Morning digest: June 22, 2025

U.S. struck 3 Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says, joining Israeli air campaign

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel’s effort to decapitate the country’s nuclear programme in a risky gambit to weaken a long-time foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict. “We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Mr. Trump said in a post on social media on Saturday (June 21, 2025). “All planes are now outside of Iran’s airspace. A full payload of bombs was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home,” he said.

We shouldn’t expect smooth sailing all time: Jaishankar on neighbourhood ties, volatility

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India “should not expect smooth sailing” all the time when it comes to its ties with the neighbouring countries but asserted that New Delhi has tried to create a “collective interest” to build an inherent stability in relationships, irrespective of the regime. At the end of the day, “the logic every one of our neighbours must realise” is that working with India will “give you benefits”, and not working with India “has a cost”, he said, without elaborating. “Some take longer to realise; some understand it better. One exception, of course, is Pakistan, because it has defined its identity under the Army; in a way it has an in-built hostility in it. So if you put Pakistan aside, the logic will apply everywhere else,” the EAM said.

Air India starts releasing interim compensation of ₹25 lakh each to relatives of crash victims, survivors

Air India on Saturday (June 21, 2025) said it has started releasing the interim compensation of ₹25 lakh each to the families of the deceased and survivors of the June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash. The airline said a team of trained psychologists and doctors has been deployed in Ahmedabad to provide trauma counselling and psychological support to the affected families or individuals. “The interim compensation began being released from June 20, with three families having received payments so far, and the remaining claims being processed,” Air India said.

FATF report links dual-use cargo seized by India in 2020 to Pakistan missile agency

A dual-use equipment seized by India from a Pakistan-bound merchant vessel in 2020 is linked to Islamabad’s National Development Complex, which is involved in the country’s missile development programme, a new report by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti-terror financing watchdog, has said. “In 2020, Indian customs authorities seized an Asian-flagged ship bound for Pakistan. During an investigation, Indian authorities confirmed that documents mis-declared the shipment’s dual-use items,” the FATF report said.

West Bengal BJP chief faces flak over ‘sex workers’ remark

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar has landed in a controversy for a remark directed at sex workers in Kolkata’s Sonagachi area. The Trinamool Congress on Saturday (June 21, 2025) criticised Mr. Majumdar’s remarks and demanded an “unconditional apology” from the BJP leader. During an altercation with the police on Friday (June 20, 2025), Mr. Majumdar compared Bengal’s law and order situation with “sex workers.”

Invoking anti-gangster law to counter one communal violence incident triggered by a social media post is misuse: SC

The Supreme Court has concluded that the use of the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters Act — a law meant to counter organised crime — in a solitary case of communal disturbance caused by an “incendiary” social media post amounts to a misuse of the stringent penal law. The recent judgment, authored by Justice Sandeep Mehta, came after the court heard an appeal filed by people accused under the State law for mobbing and vandalising the business establishment of a man who posted content derogatory to a particular religion on social media.

CBI conducts searches in Bihar and Jharkhand in ₹100-crore fake GST claim case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday (June 21, 2025) conducted searches in Bihar and Jharkhand in a case registered against the then Additional Commissioner, Customs, Patna, and 29 others over bogus GST claims through fake export bills of nearly ₹100 crore. In a press statement, the agency said searches were conducted at seven places in Bihar and Jharkhand, including Patna, Purnia, Jamshedpur, Nalanda and Munger. The searches led to the recovery of seven gold bars, each weighing 100 gram, incriminating documents and mobile phones. It is alleged in the FIR that senior officials of the Customs department, including then Additional Commissioner and four Superintendents, entered into a criminal conspiracy with the accused.

Mahmoud Khalil vows to continue protesting Israel’s war in Gaza after coming back home

A Palestinian activist who was detained for more than three months pushed his infant son’s stroller with one hand and pumped his fist in the air with the other as supporters welcomed him home Saturday (June 21, 2025). Mahmoud Khalil greeted friends and spoke briefly to reporters Saturday (June 21, 2025) at New Jersey’s Newark International Airport a day after leaving a federal immigration facility in Louisiana. “The U.S. government is funding this genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide,” he said. “This is why I will continue to protest with everyone of you. Not only if they threaten me with detention. Even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine.”

At least eight dead as hot-air balloon catches fire in Brazil

A hot-air balloon caught fire and tumbled from the sky on Saturday (June 21, 2025) in Brazil’s southern state of Santa Catarina, killing eight people, firefighters said. Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon, which was in flames as it hurtled toward the ground in the municipality of Praia Grande. Thirteen people, including the pilot, managed to jump out but eight were unable to. Authorities have opened an investigation and the results will be made public within 30 days, Santa Catarina’s public safety secretary Col. Flávio Graff told journalists. 

Ukraine received at least 20 bodies of Russian soldiers in recent exchanges: Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s President said that Russia repatriated at least 20 of its own dead soldiers in recent exchanges with Ukraine, describing it as a result of Moscow’s disorganisation in carrying out large swaps of wounded POWs and remains of troops. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that an Israeli citizen was among the dead Ukraine had received in recent exchanges. He spoke to journalists on Friday but his comments were embargoed until Saturday (June 21, 2025). Officials did not disclose the identities of the bodies. “They threw the corpses of their citizens at us. This is their attitude toward war, toward their soldiers. And this is already documented. Sometimes these bodies even have Russian passports,” he said.

Headingley Test | Pope rides his luck as England hits back after Pant’s ton

Whether India lives to regret the fact that it added just 112 runs to its day one total of 359 for three in the first Test against England at Headingley will eventually depend on Jasprit Bumrah’s golden arm, for the 31-year-old magician has this remarkable ability to inflate the value of every total his team makes. And on Saturday (June 22, 2025), he tried his utmost to make India’s 471 seem even bigger and to erase the memory of his side losing the last seven wickets for just 41 runs. The pacer partly succeeded (13-2-48-3), but a lack of pressure from the other end and some bad catching ensured that by stumps, England had cut the deficit to 262, reaching 209 for the loss of three wickets.

Published – June 22, 2025 06:20 am IST