As tensions between the US and Iran enter a new phase and political leaders exchange heated rhetoric, as ever, ordinary people are the ones who suffer. On Wednesday, Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 caught fire and crashed minutes after take-off at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport. None of the 176 passengers and crew members survived, leaving their families in Iran, Canada, Afghanistan and Europe shocked and bereaved.
While the loved ones of the victims are trying to make sense of it all, Iranian authorities have added to their grief by politicising this tragedy, which happened hours after Tehran launched rockets on US targets in Iraq. The incident was immediately attributed to mechanical failure by Iranian authorities, even before an investigation was launched. Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation retrieved two black box flight recorders but has so far refused to hand over the data to Boeing, the manufacturer of the plane, or to the US, stating that Tehran alone will carry out an investigation but that Ukrainian authorities may be present.
Bereaved families deserve to know the truth about flight PS752
Tehran has already decided to treat this crash not as a human tragedy but as a political tool amid rising tension. This raises questions about whether an investigation led solely by Iran will be truly transparent and bring bereaved families the answers they seek. Kiev has announced that it will conduct its own probe into what will be remembered as the national airliner’s first crash.
While it is customary for countries where crashes have occurred to lead the investigations, very few nations have the expertise required to see them through. This is why they are often joint efforts, usually involving the US and Europe, given that they own Boeing and Airbus respectively, the two leading aircraft manufacturers in the world.
However, with each country conducting a separate investigation into the Tehran airport tragedy, and experts from Boeing denied access to crucial data about the crash, the investigation process is likely to be slowed down and fall prey to a show of political arm-wrestling. This means that the families of the victims will have to wait longer to know the truth about the deaths of their loved ones, a heart-breaking prospect that should be avoided at all costs.
Bereaved families deserve to know the truth about the fate of flight PS752. It will only serve Iran's interests to come clean and clarify the situation for the mourning families. The investigation should not be used for one-upmanship in the ongoing regional standoff. Iran must hand over data from the black box to Boeing and accommodate investigators from Ukraine and countries with the right expertise. The families of the victims and concerned travellers the world over will be anxiously awaiting the results.
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
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Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
