British Royal Family to wear black armbands in tribute to Ahmedabad Air India crash victims
London: In a solemn gesture of solidarity, the British royal family will wear black armbands and observe a minute's silence during the annual Trooping the Colour parade on Saturday, honouring the memory of those who perished in the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon. The disaster claimed at least 241 lives, including 169 Indians and 53 British nationals, sparking global mourning.
According to a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace, King Charles has directed changes to his birthday parade “as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning, and all communities affected by this awful tragedy.”
Issuing a heartfelt statement, King Charles said, “My wife and I have been desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad. Our special prayers and deepest sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations.”
He also praised the "heroic efforts" of emergency responders who rushed to the scene amid massive plumes of smoke and intense fire. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local fire brigades worked through the wreckage.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also expressed deep sorrow, posting on X: “Today is a truly heartbreaking day for many British and Indian families. I want to extend my heartfelt sympathies to all those impacted by the horrific plane crash.”
In the aftermath, both the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have offered support in the probe, which is being led by Indian aviation authorities.
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LIVE | Election Results of five states 2026
New Delhi: The countdown has begun for the counting of votes for the Assembly elections in five states that have captured the attention of people across the country.
The counting of votes for the Assembly constituencies of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry will begin simultaneously at 8 am, and the fate of candidates in a total of 824 constituencies will be decided shortly.
The counting of postal ballots will take place first, followed by the counting of EVM votes in several rounds.
- Bhupen Borah, who recently left Congress and joined the BJP, is leading in Assam’s Bihpuria constituency
- Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is leading in Jalukabari constituency
- BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is leading in West Bengal’s Nandigram constituencyFive-state elections: Postal vote counting begins
- TMC, BJP lead in one seat each in West Bengal
- In Tamil Nadu, DMK leads in 3 constituencies, while TVK leads in 1
- UDF leads in 5 seats in Kerala, BJP in 1, LDF in 1
- BJP leads in 2 seats, AIUDF in 1 in Assam
- AINRC leads in 1 constituency in Puducherry
- TMC leads in 5 seats in West Bengal; Mamata Banerjee’s party maintains initial lead
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin leads in Kolathur
- BJP takes early lead in Assam
- Congress-led UDF leads in Kerala
- In Tamil Nadu, TVK chief Vijay leads in the Perambur constituency, lags in Tiruchirappalli South
- BJP leads in 10 seats in Assam
- LDF candidate V.P.P. Mustafa leads in the Thrikkaripur Assembly constituency
- Out of 294 seats in West Bengal, BJP is leading in 14 seats, TMC in 12 seats, Congress in 2 seats
- Out of 234 seats in Tamil Nadu, DMK is leading in 15 seats, AIADMK is leading in 5 seats, TVK is leading in 2 seats
- Out of 126 seats in Assam, BJP is leading in 31 seats, Congress in 4 seats, AIUDF in 2 seats.
- Out of 30 seats in Puducherry, NRC+ is leading in 3 seats, Congress in 2 seats, TVK in 1 seat.
- Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury suffers a setback in theBerhampore constituency in West Bengal.
