‘External interference’ blamed for Azerbaijan crash Posted on 28/12/2024 The jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday after attempting to land in Grozny and then diverting far off course across the Caspian Sea. (AP pic) MOSCOW: The Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan this week suffered physical “external interference”, the airline and Azerbaijan’s transport minister said on Friday, citing preliminary results of an investigation, adding to speculation it was hit by a Russian air defence system. The jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, after attempting to land at its destination in the Russian city of Grozny and then diverting far off course across the Caspian Sea. Russia’s aviation chief said on Friday that Grozny was being attacked by Ukrainian drones at the time the plane had tried to land, but the Kremlin has declined to comment on reports the plane was accidentally shot down by Russian air defence missiles. Statements from Azerbaijan citing the investigation into the incident suggest Baku believes the plane was hit mid-air. “Based on the opinion of experts and on the words of eyewitnesses, it can be concluded that there was external interference,” Azerbaijani’s transport minister, Rashad Nabiyev, told reporters. “It is necessary to find out from what kind of weapon,” he added, citing reports from survivors of hearing “three explosions” as the plane was over Grozny. Azerbaijan Airlines said it had suspended flights to 10 Russian airports, saying preliminary results suggested the crash of Baku-Grozny flight J2-8243 was “due to physical and technical external interference”. The head of Russia’s civil aviation agency, Dmitry Yadrov, said in an earlier statement that “the situation on this day and at these hours in the area of Grozny airport was very complex”. “Ukrainian attack drones at this time were making terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in the cities of Grozny and Vladikavkaz,” Yadrov said, referring to a nearby city. He said the Azeri pilot made “two attempts to land the plane in Grozny that were unsuccessful” in “thick fog”. “The pilot was offered other airports. He took the decision to go to Aktau airport,” he added. News
KL Fire Dept: Body of foreigner found atop Pavilion Suites, believed to have fallen from unknown height Posted on 12/11/2024 KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — The body of a foreign woman, believed to have fallen from an unknown height, was discovered on the foyer roof of Pavilion Suites Kuala Lumpur on Jalan Bukit Bintang early this morning. The Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department said they received an emergency call… Read More
Najib: I never approved Jho Low as my 1MDB orchestrator; ‘lying’ 1MDB officers conveniently blamed me Posted on 04/12/2024 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today said he had never consented to having Low Taek Jho — a Malaysian fugitive better known as Jho Low — act as an “orchestrator” on his behalf at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and was not aware of… Read More
Macau weaves an identity as integration looms Posted on 20/12/2024 Student and social media influencer Cecilia Cheang has 20,000 followers and sometimes posts about Macau on Xiaohongshu, China’s Instagram-like platform. (AFP pic) MACAU: Seated in the audience at Macau’s Dom Pedro V Theatre in the 1970s, 16-year-old Miguel de Senna Fernandes understood not a word of the “strange language” spoken… Read More