An airplane carrying 57 passengers and four crew crashed Friday in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, killing everyone on board, the airline said.
The aircraft, an ATR 72-500 operated by Voepass airline, was traveling from Cascavel in southern Parana state to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport when it crashed in the city of Vinhedo.
Voepass initially said the plane was carrying 58 passengers, but a statement on the airline’s website later revised the figure to 57.
Images broadcast on local media showed a large plane spinning as it plummeted almost vertically, while other footage showed a large column of smoke rising from the crash site in what appeared to be a residential area.
“There were no survivors,” the city government in Valinhos — which was involved in the rescue and recovery operation in nearby Vinhedo — said in an to AFP.
Vinhedo, with about 76,000 residents, is located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo.
Recovery of the victims’ remains for “identification” has begun and “will continue throughout the night,” Sao Paulo State Governor Tarcisio de Freitas told reporters at the scene.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared three days of mourning.
Voepass said it was cooperating with authorities to “determine the causes of the accident,” while giving full assistance to families of the victims on flight 2283.
The plane, a twin-engine turboprop, took off “without any flight restrictions, with all its systems operational,” the company said.
Brazil’s CENIPA aviation accident agency has launched an investigation.
ATR, a Franco-Italian aircraft maker and Airbus subsidiary, said its experts were working to help investigators.
Truck driver Martins Barbosa, 49, was working when he learned of the plane crash, which occurred 150 meters (500 feet) from his home.
“I thought it might have fallen on my house, with my son inside,” he told AFP, adding he felt despondent before learning his family was okay.
Nathalie Cicari, who lives near the crash site, told CNN Brasil the impact was “terrifying.”
“I was having lunch, I heard a very loud noise very close by,” she said, describing the sound as drone-like but “much louder.”
“I went out on the balcony and saw the plane spinning. Within seconds, I realized that it was not a normal movement for a plane.”
Cicari was not hurt but had to evacuate her house, which was filled with black smoke from the crash.
“I arrived at the scene and saw many bodies on the ground — many of them,” another witness, Ricardo Rodrigues, told local Band News.
Firefighters, military police and state civil defense were deployed at the scene.
Military police told local media the accident had not caused any casualties on the ground, and that the fire sparked by the crash had been brought under control.
The plane’s black box “has already been found, apparently preserved,” Sao Paulo state security official Guilherme Derrite told reporters at the scene.
The doomed plane recorded its first flight in April 2010, according to the website planespotters.net.
Air safety has improved dramatically in recent decades, with deadly passenger plane crashes becoming ever-more rare worldwide, though more frequent in developing nations.
Excluding Friday’s crash, CENIPA data shows Brazil has recorded 108 aircraft accidents so far this year, resulting in 49 deaths. Over the last ten years, 746 people have died in 1,665 accidents in the country.
In January 2023, another ATR 72 operated by Yeti Airlines crashed after stalling in Nepal, killing all 72 on board.
Nepalese authorities attributed the incident to pilot error.
Heartthrob Sheheryar Munawar has finally given fans a peek into his love life with a surprising Instagram post. After months of speculation, the popular actor has shared a heartfelt post showing affection for actress Maheen Siddiqui, calling her his “jaan” (beloved).
In the post, Sheheryar shared photos from his birthday celebration, where close friends, including Maheen, surprised him late at night. Maheen was the first person he tagged in the post. She responded by resharing the post with a red heart emoji.
In another story, Sheheryar reposted Maheen’s post with the sweet caption “meri jaan” (my beloved), thanking her for making his birthday extra special. This public display of affection has fans talking, especially since rumors have been circulating that the two might get married in December.
Earlier this year, Sheheryar hinted at someone special in his life during a podcast, but he didn’t share any details until now.
The Economist, a British weekly news magazine, published this week’s issue with a picture of the Bangladesh students’ protest on the front page of its magazine, alongside the headline, “Bangladesh Begins Again.”
However, social media users pointed out a significant difference between the pictures used by the magazine and the same pictures available on the internet. The picture that wasn’t used by The Economist had protestors raising a Palestine flag along with the Bangladesh flag.
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, resigned and fled the country as massive protests gripped the nation. The protests, which initially started as student protests against civil service job quotas, spiralled into demands for Hasina to quit after more than 200 people were killed in the violence.
Social media was abuzz with footage of Bangladeshi youth tearing down the statues of their country’s founding father, Sheikh Mujeeb ur Rehman, marking the end of Hasina’s almost 15 years of rule.
America defends giving aid to an army unit involved in the killing of a Palestinian-American by saying Israel had already taken remedial action.
Omar Assad, 78, a grocer who spent most of his adult life in Milwaukee, was on a return visit to the West Bank in January 2022 when he was handcuffed, gagged and blindfolded, dying after lying on the ground for more than an hour on a cold winter night.
The incident was linked to the Israeli army’s Netzah Yehuda, a unit founded in 1999 to encourage recruits from the ultra-Orthodox community, which is largely exempt from compulsory military service.
A State Department panel decided against imposing sanctions on the unit after being presented with information by the government of Israel, which has vocally opposed action against its military amid the ongoing war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“After thoroughly reviewing that information, we have determined that violations by this unit have also been effectively remediated,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
“This unit can continue receiving security assistance from the United States of America,” he said.
A US official said that two soldiers involved in the incident, while not ultimately prosecuted, were removed from combat positions and have left the military.
The military has also taken steps “to avoid a recurrence of incidents,” including enhanced screening of recruits and a two-week educational seminar specifically for the unit.
Experts say that Netzah Yehuda has mostly drawn ultra-Orthodox youths who see the military as a way to integrate into Israeli society. Still, it has also attracted fervent nationalists from the West Bank.
The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, is home to three million Palestinians alongside some 490,000 Israelis living in settlements considered illegal under international law.
The army concluded that Assad’s death was the result of “a moral failure and poor decision-making on the part of the soldiers.”
It said Assad “refused to cooperate” when stopped by soldiers in the village of Jiljilya and that soldiers tied his hands and gagged him without checking on him later.
It was unclear why soldiers stopped Assad. The Palestinian official news agency Wafa said he died from a stress-induced heart attack.
Additionally, US is all set to give $3.5 billion to Israel to purchase American weapons and military equipment from a $14.1bn supplemental bill approved by Congress in April.
“On Thursday, August 8 the Department notified Congress of our intent to obligate $3.5bn in FY 2024 Foreign Military Financing using funding provided by the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act,” said a State Department spokesperson as reported by CNN.
Renowned actress Bushra Ansari recently talked about why she defends her ex-husband, Iqbal Ansari, against criticism.
During a recent appearance on ‘Good Morning Show with Nida Yasir’ alongside her daughter, Bushra discussed her career, personal life, and her relationship with Iqbal Ansari.
The veteran actress explained that she doesn’t allow anyone to speak badly about her ex-husband. She mentioned that people often unfairly label him as harsh or a bad husband, blaming him for their failed marriage.
“I believe it’s my moral responsibility to stop people from saying anything against Iqbal Ansari,” Bushra said. “If someone tries to say something negative about him in my presence, I immediately shut it down.”
She also highlighted that Iqbal is the father of her daughters and has always been a loving and supportive parent. Despite the issues in their relationship, she emphasized that he has always been there for his daughters.
Bushra also pointed out that people often pass judgments and comments on social media, which she finds inappropriate. She stressed that the issues between her and Iqbal were personal, and no one had the right to speak badly about him.
Preparations are in full swing to welcome back javelin star Arshad Nadeem, who won a gold medal for Pakistan in the Paris Olympics 2024, the country’s first in almost 40 years. On the other hand, the Federal Board of Revenue will certainly be busy preparing a tax sheet for the prize money the star athlete has received.
How much tax will Arshad have to pay on the money he has received as a reward for his hard work and without any government support?
The World Athletes Federation has given Arshad Nadeem a reward of one crore 40 lakh rupees. Gifts of cash, apartments, and cars have been announced for him from all over Pakistan, for a total prize money of more than 20 crores till now.
According to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), players are required to pay tax on prize money or lottery winnings. The tax rate is different for filers and non-filers. A filer has to pay 15 percent of the total amount, while a non-filer has to pay 30 percent of the amount.
Arshad will receive a total prize money of over 20 crores in the form of cash prizes, apartments and cars. If he isva filer, he will have to pay three crore rupees on the prize money, while if he is not a filer, he will have to pay six crore.
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz announced 10 crore rupees for the national hero, the Sindh government five crore, the World Athletes Federation one crore 40 lahks, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, cricketer Ahmed Shehzad and a singer gave a total of 30 lakh while Salman Iqbal of ARY has announced an apartment in ARY Laguna for the historic victory of Olympian Arshad Nadeem.
Sajid, a father of three, has committed suicide in Chishtian after receiving a high electricity bill.
ARY News has reported that Muhammad Sajid, a resident of Chishtian’s Mehboob Colony, took his life after arguing with his brothers over a high electricity bill.
Sajid was reportedly the family breadwinner, a father of three who worked as a vegetable vendor. He fought with his brothers after they received an electricity bill of 17,000 rupees.
Sajid committed suicide after consuming poison.
His last words, as quoted by his brother, were, “I am a poor man. How can I pay the bill of 17,000 rupees?”
Such incidents are now seen happening at a regular pace. Previously, a 65-year-old woman, Razia Bibi, suffering from a hernia, jumped into a drain after her family received a high electricity bill.
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) and its coalition government ally, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), have agreed to change the Governor of Sindh, Kamran Khan Tesori.
According to a Geo News source, the incumbent Sindh governor could be replaced by PML-N Sindh president and former head of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Bashir Memon.
While responding to the report, MQM denied that the Governor will be changed.
A spokesperson of MQM said, ‘’The Centre has not contacted us yet in this regard’.”
PPP Sindh General Secretary Waqar Mehdi said, ‘’Kamran Tessori better go on leave until the PMLN chooses the new Governor of Sindh’’.
In April this year, sources made similar claims that former Sindh caretaker chief minister Justice (retired) Maqbool Baqar could be appointed governor of Sindh.
Bird collisions with planes at domestic airports have increased as national carrier PIA reports that the airline has incurred losses amounting to crores of rupees as a consequence of these collisions.
PIA reported 38 bird strike incidents involving its planes from January to June this year.
The majority of these collisions occurred at Lahore Airport, with 14 incidents, and Karachi Airport, with eight incidents, over the past six months. Additionally, seven cases were reported at other locations. Four incidents were reported at Multan Airport and one each at Sukkur, Faisalabad, and Gilgit Airports.
The incidents primarily occurred during landing and take-off, resulting in additional expenses of crores of rupees for PIA.
The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for keeping birds away from airports, but the necessary systems have not been installed.
