The Day Flight 171 Crashed Into India

An Air India Boeing 787 carrying 242 passengers from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed moments after takeoff, initially reported as killing all aboard. The story dominated coverage from morning through evening, with casualty figures fluctuating wildly as outlets reported "no survivors," then "100 bodies recovered," then "all 242 dead." By afternoon, headlines shifted dramatically when footage emerged of a British passenger walking away from the wreckage. Coverage identified him as seated in 11A, calling him the "luckiest man on earth." Air India eventually confirmed 241 deaths with one British survivor.

The UK economy contracted 0.3% following Trump's tariffs, adding pressure on Chancellor Reeves who declined to rule out further tax rises after yesterday's £600 billion spending announcement. Economists labeled her plans "baffling."

Northern Ireland violence continued for a third consecutive night as masked groups torched a leisure center reportedly housing Romanian families who had fled earlier riots in Ballymena.