Luxury hotels in U.K., U.S. warned of ‘Mumbai-style’ terror threat

by McLean Robbins on

Authorities are warning luxury hotels to be on the watch after new intelligence obtained reveals that Al Qaeda was planning a “Mumbai-style” attack on luxury hotels, specifically The Ritz-Carlton, in London.

The information was obtained after authorities found materials at a checkpoint in Mogadishu where Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, the Al Qaeda operative who masterminded the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa, was killed Saturday, reported Fox News.

According to The Sun, The Dorchester on Park Lane and Eton College were also on the handwritten list.

The three days of Mumbai attacks in 2008 killed 174 people and wounded more than 300.

The FBI briefed hotel leaders in New York yesterday and has planned a similar briefing for today in Washington as well as others in major U.S. cities.

Fox reports that the latest intelligence was believed to have been found on a thumb drive at the scene of his death.

Of course, travelers are urged to take basic precautions. Read a recent Gadling article that discusses a similar topic.

Box cutter blades found on Delta flight from Tokyo to Oregon

by Tom Johansmeyer on

A plane was searched top to bottom upon landing in Oregon after the crew found box cutter blades on it. Delta, recently named the worst airline in the United States, engaged the help of FBI, TSA and Customs and Border Protection officials when Flight 90 arrived from Tokyo, with 155 passengers and a crew of 10.

According to MSNBC:

The flight crew “opted to contact authorities and request they meet the aircraft upon arrival as a result of some box cutter blades found onboard while the aircraft was enroute,” according to Delta spokeswoman Susan Elliott.

The report adds that it wasn’t yet known how the box cutter blades wound up on the plane.

[photo by PatCastaldo via Flickr]

FBI charges passenger for in-flight grabbing

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You need to keep your hands to yourself when you fly – it’s just that simple. Not only is it smart and appropriate, but it’ll keep you out of trouble. Well, that’s what Alpharetta, Georgia resident Ranchhodbhai Lakha learned the hard way.

This 61-year-old passenger faces a variety of sexual assault charges because he allegedly groped a 20-year-old woman on a flight from Dallas to Atlanta. On September 28, 2010, according to an Associated Press report, Lakha touched her while she slept, below her waist. She woke up during the act, and told Lakha to stop doing it. He tried again, and the woman notified a flight attendant.

The worst part: according to an FBI investigation, Lakha may have a history of this.

[photo by banspy via Flickr]

FBI hunts for close in Miami-Boston bomb threats

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The FBI is looking for common denominators in bomb threats on American Airlines flights between Miami and Boston. Two cases have arisen, prompting the FBI to dig a little deeper. The most recent incident occurred on Wednesday, when a flight attendant found “bomb on board, Boston-Miami” written on a bathroom cabinet. A search of the luggage yielded no bombs or other weapons.

On September 17, a flight attendant found a threatening note in the lavatory – the plane had departed Miami at around 9:30 PM and had to head back only 40 minutes later. Again, a search of the plane turned up nothing.

Too coincidental to be a coincidence, it seems, the FBI is looking for any common threads that may exist.

Naked guy forces Albuquerque landing

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Keith Wright, a New Yorker (damn!) felt restricted by more than just cramped airline seating today. On a flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles, he ditched his clothing and did not respond (vocally, at least) to flight attendant requests to put them back on. The mile-high nudist also wouldn’t accept the cover of a blanket.

As a result of Wright’s defiance, the US Airways flight was diverted to Albuquerque, where the passenger was met by federal authorities. According to the FBI, he’s now in federal custody, with a charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. Once Wright got off (the plane), the flight continued to its planned destination.

Every story has a moral: you’ll have no problem getting a blanket from a flight attendant if you strip.

Itching to learn more about high-altitude nekkidness? Click here to get the bare truth.