Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to visit Qingdao, China, on June 24–25 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting. This marks his first ministerial-level visit to China since the October 2024 troop withdrawal agreement following the 2020 Galwan clash. His attendance underscores India’s commitment to stabilising bilateral ties and supporting China’s SCO presidency. Discussions are expected to cover reviving the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, restoring air connectivity, sharing hydrological data, easing visa processes, and enhancing people-to-people exchanges. Singh last met his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, at Laos’s ADMM‑Plus, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri recently met Vice‑Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in New Delhi to reaffirm “people-centric engagements”. (PC: Business Standard)

On the night of June 14, a British F‑35 fighter jet performed an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Air traffic authorities declared an emergency to facilitate a swift, controlled touchdown. According to PTI, the aircraft reportedly launched from a UK carrier roughly 100 nautical miles off Kerala’s coast diverted due to critically low fuel levels. Despite the in‑flight emergency, the jet landed safely around 9:30 pm, and subsequent refuelling allowed it to resume its mission. The incident underscores the vital challenges of fuel management in military aviation and highlights effective crisis coordination between international flight crews and airport services for safe outcomes. (PC: UK Defence Journal)

Two days after Flight AI‑171’s crash in Ahmedabad, the death toll rose to 274—241 aboard and 33 on the ground. At Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, mortuary staff await DNA clearance before handing over remains, a process taking about 72 hours. Only 19 bodies have been identified so far. Charred and unrecognisable, victims’ families endure a painful wait in sweltering heat, holding out hope. Empty coffins arrived from Vadodara as some mourners, including the father of a teen killed near a tea stall, arrive seeking closure. Air India and Tata Sons have announced combined relief of ₹1.25 crore per victim. Authorities continue forensic investigations at the site. (PC: PTI & News18)

Turkey’s government has officially denied allegations that Turkish Technic maintained the Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner involved in the deadly Air India AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad, calling the claims “baseless disinformation” and harmful to Turkey–India relations. The clarification states that maintenance contracts in 2024–25 between Air India and Turkish Technic were solely for Boeing 777 aircraft excluding the crashed 787‑8. The denial came after Baba Ramdev claimed a “foreign conspiracy” pointing to Turkish involvement. Turkish authorities emphasised their Centre for Disinformation will monitor false narratives. Meanwhile, India’s DGCA is inspecting all of Air India’s 787 fleet ahead of regulatory clearance. (PC: The New York Times, Reuters & The Times Of India)

India clarified it did not participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s June 14 statement strongly denouncing Israel’s June 13 airstrikes on Iran, which targeted military and civilian infrastructure with civilian casualties . New Delhi maintained its long-standing position, expressed June 13, urging both Iran and Israel to pursue dialogue and diplomacy to de‑escalate tensions . External Affairs Minister Jaishankar spoke with his Iranian counterpart to convey global concern and pressed for restraint and a return to diplomacy . India emphasized its independent foreign policy within multilateral platforms like SCO. (PC: Reuters)

Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, slamming into a BJ Medical College hostel and canteen. Of 242 onboard, 241 died; at least 33 more perished on the ground. Only one passenger survived. The black box was recovered, though the voice recorder remains missing. India’s aviation regulator mandated fleet‑wide Boeing 787 inspections, including engine and thrust checks. The DGCA‑ordered safety reviews are ongoing. Air India is providing an interim ₹25 lakh, plus medical care and relief flights, and deploying support teams on site. (PC: ABC & AP News)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on his first foreign trip since Operation Sindoor, traveling to Cyprus (June 15–16), Canada for the G7 Summit in Kananaskis (June 16–17), and Croatia (June 18), marking India’s first PM visits in decades (Cyprus) or ever (Croatia). In Cyprus, Modi will hold talks with President Christodoulides and engage business leaders to deepen India‑EU ties, diplomacy, and security cooperation . At the G7, he’ll attend his sixth consecutive Summit to discuss global issues like energy, AI‑energy nexus and quantum, and reset bilateral ties with Canada’s PM Carney. In Croatia, bilateral dialogues will further India‑EU engagement. (PC: Hindustan Times)

India and China have agreed to accelerate the resumption of direct flights and bolster diplomatic engagement, the foreign ministries announced on Friday. This decision follows a Thursday meeting in New Delhi between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, currently visiting India. In October, both nations reached a patrol agreement along the Himalayan frontier, easing long-standing tensions that began in 2020. Earlier this January, they initiated discussions to resolve trade and economic issues, a move expected to revitalise aviation and bilateral ties. (PC: News18 & Getty Images)

India has clarified that it did not participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) June 14 statement condemning Israeli airstrikes on Iran. The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated India’s consistent call, first articulated on June 13 for diplomacy and dialogue to de‑escalate the conflict. While the SCO, led by China and including Russia and Pakistan, issued a strong rebuke of Israeli actions, India maintained its neutrality, expressing concern over the escalation but deliberately distancing itself from the group’s collective stance. This move underscores India’s diplomatic balancing act, avoiding alignment with any escalatory condemnations while urging restraint and peaceful resolution. (PC: AP News & The New York Times)

Two seemingly unrelated plane crashes, nearly 30 years apart, share a chilling connection: seat 11A. In June 1998, Thai singer James Ruangsak Loychusak survived a Thai Airways Airbus A310 crash that killed 101 people while seated in 11A. Fast‑forward to June 12, 2025: Air India Flight AI‑171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner bound for London, crashed seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 onboard and dozens on the ground. The sole survivor was 40‑year‑old British‑Indian businessman Viswash Kumar Ramesh also seated in 11A, adjacent to an emergency exit. (PC: Mint & Instagram)