travel
Indian airline removes disabled teenager from flight after claiming he was ‘uncontrollable’
- Indian airline IndiGo is under investigation after it prevented a disabled teenager from boarding a flight on Saturday at the Ranchi Airport in India due to his “uncontrollable” behavior.
- Staff members told the teenager’s parents that he would pose a risk to other passengers, although many had allegedly reassured the staff that they had no problems with the family boarding the flight.
- A passenger on the flight, Manisha Gupta, wrote about the incident in a Facebook post in which they described the staff as displaying “brute authority.”
- IndiGo responded to the incident in a statement, saying they take pride in being an “inclusive organization” and that the family was provided with a hotel stay and flight for the next morning.
A disabled teenager and his family were prevented from boarding their flight on Saturday at Ranchi Airport in India after staff members said he posed a risk to other passengers because of his “uncontrollable” behavior.
A passenger on the flight, Manisha Gupta, wrote about the story yesterday on Facebook, where she described staff members as displaying “brute authority and power.” Gupta explained that the teenager, who was in a wheelchair, was in “great distress” and showing signs of “hunger, thirst, anxiety and confusion.” She added that the parents were “obviously” capable of handling the incident and managed to calm him down.
Video of Singaporean man leading Christian worship songs on a plane mid-flight sparks debate
- A viral video showing a Singaporean man and other missionaries singing worship songs mid-flight on a plane has gone viral across Tiktok and Twitter.
- The Singaporean man has been identified as Jonathan Neo, who claimed on his now-private Instagram reels that he was given permission to sing by the flight crew.
- The video has sparked debate online among Twitter users, notably Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who is Muslim, who posed the question of how the situaton would have ended if her family had a prayer session on a plane.
A viral video shows a Singaporean man and a congregation singing worship songs on a plane mid-flight.
The video, originally posted to TikTok and Instagram on April 9 by Jack Jensz Jr., has garnered over 30 million views since being shared on Twitter two days ago.
Highly anticipated Studio Ghibli theme park releases new images, official website
- Ghibli Park, a theme park showcasing real-life attractions from the beloved films of Hayao Miyazaki and the Studio Ghibli animation studio, has launched its official website, giving fans a preview of what’s to come.
- The theme park is located at Aichi Expo Memorial Park in Nagakute, Japan.
- Three sections of the park — Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth and Dondoko Forest — will open on Nov. 1, while the Valley of Witches and Mononoke Village are expected to open in 2023.
Ghibli Park, a theme park from animation house Studio Ghibli under construction in Japan, recently launched its official website.
“Welcome to the great warehouse of Studio Ghibli’s secrets and iconic architectures you have seen in the films,” the website’s main page reads.
Canada is Chinese citizens’ least favorite country, according to state media survey
- Canada fell at the bottom of Chinese people’s list of favorite countries, a recent state poll reveals.
- A majority of Canadians feel the same way about China, according to another survey.
- The polls reflect ongoing tensions between Ottawa and Beijing, which escalated with the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018.
Canada, once a hot travel destination among Chinese people, has become China’s least favorite country, according to a recent survey from state-run Global Times.
The poll, conducted by the Global Times Research Center with market survey firm DATA100, gathered 2,148 responses across 16 Chinese cities from Dec. 10-15, 2021.
South Korea sends over 170 million photos of travelers’ faces to a facial recognition company
Six civic groups in South Korea have come together to oppose the government’s alleged decision to send the personal data of foreign and local travelers to a facial recognition company.
A human rights violation: Local civic groups condemned the South Korean Ministry of Justice for sending over 170 million images of foreign and Korean nationals without their consent, reported The Hankyoreh.
Japanese Airline Offering $540 Meals on the Runway Quickly Sell Out
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, various airlines have started coming up with creative ways to use their grounded planes.
Anyone willing to pay $540 for a first-class dining experience can look into Japanese airline All Nippon Airways’s latest offer, which lets diners eat on a grounded Boeing 777 at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, BBC reported.
Man Goes on Adventures With His Cat Duoduo to ‘Let Him See the World’
A man from Chongqing, China has amassed millions of likes on Chinese social media for posting videos of himself across the country with his cat companion.
Xiaojie is inseparable from his 1-year-old cat, Duoduo. He wanted to show his companion how big the world is and to share some experiences, the owner told South China Morning Post.
Woman Arrested After Making $423K Betting on Delayed Flights
A Chinese woman who has been making money off the incessant flight delays in China was arrested by local authorities.
Identified only by her surname Li, the 45-year-old woman from Nanjing purportedly got rich off local flights taking off late, reports Shanghaiist.
Japan May Pay Tourists to Visit With New $12.5 Billion Tourism Plan
In an attempt to boost tourism in Japan, the country’s tourism agency announced a $12.5 billion plan to subsidize a portion of foreign traveler’s expenses, Forbes reports.
When this is happening: Hiroshi Tabata of the Japan Tourism Agency told a news conference last Wednesday that the program could begin as early as July if the COVID-19 cases continue to subside, according to Japan Times.
SF Woman Gets Stranded in China After AT&T Mistakes Her Phone as Stolen
A woman was stranded during her trip to China after AT&T mistakenly reported her device as stolen.
Brenda Chinn, of San Francisco, was overseas when AT&T cut her connection to everyone back home except for her daughter, according to ABC7.
Vietnam Opens Second Glass Bridge Near Country’s Most Beautiful Mountain Range
Vietnam has opened its second glass bridge, offering the public an awe-inspiring view of O Quy Ho Mountain Pass and the fabled Hoang Lien Son range.
Situated on top of the mountain pass in northern Lai Chau province, the 60-meter-long, five-meter-wide glass bridge stretches 600 meters above ground and some 2,200 meters above sea level.
YouTuber Goes on a Mission to Visit All of Taiwan’s Allies Around the World
A Taiwanese YouTuber has embarked on a quest to visit the island’s remaining allies — countries that continue to recognize it as the “one true China” amid Beijing’s growing influence in the global arena.
At present, only 17 states recognize Taiwan over mainland China after El Salvador severed diplomatic ties in favor of Beijing back in August.
