BERLIN (AP) — Volkswagen reported weak sales numbers on Friday, a day after the giant German automaker announced plans to slash the number of models by nearly half as sales plunged, particularly in China.

The Wolfsburg, Germany-based company said group sales fell 8.6% in the second quarter to just under 2.1 million vehicles, with sales in China alone plummeted by more than one-third.

After a board meeting on Thursday, Volkswagen said its “fundamental realignment” over the last three years had reached its next phase, announcing plans to streamline the model lineup by up to half, without providing specifics.

CEO Oliver Blume laid out plans to make VW faster and more competitive through less complexity, focused technologies, better alignment across regional markets and reduction of overcapacities, among other things, citing an “increasingly demanding environment.”

Among its main brands, the core Volkswagen unit saw deliveries of slightly over 1 million vehicles in the second quarter, a drop of 14% from a year earlier. Deliveries at Audi declined 8% and those at Porsche fell 18%.

Lamborghini, Skoda and the trucks unit reported upticks, and sales grew in the Americas and Europe.

Volkswagen cited dramatic change over the last year, including geopolitical tensions, rising costs mainly through tariffs, and increasing regulatory requirements alongside growing competition.

As recently as December, Volkswagen was betting big on China, where electric cars have been taking a greater market share and competition is stiff.

Research firm BernsteinSG, in a note after Thursday’s announcement, expressed skepticism. “VW stated that it is extending its technology leadership, a claim that will likely raise eyebrows given the pace of innovation among its Chinese competitors,” it said.

Also Thursday, hundreds of employees led a protest outside the Volkswagen plant in Zwickau to demand protections for jobs and voice opposition to plans to close the site. The factory has fully switched to making electric cars.

Two people escaped injury

A number of shots were reportedly fired at a home in Co Antrim with police treating the incident as attempted murder.

The PSNI said it received a report at around 11.25pm on Thursday, July 9, that shots had been fired at a house in the Craigahullier area of Portrush just before 11pm.

Police say they are also investigating the circumstances surrounding a burnt-out car found in the forest area just off the Conogher Road in Ballymoney in the early hours of Friday, which they believe may be connected to the shooting.

Detective Inspector Connolly said: “Two people were present in the property when this occurred; however, thankfully, there were no reports of any injuries.

“Officers subsequently attended the scene and conducted a search of the area. A number of shots had been fired at two bedroom windows of the house, as well as at the front door.

“Our enquiries are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, which we’re treating as attempted murder.

“We’re also investigating the circumstances surrounding a burnt-out car found in the forest area just off the Conogher Road in Ballymoney in the early hours of this morning, Friday, 10 ^th July, which we believe may be connected to the shooting.

“We would therefore appeal to anyone who was in the Craigahullier area on Thursday night, or who saw a Volkswagen Passat or a Volkswagen Jetta in the Portrush or Ballymoney area that night or in the early hours of Friday morning, to contact police using our witness appeal form at https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals, quoting reference 1850 of 09/07/26.

“We’re keen to speak with anyone who might have seen anything suspicious in both areas, or who might have any information which could assist with our investigations – including dash-cam, CCTV or other footage.”

Alternatively, you can call the 101 number or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.

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The Dublin club, League of Ireland champions two seasons ago under Damien Duff, sacked Joey O’Brien two weeks ago

David Healy is in talks with League of Ireland giants Shelbourne about becoming their new manager, according to reports.

The Dublin club, League of Ireland champions two seasons ago under Damien Duff, sacked Joey O’Brien two weeks ago.

Shels sit fifth in the League of Ireland Premier Division after 24 games, a whopping 16 points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers.

Tolka Park chiefs have now approached Healy and begun preliminary discussions, according to the Irish Examiner.

The Blues boss was in Estonia on Thursday night, as Linfield lost 1-0 to Nõmme Kalju in the first leg of their Europa Conference League tie.

The winners of that tie will play Shelbourne in the next round.

Linfield and Shels were drawn together twice in European action last year, with the Dublin side coming out on top both times.

Shels won 2-1 on aggregate in the Champions League qualifier, before a 5-1 triumph in the Conference League play-off last August.

Afterwards, Healy spoke about the growing gulf between sides on either side of the Irish border.

“The gap between the leagues is big,” said the former Manchester United, leeds United, Sunderland, Rangers and Linfield striker, who scored 36 goals in 95 Northern Ireland appearances.

“I don’t know how big but you look at how Shamrock Rovers did in Europe last year and Shels are there now.

“People will say our league should be full-time, whether the opposition at times can be a little stronger to prepare you for games like this?

Healy took charge of Linfield in 2015 and has won six league titles since then.

However, they endured a difficult campaign last season, with Healy coming in for criticism from some sections of the fanbase.

The 46-year-old was close to joining Scottish side Raith Rovers two years ago, while it’s believed Dundee also spoke to Healy about taking over as manager.

Healy is contracted with the Windsor Park club until 2028.

At the end of last season, he spoke of the need for investment at the club.

“The challenge is great,” Healy said in May. “It’s bigger than it’s ever been now, with the clubs who have investors, benefactors, whatever people want to call them.

“The challenge is greater now, we have to do things a little bit differently. I have to prepare the team a little bit differently going forward into next year.

“Everybody talks about big budgets; we’re potentially going to be fourth biggest budget in the league. So the demands are still going to be here for the football club, we need to do things a little bit better, a little bit sharper.”

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Prince Harry embraced British TV star Alison Hammond and told her he loves his family on live TV at an event in Birmingham that Meghan Markle had originally planned to attend.

The Duke of Sussex also raced the This Morning and Bake Off host and his friend JJ Chalmers in a game of laser tag as he promoted the Invictus Games, amid reports that his wife and their two children will join him in the UK.

Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are not expected to take part in any public engagements, although discussions about a possible reunion with King Charles in the coming days are ongoing.

Harry gave an interview with Alison for ITV, where he spoke passionately about Invictus before admitting that Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are ‘proud’ of his work for wounded veterans.

The Duchess of Sussex had hoped to support Harry at today’s ‘One Year to Go’ event at the NEC, but she did not travel to Britain with him earlier this week because of security concerns. 

She and the children have been holidaying in Europe – but there are reports they will fly in for the weekend.

Speaking live on This Morning, Alison told her friend Harry: ‘Honestly, your kids and Meghan must be so proud of you. Do they tell you every day?’

Harry smiled and replied: ‘They don’t tell me every day that they’re proud of me, but yeah, I’m proud of them, they’re proud of me. I love my family.’

He also said he was ‘excited’ to be in Birmingham and it was ‘great’, given the Midlands city was the ‘centrepoint where so many of the wounded soldiers came back through from Afghanistan’.

The Duke of Sussex is greeted by Alison Hammond, during a visit to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC)

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The Duke of Sussex took on the This Morning presenter in a laser gun event

Harry, Alison and JJ Chalmers also did a running race around the NEC

Prince Harry takes part in a pickleball match during an event to mark the ‘Invictus Games Birmingham 2027: One Year To Go’, at the NEC in Birmingham today

Harry posed for selfies at today’s event

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He added: ‘Being here back in Birmingham means a hell of a lot to most of these guys’, saying it was a ‘real homecoming for some of them’. The Duke also said there was ‘resilience in every single one of us’ and hoped Invictus will inspire more people with both physical and mental injuries.

In a light-hearted interview, Alison Hammond invited the prince to her house in Birmingham for ackee and saltfish – but said she needed to tidy up first. He joked that he would happily bleach her toilet.

Harry also called football ‘soccer’ when talking about the World Cup quarter-finals before apologising and correcting himself.

Ms Hammond said: ‘You can watch it at my house.’ Harry, who called himself Alison’s ‘biggest fan’, said: ‘Er, maybe.’

Alison then said: ‘Have a think about it. I’ll go and get everything ready in the house, a little tidy up. Bleach the toilets.’

Harry replied: ‘Okay, why does it need tidying up? I’ll bleach your toilet for you. For you, anything.’ 

He also told Alison: ‘By the way my kids love Junior Bake Off.’

With Arthur Fery in the Wimbledon semi-final today, Harry showed off his racquet skills when he tried pickleball – an alternative to tennis – at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in the Second City.

Meghan is now widely expected to travel to Britain with Archie and Lilibet, with some claiming they are already here, fuelling speculation that the King could finally meet his California-based grandchildren for the first time in four years.

Helen Helliwell, chief executive of Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, opened the event by saying: ‘Invictus has always been more than a week of games.’

She added: ‘It transforms lives not only for competitors but for their families.’

Harry was joined by This Morning and Great British Bake Off host Alison Hammond, who is from Birmingham, and TV presenter Ade Adepitan, who won a bronze with the GB basketball team at the 2004 Paralympics.

The duke joined a partner on court to compete against another pair in pickleball, which will make an appearance when the games are staged in Birmingham next year.

Harry was clearly enjoying himself at the ‘One Year to Go‘ event, with one particularly funny moment where he went to shake hands with an opponent and pulled away his hand, sparking roars of laughter.

Harry was later joined by former defence minister Al Cairns to compete in a game of wheelchair rugby where he was seen clattering into other competitors.

At one point he threw a blind pass over his head straight into the arms of a teammate, who crossed the try-line, a move praised by TV presenter Ade Adepitan who won a bronze with the GB basketball team at the 2004 Paralympics.

Mr Adepitan, said about wheelchair rugby, a favourite sport among fans at past Invictus Games: ‘This is a fantastic exhibition, a fantastic opportunity for people who’ve never seen the sport and never seen these athletes compete.

‘And you know, when you’re on there, you’ve got to do it justice.’

Harry then watched on as veterans, including Mr Cairns, took part in a hybrid athletics event, where the Duke chuckled at the MP’s efforts to jump repeatedly on to a box.

The royal, who arrived in London on Monday, has not been joined in the UK by Meghan or their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet due to a row over security.

However, it was last night reported that the Duchess of Sussex and the children could be coming to the UK this weekend, although the trio are not expected to be seen at any public engagements.

If, as expected, the Sussexes make their home at Althorp, the ancestral home of Harry’s maternal family, the Spencers, for the next couple of days, it may be that a meeting with King Charles doesn’t take place until this weekend – or possibly even Monday, before His Majesty embarks on another busy week of engagements.

Highgrove, Sandringham or Windsor could be a venue, as Harry has made clear he won’t bring his family to London because he is convinced it is ‘unsafe’.

The Duke of Sussex yesterday met seriously ill children and nurses at Birmingham Children’s Hospital as his five-day trip to Britain continued.

Harry toured the wards as he marked the 20th anniversary of the hospital’s WellChild Nurse programme, having been patron of the charity for 18 years.

Harry and Alison hatched a plan to watch the football later, which Harry called ‘soccer’ before apologising

Harry participates in Wheelchair Rugby during the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, One Year To Go Event at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham

Harry was clearly enjoying himself, cheering on a fine shot in the match

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The Duke of Sussex also feigned being over competitive about the match, jokingly berating a teammate and also made everyone laugh by refusing to shake an opponent’s hand

Harry is towards the end of a five-day trip to the UK

It has been reported Meghan could make her first return to the UK since 2022, accompanied by her children Prince Archie, seven, and five-year-old Lilibet, in time for the weekend – but will not be seen in public

Harry’s visit to the UK is part of the ‘One Year to Go‘ celebrations for the next Invictus Games in the city in July 2027.

On Wednesday, he was also at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for meetings about the Invictus Games Foundation, including a summit for international team managers. 

They spoke about plans for the Invictus Spirit Awards in the capital this September.

While Harry was in Birmingham, other members of the Royal Family carried on with a busy series of summer engagements – with the duke’s estranged brother Prince William travelling to Hastings on Thursday to meet a fishing community as well as local youth-led and community-driven organisations.

In Birmingham yesterday, Harry was surrounded by nurses when he visited the hospital and spoke about the ‘financial difficulties’ facing the NHS.

Harry was highlighting WellChild’s specialist nursing programme, helping seriously ill children and their families transition from the hospital to their homes.

His appearance caused excitement in the hospital corridors, with one female medic receiving a hug.

Families asked for pictures and the duke posed for a group shot with around a dozen nurses, telling them: ‘Thank you for everything you do.’

Harry met two nurses funded by WellChild, which facilitates the early discharge of children by teaching their parents the skills needed to provide care at home, and met some of the young patients.

In a lighter moment the duke revealed his son’s love of toy building bricks when he shared stories with Alec Hill, 12, and his parents.

‘Do you know who’s obsessed with Lego? My son Archie – and he’s a master builder,’ said Harry.

Harry’s five-day visit to the UK, which moved to Birmingham yesterday, is part of the ‘One Year to Go’ celebrations for the next Invictus Games in the city in July 2027.

EL-ALAMEIN, Egypt (AP) — Thousands of fans turned out to greet Egypt’s national soccer team on its return home Friday after its World Cup adventure ended with a 3-2 loss to Argentina in the knockout stage of the tournament.

Crowds gathered at the el-Alamein airport, waving photos of star player Mohamed Salah and holding signs celebrating the team’s achievements as they cheered the players’ return.

Egypt made it to the last 16 teams in the tournament for the first time after beating Australia 4-2 on penalty kicks, led by Salah.

The players are expected to meet Saturday with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who thanked the team in a Facebook statement on Tuesday “for their honorable performance and for achieving an unprecedented milestone in the history of Egyptian soccer.”

Emotions ran high across Egypt on Tuesday as supporters gathered in coffee shops, homes and public squares to watch the match against Argentina, with Egyptian flags draped from balconies, storefronts and streets.

The Egyptian Football Association, or EFA, said Wednesday that it’s deeply dissatisfied with the refereeing in Tuesday’s match and decisions related to the Video Assistant Referee, or VAR system.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and several players criticized the referees after Argentina scored three unanswered goals in 13 minutes to pull off one of the biggest comebacks in World Cup history.

“Defending the rights and interests of the Egyptian national team is not a matter that can be ignored, minimized, or treated as secondary,” the EFA said in a statement.

In a statement issued later Wednesday, the head of refereeing for soccer’s world governing body FIFA, Pierluigi Collina, said the debate over decisions is a natural part of soccer, but stressed that “unfounded allegations have no place in our sport.”

“Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials,” he said. “When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.”

————-

Khaled reported from Cairo

Beyond Housing has donated 529 retired work mobiles to Protech City Ltd, a technology recycling firm based in Peterlee, to support continuous glucose monitoring for young diabetes patients in North East England and North Cumbria.

The refurbished phones will be used to receive real-time alerts from continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), which track blood sugar levels and warn families if readings become dangerously high or low.

Phil Harrison, ICT service desk advisor at Beyond Housing, said: “This was a practical way for us to make sure these phones could go on to have a real purpose after they were no longer needed by Beyond Housing.

“Every device had to be processed properly and securely, but the team was determined to do it because we knew the difference these phones could make to children and families at a very difficult point in their lives.

“It is brilliant to know that these devices will now help young people across the region access technology which can support them in managing their diabetes.”

The donation is expected to provide enough devices to support newly diagnosed children for up to 18 months.

The scheme began after Mr Harrison sought a way to repurpose Beyond Housing’s decommissioned work mobiles, which are regularly replaced as part of the company’s cyber security policy.

After contacting the diabetes team at James Cook University Hospital, the project connected with Jenny Foster, network manager for the Children and Young People’s North East and North Cumbria Diabetes Network.

The network, in partnership with Protech City, refurbishes donated phones for children with type one diabetes.

Each device was securely wiped, logged, and cleared of SIM cards and removable storage by Beyond Housing’s ICT team before donation—a process that took six months.

Ian Murphy, CEO at Protech City Ltd, said: “Protech has proudly supported Jenny and the team at the Young People’s North East and North Cumbria Diabetes Network for many years.

“During that time, we have seen firsthand the positive difference that donations like this can make to the lives of young people and their families.

“Supporting such an important cause is something we are incredibly passionate about, and we are proud to continue contributing to the fantastic work the team delivers.”

For many families, access to a compatible mobile phone becomes an unexpected and urgent need during the early days of a type one diabetes diagnosis, often while the child is still in hospital.

Ms Foster said: “We are delighted by Beyond Housing’s generous donation.

“Having delivered this project over the past four years, ongoing support like this is vital.

“This contribution enables us to continue our partnership with Protech, ensuring all devices are safely certified for onward use, while helping us reach more families across the region who might otherwise struggle to access essential diabetes technology.

“The diabetes community across the North East and North Cumbria is extremely grateful for this support.”

The project is delivered in partnership with the Type 1 Kidz patient and parent support group based in Durham.

A Channel 5 presenter raised eyebrows after she made various on-air blunders while announcing the death of singer Bonnie Tyler.

The ’80s music legend died this week at age 75, with dozens of tributes pouring in praising her ‘extraordinary’ vocals and sparkling personality, with one person dubbing her the ‘funniest woman alive’.

As news channels rushed to announce the sad development to viewers at home, one presenter, Dani Sinha, ended up delivering a statement filled with errors and awkward moments.

The issues started early as she fumbled over the name of Tyler’s most iconic song, 1983 hit Total Eclipse of the Heart, instead calling it ‘Total Of Eclipse’.

‘Singer Bonnie Tyler has died at the age of 75,’ she began before pausing to check her papers, which rustled on the microphone throughout.

She then continued: ‘The Total Of Eclipse star had been previously placed in an induced coma after having emergency intestinal surgery near her home in Faro, Portugal. She was due to tour Europe later this year.’

The segment then cut to Bonnie performing the song, with the well-known lyrics ‘… Now I’m only falling apart.’

Then, however, the camera abruptly cut back to the studio, where Sinha was clearly not expecting to be on air. Instead, she was seen looking stern as she rolled her eyes and shook her head to someone out of sight.

Noticing the camera, she then quickly moved the segment along, bringing the news report back on track.

Fans were left put out by the error-riddled delivery of the news from start to finish.

‘Ouch that’s really bad. If you know they’re cutting back to you, keep it professional. Also, why was her mic still on to hear the papers rustling? Mess ups all round here,’ emmabrainofficial wrote on Instagram.

‘I think the presenter has been let down here.. just unfortunate whilst giving out this news but hey, mistakes happen and we’re all human..’ Tom Barnwell defended.

Many noted that the presenter was likely rolling her eyes at the issues she had faced before the camera cut away.

‘She was totally let down on autocue and the clip. She was frustrated with technical errors,’ Christieamz_photography posed.

‘I think the presenter was just having an off day where everything was going wrong,’ WilliamDyer31 added.

Others noted that exclusively clipping the part of Bonnie’s major hit where she sings ‘now I’m only falling apart’ was also in poor taste, given it was an announcement of her death.

It’s not the only news channel to slip up during a death announcement in recent weeks.

After iconic British artist David Hockney’s death, the 1pm BBC news bulletin showed a graphic on screen which read ‘David Hockney resigns’, which fans immediately picked up on.

Metro has reached out to Channel 5 for comment.

MORE: Remembering Bonnie Tyler’s iconic appearance in major UK soap

MORE: Bonnie Tyler’s chaotic Never Mind the Buzzcocks episode will go down in TV history

MORE: Vanessa Feltz’s new career move revealed after Channel 5 show axe

Holy Cross Catholic High School on Myles Standish Way is set to shut its doors at 1.15pm on July 10 in response to an amber heat health alert issued for the North West.

A spokesperson said temperatures in the classroom could exceed 38C, posing a health and safety issue for children.

A school spokesman said: “Because of the extreme weather and high temperatures, school is closing early on Friday, July 10.

“This is a health and safety matter because classroom temperatures are expected to exceed 38C.”

Parents were given 24 hours’ notice of the closure, and buses were rearranged to accommodate the early finish.

The school confirmed that pupils who were unable to be collected or travel home at 1.15pm will stay at school.

Decisions about how many staff should remain on site will be made once the number of pupils needing supervision is known, with some staff may be allowed to leave early to work from home.

The early closure follows an amber heat health alert, which remains in force across the North West until 9pm on July 12.

Significant impacts are likely across health and social care services, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.

Other concerns include increased pressure on healthcare services, overheating in care settings, medication management challenges, and potential staffing issues due to transport disruption.

There are also risks of travel delays and a rise in water-related incidents, including cold-water shock and drowning.

A Ryanair passenger was sucked up to his shoulders out of a shattered plane window during a flight, fellow travellers on board have claimed. 

With his head trapped outside the smashed window, nearby passengers held the man down to prevent more of his body being sucked further out of the aircraft mid-flight this morning.

The Boeing 737-800 flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, had to turn back and land at its departure airport following the dramatic incident.

The jet took off from Greece as planned at 5.55am local time, but shortly after takeoff at an altitude of approximately 20,000ft, a loud bang was heard on board.

A witness told the German Press Agency (dpa) that a window smashed, as seen in videos circulating on social media.

Shortly after the sudden noise, a man seated next to the window was ‘sucked’ through, according to BILD.

‘His head and shoulders were sticking out of the broken window,’ another eyewitness told Greek broadcaster ERT. 

The man’s wife apparently held him by his legs for about five minutes, after which fellow passengers were able to pull him back into the cabin as oxygen masks dropped down. 

The injured passenger is believed to be a 61-year-old Serbian national 

The jet took off from Greece on time at 5.55am local time, but shortly after takeoff at an altitude of approximately 20,000ft, a loud bang was heard on board the flight 

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A Ryanair spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on Friday morning (July 10) returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight.

‘The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. 

‘One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki. 

‘In order to minimise any delay, a replacement aircraft was arranged to bring passengers to Memmingen which departed Thessaloniki at 9.53am local this morning.’

According to publicly available flight data, the Ryanair plane landed back in Thessaloniki after one hour and 14 minutes. 

The injured passenger is believed to be a 61-year-old Serbian national.

He was wounded in the neck by the impact and also sustained abrasions and burns, according to De Telegraaf.

The man is understood to be conscious but in a state of shock. 

Commenting on the incident, the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDIN) claimed there was ‘almost a tragedy’ 

Greek media is speculating that the incident was caused when part of the plane’s engine broke off, causing damage to the window

A pregnant woman also on board the flight was taken to hospital. According to local media, she is in good health and has since left the hospital. 

Greek media is speculating that the incident was caused when part of the plane’s engine broke off, causing damage to the window. 

The pilot then decided to turn around and return immediately to Thessaloniki airport.

Commenting on the incident, the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDIN) claimed there was ‘almost a tragedy’.

He said the ‘damaged’ window gave way and that part of the passenger’s body was pulled outside the aircraft before he was restrained by his wife. 

People on social media were quick to react to the dramatic incident, with one user writing on X: ‘That’s terrifying. Always wear your seatbelt folks.’

However, according to a fellow passenger, the man was wearing his seatbelt. 

A woman who was on the thriller flight spoke to Radio Thessaloniki 94.5 about what she witnessed.

‘A noise was heard as if a tire had burst. There was panic with screams, screams and voices because we immediately lost altitude from the decompression,’ she said.

‘For a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door. The flight attendants lost it. We all immediately put on our masks. It seemed like a very long time before we understood what was happening.’

Regarding the 61-year-old Serb, she added: ‘They grabbed him and held him down, fortunately he hadn’t taken off his seatbelt. 

‘His head was completely outside the plane. The girls who were next to him were pulling him. Some doctors also went to help him.’

Greek media reported the incident had occurred over North Macedonia, and said the window had been broken by a piece of debris that detached from one of the plane’s engines.

In May 2018, the co-pilot of a Sichuan Airlines flight that was forced to make an emergency landing was ‘sucked halfway out’ of the aircraft when a cockpit windshield blew out, local media reported.

Captain Liu Chuanjian – celebrated as a hero on social media after being forced to land the Airbus A319 manually – told the Chengdu Economic Daily his jet had just reached a cruising altitude of 32,000ft when a earsplitting sound spread through the cockpit. 

Amid a sudden loss of pressure and drop in temperature, he looked to his side and noticed the right windshield was gone. 

‘There was no warning sign. Suddenly the windshield just cracked and made a loud bang. The next thing I know my co-pilot had been sucked halfway out of the window,’ he was quoted as saying.

‘Everything in the cockpit was floating in the air. Most of the equipment malfunctioned … and I couldn’t hear the radio. The plane was shaking so hard I could not read the gauges.’

In March 2024, Boeing was found to have erased security footage showing ‘repairs’ being made to an Alaska Airlines flight, months before a door plug blew out at 16,000ft sparking a massive federal probe into airline safety. 

National Transportation Safety Board officials, who investigated the incident, noted in a letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that the Boeing 737-9 plane underwent rivet repairs in September 2023.

The door plug blew out mid-flight above Oregon on January 5 and led to an emergency landing.

NTSB leaders said the door plug that failed was opened during the repair work months earlier but that Boeing has not been able to locate records of the work.

‘To date, we still do not know who performed the work to open, reinstall, and close the door plug on the accident aircraft. Boeing has informed us that they are unable to find the records documenting this work,’ Jennifer Homendy, NTSB chair, wrote in the letter.

‘A verbal request was made by our investigators for security camera footage to help obtain this information; however, they were informed the footage was overwritten.

‘The absence of those records will complicate the NTSB’s investigation moving forward.’