THE Group of 20 nations adopted a consensus declaration at a summit on Saturday (9) that avoided condemnation of Russia for the war in Ukraine but called on all states to refrain from the use of force to seize territory.
Prime minister Narendra Modi of host India announced that the Leaders' Declaration had been adopted on the first day of the weekend summit.
The consensus came as a surprise as the group is deeply divided over the war in Ukraine, with Western nations earlier pushing for strong condemnation of Russia in the Leaders' Declaration, while other countries demanded a focus on broader economic issues.
There was no immediate reaction from most other members.
"We call on all states to uphold the principles of international law including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability," the declaration said.
"We ... welcome all relevant and constructive initiatives that support a comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine.
"The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible," the statement added.
The declaration also called for the implementation of the Black Sea initiative for the safe flow of grain, food and fertiliser from Ukraine and Russia.
Moscow pulled out of the agreement in July over what it called a failure to meet its demands to implement a parallel agreement easing rules for its own food and fertiliser exports.
"On the back of the hard work of all the teams, we have received consensus on the G20 Leaders Summit Declaration. I announce the adoption of this declaration," Modi told the leaders in New Delhi, including US president Joe Biden and heads of government and state from across the world.
The differing views on the war had prevented agreement on even a single communique at ministerial meetings during India's G20 presidency so far this year.
The declaration also said the group agreed to address debt vulnerabilities in low and middle-income countries "in an effective, comprehensive and systematic manner", but did not make any fresh action plan.
It said countries pledged to strengthen and reform multilateral development banks, while it accepted the proposal for tighter regulations of cryptocurrencies.
It also agreed that the world needs a total of $4 trillion of low-cost financing annually for the energy transition, with a high share of renewable energy in the primary energy mix.
The statement called for accelerating efforts towards a "phasedown of unabated coal power", but said this had to be done "in line with national circumstances and recognising the need for support towards just transitions".
Help from developing nations
India's G20 sherpa, the country representative to the bloc, said the host nation worked "very closely" with Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia to reach a consensus on the language on the war in Ukraine in the summit document.
India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said China, Russia's main major ally, was supportive of the outcome.
"Differing viewpoints and interests were at play, but we were able to find common ground on all issues," he told a press conference.
At the start of the day, Biden and other leaders were driven through deserted streets to a new, $300 million conch-shaped convention centre called Bharat Mandapam, opposite a 16th-century stone fort.
Many businesses, offices and schools have been closed in the city and traffic restricted as part of security measures to ensure the smooth running of the most high-powered meeting to be hosted by the country.
Modi inaugurated the meeting by calling on members to end a "global trust deficit" and announced that the bloc was granting permanent membership to the African Union in an effort to make it more representative.
Despite the compromise over the Leaders' Declaration, the summit had been expected to be dominated by the West and its allies. Chinese president Xi Jinping is skipping the meeting and has sent premier Li Qiang instead, while Russia's Vladimir Putin was also absent.
Biden, German chancellor Olaf Scholz, French president Emmanuel Macron, British prime minister Rishi Sunak, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman and Japan's Fumio Kishida, among others, are attending.
"It's incumbent upon the Chinese government to explain" why its leader would or would not participate, Jon Finer, the US deputy national security adviser, told reporters in Delhi.
Biden said on Saturday: "It would be nice to have him here but the summit is going well."
Finer said there was speculation that China is "giving up on G20" in favour of groupings like BRICS, where it is dominant.
BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and has agreed to add another six new members - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates - accelerating its push to reshuffle a world order it sees as outdated.
Russia is being represented by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who had said he would block the final declaration unless it reflected Moscow's position on Ukraine and other crises.
Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has left tens of thousands of dead, displaced millions and sown economic turmoil across the world. Moscow denies committing atrocities during its conflict with Ukraine, which it terms a "special operation" to "demilitarize" its neighbour.
A French diplomat involved in the talks said the communique was “very satisfactory”, and praised the language on the Ukraine war, especially the part that said nations should refrain from conquering territories by force.
“Only one country does that, it’s Russia. That will help us build consensus for later,” the French diplomat said.
In the absence of an agreement on the declaration, India would have had to issue a chair statement, which would mean that G20 for the first time in 20 years of summits would not have had a declaration.
Drivers are facing long delays on the M62 following a lorry crash near Warrington that led to a significant fuel spill on the carriageway.
The incident occurred when the lorry struck railings on a bridge on the A49 Newton Road, causing fuel to leak onto the motorway below. As a result, the M62 has been closed in both directions within junction 9, and the junction 8 eastbound entry slip road is also shut.
Cheshire Police said the motorway could remain closed for several hours. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
National Highways confirmed that traffic is being diverted via exit and entry slip roads. The agency is working to install a new barrier and repair damage caused by the fuel spill. No clear timeline has been provided for when the road will reopen.
Motorists are being advised to expect significant disruption. There are currently delays of up to 60 minutes eastbound and 20 minutes westbound, with congestion building in both directions.
Drivers are urged to avoid the area if possible and allow extra time for journeys while the clean-up and repairs continue.
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A view shows Air India flight AI 379 that had to make an emergency landing back at Phuket Airport, due to a note of a bomb threat discovered mid-air, in Phuket, Thailand, June 13, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)
AN AIR INDIA flight from Phuket, Thailand to New Delhi returned to the Thai island on Friday after a bomb threat was discovered on board, according to Thailand’s airports authority.
The flight had taken off from Phuket and was en route to India when the pilot reported a possible threat and made an emergency landing.
Airports of Thailand stated on its Phuket Facebook page that the pilot of the Airbus A320 informed air traffic control after a message indicating a bomb threat was found inside the aircraft.
"We received a report of a bomb threat written inside the aircraft's bathroom, so the pilot informed the control tower and decided to divert the flight to Phuket International Airport after circling to burn off fuel," said Monchai Tanode, director of Phuket International Airport, at a press conference.
"Police have brought in several suspects, but have not yet been able to identify who wrote the message," Monchai added.
According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the aircraft made a U-turn over the Andaman Sea shortly after takeoff, then circled repeatedly off Phuket’s coast before landing back at the airport.
The website showed that the flight departed again at 4:28 pm (0928 GMT), more than seven hours after its scheduled departure.
The incident took place a day after another Air India flight, bound for London, crashed in Ahmedabad, killing at least 265 people both on board and on the ground.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Debris of Air India flight 171 is pictured after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
INVESTIGATORS have recovered the black box from the site of Thursday’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad, where a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick airport went down shortly after takeoff, killing at least 265 people, including those on the ground.
The aircraft issued a mayday call shortly before crashing into a residential area around lunchtime. The plane had barely lifted 100 metres from the ground before it came down, with its tailpiece left protruding from the second floor of a hostel for medical staff from a nearby hospital.
Air India said the flight carried 242 people, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, one Canadian and 12 crew members. According to police, 265 bodies have been counted so far, including at least 24 on the ground. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as more remains are recovered.
Deputy commissioner of police Kanan Desai confirmed the body count on Friday. Home Minister Amit Shah said in a statement that the official death toll would be announced after DNA testing is completed. Samples will also be collected from family members living abroad, he added.
A formal investigation has been launched by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said. The probe will follow International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) protocols. He said a high-level committee comprising experts from multiple disciplines was also being set up to examine the incident and improve aviation safety.
Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy. pic.twitter.com/R7PPGGo6Lj — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 13, 2025
Prime minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, at the hospital. Ramesh, who was injured in the crash, said, “Initially, I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive.”
“Everything happened in front of me, and even I couldn’t believe how I managed to come out alive from that,” he added. “Within a minute after takeoff, suddenly... it felt like something got stuck... I realised something had happened, and then suddenly the plane’s green and white lights turned on.”
Eyewitnesses said the nose and front wheel of the aircraft landed on a canteen where students were having lunch. Search and rescue teams worked through the night to locate the black box flight recorders, which are expected to provide vital information about the plane’s final moments.
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has offered assistance to India, and the US National Transportation Safety Board will also help with the investigation. Boeing said it was supporting Air India and was “working to gather more information” on the crash.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Narendra Modi meets family members of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who died after an Air India plane carrying him and 241 others crashed in Ahmedabad. (@narendramodi via PTI Photo)
INDIA's prime minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to his longtime colleague Vijay Rupani, the former Gujarat chief minister who died in Thursday's (12) devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.
Speaking after meeting Rupani's family on Friday (13), Modi said it was "unimaginable" that his old friend was no longer with them.
"I've known him for decades. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, including during some of the most challenging times," the prime minister wrote on social media.
Modi described Rupani as "humble and hardworking, firmly committed to the party's ideology" and praised his rise through the ranks to serve as Gujarat's chief minister.
The 68-year-old BJP leader was among 242 people aboard the London-bound Air India flight that crashed into a medical college building moments after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon. Only one person survived the tragedy, which claimed 265 lives in total.
— (@)
Rupani was travelling to visit his daughter in London, where his wife Anjaliben was already staying. She returned to India on Friday morning.
The former chief minister had a peculiar connection to the crash date - he considered 1206 his lucky number and used it on all his vehicle registration plates throughout his career. The number has now become synonymous with his final journey on June 12 (12/6).
Rupani served as Gujarat's chief minister from August 2016 to September 2021, steering the state through challenging times including the Patidar community protests and the post-Covid recovery period. He stepped down in September 2021, making way for current chief minister Bhupendra Patel ahead of state elections.
FILE PHOTO: Vijay Rupani (L) with Narendra Modi (Photo: X/@narendramodi)
His political journey began in student activism with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad during his college days. In 1975, he was jailed for a year in Bhavnagar for protesting against the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi's government.
He entered public service in 1987 as a Rajkot Municipal Corporation councillor and later became mayor. Between 2006 and 2012, he served as a Rajya Sabha member before Modi appointed him chairman of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board.
As chief minister, Rupani launched the state Industrial Policy 2020 and championed tribal development initiatives. He was known for his composed manner and firm administrative style during his tenure.
After stepping down as chief minister, Rupani was appointed as the BJP's in-charge for Punjab, a role he held until his death.
The crash has sent shockwaves through Gujarat's political circles, where Rupani was respected across party lines for his dedication and service to the state over nearly three decades in public life.
(with inputs from PTI)
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Smoke rises from a location allegedly targeted in Israel's wave of strikes on Tehran, Iran, on early morning of June 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
ISRAEL carried out a series of airstrikes on Iran on Friday, targeting nearly 100 locations, including nuclear sites and military command centres. The strikes killed senior officials, including the armed forces chief and top nuclear scientists, according to Iranian reports.
In response, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel would face a "bitter and painful" outcome. The Iranian military said there would be "no limits" to its response.
Later, Israel’s military said Iran launched about 100 drones in retaliation. The Israeli air force intercepted them outside its territory.
Jordan said it intercepted drones and missiles that had crossed into its airspace, while air raid sirens were heard in the capital, Amman.
US president Donald Trump told Fox News he had prior knowledge of the Israeli strikes, which involved 200 fighter jets. Trump said Tehran "cannot have a nuclear bomb".
The United States said it was not involved in the Israeli strikes and warned Iran not to target US personnel or assets.
Tehran, however, said the United States would be "responsible for consequences", arguing that the operation "cannot have been carried out without the coordination and permission of the United States".
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes hit the "heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme", including the atomic site at Natanz. He also confirmed nuclear scientists were among those targeted.
Netanyahu said the operations would "continue as many days as it takes". The Israeli military claimed intelligence indicated Iran was nearing the "point of no return" in its nuclear development.
Iranian media said the strikes killed the country’s highest-ranking military officer, Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami.
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said, "The precise targeting of senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian military, and nuclear scientists — all of whom were involved in advancing the plan to destroy Israel — sends a strong and clear message: those who work toward Israel's destruction will be eliminated."
AFP photos showed a large hole in a residential high-rise in Tehran, appearing to have been hit in a targeted strike.
Iranian state media reported civilian deaths, including women and children. Tasnim news agency said six nuclear scientists were killed.
Flights suspended
In Tehran, streets were largely empty except for long queues at petrol stations.
Flights were halted at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran. Iraq and Jordan also closed their airspace and suspended flights.
Several Gulf airlines cancelled services to and from Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Israel declared a state of emergency and shut its airspace. Defence minister Katz said the country was prepared for Iran’s expected retaliation.
Later, Jordan’s military said it had used its aircraft and air defence systems to intercept "a number of missiles and drones that entered Jordanian airspace".
Iran’s armed forces said there were "no limits in responding to this crime" and accused Israel of crossing "all red lines".
Oil prices rose while global stocks fell following the Israeli strikes. The developments came after Trump’s warning of a "massive conflict" in the region.
Trump had earlier said the US was drawing down staff in the Middle East due to threats from Iran to target American bases if war broke out.
He had also said that a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme was "fairly close", but warned that an Israeli attack could jeopardise it.
Speaking about a conversation with Netanyahu, Trump said: "I don't want them going in, because I think it would blow it." He added, "Might help it actually, but it also could blow it."
‘Within reach’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran against targeting US bases in response to the Israeli strikes, reiterating that Washington was not involved.
Iran had earlier warned that it could strike US bases in the region if conflict broke out.
The violence has cast uncertainty on a sixth round of talks scheduled between the US and Iran in Oman on Sunday. Trump said the US still hopes to "get back to the negotiating table".
The UN’s nuclear watchdog confirmed that Natanz was among the sites targeted and said it was "closely monitoring" the situation.
"The agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country," said Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
‘Extremist’
Israel, which relies on US support, views Iran as an existential threat.
Netanyahu has said Israel will act with less restraint since the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas, which is backed by Tehran, and which triggered Israel’s large-scale operation in Gaza.
Since then, Iran and Israel have exchanged direct strikes for the first time.
In addition to Hamas, Israel has been fighting Iranian-backed groups Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen.
The United States, Israel, and Western allies have long accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which Iran has denied.
On Wednesday, the IAEA accused Iran of failing to meet its obligations. Israel renewed its call for international action.
Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami called the resolution "extremist", and Iran said it would start a new enrichment site in a secure location.
Iran is currently enriching uranium to 60 per cent — higher than the 3.67 per cent limit under the 2015 nuclear deal and near the 90 per cent level required for a nuclear weapon.