After Crash, Air India Cuts International Services On Wide-Body Planes By 15%

Air India has responded to the crash of its Ahmedabad-London Boeing Dreamliner aircraft with a  slew of safety and prevention measures that includes massive safety and cutting down on the use of its wide-body planes for international flights by 15 per cent. The cuts will be implemented between now and 20 June and will continue thereafter until at least mid-July.

In a statement today, the company said of their 33 Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft, the "Enhanced Safety Inspection" mandated by civil aviation watchdog DGCA have been completed on 26.  These, Air India said, have been "cleared for service, while inspection of the remainder will be complete in the coming days".

"As a matter of added precaution, Air India will also undertake enhanced safety checks on its Boeing 777 fleet," the carrier said.

There have been multiple cancellations of international flights in view of the "geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, night curfew in the airspaces of many countries in Europe and East Asia, the ongoing enhanced safety inspections, and also the necessary cautious approach being taken by the engineering staff and Air India pilots, the company said.

Over the last six days, 83 flights have been cancelled.

"Given the compounding circumstances that Air India is facing, to ensure stability of our operations, better efficiency and to minimise inconvenience to passengers, Air India has decided to reduce its international services on wide-body aircraft by 15 per cent for the next few weeks," the statement read.  

On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane from Ahmedabad to London crashed soon after take-off, killing 241 people on board and more  than 30 on the ground. It had been the worst air crash in the country in decades.

"Air India remains in mourning on the tragic loss of 241 passengers and crew members aboard flight AI171. Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, and communities affected by the accident," the statement read.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/OlnMIK2
via IFTTT

Political Storm In Punjab Over 'Intimate' Photos Of AAP Minister

A political storm is sweeping Punjab as Shiromani Akali Dal's Bikram Singh Majithia posted 'intimate' photos of state minister Ravjot Singh and a woman, demanding that he be sacked. Mr Singh has contended that the photos Mr Majithia posted are AI generated and featured his ex-wife. The minister has also said he would file a police case and sue for defamation. 

"Another minister of AAP government's act! The act of minister Ravjot... who played with the dignity of daughters and sisters. If there is even a little shame in the AAP Punjab government then immediately dismiss minister Ravjot and expel him from the party," reads a rough translation of his vernacular post on X, in which he tagged party chief Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. 

AAP's state unit chief Aman Arora stood by minister, accusing Akali Dal of stooping low to play dirty politics.

Ravjot Singh has contended that the Akalis attack on him was a "caste-based political conspiracy" and that the party has lost all limits of decency. It also exposes their "mindset towards women".

"This act not only attacks me personally but also insults the dignity of a woman, exposing their real mindset towards women in society. This is not just a personal attack-it is a caste-based and political conspiracy. The fact that this disgraceful act happened just two days before the Ludhiana by-election shows that the fear of a crushing defeat by AAP is forcing the opposition into such desperate and unethical actions," his post on Facebook read. 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/snaW39r
via IFTTT

"It Shames Us": British-Pakistanis Reacts To Grooming Gang Revelations

The issue of grooming gangs, disproportionately involving men of Pakistani heritage in Britain, has resurfaced following the publication of a review on abuse in England and Wales. The government-commissioned audit, led by Baroness Louise Casey, examined existing data and evidence on group-based child sexual abuse.

Casey's audit revealed serious institutional failures, including a reluctance by authorities to acknowledge the over-representation of men of Pakistani heritage in these cases, often citing fears of being labelled racist.

"We found many examples of organisations avoiding the topic altogether for fear of appearing racist, raising community tensions, or causing community cohesion problems," the report said.

The report stresses the need for transparent and consistent data collection on offenders' ethnicity and nationality, arguing that poor national data has hampered effective action.

The report's findings have triggered strong reactions on social media. Some British-Pakistanis expressed shame and disappointment, urging open and honest conversations within the community to address the issue.

Has Ahmed, a London-based businessman, written on X (formerly Twitter), "As a Pakistani in Britain, today is a dark day". He highlighted the report's confirmation of victims' experiences, including abuse, rape, and trafficking, and the failure of institutions meant to protect them. Ahmed added, "And the men who did this? Many of them were Pakistani. They came from our communities. That's the truth. And it shames us."

As a Pakistani in Britain, today is a dark day.

Baroness Casey's report confirms what victims have been saying for years: they were abused - raped, beaten, trafficked - and then failed by the very institutions meant to protect them. Girls, mostly white working-class and…

— Has Ahmed (@HasAhmed_) June 16, 2025

Nuriyah Khan, a London-based content creator, stated, "I'm British-Pakistani, and I'm tired of tiptoeing around the truth! The majority of offenders in the UK grooming gangs were of Pakistani origin. That's not racism; it's a FACT. But say it out loud and suddenly...you're 'far-right'."

I'm British-Pakistani and I'm tired of tiptoeing around truth! The majority of offenders in the UK grooming gangs were of Pakistani origin. That's not racism, it's a FACT. But say it out loud and suddenly….you're “far-right.” pic.twitter.com/P7p3U3p2sH

— Nuriyah Khan (@nuriyahk) June 16, 2025

The report and subsequent discussions underscore the complex challenges in addressing child sexual exploitation while navigating concerns about racial sensitivity and accurate data reporting. 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/7GqADSK
via IFTTT

Karnataka Minister Denied Approval For US Trip, Says "Will Seek Explanation"

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, denied clearance to visit the US to attend two events, said today that he would not comment on the issue for now and would seek an explanation once he is back in the country. 

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Kharge -- who is also the son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge -- said: "I'm holding back on making any public statements for now. Once I'm back in Bengaluru, I will seek a clear explanation from the Government of India regarding this denial".

I'm holding back on making any public statements for now. Once I'm back in Bengaluru, I will seek a clear explanation from the Government of India regarding this denial. https://t.co/70QyioMeM8

— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) June 17, 2025

Mr Kharge was expected to lead delegations to the Boston Bio 2025 and this year's Design Automation Conference in San Francisco. 

He was in Paris where he attended a conference and the aeroshow, from where he was to leave for the US with his team. But his clearances didn't come through. 

Mr Kharge was expected to lead delegations to the Boston Bio 2025 and this year's Design Automation Conference in San Francisco. 

He was in Paris where he attended a conference and the aeroshow, from where he was to leave for the US with his team. But his clearances didn't come through and he is expected to return straight to India.

The "Design Automation Conference" which bills itself as the "The Global Event for Chips to Systems" is also crucial for Karnataka - Bengaluru being the country's IT capital - and Mr Kharge, who handles the state's IT ministry.

The BIO International Convention is one of the key events for biotechnology, and claims to represent the "full ecosystem of biotech with 20,000 industry leaders from across the globe".

It is not yet clear what proved to be the hitch in the clearance but the matter could snowball into the next political row between the BJP and the Congress, which rules the state.
 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/vjhTwKR
via IFTTT

Akshay Kumar's Latest Update On Hera Pheri 3 Controversy With Paresh Rawal

Paresh Rawal's sudden exit from Hera Pheri 3 has been a big disappointment for the fans of the franchise. As much as fans would want him to reprise his role as Baburao, Paresh Rawal has even called his character "gale ka fanda", in an earlier conversation with The Lallantop.

Akshay Kumar is currently busy promoting his upcoming film Kannappa. He shared some new details on the ongoing controversy. He assured everyone that he believes everything will go well.

What's Happening

• Akshay Kumar revealed some new details about Hera Pheri 3, and the ongoing feud with Paresh Rawal.
• Akshay Kumar told Pinkvilla, "Whatever is happening is happening in front of you. Keeping my fingers crossed. I hope everything goes well. Everything will go well only. I know, for sure."

What Paresh Rawal's Public Withdrawl From Hera Pheri 3 Resulted In

Paresh Rawal's exit from the project led to Akshay Kumar's company Cape of Good Cinema suing him for Rs 25 crore, on the basis of first committing to the project and then leading to disrupting timelines and planning for his sudden decision to quit. As tensions led to a legal dispute, Paresh Rawal returned his signing amount for Hera Pheri 3, with interest.

Paresh Rawal On Not Wanting To Repeat Previous Mistakes

Paresh Rawal has mentioned several times in a series of interviews, that he was not happy with how Phir Hera Pheri (2006)  drifted away from the humour it was known for. This was one of the reasons why the actor had demanded a script before giving a nod to Hera Pheri 3.

Rawal finally decided to opt out of the project with no assurance and multiple producers wanting to claim control.

Akshay Kumar's Next

On the work front, Akshay Kumar is gearing up for his Telugu fantasy mythological saga Kannappa, where he will play the role of Lord Shiva. The Kesari 2 actor has a cameo appearance in the film along with Prabhas and Mohanlal. The film is set to release in theatres on June 27, 2025.

In A Nutshell

Amid promotions for his upcoming film Kannappa, Akshay Kumar shared some new details on the Hera Pheri 3 controversy with Paresh Rawal. He reiterated that he believes everything will go well.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/int4d83
via IFTTT

"Exploited Virat's Weakness, Sachin...": England Great Makes Big Revelations

Former England cricket team fast bowler James Anderson opened up about bowling to two of India's modern greats - Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. Anderson, who is the most successful fast bowler in the history of Test cricket, dismissed Sachin 9 times and Virat 7 times during his career. When asked about the most difficult batter to bowl to, Anderson ended up picking Virat over Sachin.  Anderson explained that although he dominated Virat during their first meeting during 2014, the Indian batter bounced back and went on to have a good record against the pacer. Sachin, on the other hand, did not have such an intense clash with him and there was never a major 'shift in dominance'.

"I had some success early against Kohli, the first time he came to England in 2014. I really exploited his weakness of outside off-stump, and then the next time I played against him – he had obviously gone back and worked on that – he was totally a different player. He really had taken his game to a different level, made it very difficult for not just me but for bowlers in general. I got him out 4-5 times in the first series and then didn't get him out in the next I played against him," Anderson said on the talkSport podcast.

"Against Sachin, for example, I didn't feel like there was that sort of shift in dominance. With Kohli, there was definitely a shift. Found him a very difficult player to bowl at because he had that steely mindset, wanted to get into a battle. He's very competitive and after that initial success, it was very difficult to bowl against."

Anderson and Kohli also had a number of on-field spats over the years including a heated incident back in 2021. The England legend outlined how Virat was a different character than Sachin before explaining how their personalities also shaped their rivalries with him.

"Kohli was a slightly different character than Sachin. Sachin was very mild, mannered; very calm at the crease. Virat was more expressive with his emotions. Wore them on his sleeves and you can kind of see it. In his captaincy, when I celebrated his wickets. I tried as much as I could to get that feeling out of the equation and just try to think of him as a batter and not too much about who it was. It was difficult at times; we had many battles on the field," pointed out Anderson.

"I definitely had more verbal battles with Virat than with Sachin. With Sachin I tried not to. He was certainly at a different stage in his career when I played against him. He had this sort of God-like presence, and how he was held in India. It was incredible how the fans treated him and looked up to him. But as Virat's career went on, that became more and more like that for him. But at the start of his career, it wasn't quite intimidating."

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/rXwlk5z
via IFTTT

Steyn Predicts Outcome Of England vs India Series: "3-2 In Favour Of..."

Team India, under the leadership of a new captain in Shubman Gill, is gearing up for an upcoming five-match Test series against England, starting June 20 in Leeds. Following the Test retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Gill was appointed captain last month, with Rishabh Pant set to be his deputy. The series marks the first Test for Gill as captain, having recently impressed with his leadership in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Gill and his men are currently taking part in a behind-closed-doors intra-squad match.

Ahead of the first Test in Headingley, Steyn has predicted the series to be a closely contested one, but he backed England to come out on top 3-2.

"All games will be close. But all will have a result. I think it will be 3-2 in favour of England. There will be a result in every Test match. There will be no run away win for any team, all five games will be very close," Steyn said on JioHotstar. 

Reflecting on what would be his leadership approach in the Test series against England, Gill said, "Apart from all the silverware and trophies aside, I would ideally like to build a culture where everyone is very secure and happy."

"I know it can be a very difficult environment, especially with all the competition or the number of matches that we play and different squads coming in, but if I am able to do that, that would be my goal," he added.

The upcoming India tour of England marks a significant new chapter for Team India as a fresh squad prepares to take on one of cricket's most challenging assignments in English conditions. Historically, India's success in Test series on English soil has been rare, with the team having won a Test series in England only three times in the past 100 years.

These landmark victories came in 1971, 1986, and 2007, each time under the leadership of a new or first-time captain - Ajit Wadekar in 1971, Kapil Dev in 1986 and Rahul Dravid in 2007 - highlighting the pivotal role of new leadership in these historic triumphs.

India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

(With IANS Inputs)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/WRkE6wX
via IFTTT