Bangladesh Air Force jet crashes into a Dhaka school and kills 19
According to the military and a fire official, the Chinese-made F-7 BGI aircraft crashed into the campus of Milestone School and College, in the Uttara neighbourhood, in the afternoon as students were attending classes.
The military said the jet took off at 1.06pm local time and crashed soon after, catching fire immediately.
The cause was not immediately clear. PA Media
It is the deadliest plane crash in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory.
Local media indicated most of the injured were students.
Relatives arrived at the scene as rescuers, using tricycle rickshaws or whatever was available, transported the injured to local hospitals.
Rafiqa Taha, a student who was not present at the time of the crash, told The Associated Press by phone that the school, with some 2,000 students, offers classes from elementary to twelfth grade.
'I was terrified watching videos on TV,' the 16-year-old said. 'My God. It's my school.'
Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus pledged an investigation into the crash, expressing his deep sorrow over the 'heartbreaking accident' at Milestone School and College.
In a statement, he lamented the 'irreparable' loss suffered by 'Air Force personnel, students, parents, teachers, staff, and others', calling it 'a moment of deep national grief'.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Reuters
Coca-Cola beats on zero-calorie sodas, higher prices; to launch cane sugar-based drink
July 22 (Reuters) - Coca-Cola (KO.N), opens new tab beat estimates for quarterly revenue and profit on Tuesday, benefiting from resilient demand for zero-calorie drinks as well as higher pricing, and laid out plans to launch a new product made with cane sugar in the U.S. this year. Food companies are increasingly looking to include healthier substitutes as they respond to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again campaign. Last week, President Donald Trump said Coca-Cola had agreed to use real cane sugar in the U.S. While there are some slight differences between cane sugar and corn syrup as sweeteners, experts have said that too much of either is not good for consumers. Coca-Cola already sells Coke made from cane sugar in other markets, including Mexico, and some U.S. grocery stores carry glass bottles with cane sugar labeled "Mexican" Coke. The switch to cane sugar will also drive up costs for the company, industry analysts have said. Changes in the formulation of the rest of the Coke sold in the U.S., and other beverages and candies, would involve significant adjustments to supply chains. Rival PepsiCo (PEP.O), opens new tab, which topped quarterly earnings estimates last week, also said it would use natural ingredients in its products if consumers want it. Coca-Cola reiterated that the hit to costs due to "global trade dynamics" remained manageable. The company has said it would look at affordable packaging options such as plastic bottles when Trump imposed a 25% duty on aluminum imports. As of June, tariffs on aluminum imports have doubled to 50%. Coca-Cola's comparable revenue rose 2.5% to $12.62 billion in the second quarter, beating estimates of $12.54 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Annual comparable earnings per share is expected to be near the top end of its target of a 2% to 3% rise, helped by a weaker dollar. Volumes fell in North America "due to the continued uncertainty and pressure on some socioeconomic segments of consumers," CEO James Quincey said on a post-earnings call. Demand for pricey sodas has remained choppy in recent quarters, especially in developed countries as consumers, especially in lower-income segments, turned more price-sensitive. Coca-Cola's volumes slipped 1% in the three months ended June 27 after rising 2% each in the previous two quarters, largely due to declines in key markets such as Mexico and India, as well as for its Coca-Cola brand in the U.S. Quincey added that a boycott-related hit to demand in the U.S. and Mexico was now largely resolved. Volumes had fallen in the first half of the year in North America due to Hispanic consumers in the U.S. and Mexico boycotting the company's legacy brands after a viral video of Coca-Cola laying off Latino staff and reporting them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Prices rose 6% overall in the second quarter, led by increases in some inflationary markets. Coca-Cola's shares fell 1% in early trading. They have risen 12.5% this year, as of Monday's close. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar volume jumped 14%, driven by growth across all geographies, and was a bright spot in the quarter. Excluding items, the company earned 87 cents per share, beating estimates of 83 cents.
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- The Guardian
Coca-Cola to launch Coke with cane sugar after Trump claims credit
Coca-Cola has laid out plans to launch a product made with US cane sugar this year, days after Donald Trump claimed the company had agreed to replace high-fructose corn syrup. The announcement came Tuesday in Coca-Cola's earnings report. It confirmed a 16 July post on Trump's Truth Social platform in which the president said Coca-Cola 'agreed' to use 'REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States'. 'This will be a very good move by them – You'll see,' Trump's post said. 'It's just better!' The drink maker's Mexican Coke is made with cane sugar and already sold in the US. Tuesday's announcement from Coca-Cola came as food and drink companies have rolled out plans to make changes amid US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's Make America healthy again (Maha) campaign. However, experts say that drinks made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup aren't healthier. Eva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, previously told CNN: 'Excess consumption of sugar from any source harms health. To make the US food supply healthier, the Trump administration should focus on less sugar, not different sugar.' Coca-Cola chairperson and chief executive officer James Quincey said Tuesday's announcement was meant to 'reflect consumer interest in differentiated experiences'. 'We appreciate the president's enthusiasm for our Coca-Cola brand,' Quincey said in a conference call with investors. 'This addition is designed to complement our strong core portfolio and offer more choice across occasions and preferences.' The Associated Press and Reuters contributed
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Reuters
Wall St set for muted open on corporate earnings, trade talks
July 22 (Reuters) - Wall Street was on track for a mixed start on Tuesday as investors weighed signs of potential trade deals between the U.S. and its partners ahead of the August 1 tariff deadline and assessed a spate of second-quarter company results. At 08:31 a.m. ET, S&P 500 E-minis were up 1.75 points, or 0.03%, Nasdaq 100 E-minis were down 12.25 points, or 0.05%, and Dow E-minis were down 50 points, or 0.11%. U.S. stock futures trimmed early losses after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced plans to meet his Chinese counterpart next week, potentially discussing an extension to the August 12 deadline set for tariffs on China. With little more than a week to go before the August 1 deadline for most U.S. trading partners, Bessent emphasized on Monday that the administration was prioritizing the quality of trade deals over speed. Meanwhile, trade talks have hit a roadblock as the European Union weighs new countermeasures against the United States. Hopes for an interim U.S. deal with India were fading, Indian government officials said. Wall Street's heavyweights are starting to feel the sting of tariffs. General Motors (GM.N), opens new tab saw its second-quarter core profit tumble 32% to $3 billion, blaming steep tariff costs for shaving $1.1 billion from its bottom line. "Everyone's watching GM very closely, and the numbers did disappoint and specifically related to tariffs," said Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Muriel Siebert. "The fact that they did come out and say that there's going to be a forecast based on increases in tariffs is something that is going to play out throughout the day." The company's shares lost 2.3% in premarket trading, while peer Ford (F.N), opens new tab also dipped 0.7%. RTX (RTX.N), opens new tab cut its 2025 profit forecast as the aerospace and defense giant took a hit from Trump's tariff war. Its shares fell 1%. Despite trade policy uncertainty out of Washington, the resilience of the economy has propelled major indexes to fresh all-time highs. Still, a slew of positive earnings surprises has kept markets near record territory. Analysts expect S&P 500 companies to report a healthy 6.7% jump in second-quarter profits, with Big Tech leading the charge, data compiled by LSEG showed. Tuesday's cautious trading comes after a rollercoaster session that ended with the S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab and the Nasdaq (.IXIC), opens new tab both notching record closes. Much of the action was fueled by investors snapping up megacaps such as Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab ahead of earnings. Google-parent Alphabet and EV-maker Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab will kick off quarterly results for the "Magnificent Seven" stocks on Wednesday. Shares of Tesla were up 0.1% in premarket trading, having fallen about 19% so far in 2025 amid CEO Elon Musk's political involvement and challenges faced by its core business. Following last week's mixed economic signals, traders have all but ruled out a rate cut next week and now see about a 56% chance of a reduction in September, according to the CME's FedWatch tool. Among other movers, U.S. coal miners Peabody Energy (BTU.N), opens new tab and Warrior Met Coal (HCC.N), opens new tab were up about 5% each as China's coking coal prices surged amid market speculation about government inspections in major production hubs.
