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King Charles honors air crash victims during military parade
The British King Charles, along with other senior royals, wore black armbands during the "Trooping the Colour", military parade held on Saturday to show respect for the victims who died in the Air India plane accident. On Thursday, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner headed for London, India, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad. At least 270 people were killed in the worst aviation accident in a decade. One of the 242 passengers on board and the crew survived. Others were killed when the plane hit a hostel for a medical school as it crashed. After the King inspected the parade marking his birthday, a minute's quiet was observed. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said that King Charles had requested the changes as a sign of respect to the victims, their families and the entire community affected by the tragedy.
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Minister: Lebanon will maintain its airspace open
A minister stated on Saturday that Lebanon would aim to keep the airspace open. Hours earlier, officials had said the airspace was scheduled to be closed in the evening due the Iran-Israel conflict. Conflict Fayez Rahamny, Lebanese minister of Public Works and Transport, said during a tour at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport that "the airport will remain open" unless there is unforeseen circumstances. Rasamny, the Lebanese National Carrier, Middle East Airlines, said that it would increase its flight schedule to compensate for delayed flights. The Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority had earlier told the state-run news agency NNA that the country's airspace would be temporarily reopened on Saturday morning at 10:00 am (0700 GMT), but would then be closed again between 10:30 pm and 6:00 am on Sunday. Reporting by Muhammad Al Gebaly in Cairo and Menna Alaa el Din from Beirut, with additional reporting by Laila Basam. Editing by Louise Heavens & Toby Chopra.
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What do we know about the Air India crash investigation?
Air India's fatal plane crash, which killed at least 271 people, has sparked a wave of speculation as to what caused the worst aviation disaster of the decade. However, authorities are narrowing their investigation areas. Experts say that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has an excellent safety record with no fatal accidents in its past. What is known so far about the crash? Visual Evidence Investigators are examining a 59-second CCTV clip which clearly shows the takeoff of the plane and its crash from the Sardar Vallabhbhai patel International Airport, located in Ahmedabad City, Gujarat State. The CCTV camera was on the left side of the runway, near a barbed-wire wall. The video shows the Tata Group's Air India aircraft take off, gain some altitude, fly flat for a few seconds, then start descending with its rear down. After take-off, the descent begins approximately 17 seconds later. When the plane starts to descend, there is no visible fire around the engine. The landing gear is visible throughout the video. The plane crashed into a massive fireball in just 33 seconds after wheels-up. Where did the plane fall? According to the Indian Aviation Ministry, pilots sent a "mayday call" to air traffic control at 1:39pm local time on Thursday. The pilots didn't respond when officials attempted to contact them. After reaching a height of 650 feet, the plane began to lose height. The plane crashed into B.J. Medical College hostel nearby. Images taken shortly after the incident show that the wheels of the aircraft were embedded in the wall, and debris, belongings, and clothing of students lay on the floor. On the few tables left intact, there were still plates and tumblers with food on them. On Friday, a strong smell of jet fuel was in the air as authorities removed charred debris and trees using cranes. POSSIBLE CAUSES Air India officials, along with scores of Indian government agents and investigators, have been on the crash site ever since Thursday. According to a direct source, no initial findings have yet been made, but investigators continue to look at three main possible issues. Investigators are looking into any possible issues with engine thrust. This is the force that the engine produces to propel it through the air. Investigators also look at possible issues related to flaps. Investigation teams also included anti-terror squads. Officials also assess why the landing gear remained open so long after takeoff. The investigation is not focused on a possible bird strike. Sources added that officials were also investigating any possible fault of Air India including possible maintenance issues. Where is the black box? India's Aviation Ministry has confirmed that investigators and rescue workers have recovered the digital flight recorder, one of two black boxes in the plane, from the roof of the building where the jet crashed. The cockpit voice recording, the second black box, is crucial for the investigation. The Indian aviation regulator conducted additional maintenance on Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 equipped with GEnx engine, including a "one-time" check of the takeoff parameters prior to every flight departure from midnight June 15th. Also, the airline was asked to perform engine fuel and electronic engine control checks.
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Air India crash death toll reaches 270 as families await bodies
Families are increasingly upset by the delays in delivering badly burned bodies from the crash in Ahmedabad, a city in western India. After takeoff, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers bound for Britain's Gatwick Airport started losing height and then exploded in a fiery fireball when it hit the buildings below. This was the worst aviation accident in 10 years. Dhaval gameti, President of the Junior Doctors Association of B.J. Medical College, said reporters. The plane hit the hostel of the Medical College as it fell, killing many passengers and crew. The crisis has escalated cast a shadow Air India has struggled for years to rebuild its reputation and upgrade its fleet since the Tata Group acquired the airline in 2022 from the Indian Government. Tata chairman said that the group is trying to figure out what happened but, "we don't really know at this time." Air India and Indian government looked at The crash has many aspects Reports have raised a number of issues, including those related to the thrust generated by the engine, the flaps and the reason why the landing gear was left open when the plane landed and took off. Dozens Anxious family members Doctors were busy collecting dental samples to perform identification checks and DNA profiles on the dead. Families waiting to pick up the bodies of their loved ones who died in the accident. Rafiq Abd Hafiz Memon said that he had lost four family members in the incident and that he did not get any answers from the authorities. He was also "very harassed". "We lost our children. We don't understand anything." Please help us find out more about our children. "Tell us when they will release their bodies," Memon asked. A father complained about not being able to retrieve the body of Harshad, his son. He said he had been told by the authorities that DNA profiling would take 72 hours. "The authorities are doing their best to assist, but our patience is wearing thin," he said. The majority of the bodies were severely charred, and authorities used dental samples for identification checks. Jaishankar Pillai is a forensic dental expert who told reporters Friday that they have the dental records for 135 victims whose teeth were charred. These records can be matched with previous dental charts, radiographs, or other records.
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What do we know about the Air India crash investigation?
Air India's fatal plane crash, which killed at least 271 people, has sparked a wave speculation as to what caused the worst aviation disaster of the decade. However, authorities are narrowing their investigation areas. Experts say that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has an excellent safety record with no fatal accidents in its past. What is known so far about the crash? Visual Evidence Investigators are examining a 59-second CCTV clip which clearly shows the takeoff of the plane and its crash from the Sardar Vallabhbhai patel International Airport, located in Ahmedabad City, Gujarat State. The CCTV camera was on the left side of the runway, near a barbed-wire wall. The video shows the Tata Group's Air India aircraft take off, gain some altitude, fly flat for a few seconds, then start descending with its rear down. After take-off, the descent begins approximately 17 seconds later. When the plane starts to descend, there is no visible fire around the engine. The landing gear is visible throughout the video. The plane crashed into a massive fireball in just 33 seconds after wheels-up. Where did the plane fall? B.J. Medical College hostel Images taken shortly after the incident show that the wheels of the aircraft were embedded in the wall, and debris, belongings, and clothing of students lay on the floor. On the few tables left intact, there were still plates and tumblers with food on them. On Friday, a strong smell of jet fuel was in the air as authorities removed charred debris and trees using cranes. POSSIBLE CAUSES Air India officials, along with scores of Indian government agents and investigators, have been on the crash site ever since Thursday. According to a direct source, no initial findings have yet been made, but investigators continue to look at three main possible issues. Investigators are looking into any possible issues with engine thrust. This is the force that the engine produces to propel it through the air. Investigators also look at possible issues related to flaps. Investigation teams also included anti-terror squads. Officials also assess why the landing gear remained open so long after takeoff. The investigation is not focused on a possible bird strike. Sources added that officials were also investigating any possible fault of Air India including possible maintenance issues. Where is the black box? India's Aviation Ministry has confirmed that investigators and rescue workers have recovered the digital flight recorder, one of two black boxes in the plane, from the roof of the building where the jet crashed. The cockpit voice recording, the second black box, is crucial for the investigation. The Indian aviation regulator conducted additional maintenance on Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 equipped with GEnx engine, including a "one-time" check of the takeoff parameters prior to every flight departure from midnight June 15th. Also, the airline was asked to perform engine fuel and electronic engine control checks.
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Boeing resumes China delivery with 787-9 aircraft to Juneyao Airlines. Yicai reports
Chinese media outlet Yicai reports that Boeing delivered a new 787-9 to China's Juneyao Airlines Saturday as tensions in trade between Beijing and Washington have eased. This delivery comes just two days after a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers crashed into a fireball in western India shortly after takeoff. Boeing and Juneyao Airlines didn't immediately respond to requests for comments on the Yicai Report. In April, the U.S. Aerospace giant suspended all new aircraft deliveries to China as President Donald Trump escalated his tariff war between the two world's largest economies. Boeing announced at the end May that the deliveries will resume this month, after tariffs are temporarily reduced for 90 days. China and the U.S. ended two days of talks in London, Tuesday, to resolve important trade issues. Washington and Beijing reached an agreement on a framework for tariff rates. A new Boeing 737 MAX painted with the livery for Xiamen Airlines landed on Monday in China. This is another sign that Boeing has resumed deliveries to China. Boeing's backlog in China is about 10%, and it is a growing and important aviation market. Boeing said that customers in China were not going to take new planes because of the tariffs, and it was planning to resell dozens of aircraft. (Reporting from Ziyi Tang and Kane Wu, in Beijing; Editing by William Mallard).
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Sources say that buyout firms are interested in buying US trucker Forward Air.
People familiar with the situation said that private equity firms such as Blackstone and Apollo Global Management are interested in buying U.S. trucker Forward Air. Signing confidentiality agreements allowed them to receive information and review documents to help shape a possible bid. Platinum Equity and Clearlake Capital can also review materials after signing agreements, according to the sources. Sources said that the initial takeover bids will be submitted in the first week of the month of July. However, they noted that there was no guarantee four buyout firms would make offers. It is possible that other bidders will emerge. Sources spoke under condition of anonymity in order to discuss private discussions. Blackstone, Apollo and the company all declined to comment. Platinum and Clearlake did not respond to requests for comment. Forward Air, a company that specializes in hauls that do not require a full truckload of space, announced earlier this week its commitment to moving forward with the strategic alternatives review. The review was first announced in January, and it could include selling the company. The market value of the Greeneville-based company has fallen from $610 million to about $20. Analysts said that the enterprise value of the company is closer to $2 billion when viewed on a fully-diluted basis. This includes net debt. Private equity investors are interested in Forward Air as they see the potential for growth. The company is already a dominant player in the niche transportation market but has fallen on hard times since a bad acquisition in 2024. Analysts said that the company acquired freight forwarder Omni Logistics through a deal which was not approved by shareholders. This added to debt and caused operational disruptions. Several investors began to pressurize the company shortly after the deal had been finalized in January 2024. This led to the company's announcement in January 2025. Ancora Holdings (4% shareholder) was frustrated by the lack of visible progress on the review. In May, it launched a campaign against three long-serving board members, whom they blamed for approving the Omni deal and slowing down the sales process. The campaign to withhold approval was successful and the three directors resigned after the annual meeting of the company this week. (Reporting and editing by Edward Tobin; Svea Herbst Bayliss)
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Brazil's coffee harvest is behind last year's pace, but sales are still up
The Brazilian coffee harvest for 2025/26 accelerated in the last week to 35% but remained lower than the level in 2024. Sales of the anticipated output were on par with last year's, at 22%. Safras & Mercado reported that the robusta bean harvest increased by seven percentage points in the week ending June 11. The dry weather favored the robusta beans. Rains have slowed down the work on arabica fields in the states of Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, and Parana in the southeast. This is two percentage points less than the level of 37% seen at the same time last year. However, it is still above the five-year average 33%. Safras & Mercado, in a separate report, said that the Brazilian 2025/26 coffee crop sales have increased in recent weeks. Brazil is the largest coffee exporter in the world. Analyst Gil Barabach stated in the report that in general, Brazilian coffee producers are better capitalized following recent price increases, which has led to a slowdown in sales. Safras & Mercado reported that although sales were in line with those of the same period of last year, they were nine points below the average five-year level of 31%. Barabach explained that "this difference reflects the change in behavior of Brazilian producers over the past few years. Until the 2021 frost Brazilian producers were more aggressive in their sales in advance." (Reporting and editing by Brendan O'Boyle; Roberto Samora, Andre Romani)
Finland concludes its investigation into Baltic Sea cable damage and suspects tanker crew
Police and the prosecutor announced on Friday that the Finnish prosecution is considering charging three senior officers from an oil tanker who are suspected of damaging underwater power and telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea last December.
The Cook Islands Eagle S, registered in Finland, is suspected by the authorities to have broken the Estlink 2 underwater power cable that connects Finland and Estonia last December as well as 4 internet lines. This was done by dragging the anchor across the seabed.
The National Bureau of Investigation in Finland concluded its investigation of the damage Friday. In a press release, it said that three senior Eagle S officers were suspected of criminal mischief aggravated and interference with communications.
Sami Liimatainen told the three crew members that they had done nothing wrong.
After a series of failures of gas pipelines, power cables and telecoms in the Baltic Sea, there has been a high level of alertness for sabotage. However, subsea infrastructure can also be affected by technical problems and accidents.
An attorney for Caravella LLC FZ in the United Arab Emirates, owner of the Eagle S said that he couldn't comment on behalf the crew, as he doesn't represent them. The crew's legal representatives could not be identified.
The lawyer had previously stated that the ship's alleged damages to undersea gear occurred outside Finland's territory waters, and therefore Helsinki did not have jurisdiction to intervene. (Reporting and editing by Gareth Jones, Essi Lehto and Louise Breusch Rasmussen)
(source: Reuters)