Tourist Mails Skull to Vienna Cathedral

In a new incident concerning lithium-ion batteries, a United Airlines flight to Rome had to return to Washington Dulles after a passenger dropped their laptop and it couldn’t be retrieved. The pilot decided to turn around, and the plane carrying 216 people returned to the airport two hours after takeoff.

The pilot called it a minor situation while discussing it with air traffic control, explaining that “a passenger who has somehow dropped a laptop that was on, down the sidewall into the cargo pit area of the aircraft.” He also added that they couldn’t access it or see it, so they wanted to return so the device could be retrieved.

Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if damaged, and many airlines have addressed this issue by banning the use of power banks on board. In this case, the pilot used “abundance of caution,” and the plane safely landed at Dulles. The laptop was eventually retrieved by the maintenance crew, and after a three-hour delay, the flight was back in the air. It landed in Rome five and a half hours later than originally scheduled.

A cruise that left behind an elderly passenger on a remote island has been cut short days after her death. Passengers on the Coral Adventurer were on a 60-day voyage along the Australian coast, but they returned home after the rest of the trip was canceled. They were informed they would receive full refunds (prices started at $50,000), and charter flights were organized for them.

Eighty-year-old Suzanne Rees died on the second day of the journey while on a cruise-organized expedition on Lizard Island. She became separated from the group on a hike, and the ship left without her. It turned back after the crew realized she was missing, but Rees was found dead the next morning. The incident, along with mechanical issues on the cruise, led to the cancellation.

“The Coral team prides itself on delivering high-quality experiences to our guests. It was increasingly apparent given the circumstances of the last week that we could not deliver on this promise,” the company said in a statement.

Authorities are investigating the incident, and the ship will be inspected upon its return.

Related: Woman Dies After $50,000 Cruise Leaves Her Behind on Remote Island

A German tourist has returned something he stole 60 years ago from an Austrian cathedral. While on a tour of the catacombs beneath St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, the man took a skull from the remains. In a letter, he explained that as he nears the end of his life, he wants to make peace with himself.

The cathedral archivist was taken aback when he opened the package with the skull. Franz Zehetner told the BBC that it was touching that the man wished to make amends. “Also that he had carefully preserved the skull over the years,” he said. “[I]nstead of carelessly getting rid of it.”

It’s not known whose skull the tourist took six decades ago—or how—but remains from the 18th century are buried under the cathedral.

Five German climbers died in the Italian Alps last week after an avalanche swept them away. Three different groups of climbers were scaling the Ortler mountain in South Tyrol on Saturday. The avalanche buried the first group of three people, while the search continued for a father and his 17-year-old daughter. Their bodies were found the next day after a search involving drones and helicopters. Meanwhile, two climbers managed to escape and were taken to a hospital to be treated for shock.

The Maldives has banned smoking for anyone born after Jan. 1, 2007. The Indian Ocean archipelago has become the first nation to introduce a generational ban on smoking. The health ministry said in a statement that it reflects the government’s “strong commitment to protecting young people from the harms of tobacco.”

Last year, the country also banned the sale, possession, import, and distribution of all vapes.

New Zealand announced a similar generational ban on smoking in 2022 but revoked it before it went into effect in 2024.

Related: Another Popular European Destination Plans to Ban Public Smoking