Indian government sources have rejected a US media report suggesting the Air India captain deliberately cut fuel flow before the June 12 crash in Ahmedabad. The Wall Street Journal alleged Captain Sumeet Sabharwal switched off fuel controls, causing the fatal Boeing 787 crash that killed 260. India’s preliminary probe found no evidence of deliberate action or technical faults. Air India completed inspections of its 787 fleet and reported no issues. The Federation of Indian Pilots urged against premature conclusions, calling speculative reports “irresponsible.” Both pilots involved deny switching off fuel; the investigation remains ongoing with no blame established yet. (PC: News18)

The US Embassy in India has issued a fresh advisory warning visa applicants against crimes like theft and assault, stating such actions could lead to visa revocation and future ineligibility. This comes after a viral video showed an Indian woman detained in Illinois for allegedly shoplifting $1,300 worth of goods from a Target store. In the footage, she pleads with officers to let her pay. “Law and order matter in the US,” the embassy said. The warning follows recent restrictions on US visas, including tighter scrutiny of applicants’ social media. Authorities stressed the consequences of breaking US laws while visiting. (PC: HT)

US President Donald Trump has hinted that a new trade deal with India may happen soon. Speaking on Tuesday, Trump said, “Another deal is coming up, maybe.” This suggests that talks between India and the US are moving forward. The deal is expected to be an interim trade agreement. Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last met in February 2025 at the White House. Reports say both countries are working on final details. If signed, the deal could boost trade ties and reduce tariffs between the two nations. However, nothing is confirmed yet. (PC: Bloomberg)

India’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, has helped delay the execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen through religious intervention. Scheduled for July 16, Nimisha’s execution was postponed after Sheikh Ahmad appealed to Yemeni scholars under Islamic law, seeking a pardon through diyāh (blood money). Nimisha was convicted of murder in 2018. The Grand Mufti worked with respected Yemeni cleric Habib Umar bin Hafiz to persuade the victim’s family. Talks continue as India hopes for full clemency. Sheikh Ahmad urged prayers for Nimisha’s release, saying Islam promotes mercy and forgiveness. The victim’s family is considering a $1 million settlement. (PC: The Hindu)

Nimisha Priya, a Kerala nurse on death row in Houthi‑controlled Yemen since 2018, was set to be executed on July 16 for the 2017 murder of her business partner. However, late jogs by India’s government and spiritual leaders postponed the sentence . Grand Mufti Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar and Sufi scholar Sheikh Habib Umar mediated with Yemeni tribal leaders, opening dialogue with the victim’s family over blood‑money compensation (“diya”) . India has informed the Supreme Court that the only path to clemency lies in this Sharia‑mandated financial settlement . The deferment offers a narrow window to finalize discussions and seek a pardon. (PC: HT Photo)

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has expressed “profound regret” over the ongoing demolition of Satyajit Ray’s grandfather Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury’s ancestral house in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, urging authorities to reconsider and preserve it as a “museum of literature” symbolizing shared Bangla heritage . The century-old property, once converted into the Mymensingh Shishu Academy in 1989, has been deemed unsafe and abandoned for a decade . West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and MP Abhishek Banerjee have also appealed for its conservation . India has offered technical and financial assistance to rebuild the site into a cultural museum, though Bangladeshi officials now plan a semi-concrete replacement under safety grounds. (PC: The Indian Express)

Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya’s execution in Yemen, scheduled for July 16, has been postponed after last-minute talks. Nimisha was sentenced to death for murdering Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017. Despite the delay, Mahdi’s family told BBC they would accept “nothing else” but her death, citing Yemen’s Qisas law. The Grand Mufti of India and Yemeni clerics intervened to secure a postponement. Nimisha’s lawyer confirmed negotiations continue, seeking forgiveness or clemency. Nimisha, jailed in Sanaa, claims Mahdi exploited her and she accidentally caused his death while trying to recover her passport. (PC : HT)

A 40‑year‑old Russian woman, identified as Nina Kutina, was found living in a cave in Karnataka’s Ramatirtha Hills with her two daughters, aged six and four. She claims the cave life was peaceful, artistic, and self‑reliant—they painted, swam, meditated, and cooked, feeling “very happy” in nature . Post-rescue, she now resides in an ashram and alleges the intervention was intrusive, saying her belongings— including her late son’s ashes—were taken . Authorities note her visa expired in 2017 and have begun deportation proceedings, also in contact with the children’s father, an Israeli national. (PC: India Today)  

Punjab police have arrested 30‑year‑old NRI Amritpal Singh Dhillon from Canada in connection with the hit‑and‑run death of 114‑year‑old marathon icon Fauja Singh on July 14 in Jalandhar’s Beas Pind. The suspect’s white Toyota Fortuner (PB‑20C‑7100), suspected in the fatal collision, has been seized. CCTV footage helped trace the vehicle, which had changed ownership before the purchase by Dhillon about eight days prior. Singh, fondly known as the “Turbaned Tornado,” was crossing the highway en route to his son’s dhaba when struck, suffering fatal head injuries. Charges include rash driving and culpable homicide. (PC: AFP)    

At the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tianjin on July 15, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar invoked the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, highlighting its intent to “sabotage Jammu & Kashmir’s tourism economy and sow religious divide” . He stressed that SCO was founded to combat the “three evils”—terrorism, separatism, extremism—and must remain resolute . Praising India’s action via Operation Sindoor, he called on fellow member states to translate rhetoric into results, emphasizing the importance of regional stability, economic cooperation, and transit infrastructure such as the INSTC. (PC: ANI)