Yameen sworn in as new Maldivian President

Male, November 17
Abdulla Yameen was today sworn in as the sixth President of the Maldives after a shock run-off victory over favourite Mohammed Nasheed, ending nearly two years of political turmoil that plagued the nascent democracy and raised international concerns over the country's future. Yameen, the half-brother of former ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom -- an autocrat who ruled the scenic island nation with an iron hand for 30 years -- was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Ahmad Faiz at a special session of Parliament. He was given a 21-gun salute. Mohammad Jameel was sworn in as vice-president.
Yameen, an economist and a candidate of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), clinched an unexpected victory in the presidential run-off yesterday by receiving 51.39 per cent of the votes over Opposition leader and former president Mohammed Nasheed, who garnered 48.61 per cent of the votes.
In his inaugural speech, Yameen said he will protect the gateway to Maldives, a popular tourist destination. "I shall strive to make the Maldives the safest and most developed nation in the region. We will maintain good neighbourly relations with countries in the region," he said.
Two former presidents -- Nasheed and Maumoon -- also attended the swearing in ceremony.
Sworn in as the second democratically elected president of the Maldives, Yameen (54) is a four-time member of the People's Majlis (Parliament) and was the presidential candidate of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), which was formed after the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) was split following an acrimonious falling out between Gayoom and his anointed successor, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.
Yameen was born in Male on May 21, 1959. His father is Abdul Qayyoom Ibrahim, a former Attorney General. His elder brother Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom served as President of the Maldives between 1978 and 2008 and is considered a dictator by rights groups and opponents.
After completing his school education in the Maldives, Yameen studied in the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and got a Bachelors' degree in Business Administration. He later did his post-graduation in public policy from the Claremont Graduate University in California.
Yameen and his wife have three children. He had previously headed both the State Electric Company and the State Trading Organisation under Gayoom's administration.
Yameen - together with rival presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim - were briefly arrested during Mohamed Nasheed's presidency in June 2010 on charges of bribery and attempting to topple the government. 
Manmohan assures India’s full support
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday assured Maldives new President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom of India's full support in his endeavour to provide peaceful future for the people of the Indian Ocean archipelago
In a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said it looked forward to cooperating with the new leader of the Maldives and his government

ਕਾਠਮੰਡੂ ‘ਚ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਨਾਨਕਮੱਠ ਵਿਖੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਪੱਧਰ ‘ਤੇ ਮਨਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ

ਕਾਠਮੰਡੂ - ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ ਕਾਠਮੰਡੂ ਸਥਿਤ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕਮੱਠ ਵਿਖੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਵਾਰ ਬਹੁਤ ਵੱਡੇ ਪੱਧਰ ‘ਤੇ ਮਨਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ‘ਤੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਅਖੰਡ ਪਾਠ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੇ ਭੋਗ ਪਾਏ ਗਏ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰੀ ਦੀਵਾਨ ਸਜਾਏ ਗਏ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ‘ਚ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਦੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਵਰਖਾ ਹੋਈ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਸਮਾਰੋਹਾਂ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਦੁਬਈ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਉਦਯੋਗਪਤੀ ਐੱਸ. ਪੀ. ਓਬਰਾਏ ਨੇ ਸਮੂਹ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ।

ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ ਕਾਠਮੰਡੂ ‘ਚ ਸਥਿਤ ਇਤਿਹਾਸਿਕ ਗੁਰਧਾਮ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਮੱਠ (ਵਿਸ਼ਣੂਮਤੀ) ਵਿਖੇ ਮਨਾਏ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ 544 ਵੇਂ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੇ ਮੌਕੇ ‘ਤੇ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਬਾਬੂ ਰਾਮ ਭੱਟਰਾਏ ਦੀ ਧਰਮ ਪਤਨੀ ਸ਼੍ਰੀਮਤੀ ਹਿਸਿਲਾ ਯਾਮਹੀ ਨੇ ਸਮੂਹ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਲੱਖ-ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ। ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਯਾਤਰਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਸੰਬੰਧਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਜ਼ਬੂਤ ਕੀਤਾ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀ ਸੰਗਤ ‘ਤੇ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਪਰਉਪਕਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੱਚ ਦਾ ਰਸਤਾ ਦਿਖਾਇਆ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਹਲਕੇ ‘ਚ ਸਥਿਤ ਇਸ ਗੁਰਧਾਮ ਨੂੰ ਸਭ ਸਹੂਲਤਾਂ ਮੁਹੱਈਆ ਕਰਵਾਈਆਂ ਜਾਣਗੀਆਂ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਇਸ ਦੀ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਉਸਾਰੀ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਸ਼ਾਲ ਨਿਰਮਾਣ ਕਾਰਜ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ ਤਾਂ ਜੋ ਦੇਸ਼-ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀਆਂ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਇੱਥੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਨਤਮਸਤਕ ਹੋ ਸਕਣ।  ਨੇਪਾਲ ‘ਚ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਰਾਜਦੂਤ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਰਣਜੀਤ ਰਾਏ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਮੱਠ ਬਹੁਤ ਇਤਿਹਾਸਕ ਮਹੱਤਵ ਰੱਖਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਸੰਬੰਧ ‘ਚ ਸ. ਐੱਸ. ਪੀ. ਸਿੰਘ ਓਬਰਾਏ ਵਲੋਂ ਜੋ ਸੇਵਾ ਨਿਭਾਈ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦਾ ਇਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਯੋਗਦਾਨ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਕਾਠਮੰਡੂ ਸਥਿਤ ਗੁਰਧਾਮਾਂ ਦੀ ਉਸਾਰੀ ਨਾਲ ਇੱਥੇ ਸੰਸਾਰ ਭਰ ਦੀ ਸੰਗਤ ਆਕਰਸ਼ਤ ਹੋਵੇਗੀ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਨਾਲ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਆਰਥਿਕਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੁੰਗਾਰਾ ਮਿਲੇਗਾ।
ਪੁਡੂਚੇਰੀ ਦੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਗਵਰਨਰ ਸ. ਇਕਬਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਸਮੂਹ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ ਦਿੰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਹੀ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਨੇਕ ਇਨਸਾਨ ਬਣਦਾ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ‘ਤੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਮਾਤਾ ਦਾ ਆਸ਼ੀਰਵਾਦ ਹੋਵੇ ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਗੁਰੂ ਵਲੋਂ ਦਿਖਾਏ ਰਸਤੇ ‘ਤੇ ਚੱਲੇ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸਮੂਹ ਸੰਗਤ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਸਰਬੱਤ ਦਾ ਭਲਾ ਮੰਗਣ ਦੀ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਦਿੱਤੀ। ਜੰਮੂ-ਕਸ਼ਮੀਰ ਦੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਕੈਬਨਿਟ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਸ. ਰਣਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਯਾਤਰਾ ‘ਤੇ ਵਿਸਥਾਰ ਪੂਰਵਕ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਨੇ 500 ਸਾਲਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਵੀ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਦਾ ਸੰਬੰਧ ਸਿੱਖ ਪੰਥ ਨਾਲ ਜੋੜ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਸੀ। ਮੋਹਾਲੀ ਦੇ ਆਈ. ਪੀ. ਐੱਸ. ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ ਸ. ਹਰਚਰਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਭੁੱਲਰ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ‘ਤੇ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਨੇਪਾਲ ‘ਚ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਥੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਦੀ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਈਕਰਾਉਣੀ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਗਤਕੇ ਦੀ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਵੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਜਾਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ।

ਗੁਰਦੁਅਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਨਗਰ ਜਲੰਧਰ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਜਗਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਾਪਾ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨ ਵਲੋਂ ਚਲਾਈ ਗਈ ਲੰਗਰ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਥਾ ਅੱਜ ਸੰਸਾਰ ‘ਚ ਇੰਨੀ ਫੈਲ ਚੁੱਕੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਰੋਜ਼ਾਨਾ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਸਥਾਨਾਂ ‘ਚ 8 ਕਰੋੜ ਸ਼ਰਧਾਲੂ ਭੋਜਨ ਛਕਦੇ ਹਨ। ‘ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲਾ’ ਦੇ ਸੰਪਾਦਕ ਜਗਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਦਰਦੀ ਨੇ ਗੁਰੁਦਆਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਮੱਠ ਦੇ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਤੋਂ ਸੰਗਤ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਣੂ ਕਰਵਾਇਆ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਐੱਸ. ਪੀ. ਸਿੰਘ ਓਬਰਾਏ ਅਤੇ ਸ. ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ ਯਤਨਾਂ ਸਦਕਾ 100 ਕਰੋੜ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ ਦਾ ਮਾਸਟਰ ਪਲਾਨ ਤਿਆਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ਨਾਲ ਇਸ ਗੁਰਧਾਮ ਦਾ ਖੂਬਸੂਰਤ ਨਿਰਮਾਣ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ। ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਵਲੋਂ ਆਈਆਂ ਸ਼ਖਸੀਅਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਿਰੋਪਾਓ ਭੇਂਟ ਕਰਕੇ ਸਨਮਾਨਿਤ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ‘ਤੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਡੀ. ਜੀ. ਪੀ. ਮਹਿਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਭੁੱਲਰ, ਐੱਸ. ਪੀ. ਆਹਲੂਵਾਲੀਆ, ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਦੂਖ ਨਿਵਾਰਨ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਲੁਧਿਆਣਾ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਿਤਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਸ਼ਖਸ਼ੀਅਤਾਂ ਮੌਜੂਦ ਸਨ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਤੋਂ ਆਏ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਰਾਗੀ ਜੱਥਿਆ ਨੇ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਰਸ-ਭਿੰਨਾ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਿਹਾਲ ਕੀਤਾ।

ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਸਮਾਗਮਾਂ ‘ਚ ਨੇਪਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਜੰਮੂ-ਕਸ਼ਮੀਰ ਤੋਂ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੋਈਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਪਾਵਨ ਅਸਥਾਨ ਦੇ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕੀਤੇ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਕੇ ਲੰਗਰ ਅਤੁੱਟ ਵਰਤਾਏ ਗਏ। ਸਮਾਗਮਾਂ ‘ਚ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਲੈਣ ਲਈ ਦੇਸ਼-ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ ਤੋਂ ਭਾਰੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ ‘ਚ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਇੱਥੇ ਪਹੁੰਚੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਘਰ ਦੀਆਂ ਖੁਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ।

Sachin Tendulkar to be awarded Bharat Ratna

MUMBAI, Nov 16, 2013 (TNP): The Government of India on Saturday decided to award the Bharat Ratna to Sachin Tendulkar, who incidentally retired the same day in the morning after playing his 200th Test in Mumbai. 

Crowned with India's top civilian honour, Sachin Tendulkar goes down in history as the first sportsperson and the youngest recipient of the award till date, surpassing late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's record.

He will also become the ninth person from Maharashtra to join the exclusive club of 43 Bharat Ratna awardees till date, which includes a galaxy of presidents, prime ministers, Nobel laureates, scientists and artistes.

While Rajiv Gandhi held the record for being the youngest Bharat Ratna awardee, posthumously at the age of 47, Sachin, now 40, has pulled down the record even further.

People from Maharashtra - either those born here, or who lived and worked here to contribute to the nation have bagged the lion's share of the Bharat Ratnas announced till date.

Some of them include: the Father of Indian Constitution, B R Ambedkar, Vinoba Bhave,Morarji Desai, Pandurang Vaman Kane, Dhondo Keshav Karve, Lata Mangeshkar, J R D Tata and Bhimsen Joshi.

The latest entrant on the list is Sachin Tendulkar - a true blooded Mumbaikar like Lata Mangeshkar, another awardee who was named in 2001.

In fact, the late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, though hailing from Karnataka, but spent a better part of his life and shaped his career in Maharashtra, was the last recipient of Bharat Ratna in 2008.

The first Bharat Ratna, coming after nearly six years, has gone to a Mumbaikar and the city now boasts of two living Bharat Ratna legends — Lata and Sachin.

The Community Kitchen at the Golden Temple Feeds up to 100,000 People a Day for Free

Amritsar - Free kitchen in Punjab, India run at the Sikhs’ holiest shrine produces 200,000 flat breads      
( Fulke) and 1.5 tonnes of lentil soup daily (Daal) .

Two hundred thousand rotis (Indian flat bread), 1.5 tonnes of dal (lentil soup) and free food served to 100,000 people everyday are what makes the free kitchen run at the Sri Darbar Sahib  in the western Indian city of Amritsar stand apart.

By all measures, the kitchen (called langar in Punjabi ) is one of the largest free kitchens to be run anywhere in the world.

The concept of langars was initiated centuries ago by Sri  Guru Nanak Sahib, the founder of Sikh religion.

 Sunday, November 17, is his 545th birth anniversary.

 At the Langar, no one goes hungry – and everybody gets a hot meal regardless of caste, creed and religion.

All Sikh Gurudwaras (places of worship) have langars, but the one at Golden Temple – Sikhs’ holiest shrine – has little parallel.

The Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), located in the city of Amritsar, India is a Sikh gurdwara (place of worship). It is the most well-known gurdwara and is considered a sacred place by Sikhs. It was first constructed in 1604 and was later rebuilt in 1764.

Located inside many gurdwaras are common kitchens/canteens known as a langar. At the langar, food is served to all visitors regardless of faith or background. Vegetarian food is often served to ensure that all people, even those with dietary restrictions, can eat together as equals.

The largest langar is found at the Golden Temple. It typically feeds roughly 40,000 people a day for free. On religious holidays and weekends, the langar can feed upwards of 100,000 people a day. This incredible feat is made possible through donations and volunteers. Below you will learn about the entire process at the Golden Temple from preparation to cleaning.

“Anyone can eat for free here and on an average we serve food to 100,000 people. On weekends and special occasions double the numbers of people visit the langar. The langar never stops and on an average 7,000 kg of wheat flour, 1,200 kg of rice, 1,300 kg of lentils, 500 kg of ghee (clarified butter) is used in preparing the meal every day,” says Harpreet Singh, manager of this huge kitchen.

“The free kitchen uses firewood, LPG gas and electronic bread makers for the cooking and we use around 100 LPG cylinders and 5,000 kilograms of firewood every day,” he adds.

 The kitchen is run by 450 staff, helped by hundreds of other volunteers.

Sanjay Arora, 46, from New Delhi, comes to volunteer at the langar two days a month. “This is seva (service) for me. I feel happy after doing this service. This is not just free food because here you forget all the differences that separate humans from each other,” he says.

Volunteers also wash the 300,000 plates, spoons and bowls used in feeding the people. The food is vegetarian and the expenses are managed through donations from all over the world.

The yearly budget of the langar runs into hundreds of millions.

David Cameron prepares chapatti for a communal vegetarian meal at a langar during his visit to the Golden Temple.

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Boeing airliner crashes in Russian city of Kazan, all 50 on board killed

MOSCOW (TNP) - A Russian passenger airliner crashed Sunday night while trying to land at the airport in the city of Kazan, killing all 50 people aboard, officials said.

The Boeing 737 belonging to Tatarstan Airlines crashed about 7:20 p.m. local time,, an hour after taking off from Moscow. There were no immediate indications of the cause.

Reports said the plane appeared to lose altitude as it was making a second landing attempt, crashing and catching fire. State television showed a nighttime photograph of firefighters at the side of the aircraft after the flames had been extinguished.

The son of the president of the oil-rich province of Tatarstan and the regional head of the FSB intelligence service were named among those killed when the plane exploded in a ball of fire on hitting the runway.

Kazan, the capital of the Tatarstan republic, is about 720 kilometres east of Moscow. Weather in Kazan was reported to be light precipitation and winds of about 8 metres per second.

A spokeswoman for the Emergencies Ministry, Irina Rossius, said there were 44 passengers and six crew members aboard and all had been killed.

A journalist who said she had flown on the same aircraft from Kazan to Moscow's Domodedovo airport earlier in the day told Channel One state television that the landing in Moscow had been frightening because of a strong vibration during the final minutes of the flight.

Pictures showed charred wreckage scattered over a wide area, apparently taken after firefighters had extinguished the fire. Russian television broadcast a blurred video showing a bright flash of light. It also published a photo of the plane's gaping fuselage with firefighters in the foreground.

The Tatarstan airlines flight from Moscow had been trying to abort its landing in order to make a second approach when it crashed, killing all 44 passengers and six crew on board, emergency officials said.

Flight U363 took off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport at 6:25 pm (1425 GMT) and crashed just over an hour later, emergency officials said. The leased plane was 23 years old.

According to local reports, the Boeing lost altitude quickly and its fuel tank exploded on impact.

There were high winds and above-zero temperatures over the airport in central Russia. Flights to and from the airport were halted until midday on Monday.

Kazan, which is about 500 miles east of Moscow, is the capital of the largely-Muslim, oil-rich region of Tatarstan. A new runway was built at the airport ahead of the World Student Games, held in the city earlier this year.

Russia will host the Winter Olympics in the southern city of Sochi early next year.

The son of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, Irek, was among those killed in the crash, as was the head of the regional Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Antonov, according to a passenger list whose authenticity was confirmed by the regional government.

Russia and the former Soviet republics combined have one of the world's worst air-traffic safety records, with a total accident rate almost three times the world average in 2011, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the disaster "a frightening tragedy", offering his condolences to the relatives of the victims in a Tweet on Sunday.

State television showed images of a woman scanning a list of passenger names posted outside the airport and crumbling into tears as she apparently recognized one.

Boeing officials had no immediate comment on the circumstances of the crash, but issued a statement.

"Boeing's thoughts are with those affected by the crash of the Tartarstan aircompany flight. Boeing is prepared to provide technical assistance to the investigating authority as it investigates the accident."

SPRAWLING COUNTRY

Russia spans nine time zones, from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific across large areas of largely uninhabited land, making efficient air and train links especially important to the country's economy.

In Soviet times, flag carrier Aeroflot had a virtual monopoly of the airline industry, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a multitude of small private companies emerged.

A spokesman for state aviation oversight agency Rosaviatsia said authorities would search for the flight recorders.

"The plane touched the ground and burst into flame," Sergei Izvolsky said. "The cause of the crash as of now is unknown."

The plane had been forced to make an emergency landing a year earlier on November 26 due to problems with "cabin depressurization" shortly after take off, a law enforcement source told Interfax news agency. No one was hurt.

IATA said last year that global airline safety had improved but that accident rates had risen in Russia and the ex-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States.

The last fatal airliner crash was in December, when a Russian-made Tupolev belonging to Red Wings airline careered off the runway at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, rolled across a snowy field and slammed into the slope of a nearby highway, breaking into pieces and catching fire. Investigators say equipment failure caused the crash, which killed five people.

In April 2012, at least 31 people were killed when a Russian passenger plane crashed after take-off in Siberia.

In September 2011, a Yak-42 passenger jet carrying members of a major league ice hockey team came down shortly after takeoff and burst into flames near the Russian city of Yaroslavl, killing 44 people.

The Boeing 737 is the world's most popular passenger jet in commercial use today. There have been 170 crashes involving this model of aircraft since it came into use.

In the Russian city of Perm in 2008, a Boeing 737 exploded a kilometer above the ground, killing 88 people.

Abu Dhabi Etihad places mega $25.2 billion Boeing order

DUBAI (TNP) - Etihad Airways on Sunday placed an order worth $25.2 billion at list prices for Boeing Co. planes, becoming the second customer to snap up its revamped 777 jetliner. Etihad at the Dubai air show said it had made a firm order for 56 Boeing aircraft and had the option to buy an additional 26 planes for its cargo fleet, it said in a statement.

Taking advantage of deep pockets and a geographically strategic position between East and West, Gulf airlines are expanding rapidly and diverting long-haul traffic from airlines in Europe, the United States and parts of Asia.

Etihad has options and purchase rights for 26 additional airplanes from the U.S. plane maker, it said, including rights for 12 additional 777X airplanes and 12 additional 787-10s.

Etihad became the first airline to order the 777-8X and will be a launch customer of the airplane, which is expected to enter service around the end of the decade, it said.

"We rarely make announcements at the airshow but when we do, the world takes notice," said Etihad's Chief Executive James Hogan, speaking at a news conference.

When Sunday's order is combined with the carrier's previous order for 41 787-9s, Etihad Airways becomes the world's largest airline customer for the Dreamliner family with a total of 71 787s on order.

The 787-10 is the newest and largest member of the 787 Dreamliner family.

Etihad's order pre-empted a widely expected blockbuster deal for 100 or more 777X jets from rival Emirates Airline (:EMIRA.UL), which says it will order more planes at the show.

Boeing (:BA.N) looks set to dominate the Airshow with more than $100 billion of deals as it aims to launch its latest long-haul jet with up to 250 potential orders from as many as five airlines, industry sources have said.

Credits:Reuters