Exclusive: Air India warned for flying Airbus planes with unchecked escape slides
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Bungalow No 5, Sunehri Bagh Road: Rahul Gandhi’s new address – Telegraph India
Bungalow No. 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, will be Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s new address. He has started the process of shifting on the occasion of his birthday on Thursday but will start living there before the next Parliament session. Since Gandhi became an MP, his residence had been 12, Tughlaq Lane.
Gandhi has agreed to have 5, Sunehri Bagh Road as his official residence, they said.
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He started shifting his belongings from Thursday to the new accommodation, the sources said.
Gandhi will start living in that bungalow in a few days from now before the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins on July 21, they said.
Last year, parliamentary sources had said Gandhi had been offered the bungalow and a response is awaited from his end.
Since Gandhi became an MP, his residence had been 12, Tughlaq Lane. However, he had vacated that house after he was disqualified from Lok Sabha in 2023, following his conviction in a defamation case.
Gandhi then moved into the 10, Janpath residence of his mother Sonia Gandhi and has been living there even after his disqualification was revoked.
With Gandhi becoming the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, he is entitled to a Type 8 bungalow as he holds the rank of a Cabinet minister.
The Sunhari Bagh residence was earlier occupied by Karnataka BJP leader A. Narayanaswamy. He was the Minister of State for Social Justice in the Modi government from 2021 to 2024.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
Drone makers battle for air dominance with ‘wingman’ aircraft
The Paris show featured a record number of drones, reflecting their rising importance after proving highly effective in the Ukraine war. The U.S. Air Force selected Anduril and General Atomics to develop the first fleet of drone wingmen, which are designed to fly alongside manned fighter jets. Boeing demonstrated the potential of drones operating in coordination with human pilots during a groundbreaking test with the Royal Australian Air Force last week. Turkey’s Baykar displayed two of its drone models at the show for the first time – the high-altitude, heavy lift Akinci and the TB3, which has foldable wings and can take off or land on short-runway aircraft carriers. The drone can be launched from the ground or air and is capable of conducting strikes, serving as a decoy or for cyber warfare, the company said. It is also designed for potential use in the Pacific if China invaded democratically-ruled Taiwan.
Item 1 of 2 A model of the General Atomics YFQ-42A displayed at the 55th International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
Summary
Companies Paris Airshow highlights importance of drones in modern warfare
Anduril and General Atomics lead US drone development
European firms advance ‘loyal wingman’ drone initiatives
US eyes drones for possible China conflict in Pacific
PARIS, June 19 (Reuters) – Defence heavyweights and emerging military tech firms used the Paris Airshow to showcase cutting-edge drones known as “wingmen” – uncrewed aircraft designed to fly alongside next-generation fighter jets and reshape the future of air combat.
The Paris show, the biggest aerospace and defence gathering in the world, featured a record number of drones, reflecting their rising importance after proving highly effective in the Ukraine war and as the U.S. prepares for a potential conflict with China in the Pacific.
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In April last year, the U.S. Air Force selected Anduril and General Atomics to develop the first fleet of drone wingmen, which are designed to fly alongside manned fighter jets and are officially known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).
California-based Anduril, which has already supplied small drones to Ukraine and was making its debut at the air show, displayed a model of its 17-foot Fury drone – planned for production in 2027 as part of the U.S. Air Force’s CCA programme.
“We’re moving extremely fast,” Jason Levin, Anduril’s senior vice president of engineering, told Reuters.
“The aircraft is very capable. We can’t go into specifics here, but it performs the mission like a fighter.”
Levin said Anduril had raised $2.5 billion to build a 5-million-square-foot production facility in Ohio, with construction set to begin next year.
In March, Anduril signed a 30-million-pound ($38 million) deal with Britain to supply its compact Altius drone to Ukraine. The drone can be launched from the ground or air and is capable of conducting strikes, serving as a decoy or for cyber warfare.
General Atomics showed off a model of its YFQ-42A drone at the show, which is its equivalent of the Fury, with both designed for potential use in the Pacific if China invaded democratically-ruled Taiwan.
Last week, Boeing demonstrated the potential of drones operating in coordination with human pilots during a groundbreaking test with the Royal Australian Air Force, the U.S. aerospace giant announced at the air show.
In the trial, two of Boeing’s Ghost Bat drones flew alongside an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, with a human operator remotely controlling the uncrewed systems to carry out a mission against an airborne target, the company said.
“The Ghost Bat has the potential to turn a single fighter jet into a fighting team, with advanced sensors that are like hundreds of eyes in the sky,” Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said in a statement.
Turkey’s Baykar displayed two of its drone models at the show for the first time – the high-altitude, heavy lift Akinci and the TB3, which has foldable wings and can take off or land on short-runway aircraft carriers.
On Monday, Baykar and Italian defence and aerospace group Leonardo (LDOF.MI) , opens new tab formally launched a joint venture for unmanned systems.
Reporting by Joe Brock. Additional reporting by Giulia Segreti. Editing by Mark Potter
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Except one, webcasting done at all polling stations in five Assembly bypolls: Election Commission – Telegraph India
Webcasting was done at all but one polling station of the five Assembly seats that went to bypolls on Thursday, the Election Commission said. A total of 1,354 polling stations were set up for the five by polls in four states and webcasting was held at 1,353, the poll authority said.
A total of 1,354 polling stations were set up for the five bypolls in four states and webcasting was held at 1,353, the poll authority said.
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Earlier this week, the EC had decided to ensure webcasting at 100 per cent polling stations from now on. Till recently, webcasting was done in 50 per cent of the polling stations. Besides, it was done at sensitive polling stations.
The bypolls were held in five Assembly segments of Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat and Kerala and 100 per cent webcasting was implemented for the first time.
The EC decided on 100 per cent webcasting of the polling process to ensure greater transparency. Webcasting is an internal poll-management tool being used by the EC.
This was also the first time the EC provided a mobile phone deposit facility to voters.
The deposit centres were set up outside polling stations. So far, no such facility was available and some voters hid phones in their clothes and carried those inside polling stations, which is against rules.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
Air India CEO says crashed Dreamliner was well-maintained, undergone last major check in June 2023
The crashed Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was “well-maintained” and had undergone a major check in June 2023 with the next scheduled for December this year. Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson said the loss of 34 passengers and crew members, along with 34 people on the ground, has “left us all in deep sorrow” He also said the 15 per cent reduction in Air India’s international wide-body fleet operations for the next few weeks is a temporary move and it may affect its customers’ travel plans. On June 13, a day after the B787-8 crash that killed 241 people on board, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered enhanced surveillance of Air India’s Boeing787 fleet, comprising 26 787s and seven 7879s. The inspections have been completed on 26 aircraft and these have been cleared for service, he said.
In a message to flyers, the Air India chief also said the 15 per cent reduction in Air India’s international wide-body fleet operations for the next few weeks is a temporary move and it may affect its customers’ travel plans.
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Also Read DGCA warned Air India for flying Airbus planes with unchecked escape slides
“The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023 and the next scheduled for December 2025. Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight,” he said.
The airline chief further said the loss of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 34 people on the ground, has “left us all in deep sorrow”.
“Words cannot express the pain we feel for the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event. We are fully committed to doing all we can to support the families impacted and are also working closely with authorities to understand the cause of this tragedy. Our thoughts are with everyone touched by this loss,” Wilson said in the message.
He said that the airline as well as the entire aviation industry was awaiting the official investigation report to understand more.
Campbell said that following the June 12 crash and as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the airline has been conducting thorough safety inspections on its 33 Boeing 787 aircraft.
So far, inspections have been completed on 26 aircraft and these have been cleared for service, he said and added that the remaining aircraft are currently in planned maintenance and will have these additional checks done before being released into service.
“Following the review, the DGCA has confirmed that Air India Boeing 787 fleet and maintenance processes fully meet safety standards,” he said.
While DGCA raised concerns over recent maintenance-related issues at Air India and directed airline to boost inter-department coordination, it said that the surveillance of the airline’s Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns in the wake of the fatal plane crash in Ahmedabad last week.
On June 13, a day after the B787-8 crash that killed 241 people on board, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered enhanced surveillance of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet, comprising 26 787-8s and seven 787-9s.
“Regrettably, the time required to perform these enhanced safety checks, along with the application of extra caution, external factors like airspace closures in Iran and the Middle East as well as night-time restrictions at some international airports, along with normal airline technical issues, has led to a higher-than-usual number of cancellations on our long-haul network in the past few days,” the Air India chief said in his message.
“We know these disruptions have been frustrating, and we’re truly sorry for the inconvenience. As a confidence-building measure, the airline has elected to continue enhanced pre-flight safety checks on its Boeing 787 fleet and, as an added measure, its Boeing 777 aircraft, for the time being,” he said.
Given the time these additional checks will consume and the potential impact on schedules, Air India has decided to reduce its international wide-body flights by around 15 per cent starting June 20, through to at least mid-July, Wilson said.
“This will also allow us to have more backup aircraft ready to handle any unexpected issues. We understand that this temporary reduction to our schedule may affect your travel plans, and we’re deeply sorry for any inconvenience,” he said.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
Air India flight to Vietnam returns to Delhi mid-air due to technical snag
Air India flight to Vietnam returns to Delhi mid-air due to technical snag. The flight landed safely back in Delhi and all passengers have been disembarked. An alternative aircraft with fresh crew has been arranged to fly the passengers to Ho Chi Minh City.
PTI
Air India on Thursday said its flight AI388 from Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on June 19 returned to the national capital mid-way as a “precautionary measure”.
The flight landed safely back in Delhi and all passengers have been disembarked, the airline said in a statement.
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The aircraft made a mid-air turn after it developed a technical snag, a source said, adding that there were over 130 passengers onboard, a source said.
According to live flight tracking website flightradar24.com, the Airbus A320 neo aircraft took off for Ho Chi Minh City at 1.45 pm, 45 minutes behind its scheduled departure time.
An alternative aircraft with fresh crew has been arranged to fly the passengers to Ho Chi Minh City flight and it is likely to depart for its destination shortly, Air India said without giving a specific departure time.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.