Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 4 april 2018

In this Aug. 23, 2015, file photo, an Air New Zealand passen-
ger plane flies past the moon on its way to the Los Angeles
International Airport from London, in Whittier, Calif.
Associated Press In this July 15, 2011 file photo, Indians read newspapers at Zaveri bazar, a market in Mumbai,
India.
When drone imperiled Associated Press

New Zealand plane, India withdraws sweeping new

nobody called police rule clamping down on fake news

NEW DELHI (AP) — India's rounding fake news should involved in nearly all major
By NICK PERRY dangering the plane, nor Ministry of Information and be dealt with by the Press decisions.
WELLINGTON, New Zea- later to try to track down Broadcasting on Tuesday Council of India, a semi- Journalists welcomed the
land (AP) — When a drone the perpetrator. withdrew a sweeping new independent press group. change, though many
flew within meters of a Air New Zealand didn't order clamping down On Tuesday afternoon, the were also wary about what
landing plane last week, call. Auckland Airport on journalists accused of Ministry of Information and had happened.
endangering 278 passen- didn't call. Air traffic con- spreading fake news. Broadcasting issued only a "We should all remain vigi-
gers and crew, Air New trollers didn't call. And The U-turn came hours af- terse statement saying that lant that if a government
Zealand responded by the Civil Aviation Author- ter the ministry announced the press release that an- does this kind of a thing
saying that such reckless ity, the regulatory agency that reporters' press cre- nounced the new guide- then you never know" when
drone operators should that oversees aviation dentials could be suspend- lines to regulate fake news they will do it again, said
be thrown in prison. safety, didn't call. ed simply for an accusation "stands withdrawn." Gautam Lahiri, president of
Other agencies also Flight NZ92 from Tokyo of spreading fake news. Through Tuesday morning the Press Club of India.
sounded the public was landing at Auckland The rules, issued by a gov- there was anger against Late Monday, the informa-
alarm. Air traffic control- Airport on March 25 when ernment often deeply sen- the order. tion ministry announced
lers said they were con- it had the close call. Air sitive to media criticism, "Make no mistake: this is that the accreditation of
cerned about the increas- New Zealand said the angered journalists and a breathtaking assault on any journalist who "created
ing numbers of drones pilots spotted the drone opposition politicians, who mainstream media," Shek- and/or propagated the
flying illegally in controlled about 5 meters (16 feet) called it an attempt to gag har Gupta, a senior po- fake news" would be sus-
airspace, while regulators from the plane at a point the media in the run-up to litical journalist, tweeted pended until an inquiry was
said flying drones into a in their descent when it national elections expect- after the new rules were completed. The statement
flight path was inexcus- was impossible to take ed next year. announced. The order said anyone found to be
able and the "height of evasive action. The airline Several Indian news outlets did not define fake news peddling fake news would
stupidity." said the drone passed so reported that the initial or- or make clear who could lose their government ac-
Yet The Associated Press close that the crew wor- der, announced late Mon- make a complaint. creditation for six months
has found that none of ried it had been sucked day night, was withdrawn It was unclear what caused in the first case, one year
the agencies involved into an engine, although on the instructions of Prime the reversal, particularly in the second case and
notified police about the a later inspection showed Minister Narendra Modi, with a prime minister who permanently if it happens
drone. Not while it was en- that hadn't happened.q who said that issues sur- takes pride in being deeply again.q