Skip to content
 
Search

Latest Stories

UK announces five more repatriation flights from Ahmedabad, Amritsar

Eastern Eye Staff
By Eastern Eye StaffMay 08, 2020
Eastern Eye Staff
See Full Bio

THE UK government has announced five more flights to bring home British travellers stranded in India due to the coronavirus lockdown, with four flights scheduled from Amritsar and one from Ahmedabad.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said that once these flights are completed, over 16,500 travellers will have been brought back from India on 64 special flights chartered as part of the government’s £75-million repatriation plan.

“Our special charter flight programme has been a concerted effort, with daily flight departures to the UK from across India since 8 April – alongside ongoing support to those who remain,” said Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon.

“These further flights bring the number of planes chartered by the government to bring British travellers home from India to 64,” he added.

The flights are scheduled as follows:

•       Amritsar to London Heathrow: 12, 13, 14 and 15 May

•       Ahmedabad to London Heathrow: 13 May

As with the last round of flights, seats on the planes will be allocated to those who have already registered on the British government’s online booking portal, Corporate Travel Management (CTM).

Acting high commissioner to India, Jan Thompson, said: “We have helped over 14,000 travellers return to the UK so far on charter flights, and I am pleased to announce a further round to bring back those still waiting to get home.

“I strongly encourage anyone who wants to leave to accept seats offered to them. We continue to support all British nationals who require assistance.”

The FCO said its flights are aimed at British nationals and depart from regions of India with the highest demand. The focus is also on helping vulnerable non-British UK residents with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or permanent residency where possible. Other visa categories may also be accommodated where possible, the FCO said.

Seats on the charter flights are allocated to those already registered, with confirmations of the flight sent directly alongside information on how to get to airports once the seat is confirmed.

The latest tranche of UK flights comes as the Indian government also began the repatriation process for its nationals stranded abroad, with specially commissioned Air India flights set to fly between London Heathrow Airport and Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru from this weekend.

Related News

Katy Perry seen in black bikini on Capri yacht after Orlando Bloom split
Entertainment

Katy Perry seen in black bikini on Capri yacht after Orlando Bloom split

5 secret beaches
Travel

5 secret beaches in the UK that feel like the tropics

The Beckham family
Entertainment

Brooklyn Beckham’s absence looms over Harper’s birthday as family rift deepens

More For You

Ping Pong restaurant chain shuts all UK branches

The chain had also gained a following for its themed brunches

iStock

Ping Pong restaurant chain shuts all UK branches after 20 years

Key points

  • Chinese dim sum restaurant Ping Pong has closed all its UK locations
  • The chain made the announcement via social media
  • Founded in 2005, the brand thanked customers and staff for their support
  • Loyal diners shared memories and disappointment in the comments

All branches are permanently closed

Chinese restaurant chain Ping Pong has permanently closed all its branches in the UK, the company confirmed in a social media announcement.

Founded in 2005 by restaurateur Kurt Zdesar, the dim sum chain had become popular for its stylish interiors, creative menus, and Asian-inspired cocktails. The company did not provide prior notice of the closure but said the decision marked the end of an “unforgettable” 20-year journey.

Keep ReadingShow less
New Covid strain

Experts have raised concerns about the immune-evasive nature of the Stratus strain

iStock

New Covid strain Stratus spreads in UK with unusual hoarse voice symptom

Key points

  • A new Covid strain known as Stratus is spreading across the UK
  • The variant is marked by a distinctive symptom: a hoarse or raspy voice
  • Sub-variants XFG and XFG.3 now account for 30% of cases in England
  • Experts say there is no evidence of more severe disease
  • Lower immunity levels may make more people vulnerable to infection

Covid variant Stratus on the rise in the UK

A new strain of Covid-19, known as Stratus, is spreading across the UK and drawing attention for its unusual symptom — a hoarse or raspy voice. According to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Stratus and its two sub-variants, XFG and XFG.3, are responsible for around 30 per cent of Covid cases in England.

Of the two, XFG.3 is currently the more dominant. The UKHSA confirmed that monitoring of all circulating Covid-19 variants is ongoing as part of regular surveillance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Human brain continues forming neurons

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain

iStock

Human brain continues forming neurons well into old age, study finds

Key points

  • New neurons continue forming in the brain’s hippocampus into old age
  • Study confirms presence of neural progenitor cells in adults
  • DNA carbon dating and single-nucleus RNA sequencing were used
  • Research shows variation in neuron production between individuals
  • Findings could aid treatments for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders

Human brain shows ongoing neuron formation into older age

A new study has confirmed that the human brain continues to produce new nerve cells well into late adulthood, challenging previous assumptions about age-related decline in neurogenesis. The findings, published in the journal Science, provide fresh insight into how adaptable the brain remains over a lifetime.

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain, is known to occur in the hippocampus — a region involved in memory. While previous research has suggested that this process continues throughout life, there has been limited concrete evidence of the presence of neural progenitor cells in the adult brain.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kent County Show 2025

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley

Getty Images

Kent County Show opens with royal visit from Duchess of Edinburgh

Key points:

  • Day one of the Kent County Show begins at Detling Showground near Maidstone
  • The Duchess of Edinburgh visits the event for the first time in 16 years
  • Organisers expect up to 70,000 visitors over the weekend
  • Farming and rural life are at the centre of the three-day programme
  • Highlights include live camel racing, equine sports, livestock displays and more

Kent County Show opens with royal visit

The Kent County Show returned to Detling near Maidstone on Friday, marking the start of a major three-day celebration of farming, food, and rural living. The event opened with a special visit from the Duchess of Edinburgh, who is attending for the first time in 16 years.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley near Tunbridge Wells and serves as patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), met with farmers, equine exhibitors, and local businesses on her tour of the showground.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Aurobindo

Heehs’s biography is grounded in extensive archival research across France, England, India and Israel

AMG

Sri Aurobindo and the rise of the Asian century

Dinesh Sharma

My friend and colleague, the American historian Peter Heehs, who has lived in Pondicherry, India, for decades, recently published a compelling new biography, The Mother: A Life of Sri Aurobindo’s Collaborator (2025). Heehs previously authored The Lives of Sri Aurobindo (2008), which remains one of the most balanced and scholarly accounts of Aurobindo’s life.

According to Heehs, most previous biographies of the Mother were written for devotees and relied on secondary sources, often presenting her as a divine incarnation without critical engagement. “Such biographies are fine for those who see the Mother as a divine being,” Heehs said, “but they can be off-putting for readers who simply want to understand her life – as an artist, writer, spiritual teacher, and founder of the Ashram and Auroville.”

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025 Garavi Gujarat Publications Ltd & Asian Media Group USA Inc