Evening news wrap: Centre tells SC blood money only option to save Kerala nurse in Yemen; Air India CEO says no mechanical fault in AI-171 crash, and more
The Centre told the Supreme Court that the only recourse in Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya's death sentence in Yemen is a "blood money settlement" as diplomatic options remain limited.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson addressed the preliminary crash probe into AI-171, stating there were no mechanical issues with the aircraft. Indian astronaut
Shubhanshu Shukla
undocked from the ISS aboard the Axiom-4 mission, with splashdown set for July 15. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court urged self-regulation on social media, stressing the public must value free speech amid rising divisive content. In Maharashtra, MNS chief
Raj Thackeray
faces a complaint over hate speech that allegedly incited violence and social unrest.
Here are today's top developments at a glance.
'Only option is blood money settlement': Centre tells SC on Kerala nurse's execution in Yemen
The Center informed the Supreme Court on Monday that it has little authority to interfere in the case of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse from Kerala who faces execution in Yemen for murder, calling it a "very complex issue" with few diplomatic levers at its disposal. "There's no way we can know what's happening [in Yemen]," the Attorney General of India (AGI) stated while appearing before a bench led by Justice Sandeep Mehta.
He went on to say that the administration is attempting to postpone Priya's execution while talks are ongoing and is in communication with Yemeni officials, particularly the public prosecutor.
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'No mechanical issues': Air India CEO reacts to AAIB crash probe report
Air India MD & CEO Campbell Wilson stated that the preliminary investigation into the June 12 AI 171 incident has "provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions" in a memo to staff on Monday. According to the preliminary report, all required maintenance activities had been finished, and there were no mechanical or maintenance problems with the aircraft or engines.
The takeoff roll was regular, and there was no problem with the fuel quality.
It states that there were no observations regarding the pilots' medical condition and that they had passed their required pre-flight breathalyzer.
Read more
Shubhanshu Shukla, Axiom-4 crew to undock from ISS today; splashdown scheduled for July 15
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts were on board the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission when it undocked from the ISS on July 14 at approximately 4:45 pm IST.
Their return trip to Earth on SpaceX's Dragon spaceship "Grace" began with the undocking.The Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) trained Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the first Indian to fly privately to the International Space Station (ISS).
As part of the mission, the Ax-4 crew carried out a number of outreach and research activities during their 18-day stay aboard the orbital outpost. On July 15, the crew is scheduled to splash down on Earth at around 3:00 p.m.
IST, with an hour's leeway.
Read more
'Citizens must know value of free speech': SC flags divisive social media content; urges self-regulation
The Supreme Court said Monday that citizens need to value freedom of speech and expression and advocate for self-regulation as it pondered rules to control offensive posts on social media. The case of Wazahat Khan, who is facing numerous FIRs in various states, including West Bengal, for his controversial posts on X that target a Hindu deity, was being heard by a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan.
Read more
'Don't record video while beating': Complaint against Raj Thackeray for hate speech
Raj Thackeray, the leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has been the target of a complaint due to a controversial statement he made in a recent public speech. The lawsuit alleges that the MNS chief's divisive remarks encouraged vigilantism and societal unrest and calls for action against him under the National Security Act (NSA). Raj Thackeray stated in his address that while everyone residing in Maharashtra, including Gujaratis, should know Marathi, there was no justification for assaulting those who didn't speak the language.
Read more
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