Top news of the day: AG says Rafale contract documents stolen from Defence Ministry, SC reserves order on mediation in Ayodhya title suit appeals, and more

Here are the important news stories of the day

March 06, 2019 07:16 pm | Updated March 07, 2019 07:15 pm IST

A Rafale jet performing, during the AERO INDIA 2019 at IAF station Yelahanka, in Bengaluru. File

A Rafale jet performing, during the AERO INDIA 2019 at IAF station Yelahanka, in Bengaluru. File

Rafale contract documents stolen from Defence Ministry, Attorney General Venugopal tells SC

The Union government told the  Supreme Court  that the documents related to Rafale fighter aircraft deal have been stolen from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and the petitioners seeking a review of the verdict dismissing all pleas against the purchase of the jets relied upon those papers.

Ayodhya title suit appeals: SC reserves order on mediation

The Supreme Court pressed for a compromise on the Ayodhya title suits dispute, with Justice S.A. Bobde on a Constitution Bench, saying the court is only concerned about the present state of the  Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case  and not the past history of Mughal invasion and conquests of Babur.

Rafale documents: we are committed to protecting our sources, says N. Ram

Documents related to the  Rafale deal were published in public interest and nobody would get any information from  The Hindu  on the confidential sources who provided them, The Hindu Publishing Group chairman N. Ram said on March 6.

Modi misused Rafale deal to benefit Dassault Aviation, alleges Congress

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi misused the Rafale fighter aircraft deal to benefit Dassault Aviation, the company that manufactures the fighter jets.

No bank guarantees meant a more expensive new Rafale deal

In its final report submitted to the  Defence  Ministry on July 21, 2016, the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team (INT) estimated the cost of loading bank guarantees, which the French commercial suppliers with backing from the French government refused to do, as €574 million. This made the €7.87 billion inter-governmental agreement signed on September 23, 2016 by the National Democratic Alliance government for the aircraft and weapons packages for the 36 fly-away Rafale fighter jets more expensive by €246.11 million than the estimated aligned cost of the Rafale aircraft deal initiated by the United Progressive Alliance government.

PM Modi says he is not bothered about threats to him

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was not bothered about threats and abuses against him and asserted that he would do whatever was needed to make India strong.

Images show madrasa buildings still standing at Balakot: U.S. satellite operator

High-resolution satellite images of a religious school run by terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in northeastern Pakistan appears to be still standing days after the  Indian Air Force claimed its warplanes hit its training camp  on the site, says news agency  Reuters,  quoting Planet Labs Inc, a San Francisco-based private satellite operator.

 

Should I count how many mosquitoes I killed, asks V.K. Singh on Balakot terror camp casualty figures

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V.K. Singh (retd.) used a mosquito metaphor to address the debate on the casualty figures for the Balakot air strike, asking if he was expected to sit and count how many he killed at night or “sleep in comfort”.

Samsung unveils latest lineup of flagship Galaxy S10 devices in India

Samsung unveiled the latest lineup of its flagship Galaxy S10 devices in the Indian market, with prices starting at ₹ 55,900. The three devices - S10, S10+ and S10e - will compete head-on with the likes of Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Pixel in the premium smartphone market in India.

Moon shot: Toyota, Japan space agency plan lunar mission

Toyota is teaming up with Japan’s space agency on a planned mission to the Moon, with the Japanese auto giant expected to develop a lunar rover, officials and local media said.

Interactive: Richest people on the planet

Reliance Industries CEO Mukesh Ambani is the richest Indian and 13th richest person worldwide, the Forbes rich list 2019 has revealed. Ambani's wealth has soared considerably over the years. In one year, his wealth saw an increase of 25% from $40.1 billion in 2018 to $50 billion in 2019. In 2018, he ranked 19th, while he was in 33rd position in the 2017 list.

All England Badminton Championship: Hyun knocks out Sindhu

A profligate P V Sindhu was knocked out of the All England Championship by an industrious Sung Ji Hyun of Korea in the women’s singles opening round in Birmingham. In men’s singles, 2017 Singapore Open champion B Sai Praneeth defeated compatriot HS Prannoy 21-19 21-19 in a pulsating contest.

BJP website down due to technical glitch, not hacking, says head of party IT cell Amit Malviya

The  website of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party , which was hacked on March 5 morning and was down as of 6.45 p.m. IST on March 6, did experience some sort of “transgression,” the party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya said on March 6.

 

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