Kamis, 24 Maret 2022

Zelensky appeals to west to step up military aid as Nato leaders meet - Financial Times

President Volodymyr Zelensky hit out at western nations for not doing enough to help Ukraine as Nato leaders met to discuss deepening the alliance’s support for Kyiv.

As the war in his country entered its second month, the Ukrainian leader urged the world to provide heavy military equipment to aid his nation’s “struggle for life” in the face of a Russian invasion that has caused widespread destruction, forced more than 10mn people from their homes and left another 12mn trapped in areas ravaged by conflict.

“Freedom must be armed,” Zelensky said in an online address, delivered in Ukrainian, Russian and English. “The Ukrainian sky has not been made safe from Russian missiles and bombs. We have not received aircraft and modern anti-missile weapons. We have not received tanks, anti-ship equipment.”

Zelensky, who has launched scathing attacks on some western nations for their economic links to Russia, said the response from the gathering of Nato members in Brussels on Thursday would show “who is a friend, who is a partner, and who betrayed us for money”.

US President Joe Biden arrived in the Belgian capital on Wednesday night for the first in-person meeting of the leaders of the western military alliance since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine sent shockwaves through the western world and triggered a considerable overhaul of Europe’s political and economic links with Moscow.

Biden, who will also attend meetings with EU and G7 allies, will rally them to provide increased support for Kyiv and inflict greater pain on the Russian economy by unleashing further sanctions on top of existing measures targeting the country’s central bank, financial institutions, top officials and oligarchs.

Nato allies are expected to agree further increases in defence spending as Russia’s invasion has sparked widespread concerns across Europe about the continent’s security and defence.

A string of countries, led by Germany, have announced significant increases to their military budgets amid calls from Nato to invest more.

“On national defence spending, I see a new sense of urgency among allies,” Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of the summit. “They all understand that since we now need to do more.”

Member states are expected to pledge more military support for Kyiv at the summit, with the UK set to unveil a pledge for 6,000 “defensive” missiles along with a £25mn financial package for the Ukrainian armed forces.

In a sign of western concern that Putin could seek to escalate the war by using weapons of mass destruction, Nato also plans to send equipment to Ukraine to defend against chemical and nuclear weapons.

Stoltenberg warned that a chemical attack in Ukraine could also lead to chemical agents spreading into Nato allied countries. “Any use of chemical weapons would fundamentally change the nature of the conflict. It will have widespread and severe consequences,” he said.

Nato is also expected to agree to a plan to strengthen its eastern flank by setting up four battle groups of Nato troops in Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania, joining deployments aimed at deterring potential Russian aggression in Poland and the Baltic states.

Member states have made clear, however, that they are unwilling to engage in a direct military confrontation with Russia and have rejected pleas from Zelensky, which he repeated again ahead of Thursday’s summit, to enforce a no-fly zone over his country.

A promise by Biden to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era long-range missile systems has become bogged down in difficulties with sourcing and moving the equipment.

Ukraine on Thursday claimed to have sunk a major Russian naval vessel that had docked in the port city of Berdyansk, a city on the coast of the Azov Sea that is controlled by Russian forces.

Russian officials did not comment on the claim, which could represent a significant setback for Russia. When the ship, the Orsk, first docked in the port earlier this week, Moscow’s state media described the event as a breakthrough as it was the first military vessel to dock on the coast and had delivered a large number of tanks and armoured vehicles for Russian troops.

Russia’s defence ministry, meanwhile, said that its troops had taken full control of the eastern Ukrainian town of Izyum, a strategically important town between Kharkiv and Donetsk with a prewar population of about 40,000. Ukrainian officials did not immediately confirm the assertion.

Russian and Ukrainian military claims cannot be independently verified.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiP2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZ0LmNvbS9jb250ZW50LzczNzU4NGM4LTNkZmItNDNmMi1iNmJlLWU1ZmNkMmJkMWNjNdIBAA?oc=5

2022-03-24 10:01:07Z
1332517780

Royal fans go wild as Prince William leaves Kate Middleton in giggles - Daily Mail

'Prince William is such a cutie!' Royal fans go wild as Duke leaves Kate Middleton in fits of giggles by playfully joking he is 'out of his depth' while she leads Early Years discussion at Jamaican school

  • Prince William, 39, and Kate Middleton, 40, are currently on tour of Jamaica 
  • The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge earlier sat down for Early Years discussion
  • Many royal fans have been going wild over one candid moment between the pair
  • Saw William joke he was 'out of his depth' during the chat, leaving group howling
  • Meanwhile Kate was in fits of giggles, saying: 'You hear me chatting about it!' 

Royal fans have been going wild online after the Duke of Cambridge joked he was 'out of his depth' while the Duchess led a discussion about the Early Years.

Prince William, 39, and Kate Middleton, 40, visited Shortwood Teacher Training College in Kingston, Jamaica, on Wednesday, where they met with students training to become early childhood education practitioners. 

As they sat down to chat with the trainee teachers, the Duchess nervously starting the conversation with a laugh, before the Duke jokingly added: 'I'm out of my depth here! I'm listening.'

The group erupted with laughter while Prince William raised his hands in the air and pretended to shrug, with Kate adding: 'No you're not! You hear me chatting about it.'

The candid moment between the couple left royal fans swooning over the 'cute' Duke, with one writing: 'He is such a supportive husband!'

Royal fans have been going wild online after the Duke of Cambridge joked he was 'out of his depth' during a discussion with the Duchess about the Early Years

Royal fans have been going wild online after the Duke of Cambridge joked he was 'out of his depth' during a discussion with the Duchess about the Early Years

Meanwhile another added: 'I love when he gives Catherine the space to shine in her field.'

A third wrote: 'This is cute! Prince William said: "This is your day, darling. Your thing.' Catherine immediately: "Okay then..." That was definitely her thing!'

A fourth commented: 'His expressions and hands. I'm laughing. He's such a cutie. 

'They so cute! They compliment each other in every way. And are very happy to share the limelight,' another wrote. 

Many royal followers were left swooning over the playful moment between the couple, which saw both of them giggling

Many royal followers were left swooning over the playful moment between the couple, which saw both of them giggling 

'One is not better than the other but are equals and partners.' 

The clip was taken today as the couple met with teachers at Shortwood Teacher’s College, which is a recognised exemplar in its field, conducting research in early childhood education and care while also offering professional development programmes to the early childhood sector. 

During their time at the College, Kate and William also visited the Shortwood Practising Primary and Infant School where they met children and parents.

The royal couple then went on to meet students and staff to hear about their work and studies at the College and learn of the significance that Jamaica places on early childhood development. 

In the clip, Kate can be seen starting the conversation before William playfully interjects to joke he 'is out of his depth'

In the clip, Kate can be seen starting the conversation before William playfully interjects to joke he 'is out of his depth' 

The Duchess reached over to the Duke to rub his arm after he joked he would be 'listening' during the roundtable discussion
The Duchess reached over to the Duke to rub his arm after he joked he would be 'listening' during the roundtable discussion

The Duchess reached over to the Duke to rub his arm after he joked he would be 'listening' during the roundtable discussion 

The Duchess also gave her first speech of the Caribbean tour praising the 'crucial role of teachers at the front line in shaping society' during the visit. 

Kate told college students: 'You as teachers are at the frontline of this vital work and play a crucial role in shaping our societies by positively impacting the futures of literally thousands of young people over the course of your careers.'

She added: 'Decades of science and research have shown us that our earliest experiences establish the fundamental foundations that shape and connect our future lives.

The Duke and Duchess earlier today visited a school in Jamaica where they met with young children

The Duke and Duchess earlier today visited a school in Jamaica where they met with young children 

Work a white trouser suit like Kate in Alexander McQueen

It was only a matter of time before the Duchess of Cambridge wore Alexander McQueen on this royal tour. We all know it's one of her favourite labels!

Whenever we see her in McQueen, we of course think about her dreamy wedding dress.

This time Kate has steered this trouser suit clear of being bridal by adding a colour pop orange blouse by Ridley London, as well as Maria Black earrings, an Inzzpire365 bracelet and a Willow Hilson Vintage bag. Doesn't she look stunning? It's tailored to perfection but still appropriate for a hot day in Jamaica.

Chic and sophisticated, a white trouser suit will make a statement when worn with heels or even trainers so click through to invest in Kate's exact style at NET-A-PORTER.

Or get suited and booted on a budget by visiting Zara, Reiss and Asos.

MailOnline may earn commission on sales from these product links

'It is when we learn how to form relationships, connect with one another, how to manage our feelings and emotions and it's when we learn how to develop a sense of identity.'

Her comments came shortly after the royal couple received an official welcome from the Caribbean nation's premier, and he described how Jamaica intended to fulfil its destiny 'as an independent, developed, prosperous country'.

The mother-of-three has championed the cause of early years development since she joined the royal family. 

 

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiemh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9mZW1haWwvYXJ0aWNsZS0xMDY0NTgyMy9Sb3lhbC1mYW5zLXdpbGQtUHJpbmNlLVdpbGxpYW0tbGVhdmVzLUthdGUtTWlkZGxldG9uLWZpdHMtZ2lnZ2xlcy5odG1s0gEA?oc=5

2022-03-23 22:54:36Z
1347364250

South Korea fires multiple missiles in response to North Korea's rocket launch, its military says - Sky News

ICBM crosses the threshold

Tom Cheshire
Tom Cheshire

Asia correspondent

@chesh

This would be North Korea’s 11th missile test this month, most of which have been more or less ignored by the US and the world at large.

But an ICBM is a different beast. To understand why, you only have to think back to the last time North Korea tested one, in 2017.

Then, it felt like we were about to spiral into outright war on the Korean Peninsula, with a public slanging match between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Almost as quickly, though, we ended up with the historic summit between the two in Singapore, where a diplomatic breakthrough seemed possible, if still unlikely.

After the botched second summit in Hanoi, North Korea remained quiet. Then COVID kept everyone busy, including Kim.

But now he’s definitely making some noise. The question is why now? Some will see this as an attempt to provoke the Biden administration, or at least remind them that they are capable of sending a missile to hit the continental US, while they are distracted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

I’d argue otherwise. If North Korea really wanted to get the US’s attention, it would wait until a missile launch would dominate the news.

Some of North Korea’s considerations are more practical. It has invested a great deal in its nuclear weapons program, essentially sacrificing its economy for it. And it needs to make sure those expensive weapons work by testing them.

Doing so now, while the US is marshalling its diplomatic and economic heft against Russia, means North Korea will not be alone in the spotlight.

The other aspect of the timing is that there is no chance of Russia siding with the US at the United Nations Security Council, as it has done in previous tests. Nor will China do anything to help.

All that means that North Korea can conduct the test at a lesser cost than usual.

That is not to say that North Korea will not be looking and analysing the reaction carefully. South Korea has a newly elected president, Yoon Suk-yeol, who presented himself as more of a hardliner than his dovish predecessor Moon Jae-in. How he reacts will shape the next five years of his tenure.

And the US will respond too. It has apparently tolerated recent tests, even if it has increased its own military footprint in the region as a result.

An ICBM crosses the threshold though.

It’s hard to imagine Biden tweeting fire and fury at Kim. But he’ll have to come up with something. North Korea can’t be ignored forever.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9zb3V0aC1rb3JlYS1maXJlcy1tdWx0aXBsZS1taXNzaWxlcy1pbi1yZXNwb25zZS10by1ub3J0aC1rb3JlYXMtcm9ja2V0LWxhdW5jaC1pdHMtbWlsaXRhcnktc2F5cy0xMjU3Mzg3NtIBhwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvc291dGgta29yZWEtZmlyZXMtbXVsdGlwbGUtbWlzc2lsZXMtaW4tcmVzcG9uc2UtdG8tbm9ydGgta29yZWFzLXJvY2tldC1sYXVuY2gtaXRzLW1pbGl0YXJ5LXNheXMtMTI1NzM4NzY?oc=5

2022-03-24 09:33:45Z
1335882821

Rabu, 23 Maret 2022

Scholz: Russian energy ban would mean European recession - POLITICO Europe

Press play to listen to this article

BERLIN — An immediate ban on Russian energy imports would trigger an economic recession in Germany and across Europe, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned Wednesday.

Speaking to the Bundestag, Scholz said Germany would end its energy dependence on Russia in due course but cutting all ties now would hit the German economy unprepared.

"We will end this dependence [on Russian oil, coal and gas] as quickly as we can, but to do that from one day to the next would mean plunging our country and all of Europe into a recession," the chancellor said, warning that "hundreds of thousands of jobs would be at risk, entire industries would be on the brink."

"The truth is that the sanctions that have already been decided also hit many citizens hard, and not just at the gas pump," Scholz continued, arguing that sanctions "must not hit the European countries harder than the Russian leadership."

Scholz's remarks represented a blunt rejection of calls from some EU countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, for a swift ban on Russian energy imports in response to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

His comments came as Germany's influential economic research institute Ifo cut this year's growth forecast for the national economy and raised inflation expectations, citing the effects of the war and sanctions.

As rising prices have already started hitting businesses and consumers, the chancellor announced further measures by Finance Minister Christian Lindner to alleviate the additional cost "in the coming weeks."

But Scholz said the process of moving away from Russian energy dependence has already started.

"In the short-term, we are securing additional sources of gas, oil and coal … We are diversifying our supply sources, already in the coming months. In doing so, we're building on the existing liquid natural gas terminals on the European west coast, and we will build our own LNG terminals much faster than we have until now," he said.

Responding to Ukraine's calls for a no-fly zone over the country, Scholz reiterated his conviction that such a step should not be taken as it would represent a provocation toward Moscow that could trigger a new world war.

"NATO will not be a party to war ... this is an imperative of common sense, anything else would be irresponsible," he said.

This article has been updated.

This article is part of POLITICO Pro

The one-stop-shop solution for policy professionals fusing the depth of POLITICO journalism with the power of technology


Exclusive, breaking scoops and insights


Customized policy intelligence platform


A high-level public affairs network

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiUGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnBvbGl0aWNvLmV1L2FydGljbGUvb2xhZi1zY2hvbHotd2FybnMtYWdhaW5zdC1ydXNzaWEtZW5lcmd5LWVtYmFyZ28v0gEA?oc=5

2022-03-23 10:12:58Z
1334456439

China plane crash: One of two black boxes from China Eastern plane has been found severely damaged - Sky News

One of two black boxes from the China Eastern plane that crashed on Monday has been found severely damaged, investigators have said.

The recorder is so damaged that they are not able to tell whether it is the flight data recorder or the cockpit voice recorder.

Flight MU5735, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 132 passengers and crew, was travelling between the southern Chinese cities of Kunming and Guangzhou when it plunged from cruising altitude and crashed into mountains in the Guangxi region.

There were no survivors, state broadcasters confirmed on Tuesday.

Pic: CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Shutterstock
Image: Investigators at the crash site. Pic: CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Shutterstock

Mao Yanfeng, the accident investigation director of the Civil Aviation Authority of China, told a news conference that an all-out effort was under way to find the other black box.

Heavy rain has halted the search so far and rain water has filled the crater in the soft soil caused by the impact of the crash, according to state television.

Earlier, searchers had used hand tools, drones and sniffer dogs in pouring rain to comb the heavily forested slopes for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, as well as any human remains.

More on Boeing

A relative of a victim walks away from the checkpoint at the entrance of Lu village near the site where a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane flying from Kunming to Guangzhou crashed, in Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
Image: A relative of a victim walks away from the checkpoint at the entrance of Lu village

There was a risk of landslides, torrents and high winds as conditions worsened in the area, the local Guangxi weather bureau said.

Video clips posted by state media showed small pieces of the aircraft scattered over the area.

Mud-stained wallets, bank and identity cards have also been recovered. Each piece of debris has a number next to it, the larger ones marked off by police tape.

Relatives of passengers began arriving on Wednesday at the gate to Lu village just outside the crash zone, where they were stopped by police and officials who used opened umbrellas to block the view beyond.

One woman, who said she had two children, made an emotional appeal to officials on site, begging to enter the area where the plane that killed her husband had crashed.

People cover from the rain under a vehicle, near the entrance of Lu village near the site where a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane flying from Kunming to Guangzhou crashed, in Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
Image: People shelter from the rain under a vehicle, near the entrance of Lu village

A 57-year old man, who gave only his surname as Ding, said his sister-in-law was on the plane.

"My heart sank all of a sudden," he said of learning about the plane's accident.

What caused the crash?

Investigators say it is too early to speculate on the cause of the crash and that the severe damage to the aircraft is hampering efforts. The plane went into a dive mid-flight and stopped transmitting data 96 seconds into the fall.

FlightRadar24 data showed the aircraft plunged at a rate of 31,000ft a minute - the height of a 50-storey building
every second.

An aviation safety official says an air-traffic controller tried to contact the pilots after seeing the sharp altitude drop, but got no reply.

Another official said the jet had met airworthiness standards before take-off and crew members had been in good health.

The plane had three pilots on board on its final flight, which is one more than normally required on a 737.

Rescuers found mud-stained wallets, bank cards and official identity cards. Pic: AP
Image: Rescuers found mud-stained wallets, bank cards and official identity cards. Pic: AP

China's aviation safety record

China had made great strides in improving air safety standards over the past two decades, and Monday's disaster was
the first major crash in a dozen years.

Having rushed to Guangxi to oversee the emergency operations, Vice Premier Liu He held a meeting on Tuesday during
which officials were urged to go "all out in their search as long as there is a glimmer of hope".

The disaster prompted the aviation regulator to launch a two-week inspection of the sector that will involve checks at
all regional air traffic control bureaus, airline companies and flight training institutes to ensure "absolute" safety.

Since the crash, China Eastern and two subsidiaries have grounded their fleet of more than 200 Boeing 737-800
jets.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMijAFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9jaGluYS1wbGFuZS1jcmFzaC1vbmUtb2YtdHdvLWJsYWNrLWJveGVzLWZyb20tY2hpbmEtZWFzdGVybi1wbGFuZS13aGljaC1jcmFzaGVkLW9uLW1vbmRheS1oYXMtYmVlbi1mb3VuZC0xMjU3MzIzNNIBkAFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvY2hpbmEtcGxhbmUtY3Jhc2gtb25lLW9mLXR3by1ibGFjay1ib3hlcy1mcm9tLWNoaW5hLWVhc3Rlcm4tcGxhbmUtd2hpY2gtY3Jhc2hlZC1vbi1tb25kYXktaGFzLWJlZW4tZm91bmQtMTI1NzMyMzQ?oc=5

2022-03-23 11:37:30Z
1349302266

China plane crash: One of two black boxes from China Eastern plane which crashed on Monday has been found - Sky News

One of two black boxes from the China Eastern plane which crashed on Monday has been found in a severely damaged condition, investigators have said.

The recorder is so damaged that they are not able to tell whether it is the flight data recorder or the cockpit voice recorder.

Flight MU5735, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 132 passengers and crew, was travelling from Kunming to Guangzhou when it plunged from cruising altitude and crashed into mountains in Guangxi.

Rescuers found mud-stained wallets, bank cards and official identity cards. Pic: AP
Image: Rescuers found mud-stained wallets, bank cards and official identity cards. Pic: AP

No survivors have been found so far.

Mao Yanfeng, the director of the accident investigation division of the Civil Aviation Authority of China, told a news conference that an all-out effort is being made to find the other black box.

Heavy rain has halted the search so far and rain water has filled the crater in the soft soil caused by the impact of the crash, state television reported.

Earlier, searchers had used hand tools, drones and sniffer dogs under rainy conditions to comb the heavily forested slopes for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, as well as any human remains.

More on Boeing

A relative of a victim walks away from the checkpoint at the entrance of Lu village near the site where a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane flying from Kunming to Guangzhou crashed, in Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
Image: A relative of a victim walks away from the checkpoint at the entrance of Lu village

The local weather bureau in the Guangxi region said there was a risk of landslides, torrents and high winds as conditions deteriorate in the area.

Video clips posted by China's state media showed small pieces of the aircraft scattered over the area.

Mud-stained wallets, bank and identity cards have also been recovered. Each piece of debris has a number next to it, the larger ones marked off by police tape.

Relatives of passengers began arriving Wednesday at the gate to Lu village just outside the crash zone, where they, along with reporters on the scene, were stopped by police and officials who used opened umbrellas to block the view beyond.

One woman, who said she had two children, made an emotional appeal to officials on site, asking to enter the area where the plane that killed her husband had crashed.

People cover from the rain under a vehicle, near the entrance of Lu village near the site where a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane flying from Kunming to Guangzhou crashed, in Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
Image: People shelter from the rain under a vehicle, near the entrance of Lu village

A 57-year old man, who gave only his surname Ding, said his sister-in-law was on the plane.

"My heart sank all of a sudden," he said of learning about the plane's accident.

What caused the crash?

Investigators say it is too early to speculate on the cause of the crash. The plane went into a dive mid-flight and stopped transmitting data 96 seconds into the fall.

FlightRadar24 data showed the aircraft plunged at a rate of 31,000 feet per minute - the height of a 50-storey building
every second.

An aviation safety official says an air-traffic controller tried to contact the pilots after seeing the sharp altitude drop, but got no reply.

Another official said the jet had met airworthiness standards before take-off and crew members had been in good health.

The plane had three pilots on board on its final flight, which is one more than normally required on a 737.

China's aviation safety record

China had made great strides in improving air safety standards over the past two decades, and Monday's disaster was
the first major crash in a dozen years.

Having rushed to Guangxi to oversee the emergency operations, Vice Premier Liu He held a meeting on Tuesday during
which officials were urged to go "all out in their search as long as there is a glimmer of hope".

The disaster prompted the aviation regulator to launch a two-week inspection of the sector that will involve checks at
all regional air traffic control bureaus, airline companies and flight training institutes to ensure "absolute" safety.

Since the crash, China Eastern and two subsidiaries have grounded their fleet of more than 200 Boeing 737-800
jets.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMijAFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9jaGluYS1wbGFuZS1jcmFzaC1vbmUtb2YtdHdvLWJsYWNrLWJveGVzLWZyb20tY2hpbmEtZWFzdGVybi1wbGFuZS13aGljaC1jcmFzaGVkLW9uLW1vbmRheS1oYXMtYmVlbi1mb3VuZC0xMjU3MzIzNNIBkAFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvY2hpbmEtcGxhbmUtY3Jhc2gtb25lLW9mLXR3by1ibGFjay1ib3hlcy1mcm9tLWNoaW5hLWVhc3Rlcm4tcGxhbmUtd2hpY2gtY3Jhc2hlZC1vbi1tb25kYXktaGFzLWJlZW4tZm91bmQtMTI1NzMyMzQ?oc=5

2022-03-23 09:45:00Z
1349302266

Selasa, 22 Maret 2022

China plane crash: Investigators face 'very high level' of difficulty due to severe damage to aircraft, official says - Sky News

Investigators looking into the China Eastern Airlines crash face a "very high level" of difficulty due to the severe damage to the aircraft, an official has said.

Authorities do not have a clear assessment of the cause of Monday's crash, said Zhu Tao, director of aviation safety at the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

He said no survivors had been found so far.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

CCTV appears to show nosediving plane

"The jet was seriously damaged during the crash, and investigations will face a very high level of difficulty," Mr Zhu said.

"Given the information currently available, we still do not have a clear assessment of the cause for the crash," he said, adding that the aircraft did not respond to repeated calls from air controllers during its rapid descent.

Flight 5735, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 132 passengers and crew, was travelling from Kunming to Guangzhou when it plunged from cruising altitude and crashed into mountains in Guangxi, igniting a huge fire that could be seen on NASA satellite images.

Footage showed the jet appearing to dive to the ground at a near-vertical angle and photos from the scene show debris from the plane strewn among burnt trees.

Around 600 soldiers, firefighters and police have been scouring the heavily forested mountain slopes in the area in their search for the plane's black boxes, which hold the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.

Rescuers search the crash site. Pic: AP
Image: Rescuers search the crash site. Pic: AP
Rescuers found mud-stained wallets, bank cards and official identity cards. Pic: AP
Image: Rescuers found mud-stained wallets, bank cards and official identity cards. Pic: AP

Poor access to crash site

The crash site is surrounded on three sides by mountains and is accessible only by foot and motorcycle on a steep dirt road.

Rain fell on Tuesday afternoon as excavators dug a path to make access easier, state broadcaster CCTV said, with the steepness of the slope making the positioning of heavy equipment difficult.

Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun has said the company was deeply saddened by the news and had offered the full support of its technical experts to assist in the investigation.

Plane debris is seen at the crash site
Image: Plane debris is seen at the crash site
Plane debris is seen at the site where a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane flying from Kunming to Guangzhou crashed, in Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China March 21, 2022

Plane entered steep dive

The plane was around an hour into its flight at an altitude of 29,000ft when it entered a steep, fast dive around 2.20pm local time, according to FlightRadar24.com.

It plunged 7,400ft before briefly regaining around 1,200ft in altitude, then began diving again.

It stopped transmitting data 96 seconds after starting to dive.

A China Eastern Boeing 737-800 with more than 100 people on board crashed in a remote mountainous area of southern China on Monday. (Zhou Hua/Xinhua via AP)
Image: Rescuers marked parts of debris. Pic: AP
A woman takes part in a Buddhist ceremony in honour of the victims near the crash site
Image: A woman takes part in a Buddhist ceremony in honour of the victims near the crash site
Militia members stand guard at the checkpoint on the road next to the entrance to Lu village near the site where a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane flying from Kunming to Guangzhou crashed, in Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China March 22, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
Image: Militia members stand guard at the checkpoint on the road next to the entrance to Lu village near the crash site

Right now it is a mystery

Tom Cheshire
Tom Cheshire

Asia correspondent

@chesh

This is going to be a long and difficult investigation.

Even getting near the crash site is difficult - the only way Sky News could get to the operations centre was by hitching a ride on two volunteers’ motorcycles, skirting the rough roads beyond the police checkpoints.

It is ringed by mountains on three sides, with one path out.

And the proof of the violence of this crash is in just how little wreckage there is in images from state media. At other crash sites, you see chunks of fuselage and engines. Here there are only fragments.

Those tiny pieces are a terrifying end but they are also clues. They will have to be painstakingly put together to understand what happened, and the flight recorder and cockpit voice recorder must still be recovered.

Because right now it is a mystery: a modern jet, cruising comfortably, then plummeting to earth in minutes.

Captain Mike Vivia, former head of flight operations for the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, cautioned against speculation but told Sky News that "the sort of areas investigators will be looking at will be sabotage, hijack, or suicide, along with the structural break up of the engine at the tail, because it's the tail that controls the aircraft up or down".

On Monday, China Eastern and two subsidiaries grounded its fleet of 737-800 planes.

According to British aviation consultancy IBA the group has 225 such aircraft.

It was China's first fatal air crash since 2010, when 44 of 96 people died when an Ambraer E-190 regional jet flown by Henan Airlines crashed on approach to Yichun airport in low visibility.

Adblock test (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMilQFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9jaGluYS1wbGFuZS1jcmFzaC1pbnZlc3RpZ2F0b3JzLWZhY2UtdmVyeS1oaWdoLWxldmVsLW9mLWRpZmZpY3VsdHktZHVlLXRvLXNldmVyZS1kYW1hZ2UtdG8tYWlyY3JhZnQtb2ZmaWNpYWwtc2F5cy0xMjU3Mjc0M9IBmQFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvY2hpbmEtcGxhbmUtY3Jhc2gtaW52ZXN0aWdhdG9ycy1mYWNlLXZlcnktaGlnaC1sZXZlbC1vZi1kaWZmaWN1bHR5LWR1ZS10by1zZXZlcmUtZGFtYWdlLXRvLWFpcmNyYWZ0LW9mZmljaWFsLXNheXMtMTI1NzI3NDM?oc=5

2022-03-22 16:57:22Z
1349302266