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Fatal air crashes with suspected or confirmed deliberate actions by pilots
According to a source familiar with the situation, Indian investigators will delay the release of a final report on the deadly Air India Boeing crash until Friday's one-year anniversary. They say they need to complete the analysis of the planes engines. According to an early assessment by U.S. officials, reported in? Last year, a U.S. official's early assessment reported by? Indian investigators at the time said it was "too early" to reach any conclusions. The father of Captain asked India's highest court to order a independent investigation which took into consideration other causes than deliberate pilot actions, as has been suspected or proven in the following fatal accidents. CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES 2022: In March 2022 a Boeing 737-800 of China Eastern crashed into a southern Chinese hillside, killing all 132 passengers. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board published data last month indicating that fuel was cut off to both engines. This is the first major update in the investigation of the crash. The NTSB reported that the fuel switches of both engines were moved from their run position to their cutoff positions while the aircraft was cruising at 29,000 feet. Flightradar24 reported that the data showed downward force had been applied to the controls of the first officer after fuel was stopped to the engines. The NTSB update came after China's Aviation regulator decided for the second consecutive year to not release an annual report on its investigation of the crash. It let the fourth anniversary go by without providing any insights into the cause. GERMANWINGS, 2015: A Germanwings Airbus A320 jet crash-landed into a French mountainside in March 2015 on a flight between Barcelona and Duesseldorf. All 150 people on board were killed. Investigators determined that Andreas Lubitz, the first officer of Germanwings, deliberately crashed the aircraft after locking the captain out. Lubitz, who was a pilot for the now-closed Lufthansa Low-Cost subsidiary, suffered from a mental disorder with psychotic symptoms, which led to suicidal thinking. However, Lubitz had hidden his illness from his employers. In 2018, the European Commission passed new rules regarding pilot mental health, requiring that airlines conduct psychological assessments of pilots prior to hiring them. MALAYSIA AIRLINES 2014: Flight MH370, with 239 passengers on board, vanished on March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Investigators believe that based on satellite tracking, and subsequent wreckage discoveries, the plane veered off course thousands of miles and crashed in an isolated area of southern Indian Ocean. The final report of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau revealed that Captain?Zaharie Ahmed Shah had flown a flight route in his home simulator six weeks prior, which was "initially" similar to the actual route taken by MH370. The Malaysian team of investigators said that the controls had been manipulated deliberately to divert the plane from its course. However, they could not determine who was to blame. EGYPTAIR 1999: A Boeing 767 operated by EgyptAir crashed on October 31st 1999 off Nantucket in Massachusetts killing all 217 passengers. U.S. investigators concluded in their final report that the relief first officer of the flight said, "I trust God", and then moved the controls suddenly into a nose down position, intentionally crashing the aircraft. Egyptian investigators, however, accused the NTSB for twisting evidence in order to support their suicide theory. They produced their own report citing technical issues. SILKAIR, 1997: The crash of a SilkAir Boeing 737-390 near Palembang, Indonesia on December 19, 1997 killed all 104 passengers. The air traffic controllers didn't receive a distress signal from the plane flown by an now-closed regional branch of Singapore Airlines. Investigators discovered that the flight recorders'stopped' minutes before the crash, fueling speculations about a deliberate pilot act. But the exact cause is still disputed. In a final report, Indonesian investigators stated that they could not determine the reason for the plane leaving its cruising altitude based on the limited information and data from the wreckage or flight recorders. The U.S. NTSB stated that the evidence indicated the cockpit voice recording was intentionally disconnected. They also said recovery of the aircraft was possible, but was not attempted. It was more likely than not the first officer who made the inputs for nose-down flying. (Compiled by Abhijith Ganahapavaram, edited by Jamie Freed).
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Air India's Boeing Dreamliner crash: Inside the cockpit
According to a source familiar with the matter, Indian investigators will delay the release of their final report on the 'deadly Air India Boeing 787-8 crash until the anniversary of the accident, which is Friday. They are citing the need for a complete analysis of the engines of the aircraft. The sequence of events on June 12th, 2025 as described by Indian investigators' preliminary report published on July 12, last year. Air India Dreamliner VTANB landed at Ahmedabad as AI423 at 05:47 GMT. 07:48 GMT - An aircraft was spotted departing Bay 34 of the airport. The aircraft was cleared to taxi by air traffic control at 07:55:15 GMT. A minute later, the aircraft took the taxiway R4 from the bay and proceeded on the runway 23. 08:02 GMT - The aircraft has been transferred from tower to ground control. 08:07 GMT - Take off clearance issued. The aircraft began rolling at 08:07 GMT. Aircraft lifted off at 08:08 GMT. The report stated that "the aircraft air/ground sensor switched to air mode in accordance with liftoff." Aircraft reached maximum airspeed of 180 knots at 08:08 GMT. "Immediately after, the Engine 1 fuel?cutoff switch and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch transitioned one by one from RUN position to?CUTOFF with a gap of 1 sec." The Engine N1 and N2 started to degrade from their takeoff values when the fuel supply was cut off. In the cockpit recording, one pilot is heard asking another why he cut off. "The other pilot replied that he didn't do it." The airport CCTV footage showed Ram Air Turbines (RATs) being deployed immediately after take-off. The aircraft began to lose height before crossing the perimeter wall of the airport. The RAT hydraulic pump started supplying power at 08:08 GMT. Fuel cutoff switch for Engine 1 has been changed from CUTOFF (fuel off) to RUN. The fuel cutoff switch for Engine 2 has also been changed from CUTOFF (stop) to RUN (run). When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF (cut off) to RUN (run), each engine's full-authority dual engine controls (FADEC), automatically manages the relighting and thrust recovery of ignition and fuel. Engine 1's core speed deceleration stopped and reversed. It then began to recover. Engine 2 could relight, but it was unable to stop core?speed deceleration. Fuel was added repeatedly to increase core speed acceleration. The pilot who sent "MAYDAY Mayday Mayday" at 08:09 GMT. 08:09 GMT - Data recording has stopped. (Reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Jamie Freed) 08:14.44 GMT - Crash Fire tender leaves the airport premises to rescue and fight fires. (Reporting and editing by Jamie Freed; Aditya Klra)
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Vietnam's Vingroup pushes ahead with the 'world's biggest stadium' despite doubts about demand
Vingroup, a Vietnamese company, is speeding up construction of the world's biggest stadium in Hanoi. They are betting that future demand will make the 135,000-seat venue financially viable. A Vingroup representative said during a recent site visit that thousands of workers work around the clock on the site located about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles south of the central Hanoi) to finish the venue by the end of July 2027. The completion date is a year earlier than the original plan announced in December. Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest company by market capitalisation and working on a number of projects including a high-speed rail, urban development and wind power plants, has announced that the stadium will feature "the largest seating capacity in the world" as well as?the largest fully retractable roof. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the world's largest venue is the Rungrado Stadium, located in Pyongyang. The stadium has a capacity of 150.000 seats, but some observers have questioned this figure, and counted less than 120.000. Vingroup says the scale of the project reflects plans for large-scale?cultural and sporting events, including concerts. James Walton is the sports group leader for Deloitte Asia Pacific. "Football is a hugely popular sport in Vietnam. However, it's unlikely that a 135,000 seat?stadium can be justified by domestic football demand alone," he said. He pointed out that the top-tier V.League 1 in Vietnam averaged less than 6,000 spectators for each match during the 2023-24 campaign. Vingroup did not give any financial targets but stated that it expects the facility to be financially sustainable over time. Financial liabilities are a bigger problem for the company. They accounted for $36.7 billion in last year's figures, or more than 4% Vietnam's private debt by 2025. This figure does not include?additional private debts in affiliated companies. DRUM-SHAPED STADIUM The Trong Dong Stadium is named after the traditional Vietnamese bronze cymbal. It's part of a $35 billion development by Vingroup of an Olympic Sports City designed to host global events. Being part of a larger urban development can improve a project's?financial viability in the long term, said Walton. He noted that many modern national stadiums have a seating capacity between 60,000 and 80,000. The project is part a huge push to modernise Vietnam’s infrastructure, and?sustain an economic growth of atleast 10% annually until the year 2020. This is an explicit goal for the ruling Communist Party. The authorities have announced hundreds large-scale projects, estimated to be worth $200 billion, by 2030. These include airports, seaports bridges and rails. Quynh Nguyen is a finance lecturer at Hoa Sen University, in Ho Chi Minh City. He said that modernisation is necessary but caution should be exercised regarding banks' exposure to funding risks and their funding. Tran Thi Mong Tuyen is a researcher with the Hawaii-based Pacific Forum. She also warned about risks associated with underused infrastructure, including delayed investment returns. (Reporting and editing by Ed Davies; Additional reporting by Phuong Vu, Khanh Vu)
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Air India crash report delayed due to unfinished engine examination, Bloomberg News reports
Bloomberg News reported that investigators would miss the deadline of Friday to?explain? why an Air India plane crashed. This is because the engines of the Boeing 787 aircraft still need to be examined in the U.S. The report cited people who were familiar with the situation as saying that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India (AAIB), will likely release a status update this week focusing on the reasons for the delay. Air India 787, headed for London on June 12, 2025 crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad.?260 people were killed in the deadliest air disaster of the decade. Bloomberg News reported that a final report should be completed within three months for the GE Aerospace 'engines. The examination is taking place in the U.S. as there are only a handful of places worldwide that have the 'necessary tool and can dismantle the engines properly. First reported last month, Indian officials investigating the crash prepared an interim report instead of a final report ahead of the first anniversary because they deemed the investigation complex and time-consuming. Internationally, the final report should be submitted within one year after an accident. However, investigations can take longer. If this is not possible, a statement interim should be released on each anniversary. AAIB, India’s aviation ministry, Air India and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board did not respond immediately to'requests for comments. The crash occurred at an important stage in Air India's post-privatisation turnaround. This was slowed down by supply-chain problems, the Iran War, and a Pakistani airspace ban on Indian carriers. PRELIMINARY REPORT The 787's fuel control switches were found to have been switched from "Run" to "CUTOFF" almost simultaneously, starving the engines of fuel soon after takeoff. According to an early assessment by U.S. officials last year, a cockpit recording of the dialogue between the pilots supports the idea that the captain stopped the flow of fuel to the plane's engine. AAIB stated that it was "too early" to draw any conclusions. The father of the Captain asked India's highest court to order a independent investigation that considered other causes than deliberate pilot actions, which was suspected in other fatal crashes and confirmed by the case of Germanwings 2015. According to a letter seen by the. The group of pilots also asked investigators to obtain more technical information on the plane from Boeing and Air India in order to "refute the theory that the AAIB is exploring about the pilot's suicide." The preliminary report made no safety recommendations for Boeing or GE at the time, indicating that there were no technical problems. Reporting by Chris Thomas in Mexico City and Carlos Mendez, Abhijith Ganapavaram in New Delhi. Editing by Jamie Freed.
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US Energy regulator approves PJM’s rapid-tracked plan for power plant interconnection
PJM Interconnection, a U.S. grid operator, announced on Wednesday that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had approved the expedited interconnection process. This temporary process is designed to 'advance large projects of a significant size in order to meet the urgent demand for additional capacity resources. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. electricity consumption, which reached its second consecutive annual record in 2025, is expected to?rise even further in 2026 or 2027 due in part by AI-hungry data centers and electrification. The approval comes at a time when PJM, along with states?across the footprint of PJM, are seeking to bring online new power generation more quickly in order to meet the rising?electricity demands and maintain grid reliability. PJM?said that it would consider 10 interconnection requests for each calendar year, under the EIT Plan, for large new capacity resources or upgraded capacities, which, among other criteria have a commitment by a relevant authority to expedite locating. "FERC's approval for PJM's accelerated interconnection track creates a pathway that will allow qualified generation?projects to be connected onto?the grid in?the next 3 years," stated PJM CEO David Mills. PJM expects that the projects will be able to?execute a generation interconnection contract within 10 months after submission, and operational within 3 years. The FERC order will take effect on July 31. The expedited interconnection procedure will last until the end of 2027. Reporting by Pooja menon in Bengaluru, Editing by Mark Porter
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Wall Street indexes drop 1% due to tech and Iran War worries
Investors are uncertain as the major U.S. indexes closed more than 1% down on Wednesday. Chipmaker shares have continued to decline and renewed tensions between?the U.S. After one of the largest exchanges of gunfire overnight in the Middle East War since April, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will attack Iran "very hard". Nvidia, Broadcom and other semiconductor companies were the main drags on the S&P 500. Investors are concerned about the stretched valuations in the semiconductor sector. The Cboe Volatility Index has advanced for the second consecutive day. In recent days, volatility has increased. Tom Hainlin is an investment strategist with U.S. Bank Wealth Management, based in Minneapolis. He said that investors were also "pricing in maybe a higher rate of interest" following recent economic data, and they are worried about the war. He said, "Perhaps this conflict will continue into the late summer or mid-summer." At its policy meeting in June, the Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged. Investors have priced in at least a 25 basis-point rate increase by the end the year. The S&P 500 fell 119.00 points or 1.61% to 7,267.65, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 505.31 or 1.97% to 25,169.50. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 952.04 points or 1.87% to 49,920.07. The U.S. employment report on Friday was better than expected. Data showed that on Wednesday, U.S. Consumer prices rose 4.2% over the past 12 months, which is the highest increase since April 2023. The Middle East conflict has also increased the price of energy products and gasoline. According to a survey of economists, the pace of growth was in line with predictions. Super Micro Computer, among other decliners fell after it announced plans to raise $7 billion via a series equity and equity-linked finance transactions in order to fund component purchases needed for its growing AI servers demand. Healthcare, real estate, and consumer staples have all benefited from the rotation of shares in high-flying technology companies. SpaceX's much-hyped listing on Friday of $1.75 trillion, which aims to raise a record $75 Billion, could also put pressure on U.S. stock prices as fears mount over excessive optimism in tech. Shares of XPO, J.B. 'Hunt, and Old Dominion, among others, also fell after Amazon announced its expansion of less-than truckload freight services in America. The industrials sector led the declines. Caroline Valetkevitch reported from New York, Joel Jose from Bengaluru and Twesha Dkshit in Bengaluru. Additional reporting was provided by Twesha Dkshit and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru. Shinjini Gregorio and David Gregorio edited the article.
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India considering Canada as potential crude oil supplier, envoy says
India is looking at Canada as a possible 'crude oil' supplier, said the High Commissioner Dinesh Patnaik on Wednesday, speaking at the Global Energy Show, in Calgary, Alberta. He added that Canada has new refineries designed to process heavy crudes, which makes Canadian grades an attractive option. Patnaik stated that officials from both countries meet regularly to discuss the?opportunities of sourcing Canadian energy. He also said that investors are still cautious about Canada's project and regulatory approval processes. This could have an impact on the pace of energy collaboration. Separately, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company'said Tuesday that it was 'exploring opportunities' in Canada’s upstream natural gas and liquefied sectors via XRG. Canada is the fourth largest crude oil producer in the world and ranks fifth for natural gas production.
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Port authority reports that Panamanian and Barbadian vessels were damaged in an attack on Ukrainian waters.
The Ukrainian Ports Authority reported on Wednesday that two vessels flying the Panamanian and Barbadian flags had been damaged by an attack while they were moving along Ukraine's Black Sea navigation corridor. According to the authority's Telegram post, one vessel is headed towards the port of Odesa - a vital port for Ukrainian exports - with a cargo?of metal while the other was carrying grain and had already left the port. Both vessels were operating in the navigation corridor set up by Ukrainian authorities to allow ships travel from the 'Black Sea' to Romanian ports along the 'Danube River. Oleh Kiper said in Telegram that Russian drones were responsible for the attacks. The Russian Defence Ministry did not respond immediately to a comment request. Ports Authority said that a fire broke out on one of the vessels, but it was quickly put out by the crew. No injuries were reported and both ships were able continue their journeys. Kiper, writing on 'Telegram', said that the enemy continues to terrorize the?peaceful Odesa Region and tries?to disrupt?the operation of the Ukrainian marine corridor. Kiper said that "several waves of Russian drones" had also attacked the south Odesa region and struck civilian targets as well as energy infrastructure. Bill Berkrot edited the report by Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozoukhar and Bill Berkrot.
CMA CGM: US port fees on China ships would affect all shipping companies
CMA CGM, a French shipping company, said that the U.S. proposal to charge high port fees on Chinese vessels would have a significant impact on all companies in the container shipping industry where most vessels are made in China.
As part of an investigation into China's growth in the shipbuilding and maritime sectors, the U.S. Trade Representative has proposed a charge up to $1.5m for Chinese-built ships entering U.S. port.
Ramon Fernandez, Chief Financial Officer of the company, told reporters that China builds more than half the container ships built in the world.
CMA CGM is the third largest container shipping company in the world. It's controlled by Rodolphe Saade and his family. Fernandez stated that CMA CGM has a strong presence in the United States, with several terminals and 10 vessels under U.S. flag.
When asked about Ocean Alliance, an agreement between CMA CGM, Asian partners, including China's COSCO and CMA CGM, he stated that CMA CGM had not received any indications that the alliance might be in question due to U.S. policies.
He declined to make any further comments on the USTR's proposals, pending an expected decision in April.
Fernandez stated that the group expects new tariffs announced by U.S. president Donald Trump to have an impact on shipping in 2018. This could accelerate a change in trade routes already underway since Trump's tariffs against China during his first term.
Fernandez noted that the rush to beat new taxes fueled strong shipping volumes in 2018. This trend has continued into 2025.
CMA CGM has reported an increase of 7.8% in the volume shipped in 2024. This is in support of a 18% growth in the group sales, which reached $55.48 billion.
He said that the market outlook was less favorable this year due to geopolitical uncertainties and the possibility of vessel overcapacity.
Last year, the Red Sea was disrupted by attacks from Yemen's Houthi militants. Many ships had to take a longer route through Southern Africa because of this.
Fernandez said that a return to regular Red Sea traffic following the ceasefire of Gaza could change this balance and lead to firms scrapping older vessels. Reporting by Gus Trompiz with additional reporting by Michal Aeksandrowicz. Editing by Kirsty Donovan.
(source: Reuters)