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NTSB chair calls on Congress to pass aviation safety bill

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Jennifer Homendy, chair of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has called on Congress to resolve a months-long legislative gridlock and adopt key modifications to aviation safety geared to prevent future midair collisions.

Homendy said the NTSB already has given lawmakers “a clear roadmap” to improve aviation safety and help prevent another catastrophic airborne disaster. Now, she said, it’s time for Congress to act on measures it promised months ago.

The request comes after an American Airlines regional flight crashed into a US Army helicopter outside Washington, DC in January 2025, killing 67 people in the biggest US aviation tragedy since 2001.

The US House of Representatives voted 396-10 in April to pass a sweeping plan to enhance aviation safety. The law contains dozens of recommendations that came out of the tragedy. A related legislation, the so-called ROTOR Act, cleared the Senate unanimously in December but failed to get the two-thirds support needed in the House under fast-track rules.

The NTSB said the 2025 crash in the congested airspace above the US capital may have been avoided if Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology was in operation.

Earlier this year, the NTSB said the tragedy was caused by systematic flaws at the Federal Aviation Administration.

The House bill would require all U.S. military aircraft excluding fighter planes, bombers and drones to have collision-prevention technology by 2031. It also sets standards for collision avoidance systems on civilian airplanes and helicopters.

House and Senate members are still talking about ways to address disagreements between the dueling proposals.

Earlier this month, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told Reuters that the agency gave technical help to Congress during the legislative process. The FAA can proceed with greater use of ADS-B technology without clearance from Congress, he said, but would like clear direction from lawmakers.

The NTSB found that the 2025 accident was caused by the FAA’s decision to allow helicopters to operate near the airport without proper separation from commercial aircraft and its failure to review safety data and implement past recommendations to divert helicopter traffic from the airport.

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Wazir wins 19th world ranking fight for Pakistan

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 Pakistani boxer Usman Wazir won his 19th international world ranking fight.

Usman Wazir defeated an Indonesian boxer and qualified for the WBA Gold title.

Usman Wazir said that he has won his 19th international fight against an Indonesian boxer. He dedicates his victory to the Corps Commander Peshawar, the Pakistani Army and the police.

He said, “I dedicate my victory to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the ongoing terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Pakistan Army has always supported me.”

Usman Wazir said, “I have qualified for the WBA Gold title, and I will announce the fight for the WBA Gold title soon.”

He said that he will try to win his twentieth fight for Pakistan and hopes for support from the government of Pakistan.

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NEPRA suggests grid sharing charges for high rise buildings

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The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has suggested increased grid sharing charges for high rise structures and amendments in electricity connection rules for industrial consumers.

Proposed revisions to the Consumer Service Manual state that buildings using dedicated transformers with a capacity of over 500 kVA would be made to pay grid-sharing charges.

Even under current regulations, buildings of ground plus three storeys are not considered to be multi-storey or high-rise buildings and are hence not required to pay grid-sharing payments. The suggested revisions would alter the existing setup.

NEPRA also suggested that distribution companies may be allowed to provide multiple industrial, commercial or bulk supply connections at the same premises, with up to three feeders and combined load of up to 15 megawatts, subject to technical feasibility and availability of capacity at the existing grid station.

The proposed adjustments also affect fees for industrial and steel furnace customers, and revise the conditions for interim disconnections and reconnections.

Distribution firms may also be permitted to impose detection bills for up to 12 months for registered consumers employing fraudulent meters, changing meter readings through software or Bluetooth devices, freezing load profiles or compromising billing meters. The planned detection-bill period would be capped at six months even for domestic consumers.

The public comments on the proposed revisions have been invited by NEPRA and stakeholders have been given 30 days’ time to offer their views till October 25.The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has suggested additional grid-sharing costs for high-rise structures and amendments in electricity connection rules for industrial consumers.

Proposed revisions to the Consumer Service Manual state that buildings using dedicated transformers with a capacity of over 500 kVA would be made to pay grid-sharing charges.

Even under current regulations, buildings of ground plus three storeys are not considered to be multi-storey or high-rise buildings and are hence not required to pay grid-sharing payments. The suggested revisions would alter the existing setup.

NEPRA also suggested that distribution companies may be allowed to provide multiple industrial, commercial or bulk supply connections at the same premises, with up to three feeders and combined load of up to 15 megawatts, subject to technical feasibility and availability of capacity at the existing grid station.

The proposed adjustments also affect fees for industrial and steel furnace customers, and revise the conditions for interim disconnections and reconnections.

Distribution firms may also be permitted to impose detection bills for up to 12 months for registered consumers employing fraudulent meters, changing meter readings through software or Bluetooth devices, freezing load profiles or compromising billing meters. The planned detection-bill period would be capped at six months even for domestic consumers.

ISLAMABAD: NEPRA has floated the proposed revisions for public comments and has given 30 days time to the stakeholders to express their opinions by October 25.

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Six dead in Athens building explosion, four Americans among the victims

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 – Six people have died after a two-storey residential building in a tourist area of central Athens collapsed, the Greek fire brigade said on Saturday, following an explosion that the mayor said was likely linked to gas infrastructure.

The explosion killed four Americans, US officials said.

Emergency crews in heavy gear and red helmets, assisted by rescue dogs, cameras and sensors, found the bodies of six people, fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said in a televised briefing.

They were looking for an elderly couple who lived in one apartment and four tourists who were staying in another as they removed debris from the building.

The fire brigade’s crime investigation unit was also on site to identify the cause of the blast after reports of a gas smell in an area that is home to hotels and short-term rentals.

The tourists, two American couples, had been expected to catch a flight from Athens airport at 3 p.m. on Friday but did not show up, a police source said.

Ambulances stood by on Saturday to take the bodies to the hospital for identification.

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of four American citizens in yesterday’s explosion in central Athens,” Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US ambassador to Greece, posted on X.

The blast destroyed the building in Plaka, near some of Athens’ most visited sites, including the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus, damaging nearby houses, shops and cars and sending rubble and broken glass as far as three blocks away.

The building was reduced to twisted metal, shattered tiles and concrete, strewn with household items and clothing.

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