Russian plane missing with around 50 people on board in Amur region, Interfax says
(Reporting by Marina Bobrova, writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Kim Coghill)
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The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Train derailment in Germany leaves 3 dead, dozens injured
RIEDLINGEN: Three people were killed and multiple others injured after a regional passenger train derailed in southwestern Germany on Sunday evening. The accident occurred around 6:10 pm near the town of Riedlingen in Baden-Wuerttemberg state. Initial reports from police indicated four fatalities, but authorities later corrected the number to three. The exact count of injured passengers remains unclear, though emergency responders cited by German tabloid Bild estimated around 50 people were hurt. Deutsche Bahn, Germany's national rail operator, confirmed the derailment involved two carriages. 'The cause is still unknown,' the company stated. Rail traffic was suspended along a 40-kilometre stretch as investigators examined the scene. Local media suggested severe storms in the region may have triggered a landslide, leading to the derailment. The train was en route from Sigmaringen to Ulm when it overturned in a forested area. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed condolences on social media, stating he was coordinating with ministers to support rescue efforts. Footage from the site showed overturned carriages as emergency teams worked to assist passengers. Helicopters airlifted the injured to nearby hospitals. Germany's rail network has faced criticism for aging infrastructure, with frequent delays and technical issues. The government has pledged significant investments to modernize the system. This marks the second major derailment in recent years, following a 2022 incident in Bavaria that killed four. The deadliest rail disaster in German history occurred in 1998, when a high-speed train crash in Eschede claimed 101 lives. - Reuters
Borneo Post
5 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Traditional ethnic crafts find new life via modern twists
An exhibitor (R) makes cultural and creative products with visitors during the 9th Inner Mongolia Cultural Industry Expo in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) HOHHOT (July 28): Located on the main street of China's only Russian ethnic township, Enhe, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Wang Xiufen's cafe exudes a warm, woody aroma. The scent of freshly brewed coffee mingles with the earthy smell of wood, drifting from a weathered log cabin — a traditional Russian-style house. Step inside, and the eye is drawn to vibrant textiles: handwoven tapestries, colorful crocheted wall hangings, and intricate woolen ornaments, all crafted by Wang herself. For Wang, an inheritor of Russian ethnic textile craftsmanship, this cafe is more than a business. It's a window for showcasing her ethnic traditions. 'Weaving was once passed down through generations in my family, but young people weren't interested,' Wang said. 'Now, they come for coffee, snap photos of these decorations, which are perfect for sharing on social media, and suddenly, they want to know more and even learn.' Across the diverse ethnic communities in Inner Mongolia, many traditional craft inheritors are wrapping their cherished culture in new contexts to make heritage feel not like a relic, but a living, breathing part of the present. A short walk away in Enhe, another custodian of tradition is reimagining her craft. Fu Yanmei has spent over 20 years making lieba, a Chinese transliteration of the Russian word for bread, and her bakery, once a quiet local staple, now buzzes with activity. Years ago, she launched a DIY lieba program, inviting visitors to shape the dough themselves. But Fu doesn't just let them bake — she tells them about lieba's history and how it's made with natural sourdough, no additives. Young tourists, she noted, make up most of the participants. 'Tasting their own baked lieba is a joy they remember.' Further east, in Oroqen Autonomous Banner near the Greater Khingan Mountains, the Oroqen people, one of China's smallest ethnic groups, are also breathing new life into their heritage. In the old days, they crafted canoes, cradles, baskets, and other tools and vessels from birch bark, prized for its waterproof and durable qualities. Today, at the Oroqen intangible cultural heritage museum, Meng Shuling, a master of birch bark craftsmanship, showcases these traditional items and her modern reinventions. Her workshop showcases delicate birch bark earrings, glossy fridge magnets, and tiny cradle-shaped pendants, all pieces that marry the material's natural texture with contemporary tastes. 'The old ways can't stay locked in the past,' Meng said, running a finger over a birch bark jewelry box. Beyond these grassroots efforts, institutional support is also fueling the revival of traditional crafts. Since 2023, Inner Mongolia's institute of culture and tourism development, in collaboration with several universities, has launched a program to revitalize intangible cultural heritage by harnessing the creativity of the younger generation. This initiative encourages students to draw inspiration from intangible heritage elements to create digital illustrations, IP characters, and fashion designs. To date, it has yielded more than 300 pieces of intangible heritage-themed cultural and creative design drafts and handicrafts. 'Young people want things they can wear, display and cherish daily. That's how we keep the skill alive,' Meng said. – Xinhua China ethnic handicraft traditional crafts
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Jeju Air jet still had a working engine when it crashed, investigation update says
SEOUL (Reuters) -A Jeju Air plane that crashed in December during an emergency landing after a bird strike could have kept flying on the damaged engine that was still working after pilots shut down the other one, according to an update from South Korean investigators. The Boeing 737-800 instead belly-landed at Muan airport without its landing gear down, overshot the runway and erupted into a fireball after slamminginto an embankment, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. Investigators have not yet produced a final report into the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil, but information about the plane's two engines has begun to emerge. According to a July 19 update prepared by investigators and seen by Reuters but not publicly released following complaints from victims' family members, the left engine sustained less damage than the right following a bird strike, but the left engine was shut down 19 seconds after the bird strike. The right engine experienced a "surge" and emitted flames and black smoke, but investigators said it "was confirmed to be generating output sufficient for flight," in the five-page update, which included post-crash photos of both engines. No reason for the crew's actions was given and the probe is expected to last months as investigators reconstruct the plane's technical state and the picture understood by its pilots. Experts say most air accidents are caused by multiple factors and caution against putting too much weight on incomplete evidence. MORE QUESTIONS So far, public attention has focused on the possibility that the crew may have shut down the less-damaged engine, rekindling memories of a 1989 Boeing 737-400 crash in Kegworth, England, where pilots shut down a non-damaged engine by mistake. The disaster led to multiple changes in regulations including improvements in crew communication and emergency procedures. A source told Reuters on Monday that the South Korea-led probe had "clear evidence" that pilots had shut off the less-damaged left engine after the bird strike, citing the cockpit voice recorder, computer data and a switch found in the wreckage. But the latest update on the crash also raises the possibility that even the more heavily damaged engine that was still running could have kept the plane aloft for longer. It did not say what level of performance the operating engine still had, nor what extra options that might have given to the plane's emergency-focused crew before the jet doubled back and landed in the opposite direction of the runway from its initial plan with its landing gear up. Both engines contained bird strike damage and both experienced engine vibrations after the strike. The right engine showed significant internal damage, the Korean-language update from South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) said, but it did not describe the damage found in the left engine. The update did not say how the left engine was operating nor the state of systems connected to either engine, said former U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Greg Feith when shown the document translated by Reuters. It contains some new facts but omits far more,resulting in a "cryptic" document, he said. ARAIB, which plans to issue a final report next June, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Safety experts say it is common for early reports to contain sparse facts and limited analysis while investigations continue. A preliminary report released in January said feathers and blood stains from ducks were found in both engines. The engines - made by CFM International, jointly owned by GE and France's Safran - were examined in May and no defects or fault datawere found beyond the bird and crash damage, the report said. Families of those who died in the disaster were briefed on the engine findings but asked investigators not to release the July 19 report, saying that it appeared to apportion blame to the pilots without exploring other factors. The report was withheld but Reuters and South Korean media obtained and GE referred questions about the crash to ARAIB. Safran did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jeju Air has previously said it is cooperating with ARAIB and is awaiting publication of the investigation. Under global aviation rules, civil air investigations aim to discover crash causes without assigning blame or liability. The Jeju Air pilots' union said ARAIB was "misleading the public" by suggesting there was no problem with the left engine given that bird remains were found in both. A source who attended the briefing told Reuters that investigators told family members the left engine also experienced a disruptive "surge," citing black box data. The pilot union and representatives of bereaved families have asked that evidence be released to support any findings. Relatives say the investigation also needs to focus on the embankment containing navigation equipment, which safety experts have said likely contributed to the high death toll. Global aviation standards call for any navigation equipment in line with runways to be installed on structures that easily give way in case of impact with an aircraft. South Korea's transport ministry has identified seven domestic airports, including Muan, with structures made of concrete or steel, rather than materials that break apart on impact and has said it will improve them. Designs for the new structures are in progress, a ministry official told Reuters last week. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Heekyong Yang in Seoul and Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Additional reporting by Hyunjoo Jin in Seoul; Editing by Jamie Freed)
