Bomb threats ground planes

TWO Pakistani airliners, one bound for Manchester, have been grounded by bomb threats.

The first Pakistan International Airlines jet was forced to put down in Istanbul after the company received the threat by email while it was over Bulgaria.

All 378 passengers were safely evacuated from the Boeing 777-300ER at the International Ataturk Airport, and bomb squads began searching the plane with sniffer dogs.

A second flight also received a bomb threat but landed safely in Malaysia.

An airline spokesman said the plane was flying from Islamabad to Kuala Lumpur. It landed in Kuala Lumpur and all 176 passengers disembarked safely.