Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar is being hailed as a hero after reportedly fighting off an alleged cockpit attack and helping save 174 people aboard a flydubai flight. Machchhar was reportedly stabbed by his Omani co-pilot during the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. Despite being injured and covered in blood, the Indian captain managed to activate the cockpit door release, allowing passengers and crew to enter and overpower the alleged attacker. Investigators are examining whether an aircraft crash axe, rather than a smuggled knife, was used in the attack.  

Nepal’s catastrophic flood disaster has triggered one of the country’s biggest helicopter rescue operations. With roads and bridges destroyed across Rasuwa and Nuwakot, helicopters became the only lifeline for thousands stranded in remote mountain areas. More than 4,000 people have been airlifted in hundreds of sorties through narrow, treacherous gorges. Rescue officials say the operation has been even tougher than some Everest rescues, highlighting the enormous challenges faced by emergency teams.