Top Asian News 1:52 a.m. GMT

Air India black box recovered after crash that killed 241 onboard and several others on the ground

AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — The flight data recorder from the crashed Air India flight was recovered Friday in what likely will lead to clues about the cause of the accident that killed 241 people on the plane and a number of others on the ground. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel when the plane came down shortly after takeoff on Thursday in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. The plane’s digital flight data recorder, or black box, was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said that it had begun its work with “full force.” The black box recovery marks an important step forward in the investigation, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a social media post.

The sole survivor of Air India’s crash described feeling stuck midair within seconds of takeoff

NEW DELHI (AP) — The lone passenger who survived the Air India crash that killed 241 people onboard couldn’t believe he was alive when he opened his eyes, surrounded by flames, debris and charred bodies. The British national of Indian origin, Viswashkumar Ramesh, was headed to London when the flight crashed minutes after taking off from India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. It was one of India’s worst aviation disasters and the first crash for a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner since the widebody, twin-engine planes went into service in 2009, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Currently admitted in a local government hospital, Ramesh narrated his ordeal to India’s national broadcaster, saying the aircraft seemed stuck midair within a few seconds of the takeoff.

What to know about the Air India plane crash that killed more than 240 people

AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — The Air India plane crash this week was one of India’s worst aviation disasters, killing 241 people on board and several people on the ground. Indian authorities said Friday the investigation into the crash was underway and is expected to include experts from the plane’s maker Boeing and U.S. aviation regulators. The Air India plane crashed minutes after takeoff Thursday afternoon in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Surreal images captured both the plane’s last moments and the horror of the crash site, with rescuers picking through smoking debris as they searched for survivors. Here’s what is known about the crash: The lone survivor was a passenger, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin.

News that one man survived the Air India plane crash weighs on some other sole survivors

News of the sole survivor of an Air India plane crash that killed the other 241 people aboard has led to endless online fascination, but it has also stirred up painful feelings for a handful of others who have had similar fates. Tens of thousands of people have searched for details about Vishwashkumar Ramesh since Thursday’s crash, according to Google Trends. People have commented on social media that the idea seems unreal, remarkable, a work of divine intervention, and a miracle. But it has happened more than a dozen times before. George Lamson Jr., who was the lone survivor of a Galaxy Airlines crash more than 40 years ago, said such stories always deeply affect him.

Cambodia bans Thai movies and TV shows in latest border feud tit-for-tat

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia escalated its cold war with Thailand on Friday when it announced a ban on Thai movies and TV shows and a boycott of the neighboring country’s international internet links. Tensions between the Southeast Asian countries have soared since an armed confrontation in a border area on May 28 that each side blamed on the other and which left one Cambodian soldier dead. Cambodian officials said the import and screenings of Thai movies would be banned, and that broadcasters would be ordered not to air Thai-produced shows, which include popular soap operas. The government said it would inflict a financial blow on Thailand by rerouting its international internet traffic through other countries instead.

2 Chinese scientists will stay in jail while accused of bringing biological material to US

DETROIT (AP) — Two Chinese scientists accused of smuggling or shipping biological material into the United States for use at the University of Michigan will remain in custody after waiving their right to a hearing Friday in federal court. Yunqing Jian and Chengxuan Han said in separate court appearances in Detroit that they would not challenge the government’s request to keep them locked up while their cases move forward. “This is a constantly evolving situation involving a large number of factors,” Han’s attorney, Sara Garber, told a judge. She didn’t elaborate and later declined to comment. Han was arrested Sunday at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after arriving on a flight from China, where she is pursuing an advanced degree at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan.

China and Hong Kong national security authorities launch 1st publicly known joint operation

HONG KONG (AP) — China’s national security authorities in Hong Kong and the city’s police launched their first publicly known joint operation, raiding the homes of six people on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. The police’s statement on late Thursday did not disclose the identity of the six people suspected of breaking the 2020 Beijing-imposed national security law between November 2020 and June 2024. Beyond their homes, officers searched the office of the organization involved and seized exhibits such as bank documents and devices for further investigation, according to the statement. The six people were required to surrender their travel documents.

A typhoon landed in China’s Hainan island at a sever tropical storm level

BEIJING (AP) — A typhoon changed its path and landed in southern China’s Hainan island at late night Friday. Typhoon Wutip, landed in Basuo township at a sever tropical storm level in the city of Dongfang in Hainan province, according to Hainan Meteorological Service. Its maximum sustained winds is 30 meters (98 feet) per second. This is the second time in 70 years the island has the country’s first typhoon in the year. Typhoon Wutip was forecasted to make landfall around noon Saturday on the Chinese mainland near the border between Guangdong province and the Guangxi region. Authorities in Guangdong province evacuated more than 10,000 people, closed schools and canceled flights, trains and vessels Friday.

Hong Kong rights group shuts down after years of advocating for workers

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong group that advocated for workers rights for decades announced its shutdown abruptly on Thursday, citing financial difficulties and debt issues. China Labor Bulletin planned to stop updating its website content and appeared to have deleted Facebook and Instagram social media accounts used by the nonprofit rights organization. “The company can no longer maintain operations and has decided to dissolve and initiate the relevant procedures,” it said in a statement on an archived web page Friday. Founded in 1994, the organization maintained a database tracking workers’ strikes, protests, workplace accidents and other labor rights incidents in China.

Japan’s chief meteorologist calls rumors of a July earthquake a hoax and urges people not to worry

TOKYO (AP) — The head of Japan’s meteorological agency on Friday dismissed widespread rumors of a major earthquake in Japan this summer as unscientific and a “hoax,” urging people not to worry because even the most advanced science still cannot predict any quake or tsunami. “At the moment, it is still impossible to predict an earthquake with specific timing, location or its magnitude,” Japan Meteorological Agency Director General Ryoichi Nomura told reporters. “Any such prediction is a hoax, and there is absolutely no need to worry about such disinformation.” Nomura was referring to rumors in Hong Kong and other Asian cities of a major earthquake or a tsunami in July in Japan have led to flight cancellations and reductions in service, affecting tourism.