Nepal: A plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh swerved erratically and flew dangerously low before crashing and erupting in flames as it landed in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, killing at least 50 people. A top airport official said the pilot of US-Bangla Airlines flight BS211 did not follow landing instructions from the control tower and approached the airport's one runway from the wrong direction. "The airplane was not properly aligned with the runway. The tower repeatedly asked if the pilot was okay and the reply was 'yes,"' said Raj Kumar Chetri, the airport's general manager. But a recording of the conversations between the pilot and air traffic controllers indicated confusion over which direction the plane should land. In the recording, posted by the air traffic monitoring website liveatc.net, conversation veers repeatedly about whether the pilot should land on the airport's single runway from the south or the north. Just before landing the pilot asks "Are we cleared to land?" Moments later, the controller tells the pilot: "I say again, turn!" Seconds later, the controller orders firetrucks on to the runway.
Antarctica: A group of American scientists stranded on an ice-bound island off the northeastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula have been rescued by an Argentine icebreaker. The four scientists and a support staff member, who were conducting research at Joinville Island, were airlifted by helicopter to the Almirante Irizar icebreaker. Argentina's Foreign Ministry said that the US icebreaker Laurence M Gould was unable to carry out the evacuation because the ice barrier was too dense on the Weddell Sea in front of the island that is south of the Argentine mainland. The US Antarctic Programme then requested assistance from Argentina. Argentina's armed forces said that the five are in good health and will be transferred to the US vessel when weather conditions improve.
Syria: Parallel offensives waged by Turkey and the Syrian Government on two separate towns in Syria pushed residents into overcrowded shelters for safety as others tried to flee the advancing forces by road. Residents and displaced families in the besieged town of Douma in the rebel-held Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta were sleeping in shops and in the streets as basements in the town filled up beyond capacity, said Haitham Bakkar, a local resident. Thousands of people were fleeing the northwestern town of Afrin as Turkish troops and Turkey-backed opposition fighters moved closer to completely encircling it. Turkish troops have destroyed water and power stations that supply Afrin, making it difficult for people to stay there.
United States: The Metropolitan Opera fired music director emeritus James Levine after an investigation found evidence of sexual abuse and harassment. Levine was suspended by the Met in December pending the investigation. The Met says that its investigation found Levine "engaged in sexually abusive and harassing conduct towards vulnerable artists in the early stages of their careers." The 74-year-old Levine had been a towering figure in the company's history, ruling over its repertoire, orchestra and singers as music or artistic director from 1976 until he stepped down under pressure two years ago. The Met says claims its management or board had covered up information of Levine's conduct were unsubstantiated.
