Uganda Police Raid US Project Helping Gays

Police in Uganda have raided the offices of a US-funded project which provides health advice to homosexuals.

The move came after a controversial law, condemned as draconian by the West, threatened those engaging in gay sex with life imprisonment.

The bill passed through the Ugandan parliament in December after its architects agreed to drop a death penalty clause.

The Makerere University Walter Reed Project in the capital Kampala announced it had suspended its operations after one of its Ugandan staff was briefly held by police.

In a statement it said: "We are working with police to understand the circumstances under which this person was detained.

"Until we have greater clarity as to the legal basis for the police action, the operations of the programme are temporarily suspended to ensure the safety of staff and the integrity of the programme."

Anti-gay activists in Kampala march in support of the harsh new measures

Police said they had been following the suspect after receiving reports he was involved in "gay-related activities".

Spokesman Ibn Ssekumbi said: "For some time we have been following an individual whom we learnt has been conducting promotion and training activities related to homosexuality."

A US State Department official said the health project conducts important research into Ebola, Marburg disease and HIV. One of the project's aims is to develop vaccines for these diseases.

Ugandan gay activists say many homosexuals have been forced to flee their  homes in the weeks since the law came into force, apparently to escape angry mobs.

Some are reported to have been evicted by landlords who found out they were gay.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni says homosexuality is "criminal"

In response, the US, one of the country's biggest sources of aid and other Western donors have halted or redirected around $118m (£71m) in aid .

Despite the criticism and calls for the law to be scrapped, it is popular among many Ugandans.

President Yoweri Museveni has accused the West of seeking to impose "social imperialism" on Africa and told a rally that Uganda could live without humanitarian aid.

He said gay people deserved to be severely punished as homosexuality was "criminal" and "cruel".

Uganda now has some of the toughest anti-gay laws on a continent where 37 states ban homosexuality.

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Afghanistan Goes To The Polls In Historic Vote

The Front Runners In Afghanistan's Elections

Updated: 11:09am UK, Saturday 05 April 2014

Here is a guide to the leading contenders in the Afghan elections.

Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai

Known in Afghanistan as Doctor Ashraf Ghani, the American-trained anthropologist returned to his home country after the Taliban were ousted.

He had previously spent more than 25 years abroad during the turbulent years when Afghanistan came under Soviet control, descended into civil war and then was taken over by the Taliban.

During that period he worked for the United Nations and World Bank in the US, Denmark and in south and east Asia.

On his return he held various government posts, including finance minister.

He went on to take part in the disputed 2009 presidential election campaign when he won 4% of the vote, but was beaten by Hamid Karzai.

Mr Ghani is among the strongest backers of a disputed security deal which will keep US troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014.

But he has provoked controversy by picking ethnic Uzbek former warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum as a running mate.

Zalmai Rassoul

A relative of Afghanistan's former royal family, Zalmai Rassoul is seen as an establishment figure.

Although originally a doctor, he became involved in politics when representing the deposed king in 1998 on a body that played a key role in the future transition of the country after the end of the Soviet period.

He held roles in national security before being made Hamid Karzai's foreign minister, often accompanying the president on trips abroad.

Critics say that, if elected, Mr Rassoul would lack the strength and independence to make a break from the old administration, which many have accused of corruption.

But a number of foreign correspondents have said that despite serving for more than a decade in government, he remains untainted by the allegations that have dogged Karzai's tenure in power.

He is at comfortable dealing with those at home and abroad, speaking Dari, Pashto, English, French and Italian, among other languages.

He is also the only leading candidate with a woman as one of his vice-presidential running mates. 

Abdullah Abdullah

A former ophthalmologist-turned-fighter against Soviet forces in the 1980s, Mr Abdullah dropped out of a run-off against Karzai in the 2009 election, saying he was concerned about electoral fraud.

He rose to take roles in government in the post-Taliban period having previously been an adviser to Ahmad Shah Masood, a leader in the Northern Alliance.

But he was abruptly dismissed from his role as Afghanistan's foreign minister in 2006 - a role he had previously held in the Northern Alliance when it fought alongside the American-led invasion of the country following the 9/11 attacks.

Mr Abdullah's base of support is the ethnic Tajik community whose rights and cause, although he is half-Pashtun, he has championed.

He spent some of the period during the Soviet-backed regime in Pakistan.

He took part in the 2009 election after registering as an independent candidate.

Other candidates are:

Abdul Rasul Sayyaf: A former warlord with ties to al Qaeda. An MP in the new parliament.

Mohammad Daud Sultanzoy: A former pilot and talk show host who is known for encouraging women to vote.

Qutbuddin Hilal: Former deputy prime minister with links to controversial mujahideen figure Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Gul Agha Sherzai: Another former mujahideen member but later governor of two Afghan provinces during Karzai's time.

Hedayat Amin Arsala: A prominent economist and politician who has held several high-ranking government posts.

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Malaysia: We're Not Behind Plane Disappearance

Malaysia's transport minister has denied "extraordinary" claims the country was complicit in the disappearance of flight MH370.

In an interview with Sky News on Friday, Mayalsia's main opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said the investigation had been "clearly suspect" and alleged "complicity by authorities on the ground".

But speaking at a press conference on Saturday, acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein said: "Let me touch on some unfounded allegations made against Malaysia.

"These allegations include the extraordinary assertion that Malaysian authorities were somehow complicit in what happened to MH370.

"I would like to state for the record that these allegations are completely untrue.

"As I've said before, the search for MH370 should be above politics, and so I call on all Malaysians to unite, to stand by our armed forces as they work in difficult conditions thousands of miles from home, and to support all those who are working tirelessly in the search for MH370."

HMS Tireless has entered the search area

The comments come as the British nuclear submarine HMS Tireless entered the search area.

It is expected to play a crucial role in the quest to find the plane's black box, which could hold the key to solving the mystery of what happened.

"I spoke via telephone to the British Secretary of State for Defence, Philip Hammond, regarding the nuclear submarine HMS Tireless," said Mr Hussein.

"I hereby confirm the submarine is now in the search area and helping in the search operation."

Up to 10 military planes, three civilian jets and 11 ships scoured more than 1,000 square miles of sea off the west coast of Australia on Saturday.

Saturday's search area

The hunt was taking place in three large patches of the southern Indian Ocean, some 2,000km, 2,300km and 1,800km northwest of Perth.

As the search operation heads towards its second month, Mr Hussein revealed a new investigation team would be established.

The team will include experts from Australia, the US, China, France and the UK, and will be split into three sections.

One section will focus on maintenance, records, structures and systems; the second will look at flight recorders, operations and meteorology; the third is to examine psychology, pathology and survival factors.

"The search operation has been difficult, challenging and complex but despite all of this our determination remains undiminished," Mr Hussein added.

"We will continue to search with the same level of vigour and intensity. We owe this to the families of those on board and to the wider world."

No wreckage has yet been found since the Malaysia Airlines craft disappeared with 239 passengers aboard on March 8.

More follows...

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Two Foreign Journalists Shot In Afghanistan

A man dressed as a policeman has shot two foreign journalists in eastern Afghanistan, killing one and wounding the other.

The journalists were reporting for the Associated Press news agency from an isolated town along the country's mountainous border with Pakistan.

Anja Niedringhaus, 48, a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer from Germany was killed instantly according to a witness.

Reporter Kathy Gannon, 60, was shot twice and is being treated in hospital where she is in a stable condition.

Reporter Kathy Gannon survived the shooting and is in a stable condition

The shooting took place on the eve of Afghanistan's presidential election, which Taliban insurgents have vowed to disrupt with bombings and assassinations.

The pair were in their own car in a convoy of election workers driving through Khost. The convoy was protected by the Afghan National Army and Afghan police.

As they were sitting in the car waiting for the convoy to move, a police unit commander named Naqibullah walked up to the car, yelled "Allahu Akbar" - God is Great - and opened fire on them in the back seat with an AK-47.

He then surrendered to the other police and was arrested.

Ms Niedringhaus began her career at a local newspaper in Germany at the age of 16 then joined the AFP news agency in 1990.

She covered the war in the former Yugoslavia for more than a decade and continued to report on conflict around the world from 2002. She regularly reported on the Olympic Games.

In 2005 she was part of a team of 11 photographers who won the Pulitzer Prize in the breaking news category for her coverage of the war in Iraq.

She was experienced working in Afghanistan and spent months covering the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

Her work appeared in newspapers around the world and was exhibited in galleries and museums in Frankfurt, Berlin, London and Canada.

Ms Gannon is a Canadian journalist based in Islamabad who has covered conflict in Afghanistan for 30 years.

AP executive editor Kathleen Carroll said: "Anja was a vibrant, dynamic journalist well-loved for her insightful photographs, her warm heart and joy for life. We are heartbroken at her loss."

Afghan voters have vowed to defy the threat of military attacks and have attended rallies in their thousands, ignoring bomb warnings and attacks across much of the country.

The new president will succeed Hamid Karzai, who has been in power since 2001 when the Taliban fell.

Last month, Afghan journalist Sardar Ahmad was killed when Taliban gunmen opened fire in a luxury hotel in the centre of Kabul.

British-Swedish journalist Nils Horner was shot dead on a Kabul street on March 11, 2014. An unverified claim later appeared on the website of the Fidai Mahaz group claiming responsibility.

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Afghan Voters Vow To Defy Taliban Threat

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

Mirrored wrap around visors, head-to-toe body armour and machine guns held prone for fighting. Gloved hands directing cars and trucks into security search areas. No talking, no discussion. This is the street outside my hotel. This is security in Kabul.

It doesn't matter where you go in this city, you will be confronted by security at a level never seen here before.

It doesn't mean it is safe of course, the Taliban have infiltrated Kabul, by-passing the so-called "Ring of Steel", carrying out a number of deadly attacks in recent days.

But the checks and body searches go on and they are getting more intense as polling day nears.

The Taliban threats against the public wanting to take part in the presidential election are real, but joining just a few of the campaign rallies it is clear that people are not being put off.

The 'ring of steel' around Kabul

They have turned out in their thousands to listen to the would-be leaders, ignoring bomb warnings and actual attacks across much of the country.

The Afghan population wants change and voting is being seen as the way forward.

The election is hugely significant on a variety of levels but that it will be the first democratic transition of power in the country's entire history is in itself both remarkable and a sign of progress - well, sort of.

The fact that all the front runners have been involved in politics and government in one form or other for decades hardly indicates a radical change any time soon.

Election workers with a donkey carrying ballot boxes in Balkh Province

And given the terrible security threat from the Taliban and the grinding poverty that depicts normal life for the vast majority of the population, whoever wins can hardly promise a new life overnight or probably over years.

Hunched over a gas flame, Ghandi Gul heats water to make tea for her five children in the one room where they live.

Her husband died in a rocket attack so she makes a living washing clothes for her neighbours while her children sell street rubbish as scrap.

In good times the six of them live on £17 a week. They want more money for sure, but above all they want more security.

"The only thing we can expect from the election from whoever wins is security," she told me.

"We know that poverty will not change. The only thing we are concerned with is security."

It will be the first democratic transition of power in Afghanistan history

That is an overriding sentiment here. Basically if there is better security then prosperity will rise as there will be more work.

As one man told me as he stopped to ask why we were filming: "You can't look for work if you get blown up waiting at the factory gate."

President Hamid Karzai's days are over, but will the years ahead see major changes, better security, more prosperity?

In truth nobody knows and many doubt it. But they have an opportunity to vote in a new government.

For Afghanistan that is a new luxury and there aren't many luxuries here.

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Schumacher Showing 'Moments Of Awakening'

Formula One ace Michael Schumacher is showing "moments of consciousness and awakening," according to his agent.

The 45-year-old has been in an induced coma since suffering a serious head injury in a skiing accident in the French Alps ski resort of Meribel in December.

"Michael is making progress on his way. He shows moments of consciousness and awakening," Sabine Kehm said in a statement.

"We are on his side during his long and difficult fight, together with the team of the hospital in Grenoble, and we keep remaining confident," the statement continued.

Earlier this week, Ms Kehm told German newspaper Bild: "There are signs that give us encouragement."

The paper also quoted her as denying reports Shumacher's family are building a special medical facility to help care for him at their home.

Schumacher was reportedly travelling at speeds of up to 60mph when the accident happened, and is thought to have been saved by his skiing helmet, which split on impact.

The racing legend's chief doctor said last week that it was unlikely he would ever fully recover from the accident.

Doctor Gary Hartstein wrote on his blog: "As time goes on, it becomes less and less likely that Michael will emerge to any significant extent."

Schumacher left motor racing last year after a disappointing three-year comeback following an earlier retirement from Ferrari at the end of 2006.

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Shark Takes Swimmer Near Australia Beach

Rescue crews are searching for the remains of a keen swimmer who was dragged away by a shark off a popular beach in Australia.

Christine Armstrong was attacked as she attempted to swim the 1,970ft (600m) stretch between the wharf and beach near the village of Tathra, 210 miles (340km) south of Sydney.

The 63-year-old was part of a group who met at the beach every morning to swim out to the wharf and back.

The beach close to where Mrs Armstrong was taken

Mrs Armstrong's family said she had been swimming at the beach for 14 years and had been a trainer at the local volunteer lifeguard club.

"Swimming brought her much joy and many friends," they said in a statement.

"She will be sadly missed by all who loved her, especially by Rob, her husband of 44 years."

A helicopter and boat are being used in the search for her remains.

The species of the shark involved in the attack is not known at this stage.

A search team looks for her remains

The Tathra Wharf to Waves - a swim from the wharf to the beach and back - is an annual event that attracts hundreds of swimmers every summer.

Sharks are common off Australia's coast, but the country has averaged fewer than two fatal attacks per year in recent decades.

Two men were killed in attacks off the east and west coasts within the space of a week in November - the only deaths in 2013.

On Wednesday police found the remains of a 38-year-old man who was reported missing last week after going diving south of the west coast city of Perth.

The remains had shark bites, but police said it is not clear whether the man had been bitten before or after he died.

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Chile Hit By Second Powerful Earthquake

A second powerful earthquake has struck off northern Chile, a day after the region was hit by a deadly 8.2-magnitude tremor.

The 7.6-magnitude quake rattled buildings and triggered a new round of evacuations, although a tsunami alert issued for coastal communities was soon lifted.

It also caused a number of landslides near Alto Hospicio, a poor area in the hills above the port town of Iquique, where 2,500 homes and many fishing boats were damaged by Tuesday's quake.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who had travelled to nearby Arica to see how the city had been affected by the earlier disaster, was among those who fled a hotel.

Authorities estimate about 2,500 homes were damaged by Tuesday's quake

"I was evacuated like all citizens," she tweeted soon afterwards. "One can see that the people are prepared."

Authorities said six people were killed in Tuesday's earthquake but said further victims may be found as rescuers search older buildings in remote areas.

Schools in northern Chile remain closed amid fears of more aftershocks.

People living in the area have been expecting major tremors for years.

Tuesday's quake caused many boats to capsize in the port of Iquique

However, the so-called mega-quake many residents fear may be yet happen, according to Paul Earle, a seismologist at the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Chile is especially vulnerable to earthquakes because the Nazca and South American tectonic plates rub up against each other off the country's west coast.

Officials had reinforced emergency procedures after an unusually large amount of seismic activity in recent weeks, while residents had prepared by stocking up on food and rehearsing evacuation plans.

Tuesday's quake was located 14 miles south of Iquique at a depth of about 25 miles, according to the USGS.

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Fort Hood Soldier Opens Fire On Army Base

An Iraq war veteran being treated for psychiatric problems has killed three fellow soldiers at Fort Hood before shooting himself in the head.

Sixteen others were injured in Wednesday afternoon's attack, the bases' commanding officer, Lieutenant General Mark Milley, told a news conference.

In 2009, a shooting rampage at the same Army base left 13 people dead.

Lt Gen Milley said there was no indication of terrorism in the latest attack, but added: "We're not ruling anything out."

The gunman, identified as Army Specialist Ivan Lopez, served in Iraq for four months in 2011.

Lieutenant General Mark Milley addresses the media at Fort Hood

He had sought help for depression, anxiety and other problems, and had been undergoing an assessment to determine whether he had post-traumatic stress disorder, Lt Gen Milley said.

The commanding officer described how the shooter "walked into one of the unit buildings, opened fire, got into a vehicle, fired from the vehicle, got out of the vehicle and opened fire again in another building".

"A military police officer responded. He was approaching her at about 20 feet. He put his hands up, then reached under his jacket. 

"He pulled out his gun, she pulled out her weapon, she then engaged and he put the weapon to his head" killing himself.

Lt Gen Milley said the motive was unclear. He said initial reports suggested "there may have been an argument in one of the unit areas".

All those hit by the soldier's recently purchased 45-calibre semi-automatic weapon were in the military. The gun had not been registered at the base.

Patients have been flown to hospital

Lopez arrived at Fort Hood in February. He was married and had a family.

President Barack Obama said he was "heartbroken" that the base had suffered again after the 2009 rampage.

"I want to assure everyone we are going to get to the bottom of what happened," said Mr Obama.

"Any shooting is troubling. Obviously this reopens the pain of what happened at Fort Hood five years ago. We know these families; we know their incredible service to this country and the sacrifices they make.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire community and we're going to do everything we can to make sure the community at Fort Hood has what it needs to deal with the current situation and any potential aftermath.

"We're heartbroken that something like this might have happened again."

Fort Hood is home to 45,000 soldiers and 9,000 civilians

The condition of those wounded in the attack ranges from "stable to quite critical".

All-clear sirens have now sounded at Fort Hood after several hours of lockdown. Personnel had been told to take shelter and stay away from doors and windows.

Sky's Amanda Walker said: "It's a huge military base. Around 45,000 soldiers are based there and 9,000 civilians.

"We don't know how the gunman got into the base.

"It is absolutely astonishing this has happened again at a secure military base that has had a terrible history with the previous shooting."

A Twitter alert posted by Fort Hood to implement a lockdown

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel called the shooting a "terrible tragedy".

Asked whether security improvements made since the 2009 tragedy have been adequate, Mr Hagel said: "Obviously when we have these kinds of tragedies on our bases, something's not working."

Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan faces the death penalty for the 2009 killing spree, which also injured 30 people.

In statements to the judge, Hasan, an American-born Muslim, suggested he believed the attack was justified as a jihad against the US military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Major Nidal Hasan faces the death sentence following the 2009 shooting

The base is the biggest in the US, covering 340 square miles (880 sq km).

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Six Possible Answers To Missing Plane Mystery

The mystery of what made flight MH370 crash thousands of miles off route in the middle of the southern Indian Ocean has filled news websites and TV bulletins for the past three weeks.

But despite the huge interest and speculation, are we any nearer to finding out what happened to the doomed Boeing 777 now than when it vanished from radar on March 8?

What we do know is both the plane's transponder and Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), an in-flight digital system that helps track planes after they have gone out of radar coverage, were disabled or stopped working less than an hour into the flight.

The Malaysia Airlines jet carrying 239 people then flew west for at least five hours before crashing somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

Six theories remain for why the plane disappeared - cabin depressurisation, toxic fumes, fire, a hijacking, a pilot murder-suicide or simultaneous failures.

The homes of the two pilots have been searched by police

A panel of experts - including pilots, airline bosses, manufacturers and regulators - met in central London on Tuesday and tried to throw light on the mystery.

The event, organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), came up with this analysis:

1. The aircraft depressurised, but continued to fly

This would explain the initial change in altitude and heading, as well as subsequent lack of communication, but not why the ACARS and transponder were turned off.

The transponder can be turned off from the cockpit and is done routinely when an aircraft lands.

Turning off the ACARS is more complicated, though, and would need someone with systems knowledge going into the aircraft's avionics bay - but this should have been prevented if security was adequate.

If the plane was depressurised, it would continue to fly automatically until the fuel ran out.

The effect on passengers would vary depending on the altitude. If the aircraft was above 35,000ft, it would take about one minute before everyone was incapacitated.

Oxygen masks should have descended automatically which would work for around 15 minutes.

The flight crew could have lasted longer using their oxygen masks, depending on whether they used pure oxygen or an oxygen mix.

SUMMARY: Possible.

The transcript reveals the last words of one of the pilots to ATC

2. The aircraft was overcome by toxic fumes

The pilots should have been able to send out a distress call and, again, it does not explain why the ACARS and transponder were turned off.

SUMMARY: Unlikely.

3. There was an onboard fire which damaged the communications systems

This would explain the lack of communication, but it is unlikely the aircraft would have then continued to fly as long as it did if the fire continued to burn.

The aircraft's communication systems could have also been disabled by power failure or sabotage.

Birdstrike is possible, but is unlikely to have caused such damage.

SUMMARY: Unlikely.

A pinger locator is being carried to the search area by ADV Ocean Shield

4. The aircraft was hijacked

The aircraft was not flown to another destination, nor was it used as a weapon for a suicide terrorist attack.

If it was an individual hijacker, then no one person or motive has been established and, if it was a group, no organisation has claimed responsibility.

SUMMARY: Possible.

5. The aircraft was deliberately diverted by the pilot/co-pilot

No reason for this has been identified. If it was a suicide attempt then why did the aircraft continue to fly for so long?

Another question is why there were no mobile phone calls or texts from passengers or cabin crew, given the in-flight entertainment (IFE) map would have shown the aircraft going off course.

One explanation is the IFE system was turned off.

The second is most passengers were asleep or did not realise anything was wrong until it was too late to do anything. If they tried to phone later, the aircraft would have been in a remote area over the ocean where there was no signal.

The third is passengers and cabin crew may have been incapacitated in some way, such as by hypoxia due to cabin depressurisation.

SUMMARY: Possible.

Despite a massive air and sea search, no debris from the jet has been found

6. Simultaneous failures

One technical expert pointed out that for every plausible scenario, there is at least one contradictory statement.

"If it was hypoxia, then who turned the aircraft?" he asked.

"If it was a fire, then how did it continue flying? If it was the flight crew, then why did the cabin crew not intervene?"

He suggested that, perhaps, more than one scenario occurred simultaneously - such as a wiring fire and depressurisation.

OVERALL SUMMARY: Until more evidence is found, nothing can be proved.

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Malaysia Plane Mystery May Never Be Solved

Full Transcript Of Last Contact With MH370

Updated: 12:36pm UK, Tuesday 01 April 2014

A transcript of the final conversations between the control tower and Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been released.

MAS 370 (Kuala Lumpur to Beijing)

PILOT-ATC RADIOTELEPHONY TRANSCRIPT

Departure from KLIA: 8 March 2014

ATC DELIVERY

12:25:53 MAS 370 Delivery MAS 370 Good Morning

12:26:02 ATC MAS 370 Standby and Malaysia Six is cleared to Frankfurt via AGOSA Alpha Departure six thousand feet squawk two one zero six

12:26:19 ATC ... MAS 370 request level

12:26:21 MAS 370 MAS 370 we are ready requesting flight level three five zero to Beijing

12:26:39 ATC MAS 370 is cleared to Beijing via PIBOS A Departure Six Thousand Feet squawk two one five seven

12:26:45 MAS 370 Beijing PIBOS A Six Thousand Squawk two one five seven, MAS 370 Thank You

12:26:53 ATC MAS 370 Welcome over to ground

12:26:55 MAS 370 Good Day

LUMPUR GROUND

12:27:27 MAS 370 Ground MAS370 Good morning Charlie One Requesting push and start

12:27:34 ATC MAS370 Lumpur Ground Morning Push back and start approved Runway 32 Right Exit via Sierra 4.

12:27:40 MAS 370 Push back and start approved 32 Right Exit via Sierra 4 POB 239 Mike Romeo Oscar

12:27:45 ATC Copied

12:32:13 MAS 370 MAS377 request taxi.

12:32:26 ATC MAS37..... (garbled) ... standard route. Hold short Bravo

12:32:30 MAS 370 Ground, MAS370. You are unreadable. Say again.

12:32:38 ATC MAS370 taxi to holding point Alfa 11 Runway 32 Right via standard route. Hold short of Bravo.

12:32:42 MAS 370 Alfa 11 Standard route Hold short Bravo MAS370.

12:35:53 ATC MAS 370 Tower

12:36:19 ATC (garbled) ... Tower ... (garbled)

MAS 370 1188 MAS370 Thank you

LUMPUR TOWER

12:36:30 MAS 370 Tower MAS370 Morning

12:36:38 ATC MAS370 good morning. Lumpur Tower. Holding point..[garbled]..10 32 Right

12:36:50 MAS 370 Alfa 10 MAS370

12:38:43 ATC 370 line up 32 Right Alfa 10. MAS 370 Line up 32 Right Alfa 10 MAS370.

12:40:38 ATC 370 32 Right Cleared for take-off. Good night.

MAS 370 32 Right Cleared for take-off MAS370. Thank you Bye.

LUMPUR APPROACH

12:42:05 MAS 370 Departure Malaysian Three Seven Zero

12:42:10 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero selamat pagi identified. Climb flight level one eight zero cancel SID turn right direct to IGARI

12:42:48 MAS 370 Okay level one eight zero direct IGARI Malaysian one err Three Seven Zero

12:42:52 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero contact Lumpur Radar One Three Two Six good night MAS 370 Night One Three Two Six Malaysian Three Seven Zero

LUMPUR RADAR (AREA)

12:46:51 MAS 370 Lumpur Control Malaysian Three Seven Zero

12:46:51 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero Lumpur radar Good Morning climb flight level two five zero

12:46:54 MAS370 Morning level two five zero Malaysian Three Seven Zero

12:50:06 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero climb flight level three five zero

12:50:09 MAS370 Flight level three five zero Malaysian Three Seven Zero

01:01:14 MAS370 Malaysian Three Seven Zero maintaining level three five zero

01:01:19 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero

01:07:55 MAS370 Malaysian...Three Seven Zero maintaining level three five zero

01:08:00 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero

01:19:24 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero contact Ho Chi Minh 120 decimal 9 Good Night

01:19:29 MAS370 Good Night Malaysian Three Seven Zero

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Chile Declares Quake-Hit Areas 'Disaster Zones'

A tsunami has been triggered after a powerful 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Chile, with six people reported dead.

The Chilean navy said some areas in the north of the country were hit by waves 45 minutes after the quake was felt at 6.46pm (10.46pm BST) on Tuesday.

Waves measuring up to seven feet were reported and a mass evacuation as Chile's president Michelle Bachelet declared a state of emergency and northern parts of the country disaster zones.

Fires have broken out in Iquique

The tsunami alert was in place for Chile and Peru for several hours, before it was called off by officials.

Chile's Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said those killed had either died from heart attacks or from being crushed. Several others have been seriously injured.

Politicians in Chile ordered the "preventative evacuation" of hundreds of thousands of people from coastal areas which was hampered by landslides which had blocked roads.

Terrified residents flooded the streets desperate to reach higher ground, while schools were used as shelters.

The quake occurred northwest of Iquique

Chilean journalist Jorge Garreton told Sky News: "Northern Chile has been expecting an earthquake. There were a number of exercises in the recent past. People know where they have to go to the safety zones.

"The northern cities are low-lying so they have to go up to the mountains. They have been advised not to take vehicles but to walk."

The huge tremor occurred 62 miles (99km) northwest of the mining town of Iquique, near the Peruvian border.

Several fires broke out in Iquique, while 300 inmates escaped from a women's prison amid the chaos, dozens of whom were recaptured.

Chilean TV shows geological data from the magnitude-8.2 tremor

Thousands of homes lost power and the government sent in troops to prevent looting.

Mr Penailillo added: "We have taken action to ensure public order in the case of Iquique, where we've had a massive escape of more than 300 female prisoners from the Iquique jail, so that the armed forces and police can coordinate and provide tranquillity and security to the residents."

The tsunami warning initially placed the entire Pacific Coast of Latin America on alert but was later downgraded to just Chile and Peru.

"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicentre within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours," the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said.

Residents of Chile's northern coastline evacuating

The quake happened just 12.5 miles (20.1 km) below the seabed - making it feel even more powerful.

The tremor shook buildings in parts of the nearby nations of Bolivia and Peru.

At least eight strong aftershocks followed in the first few hours, including a 6.2 tremor.

More aftershocks and even a larger quake could not be ruled out, said seismologist Mario Pardo at the University of Chile.

The area has been rocked by several quakes in the last two weeks. A 6.7 magnitude quake on March 16 prompted more than 100,000 people to briefly evacuate low-lying areas.

Residents prepare to evacuate to higher ground

US officials said there was no imminent threat of a tsunami along the coasts of Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon or Washington.

However, Indonesia said a small tsunami "will possibly affect several areas" including Java, Bali, Sulawesi and Borneo, and warned people to steer clear of beaches.

An 8.8 magnitude quake caused a tsunami that killed more than 500 people in Chile in February 2010.

Sky News's Greg Milam said: "They learnt a lot of lessons from the quake in 2010 about the need not only of getting the warnings out but also about giving people somewhere to go.

"They won't have supplies sitting in the shelters day by day but they will have capabilities to get those supplies there.

"There was an evacuation a couple of weeks ago. There was no tsunami on that occasion but that would have been a wake-up call, as the earthquakes here over the past few weeks have been a wake-up call about the need to be prepared."

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Missing Plane: Pilots' Conversations Revealed

Full Transcript Of Last Contact With MH370

Updated: 12:36pm UK, Tuesday 01 April 2014

A transcript of the final conversations between the control tower and Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been released.

MAS 370 (Kuala Lumpur to Beijing)

PILOT-ATC RADIOTELEPHONY TRANSCRIPT

Departure from KLIA: 8 March 2014

ATC DELIVERY

12:25:53 MAS 370 Delivery MAS 370 Good Morning

12:26:02 ATC MAS 370 Standby and Malaysia Six is cleared to Frankfurt via AGOSA Alpha Departure six thousand feet squawk two one zero six

12:26:19 ATC ... MAS 370 request level

12:26:21 MAS 370 MAS 370 we are ready requesting flight level three five zero to Beijing

12:26:39 ATC MAS 370 is cleared to Beijing via PIBOS A Departure Six Thousand Feet squawk two one five seven

12:26:45 MAS 370 Beijing PIBOS A Six Thousand Squawk two one five seven, MAS 370 Thank You

12:26:53 ATC MAS 370 Welcome over to ground

12:26:55 MAS 370 Good Day

LUMPUR GROUND

12:27:27 MAS 370 Ground MAS370 Good morning Charlie One Requesting push and start

12:27:34 ATC MAS370 Lumpur Ground Morning Push back and start approved Runway 32 Right Exit via Sierra 4.

12:27:40 MAS 370 Push back and start approved 32 Right Exit via Sierra 4 POB 239 Mike Romeo Oscar

12:27:45 ATC Copied

12:32:13 MAS 370 MAS377 request taxi.

12:32:26 ATC MAS37..... (garbled) ... standard route. Hold short Bravo

12:32:30 MAS 370 Ground, MAS370. You are unreadable. Say again.

12:32:38 ATC MAS370 taxi to holding point Alfa 11 Runway 32 Right via standard route. Hold short of Bravo.

12:32:42 MAS 370 Alfa 11 Standard route Hold short Bravo MAS370.

12:35:53 ATC MAS 370 Tower

12:36:19 ATC (garbled) ... Tower ... (garbled)

MAS 370 1188 MAS370 Thank you

LUMPUR TOWER

12:36:30 MAS 370 Tower MAS370 Morning

12:36:38 ATC MAS370 good morning. Lumpur Tower. Holding point..[garbled]..10 32 Right

12:36:50 MAS 370 Alfa 10 MAS370

12:38:43 ATC 370 line up 32 Right Alfa 10. MAS 370 Line up 32 Right Alfa 10 MAS370.

12:40:38 ATC 370 32 Right Cleared for take-off. Good night.

MAS 370 32 Right Cleared for take-off MAS370. Thank you Bye.

LUMPUR APPROACH

12:42:05 MAS 370 Departure Malaysian Three Seven Zero

12:42:10 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero selamat pagi identified. Climb flight level one eight zero cancel SID turn right direct to IGARI

12:42:48 MAS 370 Okay level one eight zero direct IGARI Malaysian one err Three Seven Zero

12:42:52 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero contact Lumpur Radar One Three Two Six good night MAS 370 Night One Three Two Six Malaysian Three Seven Zero

LUMPUR RADAR (AREA)

12:46:51 MAS 370 Lumpur Control Malaysian Three Seven Zero

12:46:51 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero Lumpur radar Good Morning climb flight level two five zero

12:46:54 MAS370 Morning level two five zero Malaysian Three Seven Zero

12:50:06 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero climb flight level three five zero

12:50:09 MAS370 Flight level three five zero Malaysian Three Seven Zero

01:01:14 MAS370 Malaysian Three Seven Zero maintaining level three five zero

01:01:19 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero

01:07:55 MAS370 Malaysian...Three Seven Zero maintaining level three five zero

01:08:00 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero

01:19:24 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero contact Ho Chi Minh 120 decimal 9 Good Night

01:19:29 MAS370 Good Night Malaysian Three Seven Zero

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Ebola: Guinea Facing 'Unprecedented Epidemic'

Doctors Without Borders has said an Ebola outbreak in Guinea has become an "unprecedented epidemic", as neighbouring Liberia confirms its first cases.

In a statement, the charity, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said the geographic scale of the epidemic was unmatched.

MSF coordinator Mariano Lugli said: "We are facing an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen in terms of the distribution of cases in the country."

Mr Lugli said previous outbreaks handled by MSF were "much more geographically contained and involved more remote locations."

Macenta was one of the first towns in Guinea to report the virus

He added: "This geographical spread is worrisome because it will greatly complicate the tasks of the organisations working to control the epidemic."

Guinea's health ministry has reported 122 suspected cases, with at least 78 deaths linked to the virus. Of those there are 22 laboratory confirmed cases.

Liberia also confirmed its first cases overnight on Sunday.

One of two women who tested positive for the virus has died, while the other, her sister, has been isolated in a medical centre outside the capital Monrovia.

Sierra Leone is investigating five suspected cases, although none have yet been confirmed.

Aid workers are transporting tons of medical equipment to affected areas

The flesh-eating virus was initially focused on Guinea's remote south-east. However, it took authorities six weeks to identify suspected cases, giving it time to spread to the country's heavily-populated capital and beyond. 

There is no known treatment or vaccine for Ebola which, depending on the strain, has a fatality rate of up to 90%.

The outbreak has spread panic among other countries in the region. 

Senegal has closed its border with Guinea and suspended weekly markets near the border to prevent the virus travelling further.

Sierra Leone has introduced a screening process on its border with Guinea, while regional airline Gambia Bird has delayed the launch of services to Guinea's capital. 

MSF has sent dozens of aid workers into Guinea in an attempt to prevent a further spread.

It said a total of 60 people, experienced in working on haemorrhagic fever, will be in the country by the end of the week.

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Full Transcript Of Last Contact With MH370

A transcript of the final conversations between the control tower and Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been released.

MAS 370 (Kuala Lumpur to Beijing)

PILOT-ATC RADIOTELEPHONY TRANSCRIPT

Departure from KLIA: 8 March 2014

ATC DELIVERY

12:25:53 MAS 370 Delivery MAS 370 Good Morning

12:26:02 ATC MAS 370 Standby and Malaysia Six is cleared to Frankfurt via AGOSA Alpha Departure six thousand feet squawk two one zero six

12:26:19 ATC ... MAS 370 request level

12:26:21 MAS 370 MAS 370 we are ready requesting flight level three five zero to Beijing

12:26:39 ATC MAS 370 is cleared to Beijing via PIBOS A Departure Six Thousand Feet squawk two one five seven

12:26:45 MAS 370 Beijing PIBOS A Six Thousand Squawk two one five seven, MAS 370 Thank You

12:26:53 ATC MAS 370 Welcome over to ground

12:26:55 MAS 370 Good Day

LUMPUR GROUND

12:27:27 MAS 370 Ground MAS370 Good morning Charlie One Requesting push and start

12:27:34 ATC MAS370 Lumpur Ground Morning Push back and start approved Runway 32 Right Exit via Sierra 4.

12:27:40 MAS 370 Push back and start approved 32 Right Exit via Sierra 4 POB 239 Mike Romeo Oscar

12:27:45 ATC Copied

12:32:13 MAS 370 MAS377 request taxi.

12:32:26 ATC MAS37..... (garbled) ... standard route. Hold short Bravo

12:32:30 MAS 370 Ground, MAS370. You are unreadable. Say again.

12:32:38 ATC MAS370 taxi to holding point Alfa 11 Runway 32 Right via standard route. Hold short of Bravo.

12:32:42 MAS 370 Alfa 11 Standard route Hold short Bravo MAS370.

12:35:53 ATC MAS 370 Tower

12:36:19 ATC (garbled) ... Tower ... (garbled)

MAS 370 1188 MAS370 Thank you

LUMPUR TOWER

12:36:30 MAS 370 Tower MAS370 Morning

12:36:38 ATC MAS370 good morning. Lumpur Tower. Holding point..[garbled]..10 32 Right

12:36:50 MAS 370 Alfa 10 MAS370

12:38:43 ATC 370 line up 32 Right Alfa 10. MAS 370 Line up 32 Right Alfa 10 MAS370.

12:40:38 ATC 370 32 Right Cleared for take-off. Good night.

MAS 370 32 Right Cleared for take-off MAS370. Thank you Bye.

LUMPUR APPROACH

12:42:05 MAS 370 Departure Malaysian Three Seven Zero

12:42:10 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero selamat pagi identified. Climb flight level one eight zero cancel SID turn right direct to IGARI

12:42:48 MAS 370 Okay level one eight zero direct IGARI Malaysian one err Three Seven Zero

12:42:52 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero contact Lumpur Radar One Three Two Six good night MAS 370 Night One Three Two Six Malaysian Three Seven Zero

LUMPUR RADAR (AREA)

12:46:51 MAS 370 Lumpur Control Malaysian Three Seven Zero

12:46:51 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero Lumpur radar Good Morning climb flight level two five zero

12:46:54 MAS370 Morning level two five zero Malaysian Three Seven Zero

12:50:06 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero climb flight level three five zero

12:50:09 MAS370 Flight level three five zero Malaysian Three Seven Zero

01:01:14 MAS370 Malaysian Three Seven Zero maintaining level three five zero

01:01:19 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero

01:07:55 MAS370 Malaysian...Three Seven Zero maintaining level three five zero

01:08:00 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero

01:19:24 ATC Malaysian Three Seven Zero contact Ho Chi Minh 120 decimal 9 Good Night

01:19:29 MAS370 Good Night Malaysian Three Seven Zero

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North And South Korea Exchange Live Fire

South Korea says it has fired shells into North Korean waters in response to live fire drills carried out by Pyongyang.

Residents of South Korean islands on the front line were evacuated as both countries exchanged fire across their disputed western maritime border.

The South said the North fired more than 500 rounds during a three-hour long drill - 100 of which landed in its waters.

Seoul fired back some 300 rounds from its K-9 self-propelled howitzer batteries and scrambled F-15s on its side of the border in response to what it described as a "premeditated provocation".

Kim Min-seok, a defence ministry spokesman, said: "If the North takes issue with our legitimate returning of fire and uses it to make yet another provocation towards our sea and islands, we will make a resolute retaliation."

South Korea and the US conduct a military exercise in Pohang on Monday

The de facto maritime border between the two countries - the Northern Limit Line - is not recognised by Pyongyang. 

Anxious residents sought refuge in shelters on Yeonpyeong island, where in 2010, North Korean artillery killed four South Koreans.

One islander, Kang Myeong-sung, said he did not see any fighter jets but could hear the boom of the shells.

North Korea had announced it was going to conduct some military drills.

Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said: "These are worrying developments ... but no one has been injured, no one has been killed and indeed none of these rockets or missiles landed on any military installations or any land, so this is effectively both sides showing their strength."

It comes a day after North Korea warned it had not ruled out a fourth test of its nuclear deterrent in retaliation for the US conducting "madcap nuclear war" exercises in South Korea this month.

A South Korean Marine

Every year the US and South Korea conduct joint battle exercises involving some 12,500 US and as many as 200,000 South Korean troops.

Operation Key Resolve is a computer-simulated drill which plays out war-time scenarios that could result from a North Korean invasion of the South, while Operation Foal Eagle is a two-month air, sea and land field-training exercise.

The annual drills are regularly condemned by the North as preludes to a US invasion, though Washington insists the exercises are defensive.

Tensions in the area remain high after North Korea tested two missiles capable of hitting Japan last Wednesday.

Stone added: "This is the time of year when tensions on the peninsula always escalate - the South Koreans and the Americans have their own exercises, North Korea claims its can do its own thing and have its exercises.

"The thought always is, that every year, North Korea is becoming more and more technologically advanced - they have nuclear weapons."

The Korean War in the early 1950s did not end with a peace treaty, but an armistice, so technically both sides are still in a state of war.

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Turkish PM Says Foes 'To Pay Price' After Poll

Turkish Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan has declared victory in local elections which had become a referendum on his 12-year rule, and pledged enemies "will pay the price".

It follows a long and bitter campaign in which he branded critics "terrorists" and an "alliance of evil".

With nearly all the votes counted Mr Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), in power since 2002, was leading the main opposition by 46% to 28%.

However, the vote for the capital Ankara promised to be much closer.

Supporters of the ruling AKP celebrate local election results in Istanbul

The strong showing for his ruling party at the polls comes despite Mr Erdogan being dogged by corruption allegations following a series of online leaks, and accusations of authoritarian control.

The Turkish authorities have come under fire for blocking access to the social networking site Twitter and YouTube.

Mr Erdogan has accused opponents of fabricating evidence in a bid to topple him, and social media of spreading misinformation.

Speaking at the party headquarters, Mr Erdogan said he would "enter the lair" of enemies.

He said: "They will pay for this. From tomorrow, there may be some who flee."

The election results could also pave the way for Mr Erdogan to run for the presidency in August.

The local elections were the first vote since anti-government protests last June, which were sparked by plans to bulldoze and redevelop an Istanbul park and grew into mass rallies against Mr Erdogan's rule.

Trouble flared again earlier this month after the death of a teenager who was hit in the head by a police tear gas canister during last year's demonstrations.

Under Mr Erdogan, Turkey had been held up as a model of a Muslim democracy, but the crackdown on protests has led to accusations of intolerance.

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Climate Change: 'We're All Sitting Ducks'

Flooding, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires will pose a massive threat to humans in the future as climate change worsens, a major United Nations report has warned.

The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said the impact of global warming was already being felt and would increase with every additional degree that temperatures rose.

The world is in "an era of man-made climate change" and has already seen impacts of global warming on every continent and across the oceans, the report said.

IPCC chair Rajendra Pachauri said: "Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change."

Experts are warning that in many cases, people are ill-prepared to cope with the risks of a changing climate.

Greenland is threatened by melting Arctic ice

The document, unveiled in Yokohama in Japan after a five-day meeting, gives the starkest warning yet by the IPCC of extreme consequences from climate change, and delves into greater detail than ever before into the impact at regional level.

The White House said it is taking the report as a call for action, with Secretary of State John Kerry saying: "Waiting is truly unaffordable. The costs of inaction are catastrophic."

Climate change could massively impact on world food production. Source: WRI

Food security will be hit by reduced yields in wheat, rice and maize crops, while climate change will also exacerbate existing health problems, and lead to more heatwave-related deaths, malnutrition and disease, the report said.

Increasing numbers of people are set to be displaced by extreme weather events, and the impacts of rising temperatures could contribute to a greater risk of violent conflicts by worsening problems such as poverty.

The report's publication has renewed calls from scientists and campaigners for action to cut greenhouse gases and to help vulnerable people adapt to "already-unavoidable impacts of climate change".

Air pollution in Beijing

Vicente Barros, co-chair of the IPCC study, from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, said: "We live in an era of man-made climate change.

"In many cases, we are not prepared for the climate-related risks that we already face. Investments in better preparation can pay dividends both for the present and for the future."

Princeton University professor Michael Oppenheimer, one of the main authors of the 32-volume report, warned: "We're all sitting ducks."

Risk of coastal and inland flooding in UK 'is set to increase'

Professor Sam Fankhauser, of the London School of Economics, who is a contributing author to the report, said: "In the UK and the rest of northern Europe, we will need to cope with increasing risks from coastal and inland flooding, heatwaves and droughts.

"The UK and all rich countries must also provide significant support to help poor countries, which are particularly vulnerable, to cope with the impacts of climate change."

The report is the second chapter of the fifth assessment by the IPCC, set up in 1988 to provide neutral, science-based guidance to governments.

Wildfires are projected to be an even bigger threat

The last overview, published in 2007, unleashed a wave of political action that strived but failed to forge a worldwide treaty on climate change in Copenhagen in 2009.

The latest report builds on previous IPCC forecasts that global temperatures will rise 0.3-4.8C (0.5-8.6F) this century, on top of roughly 0.7C since the Industrial Revolution.

Seas will rise by 26-82cm (10-32in) by 2100, it is predicted.

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Missing Plane: Busiest Day Yet In MH370 Search

Learning Lessons From Missing Flight MH370

Updated: 9:23am UK, Saturday 29 March 2014

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

The small consolation that should come with every airline crash is that the knowledge gained from the tragedy should help prevent it happening again.

But if that were true, we might already know more about what happened to flight MH370.

After the Air France accident of 2009, in which 228 people died when their flight from Brazil plunged into the Atlantic, 120 representatives of the international aviation industry got together to recommend ways to make it easier to find aircraft which crash into the sea. 

None has been implemented.

They suggested that the flight data recorders - the black boxes - should have larger batteries so they would carry on transmitting a beacon for 90 rather than 30 days. 

But bigger batteries mean extra weight and extra cost for the airlines to install them.

They also suggested the recorders should be designed to break away and float to the surface, rather than sink to the sea floor along with the rest of the fuselage.

And that the frequency of the transmission should be altered to boost how far away it can be heard, beyond its current 2,000 metre maximum.

Salvage expert David Mearns, from Blue Water Recoveries, told Sky News: "If you reduce that frequency, the lower the frequency, the greater the range. 

"You go from 37.5khz , to say, 8.8khz as recommended, I think that would increase the range to over 10,000 metres.

"So that's a five times increase in your detectable range and that would help the teams out there now looking for these black boxes."

As for why the recommendations weren't acted upon? 

"It's a very big industry. It's an international industry," said Mr Mears.

"It takes a lot of time for these things to work themselves through the regulations; how they would operate, how the pilots would be trained to use them; they have to be implemented on the aircraft, so it takes years for these things to be done."

In an age when we can all track most passenger aircraft on our smartphones and computers, how can a plane still go missing? 

Most, but not all, areas of the world are now covered by the Acars ADS-B system, allowing them to be constantly tracked. Although smaller, older aircraft are not equipped.

There are new regulations being introduced around the world compelling airlines to fit them in all passenger aircraft. 

But in some places the deadline is 2020.  

Mikael Robertsson, the founder of Flightradar24.com, told Sky: "Maybe authorities in these countries don't want to rush or I guess it costs quite a lot of money for airlines to upgrade their equipment on board."

In any case, it appears the system on MH370 was switched off. 

One current 777 pilot told Sky he could not think of a good reason why he would do such a thing. 

And with so many flights criss-crossing vast expanses of water, knowing the plane's last position is crucial to a swift recovery. 

Mr Robertsson said: "I think this is something that should be discussed: How much pilots should be able to turn off, and how easy it should be to turn some systems off?"

The backgrounds of the pilots have been scrutinised to assess the likelihood of criminal or suicidal behaviour. 

Professor Robert Bor is a clinical psychologist who has studied those who fly, and was specifically asked to review an incident involving an American Jet Blue pilot who had a psychotic episode while flying from New York to Las Vegas.

Captain Clayton Osbon left the cockpit and screamed at passengers before being subdued by some of those on board. 

His co-pilot landed the plane safely in Texas. 

Prof Bor and others concluded there were no warning signs beforehand which could have prevented the incident.     

"Every year an airline pilot will have at least two formal medical checks which address not just their physical health but their mental health. Every time they are doing the job they are scrutinised by people."

Pilot suicide is not unheard of, and is considered the most likely explanation for the crash of an Indonesian SilkAir flight in 1997. 

The pilot was heavily in debt - 104 passengers and crew were killed.

Airlines may also be studying how Malaysia Airlines has handled the disaster from a public relations perspective. 

The families of the passengers have gone from grieving to protesting, angry at being kept waiting for news, furious about misinformation, and the final indignity - some of them were told the plane had crashed by text message. 

Crisis management expert Raine Marcus told Sky News: "The communications with the families didn't inspire trust from the beginning.

"If you don't build up trust and goodwill right from the beginning, that has a direct impact afterwards on communications with the families and also directly on your business."

In the months and years ahead, as details emerge of what happened to MH370, there will undoubtedly be calls for lessons to be learned.

And in the meantime millions of us will continue to fly, hoping that our flight will not be one of the very rare ones, which does not have a safe landing.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Plane Families Demand Malaysia Apology

Learning Lessons From Missing Flight MH370

Updated: 9:23am UK, Saturday 29 March 2014

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

The small consolation that should come with every airline crash is that the knowledge gained from the tragedy should help prevent it happening again.

But if that were true, we might already know more about what happened to flight MH370.

After the Air France accident of 2009, in which 228 people died when their flight from Brazil plunged into the Atlantic, 120 representatives of the international aviation industry got together to recommend ways to make it easier to find aircraft which crash into the sea. 

None has been implemented.

They suggested that the flight data recorders - the black boxes - should have larger batteries so they would carry on transmitting a beacon for 90 rather than 30 days. 

But bigger batteries mean extra weight and extra cost for the airlines to install them.

They also suggested the recorders should be designed to break away and float to the surface, rather than sink to the sea floor along with the rest of the fuselage.

And that the frequency of the transmission should be altered to boost how far away it can be heard, beyond its current 2,000 metre maximum.

Salvage expert David Mearns, from Blue Water Recoveries, told Sky News: "If you reduce that frequency, the lower the frequency, the greater the range. 

"You go from 37.5khz , to say, 8.8khz as recommended, I think that would increase the range to over 10,000 metres.

"So that's a five times increase in your detectable range and that would help the teams out there now looking for these black boxes."

As for why the recommendations weren't acted upon? 

"It's a very big industry. It's an international industry," said Mr Mears.

"It takes a lot of time for these things to work themselves through the regulations; how they would operate, how the pilots would be trained to use them; they have to be implemented on the aircraft, so it takes years for these things to be done."

In an age when we can all track most passenger aircraft on our smartphones and computers, how can a plane still go missing? 

Most, but not all, areas of the world are now covered by the Acars ADS-B system, allowing them to be constantly tracked. Although smaller, older aircraft are not equipped.

There are new regulations being introduced around the world compelling airlines to fit them in all passenger aircraft. 

But in some places the deadline is 2020.  

Mikael Robertsson, the founder of Flightradar24.com, told Sky: "Maybe authorities in these countries don't want to rush or I guess it costs quite a lot of money for airlines to upgrade their equipment on board."

In any case, it appears the system on MH370 was switched off. 

One current 777 pilot told Sky he could not think of a good reason why he would do such a thing. 

And with so many flights criss-crossing vast expanses of water, knowing the plane's last position is crucial to a swift recovery. 

Mr Robertsson said: "I think this is something that should be discussed: How much pilots should be able to turn off, and how easy it should be to turn some systems off?"

The backgrounds of the pilots have been scrutinised to assess the likelihood of criminal or suicidal behaviour. 

Professor Robert Bor is a clinical psychologist who has studied those who fly, and was specifically asked to review an incident involving an American Jet Blue pilot who had a psychotic episode while flying from New York to Las Vegas.

Captain Clayton Osbon left the cockpit and screamed at passengers before being subdued by some of those on board. 

His co-pilot landed the plane safely in Texas. 

Prof Bor and others concluded there were no warning signs beforehand which could have prevented the incident.     

"Every year an airline pilot will have at least two formal medical checks which address not just their physical health but their mental health. Every time they are doing the job they are scrutinised by people."

Pilot suicide is not unheard of, and is considered the most likely explanation for the crash of an Indonesian SilkAir flight in 1997. 

The pilot was heavily in debt - 104 passengers and crew were killed.

Airlines may also be studying how Malaysia Airlines has handled the disaster from a public relations perspective. 

The families of the passengers have gone from grieving to protesting, angry at being kept waiting for news, furious about misinformation, and the final indignity - some of them were told the plane had crashed by text message. 

Crisis management expert Raine Marcus told Sky News: "The communications with the families didn't inspire trust from the beginning.

"If you don't build up trust and goodwill right from the beginning, that has a direct impact afterwards on communications with the families and also directly on your business."

In the months and years ahead, as details emerge of what happened to MH370, there will undoubtedly be calls for lessons to be learned.

And in the meantime millions of us will continue to fly, hoping that our flight will not be one of the very rare ones, which does not have a safe landing.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

North Korea Threatens New Nuclear Test

North Korea has warned it has not ruled out a test of its nuclear deterrent in retaliation for the US conducting "madcap nuclear war" exercises in South Korea this month.

A statement issued via the country's state news agency KCNA said it was unacceptable the UN Security Council condemned North Korea's military exercises while ignoring simultaneous drills by the US.

"It is absolutely intolerable that the UN Security Council - turning a blind eye to the US madcap nuclear war exercises - 'denounced' the Korean People's Army's self-defensive rocket launching drills and called them a 'violation of resolutions' and a 'threat to international peace and security'," the statement said.

The country's foreign ministry added it would respond with an "appropriate step" involving "more diversified nuclear deterrence" used for hitting medium and long-range targets "with a variety of striking power".

Replicas of North and South Korean missiles in Seoul

Every year the US and South Korea conduct joint battle exercises involving some 12,500 US and as many as 200,000 South Korean troops.

Operation Key Resolve is a computer-simulated drill which plays out war-time scenarios that could result from a North Korean invasion of the South, while Operation Foal Eagle is a two-month air, sea and land field-training exercise.

The annual drills are regularly condemned by the North as preludes to a US invasion, though Washington insists the exercises are defensive.

North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February 2013 and claims to have made progress securing a functioning atomic arsenal, though experts note it is unlikely the country possesses warheads capable of reaching the US.

US and South Korean ships conduct exercises in 2009

Tensions have increased in recent weeks after North Korea tested its medium-range rocket capability by firing two Rodong Missiles into the sea off the east coast last week, a move condemned by the UN Security Council.

It was also reported that a Chinese passenger plane also crossed the path of a ballistic North Korean missile during a test launch.

The China Southern Airlines flight was flying from Narita airport in Tokyo to the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang as the rocket was in the course of descending, according to South Korea's defence ministry.

It said the civilian plane, which had 220 passengers on board, "passed as the ballistic missile (from North Korea) was in the course of descending".

Qin Gang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said China had contacted the North Korean side to convey its deep concern.

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