13062026-TTC-01.qxd 6/13/2026 12:37 AM Page 1 13 S KOREA EX-PREZ GETS 30-YEAR JAIL WORLD /thetribunechd CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 162 | 20 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 saturday | 13 june 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Three of family killed in Delhi building fire NEW DELHI: Three members of a family were killed and two others were critically injured after a fire broke out in a fivestorey residential building in southeast Delhi’s Govindpuri area on Friday. The police said a rescue operation was launched soon after the incident was reported. The blaze is said to have caused by a short circuit. — TNS THE TRILLION DOLLARMAN $1,000,000,000,000 JUNE 12, 2026 NEW DELHI: Retail inflation inched up to 3.93 per cent in May from 3.48 per cent in the preceding month due to higher food prices, as the impact of rising global energy prices began to affect domestic fuel rates, impacting input costs. Experts say inflation remains moderate, even though global headwinds escalated. — TNS Elon Musk’s wealth equals Switzerland’s GDP, half of Australia’s and a quarter of India’s SpaceX lists on Nasdaq at $150/share, making Musk the world’s 1st trillionaire JUNE 2026 FEBRUARY 2026 ■ Buy entire annual output of around 175-177 countries $800 bn ■ Acquire Reliance Ind (valued $1 tn, if stacked together in $100 notes, would stretch miles into space at $200 bn) five times over ■ Give every person on DECEMBER 15, 2025 Earth over ~11,400 $600 bn ■ Build 650 Burj Khalifas OCTOBER 2025 ($1.5 bn/unit) $700 bn $500 bn DECEMBER 2024 $400 bn NOVEMBER 2021 $300 bn SEPTEMBER 2021 $200 bn AUGUST 2020 $100 bn Cockroach protest in Amritsar today AMRITSAR: After holding protests in Delhi, Pune and Lucknow, Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke said the next demonstration would be held in Amritsar. Dipke, in a social media post, said the CJP would be holding a peaceful protest at the Amritsar Golden Gate at 4 pm on Saturday. — TNS COMPILED BY GAGANDEEP ARORA THE PILLARS OF MUSK’S FORTUNE COMPANY SpaceX + Starlink + X Tesla Neuralink The Boring Co MARKET VALUE $2 tn $1.47 tn $9.65 bn $5-7 bn MUSK’S STAKE 42% worth $840 bn 20.3% worth $298bn 40-50% worth $5 bn 75-80% worth $4 bn Govt likely to redefine ‘urban’ in new Census SCbinsNatarajan’s RSnominationplea Manikant Mishra New Delhi, June 12 The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s petition challenging the rejection of her nomination from Madhya Pradesh for the June 18 Rajya Sabha poll. A Bench of Justice PK Mishra and Justice AS Meenakshi Chandurkar, Natarajan, Cong however, said she was free to file an election petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. All three BJP candidates for the Rajya Sabha from the state were declared elected unopposed on Thursday. “However erroneous the decision may be, once a nomination is rejected, the remedy ordinarily lies elsewhere. Is there any judgment of this court where we have continued on page 6 Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 12 The Centre is likely to change the definition of ‘urban’ in Census 2027 as India’s next urban transition may not be taking place inside its cities. With rapid urbanisation, a discussion is going on whether the traditional definition of urban India still reflects the realities on the ground. The discussion centres on a growing category of settlements that are neither fully rural nor formally urban, but increasingly display characteristics of both. A senior Union Urban Ministry official said, “These are the times when there are chances that the government would want to change the definition of what is urban because the time has changed and demography has changed.” The question has acquired greater significance at a time MEA again summonsUS envoy for attacks on ships with Indian crew After American military admits to strikes, Trump shifts blame on Iran Ujwal Jalali What Musk can do with $1 trillion $900 bn DECEMBER 19, 2025 Retail inflation rises marginally to 3.93% DWARFS ECONOMIES $1 TRILLION when economic activity, mobility and infrastructure needs are expanding beyond municipal boundaries. Settlements on the outskirts of major cities, along industrial corridors and around emerging economic hubs are witnessing changes once associated only with urban centres. Residents work in manufacturing, services and logistics, travel daily to nearby cities and depend on transport, housing, sanitation and digital connectivity that mirror urban requirements. Yet many continue to be governed as rural areas. India’s census classifies urban areas as either statutory towns, which are governed by urban local bodies, or census towns that meet specified thresholds relating to population, density and non-agricultural employment. While these categories have long guided continued on page 6 Satya Prakash Tribune News Service IRAN ASKS WORLD TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 12 India on Friday summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time and lodged a strong protest over continuing attacks by American naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners in the Gulf of Oman, incidents that have already claimed the lives of three Indians. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said a “strong protest was conveyed to Meeks” during the meeting with the Additional Secretary (Americas). Friday’s démarche marks the second time in last three days that the US envoy was summoned over attacks on merchant vessels in the Gulf of Oman. Iran too accused the US of carrying out “brutal attacks” on Indian vessels that claimed the lives of three sailors. It urged the international community to hold Washington accountable for “lawless conduct threatening global peace and freedom of navigation”. Even as India and Iran blamed the US forces for the attacks, President Donald Trump sought to pin Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei alleged that the attacks were further proof of America’s “ongoing policy of armed robbery and state piracy”. Iran urged the international community to hold the US accountable for “lawless conduct”. << US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks leaves the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. ANI COMPROMISED PM CAN’T PROTECT INDIANS A compromised PM cannot protect Indians because ❝lacks both courage and strength to show anger to he those who took away their lives. Rahul Gandhi, LOK SABHA LoP responsibility on Tehran. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “Their totally rebuffed drone attack last night against Indian ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz is totally unacceptable. They (Iran) better get their act together, and fast!” The remarks came despite the US military itself having publicly acknowledged attacking the Guinea Bissauflagged oil tanker MT Jalveer (in which three Indians died) at 11.20 pm ET on June 10 after the vessel allegedly violated the blockade by attempting to transport Iranian oil. The contradiction is likely to add to questions surrounding responsibility for the attacks. The MEA on Friday expressed “deep concern over the use of lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping” and said such actions were “unacceptable” Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 12 For several students, securing admission to an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is a dream. For Harpreet Kaur, daughter of a daily wage labourer, that dream has come true. The bright student from a financially weak family was struggling to arrange the admission fee required to secure her seat at the IIT, Guwahati, until help arrived. Harpreet has been selected for BSc (Hons) in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the IIT, Guwahati. She had to deposit an admission fee of Rs 50,000 by June 16, but her family was unable to arrange the amount. Harpreet scored 94 per cent marks in Class X in 2023 and over 90 per cent in Class XII in 2025 from Government Senior Secondary Residential Meritorious School and is a resident of the Sahnewal area. Despite financial hardships, she continued to excel Harpreet Kaur in academics and remained determined to pursue higher education. After completing her schooling, she appeared for the TechBee selection as these undermined “the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time”. The US diplomat was also asked to convey India’s concerns to Washington and ensure that the US forces operating in the region took all necessary measures to prevent further loss of civilian life. The latest diplomatic protest came a day after another commercial vessel carrying 20 Indian crew members came under attack. The crew members are understood to be safe. The incident followed an earlier attack on a merchant vessel in which three Indian seafarers, initially reported missing, were later confirmed dead. Their deaths marked the first known Indian fatalities linked to the escalating maritime crisis in the region. The attacks have heightened concerns in New Delhi over the safety of thousands of Indian seafarers employed aboard merchant ships traversing the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade corridors. Shootinglegend& coachJaspalRana passesawayat49 New Delhi, June 12 Jaspal Rana, one of India’s finest pistol shooters who made a hugely successful transition to coaching and guided Manu Bhaker to epoch-making twin bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, has died at a mere 49 years of age after battling cardiac complications. Rana is survived by his wife Reena Rana, daughter Devanshi, son Yuvraj, father Narayan Singh Rana and his two siblings, Sushma Singh and Subhash Rana. National Rifle Association of India president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo said Rana breathed his last on Thursday night at Delhi’s Max Super Speciality Hospital where he was admitted in a critical condition on June 1. His last rites would be conducted in Varanasi on Saturday. The pistol ace was a prodigal talent and won his first national level gold at just 12 years of age. He was conferred the prestigious Dronacharya Award in 2020. OBITUARY, SPORT Trump claims ‘great deal’ but TMC rebels set to meet , Iran says no final approval yet Speaker for ‘recognition’; Dieselsalecappedat 200 lt/vehicle a day Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 12 President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that the US had reached a “great deal” with Iran, asserting that his nation had secured “everything” it wanted and that Tehran would be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons. However, Iran maintained that the proposed agreement had yet to receive final approval, underscoring persistent differences between the two sides. Speaking amid expectations that a breakthrough could be formalised soon, Trump said the understanding with Iran represented a major diplomatic success and insisted that the central objective of the negotiations had been achieved. “The big thing is there will be no nuclear weapons in Iran. Donald Trump That means not developed and not purchased,” Trump said, adding that the US had “got everything” it sought from the talks. Reports said Trump expected the agreement to be signed in Europe as early as this weekend. But Tehran struck a more cautious note, indicating that key issues remained unresolved. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the draft text of the proposed agreement had not yet been finalised and still required continued on page 6 New Delhi: The government has capped diesel sales to a vehicle in a day at 200 litres and restricted industrial, commercial and institutional users from buying petrol and diesel from petrol pumps in a bid to prevent local shortages amid global supply disruption, according to an official notification. The curbs, which will be in place for up to 90 days, follows abnormal demand, particularly that of diesel, in some pockets after bulk users started buying fuel from petrol pumps due to the pricing difference. While diesel at petrol pumps costs Rs 95.20 a litre in Delhi, bulk sales are priced at Rs 134.50. Any violation would be subject to penalties under the Essential Commodities Act. — TNS Financial help pours in as Ludhiana daily wager’s NEET window widened daughter makes AI course cut at IIT-Guwahati as govt warns disruptors Sukhpreet Singh EAM CALLS OUT US ON RUSSIAN OIL BACK PAGE process, which included a written examination, interviews and group discussions. She successfully cleared all stages and secured a place in the programme. Her father works as a farm labourer while her mother is a homemaker. The family’s monthly income is nearly Rs 10,000, making it difficult for them to bear the admission expenses and support a family of six. The family consists of her parents and three continued on page 6 c m y b Aksheev Thakur Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 12 The Centre on Friday warned that if anyone tries to disrupt the scheduled NEET reexamination, slated for June 21, they will face the “full might of the law”. This came as the National Testing Agency (NTA) extended the examination window by 15 minutes — from 2 pm to 5.15 pm — for mandatory formalities such as signing of attendance sheets and other invig- 15 extra minutes, more space for rough work ilation procedures. Reviewing the preparedness for the re-examination at a meeting with the NTA Director General, Cabinet Secretary Dr TV Somanathan emphasised the need to ensure a smooth, transparent and secure conduct of the re-examination through close coordination among all stakeholders. continued on page 6 Yusuf among signatories Rinku Behera Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 12 A letter purportedly signed by rebel All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MPs and sent to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was made public on Friday. The letter, dated May 18, reportedly bears the signatures of 19 of the party’s 20 Lok Sabha MPs, including Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Yusuf Pathan and Saayoni Ghosh. One of the dissident MPs Jagadish Barma Basunia asserted that the letter was authentic. He added that the group would meet the Lok Sabha Speaker on Monday to seek recognition as the “real” TMC faction. According to the letter, Kakoli Ghosh is described as “chief whip”. It may be recalled that TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had replaced her with Kalyan Banerjee as the party’s Lok Sabha chief whip. Mamata had also written to the Speaker on May 20 informing him of the decision. The other rebel MPs who have reportedly signed the letter are Bapi Haldar, Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Jagadish Barma Basunia, Asit Kumar Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari, June Malia and Partha Bhowmick. Meanwhile, sources in Mamata Banerjee’s office dismissed the letter as “fake” and blamed the Letter ‘signed’ by 19 MPs triggers fresh trouble as Trinamool calls it fake BJP for the development. They alleged that the BJP could “go to any extent” to weaken the party. Speaking to the media, Jagadish Barma Basunia said 19 MPs had already signed the letter and that the number could rise as more members were expected to join. He also held party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee responsible for the situation. He dismissed allegations levelled by TMC MP Kirti Azad that pressure had been exerted on MPs, saying the decision was deliberate. He added that people had elected them to work for development and, if they were unable to do so, there was no point in remaining MPs. Meanwhile, Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra termed the rebel members “traitors” and said they “don’t know the law”. Stating that they lacked a proper understanding of constitutional provisions relating to splits and separate blocs, Moitra said: “Traitor TMC lawmakers don’t know law. The Constitution (91st Amendment) Act, 2003, removed the provision for a split or separate bloc. The number of MPs is irrelevant — two-thirds of the original political party has to merge with another party. All 19 traitors need to resign and contest on a BJP ticket.” So far, three Rajya Sabha members — Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, continued on page 6