India news: FM blasts Europe criticism of buying Russian oil

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has issued an update on its investigation into the Air India Flight AI-171 crash, a year to the day after 260 people were killed as the flight from Ahmedabad to London came down.

The Boeing 787 crashed shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport; only one person survived the deadliest plane crash in a decade. 

The AAIB said investigators had undertaken "an extensive and rigorous examination of all relevant technical, operational, organizational and human factors associated with the accident." 

It said that "significant progress has been made in the examination and analysis of aircraft systems, flight recorder data, engine-related components, maintenance and operational records, and other evidence relevant to the investigation." 

It said that the evidence gathered was still being analyzed and that a final report would be released once all investigative activities were complete and international processes had been met. It did not specify when or imply that the release was imminent, as had previously been reported.

The AAIB also issued a reminder that the "sole purpose" of such investigations was to "enhance aviation safety through the identification of lessons and safety recommendations, and not to apportion blame or liability," asking all stakeholders, including the media, and the public to refrain from speculation or premature conclusions. 

Families and loved ones of those killed gathered at the crash site on Friday to mark the anniversary of the disaster, placing tributes and engaging in group prayer. In all, 241 people were killed on board along with 19 more on the ground. 

Precisely 200 of the dead were Indian nationals and 52 were British citizens, seven were Portuguese and one was Canadian.

For decades, India's military relied primarily on troops, fighter aircraft, satellites and conventional surveillance systems to monitor its borders.

The 2020 military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh exposed the challenge of maintaining constant surveillance across vast stretches of difficult high-altitude terrain.

Now India is preparing to place a record military drone order worth over $2 billion (€1.7 billion) with domestic manufacturers, including major firms like Adani Group, Tata Advanced Systems and Larsen & Toubro as well as startups such as ideaForge and Asteria Aerospace, marking this its largest-ever unmanned systems procurement.

Keep reading to find out more about India's preparation for its largest-ever military drone order.

 

India has barred commercial consumers from buying petrol and diesel at retail fuel stations and capped daily diesel purchases to prevent shortages as the Iran war severely disrupts energy supply.

Under a government order issued late on Thursday, bulk users, such as trucking companies, must procure fuel from designated bulk supply points and are prohibited from reselling it.

Authorities said some commercial buyers had been purchasing diesel from state-run fuel stations to take advantage of lower retail prices compared to bulk supply points, leading to shortages in some areas.

Additionally, retail fuel stations have been asked to cap the supply of diesel per customer or vehicle at 200 liters a day.

The government said the measures were aimed at preventing hoarding and diversion of fuel and ensuring adequate supplies at retail outlets. 

The restrictions will remain in force for up to 90 days unless withdrawn earlier.

Deporting thousands from India's West Bengal state fulfills a key Modi promise but strains ties with neighboring Bangladesh over verification and repatriation.

Read more here.

Hundreds of students and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) gathered in Pune on Thursday campaigning against alleged examination irregularities and paper leaks.

The rally at Savitribai Phule Pune University followed the movement's first major protest in New Delhi last week and renewed calls for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the group planned to expand demonstrations to other cities and would return to New Delhi on June 20 if its demands were not met.

"The government cannot ignore the youth," Dipke told supporters.

India on Friday summoned US Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks to protest US military strikes on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman, which have killed three Indian sailors and forced others to be rescued. 

India called the attack "unacceptable" and conveyed to US diplomat to ensure that US forces operating in region take necessary measures to prevent loss of civilian life, according to Reuters new agency. 

The Indian Foreign Ministry said that such actions undermine safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time.

This was the second time in three days that New Delhi has conveyed its concerns to a senior US diplomat over the attacks.

Three Indian seafarers were killed in a US strike on the tanker Settebello off Oman on Wednesday, while all 20 crew members aboard another vessel, Jalveer, were rescued after it was struck on Thursday.

Meanwhile, leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi called out Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X for not making a statement on the issue.

Three people were killed and two others were left in critical condition after a fire broke out in a multi-story residential building in southeast Delhi early on Friday, officials said.

Those killed in the fire in the Tughlakabad area include a 22-year-old man and two women, media reports said.

The fire was reported at around 2:30 am in a five-story building. Eight residents were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals.

Preliminary investigations suggest the blaze started due to an electrical short circuit in the ground-floor parking area, which set some parked vehicles on fire, the reports said.

Earlier this month, a fire at a hotel in Delhi's in Malviya Nagar killed 21 people.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said India's policy on Russian oil is based on "cost and availability" while also calling out the US' shifting stance on buying Russian hydrocarbons. 

Speaking at the Kultaranta Talks hosted in Helsinki by Finland President Alexander Stubb, Jaishankar was asked whether India was "too willing to buy oil from Russia" amid the Ukraine conflict.

He said India was pushed toward Russian oil because Europe was buying oil from the Middle East, traditionally one of India's key supply routes.

"So, circumstances pushed us in a certain direction," he said.

Jaishankar also accused the United States of hypocrisy on Russian oil, saying that "the US specifically asked India to buy Russian oil to help stabilize the world markets."

"After first imposing tariffs on us last year for buying Russian oil, the US then lifted its sanctions on Russian oil. Let's not pretend there is some great principle involved here," he said.

"If it is …do it when it suits us and don't do it when it doesn't …we're all adults in the room. We know what the game is," he said, adding that that moralizing over the issue served little purpose.

Comparing India's oil imports with Europe's arms exports, Jaishankar argued that European criticism of New Delhi reflected a contradiction.

The Indian foreign minister then pointed to what he described as European "moral ambiguity," saying: "Europeans sell weapons which are used to attack India. Not now, for many years. We Indians have never done anything to endanger Europe."

It was unclear what weapons sales or "attacks" Jaishankar was referring to. 

Hello! This is Shakeel from DW's New Delhi studio, bringing you the top news from across India. 

It has been a pleasant morning in Delhi today after last night's rains, and more showers are on the way, a welcome respite from the intense heat of the past few days.

Speaking of heat, Foreign Minister Jaishankar turned up the temperature by calling out Europe criticizing India's purchases of Russian oil. 

In other news, petrol and diesel for industrial and commercial use will now have to be procured from bulk sale points rather than petrol pumps, the government has mandated.

Meanwhile, another fire incident in New Delhi has claimed the lives of three people.

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