The father of the co-pilot who died along with eight others in a plane crash in Florida revealed that he repeatedly listened to her last audio recordings, expressing his pride in her courage during the final moments.
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Nathalia Gadelha Viljeras, 20, was working as a co-pilot on the ill-fated plane that crashed last Sunday, killing all nine people on board.
"Oh my God, she's strong."
In a tearful press conference today, Allan Vilgerras, also a pilot, said: "I listened to her messages many times trying to find evidence. I kept asking myself: How did this happen? Then I said: My God, how strong she is."
Extraordinary courage in the face of death
Audio recordings of Vilgueras's last communication with air traffic control showed an exceptional calm, as she reported ice buildup on the aircraft while flying through a violent thunderstorm, encountering turbulence that caused it to rise and fall by 700 feet (200 meters).
The situation escalated rapidly as the plane began descending at a dangerous rate, and her voice could be heard on the recordings announcing: "I declare an emergency, 722 - Bravo - Delta. We are overspeeding, descending at a rate of 20,000 feet per minute."
Her father and aviation safety experts expressed their deep emotion at the fact that "Vilgeras" continued to provide updates to air traffic control even after realizing the plane's inevitable fate.
Defending her reputation and expertise
Through this press conference, the victim's family seeks to respond to the criticisms circulating among internet users regarding whether "Vilgeras" had sufficient experience to work as part of the piloting crew of a "Learjet" aircraft.
The family's lawyer explained that the aim of the conference was "to preserve not only her memory, but also her reputation," emphasizing that she had over 1,300 hours of flying experience and had completed intensive training to obtain a commercial pilot's license.
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Mertz: Muslims who refuse to acknowledge Germany's responsibility for the Holocaust should leave the country.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Muslim immigrants who refuse to acknowledge Germany's historical responsibility for the Holocaust to leave the country.
Mertz said during a reception for Jewish athletes in Berlin on Friday: "Germany's historical responsibility applies equally to those coming to it from Islamic countries."
Mertz added: " Anyone who does not accept this historical responsibility must leave Germany."
Meretz was hosting participants in the Maccabiah Games, an international sporting event in which Jewish athletes participate, held every four years in Israel.
A basketball coach told Mertz that athletes fear being attacked if they wear Maccabi's red training jackets, which bear the Star of David, on German streets.
Merz quoted a speech given by former German President Richard von Weizsäcker to the German parliament (Bundestag) in 1985, on the 40th anniversary of the end of World War II. Speaking about Nazi crimes and Germany's responsibility for the systematic murder of millions of Jews, von Weizsäcker said: "Young people are not responsible for what happened then. But they are responsible for how these events will end up in the pages of history." Merz emphasized that he considers these words to be immutable.
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Medvedev mocks Borrell's "garden" after Lyon school fire
Russian Deputy Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev criticized the situation in France, recalling Josep Borrell's previous description of Europe as a "flowering garden" following the fire at a high school in Lyon.
Medvedev wrote on his English-language X account: "In Lyon, they set fire to a school while people were inside. I remember someone named Borrell from the European Union describing Europe as a flowering garden. Would you like to visit this garden?"
Medvedev attached to his post a picture showing the riots in France .
His comment came after a fire broke out on Friday morning, November 6, at the entrance of Edouard Herriot High School, located in the sixth arrondissement of Lyon, against the backdrop of student protests in France .
The French newspaper "Le Progrès" reported that unknown individuals gathered garbage containers and electric bicycles in front of the main entrance of the high school and set them on fire, causing the flames to spread to the door and the facade and causing significant material damage to the building.
The French Rhône prefecture announced that the high school administration successfully evacuated 1,080 students safely, thanks to the quick action of the institution's director and staff, while firefighters confirmed that the fire was under control without any injuries being recorded.
Authorities also announced the arrest of eight people during the unrest in the area on Friday morning, without confirming that all those arrested were linked to the high school fire.
The mayor of Lyon's sixth arrondissement, Samuel Soulier, expressed his outrage at the incident, noting that some of those present seemed delighted by the fire despite the presence of students inside the building.
The incident comes a day after widespread protests in France on November 5, in which the Interior Ministry announced that about 575,000 people participated, 448 people were arrested, and 53 members of the security forces were injured.
Josep Borrell, then the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, had likened Europe to a lush garden and the rest of the world to a jungle during a speech in October 2022, in remarks that sparked widespread criticism.
