Latest news with #Plane
Mint
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
How close were Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein? 5 key questions about their ties
Several claims have been made about US President Donald Trump's connection with accused sex offender Jefferey Epstein. Earlier, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed that Trump was named in the unreleased 'Epstein files, but later said he "had gone too far." Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported on an alleged birthday greeting by the president for Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. According to the Journal, the Trump letter was "bawdy". It reportedly contained the outline of a naked woman, apparently drawn with a marker, and had the future president's signature "Donald" mimicking pubic hair. It ends with "Happy Birthday -- and may every day be another wonderful secret," the WSJ claimed. Trump called the letter "fake" and reacted in a series of furious social media posts, saying "it's not my language. It's not my words." "I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women," he said. Following this, the US Justice Department requested a federal court to unseal secret documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's case. The Trump administration made the request late on Friday, asking that grand jury transcripts pertaining to the case be made public.' Besides, several unverified videos and pictures of Trump with Epstein have surfaced on social media. What do we know about Trump and Epstein's relationship? Here 5 key questions to raise: There are conflicting signals on this, CNN reported. Trump had distanced himself from Epstein after the latter was arrested and charged with sex trafficking of minors in 2019. Trump had said during his first term, "Well, I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him...I mean, people in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach." Trump claimed, "I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I don't think I've spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn't a fan.' Later, the Washington Post backed Trump's claim, saying that the two men had a falling-out while competing over the same Palm Beach oceanfront property in 2004. But, according to CNN, Trump's suggestion that his relationship with Epstein was more incidental and his claim that he 'was not a fan' of Epstein's has been called into question, including by Trump's own commentary. Their relationship appeared to date back to the 1980s. Trump flew on Epstein's jets between Palm Beach and New York, according to flight logs. They socialised at each other's properties. But in January 2024, Trump said on social media: 'I was never on Epstein's Plane...' In fact, flight logs had already shown Trump flew on it seven times in the 1990s. Most infamously, Trump in 2002 told New York magazine that Epstein was a 'terrific guy.' He had reportedly said, 'He's a lot of fun to be is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.' Precisely how close Trump and Epstein were isn't totally clear, CNN reported. "Was this just a situation of powerful men occasionally partying together and sharing Epstein's private plane because that's what rich guys do?," it added. It's believed the idea that Trump would submit a letter for Epstein's birthday album isn't that surprising, given this was when the two of them were seemingly on better terms (2003). The idea that Trump would be lewd in that letter also tracks, given his past, CNN reported. The 'Access Hollywood' recording of Donald Trump bragging about 'grabbing women" had surfaced in 2016. But a Trump ally said this doesn't sound like him or something he would create. Influencer Laura Loomer defended Trump, posting on X, 'Everyone who actually KNOWS President Trump knows he doesn't type letters. He writes notes in big black Sharpie." Moreover, while Trump claims he doesn't draw pictures, his drawings have surfaced before. US media have published multiple drawings done by Trump in the past, with several dating to the early 2000s when he used his celebrity status to donate sketches for charity. While these don't prove that Trump wrote this letter to Epstein and drew the accompanying picture. But again, Trump is undercutting his own credibility, CNN reported. Some have suspected that Trump's name could be in the files his administration has failed to produce, given his efforts to quiet chatter about Epstein. Merely being named wouldn't mean Trump had done anything wrong. But it could create political headaches — as the fallout from the Journal story shows — and as demonstrated by Trump's very public reluctance to release more documents, CNN reported. Trump was asked Tuesday if Attorney General Pam Bondi had told him his name was in the files, and he didn't directly answer. 'She's given us just a very quick briefing in terms of the credibility of the different things that they've seen,' Trump was quoted as saying. Trump's 2002 comment about Epstein's taste for women 'on the younger side' loomed over him, furthering theories that he might have known something about what Epstein had been up to. But that remains speculative and unproven. Trump also said nothing about underage girls; he cited young 'women.' CNN cited former Trump aide Sam Nunberg's 2019 account to the Washington Post. According to that, Trump had said he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago because of misconduct. 'He's a real creep, I banned him,' Nunberg said Trump had told him. Nunberg reportedly quoted Trump as saying that he did so because Epstein had recruited a young woman who worked there to give him massages. "This was years before the Epstein investigation became public knowledge," according to the Post. Multiple reports, including a 2020 book by reporters for the Miami Herald and Wall Street Journal, have linked Epstein's ban from Mar-a-Lago to alleged overtures to the teenage daughter of a Mar-a-Lago member. In 2019, while Trump quickly distanced himself from Epstein, his commentary the following year after Maxwell was charged was different — and somewhat bizarre. 'But I wish her well, whatever it is,' Trump told reporters in late July 2020. Despite significant criticism of that — wishing an accused (and later-convicted) child sex trafficker well — Trump a couple weeks later doubled and tripled down when pressed by then-Axios reporter Jonathan Swan on how odd that sounded, CNN reported. 'Yeah, I wish her well,' Trump told Swan. 'I'd wish you well. I'd wish a lot of people well. Good luck. Let them prove somebody was guilty.' Trump added, when pressed again: 'I do wish her well. I'm not looking for anything bad for her. I'm not looking bad for anybody.'
Business Upturn
16-07-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Citi reiterates ‘Buy' on Just Dial shares; sees valuation comfort and growth optionality after Q1 results
By Markets Desk Published on July 16, 2025, 08:25 IST Citi has maintained its 'Buy' rating on Just Dial, setting a target price of ₹1,100, despite a slowdown in both revenue and user traffic growth in the June quarter. The brokerage believes undemanding valuations and a strong cash position give the company room for strategic capital allocation and long-term growth. In Q1FY26, Just Dial's revenue growth slowed to 6% year-on-year, slightly missing Citi's estimates by 2%. More significantly, user traffic growth decelerated to 7% YoY, raising concerns about engagement and platform stickiness. This comes after several quarters of strong digital adoption and outreach following Reliance Retail's acquisition of the platform. Citi highlighted that in FY25, strong cost control had led to a sharp margin expansion, with EBITDA margins improving by 800 basis points to 29%. However, it warned that margins are likely to moderate in the near term as the company will need to reinvest aggressively into customer acquisition, product innovation, and geographic expansion to maintain its leadership in the local discovery space. Despite the soft growth prints, Citi finds the valuation extremely attractive. At less than 8x ex-cash Mar'27E PE, Just Dial trades at a significant discount to broader internet peers. Furthermore, the brokerage noted that the company's large cash reserves could be deployed for share buybacks, special dividends, or inorganic growth, which may serve as upside triggers. Citi continues to see Just Dial as a strong long-term digital play in India's underpenetrated local business services market, particularly given its deep integration within Reliance's broader digital commerce ecosystem. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Markets Desk at
Hindustan Times
13-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Who is Sanjay Kumar Singh? Meet the top crash investigators probing Air India tragedy
A five-member team led by seasoned aircraft accident investigator Sanjay Kumar Singh has been appointed to investigate last month's fatal crash of the Air India plane in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives. Forensic experts and DGCA officials searching for evidence at Air India Plane crash site in Ahmedabad on June 13. (HT File) The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report on Friday evening. On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI 171 to London Gatwick crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, plummeting into a medical hostel complex. The crash killed 241 of the 242 people onboard and 19 on the ground. One passenger survived the tragedy. AAIB Director Sanjay Kumar Singh, 56, is serving as the Investigator-in-Charge, while Jasbir Singh Larhga is the chief investigator, as mentioned in the AAIB report. The probe team also includes three officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): Deputy director Vipin Venu Varakoth, assistant director Veeraragavan K, and air safety officer Vaishnav Vijayakumar. Meet the investigation team Who is Sanjay Kumar Singh? Currently director at AAIB, Sanjay Kumar Singh brings 15 years of experience in aircraft accident investigation. He has overseen 15 major investigations and processed over 300 incident classifications, according to a PTI news agency report. With a background in Mechanical Engineering (Aeronautical Specialisation) and an MBA, Singh has over 25 years of operational and advisory experience in Air Force machinery assets, the report mentions. Jasbir Singh Larhga Jasbir Singh Larhga has been with AAIB for a decade and was involved in major air crash investigations, including the 2020 Air India Express Kozhikode crash, the 2016 Jet Airways skidding incident in Goa, and a 2019 taxiway mishap in Mangalore, the report said. A former DGCA official described him as 'an efficient and hardworking person.' Vipin Venu Varakoth Based in Mumbai, Vipin Venu Varakoth is an assistant director of air safety at DGCA with over 14 years of experience. His past roles include air safety officer. Veeraragavan K Currently assistant director of air safety at DGCA in Maharashtra's Mumbai, Veeraragavan K previously served in Delhi for nine years. Veeraragavan K also worked as an analysis engineer with Tata Consultancy Services in Chennai. Vaishnav Vijayakumar An air safety officer with DGCA, Vaishnav Vijayakumar has been part of several aircraft accident and incident investigations. The preliminary investigation report into the deadly Air India crash was released late Friday night, revealing details of the final moments of the ill-fated AI171 flight. The report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said that both engines on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner lost thrust shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12 — because the aircraft's fuel control switches had been turned off. The report also included a tense exchange between pilots extracted from the cockpit voice recordings recovered from the black box. In the first few, which were also the final, seconds of the flight one pilot asked the other, 'Why did you cut off the fuel?' The response came, 'I did not do so,' according to the AAIB report. The report based its finding on the data recovered from the Air India Boeing 787-7 plane's black boxes — combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders.
Hindustan Times
28-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
DNA profiling for plane crash victims ends, toll stands at 260
Ahmedabad: The final human toll in the Air India Flight 171 tragedy stands at 260 people, officials in Gujarat announced, two weeks after the Boeing 787 crashed shortly after take-off from the city's only airport in the deadliest aviation incident in the country in three decades. Forensic experts and DGCA officials searching for evidence at Air India Plane crash site. (HT PHOTO) The final death toll of 260 — comprising 241 passengers and crew members aboard the aircraft and 19 people killed on the ground — is lower than initial estimates of 270 fatalities. 'The plane crash death toll stands at 260. We will not reveal victim identities. All bodies have been recovered and identified, with the mortal remains of all of them handed over to their families,' additional chief secretary of health and family welfare Dhananjay Dwivedi told HT. Dr Rakesh Joshi, the head of Ahmedabad civil hospital, told HT that all remains were identified and verified using DNA matching and facial recognition. 'The last body, of a passenger, was identified on Friday night using DNA match,' Joshi said. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college hostel complex approximately 30 seconds after take-off on 12 June from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, destroying portions of the building and bursting into flames. Among the victims were junior doctors, staff at the hospital complex and people on the street below. One passenger, in what has been described as a providential escape, walked out of the crash after he was thrown further away from the burning wreckage. The impact of the crash and the inferno that followed meant remains of most victims, except for most of the 19 casualties on the ground, were unrecognisable, requiring officials to seek DNA samples from family members to help make the identification. 'Four of the people were brought in alive but succumbed to their injuries during treatment. In all, 71 people were injured and hospitalised, with most treated at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and others at Zydus Hospital, KD Hospital, and Apollo Hospital. Of these, 67 patients have been discharged from medical facilities,' said Dwivedi. An official aware of the development said that the final DNA matching was that of Anil Khimani, 32, from Bhuj in Kutch, adding that the condition of those discharged is said to be stable. Among the 260 deaths, 254 victims were identified through DNA testing and the remaining through facial recognition. The DNA identification process, which typically takes months, was completed in approximately two weeks, experts said. A total of 318 body parts were recovered from the crash site at Meghaninagar, said a senior police official, asking not to be named. One forensics experts who worked on the cases said the challenge was such that one of the living remains that were recovered later turned out to be that of a bird -- a confirmation that came only after repeated attempts to extract information from a deteriorated sample once it did not throw up any match. Dr Bhargav Patel, head of the Centre of Excellence in DNA Forensics at NFSU, said his team of 32 scientists and PhD scholars processed more than 150 DNA samples from crash victims. DNA samples from 250 relatives were collected at Ahmedabad Forensic Science Laboratory, whilst matching was conducted at FSL Gandhinagar and NFSU. Bodies have been repatriated across multiple states and countries, with Ahmedabad receiving the largest number at 73, followed by Anand with 29 and Vadodara with 24. Thirteen bodies were sent to the United Kingdom. The aircraft took off at 1:39 pm local time and reached an altitude of 625 feet before losing signal, according to flight tracking data. The crew issued a mayday call reporting loss of power and thrust less than a minute after takeoff. The crash marked the first fatal accident and hull loss of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft entered commercial service in 2011. It represents India's deadliest aviation disaster since the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the investigation with assistance from the US National Transportation Safety Board and British investigators. Both flight data recorders have been recovered from the crash site.
Tom's Guide
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro lead Netflix's latest No. 1 movie — and this comedy-drama is full of charm
Netflix's top 10 list is always evolving as fresh titles arrive on the streaming service every month. This time, a charming new comedy-drama starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro has quickly climbed to the No. 1 spot, seemingly capturing the attention of viewers in the U.S. 'The Intern' landed on the platform just two days ago (June 22), and it's already surpassed the new animated original 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' and Gerard Butler's action-thriller 'Plane.' It's actually nice to see this comedy-drama getting some love again, especially since it didn't really win critics over back in 2015. For a little context, 'The Intern' follows an unlikely pairing between a successful, driven woman and a seasoned, wise older man who cross paths in a way that ends up changing both their lives. Sounds pretty charming, right? I can confirm that it is. And anyone seeking comfort food in the form of a movie will find something to enjoy in this one. So, if you've seen 'The Intern' suddenly pop up in your recommendations, here's everything you need to know before adding it to your Netflix watchlist. 'The Intern' follows Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro), a 70-year-old widower who finds retirement less fulfilling than he expected. Looking to re-enter the workforce, Ben lands a senior internship at an innovative online fashion start-up run by Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway), a driven young entrepreneur. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. As Ben navigates his new role, he quickly becomes a trusted presence among the younger staff, offering wisdom and a calm demeanor. Jules, initially skeptical about having an older intern, gradually comes to rely on Ben's experience and steady support as she manages the pressures of running the company and balancing her personal life. Throughout his internship, Ben builds genuine friendships with various employees and becomes an unexpected mentor to Jules. His old-school manners and thoughtful advice bring a fresh perspective to the modern office. Meanwhile, Jules struggles with the demands of her expanding business and family, and Ben's steady presence provides quiet strength behind the scenes. While 'The Intern' received mixed reviews from critics, I think it still offers meaningful insights, especially in today's world where older generations are frequently overlooked or underestimated for being out of touch or struggling with new technology. Nancy Meyers, the writer and director celebrated for her women-centered romantic comedies like 'What Women Want' and 'It's Complicated,' delivers a charming and clever movie featuring standout performances from Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro. Ben, the widower and retired executive, applies for a senior intern position at About The Fit, a fast-growing e-commerce fashion start-up in Brooklyn. Assigned to work with CEO Jules, Ben's initial role is to assist her with various tasks. But as you can predict, their professional relationship deepens into a meaningful friendship. It's this heartwarming connection that takes 'The Intern' out of average territory. 'The Intern' actually turned out to be more delightful and thoughtful about gender issues than its trailers suggested. There's charm, a surprising amount of visual appeal, and sometimes humorous escapism. As mentioned, this comedy-drama garnered pretty average reviews. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 60% from critics and a slightly higher rating of 73% from audiences. The site's critics consensus reads: 'The Intern doesn't do enough with its timely premise, but benefits from the unorthodox chemistry of its talented leads.' This is something I can agree with. Despite the somewhat mixed reviews, 'The Intern' is an easy watch. Meyers proves once again why she's a master at delivering cozy, polished movies that feel like a warm hug on screen. It's pure comfort food. The story itself moves at a gentle pace, which includes a small adventure to erase a wayward email, a visit to San Francisco, and plenty of moments showing Ben chauffeuring Jules around New York. While none of these events are particularly dramatic, they're all enjoyable to watch. Even though the movie's message feels a bit muddled at times, it doesn't take away from how entertaining the film is overall. You can stream 'The Intern' on Netflix now. Otherwise, see what else is new on Netflix in June 2025.
