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French court finds Airbus, Air France guilty of manslaughter in 2009 crash

French court finds Airbus, Air France guilty of manslaughter in 2009 crash

Airbus says it plans to appeal the ruling, which overturned a 2023 acquittal of both companies. By AFP and Reuters Published On 21 May 202621 May 2026 A French appeals court has found Airbus and Air France guilty of manslaughter in 2009 Rio de Janeiro-Paris crash that killed 228 people – the worst aviation disaster in the country’s history. The Paris Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that both companies were “solely and entirely responsible for the crash of flight AF447”, and ordered a payment of 225,000 euros ($261,720) for each passenger, the maximum fine possible for corporate manslaughter. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Although the penalties are largely symbolic, they capped an eight-week trial that victims’ families saw as a last chance to find justice two years after a lower court acquitted Airbus and Air France. Both companies have repeatedly denied all charges. Following the ruling, Airbus said it would appeal to France’s highest court, saying the latest finding contradicted submissions from prosecutors and the 2023 acquittal. Prosecutors previously warned that an appeal was likely and denounced the companies’ behaviour throughout the decade-plus legal process. “Nothing has come of it – not a single word of sincere comfort,” said prosecutor Rodolphe Juy-Birmann as the trial was under way last November. “One word sums up this whole circus: indecency.” Divers recover the tail section from the Air France A330 that crashed into the south Atlantic while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on June 1, 2009 [File: Brazilian navy/AFP] Sensor malfunction The crash unfolded on June 1, 2009, when flight AF447 disappeared from radar screens as it headed from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to the French capital Paris with 216 passengers and 12 crew. Advertisement Two years passed before a deep-sea search uncovered the plane’s black boxes, which record flight data. Investigators found the pilots had pushed the jet into a climb as it struggled with sensors blocked with ice during a mid-Atlantic storm. The plane stalled and crashed into the ocean. While Airbus and Air France have blamed pilot error, the lawyers for passengers’ families argued that both companies knew that there was a problem with the plane’s pitot tubes, which measure flight speed. Pilots were not trained to deal with such an emergency as the tubes malfunctioned, prosecutors said, triggering alarms in the cockpit and turning off the plane’s autopilot function. Air France lawyer Pascal Weil said in October that the company “had the means to conduct high-altitude training, but we did not do so because we sincerely believed it was unnecessary”. Adblock test (Why?)

US-Iran diplomacy picks up: What’s the latest?

US-Iran diplomacy picks up: What’s the latest?

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday to meet with his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported. The United States and Iran have continued to exchange proposals for peace since a temporary ceasefire between them was agreed last month amid Pakistan’s mediation attempts to arrange talks. But hostilities have not come to a complete halt and both sides are believed to still be far apart on a number of key issues. On Monday, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted three drones, the day after a drone attack at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the United Arab Emirates. That raised more concerns about the potential for renewed military escalation in the Gulf as peace negotiations drag on. What are the latest diplomatic developments? While the details of discussions between Naqvi and Momeni have not been made public, Naqvi’s visit to Iran was the second in less than a week, potentially signalling new diplomatic efforts to resolve the US‑Israeli war on Iran. The Iranian IRNA news agency said Naqvi is scheduled to hold more meetings with senior Iranian officials. However, on Wednesday, Donald Trump told reporters that peace negotiations with Iran are “borderline” between talks and renewed strikes. “If we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go,” Trump said. The visit to Tehran by Pakistan’s military chief was reportedly aimed at bringing the Iranian and US positions closer together, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported. Advertisement “The Iranian text is being discussed in Tehran regarding the overarching framework, some details and confidence-building measures as guarantees,” ISNA reported, adding that “the submitted text has narrowed the gaps to some extent, but further reductions require an end to the temptation for war from Washington”. Munir’s visit is “aimed at narrowing these gaps and reaching the moment for the official announcement of the memorandum of understanding”. What do we know about the latest peace proposals? Tehran is reviewing the latest US peace proposal conveyed via Pakistan, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday. On Monday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iran had submitted a revised 14-point peace plan to end the war. In April, Pakistan hosted the only direct negotiations between US and Iranian officials since the war began on February 28. On April 8, a temporary ceasefire was reached between the conflicting parties through Pakistani mediation. Since then, armed hostilities have largely subsided, but a durable peace agreement remains elusive, with both the US and Iran dissatisfied with each other’s proposed terms. A major point of contention is Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. During negotiations, Washington has urged Tehran to give away its enriched uranium, a demand Tehran has resisted. It is understood that it may consider handing it over to a third party besides the US. The question of Iran’s ability to enrich uranium at all is another important issue. The US wants to impose a 20-year moratorium on Iran enriching any uranium. However, under the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed with a number of nations in 2015, Iran had been allowed to enrich to 3.87 percent – enough to develop a nuclear power programme. Trump withdrew the US from the agreement in 2018, even though international inspectors said Iran had stuck to its side of the bargain. The Strait of Hormuz is another contentious issue. Since early March, Iran has restricted shipping through the narrow waterway linking the Gulf to the open ocean, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies are shipped during peacetime. Iran has allowed passage of vessels from select countries, but they are required to negotiate transit with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In its previous proposals to end the war, Iran has mentioned charging transit tolls for vessels. Washington and other countries have repeatedly rejected the prospect. In April, the US announced a naval blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, further adding to the disruption of global oil and gas supplies. Advertisement On Wednesday, the IRGC said it coordinated the transit of 26 vessels through the strait in the past 24 hours, as talks between Washington and Tehran remain stalled. (Al Jazeera) Another issue is Iran’s support and financing of proxy armed groups in the region, which it calls the “Axis of Resistance”. They include the Houthis in Yemen, who have disrupted Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea in protest over the war on Gaza; Hezbollah in Lebanon and a number of groups in Iraq and Syria. The US wants all support from Iran to cease, but experts say the Iranians are unlikely to agree. What’s going on beyond the exchange of proposals? Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir may travel to Iran as soon as Thursday, Iran’s ISNA news agency has reported. This could signal that there is conversation going on beyond the US and Iran exchanging their versions of the proposals, analysts say. On Saturday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Munir are expected to visit China where Sharif is expected to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qian to sign several memoranda of understanding, strengthening bilateral understanding and economic cooperation. China hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin for a two-day visit from Wednesday, and Moscow and Beijing say they have signed several agreements. Putin’s visit came just days after Xi hosted Trump in Beijing, which yielded little evidence that they had forged any agreement on how to end the war on Iran. After pushing China for weeks to take on a more active role in convincing Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the Trump administration said ahead of the summit that it did not need Beijing’s help. Adblock test (Why?)

Arteta ‘built a fire’ instead of watching Arsenal’s Premier League crowning

Arteta ‘built a fire’ instead of watching Arsenal’s Premier League crowning

Arsenal will lift the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004 after Sunday’s match at Crystal Palace. By Reuters Published On 21 May 202621 May 2026 Anxious Arsenal fans around the world ‌were glued to their screens when Manchester City’s draw at Bournemouth crowned the North London club as Premier ⁠League champions – but Mikel ⁠Arteta, who led Arsenal to their first league title in 22 years, was not watching. The manager had planned to be at Arsenal’s training centre in London Colney to watch the game with ⁠his players, but could not find the energy to make the trip, and chose to stay at home. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “I went outside to the garden, I started to build some fire. I started to do some barbecue, I didn’t watch any ⁠of it,” Arteta told reporters on Thursday. After finishing second three times in a row, Arteta heard the news of their long-awaited triumph from his eldest son, Gabriel, who plays for Arsenal’s Under-18 side. “My eldest son opened the garden door, he started to run towards me. He started to cry, gave me a hug and said, we are champions, daddy,” Arteta said. “Then ‌my other two boys and my wife came over, and it was beautiful, just to see the joy on them as well.” Videos shared by Arsenal on social media showed players dancing and chanting at their training centre after their league title was confirmed with a game to spare. “It was their moment. And they have to be themselves in that moment. And if I’m there, I think it wasn’t going to be the same,” Arteta said. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard called Arteta soon after, asking where the manager was. “I said, guys, enjoy for a while and ⁠see you in a few hours somewhere in London,” Arteta recalled with a smile. Arteta questioned whether he could lead Arsenal to EPL title It is Arteta’s first league title as manager, and he admitted that he doubted himself during a high-pressure campaign, where they were often a slip-up away from losing their lead in the title race. Advertisement “To play with that on your back ⁠constantly is not easy. That has been one of the toughest moments… we showed very important values not only in sport, but in life. Which is perseverance, to be ⁠resilient, to be composed in moments when people are doubting,” he said. “And ⁠to be vulnerable. I’ve asked that question to myself, am I good enough to lead these players to win a major trophy? Until you do it, you cannot validate yourself.” Arteta said the mood in the club had changed after winning the Premier League, buoying the team’s confidence ahead of ‌a Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. “It changes because the level of emotion you feel, it’s something I haven’t felt before,” he said. Arsenal will conclude their league campaign and lift the trophy at Crystal Palace ‌on ‌Sunday. “We will have a window to celebrate and lift the trophy and connect with the people we have constantly around us. Then we have six days to write new history in this football club,” Arteta added. Adblock test (Why?)