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July 21 (UPI) — At least 20 people were killed Monday after a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft crashed onto a school campus in the capital city of Dhaka.

The total of victims was announced by the Bangladesh Inter-Services Public Relations, or ISPR, which also reported that the sum total of people injured in the crash has reached 171, with victims brought to eight different hospitals.

Chief Adviser of the Bangladesh Government Muhammad Yunus released a statement that explained the training plane crashed into the Milestone School and College campus in the city’s Diayabari area, “resulting in casualties.” Students in the school range from elementary to high school grades.

Some of the bodies of the dead must be identified through DNA testing, which will then be transferred to their families.

The Bangladeshi military said in a statement that a mechanical error led to the crash that also killed the pilot, identified as Flight Lieutenant Md. Taukir Islam, who reportedly had attempted to steer the F-7 jet to a less populated area after the mechanical issue occurred.

The plane crashed into the second floor of a building where third and fourth graders were located. Yunus said the incident will be investigated.

“The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable,” Yunus continued. “This is a moment of profound pain for the nation.”

Yunis also announced that the Bangladeshi interim government will observe a one-day state of mourning to mark the crash.

A Cotswold plane scrappage company has been the unlikely resting place of Saddam Hussein’s stolen private jet – which is now being used in TV shows and movies, in part due to its excellent 80s interior

If you’re on the hunt for Saddam Hussein’s private jet, you might not think to look in the Cotswolds.

Yet, it’s in this picturesque part of England where you’ll find the former Iraqi dictator’s personal aircraft. Air Salvage International, a plane scrappage firm based at Cotswold Airport, has been the custodian of the VIP-equipped Boeing 727 for nearly a decade.

While most of the company’s planes are dismantled and sold off, sometimes fetching up to £10 million per jet, managing director Mark Gregory can’t bring himself to part with this particular flying machine.It’s not just its connection to Saddam (whose Iraqi Airways nicked Kuwait Airways’ entire fleet during the 1990 invasion) that makes it special, but also its retro ’80s interior.

Originally owned by the Kuwaiti Royal family, the 189-seat jet was gutted of its standard uncomfortable airplane seats and decked out with an array of kitschy furniture that could fill a retirement home. Think plush velour seats with extendable footrests, state-of-the-art JVC TVs embedded into mahogany walls, and glass vases brimming with plastic roses, all sitting next to unopened bottles of champagne.

Do you have an idea for an interesting place we can cover? Email [email protected]

READ MORE: Inside the eerie UK ‘plane graveyard’ where jumbo jets from around the world are ditched

Before the Iraqi forces swooped in and commandeered the Kuwaiti fleet, Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other wealthy royals used the opulent plane for their global travels. Where there is now a patch of carpet overrun by mould, the Emir once sat on a specially built throne, using radio equipment to issue orders to his staff from 30,000 feet above.

Following the Western invasion of Iraq and Saddam’s execution, the private jet changed ownership multiple times until it was sold to Air Salvage International by Jersey-based Strong Aviation on 29 June 2016. Now at 45 years old, the aircraft’s value is virtually nil and its flying days are over – despite Mark maintaining it in full working order and taking it for a spin on the runway every ten days.

These days, it sees most action as a film set for TV programmes and films, including McDonald and Dodds, Casualty, The Lazarus Project, Hijack with Idris Elba, Star Wars, Mission: Impossible, and Doctor Who. Next time you watch a dramatic plane crash or runway scene on screen, keep an eye out for some suspiciously Gloucestershire-like countryside in the background. Or even Mark’s arms.

When he’s not making money from old planes or drumming away in his office by the runway, the ponytailed scrap tycoon can be partially seen on the big screen, “piloting” the Boeing 727 in its latest cinematic adventure.

Air Salvage International first began 30 years ago. Armed with redundancy money in the early ’90s, Mark bought his first plane and spent six months breaking it down into sellable bits. More than 1,400 aircraft later, the business is thriving and employs dozens of people to cope with the growing demand from the ever-expanding aviation industry.

And there are big bucks at stake. The equivalent of a commercial jet’s MOT costs around £1 million, which is why many plane owners decide to send their ageing aircraft to Mark instead. Sometimes as much as £12 million can be salvaged from them, either in reusable parts or recyclable materials.

Experts from an Australian airline and the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre have been looking into the best ways to help beat jet lag – and it turns out that chocolate is one of the key elements

A sweet surprise awaits holidaymakers as researchers suggest that tucking into chocolate could be just the treat to boost your mood on long flights.

The recent study has revealed chocolate as one of the “key elements” in beating jet lag, particularly if it is filled with some spicy options like chilli.

Qantas, in collaboration with the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, embarked on ‘Project Sunrise’ to investigate how certain foods could minimise jet lag during long-haul travel.

As Qantas gears up for their direct London to Sydney flights slated for late 2025, the findings of their study come at an opportune time. In 2019, Qantas conducted three research flights for Project Sunrise, tweaking meal times and leveraging specific dietary choices to help sync passengers’ biological clocks, including pairing proteins like fish and chicken with swiftly-digested carbs, alongside comforting delights such as soups and milky desserts.

READ MORE: Foreign Office warning Brits face prison for common game in holiday hotspot

Part of the tactic involved increasing travellers’ tryptophan levels, an amino acid known for its sleep-inducing properties. Peter Cistulli, a professor of Sleep Medicine from the University of Sydney, conveyed optimism about the ongoing study, highlighting “clear signs” that the gastronomic strategy can alleviate some of the strain of extended air travel.

Researchers travelled on the aircraft and monitored 23 volunteer customers who were fitted with wearable device technology during the 20-hour flights as they followed specially designed menu, lighting, sleep and movement sequences.

The inflight trials involved tailored cabin lighting schedules to facilitate adaption to the destination time zone and integrating simple stretch and movement activities.

They also adjusted the timing of meal services to align the passengers’ body clock and encouraged waking and sleeping by using specific menu items including fish and chicken paired with fast-acting carbohydrates, as well as comfort foods like soups and milk-based desserts to encourage sleep.

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Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce has expressed excitement about the potential to reduce jetlag and transform international travel for all passengers.

“Given our geography, Qantas has a long history of using imagination and innovation to overcome the tyranny of distance between Australia and the rest of the world,” said Mr Joyce.

“Now that we have the aircraft technology to do these flights, we want to make sure the customer experience evolves as well, and that’s why we’re doing this research and designing our cabins and service differently.

Meanwhile, there are numerous tips and tricks available to combat jet lag and secure a decent amount of sleep on flights.

A woman’s ‘clever’ hack for better sleep on planes recently took the internet by storm, requiring just an armrest and a jacket. In her TikTok video, she demonstrates how she folds a jacket or blanket and uses the armrest to fashion a makeshift headrest, insisting that “it doesn’t matter if you have an aisle seat or a window seat it works everywhere”.

The comments section was abuzz with travellers commending the ingenious method, calling it “so smart” and “perfect” for lengthy journeys.

One commenter shared: “I’ve been doing this for years and it’s so much better than sleeping on the food tray”. Another traveller, who apparently had a less-than-comfortable flight experience, remarked wistfully: “This would’ve been helpful about 2 days ago,”.

The plane to London Gatwick from Cancun was diverted almost five hours into the flight

Passengers were left stranded at an airport for over 17 hours a flight was diverted due to a couple apparently smoking onboard. Brit Terry Lawrance, 66, said it was like a “war zone” with passengers camped out on rows of airbeds, after his flight home from Cancun, Mexico, on was grounded.

About an hour after take-off on July 8, the captain of the London Gatwick-bound TUI flight announced two passengers had been smoking in the toilets, and that if it continued, he would have to divert. After another three-and-a-half hours, the captain announced the plane would now be diverting to Bangor International Airport, Maine, US.

They landed at 21.30 local time – and the two alleged smokers were turfed off the flight. But Terry said the other passengers sat in their seats for another five hours and even taxied to take-off, before the flight was abandoned as the original crew were not able to continue to operate the rest of the flight back to Gatwick due to legal working hours.

Consequently, a relief flight was readied immediately, and a new crew were dispatched from the UK to the US to fly everyone back. The passengers were then kept in a room – which Terry claims is part of the military airbase section of the airport – for over 15 hours while the airline works to sort a relief crew.

A flight to take passengers home to Gatwick eventually took off at 15:00 local time (20:00 BST) on Wednesday, July 9 – with all passengers now safely home. Videos taken by Terry show rows of beds as passengers awaited updates, whilst another video shows vehicles approaching the plane after touching down in Bangor.

Terry said: “We were there for over 12 hours – it all went pear shaped. Everybody was fed up. In fairness, they started bringing out airbeds, but it was like free-for-all for vultures.

“It was like a warzone in a lounge – rows and rows of beds. All our luggage was still on the plane whilst we waited. TUI told us a relief crew was being sent from the UK because the current crew had used up their hours.”

Tracking on Flightradar24 shows the plane turning back towards Maine, shortly after entering Canadian airspace. Terry said: “After an hour the captain came on and said someone had been smoking in the toilet – he read the riot act and said if it continues, we’d have to divert.

“About three hours later, around the border with Canada and he came on to let us know that the plane was being diverted to Bangor, Maine. Once we landed, they removed the two passengers.

“They were obviously drunk. The captain then said we’d be getting going again once the paperwork has been done. We were sat on the plane on the ground for five hours – the plane started taxing again and we thought ‘great’ and then they said there was a problem with flight plan, and we have to get off.

“Next thing, we’re not going anywhere, and we’ve got to stay in this small lounge. We waited six or seven hours before we were offered a drink.”

TUI declined to comment.

A sleep expert has shared his top tips for beating jet lag, and answered the age-old question regarding whether you should sleep during a flight or try to stay awake

Kicking off a holiday with jet lag is less than ideal. After all, feeling tired and groggy and sometimes nauseous is hardly how anyone wants to start a trip, and you may try a power nap but it rarely fixes the issue entirely.

Luckily one sleep expert has offered up some of their best tips for trying to beat the tiredness, as well as revealing how you can put the odds in your favour when it comes to adjusting your body clock.

That includes offering a resolution to the age-old debate; do you try and get some kip on the flight, or do you power through and stay awake? It turns out that your strategy needs to differ depending on whether you’re flying in the morning or at night.

Martin Seeley, CEO and sleep expert at MattressNextDay, explained: “The answer depends on when you arrive. If your flight lands in the morning or early afternoon, getting some sleep on the plane will help you avoid exhaustion on arrival. Use an eye mask, earplugs, and a travel pillow to make yourself comfortable. But if you’re landing at night, try to stay awake for the last few hours of the flight to help you fall asleep once you get there. Sleeping at the right time on the plane is one of the best ways to reduce jet lag.”

As for the flight that could ease your jet lag symptoms? Consider an evening arrival if you can. He added: “Landing at night can actually work in your favour. Once you arrive, keep things calm and dim the lights to help your body know it’s time to wind down. Avoid screens and bright lights, which can trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime.

“Head straight to your accommodation and try to sleep as close to the local bedtime as possible. If you’re not sleepy, don’t stress-relax with a book or calming music in low light until you feel ready to nod off. Your body clock will start to adjust even if sleep doesn’t come immediately.”

While those power naps may be tempting, he warned not to sleep more than half an hour, or it could push your bedtime later and therefore stop your body from naturally adapting to the new time zone. “The goal is to stick as closely as possible to the local time, so your body clock adjusts faster and jet lag doesn’t drag on,” he said.

If you’re going to be flying long-haul, don’t wait until your travel day to adjust either. In fact, a few days beforehand it’s worth moving your bedtime by up to an hour every day towards the time zone you’re travelling to, so that in theory there’s less of a shock to the system once you do arrive.

According to Martin, research has shown that it can take your body clock up to a week to fully adjust, “so every bit of pre-trip prep helps”.

Once you’re on holiday, there are a few things you can do to try and ease your body into the new time zone too. “Temperature plays a key role in signalling to your body when to sleep and when to wake,” he said. “Try taking a warm shower in the morning to help wake you up and a cool shower about an hour before bed to encourage sleepiness. Keeping your bedroom cool – around 16 to 18°C – also supports deeper, more restful sleep. These simple temperature cues can help your body adjust faster to a new time zone and reduce jet lag.”

Do you have a holiday story you want to share with us? Email us at [email protected].

Britain’s High Court has ruled that the government’s decision to allow the export of Lockheed Martin F-35 jet parts to Israel is lawful despite accepting that they could be used in breach of international humanitarian law.

In a 72-page ruling on Monday, Judges Stephen Males and Karen Steyn said the case was about a “much more focused issue” than just the jet parts.

“That issue is whether it is open to the court to rule that the UK must withdraw from a specific multilateral defence collaboration … because of the prospect that some UK-manufactured components will or may ultimately be supplied to Israel, and may be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Gaza,” the ruling said.

“Under our constitution, that acutely sensitive and political issue is a matter for the executive, which is democratically accountable to Parliament and ultimately to the electorate, not for the courts,” it added.

Currently, the United Kingdom contributes components for F-35s to an international defence programme that produces the bombers.

But Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq, based in the occupied West Bank, took legal action in January against the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) over its decision to exempt the parts when it suspended some export licences in September last year.

During a hearing in May, Al-Haq said the government’s decision to send the jet parts was unlawful as it “gives rise to a significant risk of facilitating crime”.

The same month, Defence Secretary John Healey said suspending it would affect the “whole F-35 programme” and have a “profound impact on international peace and security”.

After Monday’s ruling, Shawan Jabarin, the chief of Al-Haq, said, “Despite the outcome of today, this case has centred the voice of the Palestinian people and has rallied significant public support, and it is just the start.”

“By exposing serious government failings in facilitating international crimes against Palestinians through its arms exports, civil society and human rights organisations have achieved a crucial breakthrough, and we will continue to persevere in the UK and beyond until governments are held accountable, Israel’s impunity is challenged and justice for the Palestinian people is realised,” he added.

‘Knock on effect’

Reporting from London, Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic said the building of an F-35 fighter jet is part of a “global programme” where many nations build different parts, and they are all manufactured in different countries.

“Britain makes about 15 percent of each F-35 jet, however, it doesn’t make those parts specifically for Israel,” Veselinovic explained.

“So, what the UK was arguing is that if they stop those parts from being exported that could have a knock on effect on the entire international programme, it would impact the supply chain, it would impact on their NATO allies, even on the ability, they said, for Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s invasion,” she said.

However, Al-Haq has argued that by building the parts for the global pool, the UK was in breach of international law, including the Geneva Convention, due to the use of the weapons in Gaza.

“But the High Court sided with the government rejecting that and did accept the UK’s argument that this was a strategic objective despite acknowledging that it could mean that the UK is also in breach of international law,” Veselinovic added.

Export licences

In September last year, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that the government was suspending about 30 of 350 export licences of items used during Israel’s war in Gaza after a review of its compliance with international humanitarian law.

However, according to global advocacy organisation Oxfam International, which joined Al-Haq’s case against the DBT, the partial ban did not include British-made F-35 parts, including refuelling probes, laser targeting systems, tyres and ejector seats.

Moreover, a report by pro-Palestine activist groups found in May that despite the suspension, military items have continued to be exported to Israel.

Since the war began in October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed at least 56,500 people and wounded 133,419 others.

Chandler “the Jet” Jones, a local football legend who set records as a wide receiver at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance and San José State University, died at age 33 in a freeway accident in Los Angeles on Sunday, according to the L.A. County medical examiner.

Jones was hit by a Toyota RAV4 near the Centinela Avenue off-ramp of the 90 Freeway around 2 a.m. Sunday, the California Highway Patrol told MyNewsLA.

“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of alum, Chandler Jones ‘09,” Bishop Montgomery High School said in a Facebook post. “Jones was a standout player on Bishop’s football team and still holds the record for longest kick-off return (97 yards) and longest fumble recovery (98 yards).”

Jones was a star wide receiver as a San José Spartan and, after a brief stint in the pros, went on to hold coaching positions at his alma mater, as well as the College of Idaho and the Montreal Alouettes.

“Forever in our hearts, #89,” the San José State football program wrote on X. “In loving memory of Spartan wide receiver and coach, Chandler Jones.”

His former San José State football coach Brent Brennan, who now coaches at the University of Arizona, said on X that his heart was broken by the news of Jones’ death.

“From his freshman year as a WR, to coaching on our staff, he made @SanJoseStateFB better everyday,” said Brennan. “The Jet was special. Love you brother.”

During his 2013 season at San José State, Jones ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West Conference in receiving yards per reception. During that season, he caught he caught 79 passes for 1,356 yards and 15 touchdowns from quarterback David Fales, who went on to play for the Chicago Bears, according to reporting from CBS Sports. Jones also ranks second on the Spartans’ career leaderboard in receiving yards with 3,087.

After finishing his Spartan career, Jones went on to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns practice squads in 2014. He joined the Montreal Alouettes practice squad in 2015 and played for the team in 2016, before returning to San José State as a coach in 2017.

“My heart is truly broken — My good friend and my fellow coach welcomed me with open arms when we met in Idaho,” wrote University of Arizona assistant football coach Greg Stewart on X. “Chandler “The Jet” Jones was the real deal, I will always cherish my time with you my brother.”

A Myanmar military jet crashed on Tuesday in Sagaing Region, an area that has seen intense fighting during Myanmar’s civil war. The military blamed engine failure, while a rebel group claimed it shot down the plane.

General Anil Chauhan, India’s chief of defence staff, has admitted that an unspecified number of fighter jets were shot down during its conflict with Pakistan last month.

The acknowledgement of aerial losses by the country’s highest ranking general comes weeks after the two South Asian neighbours were engaged in their heaviest fighting in decades, which involved fighter jets and cruise missiles.

Indian officials had previously refused to confirm or deny Pakistani claims of downing Indian jets. The conflict was triggered after gunmen killed 26 tourists in India-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on April 22.

India’s first official admission of a loss of fighter jets came during Chauhan’s interviews on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore.

What was the conflict between India and Pakistan?

India carried out strikes on what it called “terror infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack. India blamed armed groups backed by Pakistan for the April 22 attack.

An armed group called The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam killings. India accused the TRF of being an offshoot of the Pakistan-based armed group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Pakistan denied involvement, condemning the Pahalgam attack and calling for a neutral investigation.

India claimed to have targeted at least six cities in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir on the first day of the conflict. Pakistan initially asserted that it had downed six Indian fighter jets in retaliation. But a senior Pakistan official told Al Jazeera five Indian aircraft were lost in the aerial battle.

India did not confirm or deny the Pakistani claims. “Losses are a part of combat,” Air Marshal AK Bharti, India’s director general of air operations, said at a news conference on May 11.

The Indian embassy in China called reports of the downing of jets “disinformation”.

After that, tit-for-tat cross-border attacks across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between India- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, rattled the region, renewing fears of a nuclear war.

On May 10, United States President Donald Trump announced that the two countries had reached a ceasefire, potentially averting a “nuclear disaster”. India and Pakistan have given competing claims on casualties in the fighting, but more than 70 people were killed on both sides.

Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full but administer only parts of the Muslim-majority Himalayan territory.

Here is what Chauhan said in recent interviews with the Reuters news agency and Bloomberg TV:

On the downing of Indian fighter jets

Chauhan admitted that India suffered air losses on the first day of fighting without giving details.

In an interview with Reuters, he said: “What was important is why did these losses occur and what we’ll do after that.”

The Indian general said that after the losses, the Indian army “rectified tactics” and then went back on May 7, 8 and 10 “in large numbers to hit airbases deep inside Pakistan, penetrated all their air defences with impunity, carried out precision strikes”. He added that the Indian air force “flew all types of aircraft with all types of ordnances” on May 10.

Islamabad acknowledged that its airbases suffered some minimal losses but denied that it lost any planes.

When a Bloomberg reporter asked Chauhan about Pakistan’s claims that six Indian jets were downed, Chauhan responded that this information was incorrect.

He went on to say: “What is important is … not the jets being downed but why they were downed.” Some media outlets inferred that his statement appeared to imply that a number of jets were lost in the aerial battle.

The general did not provide details about the number of jets downed or specifics about what these rectified tactics were.

The Pakistani military said India did not fly its fighter jets in the conflict again after suffering the air losses.

On the risks of nuclear war

Media reports suggested that some attacks were near Pakistan’s nuclear sites but the nuclear infrastructure itself was not a target.

“Most of the strikes were delivered with pinpoint accuracy, some even to a metre [3.3ft] to whatever was our selected mean point of impact,” Chauhan said in the interview with Reuters.

Chauhan had previously provided assurances that India was not considering using nuclear weapons during the conflict. The chairman of Pakistan’s joint chiefs of staff, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, has done the same for his country.

“I think there’s a lot of space before that nuclear threshold is crossed, a lot of signalling before that. I think nothing like that happened. There’s a lot of space for conventional operations which has been created, and this will be the new norm,” Chauhan said.

The Indian general added that on both sides, the most “rational people are in uniform” during conflict because they understand the consequences of “this kind of conflict”.

“I found both sides displaying a lot of rationality in their thoughts as well as actions. So why should we assume that in the nuclear domain there will be irrationality on someone else’s part?”

On Chinese role

The Indian chief of defence staff said that while Pakistan enjoys a close alliance with China, there was no sign that Beijing helped Islamabad during the conflict.

China sits on India’s northern and eastern borders and controls a barely inhabited northeastern zone in Kashmir called Aksai Chin.

“We didn’t find any unusual activity in the operational or tactical depth of our northern borders, and things were generally all right,” Chauhan said.

When Chauhan was asked whether China provided Pakistan with intelligence information such as satellite imagery, the Indian general responded by saying that such information is commercially available and Pakistan could have obtained it from China or other sources.

However, Chauhan said “almost 80 percent of the equipment” in Pakistan has been procured from China in the past few years.

From 2020 to 2025, China supplied 81 percent of Pakistan’s arms imports, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Chinese jets got a boost after media reports said Pakistan used Chinese-manufactured J-10C fighter jets in the air battle. The Chinese government did not officially confirm that the J-10C jets were used to down Indian jets, but China Central Television, a state broadcaster, posted on social media on May 17 that the jets achieved actual combat results for the first time.

What’s next

Chauhan said that while hostilities have ceased, India would “respond precisely and decisively should there be any further terror attacks emanating from Pakistan”. He added that this will be a new normal for India.

“So that has its own dynamics as far [as] the armed forces are concerned. It will require us to be prepared 24/7.”

The president of the main opposition Indian National Congress party said Chauhan’s admission warrants a review of India’s defence preparedness.

“There are some very important questions which need to be asked. These can only be asked if a Special Session of the Parliament is immediately convened,” Mallikarjun Kharge wrote in an X post on Saturday.

Referring to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added: “The Modi Govt has misled the nation. The fog of war is now clearing.”

“We salute [the Indian military’s] resolute courage and bravery,” Kharge said. “However, a comprehensive strategic review is the need of the hour.”

The Congress party has called the Pahalgam attack a “security and intelligence failure” and sought accountability, given that India-administered Kashmir is directly governed from New Delhi.

DONALD Trump’s luxury “sky Palace” gifted to him by Qatar will cost a few billion dollars, says the President of Emirates airline.

The US government now faces a “Herculean task” to transform the huge Boeing 747-8 into a new Air Force One fit for a president, warns Sir Tim Clark.

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President Trump, 78, sparked concerns earlier this month with his willingness to accept the plush flying mansion from the Qatari royal family.

The giant gift, worth an estimated $400m (£300m), has raised several ethical questions about if the US leader should be allowed to accept such expensive goods from other states.

But despite the controversy, Trump gladly took the 13-year-old mega jet back to Washington with him.

He now plans to make it part of his Air Force One fleet alongside two other Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets.

They have been operational since 1990 but are now said to be not up to scratch compared to modern planes such as Qatar‘s 747-8.

In order for it to become a fully fledged member of the president’s aviation arsenal however, it will need to go through some serious work.

It would have to be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before ever ferrying around Trump.

And significant retrofitting and clearance from security officials would be required.

Sir Tim, president of Emirates, told Piers Morgan Uncensored that President Trump’s flashy plans may cost a “couple of billion dollars”.

He explained to Piers: “I think you’re talking a couple of billion dollars to start with.

“Just roll back a little bit and look at what it takes for us to convert our 777s – from the old to the new – because we haven’t got the Boeing’s coming in at the pace we want them so we’re having to reconfigure all of them.”

The top aviation boss said trying to fix up all the jets as an airline has been an extremely tough task.

Tim admitted to “pulling his hair out” over the regulators and the tiny tweaks that have to be made to modernise a plane of that size and stature.

And he believes the US government will face an even trickier – and much more expensive – battle to get the gifted plane ready for presidential trips.

He said: “It’s a Herculean task, make no mistake about it.

“Whether President Trump will adapt fully, this present from Qatar, to an Air Force One I doubt it, but he’ll certainly get a lot of it done.”

Aviation specialist Jeff Wise also told The Sun that he expects the Air Force One replacement to take years and need billions of dollars pumped into the project to make the jet viable.

Trump’s Air Force One jets currently in use come with dozens of specialised security features.

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These include armoured glass and plating, on board flares to confuse enemy missiles, mirror-ball defences and even an electric jamming system.

Another unique yet needed element is an electromagnetic shield for nuclear explosions.

This has to be on a presidential plane as the leader of Washington can actually launch a nuke from the aircraft.

But the new Qatari jet lacks most of these security features.

Instead, the lavish aeroplane boasts a luxurious interior, featuring spacious suites and rooms with ornate interior decoration.

It also has glittering gold-coloured furnishings and hallways that echo Trump’s well-know interior design preferences.

The president is believed to have spent an hour inspecting the plan when when it was parked at West Palm Beach International Airport back in February.

The luxury Boeing was once even listed for a whopping $400 million, according to the Business Jet Traveler.

During his first stint in office, Trump had ordered two new Air Force One jumbo jets from Boeing to replace the pair that have been in service since George H. W. Bush’s presidency.

But the Boeing contract has faced delays, and reports suggest the new plans would not be ready until after Trump leaves the Oval Office.

Fears Trump’s new Air Force One replacement is vulnerable to devastating HACKS – or worse

By Chief Foreign Reporter, Katie Davis

A LAVISH jumbo jet Donald Trump plans to receive from Qatar will be vulnerable to hacking, an expert has warned.

The Boeing 747 – dubbed a “palace in the sky” – could even be blasted out the sky, aviation specialist Jeff Wise believes.

He fears Trump may bypass necessary measures to save time and money – which could therefore invite hacking or a devastating assassination attempt.

Wise told The Sun: “This Air Force One would be a major intelligence target for any adversary nation or even our allies, because allies love to spy on each other.

“The United States is being given this albatross that they are going to have to spend billions of dollars on to fix up for the personal use of Trump.

“If your job is to protect the President of the United States or if your job is to protect the secrets of the United States, then this is a massive headache for you.

“This is a plane that does not have secure communications and the anti-missiles defence systems that a normal Air Force One has. It’s just wide open.

“This is an administration that is completely irresponsible in the way they use their personal devices. They’re using these off-brand apps to communicate. It’s just a hacker’s dream.”

Wise continued: “I would say an increasing number of people would like to target Air Force One. 

“America’s list of enemies is growing longer and longer as we become an increasingly horrible nation, from the Houthis to the Iranians to the Russians.”

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JEREMIE FRIMPONG touched down in the UK on a private jet today to complete his £29.5million move to Liverpool.

The Bayer Leverkusen right-back, 24, had a medical last week after the Premier League champions met the Dutchman’s release clause.

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Now Frimpong is ready to finalise his transfer and become Arne Slot’s first summer signing.

His imminent arrival coincides with the departure of long-serving full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is set to join Real Madrid.

He is set to be in competition with homegrown talent Conor Bradley, 21, for the right-back spot.

Frimpong will increase the Dutch influence at Anfield, alongside captain Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo.

Kop boss Slot, who took over from Jurgen Klopp and won the league title during his first season in charge, is also from the Netherlands.

Liverpool are also closing in on a second high-profile signing from Leverkusen — midfielder Florian Wirtz.

The German sensation’s parents met Anfield officials a fortnight ago.

And Slot’s men appear to be edging out Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich in the race for the £126million-rated midfielder.

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Manchester City initially held an interest in Wirtz but withdrew from the transfer race last week.

City had considered signing him as a replacement for the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne.

However, the overall cost of a potential deal was deemed too high.

The Cityzens were said to be concerned that such a move would not represent good value for money.

MOLLY-MAE Hague is celebrating turning 26 in serious style – by jetting off to Disneyland Paris in a private plane.

The former Love Island star is pulling out all the stops for her big day, whisking herself away for a magical trip full of fairy-tale fun and first-class luxury.

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Molly-Mae gave fans a glimpse into the lavish getaway – complete with champagne on board and a Mickey Mouse cake.

Wearing Minnie Mouse ears and a designer outfit, the star looked every inch the birthday princess as she soaked up the magic of Disney in VIP style.

The influencer shared snaps of the her and her daughter Bambi posing in the park, calling the trip “the most perfect birthday eve.”

It comes just days after she was rushed to hospital after returning from a Dubai holiday with Tommy Fury.

In a YouTube video, Molly-Mae described the ordeal as a “weird bad dream”  and how it was completely out of character for her to speak about it so candidly.

She also told how it came just hours after she’d been pictured rowing with fiancé Tommy, 26.

The former PrettyLittleThing creative director explained that after arriving back in the UK, she had very little movement for two days – first due to the long-haul flight, then sitting through a seven-hour hair appointment.

Along with dehydration and stress from travelling with her daughter Bambi, two, this led to severe pain in her left leg.

Molly-Mae said at the time: “Basically yesterday I thought I had a blood clot and half of today I thought I had a blood clot in my leg.

“Obviously flying home from Dubai I was on the plane for like nearly eight hours… I didn’t drink like hardly any water. You know when you’re in mum mode and you’re just not really thinking like you’re trying to tame your child.”

She began to panic after feeling excruciating pain in the back of her knee that moved into her calf and foot.

After turning to ChatGPT to query the symptoms only made her more anxious, she then phoned 111.

From there, Molly-Mae was then told by a doctor to go straight to A&E.

She continued: “I was in so much pain, like it was in the back of my knee, so so strong. Like it didn’t feel like a dead leg, it was like a sharp stabbing pain…

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“Then it’s moving down into my calf, into my ankle, into my foot, like my whole calf is just in so much pain.”

The reality star described the hospital as “absolutely packed” and “such a sad environment”, saying she waited four hours before being told it would be another hour for a blood test – and then three more hours to get results.

Despite being advised by staff to stay, Molly decided to leave, worried about getting home in time to look after Bambi.

She said: “I need to leave. Like I can’t stay here any longer… We had like nothing with us this morning.”

Molly-Mae admitted upon waking up the the next day, the pain had mostly subsided, and she tried to carry on as normal – until she was hit with a wave of dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath later that afternoon.

She described: “I had this awful awful like dizzy spell where the room was spinning. I thought I was going to vomit… I had this really really funny time where I was like I couldn’t breathe properly… almost like a bit of a panic attack but like it was just horrible.”

The star went back to hospital and underwent a full round of tests, where, thankfully, everything came back clear.

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