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A United Airlines flight traveling from Washington Dulles International Airport made an emergency landing last week after the pilot declared a mayday call shortly after takeoff due to suspected engine failure.

United flight 108, bound for Munich, Germany, was forced to return to Dulles on July 25 “to address a mechanical issue,” the airline told CNN.

The plane, a Boeing 787, was carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members, the airline said.

Minutes into its ascent and at nearly 5,000 feet, the pilot told air traffic control, “Engine failure, left engine, United 108 declaring an emergency. Mayday, mayday, mayday,” according to recorded air traffic control audio.

Mayday calls signal distress or urgency when an issue has happened aboard an aircraft.

An air traffic controller asked the pilot, “Are you able to make your way back to the field at this time” by turning right. “There’s nobody between you and the field,” the controller said.

Data from flight tracking site Flightradar 24 showed the flight took off at 8 p.m. before it circled back and landed safely at Dulles about 30 minutes later.

In a statement to CNN, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said the plane was checked by Airports Authority Fire and Rescue personnel, then towed to a gate. “There was no disruption to other flights,” MWAA said.

“The plane landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate. The flight was subsequently canceled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible,” United said in its statement.

Correction:
An earlier version of this story misstated the duration of time the flight was in the air before landing. It was about 30 minutes.

A United Airlines flight traveling from Washington Dulles International Airport made an emergency landing last week after the pilot declared a mayday call shortly after takeoff due to suspected engine failure.

United flight 108, bound for Munich, Germany, was forced to return to Dulles on July 25 “to address a mechanical issue,” the airline told CNN.

The plane, a Boeing 787, was carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members, the airline said.

Minutes into its ascent and at nearly 5,000 feet, the pilot told air traffic control, “Engine failure, left engine, United 108 declaring an emergency. Mayday, mayday, mayday,” according to recorded air traffic control audio.

Mayday calls signal distress or urgency when an issue has happened aboard an aircraft.

An air traffic controller asked the pilot, “Are you able to make your way back to the field at this time” by turning right. “There’s nobody between you and the field,” the controller said.

Data from flight tracking site Flightradar 24 showed the flight took off at 8 p.m. before it circled back and landed safely at Dulles about 30 minutes later.

In a statement to CNN, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said the plane was checked by Airports Authority Fire and Rescue personnel, then towed to a gate. “There was no disruption to other flights,” MWAA said.

“The plane landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate. The flight was subsequently canceled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible,” United said in its statement.

Correction:
An earlier version of this story misstated the duration of time the flight was in the air before landing. It was about 30 minutes.

Hamas’ declaration that it won’t lay down its arms, even in the face of Arab League calls to do so, doesn’t help those arguing for the prioritization of civilian Palestinians either. Ordinary Gazans are caught between a militant Islamist group happy to trade their lives, and Israeli supremacists who see them as abettors of Hamas. 

Meanwhile, accusing French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of antisemitism or of supporting terror is also absurd, especially considering both helped intercept ballistic missiles that Iran launched at Israel in April, Olmert explained. “Of course, the accusation of antisemitism is a weapon wielded by a self-righteous government. Netanyahu and the others in the coalition are using the allegation to try to defend themselves against justified accusations of using excessive force.”

Other critics of the Gaza campaign, like left-wing Israeli journalist and author Gideon Levy, also suspect the scattershot antisemitism allegations — which are broadly endorsed across Israeli society — displace a sense of guilt about what the country is doing. “Here we have the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors talking about transferring 2.3 million people, talking about it openly. You cannot digest it. So, you better deny it,” he said.

During his time in office, Olmert was responsible for negotiations around the establishment of a Palestinian state across more than 94 percent of the occupied West Bank and, arguably, he came closer than any other Israeli leader to pulling it off. However, Palestine Liberation Organization leader Mahmoud Abbas backed away from Olmert’s plan, feeling his Israeli interlocutor couldn’t deliver. And, indeed, Olmert resigned shortly after and was convicted of obstruction of justice and for accepting bribes during his time as trade minister and as mayor of Jerusalem.

Today, with nearly half-a-million Israeli settlers in the West Bank, Olmert’s plan would be far more hazardous for any Israeli government to try and pull off — even if it wanted to. Not that Netanyahu or his coalition partners have any interest in endorsing a genuine two-state deal. Even in February 2023, the most Netanyahu said he’d be willing to do is grant Palestinians autonomy but not sovereignty. And still, Israel would have to maintain full control over the West Bank’s security.

To hammer the point home, the Israeli Prime Minister’s been damning the Oslo process at every available opportunity, reiterating that it was all a terrible mistake and that there’s no one to negotiate with on the Palestinian side.

Olmert, for his part, believes there are Palestinian partners to negotiate with, but that Israel is constantly undermining moderate Palestinians. He’s also worried what comes next might be an annexation of Gaza and even the West Bank — something Netanyahu’s key right-wing partners have long advocated. And the only man he thinks can stop this happening is Trump.

“What’s happening is totally unacceptable and unforgivable. And at some point, Trump will have to intervene,” he said. “I don’t know if Trump has a heart. But something may force him to tell Netanyahu ‘enough is enough’ as that sentiment becomes more widespread in America.” But with Trump’s envoys praising Israel’s aid distribution in the enclave at the weekend — a view other traditional allies of Israel don’t share — that seems a dim prospect.

ROME — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday told more than a million Catholic youths at a closing Mass for a weeklong encounter with the next generation of faithful that they are “the sign that a different world is possible” where conflicts can be resolved with dialogue, not weapons.

In his closing blessing for the Jubilee of Youth, Leo remembered the young people of Gaza and Ukraine and other countries “bloodied by war” who could not join their celebration.

“We are closer than ever to young people who suffer the most serious evils, which are caused by other human beings,” Leo said. “We are with the young people of Gaza. We are with the young people of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war.”

“My young brothers and sisters, you are the sign that a different world is possible. A world of fraternity and friendship, where conflicts are not resolved with weapons, but with dialogue.”

The young people camped out in sprawling fields southeast of Rome overnight after attending a vigil service on Saturday, also presided by Leo who has been ferried from Vatican City by helicopter. The special Jubilee celebration is part of the Holy Year that is expected to draw 32 million people to the Vatican for the centuries-old pilgrimage to the seat of Catholicism.

The Vatican said more than 1 million young people were present, along with 7,000 priests and 450 bishops.

During the Sunday homily, Leo urged the participants to “spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith” when they return home to some 150 countries.

“Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are,” Leo urged the young faithful. “Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you.”

Leo reminded the crowd that their next encounter will be for World Youth Day, set for Aug. 3-8, 2027, in Seoul, South Korea.

The week has been a joyous gathering marked by bands of youths singing hymns as they move down cobblestoned streets, praying rosaries in piazzas and standing for hours at the Circus Maximus to confess their sins to priests offering the sacrament in a dozen languages.

Leo also shared some tragic news on Saturday: two young people who had made the pilgrimage to Rome had died, one reportedly of cardiac arrest, while a third was hospitalized.

Rain overnight awakened the faithful but didn’t dampen their spirits.

“At least we were a little covered, but we still got a bit wet. We lost our voices a little. It was cold, but we woke up to a beautiful sun and view,” said Soemil Rios, 20, from Puerto Rico. “Despite the difficulties, it was very nice and very special to have been part of this historic moment.”

Sister Giulia De Luca, from Rome, acknowledged that “waking up was a bit tough,” but that she was looking forward to seeing the pope again.

“It will be very nice to conclude a very intense week together. Definitely a lot of fun, but also very challenging in many ways,” she said.

ROME — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday told more than a million Catholic youths at a closing Mass for a weeklong encounter with the next generation of faithful that they are “the sign that a different world is possible” where conflicts can be resolved with dialogue, not weapons.

In his closing blessing for the Jubilee of Youth, Leo remembered the young people of Gaza and Ukraine and other countries “bloodied by war” who could not join their celebration.

“We are closer than ever to young people who suffer the most serious evils, which are caused by other human beings,” Leo said. “We are with the young people of Gaza. We are with the young people of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war.”

“My young brothers and sisters, you are the sign that a different world is possible. A world of fraternity and friendship, where conflicts are not resolved with weapons, but with dialogue.”

The young people camped out in sprawling fields southeast of Rome overnight after attending a vigil service on Saturday, also presided by Leo who has been ferried from Vatican City by helicopter. The special Jubilee celebration is part of the Holy Year that is expected to draw 32 million people to the Vatican for the centuries-old pilgrimage to the seat of Catholicism.

The Vatican said more than 1 million young people were present, along with 7,000 priests and 450 bishops.

During the Sunday homily, Leo urged the participants to “spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith” when they return home to some 150 countries.

“Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are,” Leo urged the young faithful. “Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you.”

Leo reminded the crowd that their next encounter will be for World Youth Day, set for Aug. 3-8, 2027, in Seoul, South Korea.

The week has been a joyous gathering marked by bands of youths singing hymns as they move down cobblestoned streets, praying rosaries in piazzas and standing for hours at the Circus Maximus to confess their sins to priests offering the sacrament in a dozen languages.

Leo also shared some tragic news on Saturday: two young people who had made the pilgrimage to Rome had died, one reportedly of cardiac arrest, while a third was hospitalized.

Rain overnight awakened the faithful but didn’t dampen their spirits.

“At least we were a little covered, but we still got a bit wet. We lost our voices a little. It was cold, but we woke up to a beautiful sun and view,” said Soemil Rios, 20, from Puerto Rico. “Despite the difficulties, it was very nice and very special to have been part of this historic moment.”

Sister Giulia De Luca, from Rome, acknowledged that “waking up was a bit tough,” but that she was looking forward to seeing the pope again.

“It will be very nice to conclude a very intense week together. Definitely a lot of fun, but also very challenging in many ways,” she said.