Moscow plane fire kills 41 at Sheremetyevo airport
Forty-one passengers were killed after a plane of Russia’s national carrier Aeroflot made an emergency landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport and burst into fire, said a BBC report.
Videos being circulated on social media show some passengers using the emergency slides to exit the aircraft on fire.
The BBC report quoted a member of the investigative committee, Yelena Markovskaya, saying there are 37 survivors, including 33 passengers and four crew members.
In a statement, Aeroflot said the plane had to return to the Sheremetyevo airport due to “technical reasons”. However, the carrier didn’t elaborate on the reasons.
A total of 73 passengers and 5 crew members were aboard the Aeroflot plane, which was travelling to Murmansk from Sheremetyevo.
EU to decide on appointments of top three jobs
European Union (EU) leaders will conduct informal talks at next week’s summit in Romania about the appointments to the top three jobs at EU, reported The Financial Times.
EU leaders have been urged to quickly pick the presidents of the European Commission, European Council, and the European Central Bank (ECB).
It is unprecedented for the EU to have a clutch of senior vacancies, said the report, adding that “races remain wide open”.
At a time when parties and leaders across the EU are debating the future of EU in a rapidly changing world, these appointments would determine its trajectory over the next couple of decades.
The European Commission is the fundamental supranational authority of the EU and also its executive. The European Council is the key intergovernmental body for EU. ECB is its central bank.
Some of the appointment procedures, such as for the Commission President, have become controversial and more complex over the last few years.
Death toll rises to 27 as Israel-Gaza violence escalates
As the recent spate of violence between Israel and Gaza continues, a BBC report said 27 people have been killed so far. These include 23 in Gaza and four people in Israel.
The recent round of violence started Friday after protests were organised in Gaza against an Israel-imposed blockade of the Gaza strip. Israel argues that this blockade is required to cut the arms supply of the militant group, Hamas.
During the protests, a protestor shot at two Israeli soldiers and wounded them. Israel retaliated by an airstrike, which killed two militants.
Following the Israeli airstrike, Hamas launched a barrage of rockets on Israeli territory.
The Israeli Army claims that more than six hundred rockets have been fired at Israel since then. It has hit 320 Gaza targets in response. This is the most intense surge in violence since the 2014 July-August security crisis between Gaza and Israel.
In other news:
US sends aircraft carrier and bomber task force to ‘warn Iran’, BBC
North-West Macedonia’s pro-west candidate set to win presidency, Financial Times