British F-35 fighter jet stranded in India for over a month takes off after inspiring memes
The stealth fighter, one of the world's most advanced and costing around US$115 million, was grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in the southern state of Kerala due to technical snags.
The aircraft had hydraulic issues and problems with its auxiliary power unit that have been fixed, said the Thiruvananthapuram official, who wasn't authorised to speak with the media and requested anonymity.
The aircraft will fly to a British aircraft carrier in Darwin, Australia, the official said.
The British High Commission and UK's Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The jet was on a regular sortie in the Arabian Sea in June when it ran into bad weather and couldn't return to the Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales. The aircraft diverted to Thiruvananthapuram and landed safely June 14.
The stranded military aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, triggered AI-generated memes in India. A Kerala tourism department social media post showed the plane on the tarmac surrounded by coconut trees with a fictitious five-star review: "Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend."
The top official at the tourism department, K. Biju, said the post was in "good humour.'
"It was our way to appreciate and thank the Brits who are the biggest inbound visitors to Kerala for tourism,' Biju said.
Another cartoon posted on X showed the plane enjoying snacks with a group of locals against a scenic background.
There was speculation in India that the aircraft could be partially dismantled and transported in a cargo plane if repairs were unsuccesful. The UK Ministry of Defence dismissed the speculation in a statement. - AP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
18 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Study tour boom fuels China's countryside revival
Children draw pictures beside the fields at Yuxin Town of Nanhu District in Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province on April 27, 2024. – Xinhua photo BEIJING (Aug 3): 'Traveling thousands of miles is better than reading thousands of books' is a proverb many Chinese parents have faith in, and its sentiment is fueling the rise of study tours, particularly during the ongoing summer vacation in China. Integrating educational content with holiday vibes, these tours typically involve visits to prestigious universities, museums and cultural heritage sites. And now a shift is underway – parents, schools and travel agencies are turning away from bustling cities and opting for the tranquil countryside when making holiday arrangements for children and teens, aiming to help them broaden their horizons and get close to nature. In northeast China, where cornfields stretch far and wide, Ma Zhihai demonstrated how to use stone axes and iron sickles, both traditional farming tools that are unfamiliar to many urbanites, to an attentive study tour group. The 62-year-old farmer from Changchun, Jilin Province, works as a part-time guide at a corn museum in his village. With a collection of nearly 10,000 items, the museum often caters to groups of local students. 'The oldest exhibits date back to dynasties 1,000 years ago,' Ma said, viewing the collections as a living textbook preserving China's farming culture. Ma's village is among China's many rural areas that are tapping into the potential of educational tours and opening a new gateway to rural revitalisation. Data shows that this booming market neared a scale of 147 billion yuan (US$20.6 billion) in 2023 and is projected to hit 242 billion yuan by 2026. Featuring wild landscapes, rich histories and folk cultures, China's rural areas have natural advantages for study field trips. 'Look, I caught a crab!' a girl exclaimed in a paddy field that is also used for crab breeding. Mud spots on her face marked her triumph and also her study results. The field in Zhoujiazhuang, a village in north China's Hebei Province, allows rice and crabs to coexist, while also serving as a dedicated base for educational tours. Students on the tour were seen planting rice seedlings and taking notes on the ideal water temperature for crab cultivation. 'It's so fun. I'm even thinking about raising a crab myself now,' one boy said. Attracted by such niche experiences, many of the tourists visiting Zhoujiazhuang are now willing to remain there longer, with overnight stays increasing notably. Ranging from brief snapshot visits to deeper immersion in a slow-paced way of life, rural tourism is gaining new vitality. This positive trend is also a result of the progress China's rural areas have made in their development of infrastructure and living environments. Today, over 90 per cent of administrative villages across the country are covered by the 5G network, and more than 300,000 village-level logistics facilities have been put into use. Thanks to a government push to stimulate consumption and the country's efforts to promote comprehensive rural revitalisation, a multitude of study tour campsites have sprouted across rural China. By giving full play to local tourism resources, they are emerging as a new form and key driver of rural revitalisation. In southwest China's Yunnan Province, a popular tourist destination, travelers are attracted by the opportunity to learn about ceramics, bamboo weaving and ethnic-minority embroidery handicrafts. Meanwhile, in Yudong Village in east China's Zhejiang Province, which is known for its folk arts, the likes of travelers, artists and farmers sit down together to paint picturesque scenery. Rural residents are deeply involved in this wave – and their incomes have increased markedly via sales of specialty foods and the running of guesthouses. In a village of Zhongyi Township, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, workshops on local dances, tea and desserts have created more than 200 jobs and spawned over 20 derivative products, like noodles and honey beverages, achieving a remarkable 43-per cent repurchase rate on multiple e-commerce platforms. Zhongyi was once among the poorest towns in Chongqing – its local average annual income was less than 10,000 yuan in 2019. Capitalising on the 'tourism-plus-educational-tour' model, Zhongyi recorded 189,000 tourist trips in 2024, generating 9.88 million yuan in revenue – with the average income of locals increasing by 32 per cent compared with 2020. 'We have designed 10 tours involving different routes, transforming Zhongyi into a live-scenario classroom that teaches about bees while representing traditional farming and folk customs,' said Liu Chengyong, an educational tour guide. Liu is a native of Zhongyi. In 2020, he returned to his hometown and joined a collective that organises study tours. He led other young entrepreneurs to tap into the market and design compelling educational programs. Now, the company can handle 1,300 visits each day. The transformation of Zhongyi has convinced more young people like Liu to return home and pitch in. Over the past three years, the town has attracted over 100 young entrepreneurs, giving rise to new jobs like 'countryside CEO' and study tour guide. Young returnees in rural areas also help address the lack of guides and breathe new life into rural revitalisation with fresh eyes and business philosophies. Ni Shuna, who was born in the 1990s, operates an ecological agricultural company based in a town under the administration of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang. Seeing the potential of educational tours, Ni's team designed activities such as fruit picking, orchard tours and starry-night camping, making her company a multi-functional leisure business that integrates catering, entertainment and education. 'Kids come here to increase their knowledge and broaden their horizons. It's worthwhile to see their eyes gleam with curiosity and gratification,' Ni said. – Xinhua
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Laos works to boost tourism and elevate service quality as fuel for economic growth
VIENTIANE (Xinhua): Laos is enhancing its tourism sector by improving standards, upgrading infrastructure, and elevating service quality and visitor experiences, recognizing tourism as a vital driver of economic growth. Initiatives include expanding media promotion, promoting digital payments, and modernizing border checkpoints to attract more visitors and boost economic growth. The Lao government also plans to review visa policies and strengthen regional cooperation. These measures aim to position the Southeast Asian country as a more accessible, competitive, and sustainable tourism destination. Maikham, a hotel staff member in northern Laos' Luang Prabang province, emphasized the importance of continuously improving service standards to meet visitor satisfaction and attract tourists for repeat visits. Maikham said that the growing number of visitors not only boosts economic growth but also inspires local communities to enhance their services, maintain cleaner environments, and create more cultural experiences for tourists. She also expressed strong support for national efforts to attract more tourists and stressed the importance of community involvement in shaping a brighter future for the country's tourism sector. Laos is continuing its national tour guide training program to build a skilled and sufficient workforce that meets the growing demands of the tourism sector. Kanchana, a resident of Vientiane province, stressed enhancing the service mindset of the Lao people to welcome diverse tourists. She noted that local residents should be equipped with basic tourism knowledge to better assist visitors. Chanhphieng, a vendor in Luang Prabang, highlighted the need to offer more creative and diverse food, drinks, services, and activities to keep tourists engaged and encourage them to return. To attract more visitors, the Lao Ministry of Culture and Tourism is preparing for the second Visit Laos-China Year, with a focus on strengthening tourism promotion and attracting more Chinese tourists. In 2024, Laos welcomed 1,048,035 Chinese visitors, and in the first half of 2025, 602,103 Chinese tourists were recorded, indicating continued growth. Laos aims to attract 4.3 million international tourists in 2025, with expectations to generate over US$1 billion in revenue. - Xinhua
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Actors Tom Cruise, 63, and Ana De Armas, 37, reportedly dating
Tom Cruise (left) and Ana De Armas are set to star in upcoming supernatural ocean thriller. Photos: Tom Cruise/Instagram, Ana De Armas/Instagram American movie star Tom Cruise and Cuban-Spanish actress Ana De Armas have seemingly confirmed that they are in a relationship, months after romance rumours started. In photos published by American celebrity news website TMZ on July 29, the two were seen holding hands on July 27 in the town of Woodstock in the American state of Vermont, where De Armas owns a home. They were also seen driving through a national park, shopping and stopping for ice cream. Cruise, 63, and De Armas, 37, were earlier spotted at English rock band Oasis' concert at Wembley Stadium in London, as well as in English music producer DJ Goldie's video posted on Instagram on July 26. The actors, who were seated a few rows behind DJ Goldie, were shown standing up to let other concertgoers pass. In his post, DJ Goldie also shared a photo of himself with Cruise. Cruise and De Armas have been spotted together multiple times since they sparked romance rumours in February. They had dinner in London on Valentine's Day, according to British tabloid The Daily Mail . A source told People magazine at the time that the two and their agents were 'discussing potential collaborations down the line' at the dinner, adding that they 'appeared to have no romantic connection, just friends'. Cruise and De Armas were spotted again in London in March, when they arrived by helicopter, according to People magazine. The two were also observed leaving former England football star David Beckham's 50th birthday celebration in London in May. Earlier in July, Cruise and De Armas were glimpsed together on a yacht near an island in Spain. They are set to star in upcoming supernatural ocean thriller Deeper , directed by American filmmaker Doug Liman. Filming is scheduled to begin in August. Cruise, star of the Mission: Impossible film series (1996 to 2025) and Top Gun blockbusters (1986 and 2022), has been married thrice. He was married to American actress Mimi Rogers, 69, between 1987 and 1990; Australian actress Nicole Kidman, 58, between 1990 and 2001, and American actress Katie Holmes, 46, between 2006 and 2012. He has two adopted children, aged 30 and 32, with Kidman, and a 19-year-old daughter with Holmes. De Armas, who played a ballerina-turned-assassin in American neo-noir action thriller film From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina (2025), was married to Spanish actor-model Marc Clotet, 45, between 2011 and 2013. The actress dated American actor Ben Affleck, 52, between 2020 and 2021. More recently, she was romantically linked to Manuel Anido Cuesta, 27, the stepson of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, after they were spotted kissing in Madrid, Spain, in November 2024. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ballerina (@ballerinamovie)
