In brief: Two passengers arrested after threat to destroy plane

London – Britain scrambled fighter jets Friday to intercept a commercial airliner carrying more than 300 people from Pakistan, diverting it to an isolated runway at an airport on the outskirts of London and arresting two British passengers who allegedly threatened to destroy the plane.

A British security official said the situation involving the Pakistan International Airlines flight did not appear terror-related.

A Pakistani official briefed by British police and PIA security said the two suspects, speaking Urdu, allegedly threatened to “destroy the plane” after an argument with crew.

Qatar ends bid to relocate UN aviation agency from Canada

Ottawa – Canada’s foreign minister said Friday that Qatar has abandoned its bid to relocate the United Nations civil aviation agency from Montreal to the tiny emirate, ending a bitter fight between the two nations.

Canada had accused Qatar, which has been trying to burnish its international presence, of trying to buy the agency.

Losing the International Civil Aviation Organization would have been a blow for Canada and Montreal, the hub of Canada’s aviation industry. The ICAO employs 534 people.