After seven years, India turned to Iranian crude oil

Families of victims of last year’s Air India AI171 plane crash have written to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to release cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and black box data to determine the cause of the disaster, according to media reports.

Nearly 30 families from Gujarat said in a letter sent on Saturday that they “want to know the truth” behind the June 12, 2025 crash that killed 260 people. Only one person, a British passenger, survived.

A Boeing 787-8 plane flying from Ahmedabad to London crashed into a medical college hostel complex soon after take off and caught fire.

The families said the lack of clear findings has deepened their grief, adding that if the data cannot be made public, it should at least be shared with them privately.

Copies of the letter were also sent to aviation officials and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

India has imported Iranian oil for the first time since 2019 after the US lifted sanctions on the purchase of Iranian crude, officials said on Saturday.

“Amid the supply disruption in the Middle East, Indian refiners have met their crude oil needs, including from Iran, and there is no disruption in payments for Iranian crude imports,” India’s petroleum ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

India imports crude oil from more than 40 countries, the statement said, adding that companies retain full flexibility to supply to different geographies based on commercial considerations.

India’s purchase of Iranian crude comes at a time when the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer has been hit hard by the Iranian war, which has severely disrupted global energy supplies.

The Indian government had to implement emergency directives to manage the impending fuel crisis, as well as negotiate safe passage for Indian-flagged ships with Tehran.

The ministry statement also called as “factually incorrect” reports that there were payment concerns behind a tanker carrying Iranian crude midway from India to China on Friday.

The ministry did not give the reason behind the diversion.

hello! Shakeel is back again this weekend bringing you the latest updates from across India.

Thank you for reading. We’ll be back on Sunday morning to bring you the main news from and about India.

see you then!

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The convoy of Member of Parliament and senior opposition Congress party leader Shashi Tharoor was allegedly stopped in Kerala’s Malappuram district and his security personnel attacked, police said.

Media reports said the incident occurred on Friday when Tharoor was traveling for a campaign event in Wandoor.

According to a police complaint, the attackers in two vehicles stopped the convoy and attacked the MP’s personnel when they tried to clear the way.

Tharoor confirmed the incident on X. “We continued work yesterday without any fear and conducted two more programs as planned,” Tharoor said.

Media reports said police have registered a non-bailable case against one accused and detained one suspect, while efforts are on to arrest the others.

times of India It was reported that five people were involved in the attack.

Tharoor is campaigning on behalf of his party in the southern state of Kerala, where voting will take place on April 9 and counting of votes on May 4.

An earthquake of 5.9 magnitude was felt in Afghanistan early Friday morning and parts of North India including New Delhi.

The earthquake killed at least eight people in Afghanistan.

Read more here.

Live tracking data from the maritime traffic website shows that an India-bound LPG tanker, Green Saanvi, has transited the Strait of Hormuz.

It is the seventh India-flagged tanker to transit the strait after Iran virtually closed down traffic through the waterway.

The Mitsui-owned ship carrying 46,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is scheduled to dock in Mumbai.

The war has severely disrupted global energy supplies, including in India, a country that relies primarily on LPG for cooking needs.

India is also the world’s second largest LPG importer.

The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to impose emergency directives to manage the looming fuel crisis, as well as negotiate safe passage for Indian-flagged ships with Tehran.

On Friday, a US-sanctioned tanker carrying Iranian crude oil turned back mid-way from India to China. Experts said the ship Ping Shun probably changed its course from Vadinar in Gujarat to Dongying due to payment concerns.

hello! I’m Shakeel from DW’s New Delhi studio, welcoming you to our weekend coverage.

Did you feel the coolness in the air of New Delhi this morning? As we reported yesterday, this is due to the Western Disturbance that is currently affecting the region.

Today, we are tracking an LPG tanker headed towards Mumbai after crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s convoy, on his way to an election rally in Kerala, was stopped and his security personnel attacked.

Apart from this, tremors of the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan were felt in parts of India.

Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates from across India.