Jail term for hijack attempt

A SOMALI woman refugee was sentenced to nine years in prison in New Zealand after she pleaded guilty to trying to hijack a small domestic airliner.

Somali immigrant Asha Ali Abdille initially stabbed both pilots and another passenger on a domestic commuter flight. During the February 2008 attack on the 19-seat plane. Abdille, a vineyard worker, demanded to be flown to Australia. She managed to smuggle three knives aboard the flight.