Latest news with #Downfall
Spectator
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Spectator
With Nadine Dorries
Nadine Dorries is one of the most recognisable Conservative politicians from the past two decades. Elected as the MP for Mid Bedfordshire in 2005, she notably clashed with David Cameron and George Osborne (who she called 'two arrogant posh boys') and lost the whip in 2012 when she took part in the reality show I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. Loyal to Boris Johnson, she served in his government and rose to be Culture Secretary. She stood down in 2023 and went on to write about politics in the bestselling books The Plot and Downfall. On the podcast, Nadine tells the Spectator's executive editor Lara Prendergast about her memories of tinned burgers and Sunday lunches as a child, working long shifts as a nurse in Warrington and what it was like spending a year in Zambia. She also explains the 'relentless' but 'collegiate' atmosphere of Parliament and how she once saw a mouse at the Commons' salad bar. Nadine explains what it is like to have recently used the weight-loss jab Mounjaro and why, in her family, she is still the 'queen of the Sunday roast'. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
Mint
4 days ago
- Mint
Boeing faces renewed scrutiny after Ahmedabad crash as past documentaries highlight history of fatal failures
The recent plane crash in Ahmedabad claimed the lives of over 200 people. The Air India Boeing flight, which was headed to London, went down just minutes after take-off. While investigations are still underway, the cause of the crash remains unknown. This isn't the first time a Boeing aircraft has been involved in such a mysterious and tragic incident. Once regarded as a leader in aviation, Boeing's reputation has taken a serious hit in recent years, with several high-profile crashes raising concerns about safety and accountability. Though the details of the Ahmedabad crash are still unclear, the tragedy brings back memories of previous incidents where Boeing jets were at the centre of controversy. Take a look at the documentaries made related to fatal Boeing crashes. Directed by Rory Kennedy, 'Downfall' is a powerful and unsettling documentary that examines the fatal crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which together claimed the lives of 346 people. The film delves deep into how Boeing, once considered a gold standard in aviation safety, prioritised profit over passenger safety. Through expert interviews, whistleblower testimonies, and harrowing footage, the documentary paints a grim picture of corporate greed, regulatory failure, and the tragic consequences of flawed aircraft design—specifically, the MCAS software that played a key role in both crashes. 'Flight/Risk', directed by Karim Amer and Omar Mullick, offers a deeply human perspective on the Boeing crisis. It follows the emotional journeys of families who lost loved ones, as well as whistleblowers and investigative journalists seeking accountability. The film stands out for its intimate access and raw emotion, capturing not only the technical failings of Boeing but also the pain, anger, and determination of those left behind. It is a compelling portrait of justice-seeking in the face of a powerful corporation, and highlights the global implications of aviation oversight. Produced by Frontline in partnership with The New York Times, this investigative documentary takes a more journalistic approach, unpacking how and why the 737 MAX was rushed to market. It scrutinises the relationship between Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and exposes how internal pressures to compete with Airbus led to dangerous design shortcuts. The documentary includes interviews with engineers, aviation experts, and former Boeing employees, offering a thorough look at the systemic issues behind the tragedies. Broadcast on BBC's Panorama, this British investigation aired shortly after the Ethiopian Airlines crash, raising early alarms about Boeing's internal practices. The documentary sheds light on the commercial and regulatory decisions that allowed the 737 MAX to be certified and sold, despite serious concerns. It includes interviews with aviation analysts and uses internal Boeing documents to support its claims. 'The Trouble with Boeing' helped bring the story into public discourse in the UK, and contributed to growing scrutiny of the aviation industry as a whole. These documentaries collectively offer a sobering look at one of the biggest safety scandals in modern aviation history. They not only explore what went wrong, but also raise vital questions about corporate responsibility, regulation, and the cost of cutting corners.
Spectator
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Why won't Hitler conspiracies die?
Eighty years ago, as Red Army shells rained down over Adolf Hitler's Reich Chancellery garden, a group of his remaining friends and colleagues huddled under the block-shaped exit of his last grim command centre, the Führerbunker. Flames engulfed the bodies of the newlywed Mr and Mrs Hitler, casting a flickering light over the onlookers, who raised their arms in a final straight-armed salute. The enduring cultural and political relevance of Hitler's death hardly needs restating. It gave us online parodies of the rant scene in the film Downfall and, of course, a wild range of conspiracy theories. I once hoped that my book Hitler's Death: the Case Against Conspiracy might put an end to those. But four years after publication, when I was invited on to the History Channel to inform viewers that Hitler didn't die in 1958 from an American nuclear explosion over Antarctica following a battle with alien technology, I found myself wondering why such ridiculous stories endure. The truth is, there are still fascinating mysteries that surround Hitler's death, and those mysteries can be partly blamed for the persistence of some conspiracy theories. Remarkably, even 80 years later, historians still can't say for certain precisely how Hitler died. The main reason for this uncertainty is the messy state of the forensic evidence. Behind that mess lie the Russians. The first Soviets who entered the Führer-bunker on 2 May 1945 didn't set about a serious forensic investigation. Instead, they pinched a load of Eva's bras and walked back out with them. This set the tone for the Soviet investigations into Hitler's suicide. That afternoon, the Soviet counterintelligence organisation SMERSH (literally meaning 'death to spies') commenced its investigation into Hitler's fate.
