Air India crash: Black box data being analysed to reconstruct events
A multi-disciplinary team led by the director general of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting the investigation.
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Vivek Mishra works as an Assistant Editor with Eastern Eye and has over 13 years of experience in journalism. His areas of interest include politics, international affairs, current events, and sports. With a background in newsroom operations and editorial planning, he has reported and edited stories on major national and global developments.
EFFORTS are underway to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the Air India plane crash earlier this month, which killed over 260 people, the civil aviation ministry said on Thursday.
A multi-disciplinary team led by the director general of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting the investigation.
The team began extracting data from the black boxes of the aircraft on June 24.
Over 270 dead in Ahmedabad crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing more than 270 people, including 241 passengers onboard.
“Following the unfortunate accident involving Air India Flight AI-171, the AAIB promptly initiated an investigation and constituted a multidisciplinary team on 13 June 2025, in line with prescribed norms.
“The team, constituted as per international protocol, is led by DG AAIB, and includes an aviation medicine specialist, an ATC officer, and representatives from National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) which is government investigative agency from the state of manufacture and design, (USA), as required for such investigations,” the ministry said in its statement.
Crash protection module retrieved
According to the ministry, the team led by AAIB Director General GVG Yugandhar, along with technical members from AAIB and NTSB, started the data extraction process on June 24.
“The Crash Protection Module (CPM) from the front black box was safely retrieved, and on 25 June, 2025, the memory module was successfully accessed and its data downloaded at the AAIB Lab,” the statement said.
Black box data analysis underway
“The analysis of CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder) and FDR (Flight Data Recorder) data is underway. These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences,” it added.
(From left) Axiom Mission 4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski wave from inside the Space Dragon spacecraft. (Photo: NASA)
INDIA’s Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts entered the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday after a 28-hour journey aboard the Dragon spacecraft. The crew received warm hugs and handshakes upon arrival as the capsule docked with the orbital laboratory.
The spacecraft, named Grace and fifth in the Dragon series, made a soft capture with the ISS’s Harmony module at 4:01 pm IST while flying over the North Atlantic Ocean. Full docking procedures, including power links and pressure checks, took about two more hours to complete.
“The #Ax4 crew -- commander Peggy Whitson, ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and mission specialist Tibor Kapu -- emerges from the Dragon spacecraft and gets their first look at their home in low Earth orbit,” the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) posted on X.
The #Ax4 crew—commander Peggy Whitson, @ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, @ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and mission specialist Tibor Kapu—emerges from the Dragon spacecraft and gets their first look at their home in low Earth orbit. pic.twitter.com/5q0RfoSv4G — NASA (@NASA) June 26, 2025
“We are happy to be here. It was a long quarantine,” said Whitson, who is making her fifth spaceflight. The four astronauts waved at mission control in Houston during their live interaction.
Soft capture, docking and crew entry
Live footage from NASA showed the Dragon spacecraft approaching the ISS. The docking was confirmed at 4:15 pm IST. After its launch from Florida at 12:01 hours on Wednesday, the spacecraft fired thrusters in a series of controlled manoeuvres to position itself for docking.
The approach progressed faster than expected, with mission control skipping planned pauses at “waypoint-1” and “waypoint-2”, allowing the docking to advance by nearly 30 minutes.
At just 20 metres from the ISS, the spacecraft used laser-based sensors and cameras to align precisely with the docking port on the Harmony module. Once soft capture was achieved, hard-mating followed through 12 sets of mechanical hooks and the activation of power and communication links.
The ISS crew then carried out leak checks and pressure equalisation between the two spacecraft. The hatch was opened after ensuring pressure levels matched those at sea level on Earth.
Whitson entered the space station at 5:53 pm IST, followed by Shukla, Slawosz and Kapu.
Shukla first Indian on ISS, others also make history
Shukla, a test pilot with the Indian Air Force, is the second Indian to go to space and the first since Rakesh Sharma’s mission in 1984.
Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, an engineer and project astronaut from the European Space Agency, is the second person from Poland to travel to space, and the first since 1978.
Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer and mission specialist, is the second Hungarian to go into space. Hungary’s last space mission took place 45 years ago.
The ISS already has seven astronauts onboard – Nicole Ayers, Anne McClain and Jonny Kim from NASA, Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Roscosmos cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky.
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Starmer's government is under pressure to slash a spiralling benefits bill as chancellor Rachel Reeves tries to generate much-needed growth from a sluggish economy.
KEIR STARMER on Wednesday confirmed he would go ahead with plans to cut disability and sickness benefits, despite facing the largest internal rebellion since becoming prime minister.
Starmer, who took office after a landslide election win over the Conservatives last July, said a vote on the new welfare bill would take place on Tuesday.
The government is aiming to reduce the growing benefits bill as Chancellor Rachel Reeves works to boost growth in the UK’s struggling economy.
More than 120 Labour MPs — nearly a third of the party’s 403 lawmakers in parliament — have supported an amendment to block the legislation.
According to media reports, concern is growing within Starmer’s Downing Street team over the size of the revolt.
One minister told The Times the mood was one of “panic”. A Labour insider told The Sun that many MPs were ready to defy the government because “they're seeing poll after poll showing their seats going to Reform next election”.
Speaking from The Hague, where he is attending a NATO summit, Starmer said he was elected to “change that which is broken” and that the welfare system “doesn’t work for anyone”.
Spiralling welfare bill
“There’ll be a vote on Tuesday, we’re going to make sure we reform the welfare system,” he told LBC radio.
The MPs backing the amendment argue the bill is poorly planned and could push 250,000 more people into poverty.
The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (Pip) Bill would tighten eligibility for benefit payments with the aim of increasing employment.
Government figures show 3.7 million people in England and Wales were claiming Pip, up from 2.05 million in 2019, with more teenagers and young adults among claimants.
Senior Labour leaders have called on Starmer to reconsider.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said ministers should “urgently think again”, while Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the number of MPs rebelling should prompt reflection.
“When the PLP (parliamentary Labour Party) delivers its collective wisdom in such numbers, it is invariably right. And it is right on this,” he said.
Eluned Morgan, Labour’s First Minister of Wales, also urged a rethink.
Later, speaking to reporters in The Hague, Starmer said he would not be swayed and rejected suggestions that he was misreading the political mood.
He said the government needed “a welfare system that is fit for the future” and added, “that’s why... we will press ahead”.
Reform challenge
The dispute comes as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party continues to perform strongly in opinion polls.
Reform, which won hundreds of council seats in May local elections, has gained support over issues such as crime, immigration, cost of living and public services.
The party currently holds five seats in parliament but secured 14 per cent of the vote in last year’s general election.
A recent Ipsos poll put Reform on 34 per cent, nine points ahead of Labour on 25 per cent.
The next general election is due in four years, but if the poll results were reflected nationally, Farage could become prime minister.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Shubhanshu Shukla, 39, an Indian Air Force pilot, is now the first astronaut from India to travel to the ISS. (Photo credit: ISRO Spaceflight)
INDIAN astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three other crew members were launched into space early on Wednesday aboard the Axiom-4 mission. The crew lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at around 2:30 am EDT (0630 GMT), marking the latest commercial mission organised by Axiom Space in collaboration with SpaceX.
The mission is carrying astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time. The launch was carried out using a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, named “Grace” by the Axiom crew, mounted on a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket.
Live footage showed the spacecraft rising into the night sky over Florida’s Atlantic coast with a trail of exhaust. Cameras inside the capsule showed the astronauts seated in their pressurised cabin during ascent.
“We’ve had an incredible ride uphill,” mission commander Peggy Whitson said over the radio to SpaceX mission control near Los Angeles, shortly after the upper stage placed the capsule into preliminary orbit.
First Indian astronaut to reach ISS
Shubhanshu Shukla, 39, an Indian Air Force pilot, is now the first astronaut from India to travel to the ISS. This comes 41 years after Rakesh Sharma’s eight-day mission aboard the Soviet Union’s Salyut-7 space station in 1984.
Shukla’s participation is seen as a precursor to India’s upcoming Gaganyaan crewed spaceflight, expected in 2027. His mission is also part of the growing collaboration between NASA and ISRO.
The other crew members include 65-year-old Whitson, a retired NASA astronaut now working with Axiom, Slawosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. This marks Whitson’s fifth spaceflight.
Two weeks aboard the space station
The Crew Dragon spacecraft is expected to reach the ISS after about 28 hours of flight. Docking with the space station is planned for Thursday morning. Once aboard, the crew will be welcomed by seven current occupants of the ISS — three Americans, one Japanese astronaut, and three Russian cosmonauts.
The Axiom-4 crew is scheduled to spend 14 days aboard the ISS conducting microgravity research and commercial, educational, and outreach activities.
Delays and launch history
The mission faced multiple delays. It was initially scheduled for May 29, then postponed to June 8 due to incomplete readiness of the spacecraft. Launch attempts on June 10 and June 11 were cancelled because of high winds along the rocket’s ascent path and a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon-9 rocket. There were also technical issues with the Russian module of the ISS.
This launch marks the 18th human spaceflight by SpaceX and the fourth mission by Axiom Space since 2022. The Crew Dragon capsule “Grace” is the fifth of its kind and was flying for the first time.
Axiom Space, founded nine years ago by a former NASA ISS programme manager, is working on building a commercial space station intended to succeed the ISS, which NASA plans to retire around 2030.
International cooperation
NASA and Roscosmos confirmed the mission after discussing recent repair work in the Zvezda module on the ISS. “NASA and Roscosmos have a long history of cooperation and collaboration on the International Space Station. This professional working relationship has allowed the agencies to arrive at a shared technical approach and now Axiom Mission 4 launch and docking will proceed,” said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro.
The Axiom-4 mission also builds on a commitment made by former US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send an Indian astronaut to the ISS. NASA and ISRO are jointly conducting five science investigations and two STEM demonstrations during the mission.
Watch parties were organised across India, including in Jamshedpur and at City Montessori School in Lucknow, where Shukla studied, to follow the launch.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens and the son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, announced his win on Tuesday night.
INDIAN-AMERICAN lawmaker Zohran Kwame Mamdani has declared victory in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens and the son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, announced his win on Tuesday night.
“In the words of Nelson Mandela: it always seems impossible until it's done. My friends, it is done. And you are the ones who did it. I am honoured to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City,” Mamdani said in a post on X.
In the words of Nelson Mandela: it always seems impossible until it’s done.
My friends, it is done. And you are the ones who did it.
I am honored to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City. pic.twitter.com/AgW0Z30xw1 — Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 25, 2025
US senator Bernie Sanders congratulated Mamdani and his supporters for what he called an “extraordinary campaign.”
“You took on the political, economic and media Establishment – and you beat them. Now it's on to victory in the general election,” Sanders said.
Victory speech and concession
Speaking at a victory event in Queens, Mamdani said, > “My friends, we have done it. I will be your Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City. We have won from Harlem to Bay Ridge,” according to a report in the New York Times.
Cuomo, conceding the race, said, > “Tonight was not our night. Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won.”
Background and previous work
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, was born in Uganda and raised in New York City.
His campaign website states that he has worked for the working class both inside and outside the legislature. His efforts include joining taxi drivers in a hunger strike that led to more than USD 450 million in debt relief, securing over USD 100 million in the state budget for better subway services and a successful fare-free bus pilot, and helping stop a proposed dirty power plant in the city.
“The cost of living is crushing working people, but Zohran believes that government can lower costs and make life easier in our city — he'll use every tool available to bring down the rent, create world-class public transit, and make it easier to raise a family,” the website states.
Key campaign promises
As Mayor, Mamdani has promised to freeze rent for all stabilised tenants and use city resources to increase housing availability and reduce rent.
His campaign has also proposed permanently fare-free buses. He plans to do this by expanding bus lanes, adding bus queue jump signals, and creating dedicated loading zones to prevent double parking.
Mamdani also pledged free childcare for all New Yorkers from six weeks to five years old and said the programme would include high-quality services for all families.
In response to rising food prices, his campaign promises a city-owned grocery store network that will focus on keeping prices low instead of making a profit.
Revenue plan
The campaign says the cost-of-living proposals will be funded through a new revenue plan.
It includes raising the corporate tax rate to match New Jersey’s 11.5 per cent, which the campaign says would bring in USD 5 billion. It also includes a flat 2 per cent tax on the top 1 per cent of earners – those making above USD 1 million annually. Currently, city income tax rates do not vary much between those making USD 50,000 and USD 50 million, the campaign says.
Additional funds would be raised through procurement reform, ending no-bid contracts, increasing tax audits, and collecting fines from corrupt landlords, which the campaign estimates could add another USD 1 billion.
“New York is too expensive. Zohran will lower costs and make life easier,” his campaign platform states.
(With inputs from PTI)
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England ended the fifth day on 373-5, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
BEN DUCKETT’s 149 helped England chase down a record target of 371 to beat India by five wickets in the first Test at Headingley on Tuesday.
England became the first team in over 60,000 first-class matches to concede five individual centuries and still win the game.
They ended the fifth day on 373-5, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Starting the final day on 21-0, England needed 350 more runs with overcast skies in Leeds, but Duckett and Zak Crawley (65) put on an opening stand of 188 to shift the momentum.
Smith, Root see England home
Jamie Smith finished unbeaten on 44, hitting the winning runs with a six off Ravindra Jadeja. Joe Root, playing on his home ground, was 53 not out and helped steady the innings after a minor collapse.
India’s lead bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who had taken 5-83 in the first innings, went wicketless in the second.
The win was England’s third-highest successful fourth-innings chase in Tests, all achieved in the last six years.
Headingley win adds to England’s recent record
Tuesday’s chase followed their 378-3 against India at Edgbaston in 2022 and the 362-9 against Australia at Headingley in 2019, when Ben Stokes scored 135 not out.
“We have got some good memories at Headingley over the last few years and this is another to add to it,” Stokes said at the presentation.
“It was an awesome Test to be part of... That partnership between Duckett and Crawley set us up brilliantly. Ducky got the big score but Zak stayed composed and in the moment and his 65 was important.”
India fall short despite centuries
India captain Shubman Gill, who scored a century in the first innings, faced defeat in his first match as Test captain. Rishabh Pant made 134 and 118, becoming only the second wicketkeeper to score hundreds in both innings of a Test.
However, India suffered collapses of 7-41 and 6-31 at the end of each innings.
“We had our moments on top, but England are so good and we needed to kill the game when we had the chance,” Gill told the BBC.
“We still have a young team and a few catches didn’t go our way so that’s where the game slipped away,” the 25-year-old added.
Late wickets not enough for India
The game remained open late into the final session. England were 253-4, still needing 118, when Shardul Thakur dismissed Duckett and Harry Brook in consecutive balls.
Stokes and Root put on a half-century stand before Stokes was out for a reverse-sweep off Jadeja, caught by Gill. Root and Smith then guided England to the target.
Earlier, Prasidh Krishna dismissed Crawley and Ollie Pope (8) in quick succession, leaving England on 206-2.
Crawley edged to KL Rahul at first slip, and Pope was bowled by Krishna.
Duckett’s innings featured aggressive shots including a reverse sweep for six off Jadeja. He was dropped on 97 by Yashasvi Jaiswal off Mohammed Siraj but reached his sixth century in 34 Tests.
His innings ended on 149 when he drove Thakur to short extra cover.
Next ball, Brook was out for a duck, having missed a century in the first innings by one run. However, by then, England were already in control.