MH370 search zone ‘size of Victoria’

A black box locator is about to be sent out on an Australian navy ship in search of the missing MH370 plane.

RECOVERING Flight MH370 debris from a search area the size of Victoria is "critical" to finding the black box flight recorder before its locator ping fades away, the officer in charge of the sea and air mission said.

Commodore Peter Leavy, commander of Joint Task Force 658, said the black box's beacon locator – which emits a high frequency ping noise every second – is certified to last another nine days.

It's hoped the battery may last "a little while longer" than April 7 — next Monday — but search crews are in a race against clock before the beacon runs flat and its signal stops.

■ ROLLING COVERAGE: Search continues for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370

Commodore Peter Leavy, commander of the Joint Task Force 658, said the black box's beacon locator is certified to last another nine days. Picture: Stewart Allen

Commodore Leavy said finding the black box, which records flight data and voices in the cockpit, was crucial to helping air crash investigators determine what caused the Malaysia Airlines aircraft to veer off course and crash in the southern Indian Ocean.

"In the circumstances that we are facing here, if the black box is recovered and the data is salvageable, I think that will be a very, very important part of the analysis of the subsequent investigation," he said.

Commodore Leavy said the "unprecedented" multinational mission was searching an area the size of the state of Victoria in "extreme" ocean conditions.

Royal Australia Air Force crew at RAAF Base Pearce in Bullsbrook unload a Australian Sea Hawk helicopter to join a Royal Australian Navy ship to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean, on March 28, 2014. Picture: AFP

He said it was "critical" debris from the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight was confirmed to help investigators pinpoint where the jet crashed.

Only when a location is identified, using modelling to estimate how far the debris drifted, can a US Navy device designed to find black boxes be effective.

Australian Defence patrol vessel Ocean Shield is due to dock tonight at HMAS Stirling naval base on Garden Island, south of Perth, to join the search.

HMAS Toowoomba in dock at WA's Garden Island before joining search for MH370 debris. Picture: Stewart Allen

It will tomorrow be fitted with a Towed Ping Locator and Bluefin-21 underwater drone which uses sonar to scan the sea floor for signs of wreckage.

Ocean Shield is expected to set sail on Monday and take two to three days to reach the search zone, 1850km west of Perth, depending on the weather.

It means the crew and air crash investigators would likely arrive at the search zone on Thursday or Friday, just three or four days before the ping is due to start fading.

HMAS Toowoomba in dock at WA's Garden Island before joining search for MH370 debris. Picture: Stewart Allen

The pinger locator, which has a reach of about 2km, is towed underwater at a "very slow" two to three knots (5kmp/h) and covers less than 150 square kilometres a day.

"The critical focus at this juncture is to find debris and as much of it as we can. If it is confirmed to be from the aircraft that will enable a much greater refinement of the impact point," Commodore Leavy said.

"Having as accurate a start point as we can for our pinger search is critical."

HMAS Toowoomba today reloaded at Garden Island after it was retasked to the MH370 search from Operation Sovereign Border duties in Darwin.

Five specialist divers, as well as a Sea Hawk helicopter, joined the frigate's 180-strong crew to search for floating debris. HMAS Toowoomba should reach the search zone on Monday.

Warship HMAS Toowoomba docking at Garden Island before joining search for MH370 debris. Must credit photo Stewart Allen Source: News Limited

Christopher Johnson, of the US Naval Sea Systems Command, confirmed the pinger locator won't be deployed until there was a higher confidence about where MH370 went down.

Dr Alec Duncan, an expert in underwater acoustics at Curtin University, added: "They've got to find stuff on the surface first – until they do that there's really no point trying to look underwater."

Dr Duncan said they would need to get as close as possible to the beacon to limit other background noises, such as whales, masking the ping.

"The ocean's actually a very noisy place," he said. "It depends largely on weather conditions as to how much background noise there is. The calmer it is, the less there will be."

Dr Duncan said if the aircraft fuselage remains intact on the sea floor then other sonar systems, such as the Bluefin-21, could be more effective as they have a greater range.

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

FBI: Nothing sinister on simulator

A Chinese aircraft has spotted three objects floating in a search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet

Cleared ... the FBI says MH370 pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah's homemade simulator had 'nothing sinister'. Source: Supplied

POLICE and the FBI have found "nothing sinister" on the MH370 pilot's homemade flight simulator, Malaysia's Defence and acting Transport Minister said.

Hishammuddin Hussein said full details would come from the country's police chief.

RECAP: HOW DAY 21 OF THE SEARCH UNFOLDED

"As far as I know there is nothing sinister on the simulator but of course that will have to be confirmed by the chief of police," Mr Hussein said at a briefing after meeting family members of the plane's passenger in Kuala Lumpur.

He said the Malaysian police had been working with the FBI since day one on analysing the data on the simulator.

The homemade simulator, which pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah built himself and was passionate about, was taken from his home in the wake of the plane's disappearance.

It was reassembled at police headquarters and examined. Police have said that the simulator logs were deleted on February 3 and the hard drive was sent to the FBI for further analysis about what was deleted.

Speculation has been rife about Captain Zaharie and the simulator amid unsubstantiated and unsourced reports about the simulator's contents.

A pilot and a father ... Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah with his daughter Aishah Zaharie. Source: Facebook

Mr Hussein said the issue would be further clarified by the police chief.

He said Malaysian police, along with international agencies, were continuing to investigate all aspects of the Boeing 777-200's disappearance on March 8.

SEARCH CONTINUES

The shift north to a new search zone 1800km west of Perth in shallower and more temperate waters has given searchers their best hope yet of locating the Malaysian Airlines black box before its batteries expire in nine days.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority expected that the Chinese patrol Haixun 01, which was in the new search box from first light, could be in a position to begin hauling objects, which might be wreckage, onto its decks by late yesterday.

On Friday, five aircraft working the intensive multinational operation made promising sightings of multiple coloured objects in the new search area.

The search shifted north based on new calculations by international aviation investigators working in Malaysia that the jet flew faster and burned fuel more quickly than earlier presumed, causing it to crash 1000km north of the first search zone.

As the armed missile frigate HMAS Toowoomba prepared to join HMAS Success in the search area, the Haixun 01 was first at the site yesterday.

It will be joined by compatriot naval vessel Jinggangshan, which carries two helicopters and will give the searchers their best mobility to scour the area.

Two other ships were expected to arrive in the area at sundown, but would not begin their search until this morning – though weather conditions could deteriorate as a southern front approaches, potentially setting back the operation.

Yesterday's search saw seven military aircraft and one civilian jet operating out of Perth International Airport and RAAF Pearce, located in Bullsbrook north of the city.

DANICA WEEKS: GRIEVING MUM FACES HER TOUGHEST TALK

MASSIVE TASK: MH370 SEARCH ZONE SIZE OF VICTORIA

The search has moved closer to Perth, meaning search planes can stay longer in the air over the site, and the vessels descending on the area can work in less chaotic seas, but the operation nevertheless remains daunting.

"We should not underestimate the difficulty of this work, it is an extraordinarily remote location," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said yesterday.

"We are trying to find small bits of wreckage in a vast ocean. While we're throwing everything we have at it, the task goes on."

Australian navy in action ... the HMAS Toowoomba has joined the search for MH370 debris. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: News Corp Australia

WHALE NOISE: SOUNDS OF THE DEEP MIGHT HINDER SEARCH

Planes and ships today combed the newly targeted area with Mr Abbott saying authorities were transporting a black box locator to the search zone.

Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 after veering sharply off course while heading from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers, including six Australians, and crew.

Investigators believed the Boeing 777 crashed in the southern Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia, where planes and ships have been looking for more than two weeks in the hope of recovering debris.

A black box locator is about to be sent out on an Australian navy ship in search of the missing MH370 plane.

The Australian Navy's HMAS Toowoomba left Fleet Base West near Perth tonight to join the search. It will be carrying a Seahawk helicopter. The 1800km trip will take about three days, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority says.

Another Australian navy ship, the Ocean Shield, is due to leave Perth tomorrow to join the search. It is expected to take with it a black box locator and a submersible vehicle with arms and lights that could collect the box from its ocean grave.

INDIAN OCEAN: WHY MH370 IS SO HARD TO FIND

RELATIVES HOLD OUT HOPE OF SURVIVORS

The plane and its passengers have been missing for three weeks, but Malaysia's transport minister has vowed to continue the search for "possible survivors".

"No matter how remote the odds, we will pray, hope against hope, and continue to search for possible survivors,'' Mr Hussein said after meeting yesterday with relatives of Malaysian passengers and crew.

The hardest part was seeing the hope in their eyes, he said.

"Miracles do happen, remote or otherwise," said Mr Hussein.

He said the families needed assurances that the search to find the plane would continue.

"They said that no matter how remote, hope against hope, please continue looking for survivors," he said. "I gave them that assurance."

Selamat Omar, whose son, flight engineer Mohd Khairul Amri Selamat, was aboard, said he would not believe, until it was certain, that all the passengers had perished.

The emotions of the families have been severely tested for the last 22 days.

Desperate for answers ... relatives of passengers on board MH370 after a meeting with a government official at a hotel in Putrajaya, Malaysia on Saturday. Source: AP

Investigators are no longer convinced that satellite images that were thought to depict a "debris field" of 122 objects close to the original search area, 2,500km south-west of Perth, were bits of floating metal or bits of plane fuselage.

They also did not regard as credible reports that a Thai satellite had spied a separate debris field of some 300 objects.

This has thrown into confusion the earlier view that "pings" emanating from the plane's satellite reporting system had been detected near the original search area, some eight hours after the plane departed Kuala Lumpur.

A silence has now fallen over the reasons why the plane so radically departed its course.

The numerous theories ranging from hijack to pilot suicide to rapid depressurisation have been talked over so thoroughly that now nothing less than a decisive reason will suffice.

The US is desperate that the plane be located because it is a US-made Boeing, and it needs urgent and definitive answers as to whether a malfunction caused the plane to go down.

Under pressure ... Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein gestures as he listens to a question after meeting with relatives of passengers on board flight MH370. Source: AP

Most of the 239 passengers on MH370 were Chinese, and China is likewise pressing for a fast resolution in order to provide answers to hundreds of distraught relatives, who maintain their fury at Malaysia for what they see as its poor handling of the crisis.

Discussions are underway as to where the wreckage will be taken, if and when it is located. The Chinese are believed to be anxious not to surrender material to Malaysia, who through convention have automatic control of the investigation but lack the necessary skills.

Perth is the obvious place to conduct a forensic investigation, and China will need to be persuaded UK and US investigators have the skills to assess the cause of the crash, if the black box does not yield its secrets first.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has accepted the advice of international investigators which it says further refined the likely location of MH370, based on the new data analysis that the plane was travelling faster than first thought.

Weather was against the searchers today with a cold front bringing rain, low clouds and reduced visibility to the southern part of the search area, while moderate winds and swells of up to two meters were predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology.

Conditions are expected to improve by Sunday but rain, drizzle and low clouds are still likely.

###

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sex offender tracking data a secret

A GPS tracker fitted to an ankle. Prison authorities have refused to release the details of almost 1000 "events" picked up by GPS tracking of WA's worst sex offenders. Picture: file image Source: News Limited

PRISON authorities have refused to release the details of almost 1000 "events" picked up by GPS tracking of WA's worst sex offenders in the past year.

Events can include case notes that identify faults with the GPS device or suspicious activity such as entering an exclusion zone around a school, as well as the routine logging of appointments or drug tests.

The Department of Corrective Services has also refused to say whether three dangerous sex offenders charged with breaching their supervision orders as a result of that tracking remain out in the community.

The lack of detail, less than two weeks after repeat rapist TJD pleaded guilty to breaching his supervision orders within days of being released into the community, prompted the Opposition to call for greater transparency in the monitoring and treatment of dangerous sex offenders.

The Department of Corrective Services said the 998 "case notes" logged in the files of dangerous sex offenders between March 1 , 2013, and February 28 this year proved offenders were being monitored effectively. But it refused to release any more detail, citing "privacy reasons".

The case notes led to 18 charges for breach of supervision order – including curfew violations, entering an excluded zone and alcohol consumption – in the past 12 months.

Opposition corrective services spokesman Paul Papalia dismissed the claim that the high number of case notes – at a rate of one a week per monitored sex offender – was a sign the system was working.

"If it is evidence that they are being monitored, well then, release some of the details of the events so we know the nature of what's going on," Mr Papalia said.

There are 19 dangerous sex offenders released on supervision in WA. Five more have valid supervision orders but are in custody on other matters. A further 17 are held in indefinite detention.

Corrective Services Minister Joe Francis said this month that the GPS monitoring meant sex offenders "only have to look the wrong way" to face "significant consequences".

Mr Papalia said the public could have no confidence in that statement while the Government refused to say whether those who breached their supervision orders last year were back in jail.

Yesterday, Mr Francis said the Government was not deliberately withholding information. "I am not in the business of keeping secrets unless I am required to under privacy laws for operational security reasons," he said.

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Be quiet on the Quay, it’s after 8pm

The chairman of Business Improvement Group Northbridge, Mike Keillor, said waiters simply collecting plates in an al fresco area or people chatting outside a bar could create enough noise for a venue to be told off for breaking sound rules. Source: News Corp Australia

WA's waterfront precinct will be vibrant by day but there are fears it will become dead at night. Source: News Corp Australia

THERE are fears Perth's new waterfront precinct will be a "dead zone" at night because planning laws will restrict how much noise venues can make.

The chairman of Business Improvement Group Northbridge, Mike Keillor, said waiters simply collecting plates in an al fresco area or people chatting outside a bar could create enough noise for a venue to be told off for breaking sound rules.

"It's safe to say it could well end up being nowhere near as vibrant as what people want," he told The Sunday Times.

Perth Federal MP Alannah MacTiernan said it was a "genuine concern" that had to be addressed "very seriously".

"We've got problems in East Perth with some of the places that have been built next to the rail line," the former state planning minister said.

The $2.6 billion Elizabeth Quay precinct will be a mixed-used space with commercial businesses, such as bars and restaurants, alongside residential apartments and hotels.

Premier Colin Barnett announced this week that a 240-room Ritz-Carlton hotel would be developed on the site.

Mr Barnett also said 420 residential apartments would be housed in two towers adjacent to the Bell Tower.

The Government has said the Elizabeth Quay project will be "the centrepiece of a bold plan" to "revitalise our city".

But Mr Keillor, who co-owns The Mustang Bar in Northbridge, said that in shared spaces such as Elizabeth Quay businesses were often burdened with unrealistic expectations of residents.

"Everyone thinks inner-city living is a great idea," he said.

"Then they move in and they think, 'Gee, I wish the band downstairs would shut up'.

"Invariably the burden is unfairly shifted on to the business owners who have invested millions. They might be told not to use the al fresco area after 8pm – but people don't go out to eat until after 8pm."

The Elizabeth Quay "Sound Attenuation" policy says mixed land use environments can "generate a variety of noise sources including traffic, people, equipment, music and ambient street noise".

"All of these sounds are part of a rich urban fabric, however if not managed effectively can cause significant disturbance (noise nuisance) to those living and working close to noise sources," it says.

Alannah MacTiernan, the Federal MP for Perth. Source: News Corp Australia

Ms MacTiernan said this didn't go far enough. She said current laws needed to be strengthened so residential developments were forced to come up with designs that "massively" reduced noise.

"We're not strict enough because we don't want to add to the cost," she said.

"It can be done. They do it in Europe and in other parts of Australia. If you stay at the airport hotel in Melbourne you can look out the window and see the rivets on a plane and you can't hear a thing."

State Perth MP Eleni Evangel. Source: News Limited

Perth MP Eleni Evangel confirmed business owners had raised concerns about noise abatement at Elizabeth Quay. And Opposition planning spokeswoman Rita Saffioti warned the area could be a "dead zone" after dark.

Planning Minister John Day's office referred The Sunday Times to the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, which is the planning authority for the land.

MRA chief executive Kieran Kinsella said "careful consideration" had been given to sound abatement at the Quay.

He said developers had to to use design elements such as double glazing and acoustic insulation.

Developers must also alert buyers that the property is in an area likely to have higher noise levels than in traditional suburban areas.

Mr Kinsella said the Department of Environment Regulation and the City of Perth were ultimately responsible for ensuring compliance with noise regulations.

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Get used to it, congestion here to stay

New Transport Minister Dean Nalder says West Australians need to get used to gridlock in the Perth CBD Source: News Limited

NEW Transport Minister Dean Nalder says West Australians need to get used to crawling traffic in the Perth CBD because it's going to be there for "a long period of time".

Mr Nalder said there were limits to what the State Government could do to combat traffic congestion.

"I've actually lived in other cities in Australia, particularly Sydney, where I have experienced the level of congestion that exists there, so it is not a phenomenon that is just for Western Australia," he told The Sunday Times.

"We're not used to it. Whereas if you travel to Sydney, people are used to it so they do prepare and plan."

Mr Nalder, who was sworn in as Transport and Finance Minister earlier this month following the resignation of Troy Buswell, said it could take Sydney residents up to two hours to cross the CBD.

News Perth City congestion . Traffic at the on the Freeways at 5:26pm

"We'll do our bit, but there are limitations to what any government can do," he said.

"You can't keep doubling the size of the freeway."

In January, the Government launched a smart phone app to help motorists to avoid traffic hot spots. Mr Nalder said the Right Move Perth app would be expanded soon to also help drivers easily find vacant car parks across the city.

"A lot of people get caught up on the big projects – and they're exciting and they're important – but we need to look at a multiple number of levels with regard to transport solutions," he said.

"One of the problems people have at the moment is you go into (the city) and you start looking for a car park and you travel around everywhere.

"We'd love to see data fed in that allows people to quickly see on Right Move where parking spots are available."

Mr Nalder also called on drivers to do their bit to ease congestion by planning their journeys better. "At the end of the day, government has a role to play but it's a lot broader than that," he said.

"Government is a reflection of the community so we need the community to take some responsibility.

"We have a population that's heading towards 3.5 million over the next 30-40 years and if you travel the world and you get to cities with 3.5 million to 4 million people they have congestion."

The Opposition's transport spokesman Ken Travers said a fast, reliable public transport was needed to ease Perth's traffic congestion.

"That's the bit that the (Barnett Government) don't get and that's the bit that they're not doing," he said.

"What this Government has continually failed to do is understand how to meet the demand.

"We've seen overcrowding on trains because they failed to order the trains that they should have and then they have just completely failed to expand the system.

"You can't tell people to toughen up if you're not providing them with an alternative.

"You can't say we're an international city unless you're providing the infrastructure that an international city would have."

The Western Australian Bicycle Network Plan, which will see $47 million spent on cycling infrastructure over the next four years, was released by the Government yesterday.

Mr Nalder said a central focus of the plan was the building of shared footpaths.

Department of Transport's Right Move Perth app. www.transport.wa.gov.au Source: Supplied

Traffic app shows best way

THE WA Government wants drivers to use a new traffic app to plan their journey and avoid congestion.

The free Right Move Perth smartphone app alerts drivers to any traffic incidents.

It can access information on road works, crashes, traffic signal faults, train and bus service disruptions, major events and weather warnings.

It draws information from agencies including Main Roads WA, the Public Transport Authority and the Bureau of Meteorology and links to Google Maps.

Transport Minister Dean Nalder said the app would allow drivers to plan their route in advance.

"It's easy to use," he said.

www.rightmoveperth.wa.gov.au

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tears for Tauri: Four teens guilty

Tauri Litchfield, who was fatally attacked in Mandurah. Source: News Corp Australia

FOUR teenagers have been found guilty of manslaughter – but cleared of murder – of Mandurah sailmaker Tauri Litchfield, who was fatally attacked.

A fifth teenager, who is now 15, was cleared of all charges and released after 12 months in custody.

All five boys, now aged 15 to 16, were cleared of the more serious charge of murdering Mr Litchfield, who was found with fatal head injuries at Mandurah on St Patrick's Day last year.

In handing down his decision, Children's Court President Judge Denis Reynolds said he considered each of the accused's role on the day and while he thought the actions in relation to four was "threatening" and "intimidating behaviour" he did not think it constituted murder.

Speaking outside court, Mr Litchfield's sister Kirra said while they were satisfied with the decision, no verdict could have given their family the outcome they truly wanted which was to have Tauri back.

She said the past year had been difficult and, at times, unbearable, adding they wished the entire event had never happened.

Tauri Litchfield's girlfriend Lisa Emes, sister Kirra Litchfield and father Clive Litchfield outside court after the verdict. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper

But she said they were not shocked by Judge Reynold's decision, saying the prosecution had kept them informed through the entire trial process and that they knew towards the end that it was likely none of the teens would have been found guilty of murder.

Mr Litchfield's father Clive, who at times struggled to hold back tears, said he had been expecting the verdict, and was pleased that four of the accused were found guilty of manslaughter.

He also said that he wanted to thank the people who tried to help his son the night he died, saying he would be forever grateful.

He said that at times he felt like his son was on trial but was vindicated in the end.

Each family member marked the anniversary of his death at the beach and said they wanted Mr Litchfield to be remembered for his smile, big heart and adventurous personality.

Four teens have been found guilty of the manslaughter of Tauri Litchfield, 28.

The teenagers, who all pleaded not guilty, were accused of chasing the 28-year-old to his death, on March 17 last year.

They were also accused of "herding" him as he tried to flee after he was punched and kicked in the face after slapping one of the teens who tried to pick his pocket.

Mr Litchfield tripped or fell over a ledge then hit his head on bitumen, suffering fatal injuries.

He was later found unconscious by passers-by in a car park on Pinjarra Road. He was taken to hospital, but died a short time later from severe head injuries.

The case against a sixth boy was dropped earlier in the trial.

Judge Reynolds said Mr Litchfield was trying to flee from the group when he tripped over the wall at the Taubman's carpark on Pinjarra Road on St Patrick's Day last year.

"I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Litchfield's level of fear for his own safety and wellbeing would have been extreme,'' he said.

``It would have caused him to continue to run as fast as he could and to go over the wall to try and escape.''

Judge Reynolds said each of the four defendants chased Mr Litchfield for the purpose of further asssaulting him.

"Indeed the chase, in the context of what happened before, is an assault itself, given the definition of assault,'' the Judge said.

"While there as a pickpocketing earlier on, my view of the evidence, the phone falling out of Mr Litchfield's pocket and being picked up by of one the accused was opportunistic . . . an ongoing unlawful purpose of assault," he said.

"For all those reasons in the case of each defendant I am not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the unlawful killing was murder."

Despite suggestions during the trial that the victim had been agitated after celebrating St Patrick's Day with friends, Judge Reynolds said there was nothing to suggest Mr Litchfield was ``unduly aggressive or hostile'' from alcohol or cannabis consumption.

In finding the teens guilty of manslaughter, Judge Reynolds said he could also have found them guilty of doing an unlawful act causing death, but concluded their actions amounted to manslaughter.

The four teens, who are in custody, have been remanded for sentencing on April 24.

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Strike forces 95 schools to close

A protest rally over education funding cuts in September. Source: News Limited

EDUCATION Minister Peter Collier has revealed that 95 WA schools will close because of Tuesday's teachers' strike.

At a press conference this afternoon, Mr Collier revealed the extent of the fallout from the planned rally and slammed the action as "political", "unnecessary" and "irresponsible".

The 95 schools include 55 primary schools, 22 high or district high schools, 15 education support centres and three remote schools. About half of those were in the metropolitan area and the other half in country areas, including a "significant number" in the Pilbara.

Mr Collier described the rally – a "complete disruption" to the public education system – as "political opportunism" by unions just days before the April 5 WA Senate election re-run.

"I want to say at the outset I am extremely disappointed that the strike is going ahead," he said.

"Quite frankly, I think it is political, I think it is unnecessary and I think it's irresponsible. We have an excellent public education system - we have the best resourced schools and students of any state in the nation. We pay our teachers better than any other teacher of any state in the nation.

Education Minister Peter Collier.

"It's about one in eight schools at this stage (that will be affected on Tuesday). That is a disruption to students, which is simply unneccesarry."

He said the strike was "unlawful" because there was no industrial basis for the strike action.

"If the three unions involved and the Save our Schools organisation felt so compelled to engage in industrial action, they could have done it during the school vacation," he said.

Teachers from across the state will walk off the job on Tuesday in protest against controversial education cuts.

The planned Community Day of Action, organised by an alliance of the State School Teachers Union, United Voice and parent group SOS, follows a mass rally involving about 15,000 educators and parents in September when more than 60 schools were closed.

Premier Colin Barnett has previously said he did not believe the state's teachers truly supported another strike but would follow the lead of their union.

The strike will start at Langley Park at 10am on Tuesday followed by a march up St Georges Terrace to Parliament House, with speeches starting at 12pm.

Mr Collier said teachers who did not attend school on Tuesday would have their pay docked, and students who did not attend schools that remained opened on Tuesday would face having a "unauthorised absence" marked next to their names.

THE SCHOOLS AUTHORISED TO CLOSE ON TUESDAY:

Goldfields Education Region

Coolgardie Primary School

Menzies Community School

Ngaanyatjarra Lands School (Wingellina Campus only)

O'Connor Education Support Centre

O'Connor Primary School

Ravensthorpe District High School

Kimberley Education Region

Jungdranung Remote Community School

Mid West Education Region

Bluff Point Primary School

Carnarvon Community College (Marmion Street Campus only)

Holland Street School

John Willcock College

Mt Tarcoola Primary School

Mullewa District High School

Waggrakine Primary School

North Metropolitan Education Region

Arbor Grove Primary School

Bambara – Padbury Community Kindergarten

Belridge Education Support Centre

Davallia Primary School

Dianella Heights Primary School

Duncraig Senior High School

Eddystone Primary School

Gidgegannup Primary School

Helena Valley Primary School

Inglewood Primary School

Joondalup Education Support Centre

Joondalup Primary School

Kinross College

Lockridge Primary School

Moorditj Noongar Community College

Mundaring Primary School

Roseworth Education Support Centre

Swan View Senior High School

Wanneroo Senior High School

Yanchep District High School

Pilbara Education Region

Baler Primary School

Cassia Primary School

Cassia Education Support Centre

Karratha Primary School

Newman Primary School

Newman Senior High School

Port Hedland Primary School

South Hedland Primary School

Tambrey Primary School

Wickham Primary School

South Metropolitan Education Region

Armadale Education Support Centre

Belmont Primary School

Bertram Primary School

Bull Creek Primary School

Bungaree Primary School

Cannington Community Education Support Centre

Carcoola Primary School

Castlereagh School

Cloverdale Primary School

Coolbellup Learning Centre

East Waikiki Primary School

Fremantle Primary School

Kalamunda Primary School Education Support Centre

Kardinya Primary School

Kelmscott Primary School

Kensington Secondary School

Kenwick School

Lathlain Primary School

Leda Education Support Centre

Maida Vale Primary School

Malibu School

Meadow Spring Education Support Centre

Medina Primary School

North Dandalup Primary School

Safety Bay Senior High School

Samson Primary School

Southern River College

Success Primary School

Walliston Primary School

Westfield Park Primary School

Wilson Primary School

Winterfold Primary School

Yule Brook College

South West Education Region

Allanson Primary School

Amaroo Primary School

Borden Primary School

Bridgetown High School

Collie Senior High School

Maidens Park Primary School

Manjimup Education Support Centre

Nannup District High School

Northcliffe District High School

South Bunbury Primary School

Spencer Park Education Support Centre

Wheatbelt Education Region

Avonvale Education Support Centre

East Narrogin Primary School

Kellerberrin District High School

Narrogin Primary School

Southern Cross District High School

Toodyay District High School

Wongan Hills District High School

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Violent truckie jailed for bash death

A violent, alcoholic truckdriver has been jailed for 11 years for the bashing death of his ex-girlfriend in Bullsbrook in August 2012. Source: News Limited

Police at the scene of the Hillside Place, Bullsbrook property, where mother-of-two Roma Pollitt, 60, died. Source: News Limited

AN alcoholic truck driver who bashed his ex-girlfriend and left her to die a week after a restraining order against him lapsed has been jailed for 11 years.

Mark Charles Hill, 56, will not be released from jail until at least August 2021, after he was convicted of the unlawful killing of mother-of-two Roma Pollitt, 60, at her Bullsbrook home.

Ms Pollitt's battered body was found in her semi-rural home in August 2012.

Hill was found to have been the one who inflicted the injuries, after earlier threatening Ms Pollitt over money he said she owed him for repairs to her car.

In WA's Supreme Court Judge Michael Corboy found that after viciously beating Ms Pollitt to her head, neck, ribs and back, Hill left her dying in her lounge room.

A post mortem concluded she died around three hours after the injuries were inflicted, by which time Hill was on his way to Esperance, where he was eventually arrested.

During sentencing, it was revealed Hill had been jailed in 2011 for an assault on another girlfriend, in breach of a restraining order she had taken out against him.

That assault was also described as violent and significant.

Hill also had convictions for stalking another woman, and disorderly behaviour on a plane stemming from a violent argument with another female friend while on a flight from Perth to Melbourne.

Ms Pollitt had taken out a two-year violence restraining order against Hill in 2010.

Judge Corboy described Hill's criminal past as a "disturbing pattern", culminating in the deadly assault on Ms Pollitt.

"The fact you left the deceased (without help) is a most serious aggravating factor," Judge Corboy said.

In victim impact statements, Ms Pollitt's family described her as a kind, loving, gentle and free-spirited woman whose death had left the family without an important element.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Perth memorial for MH370’s lost souls

A cross and wreath in memory of those on board the lost Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is fixed to a fence surrounding RAAF Pearce airbase in Bullsbrook, north of Perth. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

A MEMORIAL for the passengers and crew of Flight MH370 is being planned in Perth ahead of the arrival of family members.

It's understood a book of condolence in which people can leave messages could form part of a memorial at Perth International Airport.

The airport confirmed it was in talks with the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) and the Commonwealth about cultural protocols.

A cross and wreath in memory of MH370 passengers and crew was earlier this week placed on the fence at Royal Australian Air Force's Pearce Air Base in Bullsbrook, north of Perth.

Malaysia Airlines has previously said it would transport relatives to Perth once parts of the plane are found.

High-level discussions are continuing between state and federal governments about logistics should debris from MH370 be confirmed.

The DPC, which is supporting the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, has put a number WA agencies on standby.

A Department of Health spokesman said it would provide services if called upon by the Federal Government.

The State Emergency Management Committee, WA's peak emergency management body, is not involved at this stage, its secretariat confirmed.

Asked if inquests could be held in Perth into the deaths of MH370 passengers and crew, a spokeswoman for the Coroner's Court said: "Until the State Coroner has jurisdiction, there will be no comment."

On Thursday, the Chinese Consulate-General in Perth held a briefing for leaders of the city's Chinese community.

Sammy Yap, president of the Chung-Wah Association, said people from all backgrounds, not just Chinese, were volunteering to help.

"We hope to get called on to help. We do have quite a few people from the public ready to volunteer, that's been heartwarming," he said.

"Many of (the passengers' relatives) will not have been to Australia before.

"We will do anything we can to make their stay in Perth more comfortable and to enable them to grieve properly."

On Sunday, the 239 people on-board the Malaysia Airlines jet will be remembered at a service at the Fo Guang Shan Temple in Maylands.

The Buddha's Light International Association of WA is holding its annual prayer service Qing Ming Dharma, which commemorates deceased relatives.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Search planes spot multiple objects

Thailand has spotted 300 floating objects in the southern Indian Ocean during a search for flight MH370.

A Thaichote satellite image shows some of the 300 objects seen floating in the Indian Ocean near the search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner, about 2700 kilometres from Perth. Picture: AP Source: AP

MULTIPLE objects of various colours have been spotted during the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.

A RNZAF Orion first spotted the objects, which were white or light in colour, and a RAAF Orion then also found the two objects, reporting they were blue or grey rectangular shapes.

A second RAAF Orion also spotted more objects on a separate search at a different site roughly 546 kilometres away, AMSA said.

Ten search planes involved in Friday's search have returned to land.

The debris must now be relocated and recovered by ships before they can be verified. A Chinese patrol ship in the area will attempt to track down the objects today.

Photographs of the objects are to be assessed overnight.

The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was shifted north after new information from Malaysia crash investigators.

Japanese authorities also announced overnight that they have satellite images which show a number of floating objects about 2500 kilometres southwest of Perth.

This comes as Malaysian authorities today received satellite imagery from Thailand.

"Early this morning we received separate satellite imagery from the Thai authorities which also showed potential objects," Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said.

"These new satellite images join those released by Australia, China, France, and Malaysia, all of which are with RCC Australia.

"The range of potential objects, and the difficulty in re-identifying them shows just how complex this investigation is. We remain grateful to all our partners for continuing to assist in the search operations."

Authorities said the location of the search area is the reason why some countries have withdrawn from the search effort.

Meanwhile, relatives of the Chinese passengers aboard missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have demanded China mount its own inquiry into the disappearance, a letter shows.

The letter, sent to Beijing's special envoy in Kuala Lumpur, denounced Malaysia's handling of the search and asked the Chinese government to set up its own "investigation office''.

A committee set up by relatives of the 153 Chinese passengers has begun discussions with lawyers about a potential lawsuit against Malaysia Airlines, a move that the family members have hotly debated among themselves.

"We question Malaysia's motivations in misleading and delaying so as to miss the best moment to find MH370,'' the relatives wrote in the letter to special envoy Zhang Yesui on Thursday, blasting Kuala Lumpur's behaviour as "irresponsible'' and "inhumane''.

"We earnestly request that China establish an investigation office into MH370,'' the letter states, also urging "an effective communication system between the relatives and the government''.

Asked about the request, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters today: "We have repeatedly pointed out that under the current circumstances what is pressing now is the search.''

There were 153 Chinese citizens on board the flight and the letter came days after frustrated family members staged a protest in front of the Malaysian embassy in Beijing.

Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said it was not yet clear whether Malaysia and China would continue a co-share arrangement on the flight route between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.

"We obviously will be in discussion with China Southern on this because that flight is a co-share," he said.

"So far Boeing has not provided any form of funding but they are in full cooperation with the investigation team, and ourselves as well, trying to find out what happened to MH370."

When asked about compensation for the relatives of victims, Mr Yahya said that what families wanted most was evidence of the aircraft.

"We are obviously talking to the various legal parties and the families on this," he said.

"So far what we have been requested is actually, certainly by the family members, is to identify the evidence affirmatively which means they want to see evidence in terms of the aircraft.

"They are still looking for the evidence of the aircraft. That's why the search has actually intensified to make sure we can locate the aircraft."

PLANE FLEW FASTER, CRASHED SOONER THAN THOUGHT

New analysis of radar data from Malaysia Airlines' flight MH370's initial hour in the air indicates the plane flew faster and crashed sooner than previously thought.

The search off Perth has today shifted dramatically, more than 1000km northeast and closer to the Australian coast, after Malaysian authorities shared "a new credible lead".

Australia is no longer convinced the satellite images that supposedly depicted debris fields in the southern Indian Ocean are bits of floating plane fuselage or flotsam associated with the wreck of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

A senior source close to the search said it had cooled on its belief that a debris field of 122 objects was related to plane wreckage. The source also said that reports a Thai satellite had located a separate debris field of some 300 objects were not being treated as credible by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority or the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

SOUTHERN INDIAN OCEAN: WHY FLIGHT MH370 IS SO HARD TO FIND

The Australian authorities had not received any formal information from Thailand and have now dismissed the reports, which they first heard via the media.

It is not clear what the white specks seen on satellite — some reported to be as large as 20m — did in fact show.

But Australia is of the view that it has thoroughly combed the area where 122 objects were supposedly seen, and despite unconfirmed aerial sightings of three objects in the area, ships had found nothing.

On day 21 of the search John Young, manager of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's emergency response division, said this afternoon that four planes were in the area, and that six ships were on the way to the new zone, which was "now our best place to go".

"We have moved on from (previous) search areas,'' said Mr Young.

"The search we've had to date is what we had at the time. New information will emerge.

"I don't count the original work a waste of time.''

MEMORIAL IN PERTH PLANNED FOR MH370 VICTIMS

Latest development ... The new search zone for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. Source: Supplied

Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), Australia's investigation agency, said this is the best estimate of the area where the aircraft is likely to have crashed into the ocean.

"We have taken into account drift information as well as the likely entry point of the aircraft into the water," he said.

The key pieces of information being analysed relate to early positional information from the aircraft and its later polling of the satellite through its aircraft systems, he said.

"The new information is based on continuing analysis of radar data about the aircraft's movement between the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca before contact was lost.

"This continuing analysis indicated the plane was travelling faster than previously estimated, resulting in increased fuel usage and reducing the possible distance the aircraft travelled south into the Indian Ocean.

"Radar and satellite polling data has been combined with information about the likely performance of the aircraft, speed and fuel consumption in particular, to arrive at the best assessment of the area at which the aircraft is likely to have entered the water.

"The information provided by the international investigation team is the most credible lead that we currently have in the search for aircraft wreckage."

FLIGHT MH370: SOUNDS OF THE DEEP MAY HINDER SEARCH

Mr Dolan said the information needed to be continually adjusted for the length of time elapsed since the aircraft went missing and the likelihood of any drift of any wreckage floating on the ocean surface.

"Finally we stress that under the international convention Malaysia has investigative responsibility for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. At this stage ATSB's main task is to assist in the search for the aircraft."

FLIGHT MH370: MEET THE AUSTRALIAN WHO SHOULD BE DEAD

Organisers arrange black ribbons during a ceremony in memory of passengers on board the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in Kuala Lumpur. Source: AP

The new search area is approximately 319,000 square kilometres and around 1,850 kilometres west of Perth. AMSA resumed today's search with a total of 10 aircraft and six ships.

My Young said the search area remains large: about 319,000 square kilometres with sea depths in the new area range from 2000 metres to 4000 metres.

Planes and ships had spent a week searching about 2500 kilometres southwest of Perth, whereas now they are searching about 1850 kilometres west of the city.

Mr Young said that as the new search zone is closer to Perth, where planes are being flown from, spotters have longer time on the scene than before. Until now, they only had one to two hours before having to return to RAAF air base Pearce.

"We're now doing much better than that,'' Mr Young said.

He added the "best information" about where to search related to the aircraft's flight path, rather than satellite imagery of possible debris.

"Anything we can have about movement of aircraft creates the greatest degree of confidence," he said.

"We've also had satellite imagery. Satellite imagery has been followed up but actually had not produced any sightings for us but that might change in the future.

"We also use sophisticated oceanographic modelling to determine where objects will move. In terms of keeping the search area confined, knowing what happens to the water is very important."

A host of images from Japanese, Thai and French satellites had given searchers hope — now apparently false — that a debris field from the plane was in the earlier search area. Collectively they detected hundreds of objects ranging from 1 metre to about 20 metres in length.

Mike Coffin, the executive director of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at Australia's University of Tasmania, said the frequency of the apparent false alarms raised questions about the quality of the satellite data, though it's also possible that the satellites detected real objects that were simply unrelated to the plane. Mr Coffin has sailed in that part of the ocean.

"There is all kinds of debris in the ocean,'' he said. "When you are out there, you see stuff all the time.''

Mr Young said a "significant amount of random dispersion of objects" would have occurred in the 21 days since the plane crashed, steadily increasing the size of the search area.

Weather conditions in the new search area will also be more favourable, he said.

As the search continues, Malaysia Airlines is struggling to control the backlash from China and took a swipe at the media over its irresponsible reporting.

"Malaysia Airlines wishes to thank media publications that have been responsible in their reporting of MH370," it said in a statement.

"We shall continue to cooperate in providing such information as we can but independent investigations are now underway and we do operate under strict constraints in this regard.

"In the meantime our top priority remains to provide any and all assistance to the families of the passengers and crew."

Remembered ... Motor racing driver Lewis Hamilton prepares to drive with a sticker on his helmet in memory of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 during practice for the Malaysia F1 Grand Prix. Source: Getty Images

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he has been briefed about the new radar data analysis of the flight path.

"This is a credible new lead and will be thoroughly investigated today," Mr Abbott said.

"This is an extraordinarily difficult search, and an agonising wait for family and friends of the passengers and crew," he added.

"As I have said from the start, we owe it to them to follow every credible lead and to keep the public informed of significant new developments. That is what we are doing."

The Prime Minister said leading experts from around the world are working to solve this "baffling mystery".

"It has been a truly remarkable international effort."

"We will continue to work closely with the Malaysian and Chinese governments and with all our international partners to locate MH370 and find answers to what happened to it."

New search directions ... Flight Lt. Jayson Nichols looks at a map as he flies aboard a RAAF AP-3C Orion. Picture: Michael Martina Source: AP

It was announced yesterday that Thai and Japanese satellites had spotted other floating objects ranging from two to 16 metres in length, about 2700 kilometres southwest of Perth.

"But we cannot — dare not — confirm they are debris from the plane," said Anond Snidvongs, director of Thailand's space technology development agency.

Japan's Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Centre said their analysis showed 10 objects in the search area, suggesting a debris field.

The objects were up to eight metres in length and four metres wide.

Jiji Press cited an official at the office as saying they were "highly likely'' to be from the plane.

Family ... a woman breaks into tears as she places a paper crane as a symbol for hope and healing during a ceremony in memory of passengers on board the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight. Picture: AP Source: AP

SEARCH ZONE: Understanding the Indian Ocean

But relatives of the 239 people aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 expressed their frustration at yet more satellite discoveries that have not been backed up by the recovery of any actual debris.

"Until something is picked up and analysed to make sure it's from MH370 we can't believe it, but without anything found it's just clues,'' Steve Wang, whose 57-year-old mother was aboard the flight, said in Beijing.

"Without that, it's useless."

Wang Zhen, whose parents were aboard the missing plane, said in a telephone interview in Beijing that he was becoming exasperated.

"There is nothing I can do but to wait, and wait,'' he said. "I'm also furious, but what is the use of getting furious?''

The families' anger has not diminished this week; the Straits Times reported that Malaysian authorities infuriated passengers' loved ones by telling them at a briefing this week that there was "sealed evidence that cannot be made public" in relation to the missing flight.

"The sealed evidence included air traffic control radio transcript, radar data and airport security recordings," the paper reported.

The remarks by Malaysian authorities — made at the Metropark Lido Hotel in Beijing — have not been reported by other major newspapers, despite being widely shared on social media.

Mission control ... a navigation screen aboard an AP-3C Orion aircraft shows their current location represented by a white circle during their mission to the (former) search area. Source: AFP

THE LATEST SATELLITE IMAGES

The new pictures were taken by Thailand's only earth observation satellite on Monday but took several days to process and were relayed to Malaysian authorities on Wednesday.

The discovery was reported less than 24 hours after the Malaysian government revealed 122 objects had been seen about 2557 kilometres from Perth, ranging in length from one metre to 23 metres.

It's unknown whether the satellites detected the same objects; currents in the ocean can run a meter per second and wind also could move material.

Thailand faced criticism after announcing more than a week after the jet's disappearance on March 8 that its radar had picked up an "unknown aircraft" minutes after flight MH370 last transmitted its location.

The Thai air force said it did not report the findings earlier as the plane was not considered a threat.

The Malaysia Airlines plane is presumed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean with 239 people on board after mysteriously diverting from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing path and apparently flying for hours in the opposite direction.

Blue skies but fading hopes ... RAAF Flight Lieutenant Russell Adams looks out from the cockpit. Picture: Paul Kane Source: AFP

CHALLENGES OF THE SEARCH

Thunderstorms and gale-force winds grounded the international air search for wreckage on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the specialist visual spotters who have spent countless hours searching the vast Indian Ocean for signs of the missing plane are battling fatigue and tricks of the mind.

For all the fancy technology on board the planes and vessels scouring the swirling waters, the best tool searchers have are their own eyes — but they can play tricks or blink at the wrong moment.

Fighting fatigue ... a RAAF crew member looks out of his observation window while searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean. Picture: AP Source: AP

RELATED: How MH370 saga will impact on Malaysia

"Thinking about that is what keeps you going over what can be really, really long and quite dull missions at times,'' says one searcher. "Is it going to be behind this next wave?''

"You might be looking for a single canoe in the vastness of the Pacific and we do find them.

"So there is always hope.''

Remembered ... a woman takes a photo of a screen showing candles lit for relatives of passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the Metro Park Lido Hotel in Beijing. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Your chance to grill the Premier

Coffee with Colin: Get ready for your second chance to fire a question at Premier Colin Barnett. Source: News Corp Australia

COLIN Barnett is back for more grilling from PerthNow readers – and this time we're doing it on a train.

PerthNow readers are being given the chance to hand-pick the questions they believe the Premier should answer in a new series, dubbed Coffee with Colin.

Each month, Mr Barnett will sit down with PerthNow and answer the 10 questions readers most want answered.

During the first Coffee with Colin last month, the Premier came under fire for telling West Australians who believe Elizabeth Quay and Perth's new stadium should pay the price for education cuts to "get a life".

Thursday's segment of Coffee with Colin will be recorded during a morning commute on a Perth train.

And readers will be able to hear exactly what the Premier had to say – with an audio recording of the monthly chats uploaded to the website.

Simply vote in the poll below and we'll ask the 10 most popular questions – as judged by PerthNow readers – on Thursday.

Is there a question you really want answered? Write your question in the comments below.

We will also be asking the question we believe is the best wildcard question offered by a PerthNow reader in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

————————————————————

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fever coach threatened

West Coast Fever' coach Norma Plummer has been the target of a written threat. Picture: Marie Nirme Source: News Limited

WEST Coast Fever coach Norma Plummer was the target of a written threat that has forced the club to beef up security during its trip to New Zealand.

The Dunedin-based person posted the threat on Plummer's personal website late last year, the club confirmed this afternoon.

The Fever worked with the Australian Federal Police and New Zealand officials during the team's stay in Dunedin, where the Fever lost 66-65 to Southern Steel on Saturday.

West Coast is still in New Zealand preparing for its match against the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic on Sunday.

A Fever spokesperson said the safety of the team and its support staff was Netball WA's highest priority.

Plummer was unavailable to comment ahead of Sunday's clash.

The New Zealand Herald reported Plummer was the target of death threats understood to be made by a fan that had left the coach shaken.

Plummer was in charge of the Australian national team from 2003-2011 and oversaw many battles with the New Zealand side when the two nations were the top-ranked outfits in the world.

Follow Chris Robinson on Twitter: @CJKRobinson

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

The final minutes of flight MH370

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says new data confirms that missing Malaysian Airline flight 370 ended journey in southern Indian Ocean. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

Sad end ... distraught relatives react to the news the plane went down. Picture: Goh Chai Hin/AFP Source: AFP

As it has unfolded, the mystery of missing flight MH370 and the incredible twists and turns in world news coverage.

MALAYSIAN authorities have revealed more about the final minutes of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and now say that it probably plunged into the ocean sometime between 8.11am and 9.15am on Saturday March 8.

The new details, which were garnered from never before used technology, have helped trace the Boeing 777-200's final deadly flight path.

MH370 was last captured by satellite at 8.11am in a wide arc covering two massive northern and southern corridors. This was its last complete "handshake" with the Inmarsat satellite.

After that, at 8.19am there was evidence of the jetliner making a partial handshake with the ground station.

Then, sometime between 8.19am and 9.15am, it was no longer communicating with the ground station.

Investigators have therefore concluded that MH370 disappeared and crashed into a remote area of the southern Indian Ocean during that time.

By this time the jet would have been out of fuel. Authorities have previously said that at 8.11am the jetliner would have had about 30 minutes worth of fuel left.

The news details of MH370's final flight path and its mystery disappearance were released last night by Malaysia's Defence and acting Transport Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, in Kuala Lumpur.

Difficult to watch ... Selamat Omar, 60, who's son Khairul Amri was on a missing Malaysia Airlines plane, reacts while watching a live broadcast of a press conference on the latest developments in the search. Source: AP

They details were analysed by the satellite provider, Inmarsat and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Board, or AAIB.

Authorities are now treating the information as definitive and the search effort, in the northern corridor, has been called off. So too has the search in the northern part of the southern corridor, close to Indonesia.

Australia is now leading the search effort in the southern part of the southern corridor, 2500km south west of Perth which has now been narrowed from 2.24 million square nautical miles to 469,207 square nautical miles.

As many as 12 aircraft are expected to be involved in the search tomorrow, including seven military aircraft and five civil aircraft.

HMAS Success will return to the search area and conduct a surface sweep of an area identified on Monday afternoon by a Royal Australian Air Force P3 Orion as the location for several objects of interest.

GALLERY: The search for MH370

Mr Hussein said he presumed that any debris from the missing plane would be brought to Australia and he suggested that it would fall to Australia as well to investigate.

However under ICAO laws, if the plane crashed in international waters, the investigation is the responsibility of the country of the carrier.

Malaysia's responsibility ... if the wreckage is found in international water the responsibility for the recovery of the missing plane would lie with Malaysia. Source: AFP

Searches were yesterday called off due to bad weather. A further two Korean aircraft were expected in Perth and six Chinese ships are in the search region.

Mr Hussein said that special sonar equipment from America — known as towed pinger locator — was due to arrive in Perth on Wednesday and would be transferred to the Australian ship, Ocean Shield, which is expected to dock in Perth on March 28. The ship and the locator is then due to arrive at the search area on April 5.

The equipment will help in the bid to locate the plane's black box, which holds many of the keys to what happened to the plane and why it veered so far off its course from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.

Mr Hussein told the Malaysian Parliament yesterday of his "gratitude" to Australia for its role in leading the search operation.

Meanwhile the Malaysian Police chief yesterday refused to release any findings of the police investigation so far. The investigation continue to focus on four areas — hijack, sabotage or personal or psychological problems among the pilots, crew or passengers.

"I am not ready to release any findings yet because that would jeopardise the ongoing investigations," Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said.

Devastated ... Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, left, speaks during a press conference as Nor Yusof, chairman of Malaysia Airlines listens at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Vincent Thian Source: AP

'WE'RE PRAYING FOR PASSENGERS AND CREW'

The CEO of Malaysia Airlines says the airline has extended its prayers to the families of the 239 passengers on board missing Flight MH370.

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said he was devastated the passengers didn't make it to their destination alive.

"We do not know why, we do not know how this terrible tragedy happened. But as MAS family, we all praying for passengers & crew of MH370," he told a media conference in Kuala Lumpur.

The airline was criticised for informing relatives by text message that the plane had crashed, but the CEO said they did so as they wanted the families to hear the news before the rest of the world.

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said all next-of-kin relatives had been paid $5000. He said the Australian Government would only grant visas to relatives once evidence of the plane had been found.

Asked if he would resign, he said it was a personal decision, and it would be taken later.

In Beijing, hundreds of angry protesters, many of them relatives of passengers, gathered at the Malaysian embassy to demonstrate against the Malaysia's handling of the disaster.

The search effort for wreckage from the lost airliner will be boosted with the arrival of a South Korean C-130 Hercules transport and P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft at the RAAF's Pearce base near Perth.

Furious ... Chinese relatives walk towards the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing, China, where hundreds of protesters gathered to demand answers from Malaysian authorities about the fate of the flight. Picture: Lintao Zhang Source: Getty Images

The hunt for debris was suspended earlier due to bad weather as huge seas slammed the search area.

At midday today the sea state was estimated at between six and seven on the World Meteorological Organisation chart and that means waves of between four and nine metres.

Such conditions make finding or retrieving any debris virtually impossible and they increase the risk of wreckage sinking under the weight of the waves.

"Due to rough seas, HMAS Success departed the search area early this morning and is now in transit south of the search area until seas abate," the Australian Maritime Safety Authority advised this morning.

"The area is also forecast to experience strong gale force winds of up to 80km/h, periods of heavy rain, and low cloud with a ceiling between 200 and 500 feet."

AMSA said conducting the search in such conditions would be hazardous and pose a risk to crews.

This morning, AMSA stated that search operations were "expected to resume tomorrow, if weather conditions permit", but if conditions continue to deteriorate it could be several days before the search is resumed.

The suspension comes after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed that a new analysis of satellite data showed that the missing plane plunged into the Indian Ocean, presumably killing all those on board.

The cause of the incident remains unknown, although there are increasing suggestions that pilot suicide may have been to blame.

Search suspended ... this satellite image shows severe tropical cyclone Gillian off the Western Australian coast. Credit: Bureau of Meteorology Source: Supplied

Mr Najib said the Inmarsat satellite company had taken advantage of a never-before used technology and found that MH370 flew along the southern corridor.

"Its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean west of Perth," he said 17 days after MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board.

Search mission ... the crew of an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft during the search yesterday. Picture: Richard Wainwright Source: Getty Images

The United States Navy is also sending a deep-sea drone to help in the search for the emergency signals that should be being emitted by MH370's 'black boxes'. These signals are supposed to be automatically activated in the event of a crash.

The Bluefin 21 drone is designed to be flown to areas of need before being towed behind a ship at depths where it is still enough and quiet enough to hear the "pings".

The search for the missing Boeing 777 is taking place in a section of the southern Indian Ocean known as the "Roaring Forties" for the strong westerly winds that blow between latitude 40 degrees and 50 degrees.

University of New South Wales oceanographer Dr Erik van Seville said the area was characterised by cold fronts that sweep east every four to five days, causing pounding 6m waves and churning up the icy seas.

"This is the beginning of the roaring 40s, where the influence of the Antarctic continent starts," he said.

"The winds become very strong, the water temperature is about 4 degrees and the waves are very high."

REACTION: Sadness touches all in Malaysia

Satellite data has confirmed flight MH370 carrying 239 people crashed into the southern Indian Ocean.

FORMULA ONE CONCERT CANCELLED 'AS A SIGN OF RESPECT'

A concert to mark Malaysia's Formula One Grand Prix weekend which was set to feature US star Christina Aguilera has been cancelled due to a passenger jet crash, its sponsor said.

State oil company Petronas, which sponsors the Mercedes F1 racing team and the annual concert, said it called off the show as "a sign of respect to the families and next-of-kin of the crew and passengers of flight MH370".

Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that the Malaysia Airlines flight, which went missing on March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard, had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean.

The concert was to be held Friday and Saturday at the Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers and feature Aguilera, Korean star Rain and R & B musician Craig David.

"It is truly a tragedy and we are deeply saddened about the crew and passengers of flight MH370," said a statement by Petronas on the concert's Facebook page.

Formula One organisers were to meet later today to discuss a possible tribute to victims at this weekend's event.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg, who arrived in the Malaysian capital earlier, said on Twitter that "all my prayers go to friends & families of the passengers on # MH370".

Malaysia will also host a Eurasia Cup golf tournament and the prestigious Laureus sports awards this week.

Laureaus World Sports Academy, which will honour last year's top sports figures Wednesday, said it would have a reduced program because of the disaster.

Academy chairman Edwin Moses said a football friendly between past greats would be dedicated to those hit by the disaster

FAMILIES INFORMED BY TEXT MESSAGE

Malaysia Airlines informed the relatives of MH370 passengers of the news via SMS message.

"Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived ... we must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean," the text stated.

At the press conference, Mr Najib confirmed the worst fears of passengers' families.

"This is a remote location far from any possible landing sites," he said.

Informed by text message ... grieving relatives after being told the news. Picture: Goh Chai Hin Source: AFP

"It is therefore with deep sadness that I regret that I must inform you that according to this new data that MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.

"The past few weeks have been heartbreaking. I know this news must be harder still."

The announcement was greeted with an outpouring of grief by the relatives of passengers.

The loved-ones of Chinese passengers, who made up the majority of travellers on the flight, were called to a hotel near the airport in Beijing to hear the announcement. Afterwards, they filed out of a conference room grief-stricken.

One woman collapsed and fell on her knees, crying "My son! My son!"

Heartbreak ... a relative of a passenger on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries after hearing the news that the plane plunged into the Indian Ocean. Picture: Goh Chai Hin/AFP Source: AFP

MH370: Copilot's first 777 flight without a minder

ANALYSIS: Recovery operation will stretch Australia's capabilities

ANGER FROM FAMILIES

A statement purporting to be from families of the passengers denounced the airline, the Malaysian government and the military as "the real executioners".

"From March 8 when they announced that MH370 lost contact to today, 18 days have passed during which the Malaysian government and the military constantly tried to delay, deceive the passengers' families and cheat the whole world," the statement read in part.

"We will take every possible means to pursue the unforgivable crimes and responsibility of all three (the airline, government and military)."

The veracity of the statement has not yet been verified.

It refers to 154 passengers who died, suggesting that the statement has been made on behalf of the victims of the families of the Chinese passengers only.

Most of the relatives refused to speak to gathered reporters and some lashed out in anger, urging journalists not to film the scene. Security guards restrained a man with close-cropped hair as he kicked a TV cameraman and shouted, "Don't film. I'll beat you to death!"

The daughter of MH370's chief steward Andrew Nari sent Twitter messages after the news broke. Maira Elizabeth Nari said: "I just don't know what to say about it. :')

In another message, she wrote: "I don't know what to say to all of you, but thank you so much for the support. To my closest friends, thank you. God bless all of you! :') x"

The airline said it would transport families to Perth if parts of the plane are found. It said the "ongoing multinational search operation will continue as we seek answers to the questions which remain''.

Bearer of bad news ... Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak during his press conference. Picture: Joshua Paul/AP Source: AP

THEORY: Was MH370 on a suicide mission?

TOURISM: Has MH370 changed perceptions about Malaysia?

HAND OVER DATA, CHINA TELLS MALAYSIA

China has demanded that Malaysia hand over the satellite data which led to its judgment that missing flight MH370 crashed at sea and that none on board survived.

In a meeting late Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Hangsheng asked Malaysia's Ambassador to China, Iskandar Bin Sarudin, to provide the "detailed evidence'' that led to the conclusion, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

"We demand the Malaysian side to state the detailed evidence that leads them to this judgment as well as supply all the relevant information and evidence about the satellite data analysis,'' Xie said, according to a statement on the ministry's website.

"The search and rescue work cannot stop now, we demand the Malaysian side to continue to finish all the work including search and rescue,'' Xie said.

Grief and anger ... a relative of one of the Chinese passengers reacts after being told of the latest news. Picture: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan Source: AP

END OF UNCERTAINTY

The news ends weeks of uncertainty over the fate of the passenger jet, although there is still no clear answer as to how or why the plane went down.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the announcement by the Malaysian PM moved the search to a "new phase".

"It moves it to a stage where we are now investigating an accident," he told reporters in Parliament House.

Mr Truss said "new decisions" will have to be made about the future of operations now and that Malaysia needs to take control of investigations under the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

He admitted "not a lot of progress" was made overnight and given the weather, there will be further setbacks in the search today.

Radar watch ... crew on board an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft search for signs. Picture: Richard Wainwright Source: AP

MASTHEADS REMEMBER VICTIMS

Malaysian newspapers ran striking black front pages on Tuesday in tribute to the victims.

Malaysia's biggest English-language daily, The Star, ran a stark wraparound cover emblazoned with the words "MH370 R.I.P.'' The names of the victims, rendered in small print, made up the letters of the headline.

The New Straits Times' darkened front page showed an aircraft above the words "Goodnight, MH370'' - a reference to the last message from the cockpit, "All right, good night'', before the Malaysia Airlines jet lost contact on March 8.

Malay and Chinese-language papers also ran front pages with black backgrounds, while The Sun, an English-language daily, changed its masthead to black.

The Star said in an editorial that the relatives' "long wait for some form of closure has finally arrived''.

But it called for unsparing efforts to establish the reasons for the crash.

On social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, many Malaysians turned their profile backgrounds black or displayed a plane icon in tribute to the victims.

Waiting out the storm ... the HMAS Success, pictured from an RAAF AP-3C Orion on Monday. Picture: Department of Defence / Leading Seaman Justin Brown Source: AFP

'WE WILL WELCOME FAMILIES': ABBOTT

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said family members of those on board will be embraced if they want to travel to Australia during the search effort.

"This has been a desperately difficult time for thousands and thousands of people right around the globe, particularly in China as well as in Malaysia," the Prime Minister told reporters in Canberra.

"I understand that the loved ones of those on that plane may well wish to come to Australia in coming days and weeks; they will find a welcoming country that is more than willing to embrace them in this very difficult time," he said.

Australia played a key role in identifying the southern Indian Ocean as the most likely crash site.

On March 16, an Australian satellite image picked up what appeared to be debris of about 24 metres in length in the area. A Chinese satellite spotted further debris 120km away two days later.

The confirmation the plane went down came after Prime Minster Tony Abbott announced that two "objects" were located by an RAAF spotter plane. Mr Abbott told Parliament the first object was grey or green and circular and the second was orange and rectangular. Experts believe the orange items could possibly be life rafts.

TIMING: Disaster film shelved

Tough assignment ... a crewmen of an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft looks out from an observation window. Picture: Richard Wainwright/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

22.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thief smashes Clancy’s prized fishtank

The smashed fishtank at Clancy's Fish Pub in Fremantle. Picture by venue manager Justin Rogan. Source: Supplied

Staff at Clancy's Fish Pub, Fremantle, say they are disgusted by the senseless attack. Source: News Limited

STAFF at iconic Fremantle fish pub Clancy's are disgusted after a thief broke in and smashed open a prized fish tank, leaving tropical species to die.

Tom Fisher, whose family opened the first of four Clancy's Fish Pubs 26 years ago, says a burglar broke in and stole a large quantity of alcohol before smashing open the display fish tank.

"A couple of the bigger fish were still gasping when they got there and we're trying to get them out to a staff member's fish tank as soon as possible to see if they will survive," Mr Fisher told PerthNow today.

"(It's) a bit sad really. We do a lot of things to make it a lot nicer for families to go out to pubs, which not all pubs do, and its just a bit of a blow," he said.

"We've had many break-ins over the years but generally they're sort of quick, people grabbing some booze and getting out of there, nothing this malicious.

"It just seems completely pointless why he'd just break in just to do that."

Mr Fisher said despite the incident, which happened some time between lock-up at 2am and when cleaners arrived at 7am, the venue would continue to operate as usual today.

Anyone with information is urged to contact CrimeStoppers.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spectacular storm caught on film

Lightning over Roleystone at 12.30pm last night. Picture Lu Lu Birch Source: Supplied

Lightning in the suburb of Harrisdale. Picture: Chris Williams Source: Supplied

NIGHT owls in Perth's outer suburbs have captured a lightning storm that flashed across the city.

Residents captured stunning photographs of the storm as it moved across the city's southern suburbs.

A Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said the storm was suspected to have sparked a fire in the backyard of an Orelia home, but otherwise there were no incidents.

PerthNow reader Chris Williams' caught a colourful image from outside his Harrisdale home, while Roleystone resident Lu Lu Birch's shot shows the storm lighting up the sky about 12.30pm.

"I am normally very frightened of storms; however last night was spectacular,'' she said.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Father charged with the murder of 25-year-old son

Crime scene: police at the Midland unit where a 25-year-old man's body was found. Source: PerthNow

MAJOR Crime Squad detectives have charged a 60-year-old Midland man with the murder of his paraplegic son.

Tyron Paul Honeywood, 25, had been living at home with his father at the time.

Police were called to the Cope Street unit around 8am on Friday after Mr Honeywood's body was discovered.

About 20 police officers, including detectives and forensics officers, examined the unit.

They refused to confirm reports of neighbours who told PerthNow that they heard a man screaming and the sound of someone jumping their backyard fence about 2am.

The father will appear before the Perth Magistrates Court on Monday.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fifth motorcyclist killed on WA roads

Paramedics could not save a motorcyclist who was hit by a car near Albany. File picture. Source: News Limited

A 41-YEAR-OLD man has become the fifth motorcyclist in six days to lose their life after a horrific spate of road crashes.

The motorcyclist was hit by a driver on Albany Highway, at the Rocky Crossing Road intersection, about 12.05am in Warrenup, near Albany.

The fatal crash brought to nine the number of road deaths this week, with five riders, three people in cars and a cyclist losing their lives.

A 21-year-old man, from the Albany suburb of Redmond, has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, exceeding 0.05 and no authority to drive.

The man will appear in Albany Magistrates Court on April 10.

In another fatal accident yesterday, a 62-year-old woman lost her life after being injured in a crash in Halls Creek.

The woman was a passenger in a Toyota Landcruiser when the 45-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle and drove into a ditch off Duncan Road about 11.50am yesterday.

A WA Police spokeswoman said 15 people between the ages of three and 70 were in the car at the time of the crash. none were wearing seatbelts.

The woman was taken to Halls Creek hospital but died yesterday afternoon.

The fatal accidents bring WA's road toll to 37 this year.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dogs revival cops reality check

The Bulldogs were smashed by 65 points. Source: News Corp Australia

THE Western Bulldogs' ambitions for a strong revival in 2014 received a reality check as a hungry and polished West Coast opened the season in style.

Missing skipper Ryan Griffen, the Bulldogs were beaten at their own contested game as they were belted by 65 points at Patersons Stadium.

Essendon recruit Stewart Crameri kicked two goals but couldn't provide the strong focal point the Bulldogs need him to be, finding most of his ball away from dangerous areas in his first appearance for his new club.

LIVE HQ: EVERY SUPERCOACH SCORE AND STAT FROM THE MATCH

Shaun Higgins, making his latest comeback from injury, provided better news with an encouraging return.

Robert Murphy and Lachie Hunter of the Bulldogs celebrate a goal in Murphy's 250th match. Source: Getty Images

Finishing with 23 touches and two goals, Higgins played on after requiring treatment late in the second term when he copped a knee to the head from a flying Nic Naitanui.

Youngster Jack Macrae also stood up, finishing with 31 possessions and two goals.

All-Australian ruckman Will Minson was overwhelmed by the Eagles' formidable three-pronged ruck battery, with Naitanui, Dean Cox and Callum Sinclair all complementing their on-ball work with time in attack.

Jack Darling of the Eagles is congratulated after kicking a goal. Source: Getty Images

For a Bulldogs outfit that under Brendan McCartney likes to hang its hat on a quality in-and-under game, there was a sorry set of numbers to underpin the match-defining 39-point deficit at the major break.

The Eagles smashed the Bulldogs 89-64 in the contested possession count in the first half, with clearance star Tom Liberatore kept on a tight leash by Scott Selwood and Matt Priddis.

Liberatore was held to just nine touches in the first half as a deep West Coast midfield rotation assumed control.

He battled on strongly in the second half as the Bulldogs rejigged their on-ball set-up but the damage had been done.

The visitors so often attempted to handball their way out of trouble when confronted by an effective Eagles zone.

Eagle Sharrod Wellingham is caught by Jason Johannisen. Source: News Corp Australia

The Dogs had 24 more handballs than kicks for the opening half as they struggled to penetrate, with just four scoring shots a miserable return.

Robert Murphy got a couple of consolation goals to mark his 250th match after moving forward in the second half, but it failed to stem the bleeding as the relentless Eagles continued to extend the margin.

The biggest ovation for the evening was reserved for departed Eagles icon John Worsfold, who completed an emotional lap of honour at half-time to mark the end of his 24 years at the club as a player and coach.

The future looks bright under rookie coach Adam Simpson, who maintained the tradition of all of his predecessors at the club by winning his first game in charge.

West Coast's towering forward set-up should continue to provide plenty of match-up headaches, and while some of the big men didn't make it count, the midfielders hit the scoreboard to complement Mark LeCras' five-goal haul.

Eagles coach Adam Simpson addresses the team. Source: News Corp Australia

Luke Shuey's second goal, a stunning volley out of mid air from the top of the goal square in the third quarter, provided the exclamation mark as the Eagles ensured a marathon opening round ended the way it started - with a WA team making a statement.

BEST

Eagles: LeCras, Cox, Rosa, Mackenzie, Priddis, Selwood, Darling.

Bulldogs: Macrae, Morris, Murphy, Boyd, Liberatore, Dahlhaus.

VOTES

3- LeCras

2- Cox

1- Rosa

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More