Brazil's Air Force today said it had found aeroplane seats and other debris floating in the Atlantic Ocean along the path that the missing Air France jet was flying.
The Air Force spokesman Jorge Amaral said the seats were spotted by search planes early this morning but authorities could not immediately confirm they were from the plane.
Also spotted were small white pieces of debris, material that may be metallic and signs of oil and kerosene, which is used as jet fuel. The debris was found about 650km north-east of the Brazilian archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.
Air France flight 447, which was carrying 228 passengers and crew, disappeared in stormy conditions four hours into the journey between Rio de Janeiro and Paris yesterday, having sent a series of error messages after entering a storm.
Brazilian and French spotter planes have battled foul weather to sweep a patch of ocean halfway between South America and Africa.
Officials have identified a zone about 1,100km off Brazil's northeastern coast based on the last signal from Air France flight AF 447, an automatic warning of multiple electric and pressurisation failures.
The French president Nicolas Sarkozy and others warned there was very little hope of survivors from what appears to be the worst air accident in more than a decade and the worst loss of life in Air France's history.
"The search will continue as long as necessary. All means are deployed in the area and we'll put as many assets at their disposal as necessary," the French defence minister Herve Morin said in an interview with Europe 1 radio.
The environment minister Jean-Louis Borloo, whose brief includes the transport portfolio, said that if they wished the relatives of the missing passengers could be flown to the zone of the tragedy to watch the search.
The US President Barack Obama pledged his country's help in the search.
While the cause of the crash remained a mystery, Air France's chief executive said the aircraft had sent a series of error messages.
"A succession of a dozen technical messages" sent by the aircraft around 5.15am showed that "several electrical systems had broken down" which caused a "totally unprecedented situation in the plane," said Pierre-Henry Gourgeon.
"It is probable that it was shortly after these messages that the impact in the Atlantic came," he told reporters at Charles de Gaulle airport, where the flight was scheduled to have landed on Monday morning.
Airline officials earlier had said the plane had probably been hit by lightning, but Mr Gourgeon declined to make a direct link between the horrendous weather conditions and the error messages.
"All possibilities must be examined. We cannot, by definition, exclude a terrorist attack, because terrorism is the main threat for all Western democracies," Mr Morin said.
"But today we have no evidence whatsoever of the cause of the accident."
The 216 passengers included 126 men, 82 women, seven children and a baby. There were 12 French crew members while the passengers came from 32 countries, including 61 from France, 58 from Brazil and 26 from Germany.
AFP / AP
The Disaster Artist
Director: James Franco
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan
Four stars
WORLD CUP FINAL
England v South Africa
Yokohama International Stadium, Tokyo
Saturday, kick-off 1pm (UAE)
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars