Qantas plane over ocean makes mayday call approaching Sydney
Sydney (AP): A Qantas flight travelling from New Zealand to Sydney issued a mayday call over the ocean Wednesday, and emergency services were responding.
Qantas Flight 144 was due to land at 3:30 p.m. (430 GMT) at Sydney Airport. Multiple outlets reported it had an engine failure. Boeing 737 jets have two engines.
New South Wales Ambulance confirmed its paramedics were responding to the mayday alert. FlightRadar indicated the flight is currently over the Pacific Ocean.
A mayday call is issued when a flight is in grave and imminent danger and needs immediate assistance, according to Airservices Australia.
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Waqf Bill anti-secular, will snatch rights of Muslims: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday described the Waqf (Amendment) Bill as “anti-secular”, claiming that it would snatch the rights of Muslims.
Banerjee, speaking in the assembly, also said the Centre did not consult with states over the matter.
“The bill is anti-federal and anti-secular; it is a deliberate attempt to malign a particular section. It will snatch the rights of Muslims... The Centre did not consult with us on the Waqf Bill,” she said.
The chief minister added that “if any religion was attacked”, she would wholeheartedly condemn it.
Opposition parties have stridently criticised the amendments proposed by the bill in the existing Waqf Act, alleging that they violate the religious rights of Muslims.
The ruling BJP has asserted that the amendments will bring transparency in the functioning of the Waqf boards and make them accountable.
A parliamentary committee has been constituted to scrutinise the contentious bill.
