Turkish Airlines flight diverts to Kolkata after engine fire
KOLKATA, Feb 4: A Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300 carrying 236 people made an emergency landing at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport Wednesday afternoon after its right engine reportedly caught fire shortly after departing Kathmandu. All 225 passengers and 11 crew members were unharmed, and the plane is now undergoing technical inspection. Flight THY-727, bound for Istanbul, took off from Tribhuvan International Airport at 1:29 pm. Within four minutes, the crew detected the engine malfunction, informed Kathmandu tower, and shut down the affected engine. After assessing the situation for 10 minutes over Dhading district, the crew decided the aircraft was unfit for long-haul travel and diverted to Kolkata, landing safely at 3:03 pm. The emergency landing occurs amid heightened aviation safety concerns. Last week, a Learjet 45 crashed in Maharashtra, killing five, including Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, prompting a DGCA audit. In June 2025, an Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad killed 260 due to sudden engine thrust loss. These incidents underscore ongoing scrutiny of flight safety and aircraft operations. (Agencies)
Indian national convicted for sexual assault during flight
NEW YORK, Feb 4: An Indian national has been convicted on charges of abusive sexual contact and assault onboard a flight. Varun Arora, 38 is present in the United States without lawful status. He faces up to two years in prison when sentenced in May. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in August 2024, during final approach on a flight from Rhode Island international airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a passenger awoke to find Arora sexually groping her. Arora, who was wearing a sleep mask, pretended to be asleep as he continued to place his hand on the victim despite her repeatedly removing his hand. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. (PTI)
Singapore court fines 71-yr-old woman for feeding pigeons
SINGAPORE, Feb 4: A 71-year-old Indian-origin Singaporean woman, Sanmugamnathan Shamla, was fined SGD 3,200 under the Singapore Wildlife Act for repeatedly feeding pigeons in the Toa Payoh housing estate. She pleaded guilty to four charges, with five additional similar offences considered, after feeding wild birds nine times between July 2025 and January 2026. Shamla was a repeat offender and had earlier been fined SGD 1,200 in May last year for the same offence, during which she also disrupted a National Parks Board pigeon-trapping exercise. Despite promising the court she would not reoffend, she resumed feeding birds within a month. Prosecutors said she knowingly broke the law and showed persistent disregard, warranting a meaningful financial penalty. Shamla, who was unemployed, requested a lower fine but agreed to pay the amount imposed. (PTI)
