If a viral message is to be believed, a woman was found to be breastfeeding a cat onboard a flight as horrified passengers and cabin crew made several attempts to stop the questionable activity, revealed messages, which appear to be from the pilot. &nbsp;

Despite repeated pleas from the cabin crew, the woman, who had gone a little overboard in taking care of the cat, continued. &nbsp;

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The activity put several passengers in an uneasy situation. The incident happened on a Delta Air flight DL1360 to Atlanta. &nbsp;&nbsp;

After the woman was not ready to put her pet back in its carrier, the pilot informed Delta's Redcoat ground team to reprimand the customer after the flight gets landed. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/outrage-over-plan-to-cull-intelligent-gorillas-due-to-overcrowding-in-zoos-432724" hreflang="en">Outrage over plan to cull intelligent gorillas due to overcrowding in zoos &nbsp;</a>

"Req Redcoat meet AC Pax (passenger) in (seat) 13A is breastfeeding a cat and will not put cat back in its carrier when FA (flight attendant) requested," read an Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System message, which was reportedly from the flight's crew. &nbsp;

The American airline says it has experienced around 84% surge in incidents relating to emotional support animals in last few years. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

If a viral message is to be believed, a woman was found to be breastfeeding a cat onboard a flight as horrified passengers and cabin crew made several attempts to stop the questionable activity, revealed messages, which appear to be from the pilot.

If a viral message is to be believed, a woman was found to be breastfeeding a cat onboard a flight as horrified passengers and cabin crew made several attempts to stop the questionable activity, revealed messages, which appear to be from the pilot. Despite repeated pleas from the cabin crew, the woman, who had gone a little overboard in taking care of the cat, continued. Also Read: ‘Ultra-rare deep-sea’ footballfish washes ashore California beach The activity put several passengers in an uneasy situation. The incident happened on a Delta Air flight DL1360 to Atlanta. After the woman was not ready to put her pet back in its carrier, the pilot informed Delta's Redcoat ground team to reprimand the customer after the flight gets landed. Also Read: Outrage over plan to cull intelligent gorillas due to overcrowding in zoos "Req Redcoat meet AC Pax (passenger) in (seat) 13A is breastfeeding a cat and will not put cat back in its carrier when FA (flight attendant) requested," read an Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System message, which was reportedly from the flight's crew. The American airline says it has experienced around 84% surge in incidents relating to emotional support animals in last few years. (With inputs from agencies)

Woman breastfeeds cat onboard flight as passengers, cabin crew watch in horror  

According to the Indian Railways (South Western Railways), a mishap took place in the wee hours of Friday as the Kannur-Bengaluru express train was travelling through Indian state of Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district. &nbsp;

At around 3:50 am, boulders suddenly fell on the moving train, thus damaging seven coaches -B1, B2, S6, S7, S8, S9 and S10. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/srinagar-3-terrorists-killed-in-two-encounters-in-24-hours-in-the-valley-428613" hreflang="en">Srinagar: 3 terrorists killed in two encounters in 24 hours in the valley</a>

A Railway team comprising of senior staff and doctors visited the spot, which was between Toppur and Sivadi, within an hour of the accident, said, all 2,348 passengers on-board were safe and that no casualty or injury was reported.

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All 2348 pasngrs safe, after 7 coaches of kannur-bengaluru xprs derailed while passing via Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, owing to boulders falling on moving train 
 
Train coaches are upright, but wheels appear to be dislodged from track 
 
Rlys taking all pax to Blr via bus<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/railway?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#railway</a> <a href="https://t.co/7WhZ1cBweD">pic.twitter.com/7WhZ1cBweD</a>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1459010984232636425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The pictures of the spot show the train on the tracks, however, a side-view reveals that the bottom portion of several coaches, including the wheels and the other parts have been damaged. While the coaches appear to be on the tracks, at some portions, the wheels appear to be dislodged from the tracks. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-speeding-bus-crashes-into-toll-booth-in-indias-gujarat-injures-15-428527" hreflang="en">Watch: Speeding bus crashes into toll booth in India’s Gujarat, injures 15</a>

The train comprising of 20 coaches had departed from Kannur, Kerala at 6:05 pm on Thursday. Following the accident and the inspection by officials, different portions of the train have been moved to nearby stations, from where the railways have arranged buses to Bengaluru. &nbsp;

The passengers were provided with water and light refreshment at the spot, said the railways. They added that a help desk has been setup at Hosur (04344-222603), Bengaluru (080-22156554) and Dharmapuri (04342-232111).&nbsp;

According to the Indian Railways (South Western Railways), a mishap took place in the wee hours of Friday as the Kannur-Bengaluru express train was travelling through Indian state of Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district.

According to the Indian Railways (South Western Railways), a mishap took place in the wee hours of Friday as the Kannur-Bengaluru express train was travelling through Indian state of Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district. At around 3:50 am, boulders suddenly fell on the moving train, thus damaging seven coaches -B1, B2, S6, S7, S8, S9 and S10. Also Read | Srinagar: 3 terrorists killed in two encounters in 24 hours in the valley A Railway team comprising of senior staff and doctors visited the spot, which was between Toppur and Sivadi, within an hour of the accident, said, all 2,348 passengers on-board were safe and that no casualty or injury was reported. All 2348 pasngrs safe, after 7 coaches of kannur-bengaluru xprs derailed while passing via Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, owing to boulders falling on moving train Train coaches are upright, but wheels appear to be dislodged from track Rlys taking all pax to Blr via bus#railway pic.twitter.com/7WhZ1cBweD — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) November 12, 2021 × The pictures of the spot show the train on the tracks, however, a side-view reveals that the bottom portion of several coaches, including the wheels and the other parts have been damaged. While the coaches appear to be on the tracks, at some portions, the wheels appear to be dislodged from the tracks. Also Read | Watch: Speeding bus crashes into toll booth in India’s Gujarat, injures 15 The train comprising of 20 coaches had departed from Kannur, Kerala at 6:05 pm on Thursday. Following the accident and the inspection by officials, different portions of the train have been moved to nearby stations, from where the railways have arranged buses to Bengaluru. The passengers were provided with water and light refreshment at the spot, said the railways. They added that a help desk has been setup at Hosur (04344-222603), Bengaluru (080-22156554) and Dharmapuri (04342-232111).

Passengers safe after boulders fall on Indian train damaging coaches

Dubai's state&nbsp;airport&nbsp;operator is hoping for a "flood" of travellers as the&nbsp;coronavirus&nbsp;pandemic eases, targeting&nbsp;passenger&nbsp;traffic through&nbsp;Dubai&nbsp;International&nbsp;Airport&nbsp;to grow 8% to 28 million this year as demand rebuilds.

Terminal 1 is reopening this Thursday after a 15-month closure. Operations were consolidated through Terminals 2 and 3 last year as the pandemic took hold.

"People think it will trickle back. I don't believe that. I believe it will be an absolute flood of demand when people get the confidence to travel again,"&nbsp;Dubai&nbsp;Airports Chief Executive Paul Griffiths told Reuters on Sunday.

The&nbsp;airport, one of the world's busiest, could see over 40 million&nbsp;passengers this year if it was "really, really lucky," Griffiths said, though it was likely to be somewhere between 24.7 million and 34.3 million.

"We're comfortable with that mid-range of about 28 (million)."

Terminal 1 has an annual&nbsp;passenger&nbsp;capacity of 18 million, while the entire&nbsp;airport&nbsp;can handle up to 100 million.

Griffiths estimated the terminal's reopening would result in 3,500 additional jobs at the&nbsp;airport, including those working in retail, hospitality, security and immigration.

By the autumn, 90% of the 260 destinations served from&nbsp;Dubai&nbsp;airport&nbsp;prior to the pandemic could be restored, Griffiths said, up from 63% today.

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Dubai&nbsp;announced on Saturday some restrictions on&nbsp;passengers flying from India, South Africa and Nigeria would ease from Wednesday.

The&nbsp;airport&nbsp;handled 5.75 million&nbsp;passengers in the first quarter, a 67.8% fall compared to the same quarter in 2020 before the pandemic halted traffic.

In 2020,&nbsp;passenger&nbsp;traffic plummeted 70% to 25.9 million from 86.4 million in 2019. The&nbsp;airport&nbsp;is the base of state carriers Emirates and flydubai&nbsp;whose entire operations are&nbsp;international&nbsp;flights.

Over a two-week period starting Thursday, 66 foreign airlines will move from Terminal 2 and 3 to Terminal 1.

Terminal 3, where Emirates operates from, will continue to operate with two of its three concourses for the time being.

Dubai's second&nbsp;airport, Al Maktoum&nbsp;International, will also remain closed to commercial&nbsp;passenger&nbsp;flights.

Dubai's state airport operator is hoping for a "flood" of travellers as the coronavirus pandemic eases, targeting passenger traffic through Dubai International Airport to grow 8% to 28 million this year as demand rebuilds.

Dubai's state airport operator is hoping for a "flood" of travellers as the coronavirus pandemic eases, targeting passenger traffic through Dubai International Airport to grow 8% to 28 million this year as demand rebuilds. Terminal 1 is reopening this Thursday after a 15-month closure. Operations were consolidated through Terminals 2 and 3 last year as the pandemic took hold. "People think it will trickle back. I don't believe that. I believe it will be an absolute flood of demand when people get the confidence to travel again," Dubai Airports Chief Executive Paul Griffiths told Reuters on Sunday. The airport, one of the world's busiest, could see over 40 million passengers this year if it was "really, really lucky," Griffiths said, though it was likely to be somewhere between 24.7 million and 34.3 million. "We're comfortable with that mid-range of about 28 (million)." Terminal 1 has an annual passenger capacity of 18 million, while the entire airport can handle up to 100 million. Griffiths estimated the terminal's reopening would result in 3,500 additional jobs at the airport, including those working in retail, hospitality, security and immigration. By the autumn, 90% of the 260 destinations served from Dubai airport prior to the pandemic could be restored, Griffiths said, up from 63% today. Also Read | Biden to host Israeli President Rivlin on June 28: White House Dubai announced on Saturday some restrictions on passengers flying from India, South Africa and Nigeria would ease from Wednesday. The airport handled 5.75 million passengers in the first quarter, a 67.8% fall compared to the same quarter in 2020 before the pandemic halted traffic. In 2020, passenger traffic plummeted 70% to 25.9 million from 86.4 million in 2019. The airport is the base of state carriers Emirates and flydubai whose entire operations are international flights. Over a two-week period starting Thursday, 66 foreign airlines will move from Terminal 2 and 3 to Terminal 1. Terminal 3, where Emirates operates from, will continue to operate with two of its three concourses for the time being. Dubai's second airport, Al Maktoum International, will also remain closed to commercial passenger flights.

Dubai airport targets 28 million passengers this year, CEO says

Three giants of the cruise industry will return to the seas within weeks, with Norwegian Cruise Lines on Monday becoming the latest to announce its US ships will set sail starting in early August.&nbsp;

After a year of crippling losses, Carnival and Royal Caribbean said late last week their first post-pandemic cruises will set sail in July, after the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) earlier this month gave the green light to allow trips with passengers and crew who received Covid-19 vaccinations.&nbsp;

"We have been waiting for a very long time to announce a resumption of cruising from the US. We are so proud to be sailing for the first time in over a year from our special homeport of Seattle to the breathtaking state of Alaska," Harry Sommer, chief of Norwegian Cruise Line, said in a statement.&nbsp;

Cruise operations were suspended on March 14, 2020 when the CDC issued a "no sail order" to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. Several ships already had deadly outbreaks on board.&nbsp;

Some cruise ships resumed operations in Europe and elsewhere last year, but the ban remained in place in the United States.&nbsp;

All three companies will offer trips from Seattle to Alaska as their inaugural cruises.&nbsp;

Norwegian said "all crew and passengers must be fully vaccinated to embark."&nbsp;

Carnival said its trips will be available to guests who received their final dose at least two weeks prior, and likewise Royal Caribbean will require vaccinations of all passengers over the age of 16, and after August 1 all those over the age of 12.&nbsp;

Norwegian will offer week-long voyages starting August 6, while Royal Caribbean will leave port first with a similar trip July 19 and Carnival's Holland American Line will start July 24.&nbsp;

"It's been a tough year for everyone, but people clearly have pent-up demand to cruise again, and we can't wait to get back to what we do best," Royal Caribbean Chief Executive Richard D Fain said in last week's statement.&nbsp;

Disney Cruise Lines in early May announced all trips were canceled through the end of July, but on Monday declined to provide details to AFP on when sailing would resume.&nbsp;

Three giants of the cruise industry will return to the seas within weeks, with Norwegian Cruise Lines on Monday becoming the latest to announce its US ships will set sail starting in early August.

Three giants of the cruise industry will return to the seas within weeks, with Norwegian Cruise Lines on Monday becoming the latest to announce its US ships will set sail starting in early August. After a year of crippling losses, Carnival and Royal Caribbean said late last week their first post-pandemic cruises will set sail in July, after the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) earlier this month gave the green light to allow trips with passengers and crew who received Covid-19 vaccinations. "We have been waiting for a very long time to announce a resumption of cruising from the US. We are so proud to be sailing for the first time in over a year from our special homeport of Seattle to the breathtaking state of Alaska," Harry Sommer, chief of Norwegian Cruise Line, said in a statement. Cruise operations were suspended on March 14, 2020 when the CDC issued a "no sail order" to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. Several ships already had deadly outbreaks on board. Some cruise ships resumed operations in Europe and elsewhere last year, but the ban remained in place in the United States. All three companies will offer trips from Seattle to Alaska as their inaugural cruises. Norwegian said "all crew and passengers must be fully vaccinated to embark." Carnival said its trips will be available to guests who received their final dose at least two weeks prior, and likewise Royal Caribbean will require vaccinations of all passengers over the age of 16, and after August 1 all those over the age of 12. Norwegian will offer week-long voyages starting August 6, while Royal Caribbean will leave port first with a similar trip July 19 and Carnival's Holland American Line will start July 24. "It's been a tough year for everyone, but people clearly have pent-up demand to cruise again, and we can't wait to get back to what we do best," Royal Caribbean Chief Executive Richard D Fain said in last week's statement. Disney Cruise Lines in early May announced all trips were canceled through the end of July, but on Monday declined to provide details to AFP on when sailing would resume.

Major cruise lines to restart voyages for vaccinated passengers 

Data comprising of details of many airline passengers around the world has been hacked via a attack on the IT systems operator that serves around 90 per cent of the global aviation industry.

Sita, which serves the Star Alliance of airlines including Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and United, said on Thursday it had been the victim of a cyber attack.

The American company said the incident occurred on&nbsp;February 24, and might have led to a breach of passenger data held on its servers.

Sita took “immediate action” to contact affected customers and all related organisations, it said in a statement.

It added, "This was a highly sophisticated attack. Sita acted swiftly and initiated targetted containment measures. The matter remains under continued investigation by Sita’s security incident response team with the support of leading external experts in cyber-security."

Sita had informed Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Finnair and a South Korean carrier called Jeju Air that their passengers had been affected by the breach of its passenger service system (PSS) servers.

Star Alliance, which also includes Air China, Swiss and Air Canada, shares data between carriers to ensure benefits can be spread among each member airline.

The breach was linked to frequent flyer data but was limited to “your name, tier status and membership number”, an email said. The data breach did not include any member passwords, credit card information or other personal customer data.

Data comprising of details of many airline passengers around the world has been hacked via a attack on the IT systems operator that serves around 90 per cent of the global aviation industry.

Data comprising of details of many airline passengers around the world has been hacked via a attack on the IT systems operator that serves around 90 per cent of the global aviation industry. Sita, which serves the Star Alliance of airlines including Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and United, said on Thursday it had been the victim of a cyber attack. The American company said the incident occurred on February 24, and might have led to a breach of passenger data held on its servers. Sita took “immediate action” to contact affected customers and all related organisations, it said in a statement. It added, "This was a highly sophisticated attack. Sita acted swiftly and initiated targetted containment measures. The matter remains under continued investigation by Sita’s security incident response team with the support of leading external experts in cyber-security." Sita had informed Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Finnair and a South Korean carrier called Jeju Air that their passengers had been affected by the breach of its passenger service system (PSS) servers. Star Alliance, which also includes Air China, Swiss and Air Canada, shares data between carriers to ensure benefits can be spread among each member airline. The breach was linked to frequent flyer data but was limited to “your name, tier status and membership number”, an email said. The data breach did not include any member passwords, credit card information or other personal customer data.

Thousands of Star Alliance passengers' details stolen in cyber attack

The Union Health Ministry has issued standard operating procedure (SOP) for epidemiological surveillance and response in the context of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in the United Kingdom (UK) in which it has stated that all international travellers who have travelled from or transited through the UK in the past four weeks will be required to declare their travel history of past 14 days and fill up the Self Declaration form to be screened for COVID-19.

"All international travellers who have travelled from or transited through the UK in the past four weeks will be required to declare as per existing procedure, their travel history (of past 14 days) and fill up the Self Declaration form to be screened for COVID-19," the Health Ministry stated in the SOPs issued for actions to be taken at international airports.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/new-strain-of-coronavirus-not-seen-in-india-so-far-government-351602" hreflang="en">New strain of coronavirus not seen in India so far: Government</a>

The SOPs further describe the activities to be undertaken at the point of entry and in the community for all international passengers who have travelled from or transited through the UK in the past four weeks (from November 25 to December 23, 2020). Any reference to testing in this SOP implies RT-PCR testing only.

The Health Ministry has issued SOPs separately for actions to be taken at international airports, Bureau of Immigration (BOI) and for surveillance by state governments/Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

The Health Ministry said that the respective state governments shall ensure that all passengers travelling from or transiting through airports in the UK and disembarking in India would be subjected to RT-PCR test on arrival. In the case of a positive sample, it is recommended that spike gene-based RT-PCR test should also be performed by an appropriate laboratory.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bharat-biotech-recruits-13000-volunteers-for-phase-iii-trials-of-covaxin-351568" hreflang="en">Bharat Biotech recruits 13,000 volunteers for Phase III trials of Covaxin</a>

It further said that passengers testing positive shall be isolated in an institutional facility in a separate (isolation) unit coordinated by the respective state health authorities. They would earmark specific facilities for such isolation and treatment. necessary action to send the samples to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune or any other appropriate lab for genomic sequencing will be initiated at the facility level.

The persons testing negative will be advised home quarantine.

Informing about the new strain of coronavirus found in the UK, the Health Ministry briefed: "A new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus [variant under investigation (VUI)-20212/01] has been reported by the Government of United Kingdom (UK) to World Health Organization (WHO). This variant is estimated by the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) to be more transmissible and affecting the younger population."

"This variant is defined by a set of 17 changes or mutations. One of the most significant is an N501Y mutation in the spike protein that the virus uses to bind to the human ACE2 receptor. Changes in this part of the spike protein may result in the virus becoming more infectious and spreading more easily between people," it added.

Earlier, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday had announced in the light of the new strain of coronavirus found in the UK that the flights from and to the UK stand temporarily suspended from December 23 to 31, 2020 or till further orders.

The government has also issued a direction that all the passengers coming from the UK during the intervening period from December 21 to 23, 2020 will have to undergo RT-PCR tests at the airports of arrival.&nbsp;

The Union Health Ministry has issued standard operating procedure (SOP) for epidemiological surveillance and response in the context of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in the United Kingdom (UK) in which it has stated that all international travellers who have travelled from or transited through the UK in the past four weeks will be required to declare their travel history of past 14 days and fill up the Self Declaration form to be screened for COVID-19.

The Union Health Ministry has issued standard operating procedure (SOP) for epidemiological surveillance and response in the context of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in the United Kingdom (UK) in which it has stated that all international travellers who have travelled from or transited through the UK in the past four weeks will be required to declare their travel history of past 14 days and fill up the Self Declaration form to be screened for COVID-19. "All international travellers who have travelled from or transited through the UK in the past four weeks will be required to declare as per existing procedure, their travel history (of past 14 days) and fill up the Self Declaration form to be screened for COVID-19," the Health Ministry stated in the SOPs issued for actions to be taken at international airports. Also read| New strain of coronavirus not seen in India so far: Government The SOPs further describe the activities to be undertaken at the point of entry and in the community for all international passengers who have travelled from or transited through the UK in the past four weeks (from November 25 to December 23, 2020). Any reference to testing in this SOP implies RT-PCR testing only. The Health Ministry has issued SOPs separately for actions to be taken at international airports, Bureau of Immigration (BOI) and for surveillance by state governments/Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). The Health Ministry said that the respective state governments shall ensure that all passengers travelling from or transiting through airports in the UK and disembarking in India would be subjected to RT-PCR test on arrival. In the case of a positive sample, it is recommended that spike gene-based RT-PCR test should also be performed by an appropriate laboratory. Also read| Bharat Biotech recruits 13,000 volunteers for Phase III trials of Covaxin It further said that passengers testing positive shall be isolated in an institutional facility in a separate (isolation) unit coordinated by the respective state health authorities. They would earmark specific facilities for such isolation and treatment. necessary action to send the samples to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune or any other appropriate lab for genomic sequencing will be initiated at the facility level. The persons testing negative will be advised home quarantine. Informing about the new strain of coronavirus found in the UK, the Health Ministry briefed: "A new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus [variant under investigation (VUI)-20212/01] has been reported by the Government of United Kingdom (UK) to World Health Organization (WHO). This variant is estimated by the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) to be more transmissible and affecting the younger population." "This variant is defined by a set of 17 changes or mutations. One of the most significant is an N501Y mutation in the spike protein that the virus uses to bind to the human ACE2 receptor. Changes in this part of the spike protein may result in the virus becoming more infectious and spreading more easily between people," it added. Earlier, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday had announced in the light of the new strain of coronavirus found in the UK that the flights from and to the UK stand temporarily suspended from December 23 to 31, 2020 or till further orders. The government has also issued a direction that all the passengers coming from the UK during the intervening period from December 21 to 23, 2020 will have to undergo RT-PCR tests at the airports of arrival.

Passengers who transited through UK in last 4 weeks to declare travel history of past 14 days: Centre

Over 1.047 million passengers were screened in the United States on Sunday - the highest number recorded by US Transportation Security Administration since mid-March.

Even though the number of air travellers remain significantly lower (60 per cent) than from the same day last year, Sunday marked the second time in three days that the number of passengers screened went over 1 million.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sees-record-number-of-coronavirus-hospitalisations-for-12th-day-in-a-row-344837" hreflang="en">US sees record number of coronavirus hospitalisations for 12th day in a row</a>

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had urged Americans to not travel during the Thanksgiving holiday in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Since, the airline passengers number has hit 1 million only thrice - first time on October 18 with 1.031 million.

The United States in the midst of the worst coronavirus wave the country has seen.

Even before November is over, the country has seen more COVID-19 cases than any other month during the pandemic: Between November 1 and 22, over 3 million new cases of coronavirus were recorded, as per data from Johns Hopkins University.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unicef-to-ship-2-billion-doses-of-covid-19-vaccines-to-poor-countries-next-year-344855" hreflang="en">UNICEF to ship 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries next year</a>

In the ongoing month of November, US recorded the highest number of hospitalisations related to COVID-19. This has increased the stress on American healthcare, and has threatened to deprive others of care.

On Saturday alone, 83,227 people diagnosed with COVID-19 were hospitalised in the country, based on numbers by the Covid Tracking Project.

For 12th day in a row, the US has broken record for COVID-19 hospitalisations. So far, 12.2 million people in the US have contracted COVID-19, with 256,000 deaths across the country.

Over 1.047 million passengers were screened in the United States on Sunday - the highest number recorded by US Transportation Security Administration since mid-March.

Over 1.047 million passengers were screened in the United States on Sunday - the highest number recorded by US Transportation Security Administration since mid-March. Even though the number of air travellers remain significantly lower (60 per cent) than from the same day last year, Sunday marked the second time in three days that the number of passengers screened went over 1 million. Also read: US sees record number of coronavirus hospitalisations for 12th day in a row On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had urged Americans to not travel during the Thanksgiving holiday in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19. Since, the airline passengers number has hit 1 million only thrice - first time on October 18 with 1.031 million. The United States in the midst of the worst coronavirus wave the country has seen. Even before November is over, the country has seen more COVID-19 cases than any other month during the pandemic: Between November 1 and 22, over 3 million new cases of coronavirus were recorded, as per data from Johns Hopkins University. Also read: UNICEF to ship 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries next year In the ongoing month of November, US recorded the highest number of hospitalisations related to COVID-19. This has increased the stress on American healthcare, and has threatened to deprive others of care. On Saturday alone, 83,227 people diagnosed with COVID-19 were hospitalised in the country, based on numbers by the Covid Tracking Project. For 12th day in a row, the US has broken record for COVID-19 hospitalisations. So far, 12.2 million people in the US have contracted COVID-19, with 256,000 deaths across the country.

United States: Sunday saw highest number of airline passenger screenings since March

Coronavirus affects Japanese cruise: The journey so far

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed airlines to ensure the timely redressal of all grievances by passengers, saying it is a topmost priority and warned of stringent action if any laxity is found.

The DGCA said this in a meeting with appellate authority and nodal officers of all scheduled domestic airlines at its headquarters in the national capital on Thursday.

It also directed the airlines to ensure that complaints of passengers on social media platforms should be attended to promptly and resolved at the earliest.

During the meeting, the civil aviation watchdog said that a number of steps have to be taken to avoid inconvenience to the passengers.

"Prompt redressal of passenger complaints should be the topmost priority and must be attended to as per the relevant provisions of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs). Airlines must periodically update the details of their nodal officer and appellant authority on their website," the DGCA said in a statement.

It said that the airlines should make all efforts to send SMS in case there is a delay in flight beyond 30 minutes or a boarding gate change has taken place at the airport."

Airlines must send repeated SMS messages after every 30 minutes to keep the passengers updated for the flight delay/ cancellation/ boarding gate change," the DGCA outlined.

Recently, the civil aviation watchdog had learnt that many domestic passengers were facing ticket refund issues as their tickets were booked through their respective travel agents.

To mitigate this problem, the DGCA has asked all airlines to ensure better coordination with their travel agents and reduce the inconvenience faced by the passengers while obtaining a refund after booking tickets through travel agents.

"The airlines must keep close coordination with their travel agents. The travel agents must share the mobile numbers of the travelling passenger with the airlines for flight information updates. All necessary assistance must be provided to the passengers for their connecting flights," the DGCA said.

The civil aviation watchdog said in the event of a delay, airlines should make proper arrangements to ensure refreshments and meals to the passengers.

"In case of delay, airlines should make appropriate arrangement to provide water, refreshment and meals as per the provisions of the CARs. The airlines shall ensure the refund of airline tickets through a travel agent/portal in a timely manner. All help should be provided to senior citizens and passengers with reduced mobility," it said.

"Complaints on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook etc. should be attended promptly and to the extent possible, must be resolved. Airlines must ensure proper conduct and behaviour of their employees towards passengers. Any laxity in the matter shall be viewed seriously," DGCA said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed airlines to ensure the timely redressal of all grievances by passengers, saying it is a topmost priority and warned of stringent action if any laxity is found.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed airlines to ensure the timely redressal of all grievances by passengers, saying it is a topmost priority and warned of stringent action if any laxity is found. The DGCA said this in a meeting with appellate authority and nodal officers of all scheduled domestic airlines at its headquarters in the national capital on Thursday. It also directed the airlines to ensure that complaints of passengers on social media platforms should be attended to promptly and resolved at the earliest. During the meeting, the civil aviation watchdog said that a number of steps have to be taken to avoid inconvenience to the passengers. "Prompt redressal of passenger complaints should be the topmost priority and must be attended to as per the relevant provisions of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs). Airlines must periodically update the details of their nodal officer and appellant authority on their website," the DGCA said in a statement. It said that the airlines should make all efforts to send SMS in case there is a delay in flight beyond 30 minutes or a boarding gate change has taken place at the airport." Airlines must send repeated SMS messages after every 30 minutes to keep the passengers updated for the flight delay/ cancellation/ boarding gate change," the DGCA outlined. Recently, the civil aviation watchdog had learnt that many domestic passengers were facing ticket refund issues as their tickets were booked through their respective travel agents. To mitigate this problem, the DGCA has asked all airlines to ensure better coordination with their travel agents and reduce the inconvenience faced by the passengers while obtaining a refund after booking tickets through travel agents. "The airlines must keep close coordination with their travel agents. The travel agents must share the mobile numbers of the travelling passenger with the airlines for flight information updates. All necessary assistance must be provided to the passengers for their connecting flights," the DGCA said. The civil aviation watchdog said in the event of a delay, airlines should make proper arrangements to ensure refreshments and meals to the passengers. "In case of delay, airlines should make appropriate arrangement to provide water, refreshment and meals as per the provisions of the CARs. The airlines shall ensure the refund of airline tickets through a travel agent/portal in a timely manner. All help should be provided to senior citizens and passengers with reduced mobility," it said. "Complaints on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook etc. should be attended promptly and to the extent possible, must be resolved. Airlines must ensure proper conduct and behaviour of their employees towards passengers. Any laxity in the matter shall be viewed seriously," DGCA said.

Ensure timely redressal of passengers' grievances or face action: DGCA to airlines

A trainer aircraft, VT-AVV, crashed in Aligarh at the Dhanipur airstrip after one of its wheels got stuck in wires during the landing on Tuesday.

According to the order, the plane crash took place at around 8:45 am on Tuesday.

All passengers in the aircraft were rescued safely following the crash, according to City Magistrate, Aligarh, Vinit Kumar Singh.

"Six people were on board the aircraft when it crashed after one of its wheels got stuck in the wire during landing. All the 6 people are safe with no injuries," Singh told ANI here.&nbsp;

Fire tenders rushed to the site of the crash as the plane caught fire and were able to get the situation under control.

Aligarh District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry into Aligarh chartered service plane crash case.

"I have issued an order for a magisterial inquiry into this matter. I have further directed Vineet Kumar Singh, City Magistrate Aligarh, to investigate the reason behind the crash," Singh wrote in the order.

A trainer aircraft, VT-AVV, crashed in Aligarh at the Dhanipur airstrip after one of its wheels got stuck in wires during the landing on Tuesday. According to the order, the plane crash took place at around 8:45 am on Tuesday.

A trainer aircraft, VT-AVV, crashed in Aligarh at the Dhanipur airstrip after one of its wheels got stuck in wires during the landing on Tuesday. According to the order, the plane crash took place at around 8:45 am on Tuesday. All passengers in the aircraft were rescued safely following the crash, according to City Magistrate, Aligarh, Vinit Kumar Singh. "Six people were on board the aircraft when it crashed after one of its wheels got stuck in the wire during landing. All the 6 people are safe with no injuries," Singh told ANI here. Fire tenders rushed to the site of the crash as the plane caught fire and were able to get the situation under control. Aligarh District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry into Aligarh chartered service plane crash case. "I have issued an order for a magisterial inquiry into this matter. I have further directed Vineet Kumar Singh, City Magistrate Aligarh, to investigate the reason behind the crash," Singh wrote in the order.

Aligarh: Aircraft crashes at Dhanipur airstrip, all six onboard safe with no injuries 

Performers on horseback roamed around a Paris train station on Sunday (July 21), passing through a waiting bar and performing stunts to the delight of hundreds of passengers.

Performers on horseback surprise passengers at Paris train station

US summer air travel will hit a new record this year despite the grounding of Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft after two fatal crashes, a group representing major airlines said on Tuesday.

Airlines for America, the trade group representing major US carriers, said it expects 257.4 million passengers to travel on US airlines between June 1 and August&nbsp;31, up 3.4 per cent from last summer’s record 248.8 million passengers.

Airlines are adding 111,000 seats daily to accommodate the extra 93,000 passengers expected per day, the group said, in what it forecast will be the 10th consecutive summer of increases in the number of US airline passengers.

Southwest Airlines Co and American Airlines Group Inc have cancelled flights because of the grounding of the 737 MAX into August, while United Airlines has cancelled flights into early July.

Southwest has cancelled 160 daily flights through August 5. It launched service to Hawaii earlier this year but has had to defer flying there from San Diego and Sacramento because of the MAX groundings.

American has cancelled nearly 115 flights daily until August 19, accounting for 2 per cent of its summer flight capacity.

The US Transportation Department said that July 2018 was the all-time busiest air travel month, with 75.8 million passengers.

The Federal Aviation Administration is meeting with aviation regulators from around the world in Texas on Thursday to update them on the various reviews of the 737 MAX. Boeing has not yet formally submitted its software upgrade and training revisions to the FAA for approval or completed a certification flight.

US summer air travel will hit a new record this year despite the grounding of Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft after two fatal crashes, a group representing major airlines said on Tuesday.

US summer air travel will hit a new record this year despite the grounding of Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft after two fatal crashes, a group representing major airlines said on Tuesday. Airlines for America, the trade group representing major US carriers, said it expects 257.4 million passengers to travel on US airlines between June 1 and August 31, up 3.4 per cent from last summer’s record 248.8 million passengers. Airlines are adding 111,000 seats daily to accommodate the extra 93,000 passengers expected per day, the group said, in what it forecast will be the 10th consecutive summer of increases in the number of US airline passengers. Southwest Airlines Co and American Airlines Group Inc have cancelled flights because of the grounding of the 737 MAX into August, while United Airlines has cancelled flights into early July. Southwest has cancelled 160 daily flights through August 5. It launched service to Hawaii earlier this year but has had to defer flying there from San Diego and Sacramento because of the MAX groundings. American has cancelled nearly 115 flights daily until August 19, accounting for 2 per cent of its summer flight capacity. The US Transportation Department said that July 2018 was the all-time busiest air travel month, with 75.8 million passengers. The Federal Aviation Administration is meeting with aviation regulators from around the world in Texas on Thursday to update them on the various reviews of the 737 MAX. Boeing has not yet formally submitted its software upgrade and training revisions to the FAA for approval or completed a certification flight.

US airline group sees record summer travel, despite 737 MAX grounding

Passengers in Guiyang of southwest China's Guizhou Province can now stay connected on the city's transport system with the recent launch of the first 5G experience bus offering a whole new wave of on-board entertainment.

Brand new 5G-equipped bus keeps passengers entertained in southwest China

After Karnataka government Sunday revoked the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ola-licence-suspended-for-six-months-in-karnataka-204905">suspension on Ola cabs</a>, the company issued an official statement.

The statement said, ''We are glad that the issue stands resolved and we regret any inconvenience caused to our driver-partners and passengers since Friday.''

''We look forward to continue working with the State, to help address the challenges of mobility. We are committed to creating and enhancing livelihood opportunities for millions of driver-partners in the time to come,'' the statement further added.

The state government suspended the licence of Ola Cabs on March 22 for the next six months with immediate effect saying that it was running bike taxis without permission.

The suspension was lifted after the executives of Ola Cabs had a detailed discussion with state chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar and other senior officials.

After Karnataka government Sunday revoked the suspension on Ola cabs, the company issued an official statement. The statement said, ''We are glad that the issue stands resolved and we regret any inconvenience caused to our driver-partners and passengers since Friday.

After Karnataka government Sunday revoked the suspension on Ola cabs, the company issued an official statement. The statement said, ''We are glad that the issue stands resolved and we regret any inconvenience caused to our driver-partners and passengers since Friday.'' ''We look forward to continue working with the State, to help address the challenges of mobility. We are committed to creating and enhancing livelihood opportunities for millions of driver-partners in the time to come,'' the statement further added. The state government suspended the licence of Ola Cabs on March 22 for the next six months with immediate effect saying that it was running bike taxis without permission. The suspension was lifted after the executives of Ola Cabs had a detailed discussion with state chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar and other senior officials.

Karnataka: Glad issue is resolved, regret any inconvenience, says Ola

Rescuers were working into the night on Saturday to airlift 1,300 passengers and crew off a cruise ship after it got into difficulty in rough seas off the Norwegian coast.

The Viking Sky lost power and started drifting mid-afternoon two kilometres off More og Romsdal, prompting the captain to send out a distress call.

The crew managed to restart one of the engines and drop anchor but authorities decided it was too risky for passengers to remain on board.

Five helicopters were scrambled along with coastguard and other rescue vessels.

"I have never seen anything so frightening," said one of the passengers who was rescued, Janet Jacob.

"I started to pray. I prayed for the safety of everyone on board," she told the NRK television channel.

"The helicopter trip was terrifying. The winds were like a tornado," she added.&nbsp;

Pictures broadcast in media reports showed passengers on board as the boat rocked up and down.

"We were sitting down for breakfast when things started to shake... It was just chaos," said another passenger, American John Curry, as quoted in Norwegian by media.

Tor Andre Franck, the head of the police operations, said: "The boat only has one working engine and the winds are rather strong. Therefore we would prefer to have the passengers on land rather than on board the ship."&nbsp;

Notorious seas&nbsp;

The Viking Sky sent out a distress signal due to "engine problems in bad weather", southern Norway's rescue centre said earlier on Twitter.

By 9:00 pm 136 people had been evacuated, with each helicopter able to take 15-20 people per airlift.

"The operation is going on all night long. The people are safe on board," said Per Fjeld, a rescue centre official.

The ship was travelling south en route from Tromso to Stavanger when it got into trouble in an area that has claimed many ships.

"It is dangerous to encounter engine problems in these waters, which hide numerous reefs," Franck said.

A reception centre has been set up in a gym on shore to accommodate the evacuees, many of whom are from the US and Britain.

Another vessel had been dispatched to try to tow the Viking Sky into port, potentially removing the need for the airlift.

"The boat is stable. It has dropped anchor and one of its engines is working," said a rescue centre spokesman, Borghild Eldoen.

"For the moment everything appears to be going well," added another spokesman, Einar Knutsen.

The centre said eight people had suffered minor injuries.

The area where the ship is stranded, known as Hustadvika, is notoriously difficult to navigate.

The shallow, ten nautical mile section of coastline is known for its many small islands and reefs.

"Hustadvika is one of the most notorious maritime areas that we have," Odd Roar Lange, a journalist specialising in tourism, told NRK.

In their time, the Vikings hesitated to venture into the Hustadvika, preferring instead to transport their boats by land from one fjord to another.

Operated by the Norwegian firm Viking Ocean Cruisers, the Viking Sky is a modern cruise ship launched in 2017 with a capacity of 930 passengers plus crew.&nbsp;

In addition to US and British nationals, there were also passengers from 14 other countries on board, Fjeld said.

Rescuers were working into the night on Saturday to airlift 1,300 passengers and crew off a cruise ship after it got into difficulty in rough seas off the Norwegian coast.

Rescuers were working into the night on Saturday to airlift 1,300 passengers and crew off a cruise ship after it got into difficulty in rough seas off the Norwegian coast. The Viking Sky lost power and started drifting mid-afternoon two kilometres off More og Romsdal, prompting the captain to send out a distress call. The crew managed to restart one of the engines and drop anchor but authorities decided it was too risky for passengers to remain on board. Five helicopters were scrambled along with coastguard and other rescue vessels. "I have never seen anything so frightening," said one of the passengers who was rescued, Janet Jacob. "I started to pray. I prayed for the safety of everyone on board," she told the NRK television channel. "The helicopter trip was terrifying. The winds were like a tornado," she added. Pictures broadcast in media reports showed passengers on board as the boat rocked up and down. "We were sitting down for breakfast when things started to shake... It was just chaos," said another passenger, American John Curry, as quoted in Norwegian by media. Tor Andre Franck, the head of the police operations, said: "The boat only has one working engine and the winds are rather strong. Therefore we would prefer to have the passengers on land rather than on board the ship." Notorious seas The Viking Sky sent out a distress signal due to "engine problems in bad weather", southern Norway's rescue centre said earlier on Twitter. By 9:00 pm 136 people had been evacuated, with each helicopter able to take 15-20 people per airlift. "The operation is going on all night long. The people are safe on board," said Per Fjeld, a rescue centre official. The ship was travelling south en route from Tromso to Stavanger when it got into trouble in an area that has claimed many ships. "It is dangerous to encounter engine problems in these waters, which hide numerous reefs," Franck said. A reception centre has been set up in a gym on shore to accommodate the evacuees, many of whom are from the US and Britain. Another vessel had been dispatched to try to tow the Viking Sky into port, potentially removing the need for the airlift. "The boat is stable. It has dropped anchor and one of its engines is working," said a rescue centre spokesman, Borghild Eldoen. "For the moment everything appears to be going well," added another spokesman, Einar Knutsen. The centre said eight people had suffered minor injuries. The area where the ship is stranded, known as Hustadvika, is notoriously difficult to navigate. The shallow, ten nautical mile section of coastline is known for its many small islands and reefs. "Hustadvika is one of the most notorious maritime areas that we have," Odd Roar Lange, a journalist specialising in tourism, told NRK. In their time, the Vikings hesitated to venture into the Hustadvika, preferring instead to transport their boats by land from one fjord to another. Operated by the Norwegian firm Viking Ocean Cruisers, the Viking Sky is a modern cruise ship launched in 2017 with a capacity of 930 passengers plus crew. In addition to US and British nationals, there were also passengers from 14 other countries on board, Fjeld said.

Norway rescuers airlift 1,300 passengers off cruise ship in storm

Nearly 900 stranded passengers, mostly residents of Ladakh, were Saturday airlifted from Jammu, Srinagar and Udhampur, an official said.

"A total of 881 stranded passengers were airlifted by Indian Air Force in separate sorties," State Coordinator, Kargil Courier Service, Aamir Ali said.

A total of 325 passengers were airlifted from Udhampur to Leh, 280 from Srinagar to Leh, 117 from Srinagar to Kargil, 59 from Kargil to Srinagar, 74 from Jammu to Kargil and 26 from Kargil to Jammu, he added.

The AN-32 Kargil courier service was introduced to provide an alternative to the residents of Ladakh which usually remains cut off from rest of the country due to the closure of 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway during winter months owing to heavy snowfall.&nbsp;

Nearly 900 stranded passengers, mostly residents of Ladakh, were Saturday airlifted from Jammu, Srinagar and Udhampur, an official said. "A total of 881 stranded passengers were airlifted by Indian Air Force in separate sorties," State Coordinator, Kargil Courier Service, Aamir Ali said.

Nearly 900 stranded passengers, mostly residents of Ladakh, were Saturday airlifted from Jammu, Srinagar and Udhampur, an official said. "A total of 881 stranded passengers were airlifted by Indian Air Force in separate sorties," State Coordinator, Kargil Courier Service, Aamir Ali said. A total of 325 passengers were airlifted from Udhampur to Leh, 280 from Srinagar to Leh, 117 from Srinagar to Kargil, 59 from Kargil to Srinagar, 74 from Jammu to Kargil and 26 from Kargil to Jammu, he added. The AN-32 Kargil courier service was introduced to provide an alternative to the residents of Ladakh which usually remains cut off from rest of the country due to the closure of 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway during winter months owing to heavy snowfall.

About 900 stranded passengers airlifted in Jammu and Kashmir

More than two dozen people were injured and at least 10 were taken to a hospital after a Turkish Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence on its approach to New York's John F Kennedy International Airport on Saturday, officials said.

The New York Fire Department said it was treating 29 passengers for "non-life-threatening injuries" at the airport, after having initially reported the number on Twitter at 32.

Most of the injuries aboard Turkish Airlines Flight 001 from Istanbul were minor, according to Steve Coleman, spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates JFK Airport.

"The majority of them were bumps, bruises and cuts," he said. "I'm not aware of any life-threatening injuries at this point."

The 10 passengers sent to a local hospital included a child and one with a possible broken leg, he said.

The airliner, carrying 326 passengers with a crew of 21, ran into "severe turbulence" about 45 minutes before landing at 5:35 pm EST, Coleman said.

The National Weather Service's Aviation Weather Center had issued an advisory for severe turbulence over New England on Saturday evening.

Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It was the second incident at a major New York-area airport on Saturday. New Jersey's Newark airport closed its runways earlier in the day after a cargo plane flying to Florida from Canada was forced to make an emergency landing.

More than two dozen people were injured and at least 10 were taken to a hospital after a Turkish Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence on its approach to New York's John F Kennedy International Airport on Saturday, officials said.

More than two dozen people were injured and at least 10 were taken to a hospital after a Turkish Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence on its approach to New York's John F Kennedy International Airport on Saturday, officials said. The New York Fire Department said it was treating 29 passengers for "non-life-threatening injuries" at the airport, after having initially reported the number on Twitter at 32. Most of the injuries aboard Turkish Airlines Flight 001 from Istanbul were minor, according to Steve Coleman, spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates JFK Airport. "The majority of them were bumps, bruises and cuts," he said. "I'm not aware of any life-threatening injuries at this point." The 10 passengers sent to a local hospital included a child and one with a possible broken leg, he said. The airliner, carrying 326 passengers with a crew of 21, ran into "severe turbulence" about 45 minutes before landing at 5:35 pm EST, Coleman said. The National Weather Service's Aviation Weather Center had issued an advisory for severe turbulence over New England on Saturday evening. Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was the second incident at a major New York-area airport on Saturday. New Jersey's Newark airport closed its runways earlier in the day after a cargo plane flying to Florida from Canada was forced to make an emergency landing.

Some 29 Turkish Airlines passengers injured by turbulence headed to New York

Over 180 passengers, mostly the GATE aspirants, were Sunday airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Jammu to Srinagar, a defence spokesman said.

The IAF launched special sorties of C17 Globemaster over the past two days, airlifting a total of 538 persons, including 319 Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) aspirants, between the twin capitals on Friday and Saturday, he said.

"The IAF again came into assistance of 186 passengers including 170 students who were again airlifted from Jammu to Srinagar after appearing in the GATE examination," the spokesman said.

He said the students quoted it as a "lifetime memorable exam" for them and will be remembered forever.

"The students were very relieved as they could appear only because of timely and humanitarian assistance from the armed forces. All of them were very appreciative and thankful for this humanitarian concern of the armed forces along with guarding the frontiers at all times," the spokesman said.

Among others who were airlifted included children, he said.

Meanwhile, 28 stranded people, including three critically-ill women, were airlifted from snow-bound areas of Kishtwar in various sorties by Pawan Hans helicopter, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana personally monitored the operations, they said, adding the district administration had sought the chopper services to airlift critically-ill patients from far-flung snowbound areas including Marwah, Warwan and Dachhan.

On Saturday, the district administration had airlifted three patients from Kishtwar to Jammu.

Over 180 passengers, mostly the GATE aspirants, were Sunday airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Jammu to Srinagar, a defence spokesman said. The IAF launched special sorties of C17 Globemaster over the past two days, airlifting a total of 538 persons, including 319 Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) aspirants, between the twin capitals on Friday and Saturday, he said.

Over 180 passengers, mostly the GATE aspirants, were Sunday airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Jammu to Srinagar, a defence spokesman said. The IAF launched special sorties of C17 Globemaster over the past two days, airlifting a total of 538 persons, including 319 Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) aspirants, between the twin capitals on Friday and Saturday, he said. "The IAF again came into assistance of 186 passengers including 170 students who were again airlifted from Jammu to Srinagar after appearing in the GATE examination," the spokesman said. He said the students quoted it as a "lifetime memorable exam" for them and will be remembered forever. "The students were very relieved as they could appear only because of timely and humanitarian assistance from the armed forces. All of them were very appreciative and thankful for this humanitarian concern of the armed forces along with guarding the frontiers at all times," the spokesman said. Among others who were airlifted included children, he said. Meanwhile, 28 stranded people, including three critically-ill women, were airlifted from snow-bound areas of Kishtwar in various sorties by Pawan Hans helicopter, officials said. Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana personally monitored the operations, they said, adding the district administration had sought the chopper services to airlift critically-ill patients from far-flung snowbound areas including Marwah, Warwan and Dachhan. On Saturday, the district administration had airlifted three patients from Kishtwar to Jammu.

Indian Air Force airlifts 186 stranded passengers from Jammu to Srinagar

In pics: Indians turn Dubai airport into World's busiest international airport in 2018

With an aim to ensure safety in railways, the Central Railway has come out with an innovative idea of installing visual indicators in local trains to Mumbaikars.

Central Railway has installed a blue light visual indicator just above the entrance of one EMU coach for guiding the commuters not to board the running train, at the last moment.

The indicator flashes when to stop boarding the train before it becomes unsafe and draws a boundary on the platform which is the minimum clearance level for commuters to avoid accidents while the train is in motion.

The device will definitely act as a psychological barrier from boarding the moving train and also as a deterrent to the people.

The work of installing the blue light visual indicator was carried out in Kurla car-shed of Central Railway under the guidance of DK Sharma, General Manager, Central Railway.

Central Railway would monitor the performance of the new blue light visual indicator and based on the outcome and commuter feedback, a decision would be taken on the installation of visual indicators on more coaches and rakes of Mumbai suburban locals.&nbsp;

With an aim to ensure safety in railways, the Central Railway has come out with an innovative idea of installing visual indicators in local trains to Mumbaikars.

With an aim to ensure safety in railways, the Central Railway has come out with an innovative idea of installing visual indicators in local trains to Mumbaikars. Central Railway has installed a blue light visual indicator just above the entrance of one EMU coach for guiding the commuters not to board the running train, at the last moment. The indicator flashes when to stop boarding the train before it becomes unsafe and draws a boundary on the platform which is the minimum clearance level for commuters to avoid accidents while the train is in motion. The device will definitely act as a psychological barrier from boarding the moving train and also as a deterrent to the people. The work of installing the blue light visual indicator was carried out in Kurla car-shed of Central Railway under the guidance of DK Sharma, General Manager, Central Railway. Central Railway would monitor the performance of the new blue light visual indicator and based on the outcome and commuter feedback, a decision would be taken on the installation of visual indicators on more coaches and rakes of Mumbai suburban locals.

Mumbai: Blue light warning signal to passengers travelling by local trains

GoAir on Sunday issued a statement saying that the luggage of passengers in its flight G8 213 from Srinagar to Jammu was not loaded due to flight load restrictions.

A GoAir spokesperson said in a statement that half of the luggage has been delivered to Jammu via another airline, while the other half will be delivered to passengers at their respective locations.

"Baggage of some passengers was not loaded on flight G8 213 due to flight-load restrictions. Due to bad weather yesterday at Srinagar, the airline tried to accommodate a lot of stranded passengers who had further connections. Half the luggage has been delivered to Jammu through another airline and the rest will be delivered to the respective locations of the passengers. GoAir sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to its passengers," the statement read.

Several passengers complained at the Jammu airport that they did not receive their luggage on arrival.&nbsp;

GoAir on Sunday issued a statement saying that the luggage of passengers in its flight G8 213 from Srinagar to Jammu was not loaded due to flight load restrictions.

GoAir on Sunday issued a statement saying that the luggage of passengers in its flight G8 213 from Srinagar to Jammu was not loaded due to flight load restrictions. A GoAir spokesperson said in a statement that half of the luggage has been delivered to Jammu via another airline, while the other half will be delivered to passengers at their respective locations. "Baggage of some passengers was not loaded on flight G8 213 due to flight-load restrictions. Due to bad weather yesterday at Srinagar, the airline tried to accommodate a lot of stranded passengers who had further connections. Half the luggage has been delivered to Jammu through another airline and the rest will be delivered to the respective locations of the passengers. GoAir sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to its passengers," the statement read. Several passengers complained at the Jammu airport that they did not receive their luggage on arrival.

GoAir plane flies from Srinagar to Jammu, forgets passengers' luggage

An Indian bus driver who let a monkey behind the wheel of his vehicle was suspended Saturday after a video of the incident went viral, sparking outrage and humour.

The 36-year-old driver is seen smiling and patting the langur monkey as it sits atop the wheel of the moving bus in footage shot by a passenger. &nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Viral video from Karnataka's Davanagere of a KSRTC bus driver driving with a Langur perched on the steering wheel. The bus driver has been suspended for endangering the lives of the passengers. <a href="https://t.co/RexZAfKZdr">pic.twitter.com/RexZAfKZdr</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1048449639052201984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Driver M Prakash has been taken off duty for allowing the monkey to sit on the steering wheel and handle it," TS Latha, a spokesperson for the government's road transport corporation in southern Karnataka state told AFP.

"Passengers' safety is paramount and the driver cannot risk it by allowing a monkey on the steering."

The incident took place Monday but authorities only learnt of it after the video was shared on social media, Latha added.

There were around 30 on the bus at the time and none of them complained.&nbsp;

Local media reports say the langur boarded with a passenger and was at the wheel for almost ten minutes.&nbsp;

The bus was on its regular trip around Davangere, around 170 miles (270 kilometres) from regional capital Bangalore, when the incident took place.&nbsp;

"So sweet. Why suspend. He should have been warned not to repeat this," tweeted Parag Heda. &nbsp;

Another local quipped that the driver was in the wrong profession.&nbsp;

"Good that action is taken and he suspended, but clearly he is in wrong job. This man is a sensitive animal lover (see how langur trusts him) and could be an asset in wildlife-related jobs," he said. &nbsp;

The state transport authority said an investigation was being conducted.&nbsp;

An Indian bus driver who let a monkey behind the wheel of his vehicle was suspended Saturday after a video of the incident went viral, sparking outrage and humour.

An Indian bus driver who let a monkey behind the wheel of his vehicle was suspended Saturday after a video of the incident went viral, sparking outrage and humour. The 36-year-old driver is seen smiling and patting the langur monkey as it sits atop the wheel of the moving bus in footage shot by a passenger. #WATCH Viral video from Karnataka's Davanagere of a KSRTC bus driver driving with a Langur perched on the steering wheel. The bus driver has been suspended for endangering the lives of the passengers. pic.twitter.com/RexZAfKZdr — ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2018 × "Driver M Prakash has been taken off duty for allowing the monkey to sit on the steering wheel and handle it," TS Latha, a spokesperson for the government's road transport corporation in southern Karnataka state told AFP. "Passengers' safety is paramount and the driver cannot risk it by allowing a monkey on the steering." The incident took place Monday but authorities only learnt of it after the video was shared on social media, Latha added. There were around 30 on the bus at the time and none of them complained. Local media reports say the langur boarded with a passenger and was at the wheel for almost ten minutes. The bus was on its regular trip around Davangere, around 170 miles (270 kilometres) from regional capital Bangalore, when the incident took place. "So sweet. Why suspend. He should have been warned not to repeat this," tweeted Parag Heda. Another local quipped that the driver was in the wrong profession. "Good that action is taken and he suspended, but clearly he is in wrong job. This man is a sensitive animal lover (see how langur trusts him) and could be an asset in wildlife-related jobs," he said. The state transport authority said an investigation was being conducted.

India suspends bus driver for letting a monkey 'drive'

A flotilla of small boats rescued all 47 passengers and crew from an Air Niugini flight that crashed into the sea short of the runway at an airport in the tiny South Pacific nation of Micronesia on Friday, the airport's manager said.

"It was supposed to land but instead of landing it was 150 yards short and she went down," Jimmy Emilio, general manager of Chuuk Airport at Weno in Micronesia, told Reuters by telephone.

"We don't really know what happened ... people were rescued by boats - 36 passengers and 11 crew were all rescued, only the plane is sinking right now," he said.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft hit the lagoon surrounding the small island about 9.30 am local time (2330 GMT Thursday), Emilio said. The passengers and crew were taken to hospital but no serious injuries were reported.

"I thought we landed hard until I looked over and saw a hole in the side of the plane and water was coming in," passenger Bill Jaynes said in a video posted by the Pacific Daily News website.

"I thought, well, this is not like the way it's supposed to happen," he said. Water was waist-deep in the cabin before rescuers arrived, he said.

Video published online by Radio New Zealand and pictures posted on Twitter showed the half-submerged aircraft surrounded by small speedboats.

Air Niugini said in a statement the airline is "making all efforts" to look after the passengers and crew.

A spokesman for Papua New Guinea's Accident Investigation Commission said investigators would fly to the scene as soon as possible to piece together what happened.

In 2013, all 101 passengers aboard a Lion Air flight that overshot the runway at Denpasar in Indonesia and landed in shallow water were similarly rescued by boats without casualties.

A flotilla of small boats rescued all 47 passengers and crew from an Air Niugini flight that crashed into the sea short of the runway at an airport in the tiny South Pacific nation of Micronesia on Friday, the airport's manager said.

A flotilla of small boats rescued all 47 passengers and crew from an Air Niugini flight that crashed into the sea short of the runway at an airport in the tiny South Pacific nation of Micronesia on Friday, the airport's manager said. "It was supposed to land but instead of landing it was 150 yards short and she went down," Jimmy Emilio, general manager of Chuuk Airport at Weno in Micronesia, told Reuters by telephone. "We don't really know what happened ... people were rescued by boats - 36 passengers and 11 crew were all rescued, only the plane is sinking right now," he said. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft hit the lagoon surrounding the small island about 9.30 am local time (2330 GMT Thursday), Emilio said. The passengers and crew were taken to hospital but no serious injuries were reported. "I thought we landed hard until I looked over and saw a hole in the side of the plane and water was coming in," passenger Bill Jaynes said in a video posted by the Pacific Daily News website. "I thought, well, this is not like the way it's supposed to happen," he said. Water was waist-deep in the cabin before rescuers arrived, he said. Video published online by Radio New Zealand and pictures posted on Twitter showed the half-submerged aircraft surrounded by small speedboats. Air Niugini said in a statement the airline is "making all efforts" to look after the passengers and crew. A spokesman for Papua New Guinea's Accident Investigation Commission said investigators would fly to the scene as soon as possible to piece together what happened. In 2013, all 101 passengers aboard a Lion Air flight that overshot the runway at Denpasar in Indonesia and landed in shallow water were similarly rescued by boats without casualties.

Watch: Air Niugini flight crashes into sea in South Pacific; all passengers safe

Arunachal Pradesh on Monday found a place on the aviation map of the country as the state's first commercial flight with Chief Minister Pema Khandu among 25 passengers on board, landed at Pasighat Advance Landing Ground in East Siang district.

The 42-seater ATR aircraft of the Alliance Airlines touched down at Pasighat airport around 2.15 pm after 1.5-hour journey from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport in Guwahati.

"Landed safely at Pasighat airport few minutes ago flying from Guwahati on Alliance Air. Proud to be part of this historic moment. I am extremely thankful to PM @narendramodi ji and @MoCA_GoI for connecting Arunachal with airways (sic)," the CM tweeted minutes after landing at the airport.

He also shared pictures of the aircraft along with its crew on his Twitter handle.

Addressing a gathering at Pasighat, Khandu said, "It is a history in making. With this commercial flight, new vistas of economic development have opened in the region. Besides, the flight services will also open up ample opportunities for the tourism industry".

Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, will operate flight services on the Calcutta-Guwahati-Pasighat route thrice a week - on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Landed safely at Pasighat airport few minutes ago flying from Guwahati on Alliance Air. Proud to be part of this historic moment. I am extremely thankful to PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> ji and <a href="https://twitter.com/MoCA_GoI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MoCA_GoI</a> for connecting Arunachal with airways. <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4India</a> <a href="https://t.co/jRUZWABjmX">pic.twitter.com/jRUZWABjmX</a>
— Pema Khandu (@PemaKhanduBJP) <a href="https://twitter.com/PemaKhanduBJP/status/998498228722130946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Arunachal has enormous potential for generating hydro-power and producing a wide range of horticultural and agricultural products, but communication has always been a bottleneck in the state, Khandu said.

"Now, with the launch of the commercial flight, tourists from other states and foreign countries will be able to visit the picturesque locales of the state," he said.&nbsp;

Expressing hope that the new airport would also open avenues for economic development, the CM said if the decks were cleared for cargo aircraft in the near future, the indigenous products of the state could also be sold to other parts of the country.&nbsp;

Khandu also said that another airport at Tezu in Lohit district will be made operational shortly.

"Besides, Zoom Airlines is scheduled to introduce its services in the state soon," he added.

Arunachal Pradesh has about 120 helipads and 10 advanced landing grounds, built for defence as well as civil purposes.&nbsp;

Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, will operate flight services on the Calcutta-Guwahati-Pasighat route thrice a week - on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Arunachal Pradesh on Monday found a place on the aviation map of the country as the state's first commercial flight with Chief Minister Pema Khandu among 25 passengers on board, landed at Pasighat Advance Landing Ground in East Siang district. The 42-seater ATR aircraft of the Alliance Airlines touched down at Pasighat airport around 2.15 pm after 1.5-hour journey from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport in Guwahati. "Landed safely at Pasighat airport few minutes ago flying from Guwahati on Alliance Air. Proud to be part of this historic moment. I am extremely thankful to PM @narendramodi ji and @MoCA_GoI for connecting Arunachal with airways (sic)," the CM tweeted minutes after landing at the airport. He also shared pictures of the aircraft along with its crew on his Twitter handle. Addressing a gathering at Pasighat, Khandu said, "It is a history in making. With this commercial flight, new vistas of economic development have opened in the region. Besides, the flight services will also open up ample opportunities for the tourism industry". Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, will operate flight services on the Calcutta-Guwahati-Pasighat route thrice a week - on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Landed safely at Pasighat airport few minutes ago flying from Guwahati on Alliance Air. Proud to be part of this historic moment. I am extremely thankful to PM @narendramodi ji and @MoCA_GoI for connecting Arunachal with airways. @PMOIndia @BJP4India pic.twitter.com/jRUZWABjmX — Pema Khandu (@PemaKhanduBJP) May 21, 2018 × Arunachal has enormous potential for generating hydro-power and producing a wide range of horticultural and agricultural products, but communication has always been a bottleneck in the state, Khandu said. "Now, with the launch of the commercial flight, tourists from other states and foreign countries will be able to visit the picturesque locales of the state," he said. Expressing hope that the new airport would also open avenues for economic development, the CM said if the decks were cleared for cargo aircraft in the near future, the indigenous products of the state could also be sold to other parts of the country. Khandu also said that another airport at Tezu in Lohit district will be made operational shortly. "Besides, Zoom Airlines is scheduled to introduce its services in the state soon," he added. Arunachal Pradesh has about 120 helipads and 10 advanced landing grounds, built for defence as well as civil purposes.

CM Pema Khandu among 25 passengers on board first flight to Arunachal Pradesh

People could not book tickets for around two hours today on the IRCTC website due to a technical glitch.

The website of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was down between 10:57 am and 12:50 pm with passengers unable to book or cancel any tickets at that time.

"It was a technical glitch and it has been resolved," said IRCTC spokesperson Siddharth Singh.

The most affected were passengers who were trying to book tickets under the Tatkal scheme and kept waiting for the website to go live.

Sources say that the problem was at the railway's end and during that time passenger enquiry number 139 was also hit.&nbsp

The website of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was down between 10:57 am and 12:50 pm with passengers unable to book or cancel any tickets at that time.

People could not book tickets for around two hours today on the IRCTC website due to a technical glitch. The website of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was down between 10:57 am and 12:50 pm with passengers unable to book or cancel any tickets at that time. "It was a technical glitch and it has been resolved," said IRCTC spokesperson Siddharth Singh. The most affected were passengers who were trying to book tickets under the Tatkal scheme and kept waiting for the website to go live. Sources say that the problem was at the railway's end and during that time passenger enquiry number 139 was also hit.

IRCTC website down for few hours

A passenger train in South Africa caught fire after colliding with a truck, leaving at least 18 dead and around 268 injured on Thursday.&nbsp;

The train, which was carrying 700 passengers, derailed from its track after crashing into the truck and burst into flames.&nbsp;

The collision occurred near Kroonstad city in Free State province and also damaged power lines.&nbsp;

The emergency services rushed to the scene and battled the blaze on the train, which had been travelling from the coastal city of Port Elizabeth to the commercial capital, Johannesburg.

Officials said the truck driver allegedly tried to cross the tracks just ahead of the oncoming train, part of which burst into flames after the collision, trapping some passengers in carriages.

&ldquo;I have been briefed that the accident was the result of a truck that was driving through a level crossing... You can see for yourself the truck driver was taking chances,&rdquo; Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi said the train said on the news channel of national broadcaster SABC.

According to media reports, some bodies were severely burnt and could not be recognized.&nbsp;

The driver of the truck escaped but was later arrested by the police, reports said.&nbsp;

South Africa has the continent&rsquo;s largest railway network, but it has been plagued by mismanagement and under-investment that has seen train use dwindle despite it being the cheapest from of public transportation.

The train, which was carrying 700 passengers, derailed from its track after crashing into the truck and burst into flames near Kroonstad city in Free State province

A passenger train in South Africa caught fire after colliding with a truck, leaving at least 18 dead and around 268 injured on Thursday. The train, which was carrying 700 passengers, derailed from its track after crashing into the truck and burst into flames. The collision occurred near Kroonstad city in Free State province and also damaged power lines. The emergency services rushed to the scene and battled the blaze on the train, which had been travelling from the coastal city of Port Elizabeth to the commercial capital, Johannesburg. Officials said the truck driver allegedly tried to cross the tracks just ahead of the oncoming train, part of which burst into flames after the collision, trapping some passengers in carriages. “I have been briefed that the accident was the result of a truck that was driving through a level crossing... You can see for yourself the truck driver was taking chances,” Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi said the train said on the news channel of national broadcaster SABC. According to media reports, some bodies were severely burnt and could not be recognized. The driver of the truck escaped but was later arrested by the police, reports said. South Africa has the continent’s largest railway network, but it has been plagued by mismanagement and under-investment that has seen train use dwindle despite it being the cheapest from of public transportation.

At least 18 dead and hundreds injured in South Africa train crash

Two wheels of a coach of an express train came off the track near Nizamabad in Telangana today, but no one was injured, Railway officials said.

The incident, involving the 12793 Tirupati-Nizamabad Rayalaseema Express, affected rail traffic.

The derailment occurred at 0805 hours between Uppalavai-Sirnapalli stations on the Secunderabad-Mudkhed section of the South Central Railway, they said.

None was hurt in the incident, they said.

Passengers of the train were immediately transported to their destinations by the Railway authorities, they said.

The incident, which happened on a single line track, led to the cancellation of Secunderabad-CST Mumbai Devagiri Express and partial cancellation of six other trains, the officials said.

Track repair work was underway to restore normal running of trains &quot;at the earliest&quot;, they added.

The incident, involving the 12793 Tirupati-Nizamabad Rayalaseema Express, affected rail traffic.

Two wheels of a coach of an express train came off the track near Nizamabad in Telangana today, but no one was injured, Railway officials said. The incident, involving the 12793 Tirupati-Nizamabad Rayalaseema Express, affected rail traffic. The derailment occurred at 0805 hours between Uppalavai-Sirnapalli stations on the Secunderabad-Mudkhed section of the South Central Railway, they said. None was hurt in the incident, they said. Passengers of the train were immediately transported to their destinations by the Railway authorities, they said. The incident, which happened on a single line track, led to the cancellation of Secunderabad-CST Mumbai Devagiri Express and partial cancellation of six other trains, the officials said. Track repair work was underway to restore normal running of trains "at the earliest", they added.

Express train derails in Telangana; passengers safe

A volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali sent plumes of grey smoke and steam thousands of metres into the air on Sunday for the third day&nbsp;in a week, triggering flight cancellations which have left thousands of tourists stranded, officials said Sunday.

Mount Agung spewed smoke and ash as high as 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) Sunday morning, causing at least 28 departing or arriving flights to be delayed or cancelled, said a spokesman for Bali&#39;s airport.

Indonesia&#39;s volcanology centre has put out a red alert warning airlines of a possible eruption, with a likely significant emission of ash into the atmosphere. But as of Sunday afternoon Bali&#39;s Ngurah Rai airport was still open.

The decision to delay or divert flight was up to individual airlines, said airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim.

&quot;We try to make the airport as comfortable as possible for the passengers affected. So far we have provided special rooms for them to unpack their luggage and video entertainment so they can relax a bit,&quot; Ahsanurrohim told AFP.

At least 2,000 passengers are affected by the flight disruption, mostly tourists from Australia.

&quot;I am meant to be at work tomorrow. How am I going to pay my bills?&quot; said Sydney-based tourist Jake Vidler.

Several domestic flights have also been cancelled such as to the nearby island of Lombok, also a popular tourist destination east of Bali. The wind has blown Mount Agung&#39;s ash in that direction.

&quot;I&#39;ve received a refund from my airline. Now I&#39;m trying to go to Lombok by boat, hopefully the harbour is open,&quot; said Ismono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people.

It rumbled back to life in September and authorities raise the alert to the highest level, forcing 140,000 people living nearby to evacuate.

The volcano&#39;s activity decreased in late October and many people returned to their home as the alert was lowered to the second-highest level.

But Mount Agung rumbled again last Tuesday, forcing 25,000 people to seek shelter. Authorities urged people living within 7.5 kilometres (4.5 miles) of the mountain to evacuate.

The mountain spewed smoke and ash on Saturday for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption&nbsp;- one which is caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.

&nbsp;

Mount Agung spewed smoke and ash as high as 4,000 metres Sunday morning, causing at least 28 departing or arriving flights to be delayed or cancelled

A volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali sent plumes of grey smoke and steam thousands of metres into the air on Sunday for the third day in a week, triggering flight cancellations which have left thousands of tourists stranded, officials said Sunday. Mount Agung spewed smoke and ash as high as 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) Sunday morning, causing at least 28 departing or arriving flights to be delayed or cancelled, said a spokesman for Bali's airport. Indonesia's volcanology centre has put out a red alert warning airlines of a possible eruption, with a likely significant emission of ash into the atmosphere. But as of Sunday afternoon Bali's Ngurah Rai airport was still open. The decision to delay or divert flight was up to individual airlines, said airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim. "We try to make the airport as comfortable as possible for the passengers affected. So far we have provided special rooms for them to unpack their luggage and video entertainment so they can relax a bit," Ahsanurrohim told AFP. At least 2,000 passengers are affected by the flight disruption, mostly tourists from Australia. "I am meant to be at work tomorrow. How am I going to pay my bills?" said Sydney-based tourist Jake Vidler. Several domestic flights have also been cancelled such as to the nearby island of Lombok, also a popular tourist destination east of Bali. The wind has blown Mount Agung's ash in that direction. "I've received a refund from my airline. Now I'm trying to go to Lombok by boat, hopefully the harbour is open," said Ismono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people. It rumbled back to life in September and authorities raise the alert to the highest level, forcing 140,000 people living nearby to evacuate. The volcano's activity decreased in late October and many people returned to their home as the alert was lowered to the second-highest level. But Mount Agung rumbled again last Tuesday, forcing 25,000 people to seek shelter. Authorities urged people living within 7.5 kilometres (4.5 miles) of the mountain to evacuate. The mountain spewed smoke and ash on Saturday for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption - one which is caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.

Dozens of flights cancelled or delayed as Bali volcano spews smoke

At least 20 people including women and children were killed on Monday when a lorry toppled over and shed its load of coal onto a passenger van in southern Pakistan, police said.

Five people were injured in the accident in Khairpur district in Sindh province.

A senior district police official said the truck was trying to overtake the van when it toppled and crushed the other vehicle.

&quot;The van (was) buried under the coal and at least 17 people including children and women died on the spot,&quot; Azfar Mahesar told AFP.

Eight injured people were rushed to hospital but three subsequently died, said hospital doctor Ghulam Jafar.

Several of the bodies were badly crushed by the coal and so far just 10 have been identified, he added.&nbsp;

Pakistan has one of the world&#39;s worst records for fatal traffic accidents, due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

At least 20 people including women and children were killed on Monday when a lorry toppled over and shed its load of coal onto a passenger van in southern Pakistan, police said

At least 20 people including women and children were killed on Monday when a lorry toppled over and shed its load of coal onto a passenger van in southern Pakistan, police said. Five people were injured in the accident in Khairpur district in Sindh province. A senior district police official said the truck was trying to overtake the van when it toppled and crushed the other vehicle. "The van (was) buried under the coal and at least 17 people including children and women died on the spot," Azfar Mahesar told AFP. Eight injured people were rushed to hospital but three subsequently died, said hospital doctor Ghulam Jafar. Several of the bodies were badly crushed by the coal and so far just 10 have been identified, he added. Pakistan has one of the world's worst records for fatal traffic accidents, due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

20 killed as truck topples onto van in Pakistan

Would you buy a car that might risk your life to save a pedestrian? 
 
That&#39;s the question researchers are mulling in a recent study about driverless cars. 
 
When it comes to autonomous cars, people generally approve of cars programmed to sacrifice their passengers to save others, but these same people are not enthusiastic about riding in such &quot;utilitarian&quot; vehicles themselves, the survey revealed. 
 
This inconsistency, which illustrates an inherent social tension between wanting the good of the individual and that of the public, persisted across a wide range of survey scenarios, revealing just how difficult it will be to make underlying programming decisions for autonomous cars - something that should be done well before these cars become a global commodity, the study`s authors note. 
 
Autonomous vehicles, or AVs, have the potential to benefit the world by eliminating up to 90 per cent of traffic accidents, but not all crashes will be avoided and some crash scenarios will require AVs to make difficult ethical decisions. 
 
To begin to inform a collective discussion about the way AVs should make such decisions, Jean-Fran?ois Bonnefon and colleagues conducted six online surveys of US residents between June and November 2015, asking participants questions about how they would want their AVs to behave. 
 
The scenarios involved in the survey varied in the number of pedestrian and passenger lives that could be saved, among other factors.Overall, participants said that AVs should be programmed to be utilitarian, but the same people also said they would prefer to buy cars that protected them and their passengers, especially if family members were involved.This suggests that if both self-protective and utilitarian AVs were allowed on the market, few people would be willing to ride in the latter, the authors say, even though they would prefer others to do so. 
 
Bonnefon et al. note that regulation may be necessary, but, based on their survey results (which reveal that regulation could substantially delay AV adoption), they say it could also be counterproductive. 
 
In a related Perspective, Joshua D. Greene highlights additional challenges around programming driverless cars, including how manufacturers of utilitarian vehicles will be criticized for their willingness to kill their own passengers, while manufacturers of self-protective cars &quot;will be criticized for devaluing the lives of others.&quot; 
 
Determining just how to build ethical autonomous machines &quot;is one of the thorniest challenges in artificial intelligence today,&quot; Bonnefon and colleagues concluded. However, their data-driven approach highlights the way the field of experimental ethics can provide key insights in this space as more and more autonomous cars hit the road. The study appears in the journal Science. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Autonomous vehicles have the potential eliminate up to 90% of traffic accidents, but not all crases will be avoided

Would you buy a car that might risk your life to save a pedestrian? That's the question researchers are mulling in a recent study about driverless cars. When it comes to autonomous cars, people generally approve of cars programmed to sacrifice their passengers to save others, but these same people are not enthusiastic about riding in such "utilitarian" vehicles themselves, the survey revealed. This inconsistency, which illustrates an inherent social tension between wanting the good of the individual and that of the public, persisted across a wide range of survey scenarios, revealing just how difficult it will be to make underlying programming decisions for autonomous cars - something that should be done well before these cars become a global commodity, the study`s authors note. Autonomous vehicles, or AVs, have the potential to benefit the world by eliminating up to 90 per cent of traffic accidents, but not all crashes will be avoided and some crash scenarios will require AVs to make difficult ethical decisions. To begin to inform a collective discussion about the way AVs should make such decisions, Jean-Fran?ois Bonnefon and colleagues conducted six online surveys of US residents between June and November 2015, asking participants questions about how they would want their AVs to behave. The scenarios involved in the survey varied in the number of pedestrian and passenger lives that could be saved, among other factors.Overall, participants said that AVs should be programmed to be utilitarian, but the same people also said they would prefer to buy cars that protected them and their passengers, especially if family members were involved.This suggests that if both self-protective and utilitarian AVs were allowed on the market, few people would be willing to ride in the latter, the authors say, even though they would prefer others to do so. Bonnefon et al. note that regulation may be necessary, but, based on their survey results (which reveal that regulation could substantially delay AV adoption), they say it could also be counterproductive. In a related Perspective, Joshua D. Greene highlights additional challenges around programming driverless cars, including how manufacturers of utilitarian vehicles will be criticized for their willingness to kill their own passengers, while manufacturers of self-protective cars "will be criticized for devaluing the lives of others." Determining just how to build ethical autonomous machines "is one of the thorniest challenges in artificial intelligence today," Bonnefon and colleagues concluded. However, their data-driven approach highlights the way the field of experimental ethics can provide key insights in this space as more and more autonomous cars hit the road. The study appears in the journal Science. (ANI)

Driver-less cars pose 'safety dilemma'

Gory pictures on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking have helped people kick the butt. But despite all the images of the diseased lungs and heart, the number of girls taking to the habit of smoking is on the rise. One of the prime responsibilities and a large opportunity in public health in the 21st century is to prevent the increase in smoking among women. 
 
 
In what could sound alarming, according to the WHO reports, tobacco smoking currently kills five million people a year worldwide and, according to estimates, will probably kill eight million people a year between now and 2030 and one billion over the course of the 21st century. 
 
The World No Tobacco Day was a theme initiated in 2010 with an intention to draw a relation between gender and tobacco, with an emphasis on marketing cigarettes to women. This theme was chosen &quot;to draw particular attention to the harmful effects of tobacco marketing towards women and girls&quot;. And this continues to be observed year-on-year. 
 
In the garb of being modern, fashionable, independent and self confident, women/girls consider smoking as an expression of independence. While it is imperative that women`s empowerment continues, attention must be paid to its potential link to increased smoking among women and to the ways in which the tobacco industry is capitalising on societal changes to target them. 
 
The most common time when women initiate smoking is in their teens, and the number of adolescents who initiate smoking increases every year from grades nine through 12. Moreover, there is growing evidence that the reasons girls initiate smoking is different from the reasons why boys begin. Many of the factors that contribute to smoking initiation have been elucidated; the strongest appear to be peer smoking and parent smoking. 
 
Parent connectedness also plays a vital role. Adolescents desire greater connectedness to parents, school, and community. Unfortunately, today`s busy adults frequently relinquish responsibility and supervision of teens allowing them greater opportunities to participate in unhealthy behaviours. When the adolescent is unable to meet her need for affirmation within the family, in this case, the daughter with the mother, the affiliation with the peer group may be greater. 
 
Half a century ago, the risk of death from lung cancer among men who smoked was five times higher than that of women smokers. But by the first decade of this century that risk has equalised: for both men and women who smoked, the risk of death from lung cancer is 25 times greater than for non-smokers. 
 
A study has indicated that women who continue to smoke die on an average more than 10 years sooner than those who never smoked. While lung cancer is the most infamous hazard linked to smoking, the habit also raises the risk of death from heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and other cancers, including breast cancer. 
 
Interestingly, what several are unaware are the changes in manufacture of cigarettes that has led to increased dangers. The use of perforated filters, tobacco blends that are less irritating, and paper that is more porous has made it easier to inhale smoke and has encouraged deeper inhalation to achieve satisfying blood levels of nicotine. The result of deeper inhalation is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 
 
Women who smoke are also more likely to have fertility problems. A single butt can result in more than 7,000 chemicals spreading through the entire body and the organs. This could lead to ovulation problems, damage to reproductive organs, damage to eggs, premature menopause and increased risk of miscarriage.&nbsp; 
 
It`s never too late to reap the benefits of quitting. The younger you are when you stop smoking, the greater your chances of living a long and healthy life. And we can do a lot better to reduce the prevalence of smoking with the tools currently in hand if government agencies, medical insurers and the public work in tandem. 
 
(Dr. Rajat Arora is an Interventional Cardiologist and Medical Director at Yashoda Hospitals in Delhi. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at drrajat@yashodahospital.org) 
&nbsp;

Gory pictures on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking have helped people kick the butt. But despite all the images of the diseased lungs and heart, the number of girls taking to the habit of smoking is on the rise. One of the prime responsibilities and a large opportunity in public health in the 21st century is to prevent the increase in smoking among women.

Gory pictures on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking have helped people kick the butt. But despite all the images of the diseased lungs and heart, the number of girls taking to the habit of smoking is on the rise. One of the prime responsibilities and a large opportunity in public health in the 21st century is to prevent the increase in smoking among women. In what could sound alarming, according to the WHO reports, tobacco smoking currently kills five million people a year worldwide and, according to estimates, will probably kill eight million people a year between now and 2030 and one billion over the course of the 21st century. The World No Tobacco Day was a theme initiated in 2010 with an intention to draw a relation between gender and tobacco, with an emphasis on marketing cigarettes to women. This theme was chosen "to draw particular attention to the harmful effects of tobacco marketing towards women and girls". And this continues to be observed year-on-year. In the garb of being modern, fashionable, independent and self confident, women/girls consider smoking as an expression of independence. While it is imperative that women`s empowerment continues, attention must be paid to its potential link to increased smoking among women and to the ways in which the tobacco industry is capitalising on societal changes to target them. The most common time when women initiate smoking is in their teens, and the number of adolescents who initiate smoking increases every year from grades nine through 12. Moreover, there is growing evidence that the reasons girls initiate smoking is different from the reasons why boys begin. Many of the factors that contribute to smoking initiation have been elucidated; the strongest appear to be peer smoking and parent smoking. Parent connectedness also plays a vital role. Adolescents desire greater connectedness to parents, school, and community. Unfortunately, today`s busy adults frequently relinquish responsibility and supervision of teens allowing them greater opportunities to participate in unhealthy behaviours. When the adolescent is unable to meet her need for affirmation within the family, in this case, the daughter with the mother, the affiliation with the peer group may be greater. Half a century ago, the risk of death from lung cancer among men who smoked was five times higher than that of women smokers. But by the first decade of this century that risk has equalised: for both men and women who smoked, the risk of death from lung cancer is 25 times greater than for non-smokers. A study has indicated that women who continue to smoke die on an average more than 10 years sooner than those who never smoked. While lung cancer is the most infamous hazard linked to smoking, the habit also raises the risk of death from heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and other cancers, including breast cancer. Interestingly, what several are unaware are the changes in manufacture of cigarettes that has led to increased dangers. The use of perforated filters, tobacco blends that are less irritating, and paper that is more porous has made it easier to inhale smoke and has encouraged deeper inhalation to achieve satisfying blood levels of nicotine. The result of deeper inhalation is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Women who smoke are also more likely to have fertility problems. A single butt can result in more than 7,000 chemicals spreading through the entire body and the organs. This could lead to ovulation problems, damage to reproductive organs, damage to eggs, premature menopause and increased risk of miscarriage. It`s never too late to reap the benefits of quitting. The younger you are when you stop smoking, the greater your chances of living a long and healthy life. And we can do a lot better to reduce the prevalence of smoking with the tools currently in hand if government agencies, medical insurers and the public work in tandem. (Dr. Rajat Arora is an Interventional Cardiologist and Medical Director at Yashoda Hospitals in Delhi. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at drrajat@yashodahospital.org)

Every cigarette rots you, inside out

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