Pakistan’s flag carrier returns to UK skies after 5-year ban
ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed flights to the UK on Saturday after a five-year suspension following a ban over a fake pilot licence scandal. The first Islamabad-Manchester flight since July 2020 carried 284 passengers, with Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott attending the departure ceremony. The ban, imposed by the EU Aviation Safety Agency and the UK Civil Aviation Authority in 2020 after a Karachi air crash and revelations of fake pilot licences, was lifted by EASA in November 2024 and by the UK in July 2025. The resumption aims to strengthen Pakistan-UK ties and provide improved travel options for over 1.6 million Pakistanis in Britain. PIA will initially operate two weekly Islamabad-Manchester flights, with plans to expand to London and Birmingham. During the ban, PIA reportedly lost around PKR 40 billion (USD 144 million) annually, as UK routes were highly profitable and included valuable Heathrow slots. (PTI)
Jeep accident in Nepal kills 8, injures 10
KATHMANDU, Oct 25: Eight people were killed and 10 others injured when a jeep carrying 18 passengers plunged some 700 feet down a hillside in Nepal’s Karnali province, police said on Saturday. The accident occurred on Friday night in the Jharmare area of Bafikot in Rukum West district, approximately 500 km west of Kathmandu, when the vehicle was heading towards the Syalikhadi area of Athbiskot Municipality from Khalanga in Musikot. Preliminary investigation suggests the accident occurred due to overspeeding, police said. According to police, seven people died on the spot while one succumbed to injuries during treatment at a local hospital. The victims were aged between 15 and 30 years. Ten others who sustained injuries are undergoing treatment at Rukum’s District Hospital in Salle. (PTI)
Indian nurse imprisoned for sexual assault at Singapore hospital
SINGAPORE, Oct 25: An Indian national, 34-year-old staff nurse Elipe Siva Nagu, was sentenced in Singapore to one year and two months’ jail and two strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to molesting a male visitor at Raffles Hospital. In June, the victim was visiting his hospitalized grandfather when he entered a patient’s toilet around 7:30 pm. Elipe, claiming he wanted to “disinfect” the visitor, applied soap to his hand and molested him. The victim, startled and in shock, did not resist and later returned to his grandfather’s bedside. The incident caused the victim psychological distress, including flashbacks. Elipe was suspended from his nursing duties soon after the offence and arrested two days later. Court documents redacted the victim’s details. The case was reported on June 21, and the sentencing took place on a Friday. The court emphasized both the physical and psychological impact on the victim in delivering the sentence. (PTI)
