Paraglider survives accidental 8,000-metre-high flight in China
A Chinese paraglider who was accidentally carried more than 8,000 metres into the air by an updraft has been banned from flying for six months after footage of his ordeal went viral. Peng Yujiang started his reported practice flight from an elevation of about 3,000m in the Qilian mountain range in northern China but was caught in a strong updraft, soaring more than 5,000m higher
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Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Terrifying moment military plane nose-dives into the ground minutes after take-off in South Korea, killing four crew
Terrifying footage captured the moment a South Korean navy patrol plane nose-dives into the ground during a training mission, killing all four crew members on board. The US-made Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion, went down on May 29 near the southeastern city of Pohang. The P-3 aircraft crashed about six minutes after it left a naval base in the Nam-gu district at 1.43pm (4.43am GMT), the navy said in a statement. The remains of the four crew members have been recovered and no civilian casualties were reported, the navy added. Footage of the horror smash released by local media shows thick black smoke rising from the crash site, located in a forested area near Sinjeong-ri. Mangled pieces of charred metal were seen scattered on the ground in the aftermath of the incident. A Pohang emergency office said rescuers were dispatched after receiving reports from residents that an unidentified aircraft fell to the ground on a hill near an apartment complex and sparked a fire. The US-made Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion, went down on May 29 near the southeastern city of Pohang, just seven minutes after taking off from a naval base Shortly after the devastating incident, the South Korean Navy said in a statement that the aircraft had departed at 1:43pm for a routine exercise before it 'crashed near the base for reasons yet to be determined'. It added that it had established a task force to investigate the cause of the crash and temporarily suspended all flights of P-3s. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the platform is equipped with four turboprop engines and capable of deploying torpedoes, depth charges, and anti-ship missiles. South Korea initially acquired eight P-3C aircraft and later added eight more upgraded P-3CK variants, modified by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) from former US Navy P-3B airframes. In total, sixteen aircraft have served in patrol roles across the East, West, and South Seas, with the P-3C earning a reputation as a capable 'submarine killer.' The Navy previously marked two decades of accident-free operations with the P-3C in 2005 and 2015. However, the crash this week coincides with the fleet's 30th year in service. In 2017, a P-3CK mistakenly dropped six weapons, including Harpoon anti-ship missiles, due to crew error during a mission. Following the devastating incident, the South Korean Navy said in a statement that the aircraft had departed at 1:43pm for a routine exercise before it 'crashed near the base for reasons yet to be determined' A Pohang emergency office said rescuers were dispatched after receiving reports from residents that an unidentified aircraft fell to the ground on a hill near an apartment complex and sparked a fire The incident comes after a Jeju Air passenger plane crashed at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea in December, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. That crash was one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea's aviation history. And in March, South Korean military investigators charged two Air Force pilots on with criminal negligence over an accidental bombing of a village during a training exercise, which injured at least 29 people and caused extensive property damage. Defense Ministry investigators have confirmed that errors by the pilots when they entered coordinates into the aircraft systems were 'direct factors' behind the accidental bombing, the ministry's Criminal Investigation Command said in a statement at the time. The pilots were charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, the command said.
The Guardian
36 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘My stomach just dropped': foreign students in panicked limbo as Trump cancels visa interviews
Students around the world who were gearing up to study in the United States this fall face growing uncertainty after the Trump administration temporarily halted student visa appointments this week. On Tuesday, a state department directive ordered US embassies globally to immediately stop scheduling visa interviews for foreign students while it prepares to implement expanded social media screening for all international visa applicants. While interview appointments that were already scheduled can proceed, the announcement sparked panic among students who have yet to secure interviews. Students who spoke with the Guardian expressed anxiety over delays in visa processing that could jeopardize scholarships, on-campus housing, their ability to start classes on time – and their very academic futures. 'My stomach just dropped,' said Oliver Cropley, 27, a student at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, who is meant to attend the University of Kansas beginning this August for a year abroad. The directive came amid a series of recent policy shifts targeting international students at US universities. This week, the Trump administration issued new measures targeting Chinese students, announcing it would focus on the visas of those studying in 'critical fields' and of students with ties to the Chinese Communist party, and implement heightened scrutiny for all future applicants from China and Hong Kong. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security said it would immediately ban Harvard University from enrolling international students, forcing the university's international student body to either transfer or leave the country. A federal judge blocked that effort on Thursday, but its long-term outcome remains uncertain. The changes have left many international students who are planning to come to the US for the 2025-2026 academic year scrambling and in limbo. Cropley said that he paid all of the application fees for the US visa including the last administrative fee last week to schedule his visa interview, but he has been unable to schedule it or reach anyone at the US embassy. 'I was looking forward to Kansas. I love America, the wildlife, the culture,' Cropley said 'It has demoralized me,' Cropley said. 'It's a stressful enough process, and then to get this sort of knockback at this stage … I'm supposed to be there on August 4.' The scholarship he received to go study in the US is also now in flux, he said, as it is contingent on him traveling. As he awaits updates from the US embassy, Cropley said he is exploring his options – inquiring about the possibility of re-enrolling at his home university in the UK and completing the year there instead of in the US. But he said 'it's quite late' to be picking classes and modules and finding accommodation. 'I'm sort of stuck in between the two different universities with no guarantee of getting into either,' Cropley said. 'Essentially, it's just a waiting game.' Another UK student, who has been accepted to Harvard for the fall, told the Guardian that they were in 'disbelief' over the administration's attempt to block Harvard from enrolling international students. 'In your head, you have the next kind of five years knowing where you'll be, and then suddenly, overnight, that changes,' they said, speaking anonymously out of fear their comments could affect their visa approval The student said that their visa interview was already scheduled when the directive was issued, so they hope their interview is still going ahead. The recent decisions by the Trump administration 'raise a lot of uncertainty for the future', they said, adding that the situation at Harvard feels 'very fragile'. 'We may still be able to go, but at any moment, that could change,' they said. 'And if you're going to this place, to do work, but your mind is consumed with a fear of how grounded you can be, will things change, that's also difficult to deal with.' Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion They said that if they get their visa, they still plan on enrolling at Harvard. The Guardian last week invited scholars in the US and students poised to study in the US to share their experiences navigating the Trump administration's recent actions targeting higher education. More than 100 people responded, many saying they were reconsidering their academic future in the country. Several international students who wrote in declined follow-up interviews with the Guardian, citing fear of repercussions. Alfred Williamson, a Harvard undergraduate from Wales in Denmark for the summer, told Reuters this week that he fears he may not be able to return to the US. 'We're being used like pawns in the game that we have no control of,' he said. 'We're being caught in this crossfire between the White House and Harvard, and it feels incredibly dehumanising.' Some universities have advised students who are already enrolled not to leave the US for the summer in case they won't be allowed back. There are currently more than 1.1 million international students in the US, comprising about 6% of the US higher education population, according to the Institute of International Education. They typically pay two to three times the tuition of domestic students, and for the 2023-2024 academic year international students contributed $43.8bn to the US economy, according to Nafsa. In a court filing on Wednesday as part of a Harvard lawsuit against the Trump administration's efforts to ban international students at the school, Maureen Martin, Harvard's director of immigration services, described 'profound fear, concern, and confusion' among students and faculty as a result of the action. Faculty and administrators, she said, have been 'inundated' with inquiries from current international students about their status and options, and several foreign consulates in the US have contacted the university seeking clarity on how the policy affects their nationals who are enrolled. Martin said that many international students are experiencing 'significant emotional distress that is affecting their mental health and making it difficult to focus on their studies'. Some, she said, are avoiding graduation ceremonies for fear of immigration action, while others have canceled travel plans due to concerns they might not be allowed back into the US. 'Too many international students to count' have inquired about the possibility of transferring to another institution, she said. Martin said that several current Harvard visa holders have also faced increased scrutiny at airports. The Guardian reached out for comment to a number of universities with large foreign student populations. Most said they were monitoring the situation and would do what they could to support their students. 'We have a robust set of resources for our incoming and current international students, as well as contingency plans for those who might experience disruptions to their learning,' said Renata Nyul, the vice-president for communications at Northeastern University. A spokesperson for Arizona State University, which has more than 17,000 international students, said that the university is 'monitoring the situation closely and remains committed to fully supporting all international students in completing their degree programs'.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Amorim does not believe Fernandes has played his last game for Man United
HONG KONG, May 30 (Reuters) - Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim does not believe Bruno Fernandes has played his last game for the team, saying after Friday's 3-1 win over Hong Kong in a friendly that he had a feeling his captain planned to stay. The game at Hong Kong Stadium was played amid swirling talk that Saudi Pro-League club Al Hilal are prepared to splash out 100 million pounds ($134.73 million) for the Portuguese midfielder. Asked at a press conference if it was Fernandes' last game in a United shirt, Amorim said: "I don't think so. I don't know for sure. I think he wants to stay. He is saying no to a lot of things. "The club can find other ways to make money. The feeling I get is that he wants to continue for sure with Man United, you never know." Fernandes had suggested after the season's final game that he could be sold to balance the books. Amorim acknowledged the 30-year-old player was "so frustrated" in many games in a horrible season where they finished 15th, their worst Premier League campaign. "But he knows what we are doing," Amorim said. "Of course, I'm the manager. I'm the coach, but sometimes it's a decision of the player. But of course I talk with him, I explain things and I just have that feeling when I talk to someone, you have the feeling if he wants to stay." United trailed at halftime on Friday after a 19th-minute goal from Juninho, but Chido Obi scored shortly after the break and in the 82nd minute. Ayden Heaven struck in the 94th minute. The victory at least salvaged something positive after United had been booed for their performance in a 1-0 loss to ASEAN All-Stars in Malaysia. They were also ridiculed for an open-top bus parade in Kuala Lumpur. Amorim still deemed the tour a success. "We have a clear idea of what we want. Of course we are a little bit limited, we cannot do everything in one summer, but we have a clear picture of what we want," he said. ($1 = 0.7422 pounds)
