Evening news wrap: Shubhanshu Shukla scripts history; data from crashed AI 171 black box downloaded; and more | India News
Today’s evening news wrap consists of major developments in Axiom-4 mission and follow-ups on the Air India crash, SCO summit among others.Shubhanshu Shukla greets ‘Namaskar from space’ as Axiom-4 successfully docks with ISS Shubhanshu, had greeted “Namaskar from space” from the Dragon spacecraft and crew has successfully carried out the docking program. Meanwhile, defence minister Rajnath Singh took a firm stance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation by refusing to sign a joint statement that would have diluted India’s position on critical issues, particularly concerning security and terrorism. In aviation, India recovered crucial black box data from the ill-fated Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, with investigations underway. In Karnataka, an FIR was filed against the BJP for equating Indira Gandhi with Hitler, triggering political heat. Moreover, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has threatened legal action against Elon Musk’s SpaceX over rocket debris and environmental damage.Rajnath Singh refuses to sign joint statement at SCO summit Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took a strong position at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China, by refusing to sign the joint statement. The draft reportedly risked undermining India’s stance on critical issues, especially concerning terrorism and regional security. The summit brought together defence ministers from SCO nations, including China, Pakistan, and India. Reports indicate that while the statement mentioned militant activity in Balochistan, it made no reference to the recent Pahalgam terror attack in India. Read moreRajnath Singh refuses to sign the joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summitDefence minister Rajnath Singh has taken a firm stance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Minister’s meeting at Qingdao, China, and refused to sign the joint statement. The statement risked undermining India’s stance on key concerns, especially regarding terrorism and regional security. The SCO summit brought togethedefence leaders from states like China, Pakistan, India. The report had reportedly did not contain any mentions of the heinous Pahalgam attack but made direct refences to militant activities in Balochistan. Read moreData from the front black box of the AI 171 Dreamliner has been downloaded and under inspection, says governmentThe Indian government confirmed that data from the ill-fated Air India Dreamliner flight AI-171, which crashed in Ahmedabad, has been recovered and is currently under analysis. The information is expected to help reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the crash and guide improvements in aviation safety. Both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder (FDR) were retrieved — one from the rooftop of a building at the crash site on June 13, and the other from the debris on June 16. The front black box reached the AAIB Lab in Delhi on June 24 with the Director General of AAIB, while the rear black box was delivered by a second team shortly after. Read moreFIR filed against Karnataka BJP for comparing Indira Gandhi to HitlerThe Karnataka BJP faces legal trouble after an FIR was filed against it over a controversial social media post equating former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Adolf Hitler. The complaint was lodged by KPCC General Secretary S. Manohar at the High Grounds police station. According to the complaint, the BJP’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle shared a 38-second video on Wednesday during the Emergency anniversary with the caption: “INDIRA NOT EQUALS INDIA, INDIRA = HITLER.” Manohar alleged the content was defamatory and aimed at inciting societal unrest. Read moreElon Musk’s SpaceX faces legal threat over rocket debris and pollutionMexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has warned of possible legal action against Elon Musk’s SpaceX over environmental damage and rocket debris. The warning follows an incident in which a SpaceX Starship rocket exploded during a ground test at the company’s Starbase site in South Texas, raising concerns about environmental fallout across the border in Mexico. The Starbase facility, located near Boca Chica and close to Mexico’s northern border, has drawn scrutiny over the ecological impact of repeated launches and failures. While no lawsuit has been filed yet, Mexican authorities are reportedly evaluating legal options. Read more
