
Indian shares set for muted start to week as Middle East conflict dents sentiment
June 16 (Reuters) - India's equity benchmarks are set to open little changed on Monday after two straight sessions of losses, as the conflict between Israel and Iran showed no signs of cooling, denting risk sentiment.
The Gift Nifty futures were trading at 24,791 as of 7:32 a.m. IST, indicating that the Nifty 50 (.NSEI), opens new tab will open near Friday's close of 24,718.6.
Both the benchmarks posted weekly losses on Friday as Israel's military strikes on Iran escalated tensions in the Middle East.
Over the weekend, Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks, killing and wounding civilians and raising concerns of a broader regional conflict.
Other Asian markets opened on a subdued note, with the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index (.MIAPJ0000PUS), opens new tab losing 0.2%, while oil prices advanced on supply concerns due to geopolitical tensions in the oil-rich Middle East region.
A rise in oil prices is negative for importers of the commodity such as India, as crude constitutes a significant share of the country's import bill.
Foreign institutional investors (FII) remained net sellers of Indian stocks for a third straight session on Friday, taking their net outflows in June to 54.02 billion rupees ($627.55 million) so far.
Domestic institutional investors (DII) remained net buyers of Indian stocks for the 19th straight session on Friday.
** Sun Pharma's (SUN.NS), opens new tab Halol manufacturing facility in Gujarat gets eight observations from U.S. drug regulator after recent inspection
** Syngene (SYNN.NS), opens new tab gets establishment inspection report from U.S. FDA
** Oil upstream companies such as ONGC (ONGC.NS), opens new tab and Oil India (OILI.NS), opens new tab could rise on uptick in crude oil prices
($1 = 86.0810 Indian rupees)

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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Michelle Mone's £250 million Dubai property project was never finished and is now just a desert shell
's £250 million Dubai property project – hailed as the first major development to be sold using Bitcoin – was never actually built, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. In 2017, former lingerie tycoon Ms Mone, 53 – dubbed Baroness Bra after being awarded a peerage – and husband Doug Barrowman, 60, unveiled proposals to erect two 40-floor skyscrapers as part of a luxury desert complex boasting high-end homes, a shopping centre and sports facilities. To much fanfare, they said the apartments could be bought using virtual currency rather than hard cash. Within months they claimed that buyers had already invested in 'a number of apartments' using the crypto tokens. Ms Mone even told an American news network that Bitcoin (BTC) was 'the currency of the future', adding: 'I'm a Baroness – so I wouldn't be getting involved in it if it was a kind of 'dodgy' industry.' Yet Dubai government records show that the couple's Aston Plaza and Residences, located in the Science Park district of the Middle Eastern city, were never actually built. A property inspection report carried out by the Dubai Real Estate Regulatory Agency and obtained by The Mail on Sunday confirms that the project started but was later 'cancelled' at just 32 per cent completion. Pictures taken by inspectors who visited the site in January 2018 show the concrete shell of one mega tower abandoned in the middle of the desert. The images are a far cry from the promotional mock-ups that were advertised on the project's website, which showed sleek, minimalist homes set across two glass tower blocks. The revelation comes after the UK Government told the High Court in London recently that a company linked to Ms Mone and Mr Barrowman should pay back more than £121 million for breaching a Covid contract for 25 million surgical gowns. And earlier this month we told how the couple from Glasgow were offloading some of their British property empire as they look to start a new life in Florida. The Aston Plaza and Residences promised to offer 'exceptional real estate for discerning professionals and young families living in the United Arab Emirates', adding that the 'company's ethos is delivered through its meticulous attention to detail when creating homes'. A press release put out by the Aston team said that the project was the 'first joint business venture between the two business icons' Ms Mone and her husband, who is chairman of the Knox group of companies. According to the development's website, 150 apartments were available to buy directly from the developers using Bitcoin, a digital currency that fluctuates in value depending on market sentiment. It continued: 'The highly-anticipated selection of 1,133 studio, one and two bedroom apartments, is due for completion in summer 2019. 'Apartments offer floor-to-ceiling windows with unobstructed views of the Dubai Hills and the iconic city skyline.' The website added: 'The development also boasts the Plaza – three floors dedicated to retail which will include boutiques, cafes, restaurants and a supermarket.' Studio apartments started at 33BTC, which is the equivalent of almost £3 million if linked to today's sterling markets. Speaking to The Mail on Sunday in December 2017, Ms Mone, who founded the Ultimo lingerie brand, said she had already sold 'a number of apartments' to buyers using the cryptocurrency. Aston Towers, known as Project 152 in property databases, is listed as 'permanently closed' on Google. Records show that although the project was transferred to a different Dubai-based company around 2019, work on the development continues to be 'cancelled'. The Mail on Sunday recently told how Ms Mone and Mr Barrowman had sold two townhouses in Glasgow to celebrity friends in the last 12 months, pocketing a profit of £2 million. The new owners are Nick Haddow, the photographer who shot one of Ms Mone's most risqué Ultimo push-up bra campaigns, and Paul McManus – the drummer in Scots rock band Gun and a high-profile Scottish Labour Party donor. Meanwhile, a quaint Chelsea mews house in London linked to a company of Ms Mone's son Declan has been sold for £2.185 million to a senior member of a Middle Eastern royal family. Last year the couple also sold their £19 million London townhouse as well as their £6.8 million Lady M yacht. Ms Mone's friends say she has told them that she is seeking to start afresh in Miami. The Scots business moguls are currently at the centre of an anti-corruption PPE fraud probe which saw £75 million of their assets frozen by the National Crime Agency. Investigators are focused on PPE Medpro, a company led by Mr Barrowman, which was placed in a VIP priority lane for government contracts worth £203 million of taxpayers' money following a recommendation by Ms Mone. This came after Ms Mone was made a peer by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is suing PPE Medpro over claims that surgical gowns supplied by the firm were not fit for use. On June 11, Paul Stanley, KC, for the DHSC, told the High Court: 'The Government is seeking to recover the costs of the contract, as well as the costs of transporting and storing the items, which amount to an additional £8,648,691.' The Dubai property project was sold on to a Dubai-based developer. Representatives for Ms Mone and Mr Barrowman said that no one lost any money and all deposits were held in escrow, in accordance with the law in Dubai.


The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Air India slammed for ‘repeated violations' and three officials sacked over ‘systemic failures' in wake of horror crash
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The order on Friday cited "systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversights" and criticised the lack of strict disciplinary measures against the officials. Despite the latest action by the aviation authority against Air India being unrelated to this month's tragic crash, it has laid bare the significant issues with the airline. On Thursday, it was also brought to light that authorities previously warned the airline for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue for checks on emergency equipment of escape slides. The latest order by assistant director of operations at the DGCA, Himanshu Srivastava, said: "Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible." Air India said it has implemented the DGCA order and in the interim, the company's chief operations officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre. The airline added: "Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices." Shock moment passenger threatens to CRASH Air India plane mid-flight in furious row just days after Ahmedabad disaster The DGCA stated in its order that Air India had voluntarily disclosed the violations. Investigators are continuing their probe into what caused the airline's London-bound plane to plunge to the ground moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad. Air India said on Thursday that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane was "well-maintained" and that the pilots were accomplished flyers. The airline's chief N Chandrasekaran also hit back at 'speculation' on what caused the London-bound flight to crash a minute after take-off. And it was revealed that the black box recovered from the flight could be sent to the US for analysis after being rescued from a blazing 1,000 degree inferno. The Indian government has the final say on who probes the device, but reports say the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C. is being considered for the analysis. A team of Indian investigators is expected to accompany the device to ensure all protocols are followed during the advanced data extraction. Investigators warned on Tuesday that the recovered black boxes may have melted due to the intense heat of the raging explosion. 7 7 7 7 Planes usually carry two black boxes, which are small but tough electronic flight data recorders. One records flight data, such as altitude and speed, whilst the other monitors the cockpit sound. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), were recovered 28 hours after the horror crash. Despite the name, these devices are painted bright orange for visibility amid debris. Investigators believe the CVR on this 2014-delivered aircraft likely stored only two hours of cockpit audio. The jet predates a 2021 rule which enforced 25-hour recordings on all planes. But the FDR is capable of logging thousands of flight parameters for over 25 hours, including altitude, airspeed, and control inputs. The aircraft had climbed less than 600 feet before its ascent stalled, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. A distress signal was sent but was met with complete radio silence. Moments later, the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex near the airport's northeastern boundary. The damaged black box is now seen as a crucial piece of evidence in understanding what led to India's worst air disaster in nearly three decades. Investigators hope the data from the box will shed light on the aircraft's final moments. 52 Brits died on board the flight, but London local Vishwash Kumar Ramesh managed to cheat death when he escaped the blazing inferno following the crash. Theories have swirled over how the sole survivor managed to narrowly escape death when he was sat in seat 11A during the horror smash. Leading theories on Air India Flight AI171 THESE are some of the leading theories explaining the tragic Air India disaster which killed at least 270 people. Emergency power system: A small turbine generator was seen deploying as the Boeing 787 went down, experts said. Footage showed a "protrusion on the belly of the aircraft" with a "little grey dot" beneath it. Commentators say this was a system called Ram Air Turbine (RAT) poking out from the fuselage of the plane. Bird Strikes: A bird strike could have taken out both of the jet's giant General Electric engines. While a bird taking down something the size of a commercial airliner might sound fanciful, there are numerous examples. Wing flap position: Aviation experts have suggested the position of the aircraft's wing flaps could have played a role in the disaster. Video evidence suggests the flaps were either fully retracted or on a very minimal setting, which would have provided very little lift. The flaps provide crucial extra lift at low speeds during take-offs and landings. Pilot error: The state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 is highly automated, with human pilots making only key decisions - but human error cannot be ruled out. Co-pilot Clive Kundar had more than 3,400 hours of flying experience and made the mayday call but Captain Sumeet Sabharwa at the helm had 11,500 hours - making him one of Air India's most experienced pilots. Heat: Planes get less lift on a hot day due to lower air density, and therefore they need to go faster to get as much lift as on a cooler day. This is particularly important when an airliner is heavy with fuel, passengers and baggage, as the Air India flight was. Technical error: Catastrophic technical or engineering issues have not been ruled out. The jet's complex design mean it could take months for a design or engineering fault to be pinpointed.


The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
Air India warned over ‘serious violations' of pilot oversight
India 's aviation safety watchdog has criticised Air India for 'repeated and serious violations' of pilot duty time regulations and has ordered the removal of three senior officials involved in crew scheduling. In an order given on 20 June, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told the Tata Group-owned airline to immediately strip a divisional vice president, a chief manager of crew scheduling, and a planning executive of all responsibilities related to rostering. It also instructed the airline to begin disciplinary proceedings against them without delay. The order raised concerns over 'repeated and serious violations voluntarily disclosed by Air India concerning flight crew being scheduled and operated despite lapses in licensing, rest, and recency requirements'. 'Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible,' it said. These breaches came to light during a post-transition review of the airline's switch between two different software systems for managing its crew scheduling, according to the Press Trust of India. Two specific instances of non-compliance, on flights from Bengaluru to London on 16 May and 17, exceeded the 10-hour maximum flight duty limit for pilots, Reuters reported. The airline has been instructed to move the three officials to non-operational roles until corrective reforms in scheduling practices are completed, and to ensure that they do not hold any position with direct influence over flight safety or crew compliance until further notice. Air India confirmed in a statement that it had implemented the regulator's order. 'In the interim, the company's Chief Operations Officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC). Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices,' the airline said. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that regulators had warned Air India for flying three Airbus aircraft without conducting timely checks on emergency escape slide equipment. The airline is facing heightened scrutiny following the 12 June crash of a London-bound flight shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people onboard and 29 on the ground. Experts from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are investigating the crash with assistance from US and UK authorities, as well as officials from Boeing. Over the last week, dozens of Air India flights were delayed, diverted, or cancelled amid heightened safety checks ordered by the DGCA. As part of efforts to stabilise operations in the wake of the Ahmedabad crash, Air India on Thursday announced a temporary reduction in its international flight schedule. Between 21 June and 15 July, the airline will suspend flights to three overseas destinations and cut services on 16 international routes. The move, according to the airline, is aimed at restoring schedule reliability and minimising last-minute disruption for passengers. This follows an earlier statement that wide-body flight operations would be reduced by 15 per cent over the same period. Air India was taken over by Tata Sons in 2022, returning the airline to private hands nearly 70 years after it was nationalised. The $2.4bn deal to offload the debt-laden public carrier represented a full-circle moment for the airline, which began as Tata Air Services in 1932. Since the acquisition, the airline has placed orders for hundreds of new aircraft worth over $70bn, unveiled new livery, absorbed Tata's other airline ventures and committed millions to upgrading older planes and digital systems.