Latest news with #UAE-bound
The Age
24-06-2025
- The Age
In times of global strife, one destination makes total sense
A friend of mine flew recently from Doha to Helsinki, and 'the scenic route' doesn't even begin to describe the sort of journey he had. You can see the flight path on the tracker websites: rather than a straight shot up to Finland, his plane takes a hard left out of Doha, flies west across Saudi Arabia and Egypt, before eventually turning north over Greece, skirting Slovakia and then bending almost north-east towards Helsinki. The reason for this circuitous journey is obvious: you can't fly a commercial plane over Iran right now. You also couldn't fly through the space that separates Iran and Israel, given there were missiles and drones zooming between the two. You also can't fly over Ukraine either, because Ukraine is also under invasion, this time from Russia. Once again, missiles and drones flying through the air. Hence the scenic detour of AY1982 over Slovakia. Another person I know flew a few days ago from Doha to Almaty in Kazakhstan, and his flight path was also worth pondering. Again, you have to avoid Iran on this flight, so the plane takes a sweeping turn east from Doha before eventually flying north over Pakistan, turning north-west to skirt past Tajikistan, and then finally flying north-east to Almaty. And this was all before the US began strikes on Iran, the likes of British Airways started turning UAE-bound flights back to Europe and flights to Doha were briefly cancelled altogether. The fact is, some flights just don't go the way you might expect them to right now. The world, in fact, just doesn't go the way you might expect it to right now. There's war in the Middle East, war in Europe, and tensions are escalating in numerous regions including the US.
Sydney Morning Herald
24-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
In times of global strife, one destination makes total sense
A friend of mine flew recently from Doha to Helsinki, and 'the scenic route' doesn't even begin to describe the sort of journey he had. You can see the flight path on the tracker websites: rather than a straight shot up to Finland, his plane takes a hard left out of Doha, flies west across Saudi Arabia and Egypt, before eventually turning north over Greece, skirting Slovakia and then bending almost north-east towards Helsinki. The reason for this circuitous journey is obvious: you can't fly a commercial plane over Iran right now. You also couldn't fly through the space that separates Iran and Israel, given there were missiles and drones zooming between the two. You also can't fly over Ukraine either, because Ukraine is also under invasion, this time from Russia. Once again, missiles and drones flying through the air. Hence the scenic detour of AY1982 over Slovakia. Another person I know flew a few days ago from Doha to Almaty in Kazakhstan, and his flight path was also worth pondering. Again, you have to avoid Iran on this flight, so the plane takes a sweeping turn east from Doha before eventually flying north over Pakistan, turning north-west to skirt past Tajikistan, and then finally flying north-east to Almaty. And this was all before the US began strikes on Iran, the likes of British Airways started turning UAE-bound flights back to Europe and flights to Doha were briefly cancelled altogether. The fact is, some flights just don't go the way you might expect them to right now. The world, in fact, just doesn't go the way you might expect it to right now. There's war in the Middle East, war in Europe, and tensions are escalating in numerous regions including the US.
Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Indian Express
Punjabi influencer murder: Kanchan Kumari died of strangulation, no evidence of sexual assault yet, say police
Asphyxia due to strangulation was the cause of death of YouTuber Kanchan Kumari, popularly known as Kamal Kaur, the Punjab Police confirmed Tuesday. Speaking to The Indian Express, Amneet Kondal, Senior Superintendent of Police, Bathinda, confirmed that the murder took place on the intervening night of June 9 and 10. Kumari was found dead inside her car in the parking lot of Adesh University in Bathinda on June 11. SSP Kondal clarified that contrary to speculations, the post-mortem report has ruled out sexual assault, although the viscera report is still awaited for a conclusive determination. Two Nihang Singhs, Jaspreet Singh and Nimratjeet Singh, have been arrested in the case so far. The police said the duo strangled Kumari using a kamar kass (a traditional belt worn by Nihangs), which they later burned to destroy evidence. The prime accused, Amritpal Singh Mehron, fled India on the morning of June 10, boarding a UAE-bound flight from Amritsar airport, hours after the crime was committed, said the police. 'We have obtained an arrest warrant and are initiating the deportation process for Amritpal Singh from the UAE. He was present at the scene of the crime and is a key conspirator,' added SSP Kondal. During interrogation, the arrested accused revealed that they had slapped Kanchan Kumari multiple times to obtain the passwords of her mobile phones. After she disclosed the passwords, Amritpal allegedly took both phones with him before fleeing. This has raised serious concerns about what content or communications were stored on her devices that led to such a violent escalation. The police confirmed that Amritpal also threatened other social media influencers, including Amritsar-based Deepika Luthra. The Amritsar police lodged an FIR and provided her police protection. Sources revealed Luthra deleted her social media accounts following continued threats from anonymous users and Mehron himself. The case has drawn nationwide outrage, with Bollywood singer Mika Singh publicly condemning the murder in a video message Monday. 'Killing a woman is not bravery. You could have filed a complaint or tried to explain your viewpoint. This is not what Sikhi teaches us,' Mika said, while urging Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take swift action. 'The Sikh community is watching. This case must not be ignored.' Mika also voiced strong support for Baba Harjit Singh Rasulpur of the Misl Shaheedan Nihang Baba Fakir Singh Rasulpur Dal (Ayodhya Wale), who also condemned the act. Baba Rasulpur questioned the hypocrisy of Amritpal Singh, who watched content he deemed inappropriate and later targeted the same creators. While urging responsible content creation on social media, he stated emphatically that murder can never be the solution. 'Killing a woman is not an act of valour. If the content was objectionable, one could choose not to watch it,' Baba Rasulpur said. Meanwhile, Canada-based Punjabi influencer Surleen, known for bold content, responded to the incident and said, 'I have handled my life alone before and will continue to do so. I don't owe anyone an apology for my content. No one has the right to judge or threaten me.' Kanchan Kumari, a resident of Lachhman Colony, Giaspura, Ludhiana, hailed from Uttar Pradesh, with her family having migrated to Punjab decades ago. Police sources suggested that the accused were pressuring her to remove the word 'Kaur' from her social media handles. Her refusal may have led to the murder, they said. As of now, Amritpal Singh's exact whereabouts remain unknown, and authorities are continuing efforts to trace him and process his deportation from the UAE.
Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Indian Express
Amritpal Singh Mehron, key accused in influencer Kanchan Kumari's murder, fled to UAE hours after crime: Police
Amritpal Singh Mehron, a self-styled radical Sikh leader who is allegedly the key conspirator in the murder of social media influencer Kanchan Kumari, popularly known as Kamal Kaur 'Bhabhi', fled the country within hours of the crime, Punjab Police said. Amneet Kondal, Senior Superintendent of Police, Bathinda, said on Sunday that Mehron boarded a UAE-bound flight from Amritsar airport at 9.15 am on June 10. 'His travel history through passport records revealed this detail. We will now initiate the process of getting him deported from the UAE,' she said, adding that he was the main accused in the murder. The police discovered that Mehron had been plotting Kanchan Kumari's murder for nearly three months. Along with two arrested accused—Jaspreet Singh, 32, and Nimratjit Singh, 21, he had visited Ludhiana multiple times and stayed in hotels close to her residence to monitor her lifestyle, movements and routine. According to the police, Mehron had visited her home two to three times during this period. On June 7, when he visited, Kanchan Kumari wasn't home, and on June 8, she refused to accompany him to Bathinda for a car promotion event saying that her mother was unwell. However, on June 9, she agreed to go, as Jaspreet and Nimratjit assured her that her car would also be renovated. 'On the afternoon of June 9, Amritpal travelled with Kanchan in her Hyundai Eon car while Jaspreet and Nimratjit followed from Moga in a Scorpio. After midnight, once the car's renovation work was completed in Bathinda, Amritpal drove while Kanchan sat in the back seat beside Nimrajit. The two men allegedly slapped her, snatched her phones, and forced her to share passwords. Then, Jaspreet and Nimratjit made her sit in the middle of the back seat while they sat on either side and used a 'kamar kass'—a cloth belt worn by Nihang Singhs—to strangle her. They pulled it from both sides for 10 to 15 minutes until she died,' said Kondal. Following the murder, Mehron left the crime scene in a separate car arranged in advance by his other associates, Tarn Taran resident Ranjit Singh and an unidentified person, both of whom have now been named in the FIR. Jaspreet and Nimratjit drove the victim's car to a petrol pump where their Scorpio was parked. Nimratjit took the Scorpio while Jaspreet drove Kanchan Kumari's car and parked it at Adesh Medical University around 2 am on June 10. However, he soon realised that the kamar kass was still around her neck. He brought the car back, removed the belt, and parked it again around 5.30 am, SSP Kondal added. Kanchan Kumari's body was discovered by the police on the evening of June 11 after a foul smell began emanating from the vehicle. By that time, Mehron had already fled to the UAE. Jaspreet and Nimratjit were arrested on June 13. A lookout circular was issued on June 14, only to reveal that the main accused had already left the country. The police's cyber cell has blocked four Instagram accounts linked to Mehron–@amritpalsinghmehron, amritpalsingh_mehron, @ and @ now display the message: 'These accounts are not available in India due to a legal request to restrict content.' Following the arrests in the case, Mehron released a video taking full responsibility for the murder and claimed it was meant as a warning to those uploading vulgar content. His sister and father have also been called for questioning. As the case widens, several influencers from Punjab and Haryana have reported receiving threats to behave or face the same fate as Kanchan Kumari's via the video posted by Mehron on June 13. Influencer Deepika Luthra, based in Amritsar, received a disturbing message referring to the Bathinda murder scene, 'Parking lots are not only in Bathinda.' She has approached the police for protection. Influencer Simarpreet Kaur alias Preet Jatti and an astrology-based content creator have also appealed for security citing online threats. What is further disturbing is the online support being extended from across the border. Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti posted a video praising Mehron as a 'brave lion' and warning other content creators of similar consequences if they continued sharing material they deemed indecent. Mehron's supporters have questioned why many 'vulgar' social media pages remain accessible while his Instagram handles have been blocked. Authorities are now awaiting forensic and postmortem reports, including the confirmation of any possible sexual assault. Security has been tightened for at-risk influencers across Punjab and Haryana. The case has reignited debate over digital safety, the unchecked spread of content of any type online, and the need for timely and comprehensive cyber surveillance. Kanchan Kumari was a well-known social media personality, with over 7.7 lakh followers on Instagram and 3.8 lakh subscribers on YouTube. Known for her bold style and use of double-meaning videos, she had a massive online following.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Time of India
Nepal's new NOC rule for UAE travellers: How Indian expats lost Dh1,400 during trip
Indian expats lose over Dh1,400 due to Nepal's sudden enforcement of NOC rule for UAE-bound travellers. Some Indian residents of the UAE have unexpectedly lost more than Dh1,400 each or faced significant travel stress after Nepal began strictly enforcing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) requirement from the Indian embassy for re-entry to the Emirates. As reported by Khaleej Times, this rule, though not new, has recently been implemented more rigorously due to concerns about human trafficking and tax evasion. Dubai resident Manu Palerichal, CEO of CLA Emirates, recounted a stressful experience during his Eid break trip to Nepal. 'As soon as we landed in Nepal on Thursday, an immigration officer informed us that we need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Indian embassy when returning to the UAE,' he told Khaleej Times. 'No one had informed us about this beforehand… fellow travellers weren't aware either and told us to ignore it,' he said. Enforced due to system abuse After reaching out to his travel agent, Manu learned that the rule had started being strictly applied to prevent abuses of the system. However, the family had already travelled to Pokhara, nearly 200km from Kathmandu, where the Indian embassy is located. 'We spent two days in Pokhara, anxiously wondering what to do if the embassy was closed on Saturday and Sunday,' Manu said. 'We even came up with alternate plans to return to Dubai in case we couldn't get the document.' Safeer Mohammed, general manager of Smart Travels, confirmed to Khaleej Times that the rule has existed for a while but is now enforced more tightly. 'Authorities found people misusing the system, and that may have prompted this change,' he explained. 'Instances of human trafficking and tax evasion were discovered and that may have been one of the reasons why the rule is now being enforced strictly.' He also clarified that travellers heading from Nepal to India won't have any problems, but those returning to the UAE via Nepal 'must have the NOC before travelling.' Travellers denied boarding, incur losses Dubai resident Thabseer Ahmed faced financial setbacks of over Dh1,400 after discovering the NOC requirement only at the airport while returning from Nepal. 'We found out about the NOC only at the airport (in Nepal) while heading back from our holiday,' he told Khaleej Times. His friends flying back to India had no issues, but those heading to the GCC were denied boarding. 'We tried to get to the Indian embassy, but the flight was at 3am on a Sunday and no one was available to help us,' he said. Thabseer tried to reroute via New Delhi, but it didn't help. 'You have to check out in India, collect your luggage and then check back in. So once I arrived in New Delhi, I had to book a new flight back to the UAE,' he said, adding that a friend from Kuwait lost around Dh2,000, while another from Qatar also faced losses in rebooking. Embassy process, required documents, and advice Eventually, Manu returned to Kathmandu with his family and was relieved to find the Indian embassy working through the weekend. 'I did not have to wait much but staff told me that there was a huge rush on Thursday and Friday with people having to wait hours for their documents,' he said. According to Manu, the documents needed for the NOC included: Passport-size photo Copies of passport and UAE residence visa Immigration stamp Air ticket Emirates ID Application form Each certificate cost 3,100 Nepali rupees per person, totalling over Dh300 for his four-member family. He urged others to check travel requirements beforehand. 'Since Nepal is just a short distance away, a lot of Indians from GCC countries plan short trips here,' he warned. 'Travel agents must give clear directives about these new requirements to avoid complications.'
