Diberdayakan oleh Blogger.

Popular Posts Today

Plane Search Switches To Two Air Corridors

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 15 Maret 2014 | 20.18

A week after it went missing, the search for the Malaysia Airlines plane is now being moved further west to two "air corridors" as it enters a "new phase".

One is from northern Thailand to the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and the other is further south, from Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean.

It comes after authorities confirmed the jet's last communication with a satellite was in one of those areas after it picked up a "ping" from the airliner.

This was nearly seven hours after the flight dropped off civilian air traffic control screens.

The corridors represent a satellite track, which appears as an arc on a map.

The Boeing 777 did not necessarily follow the corridor, but was at some point along its path at the moment the signal was sent.

Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak said that searching in the South China Sea, where the plane first lost contact with air traffic controllers, would be ended.

Flight MH370 The Boeing has been missing for a week

Authorities believe Flight MH370 had its communications and tracking systems deliberately turned off amid reports that it had been hijacked.

Investigators have increasingly focused on the possibility it was flown off-course by the pilot or co-pilot, or someone else on board with detailed knowledge of how to fly and navigate a large commercial aircraft.

The plane, with 239 people on board, left Kuala Lumpur at 12.40am on Saturday March 8 and headed towards Beijing.

About 40 minutes into the flight, the jet's communications with civilian air controllers were severed.

Investigators believe one of the aircraft's communications systems - the Aircraft and Communications Addressing and Reporting System - was disabled before the plane reached the east coast of Malaysia.

Shortly afterwards, someone on board then switched off the aircraft's transponder near the border between Malaysian and Vietnamese air traffic control.

At 2.15am Malaysian air force defence radar picked up traces of the plane turning back westwards, crossing over Peninsular Malaysia before turning north west into the stretches of the Strait of Malacca.

But the last confirmed signal between the aircraft and a satellite was at 8.11am - seven and a half hours after take-off, meaning it could have flown as far north as Kazakhstan or the southern Indian Ocean.

Airline officials have said the plane had enough fuel to fly for up to about eight hours.

The PM said authorities were still looking at all possibilities and did not confirm the hijacking claim which was made by an unnamed Malaysian official.

The massive search involves 14 countries which are using 43 ships and 58 aircraft to scour vast areas of ocean.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Malaysian Jet Search: 'We Never Give Up'

Missing Plane: 13 Things You Need To Know

Updated: 7:33am UK, Thursday 13 March 2014

As the search for Flight MH370 continues, we answer 13 questions about the disappearance and what could have happened.

When did the plane disappear?

Flight MH370 vanished from radars early on Saturday local time, an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. When it last made contact, the jet was cruising at 35,000 feet over the South China Sea.

There are reports that the plane tried to turn around, but this would give rise to the question why didn't the pilot communicate this decision to air traffic control? Meanwhile, at an undisclosed time a relative reportedly managed to call one of the passengers. Investigators have repeatedly tried to call the same number without success.

Who was on board?

The plane's manifest contained 12 crew members from Malaysia and 227 passengers from 14 different countries.

There were 153 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians, six Australians, five Indians, four French, three Americans, two each from Iran (both travelling on fake passports), New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada, and one each from Russia, Taiwan and The Netherlands.

Among the passengers was a 19-strong group of prominent artists returning from an exhibition in Malaysia. Five children - aged two to four - were on board. The oldest person on the plane was 79.

What are the main theories?

Mechanical error remains the most likely explanation. Poor conditions and strong turbulence always have to be considered, but weather conditions were good in this instance. Four areas of investigation are focused on the possibility of human involvement: hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems or personal problems with passengers or crew.

Could there have been a mechanical error?

Inquiries into Air France Flight 447 that dived into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 en route from Brazil to Paris, killing 228 people, blamed both technical and human error.

However, in the event of engine failure, a plane such as the Boeing 777-200 could glide for 80-90 miles (128-145km), giving the pilot time to issue a distress signal. The descent would also have been traced by radars. The lack of any Mayday call makes an explosion a possibility.

Could the plane have broken up in the air?

The apparent lack of wreckage from MH370 does point to a high-altitude disaster. In such an event the debris would be spread far and wide, making it difficult to find.

A smaller debris field would indicate the plane probably fell intact, breaking up on impact with the water. In the event of a sudden loss of pressure due to a window blowing out the crew would dive the plane in order to lose altitude - but this would not cause the plane to disintegrate.

How about the plane's safety record?

Sudden, accidental, structural failures are considered extremely unlikely in today's passenger aircraft. This is especially so with the Boeing 777-200, which has one of the best safety records of any jet.

One of the missing plane's wingtips was clipped in an incident while taxiing in 2012, but it was repaired and certified as safe.

Could it have been a terrorist attack or hijacking?

In the event of a hijacker trying to enter the cockpit, a pilot can send a secret distress code - something that wasn't done on Flight MH370.

The profiles of all 239 passengers are being checked against databases worldwide, but the terrorism theory was weakened on Tuesday when Malaysian police confirmed it had identified the two passengers who were travelling on fake passports. Both were said to be seeking asylum in Europe.

In the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, claims of responsibility came soon after the disaster - but no one has come forward to claim the Malaysia incident as their attack.

Human error?

The 53-year-old pilot was experienced, having amassed more than 18,000 flying hours since being employed by the airline in 1981.

However, in Indonesia in 2007, Adam Air Flight 574 disappeared with 102 passengers during a domestic flight, where the authorities found the pilots lost control after becoming preoccupied with malfunctioning navigational equipment.

Former naval pilot Dr Simon Mitchell told Sky News: "We've expended billions of dollars on developing very sophisticated aids to make the life of the pilot safer and more straightforward, but there are still opportunities whereby mistakes can be made."

Why was there no distress signal?

One explanation is that the plane fell into a communications black spot. Former Boeing 777 instructor and United Airlines captain Ross Aimer explained: "These are very sophisticated (items of) equipment that should have been working under any conditions - in the water, in the jungle, after a fire, after an explosion - and none of them have talked to the outside world yet.

"There are spots in the world, however, that are called blind spots, where you cannot communicate for some reason. Unfortunately, that area near Vietnam, over the Gulf of Thailand, those are some of the black spots."

Where is the search taking place?

A number of aircraft and ships have been taking part in the search in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia. Search teams from Australia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, New Zealand and the US are assisting.

Officials said on Tuesday that the search was being conducted on both sides of Vietnam's Ca Mau peninsula. The search area has been expanded from 50 nautical miles from where the plane disappeared - over waters between Malaysia and Vietnam - to 100 nautical miles (115 miles; 185km).

This expansion was a result of a new report from the Malaysian military, which said it tracked the plane in the Strait of Malacca - a long distance from where it last made contact - in the hours following its disappearance.

Why has no wreckage been found?

Whatever caused the apparent crash, there would be some debris - but it could take a while to find. It took two years to find the main wreckage of Air France Flight 447 in 2009.

In 2007, in the case of the Adam Air flight, it was a week before an Indonesian naval vessel detected metal on the ocean floor. It was a further two weeks before the US Navy picked up signals from the flight data and cockpit recorders and seven months for the recorder to be recovered.

If the plane had crashed on land, chances are the wreckage would have been found by now. At sea, much of the plane would have sunk, but some debris should remain on the surface. But the longer the search takes the harder it becomes as the wind and tide spread any debris further from the initial crash zone.

Could the flight data recorder provide answers?

As well as wreckage, search teams are looking for the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) - though these do not always work if a plane hits water. However, attached to the plane's "black box" is a device known as a pinger. This can emit radio signals deep underwater for up to 30 days - or 40 days in warm water.

Has a plane ever simply vanished?

Since the start of the jet age in the 1950s, nearly every major aircraft that disappeared was found - eventually - and the rare exceptions did not involve passengers.

In September 1990, a Boeing 727 plunged into the North Atlantic after running out of fuel. The accident was attributed to poor pilot planning and the wreck was never recovered.

Another Boeing 727 transporting diesel to diamond mines in Africa took off without clearance and with its transponder turned off. It is believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine: Two Killed Ahead Of Crimea Vote

Two people have been shot dead in clashes between pro-Kiev and pro-Moscow activists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

Ukraine's interim interior minister said the two men, aged 20 and 31, were killed and several others wounded during the late-night gun battle.

Arsen Avakov wrote on his official Facebook page that around 30 people "from both sides" were arrested.

He accused Russian activists of provoking the clashes, urging Ukrainians not to be goaded into fighting back.

Mr Avakov wrote: "Don't let them manipulate you! Stop this hysteria... This isn't a game of toy soldiers - this is a real conflict and people's real lives."

People take part in an anti-war rally in Moscow Thousands of anti-war protesters have gathered in central Moscow

Violence has escalated in the Russian-speaking east of the country since Moscow's military invention in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula following the ousting of Kremlin ally, President Viktor Yanukoych last month.

Sunday's referendum on Crimea joining the Russian Federation have further ratcheted up the tensions.

A day ahead of the planned vote, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Moscow to protest against Russian intervention in Ukraine.

Protesters, waving Ukrainian flags, called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw troops from Crimea.

An estimated 15,000 people staged a rival rally nearby in support of Putin.

People participate in the "Brotherhood and Civil Resistance March" in Moscow Speakers at the pro-Putin rally denounced Ukrainian "fascists"

The clashes in Kharkiv were the second turn fatal this week, after on person was killed and at least 17 wounded in the eastern city of Donetsk on Thursday.

Friday's gun battle reportedly broke out after pro-Russian activists attempted to storm the headquarters of a Ukrainian nationalist group.

Russian state news agency Itar Tass said the shots were fired from the offices of the far-right group, Right Sector.

It said the nationalists later surrendered.

Police separate participants of anti-war and pro-Russian rallies as they clash in Donetsk Ukraine's east has seen regular clashes between rival groups in recent days

The Russian Foreign Ministry's special representative for human rights, Konstantin Dolgov, responded to the fatalities by calling on Ukraine to outlaw all ultra-nationalist groups.

Using the Russian spelling of Kharkiv, Mr Dolgov wrote on Twitter: "Arresting neo-fascists in Kharkov should mark the beginning of large-scale activities to neutralise and punish the extremists who are getting out of hand."

Russian media is increasingly referring to nationalist groups such as Right Sector to illustrate an apparent fascist threat to Russians in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow justified last week's military occupation of Crimea by saying it wished to protect ethnic Russians.

It has also said it hasn't ruled out moving its troops further afield to protect its compatriots.

BRITAIN-US-RUSSIA-UKRAINE-DIPLOMACY Mr Lavrov and Mr Kerry could find no common ground on the Crimean vote

US Secretary of State John Kerry met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in London on Friday in an attempt to diffuse the crisis.

But the talks, lasting more than five hours, failed to reach a deal.

Russia's promise to "respect" the outcome of the referendum in Crimea has angered Western powers who have branded the vote "illegal" and "Illegitimate."

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Russia's approval of the referendum result would amount to "a backdoor annexation of Crimea".

Election commission officials count ballots ahead a referendum at the polling station in the Crimean town of Simferopol Ballots are already being counted ahead of Sunday's referendum

America and the European Union have warned Russia of sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans unless the vote is called off.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "The United Kingdom is strongly of the view that there must be a firm and united response from the European Union… and that the time has come for tougher restrictive measures to be adopted as previously agreed by EU nations."

Mr Lavrov has said such measures would be a "counter-productive instrument".


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Deliberate Action' Diverted Missing Plane

Was Flight MH370's Transponder Turned Off?

Updated: 12:57am UK, Friday 14 March 2014

The transponder on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet is likely to have been deliberately turned off by one of the crew, aircraft experts have told Sky News.

A massive search effort, using military warships and planes to scour a massive expanse of water, has failed to find any sign of the plane since it vanished on Saturday.

Theories about its mysterious disappearance include a structural fault causing explosive decompression, a terrorist attack or pilot suicide.

The transponder - a crucial device that identifies the plane, its position and altitude - stopped working just 40 minutes into Saturday's flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Radar systems engineer Daniel Holland believes it was intentionally disabled.

"The evidence points that way," he said.

"The pilots have never made a 7500 - the international code for 'my plane is hijacked'; it is the pure lack of transponder information (that is suspicious).

"For myself, you would look at the communications panel just behind the throttle quadrant on the Boeing 777 to either switch it off there, or even just removing the fuses."

Mark Weiss, a former commercial pilot now working as an aviation consultant, said he agreed that someone in the cockpit had probably disabled the transponder.

"I don't believe it was an explosive decompression," said Mr Weiss.

"In the US a few years ago we had a Southwest Airlines plane that had an explosive decompression and still maintained the basic structural integrity of the aircraft."

Disabling of the transponder might lend weight to the theory that one of the pilots sabotaged the flight.

However, it is also possible it was turned off for other reasons - for example if it was giving out faulty data.

Malaysia Airlines has opened an investigation into the conduct of one of the pilots, Fariq Abdul Hamid, after pictures emerged of himself with two women he allowed into the cockpit during a flight two years ago.

However, it has said it has "no reason to believe" the pilots had anything to do with the disappearance.

At a news conference on Thursday, Malaysia's transport minister, Hishammudin Hussein, denied reports the homes of crew members had been searched by police.

The plane was last heard from when the pilot responded to a message confirming it was moving from Malaysian to Vietnamese air traffic control.

The pilot replied "Okay, received, goodnight", but Vietnamese officials have said they never heard from flight MH370. 

Not all aviation experts agree that foul play is likely to be to blame for the disappearance.

Dr Colin Brown, director of engineering at Institution of Mechanical Engineers, told Sky he still believes the plane was ripped apart by "explosive decompression".

However, he admitted that the lack of any wreckage or 'black box' signal was hard to make sense of.

"This thing is 300 tons of metal with 239 people on board - I cannot understand how you can hide something that size."


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Plane 'Flown Towards Andaman Islands'

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 14 Maret 2014 | 20.18

Missing Plane: 13 Things You Need To Know

Updated: 7:33am UK, Thursday 13 March 2014

As the search for Flight MH370 continues, we answer 13 questions about the disappearance and what could have happened.

When did the plane disappear?

Flight MH370 vanished from radars early on Saturday local time, an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. When it last made contact, the jet was cruising at 35,000 feet over the South China Sea.

There are reports that the plane tried to turn around, but this would give rise to the question why didn't the pilot communicate this decision to air traffic control? Meanwhile, at an undisclosed time a relative reportedly managed to call one of the passengers. Investigators have repeatedly tried to call the same number without success.

Who was on board?

The plane's manifest contained 12 crew members from Malaysia and 227 passengers from 14 different countries.

There were 153 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians, six Australians, five Indians, four French, three Americans, two each from Iran (both travelling on fake passports), New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada, and one each from Russia, Taiwan and The Netherlands.

Among the passengers was a 19-strong group of prominent artists returning from an exhibition in Malaysia. Five children - aged two to four - were on board. The oldest person on the plane was 79.

What are the main theories?

Mechanical error remains the most likely explanation. Poor conditions and strong turbulence always have to be considered, but weather conditions were good in this instance. Four areas of investigation are focused on the possibility of human involvement: hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems or personal problems with passengers or crew.

Could there have been a mechanical error?

Inquiries into Air France Flight 447 that dived into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 en route from Brazil to Paris, killing 228 people, blamed both technical and human error.

However, in the event of engine failure, a plane such as the Boeing 777-200 could glide for 80-90 miles (128-145km), giving the pilot time to issue a distress signal. The descent would also have been traced by radars. The lack of any Mayday call makes an explosion a possibility.

Could the plane have broken up in the air?

The apparent lack of wreckage from MH370 does point to a high-altitude disaster. In such an event the debris would be spread far and wide, making it difficult to find.

A smaller debris field would indicate the plane probably fell intact, breaking up on impact with the water. In the event of a sudden loss of pressure due to a window blowing out the crew would dive the plane in order to lose altitude - but this would not cause the plane to disintegrate.

How about the plane's safety record?

Sudden, accidental, structural failures are considered extremely unlikely in today's passenger aircraft. This is especially so with the Boeing 777-200, which has one of the best safety records of any jet.

One of the missing plane's wingtips was clipped in an incident while taxiing in 2012, but it was repaired and certified as safe.

Could it have been a terrorist attack or hijacking?

In the event of a hijacker trying to enter the cockpit, a pilot can send a secret distress code - something that wasn't done on Flight MH370.

The profiles of all 239 passengers are being checked against databases worldwide, but the terrorism theory was weakened on Tuesday when Malaysian police confirmed it had identified the two passengers who were travelling on fake passports. Both were said to be seeking asylum in Europe.

In the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, claims of responsibility came soon after the disaster - but no one has come forward to claim the Malaysia incident as their attack.

Human error?

The 53-year-old pilot was experienced, having amassed more than 18,000 flying hours since being employed by the airline in 1981.

However, in Indonesia in 2007, Adam Air Flight 574 disappeared with 102 passengers during a domestic flight, where the authorities found the pilots lost control after becoming preoccupied with malfunctioning navigational equipment.

Former naval pilot Dr Simon Mitchell told Sky News: "We've expended billions of dollars on developing very sophisticated aids to make the life of the pilot safer and more straightforward, but there are still opportunities whereby mistakes can be made."

Why was there no distress signal?

One explanation is that the plane fell into a communications black spot. Former Boeing 777 instructor and United Airlines captain Ross Aimer explained: "These are very sophisticated (items of) equipment that should have been working under any conditions - in the water, in the jungle, after a fire, after an explosion - and none of them have talked to the outside world yet.

"There are spots in the world, however, that are called blind spots, where you cannot communicate for some reason. Unfortunately, that area near Vietnam, over the Gulf of Thailand, those are some of the black spots."

Where is the search taking place?

A number of aircraft and ships have been taking part in the search in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia. Search teams from Australia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, New Zealand and the US are assisting.

Officials said on Tuesday that the search was being conducted on both sides of Vietnam's Ca Mau peninsula. The search area has been expanded from 50 nautical miles from where the plane disappeared - over waters between Malaysia and Vietnam - to 100 nautical miles (115 miles; 185km).

This expansion was a result of a new report from the Malaysian military, which said it tracked the plane in the Strait of Malacca - a long distance from where it last made contact - in the hours following its disappearance.

Why has no wreckage been found?

Whatever caused the apparent crash, there would be some debris - but it could take a while to find. It took two years to find the main wreckage of Air France Flight 447 in 2009.

In 2007, in the case of the Adam Air flight, it was a week before an Indonesian naval vessel detected metal on the ocean floor. It was a further two weeks before the US Navy picked up signals from the flight data and cockpit recorders and seven months for the recorder to be recovered.

If the plane had crashed on land, chances are the wreckage would have been found by now. At sea, much of the plane would have sunk, but some debris should remain on the surface. But the longer the search takes the harder it becomes as the wind and tide spread any debris further from the initial crash zone.

Could the flight data recorder provide answers?

As well as wreckage, search teams are looking for the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) - though these do not always work if a plane hits water. However, attached to the plane's "black box" is a device known as a pinger. This can emit radio signals deep underwater for up to 30 days - or 40 days in warm water.

Has a plane ever simply vanished?

Since the start of the jet age in the 1950s, nearly every major aircraft that disappeared was found - eventually - and the rare exceptions did not involve passengers.

In September 1990, a Boeing 727 plunged into the North Atlantic after running out of fuel. The accident was attributed to poor pilot planning and the wreck was never recovered.

Another Boeing 727 transporting diesel to diamond mines in Africa took off without clearance and with its transponder turned off. It is believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Was Missing Plane's Transponder Turned Off?

The transponder on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet is likely to have been deliberately turned off by one of the crew, aircraft experts have told Sky News.

A massive search effort, using military warships and planes to scour a massive expanse of water, has failed to find any sign of the plane since it vanished on Saturday.

Theories about its mysterious disappearance include a structural fault causing explosive decompression, a terrorist attack or pilot suicide.

The transponder - a crucial device that identifies the plane, its position and altitude - stopped working just 40 minutes into Saturday's flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Plane transponder The transponder is constantly 'pinged' for data by air traffic radar

Radar systems engineer Daniel Holland believes it was intentionally disabled.

"The evidence points that way," he said.

"The pilots have never made a 7500 - the international code for 'my plane is hijacked'; it is the pure lack of transponder information (that is suspicious).

"For myself, you would look at the communications panel just behind the throttle quadrant on the Boeing 777 to either switch it off there, or even just removing the fuses."

A US Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the guided-missile Destroyer USS Pinckney A US Sea Hawk helicopter prepares to join the search

Mark Weiss, a former commercial pilot now working as an aviation consultant, said he agreed that someone in the cockpit had probably disabled the transponder.

"I don't believe it was an explosive decompression," said Mr Weiss.

"In the US a few years ago we had a Southwest Airlines plane that had an explosive decompression and still maintained the basic structural integrity of the aircraft."

Disabling of the transponder might lend weight to the theory that one of the pilots sabotaged the flight.

Channel Nine One pilot apparently allowed two women to fly with him in the cockpit

However, it is also possible it was turned off for other reasons - for example if it was giving out faulty data.

Malaysia Airlines has opened an investigation into the conduct of one of the pilots, Fariq Abdul Hamid, after pictures emerged of himself with two women he allowed into the cockpit during a flight two years ago.

However, it has said it has "no reason to believe" the pilots had anything to do with the disappearance.

A military officer works on a map The search is taking in a massive area of ocean but no trace has been found

At a news conference on Thursday, Malaysia's transport minister, Hishammudin Hussein, denied reports the homes of crew members had been searched by police.

The plane was last heard from when the pilot responded to a message confirming it was moving from Malaysian to Vietnamese air traffic control.

The pilot replied "Okay, received, goodnight", but Vietnamese officials have said they never heard from flight MH370. 

Not all aviation experts agree that foul play is likely to be to blame for the disappearance.

Dr Colin Brown, director of engineering at Institution of Mechanical Engineers, told Sky he still believes the plane was ripped apart by "explosive decompression".

However, he admitted that the lack of any wreckage or 'black box' signal was hard to make sense of.

"This thing is 300 tons of metal with 239 people on board - I cannot understand how you can hide something that size."


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Searching For Malaysian Jet: 'We Never Give Up'

Missing Plane: 13 Things You Need To Know

Updated: 7:33am UK, Thursday 13 March 2014

As the search for Flight MH370 continues, we answer 13 questions about the disappearance and what could have happened.

When did the plane disappear?

Flight MH370 vanished from radars early on Saturday local time, an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. When it last made contact, the jet was cruising at 35,000 feet over the South China Sea.

There are reports that the plane tried to turn around, but this would give rise to the question why didn't the pilot communicate this decision to air traffic control? Meanwhile, at an undisclosed time a relative reportedly managed to call one of the passengers. Investigators have repeatedly tried to call the same number without success.

Who was on board?

The plane's manifest contained 12 crew members from Malaysia and 227 passengers from 14 different countries.

There were 153 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians, six Australians, five Indians, four French, three Americans, two each from Iran (both travelling on fake passports), New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada, and one each from Russia, Taiwan and The Netherlands.

Among the passengers was a 19-strong group of prominent artists returning from an exhibition in Malaysia. Five children - aged two to four - were on board. The oldest person on the plane was 79.

What are the main theories?

Mechanical error remains the most likely explanation. Poor conditions and strong turbulence always have to be considered, but weather conditions were good in this instance. Four areas of investigation are focused on the possibility of human involvement: hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems or personal problems with passengers or crew.

Could there have been a mechanical error?

Inquiries into Air France Flight 447 that dived into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 en route from Brazil to Paris, killing 228 people, blamed both technical and human error.

However, in the event of engine failure, a plane such as the Boeing 777-200 could glide for 80-90 miles (128-145km), giving the pilot time to issue a distress signal. The descent would also have been traced by radars. The lack of any Mayday call makes an explosion a possibility.

Could the plane have broken up in the air?

The apparent lack of wreckage from MH370 does point to a high-altitude disaster. In such an event the debris would be spread far and wide, making it difficult to find.

A smaller debris field would indicate the plane probably fell intact, breaking up on impact with the water. In the event of a sudden loss of pressure due to a window blowing out the crew would dive the plane in order to lose altitude - but this would not cause the plane to disintegrate.

How about the plane's safety record?

Sudden, accidental, structural failures are considered extremely unlikely in today's passenger aircraft. This is especially so with the Boeing 777-200, which has one of the best safety records of any jet.

One of the missing plane's wingtips was clipped in an incident while taxiing in 2012, but it was repaired and certified as safe.

Could it have been a terrorist attack or hijacking?

In the event of a hijacker trying to enter the cockpit, a pilot can send a secret distress code - something that wasn't done on Flight MH370.

The profiles of all 239 passengers are being checked against databases worldwide, but the terrorism theory was weakened on Tuesday when Malaysian police confirmed it had identified the two passengers who were travelling on fake passports. Both were said to be seeking asylum in Europe.

In the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, claims of responsibility came soon after the disaster - but no one has come forward to claim the Malaysia incident as their attack.

Human error?

The 53-year-old pilot was experienced, having amassed more than 18,000 flying hours since being employed by the airline in 1981.

However, in Indonesia in 2007, Adam Air Flight 574 disappeared with 102 passengers during a domestic flight, where the authorities found the pilots lost control after becoming preoccupied with malfunctioning navigational equipment.

Former naval pilot Dr Simon Mitchell told Sky News: "We've expended billions of dollars on developing very sophisticated aids to make the life of the pilot safer and more straightforward, but there are still opportunities whereby mistakes can be made."

Why was there no distress signal?

One explanation is that the plane fell into a communications black spot. Former Boeing 777 instructor and United Airlines captain Ross Aimer explained: "These are very sophisticated (items of) equipment that should have been working under any conditions - in the water, in the jungle, after a fire, after an explosion - and none of them have talked to the outside world yet.

"There are spots in the world, however, that are called blind spots, where you cannot communicate for some reason. Unfortunately, that area near Vietnam, over the Gulf of Thailand, those are some of the black spots."

Where is the search taking place?

A number of aircraft and ships have been taking part in the search in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia. Search teams from Australia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, New Zealand and the US are assisting.

Officials said on Tuesday that the search was being conducted on both sides of Vietnam's Ca Mau peninsula. The search area has been expanded from 50 nautical miles from where the plane disappeared - over waters between Malaysia and Vietnam - to 100 nautical miles (115 miles; 185km).

This expansion was a result of a new report from the Malaysian military, which said it tracked the plane in the Strait of Malacca - a long distance from where it last made contact - in the hours following its disappearance.

Why has no wreckage been found?

Whatever caused the apparent crash, there would be some debris - but it could take a while to find. It took two years to find the main wreckage of Air France Flight 447 in 2009.

In 2007, in the case of the Adam Air flight, it was a week before an Indonesian naval vessel detected metal on the ocean floor. It was a further two weeks before the US Navy picked up signals from the flight data and cockpit recorders and seven months for the recorder to be recovered.

If the plane had crashed on land, chances are the wreckage would have been found by now. At sea, much of the plane would have sunk, but some debris should remain on the surface. But the longer the search takes the harder it becomes as the wind and tide spread any debris further from the initial crash zone.

Could the flight data recorder provide answers?

As well as wreckage, search teams are looking for the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) - though these do not always work if a plane hits water. However, attached to the plane's "black box" is a device known as a pinger. This can emit radio signals deep underwater for up to 30 days - or 40 days in warm water.

Has a plane ever simply vanished?

Since the start of the jet age in the 1950s, nearly every major aircraft that disappeared was found - eventually - and the rare exceptions did not involve passengers.

In September 1990, a Boeing 727 plunged into the North Atlantic after running out of fuel. The accident was attributed to poor pilot planning and the wreck was never recovered.

Another Boeing 727 transporting diesel to diamond mines in Africa took off without clearance and with its transponder turned off. It is believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Crisis Talks Between Russia And US

US Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in London for critical talks aimed at resolving the crisis in Ukraine.

It came as the West warned of sanctions including asset freezes and travel bans unless a planned vote on the southern region of Crimea breaking away to join Russia is called off.

Mr Kerry has warned of "very serious steps" from the US and European Union if the referendum goes ahead in the Black Sea peninsula, which has close links to Moscow.

The vote is expected to back the splitting off of the region, where the majority of people speak Russian.

An armed man, believed to be Russian serviceman, stands guard outside a Ukrainian military base A soldier, believed to be Russian, on guard at a Ukrainian military base

Western powers have already indicated they will not recognise the outcome of Sunday's Crimean vote, which they consider illegal.

Speaking at the start of talks, the Russian Foreign Minister admitted the crisis over Crimea was a "very difficult situation."

Mr Lavrov said: "Many events have happened and a lot of time has been lost so now we have to say what can be done."

Mr Kerry said he hoped the talks being held in the US Ambassador's residence in Regent's Park would "resolve some of the differences between us".

He added: "Obviously we have a lot to talk about and look forward to an opportunity to dig in to the issues and possibilities that we may be able to find about how to move forward together to resolve some of the differences between us.

"We look forward, I know, to a good conversation."

London Ukraine talks John Kerry met William Hague and David Cameron at Downing Street

And tensions appeared to surface even during the introductory remarks when Mr Kerry's interpreter jumped in to provide a Russian translation of his comments to the obvious annoyance of Mr Lavrov's own translator.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said it will be "formidably difficult" for Mr Kerry and Mr Lavrov to make progress on defusing the Ukraine crisis.

Speaking after holding separate talks with both men, Mr Hague said he believed they were "seriously committed" to finding a way forward during face-to-face discussions.

"But the fact that so far Russia has not taken any actual action to de-escalate the tensions makes this a formidably difficult task today," Mr Hague said.

The Crimea vote on Sunday is "deeply unhelpful", and had set a "diplomatic deadline" he believed.

Mr Hague added: "This is a referendum which doesn't meet any international norms or standards."

EU foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss sanctions.

Prime Minister David Cameron underlined the threat of sanctions as Mr Kerry arrived in Downing Street for a breakfast meeting.

Mr Cameron said: "We want to see progress, we want to see the Russians and Ukrainians talking to each other and if they don't there are going to have to be consequences."

However, the Russian state oil company Rosneft has said a visa ban on its chief executive would be "stupid" and hurt Western firms more.

Meanwhile, tensions continue to run high in Ukraine, with clashes in the divided east of the country which left at least on person dead.

Russia said it showed the Ukrainian authorities had lost control and that it reserved the right to protect its "compatriots" there.

Pro-Moscow authorities in Crimea have also said they could sell the Ukrainian energy firm Chornomornaftohaz to a Russian company "like Gazprom" once the regional authorities take control of it.

Moscow, which does not recognise the new interim administration in Kiev, has so far ignored the threat of sanctions designed to force it to pull back from Crimea, which is home to its Black Sea fleet.

The operation by Russia to seize Crimea began within days of Ukraine's pro-Kremlin president Viktor Yanukovych being forced from office, after three months of demonstrations against a decision to ditch closer ties with the European Union in favour of Russia.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Harlem Gas Blast: More Bodies Found In Rubble

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 13 Maret 2014 | 20.18

Rescue workers are searching the rubble of two New York City apartment buildings that were flattened by a gas leak, leaving seven people dead.

Three bodies were pulled from the debris in the early hours of Thursday morning.

About 60 people were hurt and a few more remain unaccounted for, police said.

The blast, on Park Avenue at 116th Street, not far from the edge of Central Park, reduced two five-storey buildings to rubble, sparked a fire and shattered windows one block away.

New York City Explosion Rescuers worked through the night at the scene of the explosion

It also sent debris flying onto elevated commuter railroad tracks close by, cast a plume of smoke over the skyline and caused people to run into the streets.

Firefighters spent most of the day dousing the flames.

Hours after the blast, rescue teams were searching amid the broken bricks, splintered wood and mangled metal.

Heavy equipment, including back hoes and a bulldozer, arrived to clear the mountain of debris where the East Harlem buildings once stood.

Explosion Causes Two Buildings To Collapse In Manhattan's East Harlem Neighborhood The blast reduced two five-storey buildings to rubble

Flood lights were installed and thermal-imaging cameras were brought in to identify heat spots, either from bodies or pockets of fire.

The weather, with temperatures dropping below freezing with rain, might complicate the search.

Parts of the debris pile were inaccessible because of a sinkhole caused by a subsurface water main break.

Some residents in the neighbourhood reported having smelled gas for days, and the explosion occurred around 15 minutes after a neighbour reported smelling gas, authorities said. 

New York City Explosion Residents near the site of the explosion were displaced

The Con Edison utility said it immediately sent workers to check out the report, but they did not arrive until after the explosion.

New York's Hunter College identified one of the victims as Griselde Camacho, a security officer who had worked for the college since 2008.

Carmen Tanco, 67, a dental hygienist, was also killed in the blast.

Police identified a third victim as Rosaura Hernandez-Barrios, 21.

The identities of the other victims have not been confirmed.

New York City Explosion Hours after the collapse, residents protect their faces from the smoke

At least three of the injured were children, with one, a 15-year-old boy, reportedly in critical condition with burns, broken bones and internal injuries.

Most of the other victims' injuries were minor and included cuts and scrapes.

The cause of the gas leak, which forced residents in nearby buildings to leave their homes, remained unclear.

Waldemar Infante, a porter who was working in a basement nearby, said: "It felt like an earthquake had rattled my whole building.

"There were glass shards everywhere on the ground and all the stores had their windows blown out."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Malaysia 'Nothing To Hide' Over Plane Search

Missing Plane: 13 Things You Need To Know

Updated: 7:33am UK, Thursday 13 March 2014

As the search for Flight MH370 continues, we answer 13 questions about the disappearance and what could have happened.

When did the plane disappear?

Flight MH370 vanished from radars early on Saturday local time, an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. When it last made contact, the jet was cruising at 35,000 feet over the South China Sea.

There are reports that the plane tried to turn around, but this would give rise to the question why didn't the pilot communicate this decision to air traffic control? Meanwhile, at an undisclosed time a relative reportedly managed to call one of the passengers. Investigators have repeatedly tried to call the same number without success.

Who was on board?

The plane's manifest contained 12 crew members from Malaysia and 227 passengers from 14 different countries.

There were 153 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians, six Australians, five Indians, four French, three Americans, two each from Iran (both travelling on fake passports), New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada, and one each from Russia, Taiwan and The Netherlands.

Among the passengers was a 19-strong group of prominent artists returning from an exhibition in Malaysia. Five children - aged two to four - were on board. The oldest person on the plane was 79.

What are the main theories?

Mechanical error remains the most likely explanation. Poor conditions and strong turbulence always have to be considered, but weather conditions were good in this instance. Four areas of investigation are focused on the possibility of human involvement: hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems or personal problems with passengers or crew.

Could there have been a mechanical error?

Inquiries into Air France Flight 447 that dived into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 en route from Brazil to Paris, killing 228 people, blamed both technical and human error.

However, in the event of engine failure, a plane such as the Boeing 777-200 could glide for 80-90 miles (128-145km), giving the pilot time to issue a distress signal. The descent would also have been traced by radars. The lack of any Mayday call makes an explosion a possibility.

Could the plane have broken up in the air?

The apparent lack of wreckage from MH370 does point to a high-altitude disaster. In such an event the debris would be spread far and wide, making it difficult to find.

A smaller debris field would indicate the plane probably fell intact, breaking up on impact with the water. In the event of a sudden loss of pressure due to a window blowing out the crew would dive the plane in order to lose altitude - but this would not cause the plane to disintegrate.

How about the plane's safety record?

Sudden, accidental, structural failures are considered extremely unlikely in today's passenger aircraft. This is especially so with the Boeing 777-200, which has one of the best safety records of any jet.

One of the missing plane's wingtips was clipped in an incident while taxiing in 2012, but it was repaired and certified as safe.

Could it have been a terrorist attack or hijacking?

In the event of a hijacker trying to enter the cockpit, a pilot can send a secret distress code - something that wasn't done on Flight MH370.

The profiles of all 239 passengers are being checked against databases worldwide, but the terrorism theory was weakened on Tuesday when Malaysian police confirmed it had identified the two passengers who were travelling on fake passports. Both were said to be seeking asylum in Europe.

In the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, claims of responsibility came soon after the disaster - but no one has come forward to claim the Malaysia incident as their attack.

Human error?

The 53-year-old pilot was experienced, having amassed more than 18,000 flying hours since being employed by the airline in 1981.

However, in Indonesia in 2007, Adam Air Flight 574 disappeared with 102 passengers during a domestic flight, where the authorities found the pilots lost control after becoming preoccupied with malfunctioning navigational equipment.

Former naval pilot Dr Simon Mitchell told Sky News: "We've expended billions of dollars on developing very sophisticated aids to make the life of the pilot safer and more straightforward, but there are still opportunities whereby mistakes can be made."

Why was there no distress signal?

One explanation is that the plane fell into a communications black spot. Former Boeing 777 instructor and United Airlines captain Ross Aimer explained: "These are very sophisticated (items of) equipment that should have been working under any conditions - in the water, in the jungle, after a fire, after an explosion - and none of them have talked to the outside world yet.

"There are spots in the world, however, that are called blind spots, where you cannot communicate for some reason. Unfortunately, that area near Vietnam, over the Gulf of Thailand, those are some of the black spots."

Where is the search taking place?

A number of aircraft and ships have been taking part in the search in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia. Search teams from Australia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, New Zealand and the US are assisting.

Officials said on Tuesday that the search was being conducted on both sides of Vietnam's Ca Mau peninsula. The search area has been expanded from 50 nautical miles from where the plane disappeared - over waters between Malaysia and Vietnam - to 100 nautical miles (115 miles; 185km).

This expansion was a result of a new report from the Malaysian military, which said it tracked the plane in the Strait of Malacca - a long distance from where it last made contact - in the hours following its disappearance.

Why has no wreckage been found?

Whatever caused the apparent crash, there would be some debris - but it could take a while to find. It took two years to find the main wreckage of Air France Flight 447 in 2009.

In 2007, in the case of the Adam Air flight, it was a week before an Indonesian naval vessel detected metal on the ocean floor. It was a further two weeks before the US Navy picked up signals from the flight data and cockpit recorders and seven months for the recorder to be recovered.

If the plane had crashed on land, chances are the wreckage would have been found by now. At sea, much of the plane would have sunk, but some debris should remain on the surface. But the longer the search takes the harder it becomes as the wind and tide spread any debris further from the initial crash zone.

Could the flight data recorder provide answers?

As well as wreckage, search teams are looking for the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) - though these do not always work if a plane hits water. However, attached to the plane's "black box" is a device known as a pinger. This can emit radio signals deep underwater for up to 30 days - or 40 days in warm water.

Has a plane ever simply vanished?

Since the start of the jet age in the 1950s, nearly every major aircraft that disappeared was found - eventually - and the rare exceptions did not involve passengers.

In September 1990, a Boeing 727 plunged into the North Atlantic after running out of fuel. The accident was attributed to poor pilot planning and the wreck was never recovered.

Another Boeing 727 transporting diesel to diamond mines in Africa took off without clearance and with its transponder turned off. It is believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Daniel Morcombe: Man Guilty Of Boy's Murder

A man with a history of preying on children has been found guilty of murder in one of Australia's biggest-ever missing person cases.

Father-of-three Brett Peter Cowan was convicted of killing 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe, who was last seen waiting for a bus in northern Queensland in 2003.

His disappearance sparked a huge nationwide search, which was followed by years of false leads and dead ends avidly followed by public and press alike.

The case came to trial after an inquest in 2011 delivered a breakthrough which saw Cowan charged with Daniel's abduction and murder.

The 44-year-old was caught confessing to the killing in an undercover sting.

Flowers at the scene where Daniel Morcombe was last seen Flowers left by well-wishers at the spot where Daniel was last seen

Police then began searching the Beerburrum State Forest for the teenager's remains, which were eventually found in 2013.

Cowan, who was also convicted of interfering with a corpse, faces a life sentence for the murder with a minimum of 15 years without parole.

He is expected to be sentenced next week.

In a statement read out in court, Daniel's mother, Denise, revealed she still had nightmares and was haunted by images of her son lying in "dark eerie bushland being destroyed by wild animals".

"This day hasn't brought closure, but the streets are safer without you walking them and looking for your next target to destroy," she said of Cowan.

Police continue their search for the body of Daniel Morcombe, on August 19, 2011 in Beerwah, Australia Police carrying out their search for the boy's remains in 2011

Daniel's father, Bruce, added: "I often wonder about the other victims you have left in your wake. Sitting in the same room as you revolts me."

Documents painted a disturbing picture of a serial sex offender who had been abusing children since he himself was a child of nine or 10.

He was first convicted in 1987 at the age of 18 for molesting a seven-year-old boy in a public toilet.

The court heard he was a "pathological liar" and drug user with a long criminal record for everything from stealing to gross indecency.

Cowan, who pleaded not guilty, married when released on parole in 1998 but continued his offending, which ended with the abduction and murder of Daniel.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gasps In Court As Photo Of Reeva's Body Shown

There have been gasps in court as images of Reeva Steenkamp's body were shown during Oscar Pistorius' murder trial.

Various photographs were being scrolled through on screen by the defence team when several distressing images were briefly shown to the court.

Sky's Alex Crawford, who is in court, said: "As defence lawyer Barry Roux was flicking through various photographs of the scene ... you saw very close-up pictures of Reeva Steenkamp. Close-ups of her skull, body and her various injuries.

"This caused quite a stir in court. It led to gasps from a number of people inside."

Reeva Steenkamp on set of reality TV show Tropika Island of Treasure (Pic: Stimulii) Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead by Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius began retching and coughing, and was handed a green bucket in which to be sick.

Schoombie van Rensburg - a now-retired police officer who went to the scene after the shooting - is using photographs to outline his route through Pistorius' home when he arrived, and what he saw.

Sky's Alex Crawford, who is in court, said: "He described following a trail of blood and we've been shown a series of photographs starting from the exterior of the Oscar Pistorius house, going inside showing splatters on the floor at the base of the stairs, blood on his cream sofas that are on the ground floor, blood leading up the stairs, and more along the wall.

Olympic and Paralympic track star Pistorius arrives ahead of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Steenkamp, at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Pistorius arrives at court on Thursday morning

"We know the athlete says he carried Ms Steenkamp's body down the stairs, he says to get medical help."

Photographs showed the blood-soaked bathroom where Ms Steenkamp was shot.

Crawford said they showed blood-stained towels, and heavy blood pools on the floor.

Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius listens to his lawyer Barry Roux ahead of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in Pretoria Barry Roux (R) has been questioning a police forensic officer

Earlier, the court heard how a box of watches belonging to Pistorius went missing during the crime scene examination.

The millionaire Paralympic athlete had a "little box" containing the watches, which has disappeared and never been found.

The issue was raised by Mr Roux, who is trying to undermine the credibility of the police investigation.

Pistorius Mr Vermuelen took part in a reconstruction on Wednesday

He spent the morning repeatedly challenging police forensic expert Johannes Vermuelen.

On Wednesday, Mr Vermuelen told the court Pistorius was on his stumps when he smashed down a locked toilet door to reach his shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

That contradicted Pistorius' previous claims he put on his prostheses before smashing down the door.

Police crime scene tape marks off the Pretoria home of Oscar Pistorius The home of Oscar Pistorius where the killing took place

Thursday's evidence started with Mr Roux asking for Mr Vermuelen's phone records from overnight, suggesting he may have consulted people ahead of giving his testimony.

He was then asked about missing splinters from Pistorius' bathroom door, through which he shot Ms Steenkamp.

He said he asked a colleague about the missing splinters, but repeatedly said he "couldn't remember" who he spoke to.

Mr Vermuelen also admitted he did not examine the door for evidence Pistorius had kicked it with his prosthetic leg. A footprint would show he was wearing his legs at some point.

Sky's Alex Crawford, who is in court, said: "This was such a drubbing of Vermuelen, it was like watching a blood sport."

On top of the premeditated murder allegation, Pistorius faces a charge of illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing.

He denies all the charges against him and maintains he shot Ms Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.

The athlete could face 25 years in jail if he is found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa. South Africa does not have trials by jury.

More follows...

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Malaysia Airlines Mystery: Search Stepped Up

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 12 Maret 2014 | 20.18

What Has Happened To Malaysia Airlines Plane?

Updated: 6:49am UK, Wednesday 12 March 2014

The missing Malaysia Airlines flight may be proving so hard to find because it could have vanished in an aviation "black spot", an expert has told Sky News.

:: For the latest on this story click here

Former Boeing 777 instructor and United Airlines captain Ross Aimer said it was "disturbing" that there had been no distress call from flight MH370's cockpit and that the plane's emergency locator transmitters had not sent any signals.

He said: "These are very sophisticated equipment that should have been working under any condition - in the water, in the jungle, after a fire, after an explosion - and none of them have talked to the outside world yet.

"There are spots in the world, however, that are called blind spots, where you can not communicate for some reason.

"Unfortunately, that area near Vietnam, over the Gulf of Thailand, those are some of the black spots, so perhaps at that time there was no data transmission between the aircraft and the airline."

Flight MH370 vanished from radar screens early on Saturday about one hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

When it last made contact, the Malaysia Airlines jet was at cruising altitude, 11km (35,000 feet) above sea level, largely considered the safest part of a flight.

While there is still no confirmation that the Boeing 777-200 crashed, aviation experts have put forward possible causes of its disappearance including a terrorist attack, extreme turbulence, human error or even suicide.

The failure of the pilots to send a distress signal has given rise to speculation there was a sudden catastrophe - possibly caused by a mechanical failure or an explosion.

Former Navy pilot Dr Simon Mitchell has told Sky News that despite flying becoming safer over the years, mistakes are still made.

"We've expended billions of dollars on developing very sophisticated aids to make the life of the pilot safer and more straightforward, but there are still opportunities whereby mistakes can be made," he said.

Investigations into Air France flight 447 that plunged into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, killing 228 people, eventually concluded that both technical and human error were to blame for the disaster.

Closer to the area where MH370 vanished, Adam Air flight 574 with 102 people on board disappeared in January 2007, also at its cruise phase, during a domestic flight in Indonesia.

Authorities found the pilots lost control after becoming preoccupied with malfunctioning navigational equipment.

The lack of wreckage from MH370 also suggests a high-altitude disaster which spread debris across an area too wide to be easily detected.

Aviation experts say the size of the debris field will be one of the first indicators of what happened.

A smaller field would indicate the plane probably fell intact, breaking up upon impact with the water.

A large, widespread field would signal the plane probably broke apart at a high elevation, perhaps because of a bomb or a massive airframe failure.

But sudden, accidental structural failures are considered extremely unlikely in today's passenger aircraft.

This is especially so with the Boeing 777-200, which has one of the best safety records of any jet.

Authorities have not ruled out terrorism or hijacking, though, with suspicions over two of the passengers found to be travelling on stolen passports.

"There are two categories of people who use these (stolen passports) - criminals and terrorists," Rohan Gunaratna, a terrorism expert at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, said.

In the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, there was substantial wreckage despite it being a mid-air explosion, and claims of responsibility came soon after the disaster.

But no-one has come forward to claim the Malaysia incident as their attack.

Whatever caused the apparent crash, there would be some debris - but it could take a while to find.

It took two years to find the main wreckage of the Air France plane plunged into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, killing 228 people.

An Indonesian navy ship detected metal on the ocean floor a week after the Adam Air flight disappeared in 2007.

It was a further two weeks before the US Navy picked up signals from the flight data and cockpit recorders, and seven months for the recorder to be recovered.

The Malaysian jet could have made a U-turn shortly before it vanished, officials say, adding one more level of uncertainty to the effort to find it.

It is thought the plane could be hundreds of miles from where it was last detected, and the search has been widened in the hope of finding the plane.

Just about every major jet to disappear in the modern era has eventually been found. The rare exceptions did not involve passengers.

In September 1990, a Boeing 727 owned by the Peruvian Faucett Airlines ditched into the North Atlantic after running out of fuel on its way to Miami.

The accident was attributed to poor pilot planning and the wreck was never recovered.

More mysterious was the disappearance of another Boeing 727 being used to transport diesel fuel to diamond mines in Africa.

The owners had numerous financial problems and the plane took off without clearance and with its transponder turned off. It is believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

One theory, never proven, is that it was stolen so the owner could collect insurance.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine: Russian MPs Facing EU Travel Ban

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

David Cameron has said the UK will push for an EU-wide travel ban to be imposed on a number of "prominent Russian MPs" if talks over the Ukraine fail to materialise.

The Prime Minister said Britain had "put on the table" the idea of targeting high-profile individuals.

He refused to provide a specific number but Downing Street sources suggested it was likely to be between 15 and 20 MPs who had backed the "violation" of Ukraine's territory.

"I'm not naming names today," Mr Cameron said, although he did outline the type of politicians he wanted to include.

"The criteria is people who have been pushing for the unacceptable steps that have been taken."

Sources argued the focus would be on travel bans rather than asset freezes because the Russian politicians involved did not tend to have significant assets.

They would not confirm whether Russian oligarchs could also be targeted.

Speaking during a flight to Israel and the occupied territories, the Prime Minister said he wanted Russia to take part in talks with the "contact group" as part of the first phase of action over Ukraine.

But he added: "If the contact group doesn't get going and make some progress, then we move to the second phase which will include asset freezes and travel bans.

"We would be pushing for those travel bans to include certain prominent Russian MPs. We had a meeting yesterday in London with partners about this (and) put that on the table."

Mr Cameron said these were "tough and important" measures.

The Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with both the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his trip, and said he would also be "following progress in Ukraine closely".

He hit back at claims the UK has failed to take as strong a stance as the US over the crisis in Ukraine.

"The European Union meeting surprised me," he said.

"Everyone was expecting the US would take a series of steps and the EU would fall short.

"Britain played a vitally important role bringing countries together, bringing together the Poles who, like us, want to see strong action with other countries to forge a consensus and find a way through this."


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Plane: Malaysia 'Holding Back Details'

Missing Plane: 13 Things You Need To Know

Updated: 10:52pm UK, Tuesday 11 March 2014

As the search for Flight MH370 continues, we answer 13 questions about the disappearance and what could have happened.

When did the plane disappear?

Flight MH370 vanished from radars early on Saturday, an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. When it last made contact, the jet was cruising at 35,000 feet over the South China Sea. There are reports that the plane tried to turn around but this would give rise to the question: why didn't the pilot communicate this decision to air traffic control? Meanwhile, at an undisclosed time a relative reportedly managed to call one of the passengers. Investigators have repeatedly tried to call the same number without success.

:: Sky News will be showing a 12-minute special report on the story so far of the missing flight MH370 at 2.30pm.

Who was on board?

The plane's manifest contained 12 crew from Malaysia and 227 passengers from 14 different countries: 153 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians, six Australians, five Indians, four French, three Americans, two each from Iran (both travelling on fake passports), New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada, and 1 each from Russia, Taiwan and Netherlands. Among the passengers was a 19-strong group of prominent artists returning from an exhibition in Malaysia. It is also known that five children - aged two to four - were on board. The oldest person on the plane was 79.

What are the main theories?

Mechanical error remains the most likely explanation. Poor conditions and strong turbulence always have to be considered, but weather conditions were good in this instance. Four areas of investigation are focused on the possibility of human involvement: hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems or personal problems with passengers or crew.

Could there have been a mechanical error?

Inquiries into Air France flight 447 that dived into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 en route from Brazil to Paris, killing 228 people, blamed both technical and human error. However, in the event of engine failure, a plane such as the Boeing 777-200 could glide for 80-90 miles (128-145km), giving the pilot time to issue a distress signal. The descent would also have been traced by radars. The lack of any Mayday makes an explosion a possibility.

Could the plane have broken up in the air?

The apparent lack of wreckage from MH370 does point to a high-altitude disaster. In such an event the debris would be spread far and wide, making it difficult to find. A smaller field would indicate the plane probably fell intact, breaking up on impact with the water. In the event of a sudden loss of pressure due to a window blowing out the crew would dive the plane in order to lose altitude - but this would not cause the plane to disintegrate.

The plane's safety record?

Sudden, accidental, structural failures are considered extremely unlikely in today's passenger aircraft. This is especially so with the Boeing 777-200, which has one of the best safety records of any jet. One of the missing plane's wingtips was clipped in an incident while taxiing in 2012 but it was repaired and certified as safe.

Could it have been a terrorist attack or hijacking?

In the event of a hijacker trying to enter the cockpit, a pilot can send a secret distress code - something that wasn't done on Flight MH370. The profiles of all 239 passengers are being checked against databases worldwide but the terrorism theory was weakened on Tuesday when Malaysian police confirmed it had identified the two passengers who were travelling on fake passports. Both were said to be seeking asylum in Europe. In the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, claims of responsibility came soon after the disaster - but no one has come forward to claim the Malaysia incident as their attack.

Human error?

The 53-year-old pilot was very experienced, having amassed more than 18,000 flying hours since being employed by the airline in 1981. However, in Indonesia in 2007, Adam Air flight 574 disappeared with 102 passengers during a domestic flight, where the authorities found the pilots lost control after becoming preoccupied with malfunctioning navigational equipment. Former Navy pilot Dr Simon Mitchell told Sky News: "We've expended billions of dollars on developing very sophisticated aids to make the life of the pilot safer and more straightforward, but there are still opportunities whereby mistakes can be made."

Why was there no distress signal?

One explanation is that the plane fell into a communications black spot. Former Boeing 777 instructor and United Airlines captain Ross Aimer explained: "These are very sophisticated (items of) equipment that should have been working under any conditions - in the water, in the jungle, after a fire, after an explosion - and none of them have talked to the outside world yet. There are spots in the world, however, that are called blind spots, where you cannot communicate for some reason. Unfortunately, that area near Vietnam, over the Gulf of Thailand, those are some of the black spots."

Where is the search taking place?

Nine aircraft and 24 ships are currently taking part in the search in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia. Search teams from Australia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, New Zealand and the US are assisting. Officials said on Tuesday that the search was being conducted on both sides of Vietnam's Ca Mau peninsula. The search area has been expanded from 50 nautical miles from where the plane disappeared - over waters between Malaysia and Vietnam - to 100 nautical miles (115 miles; 185km). This expansion was a result of a new report from the Malaysian military, who say they tracked the plane in the Strait of Malacca - a long distance from where it last made contact - in the hours following its disappearance.

Why has no wreckage been found?

Whatever caused the apparent crash, there would be some debris - but it could take a while to find. It took two years to find the main wreckage of Air France flight 447 in 2009.  In 2007, in the case of the Adam Air flight, it was a week before an Indonesian naval vessel detected metal on the ocean floor. It was a further two weeks before the US Navy picked up signals from the flight data and cockpit recorders and seven months for the recorder to be recovered. If the plane had crashed on land, chances are the wreckage would have been found by now. At sea, much of the plane would have sunk, but some debris should remain on the surface. Worryingly, the longer the search takes the harder it becomes as the wind and tide spread any debris further from the initial crash zone.

Could the 'black box' provide answers?

As well as wreckage, search teams are looking for the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) - though these do not always work if a plane hits water. However, attached to the plane's black box is a device known as a pinger. This can emit radio signals deep under water for up to 30 days - or 40 days in warm water.

Has a plane ever simply vanished?

Since the start of the jet age in the 1950s, nearly every major aircraft that disappeared was found - eventually - and the rare exceptions did not involve passengers. In September 1990, a Boeing 727 plunged into the North Atlantic after running out of fuel. The accident was attributed to poor pilot planning and the wreck was never recovered. Another Boeing 727 transporting diesel to diamond mines in Africa took off without clearance and with its transponder turned off. It is believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius Crime Scene Reconstructed In Court

Pistorius Trial: Evidence Summary

Updated: 2:18pm UK, Tuesday 11 March 2014

A summary of the evidence heard in the first two days of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial.

Day 7

Friend Darren Fresco told the court Oscar Pistorius "laughed" after firing his gun through the sunroof of a car.

Mr Fresco said he asked Pistorius if he was "******* mad". "He just laughed about what had happened. It felt as if my ear was bleeding," he said, referring to the episode in late 2012.

The court was told the athlete had a "big love for weapons" and Mr Fresco also recalled an occasion when Pistorius asked him to pass him his gun at Tasha's restaurant in Johannesburg on January 13 last year.

He said he warned Pistorius his Glock pistol was "one-up" - meaning it had a bullet in the chamber - and that he thought he saw the runner remove it.

The gun went off under the table, followed by a "deafening hush" - and Pistorius "instantly" passed the weapon back to him and asked him to "take the rap for it" because there was "too much media hype" around him, Mr Fresco said.

Pathologist Gert Saymaan, who conducted a post-mortem examination on Reeva Steenkamp, also finished giving his evidence as a court ban on tweeting during his evidence was lifted by Judge Thokozile Masipa.

The court heard the amount of urine in Ms Steenkamp's bladder at the time of her death amounted to the rough equivalent of a teaspoon - and that the model's last meal was consumed no more than two hours before her death.

Ms Steenkamp was shot after 3am, which means she must have eaten after 1am. Pistorius had said the couple were in the bedroom by 10pm.

Prof Saayman admitted he was not "an expert in this field" but his conclusions were based on scientific probability.

Day 6

Oscar Pistorius threw up in court as details of the post-mortem examination of Reeva Steenkamp were read out.

A live video feed of the trial was cut while a pathologist gave "graphic" evidence of his examination.

Professor Gert Saayman said Ms Steenkamp had bullet wounds to her head, right hip and right arm.

He said the Ranger branded bullets used were designed to "expand and mushroom" and cause substantial damage.

Prof Saayman said the head wound would have been incapacitating but added Ms Steenkamp may not have died straight away.

 Earlier in the day a security guard finished giving his evidence.

Chief security guard Pieter Baba says Pistorius told him all was fine when he called after receiving reports from other residents that they had heard gunshots.

 But Mr Roux insisted to him that it was Pistorius who phoned the security guard, rather than the other way round.

Mr Baba denied this.

Day Five

Prosecution witness Samantha Taylor, ex-girlfriend of Oscar Pistorius, broke down in court as she told how the athlete cheated on her with Reeva Steenkamp.

Miss Taylor also told the court how Pistorius once fired a gun out of the sunroof of a car after being stopped by police.

The star's ex-lover described how Pistorius would sometimes "scream at her" and often carried a gun with him.

The court was told how Pistorius once woke Ms Taylor fearing there was an intruder in the house and got up to investigate with his gun.

Security guard Pieter Baba described the moment he saw a distressed Pistorius carrying Reeva down the stairs.

The guard said that Pistorius assured him everything "is fine" after shots were reported. 

More evidence from Ms Taylor suggested that Pistorius once feared he was being followed and waved his gun at the suspect car until it drove off near his home.

Day Four

Prosecution witness Dr Johan Stipp told the court how he went to Oscar Pistorius' residence after hearing shots fired on the night Reeva Steenkamp was killed.

He said he saw Ms Steenkamp lying on her back and Pistorius by her side, frantically trying to resuscitate her.

It was clear Ms Steenkamp was mortally wounded, he said, and Pistorius was crying and praying that she'd survive. During his evidence, Pistorius broke down in the dock, sobbing as he held his head in his hands.

Earlier, Pistorius' defence team said it would have been "impossible" for neighbours to hear screams on the night Ms Steenkamp died.

Lawyer Barry Roux said neighbour Charl Peter Johnson's claim that he heard gunshots followed by a woman screaming was incorrect.

"You cannot hear it inside your house," he said. "At any distance, she was in a locked bathroom."

Mr Johnson also claimed to have heard five or six shots on the night of the killing. But Mr Roux pointed out that in his initial notes he wrote that he "did not count the number of shots fired".

Day Three

Mr Johnson's evidence continued, and he was repeatedly challenged by Mr Roux who at one point said: "You are saying all the evidence that your wife gave us yesterday."

Mr Johnson replied that it was not unusual for two people to use the same words when describing an incident.

He mentioned some notes that he'd taken after the shooting, which are on his laptop and iPad. He was asked to end his evidence for the day and come back the next day, so the defence team had the opportunity to view his notes.

Pistorius' friend Kevin Lerena was then called, who described an incident in January last year in which Pistorius allegedly discharged a firearm by mistake while eating with friends in a restaurant.

He said the athlete then asked his friend Darren Fresco to take the blame.

The owner of the restaurant, Jason Loupis, and his wife Maria, later confirmed the incident after taking the stand.

Mrs Loupis said there was a child nearby when Pistorius' gun went off in the restaurant.

Day Two

The evidence of Ms Burger continued.

Defence lawyer Barry Roux said her evidence had been influenced by media coverage of the shooting, but she denied this.

Mr Roux said that evidence later in the trial would show that Ms Steenkamp would not have been able to scream after the final shot hit her in the head.

Ms Burger stood by her initial statement that she heard Ms Steenkamp after the final shot.

Another neighbour then took the stand for a short time, before Ms Burger's husband gave his evidence.

He told how he thought Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp were being held up in their house and said he looked at additional security measures for his own home the next day.

He backed up his wife's evidence, saying he heard screams after the final shot.

Day One

The first witness, university lecturer Michelle Burger, took the stand.

She says she woke on the night of the killing to the sound of gunshots and a woman screaming.

She described hearing "bloodcurdling screams" and four shots.

She is a key witness for the prosecution, as her evidence would appear to contradict Pistorius' claims that he thought he was shooting at an intruder.

The defence argued she is unreliable due to alleged discrepancies between her police statement and court testimony.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine: 'Intimidation' Ahead Of Crimea Vote

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 11 Maret 2014 | 20.18

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent, in Simferopol

Men dressed in police uniforms are said to have snatched and torn passports belonging to pro-Ukrainians amid allegations of voter intimidation in Crimea.

The Mayor of the Crimean capital, Simferopol, has told Sky News gangs of men have reportedly demanded documents from anyone suspected of intending to vote against Crimea becoming part of Russia in a referendum on March 16.

One man, who did not want to be named, said he was approached by policemen who demanded to see his passport.

He told Sky News: "On the way to work, I was stopped by two policemen.

"They asked see my documents. I showed them a copy of my passport and they wanted me to go to the police station. I refused. They don't want us to vote in this referendum.

"In my district, I saw groups of men, some dressed in uniforms, going from house to house checking passports. Some were torn up."

The Deputy Mayor of Simferopol Glazkov i'Lya. Deputy Mayor Glazkov i'Lya

Anyone wanting to vote in the referendum will have to show their passports as proof of identification and any attempt to sway the outcome will be seen by both sides as hugely controversial.

Hundreds of people called the local administrative offices in Simferopol complaining of harassment, said Deputy Mayor Glazkov i'Lya.

"The situation is that some people approached our citizens.

"They were asked to show their documents, then they just took them and ran away. Some passports were torn. Some people said the men were wearing police uniforms.

"This is provocation. It's not a joke. They think they can stop the referendum then they're wrong. The referendum will go ahead."

The Crimean Tatar leader Refat Chubarov said he would be pushing to boycott Sunday's referendum, claiming the Kremlin will "rig the vote".

"The result has already been decided by Moscow."

Tensions remain high in Crimea ahead of the vote. Military installations have been taken over by pro-Russian forces

The allegations come on a day of continued tensions in Crimea.

Armed men moved into a Ukrainian naval post in Backchisaray and fired shots into the air, according to a Ukrainian defence minister.

Vladislav Seleznyov said on Facebook that 10 "unidentified armed men" drove into the compound in two minibuses and demanded 10 trucks from Ukrainian personnel.

Thirty-six volunteer soldiers in the region swore an oath of allegiance in front of Crimea's pro-Russian Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov, pledging to "defend the people of Crimea".

UDAR party leader Vitaly Klitschko was pelted with eggs and apples by Pro-Russia demonstrators at a rally in Kharkiv.

Pro-Russian forces have taken over military installations across Crimea in under a week, although Moscow has denied the uniformed units are theirs - a claim ridiculed by Ukraine and the West.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine: Nato Planes To Monitor Russian Military

Crimea Crisis: A Ukrainian Voice From Kiev

Updated: 1:48pm UK, Monday 10 March 2014

We Ukrainians are shocked at the blatant and cynical lies Russian President Vladimir Putin and his propaganda war machine are spouting.

In terms of the legitimacy of our government - it is an interim government, and on May 25 a new president will be elected by the will of Ukrainian citizens. The future president will appoint ministers.

The corrupt, criminal regime could not be tolerated any more.

It was not some fascist coup that removed President Viktor Yanukovych.

It was a pan-Ukrainian uprising carried out by students, farmers, teachers, blue- and white-collar workers, entrepreneurs, pensioners, medics, war veterans and even pupils.

Activists came from all corners of Ukraine, including eastern and southern Ukraine and Crimea.

Our former president was and still is Mr Putin's puppet.

He acted in Russian interests and was preparing Ukraine for a "soft invasion".

He continued the contract for a Russian fleet in Crimea, ravaged our military forces and brought a halt to our military industry.

One of Mr Putin's biggest lies is his claim neo-fascists are running amok, looting and killing everyone.

I have walked through the streets of Kiev many times, including the central districts late in the evening and I am yet to see one of Mr Putin's fictitious balaclava-clad thugs robbing somebody or starting a fire or trying to kill a pro-Russian supporter.

The irony is Kiev has a lion's share of Russian-speaking residents.

The Russian Government is intentionally using the terms "Russian speaker", "ethnic Russian" and "Russian citizen" to confuse the situation.

There are only a handful of Russian citizens in Ukraine - some 17% of Ukrainian citizens (including Crimea) are ethnic Russians and almost half of the country speak Russian. That is the legacy of three-and-a-half centuries of a co-existence of two peoples.

But if half of Ukraine speaks Russian it doesn't mean they want to be under Russian rule. On the contrary, the majority in eastern Ukraine are strongly against annexing to the Russian Federation.

The very principle of "protecting Russian speakers" is a very crooked one.

Maybe Ukraine should invade Moscow because there are up to two million ethnic Ukrainians living there?

Maybe Mexico should annex California since there are lot of Mexican living there, or France should invade Canada due to Quebec tensions?

While the crisis continues, Ukrainians try to go about their daily lives and it is business as usual for most.

People go to work in the morning, pay their taxes, public services function normally, shops and banks are open (near Maidan Square in Kiev as well), bills are paid and so on.

Couples go on walks in the evenings. Cinemas and theatres are visited as usual. Some people may think about stocking food, but supermarkets are full of food, there is absolutely no panic-buying.

Nevertheless, the psychological impact of the crisis on people is evident - and there remains a tension in the air following last month's revolution.

Everybody talks about looming war. There's no panic, but the anxiety is everywhere.

Men contemplate the possibility of being called to active duty, while women cry when they think of their sons, husbands and brothers going to war.

Our morale is high. We are a strong freedom-loving and valorous people. We are determined to defend ourselves.

Recent events have shown cameras are a more powerful weapon in the 21st century than Kalashnikovs.

Russia is using every trick in the book to provoke Ukraine and to justify military aggression.

In southern and eastern regions (and in Crimea itself) there are thousands of Russian and Russian-hired agent-provocateurs - thugs to stir up tension and give the impression that those regions are eager to be under Russian control.

There are also a lot of actors: one day you see them as indigenous Kharkiv citizens protesting against the repression of Russian-speaking people, and the next, you see them in Odessa where they are local women telling of the Ukrainian persecution of Russians.

There are also lots of transported Russian Cossacks in Crimea that are extremely aggressive.

These so-called Cossacks have nothing to do with real Ukrainian Cossacks and are Mr Putin's "Einsatzgruppe".

We saw them in action when they whipped members of Russian protest group Pussy Riot in Sochi.

In addition, Serbian Chetniks have joined these Russian Cossacks to patrol Crimea.

These young boys and men without insignia have been sent by their blood-thirsty government intentionally as cannon fodder to be killed by Ukrainian militaries.

But Ukraine is a very peaceful country and hasn't fallen for this provocation.

These unmarked soldiers have told locals that they were woken up in the middle of the night, had their IDs and mobile phones taken away and transported to Crimea. Even their own parents are not aware of where their sons are.

We Ukrainians do hope the US and Europe will help us militarily if all-out war breaks out.

We will fight till our last breath, but Russia is too powerful. We will not win without the West's help.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine: Yanukovych Says He Remains President

Ukraine: 'Intimidation' Ahead Of Crimea Vote

Updated: 9:25am UK, Tuesday 11 March 2014

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent, in Simferopol

Men dressed in police uniforms are said to have snatched and torn passports belonging to pro-Ukrainians amid allegations of voter intimidation in Crimea.

The Mayor of the Crimean capital, Simferopol, has told Sky News gangs of men have reportedly demanded documents from anyone suspected of intending to vote against Crimea becoming part of Russia in a referendum on March 16.

One man, who did not want to be named, said he was approached by policemen who demanded to see his passport.

He told Sky News: "On the way to work, I was stopped by two policemen.

"They asked see my documents. I showed them a copy of my passport and they wanted me to go to the police station. I refused. They don't want us to vote in this referendum.

"In my district, I saw groups of men, some dressed in uniforms, going from house to house checking passports. Some were torn up."

Anyone wanting to vote in the referendum will have to show their passports as proof of identification and any attempt to sway the outcome will be seen by both sides as hugely controversial.

Hundreds of people called the local administrative offices in Simferopol complaining of harassment, said Deputy Mayor Glazkov i'Lya.

"The situation is that some people approached our citizens.

"They were asked to show their documents, then they just took them and ran away. Some passports were torn. Some people said the men were wearing police uniforms.

"This is provocation. It's not a joke. They think they can stop the referendum then they're wrong. The referendum will go ahead."

The Crimean Tatar leader Refat Chubarov said he would be pushing to boycott Sunday's referendum, claiming the Kremlin will "rig the vote".

"The result has already been decided by Moscow."

The allegations come on a day of continued tensions in Crimea.

Armed men moved into a Ukrainian naval post in Backchisaray and fired shots into the air, according to a Ukrainian defence minister.

Vladislav Seleznyov said on Facebook that 10 "unidentified armed men" drove into the compound in two minibuses and demanded 10 trucks from Ukrainian personnel.

Thirty-six volunteer soldiers in the region swore an oath of allegiance in front of Crimea's pro-Russian Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov, pledging to "defend the people of Crimea".

UDAR party leader Vitaly Klitschko was pelted with eggs and apples by Pro-Russia demonstrators at a rally in Kharkiv.

Pro-Russian forces have taken over military installations across Crimea in under a week, although Moscow has denied the uniformed units are theirs - a claim ridiculed by Ukraine and the West.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More
techieblogger.com Techie Blogger Techie Blogger