Black box found at site of India plane crash that killed 265

Investigators recovered a black box recorder on Friday from the crash site of a London-bound passenger jet that ploughed into a residential area of India’s Ahmedabad city, killing at least 265 people on board and on the ground.The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday call shortly before it crashed around lunchtime on Thursday after lifting barely 100 metres (330 feet) from the ground.One man on board the plane, which was carrying 242 passengers and crew, miraculously survived the fiery crash, which left the tailpiece of the aircraft jutting out of the second floor of a hostel for medical staff from a nearby hospital.”Initially, I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive,” survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen, told national broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed.The nose and front wheel of Air India flight 171 landed on a canteen building where students were having lunch, witnesses said.Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai said 265 bodies had been counted so far, which suggested that at least 24 people were killed on the ground. The toll could rise further as more body parts are recovered.”The official number of deceased will be declared only after DNA testing is completed”, Home Minister Amit Shah said in a statement late on Thursday. DNA samples will be taken from family members of the dead who live abroad, he said.Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight bound for London’s Gatwick airport, as well as 12 crew members.Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the devastated neighbourhood on Friday and was also pictured by survivor Ramesh’s bedside.Ramesh, who suffered burns and other injuries, said: “Everything happened in front of me, and even I couldn’t believe how I managed to come out alive from that.””Within a minute after takeoff, suddenly… it felt like something got stuck… I realised something had happened, and then suddenly the plane’s green and white lights turned on.”Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that a flight data recorder, or black box, had been recovered, saying it would “significantly aid” investigations.- ‘Last call’ -In Ahmedabad, disconsolate relatives of passengers gathered at an emergency centre on Friday to give DNA samples so their loved ones could be identified.Ashfaque Nanabawa, 40, said he had come to find his cousin Akeel Nanabawa, who had been aboard with his wife and three-year-old daughter. They had spoken as his cousin sat in the plane before takeoff.”He called us and he said: ‘I am in the plane and I have boarded safely and everything was okay’. That was his last call.”One woman, too grief-stricken to give her name, said her son-in-law had been killed.”My daughter doesn’t know that he’s no more”, she said, wiping away tears. “I can’t break the news to her, can someone else do that please?” Volunteer rescuers described seeing “bodies everywhere”.”The bodies were totally burnt. It was like coal,” said Bharat Solanki, 51, who was working at a nearby fuel station and rushed to the site with a couple of friends. Ahmedabad, the main city in India’s Gujarat state, is home to around eight million people and its busy airport is surrounded by densely packed residential areas.”One half of the plane crashed into the residential building where doctors lived with their families,” said Krishna, a doctor who did not give his full name.US planemaker Boeing said it was in touch with Air India and stood “ready to support them” over the incident, which a source close to the case said was the first crash for a 787 Dreamliner.India’s aviation authorities ordered Air India on Friday to “carry out additional maintenance actions” on its fleet of Boeing 787-8/9 Dreamliners equipped with GEnx engines.The carrier has 34 Dreamliners, although it was not immediately clear how many have the advanced GEnx engines.UK and US air accident investigation agencies are sending teams to support their Indian counterparts.- Rapid growth -India has suffered a series of fatal air crashes, including a 1996 disaster when two jets collided mid-air over New Delhi, killing nearly 350 people.In 2010, an Air India Express jet crashed and burst into flames at Mangalore airport in southwest India, killing 158 of the 166 passengers and crew on board.Experts said it was too early to speculate on what may have caused Thursday’s crash.”The aircraft is designed to be able to fly on one engine, so the most likely cause of the crash is a double engine failure,” said Jason Knight, senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth.”The most likely cause of a double engine failure is a bird strike.”India’s airline industry has boomed in recent years.The growth of its economy has made India and its 1.4 billion people the world’s fourth-largest air market — domestic and international — with the International Air Transport Association projecting it will become the third biggest within the decade.

‘Avoid escalation’: World reacts to Israel strike on Iran

World leaders urged restraint on Friday after Israel pounded Iran, striking 100 targets including nuclear and military sites, and killing senior figures. Here is a roundup of key reactions:- ‘Cannot have nuclear bomb’: United States – “There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end,” US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform, adding that Israel has a lot of weapons thanks to the United States and “they know how to use it”.Earlier in the day, Trump told Fox News that “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table.”- ‘Maximum restraint’: UN -UN chief Antonio Guterres asked “both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford,” according to a spokesperson.Guterres was “particularly concerned” by Israel’s strikes on nuclear installations amid the ongoing US-Iran negotiations.- ‘Unacceptable’ and ‘unprovoked’: Russia -“Russia is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agencies, calling the strikes “unacceptable” and “unprovoked”, while the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv urged Russians in Israel to leave the country.- ‘Deeply worried’: China -“The Chinese side… is deeply worried about the severe consequences that such actions might bring,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, calling “on relevant parties to take actions that promote regional peace and stability and to avoid further escalation of tensions”.- ‘Diplomacy best path forward’: EU -“The situation in the Middle East is dangerous. I urge all parties to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation. Diplomacy remains the best path forward, and I stand ready to support any diplomatic efforts toward de-escalation,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. – ‘Right to defend itself’ : France -“France reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself and ensure its security,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in English on X, calling “on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to de-escalate” and “avoid jeopardising the stability of the entire region”.- Avoid ‘further escalation’: Germany -Germany, which for years expressed concerns about Iran’s “advanced nuclear weapons programme”, said it was “ready to use all diplomatic means at our disposal to influence the parties to the conflict. The goal must remain that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons”.- ‘Dangerous escalation’: Hamas -“This aggression constitutes a dangerous escalation that threatens to destabilise the region,” said the Iran-backed, Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war.- Threaten to ‘ignite the region’ : Hezbollah -Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, long seen as the Iran-led axis’s most powerful group, said of Israel: “This enemy adheres to no logic or laws and knows only the language of killing, fire, and destruction,” adding that the “brutal” strike threatened to “ignite the region”.- ‘Threat to international peace’: Iraq -Iraq strongly condemned the attacks, saying: “This act represents a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security.”- No ‘battleground’: Jordan -“Jordan has not and will not allow any violation of its airspace, reaffirming that the Kingdom will not be a battleground for any conflict,” a government spokesperson told AFP after Jordan closed its airspace.- ‘Dangerous approach’: Oman -Nuclear talks mediator Oman said “calls on the international community to adopt a clear and firm position to put an end to this dangerous approach, which threatens to rule out diplomatic solutions and jeopardise the security and stability of the region”.- ‘Strong condemnation’: Qatar -Gaza mediator Qatar expressed “its strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack,” the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said, adding that the “dangerous escalation threatens security and stability of the region and hinders efforts to de-escalate and reach diplomatic solutions”.- ‘Aggressive actions’: Turkey -“Israel’s attacks on our neighbor Iran are a clear provocation that disregards international law,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel and a fervent advocate of the Palestinian cause, urging the international community to “put an end to Israeli banditry”.- ‘Reduce tensions urgently’: UK -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The reports of these strikes are concerning and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no one in the region.”- ‘Legitimate right to defend itself’: Yemen’s Huthis -Tehran-backed Huthi rebels said they backed “Iran’s full and legitimate right to… develop its nuclear programme” and that “we strongly condemn the brutal Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and affirm its full and legitimate right to respond by all possible means”.burs-djt/giv

‘Avoid escalation’: World reacts to Israel strike on Iran

World leaders urged restraint on Friday after Israel pounded Iran, striking 100 targets including nuclear and military sites, and killing senior figures. Here is a roundup of key reactions:- ‘Cannot have nuclear bomb’: United States – “There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end,” US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform, adding that Israel has a lot of weapons thanks to the United States and “they know how to use it”.Earlier in the day, Trump told Fox News that “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table.”- ‘Maximum restraint’: UN -UN chief Antonio Guterres asked “both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford,” according to a spokesperson.Guterres was “particularly concerned” by Israel’s strikes on nuclear installations amid the ongoing US-Iran negotiations.- ‘Unacceptable’ and ‘unprovoked’: Russia -“Russia is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agencies, calling the strikes “unacceptable” and “unprovoked”, while the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv urged Russians in Israel to leave the country.- ‘Deeply worried’: China -“The Chinese side… is deeply worried about the severe consequences that such actions might bring,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, calling “on relevant parties to take actions that promote regional peace and stability and to avoid further escalation of tensions”.- ‘Diplomacy best path forward’: EU -“The situation in the Middle East is dangerous. I urge all parties to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation. Diplomacy remains the best path forward, and I stand ready to support any diplomatic efforts toward de-escalation,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. – ‘Right to defend itself’ : France -“France reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself and ensure its security,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in English on X, calling “on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to de-escalate” and “avoid jeopardising the stability of the entire region”.- Avoid ‘further escalation’: Germany -Germany, which for years expressed concerns about Iran’s “advanced nuclear weapons programme”, said it was “ready to use all diplomatic means at our disposal to influence the parties to the conflict. The goal must remain that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons”.- ‘Dangerous escalation’: Hamas -“This aggression constitutes a dangerous escalation that threatens to destabilise the region,” said the Iran-backed, Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war.- Threaten to ‘ignite the region’ : Hezbollah -Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, long seen as the Iran-led axis’s most powerful group, said of Israel: “This enemy adheres to no logic or laws and knows only the language of killing, fire, and destruction,” adding that the “brutal” strike threatened to “ignite the region”.- ‘Threat to international peace’: Iraq -Iraq strongly condemned the attacks, saying: “This act represents a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security.”- No ‘battleground’: Jordan -“Jordan has not and will not allow any violation of its airspace, reaffirming that the Kingdom will not be a battleground for any conflict,” a government spokesperson told AFP after Jordan closed its airspace.- ‘Dangerous approach’: Oman -Nuclear talks mediator Oman said “calls on the international community to adopt a clear and firm position to put an end to this dangerous approach, which threatens to rule out diplomatic solutions and jeopardise the security and stability of the region”.- ‘Strong condemnation’: Qatar -Gaza mediator Qatar expressed “its strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack,” the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said, adding that the “dangerous escalation threatens security and stability of the region and hinders efforts to de-escalate and reach diplomatic solutions”.- ‘Aggressive actions’: Turkey -“Israel’s attacks on our neighbor Iran are a clear provocation that disregards international law,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel and a fervent advocate of the Palestinian cause, urging the international community to “put an end to Israeli banditry”.- ‘Reduce tensions urgently’: UK -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The reports of these strikes are concerning and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no one in the region.”- ‘Legitimate right to defend itself’: Yemen’s Huthis -Tehran-backed Huthi rebels said they backed “Iran’s full and legitimate right to… develop its nuclear programme” and that “we strongly condemn the brutal Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and affirm its full and legitimate right to respond by all possible means”.burs-djt/giv

Airlines halt many Middle East flights after Israel hits Iran

Global airlines on Friday cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and other Middle East destinations, or rerouted planes, as airspaces shut following Israeli strikes on Iran.Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Syria closed their airspaces after Israel hit military and nuclear facilities in Iran. Israel said Tehran launched drones in retaliation.Air India’s New Delhi-Vienna and Mumbai-London flights were about to enter Iranian airspace when Israel launched its attack, forcing the planes to turn back to their origin, according to aircraft tracker Flight Aware.Its London-New Delhi flight had just entered Iranian airspace and was rerouted over Iraq before arriving in India one hour late, according to Flight Aware.Air India diverted or called back a total of 16 flights between India and London and cities in Canada and the United States “due to the emerging situation in Iran”.Emirates, the Middle East’s largest airline, cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran after Israel launched the strikes.Qatar Airways, the country’s national carrier and one of the Middle East’s largest, said it had “temporarily cancelled flights to Iran and Iraq due to (the) current situation in the region”.Air France said it was suspending its flights to and from Tel Aviv “until further notice” following the closure of Israeli airspace.”Air France is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East in real time,” a spokesman for the French airline told AFP, adding that “the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute priority”.Russia’s aviation authority Rosaviatsiya instructed Russian airlines not to fly “in the airspace of Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Iran” or use airports in Israel and Iran.It said the restrictions will stay in place until June 26 or until further notice.German airline group Lufthansa suspended flights to and from Tehran until July 31. It also extended the suspension of Tel Aviv flights for the same period.Swiss airline, which is owned by Lufthansa, suspended its Tel Aviv flights until October 25 while those to Beirut were suspended until the end of July.In the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi airport warned “flight disruptions are expected through today (Friday)” as a result of the Israeli strikes.Dubai’s airport also announced flight delays and cancellations due to the closure of airspaces in Iran, Iraq and Syria.

‘Unacceptable’: Iranians seethe after Israeli onslaught

Iranians called for revenge on Friday demanding a swift response to a dizzying wave of strikes by Israel, as some took to the streets in protest, while others sheltered inside, unsure what would happen next.The aerial onslaught killed several of the military’s top brass, targeted an array of leading scientists and struck military and nuclear sites across Iran in an unprecedented attack that left many seething with anger.”How much longer are we going to live in fear?” asked Ahmad Moadi, a 62-year-old retiree. “As an Iranian, I believe there must be an overwhelming response, a scathing response.”The raids appeared to push the longtime enemies into full-blown conflict following years of fighting a shadow war mostly conducted through proxies. Iran regularly arrests individuals it accuses of spying for Israel amid a flurry of targeted assassinations and acts of sabotage targeting its nuclear programme in recent years.At least six scientists involved in Iran’s nuclear programme were killed in Friday’s strikes. “They’ve killed so many university professors and researchers, and now they want to negotiate?” Moadi exclaimed, referring to calls for Iran to go ahead with nuclear talks with Israel’s US ally planned for this weekend.As Iran continued to assess the damage, some residents rallied in the streets of Tehran chanting: “Death to Israel, death to America,” while waving Iranian flags and portraits of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.State television said similar demonstrations were held in cities across the country.The Israeli strikes followed repeated threats from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appeared to finally cap a years-long quest to strike Iran’s nuclear programme. “We can’t let this bastard continue, or we’ll end up like Gaza,” Abbas Ahmadi, a 52-year-old Tehran resident, told AFP from behind the wheel of his car.”Iran must destroy him, it must do something.”– ‘If God wills it’ –Friday’s attacks came after more than a year of soaring tensions as Israel took on Iran’s regional allies Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen.Amid the tensions, Israel and Iran exchanged aerial barrages on two separate occasions last year. while stopping short of a full-scale war. But following Friday’s attack, all bets were off over what would come next, with Khamenei warning Israel faced a “bitter and painful” fate, while the Iranian military said there would be “no limits” to its response.Apart from scattered protests, Tehran’s streets were largely deserted, except for queues at petrol stations, a familiar sight in times of crisis.Air traffic was halted at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport amid disruption across the region.In the upscale district of Nobonyad in north Tehran, rescuers continued to comb through the rubble of two apartment blocks targeted in Israeli strikes. Families with tear-streaked faces gathered nearby.”They want to deprive us of our nuclear capability — that’s unacceptable,” said Ahmad Razaghi, 56, calmly echoing the official line.For Farnoush Rezaei, a 45-year-old nurse wearing a colourful hijab, Friday’s attacks represented a final act by Israel — a country “on its last breath”.Iranian leaders have for decades insisted that Israel will “soon” disappear. “If God wills it, at least a bit of peace will come from this,” said Rezaei.

Starc shines as Australia set South Africa 282 to win WTC finalFri, 13 Jun 2025 12:01:36 GMT

Mitchell Starc made South Africa pay for a dropped catch with a vital fifty on Friday as Australia set the Proteas 282 to win the World Test Championship final at Lord’s.When title-holders Australia resumed on 144-8 in their second innings, already 218 runs ahead, it looked as if the match might finish well inside three …

Starc shines as Australia set South Africa 282 to win WTC finalFri, 13 Jun 2025 12:01:36 GMT Read More »

Transferts: Florian Wirtz proche de s’engager avec Liverpool pour un montant record (médias)

Le Bayer Leverkusen et Liverpool sont tombés d’accord pour le transfert vers les Reds du milieu de terrain offensif allemand Florian Wirtz (22 ans), annoncent vendredi les médias britanniques pour un montant record entre 137 et 150 millions d’euros (bonus compris).Selon les médias britanniques, Liverpool versera 100 millions de livres (environ 118 millions d’euros) au Bayer Leverkusen, un transfert qui pourrait s’élever à 116 millions de livres (137 millions d’euros) en incluant les bonus liés aux résultats lors du passage de Wirtz sous le maillot du champion d’Angleterre 2025.Selon les médias allemands, qui avaient annoncé mardi un accord entre les deux clubs mardi, le montant du transfert devrait même s’élever à 150 millions d’euros, bonus compris. D’après le bi-hebdomadaire allemand kicker, il ne manque plus que la visite médicale à passer pour Wirtz.Wirtz deviendrait ainsi le troisième joueur le plus cher de l’histoire derrière les 220 millions d’euros déboursés par le Paris SG pour recruter Neymar à l’été 2017 et les 180 millions d’euros pour Kylian Mbappé, prêté par Monaco au PSG à la fin de l’été 2017 et transféré une année plus tard.Le joyau allemand, homme clé de la saison 2023/24 exceptionnelle du Bayer Leverkusen (une seule défaite en 53 matches, titre de champion d’Allemagne en finissant la Bundesliga invaincu) serait ainsi la recrue la plus chère de l’histoire de Liverpool et de la Premier League anglaise.Selon la presse allemande, c’est l’entretien passé avec l’entraîneur de Liverpool Arne Slot qui a convaincu l’Allemand d’opter pour Liverpool, plutôt que pour le Bayern Munich qui lui faisait une cour assidue.Au poste de N.10, les Reds peuvent déjà compter sur les services d’Alexis Mac Allister et Dominik Szoboszlai, brillants cette saison. Sur les ailes, Mohamed Salah est indéboulonnable à droite, tandis que Luis Diaz et Cody Gakpo entrent en concurrence à gauche.