9 dead in Japan chopper crash
Tokyo, Aug 11 : A Japanese government helicopter has crashed in the mountains of Gunma. All nine crew members on board have been confirmed dead, police said on Saturday.
Two of the crew members were declared dead on Friday just after the crash, while seven more were confirmed dead on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the authorities, the helicopter -- part of the regional disaster prevention team -- was out to observe a hiking trail, which spans Gunma, Nagano and Niigata prefectures, when contact with the air traffic control was lost around 10 a.m. on Friday.
It was being flown by an experienced pilot who had logged many flying hours. The transport ministry said the Bell 412EP helicopter had begun operations in May 1997, clocking up around 7,000 flight hours.
The same model of helicopter crashed in March 2017 killing all nine occupants and again in November that year killing four people aboard.
A Transport Safety Board investigation is on.
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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
