Nigerian authorities prevented dozens of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s heavily armed bodyguards from entering the country with weapons in a dispute that lasted hours and saw Gaddafi storm away from the airport on foot.

Pilots, cabin crew and air traffic controllers who drink on duty will now face police breathtesting under strict new Government alcohol limits which take effect today.

Forces loyal to the governor of Herat in Afghanistan claimed to have retaken control of the western city today after fierce factional fighting that killed Afghanistan’s aviation minister and left as many as 100 people dead.

SWISS officials said yesterday they had barred a crashed airliner more than a year ago because of technical deficiencies.

French and Egyptian officials laid wreaths today in an area of the Red Sea where a jet crashed, killing all 148 people aboard.

British taxpayers could be forced to pay £2bn (€3.2bn ) in compensation to people affected by night flights out of Heathrow airport, it was reported today.