Skip to main content

Rare light aircraft crash in Beijing kills pilot, injures 13 people

A light aircraft crash into Beijing's tallest building on Friday killed ​the pilot and injured 13 people who were not on ‌board, the local government said following the unusual accident for the Chinese capital, where airspace is heavily restricted. Those injured are receiving medical treatment and authorities are ​investigating the incident, Chaoyang district government said in a statement ​on Saturday. "A single-engine, two-seat light sport aircraft collided with ⁠a high-rise building while flying near the East third ring road ​in Chaoyang, at 5:55pm (0955 GMT) on June 26," said the ​statement, which was posted on social media. "There was only one person on board, the pilot, who died," the statement added, without giving any further details of ​the possible cause of the crash. Damage to the facade of the ​skyscraper appeared to be limited to a hole caused by the loss of ‌two ⁠large glass panels. The gap had been temporarily boarded up as ...
Post a Comment

British couple charged with espionage in Iran

Iran has charged British nationals Craig and Lindsay Foreman with espionage, alleging that they collaborated with Western intelligence agencies, the country's judiciary announced on Tuesday. According to judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir, the couple entered Iran under the guise of tourists and were gathering intelligence before their arrest in Kerman province last month. Iran's judiciary-run Mizan Online quoted Kerman’s chief justice, Ebrahim Hamidi, as saying: "Their links to foreign intelligence services have been confirmed. Additional investigations are still ongoing." Jahangir also stated that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was responsible for taking the Foremans into custody on espionage charges. The UK Foreign Office confirmed on Friday that it was providing consular support to two British nationals detained in Iran and was in contact with Iranian authorities regarding their case. The BBC reported that the Foremans, both in their early 50s, were on a motorbike journey across the world when they were arrested. Their social media posts indicate that they entered Iran from Armenia in December, with plans to travel to Australia. Last week, British Ambassador Hugo Shorter met with the couple at the Kerman prosecutor’s office, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency, which published a photo of the meeting with their faces blurred. The British government has long warned against all travel to Iran, citing the risk of arbitrary detention. Iran has detained several European nationals in recent years, often in high-profile espionage cases that have led to prisoner exchanges with Western nations. In January 2023, Iran executed British-Iranian dual citizen Alireza Akbari, convicted of spying for the UK, a move that drew international condemnation. Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was arrested in December 2023 but was released in January 2024, just days before Italy freed an Iranian national, Mohammad Abedini, accused by the US of violating sanctions and supplying drone technology to Iran’s military. French nationals Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been jailed since May 2022, also on espionage charges. In June 2023, Iran released two Swedish nationals, including a European Union diplomat, in exchange for a former Iranian official held in Sweden—a swap mediated by Oman. Oman has played a key role in brokering prisoner swaps between Iran and Western nations, including securing the 2023 release of Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, who had been convicted of espionage and spent over a year in custody. Western concerns Iran has repeatedly denied using detained foreign nationals as leverage but has also engaged in multiple diplomatic negotiations for prisoner swaps. Western nations, including the UK, US, and EU, have condemned Iran’s detention practices, calling them a form of hostage diplomacy. As Craig and Lindsay Foreman face serious espionage charges, their case adds to the growing tensions between Iran and Western countries over detentions, sanctions, and security concerns. The UK government continues to seek consular access and remains in contact with Iranian authorities as the situation develops.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/eoKcXEM
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vancouver tribunal says 'every dog is entitled to one bite' in injury case

A woman who sought nearly $5,000 in damages after being bitten by a dog on Christmas Eve has had her claim dismissed, after a British Columbia tribunal ruled the incident amounted to an accident — and that “every dog is entitled to one bite.” Ying Shen was bitten on the hand by a mini Australian Shepherd named Juliet as she stepped out of an elevator in her apartment building in Vancouver on 24 December 2022. The dog, which was leashed and accompanied by neighbour Jeffrey Dale Polo, bit Shen as the two passed each other in the corridor. According to the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal’s decision, Polo apologised, saying Juliet was “usually well behaved.” Shen sought medical attention that night at St. Paul’s Hospital, where she was treated for a superficial abrasion and given a tetanus shot. She later filed a report with the City of Vancouver. A bylaw officer determined that Juliet was not considered dangerous under city regulations, though the dog was found to be unlicensed. In his 5 M...
Post a Comment
Read more