of 47 victims through DNA matching, including that of former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani. Authorities have handed over 24 bodies to the victims' families, officials said on Sunday. The Gujarat government has announced a state mourning for Rupani on Monday. A funeral procession will be held in Rajkot in the evening. Due to the severe condition of many bodies-burnt or Agencies GUWAHATI Passengers on an Air India Express flight from Guwahati to Kolkata endured an 18-hour ordeal after being deboarded twice due to recurring technical issues with the aircraft, officials confirmed on Sunday. PM in Cyprus to push ‘trusted’ ties PTI PM Narendra Modi arrived in Cyprus on Sunday for a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with President Nikos Christodoulides to strengthen bilateral ties. In a special gesture, President Christodoulides welcomed him at the Larnaca International Airport. Modi is the first Indian PM to visit Cyprus in over two decades. "Landed in Cyprus. My gratitude to the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides for the special gesture of welcoming me at the airport. This visit will add significant momentum to IndiaCyprus relations, especially in areas like trade, investment and more," Modi posted on X. Modi arrived here on the first leg of his three-nation tour. "A trusted partnership underpinned by shared values & aspirations. PM @narendramodi has landed in Cyprus. As a special gesture, reflecting deep-rooted historic ties, President @Christodulides and FM @ckombos received PM on arrival at the airport," external affairs ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X. "Extensive discussions to further deepen bilateral ties lie ahead," he added. The Cypriot president, welcoming PM Modi, said it is a "historic visit" and a "new chapter in a strategic partnership that knows no limits". "Welcome to Cyprus Prime Minister @narendramodi! Here, at the EU's southeastern frontier and gateway of the Mediteranean. A historic visit. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Officials have recovered the second black box, Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), from the Air India plane crash site, Prime Minister's Office said in an official statement on Sunday, agencies reported. The cockpit voice recorder has been found, PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to PM Modi, said in a statement. The recovery of the second black box from the site would enable the investigators to understand the second-by-second reconstruction of events leading up to a crash, offering the most objective account of what transpired in the cockpit and across aircraft systems. 18-hr ordeal for AI Express flyers 3-nation tour NICOSIA disfigured-authorities are relying on DNA matching for identification. "A total of 47 plane crash victims have been identified so far through DNA matching. Of these, the bodies of 24 victims have been handed over to their respective families. These deceased were from Rajasthan and different parts of Gujarat," Additional Civil Superintendent Dr Rajnish Patel told reporters. ‘2nd black box recovered’ Flight IX-1226, carrying 170 passengers, was initially scheduled to depart at 9.20 PM on Saturday. However, technical problems delayed the journey, leading to frustration and confusion among travellers. A video posted by one of the aggrieved passengers, which has since gone viral on social media, al- leged that passengers were left without clear communication for hours. “Around 1.30 am, we were asked to deboard and taken to a lounge, then to a very cheap hotel for overnight stay, which didn’t even provide breakfast,” the passenger said. 4Contd on | nation US travel ban likely for 36 more nations Agencies WASHINGTON US president Donald Trump's administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the US, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. Earlier this month, the president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, say- ing the move was needed to protect the US against "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats. The countries that could face a full or a partial ban if they do not address these concerns within the next 60 days are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, 4Contd on | nation