Evening news wrap: Israel carries out massive overnight airstrikes in Iran by deploying 60 fighter jets; Ax‑4 mission delayed again, no new launch date announced; & more
photo/agencies
Today's top 5 news developments include the latest developments between Iran and Israel as tensions escalates in the middle east, the delay of the Ax-4 mission and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
's recent rally in Bihar.
The tensions in the middle-east are continuously rising. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Friday conducted extensive overnight strikes on numerous military targets within Iran.
The axiom 4 mission set to carry India's group captain
Shubhanshu Shukla
and three other members to space has been delayed again.
PM Narendra Modi visited Bihar's Siwan and inaugurated multiple development projects. He even addressed the public.
Israel carries out massive overnight airstrikes in Iran by deploying 60 fighter jets
In a highly coordinated operation on the night of June 20, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a sweeping airstrike campaign using around 60 fighter jets to strike strategic military and nuclear-related sites across Iran.
The planned offensive specifically hit the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), a facility believed to be pivotal in Iran's nuclear weapons development.
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Ax‑4 mission delayed again, no new launch date announced
The Axiom‑4 mission set to carry India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and crew from Poland and Hungary to the ISS has been postponed once more. The launch was postponed so NASA, Axiom Space and
SpaceX
can further inspect and ensure the readiness of the ISS following repairs on its Zvezda service module.
Flight teams say the crew remains in quarantine in Florida and is prepared to launch, with hopes to still meet the late‑June window which runs until June 30 but no fix date has been confirmed.
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PM Modi flags off Vande Bharat express, launches ₹9,500 crore projects in Bihar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Siwan, Bihar, on June 20 where he launched development projects worth over ₹9,500 crore. These included sewage treatment works under Namami Gange, rural water supply projects, solar energy and power storage facilities, and housing schemes.
He also flagged off a new Vande Bharat Express between Patliputra and Gorakhpur and unveiled India's first export-bound locomotive.
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Air India fare drops after Boeing 787 crash
Air India has slashed fares by up to 24% on both domestic and international routes following the June 12 crash of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Travel platform ixigo data shows major declines in fare prices.
Air India is inspecting its entire fleet of 33 Dreamliner aircraft, following a directive from the civil aviation regulator.
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India and England cricketers pay tribute to Ahmedabad Air crash victims
During the first Test between India and England, both teams observed a minute's silence and wore black armbands to honor those who died in the recent Ahmedabad air crash.
The tribute took place before the start of the match, showing solidarity with the victims and their families. Indian vice-captain
Rishabh Pant
said the team hopes to bring some happiness to the nation through their performance.
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Trump says it's hard to ask Israel to stop Iran strikes
New York: US President Donald Trump said that it will be difficult to request Israel stop its airstrikes in Iran, even as he pursues a diplomatic solution to end the conflict. Trump made the remarks to reporters in New Jersey, where he attended a fundraiser at his golf course, Xinhua news agency reported quoting local media. Trump also dismissed European efforts to engage diplomatically with Iran. "They didn't help... Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help on this one." Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said she "can't speculate" on whether the Trump administration will press for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel to allow US-Iran nuclear talks to move forward. "I'm not going to characterize what's happening now, or the reaction by the president or the secretary of state to what those negotiations might be," Bruce said at a news briefing Friday. Meanwhile, The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has announced that over 35 missile storage and launch facilities in the Tiberias and Kermanshah areas of Iran have been destroyed in attacks conducted by more than 25 Israeli Air Force fighter jets on Friday morning. "This morning, the Air Force completed a wave of attacks against military targets of the Iranian regime in areas such as Kermanshah and Tiberias in Iran, with precise intelligence guidance from the Intelligence Branch. As part of the wave of attacks, more than 25 fighter jets attacked more than 35 missile storage and launch facilities in the Tiberias and Kermanshah areas of Iran," the IDF said in a post on X. The IDF also mentioned that the Israeli Air Force attacked several Iranian missile systems and radar installations in the areas of Isfahan and Tehran, which intended to target its aircraft and disrupt their operations.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
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Axiom-4 put off again, ISRO decides to recall Group Captains Shukla, Nair
BENGALURU: Two days before the scheduled launch of the much-awaited Axiom-4 (Ax-4) Space Mission on June 22, Axiom Space on Friday announced its indefinite postponement. Axiom Space, which is spearheading the 14-day Ax-4 Space Mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with four astronauts from the US, India, Poland and Hungary, has not given the next launch date. Following this, the Indian Space Research Organisation decided to recall Ax-4 mission pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and reserve crew member Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair. 'NASA has made the decision to stand down from a launch on Sunday, June 22, and will target a new launch date in the coming days. The space agency (NASA) needs additional time to continue evaluating International Space Station operations after recent repair work in the aft (back) most segment of the orbital laboratory's Zvezda service module. Because of the space station's interconnected and interdependent systems, NASA wants to ensure the station is ready for additional crew members, and the agency is taking the time necessary to review the data,' an Axiom Space statement read. The $64 million space mission is a multi-agency collaboration, involving Axiom Space, ISRO, NASA and European Space Agency (ESA). 'The (Indian) astronauts will be returning. There are many technical issues that need to be addressed before the mission is launched,' said a senior ISRO scientist. Shukla and Nair are among the four Indian astronauts selected for India's first manned space mission, Gaganyaan, scheduled to be launched some time in 2027. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the Ax-4 mission delays will have no impact on the Gaganyaan mission, which, he said, is progressing as per schedule.
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Cabin crew sacking: Trouble brews for Air India amid CBI probe demand
New Delhi: Air India, currently reeling under the devastating AI 171 Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash that killed at least 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew members, on Friday faced more heat as the Aviation Industry Employees' Guild (AIEG) demanded a CBI probe into the sacking of two cabin crew members by the airline for reporting a technical fault in the aircraft last year. AIEG General Secretary, George Abraham, told IANS that they have demanded a CBI probe into the sacking of two cabin crew members, as this move, after pressure on them by Air India to change their statements after reporting a technical fault in the Dreamliner 787 aircraft, is a very serious matter. "This poses a threat to the safety of the aviation sector. We have also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a fair probe into the matter," Abraham said. He further stated that on May 14, 2024, after the Air India flight from Mumbai to London reached its destination, the slide rafts opened in manual mode due to a technical fault in the door of the aircraft. According to Abraham, the slide rafts are activated only when the plane is in automatic mode. The pilot and the entire cabin crew had also admitted the technical fault in the plane in their initial statements, but due to alleged pressure from the airline's management, the statement was later changed. Abraham said that to suppress the technical fault in the plane, the Air India management allegedly pressured these people to change their statement, and when they refused, both these crew members were fired from their jobs. Speaking to IANS, Abraham further said that due to the seriousness of the matter, both these crew complained about the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the regulator called them to Delhi and heard the whole matter and talked about conducting an "informal investigation". However, eight months have passed, but no result of the "informal investigation" has come out, he noted. According to Abraham, after the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash, the attention of the government and the people is back on this issue. "This is why we have raised it once again and written a letter to PM Modi. We hope that this investigation will be expedited," he said. In a statement to IANS, the airline on Friday said that the "said cabin crew members were terminated for their misconduct and behaviour and continuing to falsify critical information during the course of an investigation". "The said investigation was launched after an emergency slide was activated while opening the aircraft door post landing," said Air India. Slide rafts deploy when a door is opened in "armed" or "automatic mode". The crew alleged the Dreamliner's door had malfunctioned as the slide raft deployed, though the door was opened in the "manual mode". The incident is reported to have occurred on May 14 last year, after the Mumbai-London flight AI-129 docked at Heathrow airport and the passengers disembarked. The two former senior cabin crew members have written to PM Modi, alleging they were wrongfully terminated last year after raising an alarm over technical issues in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
