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Air India’s Boeing plane was “well-maintained” before it crashed a week ago, killing all but one of 242 people on board, the airline said on Thursday.Indian authorities are yet to detail what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to hurtle to the ground in the western city of Ahmedabad a week ago.At least 38 people were killed in the residential neighbourhood that the plane hit, causing such devastation that DNA analysts are still trying to identify dozens of the dead.As investigators attempt to retrieve data from the plane’s black boxes — the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder — the airline said no problems were detected with the jet before the disaster.”The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023,” Air India said in a statement.”Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight,” it said.The London-bound jet burst into a fireball when it smashed down in Ahmedabad moments after takeoff.Initial checks on Air India’s Dreamliners since the crash “did not reveal any major safety concerns”, the country’s civil aviation regulator said on Tuesday.India’s aviation investigative unit said on Thursday the probe was “progressing steadily”.”Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway,” the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said in a statement.- ‘Highly experienced pilot’ -Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members.The pilots were accomplished flyers, according to the airline.”The flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot and trainer with over 10,000 hours flying widebody aircraft,” it said.”First Officer Clive Kunder had over 3,400 hours of flying experience.”While investigators try to piece together what went wrong, many families of victims are still waiting for their loved ones to be identified.As of Thursday evening, 215 victims have been matched through DNA testing, all but nine of them passengers, according to the civil hospital’s medical superintendent Rakesh Joshi.The remains of around 15 of them have been transported by air, Joshi told journalists. Six people injured in the disaster remain in hospital, with one due to be discharged shortly while the others are in a stable condition.

Pathum Nissanka’s career-best 187 helped Sri Lanka finish the third day of the first Test against Bangladesh in a strong position Thursday, only 127 runs off the Tigers’ first innings score.The 27-year-old opener anchored the Sri Lanka innings before they finished on 368-4 at the close of play, behind Bangladesh’s 495.He struck several key partnerships before he was bowled by Hasan Mahmud towards the end of the day’s play.Nissanka, who had been under pressure before the match with only one half-century in nine innings, hit 23 fours and a six in his marathon 256-ball innings.Nissanka looked set for his maiden double-ton when he was bowled by Mahmud, who was bowling with the second new ball.”This is my first Test hundred at home so I was very happy to get there,” Nissanka said after the day’s play.”It is important that we get a decent lead and put them under pressure.”But Sri Lanka’s top-scorer said he was “disappointed” with the way he got out. He acknowledged he had failed to score big since his century in England last year and said that he was “trying to make the most of today”.Kamindu Mendis (37) and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (17) will take charge of Sri Lanka’s first innings on the fourth day, with the Galle wicket still playing well for the batters. Besides Mahmud, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan and Mominul Haque finished the third day with one wicket each in a largely uneventful session for Bangladesh’s bowlers.  Nissanka lost his opening partner Lahiru Udara (29) early in the day to the slow left-arm orthodox bowling of Islam. Dinesh Chandimal came in and took a solid 54 runs before he was removed by Hasan after an important 157-run partnership with Nissanka. Veteran Angelo Matthews, walking out to bat in his farewell Test with a guard of honour from the opposition, hit 39 runs in a key cameo that took the hosts to 293 before he fell to Haque.- ‘Toiled hard’ -Earlier, the third day started with Sri Lanka wrapping up Bangladesh’s innings in just three overs after their overnight score of 484-9.Bangladesh’s last man Nahid Rana feathered a short ball to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis as fast bowler Asitha Fernando completed a return of 4-86 from his 29.4 overs.The visitors had been cruising at 458-4 on Wednesday before losing five wickets for 26 runs in the final hour of the rain-hit second day.Bangladesh’s bowling coach Shaun Tait said it was “a good batting wicket” in Galle.”It was difficult conditions for the fast bowlers today, they toiled hard,” he said after play Thursday. He acknowledged the Bangladesh “lower order didn’t contribute much”, but said they would have taken the score before the game.”I am not going to be critical of our batters,” he said.Brief scores:Bangladesh: 495 all out (Najmul Hossain Shanto 148, Mushfiqur Rahim 163)Sri Lanka: 368-4 (Pathum Nissanka 187, Dinesh Chandimal 54)Toss: Bangladesh

Air India’s Boeing plane was “well-maintained” before it crashed a week ago, killing all but one of 242 people on board, the airline said Thursday.Indian authorities are yet to detail what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to hurtle to the ground in the western city of Ahmedabad, where at least 38 people were also left dead.As investigators attempt to retrieve data from the plane’s black boxes — the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder — the airline said that no problems were detected with the jet before the disaster.”The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023,” Air India said in a statement.”Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight,” the airline said.The London-bound jet burst into a fireball when it smashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad moments after takeoff.Initial checks since the crash on Air India’s Dreamliners “did not reveal any major safety concerns”, the country’s civil aviation regulator said Tuesday.India’s aviation investigative unit said Thursday the probe was “progressing steadily”.”Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway,” the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said in a statement.Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members.The airline said Thursday the pilots were accomplished flyers. “The flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot and trainer with over 10,000 hours flying widebody aircraft,” it said.”First Officer Clive Kunder, had over 3,400 hours of flying experience.”While investigators try to piece together what went wrong, families of dozens of victims are still waiting for their loved ones to be identified.As of Thursday, 210 victims have been identified through DNA testing, state health minister Rushikesh Patel said.

Ben Stokes’ England take on an India team under new captain Shubman Gill at Headingley on Friday in the first Test of a five-match series.The visitors are embarking on a new era without heavyweights Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as they seek to end their 18-year wait for a Test series win in England.AFP Sport looks at three key battles that could define the series, which comes at the start of a new cycle in the World Test Championship.Bumrah v England’s top orderJasprit Bumrah can lay claim to being the best all-format bowler in world cricket today, with his Test figures of 205 wickets at under 20 apiece putting the paceman alongside the greats of the game.But with five gruelling matches to come in less than seven weeks, Bumrah, who suffered a back injury in Australia in January, is unlikely to feature in every game.Blessed with a unique action and an ability to generate sharp pace off a short run, the 31-year-old is one of the most difficult bowlers for batsmen to face. He was crowned ICC men’s cricketer of the year for 2024 after taking 71 Test wickets at a remarkable average of just 14.92.Wisden editor Lawrence Booth described Bumrah as “uniquely challenging” as he was named the leading men’s cricketer in the world in the 2025 edition.England’s hope is that they can blunt Bumrah, forcing him to bowl more overs than he would like. If they achieve that it might be half the battle won.Skippers: Stokes v GillShubman Gill would love nothing more than to lead from the front in his first series as India captain.The 25-year-old, however, has a modest Test batting average of 35 in 32 matches and a paltry average of under 15 in three matches in England.Gill has a tough task in shaping a new-look side without retired star batsman Kohli and former skipper Rohit as he targets India’s fourth series win in England following triumphs in 1971, 1986 and 2007.He will be pitting his wits against Stokes, who has repeatedly demonstrated a priceless ability to inspire those around him since succeeding Joe Root as England captain in 2022.But are his superhuman all-round powers waning?It is now two years since Stokes made the last of his 13 Test hundreds, a remarkable 155 against Australia at Lord’s, and he has been dogged by injuries.However, the 34-year-old remains a threat with his lively medium pace, showing again in last month’s Test win against Zimbabwe his enduring ability to take wickets at key times.Keepers: Smith v PantIt is increasingly rare for a Test wicketkeeper to be selected purely on the quality of their work behind the stumps, with runs now a major factor.Nobody better exemplifies this trend than India’s Rishabh Pant, who averages just over 42 in 43 matches, with six hundreds, and has the ability to dismantle attacks.At his sharpest, Pant is capable of spectacular dismissals in the field, although there are occasions when he can appear to lose concentration. His presence on the field is something of a minor miracle given he was out of the game for 15 months after being seriously injured in a car crash in December 2022.England ‘keeper Jamie Smith, 24, is just 10 Tests into a highly promising international career, averaging a shade under 43 after displacing Surrey teammate Ben Foakes, widely regarded as the superior gloveman.With England deploying an inexperienced bowling attack, it will be even more important than usual for Smith to take every chance that comes his way.

Governments around the world are evacuating thousands of their nationals caught up in the rapidly spiralling Israel-Iran conflict, organising buses and planes and in some cases assisting people crossing borders on foot. Foreigners have rushed to leave both countries after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign last Friday targeting Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, sparking retaliation from Tehran.With Israel’s air space closed and the two countries exchanging heavy missile fire, many people are being evacuated via neighbouring countries. – Europe -European countries have already repatriated hundreds of their citizens from Israel.The Czech Republic and Slovakia said Tuesday they had taken 181 people home on government planes.”It was not possible to send the army plane straight to Israel,” the Czech defence ministry said in a statement, citing the air space closure.”The evacuees were taken to an airport in a neighbouring country by buses. They crossed the border on foot.”The German government said flights were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday via Jordan, while Poland said the first of its citizens were due to arrive back on Wednesday.Greece said it had repatriated 105 of its citizens plus a number of foreign nationals via Egypt, while a private plane with 148 people landed in the Bulgarian capital Sophia on Tuesday.  – United States -The US ambassador to Israel on Wednesday announced plans for evacuating Americans by air and sea.The embassy is “working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures” for “American citizens wanting to leave Israel,” Ambassador Mike Huckabee posted on social media.- China -China has evacuated more than 1,600 citizens from Iran and several hundred more from Israel.The Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday its “embassies and consulates will continue to make every effort to assist in the safe transfer and evacuation of Chinese citizens”.- Australia -Australia has started evacuating around 1,500 citizens from Iran and more than 1,200 from Israel — but missile barrages have made it too risky for civilian aircraft to land in either country, its foreign minister said. “There’s no capacity for people to get civilian aircraft in, it is too risky, and the airspace is closed,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong told national broadcaster ABC. “We have taken the opportunity to get a small group of Australians out of Israel through a land border crossing. “We are seeking to try and do more of that over the next 24 hours.” – Pakistan -Pakistan has shut its border crossings with neighbouring Iran, except to Pakistanis wanting to return home. Around 1,000 Pakistanis have fled so far, including at least 200 students.The foreign ministry said the families of diplomats and some non-essential staff from Iran had been evacuated. – India -Around 110 students who fled Iran over the land border with Armenia have landed in New Delhi, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday.There are around 10,000 Indian citizens in Iran. In Israel there are around 30,000 Indians, according to the country’s embassy in New Delhi.- Japan -Japan has ordered military planes to be on standby for around 1,000 Japanese nationals believed to live in Israel, and around 280 in Iran, according to government ministers.The Japanese embassies in Iran and Israel are preparing to use buses to evacuate citizens to neighbouring countries, a government spokesman said, as the war entered its seventh day.- Indonesia -Indonesia is preparing to evacuate around 380 of its citizens currently in Iran by land, Jakarta’s foreign minister said Thursday. “Flights are no longer possible, so the only way is land route. It will start tonight,” Foreign Minister Sugiono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said in a video.- Vietnam -Vietnam, which has more than 700 citizens in Israel and dozens in Iran, said it was working to ensure their safety.The foreign ministry said Thursday that 18 Vietnamese from Iran were evacuated, 16 of whom returned to Vietnam. It did not provide further information on evacuations from Israel.- Philippines -The Philippines is preparing to repatriate 28 Israel-based Filipino workers out of 178 who asked for help, the Department of Migrant Workers secretary Hans Cacdac said Thursday.At least 21 Philippine government officials have also crossed into Jordan by land from Israel since the conflict began, the foreign ministry said.

Hundreds of anti-government protesters gathered outside Thailand’s Government House on Thursday, demanding Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign over a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen that triggered public outrage.The scandal rocked Paetongtarn’s coalition after the Bhumjaithai party, a key partner, pulled out on Wednesday, accusing her of undermining the country and insulting the dignity of the military.The leaked call, in which Paetongtarn referred to the Thai army’s northeastern commander as her opponent and addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” has drawn strong public backlash.The protest, held in scorching tropical heat, drew mostly elderly demonstrators wearing yellow shirts — the colour strongly associated with Thailand’s monarchy — who accused the 38-year-old leader of “lacking diplomatic skills” and “endangering national interests”.”I was very disappointed when I heard the (leaked) audio,” Kanya Hanotee, 68, a temple worker told AFP.”She lacks negotiation skills. Who does she think she is? This country is not hers.”Protesters waved Thai flags and placards labelling Paetongtarn a “traitor”, and chanted “Get out!” and “Go to hell!” while dozens of riot police stood nearby.Many in the crowd were longtime supporters of the conservative, pro-royalist “Yellow Shirt” movement, which has fiercely opposed the Shinawatra political dynasty since the 2000s.Kaewta, 62, a housewife from Bangkok said she joined Yellow Shirt protests near Bangkok’s Democracy Monument two decades ago.”I didn’t support any political party. All I knew was that I hated Thaksin and his family,” she told AFP.”Our politicians are all corrupt.”- 20-year battle -The battle between the conservative pro-royal establishment and Thaksin’s political movement backed by its own “Red Shirt” supporters has dominated Thai politics for more than 20 years.Yellow Shirts, backed by Royalists and business elites, led 2008 protests that shut Bangkok’s airports, stranded tourists, and helped topple a Thaksin-linked government. In 2010, pro-Thaksin “Red Shirt” protesters rallied in Bangkok in opposition to the military-backed government, ending in a bloody crackdown that left more than 90 people dead. “The power has been passed from her father to her aunt, and now to her,” said Mek Sumet, 59, an electrical equipment seller who took part in the 2008 Don Mueang airport occupation. “She doesn’t think of the country but only of herself,” he told AFP.The kingdom has had a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, and the current crisis has inevitably triggered rumours that another may be in the offing.Despite Thailand’s long history of coups, some protestors openly welcomed the idea of another military intervention.”I want the military to take control,” Kanya told AFP.”We are thinking long-term. It will be positive for the country.”

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra apologised Thursday for a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen that has provoked widespread anger and put her government on the brink of collapse.Her main coalition partner has quit and calls are mounting for her to resign or announce an election, throwing the kingdom into a fresh round of political instability as it seeks to boost its spluttering economy and avoid US President Donald Trump’s swingeing trade tariffs.The conservative Bhumjaithai party pulled out on Wednesday saying Paetongtarn’s conduct in the leaked call had wounded the country and the army’s dignity.As pressure grew on Thursday Paetongtarn, the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra — Thailand’s most influential but controversial modern politician — apologised at a press conference alongside military chiefs and senior figures from her Pheu Thai party.”I would like to apologise for the leaked audio of my conversation with a Cambodian leader which has caused public resentment,” Paetongtarn told reporters.In the call, Paetongtarn is heard discussing an ongoing border dispute with Hun Sen — who stepped down as Cambodian prime minister in 2023 after four decades but still wields considerable influence.She addresses the veteran leader as “uncle” and refers to the Thai army commander in the country’s northeast as her opponent, a remark that sparked fierce criticism on social media.The loss of Bhumjaithai’s 69 MPs left Paetongtarn with barely enough votes to scrape a majority in parliament, and a snap election looks a clear possibility — barely two years after the last one in May 2023.Two other coalition parties, the United Thai Nation and Democrat Party, will hold meetings to discuss the situation later Thursday.Paetongtarn will be hoping her apology and show of unity with the military are enough to persuade them to stay on board.Losing either would likely mean the end of Paetongtarn’s government, and either an election or a bid by other parties to stitch together a new coalition.- Resignation calls -Thailand’s military said in a statement that army chief General Pana Claewplodtook “affirms commitment to democratic principles and national sovereignty protection”.”The Chief of Army emphasised that the paramount imperative is for ‘Thai people to stand united’ in collectively defending national sovereignty,” it added.Thailand’s armed forces have long played a powerful role in the kingdom’s politics, and politicians are usually careful not to antagonise them.The kingdom has had a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, and the current crisis has inevitably triggered rumours that another may be in the offing.If Paetongtarn is ousted in a coup she would be the third member of her family, after her aunt Yingluck and father Thaksin Shinawatra, to be kicked out of office by the military.The main opposition People’s Party, which won most seats in 2023 but was blocked by conservative senators from forming a government, urged Paetongtarn to call an election.”What happened yesterday was a leadership crisis that destroyed people’s trust,” People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said in a statement.The Palang Pracharath party, which led the government up to 2023 and is headed by General Prawit Wongsuwan — who supported a 2014 coup against Paetongtarn’s aunt Yingluck — said the leaked recording showed she was weak and inexperienced, incapable of managing the country’s security.Hundreds of anti-government protesters, some of them veterans of the royalist, anti-Thaksin “Yellow Shirt” movement of the late 2000s, demonstrated outside Government House Thursday demanding Paetongtarn quit.- Awkward coalition -Paetongtarn, 38, came to power in August 2024 at the head of an uneasy coalition between Pheu Thai and a group of conservative, pro-military parties whose members have spent much of the last 20 years battling against her father.Growing tensions within the coalition erupted into open warfare in the past week as Pheu Thai tried to take the interior minister job away from Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul.The loss of Bhumjaithai leaves Pheu Thai’s coalition with just a handful more votes than the 248 needed for a majority.The battle between the conservative pro-royal establishment and Thaksin’s political movement has dominated Thai politics for more than 20 years.Former Manchester City owner Thaksin, 75, still enjoys huge support from the rural base whose lives he transformed with populist policies in the early 2000s.But he is despised by Thailand’s powerful elites, who saw his rule as corrupt, authoritarian and socially destabilising.The current Pheu Thai-led government has already lost one prime minister, former businessman Srettha Thavisin, who was kicked out by a court order last year that brought Paetongtarn to office.

Pakistan says it has expelled more than a million Afghans in the past two years, yet many have quickly attempted to return — preferring to take their chances dodging the law than struggle for existence in a homeland some had never even seen before.”Going back there would be sentencing my family to death,” said Hayatullah, a 46-year-old Afghan deported via the Torkham border crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in early 2024. Since April and a renewed deportation drive, some 200,000 Afghans have spilled over the two main border crossings from Pakistan, entering on trucks loaded with hastily packed belongings.But they carry little hope of starting over in the impoverished country, where girls are banned from school after primary level.Hayatullah, a pseudonym, returned to Pakistan a month after being deported, travelling around 800 kilometres (500 miles) south to the Chaman border crossing in Balochistan, because for him, life in Afghanistan “had come to a standstill”.He paid a bribe to cross the Chaman frontier, “like all the day labourers who regularly travel across the border to work on the other side”.His wife and three children — including daughters, aged 16 and 18, who would be denied education in Afghanistan — had managed to avoid arrest and deportation.- Relative security -Hayatullah moved the family to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a region mostly populated by Pashtuns — the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.”Compared to Islamabad, the police here don’t harass us as much,” he said.The only province governed by the opposition party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan — who is now in prison and in open conflict with the federal government — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is considered a refuge of relative security for Afghans.Samad Khan, a 38-year-old Afghan who also spoke using a pseudonym, also chose to relocate his family to Peshawar.Born in eastern Pakistan’s Lahore city, he set foot in Afghanistan for the first time on April 22 — the day he was deported. “We have no relatives in Afghanistan, and there’s no sign of life. There’s no work, no income, and the Taliban are extremely strict,” he said.At first, he tried to find work in a country where 85 percent of the population lives on less than one dollar a day, but after a few weeks he instead found a way back to Pakistan. “I paid 50,000 rupees (around $180) to an Afghan truck driver,” he said, using one of his Pakistani employees’ ID cards to cross the border.He rushed back to Lahore to bundle his belongings and wife and two children — who had been left behind — into a vehicle, and moved to Peshawar. “I started a second-hand shoe business with the support of a friend. The police here don’t harass us like they do in Lahore, and the overall environment is much better,” he told AFP.- ‘Challenging’ reintegration – It’s hard to say how many Afghans have returned, as data is scarce.Government sources, eager to blame the country’s problems on supporters of Khan, claim that hundreds of thousands of Afghans are already back and settled in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — figures that cannot be independently verified.Migrant rights defenders in Pakistan say they’ve heard of such returns, but insist the numbers are limited.The International Organization for Migration (IOM) told AFP that “some Afghans who were returned have subsequently chosen to remigrate to Pakistan”. “When individuals return to areas with limited access to basic services and livelihood opportunities, reintegration can be challenging,” said Avand Azeez Agha, communications officer for the UN agency in Kabul.  They might move on again, he said, “as people seek sustainable opportunities”.

Fast bowler Asitha Fernando finished with four wickets as Sri Lanka wrapped up Bangladesh’s first innings for 495 early on day three of the opening Test in Galle on Thursday, capping off a dramatic late-order collapse. Bangladesh, resuming at 484 for nine, added just 11 runs before folding in 16 deliveries. Last man Nahid Rana feathered a short ball to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis as Asitha completed a return of 4-86 from his 29.4 overs. The visitors had been cruising at 458 for four on Wednesday before losing five wickets for 26 runs in the final hour of the rain-hit day two. The slide began when Fernando, generating reverse swing, trapped Mushfiqur Rahim leg before for a marathon 163, breaking a 149-run fifth-wicket stand with Litton Das. In the next over, debutant Tharindu Rathnayake struck as Das, on 90, gloved a reverse sweep to the keeper to herald a collapse.Rain and poor light restricted play to 61 overs on day two.