1. Rafale Controversy: Francois Hollande Doing No Service to Country, Says French Official
Responding to remarks by former French president Francois Hollande that the Indian government had “proposed” Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rafale aircraft deal, the French Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, said Sunday that Hollande’s statements “render no service to France”.
Significantly, Lemoyne, who is the equivalent of an Indian Minister of State, did not contradict the remarks made by Hollande in any manner or counter the former president’s allegation that the French “didn’t have a choice” as Ambani’s Reliance Defence “was given to us” by the Indian government as an offset partner for the Rs 59,000-crore deal.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. PM Modi Launches Ayushman Bharat, Calls Healthcare Scheme ‘Game Changer’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched his government’s flagship Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY) billed as the world’s largest public health insurance scheme in Ranchi, calling it a “game changer”.
Modi, who also launched 10 wellness centres in Jharkhand and laid the foundation stones of medical colleges in Chaibasa and Koderma, said the scheme was a step towards serving the poor people of the country.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. Pakistan’s Friendship Offer to India Should Not Be Seen as Weakness, Says PM Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that Pakistan’s offer of “friendship” to India should not be considered a weakness and that the Indian leadership should shun “arrogance” and hold peace talks.
“I hope the Indian leadership will shun arrogance and hold (peace) talks with Pakistan,” Khan told bureaucrats from Punjab. “Our offer of friendship should not be considered as our weakness. Friendship between Pakistan and India will help overcome poverty.”
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. TDP MLAs Murder: Maoists Wanted to Make a Statement Because Govt Said They Were Eradicated, Say Tribal Leaders
Araku Valley in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh, where Maoists shot dead ruling TDP’s MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma on Sunday, had been peaceful in the past four years after witnessing Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) activities for more than two decades.
In fact, peace in the area prompted the Andhra Pradesh government to launch the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) programme to assist tribal pregnant women to deliver at home as many of them would not visit clinics or hospitals as they consider it against their traditions.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. No Evidence of Corruption: Italian Court’s Detailed Order in AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper Deal
Eight months and 10 days after its decision acquitting AgustaWestland officials of corruption charges in the VVIP helicopter deal with India, an Italian appeals court in Milan last week gave its judgment detailing the reasons for finding no evidence of graft.
“There is, conclusively, no evidence of the corrective agreement stipulated according to the imputation, with the foreign public official, just as it requires the incriminating law,” the court said in its 322-page judgment, according to news agency Reuters (Milan). The detailed judgment was released last Monday by the court, although it was supposed to be issued within 90 days of the order in January.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. Mulayam Joins Akhilesh, Ramgopal at SP Rally; Urges Workers to Make Party Stronger
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav shared the stage with party president Akhilesh Yadav and general secretary Ramgopal Yadav for the first time in two years, in an apparent blow to estranged leader Shivpal Singh Yadav who claims Mulayam’s support for the recently-floated Samajwadi Secular Morcha (SSM).
This was the first time that Mulayam Singh had shared a political platform with both son Akhilesh and cousin Ramgopal since the 2016 feud between his son and brother Shivpal over control of the party.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
7. Commander Tommy’s Rescue Operation: Injured Naval Officer to Be Rescued Today
Golden Globe Race Commander Abhilash Tommy, who was traced by an Indian Navy Reconnaissance aircraft, will be rescued by French vessel Osiris in the next 16 hours, the Indian Navy announced on Sunday. Tommy will then be picked up by Australian Naval ship HMAS Ballarat, which has already left Perth to rescue him. INS Satpura will arrive at Tommy’s current location by Friday, the Navy added.
Tommy was dismasted and had suffered a back injury in extremely rough weather and sea conditions, with wind speeds clocking 130 kmph and waves rising 10 metres high, off Perth on Friday. The 39-year-old Indian Golden Globe Race skipper, who is serving as Indian Naval Officer, is in the southern Indian Ocean, approximately 1,900 nautical miles from Perth, Australia.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. Manvendra Singh: ‘Open to Joining Congress, But It’s the People’s Decision’
Manvendra Singh, son of ailing BJP stalwart Jaswant Singh, on Saturday announced that he is leaving the party for self-respect, alleging harassment of his supporters at the behest of the state government.
He said his father being denied a Lok Sabha ticket by the party in 2014 marked the beginning of the rift with the BJP.
(Source: The Indian Express)
9. Day After Bail in Bahraich Case, Kafeel Khan Held in Fraud Case
A day after suspended paediatrician of BRD Medical College Hospital Dr Kafeel Khan was arrested by Bahraich police for allegedly creating nuisance at the district hospital and later granted bail, Gorakhpur police on Sunday arrested him and his brother for allegedly opening a bank account in a nationalised bank using fake documents.
Police said the accused had made transactions of Rs 2 crore through the account opened in 2009.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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