India's air force sent fighter jets into action on Monday after a bomb scare on an Iranian flight as it crossed Indian airspace.
The Mahan Air plane was travelling from Tehran to Guangzhou in China.
“IAF fighter aircraft were scrambled, which followed the aircraft at a safe distance,” the air force said.
“The aircraft was offered the option to land at Jaipur and then at Chandigarh,” it said, referring to airports in the west and north of the country.
The pilot declined to land at either airport. The bomb threat turned out to be a false alarm.
“After a while, intimation was received from Tehran to disregard the bomb scare, following which the aircraft continued on its journey towards its final destination,” the air force said.
The scare came as Iran is gripped by protests over the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Demonstrations have continued despite the use of force against protesters by security forces. Almost 100 people have been killed in the past three weeks.
Fire officials told to stand down
Officials at Delhi’s fire and emergency services said they received information about the bomb threat at 9.30am and alerted staff.
But airport authorities later asked them to stand down after the flight proceeded towards its destination, Sanjay Tomar, a senior official at the services, told a local news outlet.
Several flight tracker websites showed the aircraft's path leaving Tehran and crossing into the Indian airspace early on Monday, after flying over Pakistan.
It made several mid-air loops around an area west of Delhi before heading east towards China.
Indian authorities have not confirmed the flight number involved in the bomb scare.
Recent bomb hoaxes
Indian authorities have dealt with similar hoaxes in recent days.
The country’s largest private airline IndiGo issued an alert at the weekend and had a plane checked after receiving an email claiming an explosive was on board a flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.
After a thorough search of the plane, the threat was found to have been a hoax.
On Sunday, a Malaysia-bound flight was grounded at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi after staff raised a bomb alert following an argument between two passengers over an overhead luggage cabin, with one falsely claiming he had an explosive device in his bag.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
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Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
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Hotel Silence
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Pushkin Press
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The%20specs
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WEST ASIA RUGBY 2017/18 SEASON ROLL OF HONOUR
Western Clubs Champions League
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West Asia Premiership
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UAE Premiership
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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THE SPECS
BMW X7 xDrive 50i
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission
Power: 462hp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh600,000
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Tentative schedule of 2017/18 Ashes series
1st Test November 23-27, The Gabba, Brisbane
2nd Test December 2-6, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3rd Test Dcember 14-18, Waca, Perth
4th Test December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
5th Test January 4-8, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Read more from Johann Chacko
'The%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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