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Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
Pilot suspended for allegedly leaving cockpit door open during flight
Pilot suspended for allegedly leaving cockpit door open during flight His actions reportedly 'alarmed' some passengers, and other crew members alerted the airline about the incident A British Airways Airbus (Image: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) A British Airways pilot was suspended after allegedly leaving the cockpit door open during a transatlantic flight. He wanted his family - who were travelling as passengers - to see him operating the controls while flying from Heathrow to New York JFK last week, according to the Sun. The newspaper reported that his actions "alarmed" some passengers, and other crew members alerted the airline about the incident. The pilot was suspended, meaning the return flight scheduled to arrive at Heathrow on August 8 was cancelled. Affected passengers were offered alternative flights and the vast majority arrived within four hours of their original plan, the PA news agency understands. The pilot has returned to flying after an investigation found there was no security threat. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here A British Airways spokesperson said: "Safety and security is our top priority and allegations of this nature are always fully investigated." Since the September 11 terror attacks in the US in 2001, pilots have been required to keep cockpit doors closed and locked to prevent unauthorised access. Article continues below It also emerged earlier this week that an easyJet captain who reportedly walked around a luxury hotel drunk and naked has been suspended. He was scheduled to fly holidaymakers back to the UK from Cape Verde, west Africa, around 36 hours later but was grounded by the airline. EasyJet told Sky News that the pilot was 'immediately removed from duty' and that an investigation had been launched, stressing that passenger and crew safety is their 'highest priority.' Article continues below The airline has not provided any further details or comment. According to The Sun, the pilot arrived at the five-star Melia Dunas Beach Resort and Spa in Cape Verde on 4 August, before engaging in a late-night drinking session at a bar that continued into the early hours of the morning
Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Greece passes North Africa asylum ban amid rights groups' opposition
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Newly-arrived migrants are sheltered in a municipal hall, in the town of Agyia, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou/File Photo ATHENS - Greek lawmakers voted on Friday to temporarily stop processing asylum requests from migrants arriving from North Africa by sea in a bid to reduce arrivals into Europe's southernmost tip, a move rights groups and opposition parties have called illegal. The ban comes amid a surge in migrants reaching the island of Crete and after talks with Libya's Benghazi-based government to stem the flow were cancelled acrimoniously this week. It marks a further hardening of Greece's stance towards migrants under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' centre-right government, which has built a fence at its northern land borders and boosted sea patrols since it came to power in 2019. Human rights groups accuse Greece of forcefully turning back asylum-seekers on its sea and land borders. This year, the European Union border agency said it was reviewing 12 cases of potential human rights violations by Greece. The government denies wrongdoing. The law, which received 177 votes in favour and 74 against, halts asylum processing for at least three months and allows authorities to quickly repatriate migrants without any prior identification process. "Faced with the sharp increase in irregular arrivals by sea from North Africa, particularly from Libya to Crete, we have taken the difficult but absolutely necessary decision to temporarily suspend the examination of asylum applications," Mitsotakis was quoted by his office as telling the German newspaper Bild on Friday. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission to stay relevant: PM Wong Singapore ST will aim to become an indispensable partner to S'pore's communities: Editor Jaime Ho Singapore Heartbeats & Headlines: ST's 180-year legacy comes to life in immersive exhibition Singapore Trusted news, smarter experience with new Straits Times website and app Singapore Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term Singapore Judge declines to void alleged sham marriage in S'pore, says it is for Parliament to decide Business OCBC CEO Helen Wong to retire on Dec 31; Tan Teck Long named successor Singapore More than 14,300 people checked during 7-week-long anti-crime ops "Greece is not a gateway to Europe open to everyone." Greece was on the front line of a migration crisis in 2015-16 when hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa passed through its islands and mainland. Since then, flows have dropped off dramatically. While there has been a rise in arrivals to the outlying islands of Crete and Gavdos - those numbers have quadrupled to over 7,000 so far this year - sea arrivals to Greece as a whole dropped by 5.5% to 17,000 in the first half of this year, U.N. data show. Rights groups and opposition parties said the ban approved by parliament violates human rights. "Seeking refuge is a human right; preventing people from doing so is both illegal and inhumane," said Martha Roussou, a senior advocacy adviser for aid group IRC. Thousands of irregular migrants have been rescued by the Greek coastguard off Crete in recent days, the Athens government said. Hundreds of them, including children, were temporarily housed at an exhibition centre in Agyia, near the city of Chania in western Crete, amid sweltering summer temperatures. Reuters footage on Friday showed a migrant who had fainted being taken out of the shelter on a stretcher. Crete lacks an organised reception facility. The government said it would build a migrant camp there but the local tourist industry is worried the plan could harm the island's image. 'The weight is too great, the load is too big, and solutions now have to be found ... at a central level,' said George Tsapakos, a deputy governor for Crete. REUTERS
Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Greek lawmakers to vote on North Africa asylum ban as rights groups cry foul
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Newly-arrived migrants are sheltered in a municipal hall, in the town of Agyia, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou AGYIA, Crete - Greek lawmakers were set to vote on legislation on Thursday that would temporarily halt the processing of asylum applications of people coming from North Africa, a move rights groups have called illegal. The vote comes amid a surge in migrant arrivals to the island of Crete and as talks with divided Libya's Benghazi-based eastern government to help stem the flow were cancelled acrimoniously this week. Greece, one of the main gateways into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, has taken an increasingly tough stance on migration since Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' centre-right party came to power in 2019, building a fence at its northern land borders and boosting sea patrols in the east. Sea arrivals of migrants travelling from northeastern Libya to its southern islands of Crete and Gavdos, the closest European territory to North Africa, have surged this year. Dozens of migrants, including children, sat on mattresses in a temporary reception centre in Agyia, near the city of Chania, on Thursday. There were among hundreds rescued by the Greek coastguard in the Libyan Sea off Crete in recent days. "We are experiencing what I would call the worst crisis of the past two years, with hundreds of migrants disembarking on the southern coast of the island," said Vasilis Katsikandarakis, head of the coastguard staff in western Crete. "All the burden has fallen onto the coastguard, who don't have the necessary equipment and personnel to deal with such flows." In response to the spike, Mitsotakis' government proposed legislation on Wednesday stipulating that migrants crossing illegally to Greece from North Africa by sea would not be able to file for an asylum for three months. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore to launch new grant for companies, expand support for workers amid US tariff uncertainties Singapore Spike in piracy, armed robbery cases in straits of Malacca and Singapore in first half of 2025 Singapore Singaporean fugitive charged over alleged drug trafficking, faces death penalty if convicted Singapore KTPH trials 'smart diapers' for adult patients to prevent skin conditions, relieve burden on nurses Singapore PSP's CEC renewal shows its commitment to being a reasonable alternative choice, says Stephanie Tan World 'Do some homework': 6 key exchanges between US Senator Duckworth and S'pore envoy nominee Sinha Singapore Singapore launches centre to drive sustainable aviation in Asia-Pacific Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? A vote on the law, which would also allow authorities to quickly deport those migrants without any prior identification process, was expected later on Thursday or early on Friday. Human rights groups said the asylum ban would violate international and European law, and called on the Greek government to recall it. "Seeking refuge is a human right; preventing people from doing so is both illegal and inhumane," the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said in a statement. The government who controls 155 lawmakers in the 300-seated parliament said on Wednesday the ban was "an emergency response to an emergency situation". Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said on Thursday the move was a fair one, aimed to make Greece less attractive to illegal migrants. "No-one is less humanitarian than anyone else in this country and in Europe," he said. Greece has long been accused by aid groups of forcibly ejecting migrants at its sea and land borders, also known as "pushbacks," an illegal practice. A Greek naval court has charged 17 coastguard officers over one of the Mediterranean's worst shipwrecks two years ago, in which hundreds of people are believed to have drowned. REUTERS
Forbes
10-07-2025
- General
- Forbes
Seven Surprising Things About Tonight's Full ‘Buck Moon' — A Must-See Sight
The Full Buck Moon rises behind the ancient Greek Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion in Greece on ... More July 20, 2024 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The full buck moon that rises tonight, Thursday, July 10, will be just like every other full moon in lots of ways, but it will also be unique. From its name to its color to its path through the sky and much more, here are seven things to know about the full buck moon — including when to see it rise. 1. It's The First Full Moon Of Summer There are two dates for the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Meteorological summer begins on June 1, while astronomical summer — which is the more precise — begins on the solstice, which occurs on June 20 in North America. The last full moon — the strawberry moon — occurred on June 10, making July 10's buck moon the first of summer. 2. It Will Rise Opposite Mars The full moon rises in the east soon after the sun sets in the west. This month, the sun sets a little earlier, just enough to have Mars opposite the full buck moon as it rises. The red planet will set very soon after. 3. It Has Many Names Although July's full moon is often referred to as the buck moon because July is the month when new antlers appear on a deer buck's forehead, there are many other names. According to these include the salmon moon, raspberry moon, and thunder moon (Native American), as well as the calming moon, wyrt moon, herb moon, and mead moon (Celtic), and hay moon (Anglo-Saxon). 4. It's One Of The Lowest Full Moons Its closeness to the date of the June solstice also makes the buck moon one of the lowest full moons of the year. With the sun at its highest at the solstice, the full moon is at its lowest because they're opposites, so they mirror each other's position as seen from Earth. 5. It Will Look Larger Than It Is When the Buck Moon is close to the horizon, it will appear to be much larger than when it's higher in the sky. It's an optical illusion called the 'moon illusion' that's caused by the way our brains perceive the moon against foreground objects, according to NASA. 6. There's A Very Specific Time To See It The time of the full moon — 4:38 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 10 — is irrelevant. Moonrise where you are is the time to see the full moon. Be outside at that time, and you'll see the buck moon at its best. In North America, moonrise occurs about 25 minutes after sunset. 7. It Will Look Orange As It Rises If there's a clear eastern horizon at the time of moonrise, prepare for the awesome sigh of an orange buck moon. The color is down to something called Rayleigh scattering — the same physics that explains why a sunset looks orange. Since you're watching the moon rise on the horizon, you're looking along Earth's surface, where the atmosphere is thickest. Orange light more easily travels through the mess of particles in Earth's atmosphere without scattering off them because it has longer wavelengths. For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
News24
24-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
Qatar, regional airspace shutdowns could affect SA trips - even without Doha on your ticket
Qatar abruptly shut down its airspace on the evening of 23 June after an Iranian missile threat against the US-run Al Udeid Air Base. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Start your FREE trial now
