FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLII No. 8 | INDORE | MONDAY | JUNE 16, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in World Military parade rolls through DC as protesters across US decry Trump ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE MONEY Will conflict wreak havoc on investor confidence? UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK Brand Sutra Protein, Without The Pressure P.12 OIL IS IN THE LINE OF FIRE AS ISRAEL, IRAN HIT REFINERIES 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 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". 4Continued on | P8 fp Briefs GHAZIABAD Mansarovar Yatra begins HOW THE CONFLICT MAY PAN OUT: US ESCALATION: Iran may target US forces. A single American death could force US involvement despite prior denials. GULF INFERNO: Iran could strike Gulf nations hosting US bases. Retaliation might drag them into war. Flames rise from an oil storage facility after hit by an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran TRUMP’S INDIA-PAK CLAIM, AGAIN TRUMP VETOED PLAN TO KILL KHAMENEI? 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." S President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, two US officials informed Reuters. One 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." Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu 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." U U Four dead, 18 injured as old bridge collapses in Pune FP News Service 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. ‘All Indians safe’ All Indians in Israel are safe and the embassy is constantly monitoring the situation and the safety of its nationals amid a conflict with Iran, the Indian mission said on Sunday Woman with lung ailment dies after testing positive for Covid FP News Service PUNE E-paper Edit City plan needed for ‘the unseen’ P.6 MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT RAGES | Iran says Israel struck two oil refineries, raising prospect of broader assault on Iran’s heavily sanctioned energy industry Agencies MUMBAI Seven killed in chopper crash near Kedarnath 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 victim 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 min- KUSHINAGAR First rocket launch in UP A successful model rocket launching test was conducted in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar district, marking the first time a payload was launched via a rocket from the state, officials said. The test conducted on Saturday by the Astronautical Society of India in association with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and Indian Space Research Organisation saw the model rocket ascend 1.12 km at 5:14:33 PM, a complete success. PATNA Lalu gets SC panel notice The Bihar State Commission for Scheduled Castes has issued a notice to RJD president Lalu Prasad for allegedly disrespecting Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar. The Commission has given the former chief minister 15 days to respond, warning that failure to do so could lead to legal proceedings. 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. 4Continued on | P8 Portion of under-construction bridge collapses in Shivpuri A portion of an under-construction overbridge collapsed in Shivpuri district on Sunday, leaving six labourers injured, an official said. The incident took place at 1pm near a bus stand and railway level crossing along Pohri highway, he added. "No one was working below the portion that collapsed, which averted major casualties. The six injured labourers have been hospitalised. They were laying concrete on the bride, which is being built at a cost of Rs 80 crore," he said PM Modi in Cyprus PTI NICOSIA A woman with a history of lung ailment who tested positive for Coronavirus died on Sunday in the Government NSCB Medical College and Hospital here. The deceased from Saliwada, Mandla district, was pregnant and admitted to the hospital for delivery, joint director Sanjay Mishra said. She delivered the baby on Saturday and developed some lung complications, he said. She was tested for coronavirus  and found positive, he said. She was moved to the isolation ward for treatment. She died today, he added. FP 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 welcoming me at the airport. This visit will add significant momentum to India-Cyprus relations, especially in areas like trade, investment and more," Modi posted on X. 4Continued on | P8 Love makes everyone do crazy things, even frogs! After heavy rains on Saturday night, something magical happened at Rathore Pond on Jhirniya Road. Dozens of Indian Bull Frogs turned bright yellow to win over their lady loves. After mating, the non-poisonous Indian Bullfrog reverts to its normal colour. From a distance, the pond looked like it was full of sunflowers. Local people rushed to see this rare sight, taking photos and videos. This amaz- ing show happens only once a year when the rains begin. Biology teacher Prof Kanhaiya Singh explains that all the yel- UK fighter jet lands in Kerala Thiruvananthapuram: 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. Dassault CEO trashes Pakistan’s claims on downing Rafale jets IANS CM Mohan Yadav, Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla and others attend the second day of BJP training programme in Pachmarhi Lessons to learn: l Use social media smartly to stay connected with people l Explain governmentschemes and development work to public l Visit booth workers regularly to maintain party’s grassroots strength government's achievements.” Several senior party leaders addressed different sessions, offering practical advice on leadership, communication and organisational discipline. 4Continued on | P8 Rare sight: Frogs turn yellow for love FP News Service 4Continued on | P8 NEW DELHI offgrid BHIKANGAON 4Continued on | P8 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. BHOPAL PM Narendra Modi with President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides over 24 bodies to the victims' families, officials said. 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 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. ‘Second black box recovered’ BJP MPs, MLAs get tips to connect better with people On the second day of the BJP’s training programme in Pachmarhi, party MPs and MLAs were told to sharpen their public engagement strategies, improve their public image and effectively use social media to connect with citizens and promote government work. At a key session, BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde told legislators, “The respect of party workers and public service should be your prime goals. Use social media to stay in touch with public and communicate District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said.The flight, usually a short 10-minute journey, went down just minutes after take-off. Eyewitnesses, including local women working on the nearby fields, saw the helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation, spiralling down before bursting into flames at around 5.30 am. AI TRAGEDY Our Staff Reporter Prime Minister 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 PM Modi on his arrival at the Larnaca International Airport. Modi is the first Indian prime minister to visit Cyprus in over two decades. "Landed in Cyprus. My gratitude to the President of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides for the special gesture of istry 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,” DNA matches confirm identities of 47 victims JABALPUR Chanting "Har Har Mahadev", the first batch of 39 pilgrims was flagged off on Sunday from Ghaziabad for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra which has resumed after a hiatus of five years. The flag-off ceremony took place at the Kailash Mansarovar Bhavan in Indirapuram where Uttar Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh launched the pilgrimage. NDRF personnel at the spot after a helicopter crashed near the Kedarnath shrine, in Rudraprayag district low frogs were males trying to impress females, and after mating they will change back to their normal brown and green colours. They turn bright yellow just for a few hours during mating season. This change is completely natural and safe. These frogs tell us that the rainy season has officially started. It's nature's own love story happening right before our eyes. Indian Bull Frog is the biggest in India, growing up to 17 centimetres long. They usually have dark brown or olive-green skin with tigerlike stripes. These frogs live in ponds across South Asia. Female frogs can lay thousands of eggs at once, which grow into tadpoles. Many Indian states have banned hunting these frogs to protect them. People in Bhikangaon were excited to witness this natural wonder. Some called it the most beautiful thing they had ever seen in the pond. Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier has dismissed as "factually incorrect" Pakistan’s claims about having shot down three Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor. In an interview to French magazine Challenges, Trappier said: "What Pakistan is claiming about downing three Rafales is simply not true."He made it clear that Dassault, the French company that manufactures the Rafale, has received no official communication from the Indian Air Force indicating any such losses. "What we already know is that what the Pakistanis are saying about destroying three Rafale planes is inaccurate," Trappier said. "When the complete details are known, the reality may surprise many," he added.In the interview just ahead of the Paris Air Show, Trappier highlighted the formidable reputation of the Rafale as a premier multirole fighter jet. " If you want a single aircraft capable of air-to-air combat, reconnaissance, ground strikes, nuclear deterrence, and aircraft carrier deployment, Rafale is unmatched," he asserted.While acknowledging the stealth advantage of the American F-22, he maintained that the Rafale is superior to the F-35 in realworld versatility and performance. "It’s far better than anything China currently offers," he contended.India has already denied that any of its fighter jets were destroyed during Operation Sindoor, which had successfully demolished terror infrastructure with precision bombing deep inside Pakistan territory. This was followed by missile attacks that caused considerable damage to key bases of the Pakistani Air Force. 4Continued on | P8