The Hindu Morning digest: June 25, 2025
Netanyahu declares ‘historic’ win, vows to campaign against Iran axis, Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday (June 25, 2025) that Israel had achieved a “historic” victory after agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran and insisted that his country’s arch-foe would never achieve a nuclear weapon. He also said that it must complete its campaign against Iran’s axis, defeat Hamas and bring about the return of all the hostages in Gaza. “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Mr. Netanyahu said after the ceasefire ended 12 days of deadly air and missile strikes between the arch foes. “We have thwarted Iran’s nuclear project. And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt,” he added.
Railways considers a marginal hike in fares from July 1
Train travel is likely to get slightly costlier from next month, with Indian Railways considering a hike in ticket prices from July 1 onwards. According to official sources, the passenger fare for non-AC Mail and Express trains will be hiked by one paisa per kilometre. Similarly, the fare hike for air-conditioned coaches will be two paise per kilometre. However, there will be no increase in fare for suburban tickets and monthly season tickets, nor will there be any fare hike for ordinary second class tickets up to 500 kilometres. “However, a hike is being considered for train tickets in Ordinary Second Class for a journey distance exceeding 500 km, at the rate of half a paise per km,” official sources added.
Had invited Rahul Gandhi for talks on voter roll issue, says Election Commission
On a day when Rahul Gandhi demanded the immediate release of machine-readable digital voter rolls as well as CCTV footage of the last Maharashtra Assembly election, the Election Commission of India said that it had invited the Leader of Opposition for an interaction on the issue 10 days ago but has not received any response. “We presume that any issue regarding conduct of elections would have already been raised through election petitions filed in the competent court of law by the [Indian National Congress] INC candidates. However, if you still have any issues, you are welcome to write to us and the Commission is also willing to meet you in person at a mutually convenient date and time to discuss all issues. A convenient date and time may be communicated in this regard,” the letter said.
Pahalgam attackers not locals; probably got shelter by ‘coercion’: CM Omar Abdullah
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) that none of the attackers involved in the Pahalgam terror attack were locals, and those who allegedly provided shelter “probably did so under duress”. Mr. Abdullah, who attended a function to promote tourism in Gulmarg, said, “There was no local involvement in the Pahalgam incident. The people who shot and killed those 26 persons were all outsiders.” He added, “If they (locals) helped the attackers, it was not of their own will. Coercion in such situations cannot be ruled out.”
Rajya Sabha verifying signatures for Allahabad High Court judge Shekhar Yadav’s removal notice
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has verified the signatures of 44 out of the 55 Members of Parliament who endorsed a notice seeking the removal of Allahabad High Court judge Shekhar Yadav for his alleged “hate speech”, while senior advocate Kapil Sibal and nine other MPs are yet to complete the verification process. Mr. Sibal, who has vocally demanded early action on the motion, claimed he had not received any communication from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. However, the Secretariat has maintained that emails were sent to his official address on three occasions over the past six months.
Emergency was bid to end multi-party democracy, says Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) that a country cannot develop if it is made to follow a single ideology or a single leader and leaves no scope for diverse opinions and ideas. He added that the foundations of democracy are so deep in India that if any dictator tries to shake it, he will do nothing but ruin his future. Speaking at an event marking 50 years after the Emergency, Mr. Shah said that was the name of the “conspiracy” to convert a multi-party democracy into a “dictatorship by one person”, which was strongly opposed by many people at that time, even at the cost of personal loss. It was not a result of circumstances and compulsion but a product of dictatorial mentality and hunger for power, he said.
Israel-Iran ceasefire is in effect, declares Trump, after rebuking both sides
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was “in effect”, after the truce, which he announced early morning, seemed to be unravelling following accusations of violations from both sides, prompting Mr. Trump to curse them and issue a rare public demand to Israel to stand down. The day witnessed dramatic developments as both Israel and Iran carried out massive strikes against each other in the final hours before the intended start of a 7 a.m. ceasefire (Doha time), announced by Mr. Trump. The Israeli Defence Forces said it struck eight Iranian ballistic missile launchers in western Iran. Tehran fired at least 20 ballistic missiles in six barrages, which started at 5 a.m. local time. Four people were killed and at least 22 others injured in Iran’s missile attacks.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy-Donald Trump meeting planned on June 25: Ukraine presidency
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump are planning to meet on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, a senior source in the Ukrainian presidency told AFP. The war-time leader has been a central figure at recent summits but given his fractious relationship with Mr. Trump, Mr. Zelenskyy has not been invited to the main working session with NATO members. “The teams are finalising the details” of the meeting, the source told AFP, adding that the talks were scheduled for the “early afternoon” in the Netherlands.
Shun double standards in combating terroism: NSA Doval at SCO meet in China
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) called for shunning double standards in combating terrorism and urged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to hold accountable perpetrators, organisers and financers of cross-border terrorism, seen as reference to Pakistan. The NSA conveyed India’s deep concern over continued threat from UN-proscribed terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Al Qaeda, ISIS and its affiliates. More importantly, Mr. Doval highlighted the need to shun “double standards” in the fight against terror.
U.S. strikes didn’t ‘totally destroy’ Iran’s nuclear sites: U.S. intelligence report
A new U.S. intelligence report found that Iran’s nuclear programme has been set back only a few months after a U.S. strike and was not “completely and fully obliterated” as President Donald Trump has said, according to two people familiar with the early assessment. The early intelligence report issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency on Monday (June 23, 2025) contradicts statements from Mr. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The people were not authorised to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. According to the people, the report found that while the Saturday (June 21, 2025) strikes at the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites did significant damage, they were not totally destroyed.
Israel kills 40 in further Gaza bloodshed after reaching truce with Iran
Israeli forces killed at least 40 Palestinians in Gaza and ordered new evacuations on Tuesday (June 24, 2025), local medics and residents said, in further bloodshed shortly after Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in their air war. The Israel-Iran deal announced by U.S. President Donald Trump raised hopes among Palestinians of an end to over 20 months of war in Gaza that has widely demolished the territory and displaced most residents, with malnutrition widespread. Marwan Abu Naser, of the Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat in central Gaza, said it had received 19 dead and 146 injured from crowds who tried to reach a nearby aid distribution centre of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
China’s Xi urges Singapore leader to jointly resist ‘hegemony’
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Singapore’s Prime Minister to join the fight against “hegemony” and protectionism in trade as they met in Beijing on Tuesday (June 24, 2025). Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s first official visit to China lasts until Thursday. He met Mr. Xi on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) morning at Beijing’s opulent Great Hall of the People, with the Chinese leader urging their two countries to work to “stand on the right side of history and on the side of fairness and justice”, according to state broadcaster CCTV. He told Mr. Wong that “the world cannot return to hegemony or be dragged back to the law of the jungle”, a veiled swipe at the United States, after President Donald Trump launched a barrage of tariffs this year on countries including China and Singapore.
EPFO raises auto-settlement limit for advance claims for members to ₹5 lakh
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has enhanced the auto-settlement limit for advance claims from ₹1 lakh at present to ₹5 lakh. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told reporters here on Tuesday that the move would help lakhs of EPFO members to receive funds faster, especially in times of urgent need. The Minister said the EPFO had first introduced auto-settlement of advance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide quick financial assistance to members. “Since then, the facility has been extended to cover advance claims for illness, education, marriage, and housing purposes. These claims are processed automatically by the system without any human involvement, ensuring quick turnaround and transparency,” he said.
Ind vs Eng, Headingley Test | Duckett dazzles as England pulls off a famous win
Like a masterful slow-burn novel that would catch fire spectacularly towards the climax, the first England-India Test witnessed a blockbuster finish on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) as Ben Stokes and his men chased down a 371-run target with five wickets to spare and went 1-0 up in the series. Day five at Headingley was supposed to be marred by rain but it ended under blue skies and a dash of late-evening sunshine. In this setting, talisman Joe Root shimmered, scoring 53 nerveless, unbeaten runs (84b, 6×4), and combining for an unbroken 71-run partnership with Jamie Smith (44 n.o., 55b, 4×4, 2×6) to hand India a chastening defeat that will lead to a lot of soul-searching.
Neeraj Chopra emerges winner at Golden Spike meet, joins coach Zelezny among title winners
Indian javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra on Tuesday (June 25, 2025) clinched the title at the Golden Spike meet in his maiden appearance, his back-to-back win in a top-class competition. Fresh from his Paris Diamond League win on June 20, Chopra emerged on top in a nine-man field in Ostrava, though with a modest effort of 85.29m in the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event. Douw Smit of South Africa was second with his second-round throw of 84.12m while two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada was third with his opening attempt of 83.63m.
Published – June 25, 2025 06:42 am IST
