HYDERABAD l saturday l june 14, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION India abstains from voting on DRAFT Gaza ceasefire resolution in U.N.G.A. The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to adopt the resolution seeking an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza Motion also demands release of hostages Dialogue is the only solution, says India The resolution, introduced by Spain, got 149 votes in favour. Twelve members voted against it while 19 nations, including India, abstained. The resolution also demanded release of hostages, return of the remains of those killed, exchange of Palestinian prisoners, return of civilians to their homes in Gaza, and full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip India has earlier abstained on resolutions on Israel-Palestine. “Our vote today is in continuation of this in the belief that there is no other way to resolve conflicts but through dialogue and diplomacy," he said ■ India is concerned at the deepening humanitarian crisis, he added ■ India’s Permanent Representative to UN, Parvathaneni Harish, said U.S. Had vetoed a similar resolution at the U.N. Security Council last week CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Black box found, Modi visits crash site injured persons. “Met those injured in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash in AhmedaA day after a horrible plane bad, including the lone survicrash killed at least 260 people vor,” Modi said. “ Assured them here, probe agencies recov- that we are with them and ered the Digital Flight Data their families in this tough Recorder (DFDR) or black box, time. The entire nation is praywhich is expected to throw up i n g f o r t h e i r s p e e d y clues on India’s worst air trag- recovery .” edy in decades. Modi also paid tribute to The Aircraft Accident Inves- former Gujarat chief minister tigation Bureau that scoured Vijay Rupani, who was among the debris, said it recovered the passengers who lost their the black box from the rooftop lives in the ill-fated flight. “It is at the crash site — possibly of unimaginable that Vijaybhai the BJ Medical College hostel, is not in our midst,” he said. which the London“We worked togethbound Air India er, shoulder to aircraft slammed shoulder, including into shortly after during some of the take-off from the most challenging Sardar Vallabhbtimes. Vijaybhai hai Patel Airport. was humble, hardThe black box reworking, and firmcording will offer ly committed to the vital data on the fiparty’s ideology .” nal moments of Amid speculathe flight. tion on the cause of While the DFDR the crash, includis housed in the ing the position of tail section, the its flaps, the DirecRelatives of a victim Cockpit Voice Remourn at a hospital in torate General of Ahmedabad on Friday corder (CVR) is C i v i l Av i a t i o n usually located (DGCA), ordered within the cockpit. Both DFDR Air India to go in for enhanced and CVR are better known as safety checks, including a reblack boxes. Till the time of view of take-off parameters of going to press, there was no its Boeing series of flights word on finding the CVR. from June 15. “ a preventive As Prime Minister Narendra measure, DGCA hereby diModi visited the accident site rects Air India to carry out adand chaired a high-level re- ditional maintenance actions view meeting with senior of- on B787-8/9 aircraft equipped ficials to assess the ongoing with Genx engines with immerescue and relief efforts. “Vis- diate effect in co-ordination ited the crash site in Ahmeda- with the concerned DGCA bad today The scene of devas- agencies.” . tation is saddening,” he posted The National Investigation on social media. Agency and other central He also met the lone survi- agencies, too, joined the probe, vor of the crash and the other sources said. Lone survivor found some space, escaped Di l i p Si n g h K s h at r i ya @ Ahmedabad targets in iran Tehran A residential apartment in Tehran that was damaged in Israeli strikes on Friday | AP Natanz Missile facilities Nuclear facilities Radar defence system Nuclear scientists Iranian commanders Iran Israel takes out Iran’s military brass, nuke sites Nuke sites attacked; India calls for restraint A g e n c i e s @ Jerusalem / Dubai / Washington We expect to be exposed to several waves of Iranian attacks Benjamin Netanyahu With this crime, Israel has set itself for a bitter and painful fate Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left... JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE Donald Trump IN a major escalation of tensions in West Asia, Israel on Friday launched a barrage of strikes across Iran, targeting nuclear and missile sites, and taking out its top military leadership. Iran immediately responded by launching a swarm of drones, which were intercepted by Israeli military Iran’s Supreme . Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel of a “bitter and painful” fate. Late in the evening, Israel launched a second wave of attacks targeting Tehran. Hours later, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles, forcing Israelis to rush to bomb shelters. Among those killed in the early-morning strikes were the country’s highest-ranking military official General Mohammad Bagheri, commander-inchief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps General Hossein Salami, deputy commander-inchief of the armed forces Gholamali Rashid, and Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who ran the missile programme. Iranian media put the total toll at 18. Israel said it deployed 200 aircraft to hit 100 targets, including Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz. Dozens of missile launchers and radar installations in western Iran were also destroyed in the attack, in which drones smuggled into the country were also used. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ruled out US involvement, while President Donald Trump blamed Iran for not taking the off-ramp he offered by restricting its nuclear programme. “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to make a deal... Today is day 61,” he wrote on Truth Social. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation. “Received a phone call from PM @netanyahu of Israel... I shared India’s concerns and emphasised the need for early restoration of peace and stability Modi wrote on X. ,” P9 (With inputs from Jayanth Jacob in New Delhi) Conflict escalates, so does tension among expatriates Si d d h a r d h a G at t i m i @ Hyderabad A cloud of unease has settled over the Indian communities in Iran and Israel following the fresh wave of Israeli airstrikes on Iran in the early hours of Friday The sound of distant . explosions has not only rattled Tehran but also the nerves of hundreds of Indian families whose loved ones are caught in this rising storm. Amid these tense developments, Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, vice-president of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) and representative of its Foreign Medical Students Wing, described an anxious dawn in Tehran. “Indian medical students there heard the blasts at 4 am and immediately reached out to me,” he told TNIE. “There are roughly 500 to 700 Indian medical students scattered across Iran. I’m in constant touch with the colleges and the families back home. Should matters spiral further out of control, evacuation plans will be set in motion in coordination with the concerned authorities.” But such an evacuation, Khan admitted, will not be without peril. As fears of Iranian retaliation gather force, Israel too has sealed its borders tighter. Airports have been shut, and emergency protocols have been triggered, said Israel Telangana Association president Soma Ravi.  continued on P5 express read DA for state government employees raised by 3.4% Hyderabad: The state govt on Friday issued orders increasing DA for its employees by 3.4%, in other words from 26.39% of basic pay to 30.03% of basic pay effective January 1, 2023. The revised DA will also be applicable to the employees of zilla and mandal parishads, GPs, municipalities, municipal corporations, agricultural market committees etc | P2 “Luckily, the portion where I was seated fell on the ground floor of the hostel after the crash. When I saw that the door broken, I saw an opportunity to escape,” says Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the lone survivor | P7 DNA test on, eight bodies handed over Only eight bodies have been identified and handed over to their families so far. Autopsies are on in full swing, while DNA sampling has been completed for at least 220 victims | P7 LIC eases norms on proof of death Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the site of the plane crash on Friday | PTI To mitigate hardships of claimants, LIC said any evidence in govt records of death of policyholder due to the air crash or any compensation paid by Central/state govt /airlines will be accepted as proof of death Ease insurance claim settlement: Govt Di pa k M o n d a l @ New Delhi The government has instructed insurance companies to ease the process of claim settlement for family members of the deceased in the air crash. A senior finance ministry official said instructions were sent to the insurance companies on Thursday night itself. “Right now it is time for mourning, and no one is thinking about the money However, the . claim settlement process will begin in 5-6 days,” he said. He, however, declined to give an exact estimate of the claims. “This is not something that we can estimate — individually passengers would have all kinds of insurance policies, therefore, it is difficult to make an insurance claims estimate,” said the official. The industry is looking at $150-200 mn in claims. “The hull agreed value of the aircraft would be roughly around $75-80 million, which will be covered under the Hull All Risk part of Insurance,” says Hitesh Girotra of Prudent Insurance Brokers. 571 new schools from this year, announces CM Express News Service @ Hyderabad Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy chairs a review meeting with officials of Education department at the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Hyderabad on Friday Stating that the aim was to improve standards in government schools and ensure that every student receives quality education, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday said that 571 new schools would be established across rural and urban areas this academic year in locations where there are more than 20 children. The chief minister took this decision during a review meeting on the Education department at the Integrated Command and Control Centre on Friday . Making it clear the government would allocate the re- Day scholars may get residential school facilities Observing that students were increasingly opting for residential schools due to the availability of quality meals, uniforms and textbooks, the chief minister ordered a study to explore the feasibility of offering similar facilities to day scholars in government schools. quired funds to provide infrastructure, teacher training and other necessary facilities in these schools, he said that a robust system should be developed to guarantee quality education for every student enrolled in state-run schools. Revanth suggested measures to improve teaching standards and proposed reforms to en- Rajnath Singh set to visit China on June 24-25 J AYANT H J ACOB & RA J ES H KUMAR T H AKUR @ New Delhi AS India and China work to stabilise relations and rebuild trust, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to the neighbouring country on June 24-25 — the first high-level Indian ministerial visit since the 2020 border standoff in Eastern Ladakh. This signals renewed momentum in India-China engagement, following disengagement along the Line of Actual Control and continuing efforts to normalise ties. Singh will take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation defence ministers’ meeting, where he may hold talks with Chinese defence minister Admiral Dong Jun. This will be Singh’s first visit to China as defence minister, though he had previously travelled there in his capacity as home minister. The Indian defence minister’s decision to visit China later this month reflects the intent of both nations to build mutual confidence and trust —Diplomatic sources Singh had last met Admiral Dong in Vientiane, Lao PDR, in November last year on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus. While Chinese foreign ministers have visited India twice since 2022, this marks the first reciprocal high-level visit from India. Diplomatic sources say Singh’s visit reflects the intent of both nations to build mutual confidence and advance the contacts following an understanding reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October last year. On Thursday Foreign Secre, tary Vikram Misri had held talks in New Delhi with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. The two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations since their last meeting in January and agreed to focus on “people-centric engagements” to stabilise and rebuild ties, the External Affairs Ministry said. The discussions covered a broad agenda including resumption of direct air services, visa facilitation, media and think-tank exchanges, and preparations for the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations. hance not only the language proficiency of students but also their skill development. He noted that the introduction of skill development courses at the high school level would help students pursue their interests in future careers. The chief minister instructed the Education department to coordinate with the Municipal Administration department to set up schools in areas identified for social infrastructure within HMDA and municipal layouts. He also called for the rationalisation of various educational institutions operating up to the Intermediate level under different categories such as SC, ST, BC and minorities, to ensure that each school maintains an adequate student strength. The chief minister added that counselling sessions highlighting the importance of family and society will instill a sense of responsibility and help children grow into mentally strong and responsible citizens. ACB summons KTR on Monday in E-Prix case antics won’t deter us. I have been summoned by the AntiCorruption Bureau to appear The Anti-Corruption Bureau for ‘investigation’ on Monday (ACB) has summoned BRS at 10 am, in Formula-E case working president KT Rama where Rs 44 crore was transRao to appear before it in con- ferred from Bank to Bank and nection with the Formula-E the money is very much in the race case on Monday . Account of FE. As a It may be recalled KTR booked for law-abiding citizen, I that the ACB had is- ‘defaming’ govt will attend and fully sued notices to Rama cooperate with the Cybercrime police Rao earlier, asking ACB officials! (sic)” booked KT Rama him to appear before Former minister T Rao for allegedly the agency on May 28. Harish Rao termed defaming the govt He, however, sought and promoting enmity the ACB notices as time to appear before nothing but political between different the agency as he was vendetta. groups | P4 going on a foreign Harish said that notrip. Rama Rao retices were issued to turned to Hyderabad six days Rama Rao as he was consistago. ently questioning the misdeeds Responding to the fresh no- of the Revanth Reddy governtices, Rama Rao took to X to ment. He also alleged that in post: “When you cannot run a the last 18 months, the Congovernment, keep people busy gress government had been enwith a circus and distractions! gaging in politics of diversion Congress and its clown CM’s to malign the BRS. Express News Service @ Hyderabad