Dubai, Jun 19: Israel has attacked Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, Iranian state television said Thursday.
The report said there was “no radiation danger whatsoever” and that the facility had already been evacuated before the attack.
Israel warned earlier Thursday morning it would attack the facility and urged the public to flee the area.
New Delhi, June 19: Arriving in New Delhi from the conflict zone in Iran under India’s Operation Sindhu, Indian students expressed their gratitude to the Central government for evacuating them directly from their doorstep. They described the situation in Iran as “bad”, noting that people there are extremely “scared”.
An Indian student, Sheikh Afsa, on board the flight carrying 110 nationals under Operation Sindhu, praised the government’s efforts to ensure a safe evacuation upon returning to Delhi, saying that the government evacuated them ‘from their doors’.
“We are happy to return here, but we are also worried about our studies. The situation there (Iran) is bad, and people are scared. We even received calls from people in Iran, who said the situation in Iran is very critical. The (Indian) government literally evacuated us from our dormitory, from our doors; we didn’t even expect this much. They helped us at every step; no one faced any problem, and we are grateful to the central government for the role they played in evacuating us,” she told ANI.
The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran in view of the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.
Another evacuated student expressed his gratitude to the Indian government, saying that he was safely back home because of their efforts.
“I am happy that I am back in our country. We didn’t see any such thing in Urmia, but in other places across Iran, the situation was bad… The Government of India helped a lot; that is why we are back home,” he stated.
Describing the situation as “critical”, another Indian student urged the Indian Embassy in Iran to rescue fellow Indians still stranded in Tehran and Isfahan: “…We thank the Indian Embassy for evacuating us at the right time, but we have one more appeal: that all of our brothers and sisters who are stranded in Isfahan and Tehran be evacuated as soon as possible, as the situation is so critical there.”
A girl from Jammu and Kashmir, currently in her fourth year of studies in Iran, expressed hope that the war would end soon so she could return and complete her education.
She described the entire evacuation process as “smooth”, noting that they did not face any challenges. She also urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to facilitate their early return home.
“We are sad as we have to leave our studies… We are happy, as we didn’t expect that we would be back; such is the condition there (in Iran)… I hope the war will end soon, as our studies will also be completed, and Iran won’t have to suffer too much. I am very thankful to the Indian government for the way they evacuated us; it was smooth. We faced no issues till now. But we have come to know that buses are being arranged for the students of Kashmir from here. I think after travelling to 3 countries, we are not ready to travel by bus. I request our CM (of J&K) to facilitate us so that we can meet our parents as soon as possible,” she said.
Earlier, in a post on X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote, “India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran, who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on 17th June. They departed from Yerevan on a special flight and will arrive in New Delhi in the early hours of 19th June 2025. India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of her nationals abroad.”
United Nations, June 19: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the immediate de-escalation of the Israeli-Iranian conflict and for an ensuing ceasefire.
“I remain profoundly alarmed by the ongoing military escalation in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. I reiterate my call for immediate de-escalation leading to a ceasefire,” said Guterres in a statement on Wednesday.
He warned against the expansion of the conflict, involving other countries, reports Xinhua news agency.
“I strongly appeal to all to avoid any further internationalisation of the conflict. Any additional military interventions could have enormous consequences, not only for those involved but for the whole region and for international peace and security at large.”
Guterres condemned the strikes that have caused the tragic and unnecessary loss of lives and injuries to civilians and damage to homes and critical civilian infrastructure.
He said diplomacy remains the best and only way to address concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program and regional security issues.
“The UN Charter remains our shared framework to save people from the scourge of war,” he said. “I urge all (UN) member states to comply fully with the charter and international law, including international humanitarian law.”
Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Effie Defrin on Wednesday said that the Israeli Air Force has launched new attacks in western Iran.
He said that Israeli jets flew over launch and storage sites for surface-to-surface missiles on Wednesday evening, targeting operatives attempting to access and remove munitions from locations previously struck.
According to the spokesperson, this marked the third major wave of Israeli airstrikes over Iran in the past 24 hours. The initial overnight operation involved more than 50 fighter jets hitting approximately 40 targets around Tehran.
“Among the targets struck was a centrifuge production site, a key component in the Iranian regime’s efforts to enrich uranium,” he said, adding that another target struck overnight was a site near Tehran used to manufacture anti-tank missiles, some of which were intended for the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
The second wave of strikes began Wednesday afternoon, with over 20 additional targets in the Tehran area hit.
Srinagar, June 19: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday announced that students evacuated from Iran will be ferried from Delhi to the Union Territory in deluxe buses.
As many as 90 students from Jammu and Kashmir were among the 110 people evacuated from war-affected Iran on Wednesday. They were taken to Armenia before being flown to Doha. The students arrived in Delhi from the Qatari capital early Thursday.
In a post on X, the chief minister’s office said the resident commissioner has been directed to arrange deluxe buses of the Jammu & Kashmir Road Transport Corporation to transport the students.
“The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K,” the Office of the Chief Minister said.
“The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged,” it said.
Abdullah shared the post from his official X handle.
Moscow, June 19: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he was ready to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a “final phase” of negotiations but again questioned his Ukrainian counterpart’s legitimacy.
“I am even ready to meet him (Zelensky) but only if it is some kind of final phase,” he said at a press conference with foreign media in St. Petersburg.
Russia wants to end the war in Ukraine “as soon as possible,” preferably through peaceful means, and is ready to continue negotiations — provided that Kyiv and its Western allies are willing to engage, Putin added.
He also added that he is ready to meet with Zelensky and “Russia does not care who represents Ukraine in negotiations, but insists that any final agreement must bear the signature of legitimate authorities”.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are prepared to resume direct talks after June 22, Putin said.
“I am ready to meet with anyone, including Zelensky,” Putin said. “That is not the issue. If Ukraine entrusts him to negotiate, let it be Zelensky. The real question is: who will sign any resulting documents? We are not dealing with propaganda here; when it comes to serious matters, what matters is not political messaging but legal legitimacy.”
Putin also said that if no peaceful resolution is reached, Russia will pursue its objectives in Ukraine by military means.
“Undoubtedly, if we fail to reach an agreement through peaceful negotiations, we will achieve our goals by military means,” he added.
He reiterated that the aim of Russia’s special military operation is the demilitarisation of Ukraine, depriving it of the capacity to maintain military forces that could endanger Russia.
The Kremlin has long sought to portray Zelensky as “illegitimate” in an attempt to discredit Kyiv.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on February 18 that Putin, who has ruled Russia for more than 20 years, is ready for talks with Zelensky, but “legal aspects related to his legitimacy” must be considered.
Ukraine’s allies had generally ignored this narrative until US President Donald Trump appeared to echo the Kremlin’s lines claiming that Zelensky was a “modestly successful comedian” turned “dictator” who “refused to have elections”.
Ukraine has not held elections during Russia’s full-scale invasion because they are legally prohibited under martial law, which was declared on February 24, 2022, just hours after the war began.
Ukrainian law also mandates that elections must be safe, equal, and uninterrupted—conditions that are impossible to meet amid ongoing Russian attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure.
Putin also told US President Donald Trump on June 14 that Moscow is ready to hold a new round of peace talks with Kyiv after June 22, following the completion of prisoner and fallen soldier exchanges.
Asked if he would be willing to speak with Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Russian President said that “if the Federal Chancellor wants to call and talk, I have already said this many times — we do not refuse any contacts”.
“And we are always open to this… They stopped, let them resume. We are open to them,” Putin said, adding that he, however, questions Germany’s role as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war: “I do doubt if Germany can contribute more than the US as a mediator in our negotiations with Ukraine. A mediator must be neutral. And when we see German tanks and Leopard battle tanks on the battlefield… and now Germany is considering supplying Taurus missiles for attacks on Russian territory… — here, of course, big questions arise.”
New Delhi, June 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for New Delhi after concluding a successful three-nation tour to Cyprus, Canada, and Croatia, marking a significant chapter in India’s diplomatic outreach. The final leg of the visit saw Prime Minister Modi in Zagreb, where he met his Croatian counterpart, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, in what was the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Croatia, widely hailed as a historic milestone in bilateral ties. Upon arrival at the Banski Dvori palace, Prime Minister Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome, having earlier been personally received by Prime Minister Plenković at the airport, a gesture underlining the warmth of the bilateral relationship.
The two leaders held wide-ranging delegation-level talks covering trade and investment, defence and security, science and technology, space cooperation, cultural ties, and people-to-people exchanges. They explored new opportunities in infrastructure, digital technologies, AI, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and tourism. Both sides welcomed the growing popularity of Indian culture and yoga in Croatia, and Prime Minister Modi extended greetings for the upcoming International Yoga Day on June 21.
Recognising the potential for greater start-up and innovation linkages, both leaders underscored the importance of enhanced business-to-business collaboration and institutional partnerships. PM Modi proposed deeper mobility cooperation, with Croatia serving as a gateway for India into Central and Southeastern Europe. Connectivity, including through the proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), was also discussed.
Regional and global issues featured prominently, with both leaders exchanging views on UN reform, climate action, and counter-terrorism. Prime Minister Modi thanked Croatia for its continued support in India’s fight against terrorism. The leaders expressed optimism about the progress of India-EU strategic ties and called for an early conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
The meeting concluded with the signing of four MoUs in agriculture, science and technology, cultural cooperation, and the renewal of a Hindi Chair. A joint statement was issued, and Prime Minister Plenković hosted a formal dinner in honour of Prime Minister Modi, who in turn invited the Croatian leader to visit India at a mutually convenient time.
During his stay in Zagreb, Prime Minister Modi also met with President Zoran Milanović. Both leaders reaffirmed the shared commitment to democratic values, rule of law, and international peace. They welcomed the diversification of bilateral ties into new areas such as defence, innovation, and sports, and took note of long-standing cultural linkages between the two nations. The leaders reiterated the potential of the India-EU strategic partnership to bolster India-Croatia relations and committed to work closely to unlock new avenues of cooperation. With this, Prime Minister Modi concluded a productive and strategically significant three-nation tour, strengthening India’s partnerships across Europe and North America.
Jammu, Jun 18: A Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched in and around Singhpora forest area of Chhatroo in Kishtwar district on Wednesday following reports of suspicious movement. Officials stated that the success so far eluded the security forces engaged in joint search operation.
The search operation, however, continued, they added.
Following exchange of fire recently, a massive joint combing operation in Singhpora-Chhatroo and adjoining areas was launched by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K Police, Indian Army, and other paramilitary forces including CRPF, to track the hiding terrorists with additional mobilisation of troops.
Srinagar, Jun 18: The commuters from different parts of north Kashmir districts on Wednesday complained that the timing of the first morning train from Baramulla station was not in sync with the recently commissioned Vande Bharat express.
The Vande Bharat Express was recently launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will connect Kashmir valley with the rest of the country. The train commutes between Srinagar and Katra railway station. However, the commuters from north Kashmir districts urged the authorities of the Northern Railway to reschedule the timing of the first morning train from Baramulla station to enable better connectivity with the Bharat Express from Srinagar to Katra.
The commuters said that Vande Bharat departs from Srinagar Railway Station (Nowgam) at 8am daily. However, the first train from Baramulla station leaves at 7 am and, despite the official travel time of one hour between Baramulla and Srinagar, the train reaches Nowgam station around 8:20am which is 20 minutes after the Vande Bharat has already left.
This timing gap has left commuters from north Kashmir unable to connect to the high-speed Vande Bharat service via rail, forcing them to opt for road transport to Nowgam, often involving multiple vehicle changes and added travel stress. “We have to travel in cabs and change several vehicles en route to Nowgam station. It becomes a tedious and time-consuming process, especially in the morning hours,” said Faheem Ahmad, a commuter from Sopore town of Baramulla district.
The commuters have urged the railway authorities to revise the schedule of the first Baramulla-Srinagar train, suggesting it be advanced by at least 30 minutes. “If the time is rescheduled it would make it feasible for passengers to reach Srinagar station by 7:30m and can board the Vande Bharat express well in time,” he said. The passengers said that a simple adjustment by 30 minutes can make Vande Bharat accessible to a large population in north Kashmir. The commuters said the trains run slow as the tracks have developed some cracks and the train speed is not allowed to go beyond 60 km. “This is also a major reason why trains running from Baramulla station to Budgam do not have proper sync with the trains which depart from Budgam station towards Sangaldan,” said Faisal Bhat, a resident of Baramulla. The commuters further said that the northern railway authorities must increase the frequency of trains from Sangaldhan to Baramulla particularly in evening hours. “A train reaches at around 4:45pm at Srinagar station from Banihal/Sangaldan. After this the last train arrives at 7pm. “There is a gap of over two hours between the two trains. The last train reaches at around 8:30pm in Baramulla and it becomes difficult for the passengers to reach their homes,” Bhat said. The passengers said one additional train should run before the last train which will be convenient for the passengers. “We urge the railway authorities to look into the issues in the larger interest of the public,” he said. Chief Area Manager (CAM) Northern Railways, Saquib Yousuf when contacted said the issues will be looked into.
“I understand the issue of time gap and the condition of tracks. The matter will be looked into. The demand for increasing the frequency will be looked into,” he told Greater Kashmir.
New York/Washington, Jun 18: Hours after holding a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump Wednesday repeated his claim that he stopped a war between India and Pakistan. In comments to reporters, Trump described PM Modi as ìa fantastic manî and asserted that the two countries will have a trade deal.
ìWell, I stopped the warÖ. I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. Weíre going to make a trade deal with Modi of India. But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India,î Trump said Wednesday.
Trump, who is hosting Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir for lunch at the White House Wednesday, was asked what he is looking forward to achieving diplomatically from the meeting with the Pakistani general.
ìThis man was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side,î Trump said, referring to Munir.
ìModi, from the India side, and others. They were going at it, and they are both nuclear countries. I got it stopped. I donít think I had one story. Did I have one story writtenÖ I stopped the war between two major nations, major nuclear nations. I donít think I had a story written about it,î he said, adding that the people know.
On May 10, Trump claimed on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a ìfull and immediateî ceasefire after a ìlong nightî of talks mediated by Washington.
He has repeated the claim over a dozen times that he ìhelped settleî the tensions between India and Pakistan.
Trump said that he told the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours that America will do a ìlot of tradeî with them if they stopped the conflict.
Jammu, Jun 18: The J&K cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday in Srinagar, asked the Cabinet-Sub-Committee to ìrework its reportî to address certain shortcomings so as to make it a legally tenable document.
Reliable sources, privy to the deliberations in the cabinet meeting, told Greater Kashmir that the report, which was presumed and reported to be the main agenda (of the meeting), was ìonly briefly discussed.î
Has it (report) been formally submitted to the cabinet, the response to this query was concise – No, not much deliberations took place on this report.
ìIt has not been submitted to the cabinet as there are certain shortcomings in it. It will be reworked vis-‡-vis those points to make it foolproof. Recommendations are likely to be deliberated further in the next one or two cabinet meetings,î sources, after being prodded, elaborated.
Has any date been fixed for the next cabinet meeting specifically for this purpose? This query had an open-ended reply, ìNo, not yet.î
Though the cabinet had a regular agenda too for deliberations, the hype across the political, media and social circles, for obvious reasons, mainly revolved around the recommendations of the three-member cabinet sub-committee, constituted for examining the grievances projected by a section of aspirants for various posts regarding Reservation Rules.
Entire agenda before the cabinet could not be cleared. A PHE project in Udhampur was cleared. Besides, there were specific deliberations about Shri Amarnath Yatra and tourism promotion, which are high on all minds at the moment. Similarly, a call was taken regarding a few other issues on the agenda following deliberations, sources stated.
Hype vis-‡-vis the CSC report on reservations had gained momentum after the six-month deadline granted to the panel ended on June 10, 2025.
Confronting the oppositionís banter and pressure from the stakeholders mainly the General category candidates, the Minister for Education, Health and Medical Education and Social Welfare Sakina Itoo, who is also part of the panel, posted on ëXí that the CSC would soon table its report in the cabinet.
The Cabinet Sub Committee constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir Government to examine the issue of reservation in the Union Territory has drafted its report within the stipulated time frame of 6 months. The report will be placed before the Cabinet when it meets,î she posted on June 10.
A day later, on June 11, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated, ìThe Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) has prepared its report (on reservation). That report will be presented to the cabinet. Ö In the coming few days, the cabinet will take place and the CSC recommendations on the reservation will be submitted before it (cabinet). Then it will be looked into.î
The government, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on December 10, 2024 constituted this panel to examine the grievances projected by a section of aspirants for various posts regarding Reservation Rules.
The panel was constituted in compliance with the decision of the Council of Ministers (Decision No 012/03/2024), taken on November 22, 2024.
The J&K cabinet had decided to set up a cabinet sub-committee to review and rationalise reservation policy, in alignment with the promise of the (elected) government.
The three-member panel, comprising Minister for Health and Medical Education (H&ME), School Education, Higher Education and Social Welfare, Sakina Masood Itoo; Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana and Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Satish Sharma, had been tasked to ìexamine the grievances projected by a section of aspirants for various posts regarding Reservation Rules, in consultation with all stakeholders.î
Following the cabinet meeting on November 22, the Chief Minister, while speaking to the media in Srinagar, said, ìThe cabinet has decided to form a sub-committee, comprising three ministers, to take a holistic view of the reservation issue. The decision has been taken as many youth, belonging to the open (General) category, are feeling that their rights have been usurped (following new reservation rules in J&K) while those brought in ambit donít want any curtailment.î
Though the panel on the reservation was a poll promise, the Omar government was forced to rush the process as its own MP Aga Syed Ruhullah had threatened to stage a dharna outside the Chief Ministerís residence if the government did not keep its word to rationalise reservation policy.
While the NC had to eat a humble pie, the opposition gleefully seized the opportunity to join Ruhullah and open-category candidates agitating their cause outside the CMís residence. Though the Chief Minister was able to pacify the candidates by meeting them at his residence and assuring them of justice, the sequence of events leading to the constitution of the panel and even thereafter saw a string of controversies also, including the one related to the deadline for CSC to submit the report.
The controversy erupted when during its maiden budget session under UT set-up, the government in a written reply in the J&K Legislative Assembly said that no specific timeline was fixed for submitting the report by the Cabinet Sub Committee. It rested only when the Chief Minister intervened, reassuring that the panel was given a six-month deadline to submit its report.
ìThe cabinet sub-committee constituted to examine the complicated issue of reservation in recruitment has been given a 6-month timeline to complete their report. The timeline was set by me after I met with a concerned group of job aspirants. This timeline, however, was not in the initial order setting up the sub-committee. That oversight will be corrected but rest assured the committee is working to complete its task in the set timeframe,î CM Omar posted on ëXí on March 15, 2025.
Even during the assembly session, Itoo had described it as a very sensitive issue.
ìThis is a very sensitive issue and it is not an easy proposition to resolve it. Every aspect will have to be examined and all stakeholders will have to be consulted and taken on board. Their representation has already reached us. It is being examined. Once the committee prepares and finalises its report on this account. Members too will be informed,î she had said.
