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Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Plane crashes in Russia, nearly 50 on board feared dead
The Antonov An-24 passenger plane was from the Soviet era and was nearly 50 years old. (AP pic) MOSCOW : An Antonov An-24 passenger plane carrying about 50 people crashed in Russia's far east today and initial information suggested that everyone on board was killed, Russian emergency services officials said. The burning fuselage of the plane, which was from the Soviet era and was nearly 50 years old, was spotted on the ground by a helicopter and rescue crews were rushing to the scene. Unverified video, shot from a helicopter and posted on social media, appeared to show that the plane had come down in a densely forested area. The plane, whose tail number showed it was built in 1976, was operated by a Siberia-based airline called Angara. It was en route from the city of Blagoveshchensk to Tynda and dropped off radar screens while approaching Tynda, a remote town in the Amur region bordering China. There were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board according to preliminary data, Vasily Orlov, the regional governor said. The emergencies ministry put the number of people on board somewhat lower, at around 40. Debris from the plane was found on a hill around 15km from Tynda, the Interfax news agency quoted emergency service officials as saying. 'During the search operation, a Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Rossaviatsiya discovered the fuselage of the aircraft, which was on fire,' Yuliya Petina, an emergency services official, wrote on Telegram. 'Rescuers continue to make their way to the scene of the accident'. Authorities announced an investigation into the crash.
Metro
15-07-2025
- Science
- Metro
China's new secret weapon is a flying ship dubbed 'the sea monster'
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Or even a ship? No – it is something much more sinister. Roaring just feet above the sea, a sprawling shadow has emerged from the Bohai Sea, off the northern coast of China. This is the experimental resurrection of the Soviet Era 'ekranoplan', a hybrid between an aircraft and a ship, which can cruise over water at 340 mph. Pulling from the pages of the history of the Cold War, China has presented its own ekranoplan nicknamed – quite predictably – the Bohai Sea Monster. The dramatic reveal – part demonstration and part warning to its enemies – marks a bold escalation in the country's military expansion. Aviation expert Justin Bronk explained that China's apparent development of the experimental vessel highlights its willingness to try almost anything in the pursuit of tactical advantages over its rivals. He told RFE/RL about the plans: 'China is notable in its willingness to fund and test large numbers of different technical and technological solutions for military problem sets.' Bronk stressed that even designs with a low chance of success are being developed by the Chinese. He added: 'Presumably based on the logic that a few at least will prove to be unexpectedly useful and successful.' The 'ekranoplan' fits this profile perfectly. Historically, the Soviets were the main producer, building the infamous 'Caspian Sea Monster' in the 1960s. Some Soviet types were ginormous, but other types globally have always been much smaller. Until now. An image shared on Chinese social media shows the unique grey-painted aircraft in the background. Flying just above the surface, this Soviet engineering marvel was known for evading radar detection and is large enough to transport soldiers and missiles. 'Ekranoplans' utilize the ground effect – a cushion of air trapped between the wings and the water surface, to gain lift and maintain flight at low altitudes (typically a few meters above the water). This low-altitude operation makes them challenging to track and intercept. China has not yet revealed the name, manufacturer and price of its secret weapon – nor what it plans to use it for. Securing a strategic edge is vital to the country, particularly as all signs point to a possible invasion of Taiwan in the next couple of years. For years, China has poured billions into modernizing its armed forces – from investing in advanced weaponry, including hypersonic missiles, and expanding its nuclear arsenal. Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, told the House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington earlier this year that the Indo-Pacific command faces a confluence of challenges, mainly China. More Trending He said: 'Foremost among them is China's increasingly aggressive and assertive behavior. 'Their unprecedented military modernization encompassing advancements in artificial intelligence, [hypersonic missiles], space-based capabilities, among others, poses a real and serious threat to our homeland, to our allies and to our partners.' Last year, China's military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) boasted itsgrowing capabilities through persistent operations against Taiwan. Paparo stressed that they have escalated by a whooping 300%, adding: 'Its aggressive military actions near Taiwan are not just exercises – they are rehearsals.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: More than 200 kids poisoned with lead at Chinese school after chef added paint to their food MORE: Woman bombarded with hundreds of Amazon packages she never ordered MORE: Incredible Pacific Sleeper Sharks footage captures feeding scenes over 3,000ft deep
Bloomberg
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Moscow Installs Replica of Historical Stalin Monument in Metro
Moscow's famed metro system has unveiled a Soviet-era monument to Josef Stalin in one of its central stations, as part of a gradual reappraisal of the dictator's legacy in Russia. The life-sized wall sculpture in the Taganskaya metro station is called 'Gratitude of the People to the Leader-Commander' and dedicated to the victory in World War II, according to a statement from the transportation system. It depicts Stalin surrounded by a crowd of adoring civilians.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- The Sun
Brit ‘smuggler' Bella Culley, 18, ‘receiving NO medical care' behind bars in grim ex-Soviet jail
BRIT drugs charge teenager Bella Culley is being denied proper medical care in her bleak jail cell in Georgia - despite telling the authorities she is pregnant. Backpacker Bella, 18, is in custody following her arrest in Georgia's Tbilisi airport with a suitcase of cannabis after going missing 4,000 miles away in Thailand. 11 11 11 She will spend at least nine months on remand in a grim Soviet-era lock-up alongside hardened criminals and faces a sentence from 15 years to life if convicted of importing the huge stash. Celebrity Georgian lawyer Mariam Kublashvili, 39, was allowed to visit Bella for 30 minutes on Monday and brought the first news of her condition behind bars. Shockingly, she revealed the pregnant teen had not received a proper medical examination since telling a Tbilisi court she was pregnant. She also assessed that the shy and scared young Briton was a victim rather than a calculating criminal who deserves to be caged for years. Ms Kublashvili said: 'She is pregnant and needs medical care which she complained she wasn't getting. 'She told me no tests, checks or medical examinations have been done. 'She said she asked for a doctor, but the doctor wasn't speaking English and they couldn't understand each other.' The Sun also revealed that Bella could be forced to being up her child behind bars in unforgiving conditions. Experts spoke of their fears for her unborn child which could spend the first three years of its life in a prison nursery. Eliso Rukhadze, Georgian women's rights defender and lawyer told The Sun last week: 'Bella will be transferred to a hospital to have the baby and then rushed back to prison. Bella Culley's dad stands by daughter amid fears drug gangs are targeting Brit backpackers 'Over the last few years, a large amount of funds have been allocated to make the space as comfortable as possible. 'Equipment is modern. There is a kindergarten and nursery too to create the best possible conditions for the child in the prison. 'For up to three years, the child would grow up there and the mom would have unrestricted access to the child - including breastfeeding. 'They would have to be cared for by a family member. "The nationality will add complications. If the child is Georgian, and the family is British, they will have to take extra steps to be given wardship of the child. 11 11 'It won't be put up for adoption. The child will only be given to members of the family, but it adds an extra layer of bureaucracy.' Bella's pregnancy has yet to be confirmed by medical checks - but her dad, Neil, 49, appeared distressed as he faced the possibility of his first grandchild being born in prison. Puffing shakily on a cigarette, the dad told The Sun: 'I'm sorry - I don't want to say anything.' Ms Kublashvili painted a sorrowful picture of a 'sad but calm' Bella - who she said appeared visibly cold in a thin green top and leggings with her hair untied when they met in a draughty meeting room. She said the teen constantly thanked the prison advocate during their talk and appeared timid and reserved as she quietly set out her concerns. 11 11 11 Ms Kublashvili said: 'My Initial impression was very positive - she is very open, very pleasant, and charming. She doesn't fit the profile of a drug trafficker at all. 'For anyone, like me, with experience in dealing with such cases, it would be quite obvious that she is a victim here - she's been used and manipulated. 'She is sad and would very much like to go home. I have a 20-year-old child myself and can only imagine what her parents must be feeling. 'But I have a great deal of experience helping women in situations like this and want to do all I can for her so I'm offering my services free of charge." The glam lawyer is the former-Soviet state's best-known celebrity lawyer - and was previously employed by British "speedboat killer" Jack Shepherd who fled to Georgia. She emerged from the jail on Monday with a food shopping list from the teenager for chicken fillets, beef or veal, bread, apples, pears and pomegranates. The 18-year-old had also asked for tuna, which Kublashvili thought could be a pregnancy craving, but that isn't allowed to be sent in. 11 Her others requests included warmer clothes and for the lawyer to broker a visit from her father - which is expected to happen either on Tuesday or later in the week. Bella's Vietnam-based oil rig electrician dad Niel, 39, and her aunt Kerrie Culley flew to Georgia to support her but have so far been blocked from visiting by jail red tape. The father told The Sun he will stay 'as long as it takes' to help end her ordeal and is currently dealing with a local legal aid lawyer. Niel is estranged from Bella's UK-based mum Lyanne Kennedy who has struggled to find enough cash to fly to Georgia. Bella is sharing a cell at the prison with two other women inmates, but it was unclear what crimes they have been accused of or committed, Ms Kublashvili said. Bella was detained in Georgia following a tip-off on May 11 after a 20-hour flight from Bangkok via Sharjah in the UAE with the drug stash in her hold bag. She had spent weeks away having holiday fun in the Philippines and Thailand where she met a group of young men from the north west of England. She joked online of 'Bonnie and Clyde' hijinks and was pictured smoking a suspicious-looking cigarette and showing off wads of cash.
Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Russia's motorbike squads may be suicidal but they are hurting Ukraine
The roar of engines rumble across no man's land before a pack of Russian soldiers mounted on motorbikes emerge from a cloud of dust on the horizon. Ukrainian drones spring into action and the race is on. Without any cover, the riders have just minutes to zigzag across mines and craters to reach an enemy trench-line before they are picked off. The odds are not in their favour. Since they were trialled over a year ago, most motorbike attacks have ended in failure, with the majority of riders killed before they can reach their target. Yet, those that are successful solve a key tactical challenge in Ukraine: how to cross an open battlefield under constant surveillance from above – and fast. Russia's military is said to be planning to systematically integrate motorbikes across the front ahead of new offensives. Run, stab, escape Plenty of lives will be lost, but Russia's precious armoured vehicles will be saved – an apparent victory in the eyes of a military that has a steady stream of manpower, but is forced to draw on a rusting stockpile of Soviet-era tanks that have proven unsuitable for the battlefields of Ukraine. The first reports of motorbikes squads started to appear in April 2024. It began as an informal, ad hoc response to persistent drone strikes, which now kill or maim up to 70 per cent of all soldiers and destroy more armoured vehicles than all other weapons systems combined. Since autumn last year, there has been a considerable increase in bike-led attacks in Ukraine's north-eastern Kharkiv region and Donetsk to the east, where Russia largely abandoned armoured vehicle usage after suffering unsustainable losses in the winter of 2023 to 2024. The attacks are fast-paced, but deeply flawed. For months on end, drone footage has shown the remnants of such failures, which have turned the edges of fields and Ukrainian trench lines into a junk yard of twisted metal and burnt tyres. It is not just bikes, but all kinds of unconventional unarmoured vehicles turning up at the front, including quad bikes, civilian cars, Chinese-made buggies and electric scooters.
