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United News of India
2 days ago
- General
- United News of India
Some past sordid AI plane crashes
New Delhi, June 12 (UNI) A UK bound Air India Boeing with 242 people on board that crashed near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, has brought back sordid memories of plane mishap tragedies. The most important was the one on January 24, 1966, in which the father of India's nuclear programme Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha was killed. Dr Bhabha was on board Air India Flight 101, a Boeing, when it crashed near Mont Blanc in a controlled flight terrain while trying to land at Geneva Airport. All 106 passengers, including Dr Bhabha, and 11 crew members died in the crash. A misunderstanding between Geneva Airport ATC and the pilots about the aircraft position near the mountain was said to be the official reason of the crash. On January 1, 1978, Boeing 747 of Air India Flight 855 crashed into the Arabian Sea after takeoff from Mumbai. All 213 people on board were killed. The aircraft was bound for Dubai but lost control due to instrument failure combined with pilot disorientation. On June 21, 1982, Air India Flight 403 crashed at Bombay airport. Seventeen people were killed. On May 22, 2010, Air India Express Flight 812 overshot the runway at Mangalore and plunged into a gorge. The aircraft was bound for Dubai but lost control due to instrument failure resulting in 158 deaths. On August 7, 2020, Air India Express Flight 1344 from Dubai skidded off the runway at Kozhikode Airport during heavy rain. The aircraft broke into pieces. Twenty-one people on board were killed. UNI RB GNK
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
A pilgrimage to Bettwil: Bowing to the legacy of Fritz Egli
Dr Gautam Sinha is founder-director of IIM Kashipur, an avid biker at over 70 yrs, and an unabashed motor-head. In June 2013, after a stretch of business engagements in France, I indulged in a few days of leisurely exploration. Strolling through charming lanes, I found myself snapping photos—not of historic landmarks or elegant architecture—but of parked motorbikes. My better half, ever patient, was more amused than annoyed at my eccentric focus, though I did catch a mild rebuke for not photographing her against any of Paris's iconic sights. Then, while resting on a bench near the majestic Palais Garnier, fate served up a vision—glinting in the afternoon sun, a gleaming red Royal Enfield Café Racer. Amidst a crowd of luxury cars, the occasional Moto Guzzi and Triumph, and the ever-encroaching swarm of maxi-scooters sweeping across Europe, this 535 single stood proud. I was transfixed. A heady mix of pride, nostalgia, and inexplicable emotion surged through me. But I took no photo—too stunned, too caught up in the moment. As in any faith, there are scriptures, rituals, saints, and shrines. So too, for the devoted followers of the Bullet. In my own mythology, the name Fritz Egli had long held reverence. I first encountered his work through a glossy Indian automotive magazine, detailing how this Swiss wizard had transformed our humble Bullet, designing the lean-burn engine that would later power the first Thunderbirds. A mechanical sorcerer, Egli even held a land-speed record. His creations—radically enhanced, masterfully engineered Bullets—had found a fervent following in Switzerland. And then, serendipity played its hand. In July 2013, I was in Geneva, invited by UNCTAD. One dull afternoon, as experts droned on about improving the competitiveness of Basutoland or some such, I felt a divine calling. Disregarding duty and decorum, I slipped away to the train station under Geneva Airport, headed for Bettwil—the hallowed ground of Fritz Egli. At the railway booking office, a kind Swiss lady listened patiently, plotted my route—two train changes at Neuchâtel and Aarau, onward to the small town of Lenzburg, followed by a bus to Bettwil. The second-class ticket cost a hefty 84 euros, but my resolve was unwavering. I was embarking on a pilgrimage. The train wound its way through postcard-perfect Swiss landscapes. I skipped lunch and waited at Lenzburg bus station, gnawing on an apple, eagerly watching for Bus 390. Forty-five minutes later, it arrived. Another forty minutes, and I was dropped at Bettwil—a tiny village where the road ends and Hauptstrasse is the only street. And there it stood—FW Egli, Mechaniker—my shrine. I had called ahead. The master himself was away in sunny Italy, but his colleague, Mr Lindeman, had warmly invited me to visit. I was welcomed in, and soon began a guided tour that felt like walking through motorcycling scripture. There it was—a Brough Superior SS80, sibling of the legendary SS100 owned by Lawrence of Arabia, revered as the most luxurious of the motorcycles. And an Enfield Interceptor, 735 cc parallel twin, souped-up with aluminium tank, redesigned swingarms, dry clutch, disc brakes—the whole works. There stood Norton Commandos, icons of the 1970s and beyond, and a fierce Norton Manx 500cc, the very definition of British racing glory. A Honda CBX1000, its six cylinders gleaming, sat tuned to perfection by Egli's hand. An oddball Chinese flat-twin, a knockoff of the Russian Ural—which itself was a knockoff of the BMW. A Sunbeam, ancestor of all shaft-drive motorcycles. And then, the pièce de résistance: the Super Bullet 1000 Egli. Complete with a dry clutch and rubber belt drive, Brembo brakes hugging the venerable cast iron engine, billet aluminium front shockers, Egli's signature square-tube frame and swingarm, low clip-ons, and a full instrument panel—RPM, oil pressure, temperature. The craftsmanship—painstaking, obsessive—spoke of true Swiss reverence. It was, perhaps Egli's homage to the original Café Racer—a grandfather to the modern generation. Four fire-red Moto Guzzi singles stood proudly nearby, cylinders slanted forward like runners poised to launch. A rare BSA Rocket 3—one of the few transverse triples ever made in Britain—completed the gallery. When it was started up, its distinctive triple-cylinder cadence rang through the air, utterly unlike the familiar thump of a twin or hum of an inline-four. All pilgrimages must end. Mine did too. I boarded the bus back to Lenzburg, then the trains homeward to Geneva, my soul stirred and spirit fulfilled. One day, I hope to return—to kneel again before that sacred garage in Bettwil. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Morocco World
21-02-2025
- Health
- Morocco World
Morocco Set to Earn Big Money with Cannabis Medicine Exports
Morocco is charging full speed toward turning cannabis into a life-changing medicine with the country exporting its first-ever shipment of medical hashish in partnership with Swiss company Medropharm in Morocco. The first shipment landed at Geneva Airport on February 19, and will soon be available to customers. According to Medropharm's founder Patrick Widmer, this is a major breakthrough. 'Medical hashish opens up new possibilities for treatment and expands the range of pharmaceutical cannabis products,' he said in a press statement. For decades, Morocco has been one of the world's largest hashish exporters, despite strict bans on production since 1974. But times have changed. In 2021, the government gave the go-ahead to cannabis farming for medical use only, sensing a golden opportunity too profitable to miss. Experts in Morocco are working around the clock to develop the country's pharmaceutical industry with cannabis-based drugs, aimed to alleviate serious health issues like chronic pain, epilepsy, and possibly cancer. The National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities is making sure everything runs smoothly. High-level meetings, factory inspections, and strict checks are all part of the plan for a fully controlled and legal cannabis industry that brings in millions of dollars and much-needed medical relief to patients. Key production sites – Casablanca, Meknes, Marrakech, Taounate, and Bab Berred – have all been inspected to ensure they meet strict regulations. Farmers and cooperatives are also getting trained to grow high-quality cannabis. The Ministry of Industry is throwing its full support behind the project, which could turn Morocco into a powerhouse in producing legal cannabis-based medicine. Tags: CannabisCannabis farms in Moroccocannabis medicineHashish medecine
