India is preparing to dispatch a team of accident investigators to Washington next week to review the ongoing probe into the June Air India crash that claimed 241 lives. The group will go through the data collected so far by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and present their own analysis drawn from the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, Bloomberg reported, citing a person with the knowledge of the matter.The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is heading the probe from the Indian side, will take part in the review meeting at the NTSB headquarters. Representatives from organisations involved in the investigation, including Boeing, are also expected to attend.

The NTSB said it has no information to share at this stage and referred questions to Indian authorities. Boeing directed queries to the AAIB. Attempts to reach the AAIB and India’s aviation ministry for comment over the weekend were unsuccessful.This latest development follows reports that tension has been building between Indian and American authorities over the conduct of the investigation, Bloomberg reported. At the same time, pilots’ unions in India have opposed any claims that the crash may have been the result of pilot action.The preliminary findings reported earlier noted that the aircraft’s fuel-control switches were turned off shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, which caused the engines to lose power and left the flight unrecoverable. Although the switches were turned back on about 10 seconds later, the change was not enough to save the unfortunate Boeing 787 Dreamliner.Bloomberg reported that the investigators have not yet reached a final conclusion, though some information has already surfaced. The cockpit voice recordings reportedly captured the younger co-pilot, who was operating the aircraft at take-off, asking the captain why he turned off the switches while the captain denied doing so.The AAIB has said that more details will be available only when the final report is issued and has urged people not to draw conclusions before that point.

Netflix’s takeover of Warner Bros Discovery has shaked up not just Hollywood but also caused India’s cinema industry. Multiplex Association of India (MAI) recently warned that the latest bout of consolidation could undermine the country’s theatrical ecosystem. The association has highlighted a worrying trend: global streaming platforms purchasing major studios. According to MAI, the shift in ownership threatens the supply of titles that cinemas depend on to maintain footfall across the year.Amazon’s purchase of MGM for $8.5 billion did not faced the same concerns because the studio was active at the time and Amazon subsequently increased its focus on cinemas. Amazon MGM Studios is now preparing to release three to four films annually in India, ET reported. Netflix, on the other hand, has continued to take a selective approach to theatrical releases. The financial scale of Netflix’s $83 billion agreement for Warner Bros Discovery, which follows the separation of the linear TV networks and Discovery+ into Discovery Global, places it among the largest entertainment mergers in years, comparable to Disney’s $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019. MAI highlighted that Indian theatres depend on a steady, diverse slate to stay profitable. A major Hollywood studio shifting under a streaming platform that does not prioritise cinema, it argues, has implications for both competition and earnings. Warner Bros has been an integral supplier of titles to the Indian release calendar, it said. Kamal Gianchandani, president of MAI, said the Indian theatrical market is built on “choice, scale and cultural diversity” and noted the economic role played by cinemas. “Cinemas in India are more than entertainment venues. They are cultural hubs and major economic engines. They support millions of livelihoods across production, distribution, exhibition, food and beverage and ancillary services,” he told ET. He also cautioned that Netflix’s stance on cinema has already been evident. “If this acquisition proceeds, the risk is two-fold: a meaningful reduction in high quality content for cinemas and the potential for shortened or non existent theatrical windows. This would impact revenues, limit consumer choice and weaken the broader film ecosystem. A consolidation of this size requires careful scrutiny and MAI will continue to raise its concerns with regulators in India and abroad,” he said. Netflix has responded by saying it plans to retain Warner Bros’ existing operations and strengthen its theatrical capabilities. Executives within multiplex chains privately acknowledge that the merger’s immediate consequences for India may not be dramatic, as the country’s box office is driven primarily by Hindi and regional titles. Data by Ormax Media shows the 2025 box office reached Rs 11,077 crore by October, 24% higher than the previous year, with Hollywood accounting for 10% of revenue.Though Warner Bros Discovery’s share of that revenue sits in the low single digits, Hollywood oveall continues to be make double-digit contributions to large chains such as PVR Inox and Cinepolis. One senior multiplex executive noted the wider implications, “While WBD’s contribution in India is not very large, this merger will shake up global cinema in the years ahead. There is already strong opposition to the deal in the US,” he said.

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad (AFP Photo)

NEW DELHI: South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad acknowledged on Saturday that using the word “grovel” overshadowed his team’s historic Test win over India, though he reiterated there was no “malice” behind it. Conrad made the remark after day four of the second Test in Guwahati when South Africa were dominating, but the term — carrying racial undertones in cricket history — sparked strong reactions.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“I think on reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or not be humble about anything. How could I have chosen a better word on reflection? Yeah, I could have been smarter,” Conrad said after the third ODI.

“It (the word) left it open to people putting their own context to it, where the only context I ever intended it to be was for India to spend a lot of time and make it really tough for them,” he added.Conrad said he will now be more mindful of language used in public spaces.“I’m going to be careful what word I use here now, because context would be attached to that as well. It’s really a pity. Maybe what it did do was to spice up the ODI series, especially with them winning that now, the T20 series becomes even more so.”He admitted the controversy diverted attention from South Africa’s first Test series win over India in 25 years.“The unfortunate thing is, with all the noise that word caused, I don’t think it’s a perfectly good English word, but like I said, it just left it open to too many interpretations.“What it did was take away the gloss of what was a really special win for our Test team. It’s unfortunate, but like I said, there was definitely no malice intended.”Conrad added that humility remains central to the team’s culture.“Being humble is a cornerstone of our Test team and all our teams for that matter. It’s unfortunate that the noise and the talk became around the coach.“People shouldn’t even know who the coach is. It should be about the players. That’s the unfortunate bit and I’d like to think that it’s going to be put to bed now,” he said.“We missed a special chance”Conrad also expressed regret that South Africa couldn’t secure another series win over India at home after claiming the Test victory.“Yes, we had a chance to do something really special,” he said.“I think the last time India lost both the Test and ODI series goes back to the 1990s. We missed out on that opportunity. But look, they’re a world-class side with world-class players.“When Rohit (Sharma) is in this type of form, you cannot afford to yield your game. But like I said, part of this is building towards 2027, the World Cup in South Africa. I’d like to think that a few things are starting to fall into place with that. A lot of experience built in you,” he noted.“Chance to learn from RoKo”Virat Kohli finished the ODI contest as Player of the Series with two centuries and a fifty, while Rohit Sharma also contributed with two half-centuries. Conrad said watching them was a learning experience for his young squad.“Therein lies the learnings for us, for our young batters to see what the world’s best does, i.e. Virat and Rohit, how they go about their business. And I’d like to think that we will take that learning with us and then grow from there, especially our younger batters,” he said.Conrad admitted South Africa fell short with the bat in the final ODI.“I’d like to think that we were a little bit short with the bat. We started off really well with the ball, but because we didn’t post a score big enough, the Indian opening batters didn’t have to take any risks and they put us under pressure.“But I think we let ourselves down with the bat. We needed to post something a lot more competitive to put India under pressure. But, such are the margins when two equally matched teams are up against each other, (and) when one team is slightly off,” he said.Finally, Conrad and the team manager confirmed that Tony de Zorzi will miss the upcoming T20I series after suffering a hamstring injury during the second ODI in Raipur.“He was out earlier today, so he was out of the T20 series as well. Yeah, it’s really tough. Obviously, we were, I guess I should use the term hamstrung. But we were hamstrung by Tony’s injury,” they said.

GOA: At least 23 people have died after a fire tore through a popular nightclub in North Goa’s Arpora village late on Saturday night, officials said. Most of the victims were staff members working at the venue. Goa’s police chief Alok Kumar told news agency PTI that the blaze was triggered by a cylinder blast inside Birch by Romeo Lane, a nightclub that opened last year and is located about 25km from the state capital, Panaji. “All the 23 bodies have been recovered,” he said, adding that the victims were almost entirely club employees. Three women were among the dead, according to chief minister Pramod Sawant. Sawant, who visited the site shortly after the fire was brought under control, said that while three people died of burn injuries, the remaining victims appeared to have succumbed to suffocation. He added that initial information suggested the club had not complied with fire safety norms. “We will take action against the club management and also against the officials who allowed it to operate despite flouting safety norms,” the chief minister said. “This is an unfortunate incident during the peak tourist season.” Earlier statements from local authorities suggested no tourists were harmed, but Sawant later said that “three to four tourists” were also among those killed. Local MLA Michael Lobo, who was also at the scene, told reporters that all the bodies had been sent to the Goa Medical College in Bambolim. He said firefighters and police teams worked through the night to recover the victims and secure the area. Lobo said the Calangute panchayat would issue notices to all nightclubs on Monday, asking them to furnish valid fire safety permissions. Licences of establishments found operating without the necessary clearances would be cancelled, he added. Authorities have ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident, and a fire safety audit of all clubs in the area is expected to begin shortly.Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to chief minister Pramod Sawant to enquire about the fire incident in Goa. Modi said that the fire mishap in Arpora, Goa, is deeply saddening.“My thoughts are with all those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. The state govt is providing all possible assistance to those affected,” PM Modi said.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar

NEW DELHI: Amid calls by Bangladesh for ex-PM Sheikh Hasina’s extradition, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said Saturday her stay in India is her personal decision influenced by what transpired in the country last year.India has so far not acceded to Dhaka’s demand for the extradition of Hasina, who was sentenced to death last month for crimes against humanity.Asked if she could stay as long as she wanted, the minister said this was a different question. “She came here in a certain circumstance, and I think that circumstance clearly is a factor in what happens to her. But again, that is something in which she has to make up her mind,” he said. He also said India is a well-wisher of Bangladesh.

“As a democratic country… we would like to see the will of the people ascertained. I’m quite confident that whatever comes out… would have a balanced and mature view about the relationship and, hopefully things would improve,” he said at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.On the visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said the India-Russia partnership has been among the “steadiest big relationships” in the last 70-80 years.Unreasonable for nations to expect say in our foreign ties: EAMForeign minister Jaishankar disagreed that Putin’s visit could complicate India’s negotiations with the US on a bilateral trade agreement.“I think everybody knows that India has relations with all the major countries in the world,” Jaishankar said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. “I think for any country to expect to have a veto or a say in how we develop our relations with others is not a reasonable proposition,” he said.Jaishankar was asked if Putin’s two-day visit to New Delhi that focused largely on significantly enhancing the economic dimension of India-Russia ties will have a bearing on the negotiations with the US for the proposed trade deal. “Because remember, the others can expect the same. I think we’ve always made it very clear that we have multiple relationships. We have a freedom of choice,” he said. “We talk about what is called strategic autonomy and that continues and I cannot imagine why anybody would have reason to expect the contrary,” he added.The minister acknowledged that the focus of the Trump administration has been on trade and noted that India’s approach in navigating it is totally driven by national interests. “I think clearly right now trade is the most important issue there. We have, it’s clearly very central to the thinking in Washington, much more than it was to earlier administrations, which is something which we have recognised and we are prepared to meet,” he said.“But we are prepared to meet it on reasonable terms. I mean, for those of you who think that diplomacy is about pleasing somebody else I’m sorry, that’s not my view of diplomacy. I mean, to me, it is about defending our national interests,” he said.The India-US relations are going through possibly the worst phase in the last two decades after Washington imposed a whopping 50% on Indian goods, including 25% levies for New Delhi’s procurement of Russian crude. The two sides are currently holding negotiations for the proposed a trade deal “We believe that there can be a landing point for our respective trade interests. Obviously, that is something which will be negotiated hard because it has an implication for livelihoods in this country,” he said.“At the end of the day, for us the interests of the workers and the farmers and the small business and the middle class matters. When we look at a trade agreement with a country like the US, you have to be extremely judicious about your position, about what you put on the table,” he said.On President Putin’s trip to India, Jaishankar said for a “big” and “rising” country like India, it is important to maintain good cooperation with as many important players as possible in the world in line with freedom of choice.