Delhi airport roof collapse highlights Modi’s infrastructure challenges

A member of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) works at the site of collapsed terminal roof of New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after heavy rains in New Delhi on June 28, 2024. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 29 June 2024
Follow

Delhi airport roof collapse highlights Modi’s infrastructure challenges

  • One killed as roof outside departure area of Delhi’s domestic T1 terminal collapsed after heavier than average rain
  • Collapse joins a growing list of incidents that have prompted widespread questions about risks of lax regulation 

NEW DELHI: A roof collapse at New Delhi’s main airport highlights Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s challenges to make India a global aviation hub and raises questions about the rapid pace of infrastructure development in India.
A part of the roof and pillars outside the departure area of Delhi’s domestic T1 terminal, one of the nation’s busiest, collapsed after heavier than average rainfall, killing one person, crushing cars and leading to indefinite suspension of operations.
The collapse joins a growing list of incidents involving infrastructure over the past year that has prompted questions from opposition party politicians and experts about the risks of lax regulation and the fast pace at which projects are completed.
“Quality should not be compromised to chase speed,” said Ameya Joshi, an independent aviation analyst. He also called for mechanisms to audit existing infrastructure, pointing out that the Delhi roof which collapsed was an older structure.
Modi has for years bet big on infrastructure development.
The Indian government, along with private companies, wants to spend $12 billion building new airports and expanding existing ones as it seeks make air travel as accessible and affordable as the country’s vast rail network.
This is part of Modi’s broader, $1 trillion infrastructure push across the country which has been the cornerstone of his pitch to boost India’s economy and increase jobs.
Modi’s plans include making India a rival to big aviation hubs like Dubai and Singapore.
Since Modi came to power in 2014, India’s operational airports have nearly doubled to 140 and the government plans to increase this to 220 before the end of the decade.
A video titled “Revolutionizing Airports” posted by Modi on his YouTube account earlier this year explained that an upgrade of Delhi T1 had cost $553 million, though the roof that collapsed was not part of it. The video also said how many more new terminals, like one in Jabalpur in central India, have been built.
But problems are emerging.
Earlier this week, part of a canopy at Jabalpur airport in Madhya Pradesh also collapsed after heavy rains, posts on social media showed. The new building cost $50 million and was inaugurated by Modi in March.
Last year, a Himalayan tunnel that was under construction collapsed, trapping 41 workers for 17 days and raising questions over the build process. The tunnel is part of a $1.5 billion highway project.
On Friday, an underpass in Delhi near the G20 summit venue was waterlogged after heavy rains.
Mallikarjun Kharge, president of India’s main opposition Congress party, said on X following the Delhi terminal roof collapse: “Shoddy infrastructure (was) falling like a deck of cards, in the past 10 years of Modi Govt.”
India’s aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu on Friday said Modi was closely monitoring the situation at the Delhi terminal and the government would have a “thorough examination of the terminal’s structure” done by experts to ensure safety. He said an inquiry has been ordered into the collapse.
“Every airport in the country must undergo an immediate safety inspection and a periodic review cycle should be set up,” Arghya Sengupta, a research director at Vidhi Center for Legal Policy said on X.


Suspect kills 2 women in Kentucky church after shooting state trooper, police say

Updated 2 sec ago
Follow

Suspect kills 2 women in Kentucky church after shooting state trooper, police say

  • The suspect carjacked a vehicle after the traffic stop near Lexington’s airport and fled to Richmond Road Baptist Church, where he opened fire
Two women died Sunday at a church in Lexington, Kentucky, in a shooting rampage that began when a state trooper was wounded after making a traffic stop, police said. The suspect in both shootings was also killed.
The suspect carjacked a vehicle after the traffic stop near Lexington’s airport and fled to Richmond Road Baptist Church, where he opened fire, city Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said. Killed in the shootings at the church were a 72-year-old woman and a 32-year-old woman, the local coroner said.
Two other people were wounded at the church and taken to a local hospital, the police chief said. One victim sustained critical injuries and the other was in stable condition, Weathers said.
The suspect was shot by police and died at the scene, he said. The suspect was not immediately identified pending notification of family, he said.
“Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church,” the police chief said at a news conference.
The trooper stopped the vehicle after receiving a “license plate reader alert” and was shot about 11:30 a.m., Weathers said. The trooper was in stable condition, he said.
Police tracked the carjacked vehicle to the Baptist church, the police chief said. The church is about 16 miles 26 kilometers) from where the trooper was shot.
The shootings remain under investigation, Weathers said.
Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said the church is home to a small, tight-knit congregation.
“Please pray for everyone affected by these senseless acts of violence, and let’s give thanks for the swift response by the Lexington Police Department and Kentucky State Police,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a social media post.
State Attorney General Russell Coleman said detectives with his office were ready to support local and state agencies. “Today, violence invaded the Lord’s House,” Coleman said in a statement. “The attack on law enforcement and people of faith in Lexington shocked the entire Commonwealth.”

Trump says US will send Ukraine Patriot air defense systems as Russian attacks continue

Updated 14 July 2025
Follow

Trump says US will send Ukraine Patriot air defense systems as Russian attacks continue

  • Says Russian President Putin “talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening”
  • Trump set to meet NATO chief as plan takes shape for Ukraine weapons sales

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will send Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine, saying they are necessary to defend the country because Russian President Vladimir Putin “talks nice but then he bombs everybody in the evening.”
Trump did not give a number of Patriots he plans to send to Ukraine, but he said the United States would be reimbursed for their cost by the European Union.
The US president has grown increasingly disenchanted with Putin because the Russian leader has resisted Trump’s attempts to negotiate a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked for more defensive capabilities to fend off a daily barrage of missile and drone attacks from Russia.
“We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening. But there’s a little bit of a problem there. I don’t like it,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington.
“We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military equipment. They are going to pay us 100 percent for that, and that’s the way we want it,” Trump said.

Trump is set to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte this week to discuss his plan to sell NATO allies US weaponry that they can then pass on to Ukraine.
Rutte will be in Washington on Monday and Tuesday and plans to hold talks with Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as well as members of Congress.
“I’m gonna have a meeting with the secretary general who’s coming in tomorrow,” Trump told reporters as he arrived in Washington on Sunday night. “But we basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated (weapons) and they’re gonna pay us 100 percent for them.”

“Inflection point”

A top ally of Trump, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said Sunday that the conflict is nearing an inflection point as Trump shows growing interest in helping Ukraine fight back Russia. It’s a cause that Trump, who during his campaign made quickly ending the war a top priority, had previously dismissed as being a waste of US taxpayer money.
“In the coming days, you’ll see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves,” Graham said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” He added: ”One of the biggest miscalculations (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has made is to play Trump. And you just watch, in the coming days and weeks, there’s going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table.”
The Rutte visit comes after Trump last week teased that he would make a “major statement” on Russia on Monday and as Ukraine struggles to repel massive and complex air assaults launched by Russian forces. Trump on Sunday declined to offer further details on his coming announcement.
“We’re going to see what we will see tomorrow,” he said.

“It’s time to do it”

Graham and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who also appeared on CBS, said there is also growing consensus on Capitol Hill and among European officials about tapping some of the $300 billion in Russian assets frozen by Group of Seven countries early in the war to help Ukraine.
“It’s time to do it,” Blumenthal said.
Rubio said Friday that some of the US-made weapons that Ukraine is seeking are deployed with NATO allies in Europe. Those weapons could be more quickly transferred to Ukraine, with European countries buying replacements from the US, he said.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, in an interview published Sunday in La Tribune Dimanche, said European officials have been making the case to the Trump administration to bolster air defense capabilities with any coming packages.
He added that France is in a “capacity hole” and will have to wait until next year before being able to provide Ukraine new ground-air missiles.

Hitting Russia’s enablers

Trump is also facing calls from Republicans and Democrats as well as European allies to support legislation in the Senate that aims to cripple Russia’s oil industry and hit Moscow with US sanctions for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The legislation, in part, calls for a 500 percent tariff on goods imported from countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports. It would have an enormous impact on the economies of Brazil, China and India, which account for the vast majority of Russia’s energy trade.
“The big offender here is China, India and Brazil,” Graham said. “My goal is to end this war. And the only way you are going to end this war is to get people who prop up Putin — make them choose between the American economy and helping Putin.”
That revenue is critical in helping keep the Russian war machine humming as the US and Europe have imposed significant import and export bans on a wide range of goods to and from Russia, affecting sectors like finance, energy, transport, technology and defense.
Trump for months had threatened, but held off on, imposing new sanctions against Russia’s oil industry.
Congress has been prepared to act on the legislation, sponsored by Graham and Blumenthal, for some time.
The bill has overwhelming support in the Senate, but Republican leadership has been waiting for Trump to give the green light before moving ahead with it.
The White House had expressed some reservations about the legislation. Trump made clear he wants full authority over the waiver process to lift the sanctions, tariffs or other penalties, without having to cede control to Congress.
Under the initial bill, the president “may terminate” the penalties under certain circumstances, but immediately reimpose them if the violations resume. Graham has said the president would be allowed to waive the sanctions, for 180 days, and could also renew a waiver.
Some Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns about the waivers. But Blumenthal downplayed the differences and said the legislation would give Trump a “sledgehammer” to utilize on Putin.
“The waiver language we will have in this bill is very much like the provisions have existed in past similar measures,” Blumenthal said. He added, “What I think is most important right now is our unity.”
 


Trump to make unprecedented second state visit to UK in September

Updated 14 July 2025
Follow

Trump to make unprecedented second state visit to UK in September

  • The visit is seen as part of Starmer’s effort to keep Trump close and lessen the impact of some of his polices on the UK The relationship between the two appears amicable, and has helped the UK from facing the sort of hefty US tariffs

LONDON: US President Donald Trump will make an unprecedented second state visit to the UK between Sept. 17 and 19 when he will be hosted by King Charles II and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace said Monday.
Trump, who is a big supporter of the royal family, particularly of the monarch, will be accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump during the three-day visit, the palace confirmed.
No US president has been invited for a second state visit. Trump previously enjoyed the pomp and pageantry of the state visit in 2019 during his first term when he was hosted by Charles’ late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The invitation for the second state visit from the king was hand-delivered by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in February during a meeting at the White House.
After reading it, Trump said it was a “great, great honor” and appeared particularly pleased by the fact he will be staying at Windsor Castle, to the west of the capital. “That’s really something,” he said.
Precedent for second-term US presidents who have already made a state visit is usually tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
State visits are ceremonial meetings between heads of state that are used to honor friendly nations and sometimes smooth relations between rivals. While the king formally issues the invitation for a state visit, he does so on the advice of the elected government.
The visit is seen as part of Starmer’s effort to keep Trump close and lessen the impact of some of his polices on the UK The relationship between the two appears amicable, and has helped the UK from facing the sort of hefty US tariffs that other nations are seeing.
But like Trump’s previous visit, it’s unlikely he will be welcomed by all. Last time, a day of protests saw the flying of a giant blimp depicting Trump as an angry orange baby from outside Parliament.
Lawmakers from Starmer’s Labour Party have also questioned whether the honor should be extended to Trump at a time that he is supporting Israel’s war in Gaza and threatening the sovereignty of allies such as Canada and Greenland.
Charles could also face some challenges during the visit because he is head of state of both the United Kingdom and Canada, which Trump has suggested should become the 51st US state. During a speech to the Canadian parliament in May the king highlighted Canada’s “unique identity” and “sovereignty,” while echoing the words of the country’s national anthem when he said “The True North is indeed strong and free.”
State visits to Britain are particularly prized by heads of state because they come with a full complement of royal pomp and circumstance, including military reviews, carriage rides and a glittering state banquet hosted by the monarch.
The events normally take place in and around Buckingham Palace in central London. But like last week’s state visit from French President Emmanual Macron and his wife Brigitte, the Trumps will stay at Windsor Castle. Buckingham Palace is undergoing extensive remodeling.

 


Britain launches $675 million fund for vulnerable children

Updated 24 min 58 sec ago
Follow

Britain launches $675 million fund for vulnerable children

  • Better Futures Fund aims to provide support for struggling families
  • It also gives children access to better education and a safe home over the next 10 years

MANCHESTER, England: Britain on Sunday announced a £500 million ($675 million) fund intended to help up to 200,000 vulnerable children.

The Better Futures Fund aims to provide support for struggling families and give children access to better education and a safe home over the next 10 years, the government said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his finance minister Rachel Reeves are under pressure from their own Labour Party lawmakers to provide more support for low-income families.

Earlier this month, Starmer was forced to gut key parts of his welfare reform plan in order to pass legislation through parliament.

“This fund will give hundreds of thousands of children, young people and their families a better chance,” Reeves said in a statement.

“Our ‘Plan for Change’ will break down barriers to opportunity and give them the best start in life.”

The finance ministry said it planned to raise another 500 million pounds from local government, social investors and philanthropists.

Mel Stride, finance spokesman for the opposition Conservative Party, said he welcomed the new funding but said Labour’s economic policies had hurt struggling families.

The government is also considering whether to abolish a two-child limit on welfare payments to parents as it reassesses several unpopular policies to reverse a slide in its poll ratings.


US senators aim to arm Trump with ‘sledgehammer’ sanctions against Russia

Updated 14 July 2025
Follow

US senators aim to arm Trump with ‘sledgehammer’ sanctions against Russia

  • Bill to allow Trump “to go after Putin’s economy” and those propping up Putin’s war machine,” says Sen. Lindsey Graham
  • Trump has indicated he would be open to the sanctions bill as relations with Putin grow increasingly frosty

WASHINGTON: US senators on Sunday touted a bipartisan bill that would arm President Donald Trump with “sledgehammer” sanctions to use against Russia, ahead of a visit by the US special envoy to Ukraine.
Trump has indicated he would be open to the sanctions bill as relations with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin grow increasingly frosty.
US special envoy Keith Kellogg is due to begin his latest visit to Ukraine while Trump said he would make a “major statement... on Russia” on Monday.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he had majority backing in the Senate for his bill, which was gaining momentum as Washington-led peace efforts in Ukraine have struggled to make headway.
The bill would allow Trump “to go after Putin’s economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine,” Graham told broadcaster CBS news.
Trump, who has repeatedly said he is “disappointed” with Putin as Moscow unleashed deadly barrages of missiles against Kyiv, has hinted he might finally be ready to toughen sanctions.
Trump held off for the past six months while he tried to persuade Putin to end the war.
But the Republican president’s patience appears to be wearing thin, telling reporters during a cabinet meeting at the White House Tuesday that Putin was talking “a lot of bullshit” on Ukraine.
Last week, Trump also agreed to send Zelensky more weapons, including through a deal with NATO which would involve the alliance purchasing US weapons to send to Ukraine.
On Thursday, Trump appeared to back the bill without detailing whether he would use it to slap sanctions on Moscow.
“They’re going to pass a very major and very biting sanctions bill, but it’s up to the president as to whether or not he wants to exercise it,” Trump told broadcaster NBC.
Asked during a cabinet meeting about his interest in the bill, Trump said: “I’m looking at it very strongly.”
“This congressional package that we’re looking at would give President Trump the ability to impose 500 percent tariffs on any country that helps Russia,” said Graham, adding that those could include economies that purchase Russian goods like China, India or Brazil.
“This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war,” said Graham.
“Without a doubt, this is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty,” the Ukrainian leader said about the proposed bill in an X post.
Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal were to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday night.
Blumenthal told CBS news they would also discuss the legally thorny issue of unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the United States for access by Ukraine.
“The $5 billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it’s time to do it,” said Blumenthal.