Colombia plane crash claims 15 lives
BOGOTA, Jan 29: A small plane crashed Wednesday in a rural area of Norte de Santander province in northeast Colombia, killing all 15 people on board, authorities confirmed. The aircraft, operated by state-owned Satena, took off at 11:42 a.m. from Cucuta, the department’s capital, en route to Ocana, a mountainous municipality, on a flight that typically lasts about 40 minutes. The plane’s final contact with air traffic control occurred minutes after takeoff. Local officials in Curasica reported the crash, prompting a rescue team to assess the site. Colombia’s Transportation Ministry later confirmed there were no survivors. The aircraft, registered as HK4709, carried 13 passengers and two crew members, including Diogenes Quintero, a local representative for victims of the internal armed conflict. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. (AP)
China executes 11 members of family over scam
BANGKOK, Jan 29: China executed 11 members of a Myanmar-based family crime syndicate responsible for killing 14 Chinese citizens and running scam and gambling operations valued at over USD 1 billion, authorities announced. The Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court sentenced the group, including leaders Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen and key members Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming, and Luao Jianzhang, to death in September. Their appeal, filed after being detained in November 2023, was rejected in November. The arrests followed Chinese pressure on authorities in Myanmar’s border regions to crack down on scam operations. These “scam parks” have grown into industrial-scale businesses across Southeast Asia, particularly in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, using trafficked and willing labor to carry out digital scams globally. Regional authorities face increasing international pressure, including from China and the US, to curb the proliferation of these criminal operations. (AP)
Dhaka-Karachi direct flight resumes after 14 years
KARACHI, Jan 29: Direct flights between Dhaka and Karachi will resume on Thursday after more than a decade, with a special ceremony planned at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport to mark the occasion. Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight G-341 will depart Dhaka at 8:00 pm and arrive in Karachi at 11:00 pm, with the return flight leaving Karachi at midnight and landing in Dhaka at 4:20 am. Flights will operate twice weekly on Thursdays and Saturdays, with a trial license valid until March 30 before long-term permission is granted. The resumption comes amid improving ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan following the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Previously, travelers relied on connecting flights through hubs like Dubai or Doha. The initiative, approved by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, aims to boost trade and bilateral engagement, reflecting renewed diplomatic cooperation since Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Dhaka last year. (PTI)
