YouTuber Tiago Eugenio dies after 80 days in a coma following car crash: Portuguese star’s mother pays tribute to her ‘great warrior’

• The Portuguese star, 28, suffered serious injuries following car crash in Algarve 

By Rachael Bunyan

Published: 02:52 EDT, 15 September 2023 | Updated: 04:25 EDT, 15 September 2023

Airshow crash horror: Moment pilot and passenger are killed as plane spins into the ground in front of horrified spectators in Hungary

• The small propeller-driven aircraft was flying at the Börgönd air on Sunday
• Video shows it perform a rotation movement before crashing into the ground 

By Chris Jewers

Published: 02:56 EDT, 11 September 2023 | Updated: 04:14 EDT, 11 September 2023

Five young hotel workers have died after a steel lift cable snapped at a Bali resort and plunged them 100 metres down a steep embankment.

The two men and three women were working in the housekeeping department at Ayuterra Resort in the Ubud district when they got into an Instagram-famous glass lift, which runs on a track up a 35-degree slope, at 1pm on Friday. 

The workers were identified as Ni Luh Superningsih, 20, Kadek Hardiyanti, 24, Kadek Yanti Pradewi, 19, Sang Putu Bayu Adi Krisna, 19, and Wayan Aries Setiawan, 23. 

Outrage has erupted, with the families paid just over $4,000 in compensation from their employers, on the condition they will not launch legal action against the resort. 

According to local media, families have been given between IDR158.2m ($16,308) and IDR166.1m ($17,122) from social security program BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, and about IDR 40m ($4112) from the resort owners to cover cremation rituals and on compassionate grounds.

However, the added support from Ayuterra Resort means families would not be able to launch legal action against the company. 

The uncle of Mr Hardiyanti, Nyoman Suarila told local publication Kumparan, that he accepted the terms.

‘Even if we sue, our children will not return,’ he said.

‘But we believe in karma. If the company is wrong, then it will get it. That’s our principle.

‘If the incident that caused my nephew’s death was the fault of a technician or something, it must be processed according to applicable law.’

Two of the staff died at the scene while the remaining three were alive and transported to hospital, but died shortly after. 

A cook at the hotel, Ketut Suwiarta, told local media he heard screams shortly after the group entered the lift and then crashing sounds.

He rushed outside to help the victims and alerted authorities. 

The elevator runs on a track and transports both tourists and workers between the upper sections of the hotel high up on the ridge and the resort facilities at ground level.

It is understood the elevator was a popular Instagram attraction at the resort, offering views over the surrounding landscape.

Police are investigating why the cable broke, whether adequate safety maintenance had been done, and why there were no backup measures in case the cable broke.

The families met with Bali’s deputy governor, Cok Ace, over the weekend as Balinese Hindu ceremonies were held to cleanse the site and wish the victims well.

‘I was at the resort earlier; the Bali Police were there, the police chief too, as well as several witnesses who knew of the incident,’ he said.

‘Earlier, when I was being interviewed there, I saw for myself the scene where the rope had broken.’

All guests at the resort have been relocated to other accommodation while the investigation is underway.

Resort owner Linggawati Utomo expressed her sympathies to the victims’ families.

Ubud Police Chief, Police Commissioner Made Uder said on Monday the tragedy would serve as a wake up call to all hotels and businesses on the holiday island. 

‘The steel swing rope was not strong enough to pull the weight upwards, which was quite heavy, and the safety wedge or brake did not function, so the elevator slid downwards at high speed so this accident could not be avoided,’ he said.

The lift was reportedly inspected by an independent consultant as recently as November 2022 who said it was in operating condition.

Brit, 20, fights for life after quad bike crash in a field in Zante

• Vehicle swerved off road and into field in Agios Leon, according to local reports

By James Callery

Updated: 16:30 EDT, 31 August 2023

A smiling Vladimir Putin enjoyed a kiss from a female admirer and soaked up the adulation of a crowd at an event in Russia – soon after his former friend and Wagner warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin‘s plane exploded.

Prigozhin, once a close ally of Putin before he launched a mutiny against him in June, has been listed as one of the 10 passengers onboard a doomed plane that crashed into a ball of flames, killing all on board, by Russian authorities.

But as reports swirled that the feared Wagner chief had been killed, Putin showed no signs of misery last night at a concert celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet’s Second World War victory at the Battle of Kursk. 

Video shows the dictator, surrounded by bodyguards, walking out to a cheering crowd who scream ‘we are with you, we love you’ before a woman dressed in a pink jacket cries: ‘Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], my favourite.’

Putin, basking in the attention, let the woman walk though his bodyguards to plant an enthusiastic kiss on his face.

‘Kisses and love you. Thank you, be healthy,’ she told Putin, to which the smiling dictator replied, ‘Likewise’. 

Since the pandemic and the start of war, Putin has seldom allowed people to spontaneously come close to him for health and security reasons.

The footage shows him unusually relaxed after a speech on the key battle at an event in Kursk, Russia – despite knowing his erstwhile friend was likely dead in the horror air crash some three hours earlier.

And during a speech during a summit of the BRICS group of nations this morning, Putin again made no mention of Prigozhin and the crash. 

For years Prigozhin was a faithful ally for Putin – running Kremlin banquets, providing catering for the Russian government, running propaganda troll farms, and setting up a ruthless private army, Wagner. 

Yet his attempt at a short-lived mutiny against Moscow in June was seen as betrayal by the dictator.

While Prigozhin has been named as being onboard the doomed plane that crashed, there has still been no confirmation that the warlord, who has been a thorn in Putin’s side since the Ukraine war began, has died. 

The Investigative Committee of Russia, which is looking into the crash, this morning confirmed 10 people were killed in the crash with no mention of Prigozhin. 

But while there has been no official confirmation of Prigozhin’s death, the warlord’s supporters have claimed he is dead and hailed him a hero and patriot who they said had died at the hands of unidentified people it called ‘traitors to Russia’. 

On Thursday morning, at the scene of the crash site, Russian officials stretchered black body bags from a forested area. Parts of the plane’s tail and other fragments lay on the ground near where forensic investigators had erected a tent.

Whoever or whatever was behind the crash, Prigozhin’s death would rid Putin of someone who had mounted the most serious challenge to the Russian leader’s authority since he came to power in 1999. 

Others who have opposed Putin or his interests have also died under unclear circumstances or come close to death, including outspoken political leaders and journalists. The Kremlin has always denied any state involvement in such incidents. 

Prigozhin’s death would also leave the Wagner Group, which incurred Putin’s wrath in June by staging an abortive armed mutiny against the army’s top brass, leaderless and raise questions about its future operations in Africa and elsewhere. 

The Brazilian Embraer Legacy 600 model of executive jet that crashed has only recorded one accident in over 20 years of service, according to website International Aviation HQ, and it was not due to mechanical failure.

Embraer said it has complied with international sanctions imposed on Russia and had not provided maintenance for the aircraft since 2019.

The plane showed no sign of a problem until a precipitous drop in its final 30 seconds, according to flight-tracking data.

Video footage purportedly shows the aircraft falling out of the sky in the Bologovsky district in the Tver region, 60 miles north of Moscow, on Wednesday. A burning wreckage, which appears to be of a plane, was later seen in a field, with unconfirmed images showing it completely ablaze. 

Prigozhin, 62, has been increasingly careful since he led a coup against Putin’s regime exactly two months ago.

After its failure, he had been warned that his life was in danger. He was known to take huge care over his security and is rumoured to have not been onboard the fateful plane, despite state TV asserting otherwise.

Sources close to him said that while the aircraft belonged to him, he usually flew on another aircraft.

Another plane, also supposedly with links to Prigozhin, was detected ‘zig-zagging’ over Moscow in the aftermath of the crash, fuelling speculation that the Wagner boss may not have been onboard after all.

Tracking data available for the crashed plane appears to show it rise to around 29,000ft, before suddenly disappearing and dropping to 0ft. 

By Elena Salvoni and Zac Campbell

Updated: 06:29 EDT, 24 August 2023

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British woman, 27, is killed in mountain bike crash in front of her husband while cycling through Italian woods

•  This news is breaking: more to follow
• If you have more information contact james.reynolds@mailonline.co.uk 

By James Reynolds and Nick Pisa

Published: 07:25 EDT, 11 August 2023 | Updated: 10:53 EDT, 11 August 2023

Crowds of mourners wept as they gathered to say their final farewells to a teenage girl who was killed in a horrific crash in Ireland alongside her best friend on their way to a prom.

Dlava Mohamed, 16, of Clones, Co Monaghan, died alongside 17-year-old Kiea McCann after their car left the N54 and crashed into a tree on the side of the road, just outside Clones. 

Dlava’s sister Auin and Oisín Clerkin, both 18, also sustained serious injuries in the crash, with the car’s driver, 60-year-old Anthony McGinn, still in intensive care. 

Today, members of the community gathered in the town square as the hearse brought the body of Dlava, who had just completed her summer exams, to her family home this evening.

The white coffin was then carried back out of the family home ahead of a funeral service in Dublin tomorrow. 

Women stood at the door of the family home and sang a lament as those gathered along the town’s streets stood in silence.

There was a similar show of support and grief in the town late last night for Kiea McCann, 17, who also died after the car they had been travelling in veered off the road and hit a tree.

As the body of Kiea was brought home to Clones, the hearse paused for a moment outside Dlava’s family home.

A funeral mass for Kiea will be held at Sacred Heart Chapel in Clones at 2pm on Thursday.

She will later be laid to rest in Mount St Oliver’s Cemetery in the town.

A funeral will be held for Dlava at Clonskeagh Mosque in Dublin on Thursday afternoon, and she will be laid to rest later in the day at Newcastle Muslim Cemetery in Dublin.

The principal of the teenagers’ secondary school said the girls had been ‘best friends’ since Dlava arrived in Clones as part of a resettlement programme for Syrians.

‘Dlava was always smiling, she was gorgeous, so loyal and bubbly, and she was always very happy,’ Largy College principal Sharon Magennis told RTE Radio.

‘She really had a goodness and she was just full of energy.’

Ms Magennis said Kiea had completed the Leaving Certificate Applied programme and was ‘pleasant and courteous’.

‘She had a great love of children and she had hoped to go on to study childcare at third level, and now that is a dream that will just not be realised.

‘We’re just heartbroken at this time. Words can’t describe how our school, our community of Clones is feeling at this time.’

The victims’ families were said to be ‘hugely devastated’ and suffering from shock in the aftermath of the crash, in which the three other occupants of the car were injured

Earlier today, Kiea’s father Frankie McCann revealed how he rushed to the scene of the crash but was unable to save his daughter or her friend due to their catastrophic injuries.

Kiea’s sister Shaunice also paid tribute to her late sibling, writing on social media: ‘I really don’t know what to say. 

‘I’m just so heartbroken over you, my little baby sister. I have no words to describe the emotions going through me right now. I really don’t know what to do without you. 

‘I am just so lost and don’t understand how something like this could just happen to you and I just hope you know that we all love you so much.’ 

The scene on the N54 Clones to Smithborough road at Legnakelly was closed to allow for a forensic examination of the scene but has since reopened.

Superintendent Patrick O’Connell said members of the victims’ families visited the scene on Monday night.

‘(They are) suffering from shock and trauma. They were at the scene last night, so they’re trying to deal with the whole aftermath of that, and we’re there to try and support them,’ he said.

Mr O’Connell added that gardai and the victims’ relatives were ‘eternally grateful’ to members of the public who stopped to offer their help at the scene of the crash.

He also thanked the ‘brilliant’ emergency services who attended the ‘harrowing scene’ on Monday night.

A senior investigating officer has been appointed to the case, which is being directed from Monaghan Garda Station.

Gardai are appealing to people who witnessed the incident which took place at 6.45pm on Monday, or who have footage of a stretch of the N54 between Clones and Smithborough between 6.15pm and 7pm on Monday, to get in touch with gardai.

Nine Brits are injured in horrifying bus crash on way to Turkish airport

• Nine of the 11 Brits on the bus sustained injuries and were treated at the scene

By David Averre

Published: 10:28 EDT, 2 August 2023 | Updated: 15:58 EDT, 2 August 2023

Footage has captured the moment debris was pulled from the water after an army helicopter crashed with the search continuing for four missing aircrew onboard. 

The MRH-90 Taipan crashed into the ocean off Lindeman Island, near Hamilton Island in north Queensland, at about 10.30pm on Friday.

The wreckage of the Taipan was discovered south of Hamilton Island, near Dent Island, but no survivors have been found.

The crew were participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre – joint military training between Australia, the US and 11 other ally countries. 

The son of a distinguished NSW Police officer is among the four people who remain missing. 

Specialist divers are joining other rescue personnel on Sunday as the desperate search for the four missing air crew on board continues.

Parts of the fuselage were among the dozens of pieces of debris that were pulled from the water and loaded onto a barge before they were transported back to land. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the crash was a ‘stark reminder’ there were no ‘easy or safe’ days for Australians serving their country. 

‘Today every Australian is thinking of the four families of the missing aircrew,’ he said.

‘On behalf of our nation, our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and colleagues of those who are missing.

‘Our thoughts are also with those that they serve alongside – friends, brothers and sisters in uniform who even now are aiding in the search effort. I’d also like to thank the support from other nations during this search effort’.

The crew are all reportedly from Sydney and based at the Holsworthy Barracks.

‘Sadly at this stage those personnel have yet to be found,’ Brigadier Damian Hill said.

‘It is the defence’s priority to look after those families, their members, their teammates and those that know them,’ said Mr Hill, who is the director of the Talisman Sabre exercise.

‘Our thoughts, and mine in particular, are with the missing servicemen, their teammates and their families, and especially the search and rescue teams.’

NSW premier Chris Minns added: ‘I can only imagine what they’re going through today. It’s just devastating.’ 

Two MRH-90 Taipans were flying in formation at about 11pm on Friday and when the crew of one realised something had gone wrong with the other, they immediately started a search operation.

The disaster happened during the Talisman Sabre military exercises, which includes more than 30,000 personnel, including from the US and several other countries.

The next of kin and the family of the four missing crew members were informed as soon as the search got underway.

Governor-General David Hurley said he had spent time with some of the army members on the exercise after the crash.

‘The impact of this terrible incident is being felt keenly. Each of the four missing ADF personnel made the decision to serve their nation – to serve us,’ he said.

‘We must never lose sight of, nor cease to be grateful for, the service and sacrifice of those in uniform … ‘Those that serve, their families and, especially, the loved ones of the four missing personnel are in our hearts.’

The Chief of Defence Angus Campbell spoke to reporters and offered his support to the families.

‘Defence exercises, which are so necessary for the readiness of our defence force, are serious. They carry risk,’ he said.

‘And as we desperately hope for better news during the course of this day, we are reminded about the gravity of the act which comes with wearing our nation’s uniform. This is indeed a terrible moment.’

The MRH-90 Taipan has a worrying history in Australia, with the crash on Friday far from being the helicopter’s first major incident.

Since the Howard Government bought the fleet of 47 helicopters in 2004 and 2006, they have been grounded several times and involved in multiple crashes. 

The most recent crash happened just four months ago during a night-time counter-terrorism training exercise on March 22.

The Taipan had ditched off the coast of Jervis Bay, on NSW’s Central Coast, at about 9pm after suffering engine failure – reportedly due to old software.

Australia’s Taipan fleet was grounded following the incident but was brought back into operation a little over a month later.

A Defence spokesperson at the time confirmed the helicopters would resume normal flying but with unspecified ‘risk mitigations’.

‘Defence has lifted the operational pause on MRH-90 Taipan flying operations,’ they told the ABC in April.

‘The MRH-90 Taipan fleet returned to normal operations on 6 April 2023, with risk mitigations in place (that) will have minimal impact on planned flying operations.’ 

Several industry insiders have blamed the ADF for not knowing how to maintain or operate the European-designed Taipans, rather than the helicopters themselves.

Chief of Army Lieutenant-General Simon Stuart last year told Senate the Taipans cost an astonishing $48,000 every flying hour. 

The first sign of trouble with the Taipans emerged just four years after Australia completed its fleet.

In 2010 a Taipan’s engine failed mid-flight near the Adelaide RAAF Edinburgh air base.

Incredibly, the crew was able to land the helicopter back at the base with just one engine but the incident resulted in the entire Taipan fleet being grounded. 

In 2014 the Australian National Audit Office revealed in a damning report the Taipan’s design and support system was ‘immature’ and had caused ‘significant issues’ to the ADF fleet.

It also slammed the high operational cost of the helicopters. 

The Taipan fleet was grounded again in 2019 after encountering rotor blade issues and a third time in 2020 after crews encountered problems with sliding cabin doors.  

That year half the fleet was shuttered.

In 2021 the Morrison Government began Australia’s move away from the Taipan fleet by agreeing to buy US-made Black Hawks.

The move was part of the AUKUS pact between Australia, the UK and the US announced that year.

The deal will see the three governments working more closely together on a range of defence matters, including production and procurement. 

The Albanese Government followed through on the deal following the 2022 election and agreed to pay $2.8billion for 40 Black Hawks. 

The Black Hawks, whose use in the US Military has been long standing, are manufactured by a branch of US weapons giant Lockheed Martin.

The purchase will bring an early end to the Taipan program which, prior to the 2022 Black Hawk deal, was due to end in 2037.

It is unclear whether the 47-strong Taipan fleet will again be grounded following Friday’s crash.

Saturday’s retrieval operation has been focussed in the middle of the Whitsundays passage between North and South Molle Islands, the Courier Mail reports.

Helicopters were seen carrying large pieces of debris from the site.

Navy fast boats and other vessels, including a boat with a large crane, are also involved in the search.

It’s understood the debris is being held on the warship, Brisbane.  

Defence Minister Richard Marles addressed reporters on Saturday morning and confirmed families had been notified of the incident.

‘We meet with a heavy heart,’ Mr Marles said.

‘Our hopes and our thoughts are with air crew and their families, with thoughts of the search and rescue crews as they go about their work right now.

‘These are early days and much more information is to be provided about this incident.

‘Defence exercises, which are so necessary for the readiness of our defence force, they carry risk.

‘As we hope for better news during the course of this day, we are aware of the gravity of the act that comes with wearing the uniform.’

This year’s Exercise Talisman Sabre is the 10th in the bilateral training activity between Australia and the US.

It was the largest ever, with more than 30,000 military personnel participating from 13 nations including Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, France, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany.

The 14-day exercise, running until August 4, tests large scale logistics, multi-domain firepower demonstrations, land combat, amphibious landings and air operations. 

Exercise Talisman Sabre has been paused in light of the accident.