National carrier Finnair announced Saturday afternoon that it had cancelled flights AY 101 and AY 099 scheduled to depart Helsinki for Hong Kong at 4.45pm and 11.45pm respectively.The airline said the cancellations were due to typhoon Mangkhut, which has been battering the region with torrential rains and ferocious winds. It is expected to strike China’s southeast coast on Sunday.Other grounded flights include AY 102, which is due to leave Hong Kong for Helsinki on Sunday, and AY 5831 which is to fly passengers from Hong Kong to Helsinki via Bangkok also on Sunday, the airline’s communications department said.Finnair said that it will inform passengers on Sunday in the event that it cancels additional flights due to the storm. The carrier noted that it had already informed affected passengers of the schedule changes via text messages and email.Storm veers toward MacauHong Kong officials have called on residents to prepare for the worst and are urging them to stay indoors. … [Read more...] about Finnair grounds Hong Kong flights over typhoon scare
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The perfect age to plan a round-the-world trip
Experimental feature Listen to this article Play audio for this article Pause They say that youth is wasted on the young, but in reality, time and money are two limiting factors making it hard for younger people to properly appreciate the worlds they encounter.As a foreign correspondent, I frequently travelled on business to far-flung destinations that my peers could only dream of visiting. But this was no holiday — there were always serious wars intruding, and tomfool requests from HQ about where to put the “ka-boom” flash on a map marking a Vietcong explosion. On the more sedate missions, days were filled with interviewing dull bankers, while fielding endless demands from the newsdesk to chase elusive bigshots of the moment.Nevertheless, I managed to squeeze in some short breaks to try to understand the wider world. After interviewing the president of Afghanistan, I went by road to Jalalabad to see the most exquisite Buddha statues being excavated, and then … [Read more...] about The perfect age to plan a round-the-world trip
Tourist is kidnapped by ‘gangsters’ inside airport after stepping off flight
Chilling CCTV footage shows the moment a female tourist was kidnapped by 'gangsters' inside an airport just minutes after stepping off a flight. Jincai Chen, 39, touched down at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, after her short haul flight from Hong Kong. Within moments of stepping off the plane, she was followed through the airport by four Chinese men dressed in black and one Thai woman. CCTV next to a walkway shows Jincai tussling with two of the gang who are holding her by the arms, while another in a red shirt walks a few paces ahead throughout the abduction. The footage shows the group usher Jincai through security checks before two more men dressed in black join the group at the luggage carousel. Shockingly, police said the gang received help from ten Thais, including a top immigration cop inside the airport. They then went on to demand 15 million baht, around £350,000, in ransom money from Jincai's husband. The disturbing crime - committed inside the secure area of … [Read more...] about Tourist is kidnapped by ‘gangsters’ inside airport after stepping off flight
Here’s how you can get direct return flights from Manchester to Mumbai for £400
If exploring India has always been on the bucket list but you've got a tight budget, then you may want to check out Jet Airways' latest offering! The airline is launching a new direct route from Manchester airport to Mumbai, and they're offering up some very tempting fares. Return journeys start from £400 in economy, and although the new route doesn't take off until the 5th November 2018, you can already snap up seats on the Jet Airways website. The new service will be served by the airline's A330-200 aircraft and will operate four days a week, with a flight time of approximately 10 hours 35 minutes. Not only does it mark the first non-stop route from Manchester to Mumbai, but it's also Jet Airways' frst direct service between the UK and India. There's more good news for passengers travelling to Mumbai as it also provides a connection to nearly 35 hotspots including the likes of Kolkata, Delhi, Goa and Jaipur to name a few. Never been to India before? Check out our guide on … [Read more...] about Here’s how you can get direct return flights from Manchester to Mumbai for £400
UK government trying to block release of files exposing Gaddafi links
Government lawyers are attempting to prevent documents that detail the relationship between the British government and Muammar Gaddafi from being made public under the Freedom of Information Act, just days after apologising for the UK’s role in the kidnap and torture of one of the Libyan dictator’s opponents. They are appealing against an information tribunal ruling that the documents should be handed to Nigel Ashton, professor of international history at the London School of Economics. At a hearing in London on Wednesday, lawyers for the Cabinet Office will argue that Ashton’s request should be dismissed as being “vexatious” because of the amount of time it would take to redact the papers before release, on such grounds as national security and the safeguarding of international relations. At a hearing last year, the information tribunal ruled that Ashton had made a request for “information which is of great public value and significance”, and … [Read more...] about UK government trying to block release of files exposing Gaddafi links