vijayawada l saturday l june 14, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 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 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 U.S. Dialogue is the only solution, says India ■ India’s Permanent Representative to UN, Parvathaneni Harish, said 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 Lone survivor found some space, escaped D i l i p S i n g h K s hat r i ya 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 mourn at a hospital in Cockpit Voice Retorate 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. @ 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 en 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 P9 of peace and stability Modi wrote on X. ,” (With inputs from Jayanth Jacob in New Delhi) SC grants bail to Kommineni in vile remarks case S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to 70-year-old senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, whom the Andhra Pradesh police arrested after a panellist made disparaging remarks against Amaravati women during a debate hosted by him on a ver nacular TV channel. The bench, however, has imposed certain conditions on Rao, including that he should not make any derogatory statements on his show or allow anyone else to make the same. The top court’s two-judge vacation bench on Friday passed the order after hearing Rao’s plea challenging his arrest. Rao moved the top court seeking release. A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan, directed the release of Rao, who was arrested on June 9, after noting that he did not make the statement on his show and it was one of the panellists who made the alleged derogaP4 tory remarks.  Crude OIL Prices soar over Israel-Iran tension Brent Crude oil prices shot up 13% to $77.77 per barrel, on the back of escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran which could disrupt global oil supplies | P10 “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 Ease insurance claim settlement: Govt D i pak M on d al @ 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. Rajnath Singh set to visit China on June 24-25 J AYA N T H J A C O B & R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ 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 highlevel 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 Sec, retary 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 “peoplecentric 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. WEF to set up Energy, Cybersecurity Centre in AP E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada In a significant step towards positioning Andhra Pradesh as a global hub for innovation and sustainable development, the State government has partnered with the World Economic Forum to set up the WEF - Andhra Pradesh Centre for Energy and Cyber Resilience in Amaravati. This initiative is a part of the government’s broader “Swarnandhra Vision 2047”. The State government on Thursday issued an which outlines the establishment of this pioneering Centre under the WEF’s global Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Network. It will be India’s first thematic centre on energy transition and green industries, in collaboration with WEF’s Centre for Energy and Materials (CENMAT) and AI-led digital transformation and Cybersecurity, in collaboration with WEF’s Centre for Cybersecurity. The initiative follows meetings with WEF at Davos and would position Ama- ravati as India’s leading centre on green energy sustainability , and cybersecurity . The project is being spearheaded by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and IT Minister Nara Lokesh, with the goal of boosting Andhra Pradesh’s international presence and attracting investments in clean energy, AI, and digital infrastructure. The key objectives of the Centre are to raise Andhra Project aims to boost investments in AI, green energy The project is being spearheaded by CM Chandrababu Naidu and IT Minister Lokesh, with the goal to boost AP’s international presence and attracting investments in clean energy and AI & digital infrastructure. 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 Pradesh’s global profile and build international partnerships, support the growth of green industries and improve cybersecurity implement pilot , projects in clean energy smart , grids, and use of AI in areas like farming and governance, train people in cybersecurity and new technologies, and connect the State with global platforms like the WEF’s Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos. The state government has sanctioned `36 crore for a period of three years to support the Centre’s activities. The Centre will be governed by a highlevel committee chaired by the HRD & IT Minister Nara Lokesh, a release said. “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. Lokesh dares YSRCP to prove diversion of Talliki Vandanam funds E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The government is fully prepared to implement the Talliki Vandanam scheme for all eligible students across the state, said Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh. Speaking to the media on Friday, Lokesh announced that `8,745 crore has been credited to bank accounts of mothers of 67.27 lakh students. He assured that payments would also be made to mothers of Class 1 and Intermediate first-year students. For orphans, he clarified that funds would be deposited in collectors’ accounts after revalidation. Lokesh stated that all eligible beneficiaries will receive the amount by Monday Those who . did not receive payments can file complaints at Grama Sachivalayam (GSWS) or through the ManaMitra WhatsApp service by June 26, and their issues will be resolved promptly . Highlighting the scheme’s impact, Lokesh said 30 lakh BC, 12 lakh SC, 4.26 lakh ST, 66,000 minority and 8.5 lakh EBC stu, dents would benefit from Talliki Vandanam, a key promise All eligible beneficiaries will receive Talliki Vandanam amount by Monday. Those who did not receive money can file complaints. We’ll resolve them Nara Lokesh, IT & HRD Minister in the coalition government’s six-point election agenda. Comparing it with previous government, he noted that the YSRCP had covered 42 lakh students under Amma Vodi with `5,540 cr, whereas the current government reached 67.27 lakh students with ` 8,745 crore. Lokesh also warned the YSRCP to delete a defamatory social media post alleging that `2,000 from each individual beneficiary was diverted to his personal account. “If it is not removed, I will pursue legal action,” he said. | P4 express read Four killed as APSRTC bus collides with truck Chittoor: Four passengers from Chittoor district lost their lives in a ghastly road accident that occurred in the early hours of Friday at Hoskote in Karnataka, when an APSRTC bus collided with a truck as the driver attempted to overtake the vehicle at Gottipura Gate in Hoskote taluk India offers to defuse Israel-Iran tension New Delhi: Amid rising tensions in West Asia following Israel air strikes on Iran, India on Saturday expressed deep concern over the evolving situation and called upon both sides to exercise restraint and avoid escalation. India urged both the nations to step back and return to diplomatic channels | P7