logo
Air India plane crash: reactions from across the world

Air India plane crash: reactions from across the world

Reuters12-06-2025
June 12 (Reuters) - Many people were killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, authorities said.
Here's what world leaders have said so far:
INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI, ON X:
"The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words."
"In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected."
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER, ON X:
"The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating."
"I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time."
BRITAIN'S KING CHARLES, IN A STATEMENT ON X:
"My wife and I have been desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning. Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations, as they await news of their loved ones."
BANGLADESH CHIEF ADVISER MUHAMMAD YUNUS IN A MESSAGE TO MODI:
"We extend our deepest condolences to all the families who lost their dear ones at this tragic incident."
"We stand in solidarity with the people and Government of India, and offer our full support in any form."
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN, ON X:
"My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones grieving this terrible loss."
"Dear @narendramodi, Europe stands in solidarity with you and the people of India in this moment of sorrow."
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN TO MODI, IN AN OFFICIAL TELEGRAM PUBLISHED ON KREMLIN WEBSITE:
"Please accept my deep condolences on the tragic consequences of the airliner crash at Ahmedabad airport."
"Please convey words of sincere sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes of a swift recovery to all those injured in this catastrophe."
FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON, ON X:
"We have learned with deep emotion of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, India. In this time of sorrow, I extend our heartfelt thoughts to the victims' loved ones and to Prime Minister @NarendraModi."
AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE, ON X:
"The news of a passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad is absolutely devastating. In this time of tragedy, Australia's thoughts are with everyone affected."
"Our government is receiving regular updates and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."
IRISH PRIME MINISTER MICHEAL MARTIN, ON X:
"My thoughts and prayers are with the people of India after the terrible plane crash in Ahmedabad earlier today. Thinking of the families of all those on board, along with the emergency services attending the scene."
GENERAL SECRETARY OF BRITISH AIRLINE PILOTS' ASSOCIATION AMY LEVERSIDGE:
"Pilots around the globe are deeply saddened by this news. Members of the British Airline Pilots' Association send condolences to all those affected.
"It is vital a full and thorough investigation is now carried out without interference or unhelpful speculation about the contributory factors so that future tragedies can be avoided."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russia has 'special mechanisms' to supply oil to India, embassy official says
Russia has 'special mechanisms' to supply oil to India, embassy official says

Reuters

time27 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Russia has 'special mechanisms' to supply oil to India, embassy official says

NEW DELHI, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Russia will continue supplying oil to India and the country's President Vladimir Putin will meet India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi by the end of year, a Russian embassy official in India said on Wednesday. Russia has a "very, very special mechanism" to continue oil supplies to India, Roman Babushkin, the charge d'affaires at the Russian embassy in India, told reporters at a press briefing, adding that India's crude oil imports from Russia will remain at the same level. No dates had been finalised for the Putin-Modi meeting yet, he said. The U.S. is set to impose an additional 25% tariff on Indian exports on August 28, citing their imports of Russian oil, which expanded after Western nations sanction Russian supply after its invasion of Ukraine. However, the U.S. has stopped short of imposing similar tariffs on China over its purchases of Russian oil. Last month, the European Union sanctioned Russian-backed Indian refinery Nayara Energy, leading the refiner to cut back processing and companies to curtail their trading with them. Trade between Indian and Russia was expected to grow 10% annually, Evgeniy Griva, Deputy Trade Representative of Russia to India said at the briefing.

Should there be a cap on inheritance tax-free gifts?
Should there be a cap on inheritance tax-free gifts?

Times

time33 minutes ago

  • Times

Should there be a cap on inheritance tax-free gifts?

Property, cash or shares can be given away tax-free as long as you do it at least seven years before you die, but Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is said to be considering imposing limits. Would it be fair to restrict the value of gifts someone can give, or receive? We hear opposing views. Ben Cooper from the Fabian Society, a left-leaning think tank Inheritance tax is fair. A lifetime cap on the value of gifts you can receive tax-free would make the system even fairer. At the moment unearned inheritances and gifts go untaxed providing that they are bequeathed more than seven years before the giver's death. This means that someone can get an annual income of thousands of pounds tax-free without doing anything to earn it. Parents' desire to support their children is understandable. In an emergency gifts from a relative can tide people over, or they can help the next generation onto the property ladder. But sensible reforms are needed to make the system fairer and to raise revenue. Even the US has a lifetime limit on tax-free gifts. A person's success should come from hard work. The taxation system should favour income earned from work over income gained through luck or crafty financial planning. Yet the income of a care worker or shop assistant is taxed more heavily than the income of someone who gets regular gifts. There should be equality of opportunity. Everyone should have a chance at success. Talent and dedication should be rewarded. And people shouldn't have more opportunities to succeed in life simply because of how rich their parents are. But large gifts are being used to buy access to opportunities such as internships or rent-free accommodation away from the family home that most of us cannot afford. Ordinary people miss out because their parents can't give them thousands of pounds each year. Rich families are putting a thumb on the scales, ensuring that our country works based on how much you can inherit, not how hard you work. A lifetime limit on gifts would still allow parents to support their children, but it would make the system fairer. The Fabian Society and others have argued for a tax-free allowance. The Resolution Foundation, a think-tank focused on improving living standards for those on low-to-middle incomes, argued in favour of one person being able to receive a maximum of £125,000 from another person tax-free. That is more than double the average deposit (£61,000) paid by a first-time buyer in England last year, according to research by the bank Halifax. It would allow family members to support each other without conferring unfair opportunities on a few. If you believe that success should depend on hard work and that Britain should be a country of equality of opportunity, a cap on lifetime tax-free gifts is essential. Rachael Griffin, a tax expert at the wealth management firm Quilter A lifetime cap on the value of gifts made before death without incurring inheritance tax would be one of the most radical changes in decades. Supporters might argue that it would stop the very wealthy from avoiding inheritance tax entirely, boost government revenues and close perceived loopholes. However, the rules tackle high-value avoidance through limits on exemptions, the seven-year rule and the taxation of certain transfers to trusts. The revenue raised from a cap is likely to be modest compared with the administrative burden of trying to police what would be a complex thing to track. It comes as more people are paying more tax because of frozen thresholds, rising property values and, from 2027, pension pots being brought into the inheritance tax net. Meanwhile, the cost of living is squeezing households, with families increasingly needing to help each other out financially. Quilter research shows that those in retirement give away about £2,500 a year to their loved ones, often for education or living costs. These are not tax-avoidance manoeuvres but regular acts of support. A lifetime cap would be a blunt instrument, sweeping up years of modest, regular giving alongside large transfers. It could deter people from helping younger generations when they need it most. And it may encourage the gifting of large sums earlier in life to 'use up' allowances, risking financial security in later life. The inheritance tax rules are complex enough without adding restrictions. The gifting allowances have been unchanged for decades. There are rules for tax-efficient giving, which include a £3,000 annual exemption, a small-gift allowance of up to £250 per person per year, and wedding gift exemptions. Larger gifts are tax-free if the donor lives for seven years after making the gift. Details remain light on how a lifetime cap would interact with these reliefs. A cap would add to the administrative burden faced by donors, executors and HM Revenue & Customs by increasing the need to provide a record of gifts over a lifetime. If the aim is to ensure that the wealthy contribute fairly, the better path is to review and modernise exemptions, many frozen for more than 40 years, and target genuine tax avoidance. A cap may grab headlines, but families should be able to plan with confidence, knowing that everyday acts of generosity will not be swept into the inheritance tax net.

Oil firms while investors await next steps in Ukraine peace talks
Oil firms while investors await next steps in Ukraine peace talks

Reuters

timean hour ago

  • Reuters

Oil firms while investors await next steps in Ukraine peace talks

SINGAPORE, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up on Wednesday as investors awaited the next steps in talks to end the war in Ukraine, with sanctions on Russian crude remaining in place for now and the potential for further restrictions on buyers of its exports still looming. Brent crude futures rose 50 cents to $66.29 a barrel by 0630 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for September delivery, set to expire on Wednesday, were at $62.80 a barrel, up 45 cents. The more active October contract was at $62.30 a barrel, up 53 cents. Prices settled down more than 1% on Tuesday on optimism that a deal to end the war seemed closer, which would likely lead to an easing of sanctions on Russia and an increase in global supply. However, despite comments from U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday that the U.S. might provide air support as part of security guarantees for Ukraine, he also conceded that Russian President Vladimir Putin might not want to make a deal. "Crude markets are in limbo ... continued protracted peace talks will keep the market on its toes," said Emril Jamil, a senior analyst at LSEG. Trump said on Monday he was arranging a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to be followed by a trilateral summit among the three presidents. Russia has not confirmed it will take part in talks with Zelenskiy. "The likelihood of a quick resolution to the conflict with Russia now seems unlikely," said Daniel Hynes, senior commodity strategist at ANZ, in a note on Wednesday. In the U.S., BP (BP.L), opens new tab said on Tuesday operations at its 440,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Whiting, Indiana, were affected by flooding caused by a severe thunderstorm overnight, potentially weighing on the facility's crude demand. The site is a key fuel producer for the Midwest market. Prices also found some support as an industry inventory report indicated steady crude and fuel demand in the United States, the world's biggest oil consumer. U.S. crude oil inventories fell by 2.42 million barrels in the week ended August 15, market sources said on Tuesday, citing American Petroleum Institute figures. Gasoline inventories fell by 956,000 barrels, while distillate inventories rose by 535,000 barrels from last week, the sources said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store