Air India flight to Delhi returns to Phuket after 'security alert'
Mumbai (PTI): A Delhi-bound Air India flight returned to Phuket following a security alert on Friday, an airline official said.
The aircraft landed safely and is undergoing mandatory security checks at Phuket International Airport, the official said.
The number of passengers onboard the Airbus A320neo plane could not be immediately ascertained.
"During the cruising phase of the flight a security alert was received after which the pilot took a mid-air turn back to Phuket," the official said.
According to live flight tracking website flightradar24, the flight, AI 379, took off from Phuket at 930 (local time) and was scheduled to land in Delhi at 1240 hours (local time).
However, it landed back at the Phuket International Airport at 1146 (local time), according to the website.
All passengers, along with their baggage, have been deplaned, the Air India official said, adding that security agencies are scanning both passengers and the cargo.
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MediaOne TV Facebook page restored after block linked to ‘government request’
Kochi: The official Facebook page of Malayalam news channel MediaOne TV has been restored after being blocked without prior notice, the broadcaster said on Wednesday.
The channel was quoted by Maktoob as saying that the restriction was lifted automatically, with Meta Platforms informing it that the action had been taken following a “government request” which has now expired or been reversed.
The development came shortly after the channel approached the Kerala High Court challenging the blocking of its page, terming it arbitrary and in violation of legal provisions and judicial precedents. The High Court had issued notice to Meta via email hours before the restriction was withdrawn.
In its petition, the channel said access to its Facebook page had been restricted for users in India without citing any specific content or alleged violation. It contended that while individual posts may be taken down under applicable a rule, blocking an entire page goes beyond the scope of such measures.
The incident followed an earlier action taken against the channel in 2022, when the Ministry of Information and transmitting prohibited it from transmitting. It cited national security concerns regarding the Ministry of Home Affairs' refusal of security clearance.
The Supreme Court of India in April 2023 set aside the ban, observing that national security claims cannot be made without substantive basis and that criticism of government policies does not render a media outlet anti-national.
