Indian Navy's remotely piloted aircraft crashes in Kochi; no casualty
New Delhi, Mar 18: A remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) of the Indian Navy crashed during a training sortie in Kochi on Monday.
The Navy said the RPA crashed around 5 pm at INS Garuda base and no one was injured in the incident.
"At about 5 PM, one Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)/ Searcher, during a routine training sortie at INS Garuda, Kochi, crashed about one mile short of the runway," it said in a brief statement.
It said no injuries or damage to property has been reported.
"Responding swiftly, a specialist team was dispatched to the site to ensure the crashed RPA is rendered safe," the Navy said.
"An inquiry to investigate the incident has been ordered," it added.
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NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani rejoins Town Hall after ABC reinstates Jimmy Kimmel
New York: New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said Monday evening that he is once again willing to participate in a local town hall hosted by ABC’s New York affiliate, after the network announced it would reinstate late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Earlier in the day, Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, had pulled out of the WABC-TV event to protest ABC’s suspension of Kimmel. “Last week, Disney/ABC caved to Trump administration pressure. Millions of Americans helped them find their backbone. Whether you watch Jimmy Kimmel or not, today’s decision is a victory for free speech,” Mamdani wrote on X.
ABC suspended Kimmel last week following backlash over his comments on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Nexstar and Sinclair stations had said they would refuse to air Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened consequences if the network failed to act. Former President Donald Trump, who praised Kirk as a “great American hero,” applauded the suspension.
Kimmel’s remarks on his show had criticized those he said were seeking to “capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” The host has not issued a public statement since the controversy.
The suspension triggered an outcry over free speech, with more than 430 entertainment industry figures joining an ACLU-led letter denouncing the move as “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”
Mamdani, 33, had originally framed his withdrawal as a protest against corporate leadership, not local journalists, accusing Disney/ABC of “putting their bottom line ahead of their responsibility in upholding the freedom of the press.” After the reversal, he said his campaign was working with WABC to reschedule.
Mamdani will face former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the city’s November election.
